Authors Books

The mother-in-law from hell was no joke. Tracey finds herself against a wall when her husband Ryan will not speak up every time Queen Elizabeth be little her at any time or place. It didn't matter how hard she tired to do the right thing Queen always looks for the bad in it. It takes Tracey to walk out many times for her husband to pay attention and to defend her to his mother. Tracey finds herself making friends with women in the cry baby room (Daycare) of the church. But who really sets it off is Mother Redding of the church to tell everyone about themselves. This is when Tracey wakes up and starts to smell the coffee. Tracey starts to put people in their places, as you start to think it's all good. All hell brakes when Ryan finds himself losing his business,wife pregnant again and Tracey brings in money from her business that he don't want to except because his mother says so.

The author show the readers that Christian people makes mistakes and have to repent for their sins sooner or later. You can feel the pain that Tracey is going through with her mother-in-law,husband and the church. You will find, abuse, cheating, secrets and friendship. The twist that the author puts on this book is amazing. So get your copy and enjoy.

This book was great! I felt so connected with Tracey. Within the first few chapters I just cried for the pain she was feeling, it was like I felt it right along with her. I liked this novel because it wasn't your everyday Christian fiction which is overly romanticized. It was very real, and as a single young woman that is what I want to read about. I encourage everyone to read this book: single or married, it's a great read.

My mom always said, "When you marry you marry the WHOLE family!" This book illustrates that fact quite well!

In her energetic and humorous style, Marilynn Griffith turns back the wedding veil to realistically reveal a woman`s search for "happy even after" balancing motherhood and a career, her husband' s unscrupulous business dealings, body images, a controlling mother-in-law from hell, and church politics that could rival any presidential race.

I particularly liked the sneak-peek into the cliques in some churches. The eye-opening experience made me all the happier to sit "anonymously" in the middle of the church.

Readers, married or single, will find some aspect of Tracey's life that they can relate. This eye-opening story packs quite a punch in a few pages and should not be missed.

Christian author, Marilynn Griffith, has been very successful in writing novels that work well in a series. Happily Even After is the third and final book in her "Sassy Sisterhood" series. The series follows the lives of three saved and single Christian women looking to God for a mate. Loving friends and sisters in Christ, they form an e-mail group with other single women for fellowship and support, sharing devotionals and Bible-based inspiration.



Tracy, the protagonist in this story finally loses the weight that has hindered her all of her life and falls in love with the man of her dreams. Despite the weight loss, Tracey still carries a negative self-image and all the baggage of being a fat girl, inside. She is still full of many of the same insecurities after her marriage to Ryan, a very handsome and very successful businessman. She marries this fine executive, has a baby after losing most of the weight and they move into a big beautiful house in the suburbs far away from her friends and home church.



Caught up in the bliss of love and romance after the wedding, Tracy discovers that she really does not know the man that she married. Ryan is so consumed by his work, having little time or concern for the intimacies of married life. How did Tracy miss that during the courtship? Ryan is so driven in his goal to be a good provider that he neglects the real things that his new wife needs. She gets pregnant on the honeymoon and before she has time to be a wife, she is both a wife and a mother. Coupled with a colicky, but beautiful baby girl and her freelance web design business, Tracy's life begins to unravel as she struggles to maintain her weight loss. And to top it all off, Ryan's widowed mother, Queen Elizabeth (yes, that is her real name) is the mother-in-law from hell while Ryan is a "mama's boy" in every sense of the words.



Never believing that Tracy is the proper wife for her son, Queen Elizabeth continues to intrude in her son's life making Tracy's feelings of self-doubt even more intense. The Queen, a former Pastor's wife is one of the movers and shakers in the church Ryan grew up in, a church so unlike her former home church that Tracy can not even find comfort in her church life.



How Tracy comes to find her place in her new church, adjusts to being a mother and salvages her marriage, all the while still managing her home-based business, kept the interest of this reviewer page after page. The storyline is not your average Christian fiction. The author takes the reader to places you would never expect while keeping it spiritual and real. This novel is Christian chic-lit that church women will enjoy. The ending will surprise you and Tracy's journey will encourage any woman who has ever wondered if God is truly listening. What happens when a woman's dreams come true and she still struggles for peace and happiness? That is the story of Happily Even After.



All three of the books in the Sassy Sisterhood series are funny, but true to life and are really emotional experiences that Christian women face as they struggle to discern God's will for their lives. Written with a lot of compassion, I saw so much of Tracy, Dana and Rochelle in the women friends at my church. God truly touches Marilynn Griffith's pen as she writes these novels. This final installment is my favorite book in the series. Happily Even After is a five star read.

Reviewed By: Idrissa Uqdah for The Culture Clique Book Club

I loved this book. It is the third book in this series by Marilyn Griffith. As always with her books there was a message and it came together wonderfully in the end. Ms. Marilyn Griffith' book reminds you so much of how God sometimes moves in our lives. We just don't know or understand while we are in it but eventually it all becomes clear. Loved the book and hope there will be more coming.

I remember reading all of the Beverly Cleary books as a child, and now I've bought these to read to my children. All of Cleary's books are literary gems, easy to read, and keep kids entertained with plots that they can relate to.

I clearly recall the 1950's style illustrations by Louis Darling in the books I used to read, which have since been replaced in these modern editions. At first I was dubious about the change because the Darling illustrations were so charming, but upon seeing these new illustrations and relating them to the content (which has NOT changed), it's clear that the new illustrator made a real effort to stay close to the original drawings. Additionally, Cleary's words in relation to the new, 'modern' illustrations, suprisingly still apply very well (aside from the 1950's prices and brand names). Regardless, it's easy to envision Henry, Beezus, and Ramona as children living in 2008 or 1950. What does that tell me about Beverly Cleary's books? They're absolutely timeless, and I hope that future generations continue to read and enjoy them as I have.

This is the second-to-last book in the "Henry Huggins" series (if you count "Ribsy," the solo story of his dog, and set aside the Ramona and Beezus books...)

In this volume, once again Henry shows his determination and pluck as he sets a goal and works hard, very hard, to attain it. Actually, he pursues two goals: to save enough money from his new paper route so that he can buy a sleeping bag, and to build a clubhouse with his friends Robert and Murph. Henry learns to balance work and play, and wins the respect of the adults in his world. He also has to contend with the ever-annoying Ramona, as well as her sister Beezus (whose feelings he hurts when he agrees to make the clubhouse a "no girls allowed" zone).

Once again, Beverly Cleary gives a glimpse into the world of children that is both entertaining and emotionally honest. The innocent, white-picket fence world of the Kennedy-era early '60s may be a far cry from what life is like now, but these stories are still fun to read and pleasantly free of a lot of the violence and other baggage that define more modern kid's fiction. Wholesome and all-American, also funny and human, these are timeless stories that can help open the world of literature to inquiring young minds. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

Looking for books that will challenge an 8 year old boy that is a good reader but doesn't like fiction. The Henry Huggins series is just the ticket. Although the stories are somewhat dated, nevertheless they are well written. The stories have humor in them and they contain object lessons for their readers. I can say that a boy for sure will find them interesting.

I think Beverly Cleary did a good job writing Henry and the Club House. Henry and the Club House is part of a series of books. This book is about a 11 year old boy who has a paper route. But, some times he forgets his paper route. One day he forgets his route and his mother has to do it. He has lots of problems but his biggest problem his Ramona. Ramona is a four year old girl. Every day Ramona is upto something. Henry has to get an idea to get rid of Ramona. In Henry and the Club House Henry has to deal with Ramona and a clubhouse that he is working on with his two friends Robert and Murph. I think every one from 7-11 should read this book.

Another fine Henry Huggins book...and sadly we only have two left about Henry before we have exhausted this series. We simply love these books, my daughter is anxiously waiting until we get to the library tomorrow to pick up Henry and the Paper Route and we'll top off the series with Ribsy. Like other Henry Huggins books, this one is divided into chapters (7 to be exact) and each chapter is practically a short story in and of itself...the chapters build up to an overall theme/goal for Henry. In this particular book, it's building a clubhouse and buying a sleeping bag so he and his friends can sleep in the clubhouse.

The chapters start out with Henry forgetting about his paper route and winding up riding through town in a bathtub, then Henry and Ribsy making the acquaintance of the new neighborhood dog, we follow them on Halloween night, on a day of collection for his newspaper route, through his building of the clubhouse (with a strict No Girls policy) and his run in with Beezus and Ramona as a result (hilarious), Henry's clever "solution" to Ramona's pestering, and how he wound up with a little shadow! Overall the stories are clever and humorous in a way that I think kids genuinely appreciate and relate to!

Where does he find materials for his clubhouse? How does it turn out? What's up with that huge stuffed owl? What's it like to ride through town in a bathtub? How hard is a paper route? Will Henry ever get that sleeping bag? If you want to know you simply must read Henry and the Clubhouse, you won't be disappointed! These stories were written in the 1950's and 60's, so money matters are a bit off, but the rest is charming and the overall themes, humor, and childhood joys, frustrations and embarrassments have held up so wonderfully over the years...these books are great for girls and boys! I give this one an A+, another fine Henry Huggins adventure!

I, too, like Ms. Ryan, am a believer in "true love." I found it only
once in my life for a brief time; consequently, once it became only a
memory, I felt I might never find that special someone or share those
wonderful feelings again. I am still in search, but after having read
Ms. Ryan's tender thoughts, I now feel this is still there for me and
possibly anyone who will just keep their mind and heart open for that
someone to "come in." I have dated recently with the hope that this will
happen. If it does not, I am not discouraged, however; I feel it
is "just around the corner," and some day I will discover it all over
again. I do not want to settle - I want the "bells and whistles" all
over again, along with the heart "flutters" waiting to see and be with
that person who will make my life complete again. This will happpen -
Please read "If You Believe in True Love," and you will understand and be
uplifted to a new level of hope and encouragement. I plan to give this
book to a couple of my friends this year as a Valentine's Day present. I
know they will appreciate it and cherish its contents forever.

I have finally allowed myself to meet someone after reading Marlene Ryan's Book, it helped me to understand that I must listen to my own
feelings and to recognize these feelings for what they are. She helps you look at things in a different light. I have so longed to please other people
my whole life and it left me feeling empty inside. Now I am doing what makes me feel happy inside and I am now my own person. Her book is full
of so much information on so many situations that take place in life. I have taken to heart all that she pours out from her heart and it is working for
me. I encourage others to read through her whole book first; after open to a page and read.

The Author's true love cd is so expressive as it touches on various topics sharing so much love, misunderstandings, faith. I highly recommend it to anyone. I want to thank the Author for a true work of art, combinding her book with a music cd.

Author's Book is very open and honest. She stresses you to listen to your heart, for it is as she has stated, 'a Protection.' I really found myself very involved and the further you get into her book the greater or should I say more intense it gets. I do recommend her Book to anyone that would like to look a little more into themselves, certainly has opened my heart to true love by understanding and recognizing what it really is and to follow your heart for it does exist as the Author brings out.I found the Introduction to her Book very informative. I am more then empressed with her talent and writings so different then anything I have come accross as far as poetry, this is far more then poetry. These are stories, meditations, more along those lines, wisdom. Very professionally put together! Her Music CD; which I have listened to many times. You need to, there is so much. Alot to absorb in one sitting. I love the songs: So Sorry, Time for A Change, Believe, Is This How We Parted, Cared, Should Find, High On a Mountain, 'True Love' (great story). Other songs; Ever Since You Left, Remember Me (very moving) Music CD. The Music is somewhat not only exciting but coupled with the lyrics amazing as I again, recommend you to listen to it a few times to get the drift, deep. There are alot of songs; with such meaning. This Unusual Book with Music CD certainly deserves a 5, if not more for the simply fact it takes courage to put something so different out into the Market Place. The Author has done a great job, I give her lot's of credit! Very Well Done! I hope to see her on a talk show soon! Worthwhile and should be shared with the public on a larger scale. Someone who has the knowledge of the industry should take a hold of it and run with it, she deserves to be heard!

Her Book with Music CD is a whole new concept; the Author has done something very unique and I was greatly amazed at her futuristic style of mixing a book with a music CD in a very interesting way.

Never saw a book put to music before. The whole concept of having her meditations turned to lyrics put to music on a CD is so amazing. Picked right out of her book and I like that I could just take them in the car with me and listen to them on the way to work. Songs like So Sorry, Time For A Change, Should Find, High On A Mountain the whole CD is so meaningful. This should be the new wave of the future, not having much time to read, I can appreciate this. Upon opening my package, I was surprised how appealing and how I knew I made the right choice to purchase it. Hope others will have the opportunity to read such deep and thoughtful works. Definitely would give it to a friend for a gift, because it would be something out of the ordinary. Her pictures throughout the book are beautiful. Thank you for giving me the chance to say what I feel about the Author's incredible Book and Music CD. Thanks to the Author on her out of the Ordinary Works get's my 5 stars, worth it.

As i turned the pages of the authors life I became intrigued with her writing style. She is open and pure and takes you on an emotional roller coaster of the heart. I felt her pain, joy and her honesty. Her poem "Sweet Dreams and The Little Things "is one i like very much. It reminds us in life IT IS the simple things that brings the greatest joy!!!!. Finding your True Love and holding on to it is what the book is about. She writes about freedom, love, friendship, loss and longing. It makes you ponder personally on your own life teaching you to cherish and protect those you care about. As her poem "TIME" states "if its true love, time is of no concern "True Love" has a life of its own. Time teaches lessons and enables us to see what we feel and lost, this book is a wake up call to our hearts. I urge all to go out and buy this lovely book. It will give you the courage to Make that call, Swallow that pride, or Follow that Dream to find or reunite again with your True Love. I hope Ryan as the Author has found her true Love. For it made me realize who mine is.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 therre 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 incouragement 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 should have just stuck to her work, because, in truth, that's all any writer owes the reader; the work. And that aspect of this life, the story of her writing, is well-covered and interesting. I don't regret reading 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.

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.

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.

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!!!)

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.

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 loved this book, I think Darren Lee is awesome!!!! Everyone of her books have been great. I just hope we can get a sequel!!!!

This is the first book I've read by this author. The story about the Chance family was excellent. I'm glad Keilah ended up with Ramsey as I felt she would because Michael was pushing too hard and I knew there had to be a reason for that. It was a good book that was hard to put down. The only problem I found was whoever proofed her book left out words in sentences and added words twice sometimes as well. This I noticed all throughout the book. It didn't make me not want to finish reading it, but it was noticeable.

THE LAST CHANCE WAS A VERY VERY GOOD BOOK THE AUTHOR DARRIEN LEE DID HER THING NEXT TO BEEN THERE DONE THAT THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE I LIKE HOW THE TWO MAIN CHARACTERS FALL IN LOVE WHEN THEY THEY WERE JUST HAVING FRIENDLY SEX. BUT OVERALL THE BOOK WORTH IT SO GO GET IT.

Darrien Lee does it again this book was so hot i loved it I read the book in 2 days if I didn't have work I would have read the book in a day I love Ramsey, and how her brother's loved thier baby sister. It's a must read.

THIS BOOK WAS SO WELL WRITTEN, I ACTUALLY SAW IT AS A MOVIE!!!! I LOVED HOW THEY ACCEPTED KEYTONE AS A BROTHER !!! I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK!!!!! I FEEL THAT I SAID TOO MUCH,I DON'T LIKE TELLING THE STORY,BECAUSE I FEEL THAT YOU'LL GET BETTER ENJOYMENT IF YOU READ IT YOURSELF!!!!! BUY IT AND ENJOY!!!!!!!! DEFINITELY A MUST READ!!!!!!

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!

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.