Close Books

Delightfully insightful. I especially liked the chapter on senior citizen generals. I would recommend to anyone interested in American history.

This beautiful book of poetry touches the darkest and most tender forgotten corners of ones' heart and soul.....I just cannot say enough.

Rachel Ray is a rising star between new unknown authors. Her novel is well told. She describe and tell about a subject that most people and the society don't want to acknowledge exist, and really don't want to talk about. I could not put the book down once I started reading it. It touched my heart deeply. I even read it more than once, and I can higly recommend it to other readers. I hope she writes more books.

The sheer variety of subject matter in this collection--spanning 50 years of creative writing--is difficult to summarize. Love-poems ("Night of the Yellow Moon" "Ariel") mingle with clever rhymes about dieting ("Die as in diet" "Speaking Diet-wise" and "Dying to Get Slim"); holidays ("Holidays Today" "Let's Talk Turkey"); aging ("The Eternal Plan" "Golden Years") and many more. Goldstein's stories are extremely well written and incredibly wide-ranging. There are stories of avenging spirits ("In Limbo"); growing up ("The Sacrifice"; "Worth of a Man" "Friendship's Signposts"); clever satire ("Devil With Protocol" "Speak Easy in Brooklyn"); and charming Christmas stories ("The Bird and the Three Wise Men" "A Christmas Dog Tale" and "Backyard Alleycat Queen").
I especially recommend the Christmas stories; also "Computers--A World I Never Made", which humorously portrays those of us who are "mouse-averse."
This is a book you'll want to give to all your friends.

Provides many means for thought and thoughtful observation of the world that is captured here.

This was a cool exciting book about a young jockey getting threatening phone calls. It also tells a little about her dog. This is a book that all horse lovers, racing fans, and mystery seekers should read.

this was a well written book that shows the trials and tribulations of an awe inspiring man. Mr. Garlits inspired me with his life ,determination and his writing.

Writing fine magazine stories is harder than it appears. But then, the best writers have a way of making it look easy. A real craftsman must satisfy two needs---his own urgent need to reveal a story through lines that circle and punch, and the reader's robust need to be actively engaged. But that is the magazine writer's duty, and no one takes it more seriously than Jan Reid, an award-winning Texas writer with a long line of credits with the best magazines in print, including GQ, Esquire, Men's Journal and The New York Times Magazine. Now Texas A&M University Press has compiled a superb collection of Reid's finest work spanning the past 25 years. All but one of the stories in Close Calls first appeared in Texas Monthly, the magazine the Austin-based writer has called home since its inception and where he still is a contributing editor. Reid, in his book's introduction, calls himself an "accidental journalist." For such accidents, we all should feel grateful. From the mean streets of Dallas' toughest neighborhoods to the gorgeous rock cliffs of Palo Duro Canyon, the 16 pieces in the collection range far and wide in celebrating the writer's native state. Texas is Reid's beat, and he covers it with a sympathetic vengeance. Close Calls offers spellbinding stories. There are Mexican jailbreaks, professional prizefighters, beat cops fast with their guns, impoverished Kickapoo Indians, the state's meanest river (the Red), and a bizarre effort in South Texas to breed the endangered African black rhinoceros. Showing considerable courage, Reid is unafraid to shove back the veil and show us what lurks beneath the surface. He can pare a story down to its gritty details, or treat it tongue-in-cheek when humor is merited. In several pieces exploring our state's natural landscapes and wildlife, Reid reveals an eye as perceptive as the legendary Frank Dobie at his best. It so happens that Reid is a devoted boxing fan, and the final two stories detail how that fascination led in a circuitous way to a nightmarish late-night scene in Mexico City in which Reid is shot by a mugger wielding a handgun. Reid survives---truly a close call---but his prognosis afterwards is paraplegia. He will not walk again. But of course, he does. Not only that ... well, read Close Calls for yourself. Reid shows precisely why the best magazine writing has become an art form. You won't be disappointed.

I checked out this review area to see if there were any comments here, and due to the fact that this book is out of print, I was not suprised to find that this shall be the first entry here. This book talks about loving those who you are closest to that are sometimes difficult to love. I found it very helpful and enjoyed the fact that the author was so open with her writing and experiences. Unfortunately, I do have (like many others) people who can be challenging at times in my life, and felt this book offered suggestions and guidelines to help grow through these difficult situations. I can't say that Everything is perfect since I read this 6 yrs. ago, but I can say that they are definetely much better given the tools that I took from this book.

This is another good book in the Nancy Drew series. Nancy, Bess, and George travel to Vermont so George can help her cousin with her website. They arrive in the middle of a UFO flap. Nancy, Bess, and George face some real danger while solving the real reasons for the UFO sightings. This is a good book for any Nancy Drew fans or anyone looking for a quick. fun read. Boys or adults should not ignore books like Nancy Drew. All of the books in this series (and the graphic novels) have been good reads.