Fiction Literature Books

At some point since writing "Glue" but more emphatically in "If You Liked School, you'll Love Work" Welsh decided to make his protagonists flawed but essentially decent characters rather than the full bore misanthropes and misfits of his earlier works.

If you like Welsh's "Bedroom Secrets" and "If you liked School," you're bound to enjoy "Crime." If you only reminisce about the days of "Trainspotting," "Filth," and "The Maribou Stork Nightmares" then you might not be as receptive.

Welsh is also showing more of his expatriate experience in his books by setting "Crime" in Florida. As an American, I don't always agree with Welsh's phonetics, but he hears our accent through different ears.

"Crime's" plot is a little stretched from a believability standpoint, but an entertaining and insightful, if at times disturbing, novel nonetheless.

Wielding language with the same deft authority as in his previous novels, the scathingly articulate Welsh delivers a powerful story of a man haunted by his recent failures, DI Ray Lennox of the Edinburgh PD. Breaking down after the traumatizing case of a murdered little girl, Lennox has succumbed to the sweat-soaked nightmares of his failures on the job, vainly trying to save victims from the monsters who prey on them. Attending NA and gulping down prescribed antidepressants, Lennox and fiancé, Trudi, fly to Miami for a much-needed vacation, he in an effort to clear his mind, she with a "Perfect Bride" magazine and growing guest list in hand. Caught up in wedding plans, Trudi is flummoxed when Ray goes completely off the track; she has failed to notice ominous signs of Ray's further unraveling. He stops taking his medication, his internal demons soon reawakened. It isn't long before the thirst is upon him, Ray seeking oblivion in alcohol, which only exacerbates his life problems and triggers the urge for cocaine.

Quite literally, Welsh's protagonist is a mess, an emotional and mental wreck bedeviled by memories of the little girl he couldn't save, his thoughts filled with the degenerates he interviewed while searching for the missing girl, their twisted world-views eating into his soul until he sees such men everywhere: "Lennox was too sensitive to cope with the savagery that surrounded him in Serious Crimes." A beautifully flawed protagonist, this tough cop is driven to his knees by the evil that assaults helpless children, even Trudi unable to break through the wall of pain that threatens to overwhelm him. As his drinking accelerates, the inevitable happens- a bitter argument. Trudi stalks off to their Miami hotel, leaving Ray at a bar, his rage and thirst for drink and self-punishment sending him into the embrace of the denizens who feed on the innocence of the poor and vulnerable. From tourist-friendly Miami to the darker, meaner streets of abuse, drugs and various forms of depravity, Lennox is in free fall, partying with his new best friends, trapped in yet another nightmare, groggily rescuing ten-year-old Tianna from the circling sharks.

Once again, Welsh is at the top of his game, his extremely sympathetic, tormented hero struggling for clarity far from his native Scotland, on a mad chase with a child across Florida to evade her predators, Trudi flailing at her helplessness and this vacation-run-amok, wondering what she is doing with this man. Ray's torment is a beautiful thing in Welsh's hands, including the flashbacks in Edinburgh that lay the groundwork for the protagonist's mental condition, a cynical, often sardonic cop caught in the vortex of a crime he most detests, looking for redemption with a damaged child at his side. This is a tough story- no punches pulled- the ugly underbelly of this particular form of degeneracy exposed to the light. Physically and mentally battered, Lennox is called upon to exorcise his long-repressed demons in a final effort to save himself from the horrors around him. Miami will never be the same, this wild Scot marking his territory as he races with Tianna one step ahead of the villains: "It really does become... the battle between good and evil." Luan Gaines/ 2008.

This book is classic Dr. Seuss...fun, silly, and children don't realize they're learning something. Great book for teaching about maps. I bought this for my 6 year old prior to going on vacation. We had been looking at maps and talking about what states we'd be driving through on our trip. He enjoyed listening to the book and because of the way the information is presented (fun and silly rhymes), he has retained what he learned. He has even referred back to specific bits of information we read from the book (i.e. Never Eat Shredded Wheat to remember North, East, South and West.)

The back of the book contains a glossary of terms mentioned in the book. Highly recommended as an additional tool for teaching about maps.

This is a fun book for introducing young children to maps. I will use it in my early childhood classroom but I wish I'd had it when my own chldren were young. They would have loved it!

Children enjoyed this book. Used in map unit for PS and elem. settings.

The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library books are all great tools to get beginning readers to read and explore different topics at the same time.

There's a Map on my Lap is my favorite in this series. It explains in typical Cat in the Hat rhyme and stance all the different uses for maps.
It explains the difference between a globe and a map, what latitudes and longitudes and other features of maps are. You learn to read a map by using the windrose or a grid.
The book goes well beyond town or country maps. It features weather maps, topographical maps and even marine charts.

What truly separates this book from the crowd: it is shockfull of hands-on things to do. It begins with peeling an orange while leaving the skin in one piece to demonstrate what a world map should really look like - brilliant idea! Then it goes on to make a map of your room, town, imaginary countries. Or how to measure the length of a curved road on a map using a straight ruler and string.

At the end of the book you find a glossary that explains the "big" words like topographical map and others again. Also a list of more books about maps and globes for children.
If you like doing hands on things with your preschool through 2nd graders this book is for you! Hours of fun and education all rolled into one big happy Cat in the Hat poem.

Great book. Loved the comic book style. My 4-year old girl took to it immediately.

not quite what i expected. a little more above the age group i am teaching

The book is okay over all. Save it needs larger words and some areas don't go into full explanation of feelings like the fear one, that story might scare a little child.

Clearly, books that provide the opportunity to discuss and explore feelings with children are important and appreciated. This book adds considerable value to that cohort but is limiting in two, unrelated areas: first, it propogates unhealthy stereotypes--for example, a girl at a birthday party who persists for more cake and ice cream (depicting her as selfish and gluttonous) is overweight. Children's book authors most especially need to be sensitive to this type of issue. Equating heaviness (one of the only "heavy" children in the book) with gluttony or selfishness is unfair and hurtful and there should be no place for these types of statements in children's literature.

Second, the book is a bit scattered. The vignettes are nice in some respects, but bits like the "Scary Story" are unnecessarily anti-climatic and simplistic, especially given the fairly complex (and generally underrepresented in children's literature) exploration of multiple perspectives on feelings illustrated elsewhere in the book.

I used this book to teach feelings and empathy in my second grade class and it was a smash hit!! The short episodes, some only one frame or page, were perfect for the children to analyze and describe. The illustrations are very clear and the children were able to relate to them perfectly and recognize/empathize with the emotions portrayed. When we were done, all the students were able to not only recognize and explain with words how they were feeling, but relate to others and react appropriately to others in a wider variety of situations. It was a wonderful tool to reinforce cooperation and respect for others, and prevented many an argument and misunderstanding.

I read this book in spanish and loved it. look forward to reading more of Zafon's work.

If you can read Spanish, this is a must. The plot of the book is simple, yet addictive after the first few pages. One really gets the felling of being in Barcelona at the time.
I could say more, but I wouldn't want to spoil such an captivating book.

I won't lie.. I'm a bit surprised by all the praise this book has received. Mr. Ruiz Zafón is indeed a talented writer, but comparing him to García Márquez and Borges is a little too much in my humble opinion. (I mean.. really??!! Is he really up there with a Nobel-prize winner??!!)

Not to trash unecessarily this book. Don't get me wrong: it is good. Not excellent, not a classic but good nonetheless. It is engaging, fresh and well written. It flows and, considering that this book is over 500 pages, it is quite an achievement. It never gets tedious.

However, (and here comes my surprise) I really think the vocabulary is... odd. Everyone else seems to be praising it but for me it seemed as if Mr. Ruiz Zafón was using the synonyms tool in Word a little too much. I read the book in Spanish, my mother language, so no awkward translations were involved. The magic of writing, at least to me, is to describe moments, characters, things with words that exactly fit the ocasion. And, unfortunately, I never felt that in this book. The author kept on showing off (so to say) his vast vocabulary (or using the synonyms tool in Word) but never really hitting the nail. At times, I found myself thinking: "ok man, now you are trying way too hard!".

The book was recomended by some friends of mine that aren't native speakers. So I guess that, in that sense, this book is actually very helpful for people learning Spanish. It definitely would help them increase their vocabulary. But as a native speaker is just... odd.

Also, the plot turns cheesy at times, especially towards the end. It lacks some creativity there. But in general is alright.

So, as a summary: good book, fresh, entertaining. Recomended for people learning Spanish or if you want something to entertain yourself during a long flight.

My mom gave this book to me as a birthday present. I read it in a week only because I had school and was impossible to be glued to the book...although I did try. Its just that good.
I believe the most memorable thing about the book its the beauty of the story: learn from the past to create your own present.
This book is a mastepiece by Zafon in which we can still see a similarity with previous books (Marina, El Principe de la Niebla) but I feel he wrote this book with a more mature sense of self and a new light of his own writing skills.
I say its a book that inspires because it touches your heart in a way that you can feel what the characters feel. You can live the situations, see the places.
Its the book we all wish we could write. Its a story we can all tell. A love story we will like to experience. An adventure waiting to happen. A mystery within each page and an inspiration for every dreamer out there.
Trust me you will not regret reading this book. And you will probably read it a lot. So if you can sit and enjoy

este es un libro intelectualoide y pedante, con grandes aspiraciones y pocas gratificaciones...
escrito por alguien que obviamente se cree demasiado grande, pero escribe como un chico...
personajes de carton y una historia caprichosa e infantil (para un intelectual)...
por supuesto esta escrito como si fuera IMPORTANTE... pero es puro palabrerio, sin mucha substancia...
buenas criticas por parte de otros intelectualoides que aman el lenguaje grandilocuente aunque sea solo gas...

Channeling John Le Carre, David Ignatius has brought a wonderfully complex novel about post-9/11 espionage. We see lies within lies within lies within lies as Roger Ferris, the lead character, tries to fulfill his mission of capturing Al Qaeda's master plotter "Suleiman" while sorting out his personal life. As with all novels, his personal life gets entangled with his occupation as every character here is living a lie of some sort - Roger with his disguises and his inability to tell his real occupation to his loved ones, Hani's and Ed Hoffman's motives to Gretchen's subtle social climbing and penchant for appearances. It could've been a perfect, complicated novel that interweaves personal lives with professional lives (like Le Carre's Constant Gardener) but Ignatius wrote in too many sappy romantic interludes that borders on cheesiness. Also, the confrontation with Suleiman was a bit of a letdown considering how brilliant and cunning he is, as described by the setup. And with the Hollywood ending, I wasn't surprised why Body of Lies is coming to a theater near you.

Not many novels have been able to grip me from the very first sentence like `Body of Lies'. From that first word almost I felt as though I was being compelled to turn each page and finish each chapter. The opening sequence is mapped out so beautifully, with enough detail to satisfy our curiosity yet enough mystery to keep us interested, and I am happy to say that for the most part Ignatius keeps up that pace and delivers an enjoyable, albeit forgettable, ride.

I think that is the major problem with `Body of Lies'. It is enjoyable, but when all is said and done, that's about all that can be said; it was merely enjoyable.

`Body of Lies' tells the story of CIA agent Roger Ferris, who comes equipped with Bondesque credentials and a wounded marriage. Ferris was injured in Iraq and since has been trying to capture terrorist Suleiman. His attempts are continuingly failing and placing him and the ones he loves in even more danger. That's when Ferris and his boss Ed Hoffman concoct a plan that has enough edge to really do the trick. They create a façade, a faux agent who has supposedly penetrated Suleiman's network and is supplying the CIA with information. Ferris and Hoffman both know that the threat of betrayal will undoubtedly cause Suleiman to surface, and when he does they can pounce.

There are many obstacles that Ferris must face in order to fulfill his job. He has to contend with the threats from his wife Gretchen that are a result of his asking for a divorce; threats that threaten his job and his freedom. He has to deal with the imposing opinions of Hani Salaam from Jordanian Intelligence.

And then there is Alice, Ferris' one true love and the major chink in this otherwise enjoyable chain. The problem I have with Alice is that her inclusion in the novel creates a thick layer of clichéd familiarity that I really didn't want to have to read. The ending is completely ruined because of her existence. I know that it is supposed to add some depth to Ferris and his actions, but his final actions are less than satisfying. If Ignatius had left this novel an action/thriller and not a romance novel it would have gone down a little easier, because when Ignatius leaves Alice out of the picture the novel maintains an admirable pace.

Sure, the novel is not perfect, and there are areas that could have been cleaned up, but for the most part it is entertaining and enjoyable. I was not really a fan of Ferris' character (a lot of that due to his `puppy-dog' lovelorn relationship with Alice) and actually found Hani the most interesting character in the book. His character was mysteriously intriguing and really stays with the reader long after the novel is finished.

Sadly though, not much else sticks. The novel is a fun ride, but once the ride is over there really isn't anything to remember. It's a breezy read (only took me a weekend) and Ignatius writing style (apart from his ridiculous romantic segments) is engrossing and almost effortless. It truly draws you in to each page, there is no denying that, but the end result is less than what one would expect.

I loved Ignatius's novel Agents of Innocence. However, Body of Lies is nowhere near as interesting. Agents of Innocence really shines because of its accurate portrayal of spycraft combined with the history of Lebannon in the 1960s and 1970s. Body of Lies relies on hackneyed cliches about the Bush Administration, a preposterously overcomplicated plot with a pat finale--one that has been seen all too frequently.

I'd recommend skipping this novel and reading Agents of Innocence. Or, better yet, buy a Charles MacCarry novel.

David Ignatius sets up a wonderful premise within Body of Lies. The concept of planting a fake CIA agent's body in Al Qaeda territory as a way to disrupt their network is rife with wonderful story possibilities. Ignatius compliments this premise by ramping up the tension through the use of wonderfully descriptive narrative as to how the body was selected and how it was prepared for its task. But, when it comes time to wrap up the plan's outcome, several pages of buildup are resolved in a couple of paragraphs. Consequently, the reader feels cheated by this resolution.

The method that Ignatius used on the book's central deceit is unfortunately replicated on the book's other plot lines. Several themes that receive a great deal of buildup are not resolved in a satisfactory manner. Even the plot lines that are resolved are done so in a way that seemed implausible and a bit pedestrian. Despite some good pacing, Body of Lies turns out to be a lot of setup and very little payoff.

For a present day 'spy-thriller' this was above average. This, of course, is not saying much.

Issue 1: The love story, as it was, was so hackneyed. I counted two dates before he was deeply in love? Also, how many times did he blurt "I love you" apropos of nothing in their conversations? Six? I get that this is supposed to motivate his actions or drive this resolution, but Mr. Igatius' strong suit is not romatic dialogue. The wistful remembrances, the happy family denoument, blech.

Issue 2: The CIA is rendered as more of a real place than usual in this genre UNTIL Hoffman gives us a tour of his secret lair. Populated with your standard set of 'crackerjack braniac outsiders' who have a sparkling rapport and super-computers that hold all the secrets. The multi-millionaire ex-hedge-fund guru who now works in the super-black ops? I expected them to introduce Schwartzenegger and Tom Arnold it was so cartoonish.

Issue 3: [Spoiler here] Up until 20 pages left in the book, our 'hero' doesn't have the foggiest what is going on. Everyone likes a twist, but this one fairly clearly demonstrates that our boy is a complete idiot. The Jordanian intelligence guy is able to completely manipulate EVERYTHING and the fact that the CIA seized on the SAME GUY he was already running sure helped. How does the secret-lair team know all and then totally miss this connection? Further, how does the SLT follow through on the operation and then totally miss the Jordan guy tracking the whole thing around. So the point of this book is that the Jordanian intelligence service is dominating and the CIA ultimately has no idea what is going on at any point? Fine, that.

Issue 4: How many references to the poison dental bridge? A dozen? Over and over he writes about this. The resolution? He leaves in the car. WHAT? All that ink for that? Kind of lost his grip on that particular plot device, huh?

There are certainly plenty of sidehand references on torture, the Iraq war, the war on terrorism to create an overall indictment of the US angle in such. I believe this begets the glowing reviews on this. Peel away that rhetoric and we've the usual spy-thriller confluence of impossible coincidences, hidden (and largely impossible) string-pullers, wicked-bad love-story, and loner hero. It's as dumb as the rest of them.

This is a book that I couldn't read slowly enough for fear that it would end.

Wendell Berry--novelist, poet, essayist--has written an unrequited love story and a love letter to the natural world. Jayber Crow revisits Berry's fictional Kentucky town of Port William and peers into the life of the town's barber, the book's namesake, Jayber.

Berry, a well-known environmentalist, has enough skill to render a page-turning story while advocating for the earth. He's one of our greatest living American writers. I highly recommend this book.

This is an amazing story! Vividly written and really makes you think about what is good in the world. The characters stay alive in your mind for months after finishing the story!

This audio version is well narrated and easy to listen to. It's un-abridged, so all the wonderful descriptions of the book are in there.

Wendell Berry is a fantastic author - I can't wait to start the next book.

The book jacket calls this a "beautiful, lyrical love story," and it is. But it is not the romance of a man for a woman but rather the deep, fond emotion that Jayber Crow holds for his community, his friends, and all that has gone into his non-eventful but ultimately pleasant life. Here is a book that can be an antidote for the disillusion and despair we feel when we seem to be lost in the cosmos. As Jayber reminisces,

"I still do belong to Port William. Being here satisfies me. I have no thought of going away. If I knew for sure that I would die here, I would be glad. And yet definite as all this is, it seems surrounded by the indefinite, like a boat in a fog. I can't look back from where I am now and feel that I have been very much in control of my life. Certainly I have lived on the edge of the Port William community, and I am farther than ever out on the edge of it now. But I feel that I have lived on the edge even of my own life. I have made plans enough, but I see now that I have never lived by plan. Any more than if I had been a bystander watching me live my life. I don't feel that I ever have been quite sure what was going on. Nearly everything that has happened to me has happened by surprise. All the important things have happened by surprise. And whatever has been happening usually has already happened before I have had time to expect it. The world doesn't stop because you are in love or in mourning or in need of time to think. And so when I have thought I was in my story or in charge of it, I really have been only on the edge of it, carried along. Is this because we are in an eternal story that is happening partly in time?" (322)

Berry's lyrical prose helps us to enjoy the opportunity to be "on the edge" of Jayber's life, and we are the better for being carried along by it.

Reading Jayber Crow is like spending the weekend listening to your favorite uncle tell family stories. The conversational tone used by Berry could get sappy in the hands of a less skilled writer, but that doesn't happen on the pages of Jayber Crow. Wendall Berry's prose is exquisite. As the story moves slowly through another time and place, Jayber's voice draws you into his private mind. It is a tender place to be. The story is thought-provoking and deeply moving. I hated for this book to end.

I used to read a lot of books and I never felt the need to quantify or compare one book to another. But when I finished Jayber Crow I knew that this was the best book I had ever read.

As other reviews here will testify, it is astounding how Wendell Berry communicates with mere words the beauty of life, the human heart and the love that holds both together.

I've sold most of the books I owned but I doubt that I will ever part with my copy of Jayber Crow.

Gracia's voice transports you to the specific moment you are reading about. Love this book.

I would recomend this book to anyone who likes a good book if you do not belive me buy it and read it

Miguel

Hace mucho que no leia Gabriel Garcia Marquez, la ultima vez fue en el colegio 100 años de soledad y fue tedioso, hoy me reconcilie con Garcia Marquez, sus descripciones son tal reales que hasta los aromas se hacen realidad, realmente nos damos cuenta de la calidad del escritor. UNa novela romantica rapida de leer que te cautiva desde las primeras paginas...totalmente recomendable

Very enjoyable read due to the language, his spanish is very rich and involves you very easily, it's delightful. The plot is ok, with an end somewhat dissapointing.
However, I am in a book club and all my friends read it in english. All of them disliked it. I have read some of it in english and it is not the same, the words are very similar but the diction is not entirely right so it makes it full of long, convoluted phrases. A pity.

I bought this because it was made into a movie and won a Nobel prize, and I had never heard of it. I surprized myself that my Spanish was adequate to read it without too much dictionary use, and really enjoyed the writing style. A story I would compare with Dr Zivago - a love over many years with some deceptions and tears. The author paints very clear pictures of the settings and how they change over time. He manages to maintain some sympathy for the principal character in spite of his many poor choices.

lots of good information for the younger reader. Also a good segway into more involved books.

My sister loved this book. It is beautifully drawn, illustrated, and written. There are many wonderful pull outs and the budding archaeologist in our family loved it. :D

I had been looking at this book for about a year and was on the fence about buying it. The main reason was because it was 20-25 dollars everywhere. When I saw it for under 14 on Amazon I knew it was a bargain! It's wrapped up safe under my tree and I know my daughter will love it!

I was actually disappointed in this Ology book. I have two others and the way the information is presented in them plus the little extras were just better in those. There weren't as many exciting extras in this one as I expected and the "mummy cloth" example was a bit disappointing. I bought this for my daughter and she became bored quickly due to the confusing way the pages were written and presented. I am hoping the next Ology I choose will be more like the first two I have.

I am a life-long Egyptology buff, and co-author of a novel, Secret of the Sands, that is set in Egypt and I was absolutely thrilled to receive this as a Christmas present one year. It has sat proudly showcased on my main bookshelf ever since. Not only is it a lovely book to look at, the design of its interior is like leafing through the personal notebook of an Egypt-traveller. Its fun design includes all kinds of interesting things to open & unravel. It is a book that children find fascinating, because of all the little hidden items they can discover, plus the book is packed full of great facts about Egypt. This book truly does do justice to Egypt and her magnificent and unrivaled history. My house is decorated throughout with Egyptian art and this book is a wonderful addition to my home. It is a keepsake I will treasure forever...

A great gift for the Egypt-buff in your family!!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands
www.secretofthesands.com

"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion."
-McNally Robinson

I have volume I, and this one is just as classy and handsomely assembled. The great So Long is here, replacing my worn paperback copy. I hope other fans of Anerican lit. will discover this master--one of several sorely overlooked in the 20th century associated with the New Yorker.

Maxwell: Later Novels and Stories is the second volume of The Library of America's quality presentation of author William Maxwell's classic stories and novels. The writings presented were selected by editor Christopher Carduff, who also wrote the extensive notes on text, which are eminently useful for placing references to historical figures or events in context. The stories and improvisations largely come from Maxwell's writing career later in his life, dating from 1957 to 1999; selections include the novels "The Chateau" and "So Long, See You Tomorrow" and stories "The Value of Money", "Billie Dyer", "The Room Outside", and many more. A thoroughly accessible and beautifully bound edition of tales by an author exquisitely skilled at rendering tragedy with a distinctively American cultural style. Also highly recommended for public library and private literature collections is the companion volume, "William Maxwell: Early Novels and Stories" (9781598530162, $35.00).

This book was a purchase for an English class; however, it contains some awesome poetry.

I think that this product had a little more highlighting and damage done to it than described. But the damage might of been done in shipping and handling. Other than that it was usable.

Needed item for school. Great idea to be able to purchase both volumes at a discounted price.

I received the book before the time stated, which is always appreciated, and it was delivered in perfect condition. Thanks.

I bougth this book out of necessity, because is obligated for my English class this semester. It turn out to be pretty good. It is all poetry from the romantic period to our time. It has great writers, so as T. S. Eliot and more. I got to admmit it thought it will be dull but I was wrong. It is a great book. One thing is for sure, half the poems that I read so far are all related to death, for some reason.