New Jersey Books

I really enjoyed this book. It is a lot better than his other series on the sports agent. Very interesting ending. I listened to it on CD.

I didn't think that Coben would be able to top his work from Tell No One, but he did. The plot in this one was even more complex and you had just as much invested in the main character. You really felt like you got to know Will and the pain he went through. Coben used a very similar formula in this book as he did in Tell No One and The Innocent, but it's a great one. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it is certainly one of the most engrossing and thrilling books I have ever read. Well done Sir, again.

"GFG" is a fast paced novel with lots of twist and turns that keep going til the end of the book, perhaps a few too many of them than what was necessary to keep this one interesting. Its not a terrible novel, but with what i believe to be the wimpiest main character ive ever read in a book, it just reminded me of those really lame lifetime movies on the cable networks. For awhile there I kept thinking the main guy was a woman, for the over the top sensibilities and just plain wussiness that just seem to ooze from this character.
Im used to reading bout guys like "Mitch Rapp" or "Gabriel Allon" so this was a major adjustment to a guy who likes "ahem" the male characters to be more like "ahem again" men.
Not a bad novel, but not all that great either and wont make it to my personal "gotta keep this one" shelf.
Like I said, it would make for a typical lifetime movie, not much more.

I really enjoyed this book. I had been hooked on Harlan Coben's sports agent series and decided to try this stand alone book. I'm glad I did. I thought there was a lot of depth to the characters. I felt the twists in the books weren't outlandish. They actually made sense. I thought that Mr. Coben did a great job explaining the past, the present and how they all went together. He led you down the path about two characters and then show you how everything isn't always what it seems. I thought it was fast paced enough to keep my attention and didn't take long to read at all. I would highly recommend this stand alone book along with Coben's sports agent series.

Thriller writer extraordinaire Harlan Coben's Gone for Good features the troubles a family endures when one of the members, Ken, is accused of a brutal rape murder of his brother's ex-girlfriend. Family dynamics are intertwined with a great mystery as only Coben can write. Chock full of all of the elements that make for a great mystery and thriller - diabolical bad guys, a labyrinth of a story, romance, hate, and surprises - this is a must read.

Ken's brother Will finds himself embroiled in a "Hitchcockian" plot that soon has the mob, FBI, runaways, violent crimes, and emotion coursing through each page. This is a top notch thrill ride that is worth a 5 star rating.

Enjoy!!! I sure did.

This Stephanie Plum book was just like the others, great! I thought it started out a little slow, but it definitley picked up and had a great ending. Don't give up on it for the first half, it is worth the read. I purchased the next 3 in a boxed set, can't wait to keep reading!

Easy reader. Stephanie is a likeable, believable character. The story itself is a bit crazy and unbelievable, and it is really less of a mystery per se and more of a crime story. Take it for what it is.

I love Janet Evanovich! Funny, quirky, and believable characters. This book is no exception. The only thing I don't like is the OCCASIONAL rough language. However, for me, the good outweighs the bad BIG TIME.

I love the Stephanie Plum series of novels. I really hate reading so I purchase them both in audio for me and paperback for houseguests and friends. I'm drawn in with the excitment and adventure of the story that Janet seems to capture in every novel. It has twists, turns, Lula, mystery, wonder, and of course two very "HOT" men! Who wouldn't want a mix of both men. :} I would recommend the "Plum" series, her "Full" series, as well as her earlier novels of mixed titles. They're all great fun and keep you as a reader at the edge of your seat waiting to see if a cars going to get blown up, who's died this week, who attends the pot roast dinner, who she sleeps with next, what will burn down next, and will she get her man (love or bounty). I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. I look forward to #14 in the "Plum" series, the next "Full" novel, and the new novel Janet recently wrote with a new author being released this October. Thank you!

After enjoying the first two Stephanie Plum stories, I eagerly jumped into this one. It did not meet expectations. It was just not believable. Stephanie continues to make the kinds of mistakes that you would think she would learn from by now. And while I was able to laugh at the irreverence of the earlier books, I agree with others who said this book was a bit TOO crude. I am undecided as to whether to move onto the 4th.

This book was just as enchanting as the first. Mia's story just gets better and better with each passing entry.

This is a slice of a completely unrealistic teenager's life. However, there is enough empathy for real coming-of-age issues, such as the power of words, that young readers can benefit from examining, how the lessons relate to their own universes. The characters are well written and you care that the princess makes the right choices. I recommend this for the imaginative young reader.

I am a sixth grader. I read the book Princess in the Spotlight the second Princess Diaries. This book is by Meg Cabot. In this book, Mia, gets a big surprise. But when her mom tells her the surprise, Mia isn't too happy. But this surprise leads to another. You see, Mia's mother is still dating Mia's algebra teacher, Mr. Gianini. So now Mr.G will be moving in with Mia and her mom plus Mia's mom is marring Mr.G!! Mia is so shocked when she hears this news. She is still shocked to hear the first surprise her mother told her. So now Mia is thinking that it is not going to be fun having her algebra teacher living with her. But after a few weeks of thinking about it and finding out that Mr.G has a fooze ball table and a pin ball machine she decides that living with Mr.G won't be too bad. But when her grandmother plans a big interview with a big interviewer, Mia is very nervous. When she finally has the review, she feels as if nothing will ever go right again.
Mia's father is there, and well Mia's mom has not exactly told Mia's dad that she is getting married. So when Mia tells the entire world about her mom marring Mr.G, not only is Mia's dad in shock, but so is her grandmother. For the next few chapters, things don't go so well for Mia. Later on in the book, Mia's grandmother decides to plan her mom and Mr.G's wedding. Her grandma even hires a professional planer. Mia knows that her mom will not like the fact that her daughter's father's mother is planning her wedding. But after Mia's mother's parents, who have never in their entire life left Africa, come to help Mia's grandmother plan the wedding that Mia's mom doesn't even want, Mia and her mom thinks things have gotten out of hand. But they both know that they can do nothing. So they call Mia's father to take care of his mother. Well I don't want to give any more away but I do recommend this book for anyone who is a girl and liked the first Princess Diaries book.
K.M.

Princess in the Spotlight is a GREAT book!! i Loved reading this book i couldent put it down. I finshed this book in about 3 days. This is a book that I think every teenage girl should read. Mia is a very wonderful person i love her chacther in this book she shows so much courage and is the type of person that dosent care about what other people think of how she dresses or acts she is her own person.

Just what my granddaughter wanted. That's one on the plus side for grandpa...

It's completely believable. (did someone say it isn't totally believable?) It was the first experience I'd had reading any first-hand telling by someone as he in his teens kills his worst bully. His cold disposing of that body and getting away with it. Horrific. But what was meaner than his own father? The ice-man was hit, bashed for reasons that weren't clear to him at the moments his father came down on him. Out of the blue. Bad enough, child battery, when daddy states his reasoning. The iceman even believes that this daddy beat over and over his older brother until that child died. Hello? Mom? where was Mom? Right there! The beatings and other humane neglects formed warm pulsating heart into permafrost in he who became Ice. Ok. Life tells us there are no sufficient provocations for violence. but there are things done to soft and cuddly humans while they are dependent and trusting of the big humans who are in charge of such tenderness that screw their wee minds and there you go. What the Iceman did to his victims is unreadable. You lay (throw?) the book down and gasp and take days to recover and reluctantly give it your time yet again. A horrific read or did I say that? Yet Mr Carlo, you did good. Why did you not have to stop over and over to vomit as you related what are facts of such vile magnitude I'll never figure. maybe you did. Utterly unforgettable, and I tentatively thank you for reporting/writing it.

i am no book reviewer but at first i thought this is one crazy dude.several times i stopped to try to find out how many people wererolled up into this one guy.the photos and discription of him didn't seem to jibe with the dates.it'sfun to read but itt can't all be fact.

Great book about one of the most notoriously unknown killers of all time!

Richard Kuklinski was a very interesting man to say the least, his family life, his secret life of murder and his long list of petty crimes and schemes!

When you finish "The Ice Man", you'll feel as if you know the guy. The book starts off talking about Richard's horrible childhood and how/when he committed his first murder and takes you through his early days of crime and his association with the Mafia!

"Big Rich" as he was known to his friends killed over 100 men, possibly as many as 200. He killed using almost every means possible. Kuklinski claims to have killed the infamous Jimmy Hoffa and ruthless mobster Roy DeMeo. He not only killed for money, he killed without a reason. Strangers, punks, thugs and the homeless all felt the wrath of the Ice Man, but never women or children according to Richard.

Many people, including Richard Kuklinski believe he was poisoned while in prison, which ulitmately led to his death. Richard was going to testify against Sammy (the Bull) Gravano, he died in prison days before!

You can buy the dvd's here at Amazon of Richard's HBO interviews, they can also be found on Youtube! The interviews are excellent, they give a real life perspective of Big Rich!

Great read, very interesting stuff, truly a natural born killer!

This is a reprint of the review I wrote for my book review website Letters On Pages (www.lettersonpages.com)
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Horrifying.

That is really the only good way to describe The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo. The book itself isn't horrifying...in fact it is fantastically written. What is horrifying is Richard Kuklinski and the things the did during his lifetime.

You see...Richard Kuklinski was a Mafia hitman. He killed people for money. He also killed people because they upset him in some manner, like flipping him the bird while driving. The middle finger was a particularly terrible affront to Kuklinski...one that would likely earn you the death penalty. But those killings aren't where he made his mark on the world. Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski is known as one of the most dangerous mob related people ever. I say mob related because he was Polish, and you can't officially join the Mafia unless you are Italian. You can still work as a hired killer though apparently.

Kuklinski was a giant (literally at 6'5" 280lbs) psychopathic, sociopathic, anti-social, paranoid person. He had the classic serial killer upbringing: hyper-abusive parents, picked on by local bullies, enjoyed torturing animals...etc. His home life was so abusive that his father actually killed Richard's brother by beating him. So obviously there was no love in his house, or anywhere throughout his childhood. This, combined with his genetic disposition for violence and personality flaws, turned him into one of the most prolific killers ever. Kuklinski killed over 200 people during his life, most of them mob/organized crime related. His lack of conscience and inability to feel remorse meant that he was a perfect killer. He could "go see somebody", torture (if that's what the client wanted), kill, and dispose of the body with no second thoughts.

In fact, he had a family and loved them dearly. Actually, I don't know that he had the capacity to love. But he cared for them quite a bit. His home life was like Jekyll & Hyde though: sometimes he would be the most caring, thoughtful person around. Other times he would go on a rampage, destroying furniture and beating his wife. He never harmed his children, however. In fact, he would kill people for abusing children. He was a regular vigilante.

This book is amazingly interesting and I couldn't put it down. To read the stories that this man told were shocking. Carlo does a pretty good job of not being too explicit though. There are a few stories that are especially bad...but otherwise it's OK.

I (like a lot of other people) am interested in serial killers and why they do what they do. For some reason they are really interesting to people. I'm sure there are plenty of psyche people who could explain why. Kuklinski is one of the ultimate serial killers, and therefore, garners a lot of attention. That he did all of this while leading a relatively normal family life only futhers the intrigue.

Three HBO documentaries of Kuklinski were filed while he was in prison. I have seen one of them and it's pretty riveting stuff. It's actually frightening to watch him cavalierly describe taking another man's life. Sometimes he gets mad and glares at the interviewer...which is a haunting view for that person I'm sure.

I very highly recommend this book to anyone interested in True Crime, serial killers, or the Mafia. Be prepared though.

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book was an intense read. It's definitely filled with everything you might expect from reading the Amazon description. The one flaw is its lack of credibility, but I guess if a killer is as good as this, he wouldn't leave a trail of evidence to prove his stories are true later on.

This book is on the Modern Library's Top 100 List. I thought the overall story was good, and for the most part I enjoyed reading this novel. I did not enjoy the vulgarity used throughout the book, I think the use of the F-word and the C-word, make any novel trashy. I also dislike how certain aspects of the book seem to be arbitrarily and capriciously thrown into the story that overall ends up losing a lot of the power the narrative portrays. It's cheesy at times. I also think Styron could have done without a lot of the lengthy description. As a novel, it could have been much better and much more powerful if more was left out. For example, other than the sex scene with Sophie and Stingo at the end, (which could have been much more romantically portrayed) all of Stingo's sexual fantasies and escapades should be left out. It's not relevent to his turbulent relationship with Sophie and Nathan, which is what made the story what it is.
Other than that, the whole tale of Sophie and her survival in the concentration camp is what makes this book worth reading.

Sophie's choice is a very engrossing novel, well written and poetic. The momentum towards the core of the novel, i.e. Sophie's choice, is masterfully built. But I felt very let down about the fact that Styron does not go into a more detailed analysis of Sophie's decision as he does with the man who compelled her to choose. Part of what made the novel unputdownable was that Styron entices the reader with promises of fascinating and shocking revelations throughout the novel. However, every time the revelations came, I felt disappointed with the banality of each of them. Styron is good at building anticipation but he doesn't deliver or satisfy.... kind of like Leslie and Mary Alice who tease him mercilessly causing frustration and anguish rather than fulfillment. I give this novel a B.

No spoilers.

I will not offer here a summary of this book, because clearly that has been done before by other reviewers; I will simply briefly state my opinions of Sophie's Choice.

If, by some chance, you are just now coming across this novel, I am jealous of you because you are ignorant of just how engrossed you are about to become in the story and lives of Syron's characters. This novel, at various times, either made me smile with delight, or had my mouth wide open with shock. Sophie's story is one that is almost too complicated to put down on paper, but, fortunately for us readers, Styron is able to do so masterfully.

Having known the goings on of the novel before actually reading it, I found it just a tad (and seriously, only a tad) bit slow in the beginning, but once Syron dove into the telling of Sophie's past, I simply could not put it down. Please do yourself a favor if you are a fan of high-quality writing with a fully-engrossing story to supplement it and read this RIGHT NOW.

I was reluctant to pick up this book because of the depressing nature of the story but Styron was able to express the joy of simply being alive despite the harsh realities of our world. The characters are all sublimely passionate and have stayed with me for 15 years.

The writing is so rich that it verges on poetry. Every word is well chosen and thoughtful. I often thought of Faulkner as I was reading this and was shocked to realize that Styron easily holds his weight in comparison. Sophie's Choice is a true masterpiece of western literature.

One word of caution though, if you saw the movie and thought this might be a good page turner you will be dissapointed. This is a work of sophisticated muli-layered literature and is by no means an "easy read".

Sophie's Choice (Modern Library)
Outstanding piece of literature.
Somehow It makes me believe that a great portion of this accomplishment is not fiction at all, but a real life story with characters that get so much into the deepest inner self of the reader inciting him to not want to stop reading.
There are three aspects of this production extraordinarily remarkable:
Firstly, the use of great prose and vocabulary. Styron plays with words to conceive the greatest work of description I have read.
Secondly, all the details of the horrendous, not forgivable, indescribable, examples of crimes executed during the Holocaust. Specifically in Auschwitz, Birkenau concentration camps, with its crematory installations, and of the way some polish people acted, and so many of them also died, leads me to believe that 100% of the facts did occur as utterly wrong as Styron relates them. This seems no fiction but reality
And last but not least, Sophie, the beautiful, fair, polish woman that relates her story during those years. She relates her life intermittently positioning lies between true events all throughout this piece of literature.
And almost at the end relates how she is imminently condemned to take the most hideous choice of her life. The one that leads her to the most shaking end .
To closure my summary, I shouldn't fail to convey that the idiosyncrasies of the personalities are anything but conventional, and the narration, done by the young and naive writer Stingo, whose life seems to be a self-portrayal of Willian Styron himself.
No wonder it has earned a National Price Award.
Please anyone send me suggestions about other Titles as good as this

How would you feel if you were perfectly happy with your two Labrador retrievers, and a new chaotic dog comes crashing into your ideal life? This is what happened to Jon Katz. He lives in England, and this book takes place in modern times.

Jon lives with his wife and his two dogs, Stanley and Julius. His standard of living revolved around taking care of his dogs, and doing what he loves: writing. He was more than happy with his way of living. When Deanne--a dog breeder--informs him of a two-year old border collie that needed help, Jon's love for dogs got the best of him and he introduced Devon to the family. Jon was struck by the difference in the breeds. Devon was hyper, had anxiety attacks, required three times the exercise that his two other dogs obtained, and didn't trust Jon at all. But this only motivated Jon more. He was determined to get Devon to trust him even if it drove him mad.

When Jon achieved his goal for Devon, Deanne called him and asked if he wanted a puppy. If he adopted Homer, the new puppy, that would be adopting 2 dogs in a period of 12 months. Was that too much for the dogs to handle? But the second his eyes saw the picture of the puppy, he couldn't pass the offer. He was concerned about how Stanley and Julius would accept another dog into their already shaken life, but he was more nervous about Devon. Would Devon be threatened by this new dog that endangered his position?

When Homer came, he was the exact opposite of Devon. He was cute, sweet, and had a charm on everyone--dogs and humans. Everyone but Devon. Devon took time to get used to the new life, but when Stanley and Julius passed because of old age, he had yet another adjustment to make. The rest of the biography shows how Devon and Homer form a new relationship without Stanley and Julius.

The pacing of this book was moderate. I think it was written in a Christian perspective, and the title explained how Jon had gone from two to four dogs in a year. The theme is about perseverance. Jon used Devon's bad actions as a stimulation to train him, and even when he was frustrated, he never gave up. He always had a good attitude considering his circumstances. Jon Katz's writing is very natural, and flows very easily. He has advanced vocabulary and interprets his dogs' feelings well considering that they couldn't talk to him. The mood changed from time to time. He was easily frustrated by the sacrifices of comfort he had to give up for his two new dogs. In time, though, he learned to love the new lifestyle. I thought parts of this book were funny with dog humor. I would recommend this book to people who have dogs, because they definitely would understand the humor and aggravation of having a dog more easily than those who don't.

follow up to Bedlam Farms - never would have bought any of his books if had known what he would do to border collie in last book - a real jackass - hope no one buys anymore of his books - he might have to get a real job

I thoroughly enjoyed A Dog Year. I identified with the author, Jon Katz, a middle-aged person with grown children and his wisdom and words changed my life. I started pursuing hobbies and things that I never would have thought I could or would ever do. This tender story of the man-dog relationship touched my heart.

A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me is a must read. This book introduced me to Mr. Katz's writing. He has become my favorite author and I am now on his 3rd book that is also about dogs. His understanding and discovery of dogs are so true and pure and most dog owners would probably be able to relate and smile and cry as they read his story. I absolutely love this book.

This is a wonderful book. It's hysterical at times and moving at times. This is the first Jon KAtz book I had the pleasure of reading and I have now read most of them. As the parent of a Border Collie let me tell you he hits the nail on the head. Mine are not as amusing, however they are just as smart. I would definitely recommend reading this book if you are thinking of getting a Border Collie for yourself, it may make yout think twice. They are wonderful dogs, but you should be aware of what you may be getting yourself into. Jon Katz has a writing style that will draw you in and you won't be able to put this book down or wait to go get your next one.

Persuasion is Jane Austen's last completed work before her death. It differs from her other more well known works such as Pride & Prejudice, and Emma. It focuses on a relationship who have a second chance to re-ignite true love but whether or not they will depends on so many things that make a good story and are still applicable today.
A crazy family, social expectations, unforgiveness, competing love interests, and a little bit of that classic Austen wit that bites in just the right places.
It's shorter than Austen's other works as well, and the plot less complicated and detailed than Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park.
If for no other reason than the famous "you pierce my soul" letter, this should be a must on everyone's read list.

I have no right to review Jane Austen. I give this book 5 billion stars.

Persuasion is a small novel, but it is Jane Austen at her best. Her commentary on the English gentry and the restrictions of "society" are well presented in this story of Anne who was once persuaded not to marry a man with no prospects and no station in life, at least compared to hers as the daughter of a baronet. Jane Austen proves there can be passion without being graphic. A great lvoe story!

The story is good but I don't like the edittion, is to small and for me is hard to read.

Anyone who enjoys reading Jane Austen, will be very please with this book. After reading it, you will find yourself still thinking about it and enjoying it's memories.

Still a classic after all these years - perfect for your tween-aged nieces, daughters, etc. Fun, light, clean, and easy reading for kids.

My kid's and I listened to this book on CD during our morning drive to school. I was shocked and disapointed that the author plainly tells children there is no Santa Clause (she's wrong of course). I found it reprehensible that she would take this position in a children's book.

My kids really love this book. The book keeps them interested and is very entertaining.

'Superfudge' is the sequel to 'Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,' another classic children's story. This book would make a great gift for an older child. A funny and wierd book about two brothers. Peter the oldest brother does not get any attention, while his brother, Fudge, is wild and spoiled.

Twelve-year-old Peter Hatcher and his family are moving to Princeton for a year. Peter and his brother Fudge don't always get along. Their mother is going to have a baby soon, adding more uncertainty to their lives. Will the baby be like Fudge? What could be worse for Peter?

The story moves quickly, keeping the reader's attention, and is filled with humor. The reader will definitely appreciate Blume's talent for writing a good tale.

My daughter is in the first grade and is an excellent reader. She has literally inhaled this series of books. One of my daughter's favorite bedtime rituals is for her to read one chapter of the book to me each night. I was absolutely floored (and completely unprepared) for the revelation regarding the issue of Santa not being real along with the storyline of the main character having "busted" his parents one Christmas when he was three. My daughter is six and still firmly believes in Santa. I had to do some fast talking (and quick thinking). I think my daughter's OK but I'm absolutely traumatized!! We started reading this series upon the recommendation of her Kindergarten teacher after I expressed concern about the frequent use of slang in the Junie B. series. Junie B. is not looking so bad right now . . .

This volume collects student bloopers from essays and bluebook exams. The work is a classic and a must reading for all teachers.

The book is a collection of answers from student exams. These are from college students with the most warped and bizarre "knowledge" of history. They also cannot spell, and seem to know little grammar.
But it is funny - very funny - until you realize that these ignoramuses will vote in the future. These kids should trade in their i-pods for a couple of good history books.
A great book for the bathroom, coffee table, or just for a rainy day.

I love this book. Every time I just need to laugh at something completely stupid, I pick it up and flip through it. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.

"History, a record of things left behind by past generations, started in 1815."

So begins the slow descent into historical inanity that is "Non Campus Mentis", and the flubs and goofs committed by frazzled college students only get better as time (literally) wears on.

The book stands as a testament to severed nerves and people who need to learn how to proofread, and does its job of entertaining us marvelously; not only because typographical errors are almost inherently funny, but because of a kinship we can feel with these students. Many of us have made the mistake of letting the spell check do our work for us or neglecting a peer review, resulting in some uproariously hilarious flubs that hopefully our teachers were willing to overlook based on comedic value. A light, quick read meant to be shared with friends to pass the time and make yourselves feel better about... yourselves. At least you didn't write that.

"Now is the age of now".

Some of the excerpts from this book were hilarious... especially the history stuff. Unfortunately, from conversations I've had with recent graduates of our brilliant public education system it doesn't surprise me.

I gave my copy of this to a historian friend of mine and I believe she later gave it to her daughter, who is a teacher. I don't think I have a hope of getting this one back!

So far I've read the Flowers series, Dawn series, and Heaven series. I have now started on Ruby. I have to say that Flowers and Dawn are my favorite, with Heaven I lost interest, cause I love Dawn so much and was upset when Dawn died, and then Heaven died, I stopped reading for awhile and wondered if they will kill off all the main characters in the 3rd book.
With Ruby I'm taking a chance, and with Ruby so far it is not that great. I had to struggle to get through this book, as agreeing with another review, "The first half is the best." Also there is loads of controversy over whether or not Beau raped Ruby or not. I say he most definitely did force himself upon her, and she like a stupid girl gave up. There is no romance there, and he constantly refers to her as not being like Gisselle. Which would personally freak me out being compared to someone so often. Therefore Beau is a Jackass.
All in all, I think im going to stick with this series for the time being
even know the series similarities are there: Rags to Riches, Horrible school life, odd lovers, fame and fortune, and inevitable death.

I have the real Gisselle here with me as I am the 'real' Ruby. This series touched me in so many ways. Usually I don't read gooey romance novels, but this one struck home. I could relate to the pain and suffering that Ruby was forced to endure--Being 'raped' by a man that her grandfather sold her to, Losing a father, being pregnant, having a sister that ruined her life... (Sorry Gisselle,you did, sweetie!)I can commune with quite a few of these things. this book made me feel as if there were other people who were going through the same things that I did, even though these people were ficticious.
And also...Beau is extremely hot.

I love V.C. Andrews books, but Ruby and Melody were the ones that I hated the most. I hope that Giselle girl doesn't come after me, but if you do it's just my opinion. I thought that Ruby was a nice girl, but she kept on letting Giselle get her into trouble instead of fighting back like she should've. That showed that she was weak. I admired her for leaving from Paul after finding out that they were related, but I didn't even read the second book when I found out that they would get married. Bless V.C. Andrews's soul, but once she passed the ones writing her books have been ruining her name.

I have all of the books in the landry series! i'm a girl who doesn't read often mostly like never. my mother kept insiting i read more and someone picked out ruby for me. i found the book absolutly amazing. it is my favorite book ever. the whole series is great! i own every book in the series. The detail makes you feel as if you really are there. i enjoyed Giselle the most. she is hot and funny! Beau is so HOT!!!!! OMG!!! this stroy has so many twists and that is one of the things that makes it so amazing!!! i'm so attached to this book I cry in parts of it and get amazingly excited in others. i feel as if i know these people and am there. For me a person who never finds a good book to say that this is amazing means that this a great series. READ IT!!! i would recommend this to anyone! AMAZING!!!!LUV GISELLE!!!

I have consumed VC Andrews' books since her debut with Flowers In The Attic so many years ago. That was a "scandalous" book to a seventh grader. The Dollanganger saga was the first complete series I had. I read My Sweet Audrina--yech--the Casteel series, and the Cutler series, but none really grabbed my interest like the Dollangangers had.

Enter Ruby Landry.

I absolutely LOVE these books. Next to my copy of The Stand and my Harry Potter books, these books sit in the place of honor. I have bought and rebought these books I don't know HOW many times. And I don't know why.

Probably because it takes place in Louisiana, which, even now, after Katrina, is still a favorite state, second only to my own Texas. Probably because the bulk of it concerns New Orleans, which is my favorite city to visit. It's a kick to read about the streetcar, which I've ridden, the Garden District, which I've toured, the French Quarter, you get the message. You read these books, and you can almost smell the creole / cajun food, hear the zydeco music playing and the cicadas chirping in the background. (And if you read them in the summer, it's even MORE realistic!)

But you get to genuinely like and care about Ruby. She's talented, beautiful, like all of VC Andrews' heroines..but she's a lot stronger, I think, than the others. Cathy, you almost dislike sometimes, because she knows she's beautiful and talented, that she gets arrogant from time to time. Heaven you just want to shake and yell, "GET OVER IT!!" and Dawn, you want her to PLEASE get a backbone and quit being such a whiny baby. But Ruby is gentle, humble, and strong..she'll take and take and take and then BOOM!! she'll fight back..although I was wondering at first how much of Giselle's crap she would take. She stands up and accepts her mistakes, tries to always takes the high road..but even in her moments of weakness, not for one minute does she appear weak--except maybe in All That Glitters. I mean, come on...I think God would accept a divorce from your half brother, don't you?

But I do love the Ruby books. In my opinion, they are VC Andrews best work.