J Books


Books-Under-Review-->Reference-->Biography-->J-->31
Related Subjects: Jones Johnston Jackson James Joseph John Johnson Jacobs
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250
J Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

J
Absolution: Charlie Company 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry
Published in Hardcover by Sergeant Kirkland's Press (1999-10-01)
Authors: Charles J. Boyle and Pia S. Seagrave
List price: $24.95
New price: $75.00
Used price: $35.68

Average review score:

Soul-searing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-02
No one has told his heart and the agony of Vietnam as has Charles Boyle in "Absolution". In telling of his time there, he lays bare his soul, what his effort was all about. He tells the how and why of his dedication to America and what Vietnam was all about to the US soldier. A great book -- one that should be required reading for all highschool students --- required reading in colleges.

An Infantry Lieutenant in Combat
Helpful Votes: 12 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-28
This book accurately shows what goes on in the mind of an infantry lieutenant. It focused on the human aspects of leadership and command. It showed how to deal with the loss of soldiers and friends in combat. Every leader has been too close to soldiers and this book shows why it is dangerous to do so. Having said that, it also shows what a soldier in the right place at the right time can and will do for his leaders. SGT Jay Cee and his friends from Company C, 3/22 Infantry gave their lives for their commander and friend. Absolution tells why soldiers will give their lives and how leaders deal with it. I recommend it for cadets before commissioning, lieutenants in the basic course, and captains prior to command. It is an excellent resource for leaders.

Soul-searing
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-02
No one has told his heart and the agony of Vietnam as has Charles Boyle in "Absolution". In telling of his time there, he lays bare his soul, what his effort was all about. He tells the how and why of his dedication to America and what Vietnam was all about to the US soldier. A great book -- one that should be required reading for all highschool students --- required reading in colleges.

Absolution: Charlie Company
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-02
I have finished reading Charles J. Boyle's, Absolution: Charlie Company, but I know this book will never be finished with me.

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

A Review: Absolution; Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-16
Absolution, by Charles J. Boyle, is an outstanding book about a great lieutenant and his men. As an avid reader of the Vietnam War, I have never read a book about Vietnam that touched my heart as much as this one. Once I started reading the book, I could not put it down. A true and accurate portrayal of the Vietnam War and its brave American soldiers.

J
Advanced Unix Programming
Published in Paperback by Prentice Hall (1985-08)
Author: Marc J. Rochkind
List price: $35.95
New price: $15.55
Used price: $0.22

Average review score:

THE book to get for UNIX programming
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-29
I am a systems administrator professionally, but I have a need to know the inner workings of UNIX that only seems to be covered in programming books. Specifically relating to certain system calls and interprocess communication methods.

This author has forgotten more about UNIX than I will ever grasp. While this book is dedicated to programming applications in UNIX and understanding the operating system's function calls, I am finding it to be a very handy reference for advanced system administration as well. The book is worth the price just for the chapters on process communication, in my opinion.

I really like the author's writing style. He gets down to business and covers the material without adding a lot of needless fluff or by making the chapters overly wordy.

The book is designed to server as a reference and is well-indexed, which is refreshing to find these days. It's very easy to find a topic you need as not everyone will need the amount of depth covered by each chapter in full.

I wish there were more UNIX books out there like this one.

Informative
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-08
The book is good for beginners. All you need to know to get started with Unix/Linux programming.

A very useful reference
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-24
I bought this book in order to get an overview on what primitives I have available on a unix system for doing system programming. I found the book to be very useful for that purpose.

I use it occasionally.

I also found my peers lending it from me again and again.

To summarize: useful.

The best UNIX programming book that I know of
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-17
What's more to say, the title say's it all... Buy it!

Good Coverage
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-28
This is an exceptional introduction to Unix features that most people won't see in every-day programming. The feature that Rochkind starts with may be the most problematic: portability. There have historically been dozens of Unices (sp?), all slightly different from each other. Even today, there are a number of different implementations in use, with small but maddening incompatibilities between them. Rochkind not only addresses the more common ones, he shows the standards-based ways of dealing with their differences.

After that, Rochkind goes over read/write/open/close/ioctl again, dealing with [a]synchronous subtleties that can mean a 100x difference in performance, backed by code samples and timing measurements. The rest of the book deals with multi-process applications, including communication and distributed processing issues. That includes process groups, interprocess communication (with all its system-dependent weirdness), sockets, and signals.

This isn't for the beginner or for the kernel developer, but never meant to be for either. It is a good, readable introduction to protentially tricky parts of the Unix API. I recommend it strongly to anyone building their own library of Unix references.

//wiredweird

J
Adventures of the Black Hand Gang (Pied Piper Books)
Published in Hardcover by Methuen young books (1976-03-18)
Author: H.J. Press
List price:

Average review score:

I've found more of this series!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-21
I love these books just as previous reviewers have already stated. On abebooks.com you can do a search and there are 2 more Black Hand Gang Mysteries. The BHG and the Mysterious House and the BHG at Breezy Lake. You have to buy them from German sellers (but I'm pretty sure the books are printed in English).

'Where's Waldo?' pales in comparison
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-11
When I saw my first Where's Waldo book, I was screaming 'foul!' in immitation of this classic. I can't make new memories past three hours following my accident so I can read this book for days with the same enthusiasm as the first reading (so I'm told). Do the same to grandma and grandpa!!

Why is this Out of Print?!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-04
I was recommended this delightful book by my cousin who had read it years ago with his now grown up children. It is a series of mysteries solved by the Black Hand Gang who make use of their keen powers of observation. There are illustrations with clues hidden in them, and you solve these mini mysteries to move ahead with the story. This combination of "Where's Waldo" and your standard whodunnit is tons of fun with children (age range 5-9).

The Black Hand Gang mystery book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-22
I read this about 25 years ago and re-ordered it online recently...as a blast from the past. It is a great little book, which I am sure inspired me when young to get into reading more and to look at my surroundings a bit more closely, and see a bit more mystery, fun and adventure in life. The book is now doing the rounds of my brothers and sisters and only once they are finished solving the clues will it pass to my neices and nephews. This is a definate item for my family heirloom box. Like other reviewers I would strongly recommend illustrators / writers / publishers to try to revive this form of children's clue-finding picture mystery story. Try to get a second hand copy and see for yourself why I am raving over a kid's book.

I love this book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-27
I've had this book since I was a kid too and like some of the reviewers, I gave this book to my son to read. He enjoyed it as well. I was hoping to find other books like this one.

J
awk Programming Language
Published in School & Library Binding by Topeka Bindery (1988-01)
Authors: Alfred V. Aho, Peter J. Weinberger, and Brian W. Kernighan
List price: $71.88
New price: $71.88

Average review score:

The Publishers Should Be Ashamed of Themselves
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-25
This is a wonderful book -- but the price is ridiculous. I purchased a paperback copy of "The Awk Programming Language" about 15 years ago, and its price was in the $20 range. Times change, and prices go up, but $73 for a 200-page book, even if it is a hardcover, verges on outright theft.

Which is a shame, because this is a great book, written by the men who developed the language. In addition to a lengthy tutorial, it contains many examples of sophisticated programs that can be constructed from the simple tools provided by Awk. Anyone who supports computers for a living, whether in the Unix or Windows environment, can find valuable ideas here.

But the price: c'mon guys, you've got to be kidding. This book has been in print for 20 years now. You've long since made back the initial costs of publishing it. The authors are famous in computer science circles, and have written many other books. I'm sure they don't need the money. So I have to conclude that this is just a cash cow for the publishers.

If you're looking to learn about Awk, and you're on a budget, I would suggest "Effective Awk Programming" by Arnold Robbins. It's available in PDF form as a free download. If you'd like to support the author, buy a printed copy of the book, as I did. Published by O'Reilly, it's available in paperback at Amazon for about $26.

And if you can find a reasonably-priced copy of "The Awk Programming Language", by all means, grab it. It's a classic. Thanks to the publishers, however, it's a classic that's out of most people's reach.

Not what I expected
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-25
I am torn about this book. My primary complaint is that this book costs so much. Its only a 200 page paper back book. I'm a sucker for classic books though. This text appears to be the original 1988 version by the authors. The actual text of the book is very good and being written by the authors of AWK, provides a certain view on the language and their intent that was well received. I do carry this book with me as a reference which I have found invaluable in my shell scripting endeavors. This book will give you a solid overview of the language. Be prepared for example references to the world of 1988 such as the USSR. Despite my complaints about the price, I have to admit that I enjoy owning this bit of Unix history and having the authors own words about AWK. From a practical standpoint however, I think that you can learn every bit as much about AWK by learning from freely available internet content on GNU/Linux versions of AWK (gawk). Since I have worked with Unix since about 1984, I have to concede being blinded by a bit of nostalgia. However, AWK is still a vital tool for anyone's shell scripting bag of tricks and this book will help you further develop your skills with AWK if you have only used it lightly in the past.

If you could have only one programming book...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-14
This is my choice for the answer to the question "If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one programming book which book would you choose?". Over the years I have periodically returned to this book to read or work through for fun. "The AWK Programming Language" may be from 1988 but it is still outstanding! It has an incredible amount of depth for a book of only 200 or so pages. Well-written, concise, with great examples. Truly an enjoyable book to work through.

Put this in your toolbox
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-29
I've become a big fan of Awk. Some people may tell you that Awk is outdated and no longer useful; not with other languages such as Perl and Ruby available. Well, Awk does one thing and does it well. It does it "fast enough" most of the time, and does it with a very small language.

Perl and Ruby are fine, but if you lean towards "small is beautiful", you must learn Awk. For times when you need it, it's a Godsend. I've used it recently to automatically generate SQL insert statements from some flat files and to do automatic code generation for larger languages.

Some of the best tools have survived the test of time.

In this book, I feel like I learned all the things I need to know about Awk - all the way from beginner to advanced. It's a classic. Not a lot of books get five stars for me. This book fulfills it's goals perfectly, so deserves a perfect rating.


Amazing little language and book that will grow with you
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-04
In Unix today, several scripting languages exist: awk, perl, tcl and python. Awk is a small, easy-to-learn, yet powerful programming language, and is language of choice for quick, think- and analyze-on-the-fly tasks. This book is written by the inventors of this wonderful language. It provides an excellent introduction to the language, with many practical examples for day-to-day use. Over many years, it has also served as a good reference to the language. In addition, this book gives concise introduction to numerous fundamental algorithms in computer science (interpreter, calculator, parser, sorting, graph algorithms, ..), which I consult for complex tasks even today.

Always a joy to read! Highly recommended.

J
Bulgarian Rhapsody : The Best of Balkan Cuisine
Published in Paperback by Sunrise Pine Pr (1998-04-01)
Author: Linda J. Forristal
List price: $14.95
New price: $14.90
Used price: $13.49

Average review score:

Bulgarian Rhapsody
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-18
We loved the color pictures of the food, people and places included in this wonderful cookbook. We also enjoyed the history and folklore mingled in between the recipes. AWESOME!

Delicious Food
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-15
I am of Bulgarian descent, so this review happens to be slightly biased, however, I find this book to be fantastic! It is full of easy to follow recipies and photographs of nearly all the dishes. If you love to cook and enjoy trying new foods, this is the book for you!

The best Bulgarian cookbook
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-13
I bought 5 copies of this book when I was living in CA and gave four of them to my friends as presents. I did not have very high expectations in terms of the quality of the recipes but it seemed like a good book to give as a present (oh, forgot to say--given that I am from Bulgaria). Boy, was I happy that I left that last fifth copy for myself. I came to the US with maybe 5 different Bulgarian cookbooks. Now they are in the basement and the only book I use is this one. Now I am buying another batch of copies to give for Christmas to my friends in Utah :)

A little glimps of Bulgaria
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-02
This book has great receipes for the everyday cook but I really love the tidbits of history and culture that are added in to get a sense of what Bulgaria's people and their food are like. I'm looking forward to making a Bulgarian meal.

Excellent cookbook!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-26
After traveling to Bulgaria and seeing several different cookbooks, this one is perfect for the American cook. The author has done all the hardwork of translating the measurements and ingredients into english. She even includes some history of various recipes, which was a real treat to have. I have already tried several recipes and they have all turned out quite well and very tasty. I highly recommend this cookbook for anyone who is interested in the Bulgarian cuisine. The color pictures are also great!

J
Can You Drink the Cup
Published in Hardcover by Ave Maria Pr (1996-08)
Author: Henri J. M. Nouwen
List price: $8.95
New price: $29.46
Used price: $22.50

Average review score:

Nouwen at his best
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-20
I own a number of Henri Nouwen's books and am proud to add this one to my collection. About half-way through reading it, I can say that it is certainly one of Father Nouwen's very best books.
If you are looking for inspiration, comfort, hope then you cannot fail to find them in this wonderful text.

Active and Contemplative, all in one challice... one vessel... on short book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-08
This book looks like it is a simple, quick read. The layout is appealing, the words aren't smooshed onto the page and yet - there is such richness in the words, such complexity of heart, soul and spirit.... I read it through once and now revisit it, daily, for further insight.

Henri Nouwen is one of those authors I have read about but whose words I have never read in more than short quotes.

This book has made me into a fan.

My life is changing due to this book. It is one I can heartily recommend to anyone interested in living a more complete life, Christian or not Christian alike, the teachings are applicable across denominations and possibly even across faiths.

Nouwen walks his talk and can't help but take you along with him. I wish I could speak to him, to ask him questions.

Ahhhh, his other books will have to be enough.

Can you Drink the Cup
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-13
This was the best book I have read by Henri Nouwen. It is a book every Christian should read and ask the question "Can I Drink the Cup?"
I will read and reread this book and mail several to my family and friends.

Beneficial reading.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-03
An easy read. Helped me to better understand that the sorrows and joys of one's life can also be blessings which we should lift up and celebrate.

Can You Drink The Cup
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-01
Excellent Book by Henri Nouwen. Read 3 Nouwen books at once and recommend his books for spiritual reading.

J
The Cat Who Played Post Office (Cat Who...)
Published in Paperback by Jove (1987-12-01)
Author: Lilian Jackson Braun
List price: $7.99
New price: $3.20
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Koko Delivers the Mail
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-19
Jim Qwilleran wakes up in the hospital and can't remember much. He keeps thinking he has forgotten to do something. It is a nagging thought in the back of his mind. He knew it was something important. He longtime friend Arch Riker shows up and fast forwards Qwill through his life. Luckily he remembers...the cats!

As it turns out the bike wreck that landed him in the hospial was no accident. His investigation (led by Koko) of a former housekeeper of the mansion, who vanished mysteriously five years before, leads to much mystery and intrigue.

I loved this edition of "The Cat Who..." books, especially where Koko played piano. A piano playing cat is a rare find. This book will not disappoint you.

The Cat Who Played Post Office.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-30
These are great stories Lillian Jackson Braun does a wonderful job of writing. I hope to one day have all the Audio Tapes in the series. Amazon.com is a great company to do bussiness with.

The Cats, The Mailbox, and the Missing Maid
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-12
This is number six in Lilian Braun's long running 'The Cat Who' series and marks the beginning of Jim Qwilleran's transplantation to the far northern town of Pickaxe. Qwilleran has managed to become the heir of the community's wealthiest resident and must stay in Pickaxe for five years in order to inherit. As we all know now, he lasted a lot more than five years, and may still be north of everywhere enjoying the foibles and gossip that play such an important part of the world's coziest cozies.

Qwill has just moved into the Klingenshoen mansion with his two Siamese cats - Yum Yum the delectable and arch-detective Koko. Koko, through various manipulations of his owner's behavior, manages to arouse Qwill's curiosity about the disappearance of a housemaid a few years previously. In the process of investigating, the newspaperman introduces us to many of Pickaxes residents for the very first time. When he isn't being his by trucks, that is. It is interesting in retrospect to meet these characters again, who often started out one way and then became something else as Braun added layer after layer to her confection of characters and mysteries (and cats).

I can only read so many of these in rapid succession before I have to stop. Lilian Braun has a tendency to let her characters run in a groove with very little development over a number of volumes. She makes up for this by using Qwilleran to create witty dialogue, but there are only so many Pickaxe witticisms that one can read before feeling a desire for something with a bit more meat to it. This volume is a change of pace (if you've been reading in sequence). There's a bit less sarcasm and a bit more story and that makes this one of the best of her early books.

Don't look for a complicated mystery here. Braun's villains tend to be obvious, and more often than not the means are just as visible. You read these tales for lightweight enjoyment and the zany characters that chitchat their way through the pages. And, of course, you read them because you can't resist Qwill's owners, the Siamese masterminds.

Pretty Good Listening
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-08
At first when I started to hear the tapes, I was thinking that the narrator's voice was not dynamic enough. But by the middle of the first tape, I was ok with it. I've just gotten so tired of listening to Los Angeles radio stations in the car (we sit in traffic a lot out here) that I thought it would be nice to be entertained by something I really love. I was glad I did. Even if you've read the books in the past, it's fun to let the narrator do the reading for you. AND... something I thought was neat and that made me laugh was... when the narrator would be talking about Koko and Yumyum and a noise they were making, he would sound EXACTLY like my own Siamese cat. So it made it funny, because I knew exactly the "language" he was referring to. (He must have studied Siamese cats before attempting this narration!)

Anyway, I will probably buy more "Cat Who" books on tape. I don't anticipate L.A. traffic to be letting up anytime soon. And for some strange reason, listening to it in the car makes me feel like my own cat is in there with me. I say if you live in a city with heavy traffic... buy the tapes!

My Favorite Cozy Mystery Series!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-09
In the 6th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is just settling in to his new life as a millionaire in Pickaxe City (400 miles north of everywhere). He has moved his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) into the old Klingenschoen mansion and is settling in for a five year stay to fulfill the requirements of Aunt Fanny's will.

As the book begins, Qwill is lying in a hospital bed, suffering from amnesia caused by a bicycle accident. His old friend, Arch Riker, flies into town to assist Qwill in regaining his memory, and succeeds in bringing Qwill out of his fog. While beginning to heal, Qwill starts to have vivid dreams of the moments leading up to the mishap, and eventually remembers that it was no accident...a truck had purposefully run him off the road! While trying to piece together who may have meant to harm him, Qwill begins some renovations to his new home. During his explorations of the mansion, Qwill stumbles across the room of a former employee, Daisy. Her room was completely painted with a graffiti style mural of daisies, and it arouses Qwill's keen curiosity. He begins to ask questions about the former employee of Fanny, and finds that Daisy disappeared rather abruptly. And when everyone that Qwilleran speaks to about her begins to have "accidents", he becomes suspicious that someone will kill to keep Daisy hidden forever.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and how many of the series regulars join him from "down below". In this installment, Qwill hires Iris Cobb as his house manager. She cooks for him (and the cats), and is in charge of cataloging all of the antiques in the old mansion. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight as to how Qwill became associated with Moose County. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!

J
Checkers. (LIFE). (Ab 14 J.).
Published in Paperback by Arena (2000-08-01)
Author: John Marsden
List price:
Used price: $73.70

Average review score:

Very good, short, sweet read.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-22
She is in a mental hospital, that's all you know till fairly well into the book, you don't know why or how, just that it had something to do with insider trading, and her father, and her dog. That's what it all seems to come back to, her dog Checkers. She tells the story through flashbacks. And at first its very confusing, because she seems to be mostly just telling about her dog, like that's her main priority, sometimes she'll go off into something about her family, or why she's in the hospital, and then she'll break off and say "anyway, I was telling you about Checkers" but in the end you'll get why Checkers is so important. "Checkers" has a fairly surprising, sort of freaky ending but I thought it was very well done, and it has a lot of suspense. Very good, short, sweet read.

A Disturbing and Engrossing Read
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-08-28
Chekers tells the story of a wealthy Australian teenage girl. Although her personality and story and well-defined, her name is never given. Told through memories and flashbacks, the story illustrates the girl's plummet from the utmost joy, like getting a puppy checkers and living in a lush home, to her arrival in the phsyc ward that she is currently living in. Told as any true aussie teen would, the story is in fact realistic and chilling. John Marsden carefully reveals that even a wealthy business family can be torn apart by corruption.

My Dog, Checkers
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2003-04-04
A Review by Robin

An Australian teenage girl lived with her mom, dad and brother in a beautiful home in the suburbs; and she had a dog named Checkers. She suffers from depression and she now lives in a mental hospital. She never had many friends, at school or at the hospital. She and several other teenagers attend a daily meeting called group. She has never said anything in group because she is afraid of what people will think of her. One day, she just couldn't handle it anymore. She had to tell somebody. This is her story of how she got there.

I like how this book tells a story about a teenager's life experiences. I can relate to them, such as depression and social issues. This story is suspenseful. Once I picked it up, I didn't want to put it down. Every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. You just want to keep reading. The author doesn't give away the story of how she got in the hospital until the very end. You can easily follow the book with big font and easy to read words. And if you have any troubles with some "aussie" words, there's a glossary in the front of the book to tell you what they are and what they mean. But the characters were realistic, and seemed alive. They're just like people you would meet in an everyday encounter acquaintance. They were believable.

I would recommend this book to people who like stories about real life conflicts and experiences. It would satisfy your needs if you are the type of person who likes to read other people's diaries or journals. I would especially recommend it to any teenagers who think they have it rough or bad. You think you know, but you have no idea.

...Enchanting
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-25
Though the book seems to have many flaws at first, once you read in to it all, it makes sense.
The story is of a girl whose family is being corrupted by the media, especially her father. Stories in the paper start to bother the girl, and her interest shoots up.
But among this all, is her "darling dog Checkers", a most important figure in the plot development.
While telling the story, the girl is in a Psychiatric Ward. She tells of the others there, and describes the events as if she were writing in a journal.
I high suggest this book to EVERYONE.
John Marsden did an excellent job with this book, an EXCELLENT read.

The mental hospital thing was clichéd, but the book was good
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-27
Told in first-person flashbacks and set in the mental hospital where the nameless protagonist recovers from a nervous breakdown, this story's message is: "The higher you climb, the harder you fall." Wealth and privilege cannot save your family from scandal, our protagonist learns, especially when your father is involved in dishonest business practices a la Enron.

The only honest relationship the girl has is with her mongrel dog, Checkers. She seeks comfort in his company as the media circles like vultures around her house, looking for a way to connect the girl's father to the stock market scandal that's brewing. She would never have thought that the connection they were looking for was sleeping on the rug in front of her fire.

I really liked this novel, and would have loved it if it wasn't about the fortieth book I've read that's set in a mental hospital. Mental hospitals have become way too clichéd in young adult literature. Other than that, though, it was a terrific story.

J
Come On, Rain
Published in Hardcover by Scholastic Press (1999-03-01)
Author: Karen Hesse
List price: $17.99
New price: $6.97
Used price: $6.87
Collectible price: $17.99

Average review score:

A Must-Have for the Classroom and Home
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-17
The language of "Come on Rain" is as colorful and vibrant as the beautiful artwork. Karen Hesse uses just about every literary device in this book which makes it a wonderfully interesting teaching tool. At the same time, it is a melodic read-aloud, first creating a true sense of heat, and following with the refreshment of impending rain. When the Mamas join in, my eyes still well up (even after 30+ reads). Although Mr. Muth received a well-deserved award for his illustrations, Ms. Hesse deserves a literary award for her eloquent and evocative writing.

Keep on Coming!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-10
Karen Hesse captures a beautiful moment in this book. She expertly creates a scorching, wilting summer day with vivid images. My mouth was parched just reading it, and then the rain came. You'll love the images created here of the "bare-legged mamas" and girls, both from Hesse's beautiful writing and Muth's spectacular watercolor illustrations.

"Come On, Rain!" A Truly Beautiful Book!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-17
I found the book "Come On, Rain!" at our local library and immediately picked it up. The first thing you will notice about this beautiful book are the gorgeous ilustrations! The pictures in this book are lovely and the prose is so happy and full of the anticipation everyone feels on a hot summer day while waiting for a cooling rain. You and you children will love this book!

This is more than just another weather story!
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-04
"Come on, rain!" are the fervent words of Tess, as she looks toward the sky with a great deal of anticipation and hope. It has not rained in 3 weeks. Therefore, everyone in Tess's neighborhood and city was hoping for rain to bring relief from the scorching heat. Well, the best part of this story is that it seems her fervent words finally reached the clouds; for "over rooftops, past chimneys, into the way off distance . . . clouds came rolling in." As soon as Tess realizes that her wish for rain was on the way, she quickly gathers her close friends together (and their mothers too) to run, dance and play in the wonderful rain showers that fall upon the city.

The watercolor illustrations of Jon Muth do an excellent job of enhancing the movement of Ms. Hesse's story. The opening illustrations of bright yellow and gold give readers a sense of how hot and oppressive the heat was for Tess's neighborhood and city. Gradually as the rain clouds moves in, hues of soft grays, brown, and greens are used to depict the moments just before rain falls from the sky. By the time rain actually comes, the illustrations are filled with splashes of pink, violet and blues, which represent the renewal of spirit and feelings of relief for all in the city. You know, this is more than just another weather story! It is a story that shows how rain, a powerful element of nature, has the ability to invigorate all of life!

Lyrical picture book
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-25
This lyrical ode to the coming rain, accompanied by the soothing wash of lush watercolors, make Hesse's Come on, Rain! sure to please young children. In prose that reads like poetry, young Tessie bemoans the heat of summer while waiting with confidence that rain will soon come. Along with her multicultural friends and all their mammas, Tessie dances in gratitude for the refreshing wetness the rain bestows. While the lyrical prose is of such beautiful quality it could stand on its own, the soft watercolor illustrations portray the emotions of the characters in such lovely detail; the two, the prose and illustrations, combine to create a delightful work of art. Even with the vertical lines of rain which one would expect to stop the motion of the story, Muth manages to create a sense of flowing from left to right, page to page, in keeping with the cadence of the text by using achromatic colors for the backgrounds of most pages. Recommended for children ages 4-8. Public librarians may want to share this title in a storytime about rain, along with Bill Martin's Listen to the Rain.

J
Death by the Riverside
Published in Paperback by Bella Books (2001-09-15)
Authors: J. M. Redmann, J. M. Redmann, and Jean M. Redmann
List price: $11.95
New price: $19.72
Used price: $8.90

Average review score:

Just Amazing
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-08
This is the first book in a series of four. A fantastic series indeed.
Without a doubt one of the best series that I've read. Filled with the drama and mystery that accompanies every PI book, we learn that the real mystery here is Micky Knight. Who is she, and will she survive,.. not just the latest job thats been brought to her door, but her own demons as well. She's flawed and human. Not a superwoman,.. just a woman trying to make it thru the day to day of her life.
And the New Orleans setting truly makes this book. I can't picture Micky anywhere else.
I felt like I was there,.. every painful step of the way.
The author has given us a gift with this series.

Good reading
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-20
I found that this book held my attention and left you wanting more and not able to put it down for long periods. A good author for those who are not true book worms like myself.

REAL SUBSTANCE
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2003-09-02
If you are getting bored reading the same old tired detective/mystery stories, pick up the Mickey Knight series. As a previous reader wrote, you'll find mystery, romance, comedy, steamy sex, and plenty of action in the Mickey Knight novels. The author has created a strong character with depth, who is very human and vulnerable. Let me say this: MICKEY IS NO WIMP! The supporting characters are richly developed throughout the series and you'll care about them all. The author makes you feel as though you're moving through New Orleans with Mickey. I loved all 4 books and can't wait to see what comes next. Don't miss this top notched series. It is THE BEST written detective series featuring a lesbian.

A lesbian mystery that is also great literature
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-05
This book (and the other three in this series) are the best written mysteries I've read. The characters are well developed, the plot is twisted and interesting, and the psychological drama is intense. This is a dark story that goes far beyond the plot of a simple cliff-hanger mystery.

Here comes Micky Knight
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2003-08-10
It's all here murder, mayhem, hot sex and beautiful women. This is the first in a series of four murder/suspense/mysteries featuring PI Michelle Knight.From the beginning when Knight is hired to help Karen Wentworth expose her ex-fiance, who is dancing at a gay bar, I was hooked. We have a police detective, an assistant DA and a doctor all linked to Mickey in some way and very important to the plot. Redmann knows New Orleans and shares it with us, albeit the seamier side. The story moves and takes the reader with it. We care what happens to our PI and her friends and the people who get pulled into the criminal happenings. Watch what happens with Cordelia James and her involvement with the happenings. And then read Deaths of Jocasta, The Intersection of Law and Desire, and Lost Daughters.
It's time for another Micky Knight book. Top drawer!


Books-Under-Review-->Reference-->Biography-->J-->31
Related Subjects: Jones Johnston Jackson James Joseph John Johnson Jacobs
More Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250