Spencer Books

I just read this a few months ago, after passing it up several times. I was pleasantly surprised once I started reading this one. I felt so bad for Gregory but at the same time I wanted to slap him upside the head and yell "WAKE UP". He was a good "Black Man" and I hated to see him get mistreated by Adrian. Gregory's friends added a little variety and had me laughing much of the time. I loved the story surrounding his parents and his father deserved much respect for buckling down and raising his children on his own after Louise left. What can I say about the holly-rolling sister (Sherise), somebody should have given her a clue. Unfortunately, there are sisters out there, being taken by "No-Good, Fraudulent Men, Supposedly Doing God's Work". I'm glad she finally got it in the end. Loved this story and the characters were so real. Great book, Great read.

After reading many(good)reviews for this book, I decided to check it out at the library. I think the book was overrated. There were some good moments, but it seemed like the book was put together over night.

This book had me. It started out slower then I would have liked but I could feel that there was "something" BIG in store. I am very pleased that I fininshed because it was most definiltey worth the wait.

This book was an easy read and funny from beginning to end. I am an avid reader of African American authors and Camika Spencer kept my attention throughout the entire read. I don't know how she attained such a vivid man's point of view but it was excellent. Thank you for giving me something to do during a boring week of jury duty. I read Cubicles the first day and When all Hell Breaks Loose the second. This is definitely a book that I will recommend to others!

After reading many(good)reviews for this book, I decided to check it out at the library. I think the book was overrated. There were some good moments, but it seemed like the book was put together over night.

If you are a teacher, I would look into buying another audio version of Romeo and Juliet. I have been using it as a tool to get the students to hear professional actors and to then ask them to use the same skills those professional actors use (inflection, emphasis, etc.) The problem is it is VERY difficult to hear...to the point that you have to sit 3 feet away to hear it at times. This simply does not work for a classroom.

The notes that John Andrews gives on all the Everyman Shakespeare editions that he edits are fabulous. I think his editions are the most user friendly for any actor, student, director and teacher. Some publishing house should get Mr. Andrews to do all the plays.

Poor Romeo.

Watching Romeo meander his way through the play is like tailgating a drunk driver. At any moment he could crash, and in the end he overcorrects his assumptions by swallowing the poison, and in some ways his death must be a relief to his troubled mind.

Romeo's status in the story changes with nearly every scene, whether by his own doing or by an external entity. However, his circumstance reflects in almost every case his willingness to succumb to his passions. From his love of Rosalind to his love for Juliet to his exile, he is a bundle of nerves. Taking a time out would slow the pace, and instead Shakespeare quickens it by transplanting Romeo's moment of joy with Juliet with a moment of action and consequence: the death of Mercutio.

Giving Romeo the chance to be happy might damage his character. A great tragedy yet today. What makes it great is that the basic storyline pulls everyone in, and once the story captures, we can start to appreciate the minor characters, like Capulet and the Nurse.

Shakespeare defines teen angst in this romantic tragedy. 14-year-old Juliet and Romeo falls in love at a party despite their family's feud. There are movies made from this play, but nothing beats reading the play itself to relish the writing of Shakespeare. Heart-wrenching and beautiful.

Caution Scalawags: May Cause Pulmonary Failure!, July 29, 2004
Reviewer: Professor Emeritus Percy Q. Johnstone (Darkest India) - See all my
reviews
Yes dear reader, it is I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone. As you may have
divined, as Professor Emeritus of American Literature, I am well versed with
dramatic writings from our sister nation, England. Now, many of you are
unfamiliar with the work, as William Shakespeare is relatively unknown in
the bumpkin-ridden land you call "The Colonies". However, you
lucky few will discover a goldmine of quotes such as "Alack, Alack,
Alack" and other favorites. But I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone,
diverge. Yes yes. For those of you who wish to pursue the god-given purpose
of the most noble art of teaching American Literature, you must be familiar
with the works of Shakespeare. As you are stupid, and not a professor, like
I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone, you undoubtedly do not understand, but no
matter. The story of "Romeo and Juliet" is simple. it opens in a
court yard in Venice where the political rebels, Pyramus and Thisbe are
plotting to overthrow the evil fascist government (oh how I, Professor
Emeritus Johnstone know that feeling. I confess, dear reader, that once I,
Professor Emeritus Johnstone, lived in America until government stooges
exiled me to darkest India for poliical subterfuge. Suberfuge! Bah!). Alas,
Lord Capulet's men break into the meeting and arrest poor Pyramus and
Thisbe, casting them into the darkest dungeon. Ah, but fortune smiles on our
two heroes, for in the cell next to them are the "Star-burned
lovers" Romeo and Juliet, who were imprisoned for plotting to overthrow
the evil Capulet. Together, they escape the prison, kill all the
fascist-swine guards, and blow up the prison, bringing us, dear reader,
rather neatly to the end of Act I.
Act II opens in Lord Montague's (Lord Capulet's chief of security) hall,
where he has just made posters offering 5000 marks for the heads of the four
rebels. Enter the villain (mustache and all) Tybalt (cousin to Count Paris)
the bounty-hunter. Tybalt, in a scene that moved even I, Professor Emeritus
Johnstone, gives a heartrending "soliliquy" in which he mourns on
he pain of killing those whose politico agendas you support. Thus ends Act
II. In Act III, we find...ROMEO WORKING FOR LORD CAPULET! He has become a
traitorous lap-dog to the very system he despises (oh reader, how I,
Professor Emeritus Johnstone, know this feeling!). Pyramus and his rebel
army storm the palace, and in the final scene, Pyramus kills his traitorous
lover, Romeo, driving a dagger through his jugular...only to find out that
Romeo was a spy. Pyramus then jumps out the highest tower in penance to end
the play.
Genius. Every potential collegiate scamp should read this edition, for it
has a preface by one of the greatest scholars of our age...none other than
I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone.
Hark, I hear my Biddy calling me to gruel and morning prayers. As Hamlet
said, "Adieu Fair Readers!"

Bitterly,
--Professor Emeritus Percy Q. Johnstone

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I had never read any book by Spencer before, but will check into other titles by her, as this was a great book. It brings back memories of being raised in a nun-dominated Catholic school.

Nice easy book to read. Good discussion in our book club. Not a meaty book, but good for a fast read.

The church on the cover looks like a Russian Orthodox with the onion top architecture I love. One summer vacation, while driving through the countryside of Pennsylvania on the way to Valley Forge (then on to Longwood Gardens, near New Jersey), the place was full of fabulous churches. All I'd ever seen in my hometown and the small town were not exquisite like this one. Sometimes, I'd stop to get a closer view if the church had a special feature the others didn't have. I was not into photography then, or I would have had a field day.

Eddie seeks help from the nun teacher of his young daughters after the death of his wife. Soon, a close relationship developed. Danny and Cecil received a Catholic school education, thanks to their mother. Perhaps she was aware of the dumbing down I knew nothing of until now.

After two months of Hell at the hands of Chuck and his crew there, it was Heaven to be able to write again. Til now when Wink decided he had to enter the fray once again and cause some trouble for me. It won't last. God punishes those who intentionally hurt others.

I love LaVyrle Spencer but I had a problem with Then Came Heaven. I gave it 3 stars because of the first 90 pages that dealt with Krystyna's death and funeral, and the description of the school, the nuns' house and the description of the individual nuns. I tried to like the idea of a relationship between Eddie and Jean but I just couldn't do it. And believe me, I really wanted to. I did like the descriptions of Thanksgiving at The Olzack's and Christmas at the Potlocki's, and I enjoyed reading about Browerville. (We drove through Browerville in 1980 and I vividly remember driving by the church!)

After I read the book I thought if someone else had written it she might have eventually written a "prequel" about Eddie and Krystyna's childhoods and marriage (after all, they were married for 10 years) and also Jean's childhood and what exactly made her decide to become a nun when she was "just eleven." There were a lot of interesting characters in the book, i.e., Irene, Rosella Potlocki, Romaine and Rose, etc., that would have been worth developing.

What does God plan for your life? Just when you think that everything is God-blessed and the way it should be, suddenly a tragedy occurs that might make you shake your faith in Him. The year is 1950 and Eddie Olzcak had a wonderful life with his beloved wife and two young daughters. Eddie is a devout Catholic who works as a janitor in the local Catholic school, who rings the bells in the church for all the Masses, and helps out the nuns in the convent. One afternoon, his wife's car is hit by a train and she is killed instantly, shattering the perfect life he had with her. He is sad, angry, confused, he misses his wife terribly, he is lonely, but he knows he must go on with his life, and he does....Sister Regina, one of the nuns in the convent, who teaches 3rd and 4th grade at the school Eddie works at, and has his two daughters in her class, has been unhappy for some time with her life, wondering if this is the life God really wanted for her. She is part of the Benedictan order of nuns that has strict codes and follows a Holy Rule that forbids, among other things, any type of secular interaction that involve emotions or feelings; her life is supposed to be directed at constant prayer. So when Eddie's wife dies, Sister Regina feels at a loss; she wants to hug the children, but she can't; she wants to counsel Eddie, but she can't, and during this time, she realizes that being a nun isn't her calling. If she's not a nun, does that make her any less holy than Eddie's wife, Krystyna, who was a wonderful woman, who helped out in the community, who loved her husband and children dearly? Something also happens to Sister Regina during these next few months: she's getting feelings for Eddie, and he senses it, and Eddie discovers that he's starting to feel the same way about her. Both have guilt...Eddie wonders if it's too soon to love again after his wife dies, and Sister Regina wonders if it's a sin to fall in love with a man just because she's a nun. This is just a wonderful story about how love can be found again after a tragic circumstance and Lavyrle Spencer handles it beautifully. Isn't love between a man and a woman a gift from God? Eddie and Sister Regina find out that it is. I really enjoyed this story and it was a great final book for LaVyrle Spencer to write before she retired. I will miss her writing.

I also liked "Then Came Heaven", but the "hero" in that was a janitor, which I found to be a turn-off. I don't mean to sound like a snob, it's just the way I feel.

Anyway, though romance novels have never been my thing (I like romance in my books, I just don't care for it to be the sole focus--I only read romances with the frequency that I do now because I want to learn how to write them as they sell five times more than all other genres combined), I loved this one, and since the last time I've read this, I've developed an appreciation for the romance novel, if not a great love for them.

Though I don't care for the new country music, I do like some of the old stuff, and I was excited when Poplar Bluff, Missouri (my birthplace and where I spent many summers as a little girl with my grandparents and other extended family), was mentioned.

But, those aren't the only reasons.

I thought Ms. Spencer did a good job with character development, for though the story wasn't anything new, I grew to love the people (or dislike them).

Though I understand Faith's (Kenny's girlfriend's) dilemma, being a Catholic and not being able to marry a divorced man (so it's better to just shack up with him???), I can't feel that sorry for her when she loses Kenny to Tess, because, as Kenny says, "Don't you realize how ridiculous it sounds that I've been dating you for half my life?" (This is not an exact quote, but something like it.) I was a little annoyed that Kenny and Tess couldn't wait until they got married to have sex--not a very good example to set in front of Casey, even if they were engaged, because engagements can be broken more easily than a marriage can be dissolved.

I really didn't see anything wrong with Tess not wanting to have children. I think it's wonderful that she loves Casey as her own. Not every woman needs a bear a child (nor a man) to feel fulfilled and if she does, then that isn't healthy, because her happiness is dependent upon someone else. Whether childless (not by choice) or childfree (by choice). We can all contribute to the world in a myriad of other ways--not just as a mother, but as a daughter, a sister, a wife, a granddaughter, an aunt, a niece, a good friend, or just a very good person.

Tess is a strong woman (weak women make boring heroines), and Kenny is a good man (though one can understand Faith feeling duped, even if they were just "dating"--they weren't even living together). I really believe Faith's pride was hurt more than her heart was broken, and I think Kenny felt this, too.

I am also glad Ms. Spencer made Tess a size 10 instead of something ridiculous (not to mention unattainable for some), like a size 2.

Small Town Girl is easy and feel-good reading capturing many of the general feelings and emotions of the reader.

Perfect for inclusion in your holiday leasure reading.

I just found this book when I was moving stuff out of storage. It's been in storage for at least 3 years and I guess I've owned it since it was first published in 1997. I have no idea why I never read it before this! It was fun, romantic, sincere and just portrayed many very charming people. I am now going to find some more books by LaVyrle Spencer and read them!

This story, I confess, I rented as an audiotape read by Melissa Manchester. In fact, I think the only reason I liked it at first is because Manchester is such a talented narrator. The story itself started out okay, but it was a cliche' romantic comedy--the kind Lifetime will probably make into one of their worse movies down the line. Tess McPhail, country star who comes home for a month to look after a mama with a bad hip for a month in a small town, falling in love with the next door neighbor she tortured in high school and helping his talented daughter to become a success in Nashville? This plot is so unbelievable, thin, and hokey that Britney Spears could use it as a smutty getup for one of her concerts.

Sure, I laughed a few times, but it was like the cliche' romance crap that only jello queens and teenagers unaffected by the cruelty of life can appreciate all the way through. Even Manchester was laughing during her narration where she shouldn't have been, and I wondered how much they paid her to read the book all the way through. I don't think it was enough, or they wouldn't have left her laughter in. I don't even like current country music, so that probably didn't help anything, but I was impressed by Spencer's knowledge of show business and the recording process itself.

That doesn't excuse the fact that the characters are mostly cardboard cutouts of movies and novels you've read or seen over and over, and you can predict the outcome right from chapter uno. If some idiot who picked on me in high school expected me to fawn all over them and got mad because they're some dare-da-dare-yeehaw millionaire, I would laugh at them so hard and torture them back every chance I got. I wouldn't roll around in the grass with them and cheat on someone who's been with me for 8 years!

The last two chapters made me sick when they were fooling around in the hotel, and then the wedding itself? This book was cornier than a farmer's field in July, and the plot was so silly and juvenile that it's incomprehensible to accept the fact that a fully grown woman wrote it. I was humiliated to have it in my possession, but not as embarrassed as Spencer should be for having written it.

I started reading LaVyrle Spencers books by accident. There were some books being given away in the break room at work and I thought the book was 'The Blessing' rather it was 'Family Blessings'. I WAS HOOKED!!! I finished this book ('Small Town Girl') last night and it was WONDERFUL!! I was sucked in and could not stop reading!! I was rooting for Tess and Kenny and wanted Faith to bow out gracefully!! If you like Country Music, Romance, and Family....you'll love this book!!

I enjoyed reading this series, I have gotten the first 4 books in the mail this past week. I have read the first two and am looking forward to reading the other two.

The books I have received are in good shape, the only problem I have is the S & H charge for each of the books. I have paid $3.99 for each of them and although I enjoy reading I find this charge a little steep. I find that ordering through your service is costing me quite a bit and I can ill afford the charges. If I cannot find the books in the used book store in my town then I will have to revert to you but only as a last resort.

This was really a pretty good book. The kind that you really don't have to think about as you read. Although you kinda know what is going to happen it still was enjoyable. Nice to give the mind a rest sometimes.

If you love the charactyer of seaside towns or a community that really understands the true meaning of community, then you will enjoy this book. A variety of events that happen in the town, as you get to know the characters you live through each experience with them.

Very enjoyable reading!

I am so glad that I have found this lovely series of books! It is so refreshing to read some great fiction without tons of sex, violence and/or language filling the pages. These are gripping characters who keep the story alive without resorting to all of the 'junk' that a lot of today's authors turn to. I would not be concerned one bit if my small children read this book - it's just a good wholesome read with a little bit of God and faith thrown in (without shoving the Gospel down your throat).

This is an excellent series that depicts the characters in a small New England seaside town. The characters are alive and interactive. I have enjoyed each book in the series and look forward to more.
His books describe this little town and the people who live there as well as his paintings describe the cottages and the seashores, all with the wonderful light.

What would happen if only 1 or 10 or so children were male? Wen Spencer never gives us exact figures in "A Brother's Price" but given the families we meet a 10% rate seems reasonable. Genetics wise how long could such a system last? Spencer doesn't answer that question either nor how long things have been in this way nor why they are that way in his fantasy novel. Those questions are the reason I took one star from the rating because I'd love to know the answers. Otherwise the character of Jerin, soon to be groom to a large number of wives, his sisters, his potential wives' families and their interactions are well written and kept me interested. However without the answers to my above questions I didn't quite buy into the political intrigues. That's ok because an examination of sex ratios and social dynamics was interesting and entertaining enough.

My first Wen Spencer book - it won't be my last! Fully detailed character-driven and "believeable" fantasy/romantic story. It was satisfying for even those of us who aren't Fantasy or romance readers! It filled an evening (and into the early morning hours)that would have been wasted watching mindless television. Thanks for working hard and using your talent, Ms. Spencer.

synopsis: farm boy does good. saves princess. lots of political intrigue. Princess saves and marries boy. lives happily ever after.
All in all, pretty good bodice ripper romance novel. I have read very few so can't compare. I found it in SF section. Its only sf in the sense of alternate history. The tech levels are a bit mismatched but easy to ignore. The problems exist where the author beats one over the head to point out that the jobs are done by the females (while not subtle, it is perhaps necessary as I needed to reframe my perceptions of the society). Also, there are strange pauses in the story where a backstory/substory is inserted or explained - like those movies about someone on a distant planet and all of a sudden there is a cut to a professor explaining the solar system and planets. This made the story drag in places - especially the explanation for the theater which was given about 5 times with more detail each time - more than I cared to know. There were a couple of strange things like going over the 100-foot waterfall and surviving - hmmm. And the fact that a hardened, ruthless, full-of-hate criminal who was going to be executed didn't kill one of her most hated enemies that she had at her mercy. Sure she would die doing it - but she was going to die anyway.
There was lots of sex. There was a secret passage in the castle. Castle security was lax. Kind of creepy to think that he plays with the little children who were almost like his younger sisters and they are his wives too - and later his lovers.
I liked the fact that life was valued and female infanticide was not acceptable practice. It was also nice that the male character was mostly moral - perhaps as much as he could be given his circumstances as pampered pet (this was even pondered in the book).
Definitely a 'chick flick'. A nice read.

This world captivated me. I am sure there are some lovers of romance who would complain about the gender role reversal, because they want their heroes alpha and experienced, so I am relieved that "A Brother's Price" was not pegged as a romance at my library. However, the romance in this story is undeniable!

Jerin Whistler may be bound by the laws of the matriarchal society he lives in but he is a full character, strong and passionate and everything a hero should be - he just stays at home instead of going to battle. He is also only 15/16 throughout the course of the novel. While he is certainly intelligent (his mothers and sisters have taught him things that men in his society are forbidden from doing, such as horse riding and weapon wielding, also he was well educated at home), I found his naivete about women and sex rather adorable, not at all annoying. Jerin is definitely a breath of fresh air for me. I was getting tired of macho alpha males! I'm not saying that Spencer completely abolished gender stereotypes with this book, she merely reversed them. There's no real equality at work here, but it is still a refreshing, fun fantasy.

I didn't even question the gender reversal in this book. I have read books about matriarchal societies before that made me wonder, but Wen Spencer has covered all of her bases here and I find her world rather believable. Sure, I had to extend my disbelief a bit when the females could physically overpower the males, but Spencer didn't ignore biology completely. Sometimes in gender role reversal books, the women can be brutal and the men simpering, but that wasn't the case in "A Brother's Price." Characters here have both strengths and weaknesses and most of them are delightful, down the last child in Jerin's enormous family. Other favourite characters of mine include Ren, the most prevalent princess throughout the story and a woman of both great passion and firm resolve, and Cullen, the cheeky cousin of the princesses who befriends Jerin halfway through the novel.

I don't want to give away any of the plot, but I highly recommend this book if you're looking for something a bit different. It's a truly unique world and an engaging romance. I read over 200 pages of it in a couple hours, I was that motivated to finish it, and that doesn't happen often! I'm hoping Wen continues this gem of a tale, because I'm anxious to read more about Jerin, but also his little brothers and Cullen.

Before deciding to write a review I read several of the other reviews the book received, so let me start out saying that, yes, it is a romance novel. If you don't like romance novels you probably wont like this book either. However, if you like books with strong female characters you might just like this one as much as I did.

So many stories seem to put women in just so the men have something worth fighting for, or rescuing, but not this story. In "A Brother's Price" the world has been turned on its head and women are in charge. The result is that all of the female characters in this story have an innate strength that is commonly lacking in other stories.

One of the confusing points for many readers of this story will come in the subservient nature of the male characters. For the most part men in Ms. Spencer's world are raised without the ability to say no to whatever they're dominant sisters or wives may want. Men are property, sold or traded on every day, sometimes into situations where they commit suicide just to get away. Something to understand: to these men violence doesn't come naturally.

Before you read this book you need to realize that this is not our world. The gender reversal makes the story a Science Fiction novel, but the set up is more of a Fantasy. This story could never happen in our world, one of the other reviewers pointed this out when they said that men just aren't like that. That reviewer was right, in our world and throughout our history men have always been dominant (exceptions have occurred, but they ARE EXCEPTIONS, not the rule). As a result, men from our world would never be able to exist in this story, but like I said, this isn't our world. I'm not sure of the authors intent, but I don't believe any amount of time or circumstances could entirely breed violence out of men (i.e., this is NOT the future).

I have read this book four times already, each time in no more than three days, usually one. Personally, I have found it difficult to put down once I was started and would certainly recommend it. However, if you don't like romance and it makes you uncomfortable to have all of the male characters in a story as submissive characters you'd be better off avoiding this book.

To sum it all up:
This book is part Fantasy, part Science Fiction, and all Romance. The hardest part for most people to accept is probably the Fantasy aspect as fantasy is, by its very nature, unlike our world. What we would call improbable or even impossible is possible in fantasy, accept it or this story is unlikely to become a favorite of yours like it is for me.

I finished reading Tinker relatively quickly for a non-romance. I guess I finished it in about 10 days but I also read a few books at the same time. I guess romantic books get read quicker because of the pull of the romantic relationship. Having said that, maybe that is why I finished this quickly. Tinker is a great heroine, smart, likeable, human, and interesting. The world is an interesting one: Pittsburgh with a twist. In this book, Pittsburgh goes from Earth to Elfhome every 28 days because of a gate between the worlds. Hence, it's not quite considered Earth.
This book is immersed in a world of magic meets science. The elves live in a world of magic, but on Earth magic is linked to and explained by science. Tinker, a mechanical genius, is able to exploit the link between magic and science.
The book opens with a bang: Tinker saves a beautiful, aristocratic elf from large, carnivorous creatures trying to kill him when they barge into her salvage yard. It turns out they have a link because the elf Windwolf saved her life as an eight year old, and cast a spell that linked his lifeforce to hers. He is badly injured and needs her mechanical/magical expertise to keep him alive until they can get him back to Elfhome. He is very impressed with her and falls for her as a result. Tinker spends some time wondering how an elf like Windwolf, rich, high-born, and perfect to her, could be interested in her. It turns out that she has been crushing on him since she was eight years old.
I won't spoil a person who hasn't yet read this book, but let us say that Windwolf is not about to let Tinker walk out of his life. Their romance unfolds in a very fascinating, enjoyable manner, with some good action and magic as well. There is also another potential love interest that I spend a few moments wondering if Tinker wasn't more likely to end up with him.
If you like magic and elves, but also credible science with fiction thrown in, this book will do it for you. I must admit some of the quantum physics went over my head, because I'm more of a biological scientist. But I don't consider that an impediment to enjoying the book.
Also if you like kickbutt heroines, you will also love this book. As a matter of fact, I am adding Tinker to my list of favorite, unusual, and in her own way, kickbutt heroines. She definitely earned it as, she saves the day more than a few times. Few heroines make this list, so this is quite a compliment.
Some may find Tinker's internal back and forth about her relationship with Windwolf annoying, but since she is an 18 year old with no romantic experience, I found it realistic. I know I certainly wouldn't have recognized my true love at 18 years of age.
Windwolf is dreamy and intriguing, and although he is not in the book as much as I would like, you know that he's waiting in the background and is a significant part of the storyline, and that definitely is satisfying.
I like the premise of the book and the memorable characters, although some seem to drop off the page. I wonder if they reemerge in the sequel. One thing for sure, I am rooting for Tinker and Windwolf to have a long, loving life together.
I heartily recommend this book to urban fantasy, romance, and magical book fans, with a good bit of science thrown in.

I'm going to be honest: I didn't finish this book. I just couldn't stomach it.

I did, however, read enough to recognize a very old friend: the one and only Mary Sue. Like an undying zombie, she comes to life yet again, this time personified as Wen Spencer's character Tinker, a gorgeous eighteen-year-old mechanic.

I had high hopes for this book. Especially because the official Amazon review promised a book characterized by "wit and intelligence" along with "furious action" and "good characterization."

...Are we reading the same book?

I hope by "furious action" the reviewer didn't mean the laughable and completely improbable action sequence in the beginning of the novel. The book opens with Tinker and her soon-to-be love interest, Windfall, fleeing from a pack of magical wargs. Windfall tries repeatedly to fight the creatures off by using his sword. However, he becomes pinned to the ground, and then attempts to use his knife. Only at the end of the battle does he actually remember that he has a gun...

After the battle, Tinker suffers from a hand wound, and so proceeds to cut up her oversized shirt to make a bandage, conveniently reducing it down to a midriff. Her bottom lip is also inexplicably swollen, making her mouth "even more full than normal." I hope these Mary Sue qualities aren't part of the "good characterization" the Amazon reviewer praises. Oh yes, and did I mention that all the male characters in the book are madly in love with her?

As if she wasn't perfect enough, half-way through the novel Windfall tranforms her into an elf through his sperm (Uh...?) and she receives perfect good looks - complete with skin of "creamy perfection" and plump lips with the natural red color of "subtle lipstick."

Even her half-elf lover Windfall doesn't escape the disease of perfection. We are told in great detail of his "deceptively delicate" facial features, and are also expected to swoon along with Tinker over his soft black hair that smells of "wonderful..musky spice." I might have been able to look past his physical features if he had acted like a believable character, but instead, his personality was that of a stereotypical arrogant, yet cool half-elf, with the unfortunate tendency to churn out painfully cheesy one-liners. "My universe resides within you," and "Love is such a small word to carry what I feel," are several examples.

Sadly, even ignoring the subject matter, the writing in this book was below average. There are also numerous sex scenes, described in great detail, that seem thrown into the story for no apparent reason. The poor writing, cliche characters, and multiple unncessary sex scenes make this a book no one should have to read.

In the world created by Spencer, Pittsburgh has - as a result of a interdimensional gate's malfunction - been transported to Elfhome, in a different dimension. There it stays for 29 days, and then for 24 hours it is returned to Earth, during what is turned Shut-Down.

Tinker is 18 and owns a scrap yard, and on the eve of one Shut-Down, an elf runs into the scrap yard, being pursued by horrible Warg-like creatures. Tinker manages to kill the creatures, but the elf - who she recognizes as Wolf, having met before in a similar situation - has been badly hurt. Elves can normally heal themselves well, but in this case Shut-Down has occurred, shutting off Wolf's access to magic. This affects his ability to heal. Determined to save his life, she uses a magic sink she has created around a large magnet to create a healing spell that will help him remain status quo and takes him to a friend of hers for more assistance.

After returning to Elfhome, and Wolf's healing, she finds herself the object of Wolf's attention. He gives her several gifts - one of which, as it turns out, is a marriage proposal, which she unwittingly accepts. She also finds herself caught in the middle of a very dangerous situation when her technical know-how is discovered, and the oni, another race of magical beings that are generally inimical toward elves, are attracted to her, hoping she can build a gate that will allow them to move from their overcrowded planet onto Elfhome.

I'm a big fan of urban fantasy like Nevernever and Elsewhere, so I picked up Tinker at my local library and read it. From the bat, Tinker brags about being a Buffy-clone or for fans of the show (which, by the way, I never really watched to begin wtih so I didn't really care since the show is like, what? A decade old now?)

Anyway, Tinker takes place in a universe where fantasy and reality collide, a lot like in Mike Mignola's Hellboy in which there are elements of myth and magic, as well as science and technology. The main character is Tinker, a super-intelligent human girl and a conspiracy.

Now, the idea behind Tinker is, well, I'll be honest - it may sound original but it bears a strong resemblance to that of the Borderlands books and Will Shetterly's work on a level. However, if you haven't read these books you won't know. Also, althought the story is good - the books lacks DESCRIPTIVE WORDS. For instance, it is heavily implied that a scene in the book is taking place in an Elvish castle, but you have NO IDEA where you (or the character) is to begin with. Reading straight from the book, you're in the middle of blankspace albeit for a few objects like a bed or a window. Also, you don't have much of an idea what the characters look like, which brings me to another issue.

The characters are pretty much stock characters - you've got your average girl with special abilities, you got your non-human love interest, you have your rival for that love, another rival for the girl, your monstrous villain, your ambigious is he good or bad? guy, and minions of evil that are always in supply.

To make it short, 'Tinker' is a lot like lukewarm pizza left over from last night. Its not good. Its not bad. Its just itself. Theres nothing to gain and nothing to lose really.

Readbility: C
Story: B-
In short: B- (go get it from the library, buy it if you really like it)

This book was a little disappointing. It kind of felt like the author had two great book ideas he didn't know how to finish, and squished them up into one book. The basic set-up is that an attempt to build a star gate to colonize another plant unexpectedly causes Pittsburgh to oscillate back and forth between our world and the real of the elves.

The protagonist, Tinker, is a brilliant scientist/inventor/ child child protege. I liked the character, there were some great bits in the beginning dealing with her brilliance, but she seemed a little too brilliant. I like genius inventor stories, and could have been persuaded to swallow this one, but then this whole plot was kind of abandoned when Tinker's boyfriend turned her into an elf. There was so much that made me cringe about this whole romance plot, there was lots of creepy subtext. The protagonist basically changed who she was for a man, a guy over 100 hundred married a character who clearly was not really a grown up, there was an underlying message that it was better to be an elf than a human. Giving the super-genius heroine magic powers pushed the entire thing over the top, for me. And if you really are so much smarter than other humans that you can come up with anti-gravity in junior high and are the ONLY human who can understand the FTL drive, don't you have an obligation to use your brilliance for the good of humanity rather than running off to elfland? I'd have preferred to see Tinker really USE the scientific genius the author went to such trouble to say she has, and follow up on the FTL thing more.

I was at the library when a woman who was standing at the romance section grabbed this off the shelf & encouraged me to read it because it was so wonderful. I started it and realized I had read it years earlier. I remembered it well because of my extreme negative reaction to it. First off, I NEVER read a book condoning adultery. There is no excuse for betraying the trust that a spouse places in you--I don't care why. After a divorce is one thing, during the marriage is another. I also hate how society seems to think an affair for a guy is one thing and an affair for a woman is totally another. When Eric has an affair with Maggie, I lost all respect for him. When it turns out that Nancy is having an affair, somehow that's supposed to be way worse than Eric's affair. Huh? Maggie gets pregnant & rejects her first child because of her love for Eric. Huh? What parent would turn their back on their child at a time when they are emotionally destroyed because of the loss of a parent? I have children & can tell you that no lover of mine would ever come within a million miles of my children's need for me. This part of the book is totally off base. My biggest complaint with this book is its ringing endorsement of the little woman who wanted to stay home & be the happy housewife while condemning and villifying the career woman who is up front about not wanting children & enjoying her career. Women do not have to be broody hens to be complete as women. I know many women who did not want to have children of their own, but do much to mentor and care for other children through family connections, their careers, and volunteering in the community. This is not the 1800's and women have many more options than they used to. This book reminds me of the awful romance novels my grandma used to read in the early 70's with nurses marrying doctors or secretaries marrying the boss & then quitting their jobs to be homemakers--ick! Give me a torrid contemporary romance any day with a sassy heroine & a modern hero. This book is just one big ick.

For years I've been searching for a romance writer who is even comparable to Judith McNaught. Well...I just found her. This book was touching and sweet and yes...bitter. Love, loss, human frailty, and the will to survive were all emotions realistically tapped into in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be checking out everything else LaVyrle Spencer has written.

I know that this is a book about a adultery, but it is also about a first love and finding love again. I think that the villian is the "wife" and that makes it easy to pull for these forbidden lovers. Really good romance.

I came across this book in some items I 'inherited' and decided to read it, not really know what to expect. I guess I expected a romance, and I guess it is...but not the typical, you know what's gonna happen romance. Not even the typical you know how it oughta end romance. The book was long..almost 500 pages. And like a typical soap opera, every time you think it could be resolved a new twist comes along. I'm not complaining...that is why we watch soap operas...right?

We pick up the story with Maggie, a widow in grief therapy. Maggie's husband was killed in a plane crash and the result is she has all the money she will ever need. She also has a daughter about to leave for college. Her therapist recommends getting in touch with old friends, and boy, does she ever. She ends up moving back to her home town, where her HS sweetie now lives with his wife and troubled marriage. He wants kids...she doesn't. He wants a small town life...she wants a cosmopolitan area. He wants a domestic woman...she wants a jet-setting career. Oh, and she is specatacularly beautiful; she doesn't like his family and they don't like her. The truth is, this marriage probably should have ended a decade ago, as they seem to have nothing in common.

Along comes Maggie, and though they seem to have good intentions in honoring his marriage vows...of course it doesn't work out as they plan. On one level, the whole story is about Maggie and Eric resuming their relationship. But at another level, it is about coping with change, and forgiveness. And a wise old woman...Eric's mom, Anna.

A couple of things about the story bothered me, and if you don't want to know....stop reading now. I don't want to spoil this for you if you plan to read the book.



Ok...first, though I do agree that Maggie, and any adult, has a right to do what is necessary to move on with life, I did think it was a bit selfish of her to pick up and move across the country 2 months after her daughter left for her freshman year of college. Not that she didn't have that right, because she did, but...she was ripping her daughter's life apart and didn't even acknowledge that. Yes, she moved back to HER home town where she spent her HS years, and it was comforting to HER, but in return she uprooted her daughter from HER hometown and HS friends...AND she didn't even get to say goodbye to them. She left for college assuming she'd be home at Christmas and probably hanging out with old friends next summer, not even SUSPECTING she'd be moving. I thought Maggie should have discussed it with her before she put the house on the market, and maybe offered to fly her out to see her friends, or even keep the house for a year, since she IS a millionaire now.
The second thing is that there were a lot of unanswered questions about Eric's wife, Nancy. The implication was that she'd had several one night stands while traveling for business, but that was dropped. The baby she aborted could have been the result of one of these, but we didn't get told about that. Neither did Eric. He was left feeling guilty because he cheated, and never even realized she did first. Also, we know that Eric and Maggie reunited and presumably lived happily ever after, but we aren't really told what became of Nancy. Did she return to Chicago? Did she find a partner who was enthusiastic about sharing her lifestyle and dreams. Nancy wasn't really a bad person...just scared. Once she was forced to acknowledge that Eric wasn't the right partner, perhaps she was also freed to find a man who was, but we don't know.

This is another book that was given to me as a gift which again I probably would have never bothered to picked up otherwise. As someone who does not read the "typical" romance novel, I loved this book. I'm recommending it to my friends (who wouldn't pick it up either) and I am recommending it here.

This is a great book! It is a little different than previous releases, so it can take time to learn the new format.

this book was recommended to me as a beginner backyard bird watcher. the drawings are so accurate it is easy to identify the birds quickly. enjoying it and the birds that visit. highly recommend.

This guide is not very good. The pictures are fuzzy, like the editors photocopied them into the book. The range maps do not show state lines, which can be endlessly frustrating - particularly if you live in the continent's interior, as I do. I suppose there is only one advantage to the maps: the lack of state lines forces the reader to be, perhaps, generous with their estimation of the bird's range; this encourages the interpretation of birds' ranges as being flexible (which they are).

As another reviewer commented, why spend the money for an inferior guide when you can spend a similar amount of money on an outstanding guide?

I had used an earlier version of this book for years. The pages were literally falling out. I was delighted to get an updated edition. Especially useful are the color illustrations.
If there were one thing I would add to this directory, it would be an index by color. Sometimes I see an unfamiliar bird and it would be handy to look in the back and see an index of birds by the dominant feather color.
Of all the bird books I have used/seen,I prefer this one and find it the most user friendly.

This Bird Book is the best book on identification of birds I have ever used. It is comprehensive, and the photos are extremely accurate. I have used it for years and no other bird book comes close to how accurate it is. This book has every possible variety of each type of bird and photos so that you can easily identify them. I have been a birder for over 10 years and this is my Bible.

The author of "Who Moved My Cheese" has hit another annoying nail of life on the head with this book. The present is not a gift that you unwrap; it is about learning from the past and preparing for the future by living and managing the present.
Like so many stories of learning, the context is a man, at first a young man, talking to an old and wise man. Following the tradition that the only effective lesson is one you learn from yourself, the wise man does not tell the younger one the precise lesson, but gives him hints so that he can learn it on his own. While the young one does learn, it is an iterative process where he must learn one lesson before he has the skills to learn the next one.
Johnson writes in a simple yet effective style, delivering his message without expansive words or the use of UPPERCASE and exclamation points. There are many writers of motivational books that would be much better off if they were to adopt this style.

The Present is a powerful story with implications we may all learn from. Too often I found myself guilty of not living in the present and worrying about the past or the future. Troubling times made me re-evaluate and refocus my life. The Present teaches what I personally experienced and gave me reason to ponder and pause. May this powerful story help others learn and grow.

steven

Through a parable about an old man and a boy, Spencer Johnson reveals the secret to success and happiness. Simply put, the "Present" involves living life purposely in the present, learning from the past, and planning for the future.

We are most engaged when we are concentrating on the present. There is no sense dwelling on the past, or worrying about the future. If we are unhappy about the present, we look to the past for lessons learned and implement them in the present. If we'd like to change the future for the better, we need to put a plan in place to do so and execute in the present.

People are bombarded with so many things in life. Thinking in terms of this paradigm can help simplify and restore some sanity, and facilitate genuine improvement - a welcome gift.

Nick McCormick - Author, Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager

About twenty-five years ago, Dr. Spencer Johnson wrote a book entitled THE PRECIOUS PRESENT. I wasn't aware of it at the time, but the book was kind of popular, though it wasn't a huge success. Years later, Dr. Johnson became a national sensation with his book WHO MOVED MY CHEESE? After that huge hit, publishers couldn't get enough of Dr. Johnson's writings. But what's a one or two-hit wonder to do when you've already used up your best ideas? Go back to the well and redesign something you've already written as something new.

That's what happened with THE PRESENT. The "book" is THE PRECIOUS PRESENT retold with a few new bells and whistles. That's all. The parable-approach of the "story" only has one message and keeps repeating several times throughout the "book".

At one point in the "story" it says of the central character that "He was who he was". Well, THE PRESENT is what it is and really isn't much.

The Present by Spencer Johnson is a self-proclaimed life changing book for those who would incorporate its principles. For those who have not read it, the book is all about living in the present, and focusing on the positive aspects of every moment, never focusing on the negative. It presents these teachings by telling a story (typical of existential philosophy). The story is about an old man (read: guru) who shares the secret of meaningful living throughout the life of a man seeking answers. The old man never seems worried; he is always relaxed and appears to be at peace with life and the world. Through a series of cryptic messages, the old man teaches the other man that he can find meaning in the "present," which essentially consists of an existential experience that each person defines for themselves. By focusing on the good in the moment, we can find peace, meaning, and success.

This book ascribes to a combination of existential philosophy and Zen Budhism, blurring the line of truth. Truth is not seen as an objective thing, but an existential experience. Experience, not propositional truth, is the key to unlocking the meaning of life. Salvation comes through the teachings of a human guru leading to spiritual enlightenment, which man can achieve on his own. By definition, this is a godless philosophy.

The Present ignores the real problem of man: his depravity. I can be "in the moment," or practicing carpe diem while engaging in ungodly behavior. Of course, this is all up for interpretation. The existentialist is not interested in my definition of right and wrong, but only in his subjective experience. There is no authority to which one can appeal. So what if my carpe diem approach hurts others? It is up to the practicioner to decide if that is against his value system, which is determined by a kierkegaardian leap of faith, rather than any transcendent moral standard.

There is truth in most errors, though. That is were the deception lies. The message of focusing on the positive can be helpful, but only in the biblical sense of giving thanks to God in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18), not in avoiding pain. What is right is more important than what makes me feel good. Jesus told his followers they would (and should) suffer, and exemplified it through the cross. While suffering, he cried out "My God, why have you foraken me" (Mark 15:34). This is the most poinent of the examples of partial truths, though there are others.

Much more could be said. The point is this: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." (Col. 2:8) In the end, what the author tries to do will not work: his program cannot offer real hope to mankind, for it does not deal with human depravity. Rather than seeking to find meaning by focusing on my present, we truly find it in God's presence. The quest for ultimate meaning is found in a relationship with the God of infinity, and through developing intimacy with Him. For a much better alternative to The Present, read Practicing His Presence by Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach.