Clubs Books

...Cynthia Rylant has created a beautiful gift - not for the child saying goodbye to five, but for the parents who are smiling through tears as they remember the transformation of their tiny infant to a full fledged "kid." ...

Wow! I picked this up by chance at the library and we read it on my daughter's first birthday (yesterday). What a special book! Both the story and the pictures capture little kids' personalities so perfectly at their various phases. The book shows a little girl's first few birthdays, starting with her birth, and emphasizes her development and the bonds between her and her parents. It's really more of a book about parents and how we love our kids than a kids' book, but my daughter liked it, too. It's a bit of a tearjerker-- keep in mind that it's an emotional time for us, since it's hard to believe that our little baby is a year old already-- but I got a little weepy and my husband got a lump in his throat while reading it. It's just a perfect book for us-- it captures our joy at our daughter's birthday and our nostalgia for the past year. Since it covers the little girl's first several birthdays, it also gives us a chance to look forward to birthdays to come. I'm so glad I happened upon it, and I'm now purchasing a copy to keep.

I have now found the perfect book to give to all of my friends and family members on the special occasion of the birth of a new baby! Cynthia Rylant's 'Birthday Presents' is a touching story about the beauty of family traditions. As a new baby comes into their life, the parents make each birthday special by giving meaningful, non-commercial, oral traditon gifts to their child as she grows up. Each year the whole family revels in the pleasures of the heartwarming tokens. As the child grows older, she realizes how wonderful it is to share important memories. The family is setting up lasting traditions that create a sense of belonging and a sense of joy. Finally, the little girl continues the tradition by giving the parents a very special gift for their anniversary. I wholeheartedly reccommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Let me begin by stating my credentials: I know as much about soccer as I know about knitting, which is to say I know very little. Sportswriter Chuck Culpepper knew just a little more than I when he moved to England and decided to become a fan of the Premier League.

During the first part of "Bloody Confused" Culpepper belabors the point that he was suffering from burnout from watching and interviewing pampered American athletes. The fun really begins when the writer allows the reader to get past this and move on to Culpepper's introduction to the Premiership and how he decides which team he is going to adopt as his very own so that he can once again be a "fan."

Reading this book made me want to go to England and begin following the Premiership teams. The idea of traveling the country by train to see the "four mastodons" playing Goliath to the other teams' David sounds great. Watching teams trying to stave off "relegation" sounds very exciting. And watching teams from lower leagues trying to "play up" to achieve Premiership status sounds fantastic.

I'm not sure how "Bloody Confused" will be accepted by people who are already knowledgeable Premiership fans, but it left me wanting to get on the train to go see Portsmouth play Chelsea.

I'm almost done with this book but I already know that I would recommend this book to any soccer fan, and especially any Premiership fan! It's great to read about all the events to go on during a game in the stands. All of the Non-soccer information is also great to read about!

It was a sad day in Kentucky when Chuck Culpepper left us for Oregon. Worse, even, when he left our shores for England. But, hallelujah, he has written a book for us thirsty souls who enjoyed his writing on every sporting event his editors sent him on, and events non-sporting. Being a typical American who loves her football, the eleven-man type, the English soccer scene seems twisty (tournaments during the regular season?) but oddly familiar, too, with the descriptions of the fans of the teams. We need to sing more, it seems, to bring us even with our brethren. Wish I could have met the Blue Bear and sat in Portsmouth's home pitch and heard the die hards sing. This is Culpepper at his best, literate, readable and genuinely amazed at what he sees. I'll read it again and again until he gives us another.

This is a very entertaining book and is fascinating to read how an American sports writer learns to love sports again after discovering the English Premiership. This book is great for anyone who loves soccer, sports in general and is an Anglophile . I recommend this book to die hard soccer fans and people who are looking to learn more about the beautiful game. I will probably even read this again it was so enjoyable.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book. Culpepper's trademark brand of literate humor is put to optimal use as he gives the uninitiated American a real sense of the importance of the Premiership, not only to English sports fans but to England itself. Having waited for the book's U.S. release for several weeks, I purchased a copy immediately and finished it in one (very satisfying) sitting. Highly recommended.

Overall I think that any member of the horse show "short stirrup" division would like this book because it's all about people their age (roughly ages 6-12).

The book introduces all of the characters and deals with how young riders moving to a new barn can adjust and "fit in." The three girls and two boys compete in English riding competitions with their ponies in a book series that is much better than the currently available "Pony Pals" series. The humor and drive for fun and safety really shows, especially because the author is a riding instructor in real life.

this is a geart book!!! i am getting a horse and thay teach me some things about horses. my favorite person is chloe. and then i like keith thay are my favorite.

It is kewl and has adventure, live, fun and sadness all jam packed into it. I give it top marks!

Late in the nineteenth century northern England, Hector Stewart decides that two years as a widower is enough. He announces to his children, Pattie and Daniel, that he plans to remarry. His bride to be is a wealthy Irish relative, Moira Conelly, whose father happen to be his father's half-cousin. Hector expects Moira to bring money as a dowry that he can use on their failing farm.

Moira wed Hector to escape her home, but she honestly thought she married a wealthy landowner. In spite of the lack of new capital, at first everyone is happy with the marriage as Moira adds a dimension of happiness into their lives. However, over the years as the family fiscal crisis worsens and Moira seems to be in a constant state of pregnancy, Hector blames everyone, including the "deceitful" Moira, for his troubles. How will the lack of nurturing from the angry, cold Hector impact everyone else in the family, especially as they reach out for love?

THE DESERT CROP is the last novel from the great Catherine Cookson, who passed away last year. However, the story is a tribute to the talent of one of the hall of famers of romance writing. The story line is vintage Cookson, taking place in her usual time and universe, and involving individuals and a family struggling to cope with pending disaster. The characters are somewhat simplistic, but perhaps that is where the charm of Ms. Cookson lies as their motives are easy to understand. Fans of the deceased superstar have a gold medal final novel of love redeemed.

Harriet Klausner

God bless her. She will be missed. I have loved her works for over 20 years and this one is as good as it gets.

Cookson has been writing historical fiction for over forty years and I have been reading it for close to thirty. After her death in 1998 her estate released this last book. As always she gives us strong characters with loving ways, drama, death, murder, class struggles, and even a bit of lust and loving along the way.

Set in Northeast England we are entertained by the comings and goings of the Stewart family. Patti the rebellious daughter, and Daniel the subservient son, manipulated by a father Hector Stewart who is evil and pathetic. After their mother's death, Hector finds he hasn't the money to run the farm, so is forced to marry an Irish woman with the promise of an inheritance.

I love how Cookson is able to take the reader into her world and make you want to return to it. Even after years without one of her books, I find myself drawn to them, like a renewal of something wonderful never to be forgotten. She will be sorely missed. Kelsana 9/24/01

I enjoyed reading this book. It takes the reader behind the scenes and shows how much effort goes before and behind the actual game. It was a wonderful
reminder of the fun I have when I get to attend a women's basketball game.
Virgil A. Place, M.D.

As an avid fan of college women's basketball for almost thirty years, I found this book enjoyable on several levels. First, it was enlightening to learn some of what it's like inside a national powerhouse women's basketball program; the author's stories brought me inside the excitement of a well respected program. Secondly, the chapters are about Stanford, a university recognized for its scholarship; it grows scholars who happen to be athletes. The narratives about recruitment, coursework, and balance of student and athlete were informative. Thirdly, the details about the boosters who built the Fast Break Club itself were funny and touching. The author brought me along for the ride when she took a tour of the PAC-10 schools, and I was inside the hearts of boosters who traveled in sickness and in health to support their teams, no matter the weather or the time zone.

And finally, the author is a good writer and storyteller, her chapters and narratives flow well, the many photos add to the book, and I didn't want to put the book down. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in women's basketball. If you don't have a team to cheer for before you start the book, you will want to find one after you finish reading it!

Boosters Always Win! The Fans of Women's Basketball is a very engaging personal account of how a small group of people banded together to form what has become a very dynamic, educational, and highly effective booster organization that contributes enormously to the Women's Basketball program at Stanford University.
Harriet Benson has succeeded in giving little snapshots into behind the scene issues of what it took to develop The Fast Break Club, it's struggles, how it might best serve the program, it's future. For those who have followed the team, this is a bit of a trip down memory lane. It's a great read for anyone connected with the team or anyone interested in forming a booster organization to support any group.
The Fast Break Club now has a life of its own that nurtures not only the program, the players, the coaches, but the boosters as well. "If you build it they will come", and indeed they did!

I loved this story! It was interesting. I love the whole series and I wish they were still around.

The series is out of print and the phone number on the last page of each book which kids are encouraged to call to join the book club has been sold. It is now a phone sex line.

This book set is just awesome. The Magic Attic Club Books are great for any 9-12 year old that loves adventures starring girls their age. Alison, Heather, Keisha, and Megan a four friends that blong to a club. Their club meets at a neighbor's attic, in which there is a magical mirror and a trunk of costumes. The girl try the costumes on and pose in fromt of the mirror. Then they are transformed to another place and time. Share their adventures when you dive into these wonderful books!

The Unicorns want to get Ellen with the guys they picked for her. Ellen pretends to be someone she's not. They have a fight when this Tropical Storm comes up,when it becomes firece,It turns into a hurricane. Ellen is out in the storm. Curtis Bowman and her have taken shelter in a cave,and probably saved her life. The Unicorns are at the hotel,which is being ripped apart by the storm. Ellen and Curtis missed their boat,when the Unicorns and the others go back to the boat.

This story is about 5 girls who win a cruse called Carribian Queen.
4 of the girls want to set up their friend Ellen to find her a boyfriend.They
decide for Ellen to have their boyfriends.Ellen trys so hard
to meet with each of them at a certin time of day,but she likes some other guy who the Unicorns do not think is right for her.Who will Ellen pick to be her boyfriend in the end.I realy enjoyed this book.It taught me to
always do what you think is right.

I thought that this book was fantastic. I laughed so hard when I was reading it. The way that Ellen chose to follow her heart was great

Fascinating and thoroughly researched book that explains a complex medical subject in words that are familiar to ordinary folk. The book is divided into two sections. The first part examines the impact of malaria on immune-naive people (soldiers in this book, but could as well be anybody in a malaria-free country, and the second part concentrates on how the military establishment has focused resources into understanding and controlling this global menance.

This book gives a comprehensive insight into how malaria has shaped our history - especially through effects on expeditions to malaria zones. It surely emerges from some serious investigative medical journalism that differentiates between the myths from reality about malaria. The book presents the medical, epidemiological and technical insights on the various historical accounts as if in an encyclopaedia and yet it still reads so easy as a novel. It would be an excellent surprise present for a veteran of one of the wars or someone travelling to any of the malaria zones, soldiers (particularly commanders and trainers), medics and paramedics, development workers, medical historians and epidemiologists. It is amazing to see how and why the military in some developed countries have lead medical advances! The book is all you will need to differentiate the myths from facts about malaria!

An incredible perception into a disease that threatens half the world's population. Although its major thrust is on highlighting the impact of malaria on military campaigns and vice versa, the seriousness of the disease in malaria endemic regions is not lost to the reader. Outside the depressing statistics, the book is written in a witty style that guarantees the reader remains generously entertained. And there is a wealth of historical anecdotes, for example: "If you mentioned the name Ferdinand de Lesseps in the latter part of the nineteenth century among those who understood what global economy was all about, you were bound to have heads turning. First to tell you that this was a brilliant man who had excavated the Suez Canal, and then to go on in subdued voices that he was probably the richest entrepreneur of the age - a nineteenth century Bill Gates." And the book also succeeds in highlighting why the rich west (not famous for its malaria!)should not drag its feet in the search for the ultimate cure since "dyanism of movement globalizes malaria". An informative and well-written book that will keep the reader entertained.

I am a serious golfer. As of this writing, I'm currently at a 7 hdcp and have played for many years. Of my many golf books, this is the one I go back to the most. Although it is my favorite, it isn't the best organized book I've seen. It is loosely organized and isn't always easy to find what you are looking for when you go back to review. But this is the only criticism I have.

This book is not for the beginner unless that beginner is very disciplined. There is a ton of great information, but it can be overwhelming. To get the most out of it, I recommend reading sections of it at a time and not getting caught up with reading it from cover to cover as fast as you can. It's a book to be savored and gone back to many times.

Mr. Hebron demonstrates not just an incredibly deep understanding of the golf swing, he also has spent many years learning how people learn. His writing style seems to be scattered at times, but this is mostly because he attempts to communicate in all the predominant learning styles. Because of this, you'll inevitably find passages that you will resonate very deeply with, while others may leave you indifferent.

One of my teachers calls Mike Hebron "the pros pro". Given the depth of this work, you'll see why this is true. This guy obviously spent his time and energy deepening his understanding of the game through many years of study and teaching and not marketing himself. He is not very well know except among other professionals. This book is a must for the serious player.

The video/DVD by the same name is also excellent (Volume 1 is just Mike chatting by a fire. Volume 2 is where all the good stuff is.)

I read it, I pull it out every season and I'm wearing out the pages. This is THE reference book for any golfer who wants to be able to fix it themselves when they are in trouble on the course.

This is one of the best golf books I've ever read, I strongly recomend it to all students of the game. Each of the three sections of the book (Golf Mind, Golf Body, Golf Swing) are superbly written, there are facts and information here which would help the average golfer immediately. Whilst for the more experienced golfer there is everything you need to know, his research and knowledge is outstanding, he leaves nothing out. Also for the real golfing enthusiast you shouldn't miss his notes on the "The Golfing Machine" the 1969 book by Homer Kelly. All I can say is that my students benefit from each golf lesson that I give, thanks to Mike Hebron.

I really enjoyed this book! Nora, the loving aunt/sister in-law/ bookstore owner/loyal friend is a clever sleuth and a charming character. She helps her nephew "Sherlock", the Chief of Detectives, solve several murders involving people she cared about. I really enjoyed the small ,friendly town that is much like my own. Nora's devotion to her family and friends reminded me of my Italian American family, especially her Christmas gathering at her home! The many recipies were an extra treat.
Several student murders occur among the local college student body, many of whom frequent Nora's bookstore/ coffee bar "Leaves of Grass." The cause appears to be drug-related. There are several likely suspects, and the guilty party is not easily identifiable.
This book combines the "cozy mystery" and the realistic, suspenceful drama elements.I thought the black and white photos add a "film noir" flavor and really help to better identify with the characters.Nora is someone I would like to know personally! I hope there will be more books featuring Nora and company.

Reading Tony Vellela's charming mystery was like spending time with an old friend. The story takes place in a college town (and who doesn't remember the complex relationships that are the hallmark of our youth?), filled with interesting, well-drawn characters, comfortably inhabiting the town's skin. The mystery is fun and suspenseful, without the gore of many of today's writers. Mr. Vellela has the light touch of a Mary Higgins Clark. For a good, suspenseful read that takes you back to your youth (or if you're still young, that may mirror your own life now), I recommend that you get a copy. It transported me to a sweet vision of small-town America. It's a wonderfully safe place to live for a while - unless you turn up dead, of course!

I truly enjoyed By Book or by Crook by Tony Vellela. He was able to create for me a believable college town setting, whose routine is shattered by multiple murders. Aunt Nora and nephew Sherlock have to see beyond their familial relationship and work together to solve the crimes, something they both find difficult to accomplish. Nora runs a bookstore cafe, and mothers all her college clientele, while Michael (Sherlock) is the Chief of Detectives of a small town police force. Both the victims and the suspects are regulars at the cafe, so Nora's involvement in solving the crimes is essential. I didn't figure out who did it, but Nora did.