Women Books


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Women Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Women
Self Talk, Soul Talk: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself
Published in Paperback by Harvest House Publishers (2007-09-01)
Author: Jennifer Rothschild
List price: $12.99
New price: $7.56
Used price: $7.24
Collectible price: $12.99

Average review score:

Soul Talk is good for the Soul
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-19
This book is great and perfect for someone like me who gets bogged down in the negative self talk. Jennifer Rothschild does a great job of identifying the problems and offering scriptural solutions. Great book that speaks to my soul and is a perfect small group study!

Self Talk, Soul Talk
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-30
Great book. Jennifer is excellent at taking a woman's thoughts and relaying them in such a way that you can understand what God wants for you. Women need positive affirmations and what better way than to apply God's own words to help us become the woman he desires.

Soul Talk Self Talk
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-29
I received this book as a Christmas gift and read it once. I am now reading it a second time. Not only is Jennifer's writing easy to follow, but it is so interesting, real and applicable to every aspect of our lives. I have most of the pages marked with notes. I plan to read it over and over until I am living and breathing it!!!! I have given several copies out and recommended it to several people as well.

A Must Have
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-29
This book exceeding even what I was expecting. I have already purchased three additional copies for others. It is a definite must for every woman. Jennifer teaches the importance of what we allow into our "thought closet" and making sure that only TRUTH resides there! It is an easy read but a powerful one. As soon as I finished, I started reading back over my "highlights" to allow the truths to sink in. This book is a must have!

Awesome truths for your soul
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-29
I have truly enjoyed this book and been uplifted by the message. I love how Jennifer takes the truth of Gods word and shows us how it applies today to our daily walk and to our thought process. Women can be hard on themselves almost daily, and I love how Jennifer reminds us of how important it is to see ourselves the way God sees us and to speak the words that have already been laid out for us in His word- words of life! I am so encouraged to begin applying what I've learned and so excited to share it with others. I have already bought this book for 3 girlfriends and I think it is such a great book, I plan to buy more as gifts for each girlfriend in my life.

Women
Seven Sisters (Beeler Large Print Mystery Series)
Published in Hardcover by Thomas T. Beeler Publisher (2003-02)
Author: Earlene Fowler
List price: $28.95
Used price: $10.00

Average review score:

enjoyable read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-17
Seven Sisters is quite an enjoyable read. This book introduces some new characters to the Benni Harper series and makes for an mildly suspenseful read.

Fabulous Story of Murder, Love, and Jealousy Set on California's Central Coast
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-15
"Seven Sisters" is the seventh novel in the Benni Harper series. Benni Harper, a lifelong resident of the mythical Central california Coast town of San Celina, is a former cowgirl, a quilter, and now has a job as the curator of San Celina's folk art museum. Benni, who was widowed when her first husband died in a car accident, has been married to San Celina's cheif of police Gabe Ortiz for several years at the time of this story.

The story starts off with a bang when Gabe's nineteen-year-old son Sam tells Benni and Gabe that his girlfriend is pregnant, and they plan to marry. The story rapidly becomes very complicated when the identity of Sam's girlfriend is revealed. She is Bliss Girard, one of Gabe' rookie policewomen and, more importantly, a grand-daughter of the Brown family, one of the town's oldest and most powerful families. When one of the extended members of the Brown family is murdered at the engagement party for Sam and Bliss, the family struggles with the realization that there is most likely a murderer among them. As the police search for the murderer, the Brown family tries to keep all their secrets hidden. And Benni Harper struggles with trying to maintain a balance between her natural sleuthing capabilities and her role as the police chief's wife and future mother-in-law to one of the Brown family grand-daughters. Benni also experiences more than a touch of jealousy when Gabe's gorgeous ex-wife Lydia comes to San Celina to meet her son's fiancee.

The California setting is richly described with the conflicts between cattle ranching, horse racing, and grape growing.

Once I started this book, I couldn't put it down. As I mentioned above, "Seven Sisters" is the seventh book in this series but it was the first one that I've read. What a happy discovery to find a whole new series with a wonderful setting and a richly developed cast of characters. I'm looking forward to reading all the other books in this series!

Seven Sisters is a page turner
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-19
I started reading the Benni Harper mysteries "in the middle" of the series. I was hooked and immediately bought the whole series so I could follow the storyline thread. Her stories are very different from other mysteries with "predictable" plots but if I were to expand on that, I'd give away the unfolding of the Seven Sisters story. Actually, Earlene Fowler has a marvelous gift for drawing one into the lives of her characters. She makes me laugh, and provokes a "being there" frustration (empathic with Benni's frustration)with the events. Her stories are not all nice and neat - hey, life isn't nice and neat. But they aren't what I would call icky, gruesome and gory either. If she has written a series of "chick-lit" mysteries, it's chick-lit at it most fun. Her subject matter is also fascinating as a learning experience. That's from a fan who is nearly as old as Dove! Don't pull just one book (such as Seven Sisters) from the series - start at the beginning and become part of the community - flawed tho it may be. It's laugh-out-loud funny, snuggle-up-under a quilt comfort, confusing and unnerving chaos - and an absolutely marvelous read (even if, but please don't, read out of the series order). I'm so glad I discovered Benni Harper and her family and friends!

Love her!!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-03
I love this series -- I am an unabashed fan. Even though I figured out the mystery very early on, I still enjoyed it very much.

This book is the rare mystery where the murderer never gets a legal comeuppance.

--Old family secrets--
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-20
This is the seventh book in the Benni Harper mystery series and takes place in San Celina, California.

Benni Harper the curator of the local folk art museum and her husband Police Chief Gabe Ortiz seem to have worked out a lot of their earlier marital problems when Sam, Gabe's son tells them that his girlfriend Bliss is pregnant. Bliss, happens to be a member of the very wealthy and influential Brown family.

Both families seem to rally around the young couple and even Gabe's beautiful ex-wife appears for the first time in this series. At a party celebrating Bliss and Sam's engagement, a Brown relative is found murdered. Benni tries not to become involved in the case, but is forced into helping by Ford Hudson the officer in charge of the homicide investigation.

This interesting story is a little darker than the other mysteries that Benni had been involved with and takes us into the tangled web of old family secrets and the truth about the seven sisters.

Women
Three Little Words: A Memoir
Published in Paperback by Simon Pulse (2009-05-05)
Author: Ashley Rhodes-Courter
List price: $9.99
New price: $9.99

Average review score:

disturbing yet hopeful
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-05
Three Little Words is one girl's disturbing true journey through forgottenness, abuse and multiple foster homes. Hope IS found finally, but the process before that is heartbreaking, infuriating and senseless.
I was inspired by this girl's candor and courage, as well as by the power of CASAs and GALs to redeem lost kids.

A Must Read.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-29
Excellent. A book that you can't put down. A must read for those concerned about our children in the American foster care system.

required reading for social work students
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-28
Excellent book that describes what is both wrong and right with the foster care system. Reading this book should be a requirement for all social work students. This book is one of those "hard-to-put-down" books that is both informative and enjoyable.

A story that is changing America
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-22
From a person who has experienced it all, Ashley Rhodes-Courter has shown America the dirty, underlying truth. Everything from speeches to her book, Three Little Words, Ashley has made a difference in the minds and souls of Americans.

This deathly true book has the reader on their toes with every page. Ashley explains her past and all the families she has had to put up with. Yes, even those that treated her terribly. Ashley tells about the first time her and her brother where separated from their mother and other family members. As she grows older in the foster care system, the reader follows Ashley through her highs and lows, good families and bad, and everything in between. Until one day, Ashley finds a family that wants her. These new parents help her through every problem. With two other boys in the family, Ashley's new parents find room in their hearts for one more. But sooner than Ashley thought, the day comes that she has to make that dreadful choice... three little words that will change her life forever. Those three little words you will have to read to find out, along with all the other mysteries in her life.

I would recommend this book to any one who loves to read about something that is holding back so many children. It has a mind changing plot and a heart warming ending that will catch any reader's attention. It will also change the mind of the reader and help those who want to speak out against the traitors.

A wonderful book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-30
I purchased this book thru my book club i am a child who grew up in foster care and Ashely's story mirrored my own. I could not put this book down. I read it in one sitting.

Women
Turning Heads: Portraits of Grace, Inspiration, and Possibilities
Published in Paperback by Press On Regardless (2006-05-28)
Author:
List price: $29.95
New price: $18.18
Used price: $6.85
Collectible price: $29.95

Average review score:

Life Goes On...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-27
"Turning Heads" is a book that seems to provoke different emotions in all its readers. To me, it is a reminder that life goes on whatever is thrown your way. Their baldness is reminder of what the women in Hunsicker's book are dealing with, still they find ways to continue living their normal, or not so normal, lives.

Beautiful People
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-26
I am so thrilled to be able to have this book in my home. The people it represents are so strong and couragious. I was glad to see that so many wonderful photographers took place in this cause. A nice coffee table book. My friends come over and they always are a bit sceptical in looking at the book, but once the first page is turned...they are intralled. I'm not sure why the picture was chosen for the cover page...I didn't enjoy this picture as much as many inside. Enjoy this book and all it stands for.

Turning Heads
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-11
I LOVE this book! I stumbled upon it during my chemotherapy for breast cancer and I was inspired by the beauty and courage of the women photographed, in fact, I scheduled a photo session with an artist I know to take photos of me without hair....it was empowering to stand bare and beautiful before the camera. I heartily recommend this book.

This Book Has Changed My Life
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-29
The beautiful and powerful messages the photos exuded from the pages of this book triggered a life altering change in me. I am a bald woman afflicted with Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (Scarring Alopecia). Although, I acquired my bald crown for a different reason than the beautiful and courageous women in this book, it helped me to realize that I was not the only woman who understood the day in the life a bald women in our society. In and of itself, that's a pretty heavy crown to carry each day. More importantly, the images and stories about these women, who were afflicted with cancer, and were bald, taught me a huge lesson. I was amazed with how beautiful these women looked in the photos despite the fact that they were diagnosed with a disease such as cancer. The images in these photos portrayed beautiful visions of hope, strength, intelligence, grace and inspiration. The purchase of this book changed how I viewed myself as a bald woman. There was the "Me" before the purchase of this book and the "Me" after this book. The book can give anyone afflicted with a life altering change the encouragement and inspiration they are searching for. Thank you for this book.

Fabulous Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-22
I highly recommend this inspirational book for anyone going through Chemotherapy. It is a book of women showing their bald heads and describing their experiences in short summaries. If you know anyone going through Chemo, buy it.

Women
Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach to Caring for Yourself and Your Children
Published in Paperback by Allen & Unwin (2003-09-01)
Author: Sarah Napthali
List price: $15.95
New price: $9.27
Used price: $8.12

Average review score:

The most compelling motherhood read...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-15
Wow! At last! Someone finally has the guts to tell all. Being a foreigner in the USA, I often find that women are very socially conditioned, they too often do not speak their mind, but instead stick to revealing only that which is socially acceptable. Very frustrating! The minute I opened this book, I felt one with Sarah. In such a gentle yet wise way she is so open about her shortcomings, feelings and experiences - it was as if I myself were writing this book. Amazing! And for anyone looking to explore Buddhism, this is such an informative non-lecturing gentle approach. I would recommend this book to any mother, regardless of religion or faith. It is the most compelling motherhood and mothering book I have ever bought and am already ordering copies for others that I know!

Fantastic read for all women
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-12
Buddism for Mothers is fantastic for keeping you grounded. Its honesty is refreshing as it feels like I am talking to a girlfriend. We can all relate to the bad days and not handling situations as well as we should have. Buddism for Mothers has lifted my spirit, given me courage to keep going when I thought I couldn't and confirmed that I am a good person doing the best I can in a difficult job. I have recommended this book to older women, friends with kids and to a friend that doesn't have children yet. The advice is practical, helpful,insightful and empowering.

food for the soul
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-28
I loved this book, it was really beautifully written, Sarah has a lovely style of writing. Her own personal stories were my favourite parts of the book but this book is much more about how to enrich our everyday lives with buddhism. The principles are outlined simply and applied to the painfully banal trials of parenting with compassion and humour. Forget any religious leanings, I recommend this book to all mothers.

down to earth!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-21
I have read a few books on Buddhism and this is the first book to acknowledge the unique role that many women have taken on. Practicing Buddhism and raising a three year old son can at times be challenging (well maybe all the time!) and this point is recognized throughout the entire book. I highly recommend this book for anyone, moms or dads, who is interested in a realistic approach to practicing Buddhism and raising a family.

Essential reading for Moms
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-07
I am not a Buddhist, although there is much about the religion that I think can help us in everyday life. I picked up this book more for the tips on parenting than to learn more about Buddhism. For this reason I only skimmed through the initial and final chapters which are more about Buddhism, and concentrated on the segments in the middle.

What I particularly like about this book is that is very upfront about how difficult and lonely parenting can sometimes feel. Sarah Napthali (and the other women whom she quotes) are very frank about the times when they've been angry with their children or partners, when they've felt depressed or anxious or when they just fail to enjoy parenting as much as they'd like to. It's clear that being a Buddhist doesn't mean that you never feel these difficult emotions, just that you work on not giving in to them. Because this book is written in such an unjudgemental and empathetic way, I found it very inspiring. I think this should be required reading for every mother!

My only critique really is that the book is too topline. Although Napthali does give a handy list of techniques to help you parent in a more calm way, I found that some of them were more headlines than how to-s. The book also includes a chapters on topics like concerns about ageing and relationships with your partner and while these were interesting I would have preferred her to spend more time on parenting issues.

Nevertheless, it's a fabulous book to keep on your bedside table. I liked to read a few pages and reflect back at the end of the day.

Women
Cold Rock River
Published in Hardcover by Cumberland House Publishing (2006-09-01)
Author: J. L. Miles
List price: $22.95
New price: $14.22
Used price: $13.50
Collectible price: $25.00

Average review score:

TRUE SOUTHERN FICTION
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-07
As an avid reader of southern fiction, i really got swept into this book and couldn't put it down. I felt like i was in this story observing everything that took place. At some points it was like recalling parts of my own childhood. This is a great book!!!

Great Story
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-30
Loved the characters so much I hated to see it end. Almost wish I could catch up with them while sipping sweet tea while rocking on the porch on a hot summer day.

Good story, but beware...
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-31
beware... don't read the jacket description first. I can not even believe how much of the story is outlined in the description. I think I would've enjoyed the story a bit more had I not read the inside jacket.

I did enjoy this book. It was a quick read with characters that I cared about. There are lots of little surprises in the story that keep you interested. This is the first book I've read of Miles, and I plan to purchase the other she has out.

Gripping, a page turner!
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-29
I recommend this book. It was so interesting-it had so many plot twists that I couldn't put it down.

Adie reads the journal of a slave girl, Tempe. The journal was so gripping because it chronicled the horrible things that happenend to Tempe. After "the freedom" came, Tempe was able to enjoy her life because of her strong strength of character. Adie gains strength from the journal and is able to come to terms with a family tragedy that happened when she was 7.

Moved to the Top of my All Time Favorite List
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-28
As a born and bred Southern belle, I love Southern fiction, but as a former teacher and life-long reader, I'm picky about what I give five star ratings to. I picked up a copy of Cold Rock River, and to my husband's exasperation was still reading at 3 AM, because I couldn't put it down. The characters tug at your heartstrings, the action keeps you turning pages as fast as you can read, and you almost want to cry when you realize the book is almost over. In the spirit of Lee Smith's Fair and Tender Ladies and Robert Morgan's Gap Creek, this one is destined to become a favorite of all Southern fiction addicts. I just picked up a copy of her Roseflower Creek and can't wait to get started on it. I even wrote to the author and begged for more books!

Women
Dirty Martini
Published in Kindle Edition by Hyperion (2007-07-03)
Author: J.A. Konrath
List price: $23.95
New price: $7.99

Average review score:

Does Not Disappoint
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-09
This series of books is great. Just wish they would come out closer together. I will continue to read them as they do get published. I like them as well as Sue Grafton stories.

A Breezy, Thrilling Read!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-29
The thing that J.A. Konrath does exceptionally well is move a story right along. And he does it with wit and style in 'Dirty Martini.' Danger lurks on nearly every page, as a maniac is poisoning grocery stores and restaurants in and around Chicago, which has the police department stumped.

Yet another in his 'Jack' Daniels mysteries series, 'Dirty Martini' is a short, quick read, reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen in many ways. Konrath, like I've said, knows how to get to the meat of the story and doesn't waste time with a great deal of internal monologue or explanation of character motives.

Which is great but can, at times, leave you wondering why they would do things that are so brash. It almost makes you wonder if it's to do the dreaded move-the-plot-along thing. I don't think it works to the detriment of the novel, on the whole, however. Most, if not all, of the characters, are brash and headstrong and so their actions fit well into the story.

Overall, Dirty Martini is a wonderfully entertaining genre novel.

A stiff shot of Jack
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20
J.A. does it once again with Dirty Martini! I have yet to even finish the book and this is surely one of his best to date. Funny. Surprising. Vicious. Scary. I defy you to go out and eat at a chain buffet after getting halfway through this book.

Oh, and you could say I have so much faith in this book that I'm comfortable making an appearance in it. That's right, you'll find me on pages 108-114. I'm the police officer with the motor scooter who gets into an unfortunate (and stinky) accident.

Buy this! Buy this! Buy this!

A police thriller
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-04
Lieutenant Jacqueline "Jack" Daniels of the Chicago police is given command of a task force to deal with the Chemist, a deranged individual who is poisoning food in grocery stores and restaurants. He is demanding two million dollars from the city, but his real mission may be something else. Nobody is safe. Deaths seem to be occurring randomly, but are they really random.

The case winds forward to a conclusion as "Jack" searches for the identity of the killer and deals with personal attacks on herself. A family matter is added in along the way.

The novel is light reading and a somewhat quick read. It is 282 pages at 32 lines to a page, divided into a prologue, 47 short chapters, and an epilogue. Some zany characters are added in along the way, and some scenes are a bit far out, like the police helicopter at the end. Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will probably like this novel. Readers looking for more serious literature will probably find it a bit lightweight.

Best One Yet!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-19
Over the last year or so J.A. Konrath has become one of my favorite authors to read. He has a great way of making his characters stand out, and adds a great mix of humor, horror, and thrill to all his novels. I really enjoy reading the Jack Daniels series and have read all four so far, and look forward to reading all the future titles. This in my opinion is the best book of the series to date. I can definitely tell that JA is getting better at the writers craft the more work he produces. You will definitely want to check this title out! Happy Reading!

Women
Faith in the Valley
Published in Kindle Edition by Fireside Books (2004-01-07)
Author: Iyanla Vanzant
List price: $11.99
New price: $9.59

Average review score:

IN my PURSE...ALL the TIME!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-20
In. My. Purse.

All. The. Time.

Seriously ---- This book is amazing. It has a permanent home in my purse... (it's not too small, not too big - just right) And I use it almost daily....or at least a few times per week. Sometimes I'm in a bad place and need a quick inspirational message, and sometimes I just feel like feeling better about something....Whatever the reason, you will LOVE THIS BOOK. I ordered 5 more after I got it to give to friends and family...that's how much I love it. I know when some open it they will think "ummm....ok..?" at first....but they end up thanking me later.

GET THIS BOOK you wont be sorry!

helps you get through what you're going through
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-08
this book has been so helpful at valuable to me so many tough times like i'm going through now. the messages are short but powerful. this book will certainly help you restore your peace. like another poster said mine is getting worn out.

Touches a Point
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-30
Each time my spirt is down, or I'm going through a situation, I turn to this book. I hold the book in my right hand by its spine, fan the pages with my left hand to stop at randum. The passages I've read, I have felt its deep spirtual feeling and I understand its meaning. Then I reflect on my situation and the passage fits. It helps me to understanding whats going on. It uplifts my spirit to deal with my situation. It give me insight to view my problem from a different angle. It also assures me that what I am currently going through will end. I will get through it. In my view, its a powerfull book. I have read several other books by Iyanla, even watched her talk show (sorry that went off the air), but like the bible, I keep Faith In The Valley near by.

GET THIS and GIVE THIS to your favorite women:)
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-06
This is my FAVORITE book by Iyanla Vanzant because of: It's size(small enough for your tiny purse), its lack of preach-i-ness and how the index is organized by subject. I feel its a synopsis of all the subjects covered in her other books. I also feel the book is applicable to women of ALL cultures. You can use it as a daily guide or you can use the index to find a subject for which you could use guidance.

A great book for daily reflection
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-22
I can not express how insightful and helpful this book is! It really makes you look deep into the reason(s) why you thought you needed a book of affirmations in the first place. This book is perfect for those "why me" and "I really can't take any more" moments when you feel like life, and everything in it, needs to give you a break. If you're a woman experiencing a lot of change in your life and it seems like you just can't handle another crisis (or is it a crisis afterall?), this is the book for you. I carry it in my purse!

Women
The Folk Keeper/Fantasy
Published in Paperback by Aladdin (2002-06-01)
Author: Franny Billingsley
List price: $2.99
Used price: $0.59

Average review score:

A wonder!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-11
In this tale of tallow candles and turning tides, Corinna Stonewall, keeps her silences, knowing the power of them. In her skin ticks the beat of a timepiece, in her belly is a familiar emptiness from saving her food to feed "the folk", a band of magical beings, all teeth and mischief. As the folk keeper, a job Corinna secured without apprenticeship but by running off the real Corin and buying what knowledge she could get through eavesdropping at the market and doing other boys' chores.

Those days are gone though. Corinna has stopped traveling from home to home and has settled at her place in the cellar when a group of nobles arrives, looking for...Corinna. Though she cuts her hair each morning (it grows two inches every night) and eats little to nothing, she cannot always hide her gender. Even more interesting is the deathbed pact one of the visitors makes with her, having her promise to be a lady of his house. Instead, Corinna secures the place of folk keeper at the new estate, a job no one can take away from her.

The northern isles reveal things Corinna never knew about herself: she his hungry, eating fish right out of the waves, she grows soft in heart, becoming friends with the young man of the house and worst of all, she cannot control the wild folk of the north, who take their strength from stone and sea.

This is an unforgettable story full of imagination, betrayal, secrets and strength. In the darkest pit, Corinna discovers her true identity and with it, her power. The reader finds her own power and place along the way too. Not to be missed.

Amazing, fantastical world!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-06
This was a wonderfully written fantasy novel. I immediately fell in love with the main character and her world. I would highly recommend it to kids *and* adults!

The Folk Keeper
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-18
Interesting read. Certainly a different writing style. Difficult to hold my interest until late in the book. It shows great imagination. It is not a casual read.

Beware of the Grues
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-12-16
In the old Zork video games were these nasty critters called grues. If you went into the caverns without a candle you'd likely be eaten by one, but you never encountered them in the light and had no idea what they looked like. Somehow, it was a lot spookier that way.

I'm not saying that Billingsley based her Folk off the Zorkian grues, but both were likely inspired by the same old legends about ravenous teeth lurking in the unknowable darkness.

Instead of avoiding the Folk, like a video game adventurer would, fifteen-year-old Corrina Stonewall seeks them out. Armed only with her courage and a collection of dubious charms, Corrina spends long hours in the cellar "tending" the Folk--that is to say, keeping a journal of what the ravenous creatures eat and providing a bit of herself on the occasions that they're still hungry.

Corrina has to pass at being a boy in order to keep this plum of a work assignment, but at least it's better than scrubbing floors.

As we get to know Corrina through her Folk journal, we discover that this Folk Keeper's gender is not her only secret. She also has strange abilities and a secret past that she herself does not even guess at. The writing is powerful and poetic, and the ending is sure to please.

If you read this book, make sure you have a nightlight handy in your bedroom. Or else, you might be eaten by a grue.

The Perfect Book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-13
I know there are a lot of books about girls pretending to be boys ( like the books by Tamora Pierce), but this one blows them all away, until only The Folk Keeper stands in all its glory on a podium made of gold.
Now, I did not think I would ever read a perfect fantasy book. Either the character is not fully developed or the writing style is boring/cheesy or it is bogged down with romance. After reading The Folk Keeper, I knew I had found the perfect book. Corinna is immediately a lovable character, a character you stand up for, that you know like the back of your hand. The plot is formed out of seemingly magical hands, spinning a tight web about you that you just can't break till the end. The end, I must tell you, is perfect, it is glorious, it gives you shivers on the back of your neck. And it's all because of the author's extraordinary writing style. Each word is perfectly placed, each scene completely vivid in your mind, until Corinna's world seems to be surrounding you on all sides -- until it is part of you, until you are part of it. I will say again: Do not stop with Tamora Pierce, thinking that no one could possibly write another good book about a girl disguised as a boy. Read The Folk Keeper(it is a million times better!!!). Enjoy!

Women
The Future Has a Past: Stories
Published in Hardcover by Doubleday (2000-10-24)
Author: J. California Cooper
List price: $23.95
New price: $6.74
Used price: $0.46
Collectible price: $23.95

Average review score:

I just love J California Cooper
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-20
I have all of her short story books and this one doesn't disappoint. I get so much energy and enthusiasm from reading about her downtrodden characters finding strength and purpose through loss and love (in that order). I know some are turned off by the poor ande desolate situations that many of her characters find themselves in...but keep reading, there is a lesson and triumph of the human spirit at the end of each story. I would pick up her other books as well. J California keep the short stories coming!

ON TAKING CHANCES, MAKING CHOICES
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-17
Truly, first impressions are lasting; from lust to disgust, they trigger a reaction, a judgement, a bias. But, if life teaches you anything sensible, it's that that first blush evaluation is more often skin deep, rather than the heart of the story.

My first encounter with J. California Cooper's writing--a title recommended by an acquaintance several years ago--was like a blind date with someone you swear's not your type. It was over practically at the beginning. All I recall of the book is that it didn't grab or impress me in those first ten pages, so I closed and dismissed it, and any thought of ever taking up this author again, from my mind.

So I try to be more expansive--go out of my way a little, be more patient, perceptive--as I grow older. THE FUTURE HAS A PAST was a selection of my local library's book club for adults. I balked at reading it--the reflex of a lasting impression!--at first, but then, because I wanted to be in on the discussion, decided, Why not? Why not give it a chance?

The worst thing you could say about the four longish-to-lengthy short stories here is that they come from an "old-fashioned" sensibility. Neither in tone, vision or perspective are any of these stories hinting at pragmatic, expedient or "moral relativist" values. No, sir and no, ma'am, Ms. Cooper offers no other than timeworn, tried-and-true life learned lessons.

The narrative tone she takes on is the front porch storyteller: a grandmotherly sort, or a real or "pretend" great-aunt, the kind who of an evening, gently rocking in a porch swing, might chitchat, or, better yet, regale you (if you were "grown" enough to appreciate it) with stories that edged on gossip, but were actually instructive, moral tales about how people, neighbors and friends even, handled their chances and choices. "Home truths" and downhome homilies gussied up as mini-biographies.

The literary landscape of these stories lies in the shadow of Zora Neale Hurston--the archetypal questions of how workingclass women empower or disable themselves, and just what do they settle or strive for--in territory between Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, between Toni Cade Bambara and Terry McMillan. By and about women, but not necessarily restricted to being for women.

There's the woman compelled to count her blessings when she compares her conventional life to the fettered and unfettered lives of her childhood friends. The young woman, enriched yet emotionally isolated by her mother, told she's ugly and unlovable so long and hard she believes it, who craves the opportunity to live and love. The hardworking single mother approaching middle age who's got to decide where her grown children's needs end and her own begin. The longsuffering comeuppance the young, single mother gives her "player" boyfriend, the would-be father of her children.

These are earnest, plainspoken stories--not without humor, and a tear or two of hard-earned pathos--that usually take a bit to get started, but are then mostly straightforward.

In a sense, this book provided conversation that engaged me. It also offered this man some sound advice about the real stuff of love and marriage, making a relationship right and workable. Stuff to think about, live by. It was worth that second look.

My first California Cooper book to read and I am smitten!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-05-03
This was my first reading of CC. I loved this book. It is a woman's book but men would learn a lot about how women think and feel if they read this book. The stories are sometimes sad, very very real--like what life is really like... I think Ms. Cooper is going to end up being one of my all-time favorite authors. I am a white woman who enjoys black writers, especially female writers. They can explain real life better than anyone else I have read.

The Future Has a Past
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-06
As with all of Coopers books, it is another page turner! Once you get started it is hard to put the book down. I have all of her books and in the process of reading Wake in The Wind. Each story in The Future Has a Past will have you on the edge of your seat waiting to turn the page! I would recommend any of her books to read! BRILLIANT!!!!

Always Superb!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-02-20
J. California Cooper has a gift for good writing! I really enjoyed all these short stories as much as her other ones. I can't say that I have a favorite because I enjoy them all equally! This one has more of a theme in all four stories. All the women were hard, hard-working women with children to raise and doing with it no-good men. However, they all were able to find love and it was true love. That is what I like about Ms. Coopers stories, they may be stories of strength and struggle, but love always conquers. I will always be a big fan of Ms. Coopers and I hope she has many more stories and novels to come.


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