Bishop Books

Loved the characters, loved the setting. A good book to read with a cup of tea and an afternoon free. The Joan Spencer mysteries are well written and for cozies have more depth that some. If you've read some earlier books in this series, you know that Joan and Fred are finally married. They go to Fred's hometown of Bishop Hill to stay with Fred's mother (who has dementia) and dad while his sister and husband go on vacation. Fred's mother goes missing and when they find her she has found a dead body. The killer thinks she saw him and so they end up looking for the killer as well as trying to protect Helga from him. That's all I'm going to tell you. I enjoyed this book very much.

The book was in excellent condition. I was so surprised to get this perfectly intact book with absolutely no markings or anything for only $1.00.

The information contained within this text is very accurate. For someone who has traveled to Xi'an and studied there, this is the first travel book, solely devoted to Xi'an, that I have found to offer a "complete" guide. Highly recommended.

While it is best to read a person's book in the language it was originally written, this translation of The Confessions of St. Augustine is for those of us who never learned Latin. The translation by Robert Edmonson is in very readable modern English. Also included are an introduction and notes by Tony Jones that transform this book into a painless introduction to Augustine.

The notes are fantastic. In recent times footnotes have moved from the bottom of each page to the end of books with the result that they are rarely read. Mr. Jones overcomes this difficulty by interspersing his notes within with the text. Most are placed at the end of a passage, helping to make understandable what was just read, but some give needed information for what is to follow.

This method works very well and most should find there is no need to do further research to understand what Augustine is talking about.

Even though separated by more than 1,600 years, anyone will feel an immediate connection with Augustine's feelings and emotions as he tries to explain his innermost thoughts.

It is an ideal book for all parents to read and to understand the importance of Baptism. It highlights the God given responsibilities of raising a stable child and gives the meaning of various parts of the service. The book is written mainly for Anglicans but it appeals to all Christians as it covers themes that are common to many other churches. The author challenges the nature of the commitment that is to be made by the parents and godparents. Further, it serves as a guide to our journey in the Christian faith, gives an explanation of symbols (water, cross) used in the Baptism ceremonies. It is easy to read and I strongly recommend this book.

One can relate in so many ways and there are certain parts that I like to reread. The recent film productions have been excellent also. A nice old fashioned romance is the perfect escape on these long summer nights. Nice potential Kindle product if not already.

This is the third version of Pride & Prejudice I have read, and by a margin the best. The language is preserved to the period in which it was written (Austen's original hand), and the style feels more 'alive.' It is difficult to explain, but as anyone who has read Pevear & Volokhonsky's translation of Anna Karenina and other books will say: The language is richer and the text fresher than previous versions. A similar assessment holds for this version of P & P.

No need for lots of words here: this is one the best books ever written. Each re-reading highlights Austen's genius, as new gems are discovered throughout in various forms. 'nuff said.

Everybody talks about the book. No one talks about the reading of this book by the reader, Irene Sutcliffe. I have not listened to the CD, but before I buy this CD, I want to see some review of the vocal delivery. Is her reading enticing, annoying, off-putting, etc?

Not someone properly suited for such a task, I can tell you that. What I can do, however, is give an honest and heartfelt account of what I thought of Jane Austen's 'PRIDE & PREJUDICE'. I have always wanted to read some of the classics but have never up until now dug up the courage to actually do so. I thought if I was going to start reading a classic novel Jane Austen would probably be a good author to start with and what better choice was there than her stand out 'PRIDE & PREJUDICE' ? I was pleased to find out that I was absolutely right. 'PRIDE & PREJUDICE' has to be one of the most romantic novels that I have ever read. The romance between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy literally made me swoon quite often (and I don't swoon!). Romance mixed with a little bit of drama and Austen's most descriptive prose made it impossible for me to put this book down. Now I see why 'PRIDE & PREJUDICE' is on so many people's favorites list because now it is most certainly on mine.

This is by far, the best book in the series. It had me hooked and I read every other book by Phillipa Gregory simply because this one is so good. I found the rest were not as good as this, but were wonderful too. This is simply not to be competed with.

Of course this isn't historically accurate... its "Historica FICTION". The purpose of it is to be entertaining based on events... and that it is!

This was a fabulous book that I could not put down and when I finished it, I immediately went looking for more of her books!

I only have to say this, historical facts can be correct, and still have good or even better fiction. Anya Seton proved that, with Katherine. Fact it seems, as in Elizabeth 1, if studied, is far far more interesting than any fiction made to soup up a book or even film. Philipa Gregory blurs truth and makes it sad, for I rate the book as well as the movie next to nothing.
J. Schossow

Terrible book. The inaccuracies of the book that other reviewers point out don't bother me so much. It is fiction. I am bothered by how the author writes and I felt zero interest in any of the characters. I read about 225 pages and had to stop. I just felt myself getting stupid with every page.

This is not a bad book. It's not a good book either. It wasn't the kind of book that I couldn't put down, but it wasn't the kind that I wanted to throw across the room. I had the distinct advantage of reading this after reading "Kushiel's Dart" so I found it a vast improvement.

The characters are somewhat hollow, it was hard for me to care about any of them, but at the same time I didn't necessarily want bad things to happen to them. And compared to the villains they were practically jumping off the page.

It was a fairly easy read, just not a captivating or compelling read. It's hard for me to review this because I didn't dislike it, I just didn't fall in love with it.

The concept is interesting and she has the making of some interesting characters here. I think in some points the writing floundered in portraying them in a way that made the reader care about them. Janaelle was possibly the most likable character, and she just treads the edge of being a cliche. I'm afraid I might not like her as much once she gets older, but for this book at least, her dialogue was one of the more enjoyable parts.

Surreal I thought to be a fairly useless character. She seemed almost an afterthought on the writer's part and if she were to be taken out of the story I'm not sure that it would have suffered that much. Maybe she has some importance in the future?

In general, I would recommend this as fluff reading, something to pass when you're waiting on the subway or the doctor's office.

This is the first time in a long time that I couldn't finish a book. Sometimes I will put a book down for a while and try later. This book is like the ravings of a serial demon possessed rapist. I actually tossed this one in the trash and that's saying something.

You really get sucked into this book! It is definitely one of my favorite books of all times! The characters and settings set this book up to be very dark fantasy, but you can't help but fall in love with them. Bishop turns the naturally evil of most stories into the good, and creates another evil thats even darker. Amazingly written, this book keeps you reading to all hours of the morning! I would recommend it to all who love complex fantasy.

This was my fourth reading of Anne Bishop's first novel of the Jewels Trilogy, and it gets better with every go around. There aren't enough words to express the masterpiece Ms. Bishop has created. It centers around a powerful world filled with twisted darkness and a shining, and sometimes terrifying, light that is Witch and all who serve her.

In the first book, we are introdced to the main characters of the story and, be prepared, there are plenty! Rules to learn and realms to become familiar with, this novel is a wild and wicked fantasy ride that loops and stuns with every turn of it's pages.

The story opens with a prophecy from a shattered witch that Witch is coming...(there is a huge difference between the many witches who inhabit this world and the all powerful Witch).

The Blood, those who wear the Jewels, are supposed to be the caretakers of the realms, but over time, the Jeweled realms have become tainted with the evil of greedy Queens who want ultimate power and will do anything to get it. They instill fear in those who serve, and most serve unwillingly.

There are many races in this world: human, kindred, and Other. They have all wished for a wonderful Queen they could be proud to serve, through these wishes and dreams, they create Witch, the Living Myth...

Jaenelle is a young, strange child whose family doesn't know about the gifts within her and brushes her off as insignificant and dellusional. She is amazingly powerful for one so young, and incredibly lonely. Not knowing how she does the things she is capable of, she begins to wander the vast realms in the Jeweled world in search of friends and acceptance. She touches the lives of all who recognize her for who she is: Witch - Dreams Made Flesh. But she is in almost immediate danger from those who would want to destroy her.

She finds her way to Saetan, the High Lord of Hell, a *person* who is from one of the long lived races and has lived for thousands of years. He is a feared Black Jeweled Warlord, but once he meets Jaenelle, he knows she is who he has been waiting for and she quickly becomes the Daughter of his soul. Saetan trains Jaenelle in the art of Craft as best as he can, but soon realizes she is capable of far more than he ever will be. It is then his duty to protect and serve, to teach her the finer points of being Blood, to teach her Protocol, and most importantly, to make sure she doesn't get hurt before she reaches the age where she can make her Offering to the Darkness and finally take her place as the ultimate Queen and hold her own court.

Daemon, also known as the Sadist, is Saetan's son, a Black Jeweled Warlord Prince, who has been forced to serve as a pleasure slave in the courts of the evil Queens in the realms. He is deadly, gorgeous, mind blowingly seductive and an inpenetrable force. For all his incomparable bedroom skills, he has never "risen to the occasion", by choice, and once he realizes Witch has come, he knows he was born to be her lover. But Jaenelle is too young for that, and so he takes up the role of her friend and protector, eventually joining forces with his estranged, father, Saetan.

There is so much more to even attempt a further summary of this tale, but the reader will experience something unlike anything ever written. There is danger, intrigue, awe inspiring power, sexual deviance, violence, torture, revenge, love, war...and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Astounding! Read it and enjoy the ride...

I bought this book thinking was would be a nice feminist slanted high fantasy novel, but it's depiction of the graphic rape, murder and mutiliation of children went just way too far.

NOT RECOMMENDED.

TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG is considered one of the best sci-fi novels of the last several decades, and I can see why. Connie Willis does a great job here of blending multiple genres, including sci-fi, romance, a comedy of manners, and alternate history. Once this novel gets moving, it's quite hilarious as well. I'm amazed TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG works as well as it does, and it's a remarkable achievement.

This book does start quite slowly, and I found the first fifty pages or so to be a struggle. Too many characters and strange concepts are introduced at once, which makes for a confusing experience. But once the characters are transported to Victorian England, the story finds its rhythm, and it becomes quite engaging and enjoyable.

TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG isn't for everyone. Willis is clearly an Anglophile, and enjoys writing about the silliness of day-to-day Victorian life. She is also an intellectual who is fascinated with history, science, and philosophy. If you don't share her passions, it's possible that you may find this book rather dry in certain sections. This novel does tend to split people, although most people I know really enjoy it.

This is considered by many to be Willis' best novel, and I encourage all fiction lovers (not just SF ones) to give TO SAY NOTHING OF THE DOG a try.

I'm a sucker for romance tho not in the popular sense, this is a novel of romance tho not written for popular tastes.
At every turn it makes me laugh and just shoots sparks right through me.

I am in love with the characters in this book,
when it ended I just wished the story would go on and on but I guess like any great romance,
or winding river,
it runs it's course and when it ends we are left on the shore to admire it's lingering beauty.

I love this book,
I really don't think that, in terms of quality writing like this, that can be said nearly enough.

First I must admit I'm a huge fan of Connie Willis. I loved this book's blend of SF, humor, history, mystery, action, & (some) romance. A perfect way to spend an afternoon.

I wish l lived in a parallel universe where every book in the world was written by Connie Willis. And, if possible, was a prequel or sequel to To Say Nothing of the Dog.

Denied that, I'll just continue with my life, reading the book again from time to time just in order to remind myself how witty, multi-layered and joyable a work of science fiction can be. It's a masterpiece, and to quote the Man in the Black Mask looking at Inigo Montoya's blade in the Princess Bride, "I have never seen its equal".

It's one of the best time travel books I've read; Willis' explanation of how the universe allows time travel is so brilliant that at times I think it's actually true.

It's also one of the best detective stories set in a sci-fi environment I read. Asimov did it many times, but never to this extent.

It's also a charming love story.

It's definitely a tome of knowledge on day to day life in the Victorian Era, making you wonder if this wasn't the best time you could have ended up in if your time machine left you stranded.

It's also the funniest fiction book I ever read. In fact, To Say Nothing of the Dog is so full of wit, humor, intelligence and charm that if someone photos you as you're reading, chances are the photo will come up with you having a grin on your face.

Bottom line: this is a must for every sci-fi reader. Unless you're completely lacking a sense of humor and devoid of any shred of intelligence, you will LOVE this book.

To Say Nothing of the Dog is an extremely entertaining and very fun read. This book is an odd hybrid - a cross between hard (time travel) sci-fi, historical (or should I say, hysterical) fiction, and good, old fashioned mystery. It is classic time travel verses paradox book. It is a laugh-out-loud comedic romp through the Victorian era, with an extensive collection of literary allusions. (Most are recognizable; a few you need to look up. But I like that in a book - when it makes me go learn something.) It is also a traditional "whodunit" mystery...with the traditional culprit, of course!

Connie Willis has created a true treasure. Fast paced and full of laughter, the plot is top-notch; the characters are well developed, memorable, and extremely enjoyable; the writing is crisp and clever. To Say Nothing of the Dog is a page turner from beginning to end. I could not put it down.

I first heard of this book on an Amazon forum where the participants were discussing sci-fi favorites that they re-read for comfort and pleasure. This book appeared on numerous lists, so I felt I had to give it a try. I am so glad I did. It has become an instant favorite. One I KNOW I will re-read again and again.

The Black Jewels Trilogy continues in this amazing book. It is just as memorable as the first, and isn't just a segue between the first and third books like so many trilogies today. The characters continue to develop in new ways and the setting is as vivid as ever. Bishop is a very talented writer, and this book makes that very clear with her meticulous details and storytelling ability. A very good read.

This book was simply awful. It was all so contrived and predictable. It seemed like the author was just trying to see just how *dark* she could make the series. It becomes so disgusting and stupid that it's so difficult to even finish it. If I hadn't already bought the whole series I would have stopped reading after the first one.

4 1/2 stars for book 2. Heir to the Shadows is the chunkiest (in size) of the trilogy. Here we see Jaenelle growing up under the guardianship of her adopted father, Saetan, the High Lord of Hell, and adopted brother, Lucivar the Eryian Warlord. We meet her friends as young adults: a combination of Territory Queens, Warlord Princes, and Blood Kindred. The reader experiences more of Jaenelle's gifts and her connection to the land and all who inhabit it.

There are plenty of *problems* Jaenelle needs to attend to. And with each, she gets more powerful in strength, but weaker in body. The last straw comes when the Unicorn Kindred territory is breached and the magnificent creatures who live there are slaughtered. She petitions the Dark Council, but is refused any rights to these unclaimed territories since she is not an *official* Queen...a problem she soon remedies.

Jaenelle, never wanting to have rule over any other life but her own, finds she needs to make the Offering to the Darkness in order to protect all she holds dear. The Offering which has always taken from sunset to sunrise, lasts her three full days, an indication of the well of power she will possess. When she emerges, she has been gifted with a jewel darker than the black...an unheard of and unseen before Ebony. Jaenelle sets up her court and chooses her First Circle and now is the Queen of Ebon Askavi, complete ruler of the huge Shadow Realm.

The reader gets some background and learns the mythology behind the jewels and where they came from. Not enough in my opinion as I am eager to learn more. We meet Lorn, the ancient dragon lord who is responsible for gifting all the Blood with their jewels. Jaenelle is his ultimate gift to the Blood and whereas she is the daughter of Saetan's soul, Lorn confides, that Saetan is the son of his.

What is missing from this part of the story is Daemon. We see snippets of him throughout, but for most of the book, he is still trapped in the Twisted Kingdom. Many reviewers have remarked on Daemon's absence, but it was necessary to move the story along. Jaenelle needed to grow up and reach her full power before she could be reunited with her mate.

Truthfully, Heir to the Shadows is a *lighter* read than the first installment, but no less wonderful. It is mostly background and filler to set the reader up for the epic climax we will see in book 3.

I have enjoyed the The Black Jewels Trilogy, there is warmth and humour. Unforunately there does not seem to be much epic fantasy. The idea and plot are agreeable but the theme is not properly developed. Ms Bishop writes a great love story (romance novel) with a slight twist, but to place her in the fantasy novel genre is stretching the formula a little.The Black Jewels: Trilogy: Daughter of the Blood / Heir to the Shadows / Queen of the Darkness

This series continues to impress me. I love the rich culture of the world created by Bishop. I'm fascinated by what goes on in each of the Realms and how they've changed yet still echo what they were created to be. And the characters--I find myself drawn to them, again and again, as if they're old friends already.

I'm amazed by how fast the books are moving. Thankfully Bishop doesn't feel the need to explain every last moment of Jaenelle's life. Sometimes whole years are acknowledged in mere sentences. It's rather refreshing after reading so many books that seem to detail every crumb the main character ate for breakfast; skipping through years that occurred but which didn't need to be talked about extensively is a nice surprise. After all, we're getting older in increments--it isn't the minutes that count, it's the years.

This second book focuses on Jaenelle after the events of Daughter of the Blood. Roughly two years have passed. This book got off to a rousing start with one of my favorite characters, Saetan Daemon SaDiablo. Demon-dead, Guardian, the High Priest of Hell itself petitions the Council for parental rights to Jaenelle. And we get to see a taste of Saetan's power. Not that we didn't know how powerful he was in the first book--he is the High Lord of Hell after all--but this is a very public, very ... emphatic show of power.

In this book we also meet many of the friends Jaenelle talked about in Daughter of the Blood. Each of them are as amusing as Jaenelle and they keep Saetan on his toes even more than just Jaenelle did.

The ending is one I know I'm going to want to read again and again. In fact I've read it a few times already. It is lushly and powerfully written allowing us to see that Jaenelle is a match for her adopted father's power.