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D Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

D
Nikon D40/D40x Digital Field Guide
Published in Paperback by Wiley (2007-09-24)
Author: David D. Busch
List price: $19.99
New price: $10.01
Used price: $10.01

Average review score:

Very Good!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-23
Very detailed guide for how to use you D40x camera. It gives you information easy to follow for beginners as well as pros. It has helped me to know some short cuts that are excellent for when you are in hurry to take that great pic.

Good book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-15
Great book for using your D40. The Dummies book for D40 is better, but this book is worth it as second book.

NIKON should Include this in the Box!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-28
This is WAY better than the 'manual' that comes with the D40. In my humble opinion, this should be included in the box!!

If you purchase a Nikon D40/D40X you will want to be certain to purchase this book too...especially if is the first time you have used a SLR camera and are totally green to the photography lingo!!

This book explains it without making you feel like you are being talked down to!!

Perfect!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-27
This is the perfect Nikon D40/D40x guide for anyone unfamiliar with DSLRs. I had a somewhat basic understanding of my D40's controls before I bought this book and reading it has made such a difference in my pictures. Highly reccommended!

'Must have accessory' with the Nikon D40
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-17
This is an excellent piece of work, very thoughtfully organized and well written. Nikon should distribute a copy of this book along with the camera, instead of their user manual.
I ordered a copy as soon as I ordered my Nikon D40. The book came first so I had some time to read before I got my hands on the camera. The Nikon user manual never got a chance to open. This will be the best investment you make besides the D40 itself. When you look at the results of your shooting, you will thank yourself for buying this book.

D
April Fool's Day: A Modern Love Story
Published in Hardcover by Butterworth-Heinemann (1997-05)
Author: Bryce Courtenay
List price: $24.95
Used price: $39.96

Average review score:

boo hooooo
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-11
I gotta say one thing; WELL DONE BRYCE!!!! first, i didn't cry; i'm not real sentimental, but i was very touched and i think that damon was a man of steel; going through 24 years of pain and suffering. i wanted to cry when damon's friends came over. well done, courtenays.

A heartbreaking story full of love and life!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-12
This book affected me so deeply and has stayed with me since I first read it years ago. Having lost a loved one to AIDS I could relate to Bryce Courtenay's pain and I could feel the anger and passion he felt writing this book. Through Bryce's amazing talent for telling a story I felt I really knew Damon and his family. When I got to the last page I let out a deep sigh and cried for Damon, for my own loved one and for everyone affected by AIDS. I thank Bryce for having the courage to write this important book and for sharing Damon's life with us all.

I've read several of Bryce Courtenay's books and every one is a gem. I'm only disappointed that his books are not published in The United States and not readily available in our local bookstores.

I highly recommend this book to everyone and I know you'll be hooked on Bryce forever afterward.

A challenge
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-11
APRIL FOOL'S DAY was the hardest book Bryce Courtenay ever wrote, and it's also one of the hardest books I ever read. I started it (the first time) on a Friday evening and did nothing but read (and occasionally try to sleep) until I had finished it -- I couldn't imagine stepping out of the middle of the story into my own life. I've read this book, given it away, bought it again, several times: it's not a book you can forget.

Courtenay's son Damon was born in Australia with severe haemophilia. Along with the moving story of an afflicted but strong-spirited boy, Courtenay paints a bitter and angry picture of the Australian medical community at that time, steeped in paternalism and political expediency.

Several times a week Damon would bleed into his joints, and his father would take him to the hospital for infusion of Factor VIII to induce clotting. In other countries families were allowed to stock Factor VIII and infuse at home, minimizing both disruption to the family and permanent damage to joints. This was not permitted in Australia, to the extreme detriment of haemophiliacs and their families.

Worse than this, the screening and fractionation of donated blood in Australia did not at that time meet safety standards known and required in other countries. Damon contracted AIDS from the contaminated Australian blood supply and died of that disease on April Fool's Day in 1991.

The book is saturated with the author's bitterness, and the reader can't fail to walk his angry path with him. You WANT it to have been different, you WANT to find a justification or at least an exculpation for the medical mismanagement of Damon and the entire cohort of haemophiliacs in that time and place.

You'll find a celebration of Damon's spirit and his family's faithful support. You'll find love that fights tooth and nail for Damon. But you won't find forgiveness or exoneration, and if you're like me you'll think you should, and keep reading the book again looking for it -- in yourself if not in the author.

Courtenay's work (THE POWER OF ONE, TANDIA, WHITETHORN, etc) appears not to be well known in the United States, although he's highly regarded in his birth county (South Africa) and adopted country (Australia). APRIL FOOL'S DAY should be more widely known. It's a challenging read with a personal message the reader has to translate and tease apart. Read it for that challenge.

You will cry while reading this book, for it's all truth.
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-21
I am a fan of Bryce Courtenay, and have read all his books. This one tells the true story of his last son, Damon, who was born with haemophilia and went through a very hard life, still one full of love and joy. I found myself crying for what happened to Damon, from the purple head episode in hospital to the AIDS he caught during a blood transfusion. And I do completely agree with what Damon said, whatever your problem is, HEALTH is a gift, the most precious one we possess, together with LOVE. The book is about love against the odds, the prejudice, the injustice of a health and political system in Australia in the 1980s; it is full of details and vivid images, and I can imagine how hard it was for the author to write about his own experience, and the suffering in trying to explain in a clear way what exactly happened to him and his family those days. Everyone who has been through a quite serious illness will love this book, as I did. Thanks, Bryce.

April Fool's Day: A modern Love Story
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-02
I bought this book when we lived in Australia from 1993/1994. I have since read the book over and over again and have lent it to family and friends under the strict mandate that they must return it to me upon completion. This is the most moving book I have ever read and it will be one that I will keep forever. I cried, I laughed, I cheered and I was inspired by Damon's courage and determination to not only live a normal life but to overcome the stigma associated with HIV/AIDs. Bryce Courtney has written a beautiful testimonally to his son's life. I hope every parent loves their child as much as the Courtney's did to not only let him live his life but to also allow him to die with dignity. His girlfriend, Celeste, was also amazing. How many of us could stand by our significant others knowing what she did about the ultimate outcome.

This book is a must read on everyone's list, I am only sorry that it is out of print.

D
The Book of Nod
Published in Paperback by White Wolf Publishing (1995-12-01)
Authors: Sam Chupp and David D. Gragert
List price: $10.95
New price: $59.95
Used price: $7.15
Collectible price: $69.95

Average review score:

book of nod
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-02
thare is no real story to speek of its more a colection of WoD historys and myths but thows not into the "world od darkness" may not want to or nead to read this but its still intresting

classic liturature well illustrated
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-15
well illustrated version of the classic liturature to those who dont read anything befor the 16th century, informative the parts "left out of the bible" or taken ut. good read tok me less than2 hours
if any one knows of a better version of this book let me know
Still G

Great tool for any Vampire game
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-05
This is quite an enjoyable book. The Chronicle of Caine is complimented with Beckett's alternate theory of Clan Caine and Clan Abel. The Chronicle of Shadows is full of wonderful quotes a Noddist character could recite. And the Chronicle of Secrets is perfect for bringing about Gehenna. But while this book is worth buying, I just want to point out two problems with it that bothered me.

The first is that "The Tale of the First City" goes from pages 46-55, and has only one footnote throughout it. Some scholarly insights would have been useful. The second is minor, but worth correcting. On page 53, substitute the name Giovanni with Cappadocian. The Giovanni clan came long after the Cappadocian clan, and were not a part of the original Antidiluvians.

Otherwise, this is a wonderful source book and a good read as well. I highly recommend it to storytellers for Vampire: the Masquerade.

Great read. A little short
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-02
Exactly like as the title says. It is a great read, but unfortunately the book will leave you wanting for more.
The Book of Nod presents the history of the vampires as thought for Vampire:The Masquerade. This novel can be enjoyed even by those that are not familiar with the Masquerade setting and other novels. It offers the big picture, explains how the vampires came to be, has great quotes and "commandments", if you will, that vampires are supposed to live by. You will understand the vampire clans and what their traits are and the reader is bound to have a favorite one out of the bunch.

Awesome little book.
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-20
This little book was made to be a resource for the Vampire Masquerade game but it can definitely be read and enjoyed by fans who have no idea what Vampire Masquerade even is.

This short book, which can be read in like 30-60 minutes, shows the origins of the vampires, and their sects, and shows their 'fall from grace' from heaven and why they were shunned by all.

And while the book might be extremely short in length, the build quality easily makes up for that. There are wonderful drawings, indexes, and footnotes litered throughout the book. And the silver lined pages, attached cloth bookmark, and smooth hardcover scream quality like no other.

This book is a must read for any vampire or horror fan who wants to learn a bit more on vampire history and their origin.

D
A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish
Published in Hardcover by Springer (1989-12-15)
Authors: John Butt and Carmen Benjamin
List price: $59.95
New price: $117.63
Used price: $20.94

Average review score:

Quantity and quality
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-06
Here is a standout presentation of the ins and outs of contemporary Spanish. Examples of idiomatic usage are generously supplied, but fine points do not get in the way of the basics. Altogether an exemplary text--well-orgnized, lucid, and thorough.

Great Advanced Grammar
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-22
When a Spanish teacher reccommended this book to me, I was reluctant to purchase yet another grammar book. However, this book is extremely detailed and is great for the advanced student. It is more than any college textbook. Keep in mind it is a book of explanations and not a book of exercises, but it does answer a lot of questions that an advanced undergraduate, or first-year grad student has.

Best Spanish Grammar book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-10
If you are beyond the beginners level, then this is the equivalent to a Grammar bible. everything you need is in this book. Contrary to the opinion of a previous reviewer, I HIGHLY recommend that any SERIOUS student read this book in its entirety. I did it and probably will do so again.

Ver comprehensive guide, but not for beginners
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-20
This book about Spanish grammar is very comprehensive, but I don't recommend it to beginners. This book is aimed at advanced students. The explanations are a bit technical, but the author provides "real world" examples on how each piece of grammar is used. When I say "real wordl," I refer to the newspaper articles or the speeches the author cites.

I especially like the chapter on the subjunctive. This book provides an entire chapter to it, very important. Although, I don't like how the information is organized.

For beginning Spanish students, I don't recommend this book at all. It is too advanced. I recommend "Side by Side English & Spanish Grammar." I used it when I started studying Spanish, and it taught me a great deal of Spanish grammar.

Brandon Simpson

Ditto to all 5-star reviews below
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-04
If you were stuck on a desert island teaching Spanish for the next year, this would be the one book to have with you. There is no close second. Even if you are not the geeky, I-love-grammar type, this is the kind of book that you open to check one little detail and 45 minutes later you find yourself still poring over other bits of information. The authors' style is completely professional, but unlike so many other volumes of Spanish grammar they manage to keep explanations interesting and clear.

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Small Miracles: Extraordinary Coincidences from Everyday Life
Published in Paperback by Adams Media Corporation (1997-03)
Authors: Yitta Halberstam and Bernie S. Siegel
List price: $12.95
New price: $0.01
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $12.95

Average review score:

A real uplifting treasure!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-08
This is a little treasure chest of wonderful stories that truly are uplifting. I really did enjoy reading this book!

SMALL MIRACLES
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-18
I read SMALL MIRACLES, some years ago. This seems to be the same book, exactly, although, when I ordered it, I thought it was a sequel. I liked it better the first time around, when the anecdotes sounded more "golly-gee-wiz" than they do the second.

Fabulous, cherish each story!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-22
Miracles happen every day. Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal are angels themselves, bringing these fantastic stories to millions of people. Buy and read every single one of their books. Not only are they hard to put down, you won't be able to look at your life with the same eyes ever again!

The title says it all
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
A really lovely little book that helps even the worst days.

enjoyable, heartwarming, universal, read a story every night
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-18
I found this unique book of coincidences to be remarkable. While the authors relate it to Jewish principles, giving a moral or rule at the end of each 'episode,' their statements are applicable to those of all faiths.
There were short, short stories, short stories and those a few pages long. But all showed the positive human spirit that exists in everyone of us if we give ourselves a chance and don't close our minds. Sometimea a bad choice becomes a great move. An ordinary act becomes heroic to those on both sides. And, almost always, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND. There are no stories of coincidences that backfired, although one can be sure scores of these exist too. But the purpose is to bring joy, hope,
confidence and more open-mindedness to the readers, with the desire that they will share this with many more. A brilliant person with a promising
future suddenly gets terminal lung cancer. But the person telling it mentions some small act that was done, often out of common courtesy. And in this case, one of the six items the dying person wanted in his casket was a letter of encouragement from the teacher.

This is a book for teachers, educators and all who desire to be educated.
I acquired it for $.50 at a flea market booth, after just noticing the
colorful (but also bland) yellow cover. This is the best $5.00 expenditure
I've ever made. I'll share my copy with others and have ordered another
version. Whether you are in the dumps or feeling great, the stories will
heighten your consciousness and create more appreciation for your present lot. I am fortunate to have found it. Please consider my words. Advice
is worthless. Words from the heart can be meaningful. My heart speaks.

D
Sunwing
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (2000-02-01)
Author: Kenneth Oppel
List price: $17.00
New price: $26.94
Used price: $1.62
Collectible price: $17.00

Average review score:

An intense and frietening book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-13
The book sunwing was a great read, intense and freighting usually sequels aren't as good as the first book. But in this case the book sunwing and silverwing were both great! The book sunwing is about the mission finding his father continuing from the first book. Silverwing Shade and Marina with their colony are looking for shades father. They go to so many places he's been to, and they finally find him. But with all this looking they have started a war. Witch they must end. A war with the carnivore bats these carnivore bats have caused death to so many creatures. Even owls are fighting back with them! Please read this book it is a great book.

great book for young adult
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-23
My son has been reading this series. He loves the story line - he's 11, but reads on a college level. So, I would say this is appropriate for that age group, and interresting enough to hold the attention of an older reader. The sory line seems interesting enough for an adult reader wanting a quick read too.

the best book in the silverwing sequence
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-22
This book is really awesome. This book starts when a runt silverwing bat named Shade wants to find his father. His father, Cassiel, disappeared after he wanted to see a human building. So, Shade, Chinnook, Ariel, Freida, and a lot of other bats go to find him. On their trip they get stuck in an indoor forest, where humans put exploding metal bands on bats and birds because they use the explosive bands to blow up building for war. Shade and Chinnook have to escape from exploding and then they run into Goths forest, and then they have to save the world from eternal night. Goth is a vampire bat. One of the coolest things about the bats is their echo-vision. Shade uses his echo-vision and makes himself look like a vulture to the vampire bats. The best part of this book is when Shade and his family and other silverwing bats and some rats enter the bone room. I like when they crawl into the bone room because it is really creepy and full of bones.
My favorite character was Throbb, but he dies in Silverwing. My favorite character in Sunwing is Cassiel because he says things that can be funny. The thing I don't like about this book is how there are too many things to do with forests. In the beginning they run into a human forest and it takes them 6 chapters to get out of that forest. Later in the book they run into Goths forest and it takes them 3 chapters to get out. But sometimes they do interesting stuff in the forests. My least favorite character is Goth because at the end all he does is roar. I want every body to buy this book! But, you must read Silverwing first to understand Sunwing.

As good as the first!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-09
This book is as good as the first one, and is as enjoyable as the first as well. But, don't read Firewing, you'll hate it. I did.

One of the BEST books I've ever read
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-08
Sunwing was one of the BEST books I've EVER read! It has lots of fiction in it but, it also has a large amount of true facts in it also. I truly reomend this book. And it has a bunch of action and adventure in it. And I think people who like animals such as, bats, mice, owls etc. will LOVE this book completley.

Jacob Milette

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Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
Published in Paperback by Yearling (1976-04-01)
Author: Judy Blume
List price: $4.99
New price: $0.88
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

The librarian recommended...and it worked!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-18
My daughter is supposed to be reading chapter books but she can't get into them so doesn't finish them. On our last library visit, I asked for help from the librarian. She said, "She just hasn't found the right book yet." This was one of the 'books' she suggested because it was audio. "Judy Blume is great and this should help spark her interest." So we got it. Well, not only did it spark her interest, it sparked mine as well! We enjoyed listening to it together in the car and even at home. One of the things I enjoy most about it is it stays centered around Sheila's thoughts/point of view and it is very entertaining and funny. The slumber party on disc three made us laugh hysterically. I never thought I'd ever try audio books but this was a great idea and now my daughter is checking out chapter books and reading them, thanks to this!

BOTTOM LINE: If you have a reluctant reader, get this fun, entertaining audio book and see if it doesn't spark your child's interest in reading!

Otherwise known as awesome!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-15
I read this book to my second grade class, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. I have always preferred Beverly Cleary, but this book may be winning me back to the ranks of Blume.

Sheila is a very funny protaganist. Her constant desire to be popular, adored and liked by everyone fit in perfect with the children. That's exactly the way the kids here at this school work. The book was very funny, I loved the sleepover where the girls secretly shared their opinions of each other. The class laughed and laughed.

I loved that not every question was answered. The book left you to figure out the next chapter. Very nice story, perfect for "summer" reading.

sheila the great!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-09
I loved this book as a kid and I still love it now!! It was great to read it again and share in this girl's view of the world and the things that scare her and how she overcomes them!!

Favorite book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-01
This was my all time favorite book as a kid. I still will recall parts of it in relation to my life now (im 39) . My daughter is finally eight and I cant wait for her to read it. Love this book, I could not have made it through childhood without Judy Blume and this book.,

It's never easy being a kid....
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-25
My fourth grade teacher read this book to my class over a course of several Friday afternoons. It was the second Judy Blume book she read to us, the first being, "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing". I was introduced to Sheila Tubman in "Tales", and then we got a chance to really get to know her.

Sheila sounds a lot like me at ten, trying to figure out where I fit in and trying to appear "perfect". Unlike Sheila however, I loved dogs, loved to swim, and I had to kill spiders for my sister, who was deathly afraid of them. I thought Blume dealt with Sheila's story with a lot of love and humor and sensitivity. By the end of the story, Sheila soon learns that when she really puts her mind to facing her fears, they're not as bad as it seems. This is an important lesson for us all and the younger you can get it, the better off you'll be.

Since the fourth grade, which was over twenty years ago, I have read many of Judy Blume's books and have enjoyed all of them immensely. I'd recommend this book for boys and girls alike. If anything, it'll make you grab your side and laugh. :)

D
The Reckoning
Published in Paperback by Ballantine Books (1992-10-06)
Author: Sharon Kay Penman
List price: $15.95
New price: $6.50
Used price: $2.41
Collectible price: $15.95

Average review score:

Moving, indelible, haunting. Historical fiction at it's best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-27
After finishing McCullough's Masters of Rome series, I yearned for another historical fiction series to fill in the void. I assumed it was a tough act to follow, until I picked up the first book in this trilogy "Here Be Dragons". The narrative sucked me in, mesmerized me, and put in me in complete amazement of the cast of characters that surrounded me. Reading Penman makes you not only a virtual eyewitness to the momentous events of Medieval Wales, but grafts you into the families involved--so much so you mourn and grieve with the deaths as if you've lost a loved one. It's rare for books, for author's to be able to do that. Then you realize these characters were real persons that shaped history, your sense of loss and awe magnifies exponentially. She continues the trend skillfully, without letting up, in "Falls the Shadow". This final installment left me with my jaw on the floor. It's not a happy ending, but Penman's skill is in how she takes tragic events of history, vividly paints them by fleshing out the players involved so that you feel the blood that runs through their veins...you even feel like you bleed when they do. If there were a way to make tragedies beautiful, like a sad symphony, Penman has discovered it. The proof is this trilogy. Everyone I've recommended these books to has become a fellow believer.

Stunning finale to the Here Be Dragons trilogy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-27
Completing the trilogy that began with Here Be Dragons and continued with Falls The Shadow, this novel,almost impeccably historically accurate, depicts the struggle by Welsh national hero Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to maintain sovereignty for Wales against the machinations of the ruthless and unscrupulous Edward I of England.
After Simon De Montfort is defeated and killed, his charter of freedoms is destroyed and King Edward reigns supreme as England's king.
After his bride Ellen , the daughter of the late Simon De Montfort, is captured by pirates hired by Edward and imprisoned by the English king, Llywelyn takes the field against England and is defeated and forced to submit to Edward's humiliating terms.
Meanwhile Llywelyn is hindered by the three-time treachery of his mercurial brother Davydd.
These events lead to eventual tragedy for Wales and for Llywelyn and his family.
Dafydd Ap Gruffyd's execution at the hands of the English was very similar to that of Scottish patriot William Wallace 12 years later, also on command of Edward I.
Edward I was a tyrant who crushed Welsh national self-determination, tried to subjugate Scotland, and expelled the Jews from England.

The book has a glittering cast of characters, and traces the lives of Simon's widow Nell, and her family, as well as Llywelyn's family, including his vibrant niece Caitlin.
It is filled with action and emotion, as the author gets into the heads of the characters involved, making for a truly human drama.
This is historical fiction at it's most alive.
The book mends with a prophecy of the restoration of Welsh sovereignty by the Day of Judgement, that on the Direst Day of Judgement no race but the Welsh would give answer to the Allmighty for this corner of the earth.

The end of the trilogy :(
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-23
The Reckoning picks up where Falls the Shadow ends. Edward "longshanks" the first is waiting to take the throne once his father Henry passes and is in Italy on a crusade. The de Montfort house is regrouping after the loss of Simon and Harry at Evesham - Nell and Ellen are in France, while Amaury, Guy and Bran are in Italy. Llewelyn's grandson is the Prince of Wales still fighting against his brothers to keep Wales united against the English.

SKP once again does a great job in transporting the reader to 13th century Wales and England and reuniting him/her with their favorite characters.

This is a trilogy not to be missed by any historical fiction lover! - Here Be Dragons, Falls the Shadow and The Reckoning.

Masterful Depiction of the Conquest of Wales
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-04
It has been five years since Simon de Montfort and his followers died at Evesham in their ill-fated rebellion against the English King Henry. Henry's charismatic son rules England in all but name. Simon's family is slowly rebuilding their lives. His wife, Henry's sister, Nell, is seeking a marriage for her beautiful daughter, Ellen. Although betrothed at 12 to Llewelyn, ruler of Wales, her engagement was ended by Simon's rebellion and death. Simon's youngest son Bran still struggles to cope with his guilt over failing to reach his father before Edward's army butchered Simon and Bran's older brother, Harry. In Italy, Bran's clever older brother, Guy, has married the ruler of an Italian province and is gaining fame as a soldier. On the surface, the de Montforts appear to be getting on with life; but the hatred and guilt created by Evesham will prove too strong to save all the de Montforts. In Wales, Llewelyn has reluctantly named his faithless younger brother, Davydd, as Llewelyn's heir. But Davydd's ambitions and his reckless disregard of the dangers of plotting with Edward set in motion events which will destroy Wales. Penman has written a sad, magnificent tale of courage, boldness that illuminates the inevitable clash between two cultures: the proud, independent Welsh and the determined England. She is most adept at creating the minor characters who are swept up in events not of their making: Hugh, the loyal squire to the doomed Bran de Montfort; Caitlin, Davydd's illegitimate daughter torn between her father and Llewelyn, the generous uncle who raised her. Through Hugh and Caitlin, the reader experiences the tragedy of the battle between Edward and Llewelyn. It is the human face of history that endures for the reader; the people who die; the places that are destroyed.

Divided we fall....
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-24
This final novel in Sharon Kay Penman's Welsh trilogy chronicles the last throws of the Welsh resistance to English takeover. The beloved Prince of Wales, Llewellyn ap Gruffudd leads the charge in a final but futile attempt to unite the quarrelsome Welsh to the common cause of defeating the English invasion. He faces down Edward I, the brutal English King who will stop at nothing to make England a complete island nation. Meanwhile, Llewellyn's double-dealing silver tongued brother, Davydd, is the wild card in this equation and changes loyalties whenever the wind blows.

Sharon Kay Penman has created a fast paced, emotional roller coaster. The characters are complex and multifaceted. She brilliantly gets inside their heads to portray how each is convinced of the justness of their cause. There is war, killing, and horrible brutality, yet none of the characters are portrayed as either saints or devils. They are simply human.

The Welsh trilogy begins with Here Be Dragons, follows with Falls The Shadow, and ends with The Reckoning. Individually these are some of the best novel's I've ever read but in order to appreciate them to the full and understand the complexities and depth of the characters, you must read them as a trilogy.

D
Catspaw
Published in Paperback by Warner Books (1989-07)
Author: Joan D. Vinge
List price: $5.99
New price: $0.49
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

MUCH Better Book than "Psion"
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-07
"Catspaw" is a MUCH better book than its prequel, "Psion." As with "Psion," I don't care much for its theme that humans, especially wealthy powerful ones, are evil. But, for "Catspaw," that's pretty much overridden by how well Vinge writes and by the tightness of the plot. About the only thing I didn't like in the book was the occasional lapse into unnecessary sexual details in about five different places. Other than that, this is a very well-written book that I highly recommend. If it weren't for the sense of loss a reader would suffer without having read "Psion," I'd suggest skipping that book entirely. Most of the necessary information comes out in this book. But, it's not complete until almost halfway through the book.

I loved this...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-14
Whoah! I've read this book three or four times already! I love it so much. and Cat is just a great character you can just fall in love with him. I really hope others read this book too. i still haven't read the 1st or 3rd books to this series but i feel like i understand them perfectly. but i still really wish to read them. I've never liked a book quite this much.

Best of the best
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-11
This is quite possibly the best book I have ever read. Thought provoking, emotional, and exciting, the author draws the reader into a world that could easily be the real future. Cat's unique point of view illustrates the universe in such amazing clarity that his pain and wonder is completely tangible. He's moved from street rat to university student forced to do the dirty work for a huge conglomerate and each word of his experience resonates.

This second installment of the Cat books was the first I'd ever read from this author, all because I took a chance on a book in a library give away box. It's one of the most amazing treasures I've ever found.

Intrigue, adventure, exciting- you get it all
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-26
I loved this book. I've read the entire series of the main character, Cat, but Catspaw I believe is best in the series. What's more, the book can stand alone. The unique writing kept me interested the entire journey, with the 1st person view of the main character, but his abilities to read minds lets you have the perspective of other characters in the book as well. I liked Cat's personality. He's real, with flaws, and fears, and yet does the right thing without being a do-gooder. Even the villians in the book seem real, and you can almost- but not quite- understand why they are the way they are.
This story encompasses Cat being pressed into service to be a body guard for a political member of the very government he hates. You get political intrigue, a hint of romance, and a splendid view of a futuristic world with a well thought out plot. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Works great as a stand-alone.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-20
This was the first book I'd read in this series, many years ago. At the time, I was more impressed with it than I probably would be now, because I didn't recognize that the world she was building was somewhat standard cyberpunk (never even heard of cyberpunk at that time). Therefore the world seemed more original to me than it actually is (also illustrating one of my standard ideas about genre fiction--if someone who has never experienced a genre before suddenly comes to it, the most hoary and ancient cliches of that genre will seem dazzlingly fresh and familiar).

However, though the world fascinated me, in the end, the real heart of the series are Vinge's characters. Cat, Lady Elnear, Argentyne, Jiro, are all wonderfully drawn, and Vinge portrays them with a great deal of heart and honesty; she plays fair with the reader. Good social commentary too, with a message that is both uplifting and sobering; she explores a theme I've seen other authors do as well but one that I think is quite profound, that human connections are necessary to allow human beings to succeed in the face of evil (Cat's bond with Argentyne and his link to Mikah are what enable him to ultimately succeed in his goal). I recently bought a copy of PSION and I'm working my way through it, eager to meet Jewel and some of Cat's earlier friends.

D
Dream Real: A Top Sports Agent's Tips for Teens Serious About "Going Pro"
Published in Paperback by iUniverse, Inc. (2006-09-17)
Author: Eugene W Napoleon
List price: $13.95
New price: $8.72
Used price: $8.93

Average review score:

This book changed my life!!!
Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-13
My name is Mark Tomblum. I am in the 7th. grade. I live in a small town 5 miles outside of Dallas, Tx. I never really liked reading books and writing to much. I do like school but not reading or really writing. I go to an after school program and one of my teachers had this Dream Real book. She read a few pages to me. I wanted to read the book myself. My teacher let me take the book home. After reading this book I must say that it made me like reading. I really liked this book. I can say it changed my life. Football is big in the state of Texas. I want to be a success in life. I want to move on and play college football. Now I know that I must do good in my studies if I want to play football in high school and in college. I am using Dream Real for my book report.


Do you have a game plan? "I do now!"
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-30
Adults always say things like this or that book changed my life. I just thought it was there way of tricking us into reading because I never picked up a book "that I could not put down".

That changed when I borrowed this book. This book made me see alot of things more clear. Like how I really do not have a "game plan". I am "only" 13 but I am very very different now that I have a game plan in sports and life.

"Big L"

I LOVE TO READ!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-05
I love to read all kinds of books. My middle school teacher just gave me this book, Dream Real. I just completed reading it. I really loved this book. I can tell that Mr. Napoleon wrote this book from the heart. It takes a special person to share your personal experiences with the world. Mr. Napoleon is a special person, this is why his book is a great book to read. If you read it, you will learn something from it!!!

T.J. 8th. grade, The ATL

A good book could change your life!!!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-06
When you read a good book, it should change your way of thinking or your way of viewing things. When I read Dream Real, it changed my life! This book made me realize some of the mistakes I was making with school. This book made me realize some of the mistakes I was making with sports. I was putting sports before my school work. Now, I realize that school is more important then sports. If I do well in school, that can take me just as far as doing well on the basketball court or the football field. My dream was to play pro basketball in the NBA. Now, I also want to be a doctor if I don't make it to the NBA. In order to become a doctor, school must come first. I never looked at it that way before I read Dream Real. Now, I know that school must come first and basketball comes second. Reading Dream Real, changed my life.

Paul Burns, 8th grade student, New York

I can Dream Real about my future!
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-22
I play Pop Warner football in Newark, N.J. My coach gave this book Dream Real to my mother during the football season. I just got the chance to read it. Once I started reading it, I did not want to put the book down. I started to dream about playing football at the professional level. I really love playing football. My mother always talks about me doing well in school. After reading this book, I know how important school is to my future. Growing up in Newark is hard. I understand what Mr. Napoleon is talking about in his book. Growing up in the city is hard. Now when I think about sports, I will also think about school. I will work on doing better in school. I need to be smart to get what I want in life in the future.

Jamal grade 8 QB


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