10-K Books

Well, I got along to the launch of this book tonight in Sydney and have consumed what I can of this book already - much is in German so given my inability to read that language the rate of consumption was accelerated somewhat.

It is quite a disarming read. In launching this book Peter Fitzsimons rightly warned us that Sonya had invited us into her private garden, a place visitors are not usually allowed. So there is a lot here to learn about someone, things you would not normally see and hear. After all don't we hide our diaries if we have been the tiniest bit confessional in them?!! So her approach is of course very encouraging to those of us who are closet writers and are scrambling to get our own manuscripts together. So 5 stars to start with for the candid baring of her soul, inventing her own style and just being herself.

5 stars too for the vision and drive to get this published.

Is it good literature? I am not sure that is the right question. It is an excellent expose, full of her "wonky" language (to quote the author). It is open and free and candid and spontaneous and I like it for that.

But don't expect to come any closer to understanding the mind of a woman. Sonya, I might be able to see but comprehension is another matter altogether.

I am glad I bought it.

"This landmark 10-volume publication is a comprehensive review of the many-faceted field of geochemistry. (...)
The Treatise will be an indispensable reference not only to academics but to contamination cleanup professionals, resource managers, and environmental regulators as well."
David W. Morganwalp, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA
(...)

"This publication is - without a doubt - a must have for researchers, teachers and students in Japan and also for scientists in geophysics, rocks- mineralogy-science of ore deposits, geology, natural geography and so on."
Prof. Dr. Naotatsu Shikazono, Dep. of Applied Chemistry, Environmental Geochemistry, Keio University, Japan

"This first volume of Treatise on Geochemistry provides the reader a summary of high-quality reviews on the current status of geochemical exploration of our solar system. It is recommended to researchers and students for a concise up-to-date overview of the field."
Dr. Heike Rauer, Institute of Planetary Research, DLR, German Aerospace Center, Berlin, Germany
(on Volume 1 of Treatise on Geochemistry)

I read this book right after it was published. This book offers great insight into the development of Cuban pilots and their association with the Russians. It describes the transformation of a top-notch Cuban Mig pilot into someone who would eventually become so disillusioned that he decided his only option was to defect.
I was lucky enough to have met and befriended Orestes before he rescued his family. Then after his family got here, I met his wife and sons. We have not been in touch for a few years.
I always told Orestes that his book would be a good movie and he agreed but he said that in his talks with interested movie studios, they wanted to stray too far from the actual story so that is why it would likely always remain "just" a book.

THIS IS A SOOOOOOOOOOO AWSOME BOOK! It helps with tons of things like Social Studies and is fun to just read around! I borowed one from my teacher and now I have one for myself!
RECOMENDED FOR ANY1! INCLUDING PEOPLE OVER 12!

"the order of the phenoix is even darker than the last.
but still captures the struggles of normal teenagers.
the characters are great and interesting. the story is long and complex.
but you will have to read it more than once to truely enjoy it.

I love all the books. After reading it a couple of times, I have grown to like this book even more. He is angry and sullen, which is different than what we expect. However, He also grows up a bit by the end.

What can I say-I think J.K. Rowling is one of the best authors out there right now.

I cannot rate any book in this series less than five stars, but I must confess to being somewhat disappointed with this book; not that it isn't superbly written -- it is -- but as it continues the pattern of the books getting somewhat darker as we get farther into the series, it was just a bit too depressing for my taste. I understand the reasoning behind the pattern, and appreciate the necessity of there being real losses to underscore the truly dire nature of the threat facing Harry & company. But I don't have to like it, and I don't. It doesn't keep me from appreciating the story, but I miss the somewhat more triumphant nature of the triumphs in the earlier books.

I really enjoyed "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix". I believe that J.K. Rowling did an excellent job in writing this book. I think she was trying to set a dark and gloomy tone which was similar to the third book of the series. This basically sets up the big ending for the last two books. In this book, Harry is accused of using magic outside of school. There is a trial and Dumbledore helps Harry so he can continue attending Hogwarts School of Wizardry. Harry goes back to Hogwarts and before long Cornelius Fudge (the minister of the Ministry of Magic) appoints the defense against the dark arts teacher named Delores Umbridge as headmaster of Hogwarts. Because Fudge has so much power, he kicks Dumbledore out along with other teachers who he was suspicious of. Umbridge didn't allow the students to learn spells so Harry and his friends, Hermione and Ron join together with other students to learn defensive spells. I believe Umbridge was a perfect character that Rowling made for this book. She is nice at first, but then the more you got into the book, you realize she is very evil. I think Rowling really shows us how much Harry has matured over the five books. Ron is definitely not as strong and powerful as Harry, but you can tell how close these two have become. Without Ron, Harry wouldn't be as strong as he is because Ron is such a good friend and always supports and defends Harry. Hermione also really helps in this book. One example is when she and Harry decide to teach magic to a lot of kids from Hogwarts in order to fight off the "dark lord". Without Hermione in the book, it would lack a lot of love and adventure. I thought the plot was very well written. This book is easy enough for children of at least 8 years old to understand. This book contains a lot of action, humor, romance and adventure. I believe this is the best Harry Potter book that I have read.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" takes Harry back to school for his fifth year. This is the longest and most complicated book so far. I think that it is excellent and comes close to being a super book. However, J.K. Rowling did run into some problems. The major problem is how one fits a great deal into a smaller space. Yet, the author must be true to several ideas that permeate the entire series.

The result is a book that is somewhat darker than any previous book and a book that is somewhat more difficult to read.

I think that younger readers should read this book, one chapter at a time. This will be hard to do, because the earlier books could, almost, be swallowed whole. Here, one must chew on the story, one bite at a time.

Is it possible to improve on what J.K. Rowling wrote? Perhaps. However, I am glad that I do not have to try to do that.

Really, the introductory review supplied by the publisher (way up above) gives a good enough idea of what to expect in terms of specifics. Harry is older and is going through a tough phase of adolescence. The tension is growing between the forces of good and evil. And, Harry must grow up. In addition, all the major characters face some growing pains. Further, the author must point the tale in a particular direction to start lining up a clean direction towards the ending of the series. This requires that the plot must include the death of a semi-major character.

In short, the ending is not quite the heroic success of the previous endings. Nor is the ending as neatly tied together. Finally, the plot of the entire series turns in unexpected and complicated ways.

Yet, I rate this book highly. Have some patience reading this book. There is a lot of material to digest.

This is a very good book but requires some effort on the part of the reader.

Chamber of Secrets has to be the most humorous of the Harry Potter series. The character of Gilderoy Lockhart had me rolling. His gleaming smile, audacious personality and hidden intentions made for a gripping tension between him and many of the other favorites at Hogwarts. This second book also set the stage for what we would come to expect as the yearly return to the school of wizardry. Each time the journey would change (This time including a flying car), new faces color the crowds and active scenery (An unhappy willow tree) adds depth to this secret world within our own. In this case the book far surpassed the movie.

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" starts out with Harry Potter, back at the Dursleys' for summer break. The Durseleys have not changed and are still not nice to Harry. Then, a flying ford filled with Weasleys shows up and Harry is off to visit with the Weasleys utill school starts.

The author manages to change the story line quite a bit from the first HP book and we are immersed in another series of Harry Potter adventures. This time, the dangers get a bit more sophisticated. Eventually, all ends well.

While this book is written for children, the characters are beginning to develop and the story is broadened beyond the confines of the first book. Also, there is a start to deepening our knowledge and understanding of the evil that threatens Harry's magical world.

This is an excellent fantasy adventure. I recommend the book.

This is my second favourite in the series after Book 6.Splendid book,still addictive and brilliant!

Did not come with the Dust Cover but was in excellent shape and came on time.

After reading the first book and diving headfirst into this one (like I did) you notice how the story itself is so well put together because it's like there was never a seperation. This starts where book 1 left off. And unlike book 1, where you can tell the main focus of the story was to develop who it is you're reading about and get planted into their lives, this book begins the slow yet ultimately satisfying dark plunge that the series as a whole is going to take.

During and after reading this you will come to understand that the rollercoaster of friendship, magic, prophacies, and ressurecting evil wizards is shaping up to be one hell of a ride.

Let me say this- I'm a sucker for mysteries, and for a time, Agatha Christie used to be one of my favorite writers. However, this doesn't seem like an Agatha Christie novel. It seems to be more along the lines of a Phillip Margolin- and yet he is able to do it more effectively.

My issue with this story is that it simply is not a mystery. Now, there is a murderer, but the evidence that points to them is so utterly convoluted and badly described, that it's extremely difficult to have that "Oh yeah, I KNEW it was them!" reaction, which is one of the reasons why I like to read mysteries. In fact, Ms. Christie seems to KNOW that she didn't explain the evidence well enough for many people to get it, so she decides that it's neccesary to create an epilogue, explaining who the killer is, and how they got away with it.

Now, the plot is basicially this- you have 10 strangers, all of whom have committed some sort of crime gathered onto the island, by a mysterious U.N. Owen. Soon they realize that Mr. Owen is a psudonym, and that this person doesn't actually exist. As members of the group are killed one by one, following a nusery rhyme about ten little "soldier boys" (Or "indians" depending on the version you're reading), who by the end are all dead, the group tries to find the killer, or figure out who it is in their midst, before he kills them all.


Now, the seeming perfect "alibi" that Ms. Christie devises for her killer is pretty clever, but it requires so many assumptions, and for things to go PERFECTLY for the plan to work. Really, this is true about the murderer's plan in general. If, at any point, somebody had given into the pressure and shot themselves in the head, the whole plot would have been ruined.

There are legitimately creepy points in this novel, but it feels more like a psychological thriller than a mystery, which is what I bought the book for. I bought this book expecting a mystery, and then there was none.

(I am willing to discuss specifics further in the comments section, not here, as that may spoiler people who haven't read the book yet.)

I read this book in 5th grade and thought nothing could even compete. But now I'm able to see its flaws quite clearly. It does keep you guessing, but its not the best mystery and definitely not the best book. Try some Sherlock Holmes for a change.

"And then there were none", originally titled "Ten little niggers" and later changed for obvious reasons, is the epitome of Mystery in every conceivable fashion.

The gathering of the "guests" to the un-manned ilse, the missing hosts, the announcement, it is all laid out straight from the beginning - you feel as if you are on that island with these poor souls as you read along at break-neck speed!

Who will die first? Who will be next? How will the murderer do each deed? These are questions that you must find the answers to, and do in this exciting page-turner.

She was the Master for a reason, and in "And then there were none" (The film was titled "Ten Little Indians"); you too will see why.

This awesome book was the beginning of my Agatha Christie and mystery addiction. I've read most of her books, and it's still my favorite! She had me questioning every character the whole time! Everyone should read this book!

"Ten little Indian boys went out to dine..."

And so starts the nursery rhyme that was the basis for Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None (also published as Ten Little Indians). The story opens with 8 people from all walks of life traveling to Indian Island, where they have been invited for a summer holiday by the mysterious U.N. Owen. Upon reaching the island, they discover that their mystery host is no where to be found; the only other people on the island are the butler and his wife. The guests are soon confronted with the reason for their invitation: their host knows about the secrets of their pasts, and has decided that justice must be served.

Truthfully, of the little Christie that I have read so far, this has been my least favorite. Don't misunderstand, however, I still greatly enjoyed the book! Christie's knack for misdirection is amazing, leading you to believe with utmost certainty who the killer is, at least until the next chapter when she sheds new light on a new suspect, and then you know for sure that they are the killer, again until the next chapter. What I didn't like about this book is the murders seemed too contrived and forced to match up with the nursery rhyme. Of course, these murders needed to fit the pattern of the rhyme, otherwise, what would be the point? It just came across as too convenient for me, yet I did enjoy flipping back and forth to the rhyme at the beginning of the book to try to figure out how the next murder would take place!

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am thrilled to have found this treasure.

A wonderful, humorous and touching story about a family of 12 (10 kids) growing up in the 50's and 60's. With such a large family, an alcoholic father and a stay at home mom, money was always tight. Mom takes to contesting with writing poems and jingles to earn extra income and prizes to support her family. Her timing of winning was impecable and you found yourself rooting for her to win again to keep the family afloat. Evelyn Ryan seemed to find the good in everything, no matter what the circumstances and never seemed to dwell on their dire circumstances. She was certainly an amazing woman to be admired.

Her poems and jingles and the details of the contests are discussed, adding to the humor and the charm of the story. I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator does a great job bringing the story to life.

This is non-fiction, but it reads quite like fiction. A truly inspiring story that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for light humor and inspiration.

This book is a real-life account of growing up in a large family with limited financial means and often rocky family dynamics. The matriarch of this clan is the prizewinner of the title. While raising 10 kids and keeping the wolf from the door, she hits upon a way to generate income by entering any/every contest that comes along. She frequently does win, of course, very often in the nick of time. The book was written by a daughter, who ably recounts the challenges and rewards of growing up in a family that lives so close to the edge. Her mother is a gritty, funny, honest-to-god domestic goddess. She is a prize-winner in so many ways--it makes this book uplifting without being sappy--good read.

I saw the movie based on the book first. Once I found out it was a book, I had to read it. I couldn't put it down.

I thought this was a wonderful book that came to my attention only after the author had died. The story revolves around a family of 10 kids, an alcoholic father and how the mother (sporadically) supports them by winning contests and jingles she (Evelyn) has written.

While the story wouldn't hold up in this century - I thought it was a great slice of life of the 50's. Evelyn's journals and contest entrys are well preserved and entertaining to read. She must have kept everything!

Underneath all the entrys and journals is a smart woman. She knows the power of the written word and also hooks up with a group a ladies that also enter such contests. These women are smart as whips - yet somewhat stymied by their roles in life - housewives. Contesting offers them a way to challenge their wits and writing.

The father is a somewhat disappointing character - but somehow he even redeems himself, but you have to read the book to find out how!

I first heard of this book on the Today Show. Then I happened to run across the movie on HBO. It is a good quick read.

I love Ellen Hopkins books. I have read all of her books and they are wonderful!

this story shows the truth about religion and about how people go through alot. this story shows the true deffenition of love

purchased as gift for Christmas so cannot rate book, but service was quick with no problems

About a year ago, one of my best friends encouraged me to read this book. I finally decided to give it a try and after the first page i was hooked. Ellen Hopkins is an amazing writer. She has a very unique way of capturing the reader. All of her books are written in beautiful verse that is both of teens and adults. You can see her talent in her work. I have read all four of her books, Crank, Burned, Impulse and Glass. But I do have to say, Burned is my favorite. I believe that the reason I like Burned so much, is because of the story line. In every family there is controversy, but in Patton's, the main character, it is much different. Firstly, she is raised in a very religious family where there is abuse and so much negativity brought apond her. But the story fades to love, and this one special boy, Ethan. Throughout the book she asks questions about God, a women's role, sex, boys and love- but mostly boys. Through out the book, she gets into some trouble and her punishment is to be sent to live with an aunt she never knew she had. Either it will be a living hell, or a start to a better life. There is a little to both, but Ellen Hopkins does a great job with the details. I would give this book a 10 out of 10. All of her books are outstanding!! I bought the book, and after I read it, my first instinct was to pass it on to everyone. I haven't seen my book for a while, it is just getting passed down the list of my friends.

i'll be honest and say that in my opinion the book starts out pretty slow, & pretty bland, but once you get into the 100 pages you get more hooked.

i loved the outline of this story so much, and it mostly relates to teenagers.


like it seems like Pattyn's life is going fairly decent with her new love, and then BAM, at the ending she realized it was too good to be true. & she loses her, only love; her love; her everything.

when reading the last couple of chapters i was utterly in tears. this is one of the first books that has ever made me cry, it is so deep. & you definitely should read this to see what i mean.

This was definitely a fun book, for it introduced another aspect of the galactic war against the Yeerks. Robots! Everyone likes robots, and I thought that approach KA took toward them here was considerably creative.

In this book, Marco and Jake discover an old friend of Marco's named Erik handing out flyers for the Sharing. They discover that he is an android created by the long-dead Pelmites, and though hard-wired for nonviolence, the Chee hate the Yeerks and act as spies for the ANIMORPHS.

There are several other basic synapsis of this book already written, so I won't rehash it all here. As with all my other reviews (I'm working on the entire series as they get reread) I'm here to offer up a different point of view. If anyone out there is wondering what someone way out of the normal age group sees in these books, then this one is for you.

This book swings back into more suspense and battle format than the last one. The balance is better in that you have Marco narrating it, and his sense of humor leaving the reader laughing, alongside a bit more action overall to go with the emotional threads. As always, there's more to it than a very good, solid, well thought out story which is both entertaining and a "can't put it down" read. Marco has much more to him than meets the eye, and although he's flippant, funny, and sarcastic even in his narration thoughts, he's also smart and quickest of all of them to see the long view. With his family being torn apart by the Yeerks taking his mother as the host body for Visser One, he has to deal with a lot of anger and rage in this book. There's a scene the other reviewers don't touch on (which is fine, that's why I'm doing this, because I'm double the normal age and see things differently). Marco gets Tom on the phone, who is a Controller. The Yeerk in Tom's head tries to sway Marco into bringing his father over into the Sharing, so they might be able to seduce him into being a voluntary host. Exploding, Marco runs red with rage over a short span of this book, finally letting most of it drain off when he morphs the spider for the first time and almost kills a beetle for food. He'd decided that he'd do anything to keep the Yeerks from getting his Dad as well as his Mom, even take down Tom if necessary. Yet, it also stresses that riding that wave of rage is like a drug, it leaves you empty and tired when its over.

There's also an interesting and fun new "species" introduced in this book with the dog-like Chee. The Androids, created as toys by a race so peaceful and playful they knew no hatred or war, could not fight because it was against their programming. After a breathtaking theft on the part of the Animorphs, they manage to get the component needed to allow the Chee to reprogram themselves. There's also something nice in Applegate's writing, because the Animorphs make a serious mistake over something very small at the end of the book, and it turns into a fighting retreat which almost gets them all killed. Erek is able to reprogram himself and save the Animorphs via mass slaughter of the enemies. However, the price of losing their "innocence" is so high, its unacceptable. The Chee can never forget, and lack the human ability to put something behind them. Although many of the younger readers might well miss it, it leaves a residue thought of "what if... every bad thing we've done in our lives was burned right at the forefront of our minds and we had to relive it every single moment?" That was the reason the Chee could not fight, and the price was simply too heavy. Themes like that tend to stick with readers a long time after the story is read, and I think that's what may very well keep Animorphs around to endure into a modern classic some day.

I gave this book a 4 instead of 5 star rating on the basis of believability. I take into account this series is written for an age group of 9-12, but Applegate tends to be good with most of her realism (for Sci-Fi of course). This one stretched it quite a bit with a huge, underground park which had mobs of dogs running around in it. The space was vast, even having a false sun, and a huge amount of dogs running loose in it. That one stretched things a bit, even with the technology available to the Chee, just in maintaining it, feeding all those dogs, general pet care/clean up, and the sheer size of it. A fun idea, but just enough "out there" that it lost a star in my ratings. All in all, however, a very entertaining read and wonderful addition to the series as a whole.

i really enjoyed this book along with the other books in the series (so does my 20-year-old sister). this was one of the most exciting animorphs books i've ever read, i especially liked the way k. a. applegate expresses marco's point of view. i would like to recomend this, and all the other animorphs books, to anybody who loves to read.

This book was fantastic!! I loved it!! Of course, I love all Animorph books!! It was weird, crazy, and insane all at once!! KA Applegate is the best author ever! She did a fantastic(times 100000000000000000 more)Buy this book! Or the Yeerks shall get you.