Fiction Literature Books

I bought this book for my 2 1/2 year old son. It is perhaps a little beyond his age but not much. This book written from the perspective of anticipating the baby's arrival and what it will be like when mommy goes to the hospital, and when the baby comes home. I appreciate how it can help children make sense of changes that are happening in the home in preparation for the baby, and help them anticipate what will happen when its time for the baby to be born and be brought home. Some books focus more on "now that baby is here" which is also great, I think some of both is helpful.

We have read this to our son who will be 4 in May and our baby due in June. We replace his name for the character in the book and he has been extremely receptive to all of the scenario's described.

This is a great book that prepares a little boy named Sam for what to expect from his little brother. IT is a bit too long for my 2 yr. old son, so we only pick and choose some pages. I would recommend this for kids 4+. comes with a nice CD,though. m

I have a 2 1/2 year old and bought this book thinking it would be a great introduction for our little guy. I read two pages and realized this is not the book! This is a great book for older kids, but definitely not for preschool age. Too clinical and way to complicated for little ones.....again I would not recommend unless you have older children.

The drawings are pretty ugly, and the text is really blah. It's written in a very dry, almost clinical way. It talks about baby safety, and how the baby comes out, grandma coming over to stay, but the baby never actually arrives in this book. This is not one I'll keep.

Quite simply, one of the top three American novels of the 20th century. If not the best.

I have loved this story since I was very young.....I am proud to own it...

One of my favourite books of all time. I have re-read it at least 10 times!

To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee is a call to 1960s American society to take action in the Civil Rights Movement. This is the story of a young, white girl in a small 1930s Southern town. She grows up learning from her father, the town lawyer, appointed to defend an innocent black man accused of the rape of a white girl. The author depicts the reality of injustice and prejudice in everyday life at the time. This timeless classic portrays racism, segregation, and the need for the Civil Rights Movement in a deeply moving novel, which is a must-read for all.
Lee takes a stand for Civil Rights in To Kill A Mockingbird, portraying the hate and injustice of segregation. She tells how an innocent man is absurdely accused of rape, solely because he is black. Atticus Finch, the accused's lawyer, clearly proves that his client is innocent, but the all white jury still rules Tom Robinson (the accused) guilty as charged. This page-turning novel calls attention to the need for acceptance, tolerance, and desegregation.
Atticus Finch was looked down upon for defending an African American, but he taught his children, as Lee teaches her readers, to stand up for what is right. Harper When asked why he was defending Tom Robinson, Finch replied, "if I didn't I couldn't hold up my head". Written in the 1960s, this book is a call to conscience as powerful as the marchers in the street, the sitters in the restaurants, the pioneers in the courtrooms, and the oppressed all over the country.

by: Cierra Campbell, Zoe Kurtz, Leah Ragen, Lila Weintraub, Selena Wyborski

I love this book and a close second is "Ox-Bow Incident" I read them both regularly. I spent more to have this edition. It is well worth it.

El relato de Elizabeth, permite no solo acompañarla en su viaje a través de Europa, Africa e Indonesia por un año, sino ser además testigo de lo que suele acontecer dentro de la cabeza y en el espiritu de mujeres de este tiempo. Nos vamos formando para ser exitosas, para vivir vidas emocionantes. La falta de propósitos más profundos nos llevan a decisiones cortoplacistas y descentradas. Sublevarnos entonces contra nosotras mismas y decidirnos a cambiar nuestro rumbo se convierte en una travesía como la de Elizabeth, dolorosa y larga, en la que el verdadero propósito es alejarnos de la persona que nos fuímos convirtiendo y dejar que aflore un ser, con un centro mejor establecido que nos permita empezar de nuevo y ser capaces de tomar decisiones y caminos diferentes.

Este libro es para cualquier mujer, de cualquier edad y condición, porque todas encontrarán en él algo con lo que identificarse.
Gilbert aborda con cierto humor y con inteligencia temas como el amor y el desamor, la vida, el éxito, el fracaso, la espiritualidad, el auto-conocimiento y mucho más.

Con humor y realismo Elizabeth Gilbert explora su esencia espiritual llevando al lector a encontrarse con ella cara a cara en su camino. Cada mujer que lee este libro puede identificarse con muchas de las experiencias de crecimiento personal y espiritual. Esta es una comedia divina que todas vivimos y pocas podemos articular.

This book is amazing. I bought it cause one person in my family is going through something similar and it has really helped me to give her advice. I haven't finish the book but i can't stop reading it. Definitely something that happens to many women.

This book was sweet, inoffensive, and a pleasant way to spend a couple of evenings. It was a little tough to get into initially, because we jump right into the rather depressed (and ill-advised) actions of Sarah, who struggles with alcohol-induced issues throughout. But the author kept events and decisions moving along at a rapid pace, which was a relief, because some of the set-up was bland and I didn't want to dwell on it.

The best parts of the book (and really all of her books) were where Georgia's strengths at character interactions and emotions were on display. Some authors are really good at set-up, but can't write realistic relationships. This author does not have that problem. She shines once Natalie and Sarah begin interacting, and thankfully we get to that point fairly quickly. She has a gentle way of portraying their humanity, and expressing emotion and angst so that the reader gets a feel for it as well.

The strengths in the book outweigh the weaknesses in my opinion. The little bit of late sex we got was hot.

I do want to know what makes authors in this genre think that once they get the characters together the book can just end. The abruptness that many reviewers repeatedly complain about isn't necessarily the literary technique of ending with the climax, but rather the fact that there are so many obstacles and issues brought up on the path to love or romance that often there are still loose ends by the time they get together. But they're just all dropped. That's the sense I get from this book, anyway.

There's also the little annoyance of repeating certain situations and descriptions more than a couple of times, yet with no new effect. We get it already! You're readers are minimally literate! Trust them.

I'll look for more of this author's work. I hope her next book is a touch more tightly plotted, however.

P.S. If you don't like dogs, you should probably steer clear.

What a delightful Sunday afternoon reading!

I really like Georgia Beers' books, with the exception of Thy Neighbor's Wife, and this one delivered as well.

I think her strength is coming up with realistic scenarios and filling them with believable characters. I enjoy that so much in contrast to far fetched plots and super-human women that sometimes inhabit lesfic. Her writing is solid, dialogs well written with a feeling of authenticity, for lack of a better word, to them.

All of that is true for this book as well. I was a bit 'scared' when I read that a dog had such a bit part in the book, but that as well is really well written.

I really loved this book. It took me a day and a half to finish it because I was so glued to the story. If you are looking for a cute, well written lesbian love story this is it!

After Too Close to Touch and Fresh Tracks, both good romances, I was looking forward to more of the same from Ms. Beers. Her romance, Mine, didn't capture the feeling and Finding Home seems to have missed the mark by an even wider margin. Still. I love dogs, so the canine hero of this book, Bentley, compensated a bit for what was a tepid romance with characters that felt like they were just going through the motions.

One of the things I've always liked about Ms. Beers' romances is that they're light and entertaining without being shallow. This is a sign of a good author. Her characters have had depth and it's been easy to identify with them. This time, it's as if the author thought that if she threw Sarah and Natalie together in a quirky twist of fate and they agonized for awhile and then decided they were in love, that was enough. It wasn't for this reader.

I suppose, like a lot of women, I bought this book because I've had good experiences in the past and I thought Mine was an aberration not the start of a downward trend. Also, Finding Home has a very appealing plot. Unfortunately, it never gets off the ground the way that it could. This book is not in the same class as several other Bold Strokes romances I've reviewed recently. Maybe that's just a matter of personal taste or maybe it didn't help that I read this book in between others that were far better in every department. But I usually like Ms. Beers' novels, so I was surprised not to enjoy this one.

It's not easy to keep writing good romances, I'm sure. I can only think of about three authors who have written more than ten romances that are all excellent. I wish Ms. Beers better luck next time.

When I sit down to read a novel I expect to find angst, good characters, a story that moves forward with every page, and sex. For those of you who also look for these things, this book doesn't meet the requirements. It's a nice story and the characters are well developed, but, for me, the other things were lacking. (Ok, there was one sex scene, but it came at the very end of the book). From reading her other novels (Turning the Page and Thy Neighbor's Wife), I expected more than I got from this one.

I purchased this for my grandson, who at 91/2 is an exceptionally bright boy.
Neither he nor his father were able to make heads or tails out of this purchase.

I have seen the books' author on tv, I like the way he divided the book in 5 parts so you can understand about Harry Potter.

Very early in the book John Granger recalls Professor Moody's trunk with 7 locks. Each time Dumbledore inserts a key into a different lock the trunk opens and contains different items. This book is exactly like that trunk! I have read or listened to every Harry Potter book (except Phoenix) more times than I can count and yet each time that Granger brings out a new key my reaction was "I didn't know that that was in there!" I even understand now why I didn't enjoy re-reading Phoenix (the alchemical "black" stage of the series)as much as the other books.

I didn't read this book until after I had read Deathly Hallows and I still truly enjoyed reading Granger's predictions. Some of them were spot on, while others weren't, but the premises on which they were based were solid. I had to laugh at one point, when a reference was made to the sun/Sol and moon/Luna coming together as part of an alchemical wedding. It wasn't precisely a prediction, but in Deathly Hallows Luna certainly did arrive at the wedding wearing brilliant yellow, "sun colors."

The best part is that I can reread the entire Potter series one more time, with a new perspective, and be assured of appreciating details that I have missed before.

If you've already finished "Deathly Hallows," and you think this book is now obsolete, think again! This author's take on how Rowling thought while writing the HP series is fascinating and highly educational. Granger could teach a college course on the post-modern literary aspects of Harry Potter, and students would have to go on a wait list just to sign up for the course. Though Granger, I think, would be an annoying prof. His narrative voice has an edge of sarcasm and snobbery - which is hilarious and incredibly irritating at the same time.

Throughout reading this book, I was also fascinated with how on-target were many of his predictions for the "Deathly Hallows" book. At times he is way off-base, and other times you think he must have had an advance copy because he is so precise in his insights about how Rowling will think in crafting the 7th book. I learned a lot about this fascinating series - why I was duped by Rowling in almost every single book, why the themes are so compelling across 3 generations of readers ... and I was left wondering if we will ever again see a book or series like Harry Potter in our lifetime.

This is not always an easy read and there's some hard thinking required to keep up with John Granger's fascinating views. Likewise, I'm sure there are simpler books which roll around in the Potter mythos more completely. On the other hand, I cannot imagine a more thoughtful and though provoking analysis of the bigger historical movements and context that informs, flows within and, sometimes, drives the Potter series.

If you are someone for who learning is a pleasure and discovering new areas of learning to explore is a delight, this book is for you. Buy it right now, it is a great joy.

One note: this book was written before HP7 was published so it is somewhat dated in that respect. I would be curious to see a newer edition which encompasses the last book. But, having said that, it was very interesting to read this book knowing what Granger did not, the contents of the last book. His views stand up quite well and the honesty of this 'blind test' is comforting and fascinating.

If every American read this, our government would change and properity would become wide spread.

I'm only half-way through this teriffic audio book. It is well done in every way.

Book should be a must for anyone who intends to create - and those who dont too! Atlas Shrugged is far more accurate, truethful and profetic then Orwell's 1984. The book on tape is the best way to get through this huge accomplishment by Ayn Rand. Very fine and entertanining reading by Mr. Hurt.

Every American should be required to read Atlas Shugged.
That's how important I believe the message of the book to be.
It doesn't hurt that the story is great!
I absolutely LOVE it! I've read and listened to it at least 6 times
so far.

Liz Epps
Madison, AL

This book has made me able to see only 2 kinds of people, the ones who achieive and get things done and the others who feed off of them. Complaining and badmouthing the ones who create the jobs and truly help out society. Amazing Book.

Great selection, price and service. I will continue to purchase my books in this site.

Very interesting book if you are looking for Mexican-American diversity. It reads like a 'reality show' on TV; coming of age of an adolescent Mexican-American living in Chicago. If you live it, as a bicultural person, you would be bored...otherwise it is inciteful. This was a homework assignment for a university course, otherwise I would not have chosen it.

For us, the San Antonians, the book was nostalgic and chewy, full of life, delicious, and bitter-sweet. So was the same for many other Mexican-Americans who live in Texas. The book presented an honest reflections, life and souls of an important slice of American population; and more importantly, peoples of our own town. The voice, the blocks of words full of local idiom, and Mexican proverbs were exhilarating. The plot was a story of the awful grandmother but more so mini tales of individual characters who appeared in the novel. The group agreed that the book was a great and pleasant read; here are some delightful passages:
Sweet sweeter, colors brighter, the bitter more bitter.
Tin sugar spoon and how surprised the hand feels because it's so light.
If you leave your father's house without a husband you are worse than a dog.
Only people you love drive you to hate.
The book also reflects upon the transformation of the city and appearance of a new milieu.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have read in a long time. It is all about family and weaving together and clashing of two cultures. You will love it.

Caramelo is a lovely story set over four generations of a Spanish (maybe), then Mexican, then Mexican-American family. It's an intriguing, expansive novel that tackles family relationships, love, and human nature.There's not much trivial or frivilous in this story. Despite this, I didn't find "Caramelo" repressively serious.
I was struck by how closely Mexico and America's history and culture are woven together. It gives one a sense of how arbitrary borders are. There's some Spanish interspersed in the text, which apparently has bothered some readers. I didn't mind it, but then I understood most of it. I think without it,the story wouldn't be true to the Mexican-American culture it portrays. Though I feel "Caramelo" lacks some of the emotional depth that one gets from novels like "One Hundred Years of Solitude" or "Las Maravillas", I recommend it.

This is a very beautiful book indeed, and the vast majority of the stories included are great. Classics like Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood are required reading for cultural literacy (not to mention just plain fun). The poetry and tall tales are good as well.

I was surprised at the excerpts from larger books that were included. Selections of Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, The Nutcracker, and especially The Wind in the Willows were not favorites at our house. The reader is just thrown in the middle of these stories with no context as to who the characters are or what has happened before in the story. We will be skipping these selections in the future.

Another surprising inclusion was a mention of children being born out of wedlock to Rapunzel, but not everyone would be surprised or offended by that.

Over all, a good addition to our family's library with judicious reading on our part.

This is a great collection of well-known and not so well-known fairy tales. The pictures are beatiful. My son, who just turned 7, really likes it.

I agree with another reviewer. Classic stories but some are very violent and dark. Definitely not for younger children.

I bought this book two years ago when my daughter was 3 years old. We had just moved to China for my husband's work and were then without access to a public (English language)library. This one book added so much depth to our home library. Two years later we are still having fun rereading many stories plus we are trying to read all the ones we haven't read, yet. I think we only have about 4 stories left. The illustrations are also beautiful. We are currently enjoying the section of stories that are excerpts from longer stories. These passages are giving me ideas of which full-length books I will want to buy next.

This is a beautiful book and I have only read to Repunzal, but that is when it fell apart for us. In the end of the story the blinded prince is able, by some miracle, to find his beloved Repunzal whom he was to marry. But when he finds her she is not alone. No, two small children are with her. It is THEIR twins! It may not bother many to read this to their children, but I don't want my child believing it is okay to have premarital flings.

We have several Robert Sabuda pop up books- he does a marvelous job! This book is beautifully made with many pop ups that show you America's beauty along with the lyrics to the song. We gave this book to a friend's son and he kept reading it over and over and over!

We give these beautiful books as gifts, and party favors. It is a perfect art object to share with children old

enough to not tear it up.

I bought several pop up books by Sabuda. His incredible paper engineering has inspired and intrigued me for years. My joy is sharing these magical books with my 7th graders. I rarely allow them to touch, but they still are amazed. Those who come in at lunch or after school spend forever studying them and trying to make their own versions. These books are delicate and not for young children, but there is not an engineer or an adult art lover who won't love owning them.

All of Sabuda's books are works of art. America the Beautiful is no exception. The use of white exclusively for all the pop-ups makes everything seem fresh, new, and precious.
A marvel of engineering!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R9ZDFQBQU02JU This is a brief video walking you through this pop-up book.

I have not read this yet so am only commenting that the whole delivery porocess worked just fine

Zuckerman is Roth's equivalent to that other 20th Century fictional alter-ego, Updike's Harry 'Rabbit' Angstrom. But while Updike's character is an American everyman, his average desires, inclinations, career and relationships drawn with the fine pen, the two inches of ivory of Updike's conventional East Coast suburbs; Roth's Zuckerman swings wildly through the American beserk on a roiling stream of consciousness that takes him from noble, high purpose striving writer in his early twenties, visiting his hero E.I. Lonoff, to wrecked, neurotic acclaimed (and reviled) man of letters in his forties.

Roth's Zuckerman books are perhaps his string of writing where the gap between the banks of life and art are at their narrowest. Zuckerman finds fame with his novel of Jewish sexual guilt (Carnovsky) and has to cope out with the fall out of that success - accosted on the bus, in the street, outside his appartment, by cranks, the media, people accusing him of being an anti Semitic Jew, his family accusing him of betraying their secrets.

Zuckerman's great contradiction - yearning for liberty, but recognising the innate drive towards inhibition and security leads to a fastinating portrayal of themes towards the middle and end of the trilogy plus coda. By middle age Zuckerman, wracked with pain, drugs and an emotional life more messy than Woody Allen's (a nice counterpoint, there, considering Allen's 1998 Roth-lite film 'Deconstructing Harry') decides his pursuit of literary greatness has lead to his unravelling and decides to train as a doctor. A ludicrous and comic plan that leads to an encounter with a pornographer, and a journey to the heart of darkness of the health system.

The coda, 'The Prague Orgy', is a fitting finale. Shorter than the others, a novella of some eighty pages, the scene changes to Communist Prague as Zuckerman travels there in a futile attempt to claim the manuscript of some Yiddish short stories for a Czech friend of his in New York. There he meets Olga, a trashy vamp of a woman, wife of the deceased artist, whose desperate plight forces Zuckerman to review his own precarious and turbulent liberty. He also gets a lecture from the Czech authorities who take a very different view of the value of culture and freedom to Zuckerman.

Overall, a fascinating portrait of a late 20th Century American literary celebrity. But what an ego! Roth, like Updike, thinks the importance of his own life is of such supreme magnitude that the whole world should take notice and listen. Roth is not Zuckerman, of course, but when he says things such as 'When there are banners across Manhattan calling for the return of Portnoy, I might act', you realise that he shares with his fictional creation a concern to write his own will on world. The great American novelists of this period -Bellow (gone), Roth and Updike (going, slowly) are all in this mould. There is a world outside their own neurosis, their own back problems, their own concerns with mortality. This world is glimpsed at in 'The Prague Orgy'. Roth also grasped this nettle during his late period flowering - The Human Stain, American Pastoral etc.. Were that he had discovered this external world earlier on in the Zuckerman trilogy.

Philip Roth: Zuckerman Bound 1979-1985 is the Library of America's fourth volume of Philip Roth's collected works. Presenting "The Ghost Writer", "Zuckerman Unbound", "The Anatomy Lesson", "The Prague Orgy", and "The Prague Orgy: A Television Adaptation" by Philip Roth, along with a chronology and extensive notes that help illuminate context and nuances of the text, Philip Roth: Zuckerman Bound 1979-1985 is the ideal edition for literature students, libraries, and casual readers alike. The particularly memorable title story, Zuckerman Bound, is set at the close of the sensational 60's and follows popular writer Zuckerman as he struggles to cope with the aftershock of literary celebrity. Highly recommended.