Boston

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Somehow Jack Polidoro has managed to combine Faulkneresque timing and intrigue with a Crichton-like realism. Although some of the mature moments might make D.H. Lawrence blush, Dr. Polidoro's descriptions of familiar landscapes and places are hauntingly precise.

Flying in or out of Logan Airport will never be the same for me. It's a good read!

Jack Polidoro grabs the readers attention from the start. He puts the reader right into the lives of the people who are the players in this book. He begins by telling just enough to whet one's appetite making the reader hungry for more of the story. His eye for detail is amazing, one would have to believe that the author himself is a pilot and has been through a crash landing in open water. Once the serious actions began to take place, I found myself riveted to the book to the degree that I could not put it down until I had completed it. Polidoro manages to come up with an unexpected domino affect as a result of the first tragedy to take place. He has just enough twists and turns in his novel to peak the interest of any reader. Had I not read the nature of the plot, I might have been hesitant to take another flight on a commercial airline. This is one book that has it all, suspense, romance, intrigue, and fast action. I would recommend it as a great read for everyone.

Jack Polidoro has a writing style that will keep you turning the pages. This book is a fast read. The plot is exciting and moves. Jack has a way of making the tale come alive in your head. This book should be made into one of those disaster movies starring George Kennedy. It would be a knock-out! Jack included a generous helping of juicy sex too.

This wonderful book escaped my notice as a child, and now I know why--the local library doesn't have a copy of this, or any of the other titles in the series! How awful!

I first found Green Knowe through a listing in the "Best Books for Children" guide. It's now my absolute favorite! I won't attempt a synopsis here--you can read the other reviews for that. But I did want to say it's absolutely MAGICAL! The story is a bit spooky, definitely old-fashioned, mysterious, and sweet, all at the same time! I have to say, as someone who reads a lot of "kiddy lit," I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop in this book. In a lesser novel, the sweet old grandmother character would've turned out to be secretly evil, or a witch, or some such nonsense. Happily, she's a magical sweet old lady, and the relationship between this ancient one and her little (great) grandson is really charming.

As a matter of fact, the real conflict only comes in just at the end (with a scary scene I won't spoil), so parents who are overly-concerned that their child not read *anything* containing conflict, "bad guys," or evil, be forwarned--all is not goodness and light here. Personally, I find a story about the struggle between good and evil (in the same category as C.S. Lewis' Narnia books) uplifting. The magical "ghost" aspect of it is also treated in a way that promotes good feeling, in my opinion (I know some parents do not appreciate *any* references to the paranormal, either--so I wanted to mention it).

But for the rest of us--what a FIND the Green Knowe books are! I've bought a copy for all my neices and nephews. They're off reading Harry Potter and the like. I've read HP, by the way, just to be able to make educated remarks about it. It certainly wasn't the worst book I ever read, but I sure hope you parents are also giving your kids copies of: The Hobbit, and the rest of Tolkein, the Narnia books (Did you know C.S. Lewis and Tolkein were good friends?), the Edward Eager books (start with Half-Magic), the E. Nesbit books (talk about classics in Brit. Kid Lit!! C.S. Lewis cited Nesbit as a big influence!), and Lucy Boston's beautiful series!! Why not throw in Richard Peck's series? Wow--I've got a lot of books here--time to make a list! Happy Reading!

A lifelong reader, having children who loved to be read to allowed me to revisit books that I had loved as a child. Some had sentimental value; very few retained their magical hold on me as an adult. The Children of Green Knowe has the shimmering quality that forces one to regard the ordinary with a new hyper-awareness. Boston's beautiful prose situates one within the stone halls of her mysterious house, where wooden mice squeak, and rocking horses move without apparent animation. She gives the diurnal an extraordinary gloss: after reading her books, nothing else seems quite the same. A dream of a book. (The rest of the series is good, too. Someone should reissue these as a boxed set.)

I've been spending some time revisiting my youth via children's books, and in trying to piece together titles from fragments of often misremembered storylines, I came upon this book, which I never read as a child but which piqued my interest enough to check it out as an adult. And now how I wish I had visited the magical world of Green Knowe when I was younger! With ghosts and friendly animals, an intact castle home, mysterious statuary, verdant grounds, and even a curse, this story holds so much of what an imaginative young mind grasps for. It is lovely and humane and, what struck me most of all, having so recently read so many other works of juvenile fiction in which the language is merely a vehicle, extremely lyrically written. The language is the real wonder of the book--accessible to young people but so lovely and evocative, and the fact that the language holds its own against a storyline and a created world that is itself so poetic is true testament to the book's magic. Read it as children, read it as adults--just read it!

Quirky characters, great one-liners, a bit of blood, sibling fights, and a mystery- who could ask for anything more? - Well maybe another book? C'mon please, Mr. Boston! I've been waiting for years now! I've read the book several times now, and I still laugh at and with the characters. I have even forced my wife to read it so I can talk to someone about it. We still quote lines from it. So read the book, you'll like it. K'? K'!

I, too, found this book in a used bookstore and bought it on a whim three years ago. I think I've read it about 10 times since then--and I still laugh out loud.

I love this book! I was hoping that John Boston had written another, but it doesn't look like it.

I was lucky enough to have been working in a bookstore when this book first came out. I walked past it everyday and it always caught my eye so I finally bought it. This may be the best book I have ever read. It has great characters, fantastic imaging from the descriptions, suspense, murder, humor, and monsters. It has gotten to the point that when I read this book, I actually visualize it as a movie with Bruce Campbell playing the main character Michael Fenberg and Janine Turner as Elaine Mitikitski(oh if it would only happen). It's a truly visualizing book from the reflections of Tuberski's See-Em-Dead Zoo Bar and Grill Massacre to Fenberg's giant truck to the Mogonogonovich Brothers brutish antics; it's a riot and so enjoyable. You'll read this book until it falls apart (then you'll tape it together over and over again).

I have recommend this book to numerous people and all of them are grateful for having got it. I got my wife to read it and well to make a long story short, we read it so often that I've had to buy three replacements because they get worn out (my prize one is I managed to snag a John Boston autographed copy). By all means, have no doubts, GET THIS BOOK! You will not be displeased.

I really love the way this book is put together. The photos are wonderful, quite colorful and detailed. The poetry is fun and Mickey is very astute in his observations about the world around him. It's a fun read for any dog lover- four paws up!

I really appreciated the author's view of her Boston Terrier's life. I enjoyed the pictures and related to the author's perspective, being an owner or two dogs.

A fun read for humans of all ages and their four-legged friends alike. Uniquely written from the dog's perspective. A must-have for Boston Terrier lovers!

Whether you know nothing about guns, or think you know it all, this book will surely enlighten you.

It begins appropriately with a chapter on safety and handling guns. From there it goes on to chapters about self-defense and tactics. Following that there is information about any type of gun that most people would be interested in owning.

Being female, I particularly liked the chapter about Women and Guns. Great information for women are have decided to be armed, but need to be informed first.

This book also covers just about everything you'd need to know about the legalities and politics of gun use and ownership.

Written in an entertaining and captivating style, you can't go wrong with this great book.

If you are going to only own one book on guns, this is it. Soup to nuts on why to own a gun, which ones to buy, what gear works, you name it. The section on U.S. gun laws is worth the price of the book alone. It's 700+ pages that doesn't gloss over anything; whether he's rating battle rifles or exploding the myths of gun control, Boston has clearly taken his time and done this one "right". A word of caution for those not familiar with Boston's work- this is not a book about hunting- it's about the true purpose of the Second Amendment clause "to keep and bear arms". You might as well go ahead and order two copies, because when you read it you're going to want to share it with friend....

Overall a great book. Some of the legislative facts are a bit off. IE NH does allow private sales of firearms. Open carry in a vehicle is legal. Mostly great information. Get the book and train with the right items.

For all the fans of Louisa May Alcott and her works, and also others as well, this book is a story that would spark your interest. Here, Ms. Alcott keeps the humor, friendship, morals, and the realistic personality of her characters going, like her other novels. The story starts as 14 year-old Polly Milton, a good natured country girl, comes to stay a month at her friend's house. But she soon comes to realize that Fanny Shaw, her friend, acts and dresses like a young lady, compared to her simple old-fashioned ways. Tom, Fanny's brother keeps most of the boyish humor in the book, mischievous, cunning, but good hearted, he feels that he is rather neglected in the family. Polly with her innocent ways, changes the relationship of the family by and by, with plenty of touching parts, and humourous pranks along the way, and through out the book, and becomes precious to the Shaw family, while dealing with her own troubles. Six years after Polly's first visit, Fanny, Tom and herself are grown to be young adults, and finds them selves dealing with tragety, but also love. And all deal with decisions, and hard troubles, while the friends' relationship gets closer as Polly's good and old-fashioned ways gets them through their troubles, and towards the happy end. A wonderful book, truly showing that glamour, fashion, gossip, or anything of that sort does not matter much, but true and an innocent heart is important in life. Happy reading, God Bless.

I've always been somewhat old-fashioned. I'm not sixteen, so I won't date. I don't wear make-up yet, I don't care much about what I wear, and I'm not interested in always having the latest thing. I guess that's a lot of why I admired this book, but there's more of a reason. This story shows the true meaning of happiness: family love and hard work.

Polly Milton is a fourteen year old little girl who goes to say with a rich family in town. She's friends with Fanny who is only two years older and who's only interests are boys, fashion, and parties. Tom is Fanny's brother who is Polly's age, and is the perfect little trouble and mischief maker, and the littlest, Maud, is on the verge of being like Fanny. Polly comes from a poor family where she has learned to love and cherish everyone and everything, impecible manners and politeness, to work hard, and to be the most loveable thing ever. With her sweet ways, she brings the brother and sisters of this family closer, shows their father how to love his children, gives Grandma the love and attention she always needed, attracts a young gentleman, and accomplishes everything she sets out to do. Happy, sweet, gentle Polly. When she grows older she becomes a music teacher. At 18, she finally gets interested in men and parties(but not too interested - she just pipes in once and a while) when Fanny is sick to death of it all. But, soon the family turns bankrupt and turn to Polly, who leads them to this...relizing that family was the only thing they ever really needed, not their money or finery. They learn the wonderfulness of hard work as I did through reading this story, and the importance of family.

This book shows how we should all be, and how its just fine to not grow up too fast. Don't worry girls, there's romance at the very end too! But, truth to tell, you don't need romance to entertain you in this heartwarming story.

I have owned all her works and this is my favorite. Even though it was written in the 1800's, it still has sound judgements. Riches can come and go, but how you live your life and how you influence others with your care, love and concern mean the most. Polly has her own struggles with life's lessons but with help from older women and remembering what her parents, especially her mother, taught her, she struggles through.
The beginning of the book finds her a young teenage friend of Fan Shaw who had come down to the country the year before visiting some friends of the family. There is Fan, 2yrs older, Tom who is Polly's age, Maude the little sister of about 6, Mrs. Shaw an invailid and Mr. Shaw a man of wealth, plus Madame who is Mr. Shaw's Mother. At the end, Polly and her friends are all adults except Maud who is a teenager. Fan learns a lot from Polly and Polly learns from all who come into her life. It is a Must read in my opinion for any girl or woman.

Zabelle is really an amazing story. I am a Bulgarian-Armenian American teenager growing up in Washington, but the story of Zabelle was really touching. Zabelle is a character that transcends time and space, and hers is a story that was shared by many other Armenian American women coming to the New World after the Genocide of 1915. My favorite episode from Zabelle was when she quarelled with her mother-in-law, the domineering Vartanoush Chahasbanian. Really, a domineering mother-in-law is one of those things that Armenians all over the world know about. The story of Zabelle is truly one of the best novels on Armenian American women, and perhaps the only one currently available, that spoke to me directly and Ms. Kricorian did an excellent job of making the words speak for themselves. I enjoyed reading this book greatly and it encourages me to read other books about Armenian Americans. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I loved this book! Zabelle is an inspiration to us all. An orphaned survivor of the Armenian Genocide, this amazing woman never loses her dignity, her strength, or her sense of humor. This book is not only about surviving oppression. It's about rebuilding one's life in a new country (Zabelle marries an Armenian grocer and moves from Constantinople to Watertown, Massachusetts). It's about coping with an overbearing mother-in-law. It's about unrequited love. And it's about finding one's center through family, friends, and community. Nancy Kricorian's wonderfully crafted story will remind you what's important in life. It will also make you laugh, cry, and wish you were Armenian.

This is a wonderful book - easy, quick to read and keeps one's interest all the way through. I was so enthralled with this book that I immediately started looking for other books written by Kricorian. She is a fantastic writer.

Most 'serious' reviewers of Robert Parker's Spenser books will argue that "A Catskill Eagle" is the best of the series. I won't disagree that it's very, very good, but I think Spenser (and by extension, Parker) is at his best in "Early Autumn".

Primarily, through the books, Spenser has deep relationships only with Susan, and to a lesser extent, Hawk. We really don't know much about him beyond the front he puts up for his clients and his opponents. "Autumn" is the exception to that; we see him treat Paul in much the same way he must have been treated as a child and the same way he would have treated a child of his own, if he'd had one -- with respect and decency. He drags the 'real' Paul out of the shell Paul had constructed to protect himself from his parents and the world and provides him with a sense of worth, teaching him, as Spenser says himself, "what [he] knows" -- boxing, running, carpentering and standing up for something.

The end of the book always gets me. I've always been glad, too, that Paul makes further appearances in other books: Widening Gyre and Playmates, among others. It's interesting to see the relationship between Spenser and Paul grow and develop. It deepens Spenser as a character and gives us one more reason to like him.

This is one of my two favorite Spenser books (The other is A Savage Place.) Early Autumn was the first Parker book I ever read and also the first suspense/mystery. My parents and brothers all read Spenser but I shunned them, preferring scifi. I was desparate for a read one summer night and my mother pressed this on me, saying "You'll like this if you just give it a chance" I was 15 and I read it that night, reporting back to her bedroom and saying, "Next Book! More! More!"

This book is about Spenser's surrogate fathering of a lost 15 year old boy named Paul who is a pawn in his own life. It is sort of a coming of age novel, but really not because it is told from Spenser's perspective like all the Spenser books.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend it to any Spenser fan or to any one who remembers 15 and that lost in your own life feeling.

Great but too short. Should of been deeper. Covers a subject matter that hit home for me.
Parental neglect, of the type where the parents, who's rotten relationship is so all consuming that you, the only child, become just another unwanted burden they can't or don't want to deal with so they cope with you by disregarding your very existence. Add to that the fact that the parents themselves have no friends and discourage you from bringing any home. Add to that the child is shy and not too bright to begin with and you end up with a 15 yr old who's still 8 yrs old.....a looser, a total blank slate. I'd like to see Parker redo this one.

Spenser came along and saved the kid.

there is a reason why everyone is giving this book a 5 star rating.. it is amazingly entertaining.. i haven't read a full book in years.. i usually get ambitious and tackle a novel.. but never pull my way through till' the end.. however, i was unable to put this elixir thing down.. i cruised through it in two days and found myself staying up absurdly late to get more of the story in. gary braver is an incredible writer.. i have recommeded this book to several people and they all loved it. so i am recommending it to you (person reading my crappy review).. if you want to know more about the story.. read the other reviews posted.. they are actually good.. however, i recommend you save your time and just read the book.. it is about something every person has thought about.. eternal life.. but further explains some of the problems that can come with it.. i also highly recommend the book rough beast by the same author. i read this immediately after finishing elixir because i wanted to read more from this author.

I loved Braver's Elixir! Hadn't been possessed by such a gripping read since I picked up my first Grisham novel. Elixir kept me up at night too late [sometimes with white knuckles] reading yet another chapter. I didn't want to finish it too soon - what would hold my interest after this? Braver gives us a new twist while one is still pondering the previous one.

I'm a huge Elmore Leonard fan, and Elixir has similar intrigue with great pacing, intricately interwoven sub-plots, and fast repositioning of the story line. The distinctive difference is that Elixir is more intelligently written. Braver did his homework before writing this one. It's strong on science, and has more depth of character development of the lead players - Christopher Bacon and his family. Braver brings us inside their heads, and we understand what motivates them.

Underlying the story are very real issues of aging, family values, greed, and genetic manipulation. One can't help but examine one's own attitudes. If eternal life and youthful appearance were options -what price would we be willing to pay? Braver makes us comprehend potential sacrifices - the effect on our relationships and the world at large. I appreciated the humanity and sensitivity expressed and the moral challenge to embrace life as it is - not as it might be!

Elixir will make a great flick - but be sure to read the book first - you'll be glad you did!

After enjoying 'Gray Matter' by Gary Braver, I bought Elixir from Amazon.com before Christmas and started reading it only getting to the first chapter. After the dust settled from Christmas, New Years and Valentines Day, I finally opened Elixir yesterday (Feb 16) and read 300+ pages. And I finished it the next day. I should say that I am not a fast reader, nor have I ever read 300+ pages in a single sitting (with a few time outs to eat and take care of nature) - I just could not put it down. I wept at the climactic showdown at the end. Very moving. Outstanding! This book read like a movie. I hope it gets made, but can't imagine it will be as good as the book. Thrilling!

Robert McCloskey's classic children's book, Make Way for Ducklings is just as delightful in the year 2002 as it was back when it was first published in 1941. The timeless story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their eight adorable ducklings is still a fun read for children and parents alike. The story begins as the prospective parents search for a new home suitable for raising their young ones. Mrs. Mallard is clearly the expert in this endeavor and Mr. Mallard is quite relieved when she finally settles on a spot that is not too dangerous or noisy for their young family. The couple make themselves quite at home on a little island in the Charles River of Boston, a quiet oasis within the busy city. Soon the ducklings hatch and Mrs. Mallard sets about teaching them all they need to know in order to live in the city. By now they have made good friends with some of their human neighbors, especially Michael, the policeman. When the family makes its first trip into the city, Michael calls for backup and literally stops traffic all along their path. The people the Mallards encounter are just as pleased to see the ducks as the Mallards are to be there. The reader leaves the family settling comfortably for the night after a day of happily following the Swan boats in the park and eating the peanunts tossed their way. The charm of this book lies in both the heartwarming story and th realistic but idyllic illustrations. McCloskey is quite gifted at portraying the natural world to children in a way that is authentic and familiar. Most children have seen duck families in a nearby pond and witnessed the way the ducklings learn about the world by waddling along after their parents. The sketched illustrations add to the natural feeling of the book. The depiction of the ducks is terrific because they are visually expressive but still look like ducks. Another engaging facet of the story is the positive interaction between animals and humans. The Mallards find a way to live comfortably within a city full of people and their human neighbors are welcoming and accommodating. Overall, this a warm and timeless book. It is just perfect for a parent and child to read together or for a teacher to read to a classroom of younger kids. This is a good selection for children aged 3 to 7.

A tip of the hat, one and all, to Mr. Robert McCloskey. The father of the delicately shaded picture book, his stories always contain simple plots and a bundle of warmth. "Make Way For Ducklings" (which battles with "Blueberries For Sal" for the title Best-Known-McCloskey-Story) is one of the author's strongest efforts. Bringing elements of rural and urban life together, it not only tells a great tale but remains timeless in its telling.

The story follows Mr. & Mrs. Mallard, a realistically portrayed duck couple. No animals in funny clothes here. The two settle on a small metropolitan island to lay their eggs. Once hatched it's up to Mrs. Mallard and her troop to walk to their new home in the central park with the help of their local police force.

In the sixty some odd years since its publication, "Make Way For Ducklings" has remained exactly the same. The closest it comes to dating itself (aside from the stately cars and "lending library") is that Mr. Mallard abandons his family to fly ahead to the save island. That's one way of looking at it. Another way is to point out that Mrs. Mallard is a capable mother who knows exactly how to lead her small brood. The book is fun, diverting, and illustrated beautifully. It does not pretend to be anything it isn't. It is the classic above all other classics. And it is McCloskey's greatest invention.

Children naturally are interested in understanding a parent's perspective on the family. Mr. and Mrs. Mallard's search for a safe home for their future family makes a wonderful story for children and parents to explore and understand more about parental love. Although the book has a 4-8 age reading level, younger children enjoy having it read to them (based on the experiences of my four children). The illustrations are terrific and draw the child's interest very easily. Older children like to reread the story because of its comfortable connection to their more youthful years and reinforcement of their sense of being wanted, loved, and belonging.

To me, the best part of the book is that the locations are actually easy to find in Boston. So if you live in the Boston area or ever come here, you can also take your children to experience the story. I know my younger daughter thought that her first Swan boat ride in the Public Garden was the ultimate moment in her life (up to that point). She kept wanting to know which duck was Mrs. Mallard, and which one was Mr. Mallard. Then she wanted to spot Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack (my favorite name in the book), Pack, and Quack. I had a ball! There are also statues of Mrs. Mallard and her 8 offspring that the children can touch. There's also an annual parade that you can participate in.

If you don't know the story, here's a summary: Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were looking for a place to live where they could raise a family safely. Whenever Mr. Mallard found someplace he liked, Mrs. Mallard worried about foxes and turtles. Finally they got to the pond in the Public Garden in Boston, and were too tired to go on. So they spent the night on the little island there. The next morning they could not find much food, until the people on the Swan boats began to throw them peanuts. But the Mallards were almost run over by a bicycle, so they felt they needed a safer place. They tried several, but each had a drawback. Finally, they found an island in the Charles River not far from the Public Garden that met all their requirements. Michael, the policeman, fed them peanuts. Soon, Mrs. Mallard laid 8 eggs, and stayed to hatch them. After the ducklings were born, they learned to swim and walk single file behind their Mother. One day, she walked them towards the Public Garden. But they could not get across the highway. Michael spotted them and stopped the traffic so they could cross. He called Clancy at the station and told him to send a car to help Mrs. Mallard and the ducklings cross at the Public Garden. When in the pond there, they met Mr. Mallard on the little island. They decided to live there, and followed the Swan boats for peanuts after that.

I have enjoyed reading this story and reading it to children for almost 30 years. I look forward to reading it to my grandchildren when the time comes. It has also been my favorite book to give as a gift to new parents.

Enjoy the wonderful gift of warm family feeling in this book, and leave your stalled thinking about your cares and worries behind. It will remind you what is really important in your life!