Boston

"Read any book by Ann Rinaldi for your report, then write a paper on it," said my history teacher. As soon as he mentioned Ann Rinaldi I cringed; I had tried to read "A Break With Charity" a year or two ago, and it was too boring for me to get through. So I reluctantly went to a bookstore and bought a book that was about the time period we were studying in history, "The Fifth of March." As soon as I got past the first chapter, the book got incredibly good, and I usually don't even like historical fiction.

The book is about a girl, Rachel Marsh. She is an indentured servant for John and Abigail Adams. It is about how she is struggling between keeping her position as a servant and by doing what is right, feeding a British soldier, her friend, in jail.

No matter what you need this book for, a history project, a kid who likes historical fiction, it is almost perfect. The only bad thing about the book is that some parts are boring. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to broaden their knowledge of history. Enjoy!

I LOVED this book. It's about a 14 year old girl (Rachel Marsh) who is a nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams during the Boston Massacre. Rachel befriends a British Private, Mathew Kilroy. When this happens, she must choose between her position w/the Adams', or her freindship w/,Mathew. I won't give away anymore, but this book is suspenseful, well written, and it even has a bit of romance. I couldn't put this book down when I got through the first coulple of pages!I loved it! I would also recommend Finnishing Becca, In My Father's House, Cast Two Shadows, The Secret of Sarah Revere, An Aqaintance With Darkness, The Coffin Quilt, and A Break With Charity. Rinaldi is the best author I have ever read from!

Read this, and you'll feel sooo smart...trust me! I was TEACHING MY HISTORY teacher about the Boston Massacre after I was done! This was my very first Rinaldi book, and for a while it was my favorite book in the world! This entriguing story got me hooked on reading. I got up to 10,000 pages in 4 months. Yep, it'll get you started! But anyways, Rachel Marsh is a humble nanny to the children of John and Abigail Adams. Everything in her life is comfortable...the home is nice, the children are wonderful, and she is treated by her emploers much better than a simple servant. Then, they come. One day, fleets of British troops invade Boston, and that's where Rachel meets and befriends Private Mathew Kilroy. After the Boston Massacre happens, Rachel must make a descision...break off her friendship with Mathew and remain with the Adams, or continue to be his friend and be fired! This story is so real, it almost depresses you in the sad parts. I really loved this book, and would HIGHLY RECCOMEND it to anyone!

I don't think I've spent a more enjoyable two days while reading this book! Unless you count the one day it took to read it's sequel Boston Jane: Wilderness Days! A combination of historical fiction, adventure, and romance you come to know Jane so well, she becomes one of the family. It's truly a book for all ages, so girls (ages 12-15), when you finish it, please pass it on to your mothers! It's going to be tough to wait for the third installment due Winter of 2003!

While searching the teen shelves at my local libarary, i came across this very exciting read....

The story starts off with Jane Peck, the main character in the story, in Philadelphia around the 1850s. She is a rather tomboyish, improper child, who adores her father and is interested in his job as a doctor.But, as she grows into a young lady, she is teased because of her behavior, especially by a wealthy bully, and decides to attend Miss Hepplewhite's Young Ladies Academy to improve her manners and apperance.
In the mean time, she falls in love with her fathers's apprentice, William Baldt, who has dreams of sailing, exploring the frontier and starting a lumber business. He leaves Jane, and keeps in touch with her by letters. Finally, he proposes, and she decides to leave for Washington Territory, much to the disapproval of her father.
At the moment she starts her journey, she encounters many hardships, and as she arrives in Shoalwater Bay, set to start her new life right away with William. But things do not go as smoothly as she expected, and through self exploration, her life takes a unexpected twist of fate!
Read Boston Jane to find out!

Sixteen year old Jane Peck is on the adventure of a life time. When Jane was a young girl she was what you would call a trouble maker - tomboy. Her dresses were stained with cheeries from pie, and she liked to throw rotten apples and cow dung at carriages! This all changed, however, when William, a young man who came to help her father with his work. William suggests that Jane should go to a finishing school and learn the "proper" way to do things. Jane, wanting to gain his approval, begs her father to let her attend the school. He agrees and she becomes into a very "proper" young women. A few years later she recieves a letter from William, who had moved to Oregon. The letter asked her to marry him and join him in Oregon. Defying her father's wishes she and her maid embarked on a 5 month journey on a boat where she meets many people headed for the same location. Among them there was a handsome sailor, a boring priest, and a drunk doctor who all helped to make her trip a little more interesting! When she does arrive she finds out that her fiance has left on a errand for the governor and that she must stay in a cabin infested with flees and dirty men until he returns. Jane experiences many things during his absence, such as having trouble with Indians, living with a bunch of men who don't appreciate her, and trying to stay proper all the time! This is a really good book if you like some humor, a little romance, and a lot of adventures.

Sure, the book consists of the formulaic whodunnit criterium: the good are really the bad, the bad are really the good. But I won't lie! The book is fantaaaastic! It's past 4 a.m now, I JUST finished the book and simply had to get out of my comfy bed to turn on the computer, get on-line and review this book.

This book is quick-paced from page one, has great style, both in writing and innuendo and is a suspenseful book that leaves you breathless. And despite that being a tired cliche, I really did find myself holding my breath while reading this book! As far as mystery goes, it's a real teaser.

I gave the book four stars because of the hokey Electra Complex quality that was inserted in the novel. I found it to be a tad melodramatic and even took a breath long enough to roll my eyes at the whole idea.

I wish I could say more, but don't want to give away the ending! If Joy Fielding is around much longer, Mary Higgins Clark is going to have a real problem on her hands. Though I love MHC. Kudos to both authors. By no means great literature - I just love to be thrilled.

I fell in love with Joy Fielding with her book, Grand Avenue, and whenever I go anywhere, I am always on the lookout for her books. She didn't disappoint here either ~~ she writes with her usual blend of mystery, spice and love ~~ and it's absolutely wonderful!!

Happily married with a beautiful daughter, Bonnie Wheeler thinks she has it made ~~ till her husband's ex-wife was murdered and she became the prime suspect in a whirlwind murder investigation. Then everything in Bonnie's pristine world falls apart ~~ people aren't who they seem to be. Her father and brother ~~ the two men she was estranged from for so long ~~ reappears in her life, causing her to question her upbringing. Rod, her loving husband, is always working early and late at the TV station where he works, and his children suddenly become her responsibility when their mother died ~~ and so on. Fielding takes you on a whirlwind ride through Bonnie's hunt for justice and the truth as she runs from the murderer.

This is a quick read ~~ don't read it if you don't have hours to spare because you cannot put this book down at all!! Just like Grand Avenue, it is a book with a twist at the end ~~ just when you figure out who the murderer is ~~ you're caught off guard. This is a spooky book because it is realistic as well. Enjoy this book with the lights on and the curtains pulled ~~ and the doors locked! It makes for a great reading on those upcoming long winter nights...

I have read about 5 of Fielding's books so far, and this was one of her best. The plot twisted and turned just enough so that just when I thought I had figured it out, I was proven wrong! I was totally shocked by the nerve-wracking ending! The characters were well-developed, and I felt like I knew some of them. I was actually mad on Bonnie's behalf when she discovered the truth about Rod and Diana's relationship. My only 2 issues-the length of the book, and the Haze character. There was too much time spent on him, especially when we find out that he really played only a minor role in helping Lauren.

I am hooked. Joy Fielding has a fan in me ~~ this must be the fourth book I've read of hers and I've yet to be disappointed in her writing! What a fun novel this is ~~ and it starts out with a bang and ends with a bang ~~ it's just a fun novel to read. Just prepare yourself for an afternoon of suspense.

Jane comes to and doesn't know who she is. All she knows is that she has blood on the front of her dress and she has thousands of dollars in her pockets but she doesn't know her name, nor does she know what she likes. She has no memory of who she is. And why she was standing alone on the busy streets of Boston. Amnesia. A scary psychological disorder ~~ and when she turned herself into the police, they sent her to the hospital and one of the psychologists on staff told her that something really stressful must have happened to her to block out who she is.

Jane's husband rescues her ~~ and Jane tenetatively explores her life again ~~ trying to figure out who she is and why she has lost her memory but she ends up being drugged. And the story keeps getting more suspenseful ~~ you know something is going to happen, but just not what. It's great! And Fielding keeps you enthralled as you turn every page.

If you are looking for a good read to sink into ~~ this book is it. Just be prepared not to have the ability to put the book down ~~ you won't be able to till the last page is turned. It's a great mystery and very suspenseful. Fielding has yet to disappoint me!

2-25-03

Excellent--the best of Fielding's books. The most fascinating aspect of the book is that we, as readers, are gradually learning about who Jane Whittaker was, and is, at the same time that Jane is recovering from her memory loss. Jane is a very memorable character, and the subtle descriptions of her personality traits and tendencies make for a very interesting read. This is not a "predictable mystery" by any means, although certain people are not what they appear to be. The only problem I had with the book was Jane's nosy neighbor Carole. Would any neighbor, even a NOSY one, call your doctor husband in the middle of a scheduled surgery and tell him to get home right away just because YOU LOOKED DISTRAUGHT? I didn't quite buy that one, but overall, every minute detail about the characters and events flowed smoothly. I highly recommend it.

This book was hard to put down and it made you wonder what kind of horrors were going to happen next.

To start with, Jane was running around with only a bloody coat ona dn $10,000 in her purse. She didn't even know her name,or what was going on. Desparate for answers, she finally goes to the police and they take her into a hospital, not finding her guilty of any crime. After running tests, they can come up with no answers as to why she'sost her entire memory. The figured it had to be a severe trauma.

Her doctor-husband comes to take her home where the horrors and nightmares begin. He keeps her drugged up, and Jane doesn't know why he doesn't want her to know what happened.

As she finds a path to escape, and her memory starts to clear inher head, the real horrors will begin!

I give this book an A+!

2/25/2000 Worst Book I Have Read In A Very Long Time!!

I do not know what people are thinking when they give this book a positive review. I could hardly force myself to finish it and I wouldn't have if it wasn't this months book group selection. What terrible writing! Did this guy have an editor? If you like metaphysical fiction stick with Richard Bach or Mary Summer Rain or any number of authors who know how to write. I cannot express more strongly how much I hated this book. Very, very disappointing, but again it's Don Bradley writing this stuff. Bradley--why did you quickly depart Colorado?

A young woman finds her true path to Enlightenment with special guidance from angels in both the spirtiual and physical world. Through many tribulations Haley Olsten is guided to India in the 1930s where she meets her beloved Teacher, learns how to properly look at life, death, and handle her metaphysical abilities toward the common good, to battle incredible evil rising in the world. A positive novel which proves women can be women yet accomplish great things. Though there are no accidents, everything is predestined to happen, also, that everyone chooses what family they will be born into, and that the being called God would enter the body of a woman in a trance. A fantastic story! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

The author has again succeeded in writing an epic novel that is at once both an exciting adventure story on a grand scale, as well as an unusually insightful teaching of high spiritual truths.

The story is set in the early part of the 1900s and is simply engrossing. While reading, I found within the pages of this hard-to-put-down book many simple yet profound lessons on practical living, along with the examples of how others have dealt with their spiritual path.

Esoteric history comes alive with vivid detail in this epic story, spanning countries and continents, and including secret teachers in India and magical espionage in Nazi Germany.

In today's market of new-age authors clamoring for recognition, Bradley's books clearly stand above the many. I believe this book will become one of those long sought-after classics of metaphysical literature that are so rare, even in today's climate of increasing spiritual thought.

After more than 20 crime novels, Robert Parker can still pique my interest. And twenty of almost anything usually equates to a snore. Not so here.

In "Small Vices", we revisit one of the best known ensembles of the genre; sexy invincible Spenser, seductively naive Susan, and without a doubt, the intimidating irrepressible Hawk. We also meet "The Gray Man", who wishes to put Spenser into an earlier grave than anyone, including the self-effacing Spenser, desires.

Add a friend asking for Spensers help in his framing of a murder of a young female college student, the search of suspects through Boston to the elite Manhattan crowd, and voila, another gritty up front Parker crime action in full motion.

The dialouge snaps, the plot crackles, and the .22 pops.

Thank you for your interest & comments--CDS

I have listened to most of the Spenser series in unabrdiged format from my local library, and this certainly ranks as one of the best I've heard.

The production version is unquestionably the best. While I have loved Michael Pritchard's voice as Spenser in the past, Burt Reynolds does a remarkable job of portraying all of the Spenser cast. The hardest is always Hawk, and Reynolds brings it off beautifully. The music cues actually add to the novel, which is something I have never heard before in years of listening to books.

The story is one of the more imaginitive ones I have yet heard from Parker. A good adversary for Spenser is something I have been longing for, and the "Gray Man" fits the bill. The plot is engaging, we see sides of Spenser and his relationship with Susan previously unexplored, and deeper glimpses of Spenser's friendship with Hawk.

And this has got to be the only appearance of a rifle chambered in .458 Magnum in a novel. I gotta know where Parker gets his weapons information.

I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could, but I can't, and it's closer to 4.6, so I give it 5. Not perfect, but wonderful. I hated to hear the ending.

This is one of my favorite Spenser tales. And we love him because . . . . I guess it's kind of that John Wayne feeling, you like to have a big guy around who can always be relied upon to take care of business. Here, he almost fails, and that's the magnetism of Small Vices.

Spenser is hired by the now successful, leggy Rita Fiore. There is the usual overt flirting ". . . too bad you didn't . . ." and "Boy, if you only had . . ." and "you had your chance . . " that we've come to chuckle at and with the honorable sleuth.

Here he's asked to track down 'the real murderer' which will free a man wrongfully doing life in the hard place.

It's hard to pity the imprisoned man Spenser is asked to free. It seems most feel he doesn't really deserve to be freed . . . even the loyal friend Hawk feels that Alves belongs in jail, "either for this crime or one he got away with."

But Spenser, who again tells someone his first name but not us, gets too close and takes three slugs to the shoulder, leg and chest.

It takes Susan, Hawk, Quirk, Belson, Lee Farrel and Vinnie nearly a year to rehab Spenser, who loses 40 pounds in the process, has a hard time making his limbs do what he wants them to, and basically can't walk. But they do and honor and heroism prevail, villains are suitably thrashed, and Susan and Spenser hook up. Again. And again.

There's a lot of vulnerability in Spenser this time. Like Joe Pike in The Last Detective, his body has betrayed him and he is lost. Sadness, even tears. The pages describing Spenser trying to get up the hill in Santa Barbara after again learning how to walk again are riveting. Good stuff.

If I had a disappointment, it was Spenser's laissez faire attitude towards Hawk who took a year off to mentor/train/help him. But maybe that's part of the mystique, he knew how he felt and so did Hawk.

Great stuff. Rachel Wallace is still #1 for me but Small Vices is a close second.

I think that this book is one of the best baseball books that I have ever read. I think that people who want to know about the history of the Red Sox and the Yankees should read this book. This book is about the1939 to 1949 seasons. It talks about a number of players and it explains everything that they had to go through before they got into the major leagues. The players are all from the Yankees and the Red Sox. Also, it is very interesting because it talks about how hot it was in 1948 while they were playing baseball. I think that all Yankees and Red Sox fans should read this book.

I decided to write this review tonight because Ted Williams died earlier today. It reminded me of this nostalgic and terrific book by David Halberstam that covered the day to day tug of war between the Red Sox and Yankees during the '49 season. Williams single handedly carried the Sox on his back the whole season and Dimaggio came back from an injury to lead the Yanks.
Halberstam contrasts the two personalities and how the way they lived was reflected in how they played the game. Players rode on trains in '49 and formed friendships while playing cards on the long road trips. Guys like Cal Ripkin Jr. would fit right in back then. Guys like Bonds and Belle would have found themselves walking on the tracks.
During this race we see a time that is gone. It was a time when America was baseball and baseball was America. Williams had lost part of his career to serve his country. Halberstam doesn't just paint a nostalgic picture with a broad brush but gives us the small details also. The New York Press may have loved Dimaggio and Berra's great quotes but Williams had just the opposite relationship with the Boston sportswriters. They were always questioning his ability and his attitudes.
Ted Williams was a man who LOVED baseball and revered the game. Williams had his own personal code he played by. Many Boston sportswriters were all over Williams because he WOULDN'T make a fuss over a home run. Ted refused to tip his cap coming around third after hitting one out, he felt it was "showing off" and did not belong in baseball. Wow! Where have you gone Ted Williams?
Williams had an integrity about hitting that could prompt him to talk for hours about it. He got a lot of walks in his career because he simply refused to go after a pitch that was two inches outside. The '49 race between the Sox and Yanks came down to the final two games of the season, head to head. By the time Halberstam brings us here we have had a wonderfully nostalgic look at baseball and America. It is aterrific read about a great time in our history we will never see again. Read this book and remind yourself what baseball once was.
Ted Williams will be missed both by baseball and America....

David Halberstam has created a wonderful look back into baseball history that can be enjoyed by baseball fans from all eras. I became a fan during the early 70's and had season tickets to the San Francisco Giants of the late 80's and early 90's, but this book made me wish I could go back in time to watch the great Yankee/Red Sox pennant race of 1949. I enjoyed this book so much and read it so many times, I had to get a second copy to loan out to friends and fellow fans.

From the initial description of the end of the '48 season, through the epic World Series of '49, Halberstam draws the reader into the world of baseball in the time before big contracts and network television. The behind the scenes look at the players, both great and forgotten, is extraoridnary. For most fans, the names of Dimaggio and Williams are well known, and many can recite the great acheivments of their careers. But what makes this book so interesting is the inside look at the teams and the individuals who made up these teams. Reading about these players and the way the game impacted their lives was an incredible thrill.

If you are a baseball fan, read this book. I guarantee you will love it, and will likely end up reading it again and again. Halberstam has written a masterpiece.

When a friend bought me my first copy, I scoffed...until I desperately needed info one morning at 4 a.m.! This new edition is truly the most valuable, informative and comforting resource a woman can own. Like a 24-hr health helpline, it gives you complete, easy-to-understand info on even the smallest question you have about your body - often including "trade secrets" that many women have known and used for successfully years, but that doctors forego in lieu of relying solely on prescription meds. Written by women, OBOS not only tells you "what's normal" for most women's bodies, but also provides a quick guide to warning signs, technical terms, healthcare options - anything and everything you want to know when your body is at stake. Common cures; Herbal supplements; Preventative Care; Prescription drugs (and side effects); Support Groups; Diagrams; Photographs; Web sites ... it's all in here. And it's all about YOU.

I have every edition of the book and have recommended it to my friends and family for 25 years!! It has only gotten better with age.

The book is strickly by women for women. Labor pains are not a theoretical concept in this group. These women know what they're talking about. The information is clearly presented and you can trust it. There is not doubt that the women speaking are political and have a point of view. You can skip reading the side bar discussions if left of center, feminist politics are not your thing (or you might read them and change your mind.) In either case, you need the medical and practical information. Personally, I found reading the personal thoughts of others in my situation was really helpful in dealing with my own feelings.

This book will empower you in dealing with any medical situation by giving you good information on anatomy, procedures, medications, side effects, etc. and will help you ask the right questions before anything is done to your body or that of your mother, daughter, sister, friend, and in some areas, the men in your life as well.

Each edition of this book has always been both exactly on the pulse of what the world needs as well way ahead of its time. How mean-spirited of the one reviewer to begrudge the fact that this book dares to treat lesbians, straights and people of all colors and creeds alike. Equally valuable in the book is its emphasis on how politicized women's medicine is. If you read no other book on women's health, read this one.

If you are an average American this book will open your eyes to the extremes of the Right-wing in this country. This book is undoubtably one of the most important books ever written about the far-Right in American life today. The author takes a hard, uncompromising book at Pat Robertson, leader of the Christian Coalition. It clearly outlines the group's theocratic agenda and exposes some of the darker sides of Pat Robertson and his followers. This book is meant to be a warning to Americans. There is a determined group of people out there who are dedicated to destroying the separation of church and state, curtailing individual freedoms, and imposing theocratic rule on American life. Please get informed about this issue. The future of America depends on people willing to take a stand for the true American way

This book has confirmed my worst fears about the likes of Pat Roberston and the "Christian Coalition". This book exposes the madness of Robertson, and his ploys and tactics to establish a theocratic nation where everyone and anyone who is not a "Christian" is the scum of the earth. While Robertson may appear to have good intentions and only wanting the best for all of us, he seems to have forgotten one crucial point: America is not-AND SHOULD NOT BE- a theocracy.

I have always had my doubts regarding these "Men of God", but really had no idea just how dangerous and clever they really are. Our constitutional rights are about to be lost forever. What Robertson really has in mind is to become President and turn us into a "Holy Nation". His plots and schemes are similiar to the Roman Catholic Church's "One-World Religion" plan, in which they want absolute and total control over all matters of faith and morals. Folks, after reading this one, you'll wonder how this guy can sleep at night. Dangerous or perhaps even crazy? YOU BET! Read it and shudder as to what may lie ahead. A solid 5 star rating.

Of course, this was written in 1996, before Karl Rove...er, I mean Dubya took over.

Coma was one of my favorite books of a couple decades ago, and when I revisited it recently I was surprised to find it still quite enjoyable, despite being somewhat dated in terms of the medical technology. That's because good writing lasts a long time. Strong characters, well-developed plot, driving suspense, it's all there.

I'm not trained in medicine, but I certainly got the impression that the book was thoroughly researched and technically accurate for its time. I can envision interns, nurses, doctors and other medical practitioners now laughing at how things have changed in the field since Cook wrote it. But maybe that's a reason to read the book. What a great study in the recent history of medicine and hospital procedure. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author or Wake Up Dead.

Coma is a great book about the medical field. The author is Robin Cook, who coincidentally is a doctor, who writes chilling stories about his practice.The title COMA has a lot to do with the main subject of the book. The book is about a college student named, Susan Wheeler and how she investagates how the many patients are slipping into comas unexpectally. She goes through many obstacles to try to the find the answers. None of the doctors or employees at the hospital want to help her. She then fiqures out the problem and that's when many people want bad things done to her.

Robin Cook's style of writing is kind of technical with the medical terms. It is easy to use clues, to fiqure out the meaning of terms. His method of organization is cause/effect, because for every reaction their is either a positive or negative reaction. The author neglected to finish the end of the book and tell the audience about what happened th Wheeler.This book is for mature teenagers, because some of the language and the thoughts of many characters are obsene. The author keeps your attention by making you keep reading the book until the end. At the end of the book the author reveal many of the questions that you wanted answered throughout the book. Coma starts off calm, then toward the end of the book you can't put it down!!

One of the most amazing books ever it grabs you and wont let go it's just that good