At-the-market

This is a a real sleep loser. The author shows how really easy it would be for a dedicated psycho-terrorist to destroy everything that means anything to me. I lost a lot of sleep,over this book.

The cases herein occur in April 1958 and August-September of 1960.

"Poison a la Carte" - Adapted for A&E's 2nd Nero Wolfe season. Lewis Hewitt talked Wolfe into loaning Fritz to the Ten for Aristology for an evening - an elite group of gourmets who have a special dinner every April 1st, marking the birthday of Brillat-Savarin (Fritz keeps a bust of the great gastronomist in his room). Archie, attending as a friend of the cook and to keep an eye on Wolfe, passes the time by collecting the names and phone numbers of the twelve beautiful girls serving dinner (actresses hired for the occasion). But when someone serves poison to 'theatrical angel' Vincent Pyle, he of the nasty reputation for sexual harassment in the theater world, Wolfe's client is Fritz Brenner - for no fee, although he and his friends from Rusterman's who were assisting would be willing to ante up if Wolfe would let them - they take exception to being used as cat's-paws. Good story, but even Wolfe and Archie can't solve it by pure deduction - be prepared for a charade. :)

"Method Three for Murder" - Archie has quit (or Wolfe has fired him) for effect in an argument about 30 - 40 times, but never in front of company. Archie's almost serious this time, when he stalks out of the brownstone after a post-dinner quarrel, only to find Mira Holt parked out front with a cab containing only the murdered body of Phoebe Arden. Mira borrowed the cab from its real driver, Judith Bram, and came to hire Wolfe for help after finding the victim. Archie takes her on. After the cops show up, Wolfe stomps out to the front step to find out what's going on, and Archie takes Wolfe on as a partner. :) The title refers to Archie's advice to Mira that there are 3 methods for coping with police questions: 1) stand mute, 2) the complete unvarnished truth, or 3) a simple basic lie with no trimmings. Very good story, and the puzzle gives the reader a fair chance.

"The Rodeo Murder" - Some of the characters later reappear in _Death of a Dude_, working at the Bar JR (Lily's ranch in Montana). She's throwing a party in her penthouse for various competitors in the World Series Rodeo (being held at Madison Square Garden), and since she's serving blue grouse cooked by Felix of Rusterman's, Archie persuades Wolfe to accept an invitation. When one of the few other guests who isn't a cowboy or cowgirl - rodeo promoter Wade Eisler - is found murdered via lasso, Lily takes exception to the violation of hospitality and engages Wolfe to catch the killer. Unfortunately, Eisler had a caveman approach to women and was dumb enough to apply it even to girls who were crack shots and could catch and rope struggling calves, so nobody else is terribly eager to see the killer caught.

Easy-to-understand nuts-and-bolts of casino gambling. Of invaluable use is the section on craps, the forgotten casino game. Explains odds, payouts, strategies. I bought this book over fifteen years ago, and I still refer to it.

(by E.M. Singer, author of "Mother Flies Hurricanes") This is the companion book to the 26-hour TV series, but it isn't a blow-by-blow account of the same. Even though the author claims that his book "fills in the gaps" of the video series, you could probably read it far less time than it would take to watch the series! "The World at War" is a terrific example of the KISS (Keep it simple, stupid!) principle of historical analysis: It's short, sweet, and to the point, and doesn't require you to slog through pages of details and minutia to get to the heart of things. The writing itself is concise, direct, and a wonder to behold. Even if you aren't interested in WWII (but you probably are, since you're reading this!) Mark Arnold-Forster's book is a must read! For more recommendations on books about WWII, visit the motherflieshurricanes.com website.

Now, I know a lot of people like Carrot, but the fact is, I've never liked typcial hero characters, they always come off too flat for me, and Carrot is a generic hero character. The worst thing is, he was a pretty good character in "Guards Guards!", but he loses the innocent touch that made him endearing in GG!, and turns into a generic hero here. This shouldn't be a problem, due to the prescence of Vimes and the return of Gaspode (who is even funnier here than he was in Moving Pictures, his first appearance), and a slew of new characters, and other characters getting new dimensions to their character (like Detritus), and Nobby, but most of the book focuses on Carrot and Carrot only, and I can't say I liked that.

It's a shame, because otherwise, this is a really good book. Someone gets his hands on a strange new weapon and is killing people with it. the Night Watch follows the case, with new members Cuddy, Angua, and Detritus, in addition to the older members, Carrot, Colon, Nobby, and Captain Vimes. Vimes, however, is going to be married to Lady Ramkin, Carrot follows the case. The other members tag along for good measure (although there are some good sequences with Cuddy and Detritus). Gaspode the Wonderdog shows up to help.

The plot runs along smoothly for the most part, except when Carrot gets seriously involved, and the whole clown thing was kind of contrived. This is a mystery story, which is good. I like mysteries.

Overall, if you can get over the prescence of Carrot (or better ye, if you end up liking Carrot, which many people did), you'll enjoy this book a lot. And that's all I can say, so have a nice day.

I've read most of Pratchett's novels, in publication order, up to the most recent handful, and this is by far my favorite, along with INTERESTING TIMES. The City Guard of Ankh-Morpork is a happy concept, and all the books about the Guards are way above Pratchett's average.

Imagine a police procedural in which very few of the policemen are human. Comic book writer Alan Moore currently has a series which takes this to the n-th degree... none of the policemen are human, and no two are alike: TOP TEN. If you want to try a Pratchett novel, try GUARDS, GUARDS! or MEN AT ARMS or FEET OF CLAY. Excellent introductions to his "cosmos" and to his unique style of wit. "DON'T SALUTE!!!" (You'll learn why.)

I couldn't stop laughing. Terry Pratchett has an undisputable talent to point out the obvious in a funny and entertaining way.

This book is about Captain Vimes of the Night Watch & his last case before his wedding. There is a murderer on the loose in Ankh-Morpork & Vimes is trying to solve the mystery with the help of his Watch...um...Men. Add into the mixture a 2 meter righteous dwarf, exploding dragons and a troll & a dwarf permanently fighting! The result is non stop action.

Read it it's a treat.

This novel is a fine historical view of The South. Fannie Flagg introduces two women in the Mid 1980's. One is an overweight housewife named Evelyn Couch. The other is an elderly woman in Rose Terrace Retirement Home named Mrs. Cleo Threadgoode. Mrs. Threadgoode enthralls Evelyn with the tales of life in the small railroad community of Whistle Stop,Alabama.In so doing, we are introduced to colorful characters like Idgie,Ruth,Sipsey, and Big George. We hear about their lives, and adventures through several ways. Flagg either tells their tales from a firsthand point of view, or uses the local "Newspaper" called THE WEEMS WEEKLY, published by Busybody postal worker Dot Weems. Either way, the tales are wonderful, and well-written. I suggest this book for anyone who wants to be swept away into a great work of Southern Literature.

'Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe' is one of my favorite books. I just finished reading it again and I love it more than I did the last time!

There are many characters in this novel and you will love 98% of them! This book takes place from the 30's to the 80's and is packed full of stories!

You will learn things about racism that you don't want to know. I am ashamed of how some white people used to behave and how some still behave. This is a novel, but Fannie Flagg acurately depicts how cruel racism was back then and even can be NOW.

The most memorable characters are Idgie Threadgoode & Ruth Jamison and Mrs. Ninny Threadgoode & Evelyn Couch. These women will teach you about true, real and honest friendship. Take note and you will have healthier and happier relationships.

Fannie Flagg is an amazing author. She has a great sense of humor and weaves a story like you wouldn't believe! If you don't become completely engrossed in this novel I will be amazed. I can never read it fast enough!

Fannie Flagg is also great at character development. As I stated before there are many characters in this book and yet, Fannie Flagg writes in such a way that you will feel as if you know each and every one of them personally.

I am always kinda sad when this book ends because I don't want to leave Whistle Stop. I think that is why Evelyn is so sad in the end... she not only misses Mrs. Threadgoode, she misses Whistle Stop and all the people she met there through Ninny.

Read this book ASAP... I believe you will enjoy yourself! Thanks Fannie!

It sounds cliche to say, "I laughed, I cried--two thumbs up," and all too frequently that phrase is applied to books and movies that don't deserve it, but in this case I can't help it. I DID laugh, cry, and give it two thumbs up!

Wonderful characters, wonderful plot, and true heart-felt genius, this is a book AND a movie not to be missed. If your're a fan of Southern literature along the lines of DIVINE SECRETS OF THE YA-YA, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, or McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD, then you'll love this book.

Also, read all of Flagg's books, with WELCOME TO THE WORLD being her second best effort!

This is a book to read if you want to get a sense of the scope, intensity and human drama of the incredible battle between German and Russian armies on the banks of Volga. It was one of the most important battles of the WWII (if not the most important). It demonstrated the incredible heroism of both the Germans and the Russians. It also showed that Hitler made a mistake of underestimating ability of Stalin to regain control and learn from mistakes of disastrous summer of 1941 and determination of Russians to fight for each building in Stalingrad.

Written by the American author, the book for the most part describes events from the German point of view. I am Russian and admittedly it is not easy to stay totally objective about an account with slight pro-Axis slant, but I am interested in Stalingrad battle and have read some other books on the subject. I also been to Stalingrad (now city of Volgograd) myself, and my main criticism is this: Mr. Craig, despite the fact that he spent five years researching for this book, unfortunately didn't quite familiarize himself with some aspects of Russian life and culture. I don't know, may be he didn't have an opportunity...But that would have made his book more balanced and more readable for the Russian audience.

For example, "Kazakhs" on page 321 aren't "Kazakhs" but Cossacks. There were no "Kazakhs" living on river Don, only Cossacks. Kazakhs live in Kazakhstan. These are two different peoples. "Kaytusha" throughout the text of the book is misspelled; it is really "Katjusha" - a Russian rocket launcher. I was surprised that it was misspelled, since it was not only famous Russian weapon of war, but also a woman's name, derivative of Katja (Russian for Katie). It would be equivalent for a Russian author to call German tank "Mark" as "Mrak".

Another example - on page 283 Mr. Craig assumes that December 24th was a Christmas Eve for both Germans and Russians. Close, but no cigar...The Christmas in Russia is celebrated due to Christian Orthodox tradition on January 7th, hence the Christmas Eve is January 6th. But during Communist times it was prohibited anyway.

Perhaps as a result of the author's lack of firm grasp of Russia's cultural context, the Russians in a book depicted a little bit like caricatures (despite the author's effort to do otherwise). Germans are more believable, better developed and likeable. To summarize, despite the fact that I thought the book was good, I have encountered many errors about the Russians that it made the book less enjoyable to read and sometimes even a little annoying. Otherwise the book is well written. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in history of WWII, military history, and German or Russian history.

Craig's book on the Battle of Stalingrad is as close as horrifying as the event it so magnificently sets out to depict.The German-Russo conflict of WW2 is the most ferocious war ever fought in the history of mankind. It was a no holds barred war between two ideologies, both of whose take on human rights and life was a non-existent national policy. Sadly for Hitler he did not exploit the welcome his armies received in many of the regions (they saw the Germans as liberators from the suppression of communism) and the subsequent ill-treatment and blatant slaughter of the population turned sentiments against the invaders; resulting in a very effective guerilla front being mounted within the occupied terrorities. Craig's account epitomizes the full drama of total war. Encircled by the Russians, cut off from their supply lines and in the grip of General Winter, and against express orders from Hitler himself not to break out, the 250000 German soldiers of the 6th Army, found themselves fighting, for the first time in their to-date triumphant war, a major defensive, door to door, building to building, battle to survive under the most horrendous conditions of cold, hunger, sleep deprivation, lice infestation, disease,
artillery bombardment and depleting ammunition resources. Of the 90000 Axis troops who eventually surrendered and went into
captivity less than 5000, the majority of them only 12 years later, were destined to see Germany and their families again. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the major events that changed Hitler's successes in WW2.

This is easily the best WWII book Ive read. It explains the battle for stalingrad with great detail and it is non-bias.
Craig has the ability to 'write' which most historians in this genre dont. He keeps the story flowing and doesnt fill in gaps with gobblyguk. I enjoyed this book and I enjoyed the companion movie as well.

Darkness at Noon, though often overlooked as one of a 20th century classics, stands as a significant fictional portrayal of the nightmarish politics of our time. The protagonist, Rubashov, is an aging revolutionary who was once a partisan commander and is imprisoned by the Party to which he had unconditionally and loyally dedicated his life. The book closely follows Rubashov's arrest and his agonized reflections throughout his imprisonment.

Through the reminiscence of a skein of characters, Rubashov re-lived his Party career that embodied the terrible ironies and human betrayals of a totalitarian movement masking itself as an instrument of deliverance. The book is meant to be a piece of fiction-a monologue of Rubashov's excruciating reflection of his party career, but reads like a social commentary and historical account as Rubashov is a synthesis of the lives of a number of men who were victims of the Moscow Trials.

Darkness at Noon lays out some of the most inveterate principles of a Communist regime: the Party embodies the will of history even though history itself maybe proven to be defective. The authority of the Party could never be questioned or challenged or else the Party will settle such disparity with death. In other words, the Party prohibits any swerve from its ideals-some theoretical future of happiness that is unattainable save for Party members can envision.

As interrogation proceeds, Rubashov is coerced to confess preposterous crimes that he never committed. False accusations are brought forth against him to the point such accusations wreck his nerves. Though Rubashov curtly denies committing any subversive acts in the industry entrusted to him, the accusation simply defines his motive as counter-revolutionary and that he had been in service of a hostile foreign power.

Darkness at Noon exposes the bone-chilling tactics the Party operates-it operates without scruples nor accommodation, never caters to any individual needs. The movement is like a river with bends that those who are not ready accommodate the river flow will be inevitably washed ashore. The book also outlines the psychological strategy that such regime uses to manipulate prisoners. A dark tale indeed. 4.0 stars.

2004 (2)

A faded photograph reveals the bearded, solemn, serious men that were the delegates to the first Congress of the Party. It is decades later and only a few like Comrade Nicolas Salmanovitch Rubashov have survived. Late one night Rubashov is awakened, arrested, and taken to cell number 404. Like so many others, he now expects to be interrogated, tortured, and shot. We listen to harsh steps echoing down the prison corridor. It is the guard bringing soup.

Darkness at Noon is an authentic and chilling look at Stalin's Russia in the late 1930s. Arthur Koestler completed this superb historical fiction in Paris as WWII was just beginning. In a short forward he says that the characters in this book are fictitious, but that the historical circumstances which determined their actions are real. The life of the man N. S. Rubashov is the synthesis of the lives of a number of men that were victims of the so-called Moscow Trials. Several of them were personally known to the author. He dedicates this book to their memory.

Suffering from a toothache, subjected to endless interrogation, deprived of sleep, Rubashov struggles to delay his inevitable final confession. He questions his own past and motivations. Was he unconsciously disloyal? Is he guilty? Does it matter whether he is guilty? Should he remain silent, argue, or simply capitulate?

Rubashov finds meaning in politics, history, and philosophy. We see him wrestling with the meaning of suffering, senseless suffering versus meaningful suffering. We sympathize with him as he questions the morality of betraying his life long beliefs, despite his recognition that he himself has been betrayed. He clearly knows that he is guilty of betraying others. In his exhausted and muddled state, his motivation for living seems driven by a desire to explore more fully a new idea, the law of the relative maturity of the masses. He only needs time to sort out his questions and to resolve his doubts.

Koestler reveals much about Rubashov through flashbacks. We recognize that his own ethics and morality became victims as he participated in the destruction of well-meaning, loyal party members that unintentionally became guilty of political divergencies. He allows his lover to be imprisoned, and even joins the chorus that condemns her. Nonetheless, Koestler persuades us to have sympathy for Rubashov, now a victim of his own ideology.

I was unfamiliar with Arthur Koestler and I was unprepared when I opened this little book. I was captivated as Rubashov gradually awoke from a disturbing dream of betrayal, only to discover that he was being awakened by the secret police. I carried Darkness at Noon to work and shared it with a colleague. His teenage son was the next reader. Darkness at Noon is a classic that you will share with others.

I loved it. You couldn't read this book without stopping for a second every now and then to think about what was just said. I don't usually dissect books unless I'm reading them for class, but Darkness at Noon just forced me to stop and soak in the full meaning of Koestler's words. I also loved the analogies and communist ideologies presented through Rubashov's ruminations.
A must-read. Very eye opening and informative as pertains to Soviet Russia and communism as well as the human condition.

No where near the quality of Magician Apprentice, the besxt part of this book is when we finally get to see Pug and Tomas at their best, they are no longer the "mere mortals" of Magician.

A Darkness at Sethanon wraps up Raymond E. Feist's epic Riftwar saga, a fantasy adventure spanning two worlds and multiple times. In the beginning of the book, Prince Arutha fakes his own death in order to escape his city undercover, with the help of old pals like Jimmy the Hand and Amos Trask. His goal: the northlands, to face off with the leaders of the dark elves, to attempt to put an end to the Riftwar and the strife within his own Kingdom. At the same time, Pug and Tomas set off on a journey through the cosmos to attempt to learn about the unnamed Enemy, a creature of immeasurable power that threatens both Kelewan and Midkemia.

If that sounds confusing, then it might behoove the reader to check out the two Magician books, and Silverthorn, which set up the plot and characters that fight to the conclusion in this volume, the fourth (third, if you count Magician as one) and last in the Riftwar saga. Here, Pug and Tomas realize the awesome potential of their power, and the dangers of the Tsurani attack for both planets is made clear - the struggle is no longer about resources or war, but a fight for survival that results in the final showdown in the ruined city of Sethanon. As Arutha seeks to secure his family's hold on the Kingdom's throne, his journey parallels' Pug's and Tomas' as they seek to secure humankind's future against the threat of the Enemy. It's a nice device, and it lends a sense of urgency and discovery to a story that threatens to be an imitation of Silverthorn. And, much to Feist's credit, it succeeds for the most part.

It becomes evident that Feist might have had less fun writing Darkness than he did the other books in the series. Where Magician was a personal journey of discovery, and Silverthorn was a fresh-faced pure fantasy set against the backdrop of the Riftwar, Darkness comes off more as a cave-in to certain fantasy clichés rather than an upright, original novel. This becomes more evident if you delve into the other books set in Midkemia, which barely achieve this level of excellence as they fall further and further into repetitive genre standbys.

Darkness is still fresh enough to be interesting, and readers who have finished the other books will want to find out how the Riftwar concludes. Darkness isn't really intended for someone to pick up without reading the other books, which is fine, since it is the final book in a trilogy (imagine reading Return of the King without the other Middle-Earth books). It makes a good capstone, but heralds the beginning of the end for Midkemia and its beloved characters. Still, they are to be enjoyed while they last.

Final Grade: B

This is a wonderful conclusion to one of the best fantasy series of all time.

If you have not read the prior three books (Magician I & II and Silverthorn), you probably will not get much out of this, though. This book builds upon characters introduced earlier, so new readers will find themselves lost quickly.

However, as I said, this is a wonderful book -- my favorite out of all Feist novels.

The characters of Pug, Arutha, and Jimmy are fully explored, and more background is given on the mysterious and awesome Macros. The story is intelligent, and the manner in which Feist weaves several subplots and storylines together is truly magnificent.

Read this book, and read this series.

After reading the first volume, I was looking forward to this one. What a disappointment! This book went around and around and ended up no where.

Save your money. If you enjoyed the first volume, be satisfied. That's as good as it gets.

Synopsis: The second book in the Hitchhiker series. More zany antics as Arthur, Ford, Zaphod and Trillian dine at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Zaphod sets off to complete his mission to find the man who rules the Universe. Arthur and Ford hitch a ride on another ship. The ending has a nice twist. Maybe I didn't get the joke, but 6 by 9 is not 42.

Writing: 3 stars. The writing has improved since the first book. Sometimes he tries a little too hard to be funny or absurd and it's just stupid. But for the most part it was pretty funny. The way he writes dialog though is hard to follow at times.

Characters: 5 stars. Characters are well developed and interesting. Each character has their own personality and funny quirks.

Plot: 4 stars. The plot is a lot better than the first book. It doesn't seem to jump around as much and makes a lot more sense. Not as many loose ends as the first book, which ended quite abruptly.

Dialogue: 5 stars. Dialog is funny and witty. I would say it's the strength of this book and the series in general.

Setting: 4 stars. The settings are nicely developed and sometimes hysterical. I had no problems visualizing the surroundings although sometimes they are silly.

Overall: Add 'em up, you get 4.2... What's the probability of that happening? Round down to 4 because it wasn't good enough for a 5.

Picking up right where "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" left off, Douglas Adams' "The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe" continues the hilarious intergalactic adventures of earthman Arthur Dent, his alien chum Ford Prefect, the two-headed freakazoid Zaphod Beeblebrox, earthwoman Trillian, and Marvin The Paranoid Android. When we last left this ragtag bunch, they were still on the run from the intergalactic authorities in their stolen souped-up spacecraft, The Heart Of Gold. Book 2 includes Zaphod's outrageous adventure to find the man who rules the Universe, a memorable stop at Milliways, The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, the gang's close shave with having their ship plunge into a sun (all part of a rock concert spectacle put on by the rock group Disaster Area), and finally, Ford & Arthur's adventure onboard an Ark ship manned by a clueless bunch from the planet Golgafrincham. Oh, a startling revelation will also be made, and The Ultimate Question to the Ultimate Answer of "Forty-Two" will also be revealed! (Well, sort of....). Once again, Adams' brilliantly clever wit & writing style shines through on every page, and the book, like it's predecessor, is a real gutbuster.If you have enjoyed the adventures of Arthur Dent & Ford Prefect & company so far, why stop now? Please go to Book 3 in Adams' marvelous sci-fi comedy series, "Life, The Universe, And Everything"....