Bennett Books

If you're going into this asking for another "Forrest Gump" - Stop. Get rid of that notion and pick this title up with an open mind.

The characters are deep and the settings are extremely realistic. Groom makes the enviroment of the South come alive. He brings Beau Gunn's past alive in the telling of this intracate story woven with Groom's trademark writing style.

Winston Groom, he of Forest Gump fame, has written an interesting tale about J.P. "Beau" Gunn II, an Alabama native son who reaches fame as a newspaper writer and playwright. The book traces Beau's childhood in Alabama to Vietnam, Washington, New York and eventually back to Alabama as the editor of his hometown paper. When he uncovers a conspiracy involving high ranking officials, he has to balance the drive for the truth with the effect it will have on people he has known all his life. Excellent writing!

finished reading the paperback. Once again Groom defines his characters so the readers relate to them and adds realism to his endings. The main story line is about a enterprising, assertive journalist. But his relationship with his father will allow people to relate to the character.

It is my opinion that "Gone The Sun" would make a better movie than Forrest Gump. The mixture of the South and the sixties always makes a great storyline. If you like history and great storylines, than READ THIS BOOK!

This book is especially for children. There is no mention of terrorism in this book. Adults will be able to relate to the topic of terrorism. Children will view it as a lesson in kindness, good over bad.
Please visit my site to review the book. tlbennettbook.com
Thank you,
Tammy Lee Bennett

My daughter was concerned with the neighbor. He was covering his home with plastic sheeting. My daughter was very afraid. This book helped her understand fear and how fear effects people. She wanted me to cover our home in plastic. After reading the book, she told me that we didn't need to do that yet. She and I are happy. We haven't had to do that yet!

This book definintely shows the war on terror in a fictional manner in which appeals to children. It is a great book for group reading and discussion.

My children were quite relieved when I read this book to them. It (the book) helped me explain what the war in Iraq was about and what 9/11 was about. Some of us, as parents, have a difficult time explaining such things as this. This book helps. Thank You!

Writers are wonderfully creative beings, but sometimes a story is so intimate that you wonder if it's biographic in nature. Lonesome Road's main character is Ruth Brough, a mother who lives through one of the worst nightmares any mother can face--that of a missing child. Thanks to Martha Bennett Stiles suburb story telling, I can't help thinking that Ruth is real. The reader's experience is too real to be just fiction.

Lonesome Road isn't the run-of-the-mill crime investigation plot. The story isn't about the detective, the criminal, or even the child. We've already read those stories. Instead, Ms. Stiles gives us an almost voyeuristic peek into the mother's heart.

Only Ms. Stile's purposeful, intense, and flowing language kept me going once I knew what was coming. I'm glad I kept going, but I shook my head silently to myself the whole way through. When I was overcome with recognition, I stopped reading--yes, that is exactly what I might do. When I was overcome with reality, I stopped reading--did the author live this, I wondered.

The truth is, that's just storytelling at its best.

Ruth Brough is a blissfully happy, albeit somewhat naive stay-at-home mom who helps her husband on their horse farm. Ms. Stiles paints a serene and picturesque life, shattered by the unthinkable. Despite the event's horror, Ruth's story is one of hopeful coping--if I do this, then Lang will come home... yes, that is exactly how I would get through each day I think.

During the ordeal, we meet a variety of characters. Albert Blount, the black detective assigned to the case, deals with the subtle racism still alive and well in central Kentucky. Ms. Stiles balances his experiences nicely by giving him a sister who's not so fond of whites. It's a tough subject, but the author handles it with sensitivity and honestly. Ruth's friends--a poor mountain girl who leaves home to find a better life and a debutante socialite--provide insight into the community's character. Ruth's husband finds ways to distract himself when he can't share his grief. Through it all, Ruth remains steadfast and determined--If I just...

Perhaps what I appreciate the most about this story is the creative, yet succinct and forthright way the author shares the details of Ruth's struggle. Ms. Stiles never wastes a word and every word is perfectly poignant, just to the degree necessary--never more or less than is needed. Ms. Stiles set the characters and plot quickly. Before you know it, you're totally caught up in events. With each new character, I recognized pieces of myself. I cared about every character.

Be prepared for a few late nights because you won't want to put the book down. You won't be able to put the book down.

I lost 3 nights of sleep, anxious to see whether or not things would turn out right for Rose, Grove, Lang and Joanna. Right, of course, meaning that Lang would come home healthy - a question Rose agonizes over constantly; that Rose would withstand the heavy strain on her self and her family; and that Grove and Joanna would be able to get past their own fear and pain to support Rose in hers.

Ms. Stiles quickly got me involved with the cast of characters - all extremly well drawn, with sympathy and depth. I recognized pieces of myself in nearly every one of the major characters. It became important that the young detective be able to solve his case quickly and successfully, despite the very real handicaps of race and rural setting. And I got a chance to consider how I would hold up after the disappearance of one of my children - something I have carefully not looked at before. The horse country background refuses to stay in the background - becoming an integral part of setting and story.

Anyone who deals with children, parents, horses, neighbors, or strangers will be glad they read this one - even to the point of going to the office groggy with lack of sleep!

Every mother will instantly relate to the terror that grips Ruth Brough (rhymes with rough)when her young son, Lang, disappears without a trace. Your own heart stands still at the need to drain the home pond, at the constant, unceasing fear and pain she and her family must confront on an hourly basis while continuing a daily life. Her veterinarian husband must continue his practice, and their thoroughbred broodmares demand constant attention, a salvation, of sorts, in itself.

Adding to the mix, the detective assigned to the case, Albert Blount, is a highly educated black man working in a region still holding some prejudicial mores. His natural dedication is implemented by the obvious feelings of others that he may not perform as well as is needed to locate a white child.

This reader not only received the adrenalin rush of a mother when a child is in mortal danger, but was exposed to facts of horse breeding and care that would not have been brought to my attention otherwise. No wonder it is an expensive and heart breaking business. Coming from an area of the country that, I believe, is a little more advanced in understanding cultural mixes, I was at times taken aback by views expressed by the characters. Having come from a different region, however, I know that these views, unfortunately, still hold true in many areas of the United States.

Martha Bennett Stiles has written in the first person, interweaving the past with the present which kept me on my toes to discern which was which. I did get off track on occasion but on the whole, found the intermingling of the years to hold my attention quite well. I read consistently for three evenings to reach the summation of the crisis and was not disappointed. I intend to read it again to pick up on the more tangible, educational aspects. After all, I know people who own horses! And I will always be my own childrens' mother and will always hold their safety close to my heart.

This book fully engages the reader in the terror a family experiences when their child is kidnapped. The story is extremely well-told and involving. But there's so much more than the agony of the family members, particularly the mother, although that is so strongly felt. There is also a great deal of humor, surprising as that may seem, and the characters who gather around the family are sharply drawn. We were also very interested in the setting of the book, the Bluegrass area of Kentucky, because of the author's understanding of the class and racial tensions which collide in that pastoral setting. The book which comes from a small publisher has not received the attention we think it merits. Well, now you know that we think this is a really good book you shouldn't miss.

The book starts with the simplest of sample projects and moves very slowly to the more involved projects. Lots of detailed instructions for each project and when you are done you have samples of everything for future inspiration.

This is well planned and laid out book. It takes you through the basics and onwards to more advanced and interesting projects which will suit more adventurous stitchers, especially those involved in City & Guilds. The author is concise and to the point in her instructions and the book is also well illustrated.

I was dissapointed in the contents and projects in this book. Although beautiful, I think most were impractical. I also felt the book would be giving help and ideas for embroidery machines, not just embroidering on a standard sewing machine. While I would like to embellish cloth with embroidery, this book seemed beyond a beginner in scope and terminology.

The title of this book is misleading; a more apt title would have been - "The Art of Fabric Manipulation: using Machine Embroidery as Embellishment"

What this book offers is a wonderful view into the techniques of fine artists specializing in fiber/textile arts. Each page is richly illustrated with the artists' craft incorporating fine art techniques such as encaustics (paint, crayon), plastics, polymer clay on to fabric and lace. Most or all of the creations featured are one-of-a-kind pieces or benefit as exhibition pieces. If you consider yourself a fine artist with fabric, you will appreciate what this book has to offer in the way of fabric manipulation through sewing machine embroidery and fine art medium. The specific aspects of this book leads me to view this textbook as a professional monograph.

If you are looking for machine embroidery techniques to use with your computerized embroidery machine (Bernina, Pffaff, Brother etc), then I suggest you look into Embroidery Machine Essentials by Twigg and Goodall.

Eight-year old Mallory McDonald is forced to move several hours away from her best friend. Mallory and Mary Ann are next-door-neighbors that do everything together. They love to paint their toenails blue, tell jokes about Mallory's older brother, and say everything three, three, three times! Mallory's family moves, despite her pitiful begging, to a new house where Mallory discovers her new neighbor is a boy! Yuck. Mallory promised Mary Ann that she would never become best friends with a boy.

Once the family is settled, Mary Ann comes to visit Mallory in the new house. Although Mallory is quite loyal to her old friend, she discovers it hasn't been that easy to make new friends, but Joey has certainly been a cheerful companion when she is feeling blue. Perhaps three isn't a crowd...

Mary Ann is quite deceptive with her many plots and schemes. Mallory is persuaded to do something that causes turmoil within the McDonald family. How far will she go to save this friendship?

Most children would enjoy the book, although I found the plot to be quite predictable. Mallory's school life is never mentioned, which is a huge issue for children moving to a new town. As an older reader, I wished the parents had played a more crucial role in Mallory's move. It seemed as though she had to deal with many of her feelings alone. Her father does share the moral of the story near the end of the book as Mallory and Mary Ann realize they will never be neighbors again. "True friends are still friends even when you move apart and meet new people." I recommend the book for grades 2-5.

Tamara Schmitz provides the engaging black and white cartoon drawings to Laura Friedman's story of Mallory McDonald, who does not want to move and change her life. Kids in grades 4-7 will find this a believable, funny story of a determined girl who decides to make the most of her new life under any circumstances in Mallory On The Move.

Bravo to Mrs. Friedman - she has done it again! Mrs. Friedman knows children, how they think, and what motivates them. My daughters and I enjoyed reading this book together every night. Mallory's life inspired some great conversations and many laughs along the way. I can't wait to read the next installation and to discover what adventures Mrs. Friedman has in store for this fiesty young woman.

Eight-year-old Mallory McDonald - not related to the restaurant McDonald's - is fed up. Her parents have decided that they're moving from their lovely home to a place that's three-hours away, where she will be all alone. Mallory doesn't want to leave her best friend behind, and she especially doesn't want to live next door to a...boy! But that's the way the cards were dealt, and now Mallory is forced to suffer the consequences of her parents ill-timed decision.

When I ws younger I adored the AMBER BROWN books, and at first sight, Laurie Friedman's MALLORY ON THE MOVE reminded me exactly of that series. Mallory is a lovable young character, whose many moods, and crazy antics will win over fans of all ages. Young/Middle readers will find it easy to relate to the cheerful eight-year-old, while parents will be grappling for the next MALLORY book. A must read.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

I used this book extensively to dicover all the excellent off-road riding Washington has to offer. The author offers very useful information for a wide variety of riders and trails. From lung-busting backcountry epics to leisurely suburban trails, this books covers Washington mtb'ing fairly comprehensively. The maps and trail descriptions are especially helpful. Second only to Zilly's excellent trail guide.
Highly recommended!

Although I haven't had a chance to actually -try- most of the trails in the book, it seems to be a great guide telling you how to get to the trail, and what to expect on the trail itself.

Unlike many books I've seen, it also coveres a wide range of skill levels...if you're a newbie (like I am), you'll find a stack of trails. If you're an experienced rider (like I hope to be), you'll find a stack of trails. Whatever you're looking for, you should find it.

If you're looking for trails, this book would be a great place to start.

I recently used this book on a tour of mountain bike rides through Washington State and recommend it highly. The route descriptions are well-detailed. I will say that the writing is strangely uneven--some chapters are bland, while others are very colorful. In any case, it tells you where the great rides are, gives you a sense of what your experience will be on the trail, and makes sure you find your way back afterward.

The author(s) did a great job of finding amazing rides near Mt. St. Helens. In short: if you ride in Washington, this book is a must.

If you're going to be mountain biking in Washington, this should probably be one of the first trail guides in your collection. It covers almost 90 of the major rides all over the state.

Each ride is accompanied by an "at a glance" section that will give you basic overview of the ride as well as good maps and very complete writeups. I've never had a problem finding a trail (or finding my way on a trail) and generally agree with all of the comments written about the trails. I just wish the trails had estimated driving times from major areas.

The front of the book also has all of the trails categorized by "type". So, if you're a single track person, just find the list of single track trails and off you go.

If you're planning on riding in a specific region (such as the Seattle area), I'd recommend picking up a book specific to the region as this doesn't cover all of the local trails.

Cherie Bennett is known for her spicy plot lines and shocking story twists. However, she chooses to end two popular series - *Trash* and *Pageant* - in a happily-ever-after joint novel.

The loser-in-love of *Trash* finds his one-and-only; the vicious diva of the *Pageant* circuit finds her unrealistic, deviant plans collapsing all around; the other random shiny happy characters sail off into a sunsetting bliss.

It seems that Bennett copped out on both her series by coupling them in this story. Her overactive imagination runs wild, and ends in a stereotypically flowery style. She clearly wanted all the loose ends double-knotted and sealed off, leaving little hope for future stories. I was left disappointed. I mean, come on! I personally despised the way she gave everyone a promising future, since many of them didn't deserve it. And now that the two series are done, I am especially disappointed. I expected more of this best-selling author. I certainly didn't expect her to fade into the trap of happy endings and peace-love hippie-ness.

If you loved *Trash* and *Pageant*, skip this story. Your own writings will leave you more satisfied than the ones Bennett has printed.

PAGEANT and TRASH come together in a totally cool way. Lisa Easton emerges as one of the freshest characters in recent memory. The Virus wreaks more havoc. Fun, fun, fun. If you want a serious book, read Cherie's LIFE IN THE FAT LANE or MBurgess'ss' SMACK. If yuou want a load of fun, read this one!

We finally find out what happens to everyone from all the pageants. The Virus is furious and wants the crown back. Will she try to kill Katie? How far will she go? Pepper is finally starting to face the reality about her baby. What will she do? Christie is having qualms about exposing her friends to get a jump start on her journalism career. An interesting twist of events occurs in all the stories you've been following since book one. This was a great book because it tells what happens to all the characters. Cherie Bennet is an awesome writer. It would be totally cool if she continues the series with the next Miss Teen Spirit pageant. I couldn't put this book down!

This book combined two of my favorite book series. Not only do you get get the conclusion to Pageant, you also get the conclusion to the Trash cliffhanger that we've all been waiting for! Do Katie and Dean survive all their new problems? How do Lisha and Sky work things out now that her HIV test was positive? Will Christy write the expose article? What about Pepper and her pregnancy? What will the interns do about MY TRASHY SUMMER? You're in for a surprise. Not to mention that Lisa falls for a very sensitive guy that we all know. Plus, The Virus wants revenge! How far will she go to get it? This book was great. It threw in a lot of things that I never would've expected. I couldn't put it down! If you're a fan of either of these book series, email me and we can talk.

A page turner from the get go. Had a hard time putting the book down. The many twists and turns the author takes you through and the emotions he evokes........make it a must read for any true book lover.

I would imagine it's no easy feat making the subject matter of The Payload something a novice like me could follow along, while keeping it interesting and challenging for a rocket scientist or Nasa engineer. Mr. Thiel did a wonderful job of opening up the story to me. I kept turning the pages to find out what would happen next. Dutch Bennett became a character I could root for and empathize with his struggles. I would definitely recommend this story to a friend and look forward to the next installment of Dutch Bennett novels.

It would be a bummer if you had a good story with lame characters. Not true in this book. The main character, Dutch Bennett was believable and likable. The author did a good job making the complicated gal interesting enough that we want Dutch to try trusting her even though we were unsure. The ideas of the story are thought-provoking. I have discussed some of the topics several times since reading the book. James Bond is out. Dutch is in.

Though he's not the flawless hero Jack Ryan from the Clancy novels, Dutch Bennett is a likeable character trying to make the right decisions as he struggles to extract himself from a conspiracy in which he has unwittingly become involved-all the while worrying about his upcoming bar exam. I enjoyed the plot and am looking forward to the further development of this character as the series progresses.

I hardly read and most of the stuff I read i never finish anyway, but The Pigeon was a mystery i just couldn't put down. Its about a boy named Brian and his friend Donna asked if they could meet up to talk to each other. Brian agrees then he is on his from New Jersey To New York. He goes to Donna's Apartment and he discovers his best friend Donna is dead. He didn't know it at the time but he was being set up for muder. He pick up a phone that was ringing in the apartment and on the other side of the line was a warning for him to run because the cops were coming. He smelled his jackett and it smelled like whiskey, and he looked down in his hand because of a throbing pain and he saw a knife with blood on it. Is there anyway he could prove his innocence. I found The Pigeon to by a top noch thriller! it was a great story and i think anyone he likes mysterys will love this story.

I hardly read and most of the stuff I read i never finish anyway, but The Pigeon was a mystery i just couldn't put down. Its about a boy named Brian and his friend Donna asked if they could meet up to talk to each other. Brian agrees then he is on his from New Jersey To New York. He goes to Donna's Apartment and he discovers his best friend Donna is dead. He didn't know it at the time but he was being set up for muder. He pick up a phone that was ringing in the apartment and on the other side of the line was a warning for him to run because the cops were coming. He smelled his jackett and it smelled like whiskey, and he looked down in his hand because of a throbing pain and he saw a knife with blood on it. Is there anyway he could prove his innocence. I found The Pigeon to by a top noch thriller! it was a great story and i think anyone he likes mysterys will love this story.

Jay Bennett's novel is what I think should get 5 stars. It is a great novel. It is about a teenager who has been set up for a murder. He goes through a lot of trouble but finds a way out of it.

i read this book in 9th grade while perusing the school library shelves for something to read that wouldn't take up a lot of my time, nor expand my mind -- as I was in no particular mood to learn anything. Little did I know about the book when I picked it up -- that i WOuLD make me think -- and that it would eat up a lot of my time that next week. The book is about a highschool senior who's framed for the murder of his girlfriend -- and the reason for the murder is more complex than I'd ever guessed.

In reviewing this book I will only comment on one particular character, for brevity's skae, and that is Jo-Jo, the Gypsy who figures as a prominent player in all of this. He is an extremely fascinating character, the kind that live on the edge -- the kind you'd love to meet, just as long as it wasn't in a darkened alley somewhere. And yet he shows an unusual compassion for Brian, the hero, one not rarely seen in (what we first perceive as) a standard villain. The fact that he is not the villain is even more shocking, due to how Jay Bennett (the author) describes his character -- with words like iron, steel, and darkness that don't make us think exactly of heroes, knights in shining armor. And yet he is not the typical antihero, like R.P. McMurphy or Cool Hand Luke. He is more along the lines of Capote's Perry Smith, one of those "native Iagos" that modern literature shuns so much to portray. He is not the villain, but the fact that he could be and is made a good guy in a way that is unimaginable to us upon a surface reading is reason enough to read the book.

Got here pretty quick, just a day later than i expected but got here during syllabus week so it was all good... perfect condition and great service... highly recommended...

This is one of 2 books I kept from my four years in college. It is also the book that helped me choose Economics as one of my minors. It's that good.

Gottheil's models (actually, he really only uses one model--a fishery) are almost absurdly easy to follow. Along the way he takes concepts a student would find new and difficult, and makes them into concepts a student can follow, and in my case, enjoy. I whole heartedly reccomend this title.

I have now had two course in economics - Principles of Micro. and Macro., both classes required the use of the priciples books by Fred Gottheil. My professor was a student of Mr. Gottheil and described his classes as clarifying. She said that he made economics easy to understand. This book by Gottheil, as his class, is also easy to comprehend. The topics are confusing to a newcomer of economics but the style and clarification used makes the principles quite simple.

You're absolutely correct!! I was a student of Prof. Gottheil the first year he released this book. The teachings of the book make Micro-Economics both easy to understand and enjoyable. I've recommended this book to both undergrads and MBA students alike, and have not received a single complaints (but have received much praise).