Starburst: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)This novel is different & somewhat less predictable than his earlier books. It is an entertaining novel about what can happen when one boldly believes in hope & dreams. Angelique Pascal is a fine Violinist excited by her invitation to perform at the Edinburgh International festival. the main conflict comes from the very unwanted overtures of her manager, a man obsessed with her unique beauty. She gets panicked after a very threatening confrontation with him, & spills her soul to Jamie Stratton a young graduate who insists she take refuge with him.
As the subplots develop, so to do the characters. There is an aspiring comedian who works as a brash bartender, a misguided thief, an elderly director, & a younger beautiful director. All the characters to varying degrees shoud be on the therapists couch. Their individual baggage adds to the main story. Most of their paths will cross during the festivals run as they all search for their own road to happiness. A good fast read.

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Fathers and Sons Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the first fiction book I've read in a long time, and I have to say I'm not too disappointed. Fathers and Sons relates not only the generation gap in 19th century Russia, but also shows how fragile and fake the entire Russian system was in that time period. Every character symbolizes an important facet of Russian society. Paul Petrovich is the old slavophile nobility, convinced that Russians and their ways are the best in the world while they wear English clothing and speak and read in French. His brother Nicholas is the bridge between the old world and the new world, trying to fit in with the new ways while he only understands the old customs. Arcady, who represents those in society who outwardly follow the latest trendy beliefs but can't shake their emotions or their humanity. And Barazov, who represents youth, with its eternal promise of new ideas and ways, but who are blind to their own naive hypocrisy. Certainly there are other characters, but these major figures shape the plot of the book.
Turgenev manages to leave no stone unturned, casting withering attacks on peasants, psuedo-intellectualism, government officials, corruption, and conventions. The book mentions that Turgenev alienated and angered many in Russia with this book, and the reader will quickly see why.
Turgenev recognized the backwardness of Russia, and that it must change if it were to survive in a new world. The big question was how, and Turgenev shows that while idealists like Bazarov may have new ideas (Bazarov's idea was nihilism, a belief in nothing), those ideas mean nothing if not backed up with solutions to the problems.
An excellent book, and very readable. The price is low enough that most people really don't have an excuse to give this one a shot.

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The Children's Bible Review

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(More customer reviews)I received this bible from my mother when I was 8 years old and I loved it. I passed it down to my son. He loved it. We're african american and we were not offended by the racial inaccuracies before we were learning the Word of God. God created all races and loves all races. The pictures are a reference to help children to visualize and get a better understanding of the bible. I am 36 years old now and still love it. This book helped broaden my son's and my biblical knowledge. I've purchased one for my godson, because of all the children's bibles available I still think that this one is the best. The print is an excellent size, so that you don't have to strain your eyes to read it. Best of all, the author doesn't change the wording much so that it reads closely like my KJV bible - not like a story made up from someone's vivid imagination.

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The Children's Bible consists of six parts, parts one through four drawn from the Old Testament, parts five and six from the New Testament.

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Dark of the Moon Review

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(More customer reviews)Janice Daugharty is a fantastic storyteller. She creates original storylines and unforgettable characters. "Dark of the Moon" is sensuous and romantic, but life affirming as well. The central character, Merdie is unhappily married to an abusive man. When a stranger enters their closed world, she must decide whether to remain the dutiful wife and stay with her family or lose everything and leave with the man she has fallen in love with. Merdie's dilemma is enlightening and inspiring; sometimes you must follow your heart. I loved this book so much. Janice Daugharty is a remarkable writer and I am desperate to read any new book that she has written.

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Bijou Roy Review

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(More customer reviews)In this riveting exploration of filial loss and love, Dhar tells the story of an American daughter's homecoming to her father's native Calcutta, where romance and family secrets are in store. A beautiful, stirring read I would recommend to book groups and summer readers. A delicious way to spend a weekend.

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The Notebook Review

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(More customer reviews)Nicholas Sparks has become famous for writing the sweet and tender love story that appeals to the romantic in all of us. He doesn't disappoint with "The Notebook" as he weaves the tale of two teenagers, Noah and Allie, who meet one fateful summer and fall in love. Since the course of true love is never smooth, it should come as no surprise that Allie's parents do not approve of her relationship with Noah. He does not have the education, money, or social prominence they wish for their daughter. Allie and her parents move away and Noah writes to her for years, but after never receiving an answer gives up. WWII comes, lives change, but one thing remains constant---neither Allie nor Noah can forget the other. As Noah's friend Gus tells him, first love changes your life forever and no matter what else happens in your life, the memory of it stays with you. And so it is that fourteen years later and three weeks before her wedding, Allie finds herself driving to New Bern to find Noah for reasons she herself does not fully understand. Their reunion proves once again that they are true soulmates, but it that enough? Can Allie forsake the "perfect mate" who has not only her love but also the approval of her parents? Can she walk out on Noah for a second time? Will Noah let her go? The story then skips to the nursing home where an 80-year old Noah resides and spends his time reading poetry to his fellow residents. But down the hall is a very special woman. The reader will be overcome with emotion as this relationship unfolds and the missing pieces of Noah and Allie's story are revealed in the notebook he carries with him. Intensely romantic and a tribute to the power of true love, "The Notebook" will leave you emotionally spent and thankful to be so.

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The World Before Her Review

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(More customer reviews)I started reading this book because of Venice and George Eliot. It seemed like a perfect escape, and it was. Venice, separated by a hundred years...and it was much more than that too. It is beautifully written and gorgeously observed. The novel is two linked stories, told in alternating chapters. The first one is about Marian Evans, who wrote novels under the pen name of George Eliot. She is on her honeymoon with her handsome young husband. The second story takes place a hundred years later when Caroline Spingold, a young sculptor, arrives in Venice with her older husband to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary...so like Casaubon in Middlemarch (Eliot's book). Both women are trying hard to convince themselves that they are happy and love the men that they have married...alas...the novel explores how Marian and Caroline come to terms with the truth of their feelings. It explores the nature of marriage, the rewards and the price of happiness, the problems of love and work for ambitious women. The book is layered with descriptions of Venetian paintings and with melodies that literally rise from the pages. Weaving the magic of Eliot's stories in a gossamar way, Weisgall ignites two lives for the voracious reader, seductive for the romantic. I hope she writes another one soon....

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