Spencer Books

This book has one of the worst endings I've ever read. It was my first Edna Buchanan book & after a few chapters I intended to read her other books. After reading the ending I won' be doing that! I finished this book with the impression that the author was either having a bad day when she was writing the ending or her editor insisted on the "surprise." The author does a great job develping the characters throughout the book and then has two of them, her current husband & her son, behave in a manner that is compledtely counter to the personalities she has created. I have given the book two stars because it was a great read until the final chapters.

I definately enjoyed this novel by Edna Buchanan and can't wait to read another.

The beginning of the novel opens with the discovery of an unidentified woman on the beach. As the story evolves, the woman is identified as Kaithlin Jordan, who was murdered supposedly by her husband 10 years ago. Surprisingly, Kaithlin's death will exonerate her husband RJ, who was now on Death Row for her murder. What ace reporter Britt Montero would like to find out is "Why" has Kaithlin returned years later...was it to save RJ (whose execution was only weeks away) or for some other reason? Regardless, Britt is on the trail and coming closer to the truth than investigators. Overall the story is fast paced and very entertaining. We follow the tale as we learn more about "where" Kaithlin has been for the past few years,"why" she left and "who & why" someone killed her. I don't think that you will be surprised who the killer, but it is interesting to see how Buchanan develops the plot and characters to the point that you do second guess yourself.

The only two criticisms that I have about the story are simple: (1)I think that the "romance" elements in the story were weak, and (2) the one secret left intact should have been revealed. Issue #1..the romance...in the beginning of the story Britt appears to be in a relationship with a police officer, but by the end, she is in a semi-relationship with Fitzgerald, or is she. Because Buchanan does not give a lot of information about either of them, you simply don't care. And I guess that because it is not a romance novel but a suspense novel, she did not see a need to build or expound on it. My argument then would be to "leave it out". Issue #2...the secret..since the whole death and subsequent investigation was related to the secret..why not tell the person involved. I thought that that was a little "cheap" and seemed to chip at the integrity of the whole story, but I lived with it. Overall, with those criticisms aside, I still felt comfortable with giving it a 5 and plan to read another Buchanan novel soon.

This book is a thrill ride -- a great mystery with some terrific plot twists. But, like the more recent ICE MAIDEN, it's also about more than murder. It starts with a murder victim who has a complicated relationship with her mother. Then there's the convicted killer whose relationship with HIS mother can only be described as tortured. Our heroine, Britt, finds that her mother, with whom she has a tense relationship at best, can offer insight into the case. There's another pivotal mother-child relationship that I won't go into because I don't want to spoil the plot twist. Read this book and you'll get more than a great mystery.

I can't believe that I have been reading as often and as many books that I have and never ran across her books before. I just finished "You Only Die Twice" in one day's time. I had purchased "Act Of Betrayal" from a library closeout and I liked it enough to buy this book. Now, I am searching for any and all of her books. I realize that there are a lot of Britt Montero, the reporter and that I will now be out of sequence, but that will not deter me. I intend to find them all.

This is my first Britt Montero Mystery by Edna Buchanan, and I'm hooked! The story involves a beautiful woman (naked at that) who washes onto a Miami beach, and for a while can't be identified. The police, and resourceful and beautiful reporter Britt Montero, know from the expensive jewelry, and finely tanned skin, and perfect nails this is no regular Jane Doe. Turns out she has already been reported murdered ten years ago, by her rich playboy husband who now sits on death row, and is two weeks away from the needle. Twists and turns in every chapter keep you turning the pages, and I couldn't help but be drawn in by Britt's first person narrative. I found myself finishing this book in two days, and staying awake late into the night to get to the final startling chapter! If you like fast reads, fun characters, and lots of twists this book is for you. I've already bought two more Britt Montero mysteries, and can't wait to read them!

This is probably the best book I have ever read about Angels. I strongly recommend everyone to read this book.

The book contains 15 chapters about Angels! These are not 15 chapters about Graham's thoughts on Angels, they are 15 chapters about what the Bible says about Angels. Graham adds stories and illustrations from his life and ministry to further demonstrate his point.

The book evaluates and answers questions such as:

Are they visible or invisible?
How are they different from people?
What do they do?
Are they for real?
Are they still around today?

While I cannot say for certain if I have ever seen an Angel, I believe in them because of the same reason Graham does. "I believe in angels because the Bible says there are angels; and I believe the Bible to be the true Word of God." (page 27)

Another interesting chapter was #13: Angels and Death. Believers in Christ do not need to fear death, however, it is natural for man to be afraid of the unknown. I think it is fair to say most people are a little nervous or apprehensive about death. It is comforting to know that Angels will be there to escort me to Heaven after my final breath. Those Angels that have been with me my entire life, will be there to take me to the Creator. That indeed is comforting to know.

I found this book very interesting and easy to read. This is the type of book that once you start reading, it is difficult to put down. However, you really should pause after each chapter to reflect on what Graham wrote.

Again, I highly recommend this book to everyone.

This book by Billy Graham on angels is based mainly on scripture with only a few real life examples. Graham admits early on that he has never seen an angel but that this book came about as a result of his own extensive bible study. Despite the lack of real life experiences the book is written well and is effective in bringing together all the scriptures on angels. Overall this book is an eye-opener to how powerful angels are, and that they are here to watch over and protect God's people.

Graham attempts to answer questions such as:
What do angels look like?
Do angels get married or have children?
How many angels are there?
Do we have guardian angels?
Do angels experience emotion?
Do angels take us to heaven?
What are the different types of angels?
How many archangels are in the bible?

Everything you ever wanted to know about angels Billy Graham has supplied in a very interesting way!!

Not ordinarily a Billy Graham reader, but in searching for information about Angels, this book kept coming up. I wanted FACTS not assumptions. I found them here.

I was comforted by the knowledge that I gained from this book. He points out Biblical facts in ways that I never looked at them before. A lot of the angel information is skimmed over, but he has really disected it and presents it in a layperson way.

I originally bought this book as a gift for a friend, but ended up purchasing an additional one for myself to have around the house in time of need.

I read this book over the weekend, and was totally engrossed in it. It tells about the personal accounts that people have with angels, and The Reverend Billy Graham really goes into an easy to read broad description on the subject of angels. I believe that angels do exist and this is a great spiritual and historical Christian book on angels. Well written and anyone who would want to read a great book on angels, this is the book

So far, the Hardy Boys have solved mysteries in and around their hometown of Bayport. Even more so, they always seem to enlist the help of friends such as Biff, Chet, Iola, and Callie. However, in book five of the series, the author takes a different approach.

The location of this story is "Big Sky" Country, AKA Montana. Fenton Hardy, father of Frank and Joe, has asked his sons to help him round up a gang of thieves who also seem to be implicated in a botched gold heist some 25 years in the past. The gold, while not stolen, has been missing ever since. Hence the set up for the adventure.

Personally, this book did not work for me as much as the previous four have. First, being on location in Montana, searching for hidden gold, allows this book to be more of a cowboy/western adventure than a good mystery. For those who like cowboy/western adventures you'll definitely like the story, I just don't care for the genre. Next, the supporting cast of characters have changed dramatically. There are no "chums" to help out and even their father has been nearly written out of the story delivering the occasional one-liner, such as "Be careful boys." The entire book rests with Frank and Joe. Finally, the book did not read as smooth as the others have. The plot was rather confusing with the introduction of several new characters. You almost had to keep notes as to who was who. The story does become smoother about halfway into the book.

The Hardy Boys are back with their fifth book! In this book the two boys are helping their father, Fenton Hardy, with his case in Montana near the Lucky Lode territory. When the boys arrive in Montana they find their father injured, but promise to help him catch the gang of crooks he's after. The Hardy Boys are also trying to find their friend Mike Onslow's hidden gold. Eventually, the boys catch the gang and find their friend's gold. If you like mysteries with action and suspense at every turn I highly recommend this book to you.

This book is about the Hardy's helping there father search for a gang trying to find gold. Some big events happen through this book. There will be some weird turns through this book.

Hunting for Hidden Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon is a sensational mystery of the Hardy Boys Series. This book is a pretty good all the way through. If you like mysteries, you will certainly like this book. If you like the Hardy Boys Series, this book is the best I've read so far. This is a very suspenseful mystery. That's why you should read this book.

Really, the only bad thing about this book is that it is kind of slow. If you don't like figuring things out, then you shouldn't pick up this book. If you really don't like thrillers or mysteries, than this book is not for you. I like this book, but that's my opinion.

At last the Joe and Frank Hardy and their father Fenton get away from Bayport for a mystery. I always thought Bayport must not be a very safe place with all the crime that seems to occur there. Anyway, the boys are wandering around in the fog near Bayport when they encounter an old man who was accidentally shot by hunters. The boys learn that the old man is Mike Onslow, who the boys were seeking because of his knowledge of the Lucky Lode area in Montana. Their father is chasing criminals in the area and he was hoping that Mike could provide information about where the crooks could be holed up.

Mike tells the boys about his time in that area as a gold miner. Mike and three other miners were getting ready to leave their claim when Black Pepper and his gang jumped them. One of the miners, Bart Dawson, had a plane nearby with the gold already on board. Bart slipped away and took off. When Black Pepper and his men followed Bart, the other three miners escaped from the cabin. The miners were supposed to meet up later to split the gold. However, Bart Dawson disappeared. Mike then drew the boys a map of the area.

The boys travel to Montana through Chicago. In Chicago, men posing as their father's associates kidnap them. After a harrowing escape and stupid actions on the part of the kidnappers, the boys were able to continue on their journey.

In Montana it appears their adversaries are ruthless, and their adversaries attempt numerous times to stop the Hardys from investigating their activities, including trying to kill the Hardy boys and their father. As the story proceeds, we learn that there may be someone telling the criminals about the Hardys' plans. Who can the Hardys trust? The boys also fend off assassins, a fall from a cliff, and a cave-in in their most harrowing adventure yet. All the while the boys and their father must discover the hideout of the criminals, and, as you have already guessed, where the gold from the plane is located and what happened to Bart Dawson.

The Hardy Boys face many mysteries and yet the author managed to clearly explain how the mysteries did or did not relate to each other. Each of the first five Hardy Boys mysteries were quick, enjoyable reads, and I would recommend them for children in the age range of about eight through whatever age the series holds their interest.

Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

This is one of the most disturbing revisions among the many rewritten Hardy Boys stories.

In the original, pre-1930 edition of this book, Frank and Joe do hunt for hidden gold, all right. But, they do the right thing: they head down to the Bayport County office to apply for gold-hunting permits.

In the recent past, we've seen the devastating consequences of inexperienced or unlicensed quail hunting. Why should gold be any different?

Well, the revised version sold here has Frank and Joe as shameless scofflaws, brazenly hunting for hidden gold without the proper permits. They are correctly described as wearing fuzzy hats with big earflaps, though, perhaps so as not to hear the wailing of approaching forestry ranger sirens.

Of course, I won't tell you whether they actually find the hidden gold for which they are hunting. However, one last thought: whose gold IS it, really?

Great point.

While the book was very enjoyable it did not keep my attention as the other books in the series have. Chet and Biff, mistakenly identified as Joe and Frank Hardy, have been abducted. The Hardy Boys spend the book searching for them, but their searches are very repetitive. They begin in Northport, then to Shantytown, then home to Bayport, back to Shantytown, another clue leads them to Northport, they run back to talk to the sheriff in Bayport who in turn sends them looking for more clues in Shantytown, not to mention a couple of runs out to "hermit island." The mysteries they solve along the way are minimal and the supporting cast of friends, including their relatives, take on a very minor role compared to previous novels.

Thus far each of the first three books in the Hardy Boys series has increased the drama and complexity of the stories. The fourth book raises the ante once again by having at least four, apparently different, mysteries.

At the beginning of the book the boys take their new boat, the Sleuth, out on the bay. While they are cruising on the bay another boat nearly rams them. They would have chased the boat but the steering on the Sleuth broke, and the boys ended up going around in circles. It turns out that the boat that nearly rammed them had a purpose for doing so, that we do not discover until the end of the book.

Soon after, the boys prepare to go to Callie Shaw's costume party. Frank likes Callie romantically and she is a recurring character in the Hardy Boys stories. They encounter another mystery as it appears that men in Mr. French's costume shop appear to be threatening Mr. French.

Returning home the boys frighten their Aunt Gertrude with their costumes. Aunt Gertrude is yet another recurring character in the series. Soon the boys are off to the costume party on their motor cycles. On the way they realize that the bank is being robbed. They follow the criminals until they lose them at the docks, where they hop into a boat and escape into the fog.

After notifying the Coast Guard, the boys gain permission from Chief Collig to search for the criminals in the Sleuth, but the boys discover the Sleuth has been stolen! The boys search for the bank robbers in Tony Prito's boat, the Napoli, but are unable to find them in the thickening fog. The boys return home, explain to their father everything they saw at the bank and during the chase, and then head out to the costume party.

The next day the boys awaken to learn that Chet Morton and Biff Hooper never made it home from the party. The boys not only have to learn who stole the Sleuth, but where their missing friends went, and who robbed the bank. As the story develops the boys learn that expensive radios that may have been stolen are turning up. Lastly, a hermit on a tiny island with a shotgun threatens the boys.

The Hardy Boys face many mysteries and yet the author managed to clearly explain how the mysteries did or did not relate to each other. Each of the first four Hardy Boys mysteries were quick, enjoyable reads, and I would recommend them for children in the age range of about eight through whatever age the series holds their interest. Though the Hardy Boys series is written in a relatively archaic fashion, as reading material for an increasingly younger audience they are excellent. The stories were once recommended for children ages 10 to 14. As children are exposed to more violence and seem to require greater levels of stimulation, the recommended age range has move to 9 to 12. I think any child capable of reading some of the challenging words in these books will enjoy them, regardless of how tame most of the action may be. Once a child has reached age 12 or so the stories may be of less interest, but given the combination of mystery and action, these books remain good safe choices for parents who want to know what their children are reading.

I liked this book because every page was interesting. I also liked that there was no confusing part in the story. Then I liked how the Hardy Boys help people with there problems. I also liked how every mystery they solve is very interesting

If your friends were named Chet and Biff, two questions:

1. Would you call them "chums?"
2. If they went missing, would you go looking for them?

Frank and Joe decide to do just that, and, as the cover picture hints, they use their dad's wonderful Chris Craft "woody" to do so.

I say again, if your friends were missing and you suspected that they were in the water, would you call them "chums?" I mean, isn't that the stuff they use as shark bait?

Anyway, lest you worry, this story does have a happy ending. And it's the first major platform for Fenton's "sister," Aunt Gertrude, to exercise gestures of discipline and control. Of course, we have only Fenton's word that "Aunt" Gertrude is, in fact, his sister. If Frank and Joe were real detectives, they'd head down to the Bayport Hall of Records as quickly as they could. While widower Fenton has every right to happiness, Frank and Joe are just the boys to insist that pops make an honest woman of Gertrude.

It's the decent thing to do.

Biff and Chet. Chet and Biff. Very, very different young men, but treasured by Frank and Joe. The same trip to the Hall of Records might reveal what their names were before they became Chet and Biff, too....

after Chet goes to a party and disappears, frank and Joe find a costume that looks like a sign to them.

The actual plot of this novel felt more than a little thin, puffed up with a great deal of extraneous information about Paul's and Spenser's childhoods, along with annoying descriptions of what everyone was wearing and what color their garments were. It isn't necessary for a writer to tell every detail about a character or his furniture or his drinks or his food. The story does pick up somewhat in the end, but not enough to save the book completely.

The characters are OK--no better than that. Paul is boring. Hawk is a minor figure in this book. The gangsters are OK, with the exception of Gerry who is quite good. Ditto for the atmosphere. Some of the dialogue is excellent, if not quite attached to the plot. Doing tricks and funny asides with the dialogue doesn't mask the thin nature of the story.

P.S. I did like the dog. She appears in subsequent Spenser novels.

I pick up Robert B. Parker whenever I want a solid plot that comes out of well-developed characters. Pastime is the follow up of "Early Autumn." Ten years after Spenser had rescued Paul from his inept parents, Paul's mother has gone missing, and he wants Spenser's help finding her. Their detecting leads them to believe she might be caught in the crossfire between mob figures who don't care if she gets hurt.

Spenser is a hound for truth, even if he could get killed looking for the answers. My only complaint with Parker's writing (and I'm nit-picking) is "he/she/I said," tags at almost every line. Although you never have to wonder who's speaking, you have to push the tags into the background to enjoy the otherwise seamless storytelling. Parker writes out of the depth of human character, and his stories always come out resonant.

I've read most of Robert B. Parker's books, and this is definitely one of the better ones. This novel is technically a sequel to an earlier novel called EARLY AUTUMN, but you don't have to read that book to enjoy this one.

The plot of this novel is nothing special, but PASTIME is unique because it reveals a lot of details about Spenser's early life. This novel also marks the first appearance of Pearl the Wonder Dog, who has appeared in many subsequent Spenser books. Parker obviously loves dogs, and the passages of this novel describing Pearl's behavior are very funny.

I'm not a huge fan of most of the Spenser books after 1990, but this is definitely one of the stronger ones. If you like Parker's writing style, you should find this book a lot of fun, and it's short enough to read in one sitting.

In this somewhat haunting note in the Spenser series, Paul Giacomin comes to Spenser asking for help in tracking down his mother, who has gone missing. Never the best of mothers - having often abandoned Paul to his own devices when he was younger, causing Paul to develop as a very neurotic youngster before Spenser took him under his wing in Early Autumn (as Paul says at one point "she used to literally hide under the bed . . . but I would find her") - Patty Giacomin had nonetheless kept in at least loose contact with her son through the years. However, when he had recently left several messages on her machine and then stopped by her house to find no one there, he became concerned. Spenser also suspects that Paul is seeking some resolution of the issues from his childhood, as he is now engaged to his significant other Paige and planning on marrying in the next year or so.

When Spenser begins investigating, he becomes concerned that he will learn something about which Paul would rather not know. Paul nonetheless insists on being involved every step of the way. Because of the nature of the investigation and the strain it puts on Paul, Spenser finds that talking about his own background and history to Paul helps distract the boy. (Up until now, much of this information has been a mystery to not only the characters, but also the reader.) Susan manages to get even more out of him. This makes for fascinating reading.

When Spenser's investigations lead to evidence that Patty's new boyfriend may have been involved with Gerry Broz, things begin to turn ugly.

This is a very revealing book, in many ways. We learn a great deal about Spenser; we learn a few things about Hawk. We see that Paul, despite all his hard work over the years, is inside still very much the insecure young boy yearning for his mother's affection and attention. We see some great interactions with Joe Broz and his son, Gerry - there are several very interesting parallels and contrasts which can be drawn between Joe Broz and Gerry's relationship vs. that of Patty Giacomin and Paul. Although Patty is not around by the end of the book, because of her dysfunctional approach to relationships (and as predicted by both Spenser and Paul in the book), I suspect this is not the last we will be seeing of her.

I have to say that my heart almost literally broke for Vinnie Morris, for the decision he had to make toward the end of the book. Vinnie may be a crook, but he is a crook with honor and I felt bad for him being put into the position he was in. I hope we'll see him again in the future, in a better situation.

A very strong recommend from me for any fans of Spenser, not to mention anyone who is a fan of a well-crafted action/suspense tale. I would also STRONGLY recommend that, if you are new to the series, you NOT start with this book; not that it necessarily would be impossible to follow the plot without having read the earlier books, but it would ruin some of the thrill of reading the earlier books and speculating on why Spenser is the way he is.

The beginning chapters of PASTIME used a dramatically different stye from previous books I've read in the Spenser series. As other reviewers have helpfully described, this one's personal, and as such, to me it felt warm and "homey" (though, after the first chapters, the Spenser/Hawk/mob grit got going with full guts and grandeur... then paused periodically for more cozy "cookie" breaks).

Loved the story opening featuring Pearl's entry into the Spenser/Silverman family. Parker has a knack for drawing dogs to life on paper, in their cuddly, lapping, mysterious ways. I have to admit that I love animals, and any story which realistically captures their caricatures usually has me hopelessly hooked.

In fact, pets work so well to draw me into a book, that I was shocked, yes, to read the concluding statement of a delightfully edgy-eloquent review on this novel. I was so impressed, I was ready to click the "Yes" vote, wishing I could click it repeatedly and have each mouse tap add to the tally. Then, oh my. I read the final statement in the review: "But I still hate that damn dog."

I could not do it. Couldn't click "Yes" on a review which ended with that comment. You have no idea how much conflict I felt, wanting so badly to praise and honor that review. But, to vote against a dog? Could not.

Also could not vote "No." The review was too exquisite, and to love or not to love a dog is not the question; it's a matter of taste and heart, not of reviewing talent, or of a review being helpful or not.

BIG sigh. I almost went into a rash of hives of "does not compute" with that click-or-not conflict.

Maybe this is a good place to note that I'm beyond impressed with the variety of customer review posts on Amazon, including many of the spitting, hissing ones. It's this priceless collection of contrasting opinions (some of them profound, most of them interesting) on products which brought me to Amazon's pages; it's what keeps me here (in addition to Amazon's entertaining, colorful, graphics lush, public-carnival atmosphere, of course).

That out of the way, I'll slip out of my moody reverie mode and continue on with a review.

Laughed out loud at the "Boink Brain" term Spenser used for Susan's ex, and a couple clips describing Pearl antics.

Had a difficult time connecting my habitual reading rhythm for a Spenser novel to the first scenes including Paul Giacomin. The mood of those scenes seemed like Spenser might have allowed a somewhat "in process" character, like a son in his late teens, early 20's, to work/write with him on the Paul parts. At first I felt a loss with the seemingly diminished spark, snap, and sizzle of Parker's style, though there were a few perky passages:

>> "I was sixteen," I (Spenser) said. "And she sat in front of me in French class."
"Sixteen," Paul said. "You had a childhood?" <<

Then I began to contemplate the significance of the title using the word "Pastime" which, beyond the obvious allusions to Parker's welcome and interesting inclusions of Spenser's personal history, hinted at how one passes his time (usually meaning personal, leisure, home-life time, a quality of which most P.I.'s do not possess in any card count, and certainly not in Spades). At that point, I almost achieved a consciousness-shift into the home-base of "duh."

What's more, after reading into the scene from which Paul was excluded, between Spenser and Vinnie Morris, I began to see what was happening with the subtled-down-syntax, the artistic demand of it. I enjoyed the warm humor around Vinnie's attempts to understand and reconcile Paul's (e-mo-tion-al) need to find and understand his mother, and Spenser's support of that process.

"She got something he wants?" (Vinnie's question)
"His past," I (Spenser) said.
Vinnie looked at me some more and tossed his foot some more.
"His past." Vinnie said.
I nodded.
"What the f... is that supposed to mean?" <<

In contrast to the ooie-gooie, warm-fuzzy personal parts in this one, the tense bar scene was all the more effectively enthralling, with Spenser, Hawk, Gerry Broze-and-bodyguards being brought up to and down from a sit-u-a-tion of guns-drawn-every-which-way. Vinnie, you done good with your timed entry and smooth actions there!

In fact, all scenes including Vinnie were an effective contrast to the increased personal lives drama in this # 18 Spenser offering. Possibly the most telling of these was Vinnie's difficulty attempting to understand (or NOT to understand?) Paul's need to find his mother (see quote above). Psychobabble not being a part of the gangster-mob-mystique, Vinnie's puzzlement around Spenser's concern for Paul's emotional struggle was comical. What? The kid's not in mortal danger, not playing for mortal stakes, and Spenser has dropped everything to help him find a worthless woman who doesn't want to be found?

As to Spenser's childhood info, I enjoyed all of it, especially the explanations he gave on why/how he became a good cook, and why he continues to cook for himself, which tied in perfectly to his unique but so appropriate childhood.

As to some of the more typical macho male machinations (yet even this one was warmed by Pearl's presence) I became deeply engrossed in the struggle-through-the-wilderness scene, the wet, drippy forest with a leg-wounded Spenser and domesticated Pearl making their slow, heavy, water-logged way away from the stalking, tracker-enhanced bad guys.

PASTIME was a rainy day heaven, raining every-which-way, from peaceful, to harsh-in-a-marsh, almost constantly throughout the plot, ... AFTER the Sunny Scene One with Spenser, Susan, and Paul's variation on Ozzie & Harriet, kid, dog, and picket-fence-in-progress, with the requisite pretty pitcher of iced-tea brewing in the house. Yeah, Susan was doing that! Also, with awkward intensity, she cooked a meal for Paul and Spenser; the concoction was some type of honey-marinated, chopped-up chicken.

Iconic dichotomies of Ideal Vs Real in this plot were prime, posed perfectly:

-- From the impotent face off of Ozzie Dear to Mommie Patty.

-- From Spenser's parenting of Paul paired off with Joe Broze's unsung, unplaced, bio-son, Gerry (contrasted to Joe's "true" son, Vinnie).

-- From the architectural "glory" of The Commons, Formal Gardens, Designer Parks, manmade (from tax-dollar-dues) ponds stocked with loons; to the some-pastimes-never-die, all-night-diner, coffee-and-pie-house, open-24-hours (featuring hard-cooked apples w/core pieces, but good cherries, and thick, heavy, white-porcelain mugs).

-- From the backdrop of a Capitol building glowing through the pinnacle of night, to "fragrant bums" covered in newspaper, shedding rain with cardboard tents:

>> To our left Beacon street went up the hill to the State House, its gold dome lit and visible from everywhere, its Bulfinch front pretending that what went on inside were matters of gravity and import. The wind that had, in the late afternoon, slanted the rain in hard as I left police headquarters, had died with the daylight, and the rain, softer now, came down in near perfect silence. <<

Having finished the book and reflected upon the unique style of PASTIME featuring an Ozzie side of Spenser being exposed to his favorite gangster types, confusing the heck out of them to the point of increasing the normal edges of comedy; I realized that I had enjoyed this book even more than I had thought, as I was skipping through the lighter read of it, even as it took place mostly in the rain (not in Spain; but in and around Boston).

Loved the ending scene with Spenser and Susan. I began marking passages to quote, but the marks wouldn't end until every word in the scene was included. So, I suppose you may have to read the book to get it.

With ongoing ruminations of respect for this fascinating series,
Linda G. Shelnutt

I couldn't finish this book. I'm sure Mr. Simon meant well by sharing the passing of his first wife...but it was too sad for my ears. Betty White also described the passing of her husband in her autobiography, but she was kind to her readers. Mr. Simon had raw emotions associated with the loss of his first wife and I felt it was too personal. The rest of the book was somewhat interesting but unclear. For example Simon uses a negative tone when describing Jerry Lewis. But Jerry Lewis was patient with Simon as a boss and J.L. was generous. Maybe Simon is too deep for me...I didn't like his writing style and I thought he seemed depressed.

It is taken as fact by some that Neil Simon is like a Woody Allen with slightly less talent. I think rather Woody Allen is like a Neil Simon with a lot less heart.

"Rewrites", published in 1996, is Simon's memoir of his early days as a playwright; from the late 1950s when he took advantage of some downtime between sketchwriting gigs to sit down at a typewriter and hammer out a three-act comedy, to 1973 when he was the toast of Broadway. It's not a straightforward autobio; Simon doesn't dwell much on his upbringing except in snippets. He doesn't rub sores or surprise you with his candor. But if you ever wondered what it was like to be a hitmaker, this is the book for you.

One reason Simon was such a success was his fear of failure stayed with him always. "I still hated opening night because it was such a public event," he writes. "Something like getting a letter of response from the girl you asked to marry you, only it's to be shown publicly on television or on the first page of the arts section of every newspaper in town."

Another reason? Because he is so funny. "Rewrites" brings this out, too, even when writing about the pain of writing. On a dead spot in "Little Me": "We hit a dry patch so arid you could lay a beach blanket on it." During a struggle to come up with a workable third act for "The Odd Couple": "Why don't we just do the first two acts and reduce the ticket prices by a third?" About working out a similar problem in "Prisoner Of Second Avenue: "We envied each other's abilities. He [director Mike Nichols] hated me for thinking of it and I hated him for making me think of it."

But "Rewrites", like the best Simon comedies, also carries a lot of heart, much of it in the form of his first wife, Joan. Marrying him before he was anyone, Joan foregoes an engagement ring and makes Neil buy a dog instead. Later, her unusual, slightly manic personality gave him inspiration for his first breakout success, "Barefoot In The Park" and then kept Simon from becoming another casualty of success. His description of Joan is reverent but playful, showing us a woman of quiet strength and inner beauty happy to share her husband's success but adverse to the spotlight, even of being photographed.

Usually when a memoir turns to love I skim the pages, but Simon makes it hard here, whether he's writing about wooing Joan at a summer resort or losing her to cancer. However painful or earnest his subject, Simon never loses his sense of humor. It's a surprisingly adept balancing act to observe even if you've seen his "Biloxi Blues."

Even if you aren't a big fan of his plays, and there's a few I don't care for, Simon makes his run of successes interesting by discussing the problems he encountered in their composition and staging. He also discusses movies he scripted in the 1960s and early 1970s, and the famous characters he met. Jerry Lewis pelted him with red cashmere giveaways while teaching him the value of writing tight, while Peter Sellers amazed him with his talent for wearing personalities and his out-of-left-field suspicion Simon was having an affair with his wife. No one really gets hammered, except maybe Simon himself writing about a rare flop, "The Star-Spangled Girl."

"Neil Simon didn't have an idea for a play this year but he wrote it anyway," Walter Kerr of the New York Times opines, a putdown Simon likes so much he repeats it twice.

Simon's attention to the words of his critics is an interesting revelation, as is his explaining various secrets to his successes. So loaded up are you, on that and Simon's vicarious ride along the Great White Way, you feel like you could go out and write a hit play yourself. That may be "Rewrites" greatest show of Simon's immersive mastery.

This is Neil Simon's humorous, touching, and overall delightful memoir. I was impressed at how he is able to describe his amazing success as a playright with modesty--he never boasts, he merely reports. His voice in this book is self-deprecatory and he is quick to point out his faults and mistakes, which is very endearing. He also lets us in on the struggles of writing for theater with a detailed account of writing and rewriting the 20-some drafts of his first play, and the many, many attempts to perfect the final act in the Odd Couple under intense pressure. His annecdotes are fascinating, and as an added bonus, they often include such prominent artists as Bob Fosse, Mike Nicholls, Walter Matheau, and Robert Redford, to name a few.

This book has so much heart. In part it's a love letter addressed to his beloved wife Joan. But this is also Neil Simon's love letter to the theater, and to New York City. And man, you read this book and he'll convince you that the theater is magic and that NYC is absolutely the place to be.

Born in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, growing up poor, without a book in the house, and beset by the insecurities of his father's frequent unpredictable abandonments, Neil Simon went on to be America's most popular and prolific playwright, winner of numerous Tony Awards and other honors for his touching and hilarious comedies.

The first three quarters of his memoir "Rewrites," leaves readers with much the same warm feeling as his plays. While he never deprecates his own talent, Simon is generous in giving credit to others - producers, directors, actors, even critics.

He never lost his wide-eyed joy and amazement at success and shares with readers the often arduous paths of plays that evolved in rewrite after rewrite, some requiring frantic writing stints after opening night.

It was his older brother Danny (himself a successful Hollywood writer) who started him writing routines for comics as a teenager and who prophesied, " 'You're going to be the best comedy writer in America.' "

This support was complicated by sibling rivalry and the younger brother's struggle for autonomy, which Simon does not dwell on although it was clearly painful. But Danny was also an inspiration for some of his brother's most famous characters - from his first play (and first success) to Felix in "The Odd Couple," a play based on his newly divorced brother's roomate relationship with another newly divorced friend.

Many, if not all, of Simon's plays found their inspiration in family situations or incidents among friends. "The Star Spangled Girl" grew out of an argument at a party between Paddy Chayefsky and an astronaut's wife. Simon, a liberal himself, had difficulty doing justice to the conservative woman. "I found I disliked her politics so much, I made her disagreeable."

Unhappy with the play, he persisted, encouraged by his longtime producer "Saint" Subber. "When you write something you like, the pages fly by. When you know it's not good, each key on the typewriter weighs about ten pounds and you need to see a chiropractor every morning."

But the play was a hit. Afterwards, Simon got drunk at the cast party and later, "I threw up everything I had eaten since the first day I started writing "The Star Spangled Girl." Nothing connected to that play stayed in my mind or my body." He vowed to his wife Joan that he would never again stage a play he didn't like.

Simon's memoir revolves around his marriage as much as his work. Joan was a quirky, stalwart presence unimpressed by money or fame but wholly supportive. Her dislike of Los Angeles and glitz kept Simon grounded in reality and she fiercely guarded the integrity of family life.

Simon's description of their first apartment and Joan's efforts with it are funny, heartwarming and illuminating. No wonder it lead to his smash hit "Barefoot In the Park." Joan was also an inspiration for "Jake's Women," and her amazing reaction to Simon's momentary bout with mid-life crisis became the impetus for "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers."

The book is colorfully studded with anecdotes of the eccentric, even bizarre behavior of show business people - Mike Nichols, who directed several of Simon's plays but never stopped requiring ego massages, George C. Scott, who briefly walked out on "Plaza Suite" because he was afraid of jinxing its success, Maureen Stapleton, Simon's favorite actress.

Simon is an affectionate writer with scarcely a bad word to say about anyone. The worst behavior is transformed into amusing foibles or at least balanced by praise for more attractive traits. Yet Simon seems honest, about himself as well as others.

Along with Simon's talent for humourous story-telling and the fascinating behind-the-scenes exploration of play evolution, part of this book's charm is Simon's awareness of his luck, his joy in his family and his career. But all this comes to a crashing halt with his wife's illness and death at age 40 which ends the book.

The last 50 or so pages are dark, confused and desperate, such a drastic change in tone, it leaves the reader floundering. Simon obviously felt this was a natural place to conclude but many readers will wish he had gone on to show how he emerged from that bleak time, how he healed and went on to forge a renewed life for himself and his young daughters.

and that is very high praise, since Hart's autobio is generally considered a stellar achievement. (I just loved it.)

I had had "Rewrites" on my bookshelf for a number of years, and just somehow never got around to it. Finally, one snowy weekend last month, I took it off the shelf and started reading. I loved it from the get-go -- it's simply one of the best memoirs ever written, IMO. (I've read a lot of autobios/memoirs, especially in my younger years, so I write with some knowledge in this area.)

I'll always remember that snowy weekend I spent "with Neil," and I'll also always remember how I ran to get the sequel, "The Play Goes On," on Monday. (That was also top-notch, but "Rewrites" was just a smidge better.)

Don't miss "Rewrites." It's a winner, it's a keeper, it's pure reading delight!

Most excellent writing. Use the steps in my daily spiritual life. Have used the book for workshops/meetings/sermons...she is a true spiritual guide! I often give this book to a number of friends. Mother Teresa truly exemplifies the life of Our Savior!

I bought this book about 6 years ago. It's one of those books that you pick up and cannot put down. I was totally enthralled with it from the first few pages and every chapter became more and more inspiring. I was not a Christian when I read this book, so it's not just for believers. Rather it is a book for those who long for something more in their lfe, to walk in a deeper yet more 'simple' way. All of the chapters such as the ones on prayer, love, faith etc touched me deeply and even though it's been several years since I read it, I would read it again most definately. I lent it to someone and have never been given it back. I may just have to buy it again! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

I am a devotee of Mother Teresa. I am not catholic. But I have been intrigued and drawn to her compassion, her mission and her determination. I have watched her move in the hightest political circles without compromising her mission and her message. This book has removed the rhetoric of all religions and exposed the essence of being a "Christ"ian.
The message is truly Simple. Our entrapments are what get in our way but she shows us ways to lighten our load and take the simple path.
This book is for anyone who wants to enrich their spiritual life and celebrate in action the words of their faith, regardless of your faith base.

The book is perfectly titled. Mother Teresa's biographical information is minimal and the book does not canonize her. Apart from introducing the thoughts of volunteers who work with the Missionaries of Charity, her own words are few. What we find are simple views of a simple path, and beauty in simplicity. This is not the story of a famous nun, it is the story of a way of seeing ones world and of living without self-focus. Mother Teresa, and those who work in the missions that she and others have established and conducted, convey an attractive invitation to service to others. The path has been set before us in the Gospels of Matthew (25:34-40) and Luke (10:30-37). This small volume contains no rancorous sectarian, philosophical, or theological arguments. The themes are peace, love, joy, and fearless devotion to the welfare of others. The simple path is well summarized in the words of St Francis of Assisi:
"Lord grant that I seek rather to comfort than to be comforted,
To understand than to be understood;
To love than to be loved . . ."
The book makes little mention of the opposing worldview, but I briefly will. The opposite worldview is the ever-popular celebration of slavery to self. There are, of course, many variations on this theme. One notices how offended, even angered, the culture of self can be when it is rejected, in this case by Mother Teresa. Articles and books have been published which denigrate her, and she has been called a hypocrite. I doubt she terribly cared. A sign on the wall of Shishu Bhavan children's home in Calcutta reads in part:
"People are unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered,
Love them anyway
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives,
Do good anyway . . .
The good you do will be forgotten tomorrow,
Do good anyway . . ."

Mother Teresa's mission and how she answered her calling shine through this as a great example for us to follow. What is revealed in this book is how we can each follow the simple path to peace in our own lives. Not having to sell all we possess and serve the poorest of the poor as she did, but in our own lives with those we meet. A few of the writings, including The Simple Path, are so moving to me, that I bought many copies of this book to give to others. What better gift could we offer someone than a path to peace? Hope you find it too.

Vows by LaVyrle Spencer is surprisingly well-written. The author obviuously did her homework because she describes the scenery of Wyoming and the various professions she portrays: stable owner, blacksmith, and carpenter both realistically and knowledgeably. The plot is decent if predictable.

Tom Jeffcoat is the newcomer in town, and he sets up his business running a livery and as a blacksmith. Emily Walcott, the daughter of his competition, Edwin Walcott, immediately despises him. Emily is a spunky tomboy who prefers helping her father in his stable to the domestic work waiting at home. Her mother, Josephine, is dying of consumption and has invited her cousin Fannie to help take care of her family. Because of unrequited love for Edwin, Fannie has seen neither Josephine nor Edwin since the day they married. Emily is expected by all to marry the family's long-time friend, Charles Bliss, but she wonders if she feels about him the way a woman is supposed to feel about the man she is to marry.

Despite the good writing and good premise, I had a hard time getting into this book; it took me a couple chapters to become interested. My interest didn't last. Halfway through the novel, I became bored. The story was predictable, which isn't necessarily bad, but the book seemed to just drag it out. By the time the characters reached a resolution at the end, I didn't care about any of them, except for maybe Charles. The whole thing became predictable, boring, dull, and tedious to read. I was glad when it was over.

I loved this book.
In the end i was happy that Emily and Tom were finally together but Charles...Oh poor Charles! I really liked him. Although i could see if Emily married him it would be a disaster but still i hated to see him heartbroken. Towards the end the scenes between Charles and Tom were THE highlight of this novel. i liked the way their friendship grew and how they became best of friends in a few days. i liked it almost as much as the romance between Emily and Tom,and that is saying a lot.
The romance was awesome! The way their haterade toward each other transformed into attraction and then finally into love was something Spencer can do much better than any other author. And the way they tried to hide their attraction toward each other by flaunting their hatred was cute!
And that closet scene was ummmm.....Yummy! The buildup and of sexual tension between these two before this scene made it so much more than just a simple kiss. It was almost like they just had to have a taste of each other to remain sane!
The scene, when Tom and Emily told Charles about their love,was so intense. i almost hated Tom amd Emily for doing this to their best friend and fiance. I like that Spencer didn't make Charles to be a cold unlikable fellow just to avoid the uglyness of hearbreak in the end. It made the story all the more real.

Lavyrle Spencer is one of my favorite writers and while I don't think of Vows as being her best book and I didn't hold on to it for my keeper shelf I did think it was a pretty good book full of good characters like Emily and Tom and Emily's family and friends but I do agree that her dorky friend Tarsi was very annoying. I would recommend Vows to fans of Lavryle Spencer who haven't read the book. I actually listened to the audio cassette which was read by Mary Crosby and I would recommend it to anyone who likes to listen to audio books. BTW: Mary Crosby is an actress and she played Kristen on Dallas and she is also the daughter of singer/actor Bing Crosby.

I love this book so much that I constantly pick it up and read over and over. Ever since I read this book, I've become a LaVyrle Spencer fan. She does such an amazing job of describing the characters and the two main characters are so perfect for each other. I could just imagine the love, devotion, and fascination for each other. Tom...*gasp*...sounds so hot and his pursuit of Emily and her love just did it for me. And Emily is such an independent and caring woman, not like alot of heroines who just grovel after the men. Beautiful book.

Yes, the romance is steamy between Emily and Tom. Yes, there is the angst-filled torment for the lovers which can be headily enjoyable. Sure there are complications in the forms of fiancees, family obligations, and lack of support from friends and family, but I found that the story was rather predictable and the characters not terribly strong. I would recommend this book to die-hard Spencer fans and certainly not as an introduction to the author.

This is the third time in a little over a year that I am reviewing a book by William Browning Spencer. This time the book in question is THE RETURN OF COUNT ELECTRIC. This volume is a collection of short stories. During their original publication these stories prompted Roger Zelazny to declare Spencer the premier short story writer of the decade.

While Zelazny may have been right that Spencer's stories are very well crafted and written, his earlier books left me unprepared for this collection. What really threw me about this collection was that I made it from cover to cover without encountering any elements of science fiction or fantasy. I did, however, encounter madness. As evidenced in his novels, Spencer has a knack for getting into the minds of the deranged and obsessed. In one amusing story we are treated to the rantings of a man convinced that his wife is having an affair with Stephen King and feeding him plots.

So, while this book cannot technically be called science fiction or fantasy and resembles horror only in the most tenuous ways I was still a very appealing book. Despite the lack of SF trappings, Spencer's writing still remains as captivating as in RESUME WITH MONSTERS or ZOD WALLOP. So if you enjoyed either of those books, then you might want to take a gander at this one.

Run out and grab all his books you can. He is not a prolific writer, and some of them have been out of print for a while. Zod Wallop is an elegiac meditation on love and loss with fantastic elements adding mood and atmosphere. I have read it several times, and each time find something new to move me.
You must also read "Resume with Monsters" a scary and hilarious story involving Cthulhu in a modern cubicle workplace. Like Dilbert, but only Dilbert can see what is happening, and no one else believes him and thinks he is crazy.

Having read and loved Spencer's previous novel, the critically acclaimed Resume with Monsters, I thought he'd be hard pressed to match that effort. I can happily report that I was wrong--his follow-up, entitled Zod Wallop, is a thoroughly engaging, very wise dark fantasy, reminiscent of such modern classics as Jonathon Carroll's Land of Laughs.

The tragic death of his daughter Amy sends Harry Gainesborough, the author of several popular children's books, into a depression so deep it destroys his marriage. Gainesborough is so despondent that his agent, Helen Kurtis, has him committed to Harwood Psychiatric. There, Gainesborough is instructed to deal with his feelings by writing. The product of this therapy is a very dark book called Zod Wallop, where, contrary to tradition, evil triumphs over good.

The original manuscript is stolen and presumably destroyed by Raymond Story, a fellow patient and rabid fan of Gainesborough's work, who finds the book too disturbing for general consumption. At first outraged by the theft, Gainesborough eventually accedes to Raymond's fervent pleas to rewrite the book. The second version is less morbid, and later becomes a huge best seller. Raymond embraces this version, eventually coming to believe the events recorded inside actually occurred.

Gainesborough finishes his treatment, and retires to his country estate, desiring only to be left alone. His solitude is disturbed, however, by Raymond and a ragtag bunch of inmates who have just escaped from Harwood. Raymond seeks "Lord" Gainesborough's assistance in protecting the "Ice Princess" (in reality, Raymond's wife, Emily, who is catatonic) from the evil Lord Draining.

Gainesborough's initial reaction is to humor Raymond until he can be returned to Harwood. But suddenly, the landscape of his reality starts to shift--people start saying things right out of his book, and he encounters strange creatures who only exist in the world he created. Puzzled, he decides to accompany Raymond in search of answers, unaware that he and his new companions are being tracked by Roald Peake, doppleganger to Lord Draining. Peake wants to capture and study the group, who all received illegal doses of Ecknazine, an experimental drug which might be causing reality to warp.

Zod Wallop is a well written, thoughtful book, full of surprises. Spencer is careful to provide several possible reasons for the impossible events he describes. Is Raymond a mutant? Did Gainesborough's extreme grief give his creations life? Did the Ecknazine create some kind of mass delusion so powerful it is now affecting even those who didn't take it? Whichever reason you choose, it will not diminish your enjoyment of the book. The "reasons" behind the events of the story are ultimately unimportant--they exist only to launch an enthralling flight of fantasy nicely suited to more modern, cynical tastes. Spencer is an excellent storyteller. Listen to what he has to say.

The inevitable comparison that Zod Wallop brings to mind is to Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs. Both novels revolve around a children's book that is directly affecting the lives of the other characters. The approach that the two authors take to the subject is quite different--Carroll, even in his first novel, drifts around the fantastic, never quite making it real, preferring to define his characters by the world of which we know. Spencer embraces the fantastic, so much so that it is hard sometimes to tell where the "real" world and the fantastic world come together. If one thinks of this balance between the real and the fantastic as a see-saw, in Carroll's world the heavier child is the real world, and vice versa in Spencer.

Harry Gainsborough wrote books for his daughter, Amy. His books were so good that they were published and became well-loved children's books across the world. But when his daughter drowns in a freak accident, he enters into a depression so severe that his agent checks him into a psychiatric ward. In the hospital, the therapist suggests that he write another book--hoping that the creative process will lift him out of despair. Instead, the book that he writes, Zod Wallop, is a bleak, dark novel--the kind of children's book that the Wicked Witch of the West would have written.

Zod Wallop is also Harry Gainsborough's most popular novel, more popular even than Bocky and the Moon Weasels or The Bathtub Wars. Children the world over love Zod Wallop, but none more so than Raymond Story, who read it while a patient at the Harwood Psychiatric Hospital. Raymond, who almost drowned when he was 8, sees his near-death experience as a link to the author of Zod Wallop. Raymond, who when he came across the first draft of Zod Wallop, destroyed the dark, original version that Harry had written. Or had he just hidden the book?

Lastly, William Browning Spencer's Zod Wallop is about the drug, Ecknazine, administered by Marlin Tate to a group of patients at the Harwood Psychiatric who had extremely rich imaginative lives. The goal of Tate's experiment was to enable telepathic communication, but the drug did something else, something much more strange than telepathy. The drug enabled Zod Wallop to come to life.

Spencer's novel is a complex knot of these three stories, moving at a reckless pace towards the conclusion. Zod Wallop is not a predictable book--it steadfastly refuses to toe the line of any one genre, going through thriller, fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mainstream in the course of its pages. I would not call it slipstream either, because it doesn't have a singular consistency of vision. The point is that it works, and in straight comparison to The Land of Laughs, it works better, because it works towards a resolution--one much more rewarding than Carroll's first effort. Spencer still has some honing before his prose is as sharp as Carroll's, specifically the Carroll of Bones of the Moon or After Silence, but Zod Wallop shows that he has the imagination and skills to be in the same league.

I read William Browning Spencer's "Resume with Monsters" and was quite impressed. Here is an author who knows how to combine quirky plots, horrific elements, and great character development into a seamless blend of grand entertainment. Why this guy is not sitting on the bestseller's list is a mystery of the highest order. Several of his books are not even in print anymore, another crime that needs a remedy as quickly as possible. Fortunately, public libraries often save the day when one looks for out of print material. His books are magical in that once read, they stay with you forever. This may be due in part to Spencer's habit of pouring himself into his stories. The familiarity shown in both "Zod Wallop" and "Resume with Monsters" with psychological problems and the difficulties of coping in modern society give hints into the author's knowledge about such unpleasant incidents.

Harry Gainesborough wrote a book called Zod Wallop after the death of his daughter Amy. The tragedy of his daughter's demise sent Harry into a tailspin, requiring a short stay in a mental asylum. A psychologist in the institution recommended Harry continue writing as a means of therapy, so Harry continued to work on Zod Wallop during his hospital stay. But the book he wrote while incarcerated took on a much grimmer, more dangerous tone than your everyday children's story. The characters in the land of Zod Wallop began to resemble some of the other patients and doctors in the ward. There are characters that bear a striking resemblance to Harry's literary agent. The problem comes when there are real life people who resemble the evil characters in the book because Zod Wallop is more than a book; it has the potential to become reality.

Harry is now out of the hospital and living alone in an isolated cabin. Amy's death still troubles him greatly, but he manages to get through each day until a triumvirate of patients from the mental institution arrives on his doorstep. Led by the over exuberant Raymond Story, this gang of miscreants includes Rene, a troubled but beautiful young girl; Emily, Raymond's new wife and a total invalid; and Allan, a man plagued with fits of violent rage. Joined by Lord Arbus, a monkey, the group tries to involve Harry in their quest to go to Florida where a showdown with the evil Lord Draining awaits. As Harry and his literary agent take part in Raymond's seemingly delusional odyssey, reality starts to warp on an increasingly disturbing level.

There is a perfectly (well, maybe) rational explanation for the strange encounters endured by Harry and his friends. Two executives from rival pharmaceutical companies take a significant interest in these escaped asylum inmates. The reasons are best left unsaid here, but it is safe to say that it involves something both men want very badly for research and development. As it turns out, Harry and his friends shared something special, albeit slightly sinister, during their residence at the hospital. As the executives take up the hunt, they too end up becoming a part of the fantasy of Zod Wallop.

I enjoy how Spencer deftly blended reality with the looming world of Zod Wallop. The reader never knows what is coming down the pipeline in this book. One minute everything seems to be going great, the next minute brings an attack by a Ralewing. A mundane trip to a convenience store turns into a mind-blowing experience with the full force of Harry's past. The conclusion of the story witnesses startling revelations, total immersion in the world of Zod Wallop, and closure for Harry and his ex-wife.

Spencer's book is a real hoot. This guy has a phenomenal imagination along with the ability to write engaging prose. Again, it is difficult to imagine why he is not considered a preeminent author. Both "Resume with Monsters" and "Zod Wallop" is enough to place Spencer head and shoulders above most of the drivel passed off on the public today. For those seeking a whimsical romp through the realms of unreality, Spencer is the man.

If you love dogs, this is a must read. If you don't love dogs, you might by the end of this book. There are so many heartfelt stories. My favorite is the one about Bloodlines. Volunteering with the local animal shelter really makes you appreciate people who believe in the same things that you do.

Most of the stories in this book "hit home" with me and I found myself saying "I've had that experience with my dog(s) - I could have written that". Some stories were a little long, just a few I found not as interesting. A good read for dog lovers.

If you are a dog lover this should be required reading it is such a great book! It is a little treasure of great writing from some of the best writers ever....I wanted this book to last forever I enjoyed it so much!

This is a book that is easy to carry with you and the stories are just the right length to read while waiting (for anything). I could relate to many of the stories.

There's a lot in this book for dog owners--namely, 42 stories on some aspect of dog. Some of the information is factual, but most has to do with relationships--dog to person and dog to dog, the former being much more prevalent. Most any dog owner would gain something of value from this book.

I like the stories from Caroline Knapp, Alice Elliott Dark, and Bonnie Jo Campbell the best. Knapp's and Dark's stories are serious and compelling. Campbell's story about her dog Roscoe, who she comes to believe is a reincarnation of her former and erstwhile fiancé Oscar, is hilarious. The ties between the two are numerous. Even the dog's shortened ear (frostbite) is linked to Oscar's untimely and embarrassing demise.

My pick of three female authors should not be considered unusual in that most of the stories in this book are by females ("A dog is woman's best friend"). Most, also, are about medium- to large-sized dogs. Labs and herding dogs (blue heeler or cattle dog, Border collie, kelpie, and German shepherd) get the most ink.

If you're like me, meaning you often don't do what trainers recommend, you should find some comfort in instances where an owner didn't do what trainers recommend, and things turned out okay. Amusingly, one owner and her dog celebrated their graduation from training by going home and climbing onto the sofa, something the dog had been forbidden to do during the twelve-week training course. The story's message is two-fold: Loving your dog the way you wish is sometimes more important than rules. And since dogs are infinitely variable, what works with one may be useless or even counterproductive with the next.

Many of the owners in this book seem to have dogs who sleep with them religiously. My dogs never have. The closest I've come has been a miniature schnauzer, but even she had her limits and often baled sometime during the night. My current dog's routine, which matches that of the dog before her, is to stay with me until I stop reading and turn off the light. Then she's off to her familiar haunt--a fabric-covered chair near the front door (a nice arrangement, however, for the nights we forget to lock the front door). What these other owners have that I don't I can only wonder. Less body odor or perhaps--we're talking dog here--more?

(I'm giving the book five stars even though I found the formatting (justified, double-spaced text in two columns) at the start of each chapter irritating.)