On-the-tape

I first read "He Still Moves Stones" several years ago when a friend loaned it to me. I've purchased several copies since. Max Lucado captures the wonder of God's grace. I read it again a month ago and cried again during the same passages. The book is layed out in a series of vignettes with common theme. I just gave a copy to a couple who are going through a tough time with a teenage child. He hasn't had a chance to read it, yet, but his wife is reading it. She told him today that she likes it very much and finds it motivational and uplifting.

A friend at church loaned me this book. This book has left me feeling so small and unworthy of such a wonderful God. Since I became a Christian,two years ago in August 1997, God has performed several miracles in my life, one being healing my lungs to the extent that I no longer require supplemental oxygen twenty four hours a day. I had been oxygen dependant for over eleven years and now only require it in emergencies. I praise the Lord for this miracle and all the others He continues to show me. I literally shook as I read Maxs' book, because I am a living testament to the healing powers Max refers to of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord continue to bless Max Lucado with word to touch other souls so they too may know, God IS still with us. We need only to seek Him. HE WILL ANSWER!

This is a most powerful and empowering book. Max Lucado, a spiritual writer, refers to the way Christ moves the stones (obstacles) in your path with this title. Such relevant issues include feeling shame for past behaviors, when others let us down, facing discouragement, having a bad attitude and my personal favorite dealing with difficult relatives. Lucado who often writes with a whimsical format, wrote this book more on a pensive level although not critical. He even has a chapter he calls "Listless Christianity". My favorite quote in the book is "Faith sometimes begins by stuffing your ears with cotton". Meaning you have to ignore those who tell you that you aren't smart enough, not strong enough, not pretty enough, not tall enough, etc. to achieve your goals. After you have finished the text, there are study guides for you to review at your own pace. These study guides will provide the opportunity for you to apply what you have learned to your individual situation.

Well, Jayne Ann Krentz aka Amanda Quick has basically one formula for her stories. But what a formula. She is light, she is witty, but the Quicks are just her JAKs in period costume. But that does not stop her from giving you a winner tale. If you like JAK/Quick, you will LOVE her only medieval. If you are not her fan...your tough luck..lol...you are missing one great time!!
The one of two medievals (Desire being the other) from the talented Ms. Krentz/Quick. With her usual charm and wit, she creates lovable, endearing characters and as with all Quick/Krentz novels, the emphasis is on fun and hi-jinx and romance.

This time Lady Alice joins forces with Sir Hugh the Relentless,on a hunt for a long lost stone, which could cost them their lives. The tale is so endearing! Lady Alice will Capture your heart!!

When Lady Alice plucks up her nerve and approaches Hugh the Relentless, is its a dark and stormy night (lol). He is black haired, with amber eyes (with JAK you get amber, green or grey!). The first impression, he is every bit the fearsome warrior of his reputation, but to Lady Alice he is her knight in shining armour. She thinks she can control this man, after all she has been driving away fortune-seeking suitors for years, along with managing her interfering family.

Lady Alice has deliberately lured him to this man with the promise of a green crystal belong to him. But Lady Alice is using it as a bargaining chips (also she does not have it!!). She is hoping to find it, and her dowry to free herself and her brother from her uncle's clutches. Hugh agrees to her terms, only, he has terms of his own: that Lady Alice must agree to a temporary betrothal and spend the winter in Hugh's great stone fortress, Scarcliffe Keep.

The adventure begins, but Sir Hugh's lifelong enemy is plotting against them.

One of the few authors I keep in hardback and there is a reason for it!!

This book by Amanda Quick was absolutely adorable, and is a perfect example of the Quick we all know and love.

Alice and Hugh the Relentless both have claims to a certain green stone, but neither actually has it, as it has been stolen from both of them. Alice believes she knows where it is, and makes a deal with Hugh to help him find it, and in return he will pay for her brother's education in France and giver her money to enter a convent and study. However, Hugh wants a wife, so he tells Alice he needs a temporary betrothal that he will later break, but in truth is counting on keeping Alice.

I can certainly see why, because Alice was inteligent, witty, and chanllenging. Hugh was an equally likeable character who was a good strategist, caring, loveable, kind, and of course, relentless. They were the perfect pair in marriage and partners in solving the mystery of the green stone.

This was an interesting change from Quick, who does not normally write medievals, but it was just as enjoyable as the rest of her books. If you like this one, I recommend With This Ring and Dangerous, or any other Quick book. They are all excellent. Happy Reading!

Mystique was my first Amanda Quick book and it has certainly encouraged me to read more. I would give it 4 and a half stars, but I decided to round up.

Alice is a strongheaded strongwilled young woman bent on escaping her uncle's guardianship and helping her brother establish a future. Hugh the Relentless provides a means to that, so regardless of his reputation, Alice makes a bargain with him. Hugh wants the green crystal to make his people see that he is the true lord of his lands and Alice can find the crystal for him. In return, he has to make sure Alice gets away from her uncle and her brother can study abroad.

This all sounds very nice until Hugh decides that he needs a real betrothal for he has to find someone to oversee the household (he's very picky about food and cleaning) during the winter and to prove to his people that he is ready to settle down. Alice, thinking that it's temporary agrees. But then the unexpected happens...they fall in love.

Hugh is an amazing hero. He cherishes Alice deeply and never loses his temper with her. Even when she helps his lifelong nemesis, he doesn't embarrass her in public and declares that her word is his word and that he will always support her.

The only complaint that I have about this book is how easily and quickly the green crystal was found. However, the mystery at the end makes up for it...partially.

Overall, this book is a joy to read and you'll laugh reading about how she "controls" her husband and "brings him to heel". Amazing woman. =)

I was thrilled to see another revision of this beloved classic. Jim Trelease has done a LOT for the world of busy parent's, wanting to give the love of books and reading to their children.

It is another way to learn and apply lessons in Child Development while actively sharing a love for excellent books with your child from birth to... the next generation of children in your life and beyond.

Among the cherished wisdom you will receive within the pages... Mr. Trelease recommends you welcome your toddler to your world as a host of a huge party with your child as the guest of honor! Treat him or her as such by introducing the love of reading by modeling your joy for reading not ONLY the books on your list... start reading the books recommended here as well, even when your child is NOT sitting on your lap listening.

Also exceptional are the sections on Oprah, Harry Potter and "Series" child readers devour. In the Oprah section, Trelease discusses what she has done to increase active readers in our adult population and how to do the same for the children you reach (talk about books animatedly, passionately, and discuss a bit and then bring it back into the discussion again and again and again... always animatedly and with passion).

This title honors children and parents... and I find myself revisiting the treasury of books over and over and over and will purchase the recommended books. Each time I do, I know I will not be disappointed.

I received this book as a gift when my son, now 6, was born. It's BY FAR, the BEST GIFT I EVER RECEIVED. I have since bought the latest edition to update myself on the latest read-aloud treasury, and the updated information on how we can inspire reading in our children. I have relied on the treasury in the book to guide me through the morass of children's books available, and my children have come to love many of the books, and authors listed. (When I asked my six-year old what books he wanted to get at the library the other day, he told me "Maybe something by Shel Silverstein".)

Jim Trelease's words have inspired me to share my read-aloud experiences with my friends, and I have bought many of them copies of their own. His common sense approach to how we can garner interest in reading in our schools should be required reading by educators. I agree with another reviewer who said she wishes she had money to buy every teacher in her school this book (I've started with the Principal in my son's school.)

A must have for any parent. If most of these reviews read like the testimonials of people involved in a cult, it's because we really believe in Jim Trelease's ideas, because we've seen the results in our own families. If this book doesn't inspire you to remember your own favorite books, the joy you felt when your parents read to you, and to spend time reading with your children, nothing will.

I was thrilled to see another revision of this beloved classic. Jim Trelease has done a LOT for the world of busy parent's, wanting to give the love of books and reading to their children.

It is another way to learn and apply lessons in Child Development while actively sharing a love for excellent books with your child from birth to... the next generation of children in your life and beyond.

Among the cherished wisdom you will receive within the pages... Mr. Trelease recommends you welcome your toddler to your world as a host of a huge party with your child as the guest of honor! Treat him or her as such by introducing the love of reading by modeling your joy for reading not ONLY the books on your list... start reading the books recommended here as well, even when your child is NOT sitting on your lap listening.

Also exceptional are the sections on Oprah, Harry Potter and "Series" child readers devour. In the Oprah section, Trelease discusses what she has done to increase active readers in our adult population and how to do the same for the children you reach (talk about books animatedly, passionately, and discuss a bit and then bring it back into the discussion again and again and again... always animatedly and with passion).

This title honors children and parents... and I find myself revisiting the treasury of books over and over and over and will purchase the recommended books. Each time I do, I know I will not be disappointed.

I first heard this enchantingly wonderful book on cassette tape when i was at art lessons. I would wait impatiently till the next week so I could hear more~ more about the Golux (who resembles only half the things he says he doesn't!) and about Princess Saralinda and the Prince whose name begins with X... and doesn't! This book is full of whimsical wonderful wordplay and contains almost all of my favorite quotes of all time. It isn't very long, but every sentence is filled with some little quips or verbal oddities that, quite literally, made me smile and laugh while reading (a funny sight XD). This book is without question one of my favorites of all time~ a truly wonderful tale that can be read over and over again without ever growing old. Truly classique. I mean, the book that's given me my tagline HAS to be great: "We all have flaws and mine is being evil."

A tremendous piece of literature I was lucky enough to read at age 8. I'm still re-reading it today as an adult and continue to find it imaginitive, without being syrupy or preachy. Our protagonist, the minstral-turned-Prince, must save the Princess Saralinda before the coniving Duke forces her to marry him. The Duke sets out an impossible task for the Prince, hoping that he will perish before he weds Saralinda on her 21st Birthday.

What is so amazing about this story is that each character has so much more dimension than the average fairy tale character. At times the Duke is almost likable and the Prince can be frustratingly unheroic. Even Saralinda escapes from the cotton candy persona of most heroines. Sure, she's beautiful, but she has an assumed cleverness that is presented as normal rather than over-emphasized in a Disney-like way.

I would highly recommend this book to children and adults alike. A note to eight-year-olds: Look up the hard words. It's worth the time. Trust me

It's hard to categorize "The Thirteen Clocks" -- is it a children's fairy tale? a book for grown-ups? Who cares? Readers from 5 to 95 will enjoy this wonderful book; the kids for the story and the adults for Thurber's marvelous way with words. It's a simple little fantasy tale of an abducted princess, a murderous duke, and the prince who comes to her rescue. And it starts off as all fairy tales should, with "Once upon a time..." Thurber brings us the beautiful Princess Saralinda, the Duke of Coffin Castle who was so cold that he managed to stop time one snowy night when all thirteen clocks in the castle stopped at ten minutes to five and never started again, and Prince Zorn of Zorna, who called himself Xingu, the prince whose name begins with X and doesn't, who is the one man who can defeat the duke's evil plans and rescue Saralinda. But Thurber's best invention by far is the Golux, a spaced-out wizard whose spells have a way of backfiring from time to time, who assists Zorn in his quest to save the princess. And there is a deliciously spooky, never-seen monster called the Todal, that "smells of old, unopened rooms and sounds like rabbits screaming", who is the cold duke's infernal weapon, and, ultimately, his nemesis.

Thurber's way with words will leave you boggle-eyed. This is the quintessential read-aloud book and the kids love it. On the second or third reading they'll be chanting along with sentences like these: "The brambles and the thorns grew thick and thicker in a ticking thicket of bickering crickets..." And Thurber goes hogwild in making up all kinds of words that somehow managed to portray what he want to get across. When he tells us that the duke slits open his victims from their guggles to their zatches, you may not know exactly what is a guggle and what is a zatch, but you get the idea. And when the Todal gleeps while devouring a victim, we know just what Thurber is talking about. (Try going "gleep" way at the back of your throat and you'll see what I mean.)

"The Thirteen Clocks" is full of dark humor and the illustrations by Marc Simont are right in character -- dark, haunting and yet comical at the same time. The book is a great mix of a good story, good characters, good writing, and just plain good fun.

This beautiful, touching and life- altering book is without doubt one of the best books I've read. Dr.Remen captured my mind, heart and soul from the very first page. The stories she tells about herself, her patients, her family and friends are told with amazing honesty, beauty and grace. This book is about Life with all its different facets, phases and seasons. As a physician, reading this book has made a lot of impact on how I view my role and how I communicate with my patients. I now think of myself not as a "doctor" but as a healer, and know that there is much more to my work than diagnosing diseases and prescribing medicines. I read this book many times, and every time I laugh and I cry and I am inspired and touched. This book is truly one of a kind; it is worth a million stars!!

In KITCHEN TABLE WISDOM Dr. Remen reminds readers that the true heritage of medicine is to "serve life." She says we serve life "not because its broken, but because it is sacred." The stories in this book come from her experience not only as a physician but as a patient with a long term chronic disease. Dr. Remen illuminates the differences between curing and caring, between fixing and healing. Her voice offers hope that the true spirit of medicine can survive

When I'm feeling really bad about my chronic illness or other things in my life, the stories in this book help me keep going. Dr. Remen is a wonderful story teller and an amazingly creative healer. She uses guided imagery in skillful and loving ways to help clients and readers see the meaning and strengths in their lives.

I admit to bias. Rachel Remen wrote the blurb for the back of my book, The Art of Getting Well: Maximizing Health When You Have a Chronic Illness. But I was a fan of hers before and since, too. Her other books are also excellent.

David Spero RN www.davidsperoRN.com

Dennis Smith gives a great account of what it was like to be a firefighter in a time and place -- the South Bronx in the 1960's -- that most of us can only imagine.

The book does an excellent job of showing us life through the eyes of men who risked their lives every single day simply for the love of the job and for the satisfaction that they were helping in a place that in many ways was beyond help.

A quick read -- well written and quite thought provoking.

This book was recommended to me by a fellow firefighter in my company, and it took me only one day to read. Each chapter just lures you deeper and deeper into Dennis Smith's world and what it was to be a firefighter at Engine Comapny 82. This book should be required reading for all firefighters and those who aspire to be one of America's Bravest. He tells it like it is, with no holding back. Brotherhood, bravery, anguish, and wicked humor awaits.

When I first read this book I was in grade school. My dad thought if I wanted to be a firefighter I might want to read this book. I sit here right know and look at the inside of the cover, which is a hardcover and there is a price tag for $4.16 from Boscov's (which is a department store).
This book brings alive the fire service in New York City in the 1960's. This was one of the most challenging times in the New York City. During this time there were riots,a serious drug abuse problem, and politically charged agendas. But through all this the firefighters of New York City still had to provide fire protection to the citizens.
How many people can say that they know how it feels to be going to a fire to only find yourself a target for rocks, bricks and beer bottles. The men of Engine Company 82 and Ladder 31 found themselves in the situation more then once. These men had to deal with the pain and suffering of people that they went to help, and found that children involved made the job even harder.
Every shift they could look forward to arsons, malicious false alarms and the uncertainty of what might happen next. Did these men do this job for the money? I can say no they did not. They did it for the love of the job. That is why most firefighters do it. Most people and even some firefighters today do not realize the history and the changes that have been in the past 40 years.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to reads a book that they do not want to put down. Once you pick it up, you will not put it down until you are finished.

This time they are off to Genua, far away from Lancre. Genua is a city state not unlike New Orleans and its culture.

Magrat, newly "appointed" fairy godmother, is out to fulfill a mission: to go to Genua and stop another fairy godmother from forcing everyone to live out fairy tale lives, all with happy endings, endings dictated by the stories, not the peopl forced to live them.

Of course, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax must join her to help her along. Here is the best of the book: Gytha Ogg and her "amazing" knowledge of the language and customs of every people they meet - amazing, of course, for its incorrectness, but who's going to tell a witch that she's wrong? Needless to say, most of their hosts can't wait for them to leave as quickly as possible.

Granny Weatherwax is superb in the way she defeats Lilith and defies the other witch's voodoo magic. What an iron will! But that is why we like her. Unfortunately, I really didn't care as much for Magrat's character. All 3 Lancre witches act in similar ways as before. Granny's determination and Nanny's optimism (and weird humor) I never tire of, but Magrat's wimpiness can be annoying. She can't do it as well as say Rincewind can. Yes, she can be funny as a counter to Granny and Nanny, and for that reason, I like her. Though she is upright enough, I don't see her able to win here without Granny to fight for her. OK, it is difficult with a wand that turns things into punpkins, but her character is too mushy and a bit ineffectual here, she is in way over her head. Good thing for Granny, or ...? It's OK.. Magrat recovers in the book "Lords and Ladies." As queen she is good.

So, though I didn't like Magrat as much, Nanny and Granny certainly came through (as did Greebo the cat). The parodies of the different fairy tales were interesting. So I really say 3.5 stars - I did like it better than "Wyrd Sisters." So this is still a good adventure worth exploring if only for Nanny's advice on foreign customs.

When witches, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Magrat Garlick, and Nanny's cat Greebo journey abroad, the resulting travel guide is a Pratchettesque version of 'Dave Barry Does Oz in Drag.'

And speaking of Oz and witches, it's a good idea to be wearing a wicker-reinforced pointy hat if a house does happen to fall on your head. Even Dorothy and Glinda the Good might shy away from stealing the red boots of the witch that the farmhouse did to land on. This particular witch writes home:

"PS the privies here are DESGUSTING, they have them INDORES, so much for HIGEINE."

Genua, the witches' destination, resembles a Dismal Swamp version of Disney World. You'll be humming Disney tunes all the way through "Witches Abroad," when you're not humming tunes from "The Wizard of Oz," or laughing hysterically. You won't be able to stop yourself.

This book is even dedicated to song, or more precisely to all those people "who, after the publication of 'Wyrd Sisters,' deluged the author with their version of the words of 'The Hedgehog Song.' Deary deary me..."

Along with the above-mentioned Wyrd Sisters, this tale has a fairy godmother who believes in, nay _orchestrates_ happy endings even if it means chopping off the hands and heads of folks who are inclined to be grumpy. (Doesn't that sound like something Walt Disney might have done?) So when Granny, Nanny, Magrat, and Greebo make a splash landing in Genua, already tempery after a journey involving grandma-munching wolves, falling farmhouses, and larcenous riverboat gamblers---well, there's bound to be a confrontation.

You might want to read "Wyrd Sisters" before launching into "Witches Abroad," although time doesn't exactly flow in a straight line on Pratchett's Discworld. (It flows over the edge of the world and down onto the elephants who are standing on top of the turtle.) "Lords and Ladies" sort of loop-de-loops along after "Witches Abroad," and then Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg pop up again in "Maskerade." I just read them in the order I get them, and ignore sequence. As Nanny Ogg once said, "tempers fuggit."

If you're hung up on sequence, you probably won't care for Discworld, anyway.

Witches abroad is a hilarious tale of three tourists in a foreign city, of course these tourists are nanny granny and magrat. From local cuisine, to flower festivals these women certainly make an impact on a new city.

With stories on the loose the witches must stop cinders marrying the prince, otherwise its pumpkins!! Godmothers, little girls in red hoods, and.....zombies.

An excellent read for all pratchett fans and anyone who love the withches, gets you chuckling from the very start. The main story is fab but as always with pratchett its the little scenes inbetween that get you rolling around on the floor, don't miss Nanny's postcard home, its a classic.

There are times that I think my life was or still is hard. Well, I'm a black female who grew up in a middle-class home with two teachers as parents. College was as automatic as sleeping and eating. But, for these young men in the book "The Pact", college was as uncertain as winning the lottery. I always knew that our young black boys growing up in the inner-city had it super hard, but this book allowed me to see another side of our young brothas. They all have dreams as little kids, even though they don't see anyone in their neighborhood to emulate. Somehow, someway, Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins all found the determination to succeed and become doctors. Their positive story is proof that just one person can make a difference in a kid's life. Everyone needs someone to look up to; someone to follow.

We all have gifts we can share. Read this book and feel blessed that someone in your life took the time to mentor you and be there for you; not everyone has that in their lives. I am so proud of these young men! Not only are they smart and positive, but they are cute too! What a great combination! God has truly blessed them and their family.

What a refreshing book. Thanks to Tavis Smiley for recommending it on the Tom Joyner Show.

"The Pact" is an incredible book! I just finished reading the remarkable journey completed by Drs. Sam Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt. It's an easy, quick read ~250 pages.

If you're not familiar with their story, they are 3 young, African-American men from Newark that establish a pact at 17-years old to become doctors. Over the years, they run into many obstacles (peer pressure, arrest, finances, and family issues) that tend to dissuade so many young people from pursuing their dream. With the "I got your back" support of each other, mentors they encountered throughout their journey, and God they become doctors despite how many people had presumed their future would turn out.

Dr. George Jenkins, probably the most focused in the group, knew at a very young age that he wanted to be a dentist. In high school, the three friends attend a college presentation offering full scholarships to minority students interested in the medical field. Knowing that neither he nor his friends could afford college THIS OFFER would be their ONLY way to attend college...the formation of the pact.

Surprisingly, after completing college and med school, Sam and Rameck were still unsure if they wanted to be doctors. Sam saw business/management as his future and Rameck wanted to be an actor (he'll settle on being a rapper). (If I didn't know the outcome, I would have been in suspense until the bitter end waiting to learn if they became doctors.) The death of an important person in each of their lives confirmed that medically helping others is what they were meant to do in life.

If you're in the education field or work closely with children in your community this is an excellent book to pick up when you...

- feel like what can I do to get through to this person
- need a testimony that success is not by luck but achieved through faith, perseverance, and support from others
- need a roadmap to better mentor a person in need

"The Pact" is an amazing story of inspiration and motivation to get (primarily) black teens to see beyond their environment, current situation, and look ahead with a plan for tomorrow. "The Pact" also displays the need for adults to begin mentoring children before they reach their teens. The book concludes with the doctors providing the "how-to's" to make a pact work.

I was pleased to read a book about three African-American men, from disadvantaged backgrounds, who'd beat the odds.They supported each other through thick and thin, and fulfilled their dream of becoming Doctors.They remained humble and are giving back by helping people who are at a disadvantage. They are positive, beautiful, and successful young men. God has truly gave the three Doctors a great annointing. I wish more people would read this book.I was upset when I read the last page. I did not want the book to end! The Doctors are a true inspiration. May God continue to bless them.

This is the third novel in the Jack Aubrey-Stephen Maturin series, and the story just keeps rolling right along. It's difficult to maintain the pace and the reader's interest for more than the first couple of volumes in any sort of fiction series, but O'brian certainly has the knack. This time, the newly-posted but still heavily indebted Captain Aubrey is detailed to ferry a diplomat to the court of an Indian prince . . . having been the unknowing beneficary of Maturin's leverage at the Admiralty. He's impatient at being out of the principal theater of the war with France, but happy to have any ship at all -- especially the frigate SURPRISE, in which he had served as a midshipman. Besides helping his friend, Dr. Maturin has his own reasons for visiting India -- Diana Villiers has gone there in the company of a wealthy merchant from the City and the East India Company. For O'Brian spends as much time on the details and development of his characters' personal interrelationships as he does on naval maneuvering and battles. And the descriptions of rounding the Cape of Good Hope are mesmerizing!

H.M.S. Surprise, like the two books before it in this series, is excellent in every way. There is great dialogue, subtle humor and riviting action. We finially get to see what Jack Aubrey can do when given command of a decent ship (as oppossed to the little Sophie and the piece of junk Polychrest). I think most male readers will like this book a little better than Post Captain; the main characters spend a lot less time on shore and there is a little less romantic/relationship stuff. From the reviews I have read of this series, it stays pretty good at least through book #17 and then deteriorates badly. Although it is a shame this series is not strong until the end, O'Brian did write a very large number of excellent books that we should all be grateful for. In my humble opinion, if O'Brian had not written another word after finishing H.M.S. Surprise he would still deserve to be remembered as the best novelist who ever wrote in this genre.

I, like many others I suspect, was sucked into reading the Aubrey/Maturin series by the Peter Weir film. Little did I know that the books would be so much deeper than the film or topic would lead one to believe. Stephen Maturin: physician, scientist, naturalist, spy (and Patrick O'Brien alter ego) studies people (including his great friend Jack Aubrey - and himself) dispassionately, and we are the beneficiaries of his study. Jack Aubrey: ship's captain, sentimentalist, musician and astronomer is a man of the past - he is a hero with flaws but he holds honor and duty above himself (usually).
H.M.S. Surprise is the best of the early series. We get adventure: a daring rescue of Stephen by Jack, a brilliant sea maneuver led by the Surprise on the Indian Ocean. We get a novel of manners: Maturin's and Aubrey's continued wooing of Diana Villiers and Sophia Williams. We get a marvelous frigate and her crew - O'Brien's depiction of the Surprise is a microcosm of the world at the time of Napoleon. And my, the Surprise is yar!
Some of my friends have expressed surprise (pun intended, and Aubrey would love it!) that a feminist landlubber would admire the same series that Charlton Heston and other manly men have loved before me. My response is that great writing is enough. There are few female characters in Aubrey/Maturin, and those that O'Brien includes are not particularly sympathetic (although I can imagine every actress alive wanting to play Diana Villiers), but it doesn't matter when I feel as much a part of the crew as Pullings or Bonden.
When you get down to it, Patrick O'Brien is just a great writer. At moments I have been reminded of Melville, Austen, and Robertson Davies. His grasp of the technical is thorough. His ability to share the historical feeling of the period is amazing. On top of all this, these books are just page-turners! I was gripped from the moment I opened the novel.
A previous reviewer mentioned that if you read the first three books in the series, you'll read all twenty. If the next seventeen are half as good as H.M.S. Surprise, I'll be singing Patrick O'Brien's praises for a long time.

MR. GULLY HAS WRITTEN ON OF THE BEST BOOK I THINK I HAVE EVER READ. I ABSOULTELY LOVED THIS BOOK AND I AM NOW PASSING IT ON TO OTHERS SO THAT THEY CAN ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DID. IT MADE ME LAUGH OUT LOUD AND I JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS CHARACTERS. IT WAS A EASY BOOK TO READ AND IT MADE YOU WISH THAT YOU COULD LIVE IN HARMONY WITH THE REST OF THEM. I HOPE THAT HE WRITES A SEQUAL TO THIS BECAUSE I WOULD LOVE TO GO BACK TO HARMONY AND VISIT THE LITTLE TOWN AGAIN. BEING A CATHOLIC I LOVED THE IDEA BEHIND THE QUAKERS AND WHAT GOD MEANS TO THEM AND WHAT HE DOES FOR THEM. ( I LOVED THE REFERENCE ABOUT THE POPE ). I HOPE MORE PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THIS AND GET AS MUCH OUT OF IT AS I DID. THANK YOU MR. GULLEY FOR ALLOWING US TO GO TO HARMONY.

This is the first Phillip Gulley book I've read, so I can't compare it to his others, but this book was one of the most delightful reads I've had in a long time. It was way too short and just as I was totally falling in love with Harmony and all it's inhabitants, the book was over! Many heart-wrenching stories and many laughable moments as the pastor of Harmony Friends Meeting takes you on a visit of this small town. In the same vein as Jan Karon's Mitford series, but not a complete story, but a series of vignettes. Please Mr. Gulley.....MORE!!!!

Harmony, a small town pastored by Quaker minister, Sam Gardner, is a wonderful place to visit! One can only hope this is the beginning of a series by author Philip Gulley about this little town and its endearing minister. I picked this book up because (1) I have been feeling homesick for a visit to Jan Karon's little town, Mitford, and hoped Harmony might ease that homesickness; and (2) because the back cover compared Mr. Gulley's writing as "part Mark Twain and part Garrison Keillor." Well, on points (1) and (2), I was not let down. Mr. Gulley has a humorous and gentle writing style that is easy on the spirit as he draws you into the hearts and foibles of Minister Sam Gardner's parishioners. At the end of each chapter, he has a subtle and thought-provoking way of challenging his reader to reflect on (1) God's grace in our lives; (2) recognizing the blessings in our lives that we so often take for granted; and (3) dropping the pretenses that so often separate us from both God and one another. This sounds like heavy stuff -- and yet Mr. Gulley has such a light touch that he doesn't bludgeon us with the lessons he seeks to teach -- but gently leads us into the realization that God is gracious and ever-present. Especially in the everyday ordinariness of our lives. Well done, Mr. Gulley!