Close Books

While this is certainly not easy reading, I thought it was fantastic.
The writing is sparse and lives fly by and disintegrate in single
paragraphs. It really seems that not a single word is wasted.
I think that the comparisons with other books about
cowboys and life in the untamed West are off the mark. If anything,
these books are much closer to Chekhov's writing about people
"of the land" although that comparison is certainly imperfect.

I am somewhat surprised that some people took offense
at the way characters were depicted. I liked McMurtry's book,
but Captain Call and Gus are about as real as Hector and Achilles.
On the other hand I could well imagine meeting some people
from the pages of this book in a bar, not just in Wyoming.

I took this book and Into the Wild by Krakauer with me on a 3 day backpacking trip in the mountains. Read Proulx.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Shipping News and known for vigorous mercurial prose, Annie Proulx takes readers on a journey of speed and destiny in Close Range. Her ability to uncover and dissipate the dead waters of American culture, providing a rich love of character and story in the process, is replete with momentum and artistry. Her stories burn like bonfires in the darkness of a vast literary plain.

After reading anything written by Annie Proulx, whether a full-fledged novel or short story, it is no wonder that she is a prize winning author. Her ability to craft stories both strange and familiar that captivate the reader's soul is a remarkable gift. "Close Range: Wyoming Stories" is famous in that it is the collection that contains 'Brokeback Mountain', but there are other stories in the collection that are just as deserving of praise and recognition.

While the reader may not be familiar with Wyoming or the ranching way of life, Proulx manages to make the reader feel automatically at home. It is in her simple yet poetic way of showing the yearnings and loneliness that everyone feels that makes these stories and their characters come alive. A few of the stories, such as 'The Half-Skinned Steer' and 'The Blood Bay' are reworkings of common tales and myths, quickly told but long-lasting in terms of imagery. One of my favorite stories in the collection is 'People in Hell Just Want a Drink of Water', a tale of two families and their tribulations and an ending that stings. Other favorites are 'The Bunchgrass Edge of the World' and 'A Lonely Coast', two stories about the women of Wyoming rather than the men, that depict a harsh loneliness underlying their hopes and dreams. And of course, the signature story, 'Brokeback Mountain', a thorough and unflinching portrait of a love that could not be, beautifully told and impossible to forget. For all its controversy, it truly is a universal tale.

Annie Proulx is an incredibly talented writer, able to bring to vivid life the starkest of realities. Her characters are not heroes, and neither are they all likeable, but even the minor ones are fully formed and live on after they have exited the story. It is hard to put this collection of stories down; each one, no matter how short or bizarre, leaves an indelible and haunting impression. These stories have life.

This author is clearly very, very good in painting a picture of mid-century life in Wyoming. Brokeback Mountain is a gem of a little story, but it and the others are real downers... life was tough then and Proux makes you understand just how tough it was through a group of short stories.

For a sea shore vacation in 2007 I brought a few books to read "on the beach". This one turned out to be a fascinating and well presented historical narrative of the 1916 white shark attacks along the New Jersey shore. Well to say the least I was riveted to my beach chair and did not venture too far into the surf while I was reading this book. The author has done a great deal of historical and scientific research in this excellent historical narrative. Once you've read this one you'll be sure to loan it to a friend as there is much about this book that provokes exciting discussion. Even if you cannot read it at the beach... it will keep you riveted to your easy chair uneasily anticipating whatever is about to happen "next".

from looking on amazon, it appears there is a kids version of this book that has been published (which seems strange to me given the subject matter, but okay), so, if you are an adult, be careful that you get a proper copy of this. but do get a copy. this book brings the eastern seaboard and the shark attacks that occurred there in 1916 vividly to life. the author evokes the time and place as well as could be expected from the reader, and gives a completely interesting narrative of this series of shark attacks. an excellent history piece of non-fiction writing that i highly recommend.

There was so much about this book that I enjoyed. To numerous to mention...but I will say, Mr. Capuzzo certainly interpreted that Nature positively owes us nothing, providing an amazing juxtaposition of those early Victorian Days down at the Jersey Shore, when women were not allowed to show their bodies in public, to a primitive medical knowledge, not to mention... primordial data of the ocean & sharks at that particular time.

This true account chronicle was brought to life, with a brash intrusion to feeling safe and the misunderstanding of the utility of force behind the jaws of sharks and the ability of some of their species to adapt to fresh water. Found this shark to be a decisive strategic eating machine offering no negotiations.

You should read this simply to imagine how things were then, and how far we've come to now.

Mr. Capuzzo chooses to approach the 1916 phenomenon of mulitple shark attacks along the eastern seaboard almost from a cosmic perspective. This is a little annoying, since one finds oneself wondering what cosmic issues like "evolution of the species" have to do with a few shark attacks. However, on the whole this is excusable since the shark attacks described therein truly have had lasting significance. One aspect of this book I took exception to is Capuzzos breathless homage to the forces of evolution that supposedly created the magnificent eating machine, known as the Great White shark. As a creationist (someone who believes God designed and created the world) it troubles me that Capuzzo is so arrogant as to ascribe the glory of the shark to an impersonal force, as opposed to where the glory really belongs. If Capuzzo is so sure that nature formed the shark, then why can't he point to the fossilized remains of countless transitional forms between the shark as we know it today, and it's earliest ancestor? He can't, of course, because no such fossils exist. No, throughout history the shark has always been as it is today, for the simple reason that that is how the God of glory made them.

Most shark enthusiasts have heard of the Jersey Shore attacks of 1916. They were the inspiration for Jaws and are referenced in the movie. Michael Capuzzo's book is a non-fiction novel (think In Cold Blood) of those attacks. Nowadays, the popular opinion is that these attacks were not the work of one shark. Capuzzo's book is daring because he asserts that they were all the work of one rogue great white shark. For those of you who follow such things, you know that the notion of a "rogue shark" - a deliberate man-eater - has fallen out of fashion. Yet, Capuzzo makes a compelling argument - after all, is it MORE likely that these freak attacks were the work of different sharks?

The book does not try to sensationalize the attacks - it doesn't need to. Just reading a straightforward account is frightening enough. When the shark cruises upriver to feed on boys who feel they are completely safe, the story has the feel of a nightmare. The thing is - it really happened.

Even aside from the shark attacks, this book is a fascinating history of the Jersey Shore. Back then, the Jersey Shore was the American Riviera; the wealthiest city-folk flocked there to escape from the heat. As the shark went rampaging up the coast, Woodrow Wilson was a few miles away at his summer white house in Long Branch, running the country from a bank office in Asbury Park. Close to Shore is valuable glimpse into a bygone era.

Eight years after the Event, the Nantucketers finally decide that William Walker must be brought to justice. (What took them so long?) This is the first (not quite) half of that story, and I found it even more enjoyable than the first book, Island in the Sea of Time (Island), which you should read first because it provides the background.

Most of the action in ATTOY takes place in the (then) fertile crescent where Western civilization began, and some history of which is known, which I think is part of why I enjoyed it more than ISLAND, much of which took place in the British Isles before any recorded history thereof. (Stonehenge was already there, but all we know about it is what was learned from the artifact itself.) ATTOY has to (and does) accord with the known history of the region, except for the changes caused by the Nantucketers.

One jarring note: near the bottom of page 294 (paperback) is the sentence

"That was where the Chamberlain was under repair in the spanking-new dry dock, and a second being was constructed." We never learn the nature of the being that was constructed, and it doesn't figure in the plot, so why even mention it?

Three things I wish were included in these books: (1) maps of the region(s), (2) Cast of characters, both such as are provided in Eric Flint's 1632 (The Assiti Shards) and 1633; and (3) historical notes, such as Miriam Grace Monfredo includes in Seneca Falls Inheritance and its sequels.

Even without those, I greatly enjoyed IITSOT and ATTOY, and am currently enjoying the third book, On the Oceans of Eternity, and I heartily recommend them. Enjoy!

watziznaym@gmail.com

I started reading the Sea of Time series after I read the later 'Change' first trilogy. I can tell Stirling's writing has improved between the two series.
But,back to Against the Tide of Years. Stirling's weakest points are his characters and his descriptions of the natural environment I generally skip the latter as they are nothing more than tedious enumerations. He could learn a lot from Poul Anderson's evocations, which are shorter, but brimming with atmosphere.
The characters, unfortunately, you cannot escape. Most are settled in their ways and reading Marion Alston's thoughts for the umpteenth time is not very entertaining.
Speaking of Marion, her love affair and relationship with Swindapa is very awkwardly presented. I'm not one to skip erotic passages, yet in this book I always felt embarrassed when the lights went out in the Commodore's cabin or her room. As a side note, Stirling's romance and sex presentation has improved a lot with 'Dies the Fire'. But there is still plenty of room for improvement.
I like the action sequences and the overall evolution of the plot. Also the realistic technological evolution, although I feel some more creative contraptions should have emerged from the Island's shops.
In this aspect, Leo Frankowski's 'Conrad Stargard' series shines in comparison. I'd rather lead the Christian Army rather than the Nantucket Marines any day :) Conrad started with nothing and built ...well, let's not spoil it for everyone.
And if we're comparing the two series, Leo's zany books offer a lot more humor, zany characters and sensuality. Too bad he started slipping after the fifth book in the Conrad series.
You got to hand it to Stirling. He's a lot more meticulous and thinks of the finished product versus going off on amusing, but sometimes failing, tangents, a la Frankowski.
Overall, I give the book a 3 out of 5 stars.
Pluses: scope, details and battles.
Minuses: characters and descriptions.

This novel, the second in Stirling's trilogy of modern Nantucket mysteriously sent back in time to the Bronze Age, continues the story begun in Island in the Sea of Time. As with the first book in the trilogy, this book is fantastic - with a few provisos.

The novel is set eight years after the Event that sent Nantucket three thousand years into the past. Over those eight years, Nantucket has become the Republic of Nantucket, with a democratic Council, Town Meeting, and a protectorate over Alba - the "White Isle", bronze age England. In the meantime, renegade Coast Guard officer William Walker has escaped to Greece with the help of his ally Isketerol of Tartessos, and built a tyranny based on modern technology in Agamemnon's Mycenae. Ultimately, both sides know that, in the long run, war is coming; the novel deals with the events that are leading to that ultimate conflict.

From the scenes of the Nantucketers building an alliance with Shuriash of Babylon, to images of explorers led by Peter Giernas crossing North America in the late Archaic period, to the land and sea battles in Africa and on Nantucket itself, Stirling again shows he can build an entire past world in satisfying, rich detail. However, master though he is, Stirling stumbles a bit in this second novel in a few ways that detract from the book.

First, as other reviewers have noted, there's the matter of times. Stirling tries to show, through flashbacks, what Walker has been doing through the time between the Event and the "current" events on Nantucket. Unfortunately, the dates he uses clash with the time frame set in the first novel, and don't always mesh with each other. A minor error, but crucial to the novel's plausibility.

Second, Stirling's characters tend towards being - all of them, even the villains - logical rationalists. The problem is that people rarely operate logically in the real world, and the people of the past would have relied far more on belief in magic and the supernatural than people of the modern day. While at least some of this is evident in the scenes from Babylon, particularly the revolt provoked by an unintentionally introduced smallpox epidemic, I'd like to have seen a bit more emotion from the principal characters, given the circumstances.

Third and last, the growth of Tartessos, the ally of Walker, as a "modern" power isn't fleshed out as well as it could be. The reader is presented with Isketerol as king, in a modernized Tartessos, at the novel's start; given that the first book ended with him transporting Walker from Alba as a fugitive, I found this "presentation" rushed and not as convincing as it should have been.

However, these bobbles are relatively minor in what is, on the whole, a worthy successor to the first novel in the trilogy. Against the Tide of Years is a great read, and leads well towards the final showdown.

A fun read for those who are interested in History of Civilization. It reminded me of the old Saturday Night Live skit, "What if Sparticus had an airplane". The writer obviously did his research, especially into indo-earopean languages.

This was entertaining, the research was extensive, the antagonists were exhausting and the protagonists were ethical to a fault (can ethics be a fault?). Like all second children this one had issues. There were lots of loose ends to be resolved in the next book, a "filler" feel to some of it as story lines were beefed up for the climax and that wonderful middle book introspection by the main characters as some of them got to take a breathe and consider their future. That said, there were some great battles, some exciting new plot lines and bunches and bunches of reasons to grab the next book and see what happens. My only suggestion... PROVIDE A MAP. Holy cow, we're all over the world here and I get confused easily.

I love Anita Shreve! This was a great book! I couldn't put it down.

What a perfect birthday gift... When I indulged in this finely written novel, I never left my sanctum until it was finished. Like Sea Glass and all the others by Shreve, she consistently has the gift to craft an absorbing story moving the reader to a thought-provoking state...The characters are painted with grace. I highly recommend this novel along with " Blue Smoke " by Nora Roberts and " The Den of Iniquity " by George Norton...

What a difference 15 years makes. This is a story about the reconnection of two childhood friends and the love they find after 15 years apart.

There is a pop song that has the verses: you were never more than 15 minutes away from me, growing up on the very same street never you without me.

Eden Close is about this kind of strong soul connection that reignites after 15 years, a marriage and divorce, a young child, and a visit from New York City to Andrew's boyhood home for a funeral. A reunion with Eden Close, his childhood friend and sweetheart, brings back the fires of their youthful connection and delves into a mystery of just what happened the night her father died and Andrew left town.

One of earlier versions of Shreve's theme on first loves the second time around... and one of the most bittersweet and hopeful.

Although Anita Shreve is one of my favourite authors, I disliked "Eden Close" immensely. The plot dragged on to the point it seemed the book would never end, and the characters were weak, boring and passive. As I read the outline of the book, it left me with the feeling the book would be somewhat of a thriller but, alas, this was not to be. The book could have been summed up in 50 pages or less. We found out little about Eden until well into the book, and her friend, Andrew, seemed to be front and centre. Shreve has many fine books on the market, particularly the Pilot's Wife, Strange Fits of Passion, etc. "Eden Close" lacked emotion and purpose. This was Shreve's first novel, written in 1989; thankfully her writing skills have improved enormously since then. Skip this novel, read her more recent books.

The setting is one of my favorites: Everyday lives of the commen people resisting the Nazi's in WWII Europe. A little predictable in places, a little unbelievable in parts, and very gripping in other sections...overall, too uneven to grab me and keep me there.

Anita Shreve creates a captivating journey to Belgian life during WWII with unforgettable characters, suspense-filled drama, and emotional life stories. Since I have devoured every other book by this talented author, I was eager to let her guide me through a different time and place with memorable people who quickly became integral in my thoughts. At the end, I felt disappointed by the way she left the reader wondering about too many details and outcomes. The conclusion did not offer the resolution nor closure I had experienced in her other novels.

A good story with convincing characters and a fully developed plot. This, in my opinion, is one of Anita Shreve's best. I read it quickly, hungry for each word. Vivid descriptions with continuous conflict engage the reader into a seemingly never-ending battle between good and evil during the war, with the background of a beautiful countryside and a painful love affair going on all the while. What more could you ask for?

Read about an American pilot whose plane goes down in Belgium during World War II. A woman in the town takes him in, and they fall in love.

RESISTANCE by Anita Shreve
January 6, 2007

Amazon rating 3/5

I've read a few books by Anita Shreve and I have to say, this is my least favorite. Usually, I can count on Anita Shreve to pull me in and keep me totally glued to the pages of the book until the very end. EDEN CLOSE, WEIGHT OF WATER, FORTUNE'S ROCKS, THE LAST TIME THEY MET... all these books were great reading. For some reason RESISTANCE failed to draw me in, which is unfortunate because the subject matter was yet another opportunity for a wonderfully told story by Shreve. RESISTANCE takes place in Belgium and focuses on an American pilot whose plane falls near a small Belgian village. His life is saved by a young boy and is hid away from the rest of the village in the home of a woman and her husband who are part of the Resistance, helping to save lives that are endangered by the German Nazis.

Claire Daussouis is the woman who takes the American, Ted Brice, into hiding, and nurses him back to health. The two eventually start an affair, a time in their lives that becomes more treasured than they had expected. They know their time together is limited because of the war, but Ted is hoping that maybe he can find a way to stay with her, despite the fact that she is married to another man, a man that she has hinted she does not really love.

RESISTANCE was full of intrigue and danger but for me, it was the telling of the story that I think fell short. There were way too many characters introduced in the first few chapters that I failed to connect with anyone, including the American pilot. I have to say the overall story is tragic, and while a better-written book would have had me in tears, I didn't shed one because I just did not really connect with Claire or Ted. The ending of the story should have been more satisfying than it was, taking the story into modern times. But again, because I had not related to the two main characters, I was not moved as much as I should have been. To be fair, the story in itself was worth reading about, and it has been a while since I've read a book that took place during W.W.II, but from a master writer such as Anita Shreve, I had expected much more.

The problem I have with this book (and the series so far) is that it's much the same as the first. A space battle, a mutiny thrown in which is never resolved, a jump, another space battle, a painfully awkward romance between Jack Geary and Victoria Rione, and that's about it. I like the way Campbell (Hemry) handles the space battles but they are getting repetitive and the Alliance always wins. The inclusion of the jump gates as potential weapons is a nice concept but undeveloped. Likewise the romance was a long time coming (no pun intended) and when we get there it's really rather dry to the point I wondered what they saw in each other. The other characters seem to exist mostly as props, and there is no overriding mythology driving the action, it seems like paint-by-numbers. The mutiny looked like it would raise the stakes but by the end of the book I'd completely forgotten about it. The stakes need to be raised, and soon, or this will become a series I just won't follow any more.

Well, Fearless, was better than Dauntless. I'm not sure what the major difference is between the writing of the two books, perhaps it is less self doubt, and just I feel more engaged with the book. I had a real hard time getting into the first book.

I HATE, HATE, HATE, the author's use of Italics. I find it to be very distracting.

I LOVE, the fact that the author acutally takes into account space/time delay when dealing with communications. It's not instant communication like Ansible (Ender's Game) or any other faster than light communication.

It makes for a very interesting view on space battles.

Jack really does a great job grabbing your attention. He makes you want to know what's going to happen next. Part of his success is character development. You believe in these characters.

His understanding of the battles is inspired and he gets the points across to the readers extremely well. The characters jump off the page and you can really lose yourself in the book. Sure, we 'know' there is going to be some sort of success in the end, but you really want to experience the ride. Jack really pulls you along.

The story isn't new, the 'reality' of the physics of the battles is interesting, the desperation of Black Jack Geary is palpable. Well done!

Very fun. This is my first space opera series. The premise is good. I can see where the author is starting to repeat sections. Almost as though its from a military mind that must repeat it for the rest of us dunces who can't retain it unless its repeated endlessly... Now that is getting tiresome.


On a scale 1 to 5, Five is Best:

Villian: 4
Plot: 4
Creativity: 4
Uniqueness: 4
Humor: 2
Bringing the sexy: 0
Passion: 5 stars (for duty & honor ) 4
Laughs & Amusement factor: 1
Silly Whiners who get on your nerves: 2.7 (and growing)
Lazy Author repeating too much from prior chapters: 2.5

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. On the one hand, the overall plot was intriguing and kept my interest. On the other, some of the things his characters say ring so false that it became hard to continue somewhere around the middle. While Geary's relationship with Rione develops, the way it unfolds leads one of the worst-told romances I've ever read. These two characters spend most of their time very wary of each other, with Rione acting as a combination of Geary's conscience and his suspicious monitor. Lots of back and forth trying to probe each others' motivations and hammering out an awkward working relationship. Then things get romantic, but nothing changes. They have basically the same conversation over and over, which grew tedious, and I found myself wincing at the dialog. Rione has this weird quality of being both professionally detached and shrewish. It's not very convincing.

I really wanted to like this book as much as the first, but it just felt like there was a lot of repetition and one-dimensional characters. Perhaps military sci-fi isn't my genre. I'm not sure I want to invest more time in reading the next books in the series.

This book is a good version to read to kids. The language is basic enough for kids to follow the plot. I plan on using it as a lesson on legends around Halloween time for my fourth grade students.

The cover of this book is beautiful. Most books these days come with dust jackets and dull covers underneath. Sleepy Hollow comes with a clear dust jacket and beautiful art underneath. Totally worth the price of admission alone. The first story, Sleepy Hollow, follows very closely the Disney version. There are a few hints as to how the Johnny Depp version came about. After Sleepy Hollow follow other short stories. Mostly ghost stories some with very cleaver twists at the end. The twists make this book somewhat appropriate for younger children. Still recommend a once over from adult first before reading to youngster. Then the book turns to one story with about five sequels. These stories did not seem to match the quality of the previous stories. Actually on the boring side. That is why I rated this book four stars out of five.

I give my neices and nephews storybooks each year for Christmas.
Last year, I ordered all the books in September and Amazon filled most of the order, but kept delaying several of the books. Christmas came and went, and I had to give some of the kids candy and promises that their books would come later. It took 12 months, until September of this year, when Amazon admitted they could never fill the order. So, this year, I tried hard to find the books in other places, but unfortunately, I had to order a few from Amazon. Despite my low expectations, the books showed up on time.

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a fascinating story, but I purchased it for an eleven year old, and its original presentation, i.e., use of words, and small print are difficult for someone of that young age to read and comprehend.

It is a classic story that I hope she will enjoy later on.

I will keep this quick because it was already a waste of time to read this book. They used these horrible drawing for the book that look like my little brother did them. Basically they messed up the story and made it for kids. They made it a childrens book, if that is what your looking for then it is good.

I read the book last year and I really enjoyed it. It was hard to believe, but my born again Spirit led me to truly believe this account of Jesse Duplantis. God took him on a 5 hour adventure of a life time, witnessing the living Christ preaching a firey message to millions of heavenly Saints. Along with God the Father, who Jesse said he could only see his feet.

If you want to be excited about going to heaven, I would encourage you to read this book.

Jacob

Jesse Duplantis is a very, very funny person. With his imagination and humor he should be great entertainment for satan and his demons when he really does depart this life.

I just watched the DVD... I was skeptical at first, but then God spoke to me, and softened my heart, and I ended up crying like a baby by the end.

My grandma experienced seeing angels before. She was dying of an untreatable disease, but an angel came in a form of little babies who were worshiping God and she saw them and was instantly healed. My grandma never read the Bible because she didn't know how to read, but she knew how to receive Jesus with a childlike heart!

Jesse shares his experience in rather childlike manner as well. I believe that what he saw was real because it made a lot of sense to me and it went alone with the Bible very well! I realized that fellowship is what's important! Through what Jessee shared, I only saw that people and angels living in Heaven constantly communicated with each other in a most lovable manner imaginable! They are filled with joy just for the fact that they're there in Heaven, and it's real, it's no joke!

People loose faith, and try to make things up to match things with science and such! So some start thinking that Heaven is symbolic, that it's not really real, etc, etc... But Heaven is real! And Jesus is real!

Some people forget that God created us in His image, and that He is real, that He's not some energy or simply light! God can be seen if allowed! He did appear to Moses, and He did take Elijah up to heaven on a chariot! Why don't we realize that it all actually happened, and God is the same always!

As I watched the DVDs, I felt presence of the Lord, and I felt closer to Jesus! I remembered how when I was a kid, my mom would always say, "nick, every time you do something bad and you don't repent, it hurts Jesus". As I grew up I stopped believing in that, but Jesse reminded me of it! Jesus actually does gets hurt every time his people go astray! Jesse reminds us that Jesus has feelings, and He loves people so much that every time there is a murder happening, or hateful words fall out of someone's mouth, Jesus cries!!

Also, we tend to think that everyone in heaven is so uptight, and serious and such, but it made a lot more sense when Jesse explained that David and Abraham were very nice and friendly! Even Jesus acted humble with him! Which is amazing! That only confirms that Jesus is truly a lamb! We can hurt Jesus, or we can love Jesus, and even though he is glorious and powerful, he is in fact a lamb, a Son of God who longs for a friendship with his people, and that's us!

We often pray, "Jesus make me happy", when in reality all we have to do is simply have a relationship with Him! That's the message I got from Jesse!

Another message I got from his, is that JESUS IS COMING SOON!

To all the people who posted negative responses to this book, I say, JESUS IS COMING SOON, get your blind folds off of your eyes, stop judging people, learn to love, clean up your act, and get yourself ready for the Kind of Kings is coming!

I read the book and was blown away by the descriptions of things in heaven. He did this in 1988 and wrote the book. In the Book he talks about walking on a 100% pure gold sidewalk in heaven and being able to see through it as it was translucent. Scientist didn't/couldn't make 100 percent pure gold until the mid 90's and guess what. ONLY 100 percent pure gold can be seen through like mirror sunglasses, just like the book said.. How could he have known this.. unless it was true. many other parts of the book touched my spirit.. It's a must read for A TRUE Beliver.

To all those who read the word to acquire a greater relationship with the Most High God, and those who take the responsibility of discipleship joyfully and all others, I greet you. Simple matter this book of Jesse's. With two scriptures we can continue our prayer for this brother . Those who have ears let them hear.

Colossians 2:18
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

I sat in the audience in Vegas at one of jesse's sermons. This scripture is what came to mind.
Finally let's take care of the notion that a man was in the presence of God, or has seen the Holy city.

1 Timothy 6:16
Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen

It's clear that false prophets will come, Jesus said this as well as other writer's in the word of God. Whether jesse is or not doesn't matter. Salvation is individual and judgement is also. The only ship you must get right is the one you ride on! Search the scriptures and right your own ship. jesse going to pluto or plano texas does not matter. Where are you going?
Romans 10:9 helps with this and remember that 2 Cor 3:3 says,

Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
Paul declares believers to be letters of Christ. What are others reading when they see you?

I found this book very jarring. It skips around from story to story, sometimes getting deeply involved in a person only to utterly dismiss them. The author constantly builds tension and then disappoints. (He actually has a wordy story of a woman who went to the beach and then came home with a sunburn.)

A bigger problem is how fast and loose he plays with facts. Besides anthropomorphizing "the shark" a little too much, he gets an increasing number of "facts" wrong (the most hilarious of which is that the nostrils are below the mouth--did the guy even look at a picture of a great white?) He also makes the very weird assumption that all the attacks are a single shark. Based on what? Why even assume they were all shark attacks? Even if they all were a single shark, why a great white shark when other explanations make a whole lot more sense?

Toward the end, the author clearly made so much stuff up, I stopped believing any of it and begin to question the veracity of the entire book. I strongly suspect that were I to do a modicum of research, many "facts" early in the book would quickly fall apart.

In the end, this book is a mess. I still gave it two stars since it wasn't absolutely horrible as a work of fiction. And, oddly, it probably could have worked extremely well as a book of fiction--at the very least he could have stuck with a smaller set of characters.

Teriffic book for teens. I bought it for my son but I could not put it down.

I bought this book for my teenage son as a summer read. He threw out the book after reading 70 pages without coming to a shark attack. After this I started reading the book and was hugely disappointed. The author seems to have just cut-and-pasted a lot of 1916 era trivia from archives of local newspapers and then threw in a couple paragraphs about shark attacks to make the book sell. On the other hand, if you want to learn 1916 era trivia this is a good book.

What I liked the best is the descriptions of the shark attacks were detailed, but not graphic.

My son is into sharks at the moment, so this book was perfect. While it retells the story of the Great White Shark on our East Coast with lots os sequential details, there are enough "shark attacks" described to keep the kids interested.

We skipped around.

Pictures are boring, but we bought it for the shark attack retellings.

The author's detail in his research makes this book easy to follow. From describing the presidential vacation homes (Seven US Presidents are known to have vacationed on the Jersey Shore), the dress fashions of 1916, the pre-World War I fervor, the behaviors of the great white shark, and the overall ignorance of sharks we had back then gives this book a great backdrop. Beach goers were just then "taking it off" and strolling through the waters, and the author described the long, skin-fitting suits the men work resembling the blubbery outlines of the shark's favorite meal: the sea lion.

The book doesn't go into great detail of each attack, but of the reactions from the towns and mediafolk to each attack. "Sea Monsters" was still a commonality as we knew so little about sharks, proper first aid, and back in 1916 we didn't understand the true powers of the shark.

The author doesn't waste time describing people in this book who do not play a role in the shark attacks. After reading a few chapters one quickly knows that each victim is meticulously profiled; we then know that person will be the shark's next intended meal. This takes away from the suspense. The most gripping parts are the paragraphs describing the shark's tactics as it closes in on its prey.

I was living in New Jersey when this book was released and it was a sensation all across the state and in particular along the beautiful Jersey Shore. The towns described still stand--only Asbury Park is in ruins now--but the others like Spring Creek, Beach Haven, Sea Girt, Deal, Ocean Grove still profit from their beaches.

I do no recommend this as beach-side reading though. You just never know what lingers in those ocean waters!

I enjoyed it because it shows you don't have to be the best looking, or most popular, or do things like everyone else to be a champion. Lyssa dresses differently, has a totally different training style, and has the ugliest horse ever. But she still is the best rider of everyone. I think our society needs to learn this. We put good looks and popularity as the most important things for a person to have in our world. These aren't the most important things. We need to look at the skills and the person inside to determine who's best. We need to be like Christina and learn to respect other ways.

This book was awsome! My mom and I read these books together all the time. It is a good book for all ages because it is easy to understand and there are not many hard words. These books inspire me to try new things when I am riding my horse. This book is about two teenagers who are in love, and they are big horseback riders. Cristina races horses and Parker does cross-country. When Parker was at an event with his horse Foxglove, he met a strang girl named Lyssa. She was riding a big gray horse, and she just went over a 3'6" oxer, a huge double jump. She was nice to Parker but when everybody at his farm started using her weird methods, he became very cross with her. Will Parker ever be friends with Lyssa? I think the author wants you to learn that everybody is different and that just because you have a different way of riding your horse that does not mean you can't be friends. I think the kind of reader that would enjoy this book is someone that love horses and enjoys reading about horses. I think this is a very good book to choose to read, because it is full of life, funny and never boring. Cristana is the girlfriend of Parker, and owner of Star (her horse.) and daughter of the famous jockey Ashley. Parker, is the boyfriend of Cristana, a great cross-country rider, owner of Foxglove (his horse.) Lyssa is an awsome cross-country rider, and owner of Blue (her horse.) This author has written all of the books in the seires, and trust me, there are a lot of books. I think that this book is different from other books because it is written in all the character's perspectives which shows everyone's point of veiw. It is not only a horse book it is also about the lives of teenagers and the problems they go threw. This author is very creative especially her great opening lines!!!!

Yes the best!!! I love the fact that its a break from racing don't get me wrong racings cool but eventings great!! even if you canfind a bunch of other seris on eventing ive already read them all and besides Joannas the best this is my all time fav book ( along with all the ones were chris is eventing and #50 team player-very sad but well writen book-) so anyways the only problem i had with this book is that chris still hasen't come to her senses about eventing. hasen't anyone but me noticed how gurumpy and snobby chris has become sence she stoped eventing?
and star dosen't seem like a very good horse shes always having problems sterling was way better!!!! i miss her so much i read the horse of her dreams all the time! thats the best book its when every thing made seince. well enough for now!!!Bye!!!!

This book was okay, I guess. I can understand where Parker was coming from but I think he kinda acted like a jerk. Also, why does Parker get books written with him as the main character. Mike and Tor never did! I love Parker, but I didn't like this book that much. Number 1, it was about eventing again and Number 2, it was mainly about how Parker was acting like a major snob like his parents when we know he's not!!!!!!!!!

I love this book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I like Lyssa, she seems to really be gentle and loving to all horses. I espescially liked it when she petted Foxy and Parker was getting all worked up about how Lyssa managed to pet her. The dressage left me scratching my head though. Dressage is about the beauty and harmony between horse and rider. ( do not question me on that cause I take dressage lessons and my horse is a talented dressage horse.) How did Lyssa win? I mean, she had harmony, but Blue was UGLY!!!!!! Foxy is a fine thoroughbred horse. Sure, she messed up a little, but again, BLUE IS UGLY!!!!!