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Review Date: 3/11/2012
Helpful Score: 1
Every now and then a children's/young adult book catches my attention and I'm so glad this one did. What a great premise for a very satisfying series! Since you can read the description of the book's story above, I'll simply say that this book was written at a level that will entertain both younger and older readers (and by older I mean adult).
It will interest those who enjoyed the Harry Potter series and anyone who likes fantasy, mystery, magic, time travel, and scary stuff. I will certainly read the next one!
It will interest those who enjoyed the Harry Potter series and anyone who likes fantasy, mystery, magic, time travel, and scary stuff. I will certainly read the next one!
102 Minutes : The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
59
Author:
Book Type: Hardcover
59
Review Date: 10/3/2010
Helpful Score: 2
A book that reveals the structural deficiencies that led to the early collapse of the twin towers. Both an historical analysis of the building of the towers and a heart-wrenching account of the human toll that resulted from political and economic decisions made decades before.
The authors do not look to place blame on anyone but the terrorists for the deaths of those innocents killed in the airplanes or the towers' impact zones, but fact by fact they show how early decisions made by politicians, contractors, and Port Authority administrators during the planning and building of the twin towers doomed almost everyone who died after the initial impacts. Through interviews of survivors and witnesses, Dwyer and Flynn reconstruct the routine pre-attack busyness of people planning for meetings, arriving at their desks, going for coffee and making the hundreds of simple daily decisions that, on this day, are of far greater consequence. The authors provide personal histories and more current details of the lives of those connected to the towers through work or rescue, making the outcome all the more poignant to the reader.
While non-fiction, the account reads like the taut human drama that it is and you may well find yourself reading into the night, hoping against hope that different decisions will be made and lives will be saved. In the end, the reader is left with the impact of the realization that this was the wretched reality of 9/11 and nothing he or she or anyone else does from this day forward can change it. While we may never comprehend the disturbed minds of those who would purposely fly airplanes into buildings, Dwyer and Flynn have provided us with information that helps us understand why the buildings collapsed so quickly and why so many were lost who could have been saved. Highly recommended.
The authors do not look to place blame on anyone but the terrorists for the deaths of those innocents killed in the airplanes or the towers' impact zones, but fact by fact they show how early decisions made by politicians, contractors, and Port Authority administrators during the planning and building of the twin towers doomed almost everyone who died after the initial impacts. Through interviews of survivors and witnesses, Dwyer and Flynn reconstruct the routine pre-attack busyness of people planning for meetings, arriving at their desks, going for coffee and making the hundreds of simple daily decisions that, on this day, are of far greater consequence. The authors provide personal histories and more current details of the lives of those connected to the towers through work or rescue, making the outcome all the more poignant to the reader.
While non-fiction, the account reads like the taut human drama that it is and you may well find yourself reading into the night, hoping against hope that different decisions will be made and lives will be saved. In the end, the reader is left with the impact of the realization that this was the wretched reality of 9/11 and nothing he or she or anyone else does from this day forward can change it. While we may never comprehend the disturbed minds of those who would purposely fly airplanes into buildings, Dwyer and Flynn have provided us with information that helps us understand why the buildings collapsed so quickly and why so many were lost who could have been saved. Highly recommended.
Review Date: 12/30/2012
Helpful Score: 1
Interesting fictional account of Ann Eliza Young's crusade to end polygamy in the United States. Folded into the historical account is a modern-day murder mystery involving a polygamist family. The author intersperses newspaper articles, archival documents, and a master's thesis between the chapters to create a novel that keeps you bouncing between present day and the past, but in a coherent way that does not confuse or detract from the stories in any way. For compulsive multi-taskers, this is the best of all worlds, like reading two books at the same time! Would recommend this book for anyone interested in the beginnings of the Mormon religion.
Review Date: 1/10/2009
Great book with a shattering ending. Perfect for an airplane or car trip.
Review Date: 10/6/2014
From the dust jacket: "In the quiet of a city night, a lone man crosses [the] street and square. Where is he going? Is someone after him? While he walks, the night grows larger and he grows smaller. But the terrors of the night dissolve when, in the shadows of an alley, he encounters not a foe, but a friend.
French artist Sara leads readers through a maze of emotions in a uniquely reassuring journey down darkened city streets."
A wonderful, wordless, book subject to many interpretations and meant to tease imaginations.
French artist Sara leads readers through a maze of emotions in a uniquely reassuring journey down darkened city streets."
A wonderful, wordless, book subject to many interpretations and meant to tease imaginations.
Review Date: 1/27/2014
Helpful Score: 1
I picked up "Afraid" after reading an especially depressing book about Africa. It was just the jolt of suspense and fear I needed to pick up my spirit. : ) If you're not too squeamish and you have a hankering for a thriller, you'll enjoy this one. An entire town is in peril as a team of specially "engineered" Red-Ops military troops arrives to spread terror. They are in pursuit of something important and will stop at nothing to find it. Each member of the Red-Ops team has a particular fondness for a different kind of depravity, so they enjoy inflicting as much pain and anguish as they can on the poor, innocent townspeople.
Of course, there's a child in peril, a winsome female heroine, and several heroic men. The author even threw in a loyal dog and a feisty monkey to boot! But, don't be fooled, the "light" parts of the book are few. Mostly, it is one roller coaster drop after another of lives at risk and hold-your-breath scary scenes. A fast read!
Of course, there's a child in peril, a winsome female heroine, and several heroic men. The author even threw in a loyal dog and a feisty monkey to boot! But, don't be fooled, the "light" parts of the book are few. Mostly, it is one roller coaster drop after another of lives at risk and hold-your-breath scary scenes. A fast read!
Review Date: 6/6/2009
Helpful Score: 1
My son loved this entire series when he was in elementary and middle school. It's certainly irreverent, but hilarious and such a fun way to encourage a reluctant reader. He's now in college and a constant reader. If you're looking for a book to jump-start a lifetime of reading, Captain Underpants may well be the solution!
Review Date: 6/6/2009
A beautifully illustrated book that will captivate your child as she or he learns the alphabet.
Review Date: 8/15/2009
Hilarious - as always.
Review Date: 2/22/2009
From the dust cover: 'Is a vanishing coin as good as a Bach concerto? To a young boy, maybe, but what about is father, the world-famous pianist? Before he left on his world tour, Papa told his children, "Practice, practice, practice. When we are together again, I want you to make music for me." And, of course, Felix hasn't practiced at all.
Then before you can say, "presto!" Felix finds himself on a grand ocean liner with his mother and his sister, bound for London. There Papa will perform, and he will expect his children to perform as well. Luckily, Felix has a wonderful trick up his sleeve.
Caldecott medalist Emily Arnold McCully's effervescent story and arwork take the reader on a 1920s voyage from New York to London, through castles, concerts and parties to a place where a boy meets his father's expectations at last. It's a story full of music - and magic!'
Then before you can say, "presto!" Felix finds himself on a grand ocean liner with his mother and his sister, bound for London. There Papa will perform, and he will expect his children to perform as well. Luckily, Felix has a wonderful trick up his sleeve.
Caldecott medalist Emily Arnold McCully's effervescent story and arwork take the reader on a 1920s voyage from New York to London, through castles, concerts and parties to a place where a boy meets his father's expectations at last. It's a story full of music - and magic!'
Review Date: 7/27/2008
Helpful Score: 2
REALLY scary! Will give you the willies, but you've got to keep reading.
Review Date: 7/19/2009
Helpful Score: 1
I have always been interested in books, both fiction and nonfiction, about serial killers. I awaited the delivery of this book with high expectations and was not disappointed. In fact, I got a little bit more than I bargain for... Written from the perspective of Patrick Bateman, the killer, we are first drawn into his world of designer clothes, exclusive restaurants with exotic menus, readily available cocaine and prescription drugs, casual sex and infidelity, pointless extravagance, and shallow friendships. Slowly, we learn about Patrick's private obsession: torture and murder. Murder that is preceded by such cold, twisted, depraved violence that I, quite frankly, could not read it while eating and actually gasped out loud in more than one spot. This book is definitely NOT FOR THE WEAK OF STOMACH. I finally put it down about three chapters before the end and could not bring myself to finish it.
Review Date: 11/9/2014
Helpful Score: 1
Sometimes, YA books are great reads for adults, too. This one, not so much. I would definitely recommend it for a young teen. It's scary, has enough teenage angst to help connect the reader to the characters, and has some teen romance included to round it out. Not my cup of tea, however - too simplistic, despite a great premise.
Review Date: 5/1/2009
Helpful Score: 1
Excellent book describing a family's experience during Hurricane Andrew.
Review Date: 6/16/2012
A wonderful little page-turner that teaches counting from one to 10 while also introducing your baby to an eclectic mix of art. Timeless works of art by such famous masters as Cezanne, Warhol, Picasso and others are used as the illustrations with each one depicting apples as interpreted by the individual artist. Youngest readers may gain an appreciation for the individuality of interpretation. A real jewel of a book!
Review Date: 4/25/2009
From the back cover: "Poor Mom! She's captured by a giant jungle snake...She's nearly drowned by a tidal wave...And she's nearly gobbled up by cannibals. It's a good thing that Bartholomew is nearby to help her."
Charming story with delightful illustrations to sooth your child's nighttime fears.
Charming story with delightful illustrations to sooth your child's nighttime fears.
Review Date: 2/8/2009
Helpful Score: 3
Told from the perspective of the youngest daughter, this book provides a heartbreaking account of the legacy of child-battering and the unbearable weight of poverty on this broken family. A very believable story and highly readable book made less weighty by the good deeds of others and the wonderful imagination of this precocious child.
Review Date: 9/1/2008
From the Introduction: "Hold this book in your hands and sit down. Sit on the floor, a sofa, a street curb, or in a wooded park under a tree. It is time to think about our planet." A wonderful book of "poems, stories, and articles...written and illustrated by authors and artists who say that what the Earth needs is more clean water, fresh air, trees, bats, whales, and mushrooms - and less garbage, traffic, and pollution."
Some of the authors who have contributed to this treasury are: Jane Yolen, Tana Hoban, Aliki, Marilyn Sachs, Jim Arnosky, Tomie dePaola, and many more! Will delight children of all ages - from elementary school to middle school to high school.
Some of the authors who have contributed to this treasury are: Jane Yolen, Tana Hoban, Aliki, Marilyn Sachs, Jim Arnosky, Tomie dePaola, and many more! Will delight children of all ages - from elementary school to middle school to high school.
Review Date: 3/17/2014
Good, solid reporting of the facts of the BTK police investigation. This book is written by some of the journalists who reported on the investigation as it was happening. I haven't read any other books about the serial killer known as "BTK", so I can't do a comparison. While Ann Rule's true crime books read more like novels, despite her journalism background, this book was far more true to the journalistic style of writing in that we were not given a lot of background information on the killer's victims and there was little in the way of extraneous material (i.e., descriptions of the weather, the countryside, the neighborhoods, history of the city, etc.). I don't mean to imply that the book was not interesting or that it was dry, quite the contrary - it was VERY interesting and hard to put down. My one complaint is that the pictures are very small - and I read the large, hard-cover edition, not a paperback.
True-crime lovers will not be disappointed.
True-crime lovers will not be disappointed.
Review Date: 12/23/2010
Helpful Score: 1
If you've ever had a childhood friend that was as dear to you as any sister or brother, then you will understand this book and it will tug at your heartstrings. Darla and Joanne are the closest of friends. So close, in fact, that Joanne is pregnant with a child for Darla.
The novel is a mystery of sorts and starts out immediately after Joanne's car has crashed into Darla's home. Alternating between scenes out of Joanne's and Darla's mutual past and the present, Jean Reynolds Page weaves an engrossing tale of love and loss, misunderstanding and heartbreak that, ultimately, ends with hope and a measure of redemption.
The characters are real and flawed, and Page has managed to give their lives an implied depth beyond the current tragedy. Altogether a very satisfying read. Four out of five starts.
The novel is a mystery of sorts and starts out immediately after Joanne's car has crashed into Darla's home. Alternating between scenes out of Joanne's and Darla's mutual past and the present, Jean Reynolds Page weaves an engrossing tale of love and loss, misunderstanding and heartbreak that, ultimately, ends with hope and a measure of redemption.
The characters are real and flawed, and Page has managed to give their lives an implied depth beyond the current tragedy. Altogether a very satisfying read. Four out of five starts.
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