Long Books

"I thought the Appalachian Trail was the only trail for long distance hiking. Boy was I wrong. This bookopened my eyes to all the long distance hikes I can go on, besides the overcrowed AT, including the Pinhoti Trail, my home state.

So get off the AT and travel not only the Pinhoti, but also such cool long distance trails as the Foothills Trail of North and South Carolina, where waterfalls and trout fishing enhace some bona fide mountain hiking. I'm looking forward to tackling the Floriada Trail this winter, especailly the part that traverses through the Bradwell Bay Wilderness.

There's over 600 miles of long trails detailed in this book, and I'm gonna try to tackle them all. "Wish me luck."

Hunt Cochrane, Birmingham, Alabama.

Being from East Tennessee, all I've ever heard about was the Appalachian Trail. The AT is getting overcrowded. I was glad to see Johnny Molloy's book out there (He used to live here in Knoxville). His book gives alternative long hiking trails from Louisiana to Florida to up in my neck of the woods. The best part of the book is how he makes it so easy to plan a long trail backpack. Each hike gives detailed information getting there, and what you will find along the trail once your hike has begun. I can plan how far to hike each day, since potential campsites are detailed, along with where to get water, etc.

This book makes heading into the unknown a lot easier, rather than sticking with the overdone, and overhiked Appalchian Trail."

Great book I have been a coal miner since 18 years old and the book is accurate about working and living in coal country thanks Arble for the book.

This is an outstanding book, not only because it's a true picture of a coal miner's life, but because Arble is a terrific writer. You actually get into his family and into the wet, dark shafts where cave-ins happen almost every day. He brings Appalachia to life like no other book I've every read.

This book was written by a spiritual giant who takes long, prayerful walks among us! I was so inspired and so refreshed in my own prayer life after reading this book. Truly an original among Christian works. Put the thoughts of this book into practice and you will find yourself amazed at how God works in your own heart and life!

Hansen has written several books that describe the truth about the Christian life. This work is no exception. This is one of the best books on prayer I have ever read. It does not follow the traditional formulas yet it describes exactly what my own prayer experience is like: I pray long prayers while wandering the streets of Brooklyn, NY. Prayer is a dandegrous and difficult thing to do. Often it seems unproductive as if God were not listening. Yet Hansen confirms what I and many others have experienced in prayer but were too afraid to admit! The weakest prayer we pray can actually be the greatest because that is when the Holy Spirit helps us. I recommend this book highly. It teaches an approach to prayer based on grace and not legalistic rules and formulas.

Reading Al-Takarli's 'The Long Way Back' took me away from my comfy sofa to the rich sumptuous orient in the Baghdad of the 1960s.
The translation by Catherine Cobham is excellent.

Finally, readers in the English language will catch up with their French counterparts and get the chance to read the first of Fuad Al-Takarli's novels 'The Long Way Back'. A story of love, friendship, ambition and murder in 1960s Baghdad.
Being one of a small number of Iraqi works of fiction available in English, it will serve to acquaint the reader with aspects of life in that country that go beyond the usual suspects whenever Iraq is mentioned. The common humanity of the people of this ancient nation, with a history stretching back to thousands of years, will become that bit more obvious.
I can not recommend it enough...

Read this book and then read its sequel A Year Down Yonder. Both books are great reading for youth and adults. It's not just for kids!

This is a novel in stories written by Richard Peck. This book is written in the first person by a boy named Joey Dowdel. The novel is made up of eight different stories written by Joey during different periods of his life starting in 1929. The last story titled "Troop Train" is written in 1942. Most of the stories are about the what happens during summer visits to his grandma's house with his sister Mary Alice. This book was a National Book Award Finalist.

This book's title is very suitable because the loved ones of children with autism have all traveled down a long road from an initial fearful sadness for the child's future to a wonder at how much love just such a child can bring into anyone's life. The author's beautiful poetry speaks of complex feelings as only poetry can.

This work is a lifeline for families facing any developmental delays in their beloved children. Read this book, many other parents feel hope alongside heartbreak...joy in the simplest accomplishments...and are often afraid to go out to dinner. Bravo!

Just like I always do on a weekend I was enjoying the process of looking for the next story that would aid in my very real need to escape the pressures from the previous week and the ones that await. I discovered "The Long Way Home" and after reading the synopsis, knew immediately I had found was I was looking for. I just completed the book and now have a sense of joy and loss; joy from having read this wonderful story and loss because I already miss many of the characters. I strongly reccomend "The Long Way Home" to everyone, particularly to those who have faced life changing decisions and continue to question if they were the right ones. "The Long Way Home" is a warm and friendly story about life, love, friends, family and all the wonderful things that make us who we are. Finally, I'm a big lover of movies and this is one of those rare books that is screaming to be made into a movie. When it is, I'll be first in line. Bravo and thank you Lucy Calvert...What's next?

This was such a sweet book. I instantly felt connected to the characters. Ms. Calvert writes with a genuine affection for the 40's, and a time when the family really was the center of the universe. Her voice speaks to the strong sense of honor, duty, and having the courage to follow one's dreams. The story also shines a light on the fact that young women (and men) have choices today that they simply didn't have in years past, but for the sacrifice and courage of our mothers, and grandmothers. The Long Way Home was a lovely journey.

A wonderful book! I felt as though the author was right in the room reading this wonderful story of a daughters struggle to understand and accept her Mother's coming out and the ensuing court struggle. Melissa Hart Romero writes in a charming, simple and right-to-the-heart manner which makes this story a real page turner. Highly recommended.

"Long Way Home" is the story of three children who lose their mother in a custody battle when she comes out as a lesbian, and a homophobic court system sends the kids to live with their abusive father. The journal Voices of Youth of America (VOYA) says
Bobbie Combs of Alternative Family Magazine says "As Ronnie narrates the events of her twelfth year and all the changes it brings, we witness her evolution from frightened girl to brave young woman. Hart truthfully narrates Ronnie's confusion, love for her family, burgeoning interest in boys, teasing at the hands of schoolmates, and struggles with friendships."

As a first time author, I am writing to reviewers directly because books such as mine often get overlooked, due to their volatile themes. I would greatly appreciate any mention you might make of Long Way Home.

Upon first impression, Jaxton Anderson is a character you'll love to hate. His city-bred arrogance and selfishness gets under the skin of the reader as well as character, Ami Martin. In his eyes, Ami is just some attractive but obstinate country girl, quite unlike the more sophisticated girls he undoubtedly knows in the city. In fact, the sooner he fulfills the mission his father sent him on, the sooner he can leave hicksville and head back to the real action that he's missing out on. Were it not for the author's ability to allows us to know what he is feeling in honest and direct ways so that we can feel the nausea he feels when he is confronted by his own sin and depravity, we would continue to dislike him. However, his charms win over more than just Ami in this romance.

Jaxton's best laid plans are waylaid when he meets his grandfather again after many years. Finding him in an old and decrepit house does much to convince him that there is no gold mine waiting here. But the "gold" is not in wealth or riches, but strength of character as Jaxton slowly learns. His grandfather stands for trust, compassion, and genuine love for his fellow neighbour. Will Jaxton stick around long enough to learn the wisdom his grandfather has to share? Will he learn that love and friendship can define a family more than blood and inheritance? That personal character is more valuable than earthly possessions? Will good old fashioned hard work alongside the lovely and determined Ami Martin break down the defenses of his heart so he can experience true love and a deep faith?

Staci Stallings writes with a wit and humour possessed by few. Her characters are strong, likable and easy to relate to. They inspire the reader to strive for more in our own lives. The wisdom and noble compassion of the grandfather remind us of the desire we have for a wise grandfatherly figure like Mr. S. in our own lives. The dreams shared by Ami are ones which make the reader reconsider whether we are dreaming big enough for with God all things are possible.

This author has many beautifully created phrases and descriptive images that remind one of a chocolate wafer you want to savor and taste over and over. For example:

"Heaven wrapped around him for a moment as his gaze traveled through the trees right into the arms of God Himself, and an undeniable peace filled the room." (The Long Way Home, pg. 234)

I would have liked to have seen full reconciliation between Mr. Snyder (the grandfather) and his own children, but perhaps that would have crossed the line from believable into contrived. Clearly, this novel shows that sometimes the choices we make are wrong or too late and we can only hope to make things right on the other side in heaven.

This delightful and spunky novel will have you reading from cover to cover. I had shivers of delight rolling up my spine several times as I devoured page after page. This novel leaves you sighing and reliving the love story in your mind. Surely Staci Stallings is one of the leading authors of inspirational romance today!

The beauty of the rolling hills of the Kansas Foot Hills is initially lost on Jaxton Anderson. He only wants to fulfill his task and be on his way. His grandfather's recent heart attack has led the family to inquire regarding his grandfather's will and related worth of his ranch. Jaxon's resolve to quickly return to his "real life" in Chicago soon gives way to something more, however, when a foolish decision forces self-examination and self-honesty. Further, seeing neighboring Ami Martin's need inspires him to growth beyond his wildest imagination. Now Jaxton finds himself torn between the father and the life he left behind, and a place and a woman that claims his heart.

When her own grandfather died, it was Jaxon's grandfather who encouraged Ami Martin to fulfill her dream. Her grandfather's home is the only home she has ever known. Unfortunately, her father intends to sell it out from under her. Nevertheless, Ami dreams of transforming the property into a bed and breakfast -- a place of romance and beauty for the world-weary. Jaxton initially represents the city and the values Ami abhors. But when he insists upon making restitution, and then continues to help her to realize her dreams, they both learn to leave behind the bitterness and disillusionment that encumbers their lives.

Author Staci Stallings creates an inspirational romance in THE LONG WAY HOME that proves that a romance need not contain graphic sex to provide a beautiful story. Jaxton is a flawed hero, guilty of tragic mistakes, who grows to someone extraordinary. Ami struggles issues with self-esteem, family, and economics to come to believe in hope and dreams. Ordinary struggles with pain of destructive family relationships, struggles with self-esteem, and financial challenges lend heart-rending yet realistic challenges. Further, themes of transformation and redemption provide a spiritual foundation without overwhelming the narrative. Indeed, the author gives the novel a heart of goodness amidst the flaws that make us human. THE LONG WAY HOME earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

So often we bombard ouselves with the question: "Where did I go wrong?" We see the question in the eyes of others, even our friends. Kitti Murray's book, A Long Way Off, does not ask the question, nor does it attempt to answer it. Instead, this is a book of healing and love. It helps us learn that there are other parents out there hurting the same way we are.
Read the book for the hope but also read it for the beautiful writing style. Sometimes Murray's expressive, poetic writing is healing enough for the moment.

I have read this wonderful book once, held on to every word, passed it on to another hurting parent, and am buying my second copy to soak in again. Kitti Murray's book is inspired and truly brings comfort and hope to parents whose kids are wandering.