Bryant Books

When I was younger, I was the most horse crazy kid you've ever heard of. 99% of my waking thoughts consisted of horses in one form or another, and all I liked to read were books about animals (especially horses). One night when I was about seven my mother came home from a trip to our local secondhand store and presented me with four books that all had the same heading on the covers: The Saddle Club. I fell instantly in love with the series and immediately began trying to read and collect them all. Carole, Stevie, and Lisa were more real and alive to me than any of my classmates (I was something of a shy, bookish child and didn't have many friends) and by the time I was 10 I had read nearly every book in the entire (101 volume) series. I definitely recommend this series for any young girl (or boy) who enjoys stories about friendship, horses, and teamwork.

I may be a college grad, but I still love to read the Saddle Club. This timeless series was excellent through the final book. Definitely a must-read for any horse-crazy girl.

THE SADDLE CLUB is a hugely popular series by Bonnie Bryant. In this first book, HORSE CRAZY, we are introduced to Stevie Lake, Carole Hanson, and Lisa Atwood. All three girls are very different: Stevie is a practical joker, Carole is obsessed with horses, and Lisa is a straight-A student, but they are brought together by their love of riding.

Stevie and Carole have been friends ever since they met at Pine Hollow Stables, and at first they're not sure that Lisa will fit in. But when Stevie's parents tell her that she can't go on the Mountain Trail Overnight unless she improves her grades, the girls decide to come up with a plan, and eventually the Saddle Club is formed.

This is a very fun and enjoyable series. The stories are quick, light reads, great for a day when you just want to relax with a book. The characters are all likeable and relatable, and HORSE CRAZY does a great job at introducing them and making you want to read more.

Reviewed by: Andie Z.

Horse Crazy is the first book in the series. This book is a good start, but having read a lot of the other saddle club books, I think that Bonnie's done better. The book does keep you turning the pages, although some parts, such as Lisa instinctively knowing how to post and sit to the canter, are unrealistic. Riding can come easy to some people but there's no way that you'd figure out how to canter, basically your first time riding a horse! I did love parts of this book though, and would reccomend the rest of the series.

It all starts at pine hollow. Pine Hollow is a beautiful place that students go for horseback riding lessons. There is a new student at Pine Hollow her name is Lisa Atwood. She is a brilliant student some people know her as a strait A student. On her first day she meets Max, Pine Hollows owner. She has to so Max what she learned at the Zoo. In the middle of her section someone slams the gate door. Lisa was on a horse called pepper and he got spooked. In the middle Stevie played a trick on Lisa. Lisa thought that it was stevie who slammed the door when she was in there. Carole becomes Lisa's best friend and tells her that it was not Stevie who slammed the door. Lisa then becomes Stevie's friend. Lisa finds out about the over night mountain trail. In the end Stevie and Lisa are going on the MTO.

This excellent book digs deeper into the facts such as army movement leading up to the battleand many other details lost in the bigger picture books about Gettysburg. The author made a subject that I am so familiar with even more interesting for me. Well worth the cost and time.

If you want the definitive book on the Battle of Gettysburg - this is it. Well written and easy to read.

This is the bible of the Gettysburg campaign and the book upon which the National Park Service basis its official park guides' examination.

It is an extensive and slow read designed for the serious student of the battle. It is not light reading by any means. Any Gettysburg hobbiest seeking to be more fully educated should be reading this book prior to branching out into the more specific "Day" books. The references, notes and bibliography take up almost a third of the book's volume showing the amount of research that when into the creation of this work.

The work begins shortly after Chancellorsville and ends with the final crossing of Lee's army back across the Potomac. Serious students and historians use this book constantly to the point that the binding breaks requiring it to be glued back together. Hardbound editions are hard to find and expensive. Want to be a Gettysburg historian? Read and study this book. A required reading for all students of the battle.

Excellent overview of the campaign from a commander's viewpoint. A must read even for seasoned Gettysburg students.

Edwin Coddington's book, The Gettysburg Campaign: A study in Command, has long been the "gold standard" of treatments of Gettysburg. Other excellent volumes exist now as well (e.g., volumes by Sears and Trudeau). However, this work stands up well after almost 40 years.

One poignant element to this book: it came out after the author's death.

The book provides an extremely detailed discussion of the entire campaign, from the aftermath of Chancellorsville and General Robert E. Lee's sense that the south had to make a bold move through the Confederate Army's retreat after the actual battle at Gettysburg. Coddington does not hesitate to raise questions about commanders' decisions.

The plentiful detail in this book is one of its strengths. It discusses in great detail Lee's departure from Chancellorsvill and Hooker's wary pursuit. It chronicles Hooker's separation from the Army of the Potomac and Meade's accession to commanding general of that host. It looks at each key event or engagement within the actual battle, day by day. For each engagement, whether Devil's Den, Little Round Top, "Pickett's Charge," etc., there is ample detail to get a sense of what happened and who the key actors were.

All in all, despite its age, this volume has held up well. It is still a welcome addition to a Civil War buff's library.

The Bear was the last coach. Now it is a business. Anyone that loves college football, especially SEC football, should read this book. Barra has done a good job capturing the times of Paul "Bear" Bryant.

From the Junction boy days and even earlier. This book has it all. One of my favorites! Excellent reading!

"The Last Coach" is a newer and perhaps more comprehensive biography of the man simply known as "Bear". The book covers several aspects of Coach Bryant's life:

1. Early life in Moro Bottom and Fordyce, Arkansas.
2. Early interest in football as a way for him to escape the dirt-poor life he was raised in.
3. College years at the Univesity of Alabama.
4. Coaching jobs at Maryland, Kentucky, Alabama, and other places.
5. Relationship with several players (Joe Namath, Ozzie Newsome, Pat Trammel, and others).
6. Relationship with politicians, college presidents, Hollywood figures, and others.
7. Later family life.
8. Details of the long funeral procession and thousands of people who turned out to pay respect for Bryant.
9. Different versions of how Bryant got the nickname "Bear".

While Bryant's personal life did have some questions (drinking, supposed womanizing, etc.) there is no doubt that he was also one of college football's greatest coaches.

Whatever you think of Bryant or the University of Alabama football, "The Last Coach" is an informative read. Recommended.

I've read many of the Bryant books and simply put, this is the best.

If you are a fan of college football then you'd do well to read this book from a historical standpoint. For those who think they know college football, this book is illuminating with regards to the "national" game in the early days vs. now (2007) and how championships were determined largely by geographics and not by talent or strength of schedule.

Excellent.

I have read quite a few books on Paul "Bear" Bryant (including his audobiography) so I wasn't sure if the information in this book would be facts I already knew or information I was not aware of. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. Yes, there was all the well-known facts about his life, but to my surprise there was quite a bit of information that I was reading for the first time.

The author has done an outstanding job of detailed research and brings a clear steady style to the book. It is without question the most comprehensive book on Coach Bryant's life that I have ever read.

If you're an Alabama football fan, this is a must read.

Yes, I have purchased five copies of this book. First one to read myself. Then I bought four more to give to my adult children and young adult friends. They will definitely be better off if they put into practice the strategies presented.

The SMART is this: 1) Know where your money goes. Keep track of spending. 2) Irradicate debt. 3) Pay yourself first. Save three month income. 4) Invest with a long term outlook. Be diversified. Indexed mutual funds are strongly recommended. 5) Have insurance. 6) Have a will 7) Buy a house. 8) Keep score. Monitor your net worth anually, it should be going up.

The SIMPLE is this: 1) Automate. Set up automatic payments. 2) DETERMINE AN INVESTMENT POLICY. Have a plan. Stick to it, be govened by it, revaluate it no more than once a year. 3) DETERMINE YOUR ASSET ALLOCATION. Specity how much risk you can tolerate. By this you determine the percentage of funds going into different types of investments 4) REBALANCE. No more than once a year. Maintain your predetemined balance of stock, bonds, etc. This maintains your asset allocation (ultimaely this is how you sell high and buy low).

I originally checked this book out from our local library, liked it so much, ordered one for myself, and a second copy for a friend. It makes getting one's financial life organized without becoming intimidating, simply by explaining a single easy step at a time. Very well researched, packed with great advice, and written in an informative tone without becoming condescending for those willing to invest a little time in order to get their financial lives in order. Ms. Quinn continues with top-notch investment advice and strategies easily understood - even for the "finance-impaired".

If you are going to read one book on the whole personal finance. This is it. It covers insurance, college expenses, retirement, it covers most financial topics and it provides what I consider to be the most level headed and practical advise. Bar none one of the best books out there on personal finance.

...a personal finance book that gets to the point and for God's sake TELLS you what to DO and which funds to do it and in what mix! Assuming she is not recommending these funds because she gets kickbacks (um, I doubt it!), it's such a relief. No, "In the end, you need to decide for yourself" B.S.
She literally tells you what to do, and I wanted that!

I have bought this book based on the excellent ratings on Amazon. When I read this book I was very disappointed because the book doesn't deliver what the title says.

The title of this book is about financial strategies, yet the majority of the content is not about the strategies. She spends 50 pages on life insurance. She spends another 40 pages on the mortgages. It wasn't until page 159 when she starts to talk about the investment. But the investment section was merely 50 pages, and all she talked about are mutual funds.

Throughout the book she talks about various things, and they are all good but very basic. Things like why you need to start saving for retirement early. Why do you need to pay off the debt. What is a fixed rate mortgage. There is no focus, no strategies, but all common sense and basic advises.

The target audience for this book should be someone in the college, or who have recently graduated from school and got the first job. This book is not for the real busy people who have been working for a few years and have basic understanding of the finances.

This book starts with disturbing events that lead the main character into another place where he must relearn how to live. He lands in a place that has a different society where he needs to learn a new language and new customs. In this place he is accepted for exactly who he is, which is a difficult concept for him to grasp. Dreams are sacred and honored as guidance from the divine. He learns, grows, and then... travels back to his previous reality.

This story is a journey for the reader to question personal choices and current societal norms. In the end, it is very comforting, and you'll want to read it over again!

I read this book several times back in the 70's and recently found myself reading it again. The shocker came when I finally discovered the depth of the writing and the amazing parallels to the concepts you can learn in "A Course in Miracles"...(talk about inspired writing!) Anyone who is traveling the Course or who is a fan of Eckhart Tolle, Dr. Michael Ryce, Dr. Wayne Dyer, Don Miguel Ruiz, Brian Weiss, Robert Perry, etc, etc, etc, NEEDS TO READ THIS BOOK!
Examples:
Atans have no word for past or future..."only the present Now"...
Atans don't have personal pronouns...all are "kin"...
Atans have unconditional love for all...
The Atan word "Nagdeo" means....God, light, joy, peace, love, right, spirit, etc. Anything that honors kin.
"Donagdeo" means anything that interferes with "Nagdeo"...the people are not pefect, Utopian...they struggle with all the vices and errors everyone else does....but they strive towards the "Nagdeo" and avoid anything "donagdeo"....
The Rays of Light and the "shining jewels" the protagonist sees...

Also this book has the clearest insight I've even heard into the "Loaves and fishes" message...to give IS to receive.

I could go on, that's just a few. I hope I have gotten my point across...you will find your own truths here...

Like the book states ("A Course" does too) in the end words fail and fall short. The Truth is in you and me. You'll recognize it when you see it...Nagdeo.


The Kin of Ata Are Waiting for You

One reading of this book is a modern Utopia. It's a place built on peace: happy, pastoral, multiracial, communal, and sexually liberated. The people are so viscerally in tune with their environment that they very nearly hibernate through the cold season and usually bear their young in the spring. The whole populace is dedicated to their dreams, to sharing their dreams, and to living more deeply in their dreams.

A man from our outer world appears in that place, not the kind you'd want as your representative. He can not see into their depths, and violates one of the women who tends him. These peaceful people still accept him, though, and envelop him in their way. After many years, he finds his place among them. He also finds the true meaning of this Eden, a power and an ongoing place in the world that he never imagined.

I'm still not quite sure what to make of this book. It comes from the hippy/commune era around 1970, and carries the indelible mark of its time. It's a bit simplistic at times, and only the first-person character is developed in any depth. This is a bit more than the common Utopia story, a bit more optimistic and a bit more magical.

The very worst you can say about this is that it's light and readable, even enjoyable if you let yourself enjoy it. The story of personal transformation has been told before and is told well here. I guess real point is that this little land of loving dreamers is itself a dream worth having.

//wiredweird

This is an allegorical tale that provides food for thought, as the reader accompanies one man on his journey to redemption. The man is question is a deeply flawed one, driven by many of the seven sins. When he kills his girl friend and flees in his car, he has what would appear to be a fatal accident. Instead, he mysteriously finds himself in the land of Ata. Thus, begins this fantastical Utopian tale.

The book is simply written and chronicles one man's entry into a world where the dream state is reality. It is a world where unconditional acceptance of others prevails, and symbolically all are spokes in the circular wheel of life. Much of the book is redolent of Christian ideals. How much of Ata is in this man's mind and how much of it is truly real, I leave to the individual reader to discern. It is comforting to think, however, that the kin of Ata just may be waiting for you.

It is a lovely book... somewhat surreal and definitely Utopian in theme but Bryant takes you so gently and slowly to her thesis that it's ultimately easy-to-swallow. Reflection over time, however, yields a few problems.
As another reviewer has pointed out, Bryant uses a dispicable character to explain and augment the premise for the culture of Ata; many readers will find it hard to sympathize with his supposed enlightenment. Also, the id is completely glossed over in this book, the idea being that proper socialization within such a Utopian culture would erase or negate animalistic urges down to permanently manageable magnitude; many readers will question her conclusion in that regard and doubts will emerge on the entire premise. Lastly, the protagonists obtuse nature makes the book plod a bit; many readers will "get it" right away and be annoyed with how long it takes the main character to catch up (which in some respects he never really does)

Then there's the attitude of the Kin of Ata themselves. While beautiful and loving and empathic and yadda yadda, they can easily come across as lackadaisical or just plain apathetic. While much is made of their near-telepathic "oneness" and reliance upon their spiritual nature, their repeated indulgence of the main character becomes tiresome.... have they no self-preservation? No passion? No overriding discipline? These questions are best exemplified by the fact that the Ata see no benefit from the notion of the written word. Much is made of their connection to one another; their oral history that becomes the art of storytelling etc. Apparently, historical fact-keeping is anathema to Utopia. I found that notion to be impossible to accept. Within the framework of a people absolutely cut-off from "modern" societies influence perhaps that could MAYBE be true, but one does not simply dismiss an obstacle to spiritual awakening by pushing it out of view. This comes across as a basic ostrich manuever to avoid facing the difficult realities of human natures: heirarchical thinking, competiveness and basic surivival needs that when unmet turn to aggression and antagonistic behavior. Those may not be pleasant realities but they are realities.

For a more interesting (and possibly more intellectual) take on the same notion, try out Herland by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Although her victorian attitudes about female sexuality date the piece, all other aspects of her Utopia seem more plausible to me. Which is saying something, really.

Actually, I'd be more enthusiastic to recommend The Dispossessed (or nearly anything by Ursula K LeGuin) or Wild Seed (or nearly anything by Octavia Butler) as both (the books and the writers) explore the notion of a Utopian ideal by handing it to humanity via an alien race who are well aware of the not-so-nice aspects of human nature. Both writers understand that some unsavory elements are iron-clad stuck in us, not just taught to us.

By keeping the Utopianists as human as anyone else, we beg the question "why do those humans never fight, never hurt each other and how would they deal with a natural disaster?" which never seems to be answered by Utopian writers adequately. By beginning enlightenment with an outside species/race, we change the question to "can humanity resist its negative tendancies in order to accept this Utopia?" which is imminently more interesting and quite possibly answerable on some level.

The Kin of Ata... neither addresses nor firmly answers these questions, which is it's only flaw. For fantasy, however, it sure is a wonderful read.

Decent setting, great characters, and great writing make this book a must read. Shards of Honor takes us on a journey of intrigue, political conflict and espionage as cultures clash, villains are exposed and kindred spirits fall in love.

Bujold is definitely on of the great authors of this age, and this book is the start of a great series. Four stars is due to the simplicity of setting, and the above average but not great dialogue, and decent but not great plot. Barrayar, the second book in this series, improves upon the groundwork laid in this series. But, these are some of best characters I have ever read about, and the book is extremely well written. So well written, that the plot and setting, which are average seem so much better due to the writing style. You want to know what happens next because you care.

It is infectious.

So, this is the first book I highly recommend, while still giving it four stars. Please read this book.

Although one could call this book a novel of war, science fiction, romance, politics, contrasting planets/civilizations, or human nature, it's appeal goes beyond this. Bujold is unparalelled in her ability to write with an alternately lyrical, tender, though-provoking, hilarious, and cynical voice that is not in the least bit intellectually snobbish, and manages to maintain a streamlined, fast pace. The plot is tight and varied, the ideas interesting, but I read Bujold over and over for her characters and her voice. Don't look at the cover art, and don't pay attention to the subject matter, because this and the rest of her books are so much more.

One of the most intriguing elements of Cordelia's sojourn on the alien planet is how she deals with both hostile action and disabling injuries to her small group. Typically, most writers have the hero rescue the heroine and "save" her from danger. This is an adult, post-Terminator version of boy meets girl. Here, Cordelia seems to be not only able to deal with these issues but also maintain her humanity and sense of honor (in the most liberal definition) towards all living things, even the seemingly evil ones, like the Butcher of Komarrar. It definately changed my perception of how we as a society deal with the disabled or injured, long before I got to know Miles. The recovery sessions on the trip home raise lots of questions on how we deal with the aftermath of traumatic events and whether it's right to try to "resolve" them by talking them through.

A very nuanced and thoughtful character development, one that allows encourages repeated readings, not only for enjoyment but also for deeper consideration. This is one of the hallmarks of a fine book, where the storyline is enjoyable to mull over after you've finished, like a gourmet meal.

Series fiction has requirements very different from the single novel, or even multiple books forming one long story such as Tolkien's Ring Trilogy. The multi-book single storyline can be - probably is - so self-referential you have to read every book in the series, in order, to understand what's happening in later books. But the author of a true open-ended series like Lois McMaster Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan novels knows readers may start with any book in the series, and read them in utterly random order. Thus, while each book must build on, and ideally add to and enrich what's come before, it must also be self-contained and not require having read any other book in the series to enjoy. Bujold has always been aware of this, thus for new readers interested in her tales of Miles Vorkosigan, it's not really necessary to begin with Shards of Honor. On the other hand, if you are a brand-new reader to this series, why NOT start at the beginning? (Bujold's novel Falling Free takes place within the same fictional universe but, being set approximately 200 years before Miles' birth, features none of the series' familiar characters. Eventually you'll want to read Falling Free, but it doesn't matter when; you can insert it into your Bujold reading experience anytime.)

Shards of Honor is Bujold's first novel (not merely the first novel she ever sold, but the first she ever wrote, thus disproving the axiom, "All first novels are unsaleable trash"). She begins writing it in December 1982. In mid-'83, having worked through the Shards material and about a third into what would eventually become Barrayar, Bujold realizes her manuscript is becoming too long to submit as one book (the "wisdom" at the time being a thin manuscript is more likely to be picked off the slush pile than a thick one). Bujold finds a logical breaking point for her tale (Cordelia's arrival on Barrayar), puts it in final draft form, and mothballs the partially finished "rest of the story."

Bujold submits Shards and begins working on another book, The Warrior's Apprentice. She's about halfway through that when Shards comes back rejected with an editorial suggestion she tighten it up. She finishes Warrior's, then cuts about 80 pages out of Shards, giving her two good unpublished novels. In 1985, around the time she finishes her third novel, Ethan of Athos, Warrior's makes it over the transom at Baen, and suddenly she goes from unpublished wannabe to successful novelist with three books (Shards, Warrior's, Ethan) SOLD. Shards is published in 1986.

Shards of Honor stars Captain Cordelia Naismith, commander of a survey team for the Betan Expeditionary Force, and Captain Aral Vorkosigan, victim of a mutiny on his Barrayaran warship. Both stranded on an unexplored alien planet, officers on opposite sides of the Betan-Barrayaran War, they reach an agreement of honor: they will trust and rely on each other for survival as they travel across a planet seemingly intent on throwing all its resources into killing them before they can reach Aral's ship. And then there's the little problem of overcoming the mutineers.... In the process of their adventures, Cordelia and Aral fall in love.

This story is told from Cordelia's viewpoint (as is the novel completing this particular story arc, Barrayar). Thereafter in the series Miles, with very few exceptions, takes center stage. Never again will Cordelia be the main character. But for these two books she emerges as one of the most well-realized, loving and vulnerable but still tough-as-nails female SF protagonists ever.

The next book in the series you'll want to read is Barrayar, or you can read Cordelia's Honor, which collects the entire story arc, Shards of Honor and Barrayar, between the same covers.

I was introduced to Lois McMaster Bujold's work through her fantasy novels "The Curse of Chalion" and "Paladin Of Souls", both of which deserve ten stars at least. Having devoured those books (not literally) I decided to read some other stuff by her - this time in the Science Fiction genre. My library kindly offered up "Shards of Honour" and what a brilliant read it was.

Most fortuitously, I now discover I happened upon the initial instalment of what has become a whole series of books (16 to date) in the Miles Vorkosigan series (I've bought the rest and am working my way through them. I liked this first one that much!) But don't worry that this book is incomplete on its own - it isn't. Although it's the scene-setter for a lot of other books it works on its own as a story of politics, war, human nature, personality and love.

Cordelia Naismith is the captain of a Survey ship that is checking out a new planet. She's off in the undergrowth with her botanist when her base camp is attacked and her colleagues flee in the shuttle. When going back to investigate Cordelia and her companion are attacked and she loses consciousness. When she wakes up, there is a soldier guarding her.

And from this point the story diverges from a basic "heroine rescues herself from tricky situation" type story. Cordelia and her 'captor', who says he is Captain Aral Vorkosigan, have to make a journey 200kms across this unknown and, as it turns out, rather dangerous planet in order to find a cache of stores and a way for Vorkosigan to communicate with his ship. It appears that there has been a mutiny in his command and he was knocked out and left on the surface of the planet. Cordelia has to accept his help in making their way to the cache and also with her botanist who was badly injured in the attack by Vorkosigan's colleagues, the Barrayarans. The Barrayarans are known as a warlike and rather uncivilised planet compared to Cordelia's Betans and she knows that Vorkosigan has the nickname "The Butcher of Komarr" from the story that he killed all the prisoners of another planet, Komarr, after they surrendered.

But nothing is as it seems - for Cordelia, and especially not in Barrayaran politics. In their six day journey they come to understand something of each other, and the fact that they both have a sense of honour that, although different, is complementary. Cordelia is eventually rescued from her prisoner status on Vorkosigan's ship by some of her Betan colleagues, but the dividing line of "goodies" and "baddies" is no longer clear. Especially after Vorkosigan proposes marriage to her.

The story continues with them meeting again - in the middle of a war - and Cordelia's brush with the evil side of Barrayaran culture. Once again she is returned to Beta Colony, but now she no longer fits there, and in fact discovers the bad side of her planet that cannot understand the Barrayarans and cannot allow them redeeming features. Cordelia has to escape her own people to be reunited with Vorkosigan. The enemy has become her home.

What's so powerful about this book is that although the writing is light and the story moves on with pace, there is great depth to the characters. You feel like you really get to know them, understand them, understand what they see in each other, and understand why neither of them is at home with their planet because they are intelligent enough to see beyond the obvious to the disadvantages of both of their ways of life. The love affair side is understated but very well done at that, and the politics is explained in such a way that it works well in the story and is actually interesting. No mean feat!

Some of the characters in this story appear in the others, particularly Cordelia and Vorkosigan, and the book "Barrayar" is the direct sequel to this and deals further with Cordelia, Aral Vorkosigan and their son Miles (the rest of the books are mostly set 20-30 years after the events in this book).

It's a great start to an excellent series, and yet worth reading in its own right - over and over again.

I just finished reading this book, and it was not that great. A lot of the facts about the case are there, but there is way too much storytelling. Some parts of the book sound like a fiction novel geared towards 7th graders. I do not like the way the authors tell some of the stories of things that happened. The authors could have been more unbiased, especially when giving facts about the accuser. I felt that a lot of the time they were kind of assuming things about her and how she was thinking. The ending of the book is also horrible, and it is too open ended and fails to really tie into the rest of the book. The last chapter is kind of awkwardly placed at the end, maybe because there was no where else for it to go.... perhaps they need to add on to the book now that more has happened.

Oh, and they misspell Red Auerbach's name in the book, I'm surprised no one caught that before it went out.

Overall if you really want to read this, it gives a little insight, but it is not worth your time. If you followed this case in the press and read articles, you probably already know most of the stuff covered in this book and it is not worth it. If you did not follow this case at all and just want something to read that will give you the basic story, then it may be worth it for you.

The book describes a miscarriage of justice in a small town in Colorado. It's amazing to read the story by Shapiro and Stevens about what happened and learn how our legal system is impotent in protecting those that need it most. Also, how some of the public cannot conceive that their heroes may have feet of clay. I was very disappointed to read about the shenanigans of the female defense attorney toward the victim. A sad story that should have ended differently.

that a rich athlete can get away with rape by throwing money at the problem.

This is a very well written book of what happened in the Kobe case last year. Its incredible the case never went to trial after everything that happened.

Jennifer Stevens and Jeffrey Scott Shapiro's summary of the Kobe Bryant drama will most likely be immortalized since the case has been settled and all parties -- including Bryant, the victim and their lawyers are bound to silence. Stevens and Shapiro covered the case up until February of 2004, but very little happened afterwards, leaving the reader with all the pertinent information, including what happened the night of the alleged attack and the police interviews with Kobe. It's a fast turning read, but good luck trying to find a copy in an actual bookstore. Either they're all sold out or maybe there was a recall for a new edition or something. It's pretty hard to locate a copy now. I remember seeing them in Borders when the book first came out, but ended up borrowing a copy from a friend after I had a hard time relocating the book offline. This book reads easily, but almost all of the authors bombshells including the police interview and 3 other women Kobe had strange encounters with has been verified by other sources. It's a fun read and unfortunately it's all there is since no one else has written another book on the case. I'm glad there was at least one book out there that covers all the main points and stories. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in a broad overview of the case and an inside look at who the main players are.

I just finished this book and not sure how I missed it since I have all of Ms Bryant's other books; I had already read Devon/Chloe's story. I truly enjoyed Deshawn and Anika's story as well. They were HOT!! Deshawn was relentless in his pursuit of Anika. Enjoyed the fact that Anika and Chloe were friends and Devon and Deshawn were twins. Ms Bryant has become one of my favorite authors and therefore whatever she puts out I plan to buy.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book..it was SO GOOD!! Deshawn Jamison and Anika Foxx are sizzling!! "Heavenly Match" is the wonderful sequel to "Admission of Love" which gives the reader a chance to catch up with Devon and Chloe (Deshawn's twin and sister-in-law). This time around, playa Deshawn is struck by a thunderbolt, when he falls in love for no nonense, Anika (Chloe's best friend). Resistance on her part and persistence on his, leads to some HEATED sparks...and when they come together...turn ON the air conditioner!! Whewww...

Niobia Bryant is a brilliant writer and brings her characters to life...Men like the Jamison brothers are truly heavenly!!

Deshawn and Anika as a couple were so life like. This book is so down to earth. Deshawn or shawnie as his nana lil called him. Deshawn was funny and the player around the way that we all have seen and wanted to tame. This is another book that I have two copies of that I do not share. I read this book before I read admission of love, which is great also.

i thought i wouldn't like deshawn and anika story but i loved it great for the collection. I have just started reading this author won't be the last.

Ok I really liked this book but found the annoying bits very annoying
1. The 'Lawd quit' got on my nerves
2. The endless description of designer gear
3. The heroine not giving the hero a chance after just ONE mistake - she needed therapy with her issues. A man can only beg so much, after all this were grown adults in their mid 30s not little kids. Note to heroines in romantic novels please listen to whole conversations to prevent making major assumptions - lol
Despite the above
1. Good mix of characters - this book makes USA southern country living very appealing
2. Realistic plot line (my biggest beef with a lot of romance books the whole thing takes place in a few weeks this was streatched over a year, made it more real)
3. Hot sex scenes - real hot, take a cold shower hot!
4. The return of Chloe and Devon from Admission of love - such a lovely couple (sigh)
5. A heroine with a normal figure!

I bought this book as a gift for a riding student of mine who will take one of my horses into a 25 mile ride this June. I thought she would find it interesting since it is what she is training for. I read it before passing it onto her, to check the accuracy of the information.

Very informative! Bryant certainly did her research into endurance riding when she wrote this. And she certainly captured the attitude of distance riders! lol, I LOVED Chloe. I'm sure some readers sympathized with the Saddle Club and found her annoying, but that is what most endurance riders are like! We're helpful, considerate and a little arrogant. Chloe's comment about "I just want to finish, this is just a conditioning ride for me. I don't care if I win," is seen as an insult by the Saddle Club, but that is really how we talk! I said almost those exact same words to a rider with a young horse last weekend!--"My horse is old. I just want the miles. I don't care if I win."

Also very happy to see a horse book that speaks favorably of Arabians (aside from Walter Farley's books). This book is an excellent "get your feet wet" introduction to distance riding and I recommend it to anyone, even adult readers, who wants to know more about the sport.

BTW, the top endurance horse in my state is a Thoroughbred. They make great endurance horses on account of their large lungs, heart and long legs.

This book is really good. I noticed that in the "Editiorial Review" they called the annoying, show-off girl in the book Kristie. THAT IS NOT HER NAME!!!!!!! Her REAL name is Chloe.
But this book is really good and really dramatic when Max, their riding instructor, falls off his horse and hurts himself.
My favorite Saddle Club girl is Stevie because I like her jokes, especially the one about the strings! You should read this book! It's really funny, interesting, and it's my favorite Saddle Club next to #60, called Hobbyhorse. You can learn a lot about horses by just reading a Saddle Club book. These books inspired me to write my own series about girls and horses, too! All of the Saddle Club books (at least the ones I've read so far) are really funny and they are my favorite series I've ever read. YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!!!

There is less horse-related stuff than the description says. More typicial Saddle Club ... about snobs trying to look down on people. Don't waste your money--read the THOROUGHBRED SERIES instead of the SADDLE CLUB.

This book shows just how great the saddle club is. They take on such responsibilitly. At first I thought I wouldn't like the book because there was an annoying character that just kinda made me bored but then things started to happen. It's fill of adveture and fear and if you like sitting on the egde of your seat then this is a great book for you! It puts you in suspence!

THE SADDLE CLUB #69: ENDURANCE RIDE

WRITTEN BY: Bonnie Bryant
COVER ART BY: Paul Casale
PUBLISHED: 1997
PUBLISHED BY: Skylark
PAGES: 136
PRICE: ...
EXTRAS: None

SUMMARY:
The Saddle Club girls are participating in a new kind of horse back activity - endurance riding. They'll have to condition their horses and themselves for the grueling contest if they plan to make it across the finish line. But an annoying rider named Chloe keeps getting in the way. Carole Hanson, Stevie Lake, and Lisa Atwood are pretty sure they can finish the competition. The question is : Can they endure Chloe?

COVER ART REVIEW:
This got to be Starlight's best cover. Artists teed to forget his six-pointed star. This mostly is a scene from the book but I don't remember if it stood out. Most likely it did happen.
OVERALL: BLUE. Not much to say. This is probably one of Starlight's best cover, and he is the reason why this cover gets a blue.

BOOK REVIEW:
The Saddle Club are really fun when they act like jerks. We need more books like this. Other than that, there wasn't much to this book. Sure, a lot happen. A new sport, character development, and a serious accident happen in this book, but it still felt like a light fast read. Oh, well. The Saddle Club once again learned that they weren't born knowing everything about horses. That topic is always good for a read.
OVERALL: RED. Not the best book in the world and will mostly be remembered as the only Saddle Club book to feature endurance riding. Still, it makes for a light fast read.

This book's subtitle is "How Bear Bryant and the 1966 Alabama Crimson Tide Were Denied College Football's Most Elusive Prize." The Tide were the defending back-to-back national champions in 1966. They were ranked first in both polls as the season began. They finished the season undefeated and untied - yet managed to end up ranked third behind Notre Dame and Michigan State, who had played each other to a 10-10 tie in the regular season. This book was intended to explore why that took place.

Dunnavant posits two reasons. The first is the most common argument: Notre Dame has been the most popular team in the country since the Jazz Age and routinely places higher in the polls than schools with superior records because they are the darlings of predominantly northern and eastern sportswriters. Irish head coach Ara Parseghian decided to play to preserve the tie against MSU - to sit on the ball with two minutes left to play - rather than fight for the win. His detractors claim this is because he knew they would be treated well by the pollsters in spite of the decision. He was right.

The second argument is that the season occured during the height of the civil rights movement and there was a media bias against the still-segregated Crimson Tide team and against the entire state of Alabama, the bastion of Bull Connor and George Wallace. He believes the team fell from first place simply because of politics even before Parseghian's Machiavellian move.

Virtually no one who wears Crimson will argue with the first point. Many who were not alive at the time might not have considered the second but it makes sense given the climate of 1966. All that could have been covered in a book half this size.

But the 'The Missing Ring' also seeks to illustrate why the Alabama team deserved the title, not just why the other two schools didn't. It is filled with wonderful details about the players and coaches who comprised one of the best teams in college football history and the system Paul Bryant used to create it. Each chapter has a theme and spotlights players and games from the 1966 season that exemplify it. Dunnavant does a great job of setting the atmosphere of the times both on campus and in the state of Alabama and paints colorful portraits of many young men who have become mere names in the record books but are still alive to share anecdotes and attitudes.

My only misgivings about this book are Dunnavant's tendency to repeat himself, often verbatim (I lost count of how many times he used the phrase "Bryant used this tactic to great effect in molding a team into champions" - often on facing pages), his often clumsy attempts at foreshadowing, and his unabashed boosterism. I'm aware he's an alum (although that fact is mentioned nowhere in the book or on it's dustjacket) but if he is going to build an effective case that Alabama was robbed of a threepeat he must try to at least feign objectivity. Dunnavant shows no such restraint when he arrives at the conclusion of the book. As he recounts Ara Parseghian's admittedly gutless decision to sit on the ball and trust his team's fortune to the pollsters' sycophantic relationship with Notre Dame, Dunnavant bursts into outright apoplexy, calling Parseghian everything but an Armenian-American football coach. He sounds more like a blogger than a journalist.

There were plenty of people to quote if he wanted to include the (accurate) labels gutless, cynical, cowardly, and shameful. Instead, he uses them himself. I kept wanting to reach through the book and grab Keith by the collar: "Don't do it! Hold off! Show some class. Let the facts speak for themselves. It'll just look like sour grapes if you go this route." But alas, the deed was done. It's like he had driven the ball the length of the field and into the edzone and then ruined it all with a penalty in the final seconds that negated the winning touchdown.

This was the only blemish on an otherwise fascinating book on Crimson Tide football history. I still recommend it, however, for the excellent player profiles.

Alabama was ripped off in 1966 and this book proves the point.

Never again will ND get away with such a fiasco.

The first two-thirds of this work provides an interesting and insightful tale of how a magical coach molded an amazing bunch of overachievers into a team that nearly won a third consecutive national championship in 1966. A nice book on an interesting piece of sports history. But after describing the crucial 10-10 tie between Michigan St. and Notre Dame, the author begins to sound like the president of the University of Alabama booster club and the League of South. (Note: the author's bio on the back cover, at least in the paperback version, fails to mention that he attended Alabama). He leaves out facts that might cloud his thesis that Alabama, and the South in general, was put upon by northern liberals with a superiority complex. His use of sports facts is selective as well. For instance, while complaining that Notre Dame was awarded the national championship in 1966 before the bowls games were played, he fails to point out that two of the Alabama national championships ('64 and'73) were won in years in which they were awarded the titles before LOSING bowl games to Texas and Notre Dame. He actually mentions the fact that Notre Dame beat Alabama after the '73 season, he just doesn't mention his unjustly persecuted Crimson Tide had already been awarded at least a partial national championship. In general, the author seeks to re-enforce the belief by some Southern sports fans that Notre Dame and non-Southern teams have gotten "gift" championships over the years, while Alabama hasn't gotten what it deserves. Alabama has been awarded the national championship at least a dozen times. It has a glorious football history, much of it built by the masterful motivation of Bear Bryant. For two-thirds of this book, the author tells that tale. His work could have done without the whining, preaching and cliched pop sociology.

Admittedly, this book is regional in nature, appealing to the 'Bama fan of any age. Growing up in Birmingham, attending The University, and remaining a loyal Tide fan, I found this book hard to put down. It is a quick read. Being generally aware of this sequence of events during the 1966 season, I was enthralled at the background and behind the scenes information offered by the author.

The focus on Coach Bryant and his harshness in molding championship football teams has been well documented, but what strikes me in this book is the contrast in his admonition to do everything one can to be a champion and then letting the polls sort things out in a just manner. In this instance racism, regionality, prejudice, and primitive media capabilities prevented a true NCAA Football Champion. I felt sympathy for MY team...having done all to achieve a goal and STILL not getting the prize. A lifelong lesson at such a tender age!
I have read most of the books about Bear Bryant and Alabama football, but by far, this is the most entertaining of them all. If you are an Alabama fan or a follower of college football, I highly recommend this book. Those who could care less about SEC football and the sport in general might be better served by another subject. I would have scored this book Five Stars had it not been so regional in nature. I however loved every page. Roll Tide!!! BAW c.1976

Let me say first of all that I really enjoyed this book. As an inside look at the great 66 team as well as the context of the times, I recommend it highly. On the other hand, I can't agree that Bryant and his team were unfairly cheated out of a national championship. As good as the team was, the Tide's schedule was hardly arduous, especially in light of its failure to include the two other top teams in the SEC that year, Georgia and Florida. Bear Bryant had done very well in the context of the league, but if Alabama had to go up against heavier teams with talented black athletes, I doubt the team would have fared as well. Regardless of efforts to pump up the reputation of the 66 Nebraska team, it was certainly not a great one by any means. If Alabama had played the two teams that it trailed in the 66 polls, it would probably have lost to Michigan State and almost definitely would have been beaten by Notre Dame. Either of those teams would have reduced the Tide's running attack to non-existance and Stabler's passing alone wouldn't have been enough to compensate. Cecil Dowdy was a great player, but Bubba Smith took him apart in a post season all-star game. In short, a good big one beats a good little one every time. I can certainly understand, from their perspective at least, why Bama fans might feel cheated by the poll results. In the end, however, the Tide ended up about right where they belonged.