Bean Books

I loved everything about this book. The episodic plot. The population of characters. The brilliant writing. I agree with another reviewer that it has something in common with the Grapes of Wrath.

I did find it amusing reading the critique, here, from one of Chute's friends. I truly don't believe Chute would categorize her book that way at all. I see it as an extremely well written portrait of a class of society; written without one iota of prejudice pro or con; written without any moralizing or any higher purpose than story itself. It succeeds because of those things.

I think it would of been better served published as non-fiction. If Carolyn Chute had taking the subject to the next level. It's too real for fiction. And that cover is deceptive as all get out!

Don't be deceived by the cover. This is a story about abusive, ignorant-beyond-belief, incestuous white trash. It's gross. It's sad. It's embarrassing. I didn't find it funny or see any dignity, truth, honor, respect, love or honesty as others did. Not in the characters in the book anyway. Carolyn Chute for writing about them, yes. You want to cry for the children and slap some sense into the women. The human animal at it's cruelest.

I knew a Mexican woman, heroin addict/dealer. She lived in a filthy dive motel with her 2 year old son and white husband. I remember seeing her 8 months pregnant, big as a barn, slamming heroin in the kitchen with her 2 y/o hanging off her leg watching, complaining about how when she gave birth the hospital would keep the baby in order to detox it. She didn't like that. The nerve of anyone messing with HER baby. I almost threw up watching all this. It still and always will make me sick inside. The next morning I went to the Methadone clinic and never looked back. This book brought all that back.

Personally I think men and women like that, some how some way, should be surgical sterilized.

I wonder if I should be even thinking of reviewing this book, given that I have had the very good fortune of being friends with the author for over 20 years now -- we met before "Beans" was published.

However, I also feel that somebody out there should understand that this is a wonderful, honest, painful, loving, remarkable book. Carolyn writes about things she knows, and then gets very up close and personal about it.

This book is an attempt to show those who have never known [or even seen] the lives of people some would term "unfortunate" and others simply disdain, and to show that THESE PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. Being poor does not mean that one cannot live with dignity, or honesty, or humor. Being poor does mean that these people are often forced to live in a society that demeans them, insults them, and often forces them into places where they are regarded as nothing but yesterday's garbage.

Let there be no mistake; The Beans are with us, and are not about to go away anytime soon, nor should they. If we have eyes to read and lips to read aloud the story of The Beans, we just might realize that they have much to teach us about truth, honor, respect, and love.

I understand that many people will not understand how on earth I can make this statement because I understand that many people prefer to look for the tawdry and speciousness in environments that they find uncomfortable or even unbelievable.

But this is above all a book of hope. It shows us that everyone lives a life of worth and influence, even if at times some of these "everyones" live lives that are in large part cruel and uncaring. And in that is the challenge of this book; to look below the surface and to see that all of us are part of the Bean family, and that we should value that relationship.

This book is an amazing literary achievement, and this is a statement that I never make lightly -- even if the author happens to be a friend. So read it and try to let its power and honesty confer those qualities in abundance in your lives. You may not find them in your first reading of the book, but trust me -- they're there.

I first read this book years ago on recommendation of a friend. This is a powerful story about "white trash" America, with characters that jump off the page and come to life. To this day I still recommend Chute's book to friends who love to read. Every last one of them has come back and told me how much they enjoyed it. Beans of Egypt Maine is gritty, it's uncomfortable, it's amusing, and it's realistic. This is a damn fine novel.

Carolyn Chute has fictionalized a small Maine town to produce a tale of heartbreak, rage, and even humor. The book is not a series of short stories, but a novel about the rural poor, people who have been forgotten by mainstream America. The prose is simple but definitely not naive. People who believe in a mythical rural heartland, where the barns are painted red and people enjoy the "simple life," will be shocked by this book.

I ... can't begin to form an opinion on Thomas the Rhymer. That's the strangest thing for one such as myself, who never knows how to shut up. Lest I set someone running from this book, first I say that, yes, I absolutely did like it. It's a complicated story and, as in life, no real answers are posed - only questions. This one might take me a while to sort out, though it took only a day to read.

The story itself is a retelling of the legend of Thomas the Rhymer, of which - I admit - I have never heard before, so I can't make comparisons there. Ms. Kushner's tone here is stylized in the way of vocal folklore - fit for a ballad or a grandfather's telling my a crackling fire. Though the story is a first-person account coming, at various times, from four different characters, the understanding is still that it was, not is. 'And there I've gone, and this I've seen, and so it was' and such like. This does not make for the easiest personal connection to a story, but there's a point in the method of telling, too - it strips the story of flourish, leaving only the bare-bones plot. Which, in this case, requires no help and carries itself gracefully as any story I've ever read. This book is definitely as experience - eerie, fascinating, addictive. I highly recommend it.

I am a lover of all things Faerie. I have put alot of time and research into the world of Faerie because I am a Faerie artist. This book is the best description of the Faerie realm that I have ever read. It is "fantastical" and imaginative and wonderful. For those who are deeply interested in the world of Faerie, it is highly recommended. For those with no love of fantasy, don't bother.

The story is what it is. A legend, taken from an old poem; and yes it may be anticlimactic. But if you read it, read it for the creative imagination that went into it. Read it for a true glimpse of the Faerie world.

I treasure this book and have read it many times over.

it is no problem to admit that i heartily envy ms kushner writing skill: she is a wondrous writer, she handles her language with a subtlety unheard of and still she manages to avoid any overwriting, any mannerism.

the story itself, though, is not great: some reviewers say it is true to the legend: should it be really so, then the problem might lie in the original plot.

be it as it may, characterization is dull, except for the elderly couple, and elfland is lushiously boring, the queen being the worst of all.

the verses included are enjoyable.

In this fascinating book, acclaimed author Ellen Kushner takes the old legends of Thomas of Erceldoune (a.k.a. True Thomas the seer and Thomas the Rhymer), and retells them in a fascinating, thoroughly modern style. This is the tale of a bard of no small talent who find himself the object of the Queen of Elfland's desire. Whisked off to the land of Fairy for seven years, he must unravel a mysterious riddle and save an immortal soul. And when he returns to the land of the living, will he be the same man he was, can he be?

This is a fascinating, and thoroughly enjoyable story. The author does an excellent job of keeping the flavor and substance of the old stories, while at the same time updating them and making them a treat for the modern reader. Indeed, I was often struck by how much the story rang true to the old folktales I have studied throughout my life. So, if you are a fan of stories of Fairy and the Lords and Ladies, or simply enjoy a good (excellent) fantasy story, then I highly recommend this book to you. You won't be disappointed!

This is not a book to read if you're seeking a stirring adventure. Thomas does go on a long, strange trip, but the focus is as much on how his life impacts the people important to him as it is on his experiences in Elfland. Kushner's decision to write only Thomas's Elfland experiences in his own voice, then, is a clever one. Also, seeing Thomas before and after his journey through the eyes of others reveals the extent of the change in him more thoroughly than if we remained in his head.

Kushner does an excellent job of giving each of the four narrators a distinct perspective, a difficult thing to do. And because they see different things in each other and percieve their relationships with one another differently, there's the opportunity to ponder how it is we get along in the world when we all have disparate visions of reality. This is a marvelously subtle way to question whether True Thomas can ever wholly tell the truth. Is the truth absolute, or is it changeable depending on individual understanding? This question lingers long after the book is shut.

So why did I give Thomas the Rhymer only three stars? Well, for all the lovely writing and thoughtful structure, it left me cold. For one, the Faery Queen who is the heart of all this trouble and change seemed to me little more than a blowup doll. She laid a couple of spells on Thomas, but mostly all they did was copulate, and I needed either for her to be more interesting or to feel more of why Thomas was infatuated with her. (Because of the distance I felt from her, also, the ending of the book was less moving for me than it should have been.) Apart from that, I felt Kushner passed over a great opportunity to explore what the effects of Thomas's truth-saying might be. There was some of that, certainly, in the final section of the book, but much was made of the gift of truth-telling in Faery (and whether it was a gift at all), and then very little was done with it.

Reading this book is a gamble. It has its virtues, and if you think you'll enjoy piecing together a larger meaning based on the fragments of story and varying points of view, you'll probably enjoy it well enough. However, if you want a story that swallows you whole and spits you out at the end with no respite to sit back and intellectualize, this may not be for you.

I sure came away from reading this book with a clearer picture of what it's like on the set of television game shows. Ms. Farmer knows what she is writing about in this crazy world. Madeline finds herself working as a writer on a temporary gig for a culinary game show. As much as she is enjoying this new experience, inexplicable things keep happening. One of the writers has disappeared, people keep leaving the show, her and Holly find a secret room, and people are dying inexpicably around Las Angelos on a certain day of the week. Madeline needs to find out whether or not all these things are connected. The linking thread among all these strange happens is a tenuous one at best, but she manages to figure it out. This is another strong entry in a strong series. I love reading to find out what Madeline and her friends are getting up to.

So far I've only read this and The Flaming Luau of Death, but I have to say that I'm eager to read whatever Jerrilyn Farmer writes. Her books are carefully plotted with just enough whimsy and unexpected twists to make a wonderful read. The characters are nicely drawn and all in all, highly recommended.

To get the full enjoyment from this book, you should really start at the beginning of the series with Sympathy for the Devil, and read the books in order. Maddie's life of food and friends will make more sense when you know its history.

I can't wait for the next book to come out, but I hope that if Honnett is out of the picture, that someone intelligent steps in since I preferred reading about Maddie's relationship with Honnett more than her one with Arlo.

Hollywood caterer Madeline Bean is looking for a temporary job to tide her over during a lull in her event planning schedule. It seems like a stroke of good luck when Maddie's friend Greta Greene practically begs her to take over as the head writer on the nation's No. 1 culinary game show "Food Freak". The staff of the show thought the show had wrapped for the year, but suddenly the producers have decided to add one last special show to top off the season. The show's head writer, Tim Stock, is nowhere to be found. Gleefully, Maddie learns about writing for the culinary game show and is even given TIm's office to use as her own. However, Maddie's new job quickly becomes complicated when her office is looted, with books, files, and scripts spread everywhere. After the office is ransacked, the final episode must be rescheduled and a new script written. Meanwhile, Maddie and the entire staff becomes more and more concerned as the days turn into weeks, still with no word from missing writer Tim Stock. The plot in this story is a real page-turner, and was a thoroughly enjoyable mystery.

"Mumbo Gumbo" includes a lot of interesting Hollywood studio history, as well as details involved in producing a reality TV show. Each Madeline Bean mystery is set in a different "world" of Hollywood, which helps make each book in the series so fresh. Ms. Farmer does a good job of developing the supporting characters in the story, most of whom are staffers on the game show. Madeline and her friend Holly slways seen to have a sassy comeback. The hilarious dialogue in this book rivals a Stephanie Plum movel. Particularly hysterical are Maddie and Holly's "men troubles". Maddie is trying to make sense of her on-again, off-again relationship with LA policeman Chuck Honnett.

Whether you are an old friend of the Madeline Bean series or not, I highly recommend this fun mystery.

This amusing and absorbing mystery is also well-plotted. I wish the author would have her Madeline Bean character go to work full-time as a television writer, because the setting lends itself to comedy.

Madeline -- who owns a catering company whose business has been suffering in the post 9-11 environment -- accepts a temporary position writing for a hit television game show (based on cooking). The lead writer has mysteriously disappeared and they have been asked by the network to do one more episode. Madeline doesn't set out to try to find the missing writer, but things start happening that force her hand -- like getting attacked. She becomes convinced that there's something very wrong going on in the game show offices or among the game show staff. But which of this bizarre group of characters holds the key to the mystery? Is one of her coworkers a killer, responsible for the missing writer's death? Is the missing writer dead or in hiding or kidnapped or just off on a bender or vacation? And what does the ominous comment about Monica and Heidi dying that Mad finds on written on a post-it mean -- who are these women and are they really in danger?

This is the kind of book you can hardly wait to get back to -- Farmer creates a workplace that's funny but believable, and you get some idea of what lies behind game shows (Farmer herself was a writer for Jeopardy). I highly recommend this book.

Things get very interesting in 'Reckless'...More drama, scandal, parties! If you want to keep reading the 'It Girl' series, this one is worth the read. Some new characters pop up. This book is more of a guilty pleasure more than anything, a continuation from the previous 2 books. The storyline isn't perfect, sometimes it gets a little redundant like the 1st and 2nd book, but it keeps you reading and leaves you wanting more.

Jenny Humphrey has had nothing but boys chasing after her since she began attending Waverly Academy. Namely, the three hottest guys on campus! And one of them happens to be her current boyfriend, the sexy-manly-artist Easy Walsh.

Who just happens to be her roommate, Callie's, ex-boyfriend, who still likes him.

And with gossip like that, Tinsley had to start drama and tell Callie. So the two roommates have done nothing but ignore and avoid each other for a long time. But Easy does something not good behind Jenny's back.

What does he do? Will Callie and Jenny ever be friends? What stunt will Tinsley pull next? Well, you are just going to have to read this book to find out!

With every new IT GIRL book I read, I love Jenny a little more, and hate Tinsley a little more. Mrs. von Ziegesar has created characters that will keep you on your toes, and dying to know what will happen next!

Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

The other two books have been disapointing on how things turn out. Though they are still both very good books, I like this one the best. I like better endings rather than bitter and based on that fact I naturally loved reading this book! I couldnt put it down.

With the book previous to "Reckless", Zeigesar published it later than the due date. And it was a great book. However, this one came out a little earlier and i did not get the satisfaction that i got with the previous 2. the tone of the book made me feel that she rushed into stores and did not pay attention to the quality like she did for "The it girl" or "Notorious". Hopefully, the next book,"Unforgettable", she gave hersself enough time to meet her release date and give the book the quality that any book deserves.Even though "Reckless" was an okay book and left me disappointed, i will continue to follow the series.

This book is amazing! In my opinion it's the best in the series. Alot of the characters secrets were revealed in this book which leaves youwanting more. In the first book I had a bad feeling about Easy Walsh. In book 2 I still wasn't sure but I did like him more then I did in the 1st. Then in this one I realized my felling was correct! He turned out to be a total (to put it nicely) jerk!! I won't tell you why but I'm pretty mad about. I like Jenny, she's a tie for my favorite character with Callie and what he does to both of them will make you have the same exact feeling I do. I can't wait for Unforgettable. YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!!!! Remember that. TA!

This is the first book I have read by Kane. I liked it. I thought it was well written,and had an interesting story line. I expected it to be predictable, but I was wrong.

I did think the ending was a little on the anticlimactic side. Given the in depth writing style and story line, when the main character took action, it seemed kind of abrupt. The book was a little longer than necessary, but overall a good story and worth reading.

I read this book in one sitting and I loved it, very much a thiller with some romance, for former FBI SA Solane Burbank. She reconnects with her former lover SA Derek Parker. Slone suffered a life threating injury in the life of duty and and left her job to recuperate, she also left Derek as well. Of course when two people don't communicate, each thinks the worst of each other. Sloane is looking for one of closest childhood friends and she and Derek end up working together. This ends up opening up many wounds for both of them. Along the way, many women disapper and one women is murdered, there are a lot of twists and turns in this book and it may be that Sloane is the killers twisted target.

A fast paced thiller, one I enjoyed. My first book by this author, but I will search out more titles to read by her.

This is the first in a new series and is set in the exciting and fast-paced city of New York. Kane has always developed strong, smart characters and with Twisted she introduces Sloan Burbank. She is a former FBI Agent who was injured in Cleveland so is now retired. She is going through surgery after surgery along with therapy to repair her hand. She wants it fixed so she can return to the FBI.

Meanwhile she keeps herself busy running her own consulting business. She gets a message from the mother of an old friend - Penny Truman - that tells her she is missing. The family is asking for her help in finding out what happened to her since the police aren't working the case anymore. She cares about the victim so she starts investigating.

The suspense and romance starts when she pairs up with former lover Derek Parker. Mystery and urgency quickly arises, because more girls also disappear all having connections to Sloan, so she is more determined to fine the sociopath killer. The book finishes with a great climax, leaving you filled with excitement for the next in this series.

The parents of an old friend ask ex-FBI agent, now private consultant Sloane Burbank if she would look into the disappearance of their daughter Penny, who has been missing for almost a year. Sloane, who is taking time off from the FBI because she was wounded on duty, isn't ready to go back to work, but she throws herself headlong into the case and even though the leads are thin, Sloane soon becomes convinced Penny didn't disappear willingly. Then she finds out about more young women who have disappeared.

Sloane gets the FBI interested, but the special agent they put in charge is her ex-lover Derek Parker and to make matters worse it looks like the madman responsible might have Sloane in his sights. In fact, it appears all of the missing women have a connection somehow to Sloane. Can she unravel it all in time? Probably, because she is a highly trained person who is in perfect shape and can kill with her bare hands. Sloane is a heroine you can sink your teeth into, as is this fine thriller.

This was my first book by Andrea Kane, but it won't be my last. The pace was quick, the characters believable in a fun sort of way, especially Sloane, who I sort of imagined as a kind of a female Jason Bourne without the memory loss. She's rawhide tough, whip cracking smart and somehow vulnerable as well. Time spent with Ms. Kanes's Slone Burbank is time you're going to enjoy.

Former FBI hostage negotiator Sloane Burbank is taking time off from a debilitating injury when she's hired by a childhood friend's parents to locate their missing daughter Penny, who disappeared without a trace over a year ago baffling police and the FBI. When she seeks help from the local FBI, her former lover, Derek Parker is angry at being pulled off what he considers a more important case involving the Chinese mafia to babysit a PI who is tracking down a trail of clues that are now very cold. When clues start leading to a series of murders that seemingly tie to Sloane, they have to wonder who the ultimate victim is.

Kane's latest thriller includes some exhaustive research and a pretty ingenious MO for the killer (he is fascinated with Greek Goddesses and longs to create his own set of them). The romance is somewhat left on the backburner compared to some of Kane's other novels, but she manages to create a lot of tension between her two leads that leaps off the pages. With an engaging plot, and non-stop action, this is one hard story to put down.

Sometimes it is the simple plot that grabs you the most effectively. I love complex ideas in novels, ones that present challenging twists and turns that keep you thinking and keeping track of the who, what, when and where. It's difficult, however, to beat a simple, direct idea that is so sharply focused with laser intensity that it burns itself into your brain so deeply that you can't get it out of your head. That is what one encounters with Marcus Sakey's new book.

GOOD PEOPLE has a simple enough premise. Four bad guys --- Jack, Bobby, Marshall and Will --- are involved in a robbery that quickly goes bad. Bobby winds up dead, and Will cuts out on his partners with the money. Will subsequently overdoses on drugs and dies in his rented duplex. His landlords, Tom and Anna Reed, find his lifeless body and discover the money. They keep it. And all hell breaks loose.

Let's start with Tom and Anna. You know them. You may even be them. They are overextended, up to their eyeballs in debt and barely hanging on, and undergoing extensive fertility treatments that have failed four times and make sex an obligation rather than a recreation. Sakey nails them so well, so painfully, that you almost feel like an intruder in their lives. When they find the money --- and the method by which this occurs is worth the price of admission all by itself --- it's like manna from heaven.

And the way the Reeds convince themselves that no one will ever know is note for note pitch-perfect. They report Will's death to the police but don't let on about the money, following the old theory that telling just enough of the truth will keep them safe. They pay off their debts, try another baby-making round, and still have plenty of benjamins left over.

There is only one problem. Someone does know about the money. Jack and Marshall are still out there, and both of them --- especially Jack --- are seething over what was done. They are looking for Will, turning over every rock they can to find him. And when Tom and Anna get a bit of unwelcome publicity about the gruesome discovery of the dead body on their property, Jack quickly figures out that while Will may be gone, the money isn't and that, in all probability, Tom and Anna have it. Jack wants the cash but is also looking to vent all of this serious anger he has over what happened. Tom and Anna are as good a target as any.

All of this would be more than enough to land GOOD PEOPLE on the top of your "must read" pile. But what is really striking is the manner in which Sakey documents step by step the Reeds' slow slide into disaster. One minute they're like Uncle Scrooge, rolling around in their money yelling "Wheee!" The next minute, not so much. By the time they realize that maybe they should get straight with the police (or with Jack, or with somebody) and turn the money in, it's way too late. And it doesn't take too long to get to "way too late." But even more than this, the book raises some subtle questions about greed and, more importantly, appreciating those blessings that one has --- and how easy it is to lose it all.

GOOD PEOPLE is a great story, well told on its own terms, but it is also beneath its surface a brilliant cautionary tale that will quietly resonate with you for some time after you finish reading. It is simply not to be missed.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

I flew through this book in no time. It was the first I had read by this author and it is addictive from the first page. However, I just read his first novel, "The Blade Itself" and lo and behold it is the exact same formula. I could not believe it. If I had not read these books back to back, I may have missed this as I tend to forget what I have read over a period of time as I read so many books. The characters are different, but the plot line is the same. He did this already with his first novel and now with his third. I have not read the book in the middle yet and have to wonder what it is like. A very entertaining book, I was just disappointed to notice this and have to question what his next novel will be like. This obviously takes away some of the originality.

"This book as absolutely awesome. It's fast-paced, believable, and absolutely riveting.

It's about an ordinary couple who find $400K in a very believable way. They decide to keep it. They make a few mistakes, just like any normal person.

Turns out the money is from a robbery, so they have some robbers & drug dealers after them. They have no idea what to do or how to handle it. Would you?

That's what makes this book so great. There are no super cops or gunslinging FBI agents. It's just a normal couple who got themselves in a bad situation.

Read this book. Recommend it to friends! It is awesome!"

Tom and Anna Reed are the "good people" of the title. They are going about their lives, frustratingly trying to start a family by any means possible, but so far unsuccessfully, despite infertility treatments and four failed in vitro procedures, leaving them grimly unhappy and heavily in debt.

Jack Witkowski, his brother Bobby, and their buddies Will and Marshall are the bad guys, petty and not-so-petty criminals who pull off an unexpectedly big score. Their lives intersect with that of the Reeds when the latter accidentally but fatefully stumble upon the nearly $400,000 cache of stolen money. The Reeds think to themselves: "It's not your money. It would be wrong." Then "Whose money is it? Why not mine? Why is it wrong?"
Uncertain what to do, but desperate and out of their depth, they think "If they went to the police, they risked everything. If they didn't, they risked their lives."

The detective who first investigates the crime, Chris Halden, sees solving it as a huge feather in his cap and boost to his career. "And all he had to do to get there was bring in a drug dealer . . . , four hundred grand in stolen cash, and two civilians dumb enough to try to keep it."

My stomach muscles clenched as the run-up proceeds to the inevitable confrontation. The pages are filled with nerve-tingling suspense, as should be expected from the man whose book last year, "The Blade Itself," was equally taut and well-written. It must be something in the waters of Lake Michigan and its environs, but we have read some wonderful novels by Chicago authors of late, e.g., Sean Chercover, Libby Fischer Hellmann, and Michael Harvey, and to that list must be added this extraordinary writer, Marcus Sakey.

I found myself torn between being unable to stop reading, mingled with anxiety at what would happen on the next page. Ultimately, it was no contest: I could not put this book down. Highly recommended.

Marcus Sakey's third book grabs the reader and holds on for the ride. He brings out weaknesses many have underlying. Who wouldn't want to find that pot of gold? The trouble, it's not a legitimate jackpot, but no one knows, do they?

Pretty much along the lines of Sam Walton's bio... contains some interesting bits of history, but for the most part it's a "sell job" on what a great company L.L. Bean founded. The only real significant information gleaned from the book was about Bean's "unconditional" guarantee. However, I did not need to spend the cost of a book to find out what they could easily include in the many catalogs they mail out each year. I expected to read a biography of Bean himself and instead was treated to a study of corporate growth and how it was achieved. One can easily read the entire book in less than 2 hours! In the overall, it was dull.

Although the narrative sometimes gets a little disjointed, overall this is a readable and interesting account of the making of a great American outfitter and brand name. Gorman is quite frank in presenting the difficulties, conflicts, and internal growing pains that led to the company's strong market presence in the fickle retail world of the new millenium. He is honest about his own limitations and contributions, and how much he had to learn in order to grow into the job. For example, he discusses in detail how difficult it was for the company to change from being exclusively mail order to the retail store business, which just hadn't been their thing up till then, and many people were opposed to the idea. Many departments of the company, from marketing, warehousing, inventory control, product design, and management, were required to "raise the bar" and become far more systematic and professional in their approach, rather than operating like a small-town, family-owned business as it had up till then. But one of the great strengths of the company is that they managed to do this without sacrificing many of those values. Overall, a fine acount of how a great little company survived their growing pains into a much bigger enterprise without sacrificing body and soul to do it.

My Grandfather was an Adirondack Hunting/Fishing guide during the 1930s and 1940s. He had many items in his inventory that came from L.L. Bean. Being curious, I went to Freeport, Maine to visit the store. I was surprised to be there at a book signing. The signing was for "The Making of and American Icon" written by Leon Gorman. I was honored to meet this unbelievable person as well as his wife. Mr. Gorman signed my copy, listened to my short story and off I went. It was a great experience! This book is written very well with a great story to tell. If you're at all interested in L.L. Bean and the business' evolution, this is a book for you. Loads of great history and personal accounts from the people who actually worked and lived the history. Very well written. I'm keeping this one as an heirloom.

Following military service, the author, grandson of L.L. Bean, (the company's founder), was advised by the placement office at his alma mater, Bowdoin College, to seek employment at L.L. Bean in Freeport. Leon Gorman noticed that in comparison to the catalogs of the thirties, where copy was written by L.L., the catalog in 1959 was a hodgepodge.
In 1960 L.L. Bean was about ninety and responsible for decisionmaking, but not capable of conducting the business. There were no systems of manufacture or sales. Work in the core business had virtually stopped in wartime when manufacturing was devoted to turning out goods for the government. Resumption of the core business had been feeble in execution. Response to customer orders was slow. There were arguments with customers. Employees were ill-paid, but the establishment was known as a good place to work. (There was a bonus plan.) There was no pension plan. Many people filling critical positions were elderly. The author's father had worked for the company.

Interestingly, during an era of vigorous leadership by the founder, the thirties, the company did well. By the 1960's his vision of the company was failing and there was no succession planning. Two secretaries oversaw order entry and mailing list tasks, in one instance, and advertising and catalog preparation, in the other instance. They consulted the founder and his demoralized son Carl only when necessary and then pushed and cajoled the men into making decisions in order to have things run smoothly. Wid Griffin, a third key employee, was particularly useful when sales increased during the Christmas season, (twenty-five percent of the annual business was done then in one month). Leon Gorman, the author, had a favorite competing company, Abercrombie and Fitch. It had high-quality credentials. A less desirable aspect was its elitism. Leon added items to the catalog by subterfuge, using the new items first in circulars. Following the deaths of his grandfather and uncle, Leon was named President of the company in 1967.

In the 1970's L.L. Bean mailed more catalogs than its competitors. Heavy inventories were maintained to support service levels. It was becoming a clothing-driven company. Leon's leadership training had been acquired from the Boy Scouts and the Navy. The challenge was to maintain old-fashioned values in a rapid growth environment. Leon Gorman's professional managers at Bean included John Findlay, Bill End, Norm Poole. L.L. Bean became fashionable for a time. The fashion wave crested in 1983. Growth stalled. Then the company grew by twenty percent in 1985! Specialty catalogs were added. In 1989 there was a fall-off in sales. The company was following a 'best' strategy which was costly in terms of return on investment. It was ringed by competitors copying its successes. There was a dichotomy between the active outdoor sphere, the area of the brand, and casual apparel, place of the greater number of sales. The managers sought to meet the conflicting demands articulated by the directors.

In the early 1990's some of the leaders resigned to be replaced by people up from the ranks or drawn from the outside. A scheme termed Total Quality was pursued for more than six years. In 1995 the L.L. Bean Japanese business collapsed, suddenly, and there was an actual over-all decline experienced from 1996 to 1998. Consultants discovered that within the company at the higher levels of management there existed self-censorship and conflict-avoidance behaviors. Chris McCormick became President of L.L. Bean in 2001.

This is a wonderful book, particularly for readers who would love to learn about a business compelled to be both traditional, unchanging, and up-to-date to maintain the interest of its loyal customers.

I bought this book during one of the several trips my family and I take each year to the the flagship store in Freeport, ME. We love the store, their products and the shopping experience at L.L. Bean so I was excited to read this book. I am disappointed to say the least and struggled to get through it. It is a book written by Leon Gorman about himself, which is fine had it been labeled an autobiography, but all I got out of it was him constantly telling me how smart he is and how he alienated several members of his senior management. It wasn't at all what I was expecting and am disappointed.

I must say I was used to more from this author! The story is not bad but it lacks that kind of something we have gotten used to from her.
I liked the way in which their mutual atraction seems to grow and the way in which they fight it (or not, for that matter) but the whole married-but-not-quite-married thing made me roll my eyes. And the reason for which it was done.... LAME!!! 'not to disapoint her father' PLEASE!
In the end, it was enjoyable for a day !

Was this supposed to be a romance? Could have fooled me. Charaters without depth, a lame plot, a total waste of time and money. Very disappointed in this one!

This is one of the best romance books that Sandra Brown has written. I love books about star crossed lovers. This book also gives us a small insight to the world of a deaf child and the family relationships that evolve around them (even though you can't this a normal family).

Soap star and hunk (Drake Rivington) + deaf daughter (Jennifer) + deceased wife/ballerina (Susan) + secrets + pretty "red headed" teacher (Lauri) = romance and love. That's about it. The secret I guessed early on, the romance was a given and the story is ok. You can read it about a day. It is not to heavy or hard to understand...something to take your mind off your troubles.

I know this is one of her earlier books, so keeping that in mind, this is a good story. It is a good old fashioned romance. I really like the introduction of the hearing impaired character. It isn't something common, and added to my interest to learn something.

Lauri Parrish is a teacher for hearing impaired students at a private school in which Drake's daughter Jennifer attends. Drake Rivington is an actor on a very popular daytime drama. When he finds out his daughter needs a home environment to grow, he immediately finds a way to lure Lauri to work for him, and help Jennifer. As Drake divides his time between his acting career and his family, we see his constant struggle to give his best to both worlds.

I learned alot about the hearing impaired community, and appreciated this story. It was heartwarming.

I found that this particular piece was overly depressing. The depth in description of a long, desolate, flat desert is far greater than the typical human brain can endure. Besides being virtually plotless this novel magnifies ethnic struggles in American society to an extreme which disgusts me because I, myself, am a minority. I am a person who does not like to see people in pain. There for, I do not recomend this book.

I am a huge Kingsolver fan and I absolutely loved the Bean Trees and Animal Dreams. However, I felt that this novel was a bit too preachy, especially because of the character of the young Cherokee lawyer. Being a minority myself, I believe she grossly exaggerated the predicament of minorities growing up in America. This entire novel had the feeling of denoument--it seemed to exist merely to tell fans what happened to the beloved main characters of The Bean Trees, nothing more.

I first read Kingsolver's "The Bean Trees" in high school and thought it was wonderful. I've just finished reading "Animal Dreams" and Kingsolver continues to impress me with her portrayal of strong women such as Codi Noline.

Barbara Kingsolver has become one of my all time favorite authors after I accidently happened upon High Tide in Tucson. Since that time, I have purchased and read everything she has published. This collection of books resides on the ledge of my bathtub to be enjoyed when I need to escape. Someday, I hope to have a book signed by Ms. Kingsolver. She has forever changed how I view the world.

Book Review

Pigs in Heaven, by Barbara Kingsolver is a book that will keep its readers attention throughout the story. Each character in the book possesses very unique and unusual characteristics. This allows for an interesting story that keeps you reading. Kingsolver used her writing talents to create characters that have a great influence over its readers. When reading this book I felt that I could relate with the thoughts and actions of certain characters. Thus, this book improves the way its readers think of themselves and of the people around them. I also enjoyed reading Pigs in Heaven because it allows the reader to gain an understanding and appreciation of the Cherokee Nation in Heaven, Oklahoma. Kingsolver explicitly describes the history and culture of the Cherokee tribe in great detail. The reader is introduced to certain members of the tribe and traditional events such as hog fries and stomp dances. Thus, he/she has a sense of feeling "included' within the Cherokee tribe and their customs. Pigs in Heaven deals with the theme of interconnectedness and how one event can create a chain of different events. Each one of these events can significantly effect the lives of many individuals. However I feel that this theme is over exaggerated to the point where the story line actually seems unrealistic. Aside from this, the book is very interesting and I would strongly recommend that it be read. For as you read further into the book you'll notice that Kingsolver attempts to convey important messages while resolving the books conflicts. An example of this is that in order to live a life of happiness you must put the negative aspects of your past behind you. Overall, Pigs in Heaven consists of important lessons to be learned, and it contains valuable components that are forever placed in the minds of its readers.

I absolutely loved this book. It is definitely one of the better Eberron novels. The characters in the book are very interesting. Jeffers is a hilarious atypical half-orc!

I look forward to more Eberron titles from Edward Bolme!

If you like D&D type stories, this one is for you. I liked it, though some of the action seemed a little forced. Overall a good read and am looking forward to the third book in the series.

If you like this book, might I suggest another I've recently come arcoss. The Unsuspecting Mage by Brian S. Pratt. It's another fantasy adventure sure to please. I highly reccomend it.

Edward Bolme's two great strengths in the "Orb of Xoriat" are his ability to make a mundane event turn into a crucial one without the reader realizing it and his eloquent battle descriptions. For instance, when Teron snubs a girl in a tavern, most readers will think nothing of it. Yet that snub turns into a crucial event later in the story, without which the plot would have gone completely differently.

As to the latter, it is obvious that Bolme has had some martial arts training, and this comes out in his descriptions of the way that Teron fights. His hand and foot strikes are believable actions. Often in stories with monks as main characters, the monks are superhuman, always dodging blades and rarely getting slashed. Bolme has disdained that to create believable fight scenes in which the unarmed monk is hurt by those with swords and knives. It is a pleasant change from the superhuman monk, whose lack of damage against armed foes can get rather tiresome.

I would recommend The Orb of Xoriat to anyone looking to enter the Eberron world. It is a good story that deals with themes of trust, duty and feelings of inadequacy. Both Teron and Praxle are flawed characters, but it is the decisions they make that make them good or bad, not events or prophecy. The Orb of Xoriat is a fun adventure novel filled with action and intrigue. Sword and Sorcery fans will enjoy it, and anyone playing Eberron ought to read it to add to the depth of their gaming experience.

See the full review at otter [dot] covblogs [dot] com

Why, oh why must we accept substandard fiction writing just because the book is tied to an RPG? Once in a while an experienced or talented writer will take a crack at it (Weis/Hickman, Salvatore), but for the most part you can find better writing at your local Barnes and Noble writer's workshop. Sadly, The Orb of Xoriat is no exception. I picked it up based on the (mostly) glowing recommendations on this site and was, again, let down by the poor prose and paper-thin characterizations. Since most writers with any talent will undoubtedly write their own material, I suppose it is inevitable that we suffer through the growing pains of new or untaleted hacks. I have nothing against Edward Bolme, perhaps he will one day be a fine writer. This novel, however, shows a clear lack of pacing and depth, with only minimal attention paid to characterization. I cannot recommend it. If you would like to read game-related fiction written by those with a spark of talent, check out the early Dragonlance Chronicles by Weis and Hickman (but avoid most of the subsequent novels by other writers). You may also enjoy the early Drizzt books by Bob Salvatore, if you can bear your sword and sorcery with a heaping dose of angst.

The second book in the Eberron War-Torn series is "The Orb of Xoriat" by Edward Bolme. I must say I have enjoyed Keith Baker's novels thus far set in Eberron, but most other authors seem to lack the understanding of what Eberron is about. I would have to say that Edward Bolme's novel would also fall into this category. The plus side is it is a very well-written fantasy/adventure/suspense novel set in a fantasy world that no non-Eberron afficionado should feel intimidated by. The minus side if those fans who truly love Eberron will find it to be somewhat lacking certain elements that make up the world.

The main premise of the novel will probably leave many fantasy readers jaundiced from such an overused plot: ancient artifact (from the Daelkyr Wars) that is all-powerful and probably all-evil, as well. In that sense, the orb does have some Lovecraft-ian elements to it.

-MINOR SPOILERS FOLLOW -

The book's central character is Teron, a monk from an Aundarian order of The Soverign Host, who has out-lived his usefulness in a time when Khorvaire is trying to move into a time of post-war peace. His usefulness as a human killing instrument is outdated, and his existence is a painful reminder of a time most everyone would just soon forget. In some ways, Teron represents a physical manifestation of the orb, an ancient artifact of destruction long lay hidden within Teron's monastery that leads to a pathway of other planes, and madness. And, as usual, if properly (or improperly used), the orb (a.k.a. the Thrane Sphere) may grant its user not only madness but also unlimited power.

The trek is begun when three groups collide: Teron's monastery and his holy order, a gnome and his half-orc bodyguard from the library at Korranberg, and a group of Cyrans who see the orb as a tool to help regain their lost kingdom. The chase leads from the Crying Fields to the Lightning Rail, to various towns along the way, and ultimately to within Thrane itself, which holds ancient documents in its library to help unlock the secrets of the orb. Teron finds he must join forces with the tricky and deceitful gnome from Zilargo and his bodyguard to try and regain the orb from the Cyran underground (since that is all that remains of Cyran society). Along the way there are some interesting encounters, and the fight scenes are particularly well written. Political intrigue is another adjective that would describe this story, so in that sense there is some Eberron element to the plot.

Some may argue the ending of the book is too open-ended. This may have been deliberate on the part of Bolme, but regardless, I found it satisfying enough. Some readers who like their endings neatly tied in a ribbon-and-bow and handed to them on a platter, however, will probably be quite annoyed.

Although the characters and elements of this story could have been played out in any fantasy setting, D&D not withstanding, I still found the story engaging and after the first 6 chapters or so it moved along at nice clip.