Literature Books

Virginia Lanier's bloodhound series opens pretty convincingly in this book which has enough plotting and subplotting to fill three books. We're introduced to feisty JoBeth Sidden, a near-thirtyish trainer of bloodhounds who also has her own company which does search and rescue operations for local police authorities. In this debut, JoBeth is involved with an abusive ex-husband; the mysterious will of her deceased artist father; a handsome new lawyer in town; escaped criminals; missing children; a handsome private investigator; and lots more. JoBeth is even framed for the attempted murder of aforementined Bubba, her ex! While it takes a little patience to get into this book, once you do, you'll find yourself rewarded. Lanier has a flair for Southern life, and her characters are sharply drawn and developed.
I'm looking forward to further adventures with JoBeth and her hounds!

"Death in Bloodhound Red" is the first in the Virginia Lanier "Bloodhound Series." It is a great book and so different from most mysteries that I am surprised that I had not heard of the series before.

This is a series to buy all at once because once you start reading = you will not want to stop.

"Death in Bloodhound Red" is difficult to classify even though it is a mystery. It is not a superficially light book and there are parts that will make you laugh and parts that are very somber.

Jo Beth Sidden raises and trains bloodhounds and utilizes them for tracking in a small county in Georgia. Her life is rather interesting. Her deceased father became a famous artist when she was a teenager, while most of her childhood was spent in dire poverty. Her childhood though, is in many ways very mysterious.

Yet by working continually, Jo Beth has built a kennel and bloodhoumd business. Businesses and law enforcement agencies hire her and her dogs to seek out drugs and criminals.

Jo Beth is rather a tough woman because she has had to be. But she is working at addressing the vulnerabilities in her life and this dialogue is reflected as well. She is a very ardent feminist because she has had to confront countless prejuidices in her life of work.

Virginia Lanier has topped my list for new authors.

A Must read series - All of Viriginia Lanier's books. The characters come alive on each page. Her description of loving and smart bloodhounds will endear you to them forever. You can't wait to read what happens next. A true treasure of a character is Joe Beth, a woman detective and her bloodhounds.

The sub-genre of "dog mysteries" is not nearly as extensive as "cat mysteries" for reasons I will never understand. (After all, do cats really care what human beings do to each other? I don't think so.) In this specialized arena, Virgina Lanier's Bloodhound books are definately best in show. "Death in Bloodhound Red" is one of the best novels -- in or out of the mystery genre -- I've read in a long time. Yes, the plot is meandering and convoluted, the conversations are of a length only southerners can aspire to, and the language is as dense and atmospheric as the scent of jasmine on an early summer day. But what matters in the end is how completely Lanier manages to submerge us in the swampy world of southern Georgia and the wonderful profession of search-and-rescue with her beloved bloodhounds. If all the following books aren't always as over the top excellent as the first, who cares? They are all great and the bloodhounds get even more time on stage as the series goes on. What more could you want?

This is an incredible first book of a series, that sadly is behind a couple years. The books are; 1996-Death in Bloodhound Red, 1997-The House on Bloodhound Lane, 1998- A Brace of Bloodhounds, 1999-Blind Bloodhound Justice, 2000-Ten Little Bloodhounds. I'm not sure why we don't have books for 2001 and 2002, but after you read the first book and then run out and buy the next four that continue without dropping the pace and excitement, you'll mourn the gap in the series. Especially using the recommendations, its not that infrequent I get a new author 'can't put me down'er. However this was one of those I read through as fast as I can because of the tension and mystery, and then start right over again to read for the wealth of information and the beauty of the text.

I can't think of anything this book doesn't have. There is a strong female protaganist, and one that hard to work her way from the ground up as well (as I did) that I really appreciate. As a now breeder and trainer of bloodhounds, Jo Beth is a complex character with sometimes warring qualitis, but one that acts consistently within the defined pesonality. The tension with the maniacal ex husband catches you quickly, but the mystery picks up and holds you as you go on. Additionally I love a book that provides some other new knowlege and this book is rife with knowlege about 'The South', the Okenofree swamp, and Bloodhounds. I've checked some of what I learned here with a friend who has been in the swamp and the South and it's been checking out. As an animal lover as well, you really get to love the bloodhounds and the knowlege of scent tracking and bloodhounds in particular is wide and varied.

Yet Virginia Lanier sneaks the information in without any long boring solioquies. She always manages to get the right amount in to help you appreciate the story and does it in a way that goes with the story, like say explaining something to a new person, and then drives back to the plot before you could get bored. And she makes it fascinating. As I said earlier I was interested enough to talk to people till I found one that had been in the okenofee swamp, and I've got bloodhound research on my list of things to look into as well. As far as the south in concerned, I feel she does a good job of showing the pros and cons, the beauty and surface graciousness on the surface, and the misogeny and the racism underneath.

I kept reading reviews by Lori Lake and I knew she had written some books, but I never got around to making the purchase. Well, I now have two and "Gun Shy" is awesome.

Dez Reilly answers a 911 call and interrupts a double rape. As the first attacker holds one victim, Sarah, while the other rapist tries to nab the second victim, Jaylynn, Dez comes storming thru the door. The second rapist breaks her arm with the bat he's carrying and she loses her gun. With a little help from Jaylynn, she's able to down both rapist cuff them together ankle to wrist.

Dez made such an impression on Jaylynn, she decides to go to the academy to become a police officer. As Jaylynn and her rookie class join the force they are joined up with different officers on different shifts. Jaylynn finally get her turn with Dez and they are a good team. Naturally, there are some rifts, i.e., who's in charge? is there only one way to handle each situation?

Dez is still a little gun shy after her partner, Ryan was killed during a call and she wasn't able to save him. She's afraid to let herself have a partner or to let anyone get close to her.

Well, Dez's rule...no dating cops, is keeping these two from coming to terms with each other. Dez's landlady, Luella is a charming and loving character in this book. She and Dez have a good relationship and they take care of each other. I love the pounding on the ceiling with the broom in order to get Dez's attention.

The kind and caring shown throughout the story shows from all the characters is something you don't usually see in a police/action novel. It's refreshing.

This was an intense book which awesome characterization and great detail to plot. You could feel the electricity between the two main characters.

Am I the last person on earth NOT to have read Lori Lake's lesbian action/drama novel, GUN SHY, already out long enough to have its sequel UNDER THE GUN? If I'm not, those of you yet to give the book a read should head right on down to your local bookstore and pick it up for one heck of an interesting experience.

My reading of GUN SHY brought to mind a couple of things:

Firstly, whenever a couple of us old-timers, from the heydays of pulp fiction, get together (actually, there are only a couple of us left "to" get together!), to discuss the days before lesbian "literature", we have to admit that in those early days a lot of the gal-gal books were written by us men, writing not reality but merely our male fantasies (and the male fantasies of our male readers) of lesbian relationships. Obviously, we didn't have a clue. Obviously, most of us men still don't have a clue, although a few of us have become enlightened enough, over the years, to admit to our ignorance. GUN SHY is not in the least like the books I, and my male friends used to write, and would likely still write. Anyone looking for a lot of heavy-breathing naked sexual nymphos mud-wrestling up a storm, should steer clear of Lake's book which actually has two mature, intelligent women spending a good deal of time thinking through and discussing their relationship with each other and with others, and just getting on with the nitty-gritty reality of life. Particularly nitty-gritty, in this instance, in that both women are members of a metro-Minneapolis police force.

Secondly, when my German-language short story "Doppelmörder" was published in Lisa Kuppler's anthology QUEER CRIME, and I had critics deeming me "A Master of the Mystery Genre", the latter was for, among other things, apparently my NOT having tackled a tale that incorporated police procedure, because so many of my fellow authors who did go that route got "it" all wrong. The reason I had purposely "not" attempted a story involving police procedure was just because I had sense enough to know beforehand that I didn't have enough of a clue to get it right; it simply required far more diligence in research and time and effort than I figured (and rightly so) I could properly muster. Lake, though, in GUN SHY, has obviously devoted the time and effort to get right the ins-and-outs ups-and-downs of cops on the job. It - from the uniforms, to the locker-room conversations, to the chatter of police-radio broadcasts, to the personality clashes, et al - just reads "right-on" this-is-the-way-it-is.

If I might have preferred one major crime to have infused this novel from beginning to a satisfactory guns-a-blazing-bad-guys-dying conclusion (probably "a guy" thing), I know from what little I've gleaned, by way of research, that most police work is mainly a long series of routine incidents that get reported in the back pages of local newspapers if they get reported at all, with only a very few in-the-spotlight major incidents. So, it would seem, Lake's GUN SHY gets that right, too.

I DO think that if I even thought of eating as much as rookie Jaylynn Savage does (I'm talking food, here), I suspect I'd look like the Goodyear blimp; then, again, I spend all of my day sitting on my fat-getting-fatter rear while Jaylynn is up-and-at-it, making the city safe for one and all. Go Jaylynn! Go Lori Lake! Go to your local bookstore and put down your hard-won cash for this one!

Gun Shy is an excellent book! I couldn't put it down... All the characters in this book are wonderfully writen! Jaylynn and Des are strong and amazing women. I fell in love with LouElla. She is the little sweet neighbor lady that everyone would love to have! This book was a roller coaster ride that I didn't want to end! Thanks goodness for sequels! This book offers a lot to a reader: Romance, thrill, humor and we can't forget the sex! It also show the power of friendship and taking a chance with your heart. Lori Lake is a very talented writer. I am glad I bought this book! This is a must read and one to keep in your collection. I know I will...

In high school, my friends and I were hooked on the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. We lived an hour's drive from New Orleans and spent many weekends scouring the city to see if Rice's settings were real. They were very real and made the stories jump off the page for us. I mention this because I now live in the suburbs of St. Paul, MN, and have visited many of the locales mentioned in Lori Lake's `Gun Shy.' She writes about real places such as the Como Park area, making this series much more real for me.

Lake brings two Uber characters into a modern-day story of a Xena-ish cop, Dez Reilly, and Jaylynn Savage, the young blonde woman she saves from attempted rape. Following in the tradition of the Warrior Princess and her companion, Jay joins the police department in hopes of befriending Dez. Little does she know the `gun shy' Dez has sworn off love and has no intention of being swayed by a rookie. Of course, Dez doesn't realize Jay has many skills of her own.

A wonderful story of two women who come together in the face of adversity, `Gun Shy' is truly a cornerstone of lesbian literature. Thankfully, Lake follows it with two equally enjoyable sequels (Under the Gun; Have Gun, We'll Travel). If not a must own, this is at least a must read and comes highly recommended from this reader.

Officer Desiree "Dez" Reilly is a veteran cop extraordinaire with the St. Paul Police Department in Lori L. Lake's police action/drama Gun Shy. This reticent Amazon beauty with long black hair, smooth ivory skin, electric blue eyes, and a muscular build is an adept daredevil at police work, but she is extremely cautious (gun shy) when it comes to matters of the heart. While Dez is on the job, she rescues and meets a "whirling bundle of energy," Jaylynn "Jay" Savage, a sharp pre-law student. Jaylynn could not be more different from Dez in stature, appearance, and personality. Jay is a talkative, vivacious, shorthaired, curvaceous blonde, who wears her heart on her sleeve. Dez is in complete control of her emotions...most of the time. Jaylynn falls in love with the tall, mysterious cop, her "hero," at first sight.

Carefully guarding her emotions, Dez is very careful whom she trusts. Estranged from her mother, her father gone, her mentor avoiding her since he found out she was gay, and feeling like a loser at love, she keeps her distance from others to protect herself from any further pain and sorrow. She has also been living with a thick black cloud over her head because of a shooting that left her partner and close friend, Ryan Michaelson, a married father of two young children, dead. Dez deals with his death the only way she knows how-by shutting down her emotions and refusing psychological treatment. The department can make her see a shrink, but they can't make her accept help.

After assisting an officer apprehend the men who broke into her house, witnessing police work first hand, and meeting the woman of her dreams, Jaylynn decides to apply for the Police Academy rather than apply to law school as planned. She feels she can always go back to it after she sees what police work is all about. The rookie excels at the academy and lands a rotation with the veteran cop, who actually requests to be Jaylynn's Field Training Officer. The two women ride together as teacher/student and work extremely well together. They form a friendship in the process, but much to Dez's chagrin, Jaylynn wants more than a working relationship. Jay feels that she has finally found her soul mate even though Dez can be a moody, tough nut to crack. Meanwhile, Dez, scared to death of commitment, pushes the rookie away. Everyone who knows the two, from Luella Williams, Dez's landlady, cook, uniform washer, and surrogate mother, to Jaylynn's best friend and housemate, Sara, can tell there is electricity in the air between the two cops.

Gun Shy is an exciting look at police work through the eyes of police officers who also happen to be lesbians. Lori L. Lake has set a fine precedent with her endearing, witty, action packed story that has plenty of police activity, longing, and romance. It brings to mind one of my favorite TV shows, Cagney and Lacey, a classic 1980's hit about two straight female cops. Gun Shy would be a great model for a contemporary version-two female officers, Reilly and Savage, who not only fight crime, but also have the hots for each other. It would be a big hit too.


Before reading Gun Shy, Ricochet in Time was my favorite book by Lori L. Lake. Her heroines are real, believable, and interesting. What I like most about Lake's writing is that I identify with the characters, even though I lead a different lifestyle. She uses phrases and expressions that I use in daily life. Curling up in bed with a Lake novel is like pulling an all-nighter...laughing, sharing, and gabbing with an old friend. Lake has a way of making the reader fall in love with her characters and really care about them. The reader longs for Dez and Jay to become lovers. I also like how Lake uses the contrary features of her characters to emphasize a point. For example, the dichotomy of Dez: she has white skin and black hair; she is a lion on the outside, and a lamb on the inside; she often comes across as cold hearted on the outside, but she's a warm toasty marshmallow on the inside. Dez is the epitome of the tough cop when she informs Jaylynn that cops don't cry. Jaylynn teaches her that sometimes cops need to cry in order to heal, and that it's ok.

Luella is another great character who is funny, sassy, and provides Dez with more than an affordable place to live-she looks out for her, and treats her like a daughter. She can also whip up a complete hot meal in twenty minutes. Luella is Lake's idea of a "fantasy woman-my own personal chef." If I had a landlady, I'd want her to be just like Luella. Dez reciprocates by doing yard work and repairs around the house, but more ironically, by allowing the older woman to boss her around, when it seems that Dez only takes orders from senior officers. Dez keeps her heart under lock and key, but not with Luella. You can't help but love the reserved cop, especially when you're privy to her vulnerable side. I'm straight and I fell in love with Dez, so I can certainly understand why Jaylynn feels the way she does. Will Dez unlock her heart for Jay? You'll have to read this book to find out.

To say that I enjoyed Gun Shy is an understatement; I loved it. Lori Lake has repeatedly proven herself a noteworthy writer, who I feel will soon find herself in the mainstream market. Currently, she is working on a third book in the Gun series, Have Gun We'll Travel, plus a series of non-gay themed mystery novels. Under the Gun is the sequel to Gun Shy, and I recommend not missing either selection. With an unlimited supply of ideas for novels floating around in her head, Lake's fans will have plenty to read for years to come.

Beautifully written. Inspiring and thought provoking. If you want some clear insight to help you gather momentum and live the life of your dreams this book will certainly inspire you to do so. Many blessings to Kurek for his honest and heartfelt words.

I purchased the book only because of the author, the title really annoyed me, but because I knew of Kurek I had to buy it...

I actually put off reading the book as the title just didnt grab me... But I picked it up a couple of weeks after I purchased it and I am glad I did..

It is an amazing book, and after 10 years down this path of growth, I love that he isn't just talking the talk, he has been there. I can relate to much of what he says...

This book isn't just a book on motivation, its a book on life... Yes you need to keep an open eye in places, but wow, what a ride..

If you skip this book, you may as well skip all the others as well.. This has something for everyone.

John

Kurek Ashley is a new discovery of mine and I am so pleased to have found his latest book, "How Would Love Respond? a work of art. You will get caught up in the writing and be enveloped in the consummation of love. Let go, let love in your life.

"How would love respond" I read in a weekend. once I picked it up I couldn't put it down. All I can say is buy it and read it.

I loved it so much I bought 17 of them, had Kurek sign them for me and gave them as gifts to my friends.

Do yourself a favour and get it.

I thoroughly enjoyed Kurek's book. It is inspiring and easy to read. Are you in the doldrums? Have an empty space that just won't be filled? Hungry but don't know for what? A slow and thoughtful reading of "How would love respond" can get your spirit moving and give you great info on how to get back on track to the good life. I highly recommend "How would love respond" for everyone who questions why life goes the way it goes and how one can get moving in a positive direction and reap the rewards of knowing what to do and how to use the insights. Peggy Touchtone Sholly Down Home Delicious

This is one of those books I found as a child AFTER seeing the Disney movie and reading that it was based on a book. As usual, the book is so much better! If you've never read this book, but you're fond of the movie, or of dogs, you will love it. The story is truly heart-warming, and I love that certain scenes are oh-so familiar if you've seen the movie, but so much of the story is completely new! Did you know Perdita is NOT the name of the "leading lady"? That's all I'll say about the actual story, but please, read it for yourself, even if you don't have kids. It's a wonderful read-aloud book, too--the first time my husband ever heard about this book was when I made him lie down and let me read it to him. We didn't have a child then, so now we get to share it with our son, too. Truly, a wonderful book. However, just so you know--the second book is not nearly so good! I own both of them, but I probably won't read the second one more than one more time, when I read it to my son. It's just not at all the same thing--aliens in London? Anyway, read 101 Dalmations and I know you'll enjoy it!

I loved this book I read it when I was very young, I fell in love with it then, I lost the book and for years thought of getting it again. I feared that I would not like it as much, it was as I remembered, and not the Disney version. I still love the book it did not let let me down. It made me laugh, cry and now understand my dog a little more (ha ha)

I owned this book by Dodie Smith when I was a boy. I loved it and from this story I developed an even stronger love for dogs and animals in general. Written in a most loving way, the story takes us beyond the later Disney film's watered down presentation of the story and dives deep into the realm of dogs. We discover the magic of "dogdom" and how dogs of every kind communicate with each other and with their humans (as Dodie states, and I am certainly paraphrasing, dogs own their humans, but let them think they own the dogs because it is so sweet!)

I have only one complaint about this publication of the book. the illustrations are just short of atrocious. I had an earlier edition of the book that had wonderful drawings that clearly were created with a real understanding of the story and what Dodie was trying to say. The illustrations in this edition look like they were pulled from someone's generic dog clip art. They are technically fine in their own right (I could NEVER draw like that), but they just don't capture the magic of the book.

If you can look past the illustrations, this is a wonderful story and a well written book.

101 Dalmations has appeal to dog lovers of all ages, breeds and sizes.

Dodie Smith - Thanks for leaving this gem for all to share.

This is a charming and delightful book that is deserving of its status as a classic of children's literature.

It takes a dog's eye view of the world, and features as its heroes Pongo and Missis, a pair of Dalmatians whose litter of puppies disappears one day.

As they set off to reunite their family, they find themselves in a struggle against the illegal coat-making operation of one Cruella Deville, an iconic villainess whose name and passion for high temperatures hint that she may be the devil incarnate.

The book becomes a fantastic quest book that takes place in the heart of England. The adult dalmatians find friends and foes along their path, and end up liberating nearly a hundred little puppies.

Smith has fun with the details and logistics of feeding, disguising, and transporting the refugee puppies, and young readers will enjoy learning the particulars of the secret lives of dogs.

The original animated movie adaptation is a good and fairly faithful movie in its own right, but the book is better by far.

Some parents might shy away from the book because of the gruesome idea that Cruella literally skins her young charges, but I think that the darker elements are an integral part of the winning tone, which refrains from talking down to children.

Highly recommended!

I won my tattered, dog eared, Disyned-fied copy of "100 Dalmatians" in a school auction when I was 7 years old. I learned to read late because I'm dyslexic (hence any bad spelling you may notice) so this was the first real chapter book that I ever owned and the very first I read.

It was great. This is a fabulous novel for all ages but especially for kids. I'm not going to re-hash the plot because I think the whole world knows it by now. The themes of good parenting, loyalty, and of course, good, intelligent, kind dogs are things that every child should learn. It is true that this book contains some talk of puppy killing, which didn't disturb me, and I'm guessing that today's 7 year olds wouldn't be scared by it either.

Another reason to read, or let your child read this book is that it will encourage a love of dogs, and having grown up with dogs every minute of my life, I can tell you having one (or more) helps immensely in all kinds of situations, social and otherwise. It provides an example of love and loyalty, as well as the responsibility involved in feeding and caring for a dog. However on that note Dalmatians, contrary to the lovable Pongo, Missus and Perdita in this book, do not make good dogs for children. They don't have the temperament for it. If you read this book and decide to get a dog for your child (an excellent idea) I recommend a good old fashioned mutt (they're smarter because they're not inbred) or a border collie, which can actually be trained to be nannies for children because of their sheep herding instincts.

Anyway, five stars. Great for the whole family, and an excellent way to encourage reading in a child of any age. At 18 years old I still love reading this book. And the sequel, "The Twilight Barking" isn't half bad either.

We have enjoyed many hours playing our own way of I spy. Thank you for your promt delivery.

Recieved this for christmas and Believe it or not my 2 year old loves all the I spy books. She is very good at them and loves to just ask what everything is and then find whatever I ask her to look for. Illustrations are great.

Thank you to the earlier reviewers.... I (as well as my husband, father, and mother--not to mention my five year old!!) have been going CRAZY looking for the striped cat!!!

These books are just incredible--my son is well on his way to collecting ALL of them! And, we already have ALL of the CD-Rom games--he's solved them all several times. These are the perfect books (and software) for kids--and has occupied more than a few hours of my time since I discovered them. Even my 18 year old daughter has been challenged and frustrated by these books! There's not much out there that can entertain (or drive crazy) both kids and adults.

There are small differences in the books and software--some kids like the spooky motif of this book--while other kids seem to prefer the space or school motifs--but, all-in-all, any of these books and software are WELL worth the $$ you put into them. Enjoy!!! (Dang that striped cat! LOL)

The bat on page 19 is a baseball bat, held by the boy in the picture glued to the inside right door (just above the word "workshop").

The I Spy Spooky Night book is one of many 'I Spy' books our family has enjoyed. We have the 'I Spy Extreme Challenger!',
'I Spy Super Challenger', 'I Spy School Days', 'I Spy Treasure Hunt' and the 'I Spy Mystery' book just to name a few of them. They will entertain no matter what your age. Our children and now our grandchildren have pulled these books out many times. They are like magnets and will draw in whoever is around to your side to help find the hidden I Spy items. Here's a hint. If, no - when, you have trouble finding any of the objects turn the book upside down and that just might help. The I Spy Spooky Night Book in combination with the Boo-opoly Game will provide some frighteningly good Halloween entertainment. ~ Mrs. B.

Volume two of Le Proust's great work is a sensual delight. Part One (of Vol.2), by and large, is more about Swann's family and, of course, the agonizing and philosophizing in regard to "getting over" Miss Gilberte. There is much less about the narrator's family which ran the course throughout SWANN'S WAY. Stylistically, BUDDING GROVE is an absolute wonder. We are once again treated to the narrator's philosophies on life's ups and downs (how's that for a summation?). Once he gets to the fictitious seaside town of Balbec, the book surges--taking on the proverbial "life of its own". The reader is in the hotel room with him...and on the beach...and on the boardwalk, etc. It was a joy to see how Proust/Moncrieff would occasionally work in "street talk" with the mainstay of aureate and lyrical prose: a woman in Balbec is described as having "yellow hair and six inches of paint on her face and a carriage which reeked of harlot a mile away..." Delicious. Priceless.

I cannot imagine trying to read Proust's Everest of a novel until I've had enough life experience to be able to identify with his insights. How on earth was a man who died young and was confined to a bed for so many years able to learn so much about life and common human experience, emotion and perception? I don't know how, but I thank God that he was.

For modern readers, Proust is definitely an acquired taste that rewards patience. I never thought reading the works of one author would make those of others seem so much easier to read. But such is the case with Proust. Nevertheless, one shouldn't regard his writing as therapy or medicine; it may read like self help at times, with its frequent use of the first-person plural, but it is a story first of all. His writing is just more detailed and insightful than that of all but a handful of modern novelists.

Within a Budding Grove is a primer on patience and perception, one that will probably make you a better reader, perhaps a better writer, and certainly a more interesting human being. Struggle on patiently. You will get used to the labyrinthine sentences, paragraphs that run on for pages, and gargantuan chapters (if they can be called that) that don't really begin or end anywhere tidy. Eventually, you will likely come to enjoy it.

My only criticism: at times one does get annoyed by the slow pacing. For instance, I knew that this is the volume that introduces the reader to Albertine. But it did take about 600 pages for the narrator to meet her! That said, there are plenty of tasty morsels along the way. Read it, not so much for the simple story or the minutely detailed descriptions, but for the numerous insights and the astounding wisdom.

Montcrief's translation, is the quintisential Proust. The, beautiful, florid prose is reminiscent of a time and a place that no longer exists, and captures the French aristocracy in the advent of WWI -- full of old-world trappings, yet abounding with subtle reminders of the globalization that was to follow. Proust's style and vision are directed admirably towards his artistic goal of appreciating art through sublimation, and express his idea that a true understanding of art comes first through appreciation, and then expression through a medium. This volume is full of Proust's own philosiphies on art, life and the people who abound in both. His observations, pointed and amusing, keep this volume relevant. Considering the wave of expatriate and existentialist writers who propogated Paris after the Great War, this book is truly the last in a line of works that view life in a grand, sweeping and elegant manner. Within a Budding Grove brought Proust fame and acclaim in his own time, and in ours can be seen as a masterpiece reflecting a time past, yet glimsping assiduously into the future. For those "in search of lost time" this is truly a great read.

How can anyone summarize even a single volume of Proust's massive six volume novel? Within a Budding Grove (sometimes translated as In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower) is the second installment of In Search of Last Time. We find the narrator perhaps marginally older on vacation with his grandmother living in a luxurious hotel in Balbec off the coast. This volume, paired with the first (Swann's Way), is really the introduction to the work entire if you can believe it. In it, the narrator perhaps matures slightly; he cultivates his keen awareness of art, meets new people, and ultimately falls out of love with Gilberte and falls in love with Albertine. His relationship with his grandmother is certainly expanded, and the reader comes to learn that the narrator is not merely motivated by a trivial pursuit of pleasure and bourgeois charm. He is in fact, a truly full human being, complete with fear, love, desire, and ambition. He meets one of my favorite characters in the whole book, the impressionist painter Elstir, a character clearly based Monet, Manet, Pissaro, and others. He introduces the narrator to Albertine through his paintings, and teaches him about the joys of life and art. There are some passages in this section of the book (the latter half) which I just can't resist from quoting,

"I could never have believed that I should now be dreaming of a sea which was no more than a whitish vapour that had lost both consistency and colour. But of such a sea Elstir, like the people who sat musing on board those vessels drowsy with the heat, had felt so intensely the enchantment that he had succeeded in transcribing, in fixing for all time upon his canvas, the imperceptible ebb of the tide, the throb of one happy moment; and at the sight of this magic portrait, one could think of nothing else than to range the wide world, seeking to recapture the vanished day in its instantaneous, slumbering beauty" (pg. 657).

also (how French is this?),

"For a convalescent who rests all day long in the flower-garden or an orchard, a scent of flowers or fruit does not more completely pervade the thousand trifles that compose his idle hours than did for me that colour, that fragrance in search of which my eyes kept straying towards the girls, and the sweetness of which finally became incorporated in me. So it is that grapes sweeten in the sun. And by their slow continuity these simple little games had gradually wrought in me also, as in those who do nothing else all day but lie outstretched by the sea, breathing the salt air and sunning themselves, a relaxation, a blissful smile, a vague dazzlement that had spread from brain to eyes" (pg. 669).

I certainly cannot add any insights into the greatness and profundity of this work which has not already been said by Edmund Wilson or Vladimir Nabokov. Within a Budding Grove is a deeply felt, beautiful and fleeting segment of one of the finest novels of the last century, I urge you to read it.

This is a great copy of Vol. 2 of A la recherche du temps perdu [In Search of Lost Time] or [Delving into Things Past]. Each volume in the septrology may be read individually as an independent novel. This is, of course, the very best translation available in English; probably the very best that will ever be available in English: certainly the next best thing to reading the original French.

Note: Proust is not quick reading, and one who tries to read too quickly will just as quickly lose the tread of the narrative. This text has its own time scale, and the reader must adjust his/herself to the text--not the other way around. In this stream of consciousness narrative, the narrator (/author) digresses as he speaks (/thinks): he digresses, digresses, digresses; and then, he returns, returns, returns to the point where he began. One has to follow his line of thought: this is the art and beauty of the text.

Proust's achievement is one of the greatest edifices of Western art, perhaps comparable only to Wagner's Ring cycle.

I decided to pick up this book on a whim the other day while browsing amazon. I have never really been that interested in these types of books before, but I thought it looked interesting enough. I must have really lucked out on this one, because this book is great! I loved every minute of it. It was such an interesting story that made me consider history and how it changes the world. If I were you, I'd get it.

When I started reading "The Lions Way" I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy it. I was especially concerned with how the book would deal with religion. However, I was very pleasantly surprised. The author dealt with religion in a new and interesting light that really made me think and expand my faith. I really would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good fiction story, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction!

This is a great 'what if' fictional history that mixes action and good old fashioned boy meets girl with thought provoking ideas. An undercurrent for the tides of change can be felt as the story parallels our own current and past culture and events. I often found myself thinking that Marsan's fictional history was more believable than the history we are familiar with. I enjoyed the humanness and humor of the characters. Marsan's writing style is subtle and light. It easily invokes imagery-helping you to play out the story like a movie in your head. Yes, this book would make a great movie!

To tell the truth...I am not the biggest reader...I'm a senior in college with 3 jobs and about 2 minutes to contribute to free reading...The day I bought the book I expected to keep it by the bed and have it done in a few weeks, but the story line kept pulling me in...2 days later I had read the book cover to cover while going back and rereading a couple chapters...wether it was the action, fighting, romance, personal battles, or relevance to actual events...I couldn't put the thing down...I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys an adventure...Get ready for a wild ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat!!!

I sat down to read a chapter, and found myself staying up until the early hours of the morning to finish the story. Compelling characters, thought provoking moral questions, and an action-filled sequence of events all made this book impossible to put down.

James Thurber was one of the funiest authors of all time and this book cements his reputation. I enjoyed it many years ago and after re-reading it, I enjoyed it again.

Should be required reading for all folks of any age looking for an introduction to life in these United States, for those learning to overcome despair and disaster with humor and grace, for any and all learning the English language.

Thurber is a great favorite of mine, and this was another fun book to read.

Take your mind back half a century and read these mildly amusing essays about life in the 1920s and 1930s. The style is so different from modern prose, but it is well worth the read.

I am 52 yrs. old. I read this book in High School and couldn't put it down. When I read it again as adult, I laughed even harder because somehow it made having the weirdest family in the whole world a joke instead of a hardship. It made Thurber's family, the Coneheads, the Simpsons, and the Osbornes seem like life is good as long as you can laugh once in a while, and even better if you can laugh at yourself.

Scared for your life in the midst of a civil war. Then put into a Sudanese refugee camp, disconnected from your father but left with your terrified mother and siblings. After a while, you are reunited with your father, and your entire family is together. Then in America, where you must start over in an alien place, where you get most of your possessions from dumpsters. This was the childhood experience that Mawi Asgedom underwent.
The book "Of Beetles & Angels" shows the extraordinary experiences throughout Mawi Asgedom's young life, which led him to America and to graduate from Harvard University. His amazing story shows the hardships, as well as the joyful occasions, as he discovers American culture and starts an American life. I thoroughly enjoyed his book and believe that I caught a glimpse at just how hard his childhood was.
The chapters within the book are separated into different stories and times of Mawi's life. This way, the reader truly gets to see how wonderful and cruel our country can be to those who are starting over in a new place, and how Mawi and his family start in a new and foreign place. The book also shows Mawi's experiences viewing racism, biased brutality, and what it is like to be noticeably different from most others around you. " Most of our classmates treated us nicely, others ignored us, and the rest -- well, we could only wish that they would ignore us. We may not have understood their words, but we always understood the meaning behind their laughter. `African boodie-scratcher! Scratch that boodie!' `Black donkey! You're so ugly!' `Why don't you go back to Africa where you came from?' We were just two, and they were often many. But they had grown up in a wealthy American suburb, and we had grown up in a Sudanese refugee camp. We were accustomed to fighting almost daily, using sticks, stones, wood chips, and whatever else we could get our hands on. So it was usually no contest, especially when the two of us double-teamed them, as we had done so many times in Sudan. The cruelty of brutal beatings and the name calling left Mawi and his older brother scared and unsure about their new found home America.
Mawi Asgedom's parents dreamed that their children would do well in school. The primary values that they taught their kids were that education was most important, knowledge was power, and that if all of the children within their family studied hard, they could earn scholarships and become smart and powerful leaders within their new country. Mawi kept his parents' values close and fulfilled them all. "I graduated from Harvard one year ago and have since thought much about my parents' dream. By earning my scholarship and graduating, I have fulfilled it. But along the way, I have found greater value in other dreams. And while Harvard University taught me well, my true education has come from less-likely sources. As I look back to the angels, the Charlenes and the Beth Raneys; as I look back to God's servants, dressed as beggrs and as beetles; as I look back to my inspirations, to the Mamas and Tewoldes, I see true guidance staring back at me. True power comes from focusing on what we can give, not what we can take." Mawi learned so much throughout his life and not only made his parents' dreams come true, but also made his own dreams come true.
This book, with all of its extraordinary detail and description, probably cannot entirely summarize all of the struggles, hardships, and rewards Mawi and his family endured from their journey to America and once in America. However, throughout the pages and dialogue of the story "Of Beetles & Angels", the book does an exceptional job of showing how unique Mawi Asgedom's life was as a child. I absolutely recommend this book.

Beginning in 2001 I worked with two refugee families from Liberia. I wish I had read this book first, because it would have helped me to understand better the sorts of things these families might have experienced before they arrived in our country. While experiences of war, persecution and homelessness vary among people arriving in the USA, the feeling of confusion (even when you speak English, like 'my' families did) and dependence mixed with utter relief of finally getting here seem to be common among all. "My" families knew basic things, but our housing, food and school systems were totally overwhelming even for these educated people. And the police, which we're taught to depend upon, strike fear into every refugee I've ever met. Most of them have had bad experiences with police.
So when I read this book I could relate to some things, I cried over others, and I put others in the back of my mind to remember for when I'm working again with refugee immigrants, especially in these days of heated debates about immigrants.
Personally I think this book should be a must-read in every high school curriculum and for every teacher, not only because it's such a compelling story, but it helps us to see others through another lens and it is ultimately a story of hope.
From a strictly literature point of view there are better books out there, but this one tugs at the heart. And it's also a fast read if you want it to be.

Of Beetles and Angles is the remarkable non-fiction account of Mawi Asgedom's jouney as an African war refugee to America and the obstacles that he and his family had to overcome. In his own words he describes his inspiring transformation into a man with traditional values and principles mixed in with the demands of everyday life in a new society. Influenced by his older brother and father, Mawi sets out to experience the American dream and more importantly, look upon each and every person as angels sent to test the will of our hearts.

This book told me one thing: everyone can be an angel. No matter in what form, that thing could be an angel.
From this story, a boy named Mawi was a refugee. His homeland had been involved in a war. His father decided the family would flee to Amerikha, as they called it. It was a place of peace, which was something that didnt exist in Eritrea, their homeland.
Many perils were made in America. Mawi needed to go to school, with his brothers and sister. He survived through prejudice and violence at school. His dream was to be welcomed with a scholarship into a special university. He worked very hard to achieve his goal.
How did it happen? Just read the book and find out!

I won't take a lot of space stating what the book is about. Just get it and read it, everyone from middle school through adults. You'll be glad you did.

This is such a beautiful book. I recommend everyone to add a copy of this book to their library. I picked up this book in the classroom I work in to engage a 3 year old child with autism. She didn't take her eyes off this book and wanted to play with it again and again. I am now getting one for my three year old son. Every child and adult will love this book. It is truly amazing. Never have I seen such wonderful pop up art done.

For 3 years now, I've been a David A. Carter fan. Why 3 years? You put two and two together. He's the author of these three *very* cool pop-up books that are unlike any pop-up books I've ever seen. They are like individual works of art only they're purchasable at any generic bookstore. It's "Pop" art. Get the double entendre? Well, if not, take a look at the pics above.

My first introduction to his work was with the book: "One Red Dot." Since then he's created "600 Black Spots" and "Blue 2." I purchased these in "new" condition for half of their purchase price on Amazon. However, if you're the type of parent who lets their child run amok with their baby books (not a bad thing) this may have to take a backseat for a year or two. I had to be very careful with my daughter when reading this book. Like any one-year-old her first instinct was to grab then ensuingly tear off the colorful fluttering paper. But I did manage to keep the book "relatively" unscathed and usable for my second daughter.

He's written a couple more "traditional" pop up books about bugs but these were the ones that hooked me. Oh and one more thing, one of the pages makes a great sawing noise when the blades scrape against the paper as you open the page. Clever.
'Kathleen Dougherty
http://the-tum-tum-tree.blogspot.com/

My kids fight to be the one holding this book. They love the search as the pages turn to the next challenge.

Our two year old and four year old love this book. They pick out different items for one another to find.

The pop-ups are intricate and fascinating to young and old. Young children should be supervised if you want the book to last. Artistic and beautiful... this book is a great coffee table book.