Authors Books

A dear friend of mine had this book and I was intrigued. Although he had an edition that was dated back in the 50's, it was very worn out with its brown loose pages. Depsite that, I read some of the greatest poems that you can imagine and some familiar ones that I knew but not in its entirety. They were some of the most beautiful words written on paper. I decided to get my own copy and got a new edition for my friend and was thrilled with emotion. I knew I gave my friend a renewed treasure that he can now read without worrying about the pages falling out of its binding. I truly recommend this book of poems to anyone who really wants to feel well written words in verses that are truly beautiful and memorable. Get this book!

I have several books of poetry at home, but this one is my favorite. It is a good collection of poetry from the time of Middle English to almost to the present. There are a few modern poets I would like to see included that haven't been yet. Maybe someday someone will update this wonderful volume.

It starts with Middle English poet extraordinaire Geoffrey Chaucer, with excerpts from the Canterbury Tales and other writing. I would like to have seen Beowulf and some Old English poetry included. There are excerpts from anonymous poets of Middle English leading into the "Shakespearean" times where English is becoming more modern.

Shakespeare of course is well represented, with passages from plays as well as poems and sonnets. This is true for some others like Marlowe, too.

By the time after the Elizabethean period, English poets were not confined to England. There are Celtic poets like Robert Burns of Scotland, Dylan Thomas of Wales, and several Irish poets and American poets well represented in the later part of the book.

The poets are arranged chronologically in the book, but there is are indexs of titles and poets alphabetically at the end of the book for cross referencing. This book has over 600 pages, but it is still a small paperback and will fit in a coat pocket, which is where my copy often lives, dog eared and highlighted all over the place!

I had heard of most of the poets in this collection before I got the volume, but there are some I hadn't heard of and am glad to know. This is an excellent beginning collection, easy to carry and easy to read. Being a mass market paperback, the printing is not the best, but the poetry certainly is.

As other readers have said this anthology contains selections from the great poets of the English language from Beowulf to the middle of the twentieth century. It is the kind of book which can be read and reread for years upon years. I would however take exception to the claim that it is the best anthology of its kind. It does not have explanatory material provides no introduction to the poets, no interpretation of their work. There are other anthologies ( Among them ' The Concise Treasury of Great Poems' by Louis Untermeyer) which do so. Nonetheless the bottom line is that this Anthology contains very much of the greatest poetry in the English language.

I too love this anthology. A passionate love of poetry has been part of my upbringing. Let me say that both my mother, Gene Derwood, and Oscar Williams, my biological father, contributed to the selection of the greatest of the great poetry of the English language. Thus we have the contribution of a husband and wife team. Reviewers have mentioned updating this volume, but what has happened is that modern poetry writing no longer follows a firm tradition. Modern poetry is a shotgun blast. There are no recognizable standards for universal selection. Plath is recognized because you cannot divorce her from her suicide. Ginsberg you cannot divorce from his beard and little clanging bells, a media invention. Bob Dylan you cannot divorce from his being a song writer and media invention. If you are not a media invention and only a poet, what chance do you have? So Immortal Poems represents classic taste before media took over the American mind. The media is immortal these days, not poetry. Selecting from contemporary poets not using traditional standards would be difficult to do. I would still love to do it. For those interested in Oscar Williams there is information now available on the web. Just search it with oscarwilliams and see what their world was like in the twentieth century.

As with all anthologies, there will be a number of reviewers sniffing in an offended manner at the dearth (or glut) of Cummings, Yeats, Aiken, or Pope, but any 600 page anthology, by it's very nature, must be incomplete. I purchased this compilation three years ago for long flights and such and it has yet to disappoint. For the size and price of this work, one would be hard-pressed to do better.

As for content, all the major poets are more or less liberally represented. Cummings gets short shrift, and several of Yeats' most memorable pieces "An Irish Airman Forsees His Death", for one) are excluded. Yet I am certain novice and old hand alike will find this work passes the time admirably.

Having been with me through several housheold moves, military action, and cramped backpacks no self-respecting piece of literature should have to endure, my copy is now fairly falling apart. Yet when it expires, I will buy another copy. No other anthology, especially in terms of price, convenience, and memories, could ever compare.

These tales evoke a poetical kind of realism. "Hunters in the Snow" is a tragic but comic portrayal of three bumbling hunters acting dumb but believable: so in character with themselves yet slightly bizarre. Everything in these tales is real. There is no trumped up language or superfluous prose. The narratives sweep along with a good balance of dialogue, description and action, and are never boring. "Face to Face" is another good one--tragic again and emotional; you come away with a real sense of pathos. And none of it is asked for. The author doesn't beg our emotions. It's very real and very human. "Worldly Goods" is a hilarious tale but again with sober touch. "Maiden Voyage" is spot on in its portrayal of the bondage and meaning of marriage, and the allure of new love. "Passengers" is a terrific tale about a road warrior girl picked up by a straight-laced guy, the adventures they have and the effect she has on him--it makes you think, and it's all our doing. We never get pandered to or have our feelings played with. And it seems so effortless!

I would absolutely recommend this book. I don't usually give full-throttle approvals, but with this book I can find no fault. Read and enjoy!

I am amazed with everything Tobias Wolff writes.


His fiction is as strong and deep as his non-fiction. In Pharoa's Army is the most profoundly human book I've read on the subject of soldiering in Viet nam.

This short story collection from Tobias Wolff is truly just that. Each story gives you enough of the bare essentials to keep you informed and invested, but they never cross the line into anything remotely superfluous. Each story feels very much like you've entered right into the middle of things and you are there for the climax, but not necessarily the introduction or the conclusion.

While I found this book to be an effective exercise in the art of the short story, I was even more moved by the flaws each character in every story displayed. Wolff had grand success in getting down to the heart of who and what people are, and that is, in essence, good people that usually display less than admirable traits. We all have those idiosyncrasies that make us unique and often troubling to our friends and family, and Wolff captures perfectly normal, though certainly troublesome, eccentricities amongst his characters that give us all we need to know about their particular story.

This is a very fast and interesting read, and if you ever wanted to engage in a deep character study in the genre of the short story, this is the collection for you.

~Scott William Foley, author of The Imagination's Provocation: Volume II: A Collection of Short Stories

Tobias Wolff writes short stories pertaining to issues such as spousal abuse, envy, and lying. Wolff understands the conflicts his fiction characters face because he has addressed about those personal situations in his memoirs. His fiction is so real, it reads as nonfiction. Buy this book, buy them all. Wolff is an adventuresome author with adventuresome characters, himself included.

The characters in Tobias Wolff's short stories are typically ordinary people in relatively ordinary circumstances yet he creates through them such vivd glimpses of humanity that we recognize our friends ,relatives,neighbors and ourselves in them.
Powerful writing that is subtle and yet somehow unforgettable.

All of his short fiction collections are equally enjoyable and I would have a hard time recommending one as opposed to any other. This particular book contains several stories that will pull you in and cause you to want to explore more. This is a book that can be opened at random to any of the selections and read with great enjoyment.

A very interesting and thoroughly researched book on Isak Dinesen a/k/a Karen Blixen. A must read for any "Out of Africa" fan. Lots of great photos too!

First captivated, despite the miscasting of Robert Redford, by the film "Out of Africa", I read on to find out who this woman was. I discovered she died the same year I was born, and lived through those marvellous decades that include WW1, the roaring 20's, the Depression, the boiling 60's and through to the 70's. What changes in the world she saw, and what stories she had to tell. I thought there was nothing left for me to learn about her; I've read her books & her letters, have visited her home in Rungstedlund, Denmark, watched documentaries about her, seen the films ("Babette's Feast", in addition to "Out of Africa", are based on her books). However, this biography is a revelation on every page. Minutely researched (obviously), Ms Thurman leads us through the details that explain why she did what she did, where she obtained her passion, and her compassion, and how she went from a sheltered Danish aristocratic life, to colonial Africa, and then to becoming a world-renowned author. Excellent read for all who love stories of the grand figures of the 20th century.

Ah, so I finally finished this biography last night. I had fallen in love with Out of Africa and Seven Gothic Tales, and in reading her biography, I had hoped to fall in love with Isak Dinesen, the Pellegrina. Sadly, I fell out of it.

The fault is not in the biography. It's a fascinating life, and it was good to have the blanks filled in as far as her childhood, and what happened in Africa, the continent to which she spoke and which spoke back to her. The popularity of her work, the American reaction to it, I found this all good reading. But you know, eventually, she turned into quite the old megalomaniac. Thurman shows us where it all came from. (spoilers ahead) Dinesen had always believed that she was special, and was infuriated by her family's insistence on equality, fairness and calm. She felt restrained by it, stifled, dismissed. She felt that the loss of her father was uniquely hers, that it mattered less in the lives of her siblings that their father killed himself. She wanted to somehow own or claim that.

And sadly, the circumstances of her erotic life seem to have warped her terribly. She had syphilis, and had to live carefully and chastely even while madly in love (though there is a question regarding this as far as her relationship with Finch-Hatten). I can see how this would do a woman in, I really can. She spoke of syphilis as both the price and the source of her gift, a horrible bargain with the devil that made her a genius at telling tales. But the cost was high, and the damage was deep.

The warping took various ugly shapes as she aged. She tried to usurp her sisters and brothers in the eyes of their children, found her nieces and nephews disappointing in their love of their parents. She berated and belittled her most faithful secretary and companion, Clara. She asked for and received constant adoration from younger men, letting them bask in the glow of her admiration and encouragement in exchange for a strict kind of allegiance. She manipulated, bored, dominated, demanded, and through it all, she suffered the humilation of syphilis and aging. While young, she wanted to be the thinnest in the room. She died of anorexia, unable and unwilling to eat, addicted to amphetamine.

That's what I get for reading a biography. I still love her work, and in truth, that's all any writer owes the reader; the work. That aspect of this life, the story of her writing, is especially well-covered and interesting. I enjoyed Thurman's biography, and I think it's extremely well-written and full of specific, interesting information and theories. I just feel personally disappointed in who Isak Dinesen turned out to be.

Isak Dinesen will always be remembered for her farm in Africa, although she had much more than that, not the least of which was a talent for writing and an appetite for life. Why dames like this are not admired by the feminists , I'll never know. She had it all: dough, looks, energy, courage. Doris Duke here in the States is a possible American version of this kind of gal; maybe Katherine Hepburn succeeded in creating the film persona of this sort of aristocratic "liberated" women, with family money backing her all the way. It's easy to be brash when you've got a sugar daddy who happens to be a Baron. Still, while many of her class were happy to do nothing with their lives in style, this one had the guts to make an extraordinary life. Thurman has written a thoroughly researched, beautifully edited appreciation of this woman. She tells the story well, but also provides a very convincing analysis of Dinesen's lifelong commitment to the art of fiction. A fascinating biography.

This is a thoroughly researched and beautifully written biography of the life of a great storyteller. Thurman in telling the story of Dinesen's life, also presents a miniature guide to her work. She does an excellent job of portraying the character of Dinesen, the complex aristocratic independent mind, the romantic nature, the connection with a fairytale world of storytelling, the great courage and determination in making herself into a story when all appeared lost in her life. Thurman tells of Dinesen's childhood , her special connection with her father , the division between two families one wealthy mercantile, and the other more wild and adventurous. Thurman tells the story of Dinesen's long African adventure, the story of her marriage and its sad ending in divorce, and too the story of Dinesen's great love , Denys Finch- Hatton. The story of that love that plays a central part in what is arguably Dinesen's most memorable book , " Out of Africa" is a story of the man as hunter, adventurer, coming home to be feasted and entertained by his lover- storyteller Dinesen. This story which too ends with Finch- Hatton's death in a plane crash is at the heart of the first part of Dinesen's life. The second part after the African adventure is when she returns home and begins to make that writing life which would make her world- famous. The second -half of the story sees Dinesen more and more playing the part she has created for herself , as storyteller and personnage. It too however has its great human interest, especially in her relation to her mother ,her brother and her extended family. There is of course a vast world of detail I cannot begin to mention in this review. But Thurman tells the story with taste and a beauty as befits a true reader and lover of the work of Dinesen.
I believe it really does justice to the spirit of Isak Dinesen's life and work.

This is one of the best memoirs I've read. Broyard is brilliant, an elegant writer, and his story is interesting. Anyone in love with New York, or just in love with good memoirs, should read it.

Returning from World War II, Anatole Broyard, a young man of New Orleans Creole stock who had grown up Brooklyn working class, took advantage of the GI Bill to jumpstart his fortunes. Manhattan beckoned across the river, and upon enrolling in The New School, he fell down the rabbit hole and into the Wonderland that was Greenwich Village. At The New School, he sat in the classes of the major intellectuals of the era, many of them from Europe. He had only just begun when he met artist Sheri Donatti, a protégé of Anais Nin, who instantly provided him with a place to live and a relationship that would come to define the entire mad scene, where everyone read Kafka and modern art was It. The old rules, whatever they were, were out the window and where Sheri was in command, the rules changed daily. Broyard, who paints himself as an outsider has enough access to the epicenter of the action and thinking of the place in this time frame to be its ideal interpreter.

This memoir covers just a couple of years, but that's enough to get down the Bohemian culture of Greenwich Village a few years before Keroauc appeared on the scene and nearly a couple of decades before the sixties would recast their own version. Broyard went on to become for 3 decades an admirable book critic for The New York Times and to live a happy, domesticated family life in the suburbs. His lucid, literate and witty style shines in KAFKA WAS THE RAGE. He was working on this memoir when he died of cancer in 1993.

One brilliantly sunny day in July, I decided to head out to the lake to bask in the sun and read. Unforuntately, I realized halfway there that I hadn't bought anything to read. So, I trotted over to my local used bookstore and began browsing their recent acquisition table. This little volume immediately gained my attention. It looked like fun, it looked like it would be a quick read, and it was short enough that it wouldn't keep me from continuing in any of the other books that I was already reading. So, off to the lake with this book in hand I went.

KAFKA WAS THE RAGE was quite a nifty little read. I had read a fair amount about the Beats at one point, so this had some of the same post-WW II Manhattan atmosphere, but that was set more in the area of Columbia University, so this shifted the scene further south. There is no real story to tell here. Broyard merely recounts in a more or less anecdotal form a number of events and individuals from a particular moment in time. He has a gift for summoning up particular moments in vivid detail, and a talent for the brilliant line. An example of the former is his recounting of an adventure in which he took Delmore Schwartz, Clement Greenberg, and Dwight MacDonald to a Spanish Harlem nightclub. Another is his description of his art professor Meyer Schapiro.

Some great lines:

"I thought that being a Communist was a penalty you had to pay for being interested in politics."

[on Dylan Thomas] "To him, an American party was like being in a bad pub with the wrong people."

[on Delmore Schwartz] "Like Samuel Johnson, whom he resembled in many ways, Delmore was not interested in prospects, views, or landscape. He had looked at the city when he was young, and saw no need to do it again."

[on a painter friend] "His voice was soft, deep, and cultivated and his manners were a history of civilization."

As one might expect (and hope for) in a memoir set in such a vibrant era, the book is marvelous for its incessant name-dropping of famous individuals who pop up briefly as characters: figures as diverse as Erich Fromm, Maya Deren, Anais Nin, Caitlin and Dylan Thomas, W. H. Auden, Gregory Bateson, as well as the previously mentioned Schwartz, Greenberg, MacDonald, and Shapiro.

My first reaction was, I wish I had been there too. As he said, the public was visually hungry at that time. Now the public is pretty much jaded in mho, but also, there are probably many more visual artists per capita than in 1947.
Other quotes I liked: pp129 On Delmore Schwartz, he was like the grammar-school bully who rips open your fly buttons. It was Delmore who helped me to understand what I came to think of as the malice of modern art.
pp134 The social history of the world is, in some ways, a history of censorship.

If you're expecting an overview of the 1940s Greenwich Village scene, adjust your expectations. This is for the most part an account of Anatole Broyard's life, as he lived in Greenwich Village in the 1940s. The focus is on Broyard's concerns of the time and his particular perceptions. It is a distinct difference.

That acknowledged, I'd like to say that I recommend the book anyway. Broyard's account is valuable for its loving criticism of the 1940s art world, for its honest recognition of the stupidity of youth, and for its meandering remembrances, repleat with similes and earnest attempts to find meaning in the past. The book is valuable because of its examination of life, an examination that is all the more interesting for the time period and the location of the subject.

I said that Broyard's account was more an account of his own life than of the times. But it is also an opinion of mine that one life tells a lot about a time period. The setting for the memoir is New York just after WWII--the whole city is glad to be alive and glad to be carefree for the first time since the beginning of the war. And Broyard's account of himself and others in the period is fascinating for that reason, for the way this made people act. Need another reason? Broyard's memoir is peppered with chance meetings with prestigious artists and writers of the time. He exposes the mentality they all lived with--the way they lived with art the way other young people live with football or pop music. He exposes the advantages and disadvantages that that presented. Most of all, he exposes your youth--your own youthful pretensions, and stupidity, and wisdom. It's the account you would write if you had the time... And the insight.

What a blessing to listen to these sermons of my brother in Christ Dr. King. Never throughout my life did I hear these. Why?

America, wake up!!! You are a great nation, because of the freedom bestowed upon us by none other than Jesus, the Messiah (Christ).

And those people, brought here as slaves (believe me I've heard it ad nauseam going through school, but just listen), have helped make us a great nation!

Now listen - we are ALL slaves - every one of us. To who? To ourselves!

If you think I'm a religious zealot - absolutely, freakin' not. I am a former slave, that's all. No more, no less. Saved by the blood of the Lamb. And now filled with the love of His Spirit, and loving my fellow man, regardless of color or background.

I look forward to meeting you in heaven Dr. King!

(Let's pray for Dr. King's constituents, that they would come to know the Lord, and love all, black and white, and gain God's strength as Dr. King did.... and keep loving one another, faults and all - 'cause we know we all got faults, but our hearts should be turned towards perfection! Thank you Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!!!)

The sermon series is awesome!!! Each sermon has an introduction that gives the listener valuable tidbits about the sermon. You can feel the effect of MLK's powerful oration abilities. All of the sermons are still relevant today and anyone who has a pulse can benefit from listening to the set.

I have had A Knock at Midnight in book and cassette tape form for many years, and at least twice a year I listen to them. The sermons are timeless, and make clear that we were in the presence of greatness when Dr. King was alive. Listening to this CD truly is inspirational. I have given them as gifts for years, and always receive heartfelt thanks.

This set of Dr. King's sermons/speeches is a dream come true. To hear his powerful words coming from his own mouth is so inspirational. I'm really glad I purchased these. Arthur Dunklin, Ph.D.

It's hard to believe Martin Luther King was 39 when he died. His eloquence can be heard in his famous speeches but the fullness of who he was, his spiritual depth, can only be heard in his sermons. These CDs are inspiring and profoundly moving. He is one of the greatest American preachers of all time and the greatest in the twentieth century.

Lighting the Dark Side is a collection of three novellas and three short stories. William Potter entices his audience with action, mystery, fear, and romance. His first story engages his readers with a tale between a geek and gorgeous woman. A story which seems destined to fail from the beginning. However, Potter develops the relationship with such finesse that the ending is up for grabs.

Second, an artist desperately tries to thrive and discover love despite his family's domineering ways. In the next story, Potter treats his readers to a hard-boiled crime story filled with all the fixings. That includes an unexpected twist at the end. Potter also gallantly writes a scenario of the world ending story thriller as a flash fiction piece.

Up to now, Potter's stories contain a character-driven and emotional quality which sets them apart from many other stories. However, his last two stories are the most fascinating to read by far. They expose the human condition, with all its flaws and potential, and challenge his characters to behave as they see fit in that immediate circumstance. In the story, Blessing or Curse, he pinned the title appropriately, referring to a large lottery win. However, a kidnapping for ransom which follows changes the outcome.

Potter uses concise dialogue and the story is about a twist of fate. His last story is about a lost teenager and a man with a rescuer complex. It is probably is his best story but also most complex tale in the collection. The intermingling motives of the two find their way together against a world that does not understand them. These characters help each other and themselves. They find refuge in honesty in each other. In a sea of confusing societal impositions, they learn to rediscover trust.

Potter's writing skills shine as a storyteller throughout his collection. His ability to intersperse back story and control the speed of the plot is especially important when it comes to character development. I highly recommend Lighting the Dark Side to all readers. His stories captivate the mind in all respects. I hope to see more works from William Potter soon!

These stories are so character driven that if you don't already know someone like them (including yourself), you'll wish you did! I also found the first story to be the strongest. Each paragraph seamlessly builds onto the one before and just when you could imagine yourself living with these characters for a long, long time it's over way too soon. But I don't want the praise of Bent, Not Broken to in any way diminish the great plots, storytelling and characters of the other 5 stories. They all have a very unique story to tell. Each, in its own way, is a wonderful story with interesting and real people. We need more works such as these. You will definitely enjoy each journey and beg for more.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (9/08)


"Lighting the Dark Side: Six Modern Tales" consists of six short stories, all of which are very different and unique, spanning the full gamut of fictional genres. The six short stories included in the book are: "Bent, Not Broken," "In the Gray," "Prominent Couple Slain," "May 18, 2010," "Blessing or Curse?," and "Surviving the Fall." After reading all three of the novellas and all three of the shorter works, I can honestly say that I enjoyed each and every one of them.

My favorite novella in the book was the very first one, "Bent, Not Broken." It is about a man named Dwayne Johnson who is plagued by severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We watch Dwayne struggle as what are normal day to day activities for most of us are much more challenging for him. His anxieties are compounded by the fact that his co-workers gang up on him by moving things in his cubicle that he needs to have just so. You can't help but to feel for the poor guy. Dwayne meets a girl and falls in love with her, but his many issues will be the cause of much strain and difficulty in the relationship.

It is in this first novella that the meaning of the title of the book, "Lighting the Dark Side," is revealed as well. Dwayne's girlfriend Dee-Dee is in a mud bath reflecting and meditating. On the phone to Dwayne she tells him that she is "just spending some time lighting the dark side." She says, "everyone has a dark side" which is "that ugliness about our personality that scares the people who see it." What we need to do "is to fight it, to turn a light against it." (p. 65)

Each story draws you in within the first few sentences and will hold your attention through the completion. All of the characters are well developed and seem very real. I became so involved in each tale that I found myself wishing that these weren't short stories and that each work was a full-length novel instead. Don't get me wrong, the writing was very thorough and the stories were not lacking anything, but I enjoyed the characters and the writing style so much that I just wished that they were longer! In the author's biography that was sent along with the book it states that he is "re-working two full-length novel manuscripts for publishing" and if these works are anything similar to "Lighting the Dark Side: Six Modern Tales" then I can't wait to read them!

If you are looking for an easy, light-hearted read, Lighting the Dark Side is probably not the book you are looking for. If you are looking for a book with rich character development and an unafraid look at the darkness in those characters lives, be prepared for a good book.

Potter has a way of building the characters in his stories so that you can begin to understand what they are going through, and you care what happens to them. That's not to imply that all of the characters are nice, or even likable, but that only adds to the realism of this collection of short stories. We all have to deal with people like the type found in these stories in out daily lives.

These stories show a lot of insight into the dysfunction of people as they deal with love, betrayal, and a host of personal/family/relationship issues in a realistic world where nothing is perfect and sometimes the best you can hope for is to live to try again tomorrow.

Potter has a gift for getting down to what really makes his characters tick. He examines their hopes fears and motivations in a way that captivates the attention and makes you want to keep reading to find out more.

It was a very captivation book, and one that was well worth the time I spent reading it.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (7/08)

"Lighting the Dark Side" contains a collection of six refreshingly different short stories. Each one is very unique and cannot be compared to the others. I really enjoyed reading the stories. They are about human nature and how we deal with hardships. Sometimes we overcome them, sometimes we obliterate them and sometimes we just make adjustments in ourselves to live with them.

What I discovered really interesting is that in almost every story, I found aspects of myself in the characters. This allowed me to feel like I could relate to what they had going on inside themselves. Some of these aspects ranged from a desire for vigilantism in situations with no other way out; a desire to help others by going way beyond what is expected; and that need to ask myself why I allow things to happen when I know the outcome ahead of time. Kind of like, why did I do that again? The examples in the stories are so much more interesting than any story that I have possibly lived.

Each short story or novella is very complete within itself, however, I found myself wishing that the stories would go on longer. I wasn't ready to leave the lives of these interesting characters. This is what made the book even more fun because I found myself thinking about the stories later on, wondering what happened to people that never even existed. The characters are very well developed and intricately woven into their plots that they seem very real. Their humanity is expressed through their shortcomings, and their need to change their situations.

This book, "Lighting the Dark Side," by William R. Potter, will definitely be enjoyed by all fans of fiction. I think that it would make an excellent selection for a reader's group or for a college course. I would love to hear the interesting discussions that will be held about these stories.

Sometimes a book takes you away from your everyday circumstances into a place of comfort. Other times the book is a sweet love story that renews your belief in true love. And some keep you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. Then, there are the books that bring broken hearts and faith together in perfect healing. When you find a book that does all of this and more, you have a true treasure. Sharlene MacLaren has written such a book in Long Journey Home.

Newly divorced from an abusive husband, Callie May is trying to be the best single mother, daughter, and school teacher she can. She knows first-hand that emotional scars take longer to heal than physical ones. She isn't sure how to trust God, much less her handsome new neighbor, Dan Mattson. Dan, recently widowed is searching for a place in a world without his wife and daughter. Bitterness has planted deep roots in his heart. And, as the attraction between the neighbors grows, he comes face to face with his anger and rejection of the One Who can truly heal him. When Callie's ex-husband returns to stake his claim, will Dan overcome his own internal obstacles and come to her rescue? Can two broken people find the way to healing and another chance at true love and happiness?

This book is one of those treasures that surprises. The characters are rich and attach themselves to your heart. You will laugh when they do, cry with them, and wish you could slap some sense into their stubbornness. I highly recommend this book. This is the first Sharlene MacLaren book I have read, but I guarantee it won't be my last.

Don't you just love it when you read a book that makes your heart flutter? Your eyes fill with tears? Your breath catch when danger suddenly appears? Well, Sharlene MacLaren is an author you need to become acquainted with, dear reader! The sooner the better!

Long Journey Home is a tender blend of sorrow, pain and broken dreams wrapped up in God's clever and sometimes miraculous plans of healing and forgiveness. Callie May is a single mom struggling to renew her long-stagnant faith after the end of a brutal marriage. Dan Mattson is a widower who has lost his faith after a tragic accident and is making every effort to push God and everyone else a safe distance from his broken heart. When the two become across-the-hall neighbors in an apartment complex, sparks begin to fly almost immediately!

Sharlene MacLaren uses realistic scenarios to create a poignant love story. The characters are people you connect with easily, and the story draws you in and keeps you captivated. And romance? Be still my heart! Dan Mattson and Callie May's chemistry sparks off the page!! Even though both of the main characters are struggling, God's gentle nudges and long-suffering ushers them past their pain and into a new level of spiritual growth and maturity.

Long Journey Home is one of those books you can get lost in. However, once you reach the final scene, you are completely satisfied! If solid Christian romance is what you are looking for, your search ends here!

Sharlene MacLaren's "Long Journey Home" took me completely by surprise! This is one of the best love stories I've read in a very long time. Callie May is a beautiful middle school English teacher and mother of an equally beautiful baby girl. Her recent divorce from an abusive man has left her battered and broken. Daniel Mattson is broken as well. A former pastor whose wife and baby daughter were killed in a car accident, Dan just wants to run away - from his congregation, his family, God. When Dan moves into the apartment across the hall from Callie, the sparks begin to fly. But will Dan return to relationship with his savior? And will Callie make it through another confrontation with her abusive ex?

This is a heart-wrenching and heart-warming read. This novel is a wonderful addition to a fall afternoon and a mug of hot apple cider! The characters are the kind of people you want sitting around your own dining room table for dinner every night. I fell hard into this love story and would pick up another book by this author in a heartbeat! This is a thoroughly satisfying, outstanding read!

In her latest novel, Sharlene MacLaren offers us a unique story of hope.

Dan and Callie have both endured more than their share of heartbreak, leaving them hurt and jaded. They struggle with the same things many of us do: wondering how a good God can let bad things happen. But God has never left them. And by the end of our journey with them, God's love is clear.

MacLaren creates sympathetic characters that will have you rooting for them. Don't miss this lovely romance from a very lovely writer!

The Christmas Edition
Long Journey Home by Sharlene Maclaren is another hit. First off, the cover is really great. It captured my attention right away. I became involved in the book immediately from the first page to the end. Once I began reading I couldn't put it down until it was finished. It took me 2 days. I love it when I find a book that I am involved with.The characters are real. The drama and heartbreak is so relevant. The plot is well crafted. Sharlene is one of my all time favorite authors. Every time I pick up one of her books, I know it will be filled with wonderful characters.

This book broke the reading rut I've had for a couple of days. Lover's Talisman is an erotic and paranormal delight. The story and the leading characters will hook you in and won't let go until its final page. Welcome to Talisman Bay -- where things go bump in the night and where love comes along in the most unexpected ways. The Shadow Walkers consist of a secret group of five mortal men who protect people from demons, vampires, werewolves and other monsters. Stephan Rashleigh is one of those men. He has dedicated his life to protecting innocent bystanders against creepy crawlies and has given up on the idea of ever finding love. That is until he meets Mariah, an exotic dancer with a tumultuous romantic past. His life is never the same after he saves her life from a mating demon. Then he decides to continue to protect her after her best friend is kidnaped by werewolves. He knows that he is the reason why she is danger, and dreads the thought of giving up on the only woman he has ever loved. There are various twists throughout the novel.

This novel has a dark edge that comes from the paranormal aspect of the story. I liked the world of Talisman Bay and the sort of noble heroes the Walkers represented. However, I would have liked for the novel to concentrate more on the monsters -- namely the vampires, werewolves and different kinds of demons -- and less on the sexual tension between Stephan and Mariah. I found it unrealistic that Mariah delved on her sexual attraction for Stephan after she had encountered a supernatural creature for the first time. Not that I didn't enjoy the sexual tension and subsequent sex scenes between the protagonists. The scenes were amazingly hot. And I liked that the leading characters were well developed, even if the other Shadow Walkers were not as well developed. But this is an outstanding series and I look forward to getting to know all of the characters. Aside from a few inconsistencies, Talisman Bay is a steamy, action-packed, entertaining novel. I highly recommend it. I look forward to reading the second part of the series.

This book is a most have!!!!!! I couldn't put it down!If you are a lover of anything paranormal....You will love this story...It has Strong Male and Female Characters and scary Monsters in it.

Ashleigh Raine is a wonderful,GREAT writer...she knows how to make a world come to life in your mind.

I highly recommend this book and any of her books.

I loved this book! It had a ton of action and adventure, good looking demon hunters and even sexy bad guys! I can't wait to get my hands on the next one! I sure hope there are more books in the Tailsman Bay series coming!

Lover's Talisman was the first book I ever read by Ashleigh Raine. IF this one is any indication I will definately be looking for more. This story introduces us to The Shadow Walkers and they protect us from the nasties out there. This is anything goes with hot sex, danger and delicious love. Great Job!!

The writing duo Ashleigh Raine has been officially added to my list of "must buy" authors. The first book in the Talisman Bay series, this is a must read for paranormal lovers everywhere.

Chock full of steamy sex, hot alpha males, and a plot line that keeps those pages turning, this is one book that belongs on the keeper shelf. I'm an offical Shadow Walker fan for life. Please keep churning out these fantastic books!

One of the book catalogs that I occasionally get in the mail has been singing the praises of the late Beverley Nichols. Besides writing mystery novels, he also wrote about his adventures in renovating and resurrecting a home in the suburbs of London just after WWII. First published as a collection of magazine columns, he would later on assemble them into a trilogy of books.

The first of the trilogy, Merry Hall details his search, at times frustrating, for the perfect house and garden. Very soon he became aware of what land agents (realtors for us Yanks) really meant in their ads, and he started to see his hopes plummet as his hopes were continually dashed. But one listing caught his eye, and with a good friend, he took the journey out of London to look the place over.

The estate, spreading over five acres are a compendium of every gardening mistake. Ghastly ornaments litter the grounds -- the previous owner was very fond of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs). And the house, a lovely Georgian mansion, isn't much better. While it hasn't fallen down yet, there are 'additions' that are ugly and inappropriate, and decorating choices of colours that can be best left to the imagination. Not to mention the holly hedges, a stagnant stinking pond of unimaginable depths, and dire warnings from his friend that Nichols is about to step into a money pit that will sap his life and savings.

Undeterred by such gloomy words, Nichols falls head over heels in love with his find, especially when he discovers the kitchen garden. Not only is it beautifully kept, but along one wall is a collection of exquisite lilies. Soon, he discovers why there is such order in the midst of such chaos. For along with the house and land comes Oldfield, an ancient gardener of superb talents. Smitten, Nichols signs for the house on the spot, and soon starts on that most dreaded adventure that most home owners endure -- renovations.

With his 'valet,' Gaskin, and two cats, 'One' and 'Four' Nichols moves into Merry Hall, and starts the work with a great deal of gusto, and soon finds out that in his own little Eden, there's a few problems. For one, there are the neighbors, Miss Emily and Our Rose, forever scheming to get something out his prized gardens. And Oldfield, is quite another problem altogether. There are towering elm trees and their suckers, the dratted holly hedge (the solution to that one is not one that I would recommend!), and the question of what would you do if you could dream -- and dream big?

I loved reading this book. I found myself entranced with Nichols writing about everyday life, the perils and delights of gardening, and living with cats. At times I was helplessly laughing at Nichols' searing wit and lofty views on post-War taste in Britain. He, quite frankly, doesn't give a hoot as to what people will think of him (save Oldfield, for very sensible reasons).

Where this story shines, however, is not just in the language and Nichols' skills at writing. It's in his loving, vivid descriptions of flowers and plants, and I found my mouth watering, and desperate looks out at my own wilderness, wondering Could I do it too? The antics of his cats had me in nodding agreement, and plucking at my partner's sleeve and crying out, Listen to this --!

Along with Nichols' wonderful prose, there are illustrations by William McLaren in black and white, along with several photographs of Beverley Nichols (including one with 'Four' in his arms). For this new edition, there is also a forward by Ann Lovejoy and an index of all of the plants by Roy C. Dicks. The book itself is a facsimile of the original edition published by Jonathan Cape in 1951. This new edition, only available in hardbound, is published by Timber Press books, and they can be reached at [...] for more reprints of Beverley Nichols books.

In short, this is a book to delight any gardener, bibliophile or cat lover's soul. It's funny, at times sorrowful (I cried over 'Two' and 'Three's stories), and came away with a wistful hope that one day too, I would have a wee garden of my own. If you can't purchase this, do try to get your hands on this one at your local library. It is simply too good to miss.

Five stars overall, recommended.

I want to give my honest opinion of this book. I have never read anything else by this author. While it was entertaining, I found it to get just a little more drawn out than I would have liked. I also did not like his viewpoints on some of the different plants. I guess you just need to take it in stride, but when he characterizes some of your favorite plants as nuisances (or more), etc. it is a little irritating. I did enjoy it, but I don't think I'll read him again. I wanted to give this review, since everyone seems to have LOVED this book but me.

I first read Merry Hall over 30 years ago, and having recently re-read it I was impressed by how much an impression it had made on me. Many a time I have unknowingly quoted from the work, thinking the quote apocryphal!

You must read for yourself how to deal with an overgrown holly hedge, and how to plant hundreds of trees without buying them, and what berberis can do for you, and why you should cultivate periwinkle...

I'm sure you'll be delighted with the finely drawn sketches of the real people populating the story: the characters of gardeners, society ladies, and men who work for the government in a clearly covert and somewhat sinister capacity. You'll enjoy the cats, the lilies, and how to create an English country garden from a neglected and ill directed site.

The gentle humor reflects the gentler times before the horrors of World War 2 brought violence, destruction, and death into the hearts and homes of most of Britain.

This book is a keeper!

Just as Trollope passed the literary torch to Angela Thirkell, so did E. F. Benson pass his to this good fellow! Mr. Nichols' trilogy about Merry Hall is so entertaining, even though at times he comes across as a bit "twee". As you get to know him and his neighbors through the books, you come to realize that yes, some things are more important in your own blinkered surroundings than in the big wide world. I would recommend these books to anyone who loves gardening (on a grand scale), gossip, and the minutiae of life.

The first volume of a trilogy about the author's time at Merry Hall, this book is more humorous garden writing than strict autobiography. We know (primarily from the dust jacket) that Beverley Nichols was a widely-travelled journalist and prolific author, but aside from the occasional mention that he needs to keep working (hard) to pay the (very high) bills, Nichols doesn't mention his life outside of Merry Hall or, more specifically, its garden.

The book begins after WWII, when Mr. Nichols returns from "a job" in India to a ravaged London and develops an overwhelming urge to move to the country and get back to nature in the form of a hopefully large and preferably derelict garden that he can "rescue". After a daunting (and amusingly described) search he miraculously finds what he considers to be a dream property - a Georgian manor house on 5 acres of truly hideous landscaping.

With wry wit Nichols tells the story of acquiring the property against the better judgement of friends, and of what is involved in making a run-down manor house habitable, and in dismantling, re-ordering and re-planting 5 acres of gardens. Along the way we meet Oldfield, the very talented but taciturn and somewhat difficult gardener; Gaskin, the long-standing and nearly superhuman manservant; Miss Emily and Our Rose, nosy and perpetually disapproving neighbors; and the beloved cats One and Four.

Although avid gardeners will no doubt love this book as they mentally compare notes with the author, one need not have ever dirtied one's hands with compost to enjoy reading it. The narrative meanders like a leisurely stroll in the garden, and Mr. Nichols' faith in the therapeutic powers of gardening is reminiscent of that in The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett). The author's fond and poetic descriptions of the various aspects of his garden, intermingled with his sharp social observations and dry British humor make this a thoroughly enjoyable read. I have already ordered the other two books in the trilogy.

An additional note: this is a facsimile of the original 1951 edition; it contains lovely line drawings throughout, and is printed on the nicest paper I have encountered in a long time.

Daniel Stolar sent me an e-mail a long time ago and asked if I'd like to read his collection of short stories. I bought the book, but it got lost somewhere in the big heap of unread books in my library. I stumbled upon his book a couple of days ago and decided to give it a whirl. Glad I did. Middle of the Night is quite a delightful, poignant and thought-provoking collection of stories, most of which are based in St. Louis. The stories center on people who have difficulty dealing with overwhelming events in their lives. Some of the characters are not comfortable in their own skin. The characters are flawed and palpable -- it was impossible not to relate to their plights and nod in agreement with their thoughts. My favorite stories are "Jack Landers is My Friend," "Marriage Lessons," "Mourning," "Crossing Over," and "Second Son." I wish I hadn't waited this long to read this book. Middle of the Night was like finding a treasure box in my own backyard. I will read whatever other books Stolar has written or may write in the future.

Smartly written and deviously understated, "The Middle of the Night" presents eight stories so refreshingly idiosyncratic that one is hard-pressed to compare Daniel Stolar to another writer. Most of the stories share a similar framework--an introductory section followed by an extended flashback (to childhood, to high school, to college, to a previous marriage), concluding in the present with the story's resolution. And most feature a character going through some type of midlife crisis or interpersonal conflict--between generations, between sexes, between classes, between races. Yet, in spite of their similar themes and structures and their calm, melancholy tone, each is remarkably distinctive and--most of all--the characters are instantly familiar. Stolar has a knack for sketching a person or a situation in a few simple sentences, and any reader will admire his ability to write from different points of view (a male college student, a 70-year-old retiree, a young married woman).

While all eight stories are memorable in their own way, everyone is sure to have his or her favorites. Mine are: "Second Son," about a 70-year-old man whose closeness to his son from a second marriage atones for his remoteness to and impatience with an older son; "Fundamentals," portraying a young father who calculatedly raises his son with the forbearance his own father denied him; and "Mourning," concerning a college student who, following his mother's death, is rescued from emotional collapse by a benevolent classmate rendered aloof and indecipherable by an upper-class (read: WASP) upbringing. "Crossing Over," about a Jewish college student who pledges a black fraternity, seems to have received the most attention; it is a fine story, but reading it is uncomfortable--not so much because of the subject matter but because the many black characters in the story are nearly indistinguishable stage props for the protagonist's self-induced drama.

Although Stolar has written a story sharing the book's title (it was published last year in Bomb Magazine), it was omitted from this debut volume. In an interview with a reporter, he said that "[My editor and I] kept the title because it just seemed to fit. There's a point in each story where somebody is awake in the middle of the night." Indeed, it's a perfect title for this collection: these stories are about the emotional crises that make insomniacs of all of us.

What a beautiful book this is! I absolutely loved these short stories. What an impressive debut! These are delicious little stories and you will find yourself completely able to relate to each character as you become immersed in their complicated, yet utterly "human" and familiar lives. So very remarkable! I savored and read this book slowly, I did not want the spell I was under to end. I am always so thrilled to discover a wonderful new writer and it goes without saying that I'll be keeping my eyes and ears open for his next effort. Congratulations to Daniel Stolar, on this extraordinary debut!

This is an outstanding collection of short stories and I would suspect be up for many major literary awards.

Nearly all the stories are bittersweet and bring into clear focus how we are all truly solitary creatures and nobody ever really knows another person-regardless of how intimate they are. Nearly all the stories are written from the point of view of a secular Jewish protagonist, which is the cultural backdrop of the entire book. What Solar does a particularly good job with is writing from various lifestages-from young, to middle-age with children, to older and retired but with a young wife and teenage son. The stories also touch on a variety of issues from infidelity and the rending of a marriage, parenting, growing old, friendship, and interacting with people of other cultures.

Overall, this is a very impressive collection.

The opening story ("Jack Landers is My Friend") in Dan Stolar's debut collection of fiction In the Middle of the Night is a sophisticated comedy of manners wherein a thirty-something married Jewish man searches for acceptance from a group of friends he's not even sure that he likes. The story is emotionally provocative and recalls such masters of the form as Cynthia Ozick, Alice Munro, and Raymond Carver.

In the humorous and heartrending story "Home in New Hampshire" a paraplegic woman watches the twenty-year-long disintegration of her marriage to an adulterous husband while her children leave home for college. It is pitch-perfect and emotionally profound.

It's a rare treat, indeed, to discover such a singular talent and voice as Daniel Stolar's. He renders the familiar new and the new familiar. He says what we all have felt but were incapable of saying. And he says it with a clarity and emotional resonance unlike any other short story writer in America. One can not help but cheer for the future of the short story form when it is in the hands of such a capable master as Daniel Stolar. Bravura, stunning, profound. In the Middle of the Night will make you want to stand up and cheer.

Stacey Cochran