Georgia Books

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family by Dave Pelzer is a sequel to the heartbreaking memoir, A Child Called "It". Pelzer explains what happened after he was taken away by his abusive mother and neglectful father. This book is really uplifting and moving. I highly recommend this fascinating story and his quest to find a foster family who will love him unconditionally. Enjoy!

This book helped open my eyes to what children go through in Foster Care. It helped me to relize that you can't judge a book by its cover. That the struggle for acceptance,love acknowledgement or to be recognized can consume & overwhelm a child...to even the point of doing something you know in you heart is wrong. This book makes me want to work hard, so I can buy a big house, Just so I can provide enough love and support and room for not only my three children, but for those children in need of a place to call home & to know that they have someone who care about them.

This is a story about a young boy who gets abused and treated unfairly. He doesn't have any clothes besides the ones he caries in a brown paper bag. He runs away from the world he hates. He has no home to go to, then he finds hope. To find out more information about this book find it and venture into it.

In my opinion this book was excellent and amazing.Why? Because it made me cry on the first page, some parts I felt like going in the book, because the suspense never ends. I would recommend it to those who love to read soppy, exciting books that are true.

This book, along with another came in on time and for a great price. I Love this book.. I am now waiting to read the two books left that tells the rest of Dave's Story. There are 4 all together!

This book will open your eyes to child abuse. You will forever remember and reflect on what you have read. We all have a need to be loved.

I was determined to finish this book just to count the number of times Georgia Durante mentioned how beautiful she was. It was a million plus. You get the drift. This little lady couldn't get over herself. Her poor daughter Toni took the brunt of her mother's bad, bad choices and paid the price. There was claptrap galore, from her inane, juvenile musings to the stupefying way she portrayed herself as a hapless victim. And the verbatim dialog? How could anyone possibly remember exact conversations from three decades ago? Come on!!

Georgia Durante should just have named her book, "All About Me". At least it would have been an honest if not vacuous biography by just another celebretard who managed to sleep her way to the top of the heap.

The author keeps you turning pages with an incredible life, as fast as the company she keeps. I enjoyed this read, the author's no nonsense delivery, the woman's perspective, and the story told straight and true. If there are embellishments, you wouldn't know it as it's told. An excellent memoir.

Having lived in Rochester all my life, I recognized a lot of the names that Georgia wrote about, even remember her as the Kodak Summer Girl.
Excellent read

I have recommended Georgia Durante's The Company She Keeps to many of my clients who are recovering from being sexually, physically, or psychologically abused. Ms. Durante's story, her courage, and her subsequent success in a field dominated by men serves as a wonderful source of encouragement and inspiration. It is the true story of a very remarkable person who had many things to overcome, including not being taken seriously because she is so physically beautiful. When you read this book, you learn her inner beauty and strength.

Larry M. Raskin, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist
Louisville, Kentucky

This is a brave book. I can't imagine going through some of the things the author went through and not have a heart attack from fear! My sister loved the book too!

I was required to get this book for my special education training that I need for my master's. This book was very interesting. It showed the good and bad things Torey Hayden did in the course of serving this one child, Sheila. I could not put it down.

This story gave me tears of sadness and tears of joy. While it is heartbreaking to learn of all the abuse Sheila has endured, it is
heartwarming to know that SOMEONE took the time and effort to encourage her and to reach out to her. This book is a wonderful testament to the power of love and the human spirit.

I'm half-way through this book and I LOVE it so far!! I'm in school to become a teacher and we're reading this book. It has opened my eyes!!!

My second book by Torey Hayden, but definitely not my last.

ONE CHILD is the story of Sheila, a young girl who was abandoned on the side of a highway by her mother. Now the charge of her drunken father, Sheila is wild, sometimes crazy, and never cries.

What follows after her arrival in Ms. Hayden's classroom (following an incident that is truly chilling) is the relationship that grows, in a short period of time, between Sheila and Torey.

A very good but emotional read. I highly recommend it, and also recommend picking up a copy of The Tiger's Child, which is the continuation of Sheila's story.

At age six, Sheila had already endured a lifetime of horrors. Her mother abandoned her on a highway at age four; her alcoholic father neglected and traumatized her. Thus, it was scarcely a shock to anyone when the coarse, hate-filled child attacked a three-year-old boy, nearly burning him to death.

At such a tender age, Sheila's fate seemed inevitable - a lifetime in a psychiatric ward. Yet while the state awaited placement, they decided to put her in Hayden's special needs classroom.

Initially skeptical of a child with such a background, Hayden nonetheless did her best. Quickly, she glimpsed an intensely intelligent child, who longed for love and acceptance.

This wasn't to say it was an easy job. Nor was there any fairy-tale ending. Often, Sheila went into uncontrollable rages, damaging property, once even throttling pet gerbils when she perceived she had been wronged. Yet after glimpsing the inner Sheila, Torey Hayden refused to give up on her.

Then one day, several months after Sheila arrived in Hayden's classroom, the teacher received a call -- the psychiatric hospital was ready for Sheila. Despite having made a breakthrough with the child, would Sheila's life really be taken away before she had a chance to start it?

As always, Hayden's stories about the children with whom she has worked are deeply moving and memorable. By no means does she attempt to portray herself as a miracle worker; she freely admits her mistakes along with her triumphs as she merely dedicates her life to helping turn young lives around.

Readers interested in learning more about Sheila may be interested in the sequel, The Tiger's Child, which picks up when the girl is 13 and recently reunited with Hayden.

I love laying on beach reading christian fiction. This book made me get a sun burn! Be careful, you forget your surroundings and the next thing you know you have forgotten to reapply sunscreen. It's that good, you truly have trouble putting it down. I won't discuss the contents, if I start, I might ruin it for you. NO JOKE, A MUST READ!!!

This book will grab your heart and won't let go until long after you've read the last page, leaving fingerprints as a reminder of what matters most in life. You will breathe and bleed and cry for Reese and Emma ... Reese and Annie ... Reese and Charlie ... Reese and Cindy -- each pair sharing heart-healing actions with each other.

The book's messages arrive with felt force, like the resilient beat of a healthy heart, over and over and over ... reminding us that the heart offers redemption and renewal through an unknowable life-force that transforms as it purifies. Like the heart, this book has a pulse and a heartbeat that you will feel.

Read it and be moved, from smiles to sobs. Read it and be thankful for divine coincidence (also known as answered prayers ... that lead a heart surgeon to a lemonade stand and a girl who needs a new heart, that tease him out of grief and withdrawal to use his heartfelt, God-given gifts once again). Read it and shout, Hallelujah!

Where do I begin, our bookclub at Church read this book and it was the first time I read anything by Charles Martin. The book had me from the first page. I was mesmerized by the detail and research Charles put into the book. Saturday our bookclub went to Clayton, GA where the story took place, we ACTUALLY met and got our book signed as well as purchased his latest book. What a class act! He was so personable, honest and has a great memory for names.

We met at Persimmons discussed the book, took pictures and walked where the story began (Savannah and Main). Even took pictures of the cricket box outside of Reeves. We later had lunch on the Lake. It was a wonderful day for us all.

The book hit home in many areas, friendship, forgiveness, love and restoration. I'm personally using this author for Christmas gifts this year and looking forward to reading all his other books. You won't be sorry with this purchase, it's been a long time since I found fiction to be so inspirational! Thank you Charles, the pleasure of meeting you was ours.

MJ

Fabulous book. Very little do we see in life another opportunity for redemption. When Crickets Cry is a true page turner. If you love Charles Martins' other books then you will more than love this one. I read this and wanted to tell everyone else to read it. One of those rare gifts in literature that you want to hang on to forever. It was that great! I highly recommend this one.

This book is charming. It warmed my heart and touched my soul. Get it, Read it....A story that will stay with you always!

I can't tell you how much of an impact this book has had on me. I'm also a daughter caring for her mother and it was almost like I was reading my own thoughts. It was just so extremely comforting to know that I'm not alone with the thoughts and emotions I'm experiencing as my mom fades further and further away from me as Alzheimer's takes over. She's in the later stages of that dreadful disease now. This book was written with such honesty and raw emotion. It has greatly heartened me to know that maybe some of my own thoughts aren't so bizarre after all, and that maybe I really can make it through this without completely losing myself along the way. Thank you so much, Carol, for sharing this part of your life with us. You are truly a gem! I wholeheartedly recommend this book.

I thought "Mothering Mother" was enlightening, encouraging, humorous and heartwarming. I read excepts from it out loud to my husband and he asked me if Carol O'Dell was writing about her mother or MY mother! My Mom, the Ancient Toddler, has quite a few of the traits that Carol's Mother had. Carol doesn't pretend to have all the answers, but she does a terrific job exploring and writing about the many emotions a caregiver goes through. I'm SO glad I read this book!

I have given this book to friends and recommended it to others who are steering the difficult passage as caregiver to a parent. O'Dell uncovers moments of frustration and inspiration but above all, truth, as she exchanges roles with her mother who struggles with deteriorating physical and mental health. There's plenty of humor--like when her mother demands O'Dell wear a slip because ladies do not go outside without one--and moments of heartbreak. In a culture geared toward youth, this powerful book presents details of a parent in decline and a daughter who protects and loves her to the end. But this parent isn't dropped into a nursing home. O'Dell courageously takes her mother into her own home and tries to balance the needs of her enlarged family. For Baby Boomers, Mother Mother is relevent and poignet and I'll continue to give it to the growing number of my friends who find themselves in similar situations.

MOTHERING MOTHER is a tough book to read. Carol D. O'Dell shares her real, day-after-day experiences caring for a woman who had once been her mother. She describes an exhausting, exasperating, often lonely life journey that many of us in the "baby boom" generation are facing or will one day face. But just when this challenging existence threatens to overwhelm her and her family, Carol finds the absurdity in the frustration, and the humor in the unbearable. MOTHERING MOTHER is a book that demands the personal involvement of the reader. Join Carol on her journey--you won't regret it.

Carol O'Dell's story of caregiving is both timely and insightful. I thought this book was very honest in it's portrayal of the often lonely and frustrating job of caring for an elderly parent. The author also does a fine job of describing her and her mother's southern heritage and how it defines this stage of their life together. You will find yourself alternating between laughing out loud, shaking your head in agreement and wiping a tear away! A thoroughly enjoyable read!

Pick up any book Brandon has a part of. This guy is remarkable at what he does. I started reading him because i wanted to read a "supernatural" book. When reading the "unreal" it is just that....unreal. But his way of writing will have you wanting more.

This is another great book he has put together. Left me on the edge of my seat expecting more and actually receiving it. Good read. Pick it up

I thought this book was a little over the top. This was the first book I read of Mr. Massey and it didn't really sell me. I will probably try another book of his before I make a final judgement. I love to write and Mr. Massey is inspirational. He is very passionate about his writing and I admire him for making his dream come true. I think the best is still to come with Mr. Massey.

Although the plot was mildly interesting, it was a little too 'far out there' to be truly captivating. I wasn't especially impressed by the author's writing style; I found his repeated inferences to the black culture interupted the material's flow. I most likely won't seek out other works by this author.

Drew (short for Andrew) is a successful novelist who appears to have everything. He has a hit thriller series, a nice large home in Atlanta, several wonderful friends, and is eagerly awaiting his new book deal (which promises to make him hundreds of thousands). The only thing missing is the love of a good woman, or to finally admit that he is in love with his best friend, Carmen. A slave to habit, his life, which is clearly outlined and followed, is disrupted when he meets the "woman of his dreams" (Mika) in Starbucks. She seems, initially, to be everything he wanted....beautiful, smart, rich, sexy and seemingly independent. However, after a night of passion, Mika turns into something he doesn't want and can't handle. As the novel unfolds, Massey introduces an element of the supernatural that promises to hold the attention of the reader until the very end. With a stormy parental relationship with his father, and his mother's psychic dreams, Drew realizes that he is in trouble, but is unsure of how to escape the one he thought that he desired. Filled with psycho cats, a sweet ghost named Sammie, and a scary groundskeeper (Walter), this novel has it all.....a little romance, some mystery, some deaths and a great story. I won't tell you what or who Mika is, reading this novel will tell you that, but I will say that Massey is among the few today who can create a story to be rivaled by Tanarive Due or Octavia Butler. Read this novel and you will not regret it.

So I had to take a break from the romance novels and hit up one of Brandon Massey's new thrillers titled "Within The Shadows".

If you love a good thriller, then this is the book for you! It started off with a bang! It ended with a bang! This book shows you that you should be open for the possiblity of anything happening in your life! The good, the bad and the UGLY!

Brandon's main character Andrew realized all that. He was a creature of habit until the one fatal day he did something he didn't normally do! Yep, it costed him a lot when he stepped out of his normal habit and didn't FOLLOW his CONSCIENCE!!!! True enough some good came out of it. BUT a whole lot of bad and ugly came out of it ti! It was a great tale of friends, family, and lust!

Take a ride with Andrew as he deals with writing a book, selling his 4th novel, sex, love, and the ghostly adventures!!!!!

I originally got this book from a local library along with 5 or 6 others on international adoption. I am set on adopting from Russia as I am actually from there (lived there until I was 20), and am fully bi-lingual. I read the other books first and returned them to the library quickly. And then I started reading this book. I realized right away that I would have to get my own copy of it.
I am actually going through the process independently, without an agency, and I don't think I would be able to do it without this book. I cannot believe how familiar the author is with regional offices, hotels, embassies. It's like he's worked as a facilitator in several regions before writing this.
There are some misspellings and typos in the book, and please don't learn Russian from it (just common sense, really - I didn't learn my English from a Russian :)) ), but if you want to understand exactly how your adoption process is going, buy this book. It is a reference to be used and consulted again and again throughout the process.
The book also has chapters on some former USSR republics, so if you're adopting from Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan and such, this is also very helpful.

This book is chock full of specific and useful information, everything from shopping for agencies to how to evaluate a child before you adopt for potential medical/developmental issues (including a list of pediatricians who specialize in international adoption) to what to put on line 12 of form I-600A. He describes the regions and gives web addresses for online information. The most recent edition is from 2004 and as international adoption rules seem to change frequently, it would be great if the author did another more current edition. It seems the changes are more 'in word' than 'deed' however, and the gist of things is much the same. As someone just beginning the journey, this book has already helped me make major and solid decisions. Maclean is honest and doesn't talk down to you. This is for parents who want to be active, engaged advocates for their children even before you've met them and has good info. about countries other than Russia as well.

This is the everything you need to know about Russian adoption in one book guide. It is a little dated right now with re-accreditation issues starting in 2005, but it is still a very relevant and important guide to adopting from Russia. I suggest purchasing this book before you choose an agency as it gives lists of very important questions to ask a potential agency. This book breaks down the Russian adoption process and walks PAPs through the paperwork they will be filing. There are chapters on everything from what to pack to how to find a good pediatrician. We pulled chapters about our region and questions to ask doctors trip one out of the book and traveled with them. This is one book about adopting from Russia all PAPs need to read.
Written by Christina Stinsa

I just adopted my son from Russia and this book made everything so much easier! It should be a must have for all prospective adoptive families!!!

There is a lot of general information contained in one easy to navigate location. I do recommend it highly, especially for one who is just beginning the adoption process. The only problem is that things are changing so fast, that even though the book was recently updated, it is already somewhat out of date.

This is such a beautiful book! Wonderful homestyle recipes! This book is a great read! For the beginner cooks - it is so encouraging; and for the seasoned cooks - it is a reminder that cooking is a joy to be shared! This book would be a 'keeper' it you were not a Trisha Yearwood fan - if your are - it is a wonderful bonus!!

I was so excited to hear that she was coming out with a cookbook. I am a big fan so this was a must have for me. I've made the deviled eggs "her way" and they're great!! My kids couldn't get enough of them.

The recipes are tasty and so easy to follow. The personal stories are a nice touch. It is nice to get to see a positive side of a celebrity, instead of all the negative things you see in the media.

This would be a great cookbook for the new bride or a daughter just starting to cook. The recipes are pretty basic and mimicked a lot I had in my recipe files, but that must mean they are GOOD recipes! The brownies were very good, but don't over bake or they dry out. I used the icing for the German chocholate cake on the brownies and it was to die for!

I ordered this book as a gift for a friend at work, who loves Trisha Yearwood, and he also loves to cook. Well .... decided to keep the book for myself, and now I'm just waiting for HIS book to arrive in the mail! Trisha's style of cooking is much like the cooking that I grew up on in Georgia, and alot of her recipes are nearly the same as mine -- but I am enjoying the variations, as well as the new recipes I have never tried before. The Pecan Pie Muffins are to die for!! Be sure to try those !!! And, yesterday, my husband and I picked blackberries and I tried the Blackberry Cobbler recipe - it was a bit different than my own recipe, and we truly enjoyed it! If you like Southern cooking, you can't go wrong with this cookbook. Trisha tells little stories about some of the recipes also, and the entire book is fun to read. HIGH recommendations!

Molly Moon's Stops The World is a fabulous book for both children and young adults. I think that the characters in this book are unique, and right when you think you know the ending of the story, it turns again, making it more exciting, thrilling, and suspenseful! It makes you never stop reading! This book is simply fabulous! Children would describe Molly Moon as 'magical' and young adults would describe Molly Moon as 'mysterious'. The bad guys almost always aren't as bad as they seem to be. In this book, bad guys can turn good. It kept me very busy on a long trip.

As the title suggests, Molly Moon is hitting Hollywood in this book. But why is Molly heading to the USA after such a weird and hypnotic experience in the Big Apple? You will have to read the book to find out. Remember to read the first book to meet all the characters and work out what they are about!

This is a great book!! A great follow up to the first Molly Moon book. My boys and I take turns reading(ages 8 & 12) We can't put it down! I highly recommend it!

This is the second book of Molly Moon I've bought for my 9 year old. She loves them! It is a fairly thick book but she knocks it out in about 3 days. Highly recommend!!

my grandma got the first three books for me as soon as the time travel (book 3) one was in the book store. then she sent them to me in a package. when i saw them, i was in the middle of reading a different book (narnia, i think..), so i put them in my shelf so i could finish "the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe." when i finally finished that by thanksgiving '06, i pulled out the molly moon books and read the first one, the second one, and the third one, straight through in that one day! it was so much fun when molly and rocky (in the second one) were in New York, livin' the sweet life. and i thought my heart was going to burst when (also in the second book) the magpie could have made them into human being salsa!!!

but i thought it was great when they were in Sinclair's car, watching ms. trinkleberry and nockman. (hahahahahaha!!!)


i love this book, and ive loved all the other ones, too!

Page-Turning Southern Novels!

Shadow of Dreams Book Review by Barbara Robinson
The novel is full of realistic Southern characters. If you love Southern novels, don't miss out on this one! Shadow of Dreams by Eva Marie Everson and G. W. Francis Chadwick is a well-written, well-developed novel full of foreshadowing. The main character serves as an excellent example of what happens to many young teens glamorized by the big city and running from problems at home. Instead of the prodigal son, the main character, Katie, is the prodigal daughter. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to Katie and her husband, and the bad guys. I loved the way the authors used literature for clues. I also loved the way the small-town Georgia guys protected their own and took care of the big-city guys. These authors do not preach, but they certainly know how to spin a tale that could serve to help others. These authors offer much insight, and a reflective reader will benefit from the experience of having read this novel. A good, reflective reader will find that this book is about many things that connect to life in such a way, it can't help but be realistic. The characters are realistic, not mere shells of characters. The way they talk and the things they say, the dialogue, provide that realistic touch to make them come to life. Katie's mom is really a Southern character. It is ironic that she seems to treat Katie as her own mother treated her, but she does not realize this.

Summon the Shadows Book Review

By Barbara Robinson

Summon the Shadows by Eva Marie Everson and G. W. Francis Chadwick is the second novel in a trilogy you won't want to miss. Katie, the main character loses her husband, but refuses to believe he is dead. She is forced to take over his business, running a posh hotel, as she faithfully waits for his return. Her faith in God sees her through. Katie remembers her roots and from where she has come. While being thankful to God for her own escape from the world of exotic dancing, she tries to help three other dancers find their escape by offering them jobs in the hotel. Looking back unable to let go of her past, one dancer secretly returns to the exotic dancing.

This book will not offend anyone with its subtle message of God's caring and love. Everson and Chadwick have interwoven the hope, love, and joy of His message throughout this exciting journey of Katie's life. Katie escapes the evil plot of others with the Lord's protection. Her faith and belief in God see her through the trials and tribulations she encounters at the hands of others. Even with so much turmoil in her own life, she still finds the time to love and care for others and opens her heart and hotel to saving the three dancers and turning their lives around.

This novel will keep you turning pages to find out what fate befalls the dancer who returns to exotic dancing. You will be on the edge of your seat wondering if Katie's husband will reappear, when she starts receiving gifts from an unknown admirer. Next, you will hold your breath as you await Katie's fate at the hands of so-called trusted friends who worked in her hotel. This novel is full of plot twists that make savory reading. Curl up with wonderful winter reads just in time for Christmas with this trilogy available through www.amazon.com because you won't want to miss a single book! What wonderful gifts of reading your presents may offer others!

Shadows of Light Book Review
By Eva Marie Everson
Book Reviewer: Barbara Robinson, Avid Reader and Passionate Writer, Educator

Shadows of Light is a page-turner with a Christian message delicately interwoven, so that the novel does not come off as preachy. Yet, it clearly delivers a much-needed message of God's love and forgiveness and how none of us are perfect. We all need loving kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and redemption, and the set of three novels in this collection clearly provide this message. Shadows of Light is the concluding book in the three-part series, one you will not want to put down until you see how it ends.

This final novel in the series of three illustrates how prayer and faith work in real life. Katie, the main character holds on to her faith, like the treasure it is, until her husband returns. She never gives up on him. Even when he returns and things are not picture perfect, she understands, has compassion, forgives, and continues to have faith in God. Maggie, the housekeeper, also models faith and how prayer works. She is not afraid of death and meeting her maker. In fact, she illustrates how she looks forward to doing so, and she tries to encourage Ben's faith. Just as in real life, all family members do not always share the same faith or amount of faith, but the novel displays a fine example of how one can model faith and belief in the power of prayer without preaching. One of my favorite parts of this novel is how Maggie is found with her finger marking a Bible verse and how Katie remembers the small things about Maggie, like where she kept Katie's slippers. For, when we lose our loved ones, it is always the small, simple things we miss the most about them.

Another favorite part is the epilogue and how the novel ends. I won't spoil the ending for you though. Read the book and find out for yourself! The ending ties in with an ongoing theme from the other two books as well as the third novel and wraps things up nicely like a well-wrapped Christmas gift. These novels would make great stocking stuffers for the readers in your life.

The novel also illustrates a love story and romance between Ben and Katie, the two main characters. It is very realistic to life and provides insight for the reader. If you like Southern novels, romance, or love stories, do not miss this delightful book. In fact, you won't want to miss a single one of the three.

This novel is full of plot twists that make savory reading. Curl up with wonderful winter reads just in time for Christmas with this trilogy available through www.amazon.com because you won't want to miss a single book from the collection: Summon the Shadows, Shadow of Dreams, and last, Shadows of Light.What wonderful gifts of reading your presents may offer others! Check out all of Eva Marie Everson's other great books online.

I'm hesitant to give low review to any author but felt compelled to do so because I was so disillusioned by the other reviews.

I kept waiting for something to happen in this novel and when it did, I was disappointed. It seemed that the entire book was written for the "surprise" ending which was overly dramatic and too unrealistic to be believable.

Then again, I had just read Francine Rivers' "Redeeming Love" and not much compares to that, now does it?

Eva Marie's series is fabulous. I couldn't wait to find the time to read the next page. I fell in love with Katie and hope there are plans to read more of her. Eva Marie's 3 books in this series is filled with exciting plot twists, suspense, and drew me closer to the Lord, plus making me even more appreciative of my wonderful husband. These books are delightful!

Once I started reading, I could not put it down. The characters and storylines are so realistic. I feel I know Katie personally (we are both from Georgia, after all). The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat with anticipation and the love between Ben and Katie warmed by heart. This is definitely a must read and will keep you coming back for more!

The prodigal daughter returns to her southern home after twenty-five years of absence. Katie runs from her problems, and she discovers she needs to make things right with God before she can solve her problems. This book was intriguing and suspenseful, and there were times when I was sitting on the edge of my seat! The characters were well-developed, and I'm anxious to start the sequal!