American Books

This book was decent and somewhat interesting. The details are too few and the characters set at extremes or stereotypes. Many important events take place as silly coincidences and their is no real feeling for the novel. The descriptions leave much to be desired. Also all of these "strong" people weep constantly, are unsure of themselves, and break down in despair.

Clavelle's Shogun far surpasses this book. It gives you a real feeling for medeival Japan and an understanding of the culture of the time period. I know that Shike takes place before this but it does not do the same thing for its setting that Shogun does. Both books include a foreign main character trying to make his way in Japan and Shogun is the far more compelling novel.

A great story during that starts in Japan during the 13th century. An increasable tale of 3 people who come together by chance and who's lives have become intertwined, and find their lives intersect despite long periods away from each other and thousands of miles at times. This novel covers everything from love to friendship, adventure, war, deceit etc.... This book really has it all. Anyone who has interest in the Samurai period of Japan will find it especially interesting. I could barely put it down.

There are two major historical events which focus the great composition of this novel: the Gempei Wars and the Mongol invasions, making clear that the author, certainly on purpose, has mixed both to construct a more powerful historical drama, when the truth is that a century separates them. The two families which struggle to death in the novel, the Takashi and the Muratomo, symbolized by the red and the white dragon,respectively (much like the Houses of Lancaster and York in England, who fought the Wars of the Roses because of their red and white roses symbols)are the real Taira and Minamoto families, who fought the so-called Gempei Wars in the XII century, which was to end only by the creation of the Kamakura Shogunate represented by the first shogun in the history of Japan, Minamoto Yoritomo. On the other hand, the Mongol invasions planned by Kublai Khan took place in the XIII century, when the Minamoto had been replaced by the Hojo regents' rule. Nonetheless, "Shiké" is a powerful picture of the beginnings of feudal Japan, quite the seeds of what was to be known as the Sengoku Jidai in the XV and XVI centuries, apart from the fascinating accounts of Mongol campaigns conducted by the successors of Gingis Khan. Considering also that the characters (there are many) are wonderfully conceived, and that the beautiful love story between Taniko and Jebu lies at the very heart of the novel, it is a delicious reading, a very well done work of Literature, not a simple best seller.

I came across this book in the early 80's I was almost overwhelmed by the scope and well developed characters. This book transports us to early feudal Japan and immerses you in Japanese culture. An easy equal to Eiji Yoshikawa's classic prose. I have read and re-read this title many times and cannot get tired of it. It's enthralling and epic in it's development. I was heart-broken when I learned author Robert Shea passed away. I was also grateful that he left this priceless gift to the world. I searched for many years to find copies of this book in hardcover for my private collection of favorites. It is almost criminal that the publisher has let this title fall out of print. With such popularity being given to historical fiction novels; this is clearly a timeless best-seller. I urge all who want to be surprised to read this book. I find ragged and worn used copies and give them to friends. I am always ingratiated for gifting this book to them. All the women are moved to tears. (Sometimes the men, too.) Even I have been moved to being moist-eyed by the powerfully written chapters in this book. I urge the publishers to re-print this title and give it back to us. It has a high collectible value as it is. You will have dependably high sales. Maybe one day, some ambitious director will cast this book into film. If so, don't cheat us with a two hour movie. Give us the mini-series in full scope and detail. If my house was on fire; I would run into it and grab my hardcover editions and trade paperbacks and run back out again, thanking God it wasn't too late!!! That's how good this novel is!!!

I'm confused...is there a 3rd book to this series or not? If so, what's its name?

Slow Way Home is really a nice read. Light, easy, sweet in spots, slice of life story and interesting. It is an important fiction since it deals with the issue of an absent parent, grandparents raising a young boy, a parent who has a wilder lifestyle - not necessarily condusive to raising a child, and legal issues.

It's not my style to write a review that is a book report but instead to give some simple facts and advise if I believe it is worth reading.

With the above in mind and simple facts given, I believe this is worth reading. WHile it isn't a challenging read and is a little predictable, it is new territory for fiction and well done overall.

Borrow it, read it.

Enjoyed it thoroughly - THANK YOU!

Slow Way Home by Michael Morris is a good Southern novel with an extremely strong little boy as the main character. The author does a terrific job at capturing Brandon's anger and helplessness as he is pushed around from one family to another. Brandon Willard is abandoned by his mother to his grandparents, but when she decides she wants him back, they take him on the run. Poor Brandon is moved again and again before finally finding his way home. There are Christian elements to this book, but they aren't overemphasized. The way Brandon clings to Jesus is a strong testimony to the power of the Spirit. The episode with the Ku Klux Klan in Florida seems a bit odd, but much of the book is made up of short, odd episodes in this little boy's life, perhaps it was intentional. The one complaint I have about Morris' writing style is his overuse of metaphors and similes. Many paragraphs end with one or the other, and while some are powerful, the amount of them makes the reader immune to their power.

From the first sentence spoken by Brandon to the last one written by the author in the acknowledgement section, this book had me spell bound. I was lost in the world of Brandon, a boy I saw as a modern day Tom Sawyer. Having lived most of my life in New York (moved to south Florida six years ago) I enjoyed the 'old south' setting of the panhandle of Florida. There are lots of characters to savor in this book but by far the young narrator Brandon outshines them all. A beautiful story. Today I'm going to the library to see what other books I can find by this author.

A young boy is a pawn in a custody fight between his grandparents and his broken mother. While at first it appears that there is one victor in this case, the author draws out the complexities involved in such cases and adequately shows how no one wins when the custody of a child is at stake.

I found this story to be one of heart felt redemption. While the opening scene pulled me into the book, it is the young boy's voice that forced me to keep reading. This novel is tragic, tender, and most of all very real. The writing is artfully crafted and the plot, while sometimes predictable, does not disappoint.

I don't believe I've read a more compelling book! It was purchased from a bargain table as something to read while recovering from a foot injury. The therapy for my soul and mind was worth far far more than the few dollars I paid.
So many times I've been disappointed in the quality of "Christian Fiction." Not so with "SOUTH PACIFIC JOURNAL." The characters are believable and very interesting. Descriptive passages place the reader on location in the South Pacific. I've never read such compelling "flash-back" passages. Even though the narrative left many unanswered questions about the characters (What happened to the lieutenant? How did Sarah try to contact her family? When and how did she return to Manila?) I feel as if I really know the characters personally. I hope David & Nancy French write a sequel.
My gratitude goes to the authors for such excellent writing and to the publisher for printing this book.

About the second world war, this book clearly describes the troubles of a female living in Manila in that time period. It is so hard to put my review into words for fear of forgetting minor details, although you will never forget anything after you read the book. Some parts are touching, some gruesome, but it still reflects one idea throughout the story: the love of God.

I will not soon forget this book. It gives the most vivid impression of actually being in a war torn situation that I have ever read. It seemed so real. The spiritual thought process of the young woman is very believable. It would be especially interesting to a Jewish person. I did feel that the end left a lot of questions that I wish had been expanded on, but not to the extent that it was bothersome. I would recommend it.

I have David French as an instructor for one of my law school classes & have had numerous opportunities to listen to him speak. Not only does he tell great stories (his students LOVE listening to him tell stories), but he & his wife have done an incredible job at carrying over this wonderful skill into writing. As I read the book, I kept forgetting this was their first novel. The story is so compelling & well-told that in spite of all the reading I had to do for my law classes & the sleep I definitely needed to get, I stayed up late reading into the early morning hours. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep reading & the harder it was to put the book down. The ending will definitely touch you... as I read the last couple of chapters, tears rolled down my face & the events caused me to really think about my faith. I will be sending this book to my friends... it's definitely worth reading!

Think about all of the people you've known in your life. A few will stand out from all the others. Something about them makes you want to spend time with them, to get to know them more intimately, to learn from them. Sarah Lavine is like that. She is the main character of this book and, as I read the book, I found myself wishing I could sit down and talk to her, even if it mean sharing her very dangerous circumstances. Like the few people you've met who were worth knowing, Sarah has something at her core (in her soul) that is important, alive and true. She knows something that maybe you don't. So you need to spend time with her and learn from her. It's only 216 pages. It won't take you long. In fact, it's too short. It left me wanting to learn more.

This is an excellent cookbook, not only in content, but in the quality hard cover and readable print. I am so happy to have had it recommended for my cookbook library! Being a member of a local Herb Society, and having published our own books in the past, this book rates right at the top.

I have found every recipe created from this book to be so delicious and crowd pleasing. A staple item that I make at least three times a week are the Whipping Cream biscuits. Looking for healthy dishes to serve my family, I am fond of the Whipped Carrots and Parsnips dish as well as a rich and delicious Baked Spinach (a favorite often made for potlucks by a dear friend who is also a fan of this book). Each recipe is quite easy to prepare with readily available ingredients. An excellent book, highly recommend.

This is my favorite cookbook. Because the recipes are very thoroughly tested, unlike many cookbooks, I can trust that the recipes are accurate and easy to follow. I also love that all the recipes call for fresh ingredients, and it is an excellent book to use when cooking for company or holidays.

Absolutely wonderful cookbook! A must have for the kitchen! Beautiful bith in pictures and recipes!

I have collected cookbooks for the past 45 years, and this is absolutely one of the BEST!!! It is beautifully illustrated and full of unusual recipes. So far every one I've tried has been delicious and easy to follow. I'm ordering five more to have on hand for gifts.

It is an endearing story and it had me laughing one minute and crying the next. The characters were so strong until you felt as if you knew them and actually felt their joy and pain...or like myself you actually have people in your life that are so similar to them until you couldn't put the book down without knowing the outcome. It isn't often that you read a novel about a black woman and black man giving each other unconditional love....or as my grandparents called it...that bible love, the kind that only runs from one heart to the other one...lol. There is joy, wisdom and knowledge in the pages for every reader to grasp and hold tight. There aren't many families that haven't been touched by a terminal illness, unemployment, old age, broken hearts, generational curses and even a forever kind of love so I know you will be able to identify with and learn something from William McMcCall and Linda "Lucky" Woodson. We are all given a choice as to how we live but it's not often that we are given a choice as to how we die....it really makes you think.

I recommend TAAR to serious readers like myself that are ready to read one of the best of the best. It is definitely a five star story.

William Fredrick Cooper, with the stroke of his pen , resuscitates the hearts of men and women......while enticing them to believe in love again.

Wow this is the saddest book I have read but also one of the most uplifting. Its good to read a book like this from a man's perspective and does teach us sisters a lesson not to be so judging on brothers who do not have materials things. Linda and William are a couple made for each other, I have not read the first book but will do so and hope a third book will bring us up to date on Williams life, his ex and former mentoree need to their comeuppance in book 3 and William needs to find true life long love again.

The best book I have ever read thus far. I highly recommend anyone who is looking for a very inspirational and life changing book, to purchase this. I think one of the best things about this book is that it is so relatable. Everyone have to endure struggles at some point in their lives and this book definitely provides examples of ways to get through them. Sometimes all it takes is one special person to help you get over that bump in the road. The 2 main characters, William and Linda, met for a reason. Both of them had something that the other needed to help them get through their hard times. Not going to spill the beans because I really want you all to read it for yourselves, but the two of them really went through some things that I could never imagine going through. Actually, their problems made my problems seem small. Anyways, purchase, purchase, purchase. I assure you that you won't regret it. Also, please check out other books that he have written as well.

Affairs of the Heart are perceived differently from various walks of life, from a variety of people, based on their experiences with love and the pains and pleasures of what love and life have to offer. With that being said, please meet William McCall, a sensitive managing law clerk who has the world on a string, in love with the perfect woman, until one day his world is rocked by the ultimate deal-breaker, Infidelity.

Rarely do we get into the heart and mind of a black man and his quest for true love, which proves to be nourishment for a man's soul. He is never portrayed as a delicate creature, with intensity, sincere anxieties and sufferings of the normal human condition.

William Cooper does a wonderful job in portraying a love story that is refreshing, heartfelt and embraces all that encompasses love, and affairs of the heart.

One of the best I've read so far this year.

There's Always a Reason is highly recommended.

Congratulations to this author for daring to show the vulnerability we all possess as people in our quest for true love and happiness.

Yes, there is a reason why I recommend this great book for those who love a good story with well-rounded characters and engaging story. Cooper's latest book continues to display his gifted talents at crafting a story from the male perspective and showing that men feel the pains and heartaches of relationships. There's Always a Reason offers the reader a captivating story that will keep you turning the pages. It offers romance, setbacks, steamy dialogue, wisdom, humor, betrayal, and heartache.

Kudos to William for putting his heart and soul in this book and he takes romance and the readers to a whole new level. I highly recommend There's Always a Reason to everyone who enjoys a well-written, heartfelt story.

I've always enjoy Og Mandino's self-development books, both his nonfiction and fiction. The Twelfth Angel is trademark Og Mandino - it is a powerful self-development lesson taught through emotion and by example. It's a story of hope for the future, even when the future appears hopeless.

In my opinion, you don't just read an Og Mandino fiction book, you "feel" an Og Mandino book and The Twelfth Angel is no exception. He is one of my favorite self-development writers, so this review may be a bit partial.

Have you ever been through such a powerful life changing and emotionally devastating experience that you instinctively know life will never be the same again? You begin to realize that you are at an emotional fork in the road, you're either going to learn from the experience or end up wallowing in it. That's exactly what happens to the main character John Harding in The Twelfth Angel - his life is facing that powerful and often frightening life-changing fork in the road.

After the tragic loss of his wife and child in an accident, John Harding believes he is faced with the choices of either to go on living or to end it all. When it seems the bleakest, a friend comes to him asking for help. He's asked to help coach a boys little league baseball team. And slowly but surely John's life has hope and purpose once again.

We can learn so much from children. They have such an unstoppable optimism and enthusiasm. And in The Twelfth Angel, this is just what John needs in his life. This book is also about never, ever giving up. John begins to mentor Timothy Noble who is not the athletic type yet becomes one of the most important players on "The Angels" baseball team. Timothy teaches everyone about the power of possibility and persistence.

What can this well written story teach us? It teaches that life is full of purpose and wonder. You were placed on this earth to make a difference and it's up to you to find that purpose. As John discovered, with purpose you have the willpower to keep going even when the going looks impossible and hopeless.

This book is about courage, belief, hope, persistence and the power of purpose - that's how I'd summarize this powerful little story.

The Twelfth Angel is an easy read and in fact you can probably read it in a couple of days. Be prepared to read with your mind and emotions. Give yourself some quiet time to absorb the self-discovery lessons and feel the emotions these lessons can invoke.

If you decide to read The Twelfth Angel, please read with an open mind and heart because then you'll truly appreciate Og Mandino's wise lessons about the wonder of living a meaningful life.

This book just makes you want to count your blessings! I absolutely loved it!

I've read every book that Mandino has written. This was the first book that got me hooked on this author. He is a great story teller and a great motivational/inspirational writer! This is a must read for anyone over the age of 12. If all little league coaches read this book, there would be less problems with out of control coaches. This is not about baseball but about how to deal with life and how to treat people.

I have read everyone of Og Mandinos Books and all I can say is that he writes with brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit. You can never go wrong with any of his books. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve all that we as human beings are capable. He helped me to tap into my innate genuis and create a life of prosperity and creativity. If you havent raed his books, start now and your journey of the spirit will begin. He was a born writer and even after his passing continues to have a great influence on many people old and young. He truly lived a purposeful and divine life. Go buy all his books and enjoy the growth and enlightenment. After that Buy my Book " Your daily Walk with the Great Minds of the Past and Present". Enjoy and rememeber you are capable of great things in your life.

The Twelfth Angel, by Og Mandigo, is truly an inspiring and heartfelt story. This story left such an unforgettable impact on me that I know I'm likely to ponder it for years. Everyone should absolutely read this book, especially those in need of inspiration and hope. This book leaves you with tears, with hope you never knew you had, and with the wanting to never give up.

I don't want to give away too much, but this book is about a young, diligent, succesful, loving man who moves back to his small hometown of Boland, NH, with his wife Sally and their young boy Rick. When tradegy strikes, John has to struggle to cope. His life is shattered and he ultimately looks to suicide as an answer. Fortunately, his old friend, Bill helps him out of the gutter, which is where his life now lies, by asking him to help coach the boys little league. Uncertain, John finally accepts.

The day of tryouts John notices a boy who is smaller than any of the other kids, whose baseball hat and clothes look about two sizes too big on him. This little boy isn't very good at baseball, but he kept on trying, the whole time with determination and a big smile on his face. Although some of the older and better kids laughed and smirked at his constant mistakes and misses, this little boy was never put down and never stopped. And to John's surprise, this boy was amazingly the splitting image of his boy Rick! At first John had even thought he could have been Rick. This little boy, Timothy Noble, was by far the worst player of all the kids who tried out, and who had managed, almost as if by destiny, to end up on John's baseball team, receiving a jersey with number twelve on it.

Early on in the baseball season, John noticed that there was something very genuine and original about Timothy. What John and Timothy both don't know, is that their relationship will become very close, as they both need each other more than they can imagine.

I absolutely loved this heartfelt story. I even had tears gushing down my cheeks as I neared the end of the book. I think that this book is truly inspiring and comforting. I loved how caring and concerned John was of Timothy, and I especially loved little Timothy Noble and how happy he was. I was truly touched by this story and will always cherish everything I learned from this book. The lesson I think that Mandigo was in a way trying to get across is that you must be positive and have at least a good-maybe even a great-outlook on life, no matter what comes your way. If you are positive, you have a positive feedback, making your life richer everyday and in many different ways.

I really enjoyed Og Mandigo's writing style, as he was very, very vivid with his descriptions. I definitely plan to read more of his books in the future, and I would recommend this book to anyone who can read!

Great author, great writing. My guess is that Wren Journeymage will come out around June 24th (2006!)

Overall, a wonderful book, and a wonderful series. My Thoughts is that in"Wren to The Rescue" we'll see a develooping relationship between Wren and Connor. Also, my suspect is that Wren is part Iyon Dain (Hope I spelled that correctly).

While I enjoyed all three Wren books, I found this one to be a little weak in the end. The war ended somewhat abruptly. I also felt that, while it was obvious the author wanted to leave things a little open-ended for a potential sequel, there were loose ends that should have been tied up before finishing the story.

Generally I think it was a good book, but it could have been better.

Hopefully it isn't just a quartet =P

Anyway, this series is simply fantastic! A friend recommended it to me, so it bought it, all three of them. Guess what? I finished all of them on the same day. And no, I don't usually finish multiple books in one day. I absolutely love her writing style, it's not difficult to read, and extremely lively and interesting. I have no idea why hardly anyone knows of her books, they are simply fantastic! As for the books, I especially loved the ending to Wren's War ;)

ps. Does anyone know of any good Wren fanfiction out there? I can't find any, FanFiction.Net has very little. Thanks.

Hello! Got good news to tell you, Wren Journeymage is coming up in 2005 or somewhere around there. Just heard it myself! I am happy as anything.

Anyway. Wren's War was fantastic. I like it that Sherwood Smith didn't focus the whole thing with Wren as the heroine all the time. She gave Wren's friends a chance to shine as well. Yup. You HAVE to read this.

As usual this continuation of the Yada Yada Prayer Grouop Series is an enjoyable, easy read that helps me to grow spiritually!

If you've not read the Yada Yada series; get ready for a roller coaster of emotions. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will no doubt question your self in many ways! You will find yourself drawing closer to God and identifying with many of the characters in these books! This author has a gift for taking many issues in life and bringing a spiritual reaction and solution to them. I've never read anything like this series before and am grateful for it. This is a fiction series - and not any kind of "self-help" or spiritual guidance or devotional book, but you will find much of that in this book, through the characters and situations they face. It is a wonderful series.

I could not read these fast enough.
Makes you want to join their group whether you are a Christian or not!!

When I first started reading this book, I fanned the pages in front of me, not really wanting to read the last installment of the Yada Yada prayer group. I didn't want to see the series end. Like so many fans of this series, my prayer life changed right along with Jodi's.

I followed Jodi from book one when she wondered what if anything could she get from praying with women so different from herself to now wondering, in book seven, what would she do without them.

So often we get used to the spiritual crutches that prop us up in difficult times. We usually struggle when the time comes to let the crutches go and to fully rely on God. Jodi sees changes in the Yada Yada group and in her family life. Instead of resisting the change by holding on to her friends and family, Jodi learns to celebrate what God has done and is about to do in all their lives. Boy, Jodi has spiritually matured over the course of these books.

I thought this book nicely concluded the Yada Yada series. I sooo look forward to Yada Yada House, the new series. I understand that some of my old Yada Yada favorites will make appearances in the book. That's good, because I miss them already!

I'm not wishing my life away, but December can't arrive too soon!

This book is funny,soul searching and makes you want to read the whole
series. Start with the first book and you will easily identify with one
of the women. Jodie is mine. This series helps you to take a good hard
look at you and your life. GREAT READING !!!

This is a classic Seuss book for older children - it's dedicated to a girl 90 months old, which puts her at 7 and a half, my guess is that this book is intended to be read for children 7 years old or so.

Bartholomew Cubbins is struck by a terrible misfortune - every time he takes off his hat to the king, it is replaced by another. The king gets on his high horse about the subject, but everything turns out fine in the end when the king buys the final, majestic hat and puts it on his own head.

My nieces like this book quite a bit.

This is a great book for kids ages 4-5 all the way through 8-10. It has a catchy story line about a boy of that age, his problem, how he plans to solve it, and finally the real solution. An upbeat read for kids these days. And, it's by Dr. Seuss.

I'd been searching for this book to read to my 2 year-old son. I remember just loving it and was sure he would. He does. It's just delightful to hear his astonishment every time another hat appears on Bartholomew's head. It's a must read for children of all ages.

This book left a strong impression on me as a child. One of only a few books that I remembered vividly and was anxious to get for my own young boys (who of course, loved it).

The story is great because it keeps building and building. There is a little violence (threatening to cut off Bartholomew's head), but that only made it more exciting for me as a young boy to read it.

I bought this book because it brought back such good memories of my child's childhood and my own as well. I look forward to sharing it with my grandchildren someday. This is a great book to read!

This book is what inspired me as a child/teen to pursue medicine. I gave a copy of it to my niece who is considering a nursing career. I cannot more highly recommend a medical book. Great for any non-medical person who wants to understand what's going on in your body in well and disease states.

This book is a must have for every family. The diagnostic charts are very helpful.

I recommend this book highly. It has been an excellent resource to determine what's wrong before you see a doctor.

I would like to commend Amazon.com for their speedy resolution. My book arrived or rather the open box arrived without the book. I still can't believe the post office basically delivered a piece of cardboard. The post office evidently tore open the box and lost the book.

I called Amazon and they immediately sent me a replacement- which did arrive in perfect condition.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
I have 2 daughters going through surgery and "The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide" has enlightened me greatly as to what to expect. The information is so much more easily understood in the privacy of the home. Information is explained in easy to understand language.

So the book is great and the service from Amazon is also great.

Very useful guide, almost all things you could think of are covered (a few are not though, i.e., I found one particular eye-related problem that although is mentioned somewhere in the book, is neither explained nor dealt with anywhere). As it is obvious given the time passed between the last two editions, the panel of doctors differs from the prior one, and some topics are treated differently as well, not necessarily due to the passage of time or technological advances, so I kept the former edition. I suggest you do the same if you have the older version.