chronicle Books

I bought this for my daughter at 18 mos based on the reviews. She loves books. This was an instant favorite. From the moment she picks it up she is smiling in anticipation of what is to come. She is now turning 2 this month and still it is her favorite book. She likes to fill in the blank for you when you read it to her. Peek-a...WHO, Peek-a...ZOO!, Peek-a...CHOO-CHOO! etc. This is really a cute book with great illustrations that my daughter likes to point to and discuss. It flows really well and the ending is just perfect, she bursts into laughter EVERY time. Well worth the money, you have to get this for your little one.

My grandfather bought this book for my 13 month old and my son absolutely loves it. I read it 5-10 times every chance he can get it on my lap. He gets really excited the closer I get to the back page. He loves seeing himself and then freaks out with joy! BUY THIS book... they love the holes in the pages, the colors and the repetition of the story.

Peek-A Who is a favorite of my three your old granddaughter (we made a Dutch translation). It is the joy of understanding what is on the next page. The owl and the mirror she likes best.

I like this book because it's very different than other baby books. The illustrations are very cute. My 10 month old son likes it a lot, I just wish it had a few more pages!

My 13 month old loves this book. It actually inspired her fifth word! We were reading the book and as I was about to say "Peek-A... Moo", I heard this tiny "eek-a" from my daughter. I turned the page for Peek-a-Boo, and before I could say anything, she did it again - "eek-a". It's repetitious so I think it taught her to say the word. Now she loves to say "eek-a" before I turn the page. I don't know that you can find "eek-a" in a Webster's, but I'll take it!

Sinner poses a scenario in the not-too-distant future when the freedoms we take for granted will be severely restricted to the point of nonexistence in the name of tolerance. One man, Johnny Drake, takes a stand, and 3000 strong follow his example.

In Sinner you will live this adventure through the eyes of Kat, a high school student with a newly discovered fire for Truth, and Billy and Darcy, two unusually gifted people who seek to silence religion as hate speech.

Centuries ago, 300 Spartans stood in the gap. Now, 3000 Americans do the same. The rising stakes in Showdown and Saint have finally come down to one final confrontation. And if you've read some of the other books in the Books of History Chronicles, you may be interested to know: Black is back.

Amazon's highest rating is five stars, but I'd give Sinner seven or eight at least.

Also, it's worth mentioning that although Sinner is the culmination of a saga that began in the Circle Trilogy, grew by leaps and bounds in Showdown and Saint, and then expanded even further in the Lost Books, you can absolutely read it by itself. Be warned, though: once your appetite is whetted, you may not be able to keep yourself from devouring the rest of the Books of History Chronicles. Try not to choke.

Thirteen years have passed since the events of Project Showdown in Paradise, Colorado. Now the disease of tolerance plagues the world. Religion is accepted as long as no one stands up for their beliefs or calls others out who disagree. The name of the game is acceptance and everybody must play. As Christians everywhere slowly grow silent in the name of peace, a sinister man lurks in the shadows with a crooked smile on his face.

Billy Rediger and Darcy Lange have led quiet, albeit unfulfilled lives since they first wrote in the Books of Histories and brought Marsuvees Black to life. Now unseen forces have brought them together again to aid the government in its effort to stop a sudden rise in hate crimes all over the country. It seems their contact with the books all those years ago has given each a unique ability that will allow them to influence the powers that be in a time of national crisis. Now they will work together to stop an old friend from doing what is now against the law: boldly proclaiming the truth of Christ.

In Boulder City, Nevada, Kat Kivi is consistently finding herself in trouble. Sick of all the religious nuts she is surrounded by at school, she proudly dubs herself a witch as she denounces any and all religious affiliation. Kat soon crosses paths with a mysterious man named Johnny Drake who seems to be more than meets the eye. Soon Johnny reveals the truth to Kat and teaches her about Christ and the one true Light. Now Johnny and Kat must team up to let the Light shine brightly in a world that so desperately needs it. Their quest will lead them once again to Paradise where a man named Black and two old friends are waiting to stop them from boldly proclaiming The Word.

Sinner may just be the most important novel Dekker has penned to date. From page one we are effectively drawn back into the world of Project Showdown and the Books of History. Dekker presents us with a very probable and frightening future where proclaiming the Word of Christ is not only discouraged but also prohibited. Johnny's refusal to back down is inspiring while Billy's struggle with the darkness is sobering and gut wrenching. When Billy comes face to face with the evil he created as a child we are effectively reminded of our own depravity and our need for the Light.

Throughout Sinner Dekker effectively uses issues of racism and religious tension to propel this supercharged tale to an explosive conclusion. Never has Dekker shown more courage in his writing and never has he shown us the Light with such brilliance. Lines have been drawn and the stakes have been raised. Now it's time for the ultimate showdown to begin.

Mr. Dekker, kudos to you.
What a book.

This is part of the Paradise novels trilogy, the final novel, but it can be easily read as a stand alone novel.
I have read all of Ted Dekker's novels, including the circle trilogy, the lost books, and these paradise novels.
I believe that this book is above and beyond all his others, and I love all the others.

Sinner is gritty, suspenseful, and the classic bout of good vs. evil.
It made me want to re-read it the minute I finished the last page because I didn't want it to be over.

Get this novel and make sure you have nothing planned for the rest of the day one you start it because you simply cannot put this book down.

Innkeepers abound in fantasy novels.
Very rarely, though, do we get to see things from their point of view.
THE NAME OF THE WIND tells two stories at the same time. In the present, there is the innkeeper named Kote, our main character who is asked to share his past with another who is willing to write it down, word for word.
The vast majority of the book takes place in the past, covering Kote's youth and education at the University--as told by Kote himself.

One of the first things you will notice about this book (besides how thick it is) is the insane amount of praise that has been heaped upon it by other famous authors. Is this book worthy of such praise? Will it chase Lord of the Rings off your bookshelf?
No, it won't. But it IS a good book.
Good, not great.

Here's why:

PROS:
Interesting characters: The character of Kote/Kvothe is really mysterious. Just what sort of things has he done in his past that he has to take up the occupation of innkeeper in the middle of nowhere? Denna is also interesting since she is so unpredictable--like the wind itself.

The University scenes remind me heavily of the White Tower scenes in Jordan's WHEEL OF TIME series. A University is not an action-packed setting, but it was fun to read about Kvothe's education nonetheless. It was just as entertaining as reading about Hogwarts.

The author's style is eloquent without being florid. He won't beat you over the head with the customs of a dozen different nations and how every bolt of cloth looks.

Dragons. Again. Like we haven't seen that before! But I found the dragon scene very refreshing, believable and even humorous. Easily one of the best dragon scenes I've read, next to Bilbo's talk with Smaug in THE HOBBIT.

CONS:

Kote's recollection of his past is really long-winded. I found it hard to believe that someone would listen to that much dialogue in one day, much less write it down.

The map is pointless. If you're going to bother putting a map of the land in your book you should at least populate it with most (if not all) of the places mentioned in the book.

OVERALL: If you like the "youth goes to magic school" storyline, then this is definitely a book for you! Easily one of the best in this vein, right next to HARRY POTTER, although a bit more mature and adult.

I don't see how I can describe this book. It is, without any doubt, the finest book I've ever read. It is fantasy at it's finest, an original story in a field of hacks. I love fantasy novels, and I don't even particularly care if they're original or not. But then this book came along, and it destroyed my conceptions of what fantasy should be. Ironically, from a person who read primarily fantasy, my two favorite books before I picked this one up were Dune and Neuromancer. This one is so much better than either of those that it's hard to compare them. Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

I chose this book off of a bookstore's recommended reads shelf. The title grabbed me, and after reading the back cover comparing it to "Arabian Nights," "Harry Potter" series, and "Lord of the Rings," I decided to give it a try. Perhaps it was too much like the Harry Potter rivalry, and perhaps the exposition was too long and confusing, but I enjoyed it start to finish. I'm irritated that I have to wait until the Spring to read the next book.

I am not usually one to write reviews on here, but this novel is just too good to not write about.

This is one of the best novels I have ever read. The plot was paced well, the characters were human and non-cliched, the story was completely engrossing, and the humor was actually humorous.

Though, this book is a bit longer than most I read, I found myself unable to put it down. I read it, to the end, in just one day. I found myself shutting off the television, radio, and other devices and just getting lost in this book.

If you are trying to decide what book to read next, I would recommend this over any other. (Even for non-fantasy novel fans)

A bit of a warning though: The next volume doesn't come out for quite awhile. I can't wait for it to come out!

The Name of the Wind is one of the best new fantasy novels I've read in years, its as good as anything GRRM has written, and hopefully published in a more timely manner.

Can the tale of murder and cowardice and fatal pride be enjoyable? No. Can it be telling, instructive, and artful? Yes.
There are times--when guts are spilled and meanness revealed--this chronicle is difficult to read. But, human nature is sometimes difficult to stomach.
Thanks to Marquez's artistry, I have felt a local, visited a time, and experienced a culture foreign to me. And, at that local and time, I have seen my universal brothers act shamefully.

Cold blooded murder as Spanish honor... by twins with butcher knives.
A transplanted Arab who took a maiden's virtue, so that her husband took her back to her mother's house on their wedding night.
This novel is very well written so that you feel like you have been transported to a past time.
The Spanish male has two sets of morals: one for the public image
and the other for private life.
In a way the young Arab man met an end of his own making?
Death sentence for consenting sex is just not a very modern American attitude.

This was the first Marquez book I read when I was in my teens and it made me a fan. It also started a literary love affair with the South American writers. Having been raised with English, American, & Russina literature, magic realism opened my eyes to a new and different way of seeing/imagining the "underpinnings" of events. This is not Marquez's finest book, but it is certainly a great story and worth a read. Some of the other reviews mentioned that something was lost in translation, I don't remember what version I read, but it certainly captured my attention from the opening "death" until the inevitable conclusion/pay-off to the story. It is short enough to be read in an evening, so if you want a taste of Marquez this is a good place to start.

I fear the heart of this novel was lost in translation. Nothing in the book made me care about the characters, some of whom seemed less than believable. Motives were not entirely clear for actions taken. If I had not needed to read it for my book club, I would not have finished it.

I think this is an excellent book to start reading Marquez. The book is short enough to allow a hesitant reader to finish it and see the full effect of his work.

Wow!! What a terrific book . . . the text, the sounds, the selection of species, the layout . . . everything works perfectly together. And, the Western book is just as impressive as its eastern companion.

I opened my pre-release copy, intending to spend just a few minutes and return to it later. Two hours went by, and I was still reading and listening; I couldn't stop turning the pages.

Of course, I went right to my favorite birds, reading the text and pushing the buttons to listen, as I expect that most people will do. But then I settled in and went to other species, and then I read the introductory pages. The information there will bring you to a whole new level of enjoying these remarkable creatures.

I have struggled for years to identify birds through their song, aided by mostly meaningless mnemonics as these are presented in most guides. For the first time, Kroodsma's full description of each species' song gives readers enough detail and context to help them understand what they are listening to. These birds come to life in the text and then the icing is the lovely songs themselves. Push the loon button and you are immediately transported to remote northern lakes. Push the phoebe button and hear how he sings his two different songs. Hear how animated a pewee is at dawn compared to later in the day. Try the wrens, thrushes, warblers, sparrows. They're all there and more, in the text and at the push of a button!

This is a truly special book. I'd give it ten stars if I could. Now I have the perfect gift to give to my friends to show them why I've always been so thrilled to hear a singing bird.

(Originally submitted 4/29/08 but missing from current list of reviews)

This is the bird identification book I, personally, have been waiting for all my life. Easy to use, easy to share with kids to introduce them to the joy of hearing that bird and then seeing it. Easy to share with bird experts, who love filling in whatever is always left out.And a joy to share with anyone in between (like myself and my friends) who just thinks birds are so much fun. Sincerely, S. Phaeton

A great book with an innovative way to engage the children in learning about birds. A descriptive passage is written about each bird. Also an authentic audible sound can be created simply by pushing a button. Great for adults as well.
gary

I got this for my Dad for Fathers Day and he loves it. He was impressed with the quality of the recordings and the different meanings of the songs that some birds sing.

The illustrations & descriptions for each bird are done very well. The sound quality of the individual bird songs is excellent. This book is a great way for anyone to begin learning about common backyard birds and their songs.

THIS WAS GREAT AND WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT WANTS TO SPICE UP THEIR LIFE OR SWITCH THINGS UP

My fifth anniversary was coming up, so I bought this product to spice things up in my marriage. The cards are a cardboard like material with the position on front and a description on the back. We had a blast with the cards. I left them laying out on the dining room table (no kids yet!) when he came home from work, and before long, we were enjoying a romp like we haven't experienced in years (before and after going out to dinner)! I also bought a book to keep the fun going after our anniversary night -Was that an earthquake? The Sensuous Couple's (Flip Over) Guide to Seismic Oral Sex. This book is written in a fun format (flip over), has a great tone of voice, lots of pictures and is easily one of the best instruction manuals I've read. My husband loves his side as well (cunnilingus). It is a solid bargain since it's two for the price of one. Both items were very helpful and fun to read and do!

Many positions we've done in the past and have enjoyed. The new ones we're having a lot of fun trying out. Gives a lot of variety in our bedroom.

I found the Sex Deck to be a fun addition to our lovemaking, but if you want additional information about the Kama sutra I'd highly recommend you Sex and the Perfect Lover: Tao, Tantra, and the Kama Sutra

I bought these cards for my girlfriend and I. Not only did they arrive in one day, they are totally awesome. To be fair, my girlfriend and I don't really need these cards to instruct us, for I have learned that we just know how to do all of these positions by instinct, but these cards are great anyway. We use them more as a game where we pick out a card at random and then go for it. The cards are very informative and they do explain the benefit of each position for male and female. Also nice is that the cards are very strong and designed well. I give this product 5 stars. They are good for people who are just learning, people who want to expand on their routine and people who are just looking for a fun way to spice things up. Hey, everyone needs a little something to keep things fresh and exciting... and these cards do the trick. Oh, you gotta get these!

I just finished reading The Wind Up Bird Chronicle, I stayed up too late several nights in a row because I couldn't put it down. Sometimes scary and haunting but altogether very beautifully written and very true to the human situation.

Interminably long, bloated, and meandering, but there are moments of beautiful writing and some worthy chapters that can stand alone (e.g., Lt. Mamiya's stories). Overall, however, the characters, themes, plot just don't come together for me; none of these feel fully realized, urgent, or deserving of the demands it makes on the reader. I feel that the book could have been improved by some judicious editing.

His writing style IS "hypnotic", as they say. Toru's voice really took me to that grey zone between reality and the otherworld that he experiences. Sometimes when I put the book down, I felt like I had just emerged from the dark, mysterious world of "Room 208", and I needed to take a moment to remind myself that I was in the real world.

Murakami is clearly a talented writer, but ultimately his ambitions got the best of him with this one and he doesn't deliver a "masterpiece"; he delivers a promising but flawed book.

This is one of the finest works by Murakami whose style is unsurpassed in modern literature.

there's not much of the book left.

We have telephone sex; adulterous sex; occultish-astral sex; sex with prostitutes and ex-prostitutes; vaguely-titled "fitted" sex for exclusive clients; sex with a device (vibrator?), wet-dreams, rape fantasies...

Just about everything except sex between a man and a woman bonded by love and committed to one another in anything as outlandish as marriage.

If sex sells, that might just explain why most reviewers found it hard to put the book down...

An oddity amongst all of the prurience is the fact that most of it is related second-handedly (to the main character, Toru). The actual, 1st person sexual encounters are comparatively few, and related rather discreetly. Whether this is intentional or not is hard to determine, for one is wary to credit the author with anything resembling an old fashioned literary device when the post-modernist attachment to ambiguity is so evident. Non-sequiturs merely reflect reality, don't you know?

Second-handed accounts and hearsay abound in the novel. (It ties in with Murakami's penchant for name-dropping western musicians, and their music at every possible turn. It is an effective, charming ploy used to good effect in setting the tone, but the problem is that it is used extensively in all Murakami's work I've read up to date. It eventually raises the suspicion of an unconscious, provincial fixation with Western culture. But, of course it could be justified by a fan of his writing as a deliberate ploy to reflect globalization )

In the same vein, every-one Toru meets in the novel seems to be hell-bent on revealing the most intimate and esoteric details of their lives to him. In another time this would have been noted as an unrealistic flaw, but such is the license granted to writers of the ilk that the line dividing a stroke of genius and careless extravagance has been all but obliterated, effectively pre-empting any such criticism, it would seem.

That said, Murakami writes so that one wants to read. And to keep on reading. Even when he doesn't write about sex. It is an original, florid imagination which claims such a large audience with such off-beat narratives. As has been remarked in other reviews, it may ultimately prove to be an unrewarding experience, but his writing makes for compelling reading nonetheless.

He obviously enjoys writing, and it comes across. He is never laboured. There is something in his writing which redeems the obvious flaws. It has the slickness of an advert you want to watch over and over again. Which seems to be an indispensable skill for the art of prose, competing with all else that demands our attention. In that Murakami achieves what many other serious novelists dream of: to hold the flighty, fickle modern audience spellbound, as the majority of the reviews here attest.

Eventually, though, the proof is in the eating, not the puff, of the pudding. Whether hype can transform itself into a product tat endures remains to be seen. Only time will tell. I, for one, have left the table with the suspicion that once the sugar-rush wears off, the want for substance will start to nag.

Caution is therefore advised, Murakami may prove to be addictive.

Toru Okada, the protagonist, loses his job, his cat, and his wife and goes looking for all three. His search introduces him to a bizarre collection of characters. Strange occurances abound. In the end, this book has too many loose ends (perhaps because the English translation is abridged) and wanders into the weird too often. I do, however, continue to think about the book after finishing it.

After we watched the movie, my daughter wondered why there needed to be a field guide for so few mythological creatures. She was right!!! The movie cut out so many main elements and characters, that the books were a welcome relief to know the story that the authors actually intended to share. The size and storage box make them truly easy to join my other collectables.

This collection was su much fun to read! Packed with adventure, every page unfolded new mysteries!

First off what grabbed me about this series was the amazing illustrations. I could not wait to dive into these books after looking at the official Spiderwick website (I *highly* recommend you do too)!

The first book takes us to the Grace's new home at the Spiderwick Mansion. It may be run down and miserable, but there are secrets within!

First off, the siblings are: Mallory (the eldest), Jared, and Simon (twins!). These characters are very relatable and I find myself enchanted with Jared the most.

Each book takes us on a new adventure one right after the next. It's almost like the game clue for children - figuring out riddles and rhymes, so they can figure out what to do next. They meet friends and foe's throughout the books. Some helpful and some not-so-much. Some though are in between.

The siblings learn to take care of each other through thick and thin. Not to mention each learns what strengths they each have.

You will be taken into the world of Spiderwick! With creatures galore! If your a fan of the classic Grimm's Fairy Tales then your in for a treat!

The language in the book is somewhat graphic, but not to worry *very* age appropriate and it will get a giggle out of the reader. I did feel it was very rushed at the end of each book, but maybe that's because I only wanted more stories!

I would mostly recommend this book for ages 9-12. It may not appeal to all, but as an adult I did find this series *very* loveable in it's own right and enjoyable!

I can not wait to read more works by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black. I do know there are more adventures of The Spiderwick Series I can't wait to check out!

Awesome world and a great adventure... I strongly recommend this series!!! If you love the fantasy books this is the one for you...

this is one of the best products I have purchased. It is amazing and exciting and a keep you on the edge of your seat with a little comedy
thrown in for good measure. I would recommend it for everyone

I received this book as a gift a few years ago, and since then, I have given 4 of them as gifts to my bird-loving friends! I also shared it with a friend who just turned 3 years old. She enjoyed learning the names of the birds and the sounds they make. I have learned to identify birds by their sounds, without even seeing them!

An excellent and entertaining book providing good audio of North American bird's songs. Provides the ability to actually listen to wild North American bird's songs that one would hear while walking or sitting in the outdoors. A fun and entertaining book as you read about a bird, listen to its song and compare or observe the color of the bird's plummage.

I recently sent this book to a relative that lives in the south east of Montreal in Quebec. The birds are the same as the ones in Vermont which is only 30 minuts from her home. She was d elighted with the book and the recording. She did comments that the birds songs were the same as heard in her neiborhood, which is Sherbrooke area. I had again look for quite a while and finally found it in Amazon. I am always pleasantly surprise to find this at my friendly Amazon. Thanks

This is a good collection of bird songs. It certainly gives you a lot more for your money than an Identiflier though not as portable. It confirms my past impressions that the Cornell recordings leave a bit to be desired. Many bird songs I find quite uncharacteristic. Catbird, for example. There are many others which I find to be vocalizations quite unlike what I hear in New England (Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut primarily). I also wondered at some of the particular choices included. Great Blue Heron is included; Blackburnian Warbler is not. Vocalizations of the former are hardly needed in the field while those of the latter would be most helpful in it's deciduous forest breeding habitat. In fact, I can't see why to include any shorebirds since these are readily visible in clear shore habitat where identification is made visually rather than by call or song.
Still, for the price, it's a good deal.

My father-in-law is an avid bird watcher, counter, and listener (he's a retired biologist). My wife and I bought this book for him because it combined accurate bird calls with pictures and written information. We thought it may be an easy way for him to share his love of birds with his grandchildren, but we also thought it may be too elementary. We were wrong! He has loved the book and shared it with many students of his. This was a great purchase and I highly recommend it as a resource for beginners and "old birds" alike.

The designs were amazing and just made her fabrics even more gorgeous. Loved the bags and the baby clothes, but the sizes were only from birth to a year, so I can't make matching sets for my two daughters.

My main gripe was that the instructions were too wordy and there were too few diagrams. I made a pair of cutie booties as they looked easy and just what my 3month old needed right now. There was only a simple diagram at the end of the instructions, so I had to read and re-read everything at least 3 times before stitching so that i will not have to end up unpicking. A diagram could be more self explanatory and cut out the wordiness which is pretty intimidating. I'm still trying to decide which project to start on next since trying to figure out the instructions take quite a while.

This book is probably not for the novice sewer as it refers to sewing terms that are sometimes explained in the appendix but without diagrams as well.

I had a lot of expectations from this book and indeed ALL were met!
Worth every cent!

If you're sewing for baby boys, don't despair there is only one dress pattern and one girly shirt (a super cute one actually) in here. Most of the projects are nursery decor (bedding and more), toys, or things for mama. The 2 diaper bags in here are both great looking patterns - nice and roomy with lots of pockets. I'm having a hard time choosing which to make and I think those 2 patterns alone make the book worth the cost (but I am a bag junkie!)
Be aware that the clothing for babies have 4 sizes: 0-3 months through 9-12 months, so not for older babies.
My only complaints:
- a lack of diagrams in the instructions. They are wordy as usual, but sometimes it's easier to just glance at a picture of the next step. There are a few diagrams sprinkled throughout, but it seems like many projects don't have any.
- the photography is gorgeous but doesn't show the details of the projects always. The modern diaper bag has no shot that shows the interior at all or even the cell phone pocket on the exterior. You need to read well into the instructions to see what kind of pockets it will have.

I shouldn't have been surprised that this book is a really wonderful, versatile book. True, it's a book for sewing baby items but they have a couple of really nice bags, designed in the wonderful Amy Butler style. The directions are clear, w. wonderful diagrams. There are patterns included (which I haven't looked at yet. This book is a good fit for beginners to more experienced sewers. Overall, I know I'll make the items in here numerous times - they're classic, well designed and modern. Alot is packed in this great book.