Resorts Books

I found it to be very entertaining. Certainly not one of the best I've ever read, but I'd recommend it for an enjoyable weekend read. I'm looking forward to future Melody Carlson light reads.

I loved the transformation the lead character, Cassidy, goes through in this book. I relished it. It's a charming and fun read, nothing heavy. Cassidy's days swing from one side of the pendulum to the other, making this a laugh-out-loud, "You go, Girl" kind of book.

Melody Carlson tells the story of Cassie, a 31-year-old who has the perfect job, perfect boyfriend, and perfect credit...until she loses it all in a 2-week period. She spontaneously decides to move back home to be with her lonely mother, only to find that her mother has become a thin, gorgeous woman with a convertible who is dating someone who Cassie went to high school with. Cassie's meltdown that ensues is so funny and so real - I saw myself in Cassie several times. The end was a bit convenient and tidied things up a little too nicely, but I really liked this book.

"These Boots Weren't Made For Walking" is a hilarious, wonderful, light read! I actually laughed out loud a few times and found myself nodding my head at Cassie's laments to herself. I have been there, and "Boots" is wonderfully real.

Cassidy Cantrell is just your typical 30-something career woman who is settling for an average life. She loves her boyfriend but the feeling isn't completely mutual, her ho-hum job doesn't excite her but it pays the bills, and so goes her life. But all of that changes when Cassie springs for a pricey pair of impossibly chic Valentino boots that seem to become a catalyst for disaster in every area of her life. After this fateful purchase, she loses her job, her boyfriend, and a sizeable chunk of her money all in span of days, and dejectedly decides to move back to her hometown. Once there, she finds that her formerly shabby mother has decided to become a glamorous, popular, and successful woman, only making Cassie feel that her life is even more pathetic in comparison. Cassie wonders if God has a plan for her (or if he's even listening to her woes), and if she can find a new life (and maybe even love) in an unlikely place...

Regardless of any other flaws the book may have, its best feature is the genuine, seemingly effortless likeability that Cassie exudes. It's hard not to root for a character who isn't perfectly toned, occasionally drowns her sorrows in Snickers bars, and wryly dubs her old gray sweatpants "loser chick apparel." And it must be said that Carlson handles the twists and turns in Cassie's love life deftly. With a book this cozy, the reader will be comfortably sure that a happy ending will result, but along the way, the author's trademark way of making romantic plotlines slightly more unique than usual builds a pleasant level of suspense. Unfortunately, the weakest part of the book was the average writing style. A few dull passages and the fact that the writing wasn't as "tight" and skillful as in another book by the same author ("Looking for Cassandra Jane") makes it worthy of about 3.5 stars.

But really, if you need a book to curl up with on a lazy winter afternoon and are having one of those days where reading about a flawless heroine will make you feel hopelessly ordinary, you could do far worse than "These Boots Weren't Made for Walking."

Poor Cassie just got fired...and lost her boyfriend...and moved back home with her divorced mother...and still has to pay for those Valentino boots she splurged on! This series of disappointments plunge Cassie into a mega pity party as she crawls back to her childhood home to lick her wounds. Only home isn't quite what she remembers. Cassie is unable to heal because of increased feelings of jealousy and anger until she discovers that swallowing her pride and taking a few chances are necessary for her to move on. She even finds true love along the way.

Melody Carlson's smooth style employs humor and sensitivity to educate the reader that when you've hit rock-bottom, there's no place to go but up! This is not a preachy novel, but rather a chronicle of real struggles that we all face at one time and how a real person feels about and deals with them.

Never saw this ending coming. There's nothing like a nice, fresh jolt of surprise at the end of a good mystery and "Killer Swell" delivers a healthy kick to the mid-section. Check other reviews for a sample of the overall plot but I would just like to add that Noah Braddock is a solid character because of his comfortable blend of permanent teenager and cold-eyed determination. As his female foil says to Noah: "You screw up, you do dumbass things, but in the end, you get it right. You just have to do some stupid things before you get to the right things." Yes, it's just Noah's way. "Killer Swell" is a very enjoyable meal of beer, sand, women, mystery and surf.

I'm always thrilled when I find a first novel, particularly one in a series, and this book was worth checking out. Its protagonist is Noah Braddock, a not-overly-ambitious private eye who lives in San Diego and loves to surf. Though he did hit the waves a couple of times, the surfing aspect had very little to do with the story, other than helping to define Noah's character.

Noah is shocked when the mother of his high school girlfriend shows up and asks him to find her. Noah and Kate Crier had dated for a year before Kate ended it when she left for college at Princeton. Noah hadn't seen her since, but he hadn't forgotten her, and when she winds up dead, he will stop at nothing to find her killer. Over the intervening years, Kate had changed from the woman Noah remembered, even developing a drug addiction and getting in trouble with the law. Noah winds up meeting some interesting individuals on the wrong side of the law, as well, when he begins his investigation.

Noah's best friend Carter is big and very loyal, as well as having connections on the seedy side. Noah's ex-girlfriend Liz is the homicide detective who draws Kate Crier's case, and the two of them play well off one another. There are a few other well-drawn side characters, as well, the best being crime boss Costilla, who meets Noah in strange places.

This book stars a likeable cast of characters and features a pretty decent murder mystery, as well. Like many other series, this one has a hook--surfing--but aside from its San Diego setting, the surfing aspect was very minor and had nothing to do with the story. There were no tense moments on the waves, nobody chased the hero on the water, and the mystery had nothing to do with surfing. It simply stars a hero who likes to unwind on a board. Though I wasn't so thrilled by this book I have vowed to own every Jeff Shelby novel in existence, I did like it well enough to buy more of his books if I see them. Shelby has started a fine mystery series with fun characters, and mystery fans should take note.

I loved this book -- Noah is a great character in a good plot -
what more could you ask for in a mystery?

This book has it all. Murder, romance, mystery, and cutting humor. A crafty, tough, surfer P.I. by the name of Noah Braddock, his semi-shady friend Carter, the sexy detective and on again off again romantic interest Liz and a host of other characters make Killer Swell a great wave to catch. Noah is part Magnum P.I., Mike Hammer and Owen Wilson and he is on the trail of the killer of his high school sweetheart. The plot is fast moving and has twists and turns that include a run-in with a drug lord, run-ins with hostile parents of his high school girlfriend, and an interesting relationship with detective Liz just to name a few. Some of the characters don't like Noah looking for clues and try to take him off the killer's trail for good. I could not put this wild ride of a book down.

Considering the surfer theme, I thought this was going to be somewhat of a take-off on Richard Barre's Wil Hardesty. Noah Braddock is nothing like Wil Hardesty and I still loved the book. Publisher's Weekly's review said that "the verbal banter seems a bit forced at times" and another review commented on the "tough guy posturing" which I admit gave me pause before buying the book. I wasn't rolling on the floor, but the dialogue between Noah and his six-foot-nine friend Carter and with other characters was hilarious. The story throughout flowed easily, even while going back into Noah's past; the characters were easy to keep straight and while I guessed the murderer towards the end, it certainly wasn't obvious. In short, Killer Swell provided what I most look for in a mystery -- pure entertainment with a backbone. I plan on buying Jeff Shelby's newly released book.

#10 of the Deborah Knott series-Maron's style is consistent from book to book. You can count on a subject that is a depiction of a specific aspect of North Carolina life, the continuing saga of Deborah Knott's life as a District Court Judge and her family and finally a murder mystery to give it just enough suspense and mystery to keep you up until you finish the book. Sometimes, the mystery is a little weak as it is in this one. But the Knott story keeps the reader satisfied enough to keep wanting more. High Country Fall takes place in the North Carolina mountains. I believe this is the first in the Knott series with this setting. Maron educates us on the development of the mountains and the mix of native mountain folks with the Floridians that have found the mountains as their summer home. She then continues the Knott story with Deborah trying to adjust to the thought of the engagement ring on her finger. And finally, the murder of a prominent doctor and local real estate agent makes the novel complete. This is not my favorite of the series, but it is definitely satisfying.

This book held my interest to the very end. The plot was excellent and the descriptions of people and places were very good. I'll continue with Margaret Maron books.

This book was a nearly perfect read, a fantastic blend of mystery and what is great about good fiction - relationships and character development. This is the fourth book in the Deborah Knott series that I've read. I didn't care for the really early works much but since she's started with Dwight as lover/husband, for me, at least, the series has really improved. In this one, there's a great little mystery with interesting characters, but there's also wonderful descriptions of the scenery, fleshed out secondary characters and a really believable quandary that Deborah herself is in. I love how the author puts the relatives in the story, here it's two college age nieces. I'd also recommend the two books that follow this one: Rituals of the Season and Winter's Child, both also great books. There's just something about this one, though, that makes it stand out for me...

A really good read. Maron's Judge Knott is always interesting and and it is like visiting with an old friend.

Maron's first book "Booklegger's Daughter" is still a standout for me, and I'd moved away from this series. But, while lighter than I usually read, although not really a cozy, I very much enjoyed this book. The character Deborah is a wonderful blend of southern gentility, contemporary independence and backwoods strength and survival that make this book well worth reading.

This book reels you in like a serpent. I found it jaw dropping and compelling and read it all in one evening! After I finished it I thought about it for hours and am still thinking about this amazing story!

Pregnant and freshly divorced, Jillian and daughter Gracie return to the summer home once owned by her grandmother for a new lease on life. It is on Pawley's Island that Jillian has both her most cherished and most painful memories, as her best friend Lauren disappeared without a trace 16 years earlier.

Gracie's apparent second sight divulges long buried secrets, forcing Jillian to face her greatest fears and befriend the guy who was accused of murdering Lauren and fled soon after. Now a successful architect, Linc has re-emerged, renamed himself, and returned to the island that he both loves and loathes. He is not prepared for the feelings that Jillian's presence invokes, and debates on leaving the past ... in the past.

Haunted by memories of childhood abuse and the loss of her beloved friends, Jillian at first discounts Gracie's ramblings about her imaginary friend (also named Lauren) until she realizes that there are far too many coincidences. New secrets and passions are revealed on the small island, as Jillian and Linc work together to discover what happened to Lauren all those years ago.

While the story is well written, with believable dialogue (thought Gracie could be grating after awhile), unfortunately, you don't need second sight to see where the story is going. You can pretty much predict the outcome, as it is really no mystery with all the foreshadowing the author provides. Despite its predictability, it is a solid and original story, with endearing characters. Don't miss "Falling Home" and "After the Rain," also by White. They are not to be missed.

I have never heard of this author before and I had a chance to read one of her books recently. It's been awhile since I had a book where I could just sit down and read it straight through. There's always stuff going on and frankly, lately, none of the books I picked up captured my interest for more than five minutes, till this one. I picked this book up and could not put it down. It is also a lyrical read, full of lush descriptions of the lowcountry in the Carolinas and with summer in full swing here in Ohio, it definitely makes for one of the better summer readings around here.

The cons are few. It was pretty much predictable in places. I figured out the story line pretty quickly, but it still had a twist that I wasn't expecting. So that sums up the suspense pretty nicely. As for the main character's daughter, she's a little too intense for my liking. And perhaps a little less repetition of Jillian's fear of the dark might be better. After hearing about her traumatic childish fear of the dark five times, I get the hint. Jillian is scared of the dark. And there were several things at the end that were left unfinished. Maybe the author thought it wasn't relevant to the story, but to me, the reader, it left me feeling slightly dissatisfied.

Other than that, it was simply one of the few books that I just couldn't put down. It was such a refreshing read. It is also perfect for summer. I am now enthused to try her other books. Ever since Lisa Wingate stopped writing her Tending the Roses series, I have been looking for a new author to read. I think I may have found her.

6/14/08

This is the first book I've read by this author and found it very engaging, hard to put down. I'll be getting more books by this author. Enjoy!

I enjoyed the book very much. But! I thought it got alittle slow in some places,I new what was coming and I wish it would have just got there.

First let me state the obvious: All praise you have heard about this volume is merited. It is truly the "don't leave home without it" golfers' equivalent. Its scope is comprehensive, its selection of comments concise and illustrative. Now for the bad part. From the last edition to this it seems as if all the courses have improved a half-star. Having found the previous ratings dead-on, I was stupefied by the number of "solid" courses being awarded four stars, which in the editor's judgment stands for "Plan your next vacation around it." Sorry, but the ratings are far too liberal this go around.

Still this book is most impressive for its geographic consistency. Thinking that a course deep in the heart of nowhere can't possibly be examined accurately? Think again. The reviews are always accurate. The negative comments are soft-pedaled, but they are there and after awhile you can discern them quite easily.

If you have golf wanderlust, you'll become quite attached to this book.

Compehensive unbiased very helpful guide.MAJOR drawback is next to useless listing by state rather than by city or metropolitan area. Who cares about courses in San Francisco if you're vacationing in Palm Springs!

First let me state the obvious: All praise you have heard about this volume is merited. It is truly the "don't leave home without it" golfers' equivalent. Its scope is comprehensive, its selection of comments concise and illustrative. Now for the bad part. From the last edition to this it seems as if all the courses have improved a half-star. Having found the previous ratings dead-on, I was stupefied by the number of "solid" courses being awarded four stars, which in the editor's judgment stands for "Plan your next vacation around it." Sorry, but the ratings are far too liberal this go around.

Still this book is most impressive for its geographic consistency. Thinking that a course deep in the heart of nowhere can't possibly be examined accurately? Think again. The reviews are always accurate. The negative comments are soft-pedaled, but they are there and after awhile you can discern them quite easily.

If you have golf wanderlust, you'll become quite attached to this book.

This is a truly excellent guide. I would recommend this to any golfer wanting to try new tracks. Having taken up golf again six months ago and having just moved to Oklahoma from Mass. I needed a solid review book to begin exploring my local environs. This book has come up trumps again and again - providing an accurate overview of courses in my area, throughout the rest of the state, and all over the country. I wouldn't agree with every course review but that is part of the fun, and course conditions and upkeep can change in a short period so it would be churlish to nit-pick. Thanks to this sterling guide (my only complaint - some of the distances form major cities are off) I've played some great courses I would never have come across. Indispensable and superior, by a long, long way, to anything else out there. Bravo Golf Digest!

A great book which allows you to book tee times all over the U.S. Information is correct and reviews are interesting. Reviews seem to be very accurate in the courses I have played. A book a true golfer cannot survive without.

I hesitated to read this, because I don't generally like romances, and romances are what this author is known for. Now I'm glad I gave it a try. It was a page turner from the very beginning, and followed two parallel stories: the serial killer and the detective. Though there were a few points where the romance author peeked through, they were VERY few. I usually enjoy authors like Patricia Cornwell, Stuart Woods, Iris Johansen, and Lee Child. I enjoyed this book just as much as any of them, and look forward to reading more from Linda Ladd in the future. The heroine was a tough female lead, and I enjoyed the Missouri setting, and hope to read more about her in future books.

Head to Head is an amazing story! I was hooked from the very first page and could NOT put it down. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the end and it was scary enough to cause me to lose a little sleep!
Claire Morgan is an awesome character...I love her sharp wit and I am going to buy the next book in this series TONIGHT!
Overall, well-written, funny, and thrilling!

I read a lot of mystery and suspense novels, romance and otherwise. I usually can guess the ending and the bad guy. Not this one. After reading this book I had to find Linda Ladd's other suspense novel "Running Scared" It was also excellent and has been turned into a movie. Both were GREAT books.

With one most excellent surprise, and several other darn good ones, Linda Ladd unfolds a fascinating murder mystery that ranges from Louisana bayous to L.A. soundstages and the Ozarks. She weaves glimpses of a strange child's shattered life among the mingled storyline of bizarre murder, personal trauma, and inevitable romance. The weak part of the book is its naive depiction of the embalming profession - a prep room is very little like an abattoir and one doesn't freelance without a credential or two. Still and all, the story's eerieness and ickiness are well served by the disservice to embalmers, so Ladd gets a pass on this one. The strength of the novel is the energy between Det. Claire Morgan and super-psychiatrist Nicholas Black. The author's skill in showing and growing relationships is most evident in her playing Claire's many issues against Black's sangfroid, one that warms up, though, at the right times. And when the suspense comes to a head, there's no putting the book down - you have to know how she's going to get out of this one and how she came to get in it in the first place.

Now, it all makes sense. I picked up this book at the library because it was in the Suspense/Thrillers section, but was VERY disappointed. I could not read past the first few chapters because of the really annoying dialogue--it read like a very forced casual dialog and read very silly and amateurish as did the THRILLER parts where she flashes back to the life of an abused child. I was wondering how someone could get this book published and now it makes sense. She is a romance novelist trying to do a suspense novel. This book will probably only appeal to her romance readers.

John L'Heureux has a disturbing and salient view of people and their inherent foilbles. His writing always entrances, this book no exception.

Any writer who attempts to create a work of fiction with a priest as a protagonist is facing a great challenge. Writers such as George Bernanos and Graham Greene masterfully set the standard to which all other works in this genre are compared. Though THE MIRACLE will probably never be in the same category as DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST or THE POWER AND THE GLORY, John L'Heuroux's Fr. Paul Le Blanc is a multi-dimensional character in a relatively good piece of fiction.

THE MIRACLE tells the story of Fr. Paul Le Blanc, a maverick priest in Boston. He is handsome and ready to change the world. The novel takes place in the early 1970's, and Le Blanc is faced with the issues of the day: the aftermath of Vatican II, the debate raging around artificial birth control, Vietnam, and since the novel takes place in Boston, involuntary busing to end desegregation in Boston's Public Schools. Le Blanc, like many young priests, is liberal on these matters, and as a result is sent to a new parish here he has to face his own inadequacies and spiritual trials. His life changes when he is transferred to a new parish and witnesses a miracle, not of his own doing, and he is forced to reexamine his life. He does this through his encounters with a wide range of interesting characters: Fr. Moriarty, a priest with ALS; Rose, the housekeeper and her troubled daughter Mandy; Msgr. Glynn, a loyal churchman; and Annaka Malley, a young parishioner questioning her own life.

The book's chief strength is that it does not fall victim to stereotypes. Le Blanc is not a raging alcoholic, a womanizer,.... an atheist, or if it were written today,..... He is a priest who has the ability to minister wonderfully to others, but has difficulty integrating the message in his own life. This is probably a more accurate depiction of what truly ails many priests today, especially as many try to rebuild a church destroyed by the actions of some of their brother priests and the bishops who covered up the matter. We see a man tormented by inner struggles, but these struggles do not seem to interfere with his ministry, though they do interfere with his relationship with God.

If the main character of the book is so strong, why does it only rate three stars?

Though the book is filled with many colorful characters and the plot moves quickly due to L'Heureux's fluid style, the work is not without its problems. There are some clichés. For example, the young, radical priest being sent to an out of the way parish to care for a sick pastor and learn humility reminds the reader of the film THE CARDINAL. His encounter with an Annaka Malley, one of the female characters, has been told again and again in other writings. People familiar with Boston's history will know that the leader of the Archdiocese at the time, Cardinal Humberto Medeiros was an outspoken critic of those opposed to busing, and his position made him reviled in Boston, unlike the bishop of the book who does not want to cause a stir. A bishop who was socially liberal but theologically conservative, as Medeiros was, conflicting with Le Blanc, would probably strengthen the book. Keep in mind, I write this as a native Bostonian. I also did not have a feeling that I was reading a book about a priest in the 1970's, as much as a book about a priest of the 1990's put in a 1970's setting.

Even though it is not a perfect book, readers familiar with Catholicism who enjoy exploring the faith through fiction will undoubtedly enjoy the book as I did.

I impulsed bought this book, which usually means I am not going to like it. However, I found the story very interesting. While the plot line was predictable, it was still one of those books I could not put down. While it was a good read, I believe that many of the issues that were raised- the supernatural, faith, doubt- were not dealt with in a serious manner.

There is something about this book that kept me awake,made me a bit nervous and then made me want to lay down in a quiet meadow and read the whole thing again. Heureux's work reads like poetry. Its spare lyricism possesses surprises at every turn...sudden whimsy, sudden anger, sudden eroticism, sudden sin, and sudden wit, the kind that is rooted in bright hope. This book is more than a story although the elements of story are powerfully present. Something makes me think it might be life-changing. If there IS a God, that is.

Having read and loved A Woman Run Mad, I couldn't wait to read another one of John L'Heureux's novels. The Miracle is the dark, thought-provoking tale of a charismatic, albeit somewhat arrogant priest and his trials and struggles as his chastity and faith take a turn toward disaster. Paul LeBlanc's life isn't the same after he is transferred from his South Boston parish to a small church in New Hampshire. When a teenage girl awakens after she had been pronounced dead from a drug overdose, Paul is convinced that the occurrence is a miracle. However, his life falls apart after he embarks on an affair with a woman and the teenage girl dies in an accident not long after the drug scare. There are some staggering, ironic twists throughout the novel.

The Miracle has the sort of disarming and dark language that I loved in A Woman Run Mad. John L'Heureux is a great author. I love his ironic language and disturbing stories. I look forward to reading more of his books. In the meantime, I highly recommend this gem...

Well written farce. Kirn truly understands the ridiculousness found in the Rocky Mountain West. Well worth the read.

Many reviewers here attempt to recount the plot of this story, which is not easy to do in a few words, given the two main characters' frame of reference - a matriarchal religious community in the hinterlands of Montana. Sent on a mission to bring in new converts, they are classic fish out of water, sometimes mistaken for Mormon missionaries. Setting out into the big wide world of American materialism, they fairly quickly lose their way, winding up among some wealthy high-end consumers who represent various marginal religious beliefs of their own.

The opportunity, which Kirn seizes by the throat, is for a satiric vision that doesn't so much deny the validity of religious principle as gently ridicule those who use it for their own selfish ends. Religion, as it's practiced by the novel's characters, is as much common sense as it is nonsense. Finally, returning home after eating of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, the narrator finds himself in a Garden of Eden myth of his own - unexpected, but waiting there in plain sight for any reader looking back over the whole story.

A somewhat meandering novel, it is packed with closely observed detail. Page after page entertains with droll wit that sees through the self-indulgence and self-serving rationalizations of its cast of characters, as well as the thin veneer of reason and order that covers the heart of American darkness. I laughed out loud often and reread parts for the sheer cleverness of the writing. Fans of Kurt Vonnegut and Tom Robbins will enjoy Kirn's wry humor and off-kilter brand of satire.

This novel is a bit thin and under-achieving, though it is subversively funny and very observant about some uncomfortable truths in American religion. With a sly and somewhat understated use of humor and offbeat characters that reminds me a bit of Carl Hiaasen, Walter Kirn tells the story of an inbred Mormon-like cult that is on the verge of extinction, and the two hapless missionaries who go forth into the outside world (i.e. the American West) to preach to new recruits and bring them back to the commune as fresh genetic material. The two missionaries, who grew up in their na?ve and isolationist compound, are totally bewildered by what they see out in America, while the potential new recruits who are receptive to their preaching aren't exactly the pick of the litter. Kirn uses these plot devices to explore how an outsider would perceive the weirdness of Middle America, in its unfocused religious fanaticism and worship of power and money. Some of the unfavorable reviews here have criticized Kirn's rather weak character developments and some unrealized potential in the plot, and I can agree with those criticisms. But I find this novel to be a winner because of Kirn's subversive and uncomfortably insightful observations on America's religious and social underbelly. [~doomsdayer520~]

Walter Kirn is a very amusing writer, and this American fable certainly reflects that. You can read the story synopsis from Publisher's Weekly above, so suffice it to say that this book exudes a false nostalgia for a true America that (of course) never existed. Big obvious targets like religion and consumerism are lampooned, but there is also a more subtle wit weaving around the dialogue and even in Mason (the narrator's) voice.

One problem with comic novels is that the joke usually gets tired, or the plot gets so silly, one loses interest. By writing Mission to America in the form of a folktale, Kirn is able to elude this problem to a degree. And by being an extraordinarily witty writer, he may be on the verge of joining others who have transcended the form, like Joseph Heller and Roger Kaputnik.

The shrinking population of the Aboriginal Fulfilled Apostles (AFA) has led to a crisis--new bloodlines must be introduced into the community if they wish to continue--as it has for more than 147 years.

This isolationist sect has lived, tucked into the hills of rural Montana and led by matriarchs who follow the edicts of their Seeress to maintain a life of modesty and nutritional vigilance. Ennis Lauer, the only wealthy member of the faith, has handpicked a group of young men for an unheard-of mission--seeking out "brides" in mainstream America.

Mission to America tells the story of one of these pairs: Mason LaVerle and Elder Stark, as they leave Bluff, Montana and travel to Colorado, bringing their message of clean living to world-weary Americans.

Walter Kirn's fifth novel focuses on Mason, a naif bewildered by the choices and depravity as they begin their journey. They try Ennis Lauer's sale-closing techniques often used by con men and used car salesmen.

Where Mason is naive and calm, Elder Stark has sharp edges and chaotic energy. Asserting his leadership early on,Stark quickly develops an appetite for reality television and America's junk food. These appetites are what make him the natural choice as Lauer's ambassador in his bid to usurp leadership of the AFA.

When lampooning America's hunger for spiritual gurus, author Kirn is at his best. Using Mason to mirror America's lack of moral compass works to illuminate the fear and dearth of spirituality at the core of most of the selfish choices made each day. In a post 9-11 world, this novel can be an indictment of the spiritual journey many Americans claim to have embarked on, although in reality, they are caught up in the soulless world of reality TV and idle consumerism.

Armchair Interview says: Mission to America leaves the reader questioning the nature of faith, the quest for understanding and wondering how much of Kirn's early childhood experiences with the Mormon church are reflected within the character of Mason.

This book centers on the major theme of individuality and conformity. Though it could be argued that since both characters were destroyed because of their need to be individuals, I believe there is a different point behind it all. In several instances, these boys try and find the hypocritical people in society. They hate a certain gang at school for their bully persona to only emulate that themselves. Their mentor talks about going against the man and capitalism, when he himself came from a very rich capitalist background and benefits from it.

This is a somewhat dark novel that shows the shallowness of several characters. All the characters are dynamic and go through several changes. The book was truly gripping in its delivery and style; I read the book in one setting because of not being able to put it down. I did not grow up around such conditions while going through high school, but since I am not that far removed from the environment, I related to this book fairly well. A good book that is worth a look

In response to Jaydekitten's comments, I do not believe that Mr. Moore was conveying a message intended to discourage non-conformist thought and behavior. In point of fact - and his book amply demonstrates this - most teens (of any generation) lack the empirical life knowledge, the bumps and bruises and contusions that the adult experience delivers, to make a considered choice and proclaim "I don't want to be a part of that." They are still evolving as humans.

Consider, for instance, the video tape released last year of Columbine killers Klebold and Harris taking the day off for a little target practice in the woods near their suburban Colorado home. There is a smug arrogance about the duo, a simmering hatred of everything and everybody who doesn't respect their self-entitled right to be "different", that is so undeserved. Simply put, these are kids who couldn't accept and adjust to the amplified traumas and social blunders of high school, for cyin' out loud, so how were they ever to adapt to the "real world"? From my point of view, what we witness with Eric and Tom and Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold is harsh Darwinian theory in action, the universe, if you will, stepping in and straightening out a couple of design flaws; unfortunately and tragically, a few innocents usually get taken out of line in the process.

The author of this book is not trying to say "non-conformism" is a dangerous thing" (see below). The novel is a subtle satire on American counterculture; it shows how some people who talk the loudest about individualism and freedom don't know the first thing about either one. I thought it was dark and funny.

Since finishing the book, it has been in my thoughts frequently; it is a gauge against which I compare my own experiences growing up with the characters Moore has created. The author and I grew up in the same area, only a couple of years apart; we attended the same highschool for a couple of overlapping years, and a number of the locations he has so successfully described in the abstract are readily identifiable as "real" locations in our hometown. The imagery that he manages to pull up elicits a gut level comprehension of the Los Angeles climate. Los Angeles is constantly buzzing with activity, a proof of the converse of the adage "still waters run deep." The surface buzz of Los Angeles is sizable, its populace constantly vibrating on the edge of the now and the next, but with limited consideration for what comes after "next," or the past. Los Angeles isn't so much "sunny" as in a state of constant "glare." The sky isn't blue, nor is it often brown with smog; it's usually a matte silver tone -- a color that tends to simply amplify the sun's natural brightness to a dizzying shine that makes things stand out intensely. But over time that glare damages that which it shines upon, simply by its own intensity. Moore's novel is like that as well. As clearly as it depicts the world we lived in, it also has worn some of the polish from it.

With regard to another review that posits that deviation from the norm is what leads to the death of the main character, I read it as the reverse: Eric is brought down because of a critically mistimed attempt at bald honesty. It has less to do with conformity than a lack of emotional tools in youth to deal with difficult situations, or to reason out their consequences.

Yet another installment in a series of books tackling the issues that plague suburban youth, except this time it's set in the 1980's. While overall I enjoyed this book, I can't help but feel that the topic of teenagers and drugs has been done to death. "Too Much of Nothing" opens with the narrator Eric retelling the story of his murder. The reader witnesses as Eric relives his struggles to break free from his conforming to society standards and to present himself as an individual. In order to achieve this goal, he gives into his friend Tom's hoodlum wannabe antics. While Tom procliams himself as being a non-conformist, he reveals that he is easily swayed by other people's opinions and ideals.

My biggest problem with this book is that I couldn't quite grasp the point that Michael Scott Moore was attempting to present to the reader. Non-conformism is a dangerous thing? Because attempting to be an individual turns Tom's life into shambles and the second Eric steps away from his moral ideals, it gets him killed. And I promise that wasn't a spoiler, you know from the beginning that he dies :) Furthermore, the ending was too open and rushed for my tastes. And for as short as this novel is, I think Moore tried to tackle too many social issues and jam in too many pop culture references. It was overkill. In conclusion, while "Too Much of Nothing" was a quick and intriguing read, I would in no way consider it life-altering or flawless.

My fiance and I dreamt about having a small wedding in Europe with a few close friends and family, but we didn't know where, and we had no idea what would be involved. After reading this book, we fell in love with the idea of getting married in Scotland. The book got us on the right track for researching it and made us realize that getting married there would definitely be possible and feasible.

This book gives a great overview of the logistics of getting married in various countries...it even rates the countries in terms of the difficulty of getting married there if you are a U.S. citizen. It is a great starting point if you are thinking of getting married in another country.

If you are considering eloping, I highly recommend that you get your hands on a copy of Beyond Vegas. It is the best book that is out there on the subject. Though it may be more popular if the title reflected better what it was about.

I bought both this book and Let's Elope when planning our escape from a typical wedding. Let's Elope can get you excited about the idea of eloping, but does not really provide much good information on how you would actually go about planning an event in any of the countries in which you might be interested. Beyond Vegas actually gives you the details you need to plan your wedding (elopment) in 25 countries, and we actually used this information to plan our wedding in Scotland. The authors actually got married in all of the destinations discussed in their book, and give all the pointers you need, not just what can be found on the official country registrar web sites.

I enjoyed reading Tabb and Silverstein's Beyond Vegas quite a bit. While some chapters ended up relatively untouched for personal reasons (Wyoming ski lodge elopement, too cold: New Mexico kiva ruins shindig, too weird), all the ideas were creative and well thought out. I can only think of one chapter that seemed like something anyone could have thought of (Ch. 1, wedding in a castle in Scotland).

Beyond that, the writers/partners were quite ingenous and thrifty, finding wonderful wedding sites at the drop of an incredibly inexpensive hat. In Santorini, Greece, the couple married on the balcony of their rented villa, overlooking the black volcanic cliffs and ocean-covered caldera of the Cyclades. Cliche? I think not. In Figi, the whole crew geared up in traditional skirts for a native wedding complete with National Geographic-quality melee.

A word to the wise, though-- these vacations were a lot cheaper in 2002, just after 9/11, when Tabb and Silverstein eloped those dozen times. The preface says that the couple never spent more than $5,000 on their most expensive elopement. Elopements are rated in the book on a dollar scale from "$" to "$$$$", and Satorini was given a "$$". When my beau and I looked into what that would cost in 2006 dollars (going to all the same hotels and booking the cheapest flight), we were shocked to find that the price of the same vacation would be no less than $5,000. While that's still a fraction of the cost of a white wedding, it's no "$$" on a 5K max scale. Take that into consideration as you read along.

This book is about eloping --- not gambling. Hey wait a minute, maybe it is gambling!

Seriously . . . a fun read to stir up great fantasies.

...researching on your own. I bought this book because I'm a travel agent, want to evetually get marrried away, and am always interested in what others suggest to clients.

Honestly, I found the book an "ok" source of info. Sadly, I ended up wondering where the couple involved in the book would get married next and what they would wear.

I am not opposed to destination wedding guidebooks, but this one could be a bit more interesting.