Richards Books

THIS BOOK HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY GOOD BOOK. THE GOOD THING ABOUT NOT JUST THIS BOOK BUT ALL THE BOOKS IS THAT THEY TELL WAY MORE INFORMATION THEN THE MOVIE DOES. BUT THE PROBLEM ABOUT THIS BOOK IS THAT IN THE BEGINING IT STARTS OUT REALLY SLOW BUT ONCE YOU GET ABOUT 300 TO 350 PAGES READ IT STARTS GETTING REALLY GOOD AND YOU DONT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN. PROBOBALY THE BEST PART IN THIS BOOK IS THE ENDING WHICH I AM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU JUST INCASE YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS BOOK. OVERALL I WOULD SAY THIS BOOK IS PRETTY GOOD BUT IS IS NOT ONE OF MY FAVORITE SO I A'M GIVING IT A 4/5. OH AND HERES A QUESTION FOR YOU GUYS THAT READ THIS BOOK.
"DID YOU LIKE THE BOOK WHEN YOU READ IT?

Ok, we all know and love the Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling. And of the seven books in the series, I think Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is probably none other than the best. It's plot is amazing and it has the best descripion a book could possibly offer. The only critizisim I could give it is that things can be a bit predictable at points... The author uses a lot of conversation and dreams to really keep the book flowing. Now, here's a bit about the plot: Anyone who has read the Harry Potter series knows that the main characters are Harry and his best friends Ron and Hermione. It mainly follows a plot where the Triwizard Tournament happens at Hogwarts and it hasn't happened for 1'000's of years. Three schools are competeing, (where else would tri come from?) Hogwarts, Beauxaton's, and Durmstrang. They compete in various challenges and only one student does it per school. That's all I can tell you. Read it to find out what happens! I would highly recommend this book.

The Goblet of Fire is truly a special book. Delving even deeper (and darker) into the villainy that lies just below the calm surface, so to speak, Rowling succeeds...yet again.

The plot of the series thickens, what with fellow students turning their back on Harry, who is taking part in an old, old, old Wizard Tournament. It all culminates in a climatic battle with the flesh and blood Voldemort in a graveyard.

Rowling's writing style is so engaging and effective. She positively reduced me to pathetic tears in the closing chapters of this EXCELLENT book, leaving us on the verge of a looming danger.

As Gandalf might say; "The battle in the graveyard is over, but the battle against Voldemort has just begun."

Okay, that was a bit stupid...but true. Stupidly true.

Zap! Lord Voldemort's and Harry Potter's hex and jinx came zooming out of the tips of their wands and became connected. Find out what happens by reading J. K. Rowling's fabulous book Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Harry has to spend another grueling summer with his evil Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon, and his cousin Dudley, until his best friend, Ron Weasley, invites him to the Quidditch World Cup. After the exciting game every body gets attacked. Luckily, Ron and Harry are ok. On September 1, as always, Harry and his friends get on the Hogwarts Express to go to school. A few days after their arrival 2 other schools come. The schools are Beauxbatons and Bulgaria. That night Dumbledore (the head master) revels an old goblet. He explains that only 3 people may compete in the Triwizard Tournament. The tournament has 3 dangerous tasks. 3 names come out of the goblet. Then a 4th . Harry Potter. He has no choice but to compete. Towards the end Lord Voldemort comes back. Does Harry live? Read to find out!

For me the best part is the 1st task. Harry had to get a golden egg from a fierce dragon. He barely gets the egg. I liked this because it had a lot of good words and action. It kept me turning the pages.

The main character is Harry Potter. He is a good kid but gets in trouble by Snape. Ron is Harry's best friend. Professor Snape is the most hated teacher in the whole school. Malfoy is a bad kid and Harry's worst enemy.

I recommend this book to people who like long books, good words, and a great book. I bet you will love this book like me!

Listening to Jim Dale's narration of the Quidditch World Cup makes it all come to life, better than in the film. He is almost without peer. I can't imagine anyone else doing it. The conclusion of the book is effectively emotional and it all complements reading the book itself. Bravo!

Seabiscuit is a great story, book, and movie. If you have not read it, buy it today and start reading. You will not be disappointed.

This book is a true American legend at its best. "Seabiscuit" was written by Laura Hillenbrand based on a true story of one horse and jockey's incredible life. This biography is set in the 1930's and 1940's and takes you on a journey with someone and something that no one believed in until they were given a chance to prove themselves. The perseverance of these two characters is admirable; they never give up, no matter what. The jockey, John Pollard, was struggling in life until given the shot to show he was more than just an average jockey. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, is my favorite character; he never accepts the possibility of losing. Pollard and Seabiscuit's relationship started when trainer Tom Smith paired them together out on the racetrack. I love that they were given a chance to prove everyone wrong by winning race after race with odds stacked against them; both had been injured numerous times. Read about how they smashed people's disbelief and made history, performing one of the greatest comebacks in all of sports. The theme of "never giving up no matter what" would most likely interest people who enjoy sports novels. "Seabiscuit" is truly the greatest sports story of all time.

This narrative leaps out of the first paragraph in the same way Seabiscuit learns to bolt from the starting gate. From the start, Laura Hillenbrand draws the reader into the story with colorful, taut writing. There are no meaningless side stories in this book - each detail weaves itself back into the tale of a horse who beat the odds to become one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century.
This story is gripping even if you have no interest in horseracing.

I loved this book !! It made me feel as though I was there watching the drama unfold as the unknown underestimated horse rose to champion status. The characters are real and the story is built piece by piece. If you like rooting for the underdog and enjoy the thrill of competition, this book is for you. The large print of this edition was easy on the eyes as well.

This book follows the life of Seabiscuit, an incredible racehorse in the 1930's, and the three men who were entwined in his life: live-wire owner Charles Howard, taciturn trainer Tom Smith, and reckless jockey Red Pollard. WOW. This is an amazing book. I read it because I had watched the movie and loved it, but I wasn't thinking I would actually enjoy the book. I felt obligated to read it. Well, it's probably my favorite book to read this year. The author sets up each character carefully, going back to the man's birth, or further back, and the reader really gets a sense of what drives each person. The character development for "the Biscuit" is truly great, as well. His personality really shines, and I wish I could have met him! Her insertion of anecdotes is masterful, as well. The era (the Depression), the nation's mindset, the men who loved Seabiscuit, the means jockeys undertook to maintain racing weight are all described and explained wonderfully, without the author ever becoming pedantic or talking down to us folks who don't know racing. One doesn't have to be a "race person" or a "horse person" to enjoy this beautifully crafted book. The rave reviews are well-deserved. It's the story of underdogs achieving great things. It was an exhilarating and enthralling read; better than any fiction I read this year. After reading this, I would read anything this author put out.

I think that this book has an OK storyline; a boy has lived for his first five years of life with a maid of the Alacrans, a very rich family that rules a land between near the USA. One day, he ends up in the house of this family and gets locked up by the housekeeper. Later he is released and is allowed to live in the house under the permission Matteo Alacran (El Patron). Everyone except El Patron seems to hate him and later he discovers why: he is a clone. El Patron's clone. But there is more to it than that...and I won't give it away.

I didn't really like the time settings of this book- it would go really slowly in some points, then skip a few months, then go slowly again. Other than that, it was written well, even though most of the characters weren't totally developed 'till the end which confused me in some situations but also gave the story mistery.
I found it cool that I couldn't figure out in what time the book was set- I was thinking 1500s til someone said "...over a hundred years ago when Aztlan was called Mexico". Gave me the shivers.

Recommended for sci-fi readers of 11 and up.

As both an author and reader of fiction I was impressed with (The House of the Scorpion." The characters seemed real and the story line was a good one. I guess I have always enjoyed books that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. I recommend this book. But I thought it could have been more.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth

She writes very well and I was hooked, reading without a break. In the end I felt disappointed because the plot didn't come together. The finale felt improvised - with the author trying to somehow tie all the strands together and doing a less than stellar job. So this taught me that being a good writer is not just a matter of writing darn good sentences; you must also put them together in a story that hangs together all the way.

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

The House of the Scorpion was an enrapturing story of a clone boy named Matteo Alacr'an or Matt. He grew up on the poppy fields of Opium, with the "big House's" cheif cook Ceilia. He had a happy childhood until a few kids found him in the house at the edge of the poppy fields. He desperatly wanted to become friends with the kids so he broke one of the windows that was nailed shut and jumped out. In jumping out of the window he severly cut his feet and the other kids instictivly brought him to the "big house."

When they discovered he was a clone he was thrown into a back room and treated like an animal. When El Patr'on (the person he was a clone of) found out about how he had been treated he gifted him with his own body guard. Matt was taught to read, write, play the piano , and do anything he desired. (Matt was an unusual clone, unlike any other clone Matt's brain had not been destroyed.) Though he suffered greatly throughout his childhood and was gifted with many talents and people.

Matt was the nineth clone that was to keep El Patr'on alive. He eventually realized his death sentence and fought for his "unimportant life." Though many people hated him, there were many people who loved him.

Ceilia, had been like a mother to Matt and loved him greatly. When Matt was about fourteen El Patr'on began to die, again. She steadily fed Matt poisinouse herbs, not enough to kill him but enough to kill an old feble man. Eventually El Patr'on did die and his relatives wanted to get rid of Matt. Matt's life was in danger yet again, the only way out are the glowing scorpions in the closets, that only El Patr'on and Matt can touch.

His body guard, Tam Lin who also had cared for him, had taught him survival and sent him off into Aztlan (where he might be safe). Matt had to climb a gigantic mountain, escape immigrant catchers, and hide his identity all at once. In Aztlan Matt made it safely into Aztlan and was soon shipped off with a few other orphaned boys to a shrimp camp. Because of his spoiled chilhood MAtt often said things he should've kept to himself, which pushed many people to dislike him. He withstood torchurouse situations and finally escaped the shrimp farm, with his new found friends.

Matt and his friends were on a search to find their families and old friends. But, I can't tell you if they succeed or not, you just have to read the book to find out.

This book combines adventure with friendship and science fiction. The entire book is exciting and you won't want to put it down. I think this is one of Nancy Farmer's best books not that any of them are bad their all good.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

I popped in to a bookstore to buy this book and noticed that it was a new translation. New translation? Fortunately I had the foresight to thumb through it. I promptly left it behind and went straight to a second hand bookstore to buy a copy of the original translation. How could the publisher eliminate the wonderful poetic language? I read The Little Prince as a child ( which by the way wasn't so long ago) and I loved the language. Antoine De Saint-Exupery's work is all about painting pictures through language. This watered down mess is no better than an edition of Cliff Notes. I actually apologize to Cliff Notes. At least with Cliff Notes would have explained the intention and nature of the language. I am sorry to see that this publisher allowed the dumbing down of this beautiful classic.

I read this book about 25 years ago and am pleased that I am enjoying it very much again! She writes very well. In the meantime, I have becomes convinced by reading new studies of the subject, that she has the wrong guy killing the "Princes in the Tower", but she's such a good writer and builds her story and "case" very well, so I am going to enjoy it anyway!

Rather than a novel of Richard III, this book was the tragedy of Richard III. I thought the writing was incredible and engrossing. Part one was a little slow, but necessary to paint the whole picture of Richard. Overall it was a book that was well worth the time and attention. I absolutely loved it. The mystery of the princes in the tower combined with the circumstances surrounding Richard's death and his short reign as King, made this book one that will haunt me for a long time.

What a wonderful book! I know a book is great when I am sorry it has to end.

It is always a relief to find historical fiction that is not only historically accurate but also tells a great story. Very well written and entertaining.

Of course, Penman creates personalities and motives and conversations; that is the definition of fiction. But she does it well within the bounds of the facts. You may disagree with her, and that's okay, because she will make you think about why you disagree with her. I love fiction that makes me think and makes me want to learn more about the characters and their lives.

A notable point about Penman is that she does have historical "sense." Her characters exist in their time, not ours. That is so often not the case in historical fiction (the dreaded Philippa Gregory comes to mind!).

I highly recommend this book.

The Sunne in Splendour tells the complicated story of Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet Kings. Younger brother of Edward IV, Richard would never have become king if not for a series of political maneuverings on his part. History (and Shakespeare) have made Richard out to be an evil, greedy hunchback; Sharon Kay Penman tells the story of a man who was fiercely loyal to the people he loved and who was reluctant to take the throne. Richard had his faults, to be sure; but in this novel, he comes off as extremely sympathetic.

Penman has a writing style that literally had me hooked from the first sentence. A trite cliché, I know, but I was definitely drawn in from the first page. I knew in advance of reading the story what the outcome would be, but still I kept on reading to see what would happen. The novel is fiction based on fact that sometimes seems like fiction.

The characters are well drawn; and while the book is ostensibly about Richard, we get to see the story as seen through the eyes of others, which I thought was well done. Penman has a knack of really getting into her characters, no matter what the time period or where they come from, which is nothing short of genius. The author even gives a thoroughly believable explanation for Richard's behavior with regard to his nephews, the Princes in the Tower, which was quite satisfying. And although the book is over 900 pages long, it only took me about a week to read; I was disappointed when I reached the last page. I can't believe that, with my interest in historical fiction, it's taken me this long to discover Sharon Kay Penman's works; I can't wait to read more by her.

Autumn 1459. A seven year-old boy gets lost in the forest. His easy-going eldest brother has had better things to do than watch over him, that is to say seducing a pretty servant girl. After a prolonged search the lad is found, having bravely fought his fear, and despite being afraid of punishment he doesn't even think of informing against his sibling. A fiercely loyal and earnest boy, he is the youngest of his family, small, dark and intense and very different from his three tall and fair brothers. He is Richard Plantagenet, who, as King Richard III, will go down in history as the epitome of evil.

The reader wonders what happened to turn this earnest child into a murderous usurper. Murderer he wasn't, claims Sharon Penman. Believable and compelling, the story of the four sons of Richard, Duke of York unfolds with all the relentlessness and inescapability of a Greek tragedy.

"The Sunne in Splendour" is a magnificent book. Intimate family scenes alternate with bloody battles, scenarios of betrayal and murder are followed by tender love scenes. A host of unforgettable characters populates it. There is the lovable Edmund, the first of the four Plantagenet princes to die; proud foolish Warwick and his tragic brother John Neville; the icily beautiful Elizabeth Woodville, Edward's queen; Bishop Morton, the snake in the grass; sweet-natured Elizabeth of York and Richard's dignified mother Cecily. All of them are complex, and stay with the reader for a long time.

Ms. Penman does not make the mistake to present Richard. Although far from being the monster More and Shakespeare described, her Richard is shown partly responsible for his nephews' fate. In her version he does not order their killing, of course, but he does not realise that by his taking the throne the children become pawns in other people's power games and pay for his thoughtlessness with their lives. Ms. Penman's explanation of the princes' disappearance and Richard's strange silence is as good and plausible as others. Her Richard is brave and loyal, but he can also be aloof and stubborn to the point of inflexibility. He can display subtle irony, but also biting wit, and is capable of considerable aggression, yet lacks the ultimate ruthlessness to secure his power. Reflecting upon his decision makes him admit his guilt - that he yielded to the temptation the Crown of England represented - and for the last months of his life he fells bitter remorse. Ms. Penman describes his depressed state of mind with such chilling accuracy, that his mother's fear for his immortal soul is almost tangible and very painful, and the ending leaves the reader bereaved as though he had lost a loved one.

The drama that was Richard's life and the way it is elucidated here makes one wonder why it hasn't been filmed yet. There is a cinematographic quality to many of Ms. Penman's scenarios; look for instance at the council meeting leading to Lord Hasting's execution, or at solitary young Richard riding in blazing sunshine towards Warwick's army camp to win Clarence back - these just beg to be filmed! Certainly, the ending is tragic and would leave the audience aching, but a skilled screenwriter may find a solution. A similar problem has been handled very well in "Braveheart".

Wherein now lies Richard's attraction? The Tudors, commonly associated with the beginning of the Modern Age, superficially appear more interesting as opposed to the Plantagenets who seem to symbolise the superstitions-ridden, unenlightened Middle Ages. Richard was born on the brink of the Modern Age and grew up in a world that witnessed the death throes of the medieval system of values, and yet, at a time when all conventional notions of loyalty and feudal allegiance had become a sham, there survived in him a core of chivalrous conduct that is very appealing, apparent for example in his just administration of the North and his legislation as King - supporting the weak as demanded by the knightly code of conduct. He seems a man born too late, and trying to adhere to such a strict code of behaviour needs must clash with the attitudes of more opportunistic characters who felt more at ease in this era of change.

Richard's physical courage, praised even by his detractors, originates in his chivalrous ideals, and his last ferocious charge down Ambion Hill to challenge Henry Tudor to single combat evokes heroic tales of earlier centuries, and indeed his decision to die a King rather than to flee was mentioned in a contemporary ballad.

Close to the end Richard's niece and nephews mourn their uncle's death and discuss their future, still hoping for fair treatment; future judicial murders and the destruction of Richard's reputation are only mentioned in the epilogue. However, learning about their fate is chilling. On the road to glorious Elizabeth I the Plantagenet blood seeped away as Henry VII and Henry VIII got rid of all potential heirs of the old dynasty.

To a modern observer this policy of merciless extermination appears depressingly modern. For all the beauty, progress and enlightenment the Renaissance brought, the Modern Age was setting out on a road that would lead to the atrocities of the 20th century. Gradually, dynastic wars were replaced by ideological ones, with ever more terror wrought on the common, civilian people who were included in the ideological and/or religious struggles. Already the atrocities of the Thirty Years' War and Cromwell's campaigns in Ireland, not unlike today's ethnical cleansing, loom in the future, premonitory of the final triumphs of secular humanism in the 20th century.

Richard Plantagenet died at thirty-two, his promising reign cut short by rebellion and treason. Ms. Penman brings him gloriously back to life for us, to be seen in a benevolent light at last. It is painful for the reader to lose him again, but the great achievement of this book is to show that there was nobility in Richard's cause as well as in his failure.

Our 19 month old grandson loves Cars, Trucks and Things That Go, so this book is perfect for him. It is not too old for him. He looks and looks at the pictures on the pages and says the name of the object over and over.
He has learned many new words from having this book.

The Pig family takes a road trip. On their way to the beach for a picnic, they encounter cars and trucks, vans and motorcycles, tractors and buses. What an exciting day!

My kids delighted in finding Goldbug. A very fun book for children who like cars.

After wearing out a couple of these books 30 years ago with our own kids, we still have fun giving copies to new parents so that their kids can enjoy the search for Gold Bug with them--over and over again. The detailed illustrations keep kids' attention for hours, and the fanciful vehicles and their drivers are great for feeding little imaginations. There is a whole host of R. Scarry books, but this is the one we like the most.

I remember this book from when I was a kid. Now my two year old has it and he loves looking at the great illustrations and learning new words. He even insist it goes to bed with him every night. A very good book for 2-year old boys who are curious about "things that go". A must have!

I recall reading this book to my younger sister many years ago.
I recently purchased this for a 6 year old. He squealed with delight.
It is his favorite R S book.

Richard Scarry books are classics - great for young & old.
Delightful pictures & so fun to look at!

The experience of reading these 3 books by Francine Rivers is not something I will forget in a hurry. I could'nt put them down. My Mother is reading them now and my daughter is waiting in line. A true life changing adventure. Thank you Ms. Rivers.

THE FIRST TIME I PAST THIS BOOK BY IN THE LIBRARY THE TITTLE CAUGHT MY ATTENTION BUT I ENDED UP LETTING THE SIZE INTIMIDATE ME...THE NEXT TIME I WENT IN AGAIN THE BOOK CAUGHT MY ATTENTION ONCE MORE AND ONCE I STARTED READING IT.I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. THE STORY IS BEAUTIFUL, THE WRITING IS GREAT. IT MOST DEFINITELY HAS BECOME ONE OF MY FAVORITE BOOKS. HADASSAH IS SUCH A GREAT CHARACTER, THE TRIALS SHE IS PUT TROUGH AND HER STRENGTH IN GOD IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAUTY.

Never have I become so completely enthralled with a piece of fiction. I was mesmerized from cover to cover. Francine Rivers must be the best Christian fiction writer on the market. She has a way with words that makes it seem so easy. This trilogy of books is rich in history, rich in character development, and never lacks in plot. DO: read this book. DO: have the sequel on hand prior to completion. DO: enjoy thoroughly!

This book, by far, is the most captivating book I've ever read. It's one of the very few books that I've ever read multipe times. It had everything... great scene, lots of interesting characters, love, hate, loyalty, deceit, fear, hope, restoration. Once your read this book you MUST read the 2nd book in the series!

Here is an author that proves you don't have to have profanity or sex or even scene after scene of graphic gore to write a very intelligent, vibrant, engaging ADDICTING, amazing epic story! As another review said, "Why did I wait so long?!" I'm a 50 year old woman and I am a writer myself. For most of my life - at least in the past 30 years, I have only read and written non-fiction. A year ago, I began my own first attempt at writing fiction and have begun a series with the first book finished. Even though the first draft was finished, I needed to research other Christian based fiction during my rewrite and thus my hunt began for well written fiction I could learn from.

I'm not in Francine River's league and can only hope I can strive to TRY to be.

My college degree lo those many years ago was in English/British Literature. Who could possibly compare to the greats of British or even early American literature? I didn't even try. Well - yes I did - and I always, always came up disappointed. The most disappointing to me for the longest time was Christian fiction. It was written - in my opinion - on a nice 13 year old's level. Then Ted Dekker came along and now Liparulo (the genre I prefer) and Peretti's first few books (to name some action Christian authors). However - the overall "epic" was missing.

I will compare this series - this first book and the second because they go so intimately together - to "Gone With the Wind." I finished reading GWTW when I was 11 years old, on a Thursday evening. I will never forget that moment. From that time on, I used GWTW as the "standard" for epic fiction. (I have read the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy and other such fiction but I'm sticking to reviewing here the epic-love-story-for-chicks-or-guys-action-historical-drama fiction). With GWTW I felt like I was in the south during the Civil War, I could smell the smells and hear the sounds and I believed that Scarlett and Rhett and Mellie and Ashley were REAL. They were as if they had really lived and I was reading non-fiction about their lives. Over the course of my lifetime I have reread GWTW at least six times.

Nothing for me has ever come close to GWTW - as far as modern fiction goes as described above - UNTIL "A Voice In the Wind" and the following "An Echo in the Darkness." Again - other than non-fiction stories with real people, no other fictional accounts have ever brought me to tears - the sobbing, choking, coughing kind of tears since GWTW like River's "Mark of the Lion Series." I read "A Voice in the Wind" and then IMMEDIATELY went to Amazon even before finishing and bought the next in the series "An Echo in the Darkness" and read that. Not since GWTW have I EVER (since college) stayed up all night to finish a book as I did with the second in the series. I literally ended up with only one hour sleep because I would NOT skim (which I find I tend to do with a lot of fiction I've been reading lately because I just want to cut to the chase) and I had to find out how all would work out with the characters Rivers introduced us to who I grew to love, care for and who became as real to me as if they truly existed in this historical, Biblical time. I refused to skim even one word because I wanted to soak up the entire experience word by word JUST as Francine Rivers wove her tapesty of fiction.

I am currently just beginning the third in the series "As Sure as the Dawn" and I'm certain I will not be disappointed. She is a prolific author, but I am going to read every single book she has written and I'm only sorry I hadn't discovered her prior to now!

Chosen by a Horse

This book is absolutely the most delightful reading I have done in quite some time. Ms. Richards story telling abilities were as refreshing as a cool glass of water on a hot and humid day. Ms. Richards story was expressed in the most honest, touching, and gentle way, it enabled me to connect to her experience almost as if I had experienced it myself. Her story telling style is clean, direct and unadorned, hence that lovely feeling I had of having read something almost pristine in the context of the written word. The story was so well told the only disappointment I might express, was that it ended much too quickly. I truly felt saddened when I came to the end, and only wished that it could have gone on longer. Happily for myself I just found out that she came out with a follow up book, which I am purchasing today, the title is "Chosen Forever". I cannot wait to get my new book and continue along this journey that Ms. Richards began to pen so beautifully in "Chosen by a Horse. I purchased numerous copies of this book and shared it with all of my friends, I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.

I loved this book! I became attached to Lay Me Down. This book is perfect in demonstating horse-owner relationships. Animals in general have a way of tuning us more into ourselves by just spending time with them. A perfect book for any horse and/or animal lover!

This review is for the Kindle version, which was flawlessly edited.

The book is truly excellent and even a month after reading it I find myself still recalling it fondly, as though Richards' world had become familiar somehow, like a vivid dream. And it isn't too surprising, since her book is very personal, her recollections candid and humorous, her love of life and horses and people compelling.

I find myself looking forward to more of her work, which I hope will be forthcoming. Her way of looking at life is very engaging, and her descriptions of the horses in her life are truly beautiful, almost poetic. Yet the writing is very down to earth. All in all a real treat.

I really enjoyed this book. What a remarkable horse Lay Me Down was, and you really got a sense of that through Susan Richards writing. I enjoyed her writing style and wit. If you like this book, you'll also love books by Melanie Sue Bowles (my other favorite real-life horse author) like The Horses of Proud Spirit.

What a beautiful story! A friend sent me this book and I finished reading it within a day. The author really knows how to write in a flowing, easy-going manner with plenty of wit and intelligence, making it easy to do so.

"Chosen By A Horse" refers to one pre-named Lay Me Down whom the author, Susan Richards rescues through the SPCA and brings back to health and a better life.

Ms. Richards had already been through a hauntingly rough childhood. In her later years, she indulged in her love of horses and had three to take care of before bringing Lay Me Down to the herd. She knows and writes about her horses as another might describe the personalities, antics and endearments of human children. One can easily picture and imagine each horse - especially Lay Me Down - the sweetest and most trusting of horses in spite of what the brood mare had suffered in her past life.

When a tumor develops near Lay Me Down's eye, Ms. Richards writes about Lay Me Down's reaction to the vet's visit and tests, "She sighed over the bucket and licked the lid of the sonogram machine. Everything she did seemed precious to me, precious and tender. For me, her terrible past was always a presence, a reminder of what it was that had survived: this sweet, kind nature, qualities so lacking in my human family they seemed like miracles to me now."

When death seemed imminent, this is written: "It was as though Lay Me Down and my childhood had merged into the same thing: losing what mattered, losing love. In a crazy way, it felt like Lay Me Down had been taking care of me ever since I got her, bringing to life parts of me that had died with my mother. By her gentle affection I felt restored to the status of someone who mattered, someone who was needed. She gave me that, a sense of family. We both had belonged to nobody, nobody who cared, and now so late in our lives, this miracle had occurred. We had come together on my farm, and for the first time, we had both been free from our fears."

The ending is especially poignant and touching.

I've read The Brothers Karamazov in an least four translations now, and this is an absolutely delicious translation, the very best. Pevear and Volokhonsky bring great, suggestive depth, and great subtlety to the English text of this very great Russian novel.

I found this the most thought provoking novel I have ever read, Dostoevsky writes on so many levels.

First off The Brothers Karamazov is wildly entertaining and engaging, the characters jump off the page at you then lure you in. It can be laugh out loud funny at times and quite moving at others.

Secondly and maybe more importantly I found it to be a very spiritual book. Elder Zosima is one of the greatest characters I have ever had the pleasure to read, so enlightening. But there is much to be taken from all the characters, their strengths and weaknesses and how these characteristics intertwine with one another.

A must read, I cannot wait to read it again, I know there is so much I missed on the first time through. Though maybe I will try a different translation I read the Andrew MacAndrew translation but was reserching the book and found a site witch took a paragraph out of the book and compared three of the different translations, I was amazed how different each was. I must say from that comparison MacAndrews seemed to be the most straight forward, the most 'modern english' of them all, but maybe lacking in the poetic sense (which was probably good for a first read, at least in my case).

So I would ask you fellow reviewers to note the translation that was read, it does seem quite important.

I am among the reviewers who has only read this translation and is not familiar with the Russian language, or much Russian history for that matter. Even with my limited perspective I found this translation both engaging and thought-provoking.

Dostoevsky's detailed style is arguably drawn-out, but reveals itself to be worthwhile and even necessary as the story unfolds into a rich exploration of human nature. I found myself relating to the characters with such depth as to have feelings indistinguishable from those for real people. The journey became cumbersome through the first half of the book and then accelerated with new vigor as the second half burst forth into the story for which the character development and setting had been so painstakingly laid out. The religious and moral questions offered are what I consider to be the most fulfilling narrative, exploring ideas that transcend time and culture and speak to all who look deep into the heart of their existence. Read this book- it has all the components of great literature. This truly is a great literary achievement.

This is Dostoevsky's greatest work, and one of the greatest novels ever written. I would rate it superior to his Crime and Punishment which is also considered a masterpiece of psychological fiction. It is quite long, but once you get involved it grabs you by the heart and mind, and won't let you go. I am not one to read various translations of a single novel, but I can't imagine a better translation than the Pevear/Volokhonsky one.

The Brothers Karamazov is at times humorous and ironic, but it is mostly a wrenching exploration of the human psyche, as symbolically portrayed by 3 siblings, each personifying unique qualities of that psyche. There are many elements to this story..a family saga, a love triangle, a whodunit murder mystery, a courtroom drama..all peopled by unforgettable characters. It says profound things about pure faith and organized religion, selfishness and generosity, love and hate, loyalty and morality, jealousy and forgiveness, justice and compassion. It will make you laugh and cry, and best of all, ponder the important questions that life poses. If read carefully, The Brothers Karamazov will alter your thought processes, and you will be a more enlightened individual for having read it. I can go on and on extolling this book, but mere words cannot do it justice. It should be required reading.

Some literary works are so sweeping in their vision, so penetrating in their understanding of the human condition and its psychology, so inexhaustible with respect to their spiritual insight that a reviewer feels quite small as he turns the last page and turns to comment.

Such is Dostoevsky's THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV. The three siblings, products of the unrestrained loins of the hapless Fyodor Karamazov spend most of the pages alloted to them walking their ever diverging paths and become more and more unlike each other. Then, in a hundred or so pages, Dostoevsky all but forces us to see how alike they are. How alike we are, whether under the Russian sun or some other.

Just under a thousand pages prove incapable of wearying the discerning reader of this Russian masterpiece. Each chapter brings a new twist or at least a new glimpse into how passionate and calculating we are capable of becoming, all at the same time.

Along the way, one discovers the author's uncanny predictive ability to glimpse the direction in which his Russia would go when it had loosed itself of the spiritual conviction that for centuries had held the vastness of it intact.

Dostoevsky deserves the over-used adjective 'incomparable'. This work alone achieves that.

Anyone remotely interested in animation should pick up this book. It is amazing. It is truly the perfect reference book for anyone who wants to animate, and do it well.

This is one of the best books on frame-by-frame 2D non-vector animation. The only problem is, Richard Williams overdoes it by a large margin. He is a man possessed with talent, and he demands perfection of himself. That is a hard way to do things, no? In every other respect, this book is excellent. By the way, the culmination of Richard Williams' style of work is the movie The Cobbler and the Thief, available online on [...]. The exact title to search for is this: The Thief and the Cobbler (2007 Recobbled Cut) [v2.0]

This is one of those books that has helped me out alot. If you are a beginning animator in need of learning the principles of animation or if you have had difficulty figuring out how to create walk cycles and facial character animation, then this book is for you.

I give this book 5 stars simply because it was written in a style that's easy to read and understand and uses common terminology. The best part about it is the readability and resourcefulness of the content. Everything a student needs to learn the subject matter in a motivating format!

If you like normal animation and if you like 3d animation or if you like stop motion animation...you'll find all information needed and much more inside this unique book!