Jackson Books

This was a nice one, a fast, easy, interesting read that I got to after reading a few heavy, slow-moving books. When it's taken me a week to read each of the last two books, I really need a one-day read as a pick-me-up, and that's what this was. The House of the Scorpion is a very interesting little dystopia: the drug lords of Mexico, led by one Matteo Alacran, managed to swing a deal with the US and Mexico whereby they were given the area around the border between the two countries as their own sovereign territory; in exchange, they agreed to stop completely the flow of illegal immigrants, and also promised not to sell their drugs in either nation, but go to Europe, Asia, and Africa with their product. So now, 100 years later, Matteo Alacran is still alive, owing to the fact that he keeps growing new clones of himself in order to harvest their organs. He's not unique in this, the other drug lords do the same, but what is unique is that Alacran allows his clones to retain their minds, to learn and experience life until he needs to cut them open and take their still-beating heart, so to speak. The novel is the story of the last of these clones, who goes by Matt.

The author does a nice job of portraying life as the complete outsider. She also created excellent characters for El Patron, who is the original Alacran, and Tam Lin, the IRA terrorist-cum-bodyguard who befriends little Matt. It's a nice little idea that Alacran gets his security personnel from other countries, since, as he tells Matt, that means it's harder for them to plot against him; his most recent hiring was a group of English soccer hooligans. There's also a nice idea of how the country turns the captured illegal immigrants into mindless slaves to work the fields, and I love the depiction of the Alacran family and its infighting and scandal and hatred of themselves and pretty much everyone else.

The problem, if there was any, was in the last part of the book; it's a nice little chapter in the story and it has a good resolution, but the only problem with it is that it has no connection to the rest of the book: the last section is about Communist oppression and government corruption, and the first parts of the book are not. It disappoints because the themes in the first section are so strong, so immediate -- drug cartels, illegal immigrants, cloning; it is about what makes one a human being, what makes people into a family, and also gets deep into the purpose of a nation and a government. These were all explored, all fascinating, all done with an adept touch as the book never got too profound or preachy -- and then they were all abandoned as the setting shifts. I suppose we could see the last section as offering an alternative to the nation of Opium, and trying to show that every nation has its problems, but that is rather a different idea, and not one that connects well with the other main points.

Despite my henpecking, however, the ending of the book was fine, and the first three-quarters of the book were excellent. This is a great recommendation -- especially for boys who aren't big readers, as it was recommended to me by one such. It's science fiction and action, but both are thoughtful, and neither is overwhelming.

I'll start by saying that I am about two thirds through this book. I am reading it because it has been assigned as summer reading to my 9th grader. It is a rare book that I can't get excited about, and this happens to be one of them. So far, the story has been long-winded and convoluted. The concept of cloning should be intriguing, but I'm finding that I have no interest in any of the characters...not even the main one. I'm sure that the author could have thought of a better name than furball for the dog! :-)

I'm simply dreading the summer of trying to get my daughter to wade through this long boring story. I can't for the life of me understand all these glowing reviews of this book. There are any number of fantastic and exciting books they could have picked for summer reading; why this one?

This book is simply amazing--fluidly well told, with none of the typical "coming of age" tawdry sexualization, no offensive language, just an interesting take on contemporary issues. The realistic characters and well-paced story make this book worthy of all the awards it garnered. Buy your kid this book--then read it yourself!

I found the storyline in this book to be very bizarre to the point where at times it gave me the creeps. Yet, I could not put it down. The characters were compelling as were their struggles in life. The book was packed with moralistic sub stories and character twists that all seemed to come together to make this book a fantastic effort from the author. Highly recommended.

A real page turner, I can see why its now on many schools summer reading lists.

The book shows plenty of emotions of their loved ones being lost. Livia wrote her memory into a book, like most Holocaust survivors did. Most people are unaware of the presence of the Holocaust or just were uninterested. Like most Holocaust books they show the nightmare they experienced. Elli gives the reader an idea that they have hope to survive.
Some people read certain Holocaust books that fits their writing style and her Livia gives the reader the first person point of view.
We chose this book for our English class and we presented how they were killed like if one person in the barrack did not cooperate with the SS officers, the entire barrack was sent to gas chambers.
I recommend readers read this book.

Fantastic book, I recommend it to many of my students at work. I cried and cried at the end. We certainly have no idea in our cosy 2007 world. A brave, graphic and well written book.

She was one in thirty five that returned...Originally, five hundred left. Into the ghetto then into cattle cars, off to fend for their lives. Thirteen year old Elli (later, changing her name to Livia. Yes, this is a true story!) was one of many young, Jewish, innocent, Holocaust victims. Elli and her family lived a comfortable life. They owned a local gocerey store, they were successful and had many close friends and family...that is, until Germany took over. In March 1944, the Nazis invaded Hungary. Privledges were taken away slowly but surely, no more school, giving up prized possessions and their store, having to wear yellow stars. What was this? No one knew. SUddenly, Elli finds that all will be lost. Elli's family is moved into a crowded ghetto, and they lose all the privledges and possessions that they hadn't already lose. It took everything they had to survive, yet little did they know, this was only the beginning. Soon, they were put on cattle cars. Ellie's family was spilt up among concentration camps; although, Ellie and her mother managed to stay together and survive some of the harshest punishments the Nazis dished out. This is a remarkable memoir of a teenage girl who no doubt had, lived a thousand years, she had no chouce. Her hope and faith along with her suffering and fears, you won't beleive a thirteen year old would've realized and out smarted the Nazis in such ways. Not only is this a beautiful story of survival but an ugly piece of history. Having background on WOrld War II helped me understand a bit more but also this book taught me a great deal of history, another reason to read. This book, was definitely a fast read, I couldn't put it down. You're constantly wondering..."Will she survive?! How will she out smart them this time?! Will she escape?!" You would definitely need to enjoy survival and history to get through this novel and also know that some chapters are a bit graphic. This woman went through the unthinkable and she doesn't hold back on letting you know that. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an amazing story with some history behind it. Livia Bitton-Jackson is a part of our history and survived as one of thirty five returning of an original five hundred. This woman did the unthinkable.

-Kaitlyn Toner

This book is so powerful. I have read many stories of Holocaust survivors, but few if any have presented such a vivid view of the horrors the Jews faced. Some parts were disturbing, but they describe true history, so they are definitely important to read. If you're interested in the Holocaust, this is a great read.

"I Have Lived A Thousand Years" is a personal and gut-wrenching story of how a 13-year old girl survived the German Holocaust in the death camp of Auschwitz. The book is fairly short with short chapters. It is obviously written for adolescent readers, but can certainly be appreciated by adults as well. This is a very good first book for teens to learn about the Holocaust. It is written in the first person, and we "see" the horrifying conditions through the author's sensitve eyes.

The story is gripping from page one to the last page. It should be read and then discussed with the adolescent reader, as many questions will be raised as to the horrific nature of the Holocaust.

There are many good Holocost books, but the stark reality presented in this book, along with the narrative style, makes this an excellent introductory first-person account to the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Jim Koenig

I recently finished my first year at a top tier law school. This book did so much for me. If you are serious about getting good grades in CivPro, I think you should seriously consider this book. It forces you to understand the concepts and work through the rules, which is vital to doing well on exams. Don't stress about exams. This will help you.

This is by far one of the best supplements out there. It really explains everything and illustrates the material with great examples followed by explanations that are clear and concise. I would not recommend taking Civil Procedure without this book.

However, one caveat: this book may not cover all of the material in your Civ Pro class. Off the top of my head, I know it is missing chapters on class actions, Seventh Amendment right to jury trials, and interpleader (though it has impleader and other joinder topics). Despite this minor shortcoming, the material that is contained in this supplement is explained well and illustrated through great examples. Definitely a must have!

This is an essential supplement if you are going to understand this God-forsaken subject. I took off a star because there are some important subjects that are not covered in the book for some reason (For example, there is very little on Rule 24)

This book was very helpful for reviewing each section as we went through them in class. The explanation sections are wonderful and the examples are very helpful for exam prep.

E&E is a great series. I've found many of the books helpful in supplementing law school reading that can be at times difficult to synthesize. However, Freer's supplement on civil procedure is unbeatable.

Law school is about knowing the rule and applying the facts. E&E is great at helping you to know the rule. However, it doesn't help you figure out how to apply the facts, especially in a way pertinent to law school exams. Freer's book is full of examples and frameworks that assure success on your CivPro exam. This is especially true of the frameworks he lays out for analyzing Personal Jurisdiction problems and Erie.

Buy Freer and you'll be happier going into your final.

This books rocks my socks. I'm a novice cross stitcher and this book has some fun, basic designs you can make right away. It also has a great resource guide and other ideas to further you on your cross stitching career once you've got the basics. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to pick up cross stitching or those who are sick of stitching cutesy bunnies and flowers and such and are looking for something new and fun.

This is such a fun concept. Cross stitching seems inherently to be such a lady-like hobby, but these patterns are anything but lady-like. The book is very easy to understand, too; I hadn't cross stitched in about 10 years, but that was no problem.

Subversive Cross Stitch makes a good gift for the cross-stitch enthusiast with a quirky sense of humor. The book includes patterns for cross-stitch projects with a twist, as well a helpful guide to making your own projects.

A word of caution, however, this book may not be appropriate for young viewers as it does contain some profanity. Otherwise, it's rollicking good fun!

If you're easily offended, surrounded by people who are, or simply lack a sense of humor entirely, this is simply not the book for you. Clear, informative instructions and patterns make this a great book for a beginner, while the freedom to change the charts as you please will make the adept smile. Then there's the content: Oh lord, how I have suffered through the ghastly aisles of Precious Moments and sappy angels and babies! Finally a book for those of us who need a little salt with our otherwise wholesome obsession with stitchery. And it's so cute, sitting there on your table, and your mother-in-law will pick it up, and wonder, and then read, and then howl (perhaps in delight?)...

(New Hallmark slogan)
"If it's good enough to send to Ann Coulter, that's good enough for me!"
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/1127071coulter1.html
(the police report mentions this book, because some fool sent a card to her!)
(on pages 3 & 4)

Another stellar installment in the Percy Jackson series. The labyrinth details are inventive and fascinating and the revelation about Pan is though-provoking. These books are fun, funny, and educational. Keep 'em coming!

What a way to introduce kids to Greek Mythology. Each Percy Jackson book is better than the last. With all the crazy adventures Percy has in this book, it is fun to have a reference book handy to learn more about mythology. Once you start reading this book, it is hard to put down. After reading it a second time I'm only disappointed I have to wait so long for the next installment.

this is the fourth book in a very well written series- my 5th and 7th grader were equally engaged.

A must read in the Percy Jackson series! It has humor, action, adventure, drama. I am already anxious for Rick Riordan to publish the next one in the series.

Ever since I picked up the first Percy Jackson book, I knew he was the one for me. Percy is caring and brave.. and funny counts for something. I know lots of parents read these too. I have re-read and re-lived the whole series again, which makes me realize how great these books are. I have recommended them to anyone and everyone.
The fourth book didn't disapoint me. Although I won't give the full summary of the story (it's been a month since I read it), basically Percy goes to a new school, whcih has its share of trouble for him. Again, like all the other books, there is a quest. I found this quest to be the most exciting for me. There were lots of new characters introduced, like Hera, so I found that very awesome, since I have always liked Greek mythology.


SPOILERS!!!!
Of course, as I am a true romantic, I found the blossoming romance between Annabetha and Percy addicting. I was literally flipping the pages, going "When do they meet again?" Annabeth kisses Percy at Mount St. Helens, therefore expressing her feelings for him, but Percy is too dense to realized that she does like him like that. He knows he is in love with her but his concentraion on thisdelicate matter is disrupted by the return of Rachel Elizabeth Dare and the landing of Percy on Calypso's island. Calypso is banished to this island because she helped the Titans in the big war. Every thousand years or so, the gods are cruel and send her a hero to nurse back to health. Calypso falls in love with them and begs them to stay, but they must return to their own world. They can never find the island again. Percy is very torn between staying and going to save the world, but eventually leaves. I was really sad actually he didn't stay with Calypso. Although I have always been a fan of Annabetha nd such, something about Calypso made me like her, maybe because she was so accepting. Then there is Rachel. Ahh, Rachel. Annabeth is very jealous of this girl as Percy keeps accidently running into her and is becoming one of her best friends. Matter of fact, Annabeth stalks off mad quite a few times in the presence of Percy and Rachel. Percy, dense as ever, doesn't realize why, but I don't think Rachel would ever take him from Annabeth. She knows waht he doesn't.

And here ends my review of the blossoming romance. I promise I'll be more critical with my next review, but I have troulbe remembering the action unless I just read it. Ohh, Percy Jackson fans: the movie is going to come out next year!! I'm excited of course. I would like to be Annabeth haha. I find her really cool. Sigh. I am not an actress however. So read this book, please!

This book is a keeper. Luke speaks from experience and shares his experience and suggestions for kids with aspergers, parents, friends and physicians on how a an AS kid can handle real-life situations by sharing what has worked for him. This book is an easy read and would be good for teens and adults to read whether they have AS themselves or are related to or know someone who does.

This was a great resource for us as parents of an Asperger son to get an idea of how the adolescent with Asperger thinks and relates to others. It will eventually be a great book to let our son read. The adolescent author of this book feels very strongly that all Asperger children should be told what they have (by name) so that they won't feel like something is wrong with them, but will come to understand that they are the way they are because of Aspergers.

My son read this book when at age 12, we finally began to learn the reasons why he felt so "different." Reading Luke's book he laughed aloud and wanted to share everything Luke had to say. His self-image shot up as he realized he was not alone, indeed not a "freak," but that many other children and adults share the same feelings and frustrations as he. My son became much more outgoing and willing to put himself "out there." He's more accepting of himself and others now. This book really freed my son to embrace who he is. What more could a parent want for their child? Bravo, Luke, for sharing your life! It is a must read for every child/teen with Aspergers and for their teachers, friends and loved ones as well.

This book is intended for a person with Asperger's however, it can also be used by a child being bullied.

This is a MUST READ for everyone who has a child or adult in the Autistic Spectrom!! Gives first hand information into the reasons why they react like they do to different situations daily in life!! Thanks to the author, Luke Jackson, we can now have a better insite into how to help them have less stress and help ourselves in the process!! Verleen (our 17 yr old grandson, Zachary has AS)

I love stories with military men. Of all the Madaris books, I do believe that this is my all time favorite. I love Trevor. He's perfect. The fact that heand Corinthian's had a somewhat embarrassing history just made it that much more good. I love how she tried to ignore her feelings for him and fight him the entire way. I myself would have loved to be stranded in the middle of a rain forest with an ex Recon Marine. In the end, they ended up living happily ever after, which I always love. They're just so cute together, and I especially love how Mrs. Jackson gives us updates on all of her previous characters.

This, as usual, is a GREAT book. I like how Brenda Jackson pits two people together who can't stand each other but secretly have the hots for each other, and then all of a sudden they can't stay away from each other. The passion in her books is...... WOW!

I am a ruge fan. Since Jan '07, I have read no less than 20 of her books and have enjoyed every one. This in itself is amazing because before reading her books I was not a big fan of reading. You turned me into a readaholic!

The only problem in the book, Mrs. Jackson, is that Grambling State is not in Shreveport, LA but 67 miles away in Grambling, LA. However, thanks for mentioning G-town in your book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. Although it does`nt compare to the "Madaris Saga", it`s still 1st rate none the less. I put Trevor up there right along with the Madaris brothers. Corinthians....YOU GO GIRL!!!! Brenda Jackson fans, if you don`t have this book, get it, believe me you won`t be disappointed. Brenda Jackson has the tendency to make the main characters of her novels hate each other at first, but when they fall in love....LOOK OUT. Fire and Desire is a MUST READ.

Fire and Desire is just like the title suggest. Pure fire and so much desire that I couldn't go to sleep until I finished reading the book. This was the first book I read by Brenda Jackson and since then I've read all of her work and she's an excellent writer, but there was nothing like FIRE & DESIRE.

Trevor and Corinthians hated each other. Seriously. She showed too much that night two years ago and he saw her in a way that Corinthians would desperately like to forget. Trevor hated her just that much cause he seen too much that night and he hasn't gotten a good night's sleep since then.

Well what do you do when two people want each other but don't like each other enough to like nature takes it's course? You throw them together isolated from the outside world. Trevor and Corinthians wound up escaping into the jungle when their hotel became under attack. He kept them alive and she kept in hard. REALLY HARD! This book is a definite read. Way to Go, Mrs. Jackson!

I have read 5 books so far out of the Madaris and Friends series and in my opinion this is the best one!!!!! I look forward to reading about the Madaris brothers romances. Having discovered them in The Best Man, Surrender and Unfinished business yes folks I ended up reading the whole saga backwards but still want to know how they met they wives, anyway going off track. This book is good and I bet more interesting than the Madaris romances, sorry Brenda it just is!!! Keep up the good work tho!

It is a very good book as I have found all of his are. Good reading no matter how long you have had horses or horse experience. His relaxed way of dealing with horses and training makes sense.

This is one of those great books that can reach across all interest groups and walks of life. The way the author relates his personal stories to shed light on horse training really drew me in. But, not only do these stories relate to dealing with animals, they are like Easop's fables... there is a nugget of wisdom to be taken away and stored for you to use dealing with people and struggles in everyday life. He has great insight into behavior of those around him, not only the horses, but the wisdom of the old man. We could all learn something from this book and I'll definitely buy his other books. I had to doctor a sick calf just a few days ago, and I used some of the patience and techniques he uses on the horses, and I felt like the calf whisperer! Instead of it being a grueling chore in freezing weather, I really started to feel a sense of accomplishment that I was helping an animal.

It is hard to find people in my local horse world who don't believe that a firm hand (or boot) is the way to train horses. It was very refreshing to read about Rashid's successful training without physical abuse. I've been using many of his ideas to work with my donkey and have been so proud of the results. Thank you Mark Rashid!

Mark Rashid is amazing. Can't say enough about his books, ideas and training methods. I've been a horse owner for over 25 years, yet Mark has a way of teaching that still leaves me saying "ahh-HA! I never thought about that!!!". Mark's inspiring books have kept me trying with a Mustang I purchased that everyone else gave up on. If it weren't for Mark, I don't know where my horse would be today. I've purchased this book three times and given away two copies to friends that are also horse owners. Read Mark's books - get inspired - get enthused - and build a better relationship with your horse through understanding the "try". Thanks Mark, for putting things in perspective.

You know how Dr. Phil is always teaching his life lessons? This book does the same, but in a different sense. I have always wondered why certain people and animals were brought into my life. This book gave me an answer to that question. I have never had a person readily available to teach me anything about horses, what I have learned has been self taught. Simply from observing and from trial and error. Mark Rashid, shares wisdom from those who have taught him and the way that he gets this across is extraordinary! If you are looking for step by step instruction, this most likely won't fit the bill. However, this book is a learning experience that is interesting to read for once! I can't see how someone could be disappointed. In addition, this book is suitable for anyone, no matter their age. Read it to your kids! They will love it too!

This book is very helpful if you are looking for a Con Law study aid or explanation book. Many of my classmates also felt they had a better understanding of Con Law while using this book with the class.

If anyone is taking Constitutional Law and is using the Chemerinsky case book, this treatise is a MUST have. You can actually get along the semester perfectly without the big case book and just reading this treatise. It explains things way better than the big book. Unless you need to know the cases straight from the language in the case book, this is just enough to do very well in this class.

This book cuts out all of the "bull" from your textbook and just tells you what you need to know about the cases and will probably even tell you what your teacher is going to lecture about in class.

This is a very helpful study aid for Constitutional law, and believe it or not, it does qualify as concise. The topic is obviously expansive, and the book does a decent job of hitting the critical points without waxing too discursive.

this book really clarifies a lot of the major concepts. i recommend it to any con law student.

Not oe of her best, but not one of her worst. Cute story. MY thing is, that they were entirly too proper and sophidticated for with each other. I'm young, so I like ebonics. l0l.No, really. It's a good book.

I loved the book and all of the sexy romantic scenes.

Jake a rancher loses a bet with his best friend Sterling Hamilton and the pay off is to have Diamond Swain stay with Jake on his ranch for some much needed rest.

Once they see each other for the first time sparks fly. Although, they try not to give into each others attraction, they end up falling in love.

They also have to fight to keep their lifestyles in tacked by not having the other loose themselves in the others career.

This book was my favorite out of all of the Madaris books and I read it more than once.

SECRET LOVE was a book about a rancher and a moviestar. Don't seem like the ideal pair. Well, Diamond Swain needed a break big time and that's how she came to Jake's ranch called Whispering Pines. There he tried to ignore her, but like all love stories go it didn't work so well. He realized that she was kind and had a heart and wasn't like his ex-wife who only wanted to change him into something he wasn't.
It was a little drawn out in the end, but it was still a good read. I was really glad to read about the other family members. Who was pregnant and what they were doing now? That was really nice.

Another great Madris story. Jake a handsome successful rancher married actress Diamond Swain in secret. After a madman begins to stalk Diamond she runs for cover and safety on her husbands ranch "Whispering Pines". Deciedeing she's ready to come out of the closet about her secret marriage to Jake, they hold a press conference. The madman doesn't like this and sets out to kill Jake if he doesn't leave Diamond alone. Jake not wanting Diamond to know refuses to tell her of the madman. When Diamond finds out she feels she's been betrayed by her husbands secret, will their love be enough to save their marriage?

Such a wonderful read. I can honestly say that I read this book in one sitting. The words flowed off the page, a peice of literary art. I know that this is sad but this the first book that I read of hers and as soon as I finished I went and bought as many of her books as possible. And since I was on vacation I read them all. Dont we all want men like Jacob..