Booker Books

The Old Woman's Cat is a delightful collection of 12 short stories, some wickedly funny, some full of dark revenge and tasty justice. "Spectre", a romance, was one of my favorites but "Demise of a Vampire" had me laughing and wanting more. "Mother Mouse", "Skeleton Key" and "Images" could be about the family next door (oh, you hope it isn't!), and "Identity" comes from our deepest fears of losing our own identity.
These are delicious stories of ordinary folk just like you and me--with a twist from a good author. These stories will keep you shivering and looking at familiar things with new aprehension.
It's also a must-have book for campfire nights!

Sharon King-Booker's, THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT, AND OTHER STORIES is an intriguing collection of short stories on a variety of themes. The stories are of varied length as well as subject matter, but all are fast-paced, with twists and surprises interwoven. Ms. King-Booker has created believeable characters who do seemingly ordinary things--however-- For good light reading, THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT is a delightful choice.

This book was difficult to put down once I began reading. Ms King-Booker has the ability to build suspense and hold your attention without a doubt. I will be waiting for her next book to come out.

THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT AND OTHER STORIES is a sharp and chilling collection of stories that will truly make you afraid to sleep with the lights off. Along with other ones that will have you reaching for the tissue.

In THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT is Charlotte Stanfield's ramblings strickly in her head or was her family stalked and terrorized by a real cat with a score to settle?

Problems from this vampires former life have eventually followed him in his life of the undead. In DEMISE OF A VAMPIRE we share his time as he writes his farewell letter.

Suzanne and her husband Ted move to Arizona in THE HOUSE ON THE CORNER. When Ted's job relocates them to the dying town that his company hopes will grow once again his wife Suzanne experiences some unexpected and supernatural roommates that are trying to tell her something.

Reeverend Cory Cameron feels a sense of loyalty to an old dying town in the story SPECTER. But what he see's late at night at the old mortuary has him hightailing out of town for good!

In SKELETON KEY, Penny has such fond memories of her time on her grandparents farm when she was a child. When she returns as an adult, memories that have been long buried start haunting her. And so does a beloved relative.

Little Danny wants one thing in life more than anything else. A dog. If he had clean clothes to wear, warm food to eat and a mother who didn't drink and let her boyfriends beat on her and him, that would be nice too. In the story FRIENDS, Danny may just get one of his wishes just in time to save his life.

Dr. Wendell Grimes is having a heck of a time keeping his dead patients to stay in one place in PLASMA FACTOR. He is bound and determined to find out how they keep getting up and leaving the hospital.

OBSESSED is the story of Charles Winslow and his persistent plan to get rid of his wife and hook up with Carla Pennington. But life has a very strange way of turning the purfect plan to horror.

Jennifer Castle went to sleep just like she did every night in IDENTITY. When she woke up the next day she had no idea where she was or who the strange man and two little girls were that walked into the bedroom she woke up in. Why was he calling her Tracy and why were they calling her mommy?

When a father and husband feels he has lost everything in DRESS ME IN PINK he'll make an absolutely devastating decison.

Andrew has spent his life romancing and marrying rich woman in SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE. After years of saving all the money left to him in their wills he's ready to settle down and enjoy his life. When he meets and falls head over heals in love with Angela he gets his just deserts.

A young boy grows up with a horrible knowledge in WINTERKILL. With this knowledge he accepts the fact that it's his job to protect everyone in town when winter comes.

MOTHER MOUSE is the story of a bully husband and a mouse of a wife and mother. When the last child has grown and leaves home it's time for the mouse to bite back.

David wakes up one morning with the ability to see what appears to be the future in IMAGES. When he looks into a mirror a scene will play it's self out. Is this a good thing? Or will it destroy David's sanity and his families happiness?

Sharon King-Booker has writen such a clever book! I loved all of these short stories. Ms. Booker has the ability to scare the socks off you, make you wonder what's real or imagined and even make you choke up in deep sorrow for her characters.

One example of Ms. Booker's talent shines through in DRESS ME IN PINK. I would never have thought it possible but this short story is only one page long. She has chosen these few words with such care and purpose that I was hysterically crying when I finished this one page.

I'm very excited to have found such a talented author in Ms. Booker. I plan to read every book she writes in the future.

If you love a good scare, a good cry and stories with such imaginative twist and turns you should really pick up THE OLD WOMAN'S CAT AND OTHER STORIES.

On the surface, this "historical fiction" includes all the elements of a classic spy novel: Deception, intrigue, murder, and plenty of action. But wait, there's more to it than that! As you delve deeper into the book, you will find this is not just the result of the author's ruse. It is a carefully drawn conclusion about the "Whats" and "Whys" of the U.S.'s involvement in Viet Nam, and the less widely undersood repercussions of our actions there.

Check the facts if you must, but you will find many of the events, places, and people really do (or did) exist. These facts are woven into an excellent piece of storycraft that asks the reader to consider this very plausible explanation of what may have (or did...?) happen beyond what most believe (or would have you believe) about the Viet Nam war. A great story, a great investigative piece, or both? Read it and decide!

A definite must read for anyone that enjoys a book that makes you think!!

Doomsday Journal is one of those rare stories which breaks all the rules. The author not only challenges everything we knew about the spread of Weapons of Mass Destruction, the Cold War and the struggle in Southeast Asia, but intertwines the facts within a riveting story. I picked it up on a Friday night and didn't get much else done until I closed the back cover late Sunday night.

My brother described it as the `Mother' of all conspiracy theories, but I didn't see it that way at all. It is true that the story is chuck full of murder, mayhem and treachery. It starts out with a young American agent investigating a series of deaths of top ranking United States military officers. He learns more than anyone would want to know, thereby putting everyone he knows in jeopardy.

However, I saw it as more of a historical revelation. For thirty years we've known there was more to the Vietnam war than anyone was admitting. Now I know what it was all about. That's worth far more than the price of this book.

To the U.S. intelligence community and the CIA in particular, "Doomsday Journal" (DDJ) is the loud knock on the door that they were hoping would never come. Bruce Booker, through the impeccably researched and superbly written DDJ, has in fact kicked open the door to reveal a SINISTER BUT POSSIBLY TRUE EXPLANATION of the how's and why's of the Vietnam conflict. For those who are haunted to this day by their experience in Vietnam, this book may well be life-changing. Even if only part of this story is true (and, rest assured, all of the logic at my command suggests that it is), DDJ provides a wonderful "unified theory" that explains much of what happened in Southeast Asia from the late 1940's through the mid-1970's. DDJ should be required reading for any serious student of modern history. Moreover, it utilizes a delivery vehicle that proves to be consistently and highly entertaining throughout the story. As for author Bruce Booker, I don't think there are many people in the world who possess the combination of intellect, perseverance and panache that it takes to accomplish what he has here. Be the first among your literate friends to discover this one!

This is a clear concise expose on the master deciever's plan to discredited the Jewish people, and Lord of Lord's and King of King's, Jesus Christ. We must recognize the reason for the onslaught of hate against the Jewish people. Mr. Booker's book brings to light with historical facts, and keen insight into the persecution of Jews, why we must recognize the origin of this hate, the purpose, and how we can combat the enemy. A must read for those serious about the peace for Jerusalem, and the safety for our Jewish brothers and sisters.

Wow! I knew there were sad times in Church history. Times that I didn't even want to think about because of the shame and embarrassment of the atrocities we committed. What I didn't realize was how pervasive those times have been through out history. It's no wonder the Jewish people have such a hard time believing in Jesus as their Messiah when you consider what we the Church have done to them. The chart showing Canonical Law and Nazi measures was eye opening.

The Lie is the most concise, chronological listing
of the unfortunate 'multitude of sins' perpetuated
by the so-called Church against the Jewish
people. The vast majority of 'Christians'
have no clue as to the depth of antisemitism in the church.
May all who read The Lie
be challenged to examine their attitudes and
conduct towards G-d's chosen people.

A wonderful book describing God's plan throughout history to send a savior. A good reference book for studying the covenant. I bought many and gave them to my friends for Christmas presents. It is a must read to keep you knowing who's in charge of everything...God is.

This book is so inspiring. He covers Jesus from Genesis to Revelation. He shows references to Jesus that I never saw before. It inspires me to go through the Bible and see Jesus all the way through.

Wow a great book about how the Old and the New Testaments intertwine. The scarlet thread related to the blood of Jesus. God provided a covenant for His people in the Old Testament and also in the New. Recommend to those that want a better understanding of why we have the two Testaments.

Philadelphia is still the city of many firsts. This book is delightful brief overlook of Philadelphia's many contributions to contemporary society. Of course, Benjamin Franklin has a lot to do with so many useful inventions. Of course, the 1876 World's Fair which also introduced us to the invention of the telephone and light bulbs. The inventions caught on just as Thomas Alva Edison and Bell are a part of our everyday lives. There is a lot more particularly in entertainment, cuisine, clothes, music, etc.

I gave Philly Firsts as a Christmas gift to my brother who still lives in the Philadelphia area. I only quickly read some of this book, but it looked absolutely intriguing especially to native Philadelphians or those planning to visit it. The book arrived in excellent condition. It is an enjoyable book that is entertaining, enlightening and informative. It will make the reader appreciate some of the familiar places and motivate them to seek out the others.

This book is great read for anyone interested in Philadelphia or American history in general. I have lived in Philadelphia all my life and did not know half of the things that are presented in this book.It is filled with fascinating facts about this great city.Get this book today.

Everyone should purchase this book.

It is a chapter that contains information about the murder of my maternal grandfather, Walter Gunn.

Norrell's book gives a detailed story of the movement in Tuskegee, the home of Booker T. Washington. It clearly shows of the Macon County's progress away from the accommodationist views of Washington. For those who are not familiar with the movement outside the realms of Martin Luther King and others, Reaping the Whirlwind is a great source to fill your mind.

The struggle for civil rights was a long and argous process, and Robert Norrell's Reaping the Whirlwind, is an example of how the movement progressed, grew, and eventually was successful. In his book he traces the lines of leadership at Tuskegee Institute in Macon County, Alabama. As the novel progresses, society increasingly adapts to the ideals behind an integrated community. The struggle for equality was not won as easliy as the court battles suggested rather, true equality could never have existed due to the white exodus of the "model city." This is an excellent portrayal of the events in this small town, and this novel should be mandatory reading in any civcs or Civil Rights History class

A coal miner's son in the 1940s wins a scholarship to go to grammar school and with it a chance to escape the poverty and narrowness of his upbringing. However, after his graduation he still feels tied to the family and community he came from and at the same time he is estranged from almost everyone in it. He struggles to fulfil his obligations and find meaning and purpose for himself.

When I read my own synopsis of the book it sounds boring and introspective. It is not like that at all. The story is engaging, the prose compelling and the book as a whole, thoroughly memorable. One of the best Booker Prize winners of all. The atmosphere of the book is a little gloomy and the ending is not one that tries to resolve all problems. The book is a portrait of a child and young man caught between two worlds.

Some people may find the very detached third person style of the writing distracting. For example Mr and Mrs Saville are referred to as "his father" and "his mother" when "he" in the same sentence refers to someone other than Colin. This caused me momentary confusion on a few occasions.

When you compare the relative happiness of Colin and his younger brother Stevie its tempting to put this book in the same tradition as Great Expectations and Jude the Obscure where its wrong for working class people to aspire to a higher education and an improvement in conditions. This is not the overall impression of this book. Saville's and Colin's apirations are valid.

By the way if its not available on Amazon.com try Amazon UK its definitely in print there.

Saville won the Booker Prize in 1976. In such a vast novel it is inevitable that the pace will occasionally quicken and slacken, but a book like this can be read over weeks, almost dipped into as the passing phases of Colin's life unfold. David Story was born in Wakefield, and so was I. It could be argued that his most famous and perhaps still most successful work is "This Sporting Life", a portrait of a Rugby League player who achieves local fame and then notoriety as his life and career blossom and then fall apart. It was filmed in the early 1960s, with Richard Harris playing the starring role. Along with about 28000 others, I was in Wakefield Trinity's Belle Vue ground soon after midday to make sure that I got a standing place by the railings next to the pitch to see Trinity play Wigan in a cup-tie. I was only ten and needed to be early because, had I been further back amongst the crowd, I would have seen nothing. Wakefield beat Wigan 5-4, with Fred Smith scoring the only try of the game at my end. They went on to win at Wembley that year, beating Huddersfield in the game where Neil Fox used a drop goal strategy not seen before or since.

But before that cup-tie against Wigan, the packed Trinity ground became a film set. We were all unpaid extras as Richard Harris and members of the Trinity second team filmed some actions Sequences for "This Sporting Life". I show no disrespect for Richard Harris by recalling that the sequence required a whole string of takes, necessitated by the fact that the star kept dropping the ball! I have seen the film several times, but I have not yet managed to spot my short-trousered legs behind the sticks at the Belle Vue end. They are there, somewhere.

I digress at length from my intended review because Colin, the central character of Saville, could easily have been me, or perhaps my older brother. Like Colin we were brought up in a small Yorkshire mining village. Also like Colin we went to a grammar school and experienced similar tensions and contradictions as a result of social class differences. And again like Colin we both became, as a result of that education, something previous generations of our permanent-feeling community had never aspired to, perhaps never knew existed. Unlike Colin, we did not aspire to become writers, except of course for me, who eventually tried to become one! It was the education that changed everything and this aspect of Saville is beautifully portrayed, right down to the visit to the old Kingswell's shop in Wakefield to buy the ludicrously expensive school uniform, a source of pride for the miner's family, but also a pointer indicating how lives will inevitably diverge.

Saville also deals with how social mores were changing in the new second half of the twentieth century. Colin's parents simply could not relate to how his life was developing, perhaps finding hardest to stomach the individuality that he developed and was determined to express. It was a quality you could not pursue when, as poor people, your lives were always inter-dependent. The communal nature of their poverty made this a desire they could not comprehend and occasionally his pursuit of his own ends was seen by them - perhaps quite rightly - as errant selfishness. Of course, we now live in an age where the individual is the norm, the indivisible unit of society and, perhaps, where an idea of community is mere nostalgia.

Above all else David Storey's Saville evokes a time and a place. It also evokes a language, a dialect that preserves the use of thee, thy, thou and thine and, although occasionally laboured, the book's specialised vocabulary and syntax create the sound of a Yorkshire twang.

Saville has no vast themes, no overtly historical settings against which the characters enact their lives. Rather it concentrates on a social and economic setting which was quite peculiar to these mining communities in Yorkshire. But this is the book's real strength. What we have is a social document, as powerful and yet as specific as some of its nineteenth century equivalents. Now, after the closure of the pits, though the villages remain, these communities have disappeared to be replaced by settings that perhaps offer less chance of social mobility or self-respect than in Saville's time. This provides and irony that my own novel set in these same places might bring into focus. But in Saville's time, the idea that the pits would close never entered anyone's head, a fact which makes Colin's transformation through the book remarkable, credible and yet ultimately sad, since we now see it as effectively driven by necessity, not choice.

27 August 2007

Storey's 1976 Booker Prize-winner captures the heart of its characters, draws in the reader, and smoothly traces the life of Colin Saville from his childhood to early adulthood in the small and dying mining village of Saxton. In some ways, Saville is the archetype of all those young people who have used their educations--and some luck--to develop interests which take them beyond their smalltown villages and into the wider world. As Storey shows us, this is not a smooth transition, and it is not done without regrets and feelings of abandoning family ties.

Set during World War II and after, the novel concentrates on daily life as a young boy deals as well as he can with the circumstances of life, even when he has to live with a neighbor for several months because his mother is hospitalized and his father works at night. Always limiting his descriptions to what the main character would observe at various stages of his life, Storey conveys Colin's world realistically, from his embarrassment at having a bath in front of the neighbor woman he stays with to his feeling that "everyone had moved away. At school he was suddenly cut off."

Colin's friends range from Batty and Stringer, two young delinquents who have a "hut" in the woods, to Michael Reagan, a violinist, fat Ian Bletchley, and Stafford, a wealthy boy who befriends him in school. Through them Storey is able to create a realistic novel which also shows what happens to these other, equally typical characters as the post-war years progress. At school Colin is subjected to snobbism, sadistic punishment, and emotional abuse by teachers who seem to regret their own lack of success and their awareness that the class structures of which they have been a part are breaking down. But he survives, making friends, discovering women, and learning about equality, both in terms of women's liberation and in terms of his own potential.

Ultimately, a colleague tells Colin, now an adult, "You don't belong to any class, since you live with one class, respond like another, and feel attachments to none." This breaking up of traditional class structures is Storey's theme, one repeated throughout countries and ages as young people achieve more than their parents, the communal spirit of villages changes, opportunities open up for those who work for them, and life becomes more global. Gracefully written, with not a word out of place, I can not recall when I've found a 500-page book that reads so quickly and so enjoyably. Mary Whipple

This book is one of those rare gems that, if you're really fortunate, you come across from time to time. I received it as a gift from one of my mentors, Charlie Jones, who had, for some time now, been speaking of Booker T. Washington as one of his heroes. Having only a very surface knowledge of Mr. Washington - knowing that he was born a slave and went on to become founder of the famed Tuskegee Institute - he was a hero of mine, as well. After all, one could only imagine what he had to overcome to have achieved all he did.

However, after reading this book by Pastor Stephen Mansfield, the greatness of Mr. Washington simply came alive for me. He was a man of character, a man of faith, a dreamer and a doer; a man who moved mountains and moved hearts.

He had a plan - he had a dream - for taking his people from a horrible situation and helping them to move up and become successful in every way.

Unfortunately, as the author points out, he was fought every step along the way - often most by those he was trying to help and, in time, and long after he died in 1915, was disparaged by many as simply naïve, foolish, a misguided optimist, betrayer to his people.

Of course, none of this is true. Reading the story of Booker T. Washington in 2007 we can look back in hindsight and see that everything he taught - regarding the importance of character, thrift, knowledge, wisdom, forgiveness, love, persistence, delayed gratification, humility, etc. - is the way to build oneself, one's people and one's nation.

Only now is this man's wisdom and greatness beginning to once again be recognized and embraced. This book should be read by anyone and everyone looking to achieve greatness in their life. Read this book and you'll have the roadmap for doing so.

Booker T. Washington was a wonderful man; a hero. And the author, Pastor Mansfield, did a superb job in telling the story.

P.S. By the way, if you get an opportunity to read the booklet, "Character Building" by Booker T. Washington it will also be WELL worth your time. It's a reprinting of a number of his "Sunday Evening Talks" to his students and faculty members. The advice and wisdom that Mr. Washington shared is simply amazing.

Then Darkness Fled is a celebration of the life of Booker T. Washinghton and tells of a man who dined with heads of state and became the first Afro-American to receive honorary degrees from Harvard and Dartmouth. Chapters survey both his achievements and his life in this lively coverage.

In another sterling volume of the Leaders in Action series, Stephen Mansfield here outlines the life and character of Booker T. Washington. In vivacious voice and moving magniloquence, Mansfield traces Washington's path from slavery to his founding of Tuskegee Institute. He shows the difficulties Washington surpassed in reaching his goals, and the principles that helped him make it. In the words of Washington, "Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succed." By this standard, Booker T. Washington was an astonishingly successful man.

Washington wrote his own autobiography, _Up From Slavery_, which must certainly not be neglected. But Mansfield's biography is also a criticial read because he includes facts that the autobiographer was too modest to mention, and he highlights wonderful aspects of Washington's character that humility prevented him from including. This biography doesn't contain the wonderful self-analysis and insight of Booker himself - but it does contain all the benefits of a third person account.

One thing I really appreciated about this book was its terrific analysis of slavery and inter-race reconciliation. Expounding Booker's opinion, Mansfield blames both whites and blacks for the problems that cropped up after the Civil War. Whites needed to repent of their brutal treatment of slaves and actually begin considering blacks more than mere animals; and blacks needed to repent of their spirit of bitterness toward their white enslavers, and begin working hard and leaving no excuse for disrespect of blacks. Too many books on reconciliation have practically advocated bitterness, hatred, and laziness when what is really needed is Washington's outlook of forgiveness and hard work. This book offers relief from such pride.

To wrap up, this is a great biography. Good history, good style, and good content. Buy it.

What a Difference a Line Can Make

My husband and I happened to hear this great man of God preach at a pastoral conference recently, and were privileged to speak with him at a fellowship event after the service. Although he wrote the book a few years ago, the concept of boundaries and standards is a timeless one. With each standard or rule that was broken, God answered with consequence. Yet with each standard or rule that was followed, God rewarded with abundance and freedom. My husband and I are blessed to have met Pastor Larry Booker and look forward to hearing him preach the Word at the next opportunity.

Often in our walk with God we are given guidelines and standards that we ought to obey and live by. Often times the reasons for these "principles" are cloudy and obscure, such as seeing through a darkly tinted glass. This book explains, in easy to understand terms, the reasons for the do's and dont's on many of these issues that promote godly living. People usually do not mind obeying truths, when they understand them. This book bridges that gap and explains in easy to understand, laymens terms. You walk away from this book saying to yourself "That makes perfectly good sense. I wonder why I never heard it that way before."

This book is second only to the Bible, and possibly The Journey of a Lifetime (another book by Larry Booker). A must for every library, and a practical resource for holy living. This books reveals biblical truths concerning holiness, and it is like a refreshing breath of purified air in an oftentimes dirty and unholy world.

"God, it's hell being a writer.........." With tongue firmly embedded in cheek, Simon Brett tells the tale of one writer's foolproof plan to win the Booker Prize.

This delightful story takes the form of a biography on Geraldine Buyers; unknown author of one faintly acclaimed novel. In her quest for recognition, Geraldine sets forth to win the Booker Prize. Her logic is sound and her plan destined for success. She will write her brilliant and original new novel involving a beautiful young girl persecuted by two cruel stepsisters in the style of the current Booker Prizewinner. Unfortunately for Geraldine, but to the continual enjoyment of the reader, her manuscript is never quite finished before the next winner is announced, leaving her no choice but to begin her novel again, and again and again.........

Reading the trials and traumas of Geraldine Buyers, you get the unsettling feeling that she was somehow 'dropped' from an intellectually superior world into our bewildering jungle of lesser mortals. She is unbelievably self centred, remarkably untalented and yet somehow, her numerous encounters with disaster endear her to the reader. As E.F. Benson wrote of Lucia, "Don't get angry with her, just richly enjoy her."

Although set in the publishing world, this book is so wonderfully written that everybody will enjoy it. The humour is sharp and addictive, (I've read the book countless times and still laugh out loud!) The only possible critique of this marvellously funny book is the 'over the top' naivety of Geraldine's biographer. Supposedly a woman of the eighties, she is a frightening and not very funny version of Adrian Mole.

On the whole, Simon Brett's 'The Booker Book' is a successful and hilarious novel with well thought out characters who work together to create a strong base for the life and pitfalls of our heroine. My advice? Buy it, enjoy it, but don't be surprised if Geraldine lives in your life for longer than it takes to read her story......

"God, it's hell being a writer....."

With tongue firmly embedded in cheek, Simon Brett tells the tale of one writer's foolproof plan to win the Booker Prize.

This delightful story takes the form of a biography on Geraldine Buyers; unknown author of one faintly acclaimed novel. In her quest for recognition, Geraldine sets forth to win the Booker Prize. Her logic is sound and her plan destined for success. She will write her brilliant and original new novel involving a beautiful young girl persecuted by two cruel stepsisters in the style of the current Booker Prize-winner. Unfortunately for Geraldine, but to the continual enjoyment of the reader, her manuscript is never quite finished before the next winner is announced, leaving her no choice but to begin her novel again, and again and again.........

Although set in the publishing world, this book is so wonderfully written that everybody will enjoy it. The humour is sharp and addictive, (I've read the book countless times and still laugh out loud!) The only possible critique of this marvellously funny book is the 'over the top' naivety of Geraldine's biographer. Supposedly a woman of the eighties, she is a frightening and not very funny version of Adrian Mole.

On the whole, Simon Brett's 'The Booker Book' is a successful and hilarious novel with well thought out characters who work together to create a strong base for the life and pitfalls of our heroine. My advice? Buy it, enjoy it, but don't be surprised if Geraldine lives in your life for longer than it takes to read her story. She is unbelievably self centred, remarkably untalented and yet somehow, her numerous encounters with disaster endear her to the reader. As E.F. Benson wrote of Lucia, "Don't get angry with her, just richly enjoy her."