Boyle Books

This was one of the most moving books that I've ever read. I lived in Rockaway Beach for four years (my father is from Rockaway originally) and I had first read the book when I moved into the neighborhood. I picked it up a few years later and was brought to tears. Rockaway is SUCH a tight-knit community and reading it the second time made it even more poignant as there were many people that I now knew well. It was well-written and for most people, Rockaway is a place that many forget. Rockaway lost over 80 firemen and policemen in 9/11, so it is not something that is taken lightly. It really is an amazing place to live, everyone knows your name, everyone looks out for you. I now live in Phoenix, but Rockaway will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you Kevin Boyle, for bringing this neighborhood to life. Never forget!!!

To know Rockaway is to absolutely know what it's like to not be able to live without Rockaway. Kevin Boyle captures Rockaway's darkest moments and shows how a community bonds together and rebuilds. He shows our strength and our unity during these tragic times. Thanks Kevin.

Kevin Boyle writes about Rockaway and its inhabitants with respect and humor. It has a nice balance of history, humor, and gripping unreal reality. I am from the area and lost a loved one. This book was tough for me but I can honestly say it is the most personal and realistic look at not just the firefighters that were lost, but the people that were lost. I recommend it.
- James Suhr

Fascinating account of the history of The Rockaways, and the devestating impact of 9/11 and the November 2001 airline accident. The reader is introduced to a number of families, and how they were impacted by the two tragedies. It is a wonderful read, and although The Rockaways are a scant few miles from Manhattan, the feeling is one of a small-town, where neighbors look out for neighbors and there is a community spirit of togetherness.

I must have read twenty 9/11 books and only came upon this after doing a search about 9/11 books. I had only heard of Rockaway Beach from the song, Rock, Rock, Rock, Rockaway Beach. I didn't know such an amazing place actually existed. Kevin Boyle writes of a place we want to call home and of people we want as friends. The bravery and toughness seen here is superhuman, and so is the goodness and strength. It's a story I'll never forget.

this is the best cookie book out there. This is my number one go to for cookies! Every time I make something out of this book I look like a professional.

amazing, easy to follow, the best cookie book out there, hands down.

This is one of the best cookie cook books I have the pleasure of owning. They are a little exotic but easy recipes and taste soooo good. If you believe in butter and sugar and everything nice deserves to be in a cookie, you'll love this cookbook. Don't hesitate - buy it. A friend of mine regularly takes this out of the library - I say, why bother, just buy it!

So far, I've enjoyed every recipe I've attempted from Tish Boyle's collection. However, the only limitation of this book is the presentation -- i.e., the lack of photos. Half the pleasure of cookies, I think, is being able to see them -- their shapes, color, thickness and texture.

I would not recommend this book to a beginner. This is really for someone who's at least at an intermediate level -- familiar with all the tools of crafty cookie-making and has the capacity to make adjustments, such as adding or subtracting flour, as needed.

I used to have a side business selling cookies and have made more varieties of cookies than anyone I know. This is hands down my favorite cookie book. The pictures are beautiful, the organization is thoughtful, and the recipes are scrumptious and spot-on. My favorite cookie of all time is the monster fudge nut cookie featured here. Every time I have made it, people gush over how wonderful it is. I strongly recommend this book.

If you like a good, quick paced, murder mystery peppered with humor, "Mad Mouse" is the mystery for you. Set in a normally quiet seaside town on the Jersey Shore, policemen Ceepak and Boyle track a sniper taking pot shots at people right before the big Labor Day weekend. Grabenstein uses descriptions sparingly, giving just enough backstory to allow the reader the opportunity of filling in some character details and ambience on their own... much the way horror writer Stephen King provides just enough detail for you to scare yourself silly. Even with two murders in one summer, I want to live in Sea Haven. Great story line and surprise ending.

Grabenstein is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I only wish he could write his stories faster.

I wrote a review of TILT A WHIRL last year and gave it five stars, and I was anxiously awaiting the new Ceepak mystery with the same anticipation which, as a kid, I used to reserve for the opening of the baseball season, or going back to the boardwalk. So I dove right into MAD MOUSE with an eager enthusiasm.

It's very good, all right, but to say it's better than the first book is just plain wrong. The plot of the book seems, well, I won't say stolen, but certainly it's "reminiscent" of the teen thriller I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER by Lois Duncan, or everyone's seen the movie version and its sequels. You're reading along, and all of a sudden every scene in MAD MOUSE seems familiar, as one by one all the kids who knew each other when they were 16 get targeted. It just seemed forced to me that all of them are still close enough years later so that the killer could find them partying it up at the beach one night, in the book's opening scenes.

And also I can't figure out, waasn't our boy Danny Boyle dating Becca in the last book? And since this one picks up immediately after the end of TILT A WHIRL, when did he ditch her and start mooning over Katie, Becca's best friend? And since Chris G. is great at making his men characters come alive, and yet he doesn't seem real great at writing women, why make the switch since both of them seem sort of interchangeable?

And talk about a ludicrously over-the-top accomplice!

That said, Grabenstein's a terrific writer, his picture of the Jersey shore is a complex, hard-hitting one, and the interplay between Danny and his guru John Ceepak is outstanding, the best of its kind of genre fiction. Just give them something to detect next time.

In the beach town of Sea Haven, the town council is getting ready for the big Labor Day celebration, a guaranteed money maker for the town. They want everything to go smoothly and all the summer visitors to have the time of their life. Nothing can mess this up..........or can it?
When a paintball incident appears to cause a disturbing injury to Danny Boyle's friend during a beach outing, the town fathers want the incident hushed up. When it is discovered that not only paintballs were being fired, but bullets too, the demand to clear it all up and take care of any loose ends is made perfectly clear.
Unfortunately, this does not seem to be possible as repeat incidents occur.
Our heroes enter the picture, John Ceepak, an Iraq war vet who lives by a strict code of honor and Danny Boyle, a care-free guy who lives by the seat of his pants, are partnered in the police force and delve into the case looking for answers, but all they seem to get are more questions. Suddenly it seems that maybe Danny and his friends are in the crosshairs of some deranged individual but the motive for the attacks remains elusive, as does the shooter.
The story is a wild ride, fast paced with unexpected twists and turns that are put together with a deft hand!! Chris Grabenstein is a truly skilled author, creating dialogue that is both clever and sidesplittingly funny!! His characters are witty and entertaining. His story line is unexpected and captivating!!! His cast of characters, while witty and clever, range the gamut from serious cop, care-free kid, mail order brides,goth kids, beach bums to stereotypical town fathers and wealthy overbearing parents. Chris Grabenstein raises the bar to a new standard with Mad Mouse!!

Summer Cop Danny Boyle and his friends have made a tradition of celebrating National Toasted Marshmallow Day. For the last ten years, they have gotten together every year on a beach in their town of Sea Haven, New Jersey to toast marshmallows, drink beer, and hang out.

This year, things turn serious when someone tags them with paintballs. One of the paintballs hits Becca's eye, turning a yearly tradition into a serious night.

Sea Haven is planning a huge bash for Labor Day. Naturally, this incident doesn't sit well with everyone in the business community whose survival during the next nine months rests on the huge business they expect this one weekend of the summer. Danny and his partner, John Ceepak, are assigned the case; with the implication that Danny's application to be a full time cop is riding on a quick solution.

They think they are on the right track when another attack happens. Again, Danny and a friend are the target. Only this time, the paintballs are followed by a bullet.

I'm not normally a thriller fan, but I just couldn't pass up the setting of a resort town. I loved the first one, and enjoyed this one even more. The plot starts quickly. It seems to be moving along fine, but when the second attack comes, things pick up into high gear and the pace never slows down. Since Danny is our narrator, this gives us more of a stake in the outcome, and I must admit to cheating ahead to see who lived until the end.

The only real drawback to the story involves Ceepak. Ceepak lives by a code. Actually, I like his code and respect the character because of it. However, it is mentioned so often I got tired of hearing about it. A few mentions to establish the character were fine, but it should have been dropped by the second half of the story.

Still, this is a minor complaint in an otherwise outstanding story. Give yourself plenty of time to read it because you will be hooked.

Simply put: Mad Mouse did not disappoint!!! I can only add to all the other reviews in my gushing praise of the second installment of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle's adventures at the Jersey Shore!! To the author (who I can't seem to reach by email)--cannot wait for the further adventures of the two above characters and am also looking forward to Slay Ride, your next serial....Thank you, thank you and again---keep up with the terrific writing, plot lines and most of all the giggles that just keep happening!!! Susan

No one has told his heart and the agony of Vietnam as has Charles Boyle in "Absolution". In telling of his time there, he lays bare his soul, what his effort was all about. He tells the how and why of his dedication to America and what Vietnam was all about to the US soldier. A great book -- one that should be required reading for all highschool students --- required reading in colleges.

This book accurately shows what goes on in the mind of an infantry lieutenant. It focused on the human aspects of leadership and command. It showed how to deal with the loss of soldiers and friends in combat. Every leader has been too close to soldiers and this book shows why it is dangerous to do so. Having said that, it also shows what a soldier in the right place at the right time can and will do for his leaders. SGT Jay Cee and his friends from Company C, 3/22 Infantry gave their lives for their commander and friend. Absolution tells why soldiers will give their lives and how leaders deal with it. I recommend it for cadets before commissioning, lieutenants in the basic course, and captains prior to command. It is an excellent resource for leaders.

No one has told his heart and the agony of Vietnam as has Charles Boyle in "Absolution". In telling of his time there, he lays bare his soul, what his effort was all about. He tells the how and why of his dedication to America and what Vietnam was all about to the US soldier. A great book -- one that should be required reading for all highschool students --- required reading in colleges.

I have finished reading Charles J. Boyle's, Absolution: Charlie Company, but I know this book will never be finished with me.

There is a great healing that needs yet to be done is this country; a great open wound that lies on the national soul and in the wounded bodies, minds, hearts and souls of those who we sent there. It does not matter where you stood, or stand, on the conflict called the Vietnam War; what matters now is resolution. That is what Charles Boyle has provided in Absolution. I have read hundreds of thousands of words penned on all sides of this so open wound, but none that I have read before have so touched heart and soul. There were times when I had to put the book down to process what these men, our sons, fathers, husbands endured in that time and place that is still so much with us; times when I felt weak with sharing their pain, awed by being witness to their courage. Boyle has taken us there, absolutely there; step by step, hour by hour, day by day as our young men grew, against all odds, despite betrayals from above, into men of courage, into comrades in arms, in a time and place, in a war often without explanation or understanding. Boyle graces us with witnessing the turbulence of mind and spirit when all that has been learned before is challenged in young lives, in blood, terror, conviction, fortitude, and courage. Be prepared for a great adventure into tears, into outrage, into anguish, into great pride. If you are prepared to face the beginnings of finding resolution, if you read only one book on the conflict called the Vietnam War, read Absolution: Charlie Company. "Falcon Six, this is Charlie Six. We're moving." Do move to read Absolution; it is time for the healing and it can begin here. Welcome home, Charlie Company.

Absolution, by Charles J. Boyle, is an outstanding book about a great lieutenant and his men. As an avid reader of the Vietnam War, I have never read a book about Vietnam that touched my heart as much as this one. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down. A true and accurate portrayal of the Vietnam War and its brave American soldiers.

Everything I have made is mouth watering. Simple yet melt in your mouth. I crave this book and the recipes in it. I love the page numbers-very clever! The chocolate cream and coconut cream pie recipes are worth the price of this amazing cookbook.

I'm interested mainly in cake baking and I have to say, this book has perfect cakes. clear, detailed instructions lead to foolproof cake making,with delicious results. my favourites are the choc fudge layer cake and maple walnut cake. one complaint though..I'm 19 and love the sweet stuff, but grown ups have complained about the sweetness in the frostings, which can be reduced.

The German Chocolate Cake recipe alone is worth the price. This is a great collection of diner favorites. To fully enjoy the goodies from this book I'm having one of those revolving dessert display cases installed in my kitchen. This is a great book for even the most casual baker, like me. The directions are clear and concise. The ingredients are basic. The results are fantastic.

Being a former diner owner I was surprised with this book!It does a great job of capturing the simple diner recipes and doesn't leave out the great taste!
The double chocolate fudge cake is fab!!!!!And very easy to make!The high and might cake, well you make it and serve it to your family, I am sure you will get an eye opening smile, huggs, and kisses! It is also a wonderful cake for birthdays, hint hint!
This book will not let you down!

The first recipe I tried was the recipe for the picture on the cover- the chocolate cream pie. I was a bit apprehensive because the last time I tried to make pudding I ended up with chocolate milk, and as I was making this for guests I really didn't want that to happen again. After following the instructions carefully I had perfect chocolate pudding! Not only had the pudding worked, but it was the best I'd ever had. After pairing it with whipped cream and a chocolate crust, it was absolute bliss! The best chocolate cream pie any of us had ever had! The pie also kept well in the refridgerator for several days. The next recipe I tried was the mega oatmeal, walnut, and chocolate chip cookies. They were absolutely fabulous! It made over 40 cookies so I brought them to school. When word got out how delicious they were, they were gone in a matter of seconds. I got many requests to make them again. The other recipe I tried was the Devils food cake. They were moist and delicous and chocolatey. There are still many recipes I want to try. For my birthday I plan on making the chocolate fudge layer cake! It sounds fabulous! There are no pictures in this book, but there is also no need. Anyone could make these recipes perfectly if they just follow her clear and easy instructions. This book is worth the money!

Mary and her husband have ,thankfully, not suffered in vain. LDN which came to my notice through this book has significantly improved my health which had been detiorating for several years. I am so grateful to Dr. Bihari for bringing LDN to people like me who suffer from auto immune disorders. This treatment which is safe and inexpensive has been an answer to my prayers.The symptoms which I had already developed still come and go but much less frequently than before. Most importantly , no new symptoms have developed since I started taking LDN. I am able to more fully enjoy life with my husband and our 5 children without being in pain and exhausted all the time. I only wish that G.Ps in Britain would do their homework and prescribe this drug more readily. I have personally encountered a lot of ignorance and arrogance among some GPs who know little about the treatment and are unwilling to learn. Thankfully in the Republic of Ireland it is more widely known and available. It can be prescribed safely to women who are trying to conceive and at 4.5 mg can be taken safely during pregnancy.If you suffer from any auto immune disorder or suspect that you do, I would urge you to read this book and try LDN. If your GP won't prescribe it , don't give up. I obtained my treatment through a private prescription and it is well worth the £28 per month.Anyone who has been helped by LDN should publicise the treatment as widely as possible. I really feel that we have duty to help others who might benefit.
THANK YOU MARY - KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !

Sometimes clear and definite personal experiences "anecdotes" are better proof than cloudy "gold standard" research. Though formal medical research is still in early stages, a neurologist who refuses to use "unproven" LDN for MS amd Crohn's disease is needlessly letting his patients suffer and decline. This book is in agreement with many other "anecdotal" sources that this is a more effective treatment than the expensive (profitable) and painful drug treatments the doctors demand. I (author of HONEST NUTRITON) have a niece and two close friends with MS and several with Crohn's. They should get this safe and effective treatment. Thank you, Mary Bradley, for writing a very clear, readable, and convincing book.

After 10 years of traditional therapy I decided after a lot of research to try LDN. The book was easy and enjoyable to read. Shared with my support group. This treatment has some remarkable success but little support
since trials are rarely done. It would be fantastic to have an inexpensive drug recognized for its positive benefit on chronic debilitating illnesses. We need the $$$$ signs to go out of the drug companies mentality and push to investigate and be positive on helping so many who struggle daily. Maybe more success stories need to be published.

I was diagnosed with MS in July 05 at 29. In Jan of 06 I ended up paralyzed from the waist down due to an severe exacerbation. I was not on any of the C.R.A.B. drugs at the time, but was using holistic remedies that I had read about. After getting out of the hospital I went on Copaxone. While it seemed to help, I was not thrilled about taking a shot everyday nor the $3000 a month cost of the medication. I was relentless when it came to looking for other therapies. I stumbled on this book by just searching for literature on MS here on Amazon. The book looked unassuming, but the title was too intriquing to pass up. I bought the book and read the entire thing the day I received it. WOW! I was so excited! I was having difficulty finding a Dr. to prescribe LDN as most seem to follow the standard protocol to avoid lawsuits or because of pressure from drug companies. I emailed Mary and she emailed me back and within a week I found my current doctor and have not looked back. I have been on LDN since mid April and am so thankful! My muscle spasms have decreased so much I don't have to take any other meds for them. My bladder dysfunction still persists, but is so much improved that I only take half the dosage of those pills now. And, it is SOO nice only taking a pill at night before bed than giving yourself injections everyday. Finally, the cost!! I spend $30 a month for my LDN. My costs have been cut 100 fold. If you have MS or any autoimmune disease I would encourage you to read this book. Everyone (NMSS in particular) keeps touting that an oral medication is just around the corner....IT'S ALREADY HERE AND AVAILABLE!!!!

I was recently diagnosed with MS this past June and through an incredibly fortunate turn of events,my In-Laws suggested I read Mary Anne's book...which I did. It is so well written,chock full of imperitive information that I was not receiving through the medical community,provided much insight into this desease,and at times humorous and touched me in an amazing way. Yet, I was even more touched to again have the incredible good fortune to actually meet Mary Anne and her husband Noel in person in July. To say that she and her family have been thoroughly instimental while I'm on this journey is an understatement.'Up the Creek with a Paddle' is an absolute must-read for anyone grappling with a life-altering disease, whether the person directly affected or the caregivers/family/friends. LDN has provided me with such massive help and hope and had it not been for Mary Anne Bradley, I would never have known about LDN's existance. To read this book and learn of LDN will turn your life around, to have met Mary Anne and Noel Bradley restores your faith in true Earth-bound Angels!Thanks for them both and thanks for 'Up the Creek with a Paddle' will never be enough. Mary Anne is a true pioneer and has the fortitude and tenacity that is seemingly lacking in the medical community on a whole.Her book should be a must-read for anyone going through very difficult medical challenges...not exclusive to MS. Thank you so very, very much for everything, Mary Anne!!!
Kelly Collentine

MAD MOUSE is the second John Ceepak mystery. John and Danny Boyle are back and it's the end of the summer, so their TILT-A-WHIRL escapades are only a couple months behind them at this point. The Sea Haven Police Department is going to hire one summer cop for a full-time position, and Danny has submitted his application for the position.

A big end-of-summer, Labor Day celebration is being planned on the beach to try to renew everyone's faith in the Sea Haven vacation spot.

Danny and his circle of friends head out to the beach one night before Labor Day to celebrate National Toasted Marshmallow Day. Their celebration is cut short when they are all assaulted by an unknown shooter with a paintball gun. No one is seriously injured, but the shooter is in the wind and has left a calling card, a Phantom trading card.

The chief instructs Ceepak and Danny to investigate this incident very quietly. They don't want anyone riling folks up and scaring them away from the big Labor Day party. But the investigation doesn't remain quiet for long.

Chris Grabenstein has created a couple of absolutely wonderful characters. And while I rated TILT-A-WHIRL a five-star book, and still stick to that rating, I think MAD MOUSE topped it, but I have no where to go from five-stars. This is a five-star PLUS book.

Danny begins to take on more dimension in this book. He experienced quite an ordeal in TILT-A-WHIRL, and the results are apparent in MAD MOUSE. He's determined to become a full-time police officer and strive to be the kind of officer that Ceepak is. Grabenstein also shows Danny morphing through the use of Danny's relationships with his friends.

Ceepak has been an extremely rich character from the get-go. In MAD MOUSE we see more of who this man is. And I love him even more than I did in TILT-A-WHIRL. Grabenstein sneaks in a little environmental message with Ceepak in this novel when he and Danny are checking out a garbage can on the beach for clues. Danny tells Ceepak that he thinks the maintenance people empty the cans every day, and Ceepak's response is, "They should. They should also recycle these plastic bottles." A man after my own heart! Looking out for the environment. We also see an attraction between Ceepak and a woman in this novel, so we're permitted a little more of a view into the person, not just the cop. AND, we even see a possible slip in The Code during this novel. Regardless of that slip, Danny is spot on when he says,

"...John Ceepak has a code he tries to live by. He will not lie, cheat, or steal. He will, however, leave some damn decent footprints for you to try and trace in the sand."

As in TILT-A-WHIRL, Grabenstein has chosen a plot with a very serious tone. His humor helps to lighten the tone but not demean it at all. He walks a thin line and manages to maintain the seriousness of the plot with humor to make it fun. After both books I found myself saying, "Wow! That was a heavy theme. But it sure was a lot of fun to read."

The action is wonderful, too. I had to note in my book during a car chase because I felt my heart rate increase as I was reading about them zooming around. I could envision it as a movie director's dream. And then there was a sudden halt to the chase. You feel all that momentum as you're reading through the scene. It's wonderful.

MAD MOUSE is written so that you don't need to read TILT-A-WHIRL first, but I would recommend reading it first if you're able to. I think that MAD MOUSE will mean more if you've already read TILT-A-WHIRL. It did for me anyway. Again, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

WHACK A MOLE heralds the welcome return of Chris Grabenstein's series featuring the pairing of narrator Danny Boyle, a rookie police officer in the beach town of Sea Haven, New Jersey, and John Ceepak, an older, more experienced cop. Boyle, on the cusp of adulthood, is the stereotypical newbie in thrall of Ceepak, the straight-arrow Iraq War veteran with a by-the-book code of honor and an encyclopedic range of knowledge. Readers of the previous novels may be somewhat surprised with the decidedly darker turn that WHACK A MOLE takes, making it much closer to SLAY RIDE --- Grabenstein's stand-alone thriller of 2006 --- than to TILT-A-WHIRL or MAD MOUSE.

Things get rolling in WHACK A MOLE when Ceepak discovers an old class ring on the beach while treasure hunting. He identifies the rightful owner and reunites him with his ring. It turns out that the owner had given the ring to a young woman who subsequently vanished some 20 years before. Ceepak is intrigued and starts to quietly investigate the long-ago disappearance, with Boyle in tow and observing. It is not long before other objects --- grisly objects --- from the past begin to show up in highly unlikely places.

It becomes obvious to Ceepak and Boyle that years ago a serial murderer had operated, undetected, in Sea Haven and is now getting ready to end his hiatus. Grabenstein offers up a likely cast of suspects and potential victims, even as Ceepak and Boyle discover that some of their greatest obstacles to solving the case lie not from outside the police department but from within, as their investigation is hampered by professional jealousy and efforts to cover up what were apparently cold crimes in the interest of preserving the financial success of the current tourist season. Yet Ceepak and Boyle soon find that the mysterious killer is leaving them no choice, as he not only has picked his next target but also has selected someone close to one of the team.

Grabenstein has crafted a solid mystery here. The manner in which the killer taunts the police is very unique --- I will never be able to walk into a resort town gift shop again without thinking of this book --- and the identity of the murderer, while plausible, will keep you guessing. I was absolutely sure I had his identity pegged and nailed, but I was totally wrong. This series has already won an Anthony Award in the course of its short history; after reading WHACK A MOLE, it would seem that Grabenstein, who undoubtedly will receive additional accolades, may need to add a trophy room to his domicile if he has not done so already.

--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub

Oh, that there were more men like Ceepak, and more writers like Chris Grabenstein. Grabenstein never disappoints in his plot twists, characters or humor. One of the best mystery writers of his kind and a worthy winner of awards.

Read one of Grabenstein's Ceepak mysteries and you'll be wanting more and more.

Chris Grabenstein just keeps getting better and better. The first Ceepak mystery, Tilt A Whirl, won an Anthony. Whack A Mole ought to win a Pulitzer. Can't wait for the next one.

John and Danny are back, working together in Sea Haven, New Jersey in Chris Grabenstein's latest book WHACK A MOLE.

This may be the most complex story yet, as John finds jewelry buried in the sand of the beach that leads back to the unsolved disappearance of a young woman. This mystery quickly leads to a series of murders, all of young woman during the same time period during the 1980s. Eventually all the crimes are tied to a ministry among run aways, and just when you are sure you know who the killer is, you find out how wrong you are!

But more than just the pure pleasure of the story, and the delight of being surprised at who the real killer is, I realized what it is that makes me love the characters of John Ceepak and Danny Boyle.

John, who grew up in a troubled family and made something of himself, lives a life of honor. He is a cop because it defines his life in a way he has always desired - to be a good man.

Danny, who grew up secure and with a full life of friendship, but no real ambition, finds in John Ceepak the guide who makes him a better man. It is not that Danny was ever a bad person, but John brings out the best in him.

Together, they are the very definition of what is good about people. The desire to find a way to live a better life, and be someone who is a benefit not only to their friends, but to their community and world.

You can't help but admire them, and they are also people you can truly like.

Personally, I can't wait for more adventures with these two young cops in Sea Haven. They make my world a better place.

This book has been such a great blessing to my motherhood, it keeps my heart and soul focused in a very special way to God, Our Lady and the saints and to the needs of my children. This book has been the perfect prayer manual companion to keep my heart soft and continually directed to my children and my eternal destination. And I know that it is only through daily prayer that it is possible. The prayers are written in such a way to speak to my heart as well as directing my petitions for my children's heart and soul.

The book is artistically delightful, a little hardback book that can weather my handling of it and the occasional 'pouncing upon' by little chubby fingers and small enough to carry in the handbag.

The pages are filled with heart touching informal prayers, poems, quotes from the saints, lovely motherly thoughts, formal prayers we all know (The Memorare, St Michael prayer, prayer to St Therese etc.) Another important addition to this book is a 'Spiritual Communion' often mothers cannot get to daily Mass but they can unite themselves spiritually with the Lord. Finally, there is a reflection at the end of each chapter, good for meditation if you wish to add a 'mini retreat' to the end of your day's or week's prayers (whenever you have time to add it in.)

We all want as mothers, one book that offers us the most perfect prayers that really meet our spirtual and emotional needs - this is it.

Donna-Marie I understand, was particularly encouraged by Mother Teresa to write this book and this saint prayed for it as well. I've just finished reading "Come Be My Light" on the spiritual life of Mother Teresa and I can see Mother Theresa's simple love and 'signature' in Donna-Marie's writings, she obviously was greatly inspired by Mother.

I buy this book all the time to give as gifts to mothers when they have had a new baby or as a birthday gift for friends who have children. I know I am giving them the best little present ever! I can't recommend this book enough.

If you would like to read more of my thoughts on this book and see how I use it daily, go and visit my blog: http://starrymantle.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-perfect-mothers-prayerbook.html You will also see pictures of the inside of this beautiful book.

wonderful book of prayers for Mothers of all ages, each page touch my heart and my life in some spiritual way and helped guide my daily prayer and helped me to grow in faith as a mom.

A couple of weeks ago, I did a review for Donna Marie's book Heart of Motherhood. And then I picked up this gem & started to read it. What a WONDERFUL book for the busy Catholic mother! The chapters are short & divided by topic but they aren't your standard "chapters" either. Each has a few prayers, specific quotes from Pope John Paul II, Blessed Mother Teresa about the topic and then ends w/a "think about it" sort of reflection to keep the mind & heart focused on the truth about our vocation as mothers. Definitely one for every Catholic mother's collection and easy to dive in & read over & over & over again. This is going to be another of Donna Marie's books that I give as a gift, too! Do yourself a favor & get this one!

Donna Cooper O'Boyle captures everything a Catholic mother experiences in this book. From praying for our children to asking Saints for their help, Donna leads you in prayer with this most wonderful Prayer Book.

This book was given to me by my sister/godmother at a time when I truly needed it. The insights and quotations strengthen my resolve every day to be more the wife and mother that I believe God would have me be. It is a resource that you can use every day, as I do, to remind you what a gift you have been granted through your motherhood.

My husband and I recently heard a taped interview with Father Boyle that aired on NPR. We were very interested in learning more about his unique outreach efforts with LA Gang members. This book is excellent.

"G-Dog and the Homeboys" shows how Father Greg Boyle and a select few adults, including the author, completely changed the lives of teens in East LA. Greg opened the homies' and his followers' eyes to the world outside of their lives in their little neighborhood. Many kids would not think past selling drugs to earn a little extra cash, or firing off a couple of rounds of bullets in order to simply stay alive. Boyle changed all of this.
In actuality, the homies were not violent, cruel, or evil kids at heart. Many had rotten home lives and joined gangs to find love. Others joined for protection. Gangs offered support if they were ever in serious danger.
Father Greg understood and felt for these teens. Greg lent them helping hand in any way he could. He gave them money for school, jobs, even a roof over their heads. However, the best gift he gave the homies was his love and caring for them.
As one follows the stories of numerous homies, one realizes how much of an impact one man, Father Greg, had on their lives. This story is touching, at times frightening, and over all, enlightening. It is highly recommended that you read "G-Dog and the Homeboys". Your eyes, too, will be opened to the world around you.

Although I have not read this book, I did watch a lecture by Father Boyle given at Regis University. It is amazing what he has accomplished in LA with these gang members. It is a true testament to what God can do if given the chance!

This book is quite unlike any other that I have read on crime or gangs, both in style and in substance.

The style is very simple. Fremon makes no attempt to be objective. She makes no effort to put the story into any larger context. She does not come across like a professional writer of any kind. Her ego is absent from the work. Instead, she tells a story, a simple, moving story.

The subject of her story is extraordinary. John Paul II liked to say that there are many more saints around us then we recognize. This story is another example of that. Father Greg Boyle is a normal suburban white guy who became a priest, and was sent to East LA. He found himself surrounded by gang violence. Nothing unusual in the story so far.

But his reaction was extraordinary. He responded to the situation in a radically Christian manner. He did not get into any of the usual left wing politics or posturing. Instead, he offered the gang members uncondititional love, just as the Gospel teaches. He spent time with them. He visited them in jail. He visited them in the hospital. Whenever the guns went off, he was there trying to bring peace. In one extraordinary incident, he put himself between two gangs who were starting a fire fight, and told them that if they wanted to kill each other, they would have to kill him. He was risking his life doing this, and the gang members knew it. They did not shoot; his Christian witness brought them back from their madness.

It took time, but the gang members responded to Father Greg's ministry with tremendous enthusiasm and love. It is an incredibly inspiring story. It reminds us of why we are Christians. It shows us the transforming power of Christian love.

I would like to be able to draw some political conclusions from all of this. I would like to somehow replace our current approach to gangs with Father Greg's approach. I do not know how to do that. I can not see how to make his saintly approach work in ordinary political or police work. But I do know that we are all better people with someone like him among us. If we had more like him, the world would be healed.

A wonderful read that can be shared with reluctant readers to bring them face to face with their place in modern literature. A book that should be shared with more teenagers. A look at gang life/ prisons in our urban world through the eyes of someone on a shared journey. I shared this book and another series that Celeste wrote in LA Weekly (2005) with my students as a combination class: experience of life literature and morality. Father Boyle is a master at understanding humanity and our call to larger social responsibility. We are not permitted to dismiss the world around us after reading this book that tugs at the corners of your heart. Greg gives hope where it is needed the most - to everyone. If the opportunity to hear Father Greg Boyle speak presents itself, do yourself a favor and go.

We are fortunate to have the saints' life stories to encourage us and help us get through each day. This little book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book, carries a big message that the saints were people just like us. I have purchased 20 copies of Catholic Saints Prayer Book. I work at a Catholic hospital and have given them to co-workers and patients. The small size makes it possible for me to carry it with me in my jacket pocket. Sometimes, before I leave a patient's room, I show the book to them, open it, pick a saint randomly and read to them about the saint. I gave the book to a friend who had just had a baby. She used the book to help name her baby girl! This book is faith filled and will certainly inspire those who read it.

The Catholic Church's arsenal of saints is truly a resource that is sadly overlooked by contemporary Catholics. Donna's synopsis of the lives of popular saints is a welcome addition to my spiritual reading library. The heroic lifestyles of the holy men and women that are portrayed in such a clearly spiritual manner by the author are refreshing reminders that all of us as Catholics are called to the ultimate vocation of sainthood. A great book for catechesis and religious education for all levels of faithful Catholics and those interested in learning about the "pillars" of Catholicism. Well done, this book is inspiration to Catholics seeking to identify more closely with the spiritual "heavy-hitters" that have achieved the ultimate title...Saint!

"We hope not just to make it to heaven one day, but rather to bring countless souls with us because of our life and how we have loved," says Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle in her new book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book. And there is no better way to do just that than by learning from those that did it best - the saints.

This handy compilation is packed with far more than its compact design would suggest. I was pleased with how much quality information it contained about the lives of over 30 of the Catholic Church's great saints.

For each saint featured in the book, Donna-Marie provides a glimpse of the wisdom of each of these historic individuals along with a brief synopsis of their life. It even contains an insightfully crafted intercessory prayer for each saint.

If you are looking to learn more about these heroic examples of our faith, this book is for you. It's to the point, packed with facts, and inspiring at every page turn - making it great for all ages. It's useful whether reading it all at once, or even just a few pages at a time. It makes a great reference book, too.

Donna-Marie proclaims, as the Church does, that "we should indeed seek out the saints, who will surely help lead us to God, assisting us all along the way." This book is a great place to let your seeking begin.

- Matt Warner, President Catholic Outpost [..]

Catholic Saints Prayer Book

Our family's home is filled with Catholic books, especially books on the saints. Would there be new book on the saints that would stand out? Could there really be a Catholic saints book that would be different than the ones already sitting on our book shelves?

Well, when fellow Catholic blogger and online friend Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle gave me an opportunity to read and review her book, I was briefly hesitant to accept because I believed that it would just be another ordinary saints book.

However, after reading Donna's little book recently published by Our Sunday Visitor I can honestly say that this book truly stands out.

First of all, you can see it was a work of love on Donna's part. Here is a woman who is very spiritual and who has been blessed in her life to personally know a Catholic saint, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

Then there is the fact that the book in itself is beautiful to behold. It reminded me of the old fashioned books with the lovely designs and elegant fonts. It was not a cheap paperback but a quality hardcover book.

The book itself is tiny in size yet packed full of interesting tidbits of favorite Catholic saints. Some of my favorite saints which I found covered in the book include:

- St. Augustine
- St. Faustina
- St. Francis
- St. John Chrysostom
- St. Maximilian Kolbe
- St. Padre Pio
- St. Rita of Cascia
- St. Thomas More

Actually, it was very enjoyable reading about all the saints that were selected by Donna. I believe I learned something new on just about all the saints that I had not known before. For example, I did not know that St. Augustine started living with a woman at the age of fifteen! I also did not know that the sisters of St. Bernadette's convent treated her so harshly!!

Each saint's page contains the feast day of that particular saint, a quote from either the saint, the Catechism of the Catholic Church or from scripture, a short list of all their patronages, (what they were patron saints of)a compact yet precise outline of the saint's biography and to make each entry special, Donna included a prayer for each particular saint. The little book also contains graphics that are not usually seen. For instance, St. Ignatius of Loyola's death mask.

The first time I opened the book to read it was when my family and I were at the airport waiting for my niece and nephew to arrive. I took out the little book to read and was soon absorbed in it. Before I knew it, my husband was looking over my shoulder to read along with me and then soon our son was doing the same thing. In order to be fair we took turns reading the lovely little saints book. My husband commented that that I should always carry the book in my purse. He said it was a treasure. I thought that was an excellent suggestion and so that is what I have been doing since receiving the book.

I really hope that if you are looking for a book on the saints that will captivate your family's interest and also be a prayer book for yourself, that you will consider buying this beautiful little book.

Mahalo Donna for the opportunity to read your new book.

Esther, A Catholic Mom in Hawaii

"Catholic Saints Prayer Book" is a gem of a book; perfect as a gift for either a teacher or college-bound sons and daughters. (Giving college kids anything about saints is an excellent idea.)

The hardbound book is beautifully designed, with a lovely painting on the cover and illustrations inside. The pages are a soft gloss with a calming green decorative border on the edges of each page. Donna-Marie managed to concisely capture the birth and death dates for each saint, their Feast Day, the saint's patronage, information about their life, and a prayer to that particular saint. Here is one of my favorites:

Prayer to St. Joseph

Dear St. Joseph, you were an ordinary man, a humble carpenter. But you were a prayerful, holy soul, the foster father of Jesus, a model for us all. Please guide me in my own journey through life, and help me be aware of God's specific call to me. Help me to see that in my own life God is calling me to greater things for His glory. Please pray to the Blessed Trinity for me to be granted the graces that I need most. I pray that I can be faithful to my state of life, totally trusting in God's divine providence for me. St. Joseph, pray for all who invoke your aid. If it is in God's holy will, please grant me (here mention your request). Amen.

Isn't that wonderful? I just love this little book of the saints.

Ever since I've started to embrace the saints more, I have felt a new confidence enter my faith. I feel as though I do have a huge group of saints who are pulling for me. They know how difficult the journey can be and are praying we can overcome our trials and tribulations.

Donna-Marie's "Catholic Saints Prayer Book" is the perfect way to remind others that they, too, have a group of saints who are "pulling for them" to persevere. It's a great gift for either yourself or someone you love. Enjoy it and be blessed!