Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, Book 4)

Amazon.com

Ann Brashares has created a wonderful, heartfelt series for teens (and adults) around a pair of pants. In her breakout bestseller, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Brashares introduced readers to four girls, Lena, Bridget, Carmen, and Tibby, and to the magical pair of jeans that fit them all perfectly, and inspired them to live their young lives to the fullest. Forever in Blue, the fourth and final novel in the series, promises a dazzling finale--one "last glorious summer" for the four girls, and their fans. See a note from author Ann Brashares, below.--Daphne Durham

A Note from Ann Brashares

December 1, 2006

Dear Amazon Reader,

Well, here we are together again. If you are getting ready to read the fourth book, Forever in Blue, that means we've probably spent some time together. I hope you've enjoyed it. I know I have.

We don't know each other and we may never get to meet, but I feel like we are connected nonetheless. We've spent time with four fictional girls together. We've puzzled over their lives and their choices. We've rooted for them and sometimes felt annoyed by them. We've shared some hopes for them, I think, and in the process for ourselves.

So thank you for being part of the sisterhood with me. I have really appreciated your company along the way.

Happy reading,

Ann

Spend Time with the Sisterhood

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Boxed Set

Girls in Pants

The Second Summer of the Sisterhood

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

Book Description

With unraveled embroidery and fraying hems, the Traveling Pants are back for one last, glorious summer.

Lena: Immerses herself in her painting and an intoxicating summer fling, fearing that the moment she forgets about Kostos will be the moment she sees him again.

Carmen: Falls under the spell of a sophisticated college friend for whom a theatrical role means everything and the heritage of the Pants means nothing.

Bridget: Joins a dig for an ancient city on the coast of Turkey and discovers that her archaeology professor is available in every way except one.

Tibby: Leaves behind someone she loves, wrongly believing he will stay where she has left him.

Join Ann Brashares's beloved sisterhood once again in a dazzling, fearless novel. It's a summer that will forever change the lives of Lena, Carmen, Bee, and Tibby, here and now, past and future, together and apart.

Book Description

As their lives take them in different directions, Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget discover many more things about themselves and the importance of their relationship with each other.

Customer Reviews:

I liked the others better.......2007-08-10

This was the book made to tie up loose ends. Everyone came to a conclusion about their life and the pants. The whole thing was sort of boring. Yes I liked the book, but in a way everyone was the same as they started. I suppose the point of it was to show how they had grown up and still stayed the same. Maybe it was that there wasn't enough excitement or maybe it's that I'm tired now but i thought it wasn't as good as the other books.
-cdm

Sisterhood.......2007-08-04

I have enjoyed this entire series...takes me back to my Judy Blume days. The girl in all of us can identify with these characters as they grow, change, and try to not lose themselves or each other in the process. The earlier on you learn that nothing means more than your girl friends...the better off you are! I think the quotes between the chapters are insightful, and I enjoy finding their relation to the story as I read on. That brings a literary aspect not often found in young adult novels. I appreciate that this book and its prequels can be light and real at the same time. A book about pants sounds like fluff, but you feel with these girls as they deal with real issues both internal and external. Real doesn't have to be dark...bittersweet seems more fitting. These books capture the laughter through tears that is what sisterhood is about. I highly recommend reading them all.

So Long Sisterhood.......2007-07-26

Although this wasn't my fave Sisterhood book, it deserves kudos for not only reflecting the maturity of the characters at this point in their lives, but also the realities of growing up and growing apart. This is the fourth and supposedly final chapter of the Sisterhood tomes, and is likely to provide a conclusive feeling for the readers of the series.

To recap, the Travelling Pants series details the summers four best friends spend, sometimes apart, sometimes together. They are of course, as per the legend, bonded together by a pair of 'magical' pants that give them the strength of the love they feel as friends even when they aren't together.

In all fairness I read the third book quite some time ago so reading the new fourth one was a bit of a cognitive leap - I could barely remember a lot of what happened in the past! Anyway in this one the girls are bridging the gap between their first and second year of university. They've actually shared the pants year-round this time because they have spent the year at different colleges etc. That should be your first clue something is up - the girls are very very much so a lot more individual characters this time around, which was both refreshing and problematic. Of the latter, it was good because I was sick and tired of how cheesy and overemphasized their relationship was - although some sappy moments still exist towards the end, they are certainly toned down. But in the absence of their friendship it almost defeated the purpose of the book, and the pants of course.

This time around the girls spend most of their summer apart. Tibby is still in New York working and taking a summer class and wondering whether she has made the right choices when it comes to her relationship with Brian. Bee (my fave as always) is in Turkey getting back to basics on an archeological dig site and wondering whether the best alternative to missing her boyfriend is not missing a single thing her hot professor does. Flamboyent Carmen has surprisingly shrunk into her shell over the last year, and fallen under the wing of a supposedly protective, glorious friend, who turns out to be anything but as their summer continues. Lena is at art school and enraptured with a guy, shockingly this time, not the love of her life, Kostos.

As I mentioned earlier, the book definitely took on a more mature tone than the others - most of it dealt with sex and relationships and very little of it focused on friendship and personal self-growth - although most of the storylines evolve to give the girls those girl power moments of epiphany. Although I enjoyed the storylines a lot more this time it almost felt like the characters were under-used and less developed because there was far less crossover opportunities given their summer was spent so far apart emotionally and physically.

Brashares does a good job wrapping up the series in a realistic way though - Upon finishing it, I realized why she decided to do a fourth (I completely assumed the third would be the last) as each book is kind of meant to represent each of the four girls.

All in all a fitting conclusion to the series that represented, quite honestly, the realities of growing up and moving away when it comes to those true blue friends you thought you'd never forget, and those true blue jeans you thought you'd never lose.

Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of the Sisterhood (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants).......2007-07-19

OMG!!! I loved every single one of the books preceding this book and this one hit the mark! It is so wonderful, and though it is so sad that it ends the series the finish is remarkable. Brashare's masterpiece is complete!!!

One too many.......2007-07-15

I thought the prime qualities of the first three books of this series were charm and innocence. For the fourth installment, one of our heroines poses nude for a male art student and another falls for a married man with children. Whatever other qualities the book may have, charming and innocent it is not.

Average customer rating:

I Was Very Engrossed In Reading Two Little Girls In Blue
On the Top
Two Little Girls in Blue
Two Little Girls in Blue
Very Blue Reading

Two Little Girls in Blue: A Novel
Mary Higgins Clark
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743497295
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Book Description

In a riveting thriller, worldwide bestselling suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark brilliantly weaves the mystery of twin telepathy into a mother's search for a kidnapped child, presumed dead.

When Margaret and Steve Frawley come home to Connecticut from a black-tie dinner in New York, their three-year-old twins, Kathy and Kelly, are gone. The police found the babysitter unconscious, and a ransom note from the "Pied Piper" demands eight million dollars. Steve's global investment firm puts up the money, but when they go to retrieve the twins, only Kelly is in the car. The dead driver's suicide note says he inadvertently killed Kathy.

At the memorial, Kelly tugs Margaret's arm and says: "Mommy, Kathy is very scared of that lady. She wants to come home right now." At first, only Margaret believes that the twins are communicating and that Kathy is still alive. But as Kelly's warnings become increasingly specific and alarming, FBI agents set out on a desperate search.

Download Description

"""THE TWINS' BEDROOM WAS AT THE END OF THE HALL. THERE WAS NO SOUND COMING FROM IT NOW." In a riveting new thriller, worldwide bestselling suspense writer Mary Higgins Clark weaves the mystery of twin telepathy into a mother's search for a kidnapped child, presumed dead.

Customer Reviews:

I Was Very Engrossed In Reading Two Little Girls In Blue.......2007-09-20

I have always been a big fan of MHC. I've read all of her books. I enjoyed reading Two Little Girls in Blue. I only wish that the kidnapper's identity wouldn't have been so obvious. I think that the story would have been more mysterious if the Pied Piper had been someone that people would never have suspected in a million years.
Other than that, it was a nice read.

On the Top.......2007-09-08

I'd have to say this book is one of my favorites. I loved how they portrayed the twins being telepathic, or their sense that one was in danger. The characters are vivid, the story line was wonderful. It was hard to put it down. Definitely on the top!

Two Little Girls in Blue.......2007-08-11

Oh what a fertile mind Ms. Clark has! And how many folks across this (and others) land of ours have met with similar difficulties? Hopefully, not many. A great time reading.

Two Little Girls in Blue.......2007-08-10

I enjoy Mary Higgins Clark books and this one was no exception. It took a concept of kidnap and crime and put them to the challenge by Ms. Clark. Thank you. While I've read other reviews of the book since I finished it, I fall in the category of those readers that thoroughly enjoyed reading this selection.

Very Blue Reading.......2007-07-17

I had stopped reading MHC for over two years now and when a co-worker gave me this book to read, I figured I'd give her another shot. No good. As others have stated before me, the story was dull and the ending, anti-climatic. Two three-year old twin girls get kidnapped; one is brought back and the rest of the story hunts the lost twin down. Nothing exciting. The bad guy was no surprise and frankly, who cared at that point. The whole "twin-talk" thing really turned me off and yes, they did seem quite advanced for three-year olds. Well maybe in another two years I'll give MHC another try. For now, I am sticking with authors who write books with substance.

Beany Malone Series - 14 Book Set (Beany Malone)

Average customer rating:

AMAZING SERIES!! IS A MUST READ!

Beany Malone Series - 14 Book Set (Beany Malone)

Manufacturer: Image Cascade Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B000G02BF6

Product Description

The 14 Book Beany Malone Set includes: Meet the Malones; Beany Malone; Leave It to Beany; Beany and the Beckoning Road; Beany Has a Secret Life; Make a Wish for Me; Happy Birthday, Dear Beany; The More the Merrier; A Bright Star Falls; Welcome Stranger; Pick a New Dream; Tarry Awhile; Something Borrowed, Something Blue; Come Back, Wherever You Are. The Malones of Denver, Colorado are a warm open-hearted family with a welcoming home, open to friends and all others in need of physical and emotional nourishment. The series has the warmth and sense of solidarity intrinsic of wartimes and the post-war era. There is a general feeling of peace and simplicity. When the series opens, the Malone children are motherless, as Mary Malone has been dead for three years. The father, Martie Malone, is often absent due to his duties as editor of the Denver Call. Three of the four Malone children, Mary Fred, Johnny and Beany, live at home. The oldest Malone daughter, the beautiful, loving Elizabeth, has been married to Lieutenant Donald McCallin for one year. The Malones live on Barberry Street in a large, wide-bosomed gray stone home. Their surrounding neighbors are Mrs. Morrison Adams (known as Mrs. Socially-prominent Adams) in her red brick home with immaculate white trim and frilly curtains in the windows, and the imposing and stately home of the Judge Buell family.

Customer Reviews:

AMAZING SERIES!! IS A MUST READ!.......2006-06-24

I got the entire series this past Christmas. I had read the first 2 because although my library had more, they didn't have all of them, and they didn't have the 3rd and I don't like to read things out of order so I was really sad. So then I was soo happy to find out they were being republished by Image Cascading!!!

So yea I read them all and they all rock!!! It's nice seeing what teenagers did back in the 50's. And it was also nice how different people's relationships were with their family's, I wish it were more like that today. And they are also way more responsible and mature then we are now. Making their own money, not having to depend on their parents for everything. And their parents respect and trust them more too! And they definatly treat their parents with much respect which is ALOT more then I can say about kids of today.

The first book is about Beany's older sister, Mary Fred. It is in MF's junior year of highschool, when Beany is in 8th grade. The rest of the books are all about Beany, in highschool, college, and then when she gets married. And let me just say I LOVE who she ends up with. They are SOOO cute!!!

Everyone should read these books they are amazing and are definatly one of my favorite books ever!

Average customer rating:

Beautifully Written
wonderful
Taking a trip back in time ...
A beautiful and well told tale
Easy, entertaining read

Girl in Hyacinth Blue
Susan Vreeland
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014029628X
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Amazon.com

There are only 35 known Vermeers extant in the world today. In Girl in Hyacinth Blue, Susan Vreeland posits the existence of a 36th. The story begins at a private boys' academy in Pennsylvania where, in the wake of a faculty member's unexpected death, math teacher Cornelius Engelbrecht makes a surprising revelation to one of his colleagues. He has, he claims, an authentic Vermeer painting, "a most extraordinary painting in which a young girl wearing a short blue smock over a rust-colored skirt sat in profile at a table by an open window." His colleague, an art teacher, is skeptical and though the technique and subject matter are persuasively Vermeer-like, Engelbrecht can offer no hard evidence--no appraisal, no papers--to support his claim. He says only that his father, "who always had a quick eye for fine art, picked it up, let us say, at an advantageous moment." Eventually it is revealed that Engelbrecht's father was a Nazi in charge of rounding up Dutch Jews for deportation and that the picture was looted from one doomed family's home:

That's when I saw that painting, behind his head. All blues and yellows and reddish brown, as translucent as lacquer. It had to be a Dutch master. Just then a private found a little kid covered with tablecloths behind some dishes in a sideboard cabinet. We'd almost missed him.

By the end of "Love Enough," this first of eight interrelated stories tracing the history of "Girl in Hyacinth Blue," the painting's fate at the hands of guilt-riddled Engelbrecht fils is in question. Unfortunately, there is no doubt about the probable destiny of the previous owners, the Vredenburg family of Rotterdam, who take center stage in the powerful "A Night Different From All Other Nights." Vreeland handles this tale with subtlety and restraint, setting it at Passover, the year before the looting, and choosing to focus on the adolescent Hannah Vredenburg's difficult passage into adulthood in the face of an uncertain future. In the next story, "Adagia," she moves even further into the past to sketch "how love builds itself unconsciously ... out of the momentous ordinary" in a tender portrait of a longtime marriage. Back and back Vreeland goes, back through other owners, other histories, to the very inception of the painting in the homely, everyday objects of the Vermeer household--a daughter's glass of milk, a son's shirt in need of buttons, a wife's beloved sewing basket--"the unacknowledged acts of women to hallow home." Girl in Hyacinth Blue ends with the painting's subject herself, Vermeer's daughter Magdalena, who first sends the portrait out into the world as payment for a family debt, then sees it again, years later at an auction.

She thought of all the people in all the paintings she had seen that day, not just Father's, in all the paintings of the world, in fact. Their eyes, the particular turn of a head, their loneliness or suffering or grief was borrowed by an artist to be seen by other people throughout the years who would never see them face to face. People who would be that close to her, she thought, a matter of a few arms' lengths, looking, looking, and they would never know her.

In this final passage, Susan Vreeland might be describing her own masterpiece as well as Vermeer's. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

This luminous story begins in the present day, when a professor invites a colleague to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer--but why has he hidden this important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of events that trace the ownership of the painting back to World War II and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work's inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner's hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in multiple lives. Vreeland's characters remind us, through their love of this mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable.

Named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, the Christian Science Monitor, and the San Francisco Chronicle
Nominated for the Book Sense Book of the Year

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully Written.......2007-09-01

While this book was written beautifully; her research evident in all the stories, I didn't care for it. I was expecting another "Girl With A Pearl Earring." Even though it was brilliant the way all the stories led from one to the next, I would have preferred one long story. Vreeland is an excellent writer, I don't have complaints in that department, nor in any departmnt; it just wasn't my cup of tea. What it did do, however, is make me more curious about Vermeer's work. I plan to look up his paintings and enjoy his beautiful talent.

wonderful.......2007-06-13

A quiet, contemplative, and well-crafted series of stories that connect to form a complete experience of the nature of art. Very charming.

Taking a trip back in time ... .......2007-04-04

I love historical fiction because of books like this one... never ordinary... author Susan Vreeland tells the story that wants to be told... I wanted to read it backwards when I was done... to get all I missed... I still may! Especially recommended for artists!

A beautiful and well told tale.......2007-04-03

If you have time for only one book this season, make it this one. It is beautifully written and soothing to the mind and senses. The manner in which Vreeland tells this lovely tale is a new approach, one which works quite well. Reading Girl in Hyachinth Blue paints a picture in the mind as lovely as the art described in various chapters. This is a remarkable experience. Now go get the book and read it.

Easy, entertaining read.......2006-11-07

This simple story was easy and entertaining to read. It's art, it's art history and history in general. I liked the reverse timeline and having to think back to the last chapter read to see how this new chapter comes into play. I liked that each chapter was it's own story and even though the chapters were brief I felt I got to know the characters well. Being an artist and having studied art history I enjoyed the perspective of this book.

Average customer rating:

An unsatisfying read
cute pageturner
A Good Read
An Absolutely Charming Adventure
13 Little Blue Envelopes

13 Little Blue Envelopes
Maureen Johnson
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060541431
Release Date: 2006-09-26

Book Description

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

Ages 12+

Customer Reviews:

An unsatisfying read.......2007-09-24

This book...for as exciting and promising as the back cover made it sound, it was disappointing.

Seeing Europe through the eyes of an unappreciative 17-year-old was not near as interesting as I thought it would be. It was an extreme let-down because the idea of this book and the premise had such promise...

It is extremely hard to describe this book. I proclaimed it "not that great" about half way through, but I wanted to get to the end because I had a lot invested in it by that time.

I guess the short story is that the book was just that: "not that great." The main character was not lovable in any way, she was devoid of personality, and with the exception of Richard, not one of the other characters in the book had any real "soul" to them that made them someone you wanted to read about.

I guess the conclusion is that this book was a stinker, and one that made me mad too. Books that do that make me upset.

Sorry for the scatterbrained review, but this is how this book left me feeling. Scatterbrained, drained, and unsatisfied.

cute pageturner.......2007-07-21

To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this book. I just picked it up because it had an interesting concept, and I ended up really enjoying it. My only problem was that I got slightly confused once or twice because of some things that weren't well explained or things that weren't explained enough. However, that wasn't enough of a problem to sway my opinion of this book. I thought it was a pretty original idea & I actually couldn't put it down.

A Good Read.......2007-05-07

This book was good and enjoying but not extremely exciting. As many people have said, the characters in this book are quite shallow. You can't ever really relate to them. I did enjoy this book but I doubt I would read it again.

An Absolutely Charming Adventure.......2007-04-27

I've been a reader of Maureen Johnson's blog for awhile now, but hadn't gotten to any of her books yet. On the insistence of others, I broke down and ordered 13 Little Blue Envelopes - Wow! I wish I'd picked this up sooner!

The plot itself is interesting, with the added bonus of being much different from most of the YA books on the shelves right now. Throughout the book, Johnson throws surprises and great chances for character development at the protagonist, Ginny, who shows fabulous arc through the book. Not only does she have travel opportunities that will leave readers wanting to hop on the next Trans-Atlantic, but her writing is fresh enough to keep the pages flying by as well.

Johnson is well known for being one of the most accessible, entertaining YA writers in the field right now. She definitely doesn't disappoint with Little Blue Envelopes - her concise, realistic prose and eye for charming, absurd details makes this a definite keeper. If you're looking for a fun, surprisingly moving book...this is the one for you!

13 Little Blue Envelopes.......2007-03-09

This was such a fun book to read, since it is fast-paced and always leaves me wondering what was going to come up next. It has just the right mixture of all the perfect teen elements: romance, family, travel, and a likeable narrator. While it was hard to understand at times, because Maureen Johnson seems to jump from place to place pretty quickly, and the narrator's thoughts aren't really made clear, I still enjoyed this book very much, and I think that any other teenager will like it too.

Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog

Average customer rating:

once of the best of 2007 so far!
Is the world ready for Wilce?
Waiting for Number 2
Original, spirited, and funny
Cliché Free, Fresh Fantasy

Flora Segunda: Being the Magickal Mishaps of a Girl of Spirit, Her Glass-Gazing Sidekick, Two Ominous Butlers (One Blue), a House with Eleven Thousand Rooms, and a Red Dog
Ysabeau S. Wilce
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0152054332

Book Description

Flora knows better than to take shortcuts in her family home, Crackpot Hall--the house has eleven thousand rooms, and ever since her mother banished the magickal butler, those rooms move around at random. But Flora is late for school, so she takes the unpredictable elevator anyway. Huge mistake. Lost in her own house, she stumbles upon the long-banished butler--and into a mind-blowing muddle of intrigue and betrayal that changes her world forever.

Full of wildly clever plot twists, this extraordinary first novel establishes Ysabeau Wilce as a compelling new voice in teen fantasy.

Customer Reviews:

once of the best of 2007 so far!.......2007-08-18

Well, after that title, there isn't much more to say except that Flora is a
wonderfully loveable girl and I think you'll enjoy getting to know her!
Oh, all right, I do have more to say:) Flora's father is mad, her mother is a general and the best line in a book I've ever read is in chapter 2. This is a strange and beautifully unique tale. This might be a hard sell for some of the teens I know, but it won't stop me from recommending it to everyone.

Is the world ready for Wilce?.......2007-07-14

Here's a fact: Ysabeau S. Wilce is profoundly original. If you read all the customer reviews here, you'll get the sense that this is not your formula fantasy. But let's make that point more clearly--you will never read another story like this one (unless, possibly, it's her next one, which we all eagerly anticipate).

This is the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of what could, and certainly should, be the next story franchise that graduates from cult status to mainstream blockbuster. Wilce doesn't sugar coat the risks of adolescence: she dips them in ice cream, lights them on fire, and serves the reader a flaming torch of strange wonder.

Laughter and thrilling excitement are delightful companions all through this romp. The subtitle gives a sense of the former, but don't underestimate Wilce's storytelling: great characters in real trouble make for great reading, and Flora is a heroine who speaks equally to the reality as well as the ambitions of young people.

Oh yes, and while this is not specifically a unique observation, I'd also like to note that it is always refreshing to find a fantasy that does not take place in something that could pass for Northern Europe.

Waiting for Number 2.......2007-07-11

I'm not sure yet how I feel about this book. I like it but then again I don't. What I like about it is the originality of the story. The world and its characters are fully developed and very interesting, especially Flora. What I really like about Flora is that she is not your average cookie-cutter, in-your-face, outspoken heroine who saves herself by swinging a sword. Flora on the other hand has self-confidence issues, often doubts her own abilities and has the same faults as any other regular teenager, which make her character more genuine. What I don't like about this novel is that the story itself seems to move rather unsteadily. It slows down then speeds up then slows down again. I also had a little trouble understanding some of the magic or "Current" lingo. A short glossary could have helped that. There are also a lot of cliffhangers that hopefully will turn up in the next book. All in all this book was good but not great, hopefully the second will be better.

Original, spirited, and funny.......2007-06-04

Ysabeau Wilce has created a truly original imaginary world refreshingly free of the cliches of the fantasy genre. What's more, she's provided the perfect tour guide to this world: Flora Fyrdraaca, an irreverent, eager, believably adolescent narrator scheming to escape the expectations of her family and become a Ranger--a magic-using secret agent--instead of following family tradition into the army, madness, and doom. Assigned to write a speech in praise of her noble House, Flora narrowly rejects openings like "Crackpot Hall has 11,000 rooms but only one potty." Indeed, the ancestral pile has seen better days, partly for reasons bound up in the power plays of Flora's illustrious mother, a famous general who tolerates no insubordination and has disabled the magical Butler that should keep the house in order. Motivated partly by sympathy and partly by the desire to have someone else muck out the stable, Flora sets herself a quest to restore the Butler to his rightful place, but she soon discovers that the price of a little help with the housework can be, almost literally, her soul. Flora's quirky comic voice always keeps the danger of her predicament and the dysfunctionality of her family from weighing down the story, which bounces lightly along to its conclusion--or rather, temporary conclusion, because this is the first volume of a trilogy. I'm no Young Adult, and this is a Young Adult book, but I can hardly wait for Volume 2.

Cliché Free, Fresh Fantasy.......2007-06-03

I purchased this book for my daughter after reading Charles de Lint's favorable review in Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine (he's rarely steered me wrong) and after growing impatient waiting for her to begin it, I picked it up to skim the first few pages for myself. There was no skimming; I was immediately absorbed and read the book in one sitting. There was no tired "hero's journey" cliché where the orphan, unaware of his great heritage, begins on a lowly farm. There were innovative and captivating devices, smooth wordsmithing, and the kind of intelligent, brave female protagonist I like my daughter to spend time with. Be sure to check out the author's website and blog.

Average customer rating:

Took too long to get good
The Devil Wears Prada and Buffy's Love Child
Good but not great....
Thoughts from a bookworm in Tacoma
Love it

Blue Bloods
Melissa De La Cruz
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786838922

Book Description

When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society. The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw foodand she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a girl from her school is found dead . . . drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesnt know what to think. Could those vampire legends really be true?Steeped in vampire lore and set against the heady backdrop of the rich, young, and powerful in the heart of New York City, Blue Bloods will be devoured by Melissa de la Cruzs legion fans.

Customer Reviews:

Took too long to get good.......2007-10-03

I'm in my 20's and ever since reading the Twilight series, I have become obsessed with trying to find something else just as good. (Very Hard)
'Blue Blood' took a longggg time to get good. Not until you are about half-way through the book, does it start to get interesting. The diary entries were a little confusing for me. There's alot of "name-throwing" (prada, paige, versace, etc.) Lots of just non-stop talking about popular/good-looking people and how they dress, where they party, etc. So at first I was really regretting buying the book.
But when I had about 100 pages left, it started getting pretty good; where now, I need to buy 'Masquerade'.

Not too bad just takes time to get good.

The Devil Wears Prada and Buffy's Love Child.......2007-10-03

This was sort of The Devil Wears Prada and Buffy's love child. As a sci-fi/fantasy fan, it was not the greatest. There are far better vampire novels out there. That said, there was something to the story that makes me want to find out more. To be honest, I was having a hard time stomaching the constant designer name drops. I get it... they are young, powerful, and dressed to kill. Do I need to know that she is wearing Chanel boots? Hell no. As for the history part, it was almost hard to take. I'll give De La Cruz some points for originality; however, to anyone who knows anything about history, its going to be difficult to read. I guess it is one way to get girls who like "chick lit" into fantasy. I really wouldn't recommend this book unless you are really a De La Cruz fan.

Good but not great...........2007-09-14

Blue Bloods in a story about a girl who learns she is the daughter of a vampire (who in this case are fallen angels inhabiting flesh bodies) and a human. The blue bloods (i.e. the vampires) live forever and recycle on earth being born each time with previous memories from their past life. They are part of an elite group of kids who attend a private school. They are concerned because there is something from the past trying to kill them off by draining all their blood (which is required to regenerate because it is the blood that contains the memories). That is the premise, sounds alright right? Well, if executed well it could have been a really fantastic idea but unfortunately the writing falls short with boring descriptions of clothes, generic and bland dialogs and characters that you just can't get into. It is fine for a quick read through once if you are bored but I don't recommend it if you are looking for an intense and original story.

Thoughts from a bookworm in Tacoma.......2007-09-11

I'll be the first to admit that I'm in no way qualified to define what a "good book" is. No one can claim that right. Everyone will have to decide for themselves whether De La Cruz's work is their style. All I know is the feeling I got from reading "Blue Bloods". It was not something I expected, and I can only describe it as isolation. I am a fairly average working class young woman. I've always liked books where there is at least one character who faces, even in a fantasy context, the same kinds of problems that I occasionally do (money troubles, cruel superiors etc.). I've never perceived obscenely rich people as having real problems. There is always money to cushion the blow, so that even if (for example) their child gets a horrible cancer the child will still be exponentially more likely to survive than the child on my economic level who gets the same illness, simply because the rich child will have parents who can afford the endless medical treatment and will never have to deal with insurance issues.

First of all, De La Cruz has created a race of vampires who are continuously reincarnated (rather like Tolkien's Elves), and who were originally fallen angels. Not only are her vampires not "made" by other vampires, but they were never human to begin with! That alone makes me feel a bit put off. Where's the fun in a vampire story if you can't imagine the risk of becoming a part of this vampire community yourself?

The second problem lies in the fact that all of her vampires come from Old Money American pedigrees (one of them is even revealed to be Miles Standish and the Archangel Michael all rolled up into one neat package). They are not merely "rich", they are "obscenely rich". As a working class girl, I will never be even remotely part of this world, and I have little desire to be. The habits of obscenely rich people are so alien to me that I find myself unable to relate to them. In fact, when you have a heroine in a story who is in a similar life situation to myself, the people that are like De La Cruz's vampires are usually her antagonists! I am doubly cut off from the world that De La Cruz has created by this fact. Now, I know that De La Cruz is a fashion expert and has written for many fashion mags. This seems to be why she goes out of her way to mention so much detailed fashion and pop-culture information. I've sometimes noticed this from writers who have successful non-writing careers. Robin Cook sometimes does the same thing with medical facts. I find this excessive pop-culture trivia distracting. I will never be able to afford these brand name clothes and so I don't know much about them and see no reason to find out. I don't see why De La Cruz needs to say that the character is wearing jeans by this designer and bought them at this specific boutique on this specific street in Manhattan. All she needs to say is the character is wearing expensive designer jeans and I'll get the picture. I have to admit, it sometimes sounds like she's showing off her knowledge as opposed to furthering the plot.

This is, I am more than willing to admit, a personal view and should in no way deter anyone from at least trying this writer out. I believe every writer should be experienced first hand before someone makes a judgement. And De La Cruz is a fairly good story teller. It's a credit to her skill that I actually wanted to find out how the story ended, otherwise I probably would've just abandoned the book in the middle. But my desire to find out the ending was strained by the time I got to the last chapters. I just wish that she had made her characters and her fictional world more accessable to the majority of the population. It really is a shame that I couldn't get over my feelings of being shut out and enjoy the story more.

Love it.......2007-09-09

This book was great. I just bought the 2nd one! I can't wait to read it!

Average customer rating:

great characters, too weird of a plot for me
The Blue Girl
Fantastic
Has some setbacks, but is still cool
The Blue Girl

The Blue Girl (Firebird)
Charles de Lint
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Horror | Teens | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0142405450

Amazon.com

Imogene Yeck, former gang member and current fairy butt-kicker, is the cool "blue girl" at the center of Charles de Lint's latest urban fantasy novel. Seventeen-year-old Imogene jumps at the chance to lose her bad girl reputation when her family moves to a new town. She purposely lays low at Redding High, only making friends with Maxine, a shy, studious girl who is Imogene's opposite in every way. Despite a few run-ins with the ruling football jock and his cheerleader girlfriend, Imogene keeps her temper in check and even lends some of her bravado to Maxine, who begins to come out of her straight-A shell. Things are going well for the new friends--until the day Imogene meets Adrian, the benign ghost of a boy who died in the school's parking lot. Adrian and Imogene's unusual connection attracts the unwelcome attention of Redding High's resident Little People, or fairies. Affronted by streetwise Imogene's lack of belief in them, the fairies set into motion a malevolent prank that will not only turn Imogene completely blue from head to toe, but pit her, Adrian and Maxine against some of the most frightening beings of the Otherworld--the soul-sucking Anamithims. de Lint's Blue Girl reads like a really well-executed episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer--smart and thought provoking, without taking itself too seriously. Although the action builds slowly, the final scene, involving a bucket of blue paint, a knife fight, and green monster blood, is absolutely worth it. Buffy fans who enjoy meeting Imogene and Co. will also want to check out Holly Black's dark fairy tale, Tithe, and Nina Kiriki Hoffman's modern ghost story, A Stir of Bones --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

Seventeen-year-old Imogene's rebellious nature has caused her more harm than good—so when her family moves to Newford, she decides to reinvent herself. She won't lose her punk/thrift-shop look, but she'll try to avoid the gangs, work a little harder at school, and maybe even stay out of trouble for a change. But trouble shows up anyway. Imogene quickly catches the eye of Redding High's bullies, as well as the school's resident teenage ghost. Then she gets on the wrong side of a gang of malicious fairies. When her old imaginary childhood friend, Pelly, actually manifests, Imogene realizes that the impossible is all too real. And it's dangerous. If she wants to survive high school—not to mention stay alive—she has to fall back on the skills she picked up in her hometown, running with a gang. Even with her new friend Maxine and some unexpected allies by her side, will she be able to make it?

Customer Reviews:

great characters, too weird of a plot for me.......2007-09-23

Ok, firstly, I'm so into the gang related activities concerning the main character and love the layout for Imogene and everything about the plot, All except the totally queer use of "fantasy" in the plot. I know de Lint is a fantasy writer and all, but it'd have made the book a perfection if he only made one exception. Not wanting to come across as a silly little girl, but the truth is the fantasy part was just a bit lame. I guess the author could have made it come out better if he used something different, but this was just a junky science fictitious work, if I say so on the fantasy part. Besides that little complaint, twas one *fantastic* read.

The Blue Girl.......2007-09-14

"I have been enjoying some of the books I missed when I was a young adult, as they had not been written yet. This is a great one. I would recommend it to anyone old or young. The only difference is the amount of certain sorts of behavior they will or won't allow in Young Adult books. They don't affect the story line at all. A great read!"

Fantastic.......2007-08-20

Being the huge fan of de Lint as I am, I came into this book fully expecting to be wowed. Disappointed I was not. Although stunningly original and awe-inspiringly creative, I find a touch of humanity in his work, which comes out particuluarly well in Blue Girl. Such skill is to be commended, and applauded. So here's my standing ovation to Mr. de Lint and his yet again, outstanding work.

Has some setbacks, but is still cool.......2007-05-22

Anyone who has ever seen a John Hughes movie will instantly recognize many of the cliched characters in this book: There's Imogene, the tattooed, vintage clothing clad, tough-as-nails main character who is shunned by the popular kids (and likes it that way) and her new best friend Maxine, the shy, mousy intellectual who is constantly getting picked on (not only by the other kids, but also by her tyrannical mother, who still picks out her clothes for her). As soon as these two hook up, they are instantly targetted by the snobby, bleach blond captain of the cheerleading squad and her musclebound, meathead star quarterback boyfriend (the typical nemesis from pretty much every teen movie/book ever made) for no other reason than simply being different.

*yawn*

Sounds pretty boring, right? Well, that is where the similarity between this book and your typical teen fare ends. With the reemergence of Imogene's formerly imaginary friend Pelly, the discovery of a nerdy ghost and a group of feral, school-dwelling brownies with a seriously nasty streak, and the unwanted attention of some soul-sucking spirits as old as time, this story turns the entire teen genre on its head and proves itself to be a truly hypnotic read.

I do however, have a couple of complaints. First and foremost: The dialogue. Alot of the language wasn't very realistic coming from teenage mouths. I mean, teenagers in this day and age don't make paltry threats such as, "I'll squash you like the weird little bug that you are." If this were a real teenager, he or she would be turning the air blue with obscenities. Secondly: The final showdown against the anamithin was a bit, how shall I put this? Simplistic. Without giving too much away, the method with which Imogene used to dispatch this menace seemed a rather obvious tactic. So obvious in fact, it amazes me that these creatures were so feared for so long, and that noone managed to figure out how to stop them before. So yeah, the climax was a bit underwhelming.

Other than that though, this was a really good read, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves urban fantasy/elfpunk as much as I do.

The Blue Girl.......2007-03-11

I thoroughly enjoyed this. I know it's marketed as teen fiction, but the characters are rich enough to engage adults as well. It has creepy moments, magical moments, and mundane moments, each in just the right proportion. Wonderful read.

How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))

Average customer rating:

Historical Fiction for the Younger Set
Beautiful and Edifying
Beautifully told and illustrated

How the Amazon Queen Fought the Prince of Egypt (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))

Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0689844344

Book Description

CAN WOMAN EVER CONQUER MAN?

Queen Serpot rules the Land of Women, where the Amazon women live free, without men, and hunt and fight their own battles. But one day their peace is broken. An army of Egyptian soldiers is approaching their land, led by their prince, Pedikhons.

Pedikhons has heard stories of these warrior women. Now he has come to see them with his own eyes -- and to challenge them to combat. But the brave Serpot and her women are full of surprises. Can woman truly equal man in strength and courage?

This story of love and war is based on an actual Egyptian scroll from the Greco-Roman period. Hieroglyphic translations of key phrases, intricate paintings in the Egyptian and Assyrian styles, and extensive notes about both cultures enrich this fascinating, untold legend.

Customer Reviews:

Historical Fiction for the Younger Set.......2005-10-13

Strong women, battling men, first at war, and eventually in love. Loosely based on real-life ancient history, this book is a feast for young imaginations with glimpses of past Assyria (the modern day Middle East), Egypt, and hieroglyphics. The book is educational as well as entertaining.

A fairly short book that won't overwhelm younger children (artistically stimulating for the pre-reader), but also keeps us old folks visually engaged.

Beautiful and Edifying.......2005-05-08

Applause to Tamara Bower for bringing back to life a story heard by ancient ears. Her attention to artistic detail makes this book a visual feast. With all of the information included in this book it is interesting for children as well as for adults.
Thank you Tamara Bower for this treasure!

Beautifully told and illustrated.......2005-05-05

This story is an ancient tale with a modern sensibility. Two great leaders, a prince and a queen, who do not know much about each other at first, rise to battle each other, then learn to respect each other and join forces. It's a great story of adventure, empowerment and acceptance, beautifully told with Tamara Bower's rich, colorful, hieroglyphic style paintings. This is a great book for anyone who likes Egyptian art and classic storytelling.

Average customer rating:

Excellent!

The Smart Girl's Guide to Porn
Violet Blue
Manufacturer: Cleis Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Pornography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 157344247X

Book Description

The secret is out: Women watch porn. A recent study by Glamour magazine found that 87 percent of women ages 25 to 39 enjoy porn as part of their self-defined healthy sexual lifestyles — even more than use sex toys.
In The Smart Girl’s Guide to Porn, acclaimed sex educator Violet Blue offers hip, friendly, and knowledgeable advice on bringing porn into your sex life: how to find porn you’ll like, from favorite turn-ons and women-friendly DVDs to Podcasts and porn groups on the web; how to reconcile fantasy with real-life desires; and how smart girls can maintain their own beauty standards when the people on screen seem impossibly buff, smooth, and surgically enhanced. Looking for authentic sex scenes? Thinking of sharing porn with a lover? Wonder which browser is safest for internet porn surfing? For answers and insight, zoom in on The Smart Girl’s Guide to Porn.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-03-12

Full of recommendations/reviews/suggestions on all the different kinds of porn out there just waiting to be watched. A definitive porn resource.

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