K Books

I imagine that if you are reading a review for the fifth volume of Saiyuki, then you are already aware of the amount of violence and social taboos the series contains, and don't need to be told again. If not, you have been duly warned.

Following up on the Hakkai's past arc that took up most of volume four, volume five is about 3/4ths flashback on how everyone's favourite quartet of hellions met in the first place. Following Hakkai's - then Cho Gonou - murder of the demons who took his sister, Gojyo comes across Hakkai, near-death, and takes him home to recuperate. Sanzo, on the other hand, is in Chang'an, where the Three Aspects of Buddha charge him with the misson of capturing Hakkai and bring him to the temple for trial. Reluctantly, Sanzo and Goku track him down to Gojyo's apartment. Needless to say, the hot-headeds get into a fight, but Sanzo manages to complete his misson without too much blood being spilled. The rest of the volume picks back up in the present, where the four are traveling through the desert. On the way, they hear that a local demon possesses one of Tenchi Kaigen Sutras and the group goes off in search. To make a long story short, they are captured, Sanzo is injured, and Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku must get out of the demon's lair before it collapses and the desert falls on them. Oh, and Kougaji and Dokugakuji show up too.

I can't say I like this volume as much as I like the volumes that come immediately before and after. Volume four dealt with Hakkai's past, which is so twisted one wonders how many nights Minekura-san spent thinking it up. Volume six has Demon Goku in it, which is always very cool to see. And seeing how much of the series' appeal comes from the characters and their interactions with each other, volume 5's mainly plot-based story isn't as good as when Minekura-san just lets the four guys run wild with a situation. Still, Saiyuki is probably one of the best series out there, and if you're just getting into the series this volume is a must-have to understand what bonds the four main characters together.

From Saiyuki, Vol. 1 to Saiyuki Reload 4, the amazing detail on this amazing writing on this amazing author and illustrator is... well... amazing. Their adventures throughout the Yukai Demon world is tough, and their adventure through trying to get Goku some food is... very tough, but they make it through with the understandable, unnaceptable written works, that I believe should someday become a legend.

This is based on either a book-book or a REALLY old Japanese tale (that part I can't remember specifically) but I DO know that the mangaka DID intend it to be slashy! She's a BL author, in fact, everything I've found under her name is a "Boys Love" novel. I was happy to learn this; it met that Gojyo tease-flirting Goku like the pair in Legal Drug wasn't just all-in-my-head wishfull thinking. I think girls in Japan like "uke" Sanzo because he reminds them of Takuto Izumi from Zetsuai, or Eiri Yuki from Remix Gravitation.

Aside from the yaoi-factor, the story itself is excellent with a pepped up humorous take on the story it's inspired/based on. Don't think that the entire manga is the anime word-for-word, picture-for-picture....it only starts that way & takes a different turn at some point.

I started reading this purely because my friend had it...Just wish I'd got to it sooner is all I can say!
Saiyuki has to be one of my favourite mangas, and I'm still only halfway through the series so far. The plot is great; with the exact balance between humour, action and hotness (oh yeah!). And, to add to this, the artwork is truly amazing....and hot...
I'd recommend this to anyone into manga: though it does have certain side effects....priest fetish, anyone??

I was introduced to this manga by one of my friends who knew what appealed to me and said I would love Saiyuki. She didn't tell me anything about it, didn't say how I would soon fall in love. This is a story loosely (very, very loosely) based on the Chinese tale The Journey to the West, and in Japanese, this tale is called Saiyuki. In Shangri-La, demons and humans have been living peacefully. One day, the demons suddenly start ripping the humans apart. This is what leads to Sanzo, a gun toting, chain-smoking "priest", Goku, a 500 year old gluttonous monkey demon, Gojyo, a drinking, gambling, half demon ladies man, and Hakkaku, a kind hearted, soft-spoken demon to become the saviors of their homeland by finding out just what's going down inm their journey to the west. This one hell of a good shojo/shonen manga read, but I think that the art stlye will appear mostly to girls. I know it did to me.

The story is timeless, and the product is just as good. Beautiful artwork to accompany the story. The paper is top-rate, and the cover is A+. Every little girl should have this book and eventually pass it down to the next generation.

This rendition of Sleeping Beauty is delicious to the eye. I purchased the book specifically for the art work. KY Craft is fast becoming one of my favorite artists and the children's books she has illustrated are pieces of art that I return to look at again and again.

The story line is well loved.... and it is a pleasure reading a delightfully familiar & wonderfully illustrated fairytale as a 'maturing' grown up! CJ

This book is beautiful. I'm so happy that my daughter is the one that told me about it. The artwork is worth the price in everyway. Of course, Sleeping Beauty is a story that no one ever gets tired of. By all means add this one to your library.

This is a simply gorgeous book. Kinuko Y. Craft is such a magnificent illustrator. All of her images are detailed, delicate, and deep.

Beautifully written and illustrated, it makes a perfect bedtime story. You will also get distracted by the artwork: it could tell the story without the words.

I am a semi-professional chéf. I saw this book in a friend's library and fell in love with it. I bought one myself recently and found it even better as I read it. I highly recommend it.

I have 2 more sushi (at home) books in my library. They are also quite good but this one is superior. Detailed descriptions, beautiful pictures and perfect knowledge. There's no need for another sushi book.

Also, congratulations to DK publishing and authors Kimiko Barber & Hiroki Takemura on such a masterpiece.

Excelent book with lot of pictures to show the final result.

Absolutely loved this book. I like to make my own sushi and this book is simply amazing. Excellent photos with very detailed instructions.

I especially like the section with all the different types of fish and how to cut each one.

This book is really good for beginner, very simple to learn too.

The photos in this book are beautiful and inspiring. I cannot read it without wanting to make sushi.

Contents include under these major categories:
-Basics
-Making
-Eating

The best part is the simple and clean photography, especially of the fish which the show what they look like both whole (scales and all) to cut up.

The "pressed sushi" section is my favorite, very impressive!

I bought this for my mom as part of her Christmas present this year and she can't stop telling me how much she's enjoying reading it. She has only recently discovered Miss Read and she tells me she can't get enough of the series. If you enjoy a provincial read, then Miss Read is the way to go!

I just love Miss Read! Her books are wonderful! Her characters are so believeable you feel that they live in your neighborhood. I read them once every year. It is my guilty pleasure! If you haven't met the inhabitants of Thrush Green and Fairacre then you are missing out.

I came across Miss Read's books by accident and have become addicted. They are the best treatment for stress I've discovered lately. Nothing ever happens in them, and yet they keep you engaged. I've read them out of order, which is not a serious handicap. Now that Nelly and Albert Piggot are reconciled, sort of, I'm trying to find which book tells how they ever married in the first place - what an odd couple! Fey Dotty Harmer and bluff Ella Bembridge and the batty Lovelock sisters are a hoot. If you don't require suspense and action in a book, you may enjoy these as much as I have.

If you are new to Miss Read books, you can start anywhere in any of the series and find pure enjoyment. If you wish to go to a place where life is friendly but with its ups and downs, where the characters become friends you will grow to love, and the descriptions are warm and inviting, then these are the books for you.
If you are a fan of Jan Karon books, then you are in for a real treat, as Jan's books are warm and inviting but nothing in comparison to Miss Read.
If you have had a stressful day, or feeling down or alone, or want some relaxing peace and quiet, then you must buy Miss Read. I have read all her books and all are wonderful with characters you will remember for years to come and yes, even find similar to people you know in real life.
So prepare for a cozy evening, grab a Miss Read book and prepare to have the time fly. One can't say enough about these books.
Thrush Green is only one beginning!

I've corresponded on and off over the last few years with Mrs. Dora Saint, our "Miss Read", and had the pleasure of speaking with her by phone one christmas.

i have all of her books, garnered from new and used book stores over the years, and truly love her special prose.

i received a card from her daughter today in response to one that i sent, congratulating Miss Read on the 50th anniversary of her first book, Village School. Her mother is still with us, but sadly is blind now in her 90s.

her final book was A Peaceful Retirement... I can only wish her the same.

Just voting - can't add anything to the wonderful reviews above. This book is a treasure. So glad I found it - thanks to the amazon reviews!

I loved this book. It gave me a great deal to research and ponder. I now understand where a lot of our thought processes concerning the Old Testament came from.

I purchased 3 copies (2 for Chanakah presents) and received all three with oil-like smudge marks on the bottom and top of the pages (while the book is closed). I had a similar event happen on my previous order for the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan and another book. In that case, all three books had similar smudge marks and two of the books had damage to the front covers. I returned these only to get new copies that were less than fully clean with one of them having damage to the front cover also. I did not bother to return them again and should have learned my lesson. This time, I did not have the time to return them and also, I was just disgusted. But the people who got them as gifts appreciated them anyway.
Regarding the content, there are positives and negatives. The positives are that many sources are used and most folks could learn new information regarding midrashim, etc. It is also well organized into categorical sections. Among the negatives are a simplistic explanation for the texts that adds very little to the text. The format is mostly cite the text, and then make a comment. Often times the comment is almost antagonistic of the text, poking fun at the text as though it be a silly "myth" and often times attempting to desribe these Jewish legends using "idolistic" explanations. The author shows himself to be nearly an apostate jew, or at best, a man who finds little meaningful signficance in these legends
beyond what the sociologist would find from mythology. For those who view Judaism as a mere philosophy, the current book would be appropriate. For those who find the legends of Judaism sacred, I highly recommend Ginzberg's "Legends of the Jews".

"The Tree of Souls" is a rare book one wants to treasure in one's library, yet it will not suffice just to have it sitting on a shelf. It should be placed on a desk close by, in order to be able to reach out and read once, twice, indeed many times the fascinating stories that engulf us as soon as we open the gates to the contents of the book. Once the reader finds himself inside this wondrous world, it becomes wide open, yet it is not difficult to decide which path to choose since the author has designed ten stepping stones, each of which will lead to a particular destination. In reality though, it does not matter which of the ten books Howard Schwartz has created within "The Tree of Souls" - each an impressive book in its own right - we choose to start with. We may read for sheer enjoyment, yet Howard Schwartz, the scholar, has made it easy also for those searching for a particular theme or topic within this vast domain to find what they are looking for and are interested in.

Initially, when I saw the title of the book, a number of images flashed in front of my eyes since many civilizations in antiquity, and even into the present, treat trees with great reverence with the belief that some are associated with supernatural powers. In the Caribbean basin island of Curacao, a giant tree spreads its immense canopy over a large area, just as its enormous roots extend from the trunk, far and wide in all directions. This particular tree serves as a symbol of homeland and a quest for peace to local Indian tribes who transplanted it from a rain forest into the arid soil of this island hundreds of years ago. It thrives there miraculously despite the harsh conditions it is subjected to. This could be the tree that many in that area of the world believe enables the souls of the righteous departed to ascend to heaven. This marvelous tree could serve as a companion to other mythical trees, such as those found in ancient Greek tales, where they aided certain divine entities that restrained, punished or rewarded human beings, depending on the situation.

The "Tree of Souls" is most marvelous since it facilitates repaired souls to descend, and thus they are not only a source of renewed life and knowledge but also the symbol of the never-ending cycle of re-creation. Whether it is the mysterious tree of Abraham described in this book, or maybe the sacred glistening tree under which the Buddha sat and meditated, or a different mythical tree of perfection from another tradition, suffice it to say that these trees, in different ways, are subject to many interpretations and explanations. It is hard not to succumb to the magic of storytelling, particularly of this storyteller who retells these magnificent tales in his own incomparable way. Thus this tree of narratives will always flourish and remain a source of enjoyment and knowledge to those sitting under its branches ...

Tree of Souls is a long-awaited and much-needed tome on the mythology of Judaism. The 670 stories present everything anyone would want to know about Jewish stories; they run the gamut from myths of God to myths of the Messiah to myths of the Holy Land to myths of exile. The copious introduction and notes about each story testify to the scholarship of the author, Schwartz, an acclaimed folklorist and author. Tree of Souls should be on the shelf of every home and library, both as a reference work for scholars and as informative and pleasant reading for the layman.

I really found this book totally real. I lived in the Gaza. I have seen what it is like to live like the character in the book. I have seen houses destroyed just because the owners are Palestinians instead of Israelis. I've seen my mother bury her brother during the last Intafada. This is a wake up call to see injustice as it is. This story is so beautiful that everybody should buy a copy for themselves and then a friend. There is more truth here than the Bible. Check it out. If you don't, then you are really missing out on something, especially the truth. The world needs to get real with the people who are doing time there. The world needs to see what it looks like to be homeless, hungry and scared. I don't have a father. The war took him first and then our home away. This is a fabulous book! It is worth five million words. Forget about Opray's bookclub, join mine. This is real stuff. This is how people live and why they die! Check it out!

I have two uncles buried in Gaza. I have an aunt that cannot go back to where she was born. My family owns land that they need a visa to even visit. It this a made up story? No way! Is the character fiction? You have to be kidding! Do people really live this way? Of course, turn on the television. Its on Al-Jazeera all day! Get the book and feel what's real. See what Americans choose not to believe. See why Palestinians use bombs as painkillers! It doesn't feel good but it makes it all over. This is a great book, so where is the Pulitzer prize? This book is all about what is real. It you are a Palestinian then it is your story and you need to buy it. If you are an Arab, check out the lives of your people. If you are a human, read it and weep! It's the way it is and the way that has to change.

This book represents many ideas and feelings beyond previously ones expressed. Suicide bombing is an old story but one gains a new perspective with this beautifully written fiction. Once you understand the nature of a man's pain, hatred is lessen and compassion becomes rooted.
The Palestinians are truly a misunderstood people. It is an extremely sad affair.

I love fiction and this is a really good one, but it is so sad. I like fairy tale endings and you are not going to find one here. The main character blows herself up in a crowded theater. There is more realness here than fantasy. This is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. Once I began to read the book I realized that it was the story of a real life. I enjoyed it writing and I was touched. It took a lot of tissue but I got the point the author was trying to make. I don't ever think I will forget such a moving story and I will probably read it again. It is a keeper and one of those lessons you look for in a good movie. The girl in the story was so human, I could almost see her while she walked along her destructive path. Add it to your summer reading list. It is pretty deep.

So many books on the tragic situation in the Middle East speak of the issues without delving into the heart of the human beings there. This work is moving and opens the heart to the soul of the Palestinians and their very disappointing situation. This story is about a tragedy of the heart. I strongly suggest that this story be taken beyond the mind. I hardly consider it a fiction when the feelings are so real. Bravo!

This dicitionary is a must have. It is the "bible" for theological terms. If you are serious about becoming sound in your theological studies buy this without hesitation. I am a grad student working on my M.A. in seminary and i use this dictionary exhaustively.

From "a capella" to "epistemology" from "implicit faith" to "Zwinglianism," this is an excellent resource for learning theological terms or brushing up on those which have grown foggy in the mind over time. Great for pastors, reverends, priests, seminarians and lay ministers of all sorts.

I am a seminary student and this dictionary is a helpful tool. It includes the most common thelogical terms in a appropiate size to carry.

I have a few theological dictionaries. None of them are complete. This dictionary fills in gaps the others do not cover.

This book is terse, pithy and suscint. It offers a plain english definition for complex and confusing terms. A great guide to use regularly.

This book gave me the information that I was looking for regarding starting a doggy daycare.

I bought this as a birthday present for my best friend. She says she loves the book...it has some very helpful information. I loved that I could buy her birthday present & not have to worry about when to ship it.

The book came in warp speed and was even better than described.

Bennett does and excellent job of giving an overview of how to run a daycare facility. I have found this book insightful and useful in my day-to-day operations.

Robin really knows the daycare business and if you are even remotely considering this challenging but rewarding field, this book is a must for your library!! some additional advice... (my pet business dot com) offers a Doggie Daycare bundle featuring Robin's DVD along with some additional business information ;)

My daughter never reads anything she doesn't have to. But she loves these books. She now owns every one of them and is enjoying reading through them. I would like to thank the author for creating these interesting characters and story lines. I would also recommend them to any parent interested in encouraging their child to read.

I think this exciting series should be puplisised so more kids like me can read them and more should be said about THE ANDALITE CHRONICALES and MEGAMORPHS.

I don't have every book in the collection, but I've read them all. Every book is very interesting and keep me want more. I think Miss Applegate hit it big with this series and I hope she continues with the series or starts another one similar to it. The only thing I'm not happy about is the fact that I can't find some of the books (#4,5,6,8,14 and Megamorph 1 & 2). When I want to re-read them I have to go to the library. I hope you can help me with this problem. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!

I love the series. It is great. It's about an alien race trying to take over the galaxy. It's funny, entertaining, and an overall great series. Sometimes I just sit in my room for hours ready my Animorphs books. I have all of them. I have up to #27 in the series, the Megamorphs #1-2, and the Andalite and Hork-Bajir chronicals. I am writing my own Animorphs books. I have also designed my covers. I encourage everyone to read the series.

My daughter never reads anything she doesn't have to. But she loves these books. I'm very thankful to the author for creating this series. She now has every one of the books and is enjoying reading through them. I would recommend them to any parent who wants to encourage their child to read.

This is one of the best books on prayer I have ever read.
I recommend this book to any christian who want to see results when they pray.

The book is excellent. Dr. Price writes in a very down to earth manner where you could not possibly misunderstand what he is trying to convey. I have really learned a lot from the book on how to properly pray and have sent the book to several other people to help them. I plan to even teach a bible study from the book. Yes, if you are not getting your prayers answered, this book IS THE ANSWER.

Dr. Frederick K.C. Price breaks prayer down in an easy to understand formula that will ultimately get you the answers you need to succeed in every area of your life. Whether it be for your health, a new job, your family or the leaders of this world, you will understand how to pray and what rules to follow to get those prayers answered! As usual Dr. Price writes as he speaks, in language anyone from 8 to 80 can understand.

I absolutely loved this book. Dr. Price has taught me so much about prayer. I did not know you could pray the wrong prayer. In my whole life, I never heard a pastor from any church make that statement. I pray all Christians will get this book and learn how to pray. If Christians prayed like we are supposed to pray I think we could change the world. Thank God for this book.

If you've seen Frederick K.C. Price on television, you know he's not shy about expressing his thoughts. What sets him apart from many of his contemporaries is that he does not resort to theatrics and jumping around and yelling. If he wants a particular thought to really sink in, he'll speak...very...slowly and make an extra effort to clearly enunciate every word so that it's understood. On TV he often repeats "We walk by faith, not by sight," and you know you're reading one of his books when you get to page 12 and the statement "At the moment you pray, believe that you receive what you have requested. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Your faith is substance - it is something real, something tangible. It is evidence of things you cannot see." It's a dynamic book grounded in Scripture, not one of the many that "teaches" you how to "bargain" with God to get what you want. If anyone wants to know what lies at the heart of this book, it's very simple: Pray as the Bible instructs (and ample Scripture is offered here) and believe your prayers are being heard WHILE you pray. And remember, as Price points out on page 111, "Pray according to the Word of God." God has no obligation or interest in answering prayers that are based in selfish or destructive motives. Act as if you are asking God for what you need directly...because, in fact you are.