Book Description
Since a mysterious childhood illness, Harry Wilkes has experienced horrific visions. Gruesome scenes emerge to replay themselves before his eyes. Triggered by simple sounds, these visions occur anywhere a tragic event has happened. Now in college, Harry feels haunted and turns to alcohol to dull his visionary senses. One night, he sees a fellow drunk easily best three muggers. In this man, Harry finds not only a friend that will help him kick the booze, but also a sensei who will teach him to master his unusual gift. Soon Harry’s childhood crush, Kayla, comes and asks for help solving her father’s murder. Unsure of how it will affect him, Harry finds the strength to confront the dark secrets of the past, only to unveil the horrors of the present.
Customer Reviews:
Darkness on the Edge of Sound.......2007-08-19
Attempting a crime thriller with a supernatural twist is risky literary business, but prolific author Joe Lansdale has the chops to pull it off - barely. This is the story of Harry Wilkes, who thanks to a severe childhood ear infection is given the unwanted gift of hindsight triggered by sounds. Put Harry in the vicinity of a violent death and, if triggered by the right sound, an instant replay of whatever gruesome past event took place. Needless to say, neither a pleasant nor desirable talent, which sentences poor Harry to a life of carefully plotted places and activities in an attempt to prevent the next horror show. But after living a life trying to avoid his "sixth sense", Harry must eventually make the choice of confronting his nightmares in order to help Kayla, former crush of his east-Texas childhood and current rookie cop on the local police force - and still a "hottie". While somewhat reminiscent of M. Night Shyamalan's "Sixth Sense", or more recently, or Tom Piccarilli's bizarre "Headstone City", Lansdale's twist on a second sight is fresh and unique.
"Echoes" starts fast and furious, getting the reader riveted early, but about midway through slows and starts gets a bit muddy. The dialogue is uneven - snappy and darkly humorous at times, dull and uninspired at others. But for me, much of the slowdown can be attributed to Tad Peters, a middle-aged drunk who happens to be a Bruce Lee-class martial artist, independently wealthy, wholly unbelievable, and totally annoying. But we're to believe that the sodden Tad has the mojo to turn Harry's life around, get them both off the sauce, save fair Kayla, and clear her father's good name. But thankfully, just before Tad manages to sink this notable effort, Lansdale recovers and salvages the story with a climax worthy of the crackerjack beginning. All things considered, an off-the-beaten-track-kind of a book that while not without flaws is a worthy read.
Didn't live up to the description.......2007-07-22
This was an OK book, but it did not live up to the description given by Amazon or anyone else. It was old fashioned and slow, the characters were not really engaging enough and the plot never really picked up steam. This is the type of book that always makes me think I can write a better mystery, unfortunately.
Excellent, but not quite up to his usual standards.......2007-07-18
I couldn't grab this book quick enough when I saw it. Lansdale is an amazing writer, and as usual, this book was a joy to read.
As great as it was, it just wasn't quite as good as all of his previous efforts. It felt almost as if he had a deadline he had to meet and rushed through the story. Remember the differences between the short story "Mad Dog Summer" and the novel it eventually became, "The Bottoms?" It's almost a case of that. It feels like there are a lot of details missing from the book, and that we never truly get to meet all of the characters the way we usually do with Lansdale's works.
Now make no mistake - this is an excellent book. I would happily settle down with Lansdale's grocery list if he made it available - he is just that great of a writer. He's got a real way with words, and he isn't afraid to approach the darker territories. His dialogue is stunning - I think anyone who writes fiction could take a page or two from his books.
I did love this book, I would just have liked to see more detail and a more fleshed-out plot.
An unenviable gift spurs Texas thriller.......2007-06-27
An East Texas boy, Harry Wilkes' unenviable "gift" is the ability to experience violent moments, particularly murder, from the victim's point of view. Given Lansdale's vivid prose this makes for some hard going until Harry first deadens his gift with alcohol and then meets a mentor, a drunken martial-arts sensei with his own burden of guilt, who teaches Harry self-control while healing himself.
The story ambles along, spurred by violence, drink, the exertion of control and the nature of friendship until his old childhood love, Kayla, now a cop, asks Harry for help in proving her father was murdered. The pace accelerates as Harry stumbles and bulls his way into a story that grows and twists with every step.
Full of Texas swagger, hard truths and sharp insights, this is a thriller with character, guts and speed.
Sadly, a lesser effort.......2007-06-07
Now, I love Joe, and any new story from him is a cause to celebrate, but I felt that "Lost Echoes" was definitely a lesser effort. The idea of traumatic events trapped in sound is a great hook, but the story is weak and the characters are nowhere near as colorful as his usual cast. Some of the pivitol action is as cliched as old movie serials, but without the sense of over-the-top fun that is Joe's trademark. I've turned a lot of people into fans of Joe's work, but I wouldn't start anyone out by loaning them this one. I'd rank "Lost Echoes" a little higher than "Freezer Burn" but it is nowhere near the wild ride of "Mucho Mojo" or "Two Bear Mambo," nor as thoughtful as "A Fine Dark Line" or "The Bottoms."
Customer Reviews:
Very detailed.......2007-05-13
Delivers as promised. Detailed instructions to be able to finish the game with 100% items.
Very good walkthrough.......2007-01-04
This guide, while not perfect, does provide a large amount of information on the game and gives a description of what is required to completed every level in Metriod Prime 2. The only issue I have had is that some of the explanations of what you have to do are somewhat vague or inaccuate, although exploration is part of the fun of the game and giving too much detail might spoil it. All in all, it is a very useful resource.
Solid Strategy Guide for HARD Game.......2004-12-22
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a very hard game. I got stuck on it pretty early, but I knew I was up for a challenge because I played the first game. So I bought the strategy guide. It helped a LOT.
Just like most strategy guides it leads you step by step through the whole game. It skips unnecessary parts that are obvious like going to a certain room to get to the next part. It explains what you have to do pretty well. It is an attractive book with lots of colors. It spans 238 pages.
The only real complaints I had with the guide are that Nintendo Power could have put more screenshots for the game while going through it step by step. They focused more on huge shots of Samus taking up a whole page (which is really unnecessary). The other complaint is that sometimes they will skip through certaing rooms, which some players might not like.
Overall this is a very good strategy guide. I recommend it for anyone stuck in the game!!
Amazon.com
John O'Donohue (Anam Cara), a Celtic poet, scholar, and philosopher with an Irish brogue, speaks to the deepest calling of our soul: the longing to belong. "To be human is to belong," he explains. "Belonging is a circle that embraces everything; if we reject it, we damage our nature. The word 'belonging' holds together the two fundamental aspects of life: Being and Longing, the longing of our Being and the being of our Longing." Although this may sound like an elaborate Celtic circle knot, O'Donohue has nevertheless woven a solid and easy-to-grasp book that speaks to the soul's constant yearning. Every passage is a delight for the senses, as O'Donohue shares his lilting poetic language, his Celtic imagery and stories, and his fireside-chat wisdom. This is a broad-reaching yet highly focused book that dares to explore the realm of legitimate angels, the meaning of suffering, and, most poignantly, how life on earth may never quench the soul's thirst for belonging. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
There is a divine restlessness in the human heart, our eternal echo of longing that lives deep within us and never lets us settle for what we have or where we are. In this exquisitely crafted and inspirational book, John O'Donohue, author of the bestseller Anam Cara, explores the most basic of human desires - the desire to belong, a desire that constantly draws us toward new possibilities of self-discovery, friendship, and creativity.
Customer Reviews:
dont buy.......2007-03-26
My goodness this book droned on and on about belonging and longing without any real wisdom coming through. I will never buy a book again because someone else said it was good I lost money on this one.
Eternal Echoes: Celtic Reflections.......2007-01-11
Not being familiar with this author I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of Celtic Spirituality I encountered. I was captured from the first few paragraphs of the Prolog. Having such a complete list of the contents was extremly helpful.I will be exploring future books by this author in the future.
Touches the soul.......2006-12-28
This book is from the soul, and we all need soul food every now and again. I picked it up in Ireland while chilling out from a broken marriage and it spoke to me like no other book has ever done. With prose like exquisite poetry, John O' Donohue touches the soul with a true taste of spirituality.
Very inspirational, it's wonderful to read a work of art that is so "biblical" in it's ability to motivate. It speaks metaphorically,pragmatically and is grounded in common sense. I'm looking forward to reading it again, and then sometime later, again.
Scholar with a Poet's Eyes.......2006-12-22
This is a wonderful book to read along with The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran, The Celtic Spirit by Caitlin Matthews. O'Donohue brings deep insight into such topics as belonging, alienation, kinship, fear... all the basics. His scholarship and sense of poetry help us create a new language out of the depths of our experiences, so that we see ourselves in new light. The author began his journey with the book Anam Cara, which contains a wonderful friendship blessing I say often. Eternal Echoes is even more on point, if not equally so. Slainte, Mr. O'Donohue.
Silver prose as golden spirituality........2004-10-22
I can sympathize with the reviewer who found this book to be "vague, wordy, ambiguous, contradictory, and or no practical help." If you turn to John O'Donohue for a practicum on Celtic spirituality you will be similarly confounded.
All of O'Donohue's books are image-intensive lyrics for the songs of our souls. They are not meant to be discursive or systematic, nor are they in any way beholden to canons of Anglo-Saxon verb-driven prose. Perhaps the best way to appreciate this or any of his books is to sit in your garden with a cup of strong tea, a thick slice of toasted bread with butter or marmalade, and a copy of this book, and take small mouthfuls of each allowing time between to savor and digest.
Book Description
"It was sometimes called the echo cave, and if you shouted your question loud enough in the right direction, you got an answer instead of an echo..."
Clare and David--divided as children by a rigid social code that branded her as shanty Irish and him as gentry...brought together as adults by a desire that knew no class, no barriers, only the urgent hunger of two people destined to love--and ready to defy a world determined to keep them apart.
Even at fifteen, David Power knew the echo would answer eleven-year-old Clare O'Brien's dearest wish, to win a school prize. But it was years before Dr. Power's cherished only son saw in the huckster's daughter the answer to his own heart's desire. Here in Castlebay, perched precariously on the seaside cliffs, the lines between them were clearly drawn. Clare's only hope is to leave the town where time stopped, propelled by scholarships to Dublin, fueled by her own drive and brilliance, far from the insular, gossipy world of Castlebay and those in its thrall... Angela O'Hara, beautiful, insolated, a teacher trapped in the convent school, who risks everything to help Clare escape... Gerry Doyle, the town charmer who finds in Clare the woman he vows to have at any price... Caroline Nolan, the beautiful, rich outsider who comes to plunder...
For Clare, that was before the wild freedom of Dublin, and love. And David. Before fate drove them back to Castlebay, and the past...
Customer Reviews:
Good but not Binchy's best.......2007-06-03
Started off slow and then was involving. Binchy's characters are very well-drawn and their personal dramas have a very realistic tinge. She has the fabled Irish gift for storytelling that is lyrical and lovely and that draws one deeply into a tale. However, I found the ending very unsatisfying.
Echoes.......2006-11-10
This is the first Maeve Binchy book I have read and I will read more. Having been to Ireland and the area she is writing about her description put me there so vividly in my mind. The story is a lovely story and well written.
Best book ever!!.......2006-08-31
This is the best book I've ever read! Characters that will stay in your heart forever.
Wonderful 'train or beach' book.......2006-08-29
I always have enjoyed Maeve's books set in 1950s Ireland, and this one is no exception. Plot lines are not Maeve's strong point and, as often is true of her work, about 75% of the way through, the lack of discernible plot leads her to try to tie up the ends with improbable melodrama. Until then, it is an engrossing book, showing Maeve's gifts for depicting characters, relationships, and a good deal of depth about the realities of life. Her characters have wisdom and insight most of us would envy.
I especially liked the characters of Angela and Clare, which were developed very well. Most of the men who are part of the action do not fare so well and have fewer dimensions.
Overall, it is a highly enjoyable book - the sort which I'd like to have in my bag during a train or bus ride (which, indeed, is just where I gobbled it down.)
One of Binchey's best.......2006-06-25
I've read almost all of Binchey's novels and this is one of her best. She is very skilled at creating numerous characters and somehow managing to intertwine their stories. This is evident here, with the main characters being Claire and David who are from the same town of Castlebay but from distinctly different upbringings. To put it simply, Claire was raised poor to a family that works round the clock in their little shop, and David comes from money with a doctor as a father. They discover love while in college, as Claire is very bright and won several scholarships to school and David is studying to be a doctor. When Claire discovers she is pregnant, their lives change forever. They believe love will overcome everything in their way, which is a great concept but idealistic. The reality is that being married with a newborn baby can be mundane and demanding.
I especially like this book because I can relate to Claire--I did not marry until I was 29 (although Claire is much younger), but I had gone to school for a masters and owned my own home. I decided to be a stay at home mom because my mother always worked and I always felt this void when I was younger. While I love being home with my children, at times I have felt "there has to be more than this!" Being married and home with children can be hard for someone who has struggled to be independent, and Claire finds herself in this position as she gives everything up while David continues to do what he loves. The end of the book is tragic but believable and no one could have told this story better than Binchey.
Average customer rating:
- o.k. romantic suspense, but nothing unique
- Fast-paced haunting thriller
- Pleasing Ghost Story
- A Must Read!
- A real page turner!
|
Night Echoes (Signet Eclipse)
Holly Lisle
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
Romantic Suspense
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Romantic Suspense
| Romance
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Sight Unseen (Warner Forever)
-
All Jacked Up (Berkley Sensation)
-
I See You
-
Arousing Suspicions (Avon Romance)
-
Chosen Prey
ASIN: 0451220943 |
Book Description
Artist Emma Beck returns to her southern hometown to discover the truth about her secret family history. With the help of Mike Ruhl, the contractor she's falling in love with, Emma finds that her legacy is more chilling and unexpected than she ever dreamed. Especially when she starts hearing the whispers late at night.
Customer Reviews:
o.k. romantic suspense, but nothing unique.......2007-08-01
I read this book when I needed to read something simple and easy to follow (I was at a 3-day conference.) I enjoyed it, although I consider it a typical ghost story with no unexpected twists or unusual plot elements. Many questions remain unanswered, such as the woman in the trench coat, and the cat which is only seen by some individuals at some times. Most annoyingly, the characters often make huge leaps of logic which are not logical at all. The characters are likable, however, and the pace of the story keeps it moving. If you are in the mood for a straightforward ghost romance, this is your book. If I could give it 3 and 1/2 stars, I would.
Fast-paced haunting thriller.......2007-06-02
Artist Emma Beck discovered a folder after her father died. In it was a record from a detective who was detailing the circumstances of Emma's adoption and the death of her birth mother.
Up to that moment, Emma had not realized she'd been adopted.
When she visited her birthplace, Emma found an old derelict house that both said 'home' to her and nearly frightened her to death. She'd been painting bits of this house in her art throughout her career. Then she discovers that Mike, her contractor, had also figured prominently in her illustrations.
As the story unfolds, Emma hears strange sounds in the house, finds her paints messed with while she's been sleeping, etc.
All in all, "Night Echoes" is a fast-paced, hard to put down thriller that could well defend a place with mainline thriller novels. It's also a paranormal that doesn't count on lycanthropy, vampires, or any similar character to keep it fresh.
I regretted when Holly Lisle left writing fantasy for the romance novel field, yet, I have read almost every romance she's written and enjoyed them. This comes from someone who doesn't particularly care for romance novels. Lisle so seamlessly blends the romance in with the storyline that it's a natural part of the flow.
Lisle has a way of creating sympathetic characters that pull you in because you care about their lives and want to see them survive--if not succeed and be happy. Emma and Mike, and to a lesser extent, Cara, are more than just constructs.
And the house itself became a being in this story. Lisle's scene setting really takes you there even if you've never seen a Southern Gothic style home before.
I'd definitely consider her as someone to study if you are interested in learning how to pull in and hook a reader with subtle foreshadowing. Lisle's a pro and she's a pleasure to read no matter what she writes.
Pleasing Ghost Story.......2007-05-31
Holly Lisle started out her writing career with fantasy novels. However, lately she's turned her hand to paranormal suspense novels and become quite successful and quite well-known at them. She also manages her personal web site [....]
Her first novel paranormal romance, MIDNIGHT RAIN and her last, I'LL SEE YOU, had more violence inherent in the plot than the current book does, but her fourth book, NIGHT ECHOES, is more a southern gothic and ghost story. In all of her books, Lisle manages to present interesting characters in challenging situations, all with an economy of language that keeps readers turning pages. Lisle has such an easy touch with prose that it's hard not to just keep reading way past bedtime. The pages seem almost to turn themselves.
In NIGHT ECHOES, commercial artist Emma Beck buys an old Civil War-era house in South Carolina that she has ties to she has no explanation why. When she sees the house, she realizes that she's dreamed about it and painted it several times in her artwork. The author works this story with a slow burn, layering in character and building tension at a steady pace.
Emma was adopted by her parents. Before he died, her father gave her the name of her birth mother. Her father had hired a private detective to track the information down in case Emma ever needed to know. It was that search for the background on her mother and why she was given up for adoption that led Emma house that she buys almost on impulse.
The story picks up after Emma has been living in the house for a few days and is still moving in. She's also met Mike Ruhl, the contractor who did minor repairs on her house before she moved in. There are immediate sparks between Emma and Mike that leave no doubts about who the romance will concentrate on.
Lisle presents her character and a very human fashion and gives her a detailed background that allows the reader to get to know her very well. But it isn't long before Emma becomes embroiled in trying to find out more about her birth mother. The story she gets almost breaks her heart. Her mother was sixteen when she gave birth to Emma. The father betrayed her and left her alone and pregnant and at the mercy of her cruel father.
However this isn't the only story that Emma is told. The prevailing story is that the baby died, which means that she can't be that baby. But everything she finds leads her to believe that she is, and she feels that she is.
The book doesn't really offer anything new to the experienced gothic/ghost story reader. Those who have read in the genre before will easily keep pace with Lisle's twists and turns. Still, this is a well-crafted novel and the characters are pleasure to explore and journey with. The first three books Lisle wrote offered action and surprises. NIGHT ECHOES jogs along at a comfortable pace and delivers a satisfying ending that doesn't really come as a shock or surprise. While the novel may not build on the momentum of the previous three, it offers a diversion into a different style of writing and an old style ghost story that most of today's readers haven't seen in some time.
Readers who want something to take to the beach and vege out with will enjoy this novel a lot. And Holly Lisle's growing fan base will enjoy yet another winner.
A Must Read!.......2007-05-22
I am fairly picky about books and I found that I could not put this book down. I read this in less than a day and I just couldn't stop reading. The characters of Emma and Mike, and the happenings at the old farmhouse keep you glued to your seat. I have put this in my own personal library as a must read again and there are less than 10 books on my shelf that I would read again.
A real page turner!.......2007-05-07
And when I say page turner, I mean that I was flipping pages so fast I actually dropped the book! Holly Lisle's books should come with a rubber grippy thingy so you can hang on and enjoy the ride.
Very well written, fast paced, and creepy--I loved it.
Book Description
Echoes of Topsail is a story about Topsail Island, NC, its facts, folklore and heartbeat, voiced by its people who gave it life over the years. Those who live here speak with reverent whisper about the magic that caught them and will not let them leave.
This magic is the heartbeat of Topsail - slow and steady - that never misses a beat despite hammering by the wind, nudging by ocean surf, and ravaging by man. We come to the island and fall into the slow, throbbing beat, becoming it, even on a short stay. Like the loggerhead, we keep coming back.
Topsail Island is a metaphor for life. It is ever changing and yet, stays the same. If we pay attention, we can learn from Topsail how to enjoy life's journey.
Customer Reviews:
Enchanting Topsail Island.......2001-05-10
This book provides the reader with an entertaining and detailed history of Topsail Island. Topsail Island is one of the hidden jewels of the North Carolina coast. With it's small-town ambience and laid-back lifestyle - it is heaven on Earth. When you come over the swing bridge onto the Island, time stops. It is the most awesome place. The book clues you in on the rich history of the Island - from the days of the Blockade Runners to Operation Bumblebee...
Book Description
Best-selling author Colleen Coble's trademarks-rich characterizations of people and animals combined with page-turning suspense and compelling romance-make this suspense series set in Hawaii a must-read.
While vacationing mainlanders and island locals revel in the cool waters and the sunny beaches of Kauai, Hawaii, a missile test goes off-course, destroying a local tourist boat and killing several passengers. Could sloppy science be at fault, or could sabotage be the culprit?
When the investigation leads nowhere, Kaia Ohana, island resident and dolphin researcher, is called upon by Jesse Matthews, head of security at the naval base, to help. Aided by dolphins Kaia's been teaching to communicate, Kaia and Jesse must try to stop a terrorist before he can strike again.
Customer Reviews:
Mystery, Romance, Travel Book.......2007-09-18
I fell for the dolphin.
This is a great blend of mystery, romance and travel writing. You get a great picture of the beauty of Hawaii along with an interesting story and compelling characters.
Decent mystery imbedded in a rocky romance.......2007-04-05
The suspense side of the story is engaging, but the romance between the two main characters seems forced - the immediate attraction Jesse feels for Kaia is almost obsessive when he should be concentrating on rescuing people rather than wondering if she is single. After our rocky introduction to Jesse's character, the relationship continues to develop in an unbelievably awkward fashion, even though the author incorporates many of the classic elements: boy meets girl, boy has conflict with girl, boy gets girl.
I LOVED Colleen Coble's Alaska Twilight! This is one clever, and very funny writer! And the way she involves animals in her stories makes them even more appealing. I'm sorry that Distant Echoes didn't engage me the same way.
Almost as nice as being there..........2006-04-18
Distant Echoes by Colleen Coble isn't just a good read--it's a mini-vacation. Anyone who has ever spent time in our glorious fiftieth state (or dreamed of doing so) will appreciate Colleen's accurate descriptions of the lovely island of Kauai. I, for one, am ready to go back for another visit, this time time with Colleen's second Aloha Reef book, Black Sands, to keep me company.
"Distant Echoes" is a great read........2006-02-05
I loved this book. Full of suspense and beauty, Coble's book, "Distant Echoes" contains vivid, believable characters with enough conflict to keep you guessing until the end. This is a great book.
Take an imaginary vacation.......2005-09-29
Sink your teeth into a piece of ripe, juicy mango and inhale its fragrance as you meander through the monkeypod trees. Step out across sun-kissed sand and into the turquoise waves. Feel the nostrum of a dolphin bump your leg, begging you to come play. Take hold of the offered fin, and savor the ride as she leads you out into deeper waters.
No, you haven't entered a travel brochure. Allow me to introduce you to Colleen Coble's exotic new Hawaiian series, Aloha Reef.
In the opening chapters of book one, Distant Echoes, dolphin researcher Kaia Oana and her brothers are enjoying a typical day on the water. Her brothers fish as Kaia swims with Nani, one of the bottle-nosed dolphins she is teaching to communicate.
Then, as they prepare to head back to shore, disaster strikes. An errant missile sweeps past them and hits a tourist boat. Kaia and her brothers race to rescue survivors from the water as a military vessel hurries to the scene. Fatalities are few, but one casualty brings the tragedy close to home for Kaia and her family.
Lieutenant Commander Jesse Matthews watches the scene from his military vessel. Testing of the new missile defense system failed. But was it just a computer error? A witness on the tour boat claims the missile came straight at them, as if they were the target. And a recent break-in at the naval base raises the question: Was this just an accident, or did someone tamper with the missile system?
The security of the naval base is Jesse's main concern. He enlists Kaia and her dolphin to help protect the naval base waters after break-ins continue at the compound. But when stolen missile secrets turn up in Jesse's house, he and Kaia have no option but to continue the investigation on their own. As they search deeper for the truth, and members of their families become involved, the investigation takes on a frighteningly personal level.
Distant Echoes drew me in from page one. Colleen Coble's rich descriptions swept me across the ocean and placed me firmly on Hawaiian soil. I could smell the tropical air, hear the surf against the beach, and see the gentle movements of the hula. Not to mention feel the terror of coming face to face with a cane spider!
If you are in need of an imaginary vacation, and you're looking for a romantic suspense with lifelike characters, and a plot that will keep you guessing right to the last page, then Distant Echoes is the book for you.
Customer Reviews:
more than just a survivor.......2007-02-25
Mira lived to tell the tale of the holocaust. She's carried the message of strength and forgiveness, of working through the horrors she's lived by bringing the message to all who will listen. This is a strange and different book: on the one hand, so repulsive, so unbelievable, yet, on the other hand, compelling. Several questions ran through my mind: how does a person continue to live with any humanity at all after such an experience; why does one person live, while all the rest die; what kind of magnetism did Mira have that encouraged people to help her?
I've met Mira; she lives here in my home town of Oak Ridge. She will speak before my class. Perhaps my questons will be answered, and I will know who Mira is after all.
A "Must Read" Book.......2006-04-13
Echoes from the Holocaust by Mira Ryczke Kimmelman is a riveting memoir that recounts her life as a child in Danzig to her life in the United States after World War II. Mira describes how the innocence, effulgence, and peace of her youth are shattered once the Nazi troops force her family to leave their home in Poland in October 1939. Embracing her Jewish heritage, Mira tells of how she strives to preserve her identity and pride as a Jew alive by receiving secret Hebrew lessons, attending prohibited Jewish gatherings, and becoming a member of the Zionist movement. Kimmelman refuses to let herself become discouraged when she learns that more than twenty of her family members and friends are killed by the SS officers.
Infused with aspirations, Mira does whatever she can to cope with the persecution she and others receive at the ghettos and concentration camps. After suffering from typhoid, physical torture, starvation, horrendous living conditions, and simple dehumanization, Mira continues to be a burning flame among all the melted candles. All her struggles and lucky moments become learning experiences.
Mira is able to move on with her life, after the end of the war in 1945. She marries Max Kimmelman, another Holocaust survivor, and has several children and grandchildren after. She gives them the names of her relatives and close companions so that her memories of them will live on. Although life in the United States becomes a bit of a struggle, Mira manages to carve out a content life with her husband and family. She continues to encompass her traditions and tell her story of survival.
The memoir is written simplistically, but with very powerful imagery and episodes, that capture Mira's moments effectively. Metaphors, similes, or hyperboles are not necessary to make this memoir memorable. The book is divided into several short chapters that make it an easy read. With cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, this book becomes a real page-turner. An atmosphere of hope surrounds the events Kimmelman depicts and reiterates the idea that Mira has survived for a purpose. No history book can tell a story such as this one. To capture the meaning and depth of the Holocaust, one must go out and read Mira Kimmelman's account.
Unbelievable horror!.......2001-05-21
From a priveleged upbringing in pre-war Gdansk, the author and her family are deported first to Warsaw then to other ghettos and camps. The book is written in a frank, no-nonsense fashion and she really states the facts about what happened to her and her family. An amazing book and one that everyone should read.
Average customer rating:
|
Echoes of Revolt: The Masses, 1911-1917
William L. O'Neill
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Pop Culture
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Classics
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Political Doctrines
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Socialism
| Political Doctrines
| Political Science
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0929587154 |
Book Description
A glorious collection of fiction, art, poetry, and protest from The Masses, the best radical magazine ever. A sumptuous feast...a splendid achievement. --New York Times
Average customer rating:
- Space Opera equivalent of C.S. Forester's "Flying Colours"
- Exceptional!
- Disappointing
- This series gets better all the time
- The Plot Continues to Thicken
|
Echoes of Honor (Honor Harrington Series, Book 8)
David Weber
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Weber, David
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| Arthurian
| Contemporary
| Epic
| General
| Historical
| History & Criticism
| Magic & Wizards
| Series
Adventure
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Space Opera
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Weber, David
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Adventure
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
In Enemy Hands (Honor Harrington Series, Book 7)
-
Ashes of Victory (Honor Harrington Series, Book 9)
-
Honor Among Enemies (Honor Harrington Series, Book 6)
-
War of Honor (Honor Harrington Series, Book 10)
-
Flag in Exile (Honor Harrington Series, Book 5)
ASIN: 0671578332 |
Amazon.com
David Weber provides intergalactic thrills and political intrigue in this far-flung military space adventure, continuing where In Enemy Hands left off. The People's Republic has publicly executed Honor Harrington--or have they? While the Star Kingdom swears revenge, Honor (alive and kicking) plans escape from the prison planet of Hell. Weber's extensive knowledge of military protocol combined with deep technical exploration make for a highly detailed book, yet he avoids bogging down in it. His great storytelling skills keep this book racing along like an action-adventure movie. Fans of Star Wars and old-fashioned seafaring tales will find lots to their liking here, as will those looking for a future setting in which women play an equal role. If you're new to the Honor series, start with On Basilisk Station, the first of Commander Honor Harrington's adventures.
Customer Reviews:
Space Opera equivalent of C.S. Forester's "Flying Colours".......2007-03-17
This is number eight in David Weber's main series of novels about Honor Harrington. It is also the only one describing events in Honor Harrington's career which so closely correspond to one of the "Horatio Hornblower" novels by C.S. Forester that an exact match can be given; this book is equivalent to "Flying Colours."
If you have not read any of David Weber's other books about Honor Harrington, this book is part of a series of space opera novels set two or three thousand years in the future. If you are minded to read them, do not start with this one: these stories work best if read in sequence, so start with the first book, which is "On Basilisk station."
Despite the futuristic setting, there are strong parallels with Nelson's navy. Assumed technology in the stories imposes constraints on space navy officers quite similar to those which the technology of fighting sail imposed on wet navy officers two hundred years ago. Similarly, the galactic situation in the novels is very like the strategic and political situation in Europe at the time of the French revolutionary wars.
This is obviously quite deliberate: many thinly veiled (and amusing) hints in the books indicate that they are to some extent a tribute to C.S. Forester, and the main heroine of the books, Honor Harrington, appears to owe more than her initials to Forester's character Horatio Hornblower.
The Honor Harrington series (sometimes nicknamed the "Honorverse") is starting to develop a number of spin-off storylines. Stories set in this Universe fall into three groups, although they link together in a reasonably consistent manner.
There is the main sequence, currently of 11 novels, which follow the career of Honor Harrington herself and give a top level view of the wars between her home nation, "The Star Kingdon of Manticore" and hostile nations such as the People's Republic of Haven. The main Honor Harrington sequence is:
1) On Basilisk Station
2) The Honor of the Queen
3) The Short Victorious War
4) Field of Dishonour
5) Flag in Exile
6) Honor among Enemies
7) In Enemy Hands
8) Echoes of Honor
9) Ashes of Victory
10) War of Honor
11) At All Costs
There are currently four collections in the "Worlds of Honor" series of short stories by Weber and co-authors set in the same universe, and featuring a range of characters, some from the main series of books, others new.
Some of these are espionage stories, and Weber has produced a book called "Crown of Slaves" co-written with Eric Flint, which brings together several of the most prominent spies from the novels and short stories in a novel of intrigue and revolution.
Another book, "The Shadow of Saganami" kicks off a "next generation" sequence featuring younger officers in the Grayson and Manticoran navies such as Helen Zilwicki and Abigail Hearns.
The prologue to "Echoes of Honor" begins with Honor Harrington's horrified family watching an enemy broadcast purporting to show her execution. As readers of the previous book (In Enemy hands) will realise, this video has been faked. The government of the People's Republic of Haven (or "Peeps") are under the impression that Honor and her companions were killed when the battlecruiser on which she was being taken to a place of execution blew up. Rather than admit that a handful of prisoners of war managed to destroy a battlecruiser while attempting to escape, the Peeps decide that it would make better propaganda to fake a film of Honor's execution. In fact things are even worse for the Peeps than they realise; the escape was successful.
In "Flying Colours" Horatio Hornblower, who had been captured after a heroic fight in the previous book, escaped while en route to execution by Napoleon, accompanied by his first lieutenant Bush and his coxwain, Brown. Their families and enemies alike think they're dead. They have a long road home through enemy territory - and meanwhile Hornblower has some important family news waiting for him if he makes it home ...
In "Echoes of Honor", Honor Harrington, who had been captured after a heroic fight in the previous book, has then escaped while en route to execution by the Peeps, accompanied by her former first lieutenant Alistair McKeon and a small number of her other crew including Andrew LaFollett, Scotty Tremaine, and Horace Harkness. Their families and enemies alike think they're dead. They too a long road home through enemy territory - and meanwhile Honor will also have some important family news waiting for her if she makes it home ...
Some editions of this book have the subtitle "Conquer Hell or Die" which is a reference to the aptly named prison planet, Hell, on which Honor lands with a few comrades and two shuttles at the start of the book.
The character development, as ever for David Weber, is well done, and makes you care about the people in the book. He includes references to the strengths of some of his evil characters and the weaknesses of his heroes and heroines so that the people in the book are usually believable and most of their actions and motives plausible.
Most of the battle scenes are gripping, and the particular tactical situations in this story are such that Weber's greatest weakness - the tendancy to write and think too much like a wargamer - does not apply this time. The one significant flaw in some other books in this series is that Weber gives his characters too much of the wargamer's willingness to treat warships up to and including capital ships as expendable to a greater extent than is possible to real world commanders. But there are no implausible suicide missions in this book.
For amusement, if you want to try to look for the parallels to nations and individuals from the French revolutionary period and the Hornblower books, one possible translation would be:
People's Republic of Haven = Revolutionary France
Rob S. Pierre = Robespierre
The Committee of Public Safety = The Committee of Public Safety
Former Haven legislaturist regime = the Bourbon monarchy and aristocrats
Star Kingdom of Manticore = Great Britain
Gryphon = Scotland
Prime Minister Alan Summervale = Pitt the Younger
Hamish Alexander, Earl White Haven = (1) Admiral Edward Pellew
and (2) Lady Barbara Wellesley
Honor Harrington = Horatio Hornblower
Alistair McKeon = William Bush
Crown loyalists and Centrists = Tory supporters of Pitt
Conservative Association = hardline High Tories
New Kiev Liberals = Whig Oligarchists
Cathy Montaigne Liberals = Whig Radicals
Grayson = Portugal
Anderman Empire = Kingdom of Prussia
Silesia = Poland
Solarian republic = United States of America
Overall, "Echoes of Honor" is one of the most moving books of the series. If you enjoyed the previous episodes in the story, you will almost certainly enjoy this one.
Exceptional!.......2006-07-07
Another exception book by David Weber in the Honor Harrington series. I love the female heroine, which is not common in the sci-fi genre of this type, and she is totally believable, totally relatable, and simply amazing! I have read each and every book of this series and except for one, I found them all to be equally compelling. Now, I want one of those cats! (read the book to find out what I mean!)
Disappointing.......2006-03-17
As the series continues, my interest is waning. David needs to concentrate on his other books.
This series gets better all the time.......2005-11-29
David Weber delivers another great installment in his Honor Harrington series, one of the greatest space opera series in recent memory. Echoes of Honor continues the story which had begun in In Enemy Hands. The Star Kingdom of Manticore vows revenge for Honor's "death" after her supposed execution by the People's Republic of Haven. But she is actually marooned with a handful of her men on the Havenite prison planet known as Hell. She assembles a force of POW's and begins to plan an escape for herself, her remaining crew and the rest of the prisoners incarcerated on Hell. Weber has continued to develop the character of Honor Harrington very well over the course of these novels, as she has become more emotionally mature. He has also continued to further develop the "Honorverse," which no longer revolves around Honor herself, as evidenced in spinoff novels such as Crown of Slaves and The Shadow of Saganami. This series continues to get better with each new installment. Echoes of Honor is an excellent read, which I enjoyed thoroughly. I look forward to reading Book 9, Ashes of Victory.
The Plot Continues to Thicken.......2005-05-11
David Weber continues to develop his "Honorverse" and does so in a delightful manner. The latest installment of his space opera series is just another example of this excellence and brings to light much more of the goings and happenings of the universe of Honor Harrington.
While it would be wrong to say that Honor herself is not the central character of this installment, her presence is always felt, it would also be misleading to think that this one is all about her. Instead, it follows several story lines after everyone believes her to have been executed by the enemy. The thing is, though, that she has survived and she has blood in her eye. She manages to put together a force of POWs, cause the Peeps no end of trouble and get herself and her people out of Dodge. It is a good read.
I will not say that this one has been my favorite in the series. Some of the others are more exciting. It is, however, one that most tugs at the heartstrings. it also fills in a lot of holes and lets a few other characters come to the fore at times. It is definitely worth reading but as the series progresses, readers would be well advised to start at the beginning. It would be easy to get lost in the later ones, especially this one, if you do not already have the background stories.
Books:
- Love, Medicine and Miracles: Lessons Learned about Self-Healing from a Surgeon's Experience with Exceptional Patients
- Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4)
- Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
- Merengue: Dominican Music and Dominican Identity
- Nicaea and Its Legacy: An Approach to Fourth-Century Trinitarian Theology
- No Country for Old Men
- Oh Danny Boy (Molly Murphy Mysteries)
- One Door Away from Heaven
- Pharmacotherapy
- Promise of the Witch-King (Forgotten Realms: The Sellswords, Book 2)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Sixty-Second Motivator
- The Baby Name Wizard: A Magical Method for Finding the Perfect Name for Your Baby
- Mel Bay Singing In Irish Gaelic
- One Big Happy: None of This Fun Is My Fault!
- Pro .NET 2.0 Windows Forms and Custom Controls in C#
- Sula
- Portraits of America: Coney Island: The Museum of the City of New York
- The Smart Way to Buy Information Technology: How to Maximize Value and Avoid Costly Pitfalls
- Pareto, Economics and Society: The Mechanical Analogy
- Barnum Museum: Stories
Sunset and Sawdust
The Shadows Kith and Kin
Heart-Shaped Box: A Novel
Mad Dog Summer: And Other Stories
The Watchman: A Joe Pike Novel (Joe Pike Novels)
