No comments about Birds without Wings.

5 comments about 2nd Chance (The Women's Murder Club).

1. Half way through and this is another masterpiece by James Patterson, filled with twists and surprises.



2. this author is amazing. the series amazing. i recommend it to any good mystery fan!



3. I don't know why I never got around to this one before. I love Patterson, but this one was just horrid.
   
   All I could think of while reading it was: "When did they start publishing first drafts?"
   
   And, what's with the italics? Do you really think your readers are that dense that we cannot create our own inferences without the literary equivalent of a laugh track or schlocky music?
   
   Again, this read like a first draft. Just awful.
   
   By the way, in the Bay Area we call San Francisco International Airport, SFO, not SFI. Couldn't be bothered with a silly little thing like research, huh?



4. The book was in excellent condition and I am very pleased with it; also I will be a returning customer!!!
   
   Jason



5. The good news is that it doesn't waste a lot of time because it's a very fast read. Simple characters, simple dialogue, short chapters, simple story. It starts out fairly well but nothing believable develops in this book about the Black, female cop, her pals, or the various suspects. The dialogue between Lindsay, the homocide detective, and her prosecutor and medical examiner friends, trying to solve a series of horrendous serial murders, reads like sorority sister chit chat. If it was written to appeal to women, I don't think anyone who appreciates good cop mysteries, can enjoy this story.

No comments about Nora Roberts Quinn Brothers Trilogy: Sea Swept, Rising Tides, Inner Harbor (Chesapeake Bay).

5 comments about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

1. Well I read many of the reviews and I was very disappointed to see how many people hated this book. Since I didn't know anything about autism I was very interested to see what this book was about. I really, really liked it and I now want to lean more about autism. If I think that way after reading this maybe there are others who think similar and that is a good thing. I don't believe this is the only way to view autism, but it is A way. THIS IS A NOVEL or fiction, not a true storry! Since I read this book I talked to some people who have kids with autism and many say this book is a fiction, but has some true elements.
   I just want to say to the parents of autistic children who hated this book, that I now want to learn more about Your child's condition and maybe one day I will work with kids like Yours and help them. You never know where you find inspiration and interest in a subject so keep Your mind and heart open!!



2. I read this book because my girlfriend works with Autistic children and she wanted to read it together. I didn't expect much; from the cover, I thought it was Young adult liturature. It turns out that it was a great read with a lot of depth. It was amazing how much tension resulted from everyday situations when seen through the eyes of someone with Aspeger's. It definitly increased my perspective on this condition. Despite the tension it was a pleasant read, with a lot of humor. It was a good page turner for me. I stayed up way too late finishing it.



3. I am the school psychologist for a class of teens with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and related disorders. I purchased a classroom set of books, including the discussion guide and audio set, for the teacher to use as a class project for literature and as part of our disability awareness. Students with AS have a poor sense of self which underlies their deficits in Theory of Mind (that others have thoughts and feelings different from their own) and social communication. The main character, Christopher, so accurately demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of AS. What is most fascinating is that my students, who are aware of their disability, cannot relate at all to the main character, even though Christopher has very similar behaviors to their own. All of this reveals how really impaired AS students are in terms of their intra-personal intelligence and ability to manage in every day life although they are bright and knowledge in other ways. The class is progressing slowly through this book, which is a remarkable story and beneficial for teens with AS to read. However, it is more appropriate to read through with them to get maximum benefit. It is a must reading for parents and others who want to understand Asperger's syndrome in every day life.



4. Christopher Boone, the narrator of this story, is a fifteen year old Rain Man. He is as gifted mathematically as Dustin Hoffman was in the movie, but he's as helpless as he was as well, he's socially without a clue. He sees things differently than others, in his words, "My memory is like a filmÉ.And when people ask me to remember something I can simply press Rewind and Fast Forward and Pause like on a video recorder." He takes what he's told and what he sees at face value.
   
   When he discovers Wellington, a neighbor's pet poodle, killed, stabbed with a pitchfork, he is at first blamed, then he decides to find out for himself who forked the dog. Using Sherlock Holmes as his model, he digs into the crime and this forces him to foray out into the real world, away from the familiar safety of his home and special school. And it also leads to an unraveling of his own family's history. He learns a secret that forces him to re-evaluate everything he's taken for granted and that's pretty scary stuff for a boy like Christopher.
   
   Christopher is a wonderful character and he walks through an endearing story well told. This is a book that should be on everybody's Christmas or birthday list. I can't praise it highly enough.



5. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time began beautifully. The mystery of who killed a dog, shown through the eyes of a 15-year-old autistic boy, was more intriguing and entertaining than most of today's generic amateur sleuth mysteries. Written in an easy to read format with helpful diagrams, this book appeared to be an interesting tale that could perhaps shine a little light on the thought processes of autistic teenagers.
   
   About halfway through the book, the dog's murderer confesses and then entire focus of the story shifted. Instead of a mystery, it became a rambling tale of running away from home. It went from engrossing to dull in the turn of a page. With the story switching gears so unexpectedly, it felt as though the book was in fact two separate stories (featuring common characters) pasted together to create a book. It felt off, like something just wasn't fitting properly.
   
   The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time's quirky uniqueness didn't translate through the second half of the book. This was a case of an amazing book turning dreary. Had the entire book been dull, it might almost have been better.

5 comments about House of Sand and Fog (Oprah's Book Club) (Oprah's Book Club (New York, N.Y.).).

1. I was very unhappy opening my package. I knew I was purchasing a used book but have always gotten what is described. I didn't see anything telling me there was water damage, stains creases and torn covers. It was not worth the price and I will never buy from this person again.



2. When I first picked up this book, weeks ago, I had no idea it would be an action filled novel. The novel is split into two parts, and mainly focuses on two characters: Mr.Behrani and Kathy Nicolo.
   
   In part I, we see the alternating narations of Behrany and Kathy. Behrany, a recent iranian immigrant to America struggles to live up to appearances and finds an opportunity in an auctioned house. The house, the main reason of conflict, used to belong to kathy, but due to a mistake, was auctioned off. With Behrani insisting in keeping what is rightfully his, and kathy desperate to regain what was rightfully hers, we enter a world where both parties refuse to step back a second and see the other person's real situation.
   
   I enjoyed the naration up to this point, and maybe most of part II. What I disliked, intensly disliked, about part II was what seemed to be scenes snagged from action movies. Kidnapping? Hostages? Attempted Suicide? Yeah. You get my point.
   
   It was, nevertheless, an interesting read. And its unbelievable ending, its uncomprehensible action filled sections would cause a person to contemplate the real word. Sometimes illogical and unbelievable things occur, right in front of us, but we either turn a blind eye or just accept them with time."



3. When I first started to read this book I could not put it down. The first half of the book was compeling. As the plot thickened I could not quite figure out how it could end in a sensible manner. Does Nicole get her house back? Does Colonel Behrani do the right thing or does his pride and ego interfere with his decision making and how about Lester, does he leave his wife and children? All these plots seemed intriguing and then the second half of the book is very disappointing. Its like the auther did not know how to end it so it goes crazy! Also, my lungs ached with every cigarette Nicole lite up. Was it necessary for her to do that constantly? I go the message in the beginning she was a chain smoker. Anyway, I was really disappointed in the ending. I was looking forward to a clever conclusion to a tangled mess. They either ended up dead or in jail. How convienient.



4. I find it difficult to read the many reviws that express sympathy for the rude, uncaring Behrani. Where's the empathy for Kathy, who had her home illegally 'sold from under her' ? It's so obvious that Behrani has nothing but distain for women in general, and in particular strong animosity toward the young girl whose home he's living in illegally. Despite learning of the careless error that caused Kathy to be forced to leave her home, his autocratic, overbearing,hate-filled demeanor persists. Once again - why the sympathy forthe hate-filled intruder, and none for the unfortunate Kathy ? I keep trying to understand those reviews that empathize with Behrani, and I find no justification for the complete lack of sympathy for Kathy's plight. Perhapss her failure to 'check her mail' those many weeks evinces considerable carelessness on herr part, but in no way imagineable does it justify that rude, autocratic, frighteningly cold Behrani's actions - especially when he is fully aware that her home legally still belongs to Kathy.



5. I'm glad I'm not the only one:
   
   1. Who is clearly rooting for the Colonel and finds Kathy and Lester extremely annoying
   2. Who thinks the storyline is not at all plausible
   
   The only view I want to add is that it wouldn't have been "politically correct" the other way around. If the author made the Colonel any more of a villain than Kathy, it would have qualified as a racist novel by most.

5 comments about Outlander.

1. I had never heard of Diana Gabaldon until about 2 months ago. My hairstylist recommended reading Outlander. She said....don't give up on it. Its hard to follow at first, but she said keep with it and you'll love it. For me, it was at page 200 that I couldn't put it down. I had the next 2 delivered to my library just so I wouldn't have to wait for a time lapse in between. Its been about 3 weeks now, and I'm on book 5 out of 7. Going to the library to pick up the last 2 tomorrow...but I can tell you that by far, the best book (s) I have read in my life! If you like historical books or period books with some romance thrown in, this is for you! I have found myself going past the book and reading up on the history of the places, towns, etc. in the books. Much infatuated now, I am ready to move to Scotland! Definitely recommend the series of books! Have to read them in order....wouldn't make much sense otherwise. They are long...some parts are not as good as others...but its a journey!



2. This book will forever be one of my top favorites. I put off reading it due to the length, but I honestly never wanted to put it down. I was interested right from the beginning and I never lost that interest. I went through so much emotional turmoil over this book that I know I will have to wait a little while to pick up the next one, which to me makes Gabaldon a wonderful writer. I have never been so nervous, my heart has never broke so completely for a character, and I have never loathed a character so much in one book. Just thinking about some of the things Jamie went through tears my heart out again. Claire and Jamie are two of my favorite characters. I will definitely read the rest of the series but I will have to space them out my heart can't take all the turmoil at once.



3. In the Outlander by Diana Galbaldon, we first meet Claire Beauchamp Randall while she is on her second honeymoon in the Scottish Highlands with her husband, Frank. It is 1945, and after being separated during the war, while Claire worked as a combat nurse and Frank as a soldier, they both decided that this is a well-deserved vacation to renew their relationship. Frank is most interested in continuing his research on his relative, Captain John "Black Jack" Randall and Claire, a little bored decide to learn more about the medicinal value of the area plants. One day during an outing Claire touches a boulder and is transported back to 1743 and lands in the middle of a skirmish between English soldiers, let by none other than Black Jack, and a Scottish Highland tribe. What are they to think when they come upon Claire in what they consider a state of undress for their times? Is she a spy for the English, a bar maid, or a French lady who is separated from her group? Will Claire be able to return to 1945 and Frank, or will she want to stay in 1743, with a new husband, the dashing Jamie Frasier?
   
   This book has been categorized as historical fiction, historical romance, military history, and an adventure tale. While I found the story full of history, battle details, sex, violence, betrayal, loyalty, love, revenge, tradition, and romance, none of these elements held my interest in the story. The story went on a little too long and became repetitive in parts. We learn early on that Captain Randall is out to get Jaime Frasier at any cost, but the story seemed to repeat the same capture and escape scene several times too many. Claire has her moments to shine in the story, but came up short on more than one occasion. There were some nice touches in the story, such as when Claire figures that a vaccination mark on another women means that she is also a time traveler. Jaime falling in love with Claire was touching but these highs were too few and far between for me.
   
   This is a book series that has a large following, so for me this book illustrates the saying, every book is not for everybody but every book is for someone.
   
   This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes.
   
   Reviewed by Beverly
   APOOO BookClub



4. There are many more salient criticisms of this book here, but this is what I have to say...
   
   First, some praise - this a good story concept, and the book is extremely well written. The author really knows how to turn a phrase, and is quite clever and eloquent in her descriptions, dialog, and humor. She proves herself extremely witty time and time again.
   
   However, there are many problems with this book. There are one or two minor plot inconsistencies (small problems in contrast to the rest of my complaints), but at approximately 850 pages, the book really is too long. There are very long stretches of the book that could either be edited out completely or reduced to a few pages, or even to a few short paragraphs, without any detriment to either plot or character development. While the good writing sustains much of the unnecessary length, this book could have been a much better read at 400 or 500 pages.
   
   Warning - Spoiler Alert!!!
   
   
   My biggest problems with this book, however, are the two main characters, Jamie and Claire, and their relationship. Let's begin with Jamie.
   
   Jamie Fraser is the perfect romance-novel paramour to the point of ridiculousness. It's clear in the beginning of the book that Claire is being set up to be attracted to Jamie (and this is in fact a great tension builder at first), but as one works through the procession of scenes designed to illustrate Jamie's attractiveness and perfection (a veritable avalanche of them) one by one, and with each one yet another one of Jamie's of positive traits is displayed, ultimately one is forced to either groan, giggle, or ruefully shake one's head. The author does attempt to give Jamie a flaw or two - but these are vastly overshadowed by his multitude of virtues. Though he is likable, Jamie Fraser is a two-dimensional fantasy book hero of the sort which inspires little beyond boredom and yawns.
   
   On to Claire: As a reader, I tried to sympathize with Claire's position... after all, her journey through time and the forceful separation from her life and home and husband were not her doing. She was put into a very tough position... this was not something that she asked for... it happened to her... she is a situational victim here. And there is a lot to like in Claire: she's intelligent, eloquent, assertive, and has a quick sense of humor. Certainly, these are things that I myself like and look for in a woman.
   However, the book jacket states that Claire "...becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire..." This proves to be an outright falsehood as fidelity is rather quickly tossed out the window in favor of desire with little ceremony or regret. She glibly, blithely allows her affections to transfer from Frank (whom she loves deeply - or so we are led to believe) to Jamie. To this reader, Claire seems, fickle, inconstant, and emotionally unaware of herself in a way that borders on stupidity. But since we have been shown that Claire isn't stupid, her actions therefore invite us to mix wanton callousness and mercenary insensitivity into the matrix of her personality. To me, this makes her not only unsympathetic, but patently unlikeable in a way that's one of the worst stereotypical portrayals of fickle women who use men while they're convenient, and abruptly dump them when a better beau comes along. All these traits, combined with the beating of Claire by Jamie, I think, would have resulted in the book being labeled as misogynist if it had been written by a man instead of a woman.
   
   Women seem to love this book. As a male, I'm not sure why. Perhaps it's the storybook romance element, but for me this leaves much to be desired. After all, the moral of this story seems to be: 'it's okay to betray the one you love when something better comes along.' Would those very same women who love this book put up with being treated the same way as Frank was treated if the tables were turned?
   
   I have been exhorted me to overlook Claire's shortcomings and focus on the beauty and intense physicality of her relationship with Jamie. I must admit that I was unable to do this, since I did not care for the relationship, which frankly, I found to be distasteful (which is something I blame on Claire, not Jamie). Because of this, I glossed over most of the book's many sex scenes, only going back if it later became clear that I had missed a piece of crucial dialog.
   
   Similarly, I found the book's climax to be an anticlimax. The final 150 pages or so are devoted to the efforts of Claire and Jamie attempting to heal their relationship after the damage inflicted on it (and Jamie) by the antagonist. Again, since I was not interested in their relationship, the book could have ended 150 pages early as far as I was concerned. Did I bear either of the characters ill will? Of course not. Did I want them to have a happy ending if at all possible? Certainly. But did I really care that much either way? Not really.
   
   And in regards to the romance element and for the many female fans of Jamie Fraser out there, my advice is this: women who are searching for the ultimate man in the form of a Jamie Fraser should stop talking to men, collect lots of cats, resign themselves to living alone, and bury themselves in the other books of Ms. Gabaldon's series. I'm sorry ladies, and it really is a shame, but Jamie Fraser is nowhere out there in the real world.



5. This book is fantastic! I was looking for a good series to read and someone recommended this book to me. The first chapter or so was a little hard to get into, but once it really started I couldn't wait to see what happened next! I bought the next book right away. This is an awesome series.

5 comments about Blue Smoke.

1. Would have enjoyed an epilogue or at least having it stretched out a bit more for closure, but it was excellent nonetheless. Really enjoyed how we meet the romantic lead early in the novel and are shown how their lives kind of intertwine and lead them to each other--really had a destiny kind of feel to it. Also loved the large, rambunctious family. My all-time favorite Nora Roberts book; have read it multiple times and fall in love with Bo and Rena's family all over again. Humor, suspense, romance--this one has it all; I can't recommend it enough!! Read it; you won't be disappointed!!



2. Reena Hale learned at an early age what fire could do. She was a small child when she had to watch her family's' restaurant burn to the ground thus beginning her love/hate relationship with fire. As she grew up she devoured everything possible to expand her knowledge because she continued to be tortured to fire. In college, her boyfriend was burned to death, and this is just another event that directs her to her career as an arson investigator.
   
   Renna feels content with her life when she becomes a member of the police department, and buys her first home. She is surprised when she meets neighbor Bo Goodnight to find out he has been trying to find her since college. He saw her at a party across the room and has been trying to find her since. As they grow closer and fall in love, Renna is horrified when Bo's life is threatened again with fire. As they investigate further, it is revealed that two of her other boyfriends were touched by fire, and it is all perpetrated by the same person.
   
   I loved this story. It is definitely one of my favorite NR tales. The characters were phenomenal. Reena and Bo are a good match, but all the supporting characters were an important part - from her loud obnoxious loving family to the creepy villain.



3. Reena Hale learned at an early age what fire could do. She was a small child when she had to watch her family's' restaurant burn to the ground thus beginning her love/hate relationship with fire. As she grew up she devoured everything possible to expand her knowledge because she continued to be tortured to fire. In college, her boyfriend was burned to death, and this is just another event that directs her to her career as an arson investigator.
   
   Renna feels content with her life when she becomes a member of the police department, and buys her first home. She is surprised when she meets neighbor Bo Goodnight to find out he has been trying to find her since college. He saw her at a party across the room and has been trying to find her since. As they grow closer and fall in love, Renna is horrified when Bo's life is threatened again with fire. As they investigate further, it is revealed that two of her other boyfriends were touched by fire, and it is all perpetrated by the same person.
   
   I loved this story. It is definitely one of my favorite NR tales. The characters were phenomenal. Reena and Bo are a good match, but all the supporting characters were an important part - from her loud obnoxious loving family to the creepy villain.



4. Reena Hale learned at an early age what fire could do. She was a small child when she had to watch her family's' restaurant burn to the ground thus beginning her love/hate relationship with fire. As she grew up she devoured everything possible to expand her knowledge because she continued to be tortured to fire. In college, her boyfriend was burned to death, and this is just another event that directs her to her career as an arson investigator.
   
   Renna feels content with her life when she becomes a member of the police department, and buys her first home. She is surprised when she meets neighbor Bo Goodnight to find out he has been trying to find her since college. He saw her at a party across the room and has been trying to find her since. As they grow closer and fall in love, Renna is horrified when Bo's life is threatened again with fire. As they investigate further, it is revealed that two of her other boyfriends were touched by fire, and it is all perpetrated by the same person.
   
   I loved this story. It is definitely one of my favorite NR tales. The characters were phenomenal. Reena and Bo are a good match, but all the supporting characters were an important part - from her loud obnoxious loving family to the creepy villain.



5. I wasthinking I'd really found an author I would be very happy with. But as the book progressed and the language got worse, and the dialogue became 50's B movie stuff and worst of all the graphic human torture made me sick to my stomach I knew I'd picked up the wrong book. I don't like graphic sex scenes, never have so I just skim over them.
   
   I'm going to try another Roberts book because so many people adore her writing. But I'm going to read something else first so I can get this terrible book out of my head.
   
   If most her books have as wonderful characters as she set up as parents and friends in this book I could become a Roberts fan.

3 comments about To Kill A Mockingbird Cassette.

1. Harper Lee was encouraged to write some of her childhood memories. What in the beginning seems like the story of three childhood friends in depression era Macomb, Alabama, turns out to be packed with insights to the makeup of human kind.
   
   This story is intriguing on many levels from the history of the area to the stereotyping of people. Most of all every turn was a surprise as told in the first person from the view of Scout Finch. And instead of telling the story in a six year old vocabulary she uses an exceptionally large repertoire to describe the people and events. This story is not as slow passed as one may guess from first glance as every remark and every action will be needed for a future action.
   
   A major controversial part of the story is the trial of Tom Robinson. Hoverer this is just a catalyst to help Scout understand the nature of people including her father Atticus and you will find that as important as it is it is just a part of the story with other major characters such as Arthur "Boo" Radley.
   
   Even thought it appears that Scout is the recipient of the insights, I believe we the reader is the real recipient.
   
   I can truly say that this book has changed my outlook in life.



2. My wife and I listened to the cassette on an auto trip to Oregon to visit with our grandsons. Although we had read the book before, the audio tapes made the miles fly by thanks to Sissy Spacek.



3. This was a birthday gift for my mother and it's become her favourite audio book. She leaves it playing as she works and never tires of it. An excellent gift.

5 comments about Pearl (Classics on Cassette).

1. Strangely, great writers' work becomes "high school reading". Yes, read this in high school, but then come back to it later, when you understand more. The Pearl is an often-told story about the misfortunes from sudden riches. But it is a lot more: the pride and honor of an underclass, as well as its petty squabbles, and, overall, its helplessness. And then, once you are a husband, a wife, a parent, the hopes and fears of parents, and the fatigues and joys of marriage. All on a simple story stage.



2. I thought The Pearl was a fabulous story. Written in John Steinbeck's wonderful style, and keen sense of creativity, this short book is a fast-paced, page-turner that easily held my attention from the first chapter to the very last. I couldn't put it down. The story is about an indigent man, his wife and their infant baby who live by the seashore subsisting on the few fish they catch using their old canoe. Once in a while they even find a small white pearl hidden in the local oyster bed that they sell to the local pearl dealers, and use the money to buy clothes and other badly needed items. It's a simple life, barely a hand to mouth existence, but there is also a finely spun web of rich culture that defines their small world, and John Steinbeck is a master at writing about such things. I thought the story was totally fascinating.
   
   Then one bright sunny day, the main character, a man named Kino, finds a gigantic pearl. Huge. No one has ever even seen a pearl as big as that before. The villagers call it The Pear of the World, and it could literally make Kino and his wife Juana rich beyond their wildest expectations. They dream of being married in a big, fancy church, educating their baby in a real school, and living a new life far beyond that of a thatched hut on the sandy beach. So Kino bravely musters up all his acquired wisdom, and he and his wife take the pearl into the city to sell it to the money slick pearl dealers. Only Kino discovers it's not so easy to unload a pearl of that size. It seems that big money is hard to get, and comes with big problems. And it's at that point that the story suddenly turns direction and takes off like a ballistic missile.
   
   There is an introduction to The Pearl in which you can read all about the underlying philosophy and highbrow meaning behind the story. I won't go into that in this review. But I suggest you read it to get a better understanding of the message John Steinbeck was trying to get across when he wrote this short story. And the book is short, probably the shortest book I've ever read. But I loved it, and I give the book five stars.



3. This book was required for my 15yr old son's IB/AP English class. I was very pleased with the timeliness in which my order was received. He's currently enjoying the read and I fully intend to read it after he is done. =)



4. John Steinbeck writes with heart and muscle. Whether penning a lumbering masterpiece such as "East of Eden," or a short parable such as this, he imbues character and setting with thought and feeling.
   
   Kino, a young husband and father in the Gulf town of La Paz, goes out one morning to dive for pearls. He is happy. He hears the song of his family in the trees, yet also hears the song of evil murmuring in the tail of a scorpion. His senses are tuned to the world around him, to his village in particular, and so it is that his discovery of a magnificent pearl comes as a sudden surprise and responsibility. Soon he and his family are threatened by the greed of doctors and priests, businessmen and busybodies. Kino's wife wants the pearl tossed back into the sea, but Kino cannot block his ears to the pearl's song of fortune, and he presses ahead with his own plans.
   
   Based on a Mexican folk tale, this story sings its own somber tune through the words of Steinbeck. It's a morality tale, an ode to hardworking men and women, and a reminder of the things that are most important. Like Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth" and Armstrong Sperry's "Call it Courage," this short but powerful tale highlights regular people facing the challenges of greed and cowardice. Ultimately, it's a song of the family--a song Steinbeck sings often through his books.



5. This book arrived with a little smell.
   Smells like ites been stacked on the shelft or somewhere for awhile.
   but the condition for book pages are ok. no missing pages so far.

5 comments about The Bean Trees Low Price CD.

1. Great story about a young girl on her way to find herself, and not only doing that but she finds a daughter,sister and love. Well done as usual, love the way Kingsolver writes. Reminds us to be much more considerate of others.



2. This book is truly awful. I cannot evenly remotely imagine why anyone would want to read this book or why they would enjoy it. Overall the book communicates three main messages: 1.The Unites States should open our borders and let anyone who wants to come, regardless of their background. 2.The majority of men are stupid self-centered perverts who are completely useless. and 3. America is full of and is run by a bunch of cold-hearted hypocrites. It eludes me how so much stupidity can be packed into one book.



3. I was surprised that the pages were not clean-cut at the outside edge. Perhaps the rough finish was supposed to justify the $17 paper-back price but I just found it a nuisance because it slowed down page turning. Only half way through the book. It's okay, easy reading and a sweet story but not nearly as interesting or complicated as The Poisonwood Bible by the same authoress.



4. This book was shipped to me quickly, mailing package in good shape and the book was a very interesting read. I will order more books from Amazon



5. The Bean Trees is such a beautiful story. It is both elegant and engaging, and when I finished, I felt richer for having read it. The story itself is interesting, and the characters--most notably Taylor Greer and her de facto daughter Turtle--are round and real. The opening lines are memorable for their unexpected humor: "I have been afraid of putting air in a tire ever since I saw a tractor tire blow up and throw Newt Hardbine's father over the top of the Standard Oil Sign. I'm not lying. He got stuck up there."
   
   Marietta Greer leaves small town, Kentucky to escape the possibility of ending up like all her classmates: barefoot, pregnant, and trapped. She promises herself that she won't end up with a baby and that she'll make something of herself. She will be independent. Well, she ends up with someone else's baby, and the baby makes something of her. And she doesn't quite make independent; she has to learn that she has to depend on others sometimes, and she has to learn whom to depend on.
   
   Marietta starts off by getting in her jalopy and heading west. On the trip, she changes her name to Taylor, after the town where she finally runs out of gas. Taylorville is also where she picks up Turtle, her baby. A Cherokee woman hands the girl to Taylor; the woman says that the child is in danger and has already been hurt, and she can't care for her. So Taylor takes the baby--a responsibility she has no idea how to deal with--and continues on her trip.
   
   Taylor and her newly acquired daughter finally light in Tucson. There, Taylor faces lessons she set out to escape: how to be a mother, how to be friends and accept friendship, how to be a family, and the importance of putting down roots. Taylor finds friends in unexpected places, including a local used tire shop, where serendipity leads her not only to new tires but to a job and a friend and mentor in the owner, Mattie. She also finds support and friendship in her roommate Lou Ann, another new mother struggling to find her role in the world. When Taylor learns that she'll have to fight to keep Turtle--for whom she now feels like a true mother--Mattie, Lou Ann, and the others she's befriended in Tucson are by her side.
   
   The Bean Trees grabbed me from the first page, and kept me intrigued until the end. I loved the language, the people, and the story. It was definitely worth reading.