Stone Books

Unusual science fiction. The story line moves to fixate one's interest throughout the entire book.

Although i'm generally not a reader of fantasy, Eva Gordon took me on a a mythological journey from a Nazi concentration camp to a different realm of imagination. Watching the main character Sophie transform into another realm was not only fascinating and unusual but mind-boggling as she enters a magical dimension that could be equal to the world she left behind.
A very different read for me but I enjoyed Ms. gordons work immensely and I'm glad i changed my own literary scenery.

Kate Genovese
author of "Two Weeks Since My Last Confession"
www.kategenovese.com

Review for The Stone of the Tenth Realm
By Beth Touchette

In C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy escape refugee life in World War II England and enter a beautiful, magical kingdom. As powerful princes and princesses, they face and eventually overcome the same evil forces terrifying them in London.

I still love to read about allegorical battles and mythological creatures, but as a forty-four year old, I also like adult humor, romance, and ambiguity in my literature. Eva Gordon's The Stone from the Tenth Realm is Narnia for multicultural grown-ups.

The story begins in a Nazi concentration camp. Sophie Katz's existence is a grey blur of well-researched misery.

Then, Sophie's grandfather, who is gifted in Kabblalistic Jewish magic, constructs Sophie's escape. Like the transition in Wizard of Oz, Sophie is transported from out of the monochrome haze of war time Europe to the Technicolor forest of the Tenth Realm. She meets talking ravens, trolls, and dwarves. All the characters are described with adult thoroughness. I was surprised at how much the book taught me about wolf and raven biology.

Sophie's tender yet erotic love scenes with a Scottish werewolf made me happy that I was not in Narnia anymore.

Like the characters in Narnia, however, Sophie soon realizes that she will have to battle a parallel form totalitarianism in the Tenth Realm as the Nazism in Europe. Luckily, she has the love of a good man/wolf, the friendships of dwarves and wizards, and her own gift of alchemy to help her.

"Stone Pillars" by Judith K. Parker is a book of poetry about the first seasons of the television show, "Xena: Warrior Princess." The poems here focus, as the show did in its early years, on the multi-layered, complex relationship between the lead characters. But you don't need to have ever seen those shows to understand this book. Parker's verse is always accessible - inhabited by three-dimensional people whose emotional lives we not only understand but care about. Her imagery is strong and her wit is subtle.

Writing poetry about cultural work in another medium places Parker's book in the tradition of "Pictures from Brueghel," William Carlos Williams' Pulitzer Prize-winning book from the early sixties.

These are thoughtful, searching poems. They don't strain for effects and so are all the more moving when, again and again, they touch on the emotion being contemplated by their subjects. The emotion is often love, and Judith Parker has much to tell us about how painful and how necessary this is to us through the words of her characters.

Equally impressive is her command of her medium. Subtle rhythms preserve the sense of a human voice speaking each poem, yet ensure that each word packs its full weight of meaning on the page. Judith Parker's masterly management of her verse, and her discriminating deployment of language, ensure that these poems are ones which anyone can savour.

Known to her online fans as "Wishes", Judith K. Parker is one of the most prolific and talented writers to emerge from the Internet publishing arena. Equally proficient at writing prose or poetry, skits or parodies, Judith has built a reputation for her incredibly sensitive commentaries on the human condition and an economy of language in her writing style that makes every sentence count - every scene, every allusion come to life. STONE PILLARS is an extraordinary collection of some of the best poems by this marvelously talented poet including the piece which gives the collection its title and which has long been a personal favorite among Judith's fans. Even readers whose tastes do not normally extend to poetry will find themselves turning the pages here, riveted by the simple honesty and quiet impact of these beautifully crafted poems. A true delight, STONE PILLARS gets my HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!

I've been a fan of Ms. Wamsley's works for a number of years. She is like a seductive vampire offering you a glimpse of your own fate, with no chance of immortality; like a goddess demanding a sacrifice she opens you up to her own unique world.

Genius never tasted as delicious, nor did it ever burn quite as much as what she leaves on your plate.

Gritty, sexy, in your face evocative.

I ordered this book a while back. Unfortunately, I had a huge pile of books to read before I got to it.

Much of Wendy's writing, like her life, is raw.

It's truly amazing to read what someone you lived with for the first 13 years of your life has written. Subtle references, borrowed images and an almost tangible feeling of underlying dread--these are the things I experienced when reading this book.

Life isn't like a romance novel--and in our case, it is quite the antithesis. Life is unkind and hard and just below the surface, it makes you raw.

I guess it doesn't matter if that was her intention or if that is anyone else's interpretation. It's what I felt. And it's a rare book that makes me really "feel".

Good job, sis.

-Kevin Henline

The book is very interesting. The characters are Xanantos, Demona, Goliath, Hudson, Broadway, Bronx, Brooklyn, Lexington, and Elisa. I'de rate it at 20! You'll love it. Read read read. Get a used copy.

This is a great book about the hit TV Disney series "Gargoyles". It's not the usual Disney tone which makes it more unique and fascinating. They are defenders of the night waking up in Manhattan after being in stone sleep for a millenium. You definitely should read this book.

From medievel Scotland to modern-day America a clan of Gargoyles learns a new way of life, one that is completely different from the one they left and hard to comprehend. With the help of their human friend, Eliza Masa, they learn to adapt. The book is faithful to the tv cartoon series, as are the illustrations depicting the Gargoyle clan.

This book was written in clear language. It was helpful to me as a novice.

Aaron Shepard is a generous contributor to the field of Reader's Theatre. This book is no exception. It's well-laid out and chock-full of interesting scripts. I've recommended to several folks interested in RT.

This book is formatted so easily, it took me MUCH less time than I thought it would to prepare a unit on reader's theatre for my class. I used it for my high school theatre class so they wouldn't have to concentrate on large vocabularies, but rather to deliver the story in a simple, easy way. It was a HUGE success of a project and this book made it possible. It tells you how long each story is, what cast you'll need, and what reading level it is!! Yay!!!
The stories themselves are entertaining (even for high school!!!), compelling, and really fun to work with. I am SO grateful I ordered this!

Stone's Strategies provides an excellent overview of brief pastoral counseling. This single resource provides enough of both theory and practice to inform readers about this type of pastoral care. I highly recommend this readable resource.

Don't be misled into thinking that just because you counsel people briefly that you are practicing brief counseling. Brief Pastoral Counseling is a methodology for empowering others to create their own solutions, and in so doing, to begin to take charge of their own life. If you are tired of trying to give people answers and having overly dependent relationship with church members, then study this book.

Many pastors do indeed provide brief pastoral counseling. I know I do. Often you don't even know you're providing counseling until your in the middle of it. Stone's book helps prepare pastors for this reality, even to embrace it. This is a great book to read if your idea of counseling has been primarily shaped by longer term forms of therapy and/or psychotherapy.

Many folks get the short end of things, born into a bad home, or with a health problem. Latter we can develop addictions or perhaps other serious psychological problems.

A simple answer, the traditional one, is that God knows what is best for us and our situation is what is best for our salvation. So, be happy in you handicap or addiction and go home?

Groeschel is far more healthy and holistic that that. Folks with big problems when they are young can quickly develop a host of related problems and even resentment toward God. Groeschel is faithful to, and integrates his two disciplines very well. Both his understanding of the wounded heart/mind and the understanding of the wounded soul. He uses experience of both together to help heal the reader when an emphasis on either alone would be ineffective. It is unique and powerful healing program that neither shirks the spiritual or psychological aspects but uses robust understanding of both to bring healing and wholeness to those who may feel overwhelmed.

Adult children of abuse, twelve steppers, those with health problems or even those who just do feel like they fit in will find in this book easy to follow step-by-step path to wholeness. Like all of Groeschel's books they transcend his Catholic Tradition, they are valuable tools for all looking for healing no matter what their background.

I would recommend this book not only for readers looking to help them selves but also those who minister to or work with clients with serious problems. Its complete approach is the best thing out there to help the "wounded."

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, a Franciscan friar and author of "The Courage to be Chaste", attempts to give some spiritual answers to a few psychological issues. His basic thesis is that human psychological situations often considered stumbling blocks, can be changed into stepping-stones on the road to holiness. Our change of attitudes combined with Divine grace could be the means of change. He illustrates it with examples from real life situations through his personal experience of working as a psychologist and a spiritual director. It is a valuable book for anyone struggling with interior personal obstacles to growth in holiness.

I am no fan of self-help books, but when I saw it was written by Fr. Benedict Groeschel I hastened to buy it. This book is a treasure! I enjoyed it and got more out of it than even his most famous book Arise From Darkness. Each chapter is written in a conversational way, addressing a set of issues that I think everyone faces at one time or another. The chapter covering the Love of God treats not only that we love God but also knowing and accepting on a deep level that God loves us. That may sound like a simple fact that everyone of faith knows, but this chapter made me truly realize the depth of His love. All this ties directly into forgiveness and charity. My own experience was remarkable: I started each chapter thinking, "This doesn't apply to me at all." Then something in it would hit me squarely between the eyes. There are great insights in each chapter, as well as sound, step-by-step advice on how to overcome common problems.

Aside from the rich content, Fr. Groeschel's writing style is very captivating. His New York sense of humor made me homesick, and I found myself smiling at many of his quips (and seeing myself in the picture all too often)! Here is one example I particularly loved:

"Pride sneaks down into the bottom of our soul. It makes us believe that we are something more than a creature. Pride makes us demand the things that are God's. It says, 'I will not serve,' or, 'I will serve, but only under these circumstances,' or, 'I am willing to do everything you want, God, but could I make a suggestion? I'll carry the cross, but preferably something with wheels on one end, and a nice little shoulder pad.'"

And so, I heartily recommend this book for anyone and everyone. It's disarmingly straightforward and very much on target. I would suggest reading this book first, if you haven't ever read anything by Fr. Groeschel. Or, if you've read a great deal of his work but missed this earlier book, be sure not to pass it up--again I say it is a treaure!

Over the last year there was an extensive display of "outsider" art at the Kohler Art museum in Sheboygan Wisconsin. I was fortunate enough to be there when the exhibit was on and went back three times to take in all the details of the exhibit. A subset of the larger show is still on display.

I have also gone to several of the art locations in Wisconsin to experience the artworks first hand. This book goes a long way to capturing these artists and their work.

Outsider art [if that is the correct term] is art created by common folks rather than professional or semi-professional artists [if that makes sense]. Their art is unusual, rustic in some senses and folkish. This book catalogues some of the more interesting artists and their work.

The locations stretch from Fred Smith's concrete garden in Phillips Wisconsin to Nek Chad's vast works in India. The types of art range from Nick Engelbert and Fred Smith's concrete statues to sequined houses to Emery Blagdon's strange wire and wood "healing machines" to the huge Evertron of Dr Evermore in Sauk County Wisconsin.

Look any of these people up on the web and you will begin to get the idea as a thorough review and description would result in a review as long as the book.

The book is very well done and of excellent quality. It is a book that you can spend hours reading and perusing.

If you are - do NOT miss planning a drive to or a drive by some of the sites described in this comprehensive collection. The authors have extensive experience and firsthand knowledge of these artists' exuberant installations and come by their enthusiasm from a deep empathy and masterful understanding of these self-taught, self-driven artists. Bring your camera. Bring your notebook - you WILL be inspired. If you're not going to this neck of the woods any time soon - not to worry, this book will give you an excellent and in-depth overview of Raw Art, Art Brut and whatever else you want to call these projects made by mostly hobbyist retired farmers and other non-artsy fartsy folk artists scattered throughout the nooks and crannies of the subject area. Prepare to be wowed by the sheer force of will of these often times whimsical visionaries. That they called into being representations of their often time hidden passions and inspirations until they had some time on their hands is what this is all about. That they accomplished more artistically in their sunset years than many trained artists do in a lifetime is cause for celebration. This is book is just that - a celebration of raw inspired vision as it manifests on the landscape - in between barns and villages here and there. Sort of artistic cheese curds - a little uncultured, but tasty nonetheless. Uniquely Wisconsoian. Inexplicable - but carefully documented here.

This is essentially a catalogue of the permanent collection at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. We had the good fortune to visit and see the collection and decided, after leaving, to buy the book. The book is beautiful and the photographs and essays are excellent. They should make anyone who sees the book want to go visit the museum to experience the exhibits.

I like super fast out of controll because it is funy when he yells at his sister. She is afrade of lighting and she always
wants to play unicorno. You should read it because it is a really, really, really good book!! By Jake

The newest Marvin Redpost series book does not disappoint its faithful followers. Marvin again gets himself into a sticky situation-- this time he manages to get dared into riding his new mountainbike down Suicide Hill and it's a bike that he can hardly fit on top of. Stick with Marvin through the story and learn how he always seems to come out on top!

How does Marvin Redpost get himself into these situations? The talk around school is that he's got a new mountain bike and is going to take on Suicide Hill. Truth is, Marvin can hardly even climb onto the bike, no less ride it. If he actually survives the ride, he'll be the most popular boy at school. If he wimps out, he'll never be able to show his face again. And if he challenges the hill and loses, his friends and family may get to watch the worst wipeout, ever. Poor Marvin is scared to death and doesn't know what he's going to do..... Louis Sachar has written another charming and amusing story your 7-10 year olds will really be able to identify with. This is a story full of great, realistic scenes, true to life dialogue and characters, so real, they could live in your neighborhood. And as Marvin decides whether to take that fateful trip down Suicide Hill or not, your youngsters will be rooting for him. Mr Sachar and Marvin never disappoint and they're not starting now.

My son (7 yo) really enjoyed this book - the whole series is terrific.

This is a great book based on the original Arthurian legend. If i could, I'd give it more than 5 stars. Arthur is given to Merlin by Uther Pendragon and is raised by Sir Kay. When his "brother" forgets to bring his sword, Arthur...if I said anymore, it'd get carried away and I'd give away the ending.

Although the language is a little advanced for early readers, the story is very tellable. There are many threads to this story that come to life through the illustrations. The story is told in an interesting, dynamic way that gives pause for wonder, such as the conversation between Sir Ector and his son Sir Kay. Their personalities come through and we can appreciate the types of men they are. Another moment is when Merlin plans the timing for Arthur to draw the sword from the stone. When, asks Arthur. "After all have tried and failed, whenever that may be," replies Merlin.

A dynamic painting of a tournament with thundering hooves, flying pennants, and lances at the ready illustrates perfectly our idea of a medieval joust. The illustrations seem cinematic in that they always shift the viewpoint. Now we see the action from street level; in the next picture we view a crowd scene from above. We are comfortable with such shifts from movies and TV.

The illustrations evoke "chivalrous" ideas. The son, grieving that he has to leave his father's house, rises bravely to Merlin's bidding in a sequence that culminates in the "Youth Triumphant" painting, when the young Arthur raises the sword over his head. The idea of "chivalry", respect for one's elders, telling the truth, and being brave is well interwoven and are excellent topics to discuss with children.

The final picture, the crowned Arthur dressed in white and gold, holding the sword in his hands under the white blossoms of a tree, is such an archetype of the young, white hero that it verges on the comical. But I have to remember that this is a children's book, and mine will get enough of my cynical views when he's ready for it, later.

I recommend this book for 6 and up. The young ones will love to be read to, and the older ones will enjoy reading it.