Wilson Books

We only recently found out that all our copies of The Count of Monte Cristo were abridged. We checked this out of our local library and liked it so much we bought a copy for our home library. The type setting is very readable and best of all, it's not abridged.

The story is a classic and a great read. I recommend it for everyone.

I boutht this for my Grandson freshman class in World History. He enjoyed the book and recieved a good grade on his report

The book arrived in excellent condition and it has been a delightful book to read.

I've often heard of references to this book, but never had an occasion to read it. After reading "Lone Survivor", I was curious to read "The Count of Monte Cristo". Dumas certainly set the bar high for all those to follow in this genre. The intrigue and twists are exceptional. A classic which should be a "must read".

How does one review a classic? Especially one so noteworthy as to have demanded the creation of 11 or more film variations, numerous adaptations, and even television series? I long avoided reading this novel due mainly to it's daunting size, and the fear that it's translation would cause the reader more work than I was willing to put into it. However my burning desire to know the true tale of Edmond Dantes overruled my hesitation.

The story, for those of you who are unfamiliar, follows Edmond Dantes in his wrongful imprisonment at the hands of his friends, his 14 years in the Chateau D'If, his escape and rebirth as a self proclaimed hand of vengeance against those who had wronged him. If you have only seen the movies, the book, particularly the ending, is far different than what Hollywood has created. There are no dramatic duels, no massive swordfights with brigands, and not everyone who we believe should, lives happily ever after. This is instead a slow but genius work of Dantes methodically stripping away all that his enemies held dear to them, at whatever cost. None die by his hand, but are rather destroyed by his influence, and their own evil choices come back to haunt them.

The story itself is genius, interesting and very fun. The writing, particularly the translation that I read, is an often difficult and sometimes tedious work that one may need a notebook to keep straight. The cast of characters is very large and they are often referred to by different names, making it a bit more difficult to keep track of who is who without some sort of note taking. I was not smart enough to take notes, and thus had to spend quite a bit of time searching my brain to make sure I was thinking of the correct person as I read, particularly with some of the more minor story lines and the characters that weaved in and out of the story with multiple chapters between their appearances. Also, this book will probably be disappointing to those who are interested in the action that the movies provided. The Count of Monte Cristo, does not come in with guns blazing, but rather plays a very well thought out and disturbing game of mental chess against his opponents. As readers we hope for their downfall, but also wonder how far the Count will go... his years of imprisonment have left him hardened and disturbingly without remorse at the use of innocents to gain his vengeance. As he plays his pieces we wonder just who will be sacrificed, and who will have the chance to live happily ever after in this dark world of Dumas.

Readers of more modern novels may have trouble with this book because of the sheer volume of concurrent story lines, all of which are necessary for understanding the strings being pulled by the Count. But to remember the tale of the lovers, the orphan, the bandit, the banker, the ship builder, the assassin, the count, the princess, the steward, the military man, the lawyer, the cheating husband and wife, the lost love, the musician, the buried baby, the dying father, the paralyzed grandfather, the murderess, the thief, the countess, the emperor and all of their relations, can be quite a daunting task for any reader. Still each of these stories could be a book of their own, keeping the reader quite entertained, but Dumas has managed to weave them all together into one, brilliant and shining tale... if you can keep them straight through the end.

What surprised me most was the ending of this story. It was not what I wanted, or hoped for. True I loved Haidee, and wanted nothing but her happiness... but many seemed to be left in suffering that did not deserve the fate that they were bound to. I will not elaborate for fear of spoiling the ending... but this does not end on a Hollywood, "they all ride off into the sunset" ending. Perhaps the meaning of the story is not all about revenge, but rather what damage the hunt for vengeance can bring to not just those who have wronged you, but to all those that surround you. The downfall of selfishness; be it falsely imprisoning someone to gain what you may, to the selfishness of vengeance... there is so much meaning in this book, I can see why it is so often "required reading." Though I highly recommend this book, I would advise you attempt to read it with others either in a class or a reading group so that you can discuss all of the rich meaning behind Dumas's words.

Sorry, but the glut of coincidences and melodramatic writing was just too much. I'm going back to my nonfiction now.

I just read this book and what can I say except that it was amazing. I actually prefer Neil to David. David was never very consistent in his faith he was good talker but he had no understanding. I recomend this book to anyone who already has faith or is struggling to find theirs. Read this book! You won't be sorry!

I really enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the fact that many of the events in the book are in the series released on DVD. I would have preferred if certain subjects had not been discussed in this book so that it would be more appropriate for younger ages. Other than that it was a really enjoyable read.

This is one of my very favorite books! I've read it over so many times and never get tired of it. It's just so interesting, captivating and touching.

This is one of those classic novels that you could read again and again. I hadn't read it since high school twenty years ago and just re-read Christy last week. I like it even better now than I did then (and I loved it then, too). I would have loved to have had Catherine Marshall's version of a sequel (hopefully it would have consisted of a continuation of Neil & Christy's romance), but I guess we get to imagine the "happily ever after" instead. It's a great read!

In this charming tale sure to become a favorite among young readers, Bear will sleep through anything, even through the boisterous party going on in his very own lair. The opening scene of Bear Snores On (Simon and Schuster Children's, 2003), written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jane Chapman, shows bear deep in slumber, tucked away from the wintry weather outside his cave. When a mouse, seeking shelter, enters Bear's cave, Bear snores on. What then follows is a gradual gathering of animals in Bear's cozy cave, sharing honey-nuts, munching on popcorn, and sipping black tea. All the while, Bear snores on. When the tiniest bit of pepper sends Bear into a sneezing fit, however, the animals' party comes to an abrupt halt, and Bear, while at first appearing quite menacing, is overcome with sadness when he learns that the animals didn't include him in their lively activities. In an attempt to console the bear, the mouse tells him that the party has just started. Chapman's captivating illustrations, which distinguish the coziness enjoyed by the lively animal characters from the blustery outdoors, and Wilson's catchy chorus enhance the story's heartwarming plot as well as punctuate the ironic humor of final scene in which Bear stays up, but his animal friends fall fast asleep.

This book has been purchased as a holiday gift for my granddaughter, who is in first grade and 5 years old.

This is a wonderful book with great rhythm and rhyme. My 3 month old already smiles when I start reading it, and I know as he gets older it will be one of his favorites, as he doesn't react this way to any other book. I also think it is a great story... VERY cute pictures!

What a heartwarming story with such vivid and friendly illustrations. The rhythm is wonderful and the rhymes aren't forced. The story flows and gives the reader ample opportunity to try out different voices for all of bear's friends.

My daughter loves this book (22 months old) and my husband and I enjoy the sing-song rhyme as well. It has a nice rhythm for reading aloud. We don't mind reading it over and over! The illustrations are great also.

so i bought this book a few weeks ago. i keep it next to my easy chair when i watch tv, because i like to watch wild life and nature shows.
today was the second time in about two weeks that something came on tv, and when i tried looking for it in the book , it wasnt there.
i kind of wonder how many animals i have to look for in the book before i find it.
all these pages and all these animals, and just the ones i'm looking for were left out of the book.
looks like i'll have to buy a second book, and hopefully it will cover some of the animals that this book missed.
im not even looking at animals in the north pole or antearctica, just your normal average united states deer or elk.

We bought this last Christmas for our then 8-year old daughter, who's obsessed with animals. We were thoroughly impressed with the the size of the book, as well as the beautiful photos throughout. In the course of the last year, our daughter has carried this book around with her everywhere, reading excerpts to friends and family as she marvels at the facts found within. She LOVES this book! It covers every animal imaginable and she loves discovering new ones - seeing the photos, seeing where they live, reading about their diets and behaviors - everything! In hindsight I wish we'd gotten her the hardback version simply because she lugs it all over the place, but we could not be more happy with the book itself. We highly recommended this book for anyone interested in animals, regardless of age. Young readers will cling to it for many years to come and adult readers will be amazed at the photos and information.

I always read reviews before purchasing and when I read the reviews on this book, I knew it would be a great book. My son is Autistic and has always been an animal lover. The fact that this book has superb pictures alone is the perfect choice for any child! Another bonus is the wonderful variety of animals and the extent of information provided. My son has carried the book to school almost every day, regardless of how much it weighs! You can't go wrong, I promise. Thank you to a fabulous author, David Burnie!

I wanted a book that showed all types of animals for my grandchildren to look at. This book has beautiful color pictures of every animal imaginable. As the children age (they are only 6 and 4 yrs old ) and are able to read at higher levels, they can learn about each animal in great detail.

The photography is beautiful, vivid colors, and explanations of everything is provided. I see them picking this book up as teenagers and still finding something they missed.

My 8 year old son wanted this book after seeing it at school. This was one of the first animal books he has wanted as he is much more interested in sports. He read it for hours, made lists of important things to remember, and wanted to read it to me at night. Great value, very detail oriented.

I mostly read for a little escape, something to entertain and take my mind off reality and this book did it for me! I hadn't ever read paranormal/fantasy romance before, but came across an excerpt from this book in the back of another book and it peaked my interest. I am so glad it did!! I used to read romance when I was younger, but lost interest in the strong man sweeps innocent woman off her feet and they live happily ever after. I liked that the romance between Rain and Ellie in LOTFL was only part of the story (I also loved that Rain had to actually court Ellie, they didn't just instantly fall into bed), there was focus on the other characters in the book, building of the tension between good and evil, and the intertwining of learning about the fey, celearians, and this whole new world. I felt like the characters were real - Ellie was essentially a "good girl" struggling to find her real self and we see that as she starts standing up to her family, but yet still struggles with who she is and what may be inside her. I also liked that Rain was a strong male lead, but he also struggled with his flaws (well, his one big flaw of almost destroying the world 1,000 years ago). The action and suspense of the story kept propelling it forward. I couldn't put the book down!! I ran out and read Lady of Light and Shadows immediately after, and am impatiently awaiting my copy of King of Sword and Sky to arrive in the mail.

There are so many great reviews already written. I just wanted to add my 5 star vote. C.L. Wilson has done a brilliant job and I look forward to reading all the books in the series.

The Tairen Soul Series (Paranormal- Fae Fantasy/Medieval Romance):

Lord of the Fading Lands

Lady of Light and Shadows

King of Sword and Sky

Queen of Song and Souls (March 2009)


I can't believe I haven't heard about this series before. I just found it by chance at the local book store. After reading this first book of the series, I'm floored! Fantasy writing that brings me to an imaginary world worthy of "Lord of the Rings", combined with romance as sweet and seductive as a Nalini Singh novel. Not only that, but C.L. Wilson has managed to create a Fae people who are unique in their powers. With so many copycat series on book store shelves, The Tairen Soul men and women are a diamond in the rough. I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Important Note:
This series is an ongoing story. You will want to read them in order. Here are links so far:

Lord of the Fading Lands

Lady of Light and Shadows

King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul)

Queen of Song and Souls (March 2009){Link not yet available}

Wonderful book, got me hooked on the series after the first chapter, cannot wait for the next installment.

This is a wonderful, romantic paranormal fantasy. Part Cinderella story, part Sleeping Beauty coming of age story.
Ellysetta, is a mortal Celierian Woodcarver's adopted daughter. She has been tormented all of her life by mysterious nightmares and the feeling of being an outsider. Ellysetta is unaware of her own latent magical abilities.
Rain Tairen Soul, is King of the Fey. He is responsible for the survival of his people and their soul kin, the winged Tairen. Rain, is a survivor of the terrible Mage Wars against the evil Eld Mages.
The Tairen's Eye Oracle crystal has shown Rain an image of Ellysetta's face. This is the Oracle's only reply when asked how the Fey and the Tairen can be saved from imminent extinction.
Upon meeting Ellysetta, Rain realizes that she is the rarest of the rare, his Truemate. Now he must protect her from Celierian intrigues, and the powerful Eld High Mage, Vadim Maur. Most difficult of all, he must court Ellysetta, and she must willingly decide to accept Rain and the matebond.
This is a pleasant change from many of the paranormal Alpha hero romances that treat the female soulmate as one to be dominated and not wooed. Basically, simplistic "You - Jane. Me - Tarzan." romances.
In this epic, the secondary characters are well developed, the world building is complete and imaginative. The hero and heroine are flawed but intelligent and independent. We can see them grow and mature as the story advances. Refreshingly, they are not totally sure of themselves or their truemate.
Recommended.

This book is huge. No basic magic trick is missed. The text is easy to understand and the illustrations are great. I also enjoyed the added little tips on presentation that hightens the tricks, adding comedy and entertainment. This is definately a must-have for all beginning magicians. At this price, this book is a great value, even for those of us just wanting a few little tricks to amaze our friends. I bought this book for a ten-year-old. He is just a little young to be able to idependantly use the entire book. However, I believe that within a few years, he will need no assistance at all reading and interpreting the book. There are so many tricks described in the book that I think he will be using it for a long time to come.

This is the instruction manual that I use to teach new magicians.
Lawrence O'Leary

I've always fascinated by magic. And for those guys who like to entertain the women, will find an absolute importance of magic in their routine. The tricks in this book are ranging in difficulty and definitely require times, energy and whole lot of practices to execute.

I was expecting there will be lots of impromptu magics, the kinds I like to entertain people. Quite dissapointed to find the section to be basic and not very impressive. However, if you are a professional magician without this book, you'll be like a man in LA without a car. Thus I can say that this book is critical and mainly focused for stage magicians.

This book is wonderful for anyone wanting to learn magic tricks. This book explains how each trick will appear to the audience and then gives very detailed instructions with drawings showing each step. I used the information in the book to teach rope tricks to a bunch of third grade cubscouts. The parents were so impressed with the tricks that they wanted to learn them too.

Many times applauded, this classic for teaching magic is practically unequaled. If you want to learn magic from scratch, this book is what you need.

This story picks right up where Lord of the Fading Lands left off, and is just as good. Definitely need to read the first one to understand what's going on in this book. The action keeps moving as we're introduced to new characters and getting to know the main characters (good and evil) more in depth. I can't wait to find out how the story of Ellie's "real" parents plays out! This book also brings into play more of the politics that is going on between the different cultures, specifically the fey and celearians, but we also learn more about the eld and the mages. In the midst of it all, Rain is still romancing Ellie in hopes she'll accept their bond as lifemates. Finished this book in just over a day, I couldn't put it down, as I was swept up in this new world. I love that the main characters are discovering each other and don't always do everything perfectly. Ellie has finally come to terms with the idea that she has magic within her, and while she doesn't understand how she can possibly save the fey and tarian, she's willing to try despite her fears. Rain, who hates the mage, has to come to terms with the fact that Ellie has been mage marked. I am desperately waiting for my copy of King of Sword and Sky to arrive (I have it on hold at the library and also ordered a copy from amazon, I need it now!). I don't know how I'll be able to wait until June for the Queen of Song and Soul, which will be bittersweet as I can't wait to find out what happens, but will be so sad for this story to come to an end! All I can say is read this series, you won't be disappointed!!

The Tairen Soul Series (Paranormal- Fae Fantasy/Medieval Romance):

Lord of the Fading Lands

Lady of Light and Shadows

King of Sword and Sky

Queen of Song and Souls (March 2009)


As with the first book in this series ("Lord of the Fading Lands"), I finished the last pages of "Lady of Light and Shadows" with anxious anticipation of starting the third book. C.L. Wilson had me enthralled from Chapter six to the very end. I'm ranking this book with 4.5 stars, because the first 100 pages or so were slow. I skimmed them a bit. I'm guessing that it is because I read the books back-to-back, rather than waiting a few weeks between them as readers would have when they were first released. Those pages are also necessary for people who hadn't read the first book. For me, it was boring and I really wanted to see the story continue where it had left off at the end of book one. (Time line wise, it actually does pick up right where book one left off. But pace and excitement wise, things are slowed down to remind or inform readers of things that happened in book one.) The story truly begins to move around chapter six, then you will find yourself as ensnared as you were with book one.

Book three, here I come.........

Important Note:
This series is an ongoing story. You will want to read them in order. Here are links so far:

Lord of the Fading Lands

Lady of Light and Shadows

King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul)

Queen of Song and Souls (March 2009){Link not yet available}

I am so pleased with Wilson's second offering. Again, there are so many great reviews there isn't much for me to add. I just wanted to get my 5 star vote in! The pace of this second book is nice and steady. It is also a lot darker than the first book. The supporting characters are so well developed. This whole series is going on my keeper shelf!

As always C L Wilson, once again delivers!!! Can't wait for King of Sword and Sky!!

Lady of Light and Shadows takes off where Lord of the Fading Lands ended. Not only does it continue this great story Wilson begins to add to the story that was hinted at in the first book. Sexy humor and places that your bitting your nails will keep you reading this book to the end!! I'm very happy with this series and cant wait to read the other books!

This book was written by two outsourcing consultants. While it has some useful information, the sales pitch (hire a consultant, hire a consultant, hire a consultant) is too much. The authors should have hired an editor. I bought their book. I would not hire them as consultants.

The book successfully provides a 20,000 foot view of key aspects of outsourcing, including a deeper focus on Business process outsourcing. The content of the book is divided into three key parts
* How to plan, lead and manage outsourcing initiatives
I found this section really relevant to sourcing professionals, especially for those focused on `buy' side of sourcing
* The indispensable guide to finding an outsourcing career
This section is peppered with a few interesting ideas, especially for those in the west who are coming to grips with the Outsourcing elephant in the room
* The indispensable guide for outsourcing entrepreneurs
More of a Business 101 with a bit of sourcing focus

The topics covered are vast so doing justice to every aspect of sourcing is hard. I only wish the authors had brought in further depth in a topics like Risks (with a capital R) Governance, SLAs and other operational challenges .

Overall a good guide book for those looking for an overview on the topic.

Outsourcing buyers, clients, advisors, analysts, investors, managers, executives and media all quote this book as the "bible of outsourcing"! We're looking forward to the 2008 edition which is coming out next year.

God of a book of outsourcing..still half way..need to complete it,
my profession is into this so it makes a lot of relevance Douglas Brown and Scott narration is awesome..

will write more

Sachith
Recruise India Consulting
Managing Director

This book is excellent. It discusses why outsourcing is essential for doing business and the process requried to do so. It is straight forward, good for not only for Companies interested to outsource, but also anybody who is interested to learn about outsourcing.

There's pulse-pounding, suspense, horror, and spook, wrapped up in this read and something is lurking in the shadows that can't be touched. Something is trying to possess and curse Andrew Wilson, a successful mystery writer and he never would of thought it was his special lady with those mysterious eyes. In a frightful night things happen which leads Andrew into a frightful house that will change his life forever. Months after that night Andrew returns and that special lady is there and this time there's no escape. Get ready for some shrills & thrills that's going to build into a heart pounding climax and hidden secrets that are revealed and the results can be deadly!! Caution this is one suspense novel that will keep u looking around and wanting to read more!!!

Pick up any book Brandon has a part of. This guy is remarkable at what he does. I started reading him because i wanted to read a "supernatural" book. When reading the "unreal" it is just that....unreal. But his way of writing will have you wanting more.

This is another great book he has put together. Left me on the edge of my seat expecting more and actually receiving it. Good read. Pick it up

I thought this book was a little over the top. This was the first book I read of Mr. Massey and it didn't really sell me. I will probably try another book of his before I make a final judgement. I love to write and Mr. Massey is inspirational. He is very passionate about his writing and I admire him for making his dream come true. I think the best is still to come with Mr. Massey.

Although the plot was mildly interesting, it was a little too 'far out there' to be truly captivating. I wasn't especially impressed by the author's writing style; I found his repeated inferences to the black culture interupted the material's flow. I most likely won't seek out other works by this author.

Drew (short for Andrew) is a successful novelist who appears to have everything. He has a hit thriller series, a nice large home in Atlanta, several wonderful friends, and is eagerly awaiting his new book deal (which promises to make him hundreds of thousands). The only thing missing is the love of a good woman, or to finally admit that he is in love with his best friend, Carmen. A slave to habit, his life, which is clearly outlined and followed, is disrupted when he meets the "woman of his dreams" (Mika) in Starbucks. She seems, initially, to be everything he wanted....beautiful, smart, rich, sexy and seemingly independent. However, after a night of passion, Mika turns into something he doesn't want and can't handle. As the novel unfolds, Massey introduces an element of the supernatural that promises to hold the attention of the reader until the very end. With a stormy parental relationship with his father, and his mother's psychic dreams, Drew realizes that he is in trouble, but is unsure of how to escape the one he thought that he desired. Filled with psycho cats, a sweet ghost named Sammie, and a scary groundskeeper (Walter), this novel has it all.....a little romance, some mystery, some deaths and a great story. I won't tell you what or who Mika is, reading this novel will tell you that, but I will say that Massey is among the few today who can create a story to be rivaled by Tanarive Due or Octavia Butler. Read this novel and you will not regret it.

I was very pleased with the depth of this book. The amount of work and research that was done is obvious. This book is intense, with an active imagination you can almost feel the pain and horror this child endured. Excellent job of writing with a presentation that is unique. (Special note to Eric) Thank you for writing this book. Sylvia Baker, CRNI

This book is a book that anyone who is considering a career in any type of child services needs to read. I myself am going into social services and this book made me realize what I will be seeing on a daily basis. Mary Ellen was such a brave little girl and I applaud her for surviving her early life!

The book Out Of The Darkness is an awesome book. It shows the hard time that a little girl named Mary Ellen had to go threw. She has such a hard life, but in the end everything work out. I recommend this book for everybody. This is an outstanding book, everybody should read it.

I'm Eric Shelman, co-author of Out of the Darkness. I just wanted to ask that if you buy this book, come on back and write a review of it when you're done. I've never had anything but positive feedback about it, but others can use YOUR personal experience with it to better judge it prior to purchasing. I thank all of you who have read and commented on our book.

The authors of this book have created a wonderful window of understanding how child abuse/neglect has evolved over the years. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the human service field. Through the heart-felt story of Mary Ellen, we can see why there is such a strong need to protect children and continue to evolve for many more years. Thank you to Shelman & Lazoritz for telling such an important story.