Authors Books

If the uttermost goal of an author is to tangibly present the experiences, scenes, and feelings that make up the story he or she is attempting to convey, then the author has succeeded in doing so with this book. I was quite pleased with it and I look forward to discovering whether the same will be true of his next work.

Not that I have anything else to compare the uniqueness of this book to as far as other works go, still I can say without hesitation that it is an exceptional book. The work articulates an awareness and ability that is rare. Through the characters we are shown how it is possible to live fully and to truly experience and know ones passions completely. The book definitely expresses more than what is normally given. In addition, I found it to be seductive and heartrending, a pleasingly original and marvelous discovery.

Frankly I don't usually take the time out to read works of fiction but as the book came highly recommended by my fiancé I decided to give it my attention. I was surprisingly pleased and utterly impressed by everything this book offers. The writing is noticeably superior to most the books I have read, and the story that was told was one that needs to be embraced and understood. I believe it is the kind of book that anyone would find favor in reading.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best, or perhaps I should say the best book I have read in quite some time. Have you ever read something that made perfect sense of everything you've spent a lifetime questioning? That's precisely what this book has accomplished for me. In a world that is growing more and more disconcerted and unknowing we need to be reminded and made more aware of what is most important, and what must be present in all of us in order to continue on living with any true understanding of ourselves and each other. "Defining Fragments" cleverly dismantles all the fallacies of our society and introduces us magnificently to a much more defined interpretation of living and all that accompanies it. The author has an incredible ability to express so much in merely a few words. This work is bursting with a multitude of emotions; the immense passion alone is enough to overwhelm you completely.

Defining Fragments is a debut work the author Gary Davy has appropriately described as being a "metaphoric novel" about the aches and excitements, and treasures of life itself. Revealing personal inner experience with vibrant language and an eye for detail, Defining Fragments is a compelling, engaging, and at times simply fascinating journey through intimacies of self and the external currents of an ever-changing world. Defining Fragments is highly recommended reading and documents Gary Davy as a writer of unique voice and exceptional promise.

Twenty four years ago, I was a ten year old girl who saved every last penny to save $35.00 to buy the Little House on The Prairie boxed set by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was my love of the TV show that started the savings venture...I heard it was based on a true story and I needed to know all the details. What happened when I received those books, and read them one after another that year changed me into a fan of the show, into a full fledge Laura Ingalls Wilder enthusiast. Why? Because of the simple beauty of the pioneer tales within. Stories that show that even when things are worse than you or I can imagine, family and faith still bring hope and contentment. Little Town on the Prairie is one of my two favorite stories. Even as a ten year old I loved watching Laura turn into a lady in this story. Its been several years since I read this one, and taking a break from my regular readings seemed a good idea. I noticed that I picked up new little things this time around. I can read different things into that meeting with Almonzo where he and Laura change cards, I can feel the shame and tension in the school house scene where Laura defends Carrie to Ms. Wilder (I think I felt this horror anew from a parents perspective) and I also noticed Ma's prejudices against the Indians more keenly as well. There was a scene I even felt uncomfortable with. In a social gathering at the school, some of the town's men dressed in black paint and acted like "darkies" to the amusement of the audience. I think Laura herself, would flinch from that in this day and age. But again, it only emphasizes the times the Ingalls family were living in, and how far this country has come. The country has made mistakes along the way (slavery and the Trail of Tears, for example). But where we are now is in no little part, due to the efforts of the brave pioneers like the Ingalls family. This is a historical, christian, pre-romance, and tale of growing from child to woman all in one and there is no doubt in my mind, why this remains a beloved story to children and adults everywhere today.

For this book review I read Little Town on the Prarie by:Laura Ingles Wilder. This book is good reading for preteen girls. The story is historical and is about living in the pioneer days.

In this book Laura and her family work hard to send her older sister to Collage and keep her there untill she finishes. Laura and her little sister Grace have to go to school when they move to town for the winter. Laura is very exited about going to school because she wants to get her teachers certifacit when she is sixteen. To find out what else happens you will have to read the book.

This book was fun to read and kept my intrest. It was a little confusing at timeskeeping up with who was talking. It was very interesting also to learn about how they lived back then. Over all it was a good book and I would consider reading it again.

Laura Ingalls thought that being thirteen was difficult, but now she is on the cusp of her fifteenth year, and things around her are changing like crazy. After a difficult winter full of one blizzard after another, Laura is happy to be back on the claim shanty with her family, away from the hustle and bustle of town. But she knows that her family will most certainly head back to De Smet to live in the shop before winter comes again, to protect them from the harsh weather that may lie ahead. Weather aside, however, Laura can't believe how many new things are arising. Especially the most important one of all - changes for Mary.

Laura couldn't be happier to be back in school again. After so many months of studying on her own, she is thrilled to be back in the classroom with her old friends Mary and Minnie, and Ida. But there's someone new in the classroom. A person from Laura's past who makes Laura shake with anger - Nellie Oleson. Laura, however, is determined to ignore the nasty Nellie and study as hard as she possibly can in order to gain her teaching certificate, and help to send Mary to college. But even without her being a part of the workforce, Mary is able to go off to college, and Laura couldn't be happier - or more devastated. But seeing how much Mary loves college, Laura resolves to study even harder, and begin earning the money to assist in keeping her there. Of course, Laura never imagined that things could possibly stand in her way. Such as the selfish new schoolteacher who thrives on taunting and humiliating both Laura and Carrie in front of the other students; and working as a seamstress in town. But the most shocking of all, is Almanzo Wilder's sudden interest in young Laura. Almanzo is a handsome fellow, whose Morgan horses are the talk of the town, and now Almanzo seems to have taken a fancy to Laura - something that leaves her confused and excited at the same time. But no matter what, she must remember to continue her studies, or else Mary may have to return home before her education is complete.

It seems strange to bear witness as someone ages, but that is exactly what readers have had the opportunity to do as Laura Ingalls grows in age, height, and maturity. The love she holds for her family is so refreshing and charming, and truly keeps the reader's interest peaked; while the constant maturity Laura displays in each and every one of her decisions is just unbelievable. Laura has completely grown up before our eyes, and each year she just becomes more and more lovable. The inclusion of facts regarding the changes taking place during this era are interesting, and present a fun learning experience for readers; while the sudden budding romances springing up around the young people of De Smet indicates just how much older these characters have become. Almanzo Wilder has grown on me over the past few books, and I love reading the scenes where he is present; and Nellie Oleson, as nasty as she is, will always remain a fun character whom you absolutely love to hate, but hate to love. This series just gets better and better!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I read this book to my two sons, 7, 9 and my husband, during long drives. We all loved it. Even though the main character is a girl, my boys were interested the entire time and identified with Laura. The descriptions are great and the characters are well-drawn. We're now reading These Happy Golden Years and my family is loving that, too. I recommend this book for a family to read together.

This is a charming, entertaining, and educational story about what life was like among homesteaders in the Dakota territories in the 1880s. I mostly agree with the other positive reviews here. But there is a teaching moment in this book that should not be overlooked. The parents in this book are paragons of virtue, and their behavior matches the highest standards - standards of 1880, not 2006. There is a short scene during one of the "literaries" where several men perform in blackface. Although it occurs with innocent intent, modern readers might find it in questionable taste if they don't allow for the historical context.

If they're smart, parents and teachers will embrace this as an opportunity to open a discussion with children about changing standards, and the work it took to improve those standards.

You get to see each of these women's lives and the struggles they go through. They each agree to write and try to be published.

This is a novel about friendship and finding true friends when you least expect it. It is also a story about hope and dreams.

I enjoyed this book, I was easily hooked and it was hard to put down. It does have a great story line and the characters are likeable. I laughed out loud in parts of it and got teary eyed in other parts too. This is the type of book, that if done right, would be a great film.

I came late to sisterhood. A half-generation younger than the women in The Wednesday Sisters, many in my generation scoffed at unliberated women like them. Many in my generation sought to make their way in a man's world, using men's strategies--strategies that felt uncomfortable and often did not serve us well. Yet, at the same time, many of us also became wives and mothers, where we were born again into the realization that the women's way--generosity of spirit and the compassionate, nurturing sisterhood role model--was the right way all along, the right way for us and for our ailing world. The Wednesday Sisters is the book I wish I had written about sisterhood. It transported me back in time to an earlier world that, at once and the same time, felt like home. I long for Meg Wait Clayton's next novel, for the next journey of the soul.

The Wednesday Sisters is the compelling story of friendship between five women who first meet in a 1960s Palo Alto park as their children play. Clayton has developed strong characters in Kath the spoiled doctor's wife, Linda the athlete, Frankie from Chicago, scientist Brett, and secretive Ally. Four are college graduates; one is not. A fierce, enduring bond develops between these five very different women as they discover mutual loves--great literature, expressing themselves in writing, and the Miss America Pageant. Every Wednesday, they bring paper and pen to the picnic table in the park. They discuss their latest reads and then write and share their poems and stories, at first timidly, and then more boldly as their talent, confidence, and level of trust develop. When they begin to type their stories and articles, they make four carbons, so each member can read and critique before the next week's discussion.

As the years pass, the women become more proficient writers and venture into the daunting world of submitting their work for publication. They share leads and keep a joint file of possible agents. They share successes and disappointments. One becomes an editor. One succeeds beyond anyone's dream, landing herself a spot on Johnny Carson's late night show.

Their friendship matures along with their talent. Secrets are revealed and honored. They stand with one another through triumphs and tragedies--births, broken marriages, life-changing illness. Every year, the women gather to watch the Miss America Pageant. It becomes a metaphor of their own development, from youthful dreams and ambitions to a more informed, moderate feminism. They are witnesses to a changing world--the Vietnam conflict, man walking on the moon, and the women's movement. The author is faithful to the details of the changing decades of the 60s and 70s. The women transition from one stage of life to another, from one decade to another, sometimes grudgingly (as they switch from typewriters to computers, for instance) and sometimes with ease. The same determination that keeps them writing sustains them all, no matter what life brings. This is no fairy tale in which life is perfect and everyone is instantly successful.

Clayton develops strong individual characters and tells a powerful story that celebrates friendship, trust, and life. She shows the healing power of telling one's story and the importance of having a group of trusted sisters with whom to share those stories.

by Susan Ideus
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

If your memories of the 60's include bell-bottom pants, tie-dye shirts, women's lib and Vietnam protests, you'll want to read The Wednesday Sisters. Or if your mother was of that era, you'll want to read this book to get a glimpse into the times that shaped her.

Clayton has written an engaging story that deftly balances strong characters and a vibrant account of the socio-political context of the times. Five moms, Frankie (the narrator), Linda, Kath, Brett and Ally find themselves neighbors living in Palo Alto, California. Their shared passion for literature evolves into a writer's circle. As the author takes us to their weekly meetings at the local park, we watch their personalities, intimate secrets, and aspirations unfold. With humor and pathos, Clayton portrays the prevailing attitudes of that era towards racism, divorce, motherhood, infertility, infidelity, and breast cancer.

At one point in the book, Brett quotes Henry Adams: One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible. Then she questions, "What is it we've done so right in our lives that has made us five?" You'll find yourself laughing and crying with the sisters, wishing you were surrounded with an any-day-of-the-week group of your own.

What do you get when you combine five women, a shared love of reading and a park picnic table? The Wednesday Sisters by Meg Waite Clayton, of course.

In the late 1960's five very different women meet as their children play in a Palo Alto park. United by their love of books and a shared passion for the Miss America Pageant, the five women - Frankie, Linda, Kath, Brett and Ally - become friends. Eventually their love of books leads to the creation of a writing circle. The characters grow as women and as friends through their writing, and that growth is a fascinating process to watch.

We meet these remarkable women at a crucial point in American history. The Vietnam War is dividing the nation and the Summer of Love is at its peak. The first meeting of the Wednesday Sisters takes place the day after Robert F. Kennedy is shot, and the women find themselves drawn to the park; each one looking for comfort and normalcy on that dark day. As their friendships blossom, they watch in awe as Neil Armstrong walks on the moon and re-evaluate their roles as wives and mothers in light of the Women's Liberation Movement. All the while, they continue to write and encourage each other to pursue their dreams.

Meg Waite Clayton did an excellent job in creating vivid, interesting characters and showing how their lives changed as a result of their friendships and the turbulent times in which they lived. This is a fun, easy read, but there's also a lot of meat to the story. It's sure to be a popular choice for book clubs. I wouldn't be surprised to see The Wednesday Sisters on the silver screen at some point. This inspirational story of the power of friendship has a wide appeal.

First off, I never heard of John Ortberg until I got a spam e-mail from Amazon.com stating this book won the Christian Book of the Year (sorry - I don't recall who gave the award). So based on the highly touted reviews I decided to buy it and read it. From the opening pages, it's clear the Mr. Ortberg is a very gifted storyteller with a terrific sense of humor. The basic synopsis is that in our relatively extremely short lifetime (from an eternal perspective), we need to focus on what's truly important such as our relationship with God, prioritizing people over the trappings of materialism and "worldly" success and maximizing your talents and resources for the Kingdom of God.

All of these truths are for the most part biblical, focusing on many of the moral teachings of Christ. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but about halfway through, he made a statement that bothered me.

On page 136 he wrote, "The Christian gospel comes down to a promise from Jesus that [in the afterlife, there will be] a new world where God will set everything right. One day you will enter it, and so will I."

The problems with this statement include:
1. That isn't what the Gospel is.
2. If he's referring to "where everything is made right" as Heaven, then is he espousing universal salvation for everyone or is assuming everyone reading this book is a Christian?

From that point on, it hit me that he's giving a lot of great tips on what Christian living should be like, but if he really wants to emphasize what matters most, he has to make it crystal clear that we need to be reconciled with our Heavenly Father through the atoning work of Christ on the cross. This can only be attained by placing our faith and trust in Christ as our Lord, and all good works that he emphasizes will do nothing to get us in Heaven.

In fairness to Ortberg, he does tell the readers in several paragraphs near the very end of the book (p. 237) to believe in Christ to receive eternal life. But in my opinion, to tell someone to just "believe" doesn't adequately cover the whole scope of what's demanded. As James wrote, "even the demons believe and shutter". The belief that saves us is putting our faith in Christ and making Him first in our lives and trusting him as our saving mediator before our holy and righteous Heavenly Father and repenting from our sinful lives.

So with all of that being said, I think the book is still a great resource for the Christian who wishes to grow stronger in his sanctification, and as mentioned earlier, it's a very entertaining book. It's also a wealth of great stories for the preachers, especially regarding the topic of stewardship. One major problem in the evangelical movement today is what Dietrich Bonhoeffer defined as "cheap grace" - embracing the blessings of being saved through Christ, without making any sacrifices for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Again under the rubric of discipleship/sanctification, it's an excellent book, but it could be devastatingly misleading for someone who isn't a Christian regarding what really matters the most: being saved through Christ.

I listened to the book on CD and enjoyed it very much. Not too long and very easy to understand. Many real life examples helped with the understanding of this book. I sometimes was repetitive, but did not go overboard. The big picture of "It all goes back in the box" is plain and simple, but it is a must read/listen. It will put your life and the issues you have back in perspective. I think we all need that once in a while.

I have recommended this book to everyone I know!!! I am listening to it again! Even my 15 year old son listened to it and enjoyed it.

I am so thankful for this book. It puts in perspective what is eternal and what is temporal. I bought the audio and started last year to listen to it but because the topic was about the final goodbye, death, I freaked out and put it away. Just a few weeks ago I decided to hear the whole book. It spoke! and Spoke to me and reminded me again that people was more important than material things, jobs, ministry activities and etc. I am listening to it again to keep my focus on eternal things.

John Ortberg, a well-known California pastor and bestselling author (THE LIFE YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED), knows how to captivate a reading audience, and he does it, page after page, in WHEN THE GAME IS OVER, IT ALL GOES BACK IN THE BOX. Using playing games as a metaphor for life, Ortberg shows how the object of the game is a life "rich toward God" --- growing a healthy soul, enjoying the people around you, doing good work, becoming generous and savoring the moment.

Wise people, writes Ortberg, build their lives around what is eternal. He suggests asking yourself the question, "What in your life is going to last forever, and what is going back in the box?" Spend your time caring for the inner you as well as the outer you. Think about the changes you need to make. Let go of wrong priorities. Quit trying to control that which is out of our control, rather than letting the "Master of the Board" take the helm.

What makes this book so brilliant is not that Ortberg offers a lot of new information. It's that he has a flair for synthesizing this information and organizing his ideas in a way that makes them practical as well as soul-stirring. It's also a joy to read.

Gently, in one section, he calls readers to reassess a preoccupation with "stuff" and concentrate on what is most important. A "richness of being" is always available, Ortberg says. "I can seek at any time, with God's help, to be compassionate, generous, grateful, and joyful...usually it will not mean seeking to accumulate more stuff." As he shows through a moving story about Larry, a church member who is killed in an accident, in the end it's not about our achievements or our wealth. It's about our capacity to love. It's the people, not the stuff, that we need to focus on.

Ortberg also reminds his readers that Christians have to be consistent in acting like Christians instead of labeling themselves as such. "The world gets pretty tired of people who have Christian bumper stickers on their cars, Christian fish signs on their trunks, Christian books on their shelves, Christian stations on their radios, Christian jewelry around their necks, Christian videos for their kids, and Christian magazines on their coffee tables but don't actually have the life of Jesus in their bones or the love of Jesus in their hearts." "Be the kind of player people want to sit next to," he urges, borrowing from a Monopoly analogy.

By turns humorous, painfully vulnerable, poignant and wise, Ortberg weaves biblical, personal and fictional anecdotes together with practical points in a compelling way for the reader. He includes insights from many excellent authors throughout, including Anne Lamott, Lewis Smedes, Susan Howatch, Viktor Frankl, Marjorie Rawlings and Thomas Lynch. Rather than getting in the way, these quotes and excerpts enrich the text.

One of Ortberg's passages that haunts me is this: "We need to ask ourselves what we are doing (or not doing) with our lives now that could lead to deep regret." He urges the practice of "regret prevention" --- assessing the commitments we have made in light of what we don't want to regret. Then, he asks us to consider what we need to rearrange. Don't wait for a crisis --- a child running away, getting fired, having a spouse file for divorce --- to force your hand, he urges. More will never be enough.

Although he uses the game metaphor throughout, Ortberg doesn't force it to get his ideas across. The narrative flows seamlessly. In places, Ortberg writes about spending time with your children, but this book is suitable for readers at any stage of life. My husband and I --- almost empty nesters --- are planning to read and discuss it together. It would be an excellent resource for personal reflection or small group study as well.

This is Ortberg writing at his best. But reader, be warned --- you'll come away changed.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

story line was good, kept me interested but at times it was just a tad bit too technical with the medical information. I was a little confused by the ending - it could have been written better. Overall, I enjoyed the book though.

Charles Martin writes with a grandeur that's unparalleled. His characters are well-developed, his writing style easily read, the stories are unforgettable. Buy his books! You will not regret it.

I loved this book and have now read all of charles martins' books so far. They are deep and soul searching, they make you think and make you "see" the written words....

What a wonderful book. I've now read three of Martin's books and love each one more than the one before. His tales are crafted in such a way that you feel the characters' pain, joy, hope and sorrow. Chasing Fireflies is a love story on so many levels. But is also a story of greed, mistrust, misplaced trust, sorrow and happiness. It's one of those books that gives you a warm feeling; a feeling of hope for the hopeless and love for the unloved. I believe this one was even better than When Crickets Cry--and I really liked that one! Charles Martin is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

This is one of the most heart warming, "real life" stories I've ever read. Charles Martain is not afraid to include Love of God and Faith in his books.
Mary Lee Howard
Andalusia, Alabama

I have all of her short story books and this one doesn't disappoint. I get so much energy and enthusiasm from reading about her downtrodden characters finding strength and purpose through loss and love (in that order). I know some are turned off by the poor ande desolate situations that many of her characters find themselves in...but keep reading, there is a lesson and triumph of the human spirit at the end of each story. I would pick up her other books as well. J California keep the short stories coming!

Truly, first impressions are lasting; from lust to disgust, they trigger a reaction, a judgement, a bias. But, if life teaches you anything sensible, it's that that first blush evaluation is more often skin deep, rather than the heart of the story.

My first encounter with J. California Cooper's writing--a title recommended by an acquaintance several years ago--was like a blind date with someone you swear's not your type. It was over practically at the beginning. All I recall of the book is that it didn't grab or impress me in those first ten pages, so I closed and dismissed it, and any thought of ever taking up this author again, from my mind.

So I try to be more expansive--go out of my way a little, be more patient, perceptive--as I grow older. THE FUTURE HAS A PAST was a selection of my local library's book club for adults. I balked at reading it--the reflex of a lasting impression!--at first, but then, because I wanted to be in on the discussion, decided, Why not? Why not give it a chance?

The worst thing you could say about the four longish-to-lengthy short stories here is that they come from an "old-fashioned" sensibility. Neither in tone, vision or perspective are any of these stories hinting at pragmatic, expedient or "moral relativist" values. No, sir and no, ma'am, Ms. Cooper offers no other than timeworn, tried-and-true life learned lessons.

The narrative tone she takes on is the front porch storyteller: a grandmotherly sort, or a real or "pretend" great-aunt, the kind who of an evening, gently rocking in a porch swing, might chitchat, or, better yet, regale you (if you were "grown" enough to appreciate it) with stories that edged on gossip, but were actually instructive, moral tales about how people, neighbors and friends even, handled their chances and choices. "Home truths" and downhome homilies gussied up as mini-biographies.

The literary landscape of these stories lies in the shadow of Zora Neale Hurston--the archetypal questions of how workingclass women empower or disable themselves, and just what do they settle or strive for--in territory between Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, between Toni Cade Bambara and Terry McMillan. By and about women, but not necessarily restricted to being for women.

There's the woman compelled to count her blessings when she compares her conventional life to the fettered and unfettered lives of her childhood friends. The young woman, enriched yet emotionally isolated by her mother, told she's ugly and unlovable so long and hard she believes it, who craves the opportunity to live and love. The hardworking single mother approaching middle age who's got to decide where her grown children's needs end and her own begin. The longsuffering comeuppance the young, single mother gives her "player" boyfriend, the would-be father of her children.

These are earnest, plainspoken stories--not without humor, and a tear or two of hard-earned pathos--that usually take a bit to get started, but are then mostly straightforward.

In a sense, this book provided conversation that engaged me. It also offered this man some sound advice about the real stuff of love and marriage, making a relationship right and workable. Stuff to think about, live by. It was worth that second look.

This was my first reading of CC. I loved this book. It is a woman's book but men would learn a lot about how women think and feel if they read this book. The stories are sometimes sad, very very real--like what life is really like... I think Ms. Cooper is going to end up being one of my all-time favorite authors. I am a white woman who enjoys black writers, especially female writers. They can explain real life better than anyone else I have read.

As with all of Coopers books, it is another page turner! Once you get started it is hard to put the book down. I have all of her books and in the process of reading Wake in The Wind. Each story in The Future Has a Past will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to turn the page! I would recommend any of her books to read! BRILLIANT!!!!

J. California Cooper has a gift for good writing! I really enjoyed all these short stories as much as her other ones. I can't say that I have a favorite because I enjoy them all equally! This one has more of a theme in all four stories. All the women were hard, hard-working women with children to raise and doing with it no-good men. However, they all were able to find love and it was true love. That is what I like about Ms. Coopers stories, they may be stories of strength and struggle, but love always conquers. I will always be a big fan of Ms. Coopers and I hope she has many more stories and novels to come.

This is, believe it or not, the first book I've read in a long time dealing with spiritual issue rather than apologetics. It is brilliant! It basically expounds on the title, that God alone suffices. It discusses how we constantly rely on ourselves and have faith in our own doings etc. It has given me a different outlook on life. I can't wait to read Biela's other books.

This is one book which I can't find adequate words to describe. Still I would give it 10 stars if I could. Dr. Biela presents the works and thoughts of the great Catholic mystics (St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina Kowalska, etc.) in language that a 21st century reader can grasp. In addition he takes key New Testament passages with Jesus' words and elaborates on them so vividly that readers can easily recognize situations in our daily lives where those words are applicable. Not a day goes by where something I have read in these books does not come to mind.

Needless to say Dr Biela's series of books has given me a radically different perspective as to what closeness to God means, and how God acts in our lives. Basically, we are nothing and God in us is and does everything. We come to this realization by removing the blinders in our lives which impede us from seeing this truth. Events which appear adverse to us can in fact be God's instrument to remove obstacles that separate us from Him. More than ever I seek to recognize how everything I do and everything that happens to me is God's action.

I could try to go on but, again, no words of mine "suffice". Read it and prepare to be overwhelmed.

When I first saw the cover of this book I had to step back and let it sink in - how was GOD in the event of the tragic 9/11? The book does not go into the events of 9/11, but the book spelled out for me how the only true reliance is GOD and everything else, everybody else, will fall short of my deepest desires for unconditional love. This book, in a very succinct way, shows the distinction between the Creator and His creatures/creations. I found it extremely inspiring and hopeful.It has really helped me to see things in a new way - even such tremendously tragic things as 9/11.

This book along with the Families of Nazareth Movement have changed my life! My life, and my spiritual journey, were at a stand still until I started reading this book, and faith sharing with the Families of Nazareth Movement. I can see that God is in everything that happens in my life, and more importantly, I regonize my sinfulness and am aware of God's abundant Mercy. This fact is so important because it keeps me from entering, or staying in despair. When things are going wrong I know that God is present in even the worst situations. If I accept the graces God can use all situations as a tool toward my sanctification. All three of the books are a must read for anyone who wants to go deeper on the journey toward union with God.

God Alone Suffices is a book that everyone longing to deepen his/her relationship with God will want to read. The author "contextualizes" the "eternal" spirituality of John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Therese of Lisieux, making their teachings accessible to all who live in the 21st century. Our human tendency to create "illusory reliances" (material, psychological and spiritual), the ways in which we experience their breakdown in our lives, and steps that we can take to move toward making God our sole reliance are analyzed by the author in a readable but profound manner. A radical understanding of sin which reaches to the very depths of our being is maintained throughout, even as the author successfully encourages us never to lose hope. This book is a must for everyone!!

This is not a specific review, but I'd like to merely point out that one of the many admirable qualities of Michael Connelly's writing is that he at least devises sensible names for his characters. One can easily imagine someone named Jerry Edgar or Norman Church or Rachel Walling or Sheehan or Rider, et al.

The hack writers, on the other hand, always burden the imagination with such painful names as . . . "Star ballerina turned private investigator Persephone Pudendum drew her poison-tipped hat pin and thrust it deeply into the evil Dr. Wolfsnout Smorgasbord . . . "

Michael Connelly is a great writer and these are his first 3 Harry Bosch stories. I highly recommend this book. I have read 8 of his other books, too, in the past 2 months and he is innovative with his stories and does not repeat himself.

This book is a good introductory book, as it contains Michael Connelly's first three novels about Detective Harry Bosh. I will review the Black Echo, his first, with the added comment that this review can also stand for all the Bosh books. These are my favorite books to read for fun. Real page-turners, that keeps you on your toes. I first heard of Michael Connelly and his Harry Bosh series a number of years ago on NPR. He was being interviewed, as he was considered the top writer of fictional detective mystery novels. I was captivated from the first book, and have read every one in the series to date. The plots are interesting, with twists that will surprise you, yet make sense. The characters seem like real people, flawed, rather than perfect. Harry Bosh is a detective with a burning desire to find the murderer in the case he is working on. Sometimes he uses non-conventional means of getting to the end. If you have watched the HBO series The Wire, McNulty reminds me a little of Bosh. Bosh is both a hero and a maverick. He has his problems both on the job and in his personal life, and you watch his character develop as the series continues. With each book you get a little more inside Bosh's characters. For this reason alone, it is good to read the series in order. Another reason that this is important is that sometimes Connelly relates back to characters in previous books, or even now and then to events. Connelly has stated that by the time he writes his last Bosh novel, you will come to know Bosh intimately. I give this book a 5 star rating in what I would categorize as just for fun reading. The only criticism I have is that sometimes I find the romance sideline a bit much, especially in the first books of the series. Bosh seems to go through a lot of romances, a new one with each book, although this tapers off somewhat as the series develops. Still, expect there to be a woman in Bosh's life in each book. Black Echo, the first in the series, won the Edgar Award for Best First Mystery Novel awarded by the Mystery Writers of America. This book is about the murder of Billy Meadows, who was a fellow Vietnam "tunnel rat" whom Bosh had fought side by side with. In this book he is joined with a female FBI agent, and is pitted against enemies within his own department. Bosch has to make a difficult choice between justice and vengeance, as he tracks down the killer whose identity will shock him and you.......I just find these books so much fun, I am sure that I will read every last one of then to the series' end.

[...]

The other great thing about this 3 in 1 book (besides Harry) is the weight of this book. It is light as a feather and easy to hold and carry around. Enjoy!

Couldn't put this down. I was glad I had all three books to read at one time. Excellent homicide detective stories set in LA.

I loved each and every story in this book. They are very enlightening and gives you a sense of how relationships are supposed to be and how to live a fulfilling life

I loved this book! It is absolutely wonderful..I can't put it down.Every short story is a page turner and I've learned so much through reading her books! I highly recommend this book!

This was a nice read, but not good for a book club discussion. The book includes some awesome stories that makes you feel good about love. The only thing we didn't like was that all of the stories were written in another (older) time period. It would have been good if the stories could have reflected modern times.

loved this and bascilly all of her books! Once I get started I read them till I am finished, nonstop.

Sometimes even your best friend hesitates to tell you when she/he knows you're playin' a fool, but in this book of rollicking stories, you may see yourself in a few, and Ms. Cooper will be your new best friend for pointing things out to you. Even after 20+ years of marriage, I could still find useful insights ("wake up, girl!") into life, love, and perseverance. You can sink real low, but nobody can KEEP you there but yourself. Ms. Cooper gives literary voice to a large number of African American women, and her writing is as meaningful (and maybe more so) to those who are not African American women.

I am actually amazed that I never read Agatha Christie's autobiography before now, since I have loved her books and re-read them many times over the years.

She was born in 1890 in Devon, England and died in 1976 in Oxfordshire, England. She started this autobiography when she was 60 and finished it when she was 75. And, just to make sure people don't get disappointed right away, her publishers state flatly in the preface (of the edition that I own) that she does not, EVER, mention the infamous disappearance the year her mother died and Archie Christie asked her for a divorce. That will be a mystery never solved. You get the sense that she left quite a bit of her emotions and feelings out of the book. She mentioned frequently in the book that bad times were to be got through so that one could enjoy the good times.

The book does ramble on delightfully, as she herself would probably put it. "What I want is to plunge my hand into a lucky dip and come up with a handful of assorted memories." (from the Foreward). Here's a critical paragraph about how one should view her autobiography:

"We never know the whole man, though sometimes, in quick flashes, we know the true mam. I think, myself, that one's memories represent those moments which, insignificant as they may seem, nevertheless represent the inner self and oneself as most really oneself." (also from the Forward).

There is an amazing amount of detail regarding Victorian and Edwardian England. Her ability to describe things minutely and interestingly was one of the things I always loved about her books.

The main outlines of her life are there, as are quite a few details about her family. She loved her family immensely and it shows. She discusses her father's lack of business skills that wasted away the fortune he inherited and her brother Monty's wholly unsatisfactory life in the straightforward way that she wrote her books. She was an extremely practical person, I think.

Her interest in archaeology because of her (2nd) husband Max Mallowan manifested itself in quite a few of her books, and I think that perhaps some of my interest in archaeology was because of her interest. She had one daughter, Rosalind, who died in 2004, and a grandson, Mathew Prichard, who runs "the family business" as it were.

There are a few preachy parts and I would like to have had more dates, but she warns you in the Foreward, and you must simply sit back and let her tell her story and understand her the way she wanted to be understood.

The book ends before her husband, Max Mallowan was knighted for his distinguished archaeological career in 1968 and before she herself was appointed a dame of the British Empire in 1971. Truly an interesting woman, truly an interesting autobiography.

Agatha Christie recalls a happy childhood in Victorian England. Unfortunately, it's a way of life now gone. Hers was a fairy tale upbringing when customs, manners and the family group were all important in upper-class society. Her portraits of the family, her governesses, the servants, her pets are descriptive and funny. Now I know why she became such a great writer. Wonderful!

I want to say, up front, that I'm a HUGE Christie fan -- I've read everything that she wrote, over 80 mysteries, plays and her Mary Westmacott pseudonym stuff. However, I was very disappointed in this, her autobiography for multiple reasons which I will elaborate upon here in detail.

First, she utterly fails to discuss her famous 11-day "disappearance" in 1926 (to the Harrogate Spa), which is probably the most intriguing thing that ever happened in her lifetime! Here, I'll cite a website (http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1922888,00.html):

"But Norman, a former doctor, believes the novelist was in a fugue state, or, more technically, a psychogenic trance, a rare, deluded condition brought on by trauma or depression, which may also have led the writer and actor Stephen Fry to travel to Bruges in 1995 without leaving word with his friends or family."

Okay, I'm Hoyle with that (there was a Hollywood movie that implied that she was having an affair, which I did not necessarily accept as truth) -- but why leave such an important event out of an autobiography that is certain to be of huge interest to fans?

My second criticism is more pointed. Over the years, Christie issued MANY racist comments in her various works. I won't repeat them here as all fans will know what I'm talking about. Now, this was COMMON for writers to do throughout the 20th Century so, on it's face, taking into account that this was "an acceptable practice" for the era, I don't condemn Christie for this initial act of making such comments, even though many did not benefit or lend real support to the dialogue.

However, Christie died in 1976 and this autobiography was published in '77. By this time, racist commentary was being very much looked down upon (as it should have been), and Christie could have made some sort of positive overture, however minor, to say that she wished that she had not used certain words that were hurtful to people. No such apology, however minor, is found in this autobiography, that I could find, and I feel certain that by 1976, Christie had received many letters which pointed out these anachronistic racial comments, probably seeking some sort of reaction. Based upon the absence of such thoughts in her autobiography, I seriously doubt that any response was issued. I find that a sad omission.

Finally, as I read this book, I got the distinct impression that her heart was not at all in writing it, that it was a drudgery of sorts. I don't blame her for not wanting to write it but, if she didn't want to do it, she should have simply not done it, rather than issue something that reflects a sort of sideways contempt for her millions of fans.

Here's what I DID like about the work: I learned a great deal about little things that ended up in her mysteries (such as "Truelove"). I learned something of her family (not enough about her trials and tribulations in marriage, though), and I went away sort of feeling sorry for Christie's father. Beyond these things, she came off as pretty drab to me -- my expectations were so much higher as she had been a world-traveler and COULD have said so much more. I found that the whole thing lacked a sense of history.

So, I'll no doubt take some hits for my review and, if I'm in error about my facts, I'll come back and make corrections -- but I just think it could have been a super work and, compared to other autobiographies that I've read, I found this one dull and lacking in honesty.

I have a tendency to over-rate the media which I review but I can't go along with the crowd on this one. Perhaps I'm wrong in that they say you should review what's IN a book and not what is absent. I'm not certain about that but I welcome your sincere feedback and comments.

Often times autobiographies are dull things of interest only to the author or those who may be mentioned in the book, others are glowing brag fests relating how marvelous the subject is, or are filled with juicy gossip about other celebrities. This one is completely different in that Christie did not attempt to write a complete chronicle of her life, or to focus on what the public might want to hear (in fact she deliberately left out the very episode - her disappearance - that most would want to know more about) but instead told about those parts of her life that she was interested in remembering. For example most autobiographies rush through the subject's childhood and focus on the parts of their adult life that made them famous, not so here. Instead Christie takes the first third of her tale to describe her life before she ever thought of Hercule Poirot.

What the reader gets instead of stories about the great and famous is a charming glimpse into the life of a middle-class child born at the end of the Victorian era, her perceptions of a society that was rapidly changing as she grew to young adulthood. She tells about her life as a child in a comfortable household filled with servants, her teenage years with her widowed mother, as a young woman caring for wounded soldiers, as a bride then a single mother through her later years as a successful author and her second, happier marriage to an archaeologist and their travels to the Middle East. She glosses over meeting the Queen but tells at length about various nannies and secretaries that were part of her everyday life.

For fans of Christie it is particularly interesting to learn what inspired certain of her characters or plots, what was occuring in her life while writing some of the novels, to see people or situations that one can recognize in a favorite novel. For anyone interested in life in the early twentieth century this book also gives an insight into that time that is rarely seen.

Agatha Christie, perhaps the best known mystery writer of all time, did not ever plan on becoming a writer. And when she did become one, it took her years to accept this as her profession and to believe that there was something other than money to be gained by writing books. Her autobiography is a pleasant ramble through the fascinating live lived by the creator of those master sleuths, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Her life was no mystery but most definitely an adventure.

Agatha Christie began writing her life story from her second husband's archaelogical dig in Iraq. It is set up in a rather rambling manner, starting from a brief family history to her earliest childhood memories and on through her life. Throughout these memories are punctuated by various tangents, often involving her writings, other times not. It is not a straightforward chrononlogical telling of her life, but rather like having a pleasant conversation or reading a leader that she has written to her readers. It allows fans of her writing to get to know the woman behind those characters.

While not as detalied as some fans might wish for - as author and editor, Christie has left out some events - and rather long, it is a pleasing read for any fan of Christie's stories. I learned much about her life that I did not know, including novels she wrote using pseudonyms, and took joy in reading her views on social concerns. While the time period she lived in and wrote about may seem long gone, Christie's words prove again and again to be timeless.