Playboy Magazine, November, 2005

Average customer rating:

Some Important Product Details

Playboy Magazine, November, 2005

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Similar Items:

Playboy Magazine, September 2006

The Girls Next Door - Season 1

Girls Next Door Workout

The Girls Next Door - Season 2

Bunny Tales: Behind Closed Doors at the Playboy Mansion

ASIN: B000FMVNCW

Customer Reviews:

Some Important Product Details.......2007-02-16

Playboy's Playmate of the Month
Raquel Gibson photographed by Stephen Wayda and Arny Freytag

Interview
Jamie Foxx by Michael Fleming

Features
After The Party With Jamie Foxx: A Brash Playboy Interview
In Bed With The Girls Next Door: E!'s Hot New Show
Special Photo Feature: Dancing With The Stars' Kelly Monaco
Plus: Winter Coats, Harvey Pekar, An NFL Tragedy

Model
Bridget Marquardt, Holly Madison and Kendra Wilkinson (covergirl - nude inside) photographed by Arny Freytag

The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke: November 20, 1872, to July 28, 1876 (Diaries of John Gregory Bourke)

Average customer rating:

The Diaries of John Gregory Bourke: November 20, 1872, to July 28, 1876 (Diaries of John Gregory Bourke)
John Gregory Bourke
Manufacturer: University of North Texas Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Military & Spies | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1574411616

Average customer rating:

wonderfully evocative book to share with your child
A beautiful book by a wonderful author
In November
In November
Rylant Does It Again!

In November
Cynthia Rylant
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0152010769

Book Description

In November, the air grows cold and the earth and all of its creatures prepare for winter. Animals seek food and shelter. And people gather together to celebrate their blessings with family and friends.
Cynthia Rylant's lyrical language and Jill Kastner's rich, cozy paintings capture the cherished moments of this autumn month--the moments we spend together and the ones we witness in the world around us.

Customer Reviews:

wonderfully evocative book to share with your child.......2005-11-03

This is such an enchanting book to read to a child! The illustrations (realistic in style) are beautiful and the text is lyrical, reflecting the mood of the season perfectly. My son loves this book and I love reading it to him. The pictures and story remind us both of the family gatherings that are so much a part of November and December. We read many books together and this is one of our lasting favorites.

A beautiful book by a wonderful author.......2004-11-03

My children and I love anything written by Cynthia Rylant, but this book has the added benefit of the most beautiful illustrations. I cannot say enough about how much I love this book. It is something we will pull out every November - probably even after the children are grown! If your children love your family traditions and are comforted by knowing what to expect with each season or holiday, this book is a must for them. You could probably get it from the library every fall, but the illustrations make it worth putting on your shelf with your favorites and keeping for your grandkids.

In November.......2002-11-30

Cynthia Ryland does it again! A wonderful book for use with teaching metaphors. Her descriptive words gives visual meaning to each sentence. A wonderful book to use with six traits writing "Voice" and teaching inference to young children. Each page is filled with words to ponder, reflect, relate and to write about. Although there is no reference to Thanksgiving, many children relate to the special day and time with relatives. A perfect book for November and a perfect title. The illustrations are beautiful; giving a feeling of warmth to the words. Every teacher should own a copy.

In November.......2000-11-08

What happens in November? This story is beautifully illustrated to depict different activities that occur in late fall as the earth and its' creatures prepare for winter. Cynthia Rylant uses a combination of similies and metaphors to capture the reader/listner and draw them into the book. Jill Kastner's paintings blend colors to give a striking contrast on each page that grabs the eyes of the audience to pull them into the text. The realistic activities and traditions depicted in the story are brought to life by the rhthym of the text. The children nod and join in when they hear "In November, the animals sleep more. The air is chilly and they ...shiver!" As the children explore the page with their eyes, there is no doubt that they can relate to feeling chilly and shivering themselves at one time. There is no specific reference made to Thanksgiving in the text, but listners quickly pick up on the special day in November, where friends or families travel to see each other, share a special meal together, and give thanks for their many blessings. As the listners see the final page of the boook, many will oohh and aaahhh, and volunteer, they too, have traveled home after a special dinner at night. The audience of this book gains a sense of peace and belonging to our earth, as they relate to some or many of the illustrations and text in some way. CMH

Rylant Does It Again!.......2000-09-28

We just finished reading this in my Children's Literacy class. It was an apt example of "Voice" in writing. Cynthia Rylant, whom I adore as an author, once again writes a beautifully descriptive book about the month of November. This book is a must for any children's library.

Firebirds Rising: An Original Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Average customer rating:

Original sci-fi stories
A Few Gems That Sparkle Among the Coal
oh, the angst!
That didn't taste like I thought it would...
Appealing collection of YA SF and Fantasy

Firebirds Rising: An Original Anthology of Science Fiction and Fantasy

Manufacturer: Firebird
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Short Story Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0142405493

Book Description

Charles de Lint. Alan Dean Foster. Diana Wynne Jones. Kelly Link. Patricia A. McKillip. Tamora Pierce. These are just a few of the acclaimed and bestselling authors who have contributed original stories to Firebirds Rising, the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning anthology Firebirds.

This collection takes readers from deep space to Faerie to just around the corner. It is full of magic, humor, adventure, and—best of all—the unexpected. The one thing readers can count on is marvelous writing. Firebirds Rising proves once again that Firebird is more than an imprint—it is a gathering place for writers and readers of speculative fiction from teenage to adult, from the United States to Europe, Asia, and beyond.

Customer Reviews:

Original sci-fi stories.......2007-08-04

Written by a number of well known writers of science fiction and fantasy, these are sories that are well-written and very interesting. It's a good book to have handy when you have only a short time to read and want something you can finish quickly. I recommend it.

A Few Gems That Sparkle Among the Coal.......2007-06-23

This anthology follows in the footsteps of the original 'Firebirds' collection: A few brilliant stories among the padding of watered down sub-fare from famous names. In all honesty many of these stories would never have seen print without the famous name of the author being used on the cover to promote the book. A shame, since the premise of the anthology delights me.

I *am* very glad I read this book, though, especially for the sake of two stories I very much enjoyed:

'In the House of the Seven Librarians' by Ellen Klages is my favorite story, and worth the price of the book alone! This story is about a young girl named Dinsy who is raised by seven 'feral librarians' in an old library building. This book is a paean to old libraries and classics of literature. Any lover of books and reading will thrill to this book. For those of us who remember the old-style libraries with card catalogs, it is a veritable love song. For all book lovers, it's a treasure to love and cherish.

'Hives' by Kara Dalkey is a science fiction story about a future where technology can telepathically link minds, and teen girls use this to keep themselves in constant contact with their groups of friends, or 'hives'. But what happens when the girls get 'cut' from the network of their hive? Why does the sudden silence in their minds cause them to kill themselves? This story takes a science fiction approach to the importance of female friendships, and how necessary and addictive they can become. As Peter S. Beagle said in his novel 'Tamsin', "When you're 14 years old you're not yourself, you are your friends. You forget that when you grow up."

There were two other stories that I did enjoy reading. 'The Real Thing' by Alison Goodman was another sci-fi story exploring a future where genetic enhancement is prevalent, and the prejudice between those who are 'comp' made and those whose parents let nature take its course. The story is taken from a novel by the author, so it does feel a bit like a chapter out of a larger novel. That said, I really enjoyed this story and plan to track down the source novel it came from. An interesting story that made me think, as all good sci-fi does (I loathe the modern sci-fi movie cliche that sci-fi is only good for loud explosions).

'The House on the Planet' by Tanith Lee explores three young women living in the same house over 100 years' time on a colonized alien planet in the future. The subtle beauty of this story, of the alien landscape and how its birds and creatures speak to and inspire these women over many generations was inspiring. The end is a surprise, but indeed says a lot about the nature of 'humanity'. A beautiful story I'm glad I read.

Of the other stories, many were sub-par efforts on behalf of famous writers. Many were out-takes from other books or story universes, which really didn't work for anyone unfamiliar with the source material. Regardless, many of the stories felt like watered-down pap, very 'expurgated for children.' I always hated reading this kind of stuff as a teen.

On the other side, there were several stories that had a chilling amount of violence that I wouldn't feel comfortable with in an adult novel not sold in a horror section. I suppose it is a sad indictment of our culture, that violence is seen as perfectly natural for children and teens to view. There's a vengeful goddess hunting down and killing a pack of teens for trying to kill one of her followers ('Huntress' by Tamora Pierce). For the life of me I'm not sure what the point of that one was other than to be shocked by the violence. In 'I'll Give You My Word' by Diana Wynne Jones a group of female domestics turn out to be witches out to kill the mother of a family and take it over. There's so many misogynistic stereotypes here I don't know where to start. I'm sick of all this 'Hand That Rocks The Cradle' excrement that female domestics are all psychopaths. And all witches are evil murderers - how very Brothers Grimm. Can we get away from these stereotypes in the 21st century, please? Is that too much to ask? But the worst by far was 'Quill' by Carol Emshwiller. I don't know about you, but stories where teen girls are abducted by their fathers so they can rape and impregnate them just sicken me. This is a young adult story? It's like Stephen King at his goriest. *shudder*

Under the 'violence' heading are 'Perception' by Alan Dean Foster and 'What Used To Be Good Still Is' by Emma Bull, both stories where saintly females sacrifice their lives for the sakes of the unknowing and unappreciative. The 'virgin saint' stereotype of Victorian times. Can girls have heroines in their books who are not victims or self-sacrificing martyrs? Is that too much to ask?

That said, I am glad I read this book for the four stories I enjoyed. They made the book worth it. I just wish the collection was a little more even in quality. Alas, that's usually the case with multi-author story collections.

oh, the angst!.......2007-06-06

The jacket blurbs and the reviews fail to indicate an important fact: every story in this book is about a disaffected teenager. Every single one of them. Disaffected six-inch-tall teenagers. Disaffected genetically modified teenagers. Disaffected Victorian teenagers. Disaffected teenagers raised by feral librarians. Magical or mundane, ten or eighteen, they're all disaffected, and they all learn pithy lessons about finding acceptance while staying true to themselves.

The individual stories aren't bad at all; Kelly Link and Ellen Klages make particularly solid contributions. If I were still a disaffected teenager, however, I'd throw this heavy-handed, preachy anthology right out the window.

That didn't taste like I thought it would..........2007-03-14

I wanted to read some fantasy, some high IQ stuff, some thought-provoking short stories I could read on the DART getting to work. Well, after reading all of these stories, I'm convinced that writers do not submit their prize stories for anthologies. They submit their scraps. That's craps with an extra S. I'm dissapointed. Maybe my expectations were too high. Perhaps if I lower my expectations to what one might expect if judging a suburban high school writing contest...hmmm...no, I'm still dissappointed. The people who put this together owe me $10 just for reading through it. If you read this then you should demand compensation. I am not better off after reading this book. Maybe I didn't do enough shrooms before reading it. :-(

Appealing collection of YA SF and Fantasy.......2007-02-12

Firebirds Rising is an engaging mix of SF and Fantasy stories aimed at a young adult audience, though quite enjoyable for adults as well.

Two of my favorites are Science Fiction: Carol Emshwiller's "Quill", an oddly old-fashioned, charming yet sad, story of an isolated family and their curious secret; and Kara Dalkey's "Hives", an uncompromising story of teen-aged girls and cliques, exacerbated by near-telepathic phone connections.

Naturally one of the stories I most looked forward to was Kelly Link's "The Wizards of Perfil", and this is indeed a very enjoyable piece, though not as good as her best work. A boy named Onion and his disagreeable cousin Halsa, as well as Halsa's mother and brothers, are fleeing a war that has already their other parents' lives. Money is short, so when a reprensative of the reclusive Wizards of Perfil offers to buy a child, one of them must go. Onion, who may be telepathic, seems a natural candidate to sell to the representative of the reclusive wizards, but somehow Halsa is sold instead. As we expect with Link, the story goes in unexpected directions, telling of both Onion and Halsa and the very reclusive wizards - though I must say the resolution was exactly what I expected. (Which is not necessarily a bad thing.)

I was also delighted to see a story by Emma Bull, with the intriguing title "What Used to Be Good Still Is" (a title actually credited to Elise Matthesen). This is a moving story of a young man in a mining town in Arizona in the 1930s, and his love for a Mexican-American girl, who loves him but loves something else even more.

Patricia A. McKillip contributes another of her stories about a group of painters resembling the Pre-Raphaelites. "Jack O'Lantern" is about a girl struggling with her parents' conventional views of the role of women, particularly upper class women, as her older sister prepares to be married. During the painting of a wedding party portrait she meets a curious local lad, and hears a story about the Jack O'Lantern. Diana Wynne Jones's "I'll Give You My Word" is as clever as we expect from her, about a boy whose younger brother speaks in phrases like "sententious purple coriander". The story concerns the younger boy's trouble at school, and the problems the whole family encounters when the mother takes a book promotion trip. Ellen Klages's "In the House of the Seven Librarians" is purely charming, about a child growing up in a shuttered old-fashioned library.

And there are plenty further fine stories here, from names I expected to see like Charles de Lint and Tamora Pierce, and from perhaps surprising names like Alan Dean Foster. I enjoyed the anthology throughout. If I had a complaint, it would be that perhaps a few too many stories seem to play things just a bit safe. (With exceptions, such as Dalkey's "Hives" and Francesca Lia Block's "Blood Roses".) I would attribute that to the YA nature of the book - I suspect I should, indeed - but we certainly have plenty of examples of YA fiction that doesn't play safe. That said, this is a fine book, and it does a fine job of presenting interesting new stories, both SF and Fantasy, that will appeal to all readers.

Lutyens, the work of the English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944): Hayward Gallery London SE1, 18 November 1981-31 January 1982

Average customer rating:

Lutyens, the work of the English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944): Hayward Gallery London SE1, 18 November 1981-31 January 1982
Edwin Landseer Lutyens
Manufacturer: Arts Council of Great Britain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

The 84th Infantry Division In The Battle Of Germany : November 1944-May 1945

Average customer rating:

The 84th Infantry Division In The Battle Of Germany : November 1944-May 1945
Theodore Draper
Manufacturer: The Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Gales of November: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Average customer rating:

Gales Of November by Robert J. Hemming
A real yawner.
The most famous ship-wreck of the mighty Great Lakes!
Facts, Figures and Creative License...?
Hemming's Voyage to Oblivion

Gales of November: The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Robert J. Hemming
Manufacturer: Contemporary Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0809259214

Customer Reviews:

Gales Of November by Robert J. Hemming.......2006-07-05

Out of all the books written about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, this one remains by far the best. Not only is the book filled with stunningly accurate details about the ship, it reads like a gripping novel. I especially admire the way the author chose to piece together the facts that he knew to recreate the story of the ship's actual sinking. Most other books I have read on the Fitz have been afraid to tackle such a challenge. Robert Hemming's compelling story will leave you on the edge of your seat and sometimes even reduce you to tears. This one is hard to put down and a must have for any maritime enthusiast.

A real yawner........2006-03-16

With all due respect to the families of the men lost on the Fitz, this book is a real yawner. But look on the bright side of things -- if you sufffer from insomnia, you've just found your cure!!! Lots of passive verbs, cliches, irrelevant trivia. yaaaaaaaaaaawn.

The most famous ship-wreck of the mighty Great Lakes!.......2006-02-21

I really enjoyed this book. It's an exciting re-telling of the famous Edmund Fitzgerald ore-freighter that sank in the east-end of Lake Superior during a horrific storm in November of '75. I first heard about it and the famous Gordon Lightfoot song that describes it when I was just a little kid, and have been interested in it since. But after reading this exciting book, I quickly became even more fascinated and I look forward to exploring the whole disaster a little more. If you liked the movies "Titanic" and "The Perfect Storm", or have always had an interest in famous ship-wreck stories, you will love this book. Although I rated it a 4, it's really in my opinion a 4.5. That lacking half point is only due to a slight over-abundance of mini-biographies of the Captain and his crew, but atleast you develop a more emotional connection to the entire story as a whole than you would if it was just fact-based. You may read from other reviews that the last few hours of the ship's demise was a fictional description from the author due to a lack of actual survivors, but in my opinion, that in no way takes anything away from the story-line, because the fiction in regards to what actually happened in those last hours is based on some found evidence to support it to a certain degree. An over-all great book!

Facts, Figures and Creative License...?.......2004-12-06

Hemming has written some excellent accounts of disasters on the Great Lakes (see "Ships Gone Missing"), and this book has some very good qualities.

The covering of the history of the Fitz, and that of her crew is well done, and the descriptions of the character bring them to life.

There are also interviews with surviving family members and those who came across the Fitz both before and during the final trip.

Hemming goes with what appears to be the main theory regarding the boat's sinking, that she took on more and more water and dove into a huge wave, unable to recover.

One of the problems I do have is the creative license Hemming takes in trying to recreate what happened on the Fitz, especially as the vessel sank. He did this as well in "Ships Gone Missing," but here I'm not sure if it was such a good idea.

To have people doing and saying certain things is impossible to know that they did anything like that. I can see where Hemming tried to place the men where he thought they'd be, but it's hard to say.

Some of it was a bit melodramatic, but for the most part this is a good book with many facts on the boat and what may have happened.

Frederick Stonehouse as also written a very good book on the Fitz, including testimony and reports from the Coast Guard and the Lake Carriers Association.

Hemming's Voyage to Oblivion.......2004-05-11

The Gales of November was purchased on the strength of the information I could access through the Amazon pages and online discussions I held at Encylopedia Titanica. It was a purchase well made.

As the Edmund Fitzgerald crosses Lake Superiror we are given background into the running of these kind of ships and one by one the names of the 29 are given lives as Mr Hemming shares the story of their backgrounds. As events worsen to the terrifying and rapid conclusion I am made to identify with these men which makes those few minutes even worse.

Mr Hemming resorts to informed artistic licence to give us asense of what may have taken place, and to my thinking he does it well. Some may not like this style which is also used in the film and book Perfect Storm but it is necessary if we are to create a narrative of the events that led up to the sinking.

I understand that a film is being considered. If so It will make frightful viewing especially for anyone who makes the living on the sea.

Book Description

On the morning of Saturday, November 20, 1943, the 2d Marine Division undertook the first modern amphibious assault against a well-defended beachhead. The objective was tiny Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, and the going was supposed to be easya target already pounded into coral dust by a massive naval and air bombardment.But what the Marines discovered was an island garrison alive and well, the Japanese defenses intact and manned by foes who would rather die than surrender. The battle that followedthree full days of terror during which more than 3,000 died to secure an island half the size of New Yorks Central Parkis fully told in words and pictures in this dramatic book.Building on the updated text of their 76 Hours: The Invasion of Tarawa, the authors use more than 250 photos and combat drawings from the U.S. Navy and Marine archives and private collections to reveal the graphic horror of warfare at its worst. Their book follows every terrifying step as the Marines, failed by the invasions planners, are forced to wade more than 500 yards through fire-swept, knee-deep water, reaching land only to face what many historians agree was the best, most concentrated defenses American troops encountered in the entire Pacific War.The result is an immortal story of certainty shattered and courage recovered against overwhelming odds, of victory culled from near-defeat, and its terrible cost.

Customer Reviews:

Only a full-feature film can top this.......2007-09-22

After reading John Wukovits' One Square Mile of Hell I just had to find another book about Tarawa, and was fortunate to come across Bloody Tarawa. While I have not read the earlier edition of this book, I can only believe that the addition of the photos and maps just increase the realism in its portrayal of the battle. I found myself constantly flipping back to the maps and to the photos while reading the text, which made it as close to a multimedia experience one can get in a book.

Bloody Tarawa doesn't delve into the personal pre and post war lives of specific soldiers as does Wukovits One Square Mile. While that worked in One Square Mile, Hammel's Bloody Tarawa gives you the minute by minute detail as it is experienced by individual soldiers and small squads. Its as if you are watching 10-30 minute segments of the battle from different perspectives on the beach head. Very effective!

This book isn't about strategy, tactics, or weapons. Its about discrete scenes lived by these marines during the battle which are weaved together to give you the entire picture. It's as if Eric Hammel were a journalist reporting just what he witnessed as it happened. He must have interviewed dozens of marines who were there.

The photos are very impactful. Some are very clear, while others are somewhat muddled, giving you a gut feel for the experience lived by these soldiers. I just wish there were more WWII history books written like this with the number and quality of photos like Bloody Tarawa.

Tarawa.......2007-09-10

this is an excellent book, well researched and written. I highly recommend any other books by this author.

Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction

Average customer rating:

Kind of flat
One of the best anthologies I've ever read
Firebirds
Solid anthology with a few standouts
More to Firebirds than meets the eye

Firebirds: An Anthology of Original Fantasy and Science Fiction
Lloyd Alexander , Nancy Farmer , Meredith Ann Pierce , Elizabeth Wein , Michael Cadnum , Kara Dalkey , Nancy Springer , Emma Bull , Patricia A. McKillip , Delia Sherman , Megan Whalen Turner , Laurel Winter , Nina Kiriki Hoffman , Sherwood Smith , and Diana Wynne Jones
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Short Story Collections | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0142403202

Book Description

Firebirds gathers together sixteen original stories by some of today's finest writers of fantasy and science fiction. Together, they have won virtually every major prize— from the National Book Award to the World Fantasy Award to the Newbery Medal—and have made bestseller lists worldwide. These authors, including Lloyd Alexander, Diana Wynne Jones, Garth Nix, Patricia A. McKillip, Meredith Ann Pierce, and Nancy Farmer, tell stories that will entertain, provoke, startle, amuse, and resonate long after the last lage has been turned. And they all share a connection to Firebird—an imprint, like this anthology, devoted to the best fantasy and science fiction for teenage and adult readers.

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

A Locus Recommended Reading Selection

A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

A Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club

Customer Reviews:

Kind of flat.......2007-03-25

I found Firebirds kind of flat. I think the best children's stories can be read at many levels. Think of "The Hobbit," which appeals to readers ranging from roughly third or fourth grade all the way up to adulthood. At the simplest level there is just an easily accessible story which appeals to a very young and uncomplicated person. At other levels the story should appeal to more sophisticated readers: there might be complex moral decisions, satirical references only an adult would catch, interesting use of language, etc. I know that all the authors featured in "Firebirds" are capable of writing for multiple audiences, but (other than Wynne-Jones's "Little Dot") I found the work presented here somewhat disappointing. It wasn't horrible; it just didn't have the richness I expected from a collection of writers this talented.

One of the best anthologies I've ever read.......2006-11-07

This is a collection of some of the finest authors in the biz, and I think every single one of them would be proud of their work here. I loved this book, and although I do admit that it is a little misleading calling it an anthology of fantasy and sci fi when there's pretty much no sci fi in it, I forgive it that small glitch because it's just so good.

If you're an intelligent reader, or someone who likes incredible reimaginings of traditional tales, or someone who likes their authors to think outside of the box and move into truly bizarre and undiscovered realms, then this book is for you. And if you're the kind of person who doesn't just want action and adventure, but who likes stories that truly make the reader think and feel and wonder, then you will definitely like this. I actually cried several times whilst reading this, I was so moved. But don't get the impression that it's a sad book, because it isn't. It's just that a few of the stories were really poignant in an emotional sense to me.

There's something here for everyone. There's even a poem and a comic book story. I would thoroughly recommend this book to any of the fans of the writers contained within it, and also to readers who have never read any of these authors' works before, since it's a great introduction to their talents. Bravo, Firebirds.

Firebirds.......2006-10-14

Firebirds is a short story book by Lloyd Alexander, Michael Cadnum, Kara Dalkey, Nancy Farmer, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Diana Wynne Jones, Patricai A. Mckillip, Garth Nix, Meridith Ann Pierce, Sherwood Smith, Nancy Springer, Megan Whalen Turner, Elizabeth E. Wein, Laurel Winter, Emma Bull with illustrations by Charles Vess. The book is edited by Sharyn November.
Firebirds is a collection of stories all based on different themes. Each author has a different style of writing. Firebirds has two genres, fantasy and science fiction. I liked this book because the endings were always surprising. I didn't know many of these authors and reading these short stories gave me an idea of how they wrote. All the stories in Firebirds were interesting and different. I would rate this book an eight on a scale of one to ten because some of the stories weren't very interesting. I haven't read many short story books but this was one of the books that I enjoyed. Many of these stories are parts of books that the author has written or sequels.
Some of my favorite stories were Beauty by Sherwood Smith and Little Dot by Diana Wynne Jones. Beauty's about a princess named Elestra. Elestra didn't have any beauty and no one really cared about her. In the throne room, there was a tree that was really a person turned into a tree. One night the Elestra goes into the throne room and is captured by Flauvic, the person who was tree. Beauty's a story that makes you wonder what's going to happen. Little Dot's a story about several cats and a human named Henry. One day Henry is told that there is a Beast that's eating many animals. Find out what happens by reading Firebirds. Little Dot's an engrossing story that captures your attention.

Solid anthology with a few standouts.......2006-06-21

"Firebirds" came into my hands with high praise from sources I respected, and I was not disappointed. I was not overly impressed either. The collection of stories is fairly broad, but the focus is clearly on fantasy (broadly defined, not just swords and sorcery, although there is that too). I have no idea why it includes science fiction in the title, I can't remember a single title I would classify as SF.

There are several stories that revisit old tales to give them a new spin: "Cotillion" (D Sherman) places Tam Lin in 1960's New York, "The Fall of Ys" (MA Pierce) questions the character motivations of the original, "Medusa" (Cadnum)retells the story from the title character's point of view, "Lady of the Ice Garden" (K Dalkey) sets an Andersen tale in Japan. With the ties to classic tales and the strong female leads all around, these stories are particularly well suited for classroom use.

Changelings also play a prominent role: "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box" (M Whalen Turner) in which a magical child is raised by a bank; the surprisingly effective "Hope Chest" (G Nix) which combines elements of horror, political dystopia and, of all things, the Western; "Remember Me" (N Farmer)in which a changeling's differences ostracize her family and "Flotsam" (N Kiriki Hoffman) an overly ambitious about a little boy lost among worlds that ultimately fails to move the reader.

Most of the stories feature female leads, but the two stories with male leads were standouts for me: "Max Mondrosch" (Lloyd Alexander)an understated and oddly comical story about the horror of modern life and "Byndley" (P McKillip) a more traditional tale of a wizard, a fairy queen, and the things that can be stolen in the forest.

Of the remaining stories, I would recommend "Beauty" (S Smith), an "odd princess out" o fthe sort that have become popular since "The Ordinary Princess". "Black Fox" (E Bull) also bears mention as the only graphic entry in the anthology, illustrated by Charles Vess.

"Mariposa" (N Springer), "Chasing the Wind" (E Wein), "Little Dot" (D Wynne Jones, for the magical cat lovers) and "The Flying Woman" (L Winter)were all fine stroies, but none of them proved memorable for me.

The title is definitely recommended if you are a fan of fantasy short stories or the Firebird authors. If this is not something you read every day, I would recommend a Datlow/Windling anthology, such as "The Faery Reel" or one of the Year's Best Fantasy and Horror (Datlow/Windling and Datlow/Link).

More to Firebirds than meets the eye.......2005-08-14

Thanks to smooth writing and a classically romantic sensibility, this collection seems light and airy on first reading. The darker images crept up on me later.

Lloyd Alexander's "Max Mondrosch" is a sneaky little story, vivid and disturbing. So, to, is "Hope Chest" by Garth Nix, a compulsively readable but violent story. Nancy Springer's "Mariposa" is funny and kind of mean. (Which is always a compliment from me.) Megan Whalen Turner's "The Baby in the Night Deposit Box," is just funny.

Other stories, like Delia Sherman's "Cotillion" and Kara Dalkey's "The Lady of the Ice-Garden" are retellings that are nicely written but not outstanding. Only one of them, "Beauty" by Sherwood Smith, seems incomplete. I am not familiar with the world this story is attached to, which may have helped.

Overall, though, this is a thoroughly enjoyable collection for teen or adults. For those (like me) who have a sneaking suspicion that YA fantasy writers are more talented than most of the mainstream adult fantasists, this collection provides great ammunition.

Grid and Cooperative Computing - GCC 2005: 4th International Conference, Beijing, China, November 30 -- December 3, 2005, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Average customer rating:

Grid and Cooperative Computing - GCC 2005: 4th International Conference, Beijing, China, November 30 -- December 3, 2005, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Privacy | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Web Services | Web Development | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

All Amazon Upgrade | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Amazon Upgrade | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 3540305106

Book Description

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Grid and Cooperative Computing, GCC 2005, in Beijing, China in November/December 2005.

The 57 revised full papers and 84 revised short papers presented together with 2 invited talks were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 576 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on grid service and grid security, grid middleware and applications, knowledge grid and semantic grid, resource management, P2P computing and automatic computing, performance evaluation and modeling, and software engineering and cooperative computing.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books