N Books

Neil Gaiman once attempted to summarize the Sandman series in one sentence:

"The king of dreams learns one must change or die and then makes his decision."

As Morpheus makes that decision in the course of The Kindly Ones, it forms the climax for the entire series. And, what a climax it is.

The Kindly Ones is the story of the various "enemies" that Dream has accrued during the Sandman series (including Lucifer, Loki, the Puck and the diminutive witch, Thessaly) as they, either through conspiracy or just happenstance, take action to destroy him. The largest threat comes from Lyta Hall who, believing Dream to have kidnapped her son, sets out on a mission to envoke the wrath of the Furies against him.

This is not an easy volume to read, necessarily, though it is maybe the best of the lot. Amazingly, Gaiman picks up characters and plots from almost all of the works that had come before (some just get brief cameos, but are still represented) and weaves them into one whole story that burns to a moving conclusion.

If you're a fan of Sandman already, I don't need to tell you to read this volume. If you've just stumbled on this review, however, and are wondering about it, let me tell you that the Sandman is one of the greatest comics, ever, and compares very well to other great literature in any medium.

Perhaps the best book in a five star series.

The Kindly Ones encompasses the direct consequences of the earlier volume, Brief Lives. In Brief Lives, Lord Morpheus (Dream) changes, for better or for worse. The actions that lead to such change must have ramifications, and The Kindly Ones details such repercussions.

In The Kindly Ones, Lyta Hall, a character who has made sporadic appearances throughout The Sandman series, is convinced that Dream has stolen her baby, Daniel. She goes to the women known as the Kindly Ones for vengeance, and even she couldn't predict the outcome.

Making use of virtually every character in The Sandman mythos, The Kindly Ones is a truly epic tale that brings us to a point in Dream's existence that would seem, based upon Brief Lives, inevitable. At times The Kindly Ones gets a bit muddled and verbose, but in the end, it was all worth it.

I've had the privilege of reading The Sandman series in completion and for the first time in the last few months, and The Kindly Ones is testament to the genius of Neil Gaiman. I don't know if it was on purpose or a happy accident, but The Kindly Ones makes use of virtually every storyline preceding it and concludes such a mammoth story ... it's nearly unimaginable someone could dream up such a story.

My only suggestion: Skip the introduction and read it after you finish The Kindly Ones. It does reveal a fairly major plot point, which, upon retrospect seems obvious, but even so, I would have liked to have avoided the introduction's cataclysmic revelation.

~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant

Lyta Hall's son Daniel is taken from her. She shows that, when a superhero, she wasn't called Fury for nothing.

Finding her mythological namesakes, she decides to put an end to Morpheus, the Lord of Dream. Morpheus is not without his own plans and defenses, however, but a promise made to a former servant costs him dearly.

This is my favorite volume of "The Sandman," by far (I still haven't read the last one, so I can't say it's my all time favorite yet). The artwork is very different from previous volumes, featuring Mark Hempel's work, which is very abstract, especially compared to the more realistic styles of other volumes. Still, I think it was well suited for such an emotional part of the story, because the expressions and moods of each character were excellently portrayed.

I don't see why a fan of "The Sandman" would ever not want to own this volume. It features the return of several past characters, including Rose Walker, Lyta Hall and her son, and Lucifer, among others. By tying in virtually all the previous volumes, it can be considered the climax of "The Sandman" storyline.

It's beautiful, poetic, heart-wrenching, and colorful; a masterpiece I can't help but flip through every time I pick it up.

A friend bought me the first Sandman book a few weeks ago, and upon finishing it, I immediately went out and bought the entire rest of the series. They are all wonderful, but this one is my favorite. It ties together all of the other story arcs - both the larger arcs and the stand-alone short issues - into a cohesive climax that is gorgeously written and drawn.

One thing: DO NOT READ FRANK MCCONNELL'S INTRODUCTION UNTIL AFTER YOU'VE READ THE NOVEL. There is a MAJOR spoiler on the first page of the intro; I was so mad about it that I started yelling out loud at the book. In one of the earlier volumes - I forget which - the intro contained spoilers, so Gaiman moved it to the end of the book and wrote his own short intro. I don't know why they couldn't have done that here.

Don't start with this book; start at the beginning with Preludes & Nocturnes and work your way here. It is beautiful, mythical, heart-rending. And don't read that intro!

I laughed my head off while reading this book! I was actually sad when it was over! The characters are unique, hilarious, and impossible not to fall in love with. This is a dark comedy full of witty one-liners, zany situations, and a lot of sexual content. This book is not for the faint of heart.

You will laugh out loud, this book is truly hysterical. I am a new Tim Sandlin fan - Sorrow Floats and Social Blunders are just as good. Highly recommended!!

On the positive side this book was sometimes amusing. The story idea of two thirteen-year-old's experimentation with sex and resulting in a pregnant seventh grader was promising though poorly executed. None of the main characters are believable, not the narrator, Sam, not his girlfriend Maurey, and not his mother Lydia. The motivations and thought patterns of the adolescents especially lacked any power to convey belief. This novel should probably have stayed in the form of Mr. Sandlin's puerile fantasies, from which it sprung.

With "Skipped Parts", Tim Sandlin has assembled all the elements needed for a great book. Memorable characters, a good setting, tight pacing, a great plotline and wonderful dialogue.

The main character, Sam, is a thirteen-year-old boy. He puts me in mind of myself at that age, actually. Very prone to dreams and fantasies. He meets a girl, Maurey, also thirteen. Before long, these highly intelligent children are losing their virginities to each other. Not long after that, they discover that, oops, a girl can get pregnant before her first period.

This is the start of a series. I haven't read the other parts yet, but I really liked this one. I also enjoyed Skipped Parts, the movie based on this book, though bizzarrely they changed the kids to fourteen instead of thirteen.

This is a very good, sweet book recommended for pretty much anyone over the age of about eight or nine. Highly enjoyable!

In Sam Callahan, Sandlin creates one of the great characters of recent American literature. Equal parts Walter Mitty and Holden Caulfield, Sam is a hilarious narrator with a truly unique voice. If the book were nothing more than a series of comic misadventures of Sam and his irreverent Southern Belle mother, Lydia as they are transplanted from the good ol' south to rural Wyoming, it would be a great read.

However, Skipped Parts is far more than that. Beyond Sam and Lydia, Sandlin populates GroVont with no end of fascinating characters--almost all multidimensional and colorful--the kind of folks you only find in quirky places like Sicily, Alaska. In this book, its easy to imagine that folks like Dot,Hank Elkrunner and the old guys who populate the local diner have interesting lives and stories outside of the light they shed on the main characters and that they didn't just show up in the scenes to move the plot along. This gives the story an incredible richness.

Beyond that, the book has a heart as big as the Tetons and frequently wears it on its sleeve. Rarely is a book so laugh out loud funny also so poignant and touching. There are moments that are truly noble, truly sad and truly beautiful and its a credit to Sandlin that none of them seem contrived. If you can get past the stuff about precocious 13 teen year olds experimenting with sex, you find a great novel about growing up, dealing with family, redemption and the endless disappointments and possibilities of life. A wonderful, wonderful book.

I bought this book for my son, and we both are very happy with it.

Each book contains a new, exciting adventure!
The story just keeps getting better every time a new book comes out!
And i continue to love Bobby Pendragon more and more every adventure.

Starting at this book, the entire series takes on a very dark overtone. Just who is Saint Dane? Why does he want everyone dead? After his last victory, what powers has he gained? And most of all, how will this effect the very boundaries of the territories?

The book starts where the creepy ending of the last book left off. Bobby returns through the flume to see that Saint Dane had made a change of look in front of Mark and Courtney and given them Gunny's disembodies hand in a bag.

After this, Bobby is thrown into a world full of people who are DEFINITLEY not human, and where humans are nothing but poorly treated slave animals to the dominant spieces. Did I mention that a mysterious plague is going to wipe out this entire territory and the only way to stop it is to cross items between the territories, one of the biggest Traveler rules?

Will this have an effect on everything? Will Mark and Courtney have a special task from now on? Who are the acolytes? How does the mysterious old man connect to Uncle Press? All of this is answered in this book of the Pendragon Series!

I was given a gift of the first Pendragon book. I groaned because I NEVER read science fiction/fantasy. I felt I should "try" to read it because, after all, it was a gift. Keep in mind that this series is for teens and I am a grandmother! You guessed it: I couldn't put it down. I am about to start Book # Seven - The Quillan Games. These are so very entertaining. I would highly recommend them to anyone over the age of 10!

I have been a fan of fantasy and science fiction for all of my life. I stumbled upon this series and have enjoyed each of the books. As you progress with Bobby from book to book it hooks you into waiting for his next journal. The books are written for teens, but adults can enjoy them as well. The moderation is well done and consistent between each of the books so no different voices to piece together for the same character. I've found that as each book in the series builds upon each other, the storyline keeps getting better. I would recommend this series to both young adults and adults. As good does not always win in the books, as in real life, the storyline of perseverance and making hard choices parallels decisions that our youth face in their lives. A good series for anyone to read.

she is the best by far. I love this author she has never let me down I wish I could get a copy of her new one ASAP. All I can say is I love her books.

I have read most of Diane McKinney-Whetstone's books, and this one like the others did not let me down. It is a well crafted, organized story of a very personal nature. It reminds me how nieghborhoods used to be, both black and white. Nieghbors would share and assist raising each other's children, drink each other's food, and get into one another's business without major repercussions. This is the village that raised many of us in the older portion of the modern generation, before we were raised by the video game and television set. The characters are human, sturdy and accessable. I've seen these people, I know these people, I like these people. This is a very well written and enjoyable book. And i would encourage you to read it if you have a chance.

As with all of McKinney-Whetstone's novels, you are moved by her literary prose to destinations, times, eras, and so many fine places of the heart.

I am also a big fan of Diane McKinney Whetstone, and while I'm not sure why it took me so long to buy and read this book, I am really glad that I finally did. Once again the author has given us characters who we can't help but love - even the ones that we probably aren't supposed to! I enjoyed this book immensely and can't wait for the next one!

The novel LEAVING CECIL STREET by Diane McKinney-Whetsone is set in Philadelphia in 1969 on a beautiful African-American neighborhood street. It was a joy meeting Joe, Louise, Shay, Alberta, Shawn, Neet, Deucie, and Brownie in the novel. Cecil Street and its inhabitants reminded me of the cohesiveness of the African American neighborhood in the past. This is when African American continued to try to keep their streets as nice and neighborly as possible. The story centers on family, betrayal, secrets, love, survival, and dysfunctional families. It included vivid imagery and was full of nostalgia.

The author's novel writing skills are extraordinary. She really knows how to provide vivid setting descriptions that made you think that you are right there where everything is happening. She gives you a feel for the problems that the characters have contented with in the past and current. Her character descriptions make them seem like someone you have known; they jump right off the page. Even though there were scenes were my teeth cringed (eating cat food, mouth surgery) I couldn't stop reading. This story bought back memories of my childhood neighborhood. Where everyone knew everyone's business however, the neighbors were always there to lend a hand whenever needed

One problem I had with the story was that many of the subplots developed by the author were not brought to a conclusion, which left me with many unanswered questions. In addition, through there some very dicey scenes in the book, as soon as the excitement happened, the book ended. .

Overall, I rated the book a five based on its easy read, vivid descriptions, interesting characters and wonderful story line. What happens on Cecil Street could happen in any neighborhood. If you like a good story, read this book.

got a couple of these for moms with small kids in our family... they will read them to their little ones and all of them will have a good time! that was an easy one!

A friend of mine received this book on Mother's Day. Her daughter had glued pages in the front submitted by every child and grandchild she had, with drawings, photos, and testimonials of what she meant to them. I was crying even before I read the book. When I actually got to the book itself, the tears turned to sobbing, but GOOD sobs, if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong -- it's not sappy, just a plain and simple realization of what moms are to kids. I LOVED IT!!

I love Berkeley Breathed, not only for his illustrations but for his witt. This is a great book for children, the story line starts as mom being somewhat a tyrant ,the terrible things we must make our children do! eating broccoli and such. But ends with the ultimate sacrifice we would all make for our children, don't worry no one dies. I think children learn that eventhough we seem to be "the bad guy" as a parent there is no sacrifice too great we would make for them. I hope he writes more! I would buy his books just for myself.

Very clever story that open kids' eyes to how amzing moms really are. Terrific illustrations. I discovered it as a gift to my 5-yr-old daughter, but I now buy it for all my favorite moms.

My son loves this book. We read it quite often. The author is talented and the pictures are great. One of my favorites also.

What more could a Peanuts lover ask for?! If you're not yet a Peanuts lover, you will be if you get this book:) Definite multi-gen bridge-gapper!

I great book, over looking Schulz's body of work, as well as bits about his life and quotes from the man himself. Kidd's design is the perfect showcase for the art. This is a book you never really finish reading, cause you always come back to it again and again.

This is my first Peanuts hardback, and it's already taken a special spot in my heart. I've been a Peanuts fan from my childhood, and this book gives a glimpse not just into the history of the strip, but also into the history of the creator of the strip. As I understand it, in this book are never-before-seen examples of Mr. Schulz's sketchpads. Some that were never published before in their raw, unfinished form.

Throughout this beautifully bound book are pages that chronicle "Sparky's" life and career -- childhood photos of his family, his page in his high school yearbook, his sketchpad from his time in the Army, various pictures of his first strip "Li'l Folks"... the list goes on. There are also pages here and there showing some of the Peanuts collectibles such as slateboards, games, comic books, ViewMaster reels, and figurines etc. And of course, this 336 page book is full of Peanuts strips --in black & white and in color-- taking you through the years in your memories.

Also included is a touching introduction written by his wife, Jean Schulz, and his 'signature' on the inside cover. If you are a Peanuts fan, you won't be disappointed with this book.

Muy lindo, sobre todo el formato!
Además de las historietas contiene fotos de los primeros muñecos que se hicieron en su momento.

The Peanuts are pretty much everywhere you go. It is kind of sad in a way that their creator, Charles Schulz, is not. Makes you kind of appreciate the fact that our creations go on long after we have departed. Like the Chinese Philospher Lao Tzu said, "We will never know the results of our actions..." Contemplate this for awhile and it will really begin to blow your mind. We don't really know who we will affect in life with our thoughts, with our words, and with our deeds. We all have an inward duty to be the best that we can be, because the world is just a bunch of individuals and if each one of us decides to think better and do better with the gifts we've been given, then the world will be an even better place to live.

Charles Schulz and his comic strip, The Peanuts, bettered my world and it continues to do so. He has been gone almost six years now and I still miss him. Isn't that strange? I never met the man. I never heard him speak. The only thing I really know about him and his life is through his comic strip.

I was introduced to the Peanuts when I was four or five years old. My dad used to read me his comic strips and do the voices of Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroder, and Lucy...his impression of Lucy still makes me crack up when I dip into my fondue pot of memories.

I got this book because I wanted to really know more about Charles Schulz. What kind of man was he really? What drove him? What inspired him? Turns out that he, himself, was baffled by the Creation Process just like all "true" artists are. True artists are very humble beings. They know deep inside that they are not responsible for their creations, they are merely the channels through which the power of creation takes place. Being an artist and a writer myself, I know that sometimes I'm in this zone where the process of creation is moving through me so powerfully that all I need do is surrender to It and everything is all taken care of. Not to be preachy, but that's Spirit, that's Love, that's the Light we were all created in and out of. And because all of us are made in the Image and Likeness of Light, of Spirit, of Love, we are all creative and we are all creators. The question then becomes, "What am I willing to create?"

This book makes me cry. Not in a sad way, but in a way that just makes me miss my friend. And although I see evidence of his being here all around me, I know that this world is never going to be the same without him.

Peace & Blessings, Mr. Schulz.

This book impacted me on so many levels. Stormie gives great insight into making prayer a part of one's daily ritual and shows the reader how easily prayer weaves an effortless flow into all our experiences. We are made stronger by our ability to pray.

I read this book 5 years ago and it is a wonderful source of inspiration and direction. Just this month, I started a group study of it and everyone loves this powerful book for women. Stormie is an author who writes for others and uses her own experiences to enhance it. Very enlightening. I highly recommend it.Elaine

I am very disappointed in this study. Very little practical application in the daily lessons. I'm so used to Beth Moore "talking to me" every day in her lessons, this has been a bit disappointing. Lots of Bible verses, but tell me what I'm supposed to be getting from this.

If you feel like you have gotten off track with the path God wants you to go I highly recommend this book. I have taken each chapter and really applied it to my prayer life and the results have been amazing. When you turn to God first life doesn't seem so bad.

This is the first Omartian book I have read, and I love it. The breakdown is short easy chapters, so I can read a few minutes and still cover a topic. Great advise and insights are on every page. I also plan to use it as a reference/refresher when I need advice.

This is a really great cook book. The writing style is nice and the book has a nice collection of recipes. While some sections of the book err on the side of being a bit too wordy, I can't really fault the author for wanting to give a very detailed run down of how to braise.

I actually purchased this book in order to make better pot roast. It's one of the few books I've run across that really clearly explains braising and which provides a lot of good recipes that involve braising. With this book and a dutch oven, you can have a lot of fun in the kitchen for sure. When it comes to cooking meat, there are few methods that produce as good a result as braising. Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to improve their recipes for ribs, pot roast, etc.

Like a good date, this book is easy and fun. I take it out as often as I can.

The techniques presented in this book are simple yet spectacular. The discussions regarding some of the more subtle ingredients for building a braise (salt-packed anchovies, salt-packed capers, dried figs, etc.) are priceless. Additionally, the author presents great recipes from the Mediterranean to south east Asia. If you are serious about braising meat, this book is a great place to start.

All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking

This is a must have for anyone who likes to cook. I wasn't sure how much difference braising would make but figured I'd try it. Wow! once you try it you will never want to cook chiken or roasts any other way.

This book was everything I was hoping it would be. It was filled with easy to find ingredients and yummy receipes. Some will take time, but it was worth the wait!

this book is unbelievable. to take something like the injustice of caryl chessman's death by gas and turn it into such a story of murder and madness is wonderful. thomas bishop, his magic and his madness are, without a doubt, scary and plausible. looking at the serial killers of my time, late 60's to present time, this man is the scariest. his ability to blend, hide, and kill are masterful. the book was difficult to put down and it's one of my favorite of the genre.

I read this book years ago. It scared me so bad then that I would have to put it down and walk away from it to regroup and I have never forgotten it. I read it again recently and it scared the @#$% out of me as if it were the first time. I have never read a book that totally sucked me in and took me on such a freakish, disturbing nightmare into a killers SICK life. It's just plain old scarey, terrifying, horrific and captivating. You have to keep pinching yourself and keep saying "Its only a story...its only a story." If you like to get scared THIS is the book for you.

Thomas Bishop/Vincent Mungo is THE most heinous killer ever committed to print, all the more so because he appears to be an all-American, apple-cheeked, tousle-haired young man. He's a complete psychopath who believes he's on a mission to kill women. And what he does with the bodies ... well, the book leaves a lot of that up to the imagination, but it must be pretty awful.

The book is an epic, beginning a generation before the killer's career and bringing in a huge array of cops, reporters, psychologists and politicians (usually with self-serving agendas) who are part of the nationwide manhunt. The book is written in the dry, clinical prose of standard nonfiction, which makes it even more chilling. No purple prose at all. No book has ever better described the kind of horrifying childhood abuse (his mother is a real piece of work, as frightening in her own way as her son) that creates psychopathic killers.

Absolutely fascinating, but profoundly disturbing. I lent it to my brother, a tough customer, and even he was shaken by it. Forget Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter. Vincent Mungo's the real deal.

In "By Reason Of Insanity" author Shane Stevens's 511 page novel depicts a scenario where the convicted rapist Caryl Chessman raped a woman prior to his capture and later execution in 1958. She did not report the rape, but she perceived that she had gotten pregnant from the encounter. Her husband was soon killed in an armored car robbery, but their relationship had been rocky from the start, and after his death, she began using her maiden name of Bishop, and her son was born as Thomas Bishop.

As her short life progressed, she slid into insanity, which included many beatings of her child. Finally, at age 10, Thomas Bishop committed matricide and he was confined at Willow, a local insane asylum, probably for life. In a brilliantly planned and executed escape, the 25 year-old Bishop began a nation-wide rein of terror, leaving a trail of murder and mayhem as he traveled east to New York City.

A nation-wide magazine was running a special edition on Bishop, and thus enters our hero, the hard-charging and experienced reporter Adam Kenton. I generally don't care for books which glorify lawyers, politicians and especially reporters which are generally both lazy and clueless and rate right up there with used car salesmen and aluminum siding telemarketers. But Kenton's character was an exception. With skilled and well thought out snares and traps, Kenton tried to first correctly identify Bishop, and then run him to ground. The narrative depicted his many defeats and minor victories as he fought his way towards the climax of the story.

Mechanically, the book was difficult to read in some areas and was too long as a result. As an example, in each of the towns Bishop visited, the author felt the need to describe in minute detail, exactly where he was in the town which was of no interest except to current or former residents of the location. There was also an excessive use of our character's dreams; word-filling narrative, which the reader quickly learns to skip on through.

With that said though, Stevens' clever and well-laid out plot carried the day. A solid 4 1/2 star effort and the reader's time is well spent with this one.

This is an amazing book when looking into the insane mind. The political aspect is mainly ignorable but the main function of the writing is very worthwhile.

This is the last chapter, but very loving tribute to the cat we have all gotten to know so well. NORTON It describes the friends he has met in his travels how much HIS story here can help us all when it's our time to grieve. He says his goodbyes, but it also tells us about new things that happen to him. It's wonderful to listen to.

I love Scottish Fold Cats and of course had to read the adventures of Norton, a very intelligent cat! I anxiously awaited the final book about Norton's last days. Very touching but of course sad. Mr. Gethers is quite a nice author as I wrote to him and got a personal reply back. (As my Scottish Fold looks like Norton, I even sent Mr. Gethers a photo my my cat.)

The book itself is in excellent physical edition; only the end pages with library info have been removed.
I was overcome by the depth and intensity of the love shown for Norton by his friend Peter. Heartbreaking--but also heartwarming to read of such a strong bond between man and cat. Not sure if I could be so attentive to my adopted 14-year old cat if she were to encounter severe medical problems. Hats off and hugs to you, Peter.

A Hallmark card disguised as a book. If you like your cliches syrupy, I guess you might like this drivel.

I was given the first two Norton books as a gift. A Cat in Paris, and A Cat Abroad. What I discovered is the magic of Peter Gethers. My friends, these are more than just "cat books". Peter Gethers is an a gifted writer who writes about his interesting life, and the adventures Norton has with him. This book is the final Chapter of Norton stories. It's a heart-wrenching story of the final adventures of the friends we've known to love, whether abroad or home. Our rough around the edges Peter has no boundaries when it comes to sweet Norton. One thing that has always stuck with me is Gethers, a grown man, who would move over in bed so as not to disturb Norton sleeping on his pillow. It's painful to read, especially if you've read the others. But, Gethers brings us to Norton's end in peace. It's a great book for an animal lover, but Gether's adventures make this book a fit for anyone.