Libraries Books

I still cannot pick which one is my favorite - this one or the Order of the Phoenix - but I just love to reread these books. It was in great shape and would order again

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is a great book - and Jim Dale is unsurpassed in his characterizations, dynamics, and presentation. This audio book is highly recommended to those whom wish to listen to a good book on that long drive to work or a vacation spot!

So it is obvious that I am completely tardy to the whole Harry Potter trend.

My wife and I last November began making an effort to read the series and watch the movies as we finished each book. So far, just finishing GoF, each book is better than the last... and I thought Prisoner of Azkaban was amazing.

This book I feel is where I really connected and appreciated the series, where the whole world of HP takes a dark turn and jumps out of it's "kid's book" skin. The ending floored me completely, though I should have seen it coming, but I'll say no more so not to spoil the book for anybody (though, I do feel like the last person on Earth to read it).

There are the typical Harry Potter plot twists throughout the book, but the world of wizards and goblins and elves and hippogryphs etc. is still very fresh.

If for some reason you haven't read this book, do so now, and if you have yet to dive into the HP series you are extremely fortunate because you're in for some great reading.

I have read every book in this series multiple times. Goblet of Fire is one of my favorites. I think this book is the one where Harry starts to become an adult. Not only is he thrown into the Tri-wizard Tournament, he also starts to notice girls and experience jealousy. Awww, adolescence.

The book starts out with Harry spending the usual summer at the Dursley's, but we are quickly taken to the Quidditch World Cup. I love the comedy Rowling throws in here, with the tents and the different ways wizards avoid Muggles. However, Harry is soon back at Hogwarts and he faces his usual trials and tribulations, but he (along with the reader) faces horrors he never dreamed about. We finally learn about other schools in the wizarding world, which is great information for lovers of the series.

Following in suit of the other Harry Potter books, Goblet of Fire is full of action and spells and all the things the fans love. Unlike the other books, the book is fairly dark. However, any fan of the series will like this book. It has all the ingredients a good reader loves.

This is my favorite book of the series. It has the most action while still being a fairly upbeat book. Some of the later ones, especially book 5, take a much darker, woe is me kind of tone that took some struggling to get through.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire takes place in Harry Potter's fourth year at Hogwartz. This is not an ordinary year though, this year the Triwizard Tournament is being held at the school. Delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons visit the school to compete in the Tournament. It's an age old tournament where each school has a champion that has to complete three tasks. The champion who completes the three tasks the best, receives the most points, and becomes Triwizard Champion. This year, however, is a bit different. Someone it seems is out to get Harry and has put his name in the goblet of fire. They've ensured he becomes a champion and has to undertake the tasks set forth in the Tournament. Harry must watch his back because someone is out to get him. Voldemort's most loyal servant is at Hogwartz and has his eye on Harry.

This has been the best one (compared to the 1st & 2nd) so far. I liked how there were a few different plots & stories going on at the same time.

Everything was excelent: received the book in less than a week, I think; It was in excellent shape...it looked brand new; I was expecting a paperback for the price I paid but instead, it was a hardcover!

Love this series.... Jim Dale is one of the best narrators I have ever listened to!

This the second set I am Buying. My Grandson asked for mine And I just couldn't part with it. So I am buying one for him. I hope he loves them as much as I do.

How is it that every Harry Potter book I read is better then the one I read before? How does J.K. Rowling do it? I thought the first Harry Potter was so great that there isn't a word to discribe it. Then I read the second one and I'm in awe. The third one is so amazing that I don't want to take the time to write this review, I just want to start on #4. But I can't do that because I have a few books that I have to review and a couple of them I have to have them done on or by a certain date. So my Harry Potter adventure must end here for now. Not to worry though because my husband and I will be watching the movie tonight.

It's Harry's third year at Hogwarts and he cannot wait for school to begin. Living with the Dursley's, Harry's aunt and uncle who are Muggles, which mean that they are normal people, has been a nightmare that Harry has had to endure almost his whole life. Harry's parents were killed by the evil Lord Voldermort who tried to kill Harry, who was just an infant, but failed and in the process lost most of his power. Once Harry found out that he is a wizard and that he gets to leave the Dursley's behind to attend Hogwarts, Harry feels his life will forever change. And it does. Harry has made two very good friends Ron and Hermione who also attend Hogwarts.

Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban prison. Somehow he managed to outsmart the dementors, horrible creatures who literally suck the happiness from those around it. Sirius is the one who sold Harry's parents out and told Voldemort where to find them. And he's coming after Harry.

This is a great read and I recommend it to everyone, young and old.

No matter what your age, if you love a "can't put it down" read", this set is a winner. From teens to grandmothers, it never fails to keep you reading longer than intended. Like myself, you will read the entire saga, and start from the beginning and re-read them all. As a collector's item, i bought one for myself and one for my 17 yr. old grandaughter. Amazon's price can't be matched anywhere for the hard cover series. Even membership discounts at big name book stores can't touch Amazon.com's price.

After seeing the movie I had to know what happened- I read this whole series in 4 days! WOW! Absolutely captivating. I'm officially a huge fan.

I decided after watching the Twilight movie, that I wanted to read the books, and was so pleased that I bought all four at once, as I went from one right to another as soon as I read it from cover to cover. The books are wonderful, and they arrived at my home faster than Amazon predicted. I was very happy with this item.

Four books... One fantastic story! For any twilight fans or any vampire romance lovers out there, this is an ideal read. I was as anxious as anyone to own the Stephanie Meyers books, I had already listened to them on audio books & knew i still had to get the books for my collection. I was glad i waited a little while before i decided to buy otherwise i would have missed out on this boxed collection & would have bought the books seperately. This all in one collection was truly a great buy for me & i am thoroughly pleased with this purchase. For those of you who aren't sure about buying hard cover (like i was), this is better than paperback, especially if you are like me & collect books :)

This book collection was vey beautiful, I love it!!!!! The Index cards with the quotes are also very cool, I would reccomend this product to anyone that loves Twilight, it just keeps getting better and better!!!!!

One of my absolute favorites. I could read this book over and over again! This book is a fun twist on the Cinderella story that keeps me up all night reading, even the second time around. Every young girl should read this!

I really liked this book!! Gail Carson Levine is very talented, and she did a great job developing the characters and making them believable. This is weird for me to say, since "Ella Enchanted" IS a fantasy. Well written, thoroughly entertaining, and WAY better than the movie, this book is a favorite of mine.

This is a delightful fairytale that is fun for youth as well as adults. There were a few twists that I wasn't expecting, which made it all the more fun.

I LOVE this book! Way better than the movie, which does not follow the plot (or even the characters) at all! It is an easy read and you will not want to put it down. I do not even know how many times I have read it. It gives you that warm-and-fuzzy feeling deep down inside.

Retold fairytales, in which the characters and plots of traditional stories are explored in more depth, or told from an unexpected point-of-view, are a dime a dozen these days. But one stands out from the rest, and that is Gail Carson Levine's "Ella Enchanted", which takes the story of Cinderella and not only provides impetus for many of the nonsensical elements of the original tale, but builds a rich imaginary world around it and makes the titular character one of the best heroines to ever appear in YA novel.

If you secretly always thought Cinderella was a bit of a pushover, sitting and crying by the fireplace when she could have been raiding her stepsisters' wardrobes and hitchhiking to the ball, then you'll be pleased to find that Levine gives us a perfect acceptable reason as to why her Ella is so slavishly obedient to her step-family: she's under a spell. When just a baby, an idiotic fairy called Lucinda blessed her with the "gift" of obedience, in which Ella is forced to obey every command she hears.

A wish or a request has no effect on her, but a direct order, no matter how terrible it is, must be obeyed. Any attempts at disregarding it results in frightening nausea and dizziness. Levine takes this conceit and heightens the dramatic effect to its full potency. Ella's life is monopolized by her constant internal battle between obedience and defiance: "It was a tiresome game, but I had to play it or feel like a complete puppet." Because she's naturally willful, she makes an art out of finding loopholes in the commands she receives. When someone demands that she fetch almonds from the pantry for a cake, she responds by bringing back just two. When someone orders her to take off their smelly shoes, she counteracts by throwing them out the window directly afterwards. Although there are moments of comedy involved in her plight, Levine never shies away from the fact that Ella is under a terrible curse; such as the horror that comes with the command to: "be happy to be blessed with such a lovely quality."

Ella nurses the dream of one day being free of the spell, but until then, we're with her as she struggles with her self-control, hoping that one day she'll either get Lucinda to remove the spell, or come across a command that's too heinous to obey. But what command could possibly be terrible enough for her to withstand the pain and break the spell through sheer force of will?

Ella herself is a fantastic character, and tells her own story in first-person narrative (difficult to pull off without the narrator sounding too self-involved, but here it doesn't falter for a second). Ella is not perfect by any means, but she's intelligent and witty, gifted at languages, kind-hearted, and endearingly stubborn when it comes to dealing with her curse, clinging to her dignity even as she's forced into doing the most embarrassing things. One general thing does get on my nerves though, and that's the oft-repeated character trait among YA heroines: crippling clumsiness. Sure, we're all klutzy at that age, but the way the authors of YA novels write teenage girls, you'd think they couldn't perform the most basic physical tasks without skirting death itself. But where most YA fairytales/romances are dominated by the swooning damsel staring at the dreamy hero, Levine never looses sight of the fact that this story is all Ella's, culminating in a vindication of free will and inner strength.

Like most fairytale heroines, Ella looses her mother; unlike most fairytale heroines, we the reader actually get a sense of the love between mother and daughter, and the pain that Ella feels when she looses her. Eleanor of Frell may only be around for one chapter, but in that time Levine makes us almost as sorry as Ella is to see her go. As the story goes on, the tale veers closer and closer to the familiar fairytale, and Levine finds amusing ways to insert the traditional Cinderella tropes, such as the glass slippers, the pumpkin carriage, and even the fact that Ella has small feet!

Olga, Hattie and Olive (the evil stepmother and stepsisters, respectively) are rather cartoonish villains, being gluttonous, avaricious, and idiotic. Furthermore, Hattie snores, has smelly feet, is overweight, and hides a secret that exposes her to further ridicule. In short, they are grotesque, and although a part of me wishes that there was more to their characters, the greater part doesn't really care because it makes Ella's victory over them all the sweeter. And Levine compensates for this ugly-side of womankind by adding the characters of Mandy (Ella's fairy godmother) and Areida (a friend that she makes at school) as the more benevolent reflections of snotty Olga and vindictive Hattie.

There are some hilarious one-liners, and Levine is a wonderful humourist, very much in keeping with J.K. Rowling's ability to dryly poke fun at the ridiculous. When Ella arrives at finishing school (where all the chamber-pots look like decorative cabbages) she is told: "it's never too late to start being finished." When Hattie pens a letter to her mother concerning Ella's disappearance, she writes: "I hope she has come to no harm and has not been eaten by ogres or captured by bandits or caught fire or fallen into bad company, as I so often imagine." And my personal favourite:

"What a clever daughter I have." Olga beamed at Hattie.
"As clever as she is beautiful," I said.
They both began to answer me, and then stopped, confused.
"Hattie isn't pretty," said Olive.

The centerpiece of the story though, belongs to the love that blossoms between Prince Charmont (usually known as "Char") and Ella. Basically, Char and Ella make up the best YA romance...ever. There, I said it. But it's true. Whereas other authors-that-shall-remain-nameless rely on strangling their lovers with the red string (that is, trying to convince us that their characters are in love because the author *says* that they're in love) Levine takes the time to build a relationship between Ella and Char that's based on more than just physical attraction, and it's all the more powerful for it. In the YA genre, in which love stories between a hero and heroine are about as deep as a paddling pool, these two are a godsend.

Char and Ella learn about each other before they fall in love. They acknowledge each other's flaws as well as their strengths. They play silly games and share jokes. They converse via letters over an extended period of time, which include such reflective lines as this: "I trust you to see the good in me, but the bad I must make sure you don't overlook." They love the big things about each other, like their kindness and honesty, but also the silly little things, like each other's freckles and a mutual enjoyment of sliding down banisters.

And because it is a love that is based on friendship, respect, compatibility and intelligence, it makes the heartbreak twice as painful, and the declaration twice as rewarding. Just think, two people actually becoming *friends* before they become lovers! Who'd have thought?!

The book was adapted into a rather awful movie not too long ago, which obliterated all the reasons why this book is so special, and replaced it with a story that relied too much on the popularity of "Shrek" (complete with a contemporary soundtrack, anachronistic elements and crude comedy) than the charm of Levine's story. Avoid it if you can, and hope that in later years it'll either be more faithfully adapted, or left well enough alone.

As you can see, I've got nothing but good things to say about "Ella Enchanted," though admittedly it may not appeal to the average boy-reader, being essentially a rather feminine coming-of-age tale in a fairytale kingdom full of fairies and elves. But for everyone else, this is a wonderful book, with a spritely, loveable lead, and a mature and healthy understanding of romantic relationships (and I'm pointing this out, because it's unfortunately so very, very rare). If your eight-to-twelve year old daughter holds up Ella of Frell as her literary role-model, then you've got yourself an awesome kid.

Both of my sons and my husband enjoyed this book. A lot of fun to read.

Amazing that in a few weeks, Mick Foley poured his life and soul into 760 pages of notebook paper that would make it, lightly cut and without any major edits, onto book, and earn it's New York Times #1 Bestseller's List. If only it weren't for that Oprah! (readers of the book will understand)

Starting from childhood, he makes it quick, but sweet as he tells humorous stories about his friends, and the origin of the name "Cactus Jack", and his time in college, including the inspiration for Dude Love and the start of his wrestling career.

Foley's writing is so personal and engrossing that he easily captures our attention with riveting stories ranging from lying to his parents and almost getting caught skipping a bus to college in order to catch a wrestling show (the famous Madison Square Garden match between Jimmy Snuka and Don Muraco), to gaining the respect and friendship of ex-wrestler and trainer Dominic DeNucci and being taken under his wing, knowing Foley couldn't afford classes, by reducing his fee, and then not charging altogether.

Foley's tales of his independent circuit runs are definitely a grungy, and in some cases heartwrenchingly painful experiences, which his natural humor and goodnatured attitude help liven up and spare us the angst he must have felt, but without completely sugarcoating it.

All along the way, Foley maintains a very brilliantly hidden line between kayfabe and shoot, though focusing more on the shoot aspect (for nonwrestling fans, kayfabe means the "fake" world of wrestling, including storylines and gimmicks, shoot is reality) and readily admits his talent isn't in technical or even very good wrestling, but rather in taking bumps and making the other guy and himself look good.

From hellish stories of being stalked by crazed female fans thinking his real name is "Cactus Jack Manson" to wrestling in Nigeria and almost getting robbed by the corrupt government police, to losing out on a 3,000$ paycheck in Africa after the president of the country he wrestled in (who organized the event) was assassinated and the regime overthrown within weeks of his departure, Foley's wit and charm keep the story of his life so lively, you'd think it has to be fiction.

Moving on to his time in WCW, he recounts the horrors of the backstage mechanics, from Ric Flair's awful booking and the backstage team's failure to recognize great potential talent, and hiring college TV production students to man their editing, to Foley's disillusionment as the feud between he and Vader was played down, a massive bump taken by Foley which the commentators could have brilliantly sold was sardonically mocked with a derogatory statement like "that's got to be excedrin headache #9!!", and Cactus Jack being attempted to be turned into a childishly ridiculous heel that would have ruined Foley's career.

Then came Foley's run on the independent circuit, and shows for ECW, including full transcripts of some of his best, and in my opinion some of the best ever, promos, trying to be anti-hardcore and promoting WCW and trying to get Tommy Dreamer to go to WCW and be the pretty boy wrestler again.

From the independent circuit, to stardom in the WWF, Foley is never sparse on details about stories while on the road, his many friends along the way from Mr. Haiti in Africa, to Steve Austin and Steve (William) Regal, The Undertaker, Sting, Owen Hart, Vader, and of course Terry Funk. Virtually every stop from his career, including the Japanese tours, the King of the Deathmatch, etc, and the evolution from "Mason the Mutilator" to "Mankind the Mutilator" to "Mankind" and the use of all three of his gimmicks in the WWF to eventual WWF Championship gold.

Throughout it all, Foley never loses his charm or wit, or the incessant Al Snow bashing, with plenty of pictures scattered around the text and plenty of personal stories (like the time he shared a house with a junkie, a guy who was having sex with his girlfriend's 16 year old daughter, and the 16 year old trying to flirt with Mick) and stories with friends (like "Vader" Leon White's spendthrifting with hotels, or Owen Hart's penchanse for practical jokes) that his story never gets old or repetitive and when the story finally ends, you feel like you've known Mick his entire life.

This is THE shining example of a great book about a pro wrestler's life, and I hope his other two books are just as great.

Mick Foley's "Have a Nice Day" is his first and his best. It is a whimsical journey in the life of one of the greatest hardcore wrestlers ever. Foley has always had the gift of gab, and it translates very well to the written page. Hysterical, insightful, and heartwarming.

If you are interested in the behind the scenes of wrestling, here's a great place to start. Mick speaks on his rise from childhood fan to wrestling superstar. He even talks breifly about the Boiler Room Brawl and his Cleveland promos! (I wish he would have went more in-depth on these topics, though.)

Ultimately Foley's and WWF's decision to allow Foley to write this book himself helps as well as hurts the final product.

Foley is not a writer (though, admittedly, he's more of a writer than I am). His prose is sometimes sloppy and amateurish and his chronicles can be redundant and lacking flair. In the hands of a more polished writer this book may have had better shape and a more coherent writing style.

Because Foley wrote this himself, his passion for the sport jumps off each page and his personal desires, challenges, successes and failures are much more salient and raw. By the time your done with Have a Nice Day, you'll feel as if you could call him by his first name you wouldn't mind sharing a car ride and hotel room with him (in order to save a buck or two of course).

Foley aside, the real value in this book is the insider's take on the world of Wrestling. As we watch Foley go from enthusiast and back yard wrestler to World Wrestling Federation headliner we encounter countless old-school wrestlers, big and no-name wrestlers, those on their way up, and those on the way down, hangers-on, and behind the scenes movers and shakers as wrestling evolves from a Saturday morning novelty to an international entertainment phenomena. And that alone is worth the 500 pages Foley lays down.

Have a Nice Day will help you understand that professional wrestling is equal parts acting for effect and real blood and guts. It will also give you reasons to love or hate the wrestlers behind the characters you see on TV or stage.

If you can ignore the writing issues and have any connection to wrestling in the 80's and 90's then this is a 5-star read. However, if quality writing is important or you don't have a wrestling connection, then 3-stars is as good as it gets.

Easily one of the best reads I've had in a long time. It isn't just about horseracing or horses. It is more about the ungainly underdog Seabiscuit who becomes symbolic of the little guy. It's about heart, character, perseverence and a tenacity in the face of extreme hardship that shows us all not only how character is honed by adversity, but just how good we have it today compared to that period in time. After reading it I wondered about the fiber of Americans today and how many could have endured the hardships of the time.

Second time that I have read the book and came away with a deep
respect for the genius of the jockey, Red Pollard. Horses many times
are almost equal in their ability to run but its the jockey who seizes
the opening when it presents itself, knows when to take the lead or
hold off knowing that a horse will do everything in its power to beat
the horse ahead or alongside of him or her. Red Pollard had to rely
on his innate ability because of the injury he had and he proved how
great he was even with the handicap he had. The author also had to overcome the debilitating sickness she had and the story she wove
about the horse, the jockey, the trainer and the owner keeps your
interest from beginning to end.
Tom Bragen Bayonne, New Jersey

Seabiscuit follows the gradual rise of an underdeveloped horse born of grand breading. With no expectations of greatness thrust upon him, Seabiscuit enters a life of racing mediocrity. Slowly, his anger gestates as he is forced to lose to lesser horses in training to build their confidence. Eventually his life comes into confluence with a quixotic entrepreneur recovering from a personal disaster, a down-on-his-luck trainer with natural talent, and one of the tallest but most dedicated jockeys in the league. Together this unlikely but somehow perfect team take Seabiscuit to the greatest heights of horse racing, at the time the most popular sport in the United States. Along the way, their journey takes on grander scope than just personal redemption. They become a much needed beacon of triumph and personal renewal for American emotionally wasted by the throes of the Great Depression.

The story is excellently researched, well crafted, and favors reality to fairy tale endings. Each of the characters is presented in written detail akin to HD TV. Hillenbrand should patent HD Words.

Many times a book is not worth reading after seeing the movie (i.e. Twilight), which is a shame because a good book can greatly enlighten the backstory that doesn't come across in moving pictures. Seabiscuit thankfully makes the reading as well as the watching equally worthwhile regardless of the order they are undertaken.

I purchased this book years ago when it first came out. My husband is an avid fan of horse races and having went with him on numerous occasions I became interested in reading about them myself. This book will not disappoint and even though the movie was very good the book is tons better (which is almost always the case). I enjoyed reading about the background of all the people involved with Seabiscuit it is a real heartwarming story about a horse that everyone gave up on but everyone ended up having hope in. A trainer that was an outsider and an owner that wasn't your average horse owner and the faith he put into the jockey who was left by his parents at a horse track because they couldn't afford to keep him home (it was during the Great Depression). I could probably go on and on about the book because I enjoyed it very much.

The story of the rise and domination (within horse racing circles and the world at large) of the most celebrated race horse in history. Chronicling the horse, owner, trainer and jockeys; paying special attention to their remarkable place in history during a time in the late 1930's when the world needed a hero like Seabiscuit.

A terrific tale of heart and determination. The characters are richly drawn and the world of horse racing is told in a way that is fascinating to the non-enthusiast. The narratives of the races are constructed so well that they will keep your heart racing long after the horses are back in the stable. Wonderful stuff.

When they say you can not judge a book by it's cover, believe me you can not. This is a wonderful and well written book. This is a must read for anyone who enjoys reading. Add this to you wish list, and you will not be disappointed.

Normally I steer clear of these kinds of books--sappy, harlequin emotions and cardboard characters you will never find in real life. It did turn out to have a good message and a happy ending, but I have never wanted to strangle certain "idiotic" characters as much as I did these (well, one in particular).

Set during the California Gold Rush years, Angel has been a prostitute since she came of age and thinks is happy enough with her (miserable) life, but a man named Michael has been told by God to marry her and show her what true love is (a la Gomer and Michael of the old testament). Michael seemed entirely too flawless to be believable, and Angel is an exasperatingly ditsy blond who runs away whenever she starts to feel love for Michael. Oh, and of course she is an absolute bombshell (poor, poor Michael). Despite the fact that I felt my IQ dropping as I read this book (yes, that's a bit harsh I suppose) I might recommend it to recently engaged couples as a sort of "conversation starter" as it does bring up some worthy questions about the nature of unconditional love (if they can get through it without gagging at the melodrama and maudlin turns of phrase, that is).

We just read this for our summer book club at our church and I was blown away by this book! It is amazing! Francine Rivers creates a main character, Angel, that any person could relate to and a story that makes you cry and shout for joy, too. Michael truly works as an extension of God's love, constantly showing Angel how God loves her throughout the book. The book is hard to read in the beginning - you have to get past the first 75 pages or so before it gets better. But don't give up! This is a book you will forever love and want to share with others!!

This brings the biblical story of Hosea to life. To those who have suffered in relationships it shows God's compassion, mercy, and grace and how we in receiving this can also extend it to a hurting world even if they are hurting us. A book for all generations. Enjoy!

This book reminds you how amazing human beings can be and reinforces the belief in a very passionate and forgiving God.

I first read this book a long time ago in middle school and I still have the full series both Lioness and the Immortals they are no joke bound with duck tape because over the last 11 years or so I have read them soo many times that they are indeed falling apart and I just had to replace my In the Realm of the Gods copy because half the book fell out. Once my kids get a little bit bigger these books will be read to them and I hope that when they get even older that they will pick up these books and read them over and over again like I did!

Run of the mill fantasy book even with the twist of a girl becoming a knight. I bought it for my classroom but don't think it's all that interesting.

So, the first book of Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness Series. What did I think of it? It was all right, better than most formulaic fantasy, but not quite great. An enjoyable, casual read.

I'll start with the faults. The prose is nothing extraordinary, and there often isn't quite enough description. At the same time, things always happened quickly, as if the characters were in a mad rush. If you like your fantasy quick and to the point, and just can't slog through heavily descriptive novels like the Wheel of Time, then this book may be perfect for you.

Secondly, magic was handled a little bit casually. Even children can use it, and its treated more like a handy tool to keep at your belt rather than a mystical, arcane force. The magic system was pretty basic and not much more complicated than you'd expect to see if you were playing an RPG like Dungeons and Dragons.

Thirdly, and this is the most criminal, Thom(the best character) barely gets any page time. I hope Pierce rewrites this series from his POV sometime, because that would make for an interesting read.

Finally, the climax was rather abrupt, quick, and didn't carry much weight. The Ysandir(the final enemies) were pansies, as easily dispatched as flies to be swatted, with the exception of the leader, Ylon. The final battle could definitely have done with being drawn out a bit more, given a bit more suspense. It would probably have been more dramatic if the fight was just against Ylon, minus the underlings who is uses as fodder.

Besides these flaws, however, this is a fairly good read. Nothing deep or groundbreaking, nothing fantastic, but consistently entertaining and adaquately written. The characters were pretty good, I can't recall ever being bored with the story, or wincing at the dialogue. Hardcore fantasy fans, however, might want to look for a series with a little more meat to it, though.

3.5 stars.

I love Tamora Pierce books I have all of them that are available on CD...Amazon was the lowest price around and I checked them all... I did have to return this book because of a flaw on one of the CD's and Amazon had another copy to in my hands within 48 hours... AMAZING

Alanna: the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce tells about Alanna's life as the only girl knight-to-be in the palace. Alanna lives in Tortall where only boys can be knights and she also has the magical gift, which means she can heal and do other things. Very few people know Alanna is a girl, and everybody who doesn't, knows her by the name "Alan." She has many friends and many enemies, whom she soon hopes to defeat. Alanna wants to be a knight and she hopes she is brave and strong enough to be the first girl warrior in a century. Will she ever make it?
Alanna: the First Adventure is an exciting read for girls in grades five and up. Alanna, the main character, will surprise you at every turn. The ending is perfect for this book and it makes you want to keep reading. This is one of my favorite books ever because every time you read it, you catch new information that you missed the first time, and Alanna keeps you entertained from the beginning of the book. Tamora Pierce's writing style is fairly easy to read and it will captivate you the second you pick it up! Alanna: the First Adventure, is the first book in the Song of the Lioness series, which is the first series of five, taking place in Tortall. This book has everything from romance to adventure to captivate your attention.

This is my favorite memoir of all time. I saw the film version "October Sky" in school several times then I read the memoirs. They are excellent! I was amazed that this group of boys made these successful rockets back in the 50s when space exploration first began. If you love a good story (and true story at that) I would highly recommend you read his books. Homer and the Rocket Boys are truly inspiring.

First of all this book cannot be classified as memoir, but should be read as a novel. Too many coincidences and situations are clearly created to support the story.
Second, the title makes you thinks the book is primarily about rockets but it's not. It's mainly about the life of some teenagers and their troubles, loves and families. Rocket building is just a filler and the parts of book describing the launches are the less inspiring.
Third, the story and location had a great potential: an isolated community where everybody know each other, the dangers of mine working, the role of the company as the villain exploiting workers. Also the fact that the main characters are kids, with their weakness and gifts, and the ability to be extremely cruel in their innocence.
Yet the author lacks the talent to really entertain , his writing being too light to detail the personalities and to make the reader relate to the characters.
I was expecting a lot more and after reading the book I was amazed at how this work can have truckloads of 5 stars ratings. After reading more than two hundreds reviews I understand they are mostly by heavily biased West Virginians readers and people involved (even if not directly) with living in mining towns near the area where the facts take place.
To summarize: 2,5 stars.

Simply a wonderful, heartwarming book and a page-turner, too. Homer "Sonny" Hickam tells the story of his youth in a small coal mining town. The wonderful characters he introduces us to throughout this marvelous tale are completely unforgettable. His father is the real hero in the tale, a tough, stern man with remarkable insight. I especially liked it when Homer, Senior, suddenly gives his unsubtle son a little special insight on the Cold War. "There are Americans I'm a lot more afraid of than the Russians," Dad said. "Like those who think it's okay to use the government to force you to do what's against natural law." When Sonny asks him what that is, he makes this prescient observation: "Some will tell you that greedy and compassionate men are in competition but I'm here to tell you they're not. They run in different but parallel packs, but both will destroy this country before they're done." Homer, Senior, also rails against entropy, a law of thermodynamics, to his puzzled son. "No matter how perfect the thing, the moment its created it begins to be destroyed." When Sonny asks, in effect, what's wrong with that, his dad replies, "Because even though I know it to be true, I don't want it to be true. I hate that it's true. I just can't imagine what God was thinking." Sonny's mom later tells him not to worry, that his dad was talking about his coal mine. But it later dawns on Sonny that his father is talking about the entire town of Coalwood and maybe America itself. Rocket Boys is often considered a young adult book, mainly because of the movie based on it, but in fact it is filled with wisdom that most of us can use and apply to today's various disasters. There are also characters often overlooked, the funny but sad Jake Mosby, the alcoholic jet ace, who befriends the Rocket Boys, Basil Oglethorpe, the gay reporter, and a host of others. After giving it some thought, I realized Rocket Boys is not really about rockets, although Hickam spends some time writing about the boys of the Big Creek Missile Agency and their gradual winning over of the tough coal miners to their side, but is really more about life as it was in a little, inconsequential place that holds so much wisdom for us today. In fact, I think that's its real strength and literary value. Read it that way and I think you'll get much more out of it.

I loved this story, and I don't have a scientific bone in my body! It's a great story about a boy becoming a man and wrestling with several aspects of his life. Well written!

As the first book of his "Coalwood Series", Author Homer Hickham garners this non-fiction book a "galaxy" rating, as it is easily the best book I have read in 2009. I intend to share it with my 14-year old son, who dreams of being a rocket engineer someday.

Set in the tiny town of Coalwood, West Virginia, (1957 - 1960) Homer Hadley Hickham suddenly discovers at age 15 that there is a whole world outside of the isolated Coalwood when he views the mysterious Russian satellite, Sputnik, pass overhead one night. The idea that the Russians could put a satellite in space inspires young Hickham to think beyond working in the Coalwood coal mine, as his father has planned for him. Encouraged by his science teacher and his wonderfuly free-thinking mother, Homer begins to build home-made rockets for the grandiose goal of someday working with the great German Scientist, Wehrner Von Braun, who leads the American space effort.

This is a most engaging and charming book. It captures the heart and soul of a teen-aged boy who has great plans, but has virtually no one to guide or help him achieve his dream. Despite daunting odds and obstacles, Homer gathers some like-thinking friends and they begin the Coalwood Rocket Club. The boys have absolutely no idea how to build or fuel a rocket, so they enlist the help of the high school math and science geek, who consistently guides the rocket boys in the right direction. Yet even the addition of a math genius is not enough, for materials for rockets are scarce. Homer enlists workers from the Coalwood mine to help him obtain the raw materials to build his rockets. The miners readily pitch in to help, but Homer's father, the mine foreman, strongly and disdainly discourages Homer from pursuing his dream, and instead tries to steer Homer to become a mine engineer, like himself. The central conflict becomes the straining tension between a father's practical expectations for his son, and the son's expnsive dreams of space flight. Is this not a universal conflict between all boys and their father's expectations?

Over the course of approximately 3 years, Homer and his rocket boys launch over 35 rockets, learning lessons from their failures as well as their successes. Along the way, Homer tenderly relates his experiences and thoughts as he makes his way through the tumultuous high school years: girls, girlfriends, sex, school dances, poverty, envy, jealousy, complex family relations, labor-union conflicts, and so much more. While rocket building is the framework for this book, the lessons and experiences of growing up in Coalwood fill out the framework in a very satisfying manner. Anyone growing up in the fifties or sixties will be instantly transported back in time to their own teenage years, for Homer's story is the story of the American Dream.

The book hooks you early on as every good book should, and then holds your interest to the very last page. I am already looking forward to devouring the remaining books in the Coalwood series.

Homer Hickham blasts off this first book and achieves a successful orbit that will keep you enthralled from start to finish. A great book, and most highly recommended.

Konedog

I am not a teen anymore, but a decade ago, I was. I never went to a public school, or delt with teenage dating, drugs, suicide, sneaking around, or all of that drama. I purchased this for a special teen in my life who has had to go to public school and face all of that. I read it before I gave it to her, and I think I learned some things that enter into the "average teen's" life. I hope she enjoys it, and learns, laughs and grows as I did.

This book was a wonderful and uplifting read. A lot of the passages will be in the back of my mind for a long time. The stories with love, hope and forgiveness really hit home for me. The only thing that I would like to see more in this book is poetry.

You would like this book if you love the feeling of being thankful of what you have. It makes me think to be kinder to people and to be happy that people are how they are and no one should try to change them. That some people are there to help and some people are there to be helped by people. I just think that this book will make so many people's lives so much brighter after having read it.

The thing that really got me was one of the stories that had a little brother that had cancer and it made me think of my little brother and what would my life be like without him. The day I read that story I went home and gave him a big hug and I told him that I loved him.

The parts with thoughtful words and deep thoughts always make me think. I love to read about people's problems and how they overcome them. I just think that it is good to know that someone might be going through the same problems with boys, parents, school, drugs and tons more things that make your head spin every day, and things that you feel like there is no way out of that situation.

All in all I thought it was a good book.

My daughter started reading this book at age 12, and has had it for 2 years. She still loves to go back and read selections of love, hope, courage. Give your teenager something worth reading! :)

I bought this book as a gift for my 16yr old niece. The very next day, she told me how much she loved the book. She even cried reading it. I think it's nice to find reading materials that can move the minds and feelings of teenagers.

I skimmed through the book before I gave it to my granddaughter who just turned 13. I thought it had some well written stories that a teenager can relate to and a lot of food for thought. She was so happy to get it, since she had the one for pre-teens also and really liked it.