Bishop Books

This book has striaght forward instructions for the would be writer. I purchased it to give me incentive on how to journal, write in general and write an autobiography. Natalie Goldberg suggests everything from what type of pen to use to the kind of environment you may choose to surround yourself in while attempting to write. I am encouraged to write better now because of this book.

This book has been so much help to me, especialy when I get writer's block. A friend recommended this book to me years ago. Unfortunately, I did not buy it until recently. I also write poetry and this book has been very useful to me not only for writing in general, but also for writing poetry.

I'm a freelance creative and sometimes (ok, often) need to be reminded why I write. And that I actually love it way, way more than I hate it. Natalie Goldberg's teeny pocket book is perfect motivation for any writer of any genre including the personal journal. This is a written from a personal, vulnerable place as we get a clear sense of her personal struggles/triumphs. Best of all, every chapter has a strong tug to action with suggested topics to get the brain moving and a little infusion of euphoria that sends me right to my journal or computer. Because of its size I leave it out where I can always see it. I take it with me every time I travel. If you love to/want to/have to write, Natalie Goldberg's book will keep your brain from freezing or frying. Any time I want to get my creative flow, I grasp for my well-worn copy to be reminded that wherever I am in my writing, that's exactly where I belong. I feel inspired. I feel excited. This is a big deal, because I have nearly every book there is on the subject. Writing Down the Bones is the only one of those books that never goes back on the shelf. Ever.

This is the first pocket book I ever had that truly fits into a pocket! Physically it is delightfully diminutive. Reading it has been delightfully inspiring. I started writing after about two and a half chapters, and I haven't stopped writing since. (I even started drawing again after a 25 year hiatus). Natalie has totally conquered novice and veteran writer's block. With an informal combination of attitude, method, tips, personal anecdotes and an overall deft touch, the reader quickly comes to understand how to write. Everything about this book is authentic. I love it.

This book really inspired me to try my hand at writing and I was very impressed with the candidness and accessibility of the author's style. I'm sure like many others, it made me want to take a class with her in New Mexico. I spent a small fortune to do so, over a thousand dollars for a week long seminar. Save your money and stay home and just write. She is NOTHING like her books in person. She was a narscissitic, self-absorbed whiner, who spent exactly two hours a day in front of the class reading to us from her own notebooks. The rest of the time she told us to do writing practice. When she wasn't swaning around the classroom like a diva, she was slobbering over one of the young students in class, obviously in the midst of some torrid affair. It was embarassing for all of us. I left feeling completely ripped off, so much so that I almost stopped writing! The book should come with a warning label: Do as I say, not as I do.

I really enjoyed the first book "Daughter of the Blood." Anne Bishop introduces an interesting world of intrigue, magic and eroticism. The character development starts out really well. I fell in love with all three main male characters Lucivar, Daemon and Saetan. I like the humor and wit. The idea of a matriarchal is society rather refreshing.
And I found the emotional conflict between the little witch girl Jaenelle and her dysfunctional family very compelling.
After reading this book I felt as if I have finally found a new series I could fall in love with.

The second book left me a bit disappointed. The main bad villains of the story are completely incompetent. Hekatah's and Dorothea's feeble attempts to seize power are almost laughable. I felt no great sense of peril for the main characters, making the overall plot a bit boring and uninspiring. The only thing that really kept me reading was Lucivar. If it wasn't for him, I would have given up after the first couple of chapters. Can't take much more of the "hair fluffing."

The third book was a disaster, but yet I still kept reading. The most disappointing thing about this book is how Daemon's character develops. He becomes a shadow of his former self. A totally whiny pussy. What happened to the notorious sadist?
Some of the most annoying things are the repetitiveness of the words and phrases used. "Snarling", "Haunted Sapphire Eyes", "Everything has a price" and "that midnight voice" are just some of the phrases that almost made me destroy the book.
Jaenelle is an utter disappointment. There is nothing queenly or inspiring about her. She was quite boring. Surreal would have been a more interesting witch in my opinion.

I gave it 3 stars because, despite all the flaws, the plot kept me entertained for some strange reason.

I haven't liked a book so much that I felt inspired to re-read it since I was a teenager. Yet, that's exactly what happened with this one! I was so pleased and enthralled with this book that I felt compelled to immediately re-read it to catch and further appreciate all the little nuggets I missed the first time around. I thoroughly enjoyed the second read as well. Definitely worth reading as one big book instead of piece by piece. Enjoy!

I loved this series and in its convenient all-in-one format. You wanted to laugh with the hilarious parts, cry with the sad, etc. You've got to read this book. My only complaint is that the book is not in hardback.

Page three of this book made me physically ill, and seriously wondering if I was going to read further. As others have said the prose of often quite beautiful, and I expected it to draw me in at any minute, but it never quite did. There was at least one other point in the story where the brutality actually had me gagging, and I put the book down for at least a week to recover.
There is a fair amount of only slightly less nauseating, senseless brutality, sort of masquerading as sensuality.
Reading the first book, I found myself wondering if the author hated men and/or was into sado-masochism.
All of the second book and most of the third made me feel like I was reading a "Harlequin Romance" rather than the "critically acclaimed" books that these claimed to be.
I mean, really, the waiflike, emaciated, often injured or ill heroine that big strong men will give their lives for her... the hero who has to come back from the "twisted kingdom" (insanity) to be with her... it's just a little too too, don't you think?
I do realize that this is fantasy, however for anyone with a religious background (most of whom probably wouldn't read this anyway) the not-even thinly veiled attempt at make Saetan a warm and fuzzy being, as well as his sons "Lucivar", and "Daemon" being heros of the story... and that the "Demon dead" and Hell itself being okay places... well... some could easily find this offensive (and I will admit I had a hard time with it.)For me this was far from the "imaginative" set of characters that one reviewer called them. For me it was more like someone trying to sell demonism. Your milage may vary there, but I felt like it had to be said.
It's a LONG read, and often not an "easy" read.

When I first started reading this trilogy, I felt as though I had been dropped into the middle of a strange world without a map. Anne Bishop doesn't waste a lot of time with introductions - as a consequence the first few chapters can feel a little challenging, but I promise that if you hang in and don't give up on the book, you become completely caught up in the story. By the end of the first book, I was running out the door to buy the second one. I couldn't put it down!

I haven't read any books past the third, but I highly recommend this trilogy. It's really well crafted with amazing multi-layered imagery and witty, amusing dialog. Bravo to Anne Bishop for bringing us a great set of stories!

This was my first novel by this author and I had not read a review; so I had no preconceived notions. I listened to the audio version of the book that was read by Cassandra Campbell and she does a good job with the character impersonations. It is about 8-10 hours of listening time on unabridged CD. The story has a nice pace and the clothes, food, and customs of the time are colorfully descibed.

This novel takes place in the early 1950's and is centered on a close-knit Italian-American family from Greenwich Village. Lucia is the youngest and was an early feminist, well before careers and professions were normal for women. She is described as beautiful, fashionable, and is a talented seamstress, but what I found most endearing was her integrity and devotion to her friends and family. This is Lucia's life story, as told by 80-year-old Lucia to her young neighbor Kit, who is an aspiring playwright.

As in any life story or family drama, there are some good times and some traumatic / emotional events. I'm not sure if it is the author's writing style or the voice actor's method, but there is always a background aura of foreboding as the story is being told. Some of the events are plainly foreshadowed, but non-the less heart wrenching. If I had to describe this book to someone, I would say it is part "Moonstruck" with the strong Italian family background, part "Titanic" with the love story and bittersweet ending, and part "Under the Tuscan Sun" where an independent woman attempts to get through her heartbreak. This is not a romance and may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy a well-written saga with a lot of emotion, I strongly recommend this book to you.

I know you have a lot of loyal fans who love your work. I like your work too, but I believe you have it in you to do a lot better than you do. This book is a nice light read, pretty good popular fiction.

BUT Italian Americans need a LITERATURE to document the early years, and the meter is ticking. Movies & TV have shown the world some wonderful Italian family portraits, but they are crime family portraits, they do not portray the everyday vibrancy of the many Little Italies all over the US. In another generation the knowledge will be totally lost. The Jewish immigrant experience has a deep well of wonderful fiction and LITERATURE.

Please, Adriana, give us some LITERATURE. I believe you have it in you to be a Philip Roth or Bernard Malamud, but you have to do better.

This is the best of your books that I've read, but, each of Lucia's brothers has the same personality. Lucia's awareness of herself, because it transcends what could be expected for 1951, has to be developed through illustration, for instance observing her mother's role and treatment in the family. The same is true of the collision with Dante's mother. More shading of experience, personality and expectation should precede the dinner. Some of the dialog is just plain sloppy, the characters use terms not in common use in 1951. The vocabulary and grammar of Lucia's father, not the content of what he says, needs tuning. Etc.

Adriana, you can do it. Give the world some Italian American LITERATURE. Your books will take longer to write, but they will live forever.

I BOUHT THIS FOR MY STEPMOTHER AND AUNT. THEY REALLY ENJOY HER BOOKS

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. She's a little gullible, but I appreciated her just the same!

Lucia Sartori is described as the most beautiful girl in Greenwich Village. But Lucia was born a generation too soon because being a feminist in 1950's New York is most unsettling to her family and suitors. Plus, her bitter aunt put a curse on her in infancy that she would die of a broken heart. Curses aside, the future looks bright for an intelligent young woman who knows what she wants and is willing to work hard to get it.

We first meet Lucia when she is seventy-eight years old and living in a walk-up apartment. She invites her young neighbor, Kit Zanetti, up for tea one afternoon. An aspiring playwright, Kit is intrigued by the mementos in Lucia's apartment and wants to know more about her interesting past. Turning the clock back over fifty years, Lucia begins to tell the story of her life.

This reader was captivated by Trigiani's cast of lovable and often quirky characters that populated the Sartori household. Lucia's four older brothers provided laughter and tears but it was Mama and Papa, the doting parents, who shone like jewels in this story rich with family and friends. As Lucia recounts, they may have been taught that Papa was the head of the household, but it was Mama who ran the show. From Lucia's best friend Ruth to Delmarr, her affable boss at B. Altman's Department Store, and Rosemary, the sister-in-law she never expected, I was swept into Lucia's life and completely in tune with her on every page.

Her love story with fiancé Dante DeMartino and her life-long infatuation with the dashing John Talbot provide a roller coaster of emotions as Lucia confronts the life she wants for herself and sets out to claim it. Heartbreaking moments as well as those of pure joy are neatly wrapped up in the arms of this Italian family who may have lots of advice you never want to hear but are there with open arms when you need them the most.

I really loved this book. The protagonist is Framboise, an old woman who is telling us the story of one monumental event in her life. As young girl growing up in the French countryside during World War II, Framboise had a poisoned relationship with her single mother, Mirabelle. Framboise's father has already been killed in the war, and the little family is struggling to establish a new dynamic amidst the swirl of events around them. Mirabelle is an accomplished cook with a bountiful farm, but she suffers from horrible migraines in addition to some psychological problems. Mirabelle always knows when one of her "spells" is coming, because she smells oranges, even though she strictly forbids them in the house.

Framboise and her two siblings (all, interestingly, named after foods - Framboise itself means raspberry) strike up a capitalistic relationship with a German soldier (part of the occupying force). The children provide a little information here and there about black market activities in exchange for items such as chocolate, magazines, and other products scarce in war-torn France. (Framboise always asks for an orange as part of her "payment." She uses its peel to trick her mother into thinking one of her spells is coming. This allows Framboise to not only inflict suffering on her mother, but also to gain a few hours of freedom as her mother holes up in her room, desperately trying to ward off the migraine.) The children don't really realize what they are doing. After all, the people they inform on are not killed or jailed. The soldier simply extorts them for his own goods.

And the soldier, named Tomas, ably fills the masculine void left by the children's father. In a world devoid of much affection (their mother is a brusque, busy woman not prone to displays of tenderness), the children love him. Before the end of the novel, though, the soldier turns up dead. And how he dies, and who pays the price for his death, are secrets of the novel I won't spoil here.

This book is much about mothers and daughters. Upon her death, Mirabelle leaves her "album" to Framboise - a book full of recipes, thoughts, notes, etc. By reading the album, Framboise comes to know her mother in a way that she never has before. The relationship between the two is certainly acrimonious; Framboise often refers to it as a war, trying to win this or that battle. But as the book progresses, even Framboise herself admits that she and her mother are very much alike.

Also, Harris is a master of description. She frequently writes about food - the foods that Mirabelle cooks, the foods that Framboise cooks as an adult, all the recipes in the "album" that Mirabelle leaves to Framboise upon her death. Your mouth will be watering. Have a Patricia Wells cookbook handy; you'll want to whip up some French country food.

Lastly, the novel is about secrets. It is, after all, the tale of Framboise finally telling a secret that she has carried with her for her entire life. This is where the title comes in - it's one of the secrets that Framboise has kept. Framboise tells no one, not even her siblings, of her use of the orange to trick her mother into thinking a migraine is coming. As a result, when her two siblings (and one friend) see her with one of the oranges she's procured, they ask her to share it. In order to reserve some of the peel for her secret purposes, Framboise turns her back to her siblings/friend while she "quarters" the orange. But in fact, she divides it into five pieces, hiding one of the slices in her pocket. This way, she saves one-fifth of the orange to use on her mother. The fifth quarter of the orange is the "something" that no one knows about. It is what is hidden. And for a novel filled with secrets, I think Harris chose the perfect title.

I heartily recommend this book.

This is a popular book--though it was more popular in Europe than the States. It begins with a mystery. As the mystery unfolds, it reveals character and culture. The main action of the book is told as back-story. A middle-aged woman returns to her native community in rural France. The story is wonderfully atmospheric. The atmosphere is created through an infusion of delightful food and wine and snippets of WWII era French culture. It is no doubt a popular book with the Martha Stewart crowd. But there is a more sinister story, the real story involves Nazis and a community lynching. The story itself is unique enough to keep the Better Homes and Gardens aspect from overwhelming the narrative.



I think the only thing that kept this from being a great book was the author's reliance on mystery. She holds back information. And though this technique did move me through the narrative, and the author did eventually deliver on her promises, I could not help but wonder if the strong mystery aspect was not in someway making up for something the book lacked. I hate to refer to that old American classic, Gatsby, but I will. Where Fitzgerald used the mystery only so long as it was necessary, letting the device fall away to reveal a narrative driven by characters and their actions, there is little beyond the mystery in Harris's novel. Once the mystery is solved, the novel ends.

After reading Chocolat (before the movie came out), I wanted to try another of Joanne Harris's novels. I picked up Five Quarters of the Orange at an airport and was impressed. The story is woven into a compact and powerful book that looks at life in Nazi occupied France. In the small village of Les Laveuses, you discover the small town life that stills continues even with Nazi occupation: farms, harvest, the change of people to the seasons, love, hate, gossip, etc.
Framboise Dartigen narrates this story, both from a child's perspective and as an elderly woman. The two stories slide back and forth and give a vivid and powerful feeling of what life was like on that small farm and in that small village. The interactions between the family are drawn richly and with precision. An incedence when Frambouse is younger drives the family from the town, and she only returns many years later and under another name. The story unfolds to reveal the secret but not to the very end of the book.
The story is dark and the amounts of cruelty between siblings, mother and daughter is drawn with a sharp, slicing knife. Harris' writing uncurls slowly, like the pealing orange on the cover, the sights, sounds, and smells from her wonderfully chosen words draws you in. I must admit that the book does slow a little in the middle but gets it upward momentum back again towards the end. Many who loved Chocolat may be turned off by the dark tone of this book, yet it is Harris' skill at words and character development that really lend you to appreciate the story that is being told. I would recommend this novel for both the beautiful and ugly imagery it conjures.

An adroit, mesmerising novel. I could not put this down, so astonishing and gripping was this story and Harris's subtle, impactful writing. I wanted it to go on forever, couldn't wait to get to the conclusion; the sign of a great book.

Despite beautiful and sensuous prose, this is not an easy read. It demands perseverence from the reader but in the end patience is rewarded: it delivers so much. Its structure is composed of two parallel tales, one set in the present and one comprised of 40-year-old memories of German-occupied France. Harris pulls no punches as she examines the actions and motivations of people living in times that often demanded troubling compromises ... and worse. Few are spared. The role of the good mother is turned on its head. A cold eye is cast on the myth of the noble Resistance. Provocative questions are raised about the innocence of childhood. But the stories inexorably move towards their united climax to show how wisdom and love require acknowledgment of the truth, which sometimes is slow in revealing itself. The ultimate message of "Five quarters of the Orange" is that wisdom and love have their own schedule and it's never too late for either.

I remember this book from when I was a child and I purchased it for my 4 year old's birthday. She wanted it read again and again and loved telling everyone else about it.

I hope it's not politically incorrect to love this book. It is a story about five brothers, each with an unusual talent or ability.

Keep in mind, this is an old Chinese tale, not somehow a racist American interpretation of Chinese culture like some reviewers here try to make it out to be. I read this book in the 1980s when I was just a few years old. It was my favorite book. It was simple, easily readable, the pictures were funny, etc. I not once viewed the book as racist, or ethocentric, or God knows any other names liberal nutso's put on this book. When I was 2 years old.. 3 years old... 4?... I wasn't asking "Mommy, why are their faces yellow? Is this some sort of Communist plot at taking American hatred of the Chinese to a new level?" Sorry, I was reading the book as it was intended to be read... a simple picture book to entertain. As it stands, this book is a classic, and I'll be buying it again.
And you liberals out there... lighten up. It's too bad you're so guilt-ridden at living in a prosperous country that you're going to punish other Americans for your guilt. I, fortunately, don't have such mindless guilt. May God have mercy on your souls.

I loved this story as a child and after reading the reviews I purchased it thinking that I would add it to my Nursery School library. Unfortunately I forgot that it discusses execution which is not appropiate for children under 7 years of age.

Avoid the nonsensical reviews written by advocates of censorship and control who try to pervert children's imagination with a sort of patriarchial system that is devoid of all fondness for youth. This is a great short story that I still recall.

This had been in my TBR pile for a while--one of the drawbacks to having such a large TBR pile: I buy books when they first come out in hardcover, and by the time I get to them, they're already out in paperback, and there's a sequel. And it's already in paperback.

Sebastian takes place in Ephemera, a world affected--literally--by human emotions. To keep things somewhat stable, there are Landscapers who shape the landscape and Bridges, who connect them. And there are wizards and demons and incubi and succubi.

The eponymous Sebastian is a half-incubus. Rejected as a child by his wizard father and by other children because of his heritage, he nonetheless experienced love and acceptance during the periods when his father allowed him to stay with his aunt and cousins.

Now he lives in a landscape created by ultra-powerful rogue Landscaper Belladonna called the Den of Iniquity with others of his kind and, surprisingly, a pure and innocent young woman, Lynnea, with whom he's falling in love.

But the Eater of the World has escaped and is threatening all of Ephemera, and it's up to Sebastian and Belladonna to save the world.

The entire story is like a fable, the moral of which is the need for balance. Sebastian's history is one of love balanced by rejection--necessary to mold his character. The Den of Iniquity is just as necessary to Ephemera as Sanctuary, its opposite. Landscapers learn early on that all emotions, not just positive ones, are required to form a stable landscape. Balance is the goal of the characters in the story, even if they don't know it--it's what they need to be whole, complete, and happy. Or put another way, it's about shades of gray.

Sebastian and Belladonna are dark heroes, but despite their supernatural abilities, they're dark in a human and understandable way. This is a much lighter book than Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy, which is not to say it's a lesser book, but it's definitely different--and because expectations affect enjoyment so much, don't expect a reprise of Daemon and Jaenelle here. Kudos to Bishop for that, by the way: she wrote an excellent dark fantasy series, and now she's writing something else.

A great book which leads the mind on a journey with Sebastian and his adventure of discovery. Plenty of action and adult themes without being explicit. Nicely written.

I held very high standards for this new series because I absolutely loved the Dark Jewels trilogy. By all appearances this book promised a rich new world and enticing, sexy characters.
The book, intially, held promise. The first few chapters were able to draw me in and entertain me. Belladonna appeared to be a pretty awesome character and her story worth reading. Sebastian on the other hand held a lot of promise. I mean, after all, him being an incubus and living in a "carnal carnivale" was almost a guarenteed "erotic" experience, right? Ah, yeah, not so much. What sex he DID have was played out in a "fade to black" style which is typical of Bishop's style but why present a "sex demon" and not fill a few pages with a sexy encounter? Not even a sex scene, but something to back up the fact that you're writing about sex demon. (Seriously, why not make him something else, he didn't even use his incubi 'talents'). Eater of the World? Meh, it had potential but I found it hard to read the chapters about It. And by the end of the book, double 'meh' because it seemed like that aspect of the 'plot' was pushed onto the back burner.
That aside, I felt the secondary characters were weak. I don't understand why everyone turned out to be all mushy-mushy good at the core. And by everyone, I mean EVERYONE. There was not a grey area for these characters. They were either good or bad. Black or white.
In conclusion, I really enjoy Bishop's writing, but this book just fell flat. So flat that I'm not picking up the next installment, despite Belladonna being the most interesting character throughout the novel.

This book renewed my faith in Bishop's work. I was wowed by the skillful way she wove all the stories of different parts of a broken world together, and the creativity and originality to it. The characters are different from what you may expect in a fantasy book, but at the same time, I really enjoyed them and found myself feeling for them before the books end. If you were a fan of Bishop's Black Jewels Trilogy, give this one a chance.

This book was in very good condition, and it arrived in a timely manner. I am very happy with this purchase.

It's very seldom that I can't put a book down, but that was the case with Brothers Bishop. Though the topics touched within the story were not the topics that America likes to read, they are surprisingly very real and, in their uncommoness, it's high time that America faces issues like these more rationally than than it generally does. To that end, I think Mr. Yates presented his characters and story line perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Brothers Bishop' and recommend it highly.

A lot of books have on their cover "A REAL PAGETURNER" but in reality the book is not a real pageturner and the blurb is almost a lie! You struggle through page after page after page to get to the end of the book! This book "The Brother Bishop" is a real pageturner and NOT a lie! I was not able to put down this book once I got started! I had to know how it ends and what was going to happen to the characters! This is a book that is a slice of reality as hard (pun intended) as it gets! Most books give us a book reality were a lot of story threads come to a "happy end" not this book like real life! A great read, a mirror of daily life and a haunt for a lot of weeks after ending this book! Go read it and come then back for his first novel!

After reading the excellent Leave Myself Behind I knew I would have to read the Brothers Bishop. I wasn't disappointed. I typically only read at night before going to bed to help relax after a day's work but this book made my break my usual routine. I couldn't wait to finish this and after a few days I had. I found the characters endearing and at times hilarious and a lack of usual gay-novel drama replaced with an excellent story.
The ending went in another direction than I thought it would have which completely surprised me but worked nonetheless. Yates appears to have a long future ahead of him and I look forward to his forthcoming work.

Quite possibly the best gay fiction I've read yet.

Bart Yates has an undeniable gift for describing people, things, and events in a universal manner, peppered with an array of eloquent vocabulary. A plot sequence that is brilliantly laid out, the reader is unable to predict what will occur next as it becomes more equivocal. The portrait that Yates creates is unique and interacts flawlessly, thus leading the reader into a world that most anyone can relate to. Provoking a spectrum of emotions, this book is definitely contemporary literature at its finest. Capturing the relationships between men, brothers, fathers and sons, and introducing complexities of the past, this book is a must-read for anyone experiencing the struggles of the aforementioned.

I liked Mr. Yates previous book and had high hopes for this one, but I struggled to finish it and after I did, I wanted to light this book on fire and throw it out the nearest window. Ugh, ultimately I just couldn't come to care about either of these 2 brothers who wallow in their misery. I just wanted to slap them and say get a grip or a least go to therapy. And then that ending was just dreadful. Hopefully this is all just fiction and none of it is loosely based on the authors life, because if it is, I truly pity him.

This book is about a young girl named Mary and her friend. It takes place in Northern France during the time the Nazis were occupying France. The kids don't care about the war until a group of Jewish children running away from the Nazis come to their house with two Nazis soldier hot on their trail. The Jewish children have to hide. Will the Nazis find them? Will Mary and her friends betray them for a bribe?
I give this book one star. I thought that the plot was a little boring and childish. I recommend this book for people who like a easy read.

Twenty adn Ten is a very detailed story with many interesting facts. I belive many of these facts happened in the time period of World War II. I think it is detailed because the author takes alot of time to explain the main events. I have read several facts that have made me contemplate that the novel is realistic. The fist example of the author's factual style is when Sister Gabriel was sent to prison. She was sent to jail because the Nazis thought she was hiding Jewish children, which she was. I belive that people would have done this during World War II. Secondly, the townspeople hid Jews in a cave from the Nazis. It seem to me honest people would have protected jews during this historical period. Lastly the author writes about the children's ration card. I know that children during the Holocaust had ration cards.

book for children to read. Not all stories that come from the holocaust are horror tales. This is a good one for the children to read for a unit study on the holocaust. My children liked it.

The story of children in an orphanage coming to the aid of jewish refugees.

This was an awesome book! I really enjoyed it because of its quality writing and how the whole story was interesting from the start to the end. I suggest this book for 5th or 6th graders. Twenty and Ten talks about 20 French kids hiding in a refuge up in the mountains while the occupation of France by the Nazis. One day ten Jews were sent to the refuge where the twenty kids were. The kids found a safe place to hide when the Nazis came. Will the French kids betray the Jews or will the French kids die just to save the Jews?

Mary and her friends live northern France up on a hill. This is a bad time because the Nazis are invading France. Mary and her twenty friends help ten Jewish kids escape from the Nazis. Will Mary and her friends betray the Jewish kids over a bribe?
I give this book three stars because it was full of suspense but the beginning and the end were pretty boring.

This was the first book by Bishop Spong that I read, but it led me to read all the others that I could find in print. To date, that must be about 10 other books. He stimulates the mind and encourages one to think "out of the box" - a healthy exercise when all around us is a swirling miasma of misinformation and cant that is unbelievable. The Bishop is a renaissance man of our time.

One of the leading men who is well into the apostasy of falsifying and corrupting the truth of Christianity is a man named John Shelby Spong. Christians who will stand faithful to the Lord through His Son Jesus Christ need to know about him and people like him because even if you do not ever read one of his books, you will come across people who have been blinded by his corrupted and degraded Christian beliefs. John Shelby Spong has several books out there today. Some of the titles are as follow: Here I Stand: My Struggle for a Christianity Integrity, Love, and Equality; A New Christianity for a New World; Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism. These are just a few, there are many more. What is ironic is that while he has tried, in his own words, to bring integrity, love, and equality back to Christianity, he really has destroyed the foundations and fundamental truths that are found within the holy Scriptures. Even more so, by destroying the very skeleton of the Bible and Christian reality, he has distorted so many Christians who now follow him that they truly are in a limbo of his leading and making. I will discuss several of what he calls his Twelve Theses now with the truth of the Bible and information outside of the Bible.

From his Twelve Theses, here are explanations for you so that you will know how in turn to be able to get through the muck that has brought down the integrity of Christianity and has placed it into the view of just another "feel good without truly thinking" point of views. To be able to fulfill what is called the Great Commission, you will need and be able to meet in mental and spiritual combat those like Spong who wish to distort anything and everything that is Holy and True about our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ. The Twelve Theses is Spongs attempt to be like a New Age Episcopal (no big surprise that he was a bishop within this denomination) Martin Luther. You can find a full copy of this distortion in his biography, Here I Stand.

Creation/Evolution: Spong has the following to say (453): "The biblical story of the perfect and finished creation from which human beings fell into sin is pre-Darwinian mythology and post-Darwinian nonsense." The truth of God however is far above Darwin and in fact, the truth of evolution is probably one of the greatest fairy tales of the 19th through 21st century. There are many holes and straying strands that exist within what is grouped together as evolution. Not even scientists who believe, or people like Spong, can't get the right idea of what evolution is. On the other hand, the Bible's view of the truth of creationism contains a lot of evidence to support this view. There are a multitude of books that are out there published by intelligent and thought provoking creationist scientists. DNA, biology, and physiology again and again when brought together support the Biblical ideas. What is so dangerous is that many people, even those who may be reading this book on apologetics, cannot know the truth because the evolutionsists like Spong within the church and people like the fairly popular Stephen Jay Gould outside Christianity seems to be the popular view that is taught as religion in our school systems and now in our churches. Instead I would suggest to you to read books like How Now Shall I Live? by Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, The Long War Against God by Dr. Henry Morris, and The Face by Hank Hanegraaff. I would have to go into a book in and of itself about the truth of creationism but I think I have made my point countering Spong. Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey have this to say about the debate and how it affects who you are in your Christian walk with God (55): The Christian worldview begins with the Creation, with a deliberate act by a personal Being who existed from all eternity. This personal dimension is crucial for understanding Creation. Before bringing the world into existence, the Creator made a choice, a decision: He set out a plan, an intelligent design.

Virgin Birth: Spong has the following to say (453): "The virgin birth, understood as literal biology, makes the divinity of Christ, as traditionally understood impossible." Biblical foundations of the virgin birth came from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah within two main segments of the book of Isaiah. These points are found in Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 9:6a. What Spong has to say is another fallacy that has corrupted so many people who have come to the church to find the truth of God. Christianity is founded on the proofs of the Bible. Spong says that it is biologically impossible yet how can that be for with the God who created the univesre, is something as simple as this so difficult? For Spong, in his narrow view of God's truth, the answer is a sad yes. While you and I can't have a physiological evidence placed in our hand, we can respect the reality of how Christ Jesus, to be who He said He is and how prophecy has spoken true about Him, then we must accept the virgin birth. We cannot pick and choose what we can and cannot believe in the Bible. The Bible is true, it is supported by much information. Even more so, we must accept how the prophecies of the virgin birth have brought about the truth of Christ Jesus. We cannot say the prophets are liars because in the Jewish sense, if a prophet is wrong about one point, then not only is he a false prophet, then he also will die because Jewish laws show that prophets must be 100% true. The following is found within the wonderful work by Josh McDowell called The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, he has this to say (295): The evidence strongly suggests that the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke are built on the firsthand testimony of Jesus' own family members, which further support the conclusion that Jesus' conception and birth were indeed the fulfillment of Isaiah's ancient prophecy. As Matthew wrote: "Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet , saying: `Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated `God with us.'" (Matthew 1:22, 23).

Cross: Spong has the following to say (453): "The view of the cross as the sacrifice for the sins of the world is a barbarian idea based on primitive concepts of God that must be dismissed." Such a heresy is horrific to believe but there are many, many people out there who not only disbelieve in the crucifixion but not understanding the reasons why there was the crucifixion. The cross is the foundation of the Bible, yes, and even more, the cross and the crucifixion is the primary truth of God's love and want for our human race to be saved. Spong does not, along with the others who believe with Spong, understand the truth that is our Lord and Savior's reason for the Cross. Jesus could have called a thousand, thousand angels to come down to protect Him from the cross but God knew that His Son had to go through the cross in order for you and I to be truly saved from our sins. We are a sinful race, we are not able to save ourselves, and thus God was the only one who could save us. The only way to save us was to face what we faced, thus He had to come into this world, into our human history, as Jesus Christ, as the Son, and bear upon His own shoulders not just the salvation of the world but also the judgment the final judgment upon the affront that sin is toward Him. J. Vernon McGee has this to say about the truth of the cross (144): "It was a transaction between the Father in heaven and the Son on the cross. The cross became an altar upon which the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, was offered." Without the cross and the honest reasons behind the cross, that is to save us from our sins, again we cannot truly know and have faith and be in relationship with our Lord God. It is a shame that yes again, Spong creates a false reality that has subjugated so many who come to Christianity for salvation and safety.

Resurrection: Spong has the following to say (454): "Resurrection is an action of God, who raised Jesus into the meaning of God. It therefore cannot be a physical resurrection occurring, inside human history." Yet again truth that is founded on the reliability of Scripture has escaped Mr. Spong simply because he, yet again, wishes to nitpick what he wants to believe and what he doesn't want to believe based upon a faulty ground of his "reasoning" powers. We must accept the truth within scripture and outside of scripture toward the reliability of the resurrection. There are several reasons for this. Archeologists and historians have come together over the ages to show that the Bible's scriptures hold truth in what they say, that they can be honored and they can be relied upon with all intent and purpose in one's walk with Christ.

There were hundreds upon hundreds of eye witnesses that saw and had specific contact with the risen Lord and Savior. If this was not true, then evidence would have outweighed even the most arrogant supporter for Jesus being back alive. Yet many a times Jesus was seen, encountered, and talked with by not just the disciples such as Matthew and Mark and John and Peter, but also many others who were firm believers in the Lord yet had no real speaking or political power. Even after His resurrection, there is ample and true historical evidence that there were those who indeed saw Him and witnessed Him in His resurrected body. Right after the resurrection the disciples saw him, then others outside the circle of main believers. Remember the Bible read the following from the Book of Acts 1:2-3:
...until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

Then in 1st Corinthians 15:5-8, Paul says the following quote:
...and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.

As these quotes show, you must understand that the writers of the Gospels specifically speak of instances where they themselves as the disciples had a personal contact with the Lord and Savior who rose back to life. There was of course the instance where Thomas, later Doubting Thomas, touched Jesus before the eyes of other. Then there was also the time where in the early morning Jesus ate and broke bread with Peter and John and the others on the beach. The first Letter to Corinthians, furthermore, shows that several hundred people had witnessed Jesus after the resurrection. If any of these instances were not true, then there would have been mounting evidence that would have wiped out even the flicker of believers at this time in history. As the letter of Paul was written in probably a decade or two after the resurrection, if there was no truth behind Jesus' resurrection, Christianity would have been snuffed out like what someone would do to a candle. Such evidence seems to elapse from Spong and his followers. History not only supports the fact that Jesus rose from the grave, it even bows down to its truth.

This is just some of the truths that counter weigh the false beliefs of Spong and others like him. To be a Christian, to fully be raptured by the truth and wonder and hope and joy that is our Lord God and Savior, you must realize that the Bible speaks the truth, that its wisdom is not man made wisdom but God made and that its reliability is found on the solid ground that is where our Lord God stands upon. As Christians, as believers, I hope and pray that this confrontation to Spong's ideas helps you realize what kind of cancer is biting at the heels of our Church. If you are an unbeliever, I hope and pray that my evidence has helped at least spark a fire of thought and desire to know more within your heart and soul. I pray as I write this that God opens your eyes and opens your heart to His eternal truth and love and holiness.

Former Bishop Spong doesn't believe in the Bible as the inspired word of God. He doesn't believe Jesus was born of a virgin, died in atonement for sin, or was physically resurrected from the dead. He doesn't believe in salvation, the power of prayer, the second coming, Hell or any sort of afterlife, and sees God more as an internal presence than an external supernatural force.

I am interested in the history and structure of religion...this is my third Spong book. I thought perhaps this time I would find out just what it is Spong does believe - no such luck. What I did get was a detailed view of what shaped his life and theology, how he came to write so many books (average of one every 2 years since 1973) and a readable story about an energetic, caring and principled man.

Spong's father was an alcoholic who died when the boy was 12. Spong wasn't ready for the "man of the house" role his dependent mother would have liked for him to fill. His marginally successful early teen years took a positive turn when he joined the boy's choir at the Episcopal Church. A charismatic priest took an interest, and young Spong began taking leadership roles in every church activity. By the time he finished the 11th grade, he had decided to become a priest. Since being a priest required college, Spong buckled down and got all A's in school his senior year - a necessity for college admission since his previous grades were so poor.

From that time on (working within the limitations of objectivity inherent in an autobiography) Spong was a leader in everthing he attempted. In college, seminary and throughout his early church positions, he provided enthusiastic administrative skills. Outstanding qualities - a way of creating excitement for projects, organizational skills, people skills, diplomacy, unlimited energy, a developing talent in handling the press, and a willingness to stand up against injustice, even if he might end up standing alone. He wielded these qualities into explosive growth for each church under his guidance, and through the difficult time of racial de-segregation. Repeatedly when racial issues were lacking local leadership, Spong stepped forward. During the occasional loss of a battle, he laid ground to win the war.

Adult Bible study groups were an integral part of each of Spong's churches. His enthusiastic and always crowded classes repeatedly asked him to publish his classwork, and his second career as a writer began. He helped the high school football announcer with statistics, soon taking over play by play announcing. He created a debate over radio with a local rabbi. He received more and more speaking engagements, sparking a third career. These days, he has about 200 speaking engagements per year.

The drama of conflict is one of the charms of this autobiography, but it is strictly a memoir of his professional life. We don't get past a superficial knowledge of either wife or his kids. The conflicts at the end of the book can get a little too detailed at times, but the inner workings of church hierarchy I found fascinating.

Back to Bishop Spong's theology, I still wonder - given his beliefs - why he doesn't take up watercoloring or golf instead of going to church. I would like to read his views on what role IS appropriate in his view of the church and how this church would conduct its services. It is clear that whatever he believes, a significant part of his theology will be based on tolerance and love. A very good book.

As a young Episcopalian, future priest, and sometimes follower of Bishop Spong I was excited to get my hands on his autobiography to see where he was coming from. He has lived such an intriguing life and he has done many, many good things for the Church, and for the world.

In spite of what some may think about his theology (I, for one, happen to agree with a lot of what he says), I think that this book just shows that he is a man devoted to God, to the Church, and to his family.

This is an excellent book. I have read several of Spong's books and this book is very helpful in giving the evolotion in his spiritual ideas. The Unity church I attend, has had two sets of Sunday School classes on his books. This book helps one to understand his writing.

I am a huge fan of everything I have ever read by Anne Bishop. I have read the Black Jewels Trilogy at least four times. While I appreciated the series of short stories in Dreams Made Flesh, I already saw the difference between the original trilogy and anything she would write in this world. Like the short story "Kaleer's Heart" (found in Dreams Made Flesh), Tangled Webs is a story set in the black jewels world after the epic battle. In a note to readers before the novel starts, Bishop tells us that the epic story has already been told and this is merely one of those little everyday stories. While I am a little sad about this fact, it is true. I found Tangled Webs just that, not an epic tale, but a small adventure. This is not to say that I did not love familial humor and all of the wonderful characters I have come to love, but this story is not the original trilogy so do not expect it to be. I am not saying its not good, considering I finished it in one sitting, but I am saying that it different. Unfortunately, I would have to agree with some of the other reviewers, while I have read the trilogy over and over, I do not see myself reading this one again.

I read a bad review of this book, but decided to read it anyway. Bishop has a large place on my bookshelf, so I bought it thinking, "If it's horrible, I'll give it to someone." I was done reading the book before I knew it. Bishop has been adding stand-alone books to her Black Jewels series, and this stands true to the writing style of that series. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would read it again.

this was a fun, interesting read and a good addition to the black jewels story line!

I had just finished the Black Jewels Trilogy and felt like the end of the third book was left wide open for the possibility of more stories to come. I knew that whatever books would come out later wouldn't be the same caliber - how could it after everything that had happened already? - but I did expect a good entertaining story.

I found out about Tangled Web yesterday and was thrilled that I wouldn't have to wait to revisit the land of the jewels. I picked it from the library in the early afternoon and finished it by 10 at night(with plenty of time in between for meals and TV time).

It was good but not great and a very, very easy read. It was nice to revisit all of my favorite characters but the story line seemed superficial and I was surprised at how little depth there was to whole thing. This is not what I had expected from the writer who created a trilogy of awe inspiring characters that made you crave to leave your current life behind to help fight the depraved blood men and women.

I do think it was a good book in and of itself but it didn't come close to touching the remarkable world created in the Black Jewels Trilogy - NOT EVEN CLOSE.

wonderful visit with characters who have been much missed. hope there are more follow ups coming soon.