5 comments about Secret Life of Bees: CD.

1. Best read,artfully written.I was literally pulled from page to page. Cannot wait to see the film version, hope it follows the riviting story faithfully.



2. I know I am very late to the party when it comes to "The Secret Life of Bees". It was at a second hand store, and was the best of what was available, so I picked it up. The words and images in this novel set in 1964 South Carolina in 1964 were very evocative...when Kidd describes the oppressive heat - I can practically taste that hot, dusty air.
   
   There were sections when Lily reflects on the mother she's lost and the father she never really had that touched my heart. This young girl's voice comes through so strong and clear that sometimes I forgot the loss she'd experienced. And then I would read something like this.
   
   "That night I lay in bed and thought about dying and going to be with my other in paradise. I would meet her saying, "Mother, forgive. Please forgive," and she would kiss my skin till it grew chapped and tell me I was not to blame. She would tell me this for the first ten thousand years."
   
   Anyone who has ever been either a parent or a child (!) couldn't help but be touched by the pain and loneliness behind those words.
   
   Lily is a girl full of pain, hungering for the slightest bit of affection, and fueled by anger. And yet, I didn't get a sense that she wanted anyone to pity her - she just wanted the smallest chance at a normal life, the tiniest sign that someone valued her as a person, could recognize the hurt she felt.
   
   "Did this mean that if I told May about T. Ray's mounds of grits, his dozens of small cruelties, about my killing my mother - that hearing it, she would feel everything I did? I wanted to know what happened when two people felt it. Would it divide the hurt in two, make it lighter to bear, the way feeling someone's joy seemed to double it?"
   
   This book was an interesting mix of racial tension, Southern life, 1960's politics and the mysteries of female relationships. With so many intertwining issues, it was difficult for me to focus on the underlying message, but I did take an image from here, a message from there. And sometimes I just enjoyed the writing.
   
   "The first week at August's was a consolation, a pure relief. The world will give you that once in a while, a brief time-out; the boxing bell rings and you go to your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life."
   
   At other times, I found my cynicism rising - sometimes, (and I understand how ironic this will sound in a story of girl whose mother dies and whose father does not love her) sometimes the events unfolding struck me as "too good to be true". Or more accurately, to coincidental to be believable.
   
   In the end, though, this book has many lovely parts, many small windows into a world and time and life I will never know.



3. This book was thought provoking, funny, truthful and very touching. I needed to read it slowly so I wouldn't miss any of the details. A great book for a vaction, even if the vacation is in the comfort of your own home. Enjoy!



4. The Secret Life of Bees is one of those books that is always talked about yet might not be as good as people say it is. You don't really know until you read it yourself. It has reached such a high pedestal in today's literature that it might just be hype. But it is certainly not. This novel was one of the best I have read this year.
   Lily Owens, fourteen years old, is growing sick of her home. Conflicted by the memory of the day her mother died, Lily has to also deal with her mean father T.Ray, who routinely makes her kneel on grits. After her nanny Rosaleen ends up in jail, Lily decides it is time to take charge. She busts Rosaleen out and travels to Tiburon, South Carolina. All she has left of her mother is a little picture of the Black Madonna with Tiburon written on the back. Lily and Rosaleen are immediately taken in by three beekeeping sisters who have secrets to give and secrets to keep. Along the way Lily realizes the true meaning of home and family and meets a group of very special women.
   This book is wonderful and relatable. As a teenager myself I find Lily very easy to listen to and to care for. The story moved along quickly, but didn't spare any detail. Every heartbreak and triumph committed by the characters was felt substantially. This book is not hype; it is truly a gem. And with the movie coming out, this book will certainly become appreciated and loved by more people all over the world.



5. My husband and I listened to Secret LOB's while traveling. We listened going and returning but didn't get it finished. We spent the next afternoon relaxing and finishing the cd. We both felt it was one of the best Books on cd. Another book on cd for a really long travel is The White House by Margaret Truman. You can listen, stop, and return to listening weeks after for the trip home. She researched the White house and has many interesting inside stories of the people who lived and visited the White House.

No comments about Extreme Measures: A Thriller.

No comments about Divine Justice.

No comments about The Brass Verdict: A Novel.

5 comments about To Kill a Mockingbird.

1. This book is a classic. It was required reading for my fifteen year old daughter and she loved it.



2. This is a book which should change your life. Of course it is an outstanding American story; more, it is a study of American character--exceptional and inhuman. You will, if you read carefully, be forced to reckon you are more like a Finch or more like a Ewell. And, after that reckoning, you will different forever.
   
   I'm sorry I read this so late in my life. (I would have accomplished more by following the example of Atticus.) But for the remainder of my days, I pledge allegiance to Atticus Finch. His example is that important, that just, that right.
   
   Require yourself to read it; require those you can influence to read it. About the time this book was published, an important black man said: If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. I don't believe this is overstatement in these troubled times in America. If you don't read "To Kill a Mockingbird" you are part of the problem. And, if you don't end up being--or striving to be--more like Atticus Finch, you are part of the problem.



3. Harper Lee wrote only one novel. And it is probably one of the best books ever written. It's a beautiful story of the South and one incredible and emotional year, all told through the observant and innocent eyes of a little girl called Scout.
   
   This is a great book on so many levels. On one hand, it's simply about a girl and her life and her adventures, just like any other basic kid's books. But what she truly experiences goes beyond what many kids experience as she sees first-hand the effects of hardship, racism, and poverty, all from her small Southern town.
   
   The themes are strong, but never forced, only eloquently stated when they must be obvious out of necessity. The writing is quaint, charming, and utterly reminiscent of a time gone by.
   
   Harper Lee's masterpiece is touching, harsh, and altogether one of the most beautiful celebrations of humanity ever written.



4. I bought from this book after I watched the movie. I haven't finished the book yet,but it is really a great book to read. Strongly recommend!



5. it was all great the shipping was fast the price was just right loved it

5 comments about Hot Mahogany (Stone Barrington Novel).

1. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RO0SIVQ1TKF10 Hot Mahogany Stuart Woods is up and down. He pleases his readers and then he disappoints them. Is "Dark Mahogany" a Good Woods or a Bad Woods. In this video review I do not give away the plot, but I do tell you if you would like the book and why. Please join me for my rainy day movie! -- Frank Derfler author of "A Glint in Time"



2. Stone Barrington is back, this time in a convoluted caper involving a piece of 18th century American furniture worth $25 million. The typical Woods elements are in place - money flows, sexy women appear and disappear and some light violence takes place. All in good fun. Perfect for the next time you need to spend several hours strapped into an airline seat.



3. I have been a Stuart Woods fan for years, especially the Stone Barrington series. In his most recent release: HOT MAHOGANY (as in HOT reproductions of antiques), this book drifts from NYC to the New England countryside. This book has a little bit of everything: old familiar characters, a few new ones, add a touch of amnesia and some undercover work looking for valuable reproductions and there you have it...HOT MAHOGANY. Honestly, this book left me flat.
   
   I long for the good old Stone Barrington of days gone by.



4. I have been a Stuart Woods fan for years and enjoy reading each of his books. I especially like Stone. But in this book, I did get a bit tired of his moving from one bed to another with different ladies. Maybe he wouldn't be as much "fun" if he settled down. But since I'm a hopeless romantic, I'd like to have him stay with one woman----especially in one story. But that's just me.
   The story was fun to read---from NYC through New England. There were many twists and turns----always entertaining and very tough to put down. It's a quick read and very easy to finish in a day or two. You'll be wanting more when it's over----and maybe in his next Barrington novel, you'll get more. We can always hope.



5. Stone Barrington and his "friends and lovers" provide another exciting story. Funny, good plot, and great ending say it all. The author made one error in the book and I was able to email him and tell him of the correction. Did not take away from a wonderful story.

5 comments about Heat Lightning (Virgil Flowers).

1. I am a fan of the Prey series and the Kidd books, so when Sandford came out with the Flowers series, I was worried that the author would over extend himself. I was wrong. Sandford has created a very novel character in Virgil Flowers. From his long hair and his vast collection of tee shirts, Virgil is a one of a kind cop. The story flows naturally and the characters sound real. Virgil is fully rounded person and his name is not about his personality, but his way with the ladies. The story is not one of those mysteries where the detective uses deduction or those where CSI plays a big part. In the novels it is plain old grinding it out leg work, look for clues, follow leads, dead ends, and luck. In between Virgil talking about God and picking the right band shirt, the action is simple and to the point. No facncy shooting or "wow" action, but realistic action of the normal cop. One reads these books for the Virgil Flower and not really for the msytery. A very satistfing novel.



2. I'm a huge John Sandford fan so I was looking forward to this book. Not a great story - which is unusual for Sandford. Writing is great, as expected. Too much Davenport in this book (I LOVE Davenport - but this is Flowers story). Glad I bought it.



3. (I won't lie. Part of me just wanted to say "Jump the Shark" this morning.) I like Virgil Flowers a lot. He has a haircut in my mind's eye, but other than that he's a less depressing young Lucas Davenport. The pacing is also John Sandford: Prologue = Crime; First Chapter = Investigator in Bed; Then the Mystery Takes Off. This installment's plot reaches back to the Vietnam War (which was forty years ago now) and ends with a cameo by the "Dept of Homeland Security" (yawn). Still the farfetched plot is held together by great characters and affection for Virgil. I prefer old fashioned homegrown crime, so I graded it down to three stars, but overall this was a fun read. Incidentally, Mr. Sandford could teach many a suspense novelist how to put politics into a novel without taking you out of the actual story. Great job.



4. This is the first Virgil Flowers story worth reading but get it in paperback unless you have cash to burn. Actually written this time by John Sandford, Flowers is in charge of solving a string of unusual murders relating back to the Vietnam war. It is a different direction for Sandford and slightly left of center politically but not so that it is excessively annoying. Flowers is a three dimensional character for the first time so the reader may actually begin to care about him for a change. There are some humorous moments in the story and it even prompted me to buy a 'WWTDD' T Shirt... don't ask.



5. I was eagerly awaiting this book and was not disappointed.
   
   I will not go into the story details because many others have already done that. I will just say..It is fun, interesting, and unusual in that the bad guys don't always lose in this one.
   
   I am a great fan of Vince Flynn, Daniel Silva and other thriller authors. I like the change of pace Virgil offers ! And of course his infamous nickname "That f*****g Flowers" always gets a grin from me.

5 comments about The Lucky One.

1. I have to admit that this book started a little slow for me, compared to Nicholas Sparks' other novels I've read, but it definitely didn't disappoint me in the end. I'll spare the details of what the plot is about - other reviewers have talked about it enough and there's a handy description of it at the top - but what I will tell you is that this is another Nicholas Sparks novel that will be hard for you to forget, or put down. You will fall in love with the characters he's so skillfully crafted, you will laugh with them, you will shed tears with them, and you will connect with them as if they are real people that you know.
   
   You will also marvel at how the lives of these characters are all coincidentally interwoven with each other in some strange way. You will wonder how Nicholas Sparks manages to center his stories around the same general theme of love and fate, but still continue to shock you time and time again, without fail.
   
   The Lucky One is a true heart-wrencher, at its finest. It is truly another unforgettable masterpiece by Nicholas Sparks. But, don't take my word for it. Go read it for yourself. I dare you not to be hooked.



2. I just finished reading "The Lucky One" and it was Fantastic! The story started out slow.....but understandable once you get into the plot. I enjoyed the close companionship of his dog - Zeus. I loved it and now wished I had read it slower. I will anxiously await the next great book from Nicholas Sparks! You will definitely love this one!



3. Nicholas Sparks does it again with his latest novel, The Lucky One, a novel about an ex-marine's quest to search for the woman in the photograph who has been his lucky charm throughout his tours in Iraq and the relationship that develops once they meet.
   
   Logan Thibault is an easy-going and charming man who walks cross-country accompanied by Zeus (his dog) to find the mystery woman in the picture. As the story develops, Logan finally meets the woman in the picture. Simply wanting to be close to her to figure out how he 'owes' her for saving his life so many years as his lucky charm, he begins to build a relationship with her (Elizabeth 'Beth'), her son (Ben), and her grandmother (Nana). There is also an integral involvement of the selfish, self-absorbed Keith Clayton to the story.
   
   Sparks tells the story from three perspectives, each evident by the chapter title. The three characters each have different ways of thinking and Sparks' writing style for each corresponding chapter easily relates this to the reader. This is an excellent way of telling this story since it would, most likely, be rather difficult (if not impossible) to tell the story simply from one point of view. As expected, Sparks' storytelling is stellar both at developing the relationship between characters and unfolding a wonderful story with an emotional finish.
   
   After reading this book, you can't help but wonder, who is the lucky one in the story? In my opinion, there are several lucky ones in this story. It's amazing how a story simply based on a photograph can unfold into such a beautiful work of fiction. If you are a Nicholas Sparks fan, you won't be disappointed.



4. Mr. Sparks delivers a wonderful story that takes you with it's simplicity and clarity. Logan has a wonderful story as a person who has served three tours in the Marines. Elizabeth has a wonderful story of remaining an individual in a small town. Together, bound by a photograph, these two people have a story that will make you believe in love all over again - take a chance.
   
   The extra characters in this story are also great: Nana, Ben and of course Zeus.I loved this story!



5. After seeing this book was #2 on the NYT bestseller's list, I read the jacket and dove in. The book starts extremely well with a modern and interesting narrative. The flashback scenes are well done and at no time lose the reader.
   
   About 2/3's of the way into the book, the characters become well defined and start to gain a mild complexity. Unfortunately that is where the development stops. In an attempt to create a dramatic ending the book takes on a sit com like aspect. The characters become one dimensional, the story line predictable and you feel the author racing to create a tidy ending.
   
   If the author had further developed the auxiliary characters and ending, it could of been on par with similar books in this genre like "The Bridges of Madison County".

5 comments about A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61).

1. Nauseating New Age pablum for the porridge-brained. It was a gift from a clueless and flakey acquaintance so I tried to read it but it was just terrible. I'd have never imagined this hokum would lure so many people. I might write one of these and cash in on the trend if I didn't feel so sorry for the types who fall for this psychobabble. But someone has to take their money, I suppose . . .



2. This is a great book and I highly recomment it. I read it in one day and gave it to my sister-in-law to read. She agrees with me that everybody should read this book.



3. If you are thinking about reading this book - then you should - you need to be ready for this book albeit most people just like reading a lot - this book is chalked full of information that you need to be ready to receive.
   
   Good Reading
   
   Jan Simpson



4. I guess I'm one of the people who get absolutely nothing from this book. I purchased this book with high hopes, but after the first four chapters I couldn't convince myself to keep reading. I don't really get how this book is supposed to be revolutionary or life-changing. It better much rehashes things I've already heard before.. I wouldn't wait my money on this book...Sorry



5. This book is a profound insight into changing the way that we think to Be a catalyst for a universal awakening into the eternal. It will either activate the spiritual in you or get your mind to delve deeper into an awareness of the process of thinking. It reinforced my own awakening and bought a peace that indeed life is not random, but organized and intricately designed by the Master. Read and be challenged to see the vision of God, "outside the box!"

5 comments about The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity.

1. The Shack is a must read in my opinion. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down until I finished. It helped me to understand functions of the Trinity much better.
   
   I highly recommend this book.



2. I was given this book with glowing recommendation, and my interest was further aroused by the description on the cover: a book that "wrestles with the timeless question: Where is God in a world so filled with unspeakable pain? The answers Mack gets will astound you and perhaps transform you as much as it did him."
   
   I love fictional works that WRESTLE with important issues rather than giving cookie-cutter answers like some cheap self-help book. Isn't that the mark of a great novelist? Nathanial Hawthorne, Victor Hugo, Herman Hesse, Mark Twain -- they all WRESTLED with the big questions of life. So I was excited that I was to read a modern book that wrestled with what is perhaps the biggest issue of all for those who believe -- or hope -- in the existence of a God who cares for us.
   
   It started off well enough. Wm. P. Young tried to show the pain of a man who had been abused by a Bible-thumping father and then lost his youngest daughter to a serial killer. Though popular authors like Stephen King do a better job at depicting human pain and tragedy, the story succeeded in pulling me in. I felt for Mack and his "Great Sadness," as the book puts it, and was looking forward to how the author would skillfully weave his thoughts into the storyline.
   
   It didn't happen. Instead, Mack literally gets a letter from God in the mail, goes off to the shack where his daughter had been murdered, and spends a weekend with the Trinity in the form of an African-American Mama, a not-so-handsome Middle-Eastern Jew, and an Asian woman. They talk. The book ceases to be a novel and turns into chapters of Christian teaching packaged creatively, with the Holy Spirit saying things like, "Paradigms power perception and perceptions power emotions."
   
   This is not to say that it is all bad. There are many worthwhile lessons about living in the present, the power of forgiveness, and being freed from legalism. There are also several humorous and delightful moments, but overall I felt that the author bit off more than he could chew. A weekend in direct conversation with the Trinity? Hanging out with God for chapter after chapter? For the best of authors, this would be too much of a challenge to pull off convincingly. There is a reason Aslan says very little in the Chronicles of Narnia -- we would not be convinced by him if he chatted his way through the stories. But this is exactly what we get in "The Shack": God the chatterbox.
   
   Now to the content of the chat with God. I just said that there are many valuable lessons in it, but when it comes to the main theme -- why an all-powerful God who loves us still lords over a chaotic planet filled with unspeakable pain -- the answer did not "astound" me as it did the main character Mack.
   
   What astounded me was that the answer seems to appeal to so many millions of believers. If I did not know about the immense popularity of the book, I'd say that it would appeal neither to strong biblicists who are wary of anything that is not directly mentioned in the Bible, nor to more open-minded Christians who, for example, follow scientific developments and therefore have many questions that the writers of the Bible did not share.
   
   The core of the answer is exactly what we find through a more literal reading of the Bible:
   
   1. The world was absolutely perfect, but a few thousand years ago, Adam and Eve used their God-given freedom for ill and therefore brought all (yes, ALL--Mack is told not to underestimate the power given to humans) the suffering into this world.
   
   2. God respects our freedom too much to prevent all the negative consequences of Adam's choice, but He does turn this earth into a training ground for eternity. "It's only preparation" we read in "The Shack."
   
   3. As for questions of why individual tragedies are or are not prevented by God, the picture is too big for us to understand. What we see as chaos, God sees as fractal, and He is in the process of redemption. All will be well one day. After death.
   
   But how does No. 1 help unless you are a six-day creationist? Even Evangelical Christians who believe in Intelligent Design think that tsunamis, earthquakes, disease, pain, and mutual annihilation preceded human life by several million years. The only way "The Shack" addresses this is to say that, well, Genesis 1-11 is not a myth but did literally happen. I'm not sure open-minded Christians will throw their science overboard as easily as that.
   
   And No. 2 and 3 only help if you have virtually no doubt that the Christian claims are indeed true and that one day, when you're dead, it'll all make sense. But where is the God of the living? What do you do if you're not entirely sure of it? In that case, the reality of suffering weighs more than the unsure comfort that "it is all preparation" and the present suffering will be redeemed.
   
   But not only the open-minded Christian should have a hard time relating to "The Shack," but also the biblicists. The simple-minded doctrines are packaged in a picture of the Trinity that doesn't exactly dominate the Bible. Many biblical depictions of various aspects of God are left out, and what remains is a modern, very (North) American buddy who loves to hang out with us and crack jokes. Culturally relevant? Yes. And I personally even see the value of tailoring the Christian message to a modern audience, especially in a work of fiction. The Christian God did, after all, become a human being, so why not once more step down on the level of people today? But I doubt that it will please the biblicist.
   
   So who are all the millions that find the book not only deeply touching but also completely convincing? The logical part of me says that it must all be six-day creationists who are nevertheless no biblicists.
   
   But maybe most people simply appreciate the book's portrayal of love, forgiveness, and healed relationships. And that, I find appealing, too -- not to mention important to apply in my personal life. Three stars for that.
   
   - Jacob Schriftman, Author of The Crack Beneath the Worlds



3. One of the best books I have read in the last 10 years! A must for anyone who has ever wondered about God.



4. Certainly an engaging story. While there were occasional times when I raised my theological eyebrows, I found it mostly to be a wonderful blessings. I would recommend it.



5. A friend loaned me this book and I knew I was in trouble when all of the glowing reports came from people working in the Christian community and none from a book reviewer. I am a non-Christian so the theology discussions other reviewers are having is meaningless to me. I read a lot of books on a lot of different subjects and this one had poor writing, poor plot developement and a dreadful ending. The author should have left the thesaurus on the shelf and written an essay.