Colorado Books

Incredibly engaging, very hard to put down. This book is a well written documentary of a season with the University of Colorado cross country team. It mixes team dynamics, coaching, training, and racing in an informative and engrossing way. It is difficult to imagine a current/former cross country or distance runner not relating to parts of, and thoroughly enjoying, this book.

Running with the Buffaloes was a great depiction of the CU X-cntry team. As a former Division 1 college cross country runner I have heard of Wetmore's heavy mileage programs, but really was able to gain a better understanding of it in his pseudo diary. I was also able to gain an appreciation of the team's woes through one of it's hardest seasons losing a member of the team and the numerous injuries they had. A must read for all runners and a great read for any athlete who wants to compete at a higher level.

I bought three copies of this book (and 2 other non-fiction, cross country based running stories "Harriers" and "God on the Starting Line"). I had the intent of donating two copies of each of these three to our local school libraries (middle and high schools) in the desire of trying to bring more attention to youth running in our semi-rural, football-is-everything Southern town. Big mistake with this story, for one main reason: just the titles of several of the chapters themselves contain unacceptable language for a school library. In fact, if I listed the chapter title names here I would bet that this review would be removed due to profanity.

The content of the book is undeniably a very entertaining read, but the book as a whole is best left OUT of school libraries.

Great detail. As a coach I actually used some of the work outs that he goes into great detail about.

As a running fan, I found the book to be a compelling read.

As a coach I was very concerned about obvious over-training that Coach Mark Wetmore puts his athletes through, and the lack of discipline in the program where many sessions end up in a competition rather than the original intent of the program.

The consequence for the athletes is an epidemic of injuries that limit both their college careers and running later in life.

Ms. Fine has a fantastically self-effacing sense of humor. The contrast between her upbringing and her desires could not be a more charming contradiction. I bought the book on a whim and read it in one sitting that same day. For anyone who secretly desires fame or dreams of a charmed life, this book has a double gift of showing that a charmed life is what you create for yourself, not necessarily what lands in your lap. And clearly Ms. Fine captures the sense that she has enjoyed the pursuit of a dream and all that unexpectedly unfolds because of it.

The brilliance lies in the premise being at once so absurd and simultaneously believably possible -- and with that it is the true stuff of fairy tales. But of the best possible kind. The real kind.

Miss Fine's book was a wonderful read and a true testament to the hardships of following a dream against all odds. I wished for a happier ending (she should have gotten the man, not that Canadian girl).

The only thing I can say is "great job Miss Fine", and wonder if a matrimonial agency for aristocrats might be in your future business plans???

I like to vary my reading diet, and this was a great bite in the chick-lit buffet. It was fun, honest and humorous -- keeping me glued till the end. For someone who's looking for a story to keep you happily distracted, this is the book for you. Jerramy Fine was extremely focused and dedicated to her dream, which is always refreshing. I finished it with a smile.

I picked this book up before a long car ride, hoping for something light and interesting. While I did find this book interesting enough to at least finish, it was a sappy, insipid piece of work that made me greatly dislike the character, and as a result, the author.

I agree with another reviewer that her character was flat, with no real growth in personality throughout the book - drink, party, drink, party, make out, get dumped, make fun of parents, drink, party. Does she ever really learn about love, friendship and the pursuit of something greater than being English Royalty? It doesn't seem so - the last chapter serves as an "epilogue" but the jump from the chapter before to that doesn't show that the author/character has actually learned anything.

The sheer amount of alcohol in this book makes it inappropriate for teenagers (I'm surprised anyone thought it was), but really, this book is a waste of time for any reader.

I was very impressed with Jerramy's honesty of her story and her ability to laugh at herself. She writes with such intelligence and wit while telling her story that it makes it difficult to put down the book as it left me wondering what was going to happen next. I found it very easy to relate to her story and her desire for something more. I also grew up in a small town in Colorado and found myself reliving my childhood as she spoke about county fairs, pick-up trucks with rifles hanging on the gun rack. I know exactly what she was talking about when she describes moving to a new, strange city where you expect so much right away. I also loved reading about the different men she was interested in and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only girl in the world who didn't get that call after the "perfect evening"! Haha!
Thank you, Jerramy, for sharing your wonderful story!

I was forced to read this book for a Graduate course on Violence Prevention in Schools. It's very engaging, and at times a can't-put-it-down book, however, by giving Brooks Brown an opportunity to write this book, he's continuing the legacy of his two friends-turned-assassins.

Prior to reading this book, I did not know, nor did I care to know the names of those two cold-blooded killers. By allowing a friend to write a book about them, it perpetuates their legacy. Wasn't that what they both wanted to achieve with their dastardly deed?

Brooks Brown was destined to be a whiny loser back in high school, and it's apparent he still has no direction in life, and will milk this tragic incident for every cent he can. Disgraceful.

This was a strong and easy read by Brooks Brown. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Columbine tragedy. I would like to see the book released with a new afterward to include the 10th anniversary and Brooks' feelings towards the memorial.

A fabulous account of a tragedy we so need to recognize and acknowledge to finally take action in our schools beginning in the elementary school (and continued in middle and high school) to deal with the important issue of bullying. Until we start addressing the toxic environments in our schools, school violence and damaged children will continue. A comprehensive guide that designs an effective plan and curriculum teaching respect, getting along, conflict and anger management isBully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying. Lets learn from these lessons of Columbine and do something about it!

I just finished reading this book due to my interest in the Columbine shootings and what Brooks Brown had to say in his own words. I was deeply moved by his story and what he has put up with all of these years. Most reviews are written on a positive note, but I can't help but point out the negative reviews. Sure, you want answers, you want beliefs that reflect your own. Well, this book is about what this young man went through. Just a teenager about to graduate from high school-befriended two lost souls who manipulated and deceived everyone around them. How would you tell your story? It's about your experiences, your feelings and your struggles. I don't see it so much self-serving, as self-healing and therapeutic. Who are you to judge this person who had his whole world turned upside down, who was blamed for being a suspect for so long and by so many in his community; Who was forbidden to return to school along with other associates of the gunmen, just because of who they were. This society has a lot of soul searching and listening to do. Perhaps if more people had listened to Eric and Dylan, they wouldn't have felt the need to get their message across in such a selfish and cowardly manner. To me, this book wasn't supposed to be about praising the law enforcement and Washington D.C. for their efforts to find answers and to prevent something like this from happening again. What has changed in our schools since that April day in 1999? Not much from what I can see. And just recently, a college kid who worshiped Eric and Dylan, took 32 innocent lives along with his own. Perhaps if we read more accounts by Brooks Brown, these angry teens would begin to understand that they are not alone and that they have people they can talk to; whether it be on-line, such as on forums that Brooks mentions at the end of his book, or with other people their age that might go speak at their schools. 'No Easy Answers' is just that-there aren't going to be solutions to this ever growing problem in our society, but there can be people who will listen, empathize, and make known that change starts little by little. I believe that Brooks Brown has accomplished change-in his community and in the minds of many people out there. I for one, loved his book and will read it again, as a reminder of the hell he went through that day. No one deserves what any of those victims and families went through, but if they want to write a book to let people know what they dealt with so that it will help them heal, then I condone it 100% Freedom of speech is one of the greatest gifts in this country after all. Best of luck to Brooks in all he does and I hope that he continues to write more books to help those lost souls out there.

What this book offers is a unique perspective that you will not get from the media or other parents who wrote books about their deceased children. Some are mad that Brooks Brown didn't offer a concrete solution to the shootings, therefore his motives for this book must be completely self-serving. I think that these one-star reviews are undeserved. The charges that Brooks wrote this book for the money are ridiculous, because it is almost impossible to make money from a book, unless you are as big as Stephen King. You will read that Brown believes that it would be wrong to place blame on one thing for what happened (such as music, video games or gun control, the "easy" answers), so he offers several events that combined led up to the tragedy: The police for ignoring the warning signs a year before the shootings, the staff at Columbine for ignoring the bullying, and the parents (Eric's especially) for not opening their eyes. There is also some hard-to-find information, such as what Eric's Doom levels were like, the stuff that was on his website, discussions of the basement tapes and what day-to-day interaction with the killers was like. This makes Brown's book different from all the others.

It is clear that Brown wants as much accurate information as possible to be available, as well as to defend himself against the false charges lobbed at him from the police department who knew that they had dropped the ball in preventing the attack. Yes, a lot of the book is about Brown's life, but it all ties into what led up to the shootings. I did not read anything that was extraneous or uninteresting. In fact, this book seems to have the most credibility of anything I've read about Columbine. There are a few books in existence that try to turn the victims into martyrs for their faith, when religion had nothing to do with the shootings. No Easy Answers is much more believable, because like life, the answer is not always wrapped up neatly with a little bow. Highly recommended.

I love Centennial. Lame Beaver, Pasquinel, Levi Zendt, Elly Zalm, McKeag - unforgettable! For them alone the book is worth it - a classic. They live and breathe and allow Michener to bring magical life to 18th and 19th century Colorado.

BUT...

A hefty chunk of the book is simply not worth reading.

Centennial is presented as a book-within-a-book, with a modern narrator, Lewis Vernor, who is trying to sell his writing to "US" magazine. TOTALLY DULL. At first, while reading it, I thought I'd made a mistake and was reading some unedited, in-house, pre-publication manuscript. What were Michener's editors thinking?

I recommend skipping ALL sections relating to Lewis Vernor. That includes ALL of chapter 1 and the few pointless pages at the end of every subsequent chapter.

Also: Frankly, I would skip chapters 2 and 3 entirely, and would start reading about ten pages into chapter 4 (which in my paperback copy is page 149), at the entry of the Arapaho Indian Lame Beaver in the year 1756. This is where the book comes to life. You miss nothing before that, just a bunch of boring, dry stuff about Colorado's ancient history that you could get much more quickly off Wikipedia.

And since I'm going wild: The book peters out once it hits the 20th century. The characters lose their magic and the story becomes flat. All in all the last two hundred pages are worth skipping.

But don't worry, that still leaves you over 700 worthwhile pages to read!!

It's a good book. If it had progressed a little quicker it would have been a great book. I understand the goal is to give us a slice of the american west, but let's face it; not everything about the american west is all that interesting. I could have done with an overview of the cattle business, not getting a graduate level degree in it. Also, I think it went on one chapter longer that there was real material for. Again, I understand he wanted to bring it up to the present (the year is was written), but I was completely disinterested by that point.

Ok, that was the down side. Now the up side: The first half of the book was fantastic. Great characters, great stories, great victories, great tragedies. The best parts were about Ely the Mennonite wife, Lame Beaver, and the whole section on the dust bowl. This is story telling of Dickens level skill.

I highly recommend reading it, but be prepared for parts to feel like school work.

This is another of Micheners great epic novels. After reading quite a few of his great stories I am beginning to see some of the common threads of his writing. In this story he slightly adjusts the model that he used for the epic novel "Texas." This story is told from the perspective of a University Professor, asked to be a consultant on a magazine project that captures the flavor and history of the old west. This paradigm is usually used to end each chapter. As usual Michener went way back this time (the opening of the book) to the beginning of the earth and formation of the Rocky Mountains. Reminded me of Alaska when he took the salmon all the way back to its conception or The Source when he chronicles the development of Israel from cave man times . What I really like though is as he is capturing the overall legendary stories, he also takes time to tell of people and situations that one would not ordinarily consider. A good example was entertainment; he shared the story of a family of performers and how they were able to survive, while still managing to include the classic cowboy stories. In another chapter he provided quite a bit of background on his characters (set in Pennsylvania) that were destined to travel west. The background provides for a much richer story as we learn of their experiences on the Oregon trail. He also deals with the dust bowl, which gave me some new insights as to that sad time in American history. To really appreciate the plight of these poor farmers you should read "The Grapes of Wrath."

From the beginning, with the dinosaurs and beavers to the lives of fictional characters one can immediately click with, Centennial is definitely a must read for anyone remotely interested in historical fiction and the Colorado area. Michener seamlessly displays the many angles and stories, intertwining them so that you aren't bored and you see the larger picture. When I was living in the newly named Centennial, formerly Englewood in CO, I was drawn to the coincidence and background of the area. The parts with the Native Americans being slaughtered was moving.

When I read this book, I determined I would someday live in Colorado. It was that good. I read the book over 25 years ago and I will pick it up every once in a while and read parts of it or the whole thing. Warning, it is very long, but well worth the investment of time. There is a particularly great part at the end that has always stuck with me about the wilderness and natural parts of Colorado.

Hummingbird is one of those rare books that can be read again and again and still enjoy it as much as the first time. Lavyrle Spencer has the unique talent of drawing the reader into the story with characters that you laugh at, cry for, and fall in love with. This is my personal favorite, but every one of her books are wonderful! Trail To Destiny: A Novel

I just can't leave this book alone! I read it long ago, saw it once in a used book sale at the library and didn't buy it. Then I came across it again this week at a thrift store. I grabbed it this time. I rarely knowingly re-read a book, this is an exception. Like one of the other reviewers said I am ready to start reading it again as soon as I finish. It was so perfect, I guess we would all alike to think that's the way true love can work out.
This one is a keeper for sure.

There's some truly great writing in this book. I love how Spencer weaves words. Abigail and Jesse are hilarious together, as are David and Abigail after David returns to find her more straight-forward with surprising manners! Since there are so many positive reviews on here, I'll discuss some things I didn't like (though don't get me wrong, I love this book!). Spoiler alert!:

1. The situation with David seeing Abigail sleeping with Jesse was never resolved. What was David's reason to forgive her? Did he really accept that they had just slept together, or bought her weak, unexplained excuses of, "It's not how it looked!" The former couldn't possibly be true, because later in the book he demands to know if there was something between she and Jesse. That part was confusing!

2. As other readers have said, the kiss-at-gunpoint (more than just kissing, though) felt a little off to me. Jesse is so wonderful in so many ways, but it felt a little too close to rape for my taste.

3. Spencer tends to over dramatize at times -- it seems that Abigail is constantly whirling around, clenching her fists, blushing severely, etc, whereas Jesse is always cool and calm as can be, usually giving a "lazy" or "crooked" grin. It gets old.

I suppose this isn't really a review after all, but it's the closest I can get to a book forum where I would love to discuss Spencer's books with others.

In the Hummingbird, Abbie volunteers to take in and care for two men who have been shot on board the train and were brought into her small town to be tended to by the town doctor. David Melcher is the gentleman she always dreamed of marrying, sweet, proper, complimentary however, Jesse is the man she can't stop thinking about. How will she handle having the two of them under her roof and care?

This was my first foray into the romance genre and while in the beginning I was rolling my eyes at the obvious flirting going on, by the end I was certainly rooting for Abbie to end up with one man in particular and I couldn't stop turning the pages until I found out what happened. Everyone needs a good romance novel now and again and I will be sure read more of Ms. Spencer!

This is one of the best romances I have ever read. Honestly. I've read a lot. It had all of the qualities I like in a romance...chemisty (there's a lot), great dialogue (it's fantastic), complex characters (you feel everything they feel, that's hard to accomplish from most writers) and a great plot.

Abigail, a lady of proriety, needed money and she needed it bad. Almost forced to lower herself and work at a local eatery, she happens upon the local doctor asking for help and boarding for two wounded men who just arrived in town by train. One, Jesse Dufrayne:tall dark, brooding and handsome, was a supposed train robber and the other David Melcher: a gentleman in all regard, the supposed hero who shot the "train robber" and was also wounded in the scuffle. Abigail, knowing little about nursing, decided to take the job because the railroad offered to compensate her well and it beat 'slinging hash' with the common folk. She took both men in her home not knowing that it would change her life and what she believed about life and love forever. Abbie immediately had a connection with David because he was a gentleman and showed her respect and appriciation. The other patient, Jesse, was practically on his death bed unaware that he was even under Abbie's care. Abigail soon saw a future with David because she was in fact older (33) and wanted a husband and saw prospect in him. He soon recovered and left her home but also left a promise of sorts to come back to see her. Jesse Dufrayne was another story altogeher. From the moment his eyes opened they clashed, but the more they argued, the more they got closer, neither wanting to admit it. Jesse couldn't stand her uptight ways, but admired them all the same. She couldn't stand his brashness and his ungentlemany behavior, but at the same time it sparked a fire in her she denied and was ashamed of, but truly wanted. He wanted to be well and gone, just as much as she wanted him to be, but did she? With both of their thoughts and emotions so mixed up it makes for a compelling and heart tugging read. The story unfolds perfectly, not rushed, not fake, but so real and pure. You go through the new feelings and changes within Abbie and Jesse and your heart can't help but ache a little for David too, but he's not Jesse....

I have never had the pleasure to read such heartfelt and touching scenes in a novel in all of my life. The scene when Jesse comes back and confronts Abigail in her home and they're sitting by the wood burning stove is the most touching and beautiful scene. Sigh! Some people say that the part where Jesse is gone and Abbie is left alone with David is boring, but I disagree. I think we neede to read that to see just how different Jesse and David are and how no matter how much David worships her, he isn't Jesse and doesn't move her the same way.

They're haunted by eachother and drawn to eachother with an undeniable attraction that neither can ignore, no matter how hard they try and OH THEY TRY!! lol Do you see how I'm carrying on? I wish this book didn't end and I wish I could read another of equal greatness. There is so much to this book. I didn't spoil anything. Please read it, you won't regret it.

I gave this book to the little girl who lives next door. She had just finished third grade and is a voracious reader. She loved this one! I give her many books but she just raved about this one. She even used it as a book report/special presentation for class. Highly recommended!

MOre than anything, Ida Bidson wants to become a teacher. To do that, she must finish eighth grade, then go on to high school. But her dream falters when the one-room school in her remote Colorado town shuts down. Her only hope is to keep the school open without anyone finding out. Yet even a secret school needs a teacher. Ida can't be it -- or can she?

I think that this is a good book to read. This book tells about several children that go to a school in the early 1900's in the Colorado Mountains.There is one teacher that teaches several grades. There are two students who are ready to graduate, but the teacher has some bad news, that she has to go back home to take care of her mother that is very ill. So she cannot continue teaching class even though the semester is almost over. There is a man that is called Mr. Jordan. He owns a store and is also the head of the local school board. He decides that the school will be closed for the rest of the semester since there is no time to find a substitute teacher, which upsets the students because they're supposed to take the school exit test. This way they will know if they will go to high school. One of the students is very smart when it comes to electronic things, and his name is Tom. And then there is Ida. Ida wants to be a teacher so she really wants to take her exit test. So one day Tom and Ida start talking about how to keep the school open so they can all attend school. They come up with a plan that Ida will be the teacher. So they can take the exit test, and everybody will be able to learn. So Ida becomes the teacher and continues teaching where Miss Fletcher left off. She thought that being a teacher would be an easy thing to do. She had to make the class assignments and also check them as well. Plas she also needed to make sure she taught herself as well. This went went for some time. Then Mr. Jordan finds out and calls a board meeting to let the parents know what Ida was doing.

If you enjoy reading what I wrote, you may want to check out this book. It's a good book to read. It shows how if you set your mind to something that you want, and if you do not give up trying, then one day you can say, "I did it."

This book is an ok book. If you are interested in a short book with a sweet little story, this is the book. There isn't much action, and the action that there actually is, is very little. I would recomend this book for a fifth grade book report. This book isn't very interesting, but it's cute. In a lot of the chapters is the same thing over and over again. Read it, why not?

Ida Bidson attends school in a one-room schoolhouse in 1925 Colorado. One day, her teacher is called away to take care of her sick mother. Since it is late in the year, the school board agrees to close the school and allow the children to take up their studies the next year if they find a new teacher. But Ida doesn't want to wait a year. She is in eighth grade and wants to go on to high school. She has dreams of being a teacher and they are about to come true (sooner than she thinks!)

When her friend Tom suggests that she be the teacher, Ida thinks it might be a good idea but the school board can't know. It's a big decision though and she takes it very seriously. When the students agree that they will keep the departure of their teacher a secret and that they will keep attending school if Ida teaches, Ida decides that she will do it.

Ida takes all her responsibilities seriously and becomes a very good teacher. But she still has to work on the farm AND she has her own exam to study for. It becomes bit overwhelming and it becomes increasingly difficult for her to keep up with it all. Will Ida's secret school stay a secret? Will the students learn enough from Ida to progress to the next grade? Will the school close permanently if Ida is not successful? It's a lot of pressure on one 14-year-old but if anyone can handle it, Ida can.

I highly recommend this book to girls. Ida is a fantastic role model for persistence and having faith in one's convictions. Yet this is not just "girl book". Boys can learn a thing or two from the character of Ida. They might even find a bit of themselves in Tom Kohl, Herbert Bixler or Ida's brother Felix.

This is no thrill ride or huge suspense story. But it has real value nonetheless. It is sweet and charming, unpretentious - much like its main character. Avi describes each landscape and each conversation superbly yet with an economy of words. Like Avi's other works, this book not only teaches us about the characters and the time they live in, it also teaches us something about ourselves and basic human nature. I enjoyed this book.

This was written for me. My next door neighbors were converted to being JW. This was when we were young children. I do stay in touch periodically with this friend who I met when she was only 4 years old. She is still a JW and has raised her children this way. She told me a story of abuse by her Father who was a drug addict and a pedophile. As a child she often went hungry as her father wasn't bringing home income. Her mother allowed her child to associate with me because we had her stay for dinner almost every night, This draws some light for me to her plight. In school where she was forced to stand in the hall during the pledge of allegiance. This is against JW rules. She quit school as soon as possible. She home schooled her children before it was a common thing to do. Not all JW people abuse their children. I can tell you that after her terrible childhood my friend is an excellent mother. She put being a good mother as her top priority in life. Once you are in this religion it's pretty difficult to leave. Normally when you leave a church it's not the end of the world. For these people their whole world crumbles. It's terrible to bully a child because of a parents beliefs. Most people don't realize that joining JW can also effect your health or kill you. You can not get a blood transfusion. A very personal thing for me because I'm alive today because of blood transfusions. I also recommend I Witness which explains in greater detail what JW believes.

I can't say enough about this book. Admittedly the child abuse Brenda describes is sometimes very disturbing to read but what makes it disturbing is that it actually happened and was condoned by this religious group. Chapter 1 starts out with a graphic story that Brenda wrote called, All Alone in the World. You might think her writing isn't good, but that's because she was only 12 when she wrote Chapter 1. The rest of the book is so wonderfully written...Brenda is a remarkable story-teller. I truly felt like I was in her shoes. I felt her pain, confusion, guilt, fear, joyful triumphs. You may think this sounds like a totally depressing book but it's actually quite light-hearted and funny. It contains a lot of Brenda's off-beat humor and many inspiring quotes. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried.

Out of the Cocoon shows how Brenda's mom, a normal all-American Methodist Sunday school teacher could be swept up in the destructive rules imposed by the Jehova Witnesses and how those rules could ultimately sever her family ties forever.

Brenda's book is about so much more than growing up in a cult though. She talks about being a single mom and struggling to survive, feeling vulnerable and alone and rejected by those she loved, being in a bad relationship because she was afraid to be all alone. Every teenager and adult in America should read this book because it helps the reader understand how our childhood so dramatically affects our choices once we become adults. Very insightful!

The message is clear that if you think you're too strong-willed or smart to ever become a member of a harmful group or cult, you have probably just moved one step closer to becoming one. Don't believe your family is safe like her mom did. She thought Jehova Witness seemed so nice when they offered a free study but this is how they trapped Brenda's family into joining them. I was SHOCKED to learn that they even have a door-to-door quota to meet and have to turn in how much time they spend talking to people when they go to people's doors. Then they become downright cruel and shun their own children if they don't want to be a member of their church! Unbelievable!

I highly, highly recommend that you read this book because it could prevent you from losing your child or parent someday. As a parent myself, I feel fortunate that I can share this knowledge with my family. I have a cousin who is a Jehova Witness and now I understand why she became so distant from me when she joined this church.

Bravo to Brenda for being so courageous and saving/helping others through her story!!

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/08)

"Out of the Cocoon: A Young Woman's Courageous Flight from the Grip of a Religious Cult" by Brenda Lee is a memoir chronicling the author's escape from the binding hold that the Jehovah Witness religion had on her family and life and the consequences that met her afterward. When Brenda was a young girl, Jehovah's Witnesses visited her Pennsylvania home with their literature and talked her family into doing a free bible study. That one knock on the door would forever change Brenda's life and her relationship with her family. Her mother became immersed in the Jehovah beliefs and decided that the whole family would be baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses. Brenda's father refused and was the only one not baptized although he did attend the meetings at Kingdom Hall.

Jehovah's Witnesses have a very rigid belief system without any room to bend. Growing up in the Jehovah faith was very traumatic for Brenda as she found herself isolated from the rest of her classmates. She could not celebrate the events they celebrated, participate in school activities, or date. Also, as a Jehovah's Witness you cannot be friends with or associate with people who are not of the same faith as you. To top all of it off she even had teachers who abused her because of her religion.

When she finally came of age she escaped to live with a cousin that she had never met in Colorado and tried to start her life anew by breaking free from the holds that the religion had on her. However, her insecurities fostered from being isolated and ostracized as a child followed her into adulthood and there were consequences that followed.

Unfortunately in the Jehovah faith once someone leaves the religion they cannot be associated with anymore by those still in the faith. This even applies to family members. So in a sense by leaving the religion she also lost her family, all except for her father (he was not baptized into the faith). After trying to "save her" and failing, they would not talk to her anymore and essentially they cut her out of their life.

While I understand that the Jehovah faith did have a huge effect on the author's life it seems that she blames everything that goes wrong on that premise which I find a little bit unbelievable. There are other factors involved that cause things to turn out the way that they do. I do understand her anger but in some cases it seems that it is misdirected.

All in all, the book is a very engaging and a fast read! I read all 238 pages from start to finish in one night. I learned a lot about the Jehovah's Witness faith and I was actually shocked by a lot of the things that I read. I honestly had no idea that these people who come knocking on my door believed some of the things that they do. To disown a family member because they choose not to be involved in your faith is, in my opinion, ridiculous! I applaud Brenda Lee for having the courage to come forward and write this memoir and hope that others can benefit from reading about her experience. I think that anyone who is considering becoming a member of this religion or any similar religion should definitely read "Out of the Cocoon" before doing so!

I read this book and found it very enthralling. It kept me interested from beginning to end. After reading it I was able to pass it along to my neices who, never being JW's were able to understand what we (those of us former JW's) went through. They could understand it in simple language and we shocked and stunned by the simplicity of the book and yet the complications of being a JW. I wholely recommend this book to any and all who are or have left the JW's to understand the simpliest form of abuse that takes place without even knowing it.

I ordered this book anticipating a story of someone freeing themselves from a cult as the cover suggests. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. The first six chapter are from age ten (intro. to JW's) to age eighteen (freedom). After that it is Brenda's life story, with the watchtower popping up every now and then. I have read many books regarding the watchtower, and have personally dealt with JWs. I was bored with the rut the book got into as she told her life story and forgot that her book was about leaving a cult. At times it seemed if anything bad happened it was the watchtowers fault (normal sruggles in life). Many things she went through lots of kids go through when they decide to leave their parents home. Some of the hardships she endured she put on herself. At one point I forgot that the book was about leaving a cult and listened to her complaints about struggles many Americans go through on a regular basis.

This is such a wonderful book. I was glad to find a new hardcover copy at such a good price. I could read this book over and over again. It is so well written. It is such a sweet, gentle story and I love the characters!

If you liked the movie, you'll love the book. It's a beautiful story of love combined with tenderness, comedy, and old-fashioned goodness. The ending leaves you feeling satisfied and refreshed. This book proves there are still good love stories out there that don't contain crude language and steamy sex scenes.

I picked this book up on a whim at a bookstore, simply because the cover description hit a chord with me. I am SO happy that I took a chance on this book that was unknown to me, because it is one of the best books I have ever read, and has earned a permanent place on my bookshelf!
The prose is perfectly orchestrated to make you really feel as though you are in the prairie of Colorado in 1944, as though you are walking with Olivia through the farmland and the internment camp, and to help you identify with the loneliness of Olivia. Yet, as grim as the synopsis of this novel sounds, it is entirely uplifting and soul-satisfying. "The Magic of Ordinary Days" runs the reader through a gamut of true human emotions and revelations, and is a story you don't want to miss!

Grade: A

I saw this movie first one night and loved the it! When I found out it was a book I quickly ran out to get it thinking that the book had to be far better than the movie as they tend to be. However, I found the book a bit of a drag. I suppose the movie took on a lot of creative license and really made the movie into an enjoyable product. I am by no means knocking the book. I did enjoy it to some degree, but I suppose it was just a let down as I was expecting a more involved version of the movie.

When given a choice between this book, and the Hallmark DVD, hands down, purchase the DVD. To the novel's credit, Ann Howard Creel is beautifully written, captures the loneliness of farm life, and accurately depicts the WWII era. But to feel the emotional impact of the story, purchase the DVD. It keeps the essential components of the story and dialogue, while fleshing out a more compelling love story - and more understandable reason for Livvy to stay with Ray.

I owe this primarily to Skeet Ulrich's sympathetic and finely nuanced performance as Ray Singleton, as well as a script that allows Ray to grow, and not just Livvy. In the DVD, Ray bends, and so does Livvy.

In comparison, Ann Howard Creel's Ray is little more than a cardboard cut-out stereotype of the backwards farmer. Be prepared for disappointment in Creel's Ray. In the novel, NO, Ray never accomodates Livvy's interest in history and archaelogy, and NO, he never talks about anything but the weather and farming, and he expresses NO interest in the baby whatsoever. Instead, Creel focuses on how LIVVY must change, Livvy must adapt, Livvy must give up all her hopes, dreams, friends, family, and desires for this man that frankly, isn't much of a catch. It's a surprisingly chauvanistic view from a female writer, and I'm surprised so many women readers do not see this.

She also dwells far too much on the friendship with Rose and Lorelei (Flori). After a while, I just skipped over these pages. It was too much. Creel should have cut that backstory in half, and dwelled more on Ray and Livvy's relationship.

So - bypass this book. Get the DVD. You'll get a more satisfying experience, and to me, a more real-life, compelling love story.

I found the book compelling and I believe factual. I am sorry that this sacrefice did not stop another incident, the Thirty Mile Fire, where more were sacreficed. I was a fireman for a number of years and felt the power of an inferno that blistered my hands through my gloves but never faced anything like this. These are heros and special people who would trust and risk their lives to protect life and property of others. Circumstances through management decisions such as first not attempting to put the fire out when it was still not serious. I have climbed all over those mountains and it could have been done. Bad leadership decisions have taken thousands and thousands and continue to take more and more of our finest and brightest. When will they ever learn?

I found this book like so many others hard to put down. The author is very descriptive but very easy to read. I like this book because it is written so anyone can easily follow the events and description. I like books that are straight and to the point without all the fluff. This book has no fluff, just a good investigation into a difficult series of events.

Norman Maclean's son does an okay job of telling the tragic story. Many of the events described are fragmented making the story jagged in places, but overall he gets the point across. Dedicated, hard working folks making the ultimate sacrifice. There are so many names tossed in and out of this book that you'll find yourself flipping back and forth trying to piece it together. John could have done a better job transitioning between events and making a stronger connection to the people in the book.

You'd like to think that this should never happen to firefighters, but the sad reality is that it does because it is dangerous work. As a firefighter, I found that John painted a very vivid picture of the events: 'The blood pounding in your head as you race up the hill', the lack of sleep the jumpers endure from their overnight 'coyote' the first night, etc. draws the reader's senses into the story for a gripping journey.

It's unfortunate to learn in Maclean's book that the crosses on Mann Gulch were nearly replaced with obelisks. Looking at the recent pictures of the Mann Gulch crosses in other sources - they appear at least to me that they are still in good shape. Today, the obelisks stand right beside the Mann Gulch crosses. Obelisks? What does that even signify? The crosses placed on Mann Gulch were how the 13 jumpers were first honored - let the original memorials stay! If this is about religion and separation of church and state, then I am totally disheartened to learn that smokejumping, one of the last decent traditions in our American work history, has gone PC. I hope that's not the case.

Anyway, this book should be read by all firefighters and those considering the job, especially the overhead.

It started with dry lightning storm starting 40 new fires in the Grand Junction District with 5000 lightning strikes on Storm King Mountain before the fire and a total of 9,000 strikes total.

The BLM case is that other fires threatening homes required resource immediately and the South Canyon fire was not number one on the priority list; furthermore, BLM relied on County Helicopter support and availability from Western Slope Fire Coordination Center. The author tells about a tactic used by Blume where Blume would travel to Western Slope Fire Coordination Center identified which helicopters were on the pad, return to office, and place a call for the resource; the resource could not be denyed; games people play. What was needed to prevent such games was a join network of State and Fed with a central command hierarchy that could give stronger coordination during a crisis.

Therefore, it is logically that criticism would surface directing its anger at unclear procedures between state and federal agencies delayed deployment and usage of firefighting resources like failure to by the state too put out the fire because it had not cross its zone. Furthermore, criticism centers on these delays causing the small Storm King fire to expand from 30 acres to 50 acres to a crisis. When the smoke jumpers arrived at the fire scene they were startled at the size of the fire, however their "can do" attitude may have contributed to this underestimation of the problem. Brains are critical to fire survival and not just brawn. Smoke jumper could not be expected to back down from their jobs. Therefore, management must be held accountable for the disaster and their failure to recognized a crisis emerging and don't point the finger at the smoke jumpers. The reviewing commission says, "Twelve of the 18 Watch Out Situations were not recognized, or proper action was not taken" indicating that the firefighting crew was careless.

The smoke jumpers, BLM/Forrest service misjudgment could have been avoided by putting out the fire sooner. Immediate plane drops of retardant and helicopter support could have contributed significantly. Red mud retard was delivered by plane too late. The difficult wind currents made flyovers difficult caused by sudden drops in air pressure threatening to put the plane wing into the mountain.

Lack of immediate support delayed blue hat crews from arriving at the fire sight. Good black areas were too far from the fighting crews and super human efforts by the blue hats was not enough; the second group were able to power out to I-70 into safety.

"On July of 1994 had been a drought year and a time of low humidity. The fuels were extremely dry and susceptible to rapid and explosive spread. None of the groups recognized the dense oak spread as a potential for a blowup. A blow up is the perfect combination of fuel, high winds, and specific terrain topology. Cucou was monitoring the weather conditions on July 6: he predicted a cold front with winds of 45 mph passing through the fire zone around 3:30-4:00 pm. The weather information came in advance but did not trigger and evacuation. "A major blowup did occur on July 6 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Maximum rates of spread of 18 mph and flames as high as 200 to 300 feet made escape by firefighters extremely difficult."

On the west side the fire crossed the original fireline so BLM/Forest service started a second fireline further downhill on the east side of the ridge.

"At 3:20 p.m. a dry cold front moved into the fire area. As winds and fire activity increased, the fire made several rapid runs with 100-flame lengths within the existing burn. At 4:00 p.m. the fire crossed the bottom of the west drainage and spread up the drainage on the west side. It soon spotted back across the drainage to the east side beneath the firefighters and moved onto steep slopes and into dense, highly flammable Gambel oak. Within seconds a wall of flame raced up the hill toward the firefighters on the west flank fireline. Failing to outrun the flames, 12 firefighters perished. Two helitack crew-members on top of the ridge also died when they tried to outrun the fire to the northwest. The remaining 35 firefighters survived by escaping out the east drainage or seeking a safety area and deploying their fire shelters."

The smoke jumper elite were burned, a forbidden taboo; their story shows their incredible determination to survive; they lived their on the edge and lives with each other represented a close family bonds; the Storm King blowup was similar to the Mann Gulch blowup and no correlation translated to warn against a repeat occurrence; McKay was a hero; the escape routes were too long and steep with the worst part of the path achieving a 55 degree incline as the blue hat pace dropped to 1 per hour as the fire increased its velocity to 5 miles per hour; "the Prineville Interagency Hotshot Crew (out-of state-blue hats) was not briefed on local conditions, fuels, or fire weather forecasts before being sent to the South Canyon fire."; carry tools and equipment on the escape route reduced the pace and every second made the difference between reaching the ridge and death.

The book is captivating.

Great reporting, decent literature although granted, few of us will ever match his father.
I know/knew many of the principals on this stage and what struck me was how well he captured them. Over and over, I'd read of another friend and easily picture them saying or doing what was in print, but now became very real.
I'm amazed by how much I missed after the official report and talking with some of those that were there. Mr. MacLean's book has rounded my education well. My oldest started fire fighting four years ago and I required reading of the report and this book so that he would understand the multiple levels that mistakes are made at.
To those that complain about faultfinding; how much fault has been found with "Fire on the Mountain"? Have there been any lawsuits, settlements or retractions? If none, then please list flaws so we can judge the validity of disputed items.
The only major flaw I saw in this book was failure to deal aggressively with the two jumpers who were not carrying fire shelters. Should have been at least a few pages devoted to that.
There is a huge reason for this book. The failing of management to report on and effectively deal with management's errors. This book fills part of that void.
Mr. MacLean, would you please do a book on Los Alamos and the Cerro Grande Fire? I was there for a couple weeks. The mistakes of the prescribed burn that got away would only be an appetizer to leads us to the corruption/incompetence of the Lab. That Lab is a far more important issue than wildland fire safety.
Whatever else, thank you for this book.

Three fractal mathematician die and another one who was a close friend
of one of them thinks it isn't a coincidence. The FBI says that there
is no connection. So Pepper Keane gets the case...
No resemblance to any living fractal a mathematicians seems to exist,
and the premise of the conclusion of time transform doesn't seem likely,
but the novel is well researched. In some cases I think the explanations are better than some popularizations that I have read.
It turns out that there is an FBI connection to the gun that killed
one of the mathematicians in Washington state.
From there on the plot has some surprising twists!
I liked it and for a mystery it was well written.
The point seems to be that once Pepper was close,
the pile of files at his house would have been a target
more than himself. From Waco we know that the FBI can
have an agenda outside their legal one.
To think that mathematicians might be targets
because of an economic model is kind of 'romantic'
but not very realistic... a Levy Flight?

"The Fractal Murders" offers a terrific premise and the delivery lives up to it, too. The sleuthing is dogged, hard work. It's smart and well organized--the kind of diligent, relentless focus that is probably the norm out there for actual detectives. The Colorado settings are well rendered. I thought a few key things happened a bit too conveniently: the jet ride to Boston, the handy night vision goggles, access via a friend to key commercial airline passenger manifests. I also could have done without all the restaurant and eating descriptions; they just don't add up to much. For a guy who spends a lot of time running and working out, there is very little physical action. Most of the work is mental. Readers looking for a good brain exercise will enjoy how Pepper Keane approaches his work and the end packs a nifty double twist.

University of Colorado math professor Jayne Smyers hires Pepper Keane, former Marine JAG turned PI, to investigate the deaths of three other math professors. The Feds have investigated and found no link between the deaths. Jayne is convinced there's a link. Pepper is skeptical at first but agrees to look into it.

There's plenty of bad blood between Pepper and FBI agent Polk who did some of the investigating. This history adds to Pepper's determination to investigate these deaths.

As Pepper digs deeper into the deaths, he begins to see some similar threads that continue to propel him forward. With romance in the air, Pepper worries that Jayne may be the next victim.

Can he decipher the pattern and unmask the killer before anyone else is killed? Can he protect Jayne as well?

I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshing mystery. Pepper is a fabulous character, even with his baggage. It is explained throughout the book, so we aren't left floundering. His interactions with Polk, Jayne, detectives where each mathematician was killed, his brother, his neighbors, and his best friend really help us to get to know him.

I found the math to be explained in plain English so that it was easy to understand. It also didn't detract from the investigation; it actually enhanced it. I am not a mathematician, but I really enjoyed this book. I hope he writes more in this series. I can't wait to read them. I highly recommend this book.

"The Fractal Murders" introduces the reader to Pepper Keane, a PI with a philosophical bent, who has turned his back on both the military and life as an attorney. In this adventure Pepper is hired by a university math professor to investigate the seemingly unrelated recent deaths of three other math professors - the common thread being all the professors are/were fractal geometry experts. Interesting premise and interesting book. This is a "traditional" gumshoe caper - no drug crazed Uzi toting maniacs or terrorists trying to blow up the planet - just Pepper searching for clues and bumping into some interesting characters along the way in solving this mystery. Some minor nits - the reader spends a lot of time following Pepper's culinary habits, exercise regimes and care of his dogs which at times, at least to me, detracted from the story. There are also a lot of characters in this book, all interesting, but they pop in and out causing some confusion to this reader. That being said, (written), The Fractal Murders is a darn good mystery, Pepper is a likeable protagonist and I look forward to reading more books in this series.

The Fractal Murders is nothing if not unique! Here's a first novel based on a completely fascinating premise that presents interesting, realistic and superbly developed characters; that develops a heart-warming romantic relationship complete with all the bumps, bruises and detours of reality; that avoids prurient sex and violence as completely unnecessary to the advancement of a well-written novel; and does it all with well crafted narrative and descriptive writing as well as positively hilarious dialogue! The fixings are so good that a main dish plot becomes almost secondary but I can tell you that Cohen has done a fine job with that as well! What a treat for a debut novel!

Pepper Keane, a former JAG prosecutor, is hired by University of Colorado mathematics Jane Smyers to investigate the almost simultaneous deaths of three of her professional colleagues - two by murder and one by apparent suicide - people who seem to have had nothing more in common than front-running world class expertise in the rather arcane field of fractal geometry. Smyers's mathematical background convinces her that the probability of the three deaths being unrelated is vanishingly small and some long-standing bad blood between Keane and FBI Special Agent Polk, who conducted the now closed investigation, raises Keane's eyebrows and prompts him into letting himself become involved in re-opening the case.

Pepper Keane is a lovable, laughable character that Cohen has endowed with an anally obsessive nature and a serious overdose of existential angst that he indulges by attempting to plow through some of Heidegger's heaviest writings. Cohen obviously loves a good pun and I nearly fell off my chair laughing when he set up this positively outrageous example. Keane's brother, nicknamed "Two Toe" as a result of a war wound, muses aloud about where they are as he and Pepper drive out of Kansas. Suggesting that he had been waiting a long, long time to say it, Pepper responded "Two Toe, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore"! Ouch! Between you and me, I think it's much more likely that Cohen waited a long time to shoehorn that pre-conceived pun into a novel and I've got no doubt at all that he nicknamed his character Two Toe for the sole purpose of sticking that single line into the novel. It sure gets my unqualified approval! Cohen's sparkling wit shines throughout the novel with a veritable cornucopia of knee-slapping one liners.

As for the mathematics - Mandelbrot and Benoit sets, chaos, fractional dimensions, random walks, discussions of business applications such as fundamental versus technical analysis, weather prediction and crop markets - the basic concepts are presented in a lucid, simple and non-threatening fashion. And, frankly, since the mathematics aren't critical to the plot, the novel can be read and enjoyed even for those who haven't the remotest interest in such ideas!

Readers looking for a refreshingly different approach to a mystery hooked up to a healthy dose of humour should be well pleased with Cohen's first efforts. I'm certainly looking forward to more of his work.

Paul Weiss