Book Description

"Softly he brushed my cheek, then held my face between his marble hands. 'Be very still,' he whispered, as if I wasn't already frozen. Slowly, never moving his eyes from mine, he leaned toward me. Then abruptly, but very gently, he rested his cold cheek against the hollow at the base of my throat." As Shakespeare knew, love burns high when thwarted by obstacles. In Twilight, an exquisite fantasy by Stephenie Meyer, readers discover a pair of lovers who are supremely star-crossed. Bella adores beautiful Edward, and he returns her love. But Edward is having a hard time controlling the blood lust she arouses in him, because--he's a vampire. At any moment, the intensity of their passion could drive him to kill her, and he agonizes over the danger. But, Bella would rather be dead than part from Edward, so she risks her life to stay near him, and the novel burns with the erotic tension of their dangerous and necessarily chaste relationship.Meyer has achieved quite a feat by making this scenario completely human and believable. She begins with a familiar YA premise (the new kid in school), and lulls us into thinking this will be just another realistic young adult novel. Bella has come to the small town of Forks on the gloomy Olympic Peninsula to be with her father. At school, she wonders about a group of five remarkably beautiful teens, who sit together in the cafeteria but never eat. As she grows to know, and then love, Edward, she learns their secret. They are all rescued vampires, part of a family headed by saintly Carlisle, who has inspired them to renounce human prey. For Edward's sake they welcome Bella, but when a roving group of tracker vampires fixates on her, the family is drawn into a desperate pursuit to protect the fragile human in their midst.The precision and delicacy of Meyer's writing lifts this wonderful novel beyond the limitations of the horror genre to a place among the best of YA fiction.(Ages 12 and up) --Patty Campbell 10 Second Interview: A Few Words with Stephenie Meyer Q: Were you a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Angel? What are you watching now that those shows are off the air? A: I have never seen an entire episode of Buffy or Angel. While I was writing Twilight, I let my older sister read along chapter by chapter. She's a huge Buffy fan and she kept trying to get me to watch, but I was afraid it would mess up my vision of the vampire world so I never did. I don't have a ton of time for TV, and my kids get rowdy when I have on "mommy shows," but I do have a secret fondness for reality shows (the good ones, at least in my opinion). I always TiVo Survivor, The Amazing Race, and America's Next Top Model. Q: What inspired you to write Twilight? Is this the beginning of a series? Why write for teens? A: Twilight was inspired by a very vivid dream, which is fairly faithfully transcribed as chapter thirteen of the book. There are sequels on the way--I'm hard at work editing book two (tentatively titled New Moon) right now, and book three is waiting in line for its turn. I didn't mean to write for teens--I didn't mean to write for anyone but myself, so I had an audience of one twenty-nine year old (and later one thirty-one year old when my sister started reading). I think the reason that I ended up with a book for teens is because high school is such a compelling time period--it gives you some of your worst scars and some of your most exhilarating memories. It's a fascinating place: old enough to feel truly adult, old enough to make decisions that affect the rest of your life, old enough to fall in love, yet, at the same time too young (in most cases) to be free to make a lot of those decisions without someone else's approval. There's a lot of scope for a novel in that. Q: What is your favorite vampire story? Fave vampire movie? A: I guess my favorite vampire story would be The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice, simply because it's one of the only ones I've ever read. I keep meaning to pick up Bram Stoker's Dracula, because I get asked this question so often and I should probably start with the classics, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. Again, I'm afraid to read other vampire books now, for fear of finding things either too similar, or too different from my own vampire world. Ack! I can't even answer the movie question. I can't remember ever seeing a single vampire movie, outside of clips from Bela Lugosi movies on TV. I don't like true horror movies--my favorite scary movies are all Hitchcock's. Q: What other young adult authors do you read? A: My favorite young adult author is L.M. Montgomery I also enjoyJ.K. Rowling (but who doesn't?), and Ann Brashares. As a teen, I skipped straight to adult books (lots of sci-fi and Jane Austen), so I'm rediscovering the world of teen literature now. Stephenie Meyer's List of Books You Should Read Anne of Green GablesRomeo and JulietDragonflightTo Kill a Mockingbird The Princess BrideSee more recommendations from Stephenie Meyer Amazon.com's Significant SevenStephenie Meyer graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author: the Amazon.com Significant Seven. Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?A: The book with the most significant impact on my life is The Book of Mormon. The book with the most significant impact on my life as a writer is probably Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card, with Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier coming in as a close second.Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?A: The CD is easy: Absolution by Muse, hands down. It's harder to give myself just one movie, but the one I watch most frequently is Sense and Sensibility--the one with the screenplay by Emma Thompson. One book is impossible. I'd have to have Pride and Prejudice, but I couldn't live without something by Orson Scott Card and a nice, thick Maeve Binchy, too.Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?A: My lies are all very, very boring: "No, you really look great in hot pink!" "My children only watch one hour of TV a day." "I didn't eat the last Swiss Cake Roll--it must have been one of the kids." That's the best I've got.Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.A: It's late at night and the house is silent, but I'm still (miraculously) full of energy. I have my headphones in and I'm listened to a mix of Muse, Coldplay, Travis, My Chemical Romance, and The All-American Rejects. Beside me is a fabulous, and yet mysteriously low in calorie, cheesecake....Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?A: I'd like it to say that I really tried at the important things.I was never perfect at any of them, but I honestly tried to be a great mom, a loving wife, a good daughter, and a true friend. Under that, I'd want a list of my favorite Simpsons quotes.Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?A: I'd love to have a chance to talk to Orson Scott Card--I have a million questions for him. Mostly things like, "How do you come up with this stuff?!" But, if he wasn't available, I'd settle for Matthew Bellamy (lead singer of Muse).Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?A: I'd want something offensive, rather than defensive. Like shooting fireballs from my hands. That way, you're really open to going either way--hero or villain. I like to have choices.

Customer Reviews:

Twilight, Book 1.......2007-10-10

I loved this book!! I couldn't put it down and read the whole thing in one day. It made me go buy the next two in the series the very next day. I enjoyed all three, but this one was the best.

Awesome!.......2007-10-10

This book was and is everything they said it would be! It is a very gripping read.

What can I say...Amazing.......2007-10-10

O.K. so I am not a Young Adult anymore but I fell in love with this book and, of course, Edward. I sacrificed much needed sleep to stay up until 5 in the morning to finish this book. I can't remember the last time I felt that way about a book.

I have read all the books in the series and this book is the one to read. It is far superior to the other 2. It is refreshingly clean and original. I was perfectly comfortable having my 16 yr. old daughter read it. I can not say as much for Eclipse.

Best series ever!.......2007-10-10

Twilight is one of the greatest love stories ever! Edward and Bella are going to be known like Romeo and Juliette, Rhett and Scarlett, and Cinderella and Prince Charming. You won't be able to wait for the other books in the series. Don't just buy the Twilight. You're going to want New Moon and Eclipse, also.

Loved it, but Maybe More Adult than Young Adult.......2007-10-09

Since there are over 1,000 reviews of this book that cover just about everything you could say good about it, and I only just read it the first time myself, I'll just add that after a while I was feeling that the way the narrator, Bella, spoke was a little more sophisticated than most 17 year olds speak, and I found myself looking up some of the words in a dictionary. (Of course I noticed Stephanie Meyer has a degree in English Lit.) For instance, I've never heard a 17 year old girl describe the way a man stands (Carlisle) as having an "urbane stance" among other wordy descriptions I found. But that's the only negative I could see, hate to point it out when I was totally hooked into the book and read it in about 4 days. I found the romantic story to be nearly adult in nature other than the fact that there was no actual "lovemaking" and they went to high school. It seemed like a couple of adults going to high school. Maybe that was part of the mystery and enchantment. Can't wait for the other books and the movie, even though I'm hoping the movie doesn't disappoint.

Average customer rating: Alexie is brilliant "Everybody in this book is drunk or in love with a drunk." Hilarious and Heart Breaking great book, Indian reservation look Wonderful collection of short stories..

The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Sherman Alexie Manufacturer: Grove Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books Sherman, Alexie | Native American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Alexie, Sherman | ( A ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Native American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Reservation Blues Ceremony: (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) Smoke Signals Tracks The Toughest Indian in the World ASIN: 0802141676

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Alexie is brilliant.......2007-09-28

This collection of short stories about the American Indian experience is brilliant. I teach this collection in my college lit classes and students love it. The story "Because My Father...." is a favorite. We read it along with analyzing clips of Jimi Hendrix playing the Banner at Woodstock. I've presented several professional papers at conferences of this story along with the Hendrix clips and the audience of lit profs like it too. Always generates a lot of discussion of the intersections of cultures and classes. Students also love Reservation Blues. (I can't get rid of the "Kid" tag. Definitely not for kids.)

"Everybody in this book is drunk or in love with a drunk.".......2007-09-03

States Alexie in the introduction (pp xviii, xix) to this collection of short stories. Of his leap from literary obscurity to published author and member of the middle-class, he writes, "all because I wrote stories and poems about being a poor Indian growing up in an alcoholic family on an alcoholic reservation." And that about sums them up. Read the introduction and you can't help but like the guy (especially his brief experience with a too big for her britches agent). His tales are unusual, spiritual, and immensely important, but often sad. Even so, after reading several with similar themes, most will have had their fill. It is possible to have too much of a good thing. Likers of Alexie's stories may also enjoy: Love Medicine by Louis Erdich, The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, The Bone People by Keri Hulme and Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kantner.

Hilarious and Heart Breaking.......2007-05-16

Sherman Alexie fearlessly confronts the problems faced by the Native Americans of Spokane, Washington. With his sense of hilarity and deep berevity, Alexie points to such problems as alcoholism, broken families, drug abuse, poverty, loss of culture, loss of community, and loss of pride. While it may appear as though Alexies' musings are all "fun-and-games," it will not be difficult for the reader to discern that there is something deeply troubling about most of the characters in Alexies' writings. One gets the sense that when ALexie paints a verbal picture of the reservation, a sense of utter hoplessness prevades the entire situation. Just look at the picture on the book cover. If one were to look closely, they would be able to see a pickup truck making its way away from the reservation. The reservation that it is leaving appears to be in flames. One of the main character's father drinks himself to death, and his son is too poverty stricken to even come collect the remains. It is not all bad, however. Alexie does offer a corridor of redemption when the main character ( a young Indian named Victor) adopts a child and turns his life around, leading one to beleive that all hope is never lost. All in all, this read is both heart breaking and hilarious as Alexie writes some genuinely funny material.

great book, Indian reservation look.......2007-05-12

I had to read this book for my comp. lit class, and I am very glad to have had the chance. Throughout the stories, the location of hope and hopelessness on the reservation is made apparent, and while in general there is much poverty and degeneration described within the community, the narrators of the stories within Alexie's novel bring hope and a human touch to the experience.

Wonderful collection of short stories.........2007-02-19

There's nothing more powerful than a good story. And Sherman Alexie proves it with this collection of stories about life on the reservation. Many stories touch up on very personal elements of Alexie's as well as his past love life and mix ins with racial inequality outside of the reservation (these stories are printed in the newer editions of this book). Overall a thorough read and I am very glad I brought it to read during a long trip.

Average customer rating:

The Washington Story: A History of Our State: Centennial Edition Ruth Pelz , and Seattle Public Schools Manufacturer: Murray Publishing Co ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback ASIN: 0931754208

Average customer rating: An Earlier Gift From France American Child "City of Magnificent Intentions": The Planning of the American Capitol Remembering a forgotten man Extremely well-written

Grand Avenues: The Story of the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. Scott W. Berg Manufacturer: Pantheon ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books United States | International | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books General | History & Periods | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books General | France | Europe | History | Subjects | Books Mid-Atlantic | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books Washington D.C. | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Alexis de Tocqueville: A Life Last Harvest: How a Cornfield Became New Daleville: Real Estate Development in America from George Washington to the Builders of the Twenty-first Century, and Why We Live in Houses Anyway The Pentagon: A History Preserving the World's Great Cities: The Destruction and Renewal of the Historic Metropolis The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World ASIN: 0375422803 Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

Grand Avenues tells the riveting story of Pierre Charles L’Enfant and the creation of Washington D.C.--from the seeds of his inspiration to the fulfillment of his extraordinary vision.

L’Enfant’s story is one of consuming passion, high emotion, artistic genius, and human frailty. As a boy he studied drawing at the most prestigious art institute in the world. As a young man he left his home in Paris to volunteer in the army of the American colonies, where he served under George Washington. There he would also meet many of the people who would have a profound impact on his life, including Alexander Hamilton and James Monroe. And it was Washington himself who, in 1791, entrusted L’Enfant with the planning of the nation’s capital--and reluctantly allowed him to be dismissed from the project eleven months later. The plan for the city was published under another name, and for the remainder of his life L’Enfant fought for recognition of his achievement. But he would not live to see that day, and a century would pass before L’Enfant would be given credit for his brilliant design.

Scott W. Berg recounts this tale, richly evocative of time and place, with the narrative verve of a novel and with a cast of characters that ranges from Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers to the surveyor who took credit for L’Enfant’s plans, the assistant who spent a week in jail for his loyalty to L’Enfant, and the men who finally restored L’Enfant’s reputation at the beginning of the twentienth century.

Here is a fascinating, little-explored episode in American history: the story of a visionary artist and of the founding of the magnificent city that is his enduring legacy.

Customer Reviews:

An Earlier Gift From France.......2007-07-03

Most people today would not know of the controversy and opposition to the Statue of Liberty, and the efforts and struggles it took to make a suitable platform for it. Similarly, the full story of L'Enfant's contributions to the original design of Washington, DC, was lost for almost a century before being restored. The US Government was very small in 1791, when work was started on the new capital's design, and one of the more interesting aspects of this historical narrative is the small cast of characters involved. The focus of this book is on these various individuals and how they impacted the evolution of the capital over time. Not surprisingly, all of the human traits, good and bad, march through the story with what seems a preponderance of greed, selfishness and small mindedness. It is interesting that the individuals who restored L'Enfant's reputation and works, and were not from the capital city.

American Child.......2007-06-21

Berg has written a fabulous book of popular history, full of intriguing anecdotes and fascinating glimpses of G. Washington, T. Jefferson, and J. Monroe, among others. Perhaps by favorite aspect of "Avenues" is the hissy-fit relationship between L'enfant (architect of DC) and Jefferson, a builder in his own right who despised L'enfant for his petulance, arrogance, and bullheadedness. (At least two of these qualities can be attributed to Jeff, as well.)

I've been visiting DC since I was a boy, but often, as children, we give little thought to something's creation. It just exists. But "Avenues" opens a window into the past that I'm still thinking about. In the beginning, there was L'enfant. Without him (and Rick Olmstead, who carried the torch), DC would be a drastically different city. Bravo to Scott Berg, and thank you!

"City of Magnificent Intentions": The Planning of the American Capitol .......2007-05-30

GRAND AVENUES depicts the genius of Pierre Charles L'Enfant and his artistry in designing the capital city of the United States. Rich with biographical, political and historical detail, Scott W. Berg has included 25 black-and-white illustrations that will intrigue Washingtonians, city planners, history buffs and architects. In 1790, Thomas Jefferson commissioned L'Enfant to "provide aid in the form of drawings of the particular grounds most likely to be approved for the site of the federal towns and buildings."

Having served as a Continental Army officer under George Washington and designed Federal Hall in New York City, L'Enfant was immediately entranced with this project. Originally from Paris, he loved breathtaking views and a variety of buildings and space within a metropolitan city. "This first recorded evidence of L'Enfant's inclination toward city planning occurred in December, 1784, when he wrote at some length to George Washington outlining his scheme to establish a peacetime corps of engineers." Prior to his arrival in Washington, L'Enfant also worked on projects in Trenton, New Jersey, and Cincinnati, Ohio.

Jefferson and L'Enfant held completely different viewpoints on the way that Washington, D.C. should be laid out. As L'Enfant continued to evaluate Jenkins Hill as the perfect location for a congressional building, he writes, "From these heights every grand building would rear with a majestic aspect of the country all around and might be advantageously seen from twenty miles off." L'Enfant was proposing that the District of Columbia be designed on an expanded scale, with vistas, rises and boulevards. One major problem arose when George Washington suggested selling lots in the best areas of D.C. as delineated by L'Enfant's plans.

"L'Enfant now was arguing for a fundamentally public city --- in opposition to the motivations behind almost every other American public city --- in opposition to the motivations behind almost every other American place --- and to that end he was committed to the development of the public areas before the sale of the private." One problem was that houses were erected that did not fit with the public buildings in close proximity. In one case, L'Enfant actually tore down the completed home of a very influential Washingtonian, who had built it too close to a major public office building.

L'Enfant had organized a plan to access the Potomac River, allowing materials and supplies to arrive swiftly by water to the construction sites. "Every step in L'Enfant's chronology of construction was destined to reduce waste and conserve time, materials, and money." He wrote a significant memo to Washington, requesting that the project be completed as quickly as possible, using a million dollars, and suggesting that the oversight committee of commissioners be eliminated. Unsuccessful in his attempts to drive the project to immediate action, L'Enfant failed. Subsequently, Jefferson heralded Andrew Ellicott and assisted him in preparing a drawing to replace L'Enfant's plans.

Pierre Charles L'Enfant died in debt, unpaid for his work on America's capital city. "It is sometimes called the City of Magnificent Distances, but it might with greater propriety be termed the City of Magnificent Intentions."

--- Reviewed by Marge Fletcher

Remembering a forgotten man.......2007-05-12

This is an interesing story of how the basic plan for Washington, D. C. was formed. Pierre L'Enfant, a major in the Revolutionary Army worked with George Washington himself in the original design. L'Enfant was the graduate of excellent design schools in Paris, and he had been trained by his father. He had to fight off the influence of Thomas Jefferson the opponent of Washington and Hamilton in this project. His tenure on the project was short. Politics and land speculation was what really drove the process, little changed from today. A brilliant and far-seeing man who after this brief tenure died pretty much alone and unheralded. His work and his place in history was resurected about 1900. A well written and interesting account that meshes well with other biographical works of the era.

Extremely well-written.......2007-05-08

I've always thought Washington was a beautiful - if not problem-ridden - city, with its wonderful (and confusing) street system and beautiful buildings. This very well-written biography of both L'Enfant and his times is a worthy examination of the city, the politics behind its creation, and the men who both promoted and built it. Berg is a masterful and easy writer.

I'll look forward to another book by him. (Not to be confused with A. Scott Berg).

Average customer rating: Hagar's Children The Children We Would Have Never Known About Mr. Jones does it again!! Once Again, Jones Amazes A tender collection of stories

All Aunt Hagar's Children: Stories Edward P. Jones Manufacturer: Amistad ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover General | African American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books United States | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: The Known World After This The View from Castle Rock: Stories The Lay of the Land (Vintage Contemporaries) The Emperor's Children (Vintage) ASIN: 0060557567 Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

In fourteen sweeping and sublime stories, five of which have been published in The New Yorker, the bestselling and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Known World shows that his grasp of the human condition is firmer than ever

Returning to the city that inspired his first prizewinning book, Lost in the City, Jones has filled this new collection with people who call Washington, D.C., home. Yet it is not the city's power brokers that most concern him but rather its ordinary citizens. All Aunt Hagar's Children turns an unflinching eye to the men, women, and children caught between the old ways of the South and the temptations that await them further north, people who in Jones's masterful hands, emerge as fully human and morally complex, whether they are country folk used to getting up with the chickens or people with centuries of education behind them.

In the title story, in which Jones employs the first-person rhythms of a classic detective story, a Korean War veteran investigates the death of a family friend whose sorry destiny seems inextricable from his mother's own violent Southern childhood. In "In the Blink of God's Eye" and "Tapestry" newly married couples leave behind the familiarity of rural life to pursue lives of urban promise only to be challenged and disappointed.

With the legacy of slavery just a stone's throw away and the future uncertain, Jones's cornucopia of characters will haunt readers for years to come.

Customer Reviews:

Hagar's Children.......2007-10-05

In his highly-acclaimed volume of 14 stories, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", Edward P. Jones draws portraits of African Americans who have migrated from the South to Washington D.C. The stories are set from around the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day. The stories describe many types of people from young children to old men and women and from the poor and illiterate to the highly educated. They speak of loneliness and change, of the frustration, sexual and otherwise, that results from moving to a new urban place, of criminality and drugs, and of education. The stories are short but deeply textured, as in tapestries(the title of the final story). Characters, histories and sub-themes are realized in brief spaces.

The writing style in these stories is a major factor in their success. All but two of the stories are told in the third person by an all-knowing narrator. (The exceptions are "Spanish in the Morning" told in the voice of a precocious young girl and the title story "All Aunt Hagar's Children told in the voice of a young Korean War veteran who hopes to move to Alaska in search of fortune and women.) The writing is full of Biblical allusions. Hagar, of course, was the concubine of the patriarch Abraham who was sent into the desert after she mocked the childlesness of Sarah who then became jealous of her. God spared Hagar and her childen. The figure of Hagar is used her for the outsider and the outcast -- symbolizing the lives of the African American characters of the stories. The language of the stories in its richness, difficulty, and frequent elliptical character, particularly in its repetition and in its use of names, also owes a great deal to the Old Testament. There is also much in the stories that reminds me of the African American preacher of Jame's Weldon Johnson's poem "God's Trombones". The rich, narrative voice of the stories is complemented by the contrasting voice of many of the characters with its slang, dialect, and frequent use of obscenity.

The stories develop character and place. Jones shows the reader a Washington D.C separate from the world of national politics familiar to most Americans. I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years. Jones's depictions of neighborhoods, streets, landmarks, stores, and people had a deep sense of familiarity. They also helped me see the familiar aspects of my city in a new way. The characters are true and believable in their many responses to living in Washington.

The stories I especially enjoyed included the first story "In the Blink of God's Eye" and the final story "Tapestries". Both these stories are set both in the rural South and in Washington, D.C., the former at the turn of the 20th Century and the latter in the 1930s. They both show the difficulties young married couples encounter with the change of place.

The story "Old Boys Old Girls" describes the life of a young man who spends years in Lorton prison and his attempt to make a life for himself when he is released. Jones contrasts the life of his down-and-out protagonist with the lives of his wealthy and successful family. "A Poor Guatamalean Dreams of a Downtown in Peru" tells of a young poor girl who achieves great academic success but whose life has otherwise been filled with catastrophe and loss. "All Aunt Hagar's Children" is a complex story filled with themes of womanizing, murder, family, and wanderlust. It is a compelling portrait of African American life in the Washington D.C. of the early 1950s and it touches briefly as well upon African American -- Jewish relations.

My two favorite stories were "Root Worker" and "Bad Neighbors" both of which explore themes of the search for love and finding it in unexpected places. The main character in "Root Worker" is a young successful woman doctor who gives up a planned vacation to travel South to consult a root doctor for what ails her mother. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself. "Bad Neighbors" tells the story of a large, poor family that rents a home in a middle-class black neighborhood where they are shunned and feared by their more successful neighbors. There are many turns as the story progresses, as the main character, a young woman who has become a nurse, gains a deeper understanding of people, status, and love.

Jones' stories depict African American life in a loving, involved manner but without polemicizing or blatant social criticism. They are rooted in African American life but, in their treatment of love, sexuality, change, and character speak universally as well. The stories are dense and thoughtful and will reward careful reading. I am pleased that many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have enjoyed this outstanding book and written insightfully about it.

Robin Friedman

The Children We Would Have Never Known About.......2007-03-12

In his second book of short stories, Edward P. Jones does a wonderful job of chronicling the African-American experience in All Aunt Hagar' Children. Just as Lost in the City did, Jones brings to life a city that is hardly ever written about, Washington, D.C., and uses fourteen tales to describe circumstances that include life inside of homes full of love, and those without and those that are wealthy and those that are struggling.

Jones' depictions are as real as it gets, thoroughly describing life for Blacks fleeing an angry South to a new beginning in their first experience of living an "urban" American life from the early 1900's all the way to the mid-twentieth century and the loneliness it may sometimes bring. For example, "In the Blink of God's Eye" is about a newlywed couple that moves from Virginia to Washington, D.C. From the way Jones writes, the reader would assume that the couple traveled all the way to Washington State, because that is just how much home was missed for the young bride and how far away it seemed to her. In the title story, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", a hopeless young man aspires to go to Alaska to hunt for gold but in the meantime, spends his days helping a neighbor solve the mystery of how her son was murdered while also dodging an ex-girlfriend that he perceives to be angry.

Overall, this reader really enjoyed Jones' ability to tell a story but at times, wanted it to be longer and did not feel that the short story version could give these stories justice. At other times, the story was just long enough to get to know the characters and get a meaning out of the story that could resonate. Avid readers of Edward P. Jones will definitely want to add this collection to their libraries and will pick their favorites within All Aunt Hagar's Children.

Reviewed by Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

Mr. Jones does it again!!.......2007-03-09

This author has done it again with brilliant illustrations of a city and families that touch the core of our compassion. No wonder he won the Pulitzer-he is amazing, and this is an amazing piece of work with suspenseful endings quite similar to Toni Morrison.

Once Again, Jones Amazes.......2007-02-10

In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones once again showers us with prose that is both concise and metaphoric. He is truly one of the great writers of our new century. His stories capture the intricacies of living in our complex and strife-torn world with true humanity and humility. For me, his strongest metaphor comes from the last story - the metaphor of a tapestry. It takes many years to create and is full of innumerable details, yet it produces a work that last for many years and enlightens many other lives. What a wonderful image and a challenge for us to live into. In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Jones has surely presented us with a tapestry that will live for years and enlighten lives.

A tender collection of stories.......2007-01-04

I found this book to be a compelling read, offering a tender , sometimes off-beat collection of short stories. Featuring African-American characters, Most of the stories are set in Washington D.C. Themes of Catholiscism,family roots and history,man and woman relationships,racism, and other topics are dealt with thoughtfully and patiently, often told from a woman's or child's perspective.

Average customer rating: An unusual perspective for a true-crime book. Amazing first book Well-written and compelling book Excellent true crime! AWESOME

Relentless Pursuit: A True Story of Family, Murder, and the Prosecutor Who Wouldn't Quit Kevin Flynn Manufacturer: Putnam Adult ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Lawyers & Judges | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Similar Items: By Their Father's Hand: The True Story of the Wesson Family Massacre The Doctor's Wife: A True Story of Marriage, Deception and Two Gruesome Murders (St. Martin's True Crime Library) Die, My Love: A True Story of Revenge, Murder, and Two Texas Sisters Too Late to Say Goodbye: A True Story of Murder and Betrayal In Her Own Backyard: A Perfect Husband, A Perfect Marriage, A Perfect Murder (Berkley True Crime) ASIN: 039915406X Release Date: 2007-03-01

Book Description

If One L is the book to read before law school, Relentless Pursuit is the book to read after-a real-life legal thriller that shows, from the inside, a prosecutor's quest to deliver justice to a family devastated by murder.

What happened to Diane Hawkins and her daughter Katrina-a brutal double murder in which the girl's heart was cut from her body-devastated a Washington, D.C., community and left its mark on everyone involved in the subsequent investigation. Especially moved was federal homicide prosecutor Kevin Flynn. He had handled any number of grisly murders, and was no stranger to the depravity of the human soul. Yet the way Hawkins's family and friends rallied together to help each other through the tragedy-and the generosity they ex-tended to Flynn, whose own father was dying of cancer at the time-turned this case into a personal mission. He was determined to use his position to effect real closure, to right a wrong-to bring justice on behalf of the victims and their families.

Relentless Pursuit is the story of that journey to justice, an intensely gripping beat-by-beat reconstruction of the events as they unfold-the murder, the arrest, the trial, the verdict-told with astonishing candor, and providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the life of a dedicated prosecutor. Above all, it's about healing and community, a story in which, in the end, the system works and-for once-justice prevails.

Customer Reviews:

An unusual perspective for a true-crime book........2007-09-29

True crime, sometimes, is far less interesting to read than crime fiction. In fiction, the author has many choices that a true crime writer doesn't. Fiction can place the reader inside the mind of the killer and/or inside the mind of the victim. Seldom is the author of a true crime book given that opportunity. Some writers can speculate with a great deal of seeming accuracy. That's not the road that Kevin Flynn takes in his book.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT is told from the perspective of an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Washington, DC; he is prosecuting a man for the brutal murder of a woman and her daughter

Diane Hawkins and Katrina Harris were murdered in May of 1993. The trial took place over a year later, in August of 1994. This may seem like a speedy trial, all things considered. The family of Diane Hawkins and Katrina Harris didn't think so; they knew right away who had killed these two people and had a difficult time with the slow and measured pace of the legal process. It took cool heads to persuade some members of the family not to take justice into their own hands.

RELENTLESS PURSUIT is not the best true crime out there; Flynn can be redundant and verbose. The story he tells, however, is compelling and fascinating. It is unclear until the verdict is delivered in court whether or not he has done his job as a prosecutor. And the reader does want to know the verdict. While the case is already decided in the minds of the reader (probably) and in Flynn's mind, he makes us all too aware of the realities of a jury trial, the complexities of presenting a good case, and how little things can undermine the best presentation.

Amazing first book.......2007-08-08

This is a true crime written somewhat similarly to Ann Rule. A pair of victims, Diane Hawkins and her daughter, Katrina Harris, are brutally murdered. It is Kevin Flynn's job as a DC prosecutor to put the alleged murderer behind bars. In his tale, Mr. Flynn expresses outrage at their horrific deaths and loses the cool mask of distant prosecutor. He becomes involved with other family members and friends of the victims and contrasts their closeness to his own small family's experiences with his father's impending death and birth of his first child.

This book is clear and well written, although it will take some readers a bit to "get into" the book. Stick with it, it is well worth the read. I have bought this book for numerous friends and all have appreciated this thoughtful, insightful read.

Well-written and compelling book.......2007-04-24

Kevin Flynn is a homicide prosecutor in a city that has one of the highest homicide rates in the country, Washington, D.C. Being surrounded constantly with stories and photographs of death and murder, you would think he would have grown a thick skin, learned to objectify the cases and move through them in a detached manner.

But this case was different. The murders of 40-year-old Diane and 13-year-old Katrina Hawkins left a lasting impression on everyone associated with the case. Their murder investigation was one of the most brutal that police and prosecutors ever worked. Over a year after the crime occurred, during the trial, Detected Combee would still grow quiet when testifying about what he saw in the Hawkins house that day.

But this case is not about the terrible method these two victims were murdered. To quote from the book:

It's a story of extremes: the worst and the best the world can offer, humanity at its most brutal and most noble. It's the story of two families -- mine and another from a world that I thought I knew but didn't -- two families full of ordinary people who did their best under awful circumstances.

Relentless Pursuit does indeed follow the Hawkins case, from the initial night of the murders May 25, 1993 to the prosecution in August 15, 1994. But there is much more to the case than just the horror and the story of how they caught the man responsible.

This is also the story of the Hawkins and Flynn families, which became irrevocably linked together. The Hawkins family suffered one of the worst losses a family can, the loss of both a sister and strong influence in the family, and a child, who had just begun to show her gifts and talents to the world. But through it all, they clung to their faith in God, which also served to help their new-found family member, prosecutor Kevin Flynn.

The Flynn family though, was going through its own trials. Kevin's mother was suffering from depression and shortly after he began work on this monumnetal case, his father was stricken with cancer. Through the entire case, Kevin is required to balance his work and family life, including his wife and child, and try not to let anyone down. And part of that includes the Hawkins, who look to him as the only man that can bring them any measure of justice on Earth.

The book is told in a compelling style, taking us through the case, from the night the murders occurred through the entire case. There are procedural sections to the book, such as descriptions of how certain courtroom processes work, but that does not get in the way to the story, which is what the book is really all about.

Relentless Pursuit is not a book for those looking to learn about how the law really works, but you will learn a great deal about how the defense and prosecution work together and against one another, how much power a judge can wield, and some of the reasons why cases don't work out as cleanly as they do on television.

In the end, this book is just what the quotation above says, it is a story of two families. And it is an excellent book.

Excellent true crime!.......2007-04-11

Thoroughly enjoyed this book - an excellent true crime story carefully and thoughtfully told - the writer's courtroom skill - I call it Flynn's Finesse - not only makes this book a great read but provides the reader with valuable lessons for the day he or she finds himself or herself in the Courtroom as a part of a prosecution or defense team or as a member of the jury.

AWESOME.......2007-03-12

I ran out and bought this book on a Thursday night. I couldn't put it down, I had to read every chance I got. I finished it very late Saturday night. By the end I was ready to read his next book. This is an awesome true crime writer.

Average customer rating: Very Very Disappointed........ good,but not up to her standards 007 James Bond Romance! Doesn't deliver what its title promises Courtesy of Romance Junkies:

Satisfaction Guaranteed Lucy Monroe Manufacturer: Brava ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback General | Romance | Subjects | Books General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books Similar Items: Simon Says Hidden Agendas (Tempting SEALs, Book 4) Dangerous Games (Tempting SEALs, Book 2) Real Men Do It Better (Tempting SEALs, Book 3) Forbidden Pleasure (Bound Hearts, Book 8) ASIN: 0758211783

Book Description

Anytime, anyplace, Ethan Crane's your man. An agent's agent, he's tough, smart, and fearless. Exactly the guy you want when the stuff hits the fan--and precisely the kind Beth Whitney avoids like the plague. It took a fiancé (make that ex-fiancé) in the business to teach her, but she's learned her lesson: Don't. Date. Agents. Ever. It's this little rule that's kept her gainfully employed at the agency, doing her part for world security from behind a desk. So when a case throws the two together, Beth's determined to keep it strictly professional. So far, so good--except for the steamy kisses, the red-hot phone sex, and...What was that rule again?

To Ethan, Beth couldn't be less his type if her father ran the agency, which, oh yeah, her father does run the agency. Still he can't help but be impressed by her inspired work in the field--a total turn on. Off the field it's even better. Seems the old adage that opposites attract happens to agents too. Even if Beth insists it's just a fantasy. But hot pursuit of a notorious information broker is what they should focus on--not each other. That can wait until they've accomplished a job well done. Or can it?

Customer Reviews:

Very Very Disappointed...............2007-09-27

I was really looking forward to this book, because the second one of this set was a let down and I didn't actually finish reading that one either. I should have just went with that instinct. I don't know if Ms. Monroe was being paid by the word or what. But the internal dialogue of the characters would just go on and on. I became so fustrated, I began not to care. I saw that she has a new book coming out, I don't know if I shall even buy that one. What started out with some promise has fizzled terribly.

good,but not up to her standards.......2007-07-04

first off let me say i love lucy monroe's writing and if you haven't read "ready,willing,and able" go read them as soon as possible. satisfaction guaranteed was good,but not really up to her standards of writing. at some points in the book i found myself skimming trying to find an exciting, edge of your seat part, but i'm sorry to say i never really found any such section.the sex scenes were nice and i liked most of the plot,i just felt like it could have been better. the book's potential to be really enjoyable is there just not quite fulfilled.i don't regret reading the book and if any of you are huge fans of her i don't believe you'll regret reading it either,but if you're new to her don't stop here because all her other work is AMAZING.

007 James Bond Romance!.......2007-06-09

I enjoyed this book! It picks up from Ready, Willing and Able (triology set) as some of the characters reenter this book, but not in a big way. I thought the book was well written, moves right along, doesn't require a lot of concentration to keep up with (I LIKE THAT!), has some steam. Both characters are likeable. I thought it was going to be about "agents" like movie stars that sort of thing. It's about "agents" like 007/FBI type stuff. FYI It was a good read!

Doesn't deliver what its title promises.......2007-06-04

After being left at the altar, Beth Whitney makes herself a promise. No more dating agents. Her fiance, an FBI agent, missed their wedding because he was involved in a case. Beth promises herself that she will never again allow herself to fall in love with a man who will put his occupation before his relationship with her. As the daughter of an intelligence agent, Beth knows what it's like to grow up in a family where she feels second best because of her father's dedication to his job. Beth wants more for herself and for any family she might have in the future.

Beth decides to completely change her life after her failed wedding and leaves her job as an investment analyst to work for her father at a covert intelligence agency known as The Goddard Project. She finds her administrative work there fulfilling, and it allows her to show another part of her personality that is interested in the intrigue and mystery of life as an agency without the dangers. She is also allowed to meet strong, sexy agents like Ethan Crane. Ethan is everything that Beth is not looking for in a man, but she finds herself attracted to his hard body, charming personality, and charismatic demeanor.

When a project forces she and Ethan to be paired as agents, Beth and Ethan must work in such close proximity that she is forced to deal with her attraction to him. To her amazement, Ethan also seems to be interested in her. When they being preparing to work on the case, living together and working together raise the level of intimacy until Ethan and Beth wind up as lovers as well as coworkers.

Satisfaction Guaranteed was okay, but not great. The story dragged at points, and I actually put it down for a week while I read other things. Beth's personality seems to change depending on her situation throughout the novel. At times she's a take charge woman, confident in her abilities and what she wants for her future. At others she's insecure, unsure of what she wants, and willing to sacrifice love for the image of what she thought she wanted but knows isn't what she needed. It was difficult to respect her since she couldn't manage to make up her own mind, which made me have hard time making up mine.

Also, I was unconvinced that the author had done enough research as far as the intelligence agencies were concerned. I didn't understand what sort of "agents" were being discussed at the beginning of the book, and got the impression that someone had watched a few too many episodes of Alias and Passions (Ethan Crane, anyone?) rather than doing the necessary research to write a book about espionage. As a whole, Satisfaction Guaranteed was unable to deliver what its title promised.

Courtesy of Romance Junkies:.......2007-05-29

Beth Whitney wishes she could wake up from the peculiar dream she's having about work. She's the Central Administration Agent for a secret government agency called The Goddard Project. Her father heads the agency, and he's just hired a new agent: Alan Hyatt, the man who left Beth at the altar three years earlier. Was a little warning too much to expect? To make things even more uncomfortable, one of their top agents, Ethan Crane, has just returned from his latest mission. He just happens to be the star of Beth's most secret fantasies. Under her father's watchful eye, Beth needs to deal with both men at the same time. Come to think of it, the situation is more like a nightmare.

Things get even more bizarre for Beth when her father asks her to work as a field agent on an important case. Sure, Beth trained in the basics as an agent, but she never expected or even wanted to work anywhere but the office. And naturally Ethan Crane is the agent in charge. He'll be posing as Beth's jealous, possessive boyfriend. If she agrees to the assignment, Beth will need to get herself hired as a personal investment counselor to a man the agency is trying to take down. She has the financial experience and bookish personality to handle the job, but her relationship with Ethan will have to be absolutely convincing at all times. Intellectually, Beth knows it will all be pretense for the sake of the case, but it won't be easy to keep her emotions out of the picture.

Ethan Crane thrives on danger. The strikingly gorgeous, capable agent chooses the riskiest assignments at work, and extreme sports are his preferred form of relaxation. Ethan has never been in a relationship that lasted more than a couple of months and he likes it that way. Although he doesn't live near his family in Texas anymore, they're still an important part of his life. Ethan would love to learn more about the serious, quietly attractive Beth, but he plans to be cautious. She's the boss's daughter, after all. Ethan is intrigued by the unexpected facets of Beth's personality that emerge once she's away from the office. He's also strangely threatened by newly-hired agent Alan Hyatt's mysterious relationship with Beth.

When Beth agrees to the field assignment, Ethan doesn't want to waste any time learning everything he can about her. The more they know about each other, the better their cover and the greater chance their mission will succeed. Is Ethan only interested in Beth for the sake of the case? She guards her heart closely, and never plans to offer it to an agent again. Will Ethan break through her defenses?

As always, Lucy Monroe gets everything right. Who can resist page after page of smoldering, seductive heat as Ethan brings Beth's deepest fantasies to life in vivid detail? Beth may seem shy and quiet on the outside, but her conservative, professional demeanor is merely one facet of her complex personality. She's introspective, a dreamer, and her failed relationship with Alan has left her wary of truly living. Beth is so different from her parents, it's sometimes hard to believe she's actually part of the same family. She wants children and a husband who will put his family first, something she's sure can never happen with a man like Ethan. He's devoted to his job, and doesn't do relationships. Ethan is exactly wrong for Beth, and they both know it. But the sensual, erotic side of Beth drives Ethan wild with desire. He admires her quick mind, her work ethic, and even her yearning for a family. I hoped Ethan and Beth wouldn't simply walk away from each other when their mission was complete. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED definitely lives up to its title!

Average customer rating: Excellent True Crime A Must-Read True Crime Tale What's the Big Deal? The Darker Side of Those Sworn to Serve & Protect Horrible

Tacoma Confidential: A True Story of Murder, Suicide, and a Police Chief's Secret Life (48 Hours Mystery) Paul LaRosa Manufacturer: Signet ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Similar Items: Gone Forever: A True Story of Marriage, Betrayal, and Murder (True Crime (St. Martin's Paperbacks)) Never Leave Me: A True Story of Marriage, Deception, and Brutal Murder (St. Martin's True Crime Library) Such Good Boys: The True Story of a Mother, Two Sons and a Horrifying Murder Witch: The True Story of Las Vegas' Most Notorious Female Killer (Berkley True Crime) One Deadly Night (St. Martin's True Crime Library) ASIN: 0451217268

Book Description

Gig Harbor, Washington, a quiet Tacoma suburb, knew little of tragedy and scandal-until April 26, 2003. On that day, David Brame, distraught over his impending divorce, shot his wife to death in a busy public parking lot. Then, with the couple's two children only feet away, he turned the gun on himself. It was a horrific event, but Tacoma residents had special reason to be shocked. Brame was, after all, the chief of police.

But as the investigation unfolded, a bizarre and depraved side of Brame and his marriage came to light. Here, in chilling detail, is the full story of one of Gig Harbor's most violent and disturbing crimes.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent True Crime.......2007-09-24

So many reviews of TACOMA CONFIDENTIAL, almost all of them positive, have already been posted, that I normally would not write another one. But I believe that Paul LaRosa has created a true crime book that is so outstanding that I feel the need to pile on. The subject of the book, the pending divorce between David Brame, the Tacoma, WA, Chief of Police and his wife Crystal - and the tragic outcome - is interesting and must have given Tacoma residents gossip material for months. But what elevates the book to the top echelon of true crime is the outstanding work by Mr. LaRosa.

TACOMA CONFIDENTIAL is written reportorially, straight-forwardly, and without the melodrama to which this story would readily lend itself in the hands of a lazy or less-competent writer. The research is remarkably thorough, and the reader has a sense, due to LaRosa's powerful narrative, of being at the center of the Tacoma Police Department's maelstrom of innuendo, sorrow, disavowance of responsibility, and just great gossip.

The most impressive single aspect of LaRosa's work, however, is his even-handedness. David Brame was apparently a cold, selfish, manipulative, and abusive man; and Crystal, while seemingly a nicer and more pleasant person than David, had her own share of negatives, coming across as compulsive, mildly hysterical, and as one of those people who shares their life's most personal details with strangers who probably would rather not hear them. La Rosa presents both of the Brames, warts and all -and there are plenty of warts - in a non-biased fashion, letting the reader come to his own conclusions.

This is excellent true crime, and I thank my friend in Lubbock for recommending it to me.

A Must-Read True Crime Tale.......2007-09-21

Paul LaRosa, talented writer and excellent researcher, makes great use of both talents in 'Tacoma Confidential'.

Fairly presented without bias, LaRosa's detailed and insightful look into the tragic outcome of the troubled marriage of a dangerously flawed police chief and its impact on a major U.S. city is a riveting story that will keep the reader turning the pages at a furious pace.

The disintegration of a marriage and of the mind of a law enforcement officer is chronicled in such fine detail one has the sensation of actually 'being there' as the story unfolds. Despite never having met the major victims of this crime, the author's highly-honed research skills and evenhanded writing allow the reader to become intimately familiar with Chief David Brame and his wife, Crystal, and their families and acquaintances.

That Mr. LaRosa did ultimately meet so many others involved and their willingness to share such a wealth of personal information is certainly a credit to his ability to convey understanding and compassion. The same traits were excellently utilized to document this tragedy in an absorbing and compelling manner.

True writing skill prevents the far-reaching political implications of this case, both citywide and within the police department, from becoming muddled, confusing or boring. Instead, they are recognized as mind-boggling, somewhat amazing, and certainly always thoroughly interesting.

There was a moment of confusion for me when the author injected his personal input into the story via 'first-person' writing. Many writers accomplish this with irritating and insulting heavy handed innuendo that severely colors the facts. An astute reader recognizes immediately the efforts to force the reader to accept the writer's beliefs. The refreshing openness of this author's writing style; presenting the facts and trusting the reader to reach their own conclusion, certainly makes for a more enjoyable reading experience.

True true-crime fans are well aware of how this genre has fallen prey to a bevy of poor writers publishing weak books that read like sleazy dime-store novels. Readers have to continually be on their toes to search out first-class, well-written, great reads. If any of you fans missed this one, you need to remedy that mistake straight away because.....

'Tacoma Confidential Is A Winner'!

What's the Big Deal?.......2007-09-12

The big secret life of the Chief of Police is simply not that interesting. It is very difficult to care about the victims. The wife is a spoiled brat and the husband is a retarded lech. These people were raising damaged children further traumatized by this violent, selfish turn of events. The parents do get high marks for lousy parenting. If you want to learn how not to behave, buy this book.

The writing is average and redundant. It is clear that much "filler" was put in to make it a full book. The author simply should have chosen a more interesting subject. On the surface, I can imagine he thought it was. A closer look is just another pathetic ugly divorce.

The Darker Side of Those Sworn to Serve & Protect.......2007-08-24

I really should learn to never judge a book by it's cover...but that is what I did with this book for many months. The cover, the title, they just didn't grab my attention. But once I opened the book and started reading...it had my fullest attention.

Paul LaRosa does an excellent job of relaying the story of Tacoma Police Chief David Brame who, in 2006, shot his estranged wife in a RiteAid parking lot before turning the gun on himself. And, sadly enough, this occured while the couple's children were just a few feet away.

This book is a riveting tale of sex, scandals, and attempted cover-up by many of Tacoma's high ranking officials. It is a definite must read for any true crime fan!

Horrible.......2007-08-23

I'm surprised (shocked, actually) this book has received so many good reviews on Amazon. I found it horrible. It contains many contradictions -- for example, on one page LaRosa says every single journalist criticized the bartender-blogger who broke the case, and a few pages later, he quotes an editor complementing the same guy--, in lieu of facts he provides he says/she says ("Crystal said she only got $100 every two weeks, David's family says she got much more" -- well, who is telling the truth? Isn't LaRosa's job to find out and tell us?) and his writing is mediocre at best. I have read very few true-crime books in my life, but if this is one of the better ones, then the genre sucks.

Average customer rating: Beautiful The Wall Review The Wall by: Eve Bunting The Wall by Tanashia C. It made me cry!

The Wall (Reading Rainbow Book) Eve Bunting Manufacturer: Clarion Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Military & Wars | Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books Bunting, Eve | ( B ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Bunting, Eve | ( B ) | Authors & Illustrators, A-Z | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Military & Wars | Fiction | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books General | Literature | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Similar Items: Fly Away Home A Day's Work Train to Somewhere The Lotus Seed Dandelions ASIN: 0395629772

Book Description

A young boy and his father visit the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful.......2007-09-28

Being a "baby boomer" from the Vietnam era, I think this book will help explain to my grandchildren about Grandpa and his war time. It is beautifully illustrated and tender. I wish I'd had this book when I went to see the Wall with an 8th-grade girl who made an etching of her Grandpa's name. It may not mean as much to anyone who hasn't been touched directly by the Vietnam war, but it touched my heart.

The Wall Review.......2007-05-23

The Wall by Eve Bunting is an incredible story of remembering. It all starts when a little boy and his father visit the Vietnam War Memorial. The father, who wishes to find the name and remember the good times with him, takes a piece of paper and and pencil and traces the name off of the wall. The little boy, who just wishes his grandfather was there with him, sadly watches another little boy and his grandpa on a walk. This book about rememberance will make you sad until the very end. Eve Bunting does a great job setting the mood at the Vietnam War Memorial. I give this book a thumbs up and believe it's the best children's book ever. Read The Wall by Eve Bunting to find out what happens in the end.

The Wall by: Eve Bunting.......2007-05-22

Loosing a relative can be tough, especially if your close to them, or too young to ever experience or meet them. All you can do is wonder. The book The Wall by: Eve Bunting, is aobut a dad and his son that go and visit the Vietnam War Memorial in memory of the dad's father, or the son's grandfather that died in the Vietnam War. Eve Bunting describes what happens there from a child's point of view. It is very realistic, and makes you feel like you are really there.
This book not only teaches little kid's lessons, but is good for even adults. IT really took me back and made me think. It made me think of how valuable our lives really are, and when we die, who is really affected by it. Also, it taught me that loosing someone you love doesn't always have to be sad, especially if they have died fighting for what they believe in. So, if somebody you know died, think of the positive side. Reading this book may take you back, and let you think of why they were so special.

The Wall by Tanashia C........2007-03-21

The Wall
by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by Ronald Himler

You should read this book because it's great and it's about someone you will remember and someone you love! The main Characters are the Dad, son, and an old man from war, and grandpa. Dad and his son are trying to find grandpa's name on the wall. The wall is in Washington D.C. They can't find their grandpa's name even though they keep looking up and down.
Dad and his son find grandpa's name! what do you think his name is? The book tells you a note and tells you where the wall is and it is in Washington D.C. it also tells you why the wall was made.
By reading this book you can learn to Keep doing your best, keep looking for what you want, and don't give up. Keep looking for what you love too! What do you love to find that you love so much? What I love to find is my family and my things I love. So if you love to find your family then read this book!!!!!!!!!!


By Tanashia C

It made me cry!.......2006-06-03

This was a very touching book. I read it to my 6 and 5 yo and I think they liked it fine. I was in tears at the end! The girls may not understand the whole message at this age by I will save it for the years to come!

Average customer rating: In the River not the best book on the subject Ann Rule does it Again Very interesting A Book Worth Waiting For...

Green River, Running Red: The Real Story of the Green River Killer--America's Deadliest Serial Murderer Ann Rule Manufacturer: Pocket Star ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Serial Killers | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books Similar Items: The Stranger Beside Me (Revised and Updated): 20th Anniversary Worth More Dead: And Other True Cases (Ann Rule's Crime Files, Vol. 10) The Want-Ad Killer (True Crime) Without Pity: Ann Rule's Most Dangerous Killers Kiss Me, Kill Me: Ann Rule's Crime Files Vol. 9 (Ann Rule's Crime Files) ASIN: 0743460502

Amazon.com

Veteran crime writer Ann Rule is uniquely qualified to chronicle the grisly career of Gary Ridgeway, the man convicted of being the "Green River Killer," the most prolific serial killer in American history. Not only is she one of the more successful true-crime authors, but for nearly 20 years, Rule was exceptionally close to the case, reporting on it for a Seattle newspaper, preparing a long-delayed book on the subject, and living within a few blocks of the strip of highway where most of Ridgeway's victims were abducted. In Green River, Running Red, Rule lends unique humanity to the string of murders that haunted the Seattle area throughout the '80s and '90s by exploring the lives of the dozens of young women who fell into prostitution and were ultimately murdered. Similarly, she catalogues Ridgeway's troubled and bizarre life in such a way that the reader becomes uncomfortably familiar with Ridgeway, although it's never truly clear what drove him to commit such heinous crimes. Along the way, she traces the decades-long struggle of the law enforcement officials assigned to the case as they tracked down countless leads, questioned innumerable suspects, and explored multiple theories that came up empty before finally cracking the case through a series of technological advancements and a little luck. But the most disturbing aspect of the Green River killings (named for where the first victims were found) is how they occurred in relatively plain sight, with Ridgeway, seemingly living an unremarkable life, dwelling and working within a few miles of where his lengthy killing spree took place and evading capture for years. Rule skillfully weaves herself into her account, relating the psychic and cultural impact of the case as it evolved, but she never takes the spotlight off Ridgeway, his eventual captors, and the women who died at his hands.--John Moe

Book Description

In her most personal and provocative book to date, the #1 bestselling master of true crime presents "her long-awaited definitive narrative of the brutal and senseless crimes that haunted the Seattle area for decades" (Publishers Weekly). This is the extraordinary true story of the most prolific serial killer the nation had ever seen -- a case involving more than forty-nine female victims, two decades of intense investigative work...and one unrelenting killer who not only attended Ann Rule's book signings but lived less than a mile away from her home.

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"In the most extraordinary book Ann Rule has ever undertaken, America's master of true crime has spent more than two decades researching the story of the Green River Killer, who murdered more than forty-nine young women. The quest to discover the most prolific serial killer in American history has been an intimate part of Ann Rule's life, with some of the corpses found only a mile or so from where she lived and raised her own daughters. She did not know the killer, but he apparently knew her and attended many of her book signings. For twenty-one years, the killer carried out his self-described ""career"" as a killing machine, ridding the world of women he considered evil. His eerie ability to lure his victims to their deaths and hide their bodies made him far more dangerous than any infamous multiple murderer in the annals of crime. A few men -- including a law student, a truck painter, and a taxi driver -- eventually emerged as the prime suspects among an unprecedented forty thousand scrutinized by the Green River Task Force. Still, there was no physical evidence linking any of them to the murders until 2001, when investigators used a new DNA process on a saliva sample they had preserved since 1987, with stunning results. Ann Rule has followed the case since July 1982, when the first body -- that of teenager Wendy Lee Coffield -- was found in the Green River, snagged on pilings under a bridge. Rule has compiled voluminous files, working through an incredible 95,000 pages of official police records, transcripts, photographs, and maps, winnowing out the chaff and identifying what is truly important. Over the years, she gained unparalleled access to all the key players -- from King County Sheriff Dave Reichert to those close to the killer and his victims. When finally apprehended and convicted, the killer made a detailed confession -- of his twisted sexual obsessions -- that will shock even the most jaded reader. Green River, Running Red is a harrowing account of a modern monster, a killer who walked among us undetected. It is also the story of his quarry -- of who these young girls were, and who they might have become. A chilling look at the darkest side of human nature, this is the most important and most personal book of Ann Rule's long career. "

Customer Reviews:

In the River.......2007-08-02

Given that she had twenty years to compile her research, Ann Rule had an opportunity to produce the definitive book about the Green River Killer. While other books on the topic preceded this book in print, Rule waited for the Green River Killer to be identified and convicted before publishing. Rule wanted to be thorough, and perhaps she was too thorough.

With a crime spree that began in the early 1980's, it was not until 2001 and major breakthroughs in DNA technology that they were able to arrest Gary Ridgway. A very plain man, he did not fit the image of a monster that most people expected of the killer. Having a bizzare childhood and poor social relationships with others would seem to send signals that there was a problem. Yet Gary Ridgway always seemed to be flying under the radar.

In the early stages of writing this book, Rule decided to recognize each victim as a person individually. While I think this was the right thing to do, a few paragraphs about each of the 48 victims seemed out of place. Not only did it slow the pace of the book, but the brevity or the short passages made them lack any genuine insight into the lives of the victims. Short of making the book 900 pages, I am not sure how Rule could have avoided this quandry.

While many of Rule's books have never solicited my interest, I have enjoyed some of the more focused books that she has written such as "Small Sacrifices" and "I-5 Killer". This does not rank among Rule's better works as it seems to be lacking in vision and occasionally Rule's placing herself in the story seems to scream for self-importance. In reality, the book is about the Green River Killer, Gary Ridgway. That is what the description of the book says, not the short biographies of the Green River Killer's victims or Ann Rule's biography.

not the best book on the subject.......2007-06-15

although this book is fairly comprehensive, it comes off as quite self-serving at times. rule never passes up an opportunity to make herself seem like an insider in the case, or to point out what a caring, sensitive, thoughtful person she is in the midst of so much tragedy and horror.

if you're really interested in the story of the green river killer, i'd recommend starting with smith & guillen's "the search for the green river killer" for a detailed account of what happened, followed by mark prothero's (with carlton smith) "defending gary" for further insight into the killer's mind and crimes.

Ann Rule does it Again.......2007-05-22

If anyone wants "gore" or full focus on the killer then maybe this book is not for them. Probably this was one Ms Rules most difficult books to write & I read somewhere that it maybe some time before she returns full focus on serial killers. Finally here we see more focus on the victims rather than on the killer, who they were, their hopes & dreams, the families that were left behind. This killer has already had the spotlight focused on him for too long & thank goodness someone has thought to remember his victims were real life people and does not focus only on their pain & terror (and by reading some other reviews people bought the book only for that). A great read from start to finish and I would reccomend it to anyone

Very interesting.......2007-03-11

This novel about the green river serial killer was both informative and an interesting read. Ann Rule is a master at writing crime novels and this book is no exception. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in crime or is considering going into some sort of law enforcement profession. =]

A Book Worth Waiting For..........2007-01-14

Unlike some of the previous reviewers, I found this book to be both interesting and engaging. If you have followed Ann Rule's work over the years, you know she has been waiting for (and working on) this book but was unable to do so because the killer had not yet been caught. I've read other books on the GRK and found this one to be the perfect book 'end' to the story.
I find it refreshing that she focused on the victims, who were for the most part, faceless "hookers" to much of the population while these crimes were happening. I also liked the way the narrative went from crime to killer; weaving time together for the reader. I wanted to read this book precisely because Ms Rule was so involved. I enjoyed the fact that she'd been to the scenes and met the key players. As a true crime reader, I put this near the top of my list.

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1. Twisted Roots
2. Waiting: A Novel
3. What's the Matter with Kansas?: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America
4. Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Don't Learn
5. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
6. Akira, Vol. 4
7. AKU-AKU: The Secret of Easter Island
8. Babylon Sisters: A Novel
9. Behind the Wheel Spanish/Complete Illustrated Text/Answer Keys/8 One Hour
10. Birds of America: Stories

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