NO

I just finished this book and I really loved it. Brad and his little wife mad me, shall we say really mad. Why can't they just leave Ashleigh and Pride alone. And when Charlie died I cried. Other than Ashleigh he is my favorite character. I really loved the way Ashleigh spread Charlie's ashes. I also really like the way Campbell had a mixture of steeplechases, racing, and some jumping. She really knows how to write a good book. A must read for Thoroughbred fans.

This book is a) really really interesting and has all my favourite characters in it and b) so exciting I could hardly put it down! Pride is the most fantabulous horse and Sammy and Ashleigh are really great too. I cheered when Lavinia and Brad got their comeuppance. If you haven't got this book or havent read it I suggest you do!

This is the most amazing book i have EVER seen( I like to read Books so imagine how many I have read)! Joanna Cambell is Amazing! I hope they come out with MORE,MORE,MORE!!!!!!!!!

Deborah Chester's "Crimson Claw" is a sci-fi novel with a definite historical feel to it. While the story was about the conflict between the slave races and the master race,set on a different planet in a different time, I always got the feeling I was reading about the Gladiators of the Roman Empire. This is not a negative criticism, just that the story had a very real flavor to it.

Additionally just about all her characters seem very real and that is disturbing. I found it very difficult to hate most of her bad/evil character because she gave them so much dept. And it made a lot of their motivations very understandable. Chester has a knack for getting into all her characters heads and while the story is about Ampris, it could have also been about Elrabin, Israi, or the Kaa.

Surprisingly however, two minor characters who play a big part in the book get the short shrift. Halehl, her trainer we really know nothing about. And an early antagonist Sheri, her early bunk

mate, who I kept expecting to see in the ring.

One thing that bothered me was that Ampris's team "The Blues" were supposed to be the reigning arena champions, but they cheated big time in a number of ways. Chester gave little attention to the possibility that they could or would ever get caught. At one point in the book Halehl threatens to sell Ampris, but the thought that Ampris might reveal their cheating techniques never comes up.

Another thing that is not clear is why is the Viis empire crumbling. Sure they are not fixing things, the economy is collapsing and they are a ruthless race. But why? Their motivations for allowing all this to happen boggles my mind. Perhaps it will be more explained in the last book.

Minor quibbles' thou. The book is a very quick read and completely engrossing. And after you are finished you will want more. A book kinda sorta similar to this book is McCaffrey's "Freedom Landing" trilogy. However while that book purports to be about runaway earth slaves from a master alien race, it is really a book about colonization.

lewis@qnet.com

I was reading the golden one when I thought crosses my mind. Would Elrabin meet Ampris in the arena? But as I read the second I found that untrue. My question is, in book number one it says Elrabin was sold to the Utar Dan gladitory school. How did he end up a servant for Sir Galard and the blues? That's my only question. Otherwise both books are great! I can't put them down. In Homeroom, Language Arts. You name it I read it there. Hopefully after the trilogy you will keep writing your amazing and wonderful Alien Chronicles

I have a bad habit of reading books out of order. The reason being my local library doesn't contain certain volumes. Even though, I started with this volume I felt as though I didn't miss a beat. When reading this book I felt that this world is waiting to be discovered and I have to say I'm proud to be one of the few that discovered it. Ms Chester has a unique way of drawing you in and wow, I felt like I was in entirely different universe which separated itself from anything out there. The whole infrastructure of the Viis empire and community was interesting. The Viis being superior to any race out there gave you an understanding of how Ambris felt. She felt supressed and seeking out a way for every race to feel equal. Even though she was a slave turned famous gladiator she stayed true to who she was and what she believed. No mattered what had happened to her especially when she gave birth to genetically experimented children she still believed in the greater good of things. Everything in this book shows how Debra Chester had great depth of knowledge of this universe. So now goes on my search for part one and part three.

I first read this book when I was in the sixth grade. I am now 27 years old and have been searching for this book ever since. I could not remember the title or author but was able to find it ... . Thank you ... . This book touched my heart so much. People often asked why would you want to read a book so horrible - it is not the content but how the book made you feel. It is an amazing book and it will surely make you weep. I am very happy I was able to find it after all this time.

I first read this book in the sixth grade and haven't been able to find it in any library since. However, it has made me more aware of child abuse in America and how horrible it really is. I cannot believe that some judges will overlook this sort of thing while I as a young child was able to see how gruesome it is. Even now I am only 14 and outraged that this is being overlooked in our country. I think every teenager should read this book. It makes us,who especially at this age are self-centered appreciate what we have.

This is a must read book. What does it take before we as a society see what is happening to our children and do something about it. Why do we have to read after the fact books like DEATH FROM CHILD ABUSE, or A CHILD CALLED IT or NIGHTMARES ECHO before we as a nation come together for these children.
I lived the life of abuse, no not to the degree of this...Thank Goodness, but no one heard my cries either...no one paid any attention. We have got to pay attention!!

I read books 1-4 of DIADEM.I will buy 5 and 6. You should keep on writing. Think of making this book a television series, computer software(Windows 95), and a movie. You should make a book that they have to face an evil version of themselves. And Shanara has enough power to help them and give them each a unicorn horn and a familiar(bird,mammal,reptile). And each gets a griomore or book of spells. Helaine has Eremin's, Score has Traxis's, and Pixel has Nantor's.

This book is about 3 people, Score, Helaine and Pixel. They have exiting adventures and it feels like the characters are real! I think everyone should get to read this fantastic book. I read about 50 pages and then got so interested in the book I read the whole book. This is the best book I've ever read,and the most exiting adventure story I ever read! I can't wait for the other book!

this is the first diadem book iv'e read its a little like a modern lord of the rings (iv'e read all three of those) my sayso is buy it!(by the way if you like this i recomend deltora quest)

If you're going to have dessert, then have dessert. That said, why try to bake diet fudge cake? Ironically, these aren't actually the heaviest recipes I've read for desserts - the sour cream fudge layer cake (0kay I slipped in fat free sour cream with no harm!) is actually quite reasonable in the calorie department and fabulous. Oh, who am I kidding? This is no diet book, simply one of the very best baking books with foolproof recipes, explicit instructions, a friendly tone, and enough variety to please all. I recommend it as a classic for perfect baked goods. It has a place of honor on my shelf. Cookies, cakes, frostings...simply the best. Everyone will think you had a friendly grandma who taught you everything.

I bought this book in a used bookstore - hard to imagine! I love baking but have been let down by one to many recipes in my time. This booked looked different though - the title itself goes along with my thinking of baking. When I bake I am not into the diet - fatfree form. I intend to indulge in all the delicious flavors that only come from "real" ingredients. I tried several things and they all turned out perfectly. Then I baked the pinapple upside down cake and my father-in-law who isn't the biggest talker - couldn't stop talking about the "best cake he had ever tasted". Try the brownies, the carrot-pinapple cake and the chocolate chip cookies too, oh and the pie crust recipe - simple and perfect every time. You will never find my copy of this book in a used bookstore. This is just simply the best ever baking book I have ever owned.

If nothing else, you must try Rosie's award-winning brownie recipe at least once!!! They are phenomenal! It is the perfect combination of fudginess with the right amount of chewiness / gooeyness. Rosie's Boom-Boom's on the following page add a cheesecake-like topping which gets swirled in and that dessert is to die for too!! The stories added on to each recipe are cute, and the recipes I have made (mostly from the cookies and bars sections of her book) have been fairly uncomplicated and turned out delicious every time!

Although there is a wide range of recipes in the book, I feel it falls short in a couple of areas.
(1) Glaringly--overuse of soy and soy products in order to cut carbs. The result--physically harmful levels of soy in some of these recipes! Surely anyone with a thyroid condition or anyone male should stay as far from most of these recipes as possible. (That much soy won't do anyone any good, but those two groups in particular would do wise to steer clear of the estrogenic content of these recipes).
(2) The author does not have a description of ingredients (and there are some weird ones) in one location like an appendix. Instead there are occasional page notes throughout and one has to fish to find information.
(3) The author does not list alternatives or substitutes for some of the more bizarre ingredients for the benefit of those people might wish to avoid for a host of reasons...like stevia (many can't handle the taste) or soy (which causes gas but can thoroughly disrupt te endocrine system).

My overall take on the recipes in this book is that they are very suited to someone who is simply into counting carbs for the sake of weight loss, but not for the sake of improving overall health through eating whole, nonprocessed foods.

I have at least 12 low carb cookbooks and have checked many out of the local library. I have three favorites I use all the time and this is one of them. I love that the recipes are all under 10 carbs. (I've actually gone through some of my cookbooks with highlighters so I can find a particularly low carb recipe fast; green for 0-3 carbs, yellow for over 3-7 carbs, pink for over 7 carbs). I didn't cooked before going low carb and every recipe I've tried from this book has turned out great. Some I use regularly because they are so simple and delicious - like fake fudge and shake and bake chicken legs. If you only want to buy a few low carb cookbooks make sure this is one of them. CC

I have always loved sweets. It is what usually sabotaged my dieting attempts and my attempts to live a more healthly life. I made the Holiday Carmels from this book and I knew I was hooked. I have used both books by this author and found the information to be very helpful in watching my carbohydrate intake. I feel as if I can throw out all my other cook books with this one and her first one on my shelf!

I am a psychologist working in a college counseling center, and this is the number one book on assertiveness that I recommend to my clients. Dr. Smith begins by describing "Your 10 Assertive Rights," a reminder that we all have a right do such human things as say "I don't know" and change our minds. He then introduces various assertiveness strategies one by one, starting with the very basic skill of persistence (AKA the "broken record" technique). For each strategy, Dr. Smith presents a short dialogue vignette to help you better understand how to apply that technique to real life. Once he has thoroughly taught all of the individual techniques, Dr. Smith puts them all together and addresses assertiveness in different types of situations--ie, with your family members versus with your boss. This is a great book for anyone who is tired of not being able to say "no" and ready to learn how to change their behavior.

I found this book to be excellent in helping me, making my own decisions about myself and not worring about how others felt about everything I did in my life, I found I don't have to account to anyone except myself and God for what I do with my life and how I handle it. I gave me the format to be able to tell people how I felt without feeling quilty about it. Even if I did have to repeat myself over and over.At this time of reading I was going through the fact that I just was diagnoised with breast cancer, and it helped me deal with myself and others especially family. Basically it help me accept it. Thank you for writing the book and me able to read it. Highly recommended.

This book goes far beyond theoretical principles on how to be more assertive. It gives numerous sample dialogues which reflect everyday situations. One practical method is the use of fogging. You implicitly agree with the critic in order to simultaneously deflect the criticism without resorting to hostility. In this book, you learn how to be assertive in relatively impersonal situations (such as dealing with a persistent salesman) as well as closer ones (such as negotiating with an employer, or conversing with a dissatisfied spouse). A teacher can learn, using this book, how to cope with students who try to manipulate her into changing their grades on an "unfair" test.

The story of a rich New England family in the post revolutionary war era. It centers around three sisters who are beginning a quilt together. Only people who have touched their lives will contribute a piece of fabric to the quilt. The sisters seperate but you realize the families will be reunited in books later in the series. This novel seemed more contrived than most of Rinaldi's novels but still thrilling. Worth a read but if you haven't yet become a Rinaldi fan I would recommend Cast Two Shadows or A Break with Charity first.

This book was great! WOW! To tell you the truth, it wasn't one of the best Ann Rinaldi books I've ever read, but hey, it passes. Fifteen year-old Hannah Chelmsford has a mixed up life: a seperated family we could call it. Her father is a mean old man who won't allow either Hannah or Abby(his oldest daughters) to marry who they wish, he won't let his son Lawrence marry or paint, and his youngest son he hates beyond all things. Thankful is his favorite, and the only "perfect" Chelmsford in her father's eyes. Well, Hannah's mother is dead, and she takes it as her job to hold the family together. She even starts on a quilt with her two sisters. They each have a cloth, and patch together peices of people they love and trust in their lives. When her youngest brother, Cabot, runs off to sea, a secret about their mother is revealed, and Hannah finds her true love, Richard. Later in the story, we find out that when father, Lawrence, and Thankful were on their trip west, Thankful is taken by Indians. Read this to find out the rest...it's great!

Imagine you are a 14 year old girl who has to deal with the death of your dear mother. This situation would change your life forever.

Well that's what Hannah has to deal with in the story "A Stitch In Time" by Ann Rinaldi.

In this story Hannah is left with all the troubles that her mother has left behind after her death. There are many family problems Hannah can't deal with such as the way Hannah's father, Nathenial has betrayed his youngest son, Cabot; and the way Abigal, the oldest of the kids, ran off to marry Nate Vudeau, who she was forbidden to see. Hannah is making a quilt to try to piece back the lives they once had that were full of joy and happiness but now are full of pain and sorrow. Ann Rinaldi is a very dramatic writer. This came through in one if the scenes where Hannah gets a letter from her sister Abigal, Hannah thought Abigal was missing out at sea. The days and nights went by and Hannah had not gotten a letter from her sister. She had this awful feeling that something terrible had happened. She cried and wondered why Abigal had to go marry some wretched sea captain. Finally on a rainy, gloomy afternoon there was a quiet knock on the door. "I have a letter for you miss." Hannah's legs grew weak; she carefully took the letter. "Thank you," she replied. She quickly read the letter. It was from Abigal saying she was on an Island and doing well. Hannah's chest felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off off. If you enjoy a dash of History, and cups of drama; if you like books you can't put down...I recommend you should read "A Stitch In Time. You will love it!

This was one of the best Sweet Valley Senior Year Books by far!After Conner kicked out Liz, I absolutely HATED him with a passion!But after this book, may I say he is forgiven and then some. I knew that Will was a jerk and a butthead, so none of that surprised me. I loved how this book was funny AND sweet at the same time! I recommend this book be nominated for some big time award! Okay, I know, I know, that's a little exaggerated, but this was a REALLY good book! Go Conner!

"All About Love" picks up where the wild party in the previous book left off--with a prim-and-proper Elizabeth Wakefield getting drunk and unexpectedly being rescued by a chivalrous Conner McDermott. After that knight-in-shining-armor scene, it appears that Conner is half-man enough to get involved with Liz once again, where before he was too commitment-phobic to even speak to her, for fear of being tied down to one person.

Will Simmons and Jessica Wakefield are obviously having some problems in this book. For starters, Will repeatedly compares Jessica to his long-term ex-girlfriend, Melissa Fox; and Jessica thinks Will is being too possessive and pushy for her taste--plus she's not entirely over her ex either. Things get worse, though, when they decide to double date with Conner and Elizabeth, and one of them walks out during the meal.

Personally, I've never cared for Will. He's obviously not over Melissa, and I still can't excuse his previous spineless behavior concerning the rumors about Jessica.

Meanwhile, Andy Marsden, the joke-cracking slacker (one of my favorite characters in this book), is trying to get "serious" (if you can ever call him that) about raising his GPA and SAT scores for college--but fails miserably. It's amusing how easily he's distracted, like when he finds his old Game Boy hiding on the floor of his closet.

Overall, "All About Love" is another great addition to the SVH Senior Year series, though the title is a little misleading if you're expecting an in-depth explanation on love or expect everyone to be happy with who they're currently with--and that just won't happen, because where would the fun be in that? The unknown ghostwriter (Francine Pascal is just the creator of this series, not the actual writer) continues to generate enjoyably fast-paced stories that are barely printed fast enough for her(?) hungry fans, who can usually devour one or more of them a day. The chat room conversations, short stories, and journal entries certainly make this series more hip and popular than other teen romance series out there.

wow, i really loved this book. id have to say that this might be the best one in the series. I have been waiting forever for conner to finally admit that he does care about Liz and then freaking not dump her after a week. Thank god that didnt happen, like maria and all his other "conquests". although, i did feel bad for maria for a splitsecond about them getting together...since she was so crushed before. oh wait, shes dating Ken. nevermind, i guess this is a good book because my favorite couple finally admited that they were in l-o-v-e and are happy about it. :) doesnt it make you wish there were a conner for everyone?
makes me wish that...;)

When it comes to making major mistakes...credit cards and bad relationship are it. Ms. Manuel hits the nail right on the head with this piece, a must read for our teens entering college. A lesson is learned reading this novel...read this book before it's to late for you or your children. I enjoyed the characters- met some of these guys growing up in the hood. Ms. Manuel, I hope you are traveling and spreading the word about this book. Thank you, can't wait for the next book.

i have 2 say after long endless hours of reading scribbled words and scratched out sentences on notebook paper that im finally glad 2 have read the finished book. Melissa did a great job. I would recommend this book 2 anyone it is truly a funny and inspiring novel. It allows the reader 2 become the main character Toya and experience some of lifes toughest choices. It is great 4 the young reader 2 learn how hard single life really is especially when debts r created and children r made. It allows women 2 know that they do not need men & their access baggage and drama that they bring on that we as women can b strong and independent amongst ourselves. Melissa is one of the strongest, funniest, charismic, dependable, and talented women i know. i have known her 4 almost three years & i will continue 2 support her every decision that she makes. She has always told me 2 never lose my faith n God and i love her 4 that ill always b here 4 ya chica..... Melly Mel ur wonderful keep up the great book.

I met Melissa in 2002 just months after her first publication of "No Crystal Stair". Melissa is an inspiration for someone who is looking to become a free lance writer. She has encouraged me more to finish my first novel. I would recommend reading her book because after reading all the situations that she wrote about in her book, there is someone out there who can relate.

GO MELISSA!!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!