Clubs Books

bang BANG is a really hot little story about how women might use sex
to change the world. As the victim of a street crime, Paula Sherman
organizes a bunch of women to fight against the guns on the streets
of Philadelphia. You'll have to read the book to get her tactics, but
the whole thing is hilarious while it asks a very serious question.
The other thing that I liked about this story was the dead-pan spoof
of the media. In the beginning, Paula is worked over by the local
media. Later on, she works over the national media (Oprah. Clint.) big
time.
bang BANG is action-packed and funny and the writing's great---
entertaining, intelligent, and definitely worth a read.

Lynn Hoffman's latest work bang BANG is an addicting example of how the author is hitting his literary stride. It takes an issue thats been controversial for quite some time (gun control/lack there of)and examines it in a passionate way without being preachy.
The heroine (Paula) in the story is a waitress at a Philadelphia restaurant who witnesses her friend getting shot in a random act of street violence. After an expected depression, the event propels Paula on a renegade of anti-gun crusading starting with shooting out windshields of cars bearing pro-gun stickers (which is so beautifully Philadelphia) and leading up to taking on a powerful right-wing senator. This all helps in Paula finding herself, something she thought would never happen.
The use of Cardoso, a neighbor and regular diner at Paula's restaurant, helps develop the story by offering an "in house narrative" of Paula quest. His journal entries offer nice juxtaposition and contribute to the book's "in your face, whether you like it or not" pace. Hoffman's sprinkling of restaurant whimsy and the romanticism of Philadelphia provide a deserving glimpse into his soul.
I look forward to seeing Hoffman develop as a Novelist and I'm intrigued to see what stops he pulls out next.

I mostly read modern novels. I like writers who really care about the language and write beautiful stuff without getting so in love with their words that you can't understand them.
I like guys like Chuck Palahniuk, Peter Clenott Hunting the King, and Martin Amis and Richard Price, George Martin A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3), Milan Kundera and Derek Armstrong, especially for The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur and MADicine. Now I have a new favorite writer to love. Lynn Hoffman weaves a magic spell. You start this book and you're completely lost in from the beginning to the end. During the action scenes I didn't take a breath until they were over.
She is a very special writer and I look forward to her next book.

One of the most briliant novels in the last few years. A tragic story interspersed with lots of humor, frizzy copy and nimble dialogs. A must-read.

Everybody talks about guns, the right and the wrong about having them, but nobody does anything about it. (So to speak.) Nobody except this author. His ingenious novel tells how one woman deals with guns. And the way she deals with it carries you through the pages with the greatest of ease. I can imagine novelists saying, "Why didn't I think of that?" Five shots. I mean 5 stars.

Mary Connealy has mastered the art of comedy in a Christian romance. Grace Calhoun is trying to teach her class when she is terrorized by five students--the Reeves brothers. They are rowdy and like to pull pranks, such as slipping a tack on her chair and hiding a snake in her drawer. This is how the book begins and it leads to her being fired and the boys thrown out of school. As if her day hadn't been bad enough, her abusive adopted father is in pursuit, so she runs and hides under a tarp in the wagon of guess who? You got it, Daniel Reeves, the father of the five little terrors.

A snowstorm prevents him from returning her and a parson comes to marry them (since he kept her in their cave overnight because she was too cold to go back right away). This leads to the hillarious set-up between Grace versus the Reeves men. As the winter progresses, she begins to fit in with the boys, but Daniel keeps her at arm's length, fighting his attraction for her in fear of getting her pregnant. His first wife died in childbirth, so he worries the same will happen to her. The tension between them because of this was very well done.

Mary Connealy did a masterful job of blending in humor, romance and suspense in a realistic Texas setting in 1867. I felt as if I was there and laughed at the boys' antics. You can't help but love them. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light and delightful read.

I adored Connealy's first book, Petticoat Ranch. If possible, I think I loved Calico Canyon even more. Connealy has a great sense of humor and just the right touch when it comes to comedic timing. I also love the blend of genres--how the book is historical, romantic, suspenseful and humorous. Connealy manages to pull all of those genres together and create a delightful story.

Mary Connealy has done it again. Another fun yet touching romp with kids, bad guys and romance. I loved this book even better than the first!

I won't try to summarize the story since others have done a great job of that. I just wanted to add how much I enjoyed Calico Canyon. I laughed, I cried, I sighed, my heart raced. Connealy does it all. A great read you won't want to miss. I can't wait for book 3!

I absolutely loved Petticoat Ranch so I had very high expectations for Calico Canyon. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I found this book to be even stronger than the first, which is saying something.

Mary Connealy knows her way around emotions. She can make you laugh out loud one minute and tug on your heart the next. In Grace and Daniel she's created two characters you love and root for, even while they are contemplating knocking each other silly. It's a match reminiscent of classic movie pairings like Tracy and Hepburn or Gable and Lombard. Grace and Daniel are just as much fun... and romantic.

She also has some interesting secondary story lines which will almost certainly pop up in her next book in the series, Gingham Mountain. While this book can stand alone, I think you'll enjoy it more if you read Petticoat Ranch first. Not only will you have a proper introduction to Grace, but you'll get to read another fast-paced and fun romance.

Grace Calhoun has a past she doesn't want to share. She has a new job teaching school in Mosqueros, Texas, and her biggest problem is loud-mouthed, aggravating widower, Daniel Reeves. He eventually gets her fired and she is stranded, with no place to go and no money. Then her abusive foster father arrives and threatens her. In a desperate attempt to escape, Grace jumps out the window and hides in the back of a wagon, not realizing it belongs to Daniel. He doesn't discover her until he reaches home. He can't throw her out in a blizzard to freeze, and the pass back to town is closed by snow, so he's stuck with her. Daniel and his motherless brood of five sons live in a cave. There's barely space for them all and since they sleep on the floor in the one room, Grace and Daniel are sharing very close quarters. The preacher and his wife arrive the next morning, and immediately see that something must be done. Before Grace and Daniel realize what is happening, they end up married--to each other, something they rank right up there with a bad case of the plague. Mary Connealy has a wicked sense of humor, and her books are always fun. Calico Canyon has it all: supsense, likable hero and heroine, five rambunctious boys, humor, and a heaping helping of romance. Don't miss it.

Quite possibly the most charming cat stories ever written. Jenny the cat is filled with wonderful emotions that everyone can relate to...nervous about making new friends, afraid that she's not good enough, she proves herself through all sorts of wonderful adventures. Highly recommended!

Friends gave us this one for a birthday present for our six year old. Have since ordered the whole series!
Nice to have children friendly, wholesome story...our children can't hear it enough!

I loved these stories when I was a little girl and its been a joy to pass them along to my own daughters. I love how Jenny realizes her own worth even though she feels so small and shy sometimes. Friends, loyalty, and fun adventures makes these stories timeless

I love Jenny Linsky. I love her gentle nature, her kindness, her shyness. I loved her from the moment I opened the book and read the first paragraphs to my (then) 5 year old daughter. I loved her as I made red pom-poms to tie onto a red scarf so my daughter could dress up as Jenny for Halloween. But five years later, she's my second favorite Linsky. My most favorite is my three year old daughter, Zoe Linsky, whom her big sister lovingly named after the nicest person she could think of, a little black cat named Jenny.

I am so glad they re-released this book--my mother was thrilled to receieve it. Seller sent the book in great condition and it arrived very quickly.

This book is amazing. I found it a couple of years ago and we read it ALL the time. My kids love it. We even have hand/body motions to go with each article of clothing that the Little Old Lady comes upon. Your kids will love this story. I have kid from 1 to 9 and they all love it. My older ones even quote it while I read or read it to the younger ones. This book is for all ages. I love reading this story and you will too.

Youngsters eight and younger will love this spooky children's tale about a little old lady who refuses to be afraid of "things" following her through the woods on her way home. "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything" is simple, fun, and excellent for kindergarten and first grade kids to practice their reading skills on. It works even better as a tale read to a child. My daughter loves it when I read this story to her and put emphasis on the noises that each of the old ladies' followers makes. From "Clomp, Clomp" to "Boo, Boo," my daughter giggled her way through this story. There's just enough spookiness to the story to keep kids a tad antsy, but the resolution eventually makes everything okay.

I highly recommend this tale to anybody who has a child eight years of age or younger and stress that this story works best if it's read to the children instead of having them read it. Author Linda Williams has done a nice job of making a lightly spooky tale for youngsters and Megan Lloyd's dark and moody (though somehow amazingly fun) illustrations only add to the tale's atmosphere. It's a fun Halloween tale that works on any night of the year.

We pull this one out in the fall. The story is great for standing up and moving around -- clomp, clomp - wiggle,wiggle - shake, shake - clap, clap - nod, nod... plus, there's a great surprise (which we shout out VIGOROUSLY!) and a happy ending. It's one of our best fall books.

This is one of my all-time favorite children's books. It is an interactive book and I suggest everyone who reads it to a child or group of children get them on their feet and acting it out. Much fun and laughter!

This book is great for the fall season. The writer gives suspence with bravery.

I bought Manners Can Be Fun for my 2 year old granddaughter. She is too young to understand a lot of it but is enthralled with the pictures. Reading this book to her reminds me that I should always, always teach with actions rather than words because little eyes are watching and a slip in manners, even at home, will have an impact.

This book is as wonderful today as it was years ago! I agree about the missing Burpers - I want them back! But still a wonderful and fun way to instill principles of courtesy in the reader. A wonderful reminder of years gone by and if we are lucky a promise of what we can be in the years ahead. Just be nice to one another! Ann Clarke, author of People Are So Different! based on tolerance and understanding.

Two boys, 5 & 7 can often forget the importance of manners. Being tired of preaching and threatening, I saw this book and thought I'd try it. While they sipped hot chocolate, I read this to them. Neither of them said a word, but were paying complete attention! I couldn't believe it! I wasn't sure my kids would be able to enjoy and/or process this. They did, and I am very pleased with this book. Looking forward to buying all the other editions.

I wish this book had been around for my children when they were little. Their great grandmother had told them about it, but it was no longer in print. I bought six copies... so they could read it to their chilren when the time comes AND one for my class of kindergartners. My K kids LOVE it!

I had Munro Leaf books when I was achild (I am 61 now) and loved them. This is a fabulous book. All kindergarten and first grade classrooms should have this book. It explains why manners are important in a way that children will understand that their life will be better if they use good manners.

This book was an entertaining easy read. The detail is as good as any book I've read and entirely what a werewolf book should be. It pulls no punches and gives gory and ravenous details that will truly make you think twice about what's in the dark. A must read for any science fiction lover.

The only book I've read more than once, and thats saying something. A book about a man who spends his days, and nights fighting werewolves. Its so in your face, its absolutely fantastic reading. Brian P. Easton makes it crystal clear right away that the Beast, as werewolves are often referred to in this book, are completely and absolutely vicious and evil. Nothing humorous or cute about them. Not this story. The main character Sylvester is the toughest SOB you'll ever read about. The things he endures physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritally are terrifying. Its hard not becoming what you hate. "The beast will kill you one piece at a time, Sylvester. Bite by Bite", said his mentor early on in the story. I highly recommend this truly exhilarating novel to anybody. Without a doubt my all time favorite book. As good as the vampire masterpiece I am Legend.

If the last 70 pages had been more satisfying this would be 5 stars, easy. But, as it stands we have a disappointing climax, a weak ending for most of the main characters and an unnecessarily long denouement. On the plus side, the werewolves are cool, described as massive, vicious, demonic remorseless monsters, and there's an interesting werewolf hierarchy that's unique to this book. It also violent, and action packed, with a good story and interesting first person narrative. I did find the main character to be a bit cliche, but he was still filled with monkeys. All and all, a good bleak, violent, gritty horror novel/character piece. Recommended for fans of werewolf fiction.

I profoundly regret that this seems to be the only novel produced by Mr. Easton. You don't have to get very far into his prose to decide that he is no amateur as a writer. This book is of exceptional quality for any genre, but is particularly outstanding in the wolfman category. It certainly stands out among today's popular fare of werewolves humanized as sexy heroes in romance potboilers, or as noble saviours of the environment (viz., White Wolf Publisher's lupine Green Peace-niks). In this book, though, the werewolves are all big, truly scary, and irredeemably malevolent toward humanity. Having read about 300 fiction and nonfiction books about werewolves (not counting short stories) over the years, I'd put this in my top 10 of favorites. This novel has plenty of lycanthropic action and gore enough to satisfy any aficionado of the genre. Yet the saga of Sylvester's journey from orphan to manhood as a werewolf hunter is also a thoughtful examination of the psychology of hatred, and how it can make you strong enough to endure incredible sacrifices---yet ultimately rob you of your own humanity. This is the kind of book that leaves the reader reporting for work the next morning still groggy from lack of sleep, because you simply can't put this book down.

I have been a horror fan, especially a werewolf fan for many years. Usually, it's quite hard to find a decent werewolf book. However, this is a great book, and a must read for any werewolf fan out there. It is a bit brutal at times, and the werewolves are not cute and fluffy. But that's what makes the book so wonderful.

Breaking the Girl is a wonderfully romantic read. It is very well written. The sex scenes were a bit scant, but the lead ups and the plot will keep you reading this book.

My eyeballs were burning, cause I could not put this book down. It was so damn good. I'm a freaky gal in bed anyways and when I read this it struck a cord inside me. After I finished this book I sent it to my husband in Iraq and believe me, when he came home on R&R we had some fun. The book has HOT sex, great story, and it just flows. And I love Frank! I dream about that man, he loves her so much. At the end, I was just moved by the love between them. BUY THIS BOOK...NOW!

when i first looked at the book i thought neah this won't be good, but when i started reading it, it blew me away. if your into bondage, and the man taking all control of you, this is a book that will press your buttons. very good, it brought my imagination to life. I read this book over and over again. You'll love the different places. the domination that she doesn't really know is taking place. It is just one of those books that you can't put down when you start to get into it.

Received this book in the mail tonight and truely didn't mean to start reading it. I just started flipping through the pages, fully thinking it would be something I would read for this coming weekend. But no Kim Corum dragged me into this story from the first page and wouldn't let me go. There was only one scene I was truely uncomfortable with and that was the section titled Bad Girl. I feel it really crossed the line. A woman vomiting from a spanking definitely means stop. In fantasy land, fine. But in reality if your girl is doing all this to get away STOP. You could go to jail. Other than that, the rest of the book was riveting and thoroughly entertaining.

But I did! This was my first reading foray into BDSM and I must say that I liked it. I enjoyed it enough to plan to check out the other books by the author.

Definitely a hot read.

I had the privilege of meeting Kim Vogel Sawyer in 2007 at the ACFW conference in Texas. She is a best selling author of both CBA & CBD. As a pre-published novel writer I was a little intimidated. Okay, who am I kidding? I was a lot intimidated. But I found Kim to be a very gracious, non-intimidating author. And I give the credit to the fact that she truly writes for God.

The story has many threads, and the blurb on the back of the book and on Kim's website doesn't mention the thread that struck me the most. What touched me, was the thread about how much we need the love of our earthly father. I followed along with the bittersweet moments as some in the community embrace Marie, but her Father holds back his welcome. And her mother is a Godly wife who follows her husbands lead, even when it breaks her own heart. The conclusion to this thread was very healing for me.

This is a great read from a proven excellent writer. I end each book with a desire for the next book to be ready to read. I did have the pleasure of being able to purchase both Bygones and Beginnings from Amazon at the same time. Then Amazon had a prepurchase deal on the final series, Blessings. I have yet to finish it, but know it will be just as great as the other two. I highly recommend all three books, and all others Kim Vogel Sawyer has written. Thank You

I liked this book.I think she is a very good writer and will enjoy reading more of her books.Nadia Rehmani author of Sharper Than A Two Edged Sword.-my true story

It's been over two decades since Marie Koeppler married Jep Quinn. Jep's world offered the young Mennonite girl an exciting new life - until his death left her a very young widow and a single mother.

Shunned by her Old Order Mennonite family and friends, Marie makes a life for herself and her daughter in the "outside" world. In the twenty-three years since she left Sommerfeld, Kansas, she has all but forgotten her roots. But then her old Mennonite beau shows up with shocking news: A beloved aunt has died, leaving her house and café to Marie's daughter, Beth. The stipulation: Beth must live three months in Sommerfeld in order to claim the inheritance.

When Marie reluctantly accompanies her daughter back to her childhood home, she's unprepared for the onslaught of emotions and memories that await her there. Before long, she's yearning for and finding the faith she lost so long ago, and - much to her daughter's dismay - reclaiming old habits, lifestyles, and maybe even an old love.

But then someone starts stealing from the Mennonites, and suspicion falls at the outsiders' door. Even Henry, who never quite healed from Marie's abandonment of their budding relationship so long ago, turns an accusing eye on her and Beth.

Sommerfeld is a community built on strict biblical principles and rigid tenets. It's populated by good people with preconceived and often misplaced suspicions of outsiders. Marie despairs of proving her innocence, and her sincerity in returning to the Mennonite faith. Can she and Henry overcome the obstacles and rekindle the embers of love? Can they all find a way to let bygones be bygones?

Kim Vogel Sawyer's Bygones is a fascinating look into the Mennonite world, seamlessly woven into a fascinating, completely believable storyline. It's a well-written tale of faith and hope, of forgiveness and love, and of human frailty and strength, all portrayed in characters so real they move and breathe. Definitely a winner!

Marie is a former Mennonite girl who fell in love with a truck driver and left. In the interim, he died shortly, and she gave birth to his little daughter. Excited, Marie took her two week old back home where she was promptly rejected by her father and told to get out of his life, forever.
She did, keeping in touch with only one friend, her dear Aunt.

The aunt passed, leaving her little home and cafe to Marie's daughter with provisions they live there three months. Almost an impossibility, Marie accompanies her 20 yr old daughter Beth back to the Mennonite communtiy where they stand out in a negative way and make no friends.

Henry, who has remained single for 20 years, torn over his lost love, welcomes them to the community and makes things as easy as possible. One sister accepts them, but Marie's mother and father and several siblings do not.

Beth has a hard time living for three months without television, electricity, or modern conveniences, but Marie feels the pull of familiar days and she is happy. She actually turns back to the faith and culture of her youth. It is only when a mystery crime spree spoils her stay that she knows she must return to Wyoming.

The most painful paragraph is when sweet, loyal Henry believes that Marie is the culprit of the crimes. I am ready for book 2

I have briefly looked over some biographies about Marilyn Monroe and have got upset, but this book is the most touching I have read. There is not much truth that is told about the great baseball legend Joe Dimagio and his love for Marilyn. However, it is the Hollywood industry that makes up lies and untruths about her in ruining her image. We need to give credit to the author for being a caring and generous man who deeply respects Marilyn's memory. She would be in approval of this book because it can help her rest in peace. People need to know the truth and should really get to know that she is a good lady.

More than 600 books have been written about Marilyn Monroe since her death in 1962. While most of them have focused on the theories surrounding her apparent suicide at age 36, author Gary Vitacco-Robles focuses his new book on the actress' last home. Cursum Perficio: Marilyn Monroe's Brentwood Hacienda/The Story of Her Final Months reframes and redefines Marilyn through the context of her efforts to establish a secure home following a childhood spent in a succession of foster homes. The author theorizes that the actress was trying to correct her past by putting down roots of her own. While several previous authors depict her final months as tumultuous, Vitacco-Robles provides evidence that suggests Marilyn was trying to pull her life together and give it some personal meaning. During the spring and summer of 1962, Marilyn embraced her newfound domesticity by pulling weeds in her garden, writing recipes in her copy of The Joy of Cooking and actually using the pots and pans in her kitchen. The book contains actual photographs of the house, interspersed with realistic renderings of the home by artist Brandon Heidrick. The author divides the photos and illustrations with floor plans for each room and includes pictures of an architectural model that depicts the entire property as it appeared in 1962. After she purchased the 2,300 square foot house, Monroe began extensively researching authentic Mexican design, landscaping and furnishings in an effort to slowly transform it into the home of her dreams. She arranged for an 11-day trip to Mexico where she painstakingly selected fabrics, tapestries, painted tiles, pottery and art. Monroe met the native artists who had made by hand the objects that she would later display in her home. Vitacco-Robles is donating a portion of the royalties from sales of this book to Hollygrove Children and Family Services, formerly the Los Angeles Orphans Home Society, where Marilyn Monroe lived as a child.

There has been some confusion about the second edition of this book and the sales information on this site. According to the publisher, Iuniverse, the hardcover edition offered here is actually a "second edition" released in October 2003, although the release date printed is still listed as 2000. This is because it is a "re-do" under the same title previously released by the publisher. The new second edition cover for the paperback and hardcover depicts Marilyn standing beside the gates of her home and sell respectively for $20.95 and $30.95. The first edition was only published in paperback with a different cover for $11.95. The publisher says that vendors will continue to sell the first edition paperbacks until supplies depleted. The second edition contains new images, new chapters, re-worked chapters and information not included in the first. Having seen this book, the quality of photo reproduction in this new version are far superior than in the first. It also includes professional, "photorealistic-style" illustrations by artist Brandon Heidrick depicting the interior and exterior of Marilyn's home and furnishings. The images serve as a "virtual tour" of Marilyn's last home similar to the author's website.

I've been confused about the second edition of this book and the sales information on this site. Having spoken with the publisher, Iuniverse, I learned that the hardcover edition offered here is actually a "second edition" released in October 2003, although the release date printed is still listed as 2000. This is because it is a "re-do" under the same title previously released by the publisher. The new second edition cover for the paperback and hardcover depicts Marilyn standing beside the gates of her home and sell respectively for $20.95 and $30.95. The first edition was only published in paperback with a different cover for $11.95. I understand that vendors would continue to sell the first edition paperbacks until supplies depleted. I have both the first edition and second. The second edition contains new images, new chapters, re-worked chapters and information not included in the first. The quality of photo and illustration reproduction in this new version are far superior than in the first. All around, it is a better product and a great, new look at a lasting legend!

When I first received my copy of Cursum Perficio: Marilyn's Brentwood Hacienda, I wasn't sure what to expect. Much to my surprise, I was enthralled and fascinated by the details of Marilyn's final months, so eloquently chronicled by Gary Vitacco-Robles. Void of any media hype and speculation about the cause of her death, Vitacco-Robles explores how Marilyn searched and found the perfect place to call home...a respite from the choatic life she led in the media spotlight.
You will journey with her as she went on shopping sprees for furnishings and ornaments in a quest to make the only home she ever owned a reflection of herself.
The book contains a vast collection of actual photographs, as well as impressive photo-recreations of the home's interior as it looked in 1962 and now.
I applaud Vitacco-Robles for a superb testamant to the woman so many longed to know. This book reveals a whole other side of Marilyn that has never been revealed.
A MUST HAVE for any Marilyn enthusiast!

With an Arts background, I view Juan Wijngaard as one
of the very best Children's Book Illustrators. He has a
masterful way to use color in order to create the feel
and imagery of light.

I have a 6-yr. old autistic daughter...she absolutely LOVES this book. She requests I read it over and over and over....and she loves to make the sounds of the animals as we read. We are buying a second copy to have in case the first one wears out...

This book is very soothing. The art work is stunning. By far the best illustrations of any children's book I've ever read. Our boys love the book and enjoy finding details in the pictures and saying goodnight to the animals.

This book is wonderful. The pictures are warm and soothing. My daughters love saying goodnight to each animal. A must have for all stubborn sleepers.

We read a lot of bedtime oriented stories. This one is particularly lovely, comforting, and soothing. I highly recommend it.