On-the-tape

I really enjoy this series and it is one of the better-written ones going today. This one takes place in the late spring of 1862 and there are outbreaks of smallpox occurring requiring some patients to be quarantined. When one of those patients dies with Narcissa at his side, he whispers something to indicate that there might be some money circulating with the smallpox virus contaminiating it. Narcissa is put in charge of containing that outbreak and, along with Judah Daniel, works to do that while also solving the mystery of how that money came into circulation. This book is a fascinating portrait of Civil War America and the mystery is intriguing as well. Highly recommended.

I was dying, ha ha, to read Ms. McMillan's book and got tired of waiting for the paperback, so I ordered online, used, from Amazon.[com] I was not disappointed. Her Civil War mystery series is getting more in depth.
This time the story seemed to focus more on Narcissa and less on Judah; it seems like the last book had more of Judah and less Narcissa; which I suppose is as it should be. Poor Brit Wallace isn't mentioned in the attempts to get you to interested in these mysteries (jacket cover, publisher summaries, etc)---however, as the newspaperman from Britain in Richmond, he is just as much a "detective" as the other two.
I kept going back and forth between Brit and Cameron Archer; which would be the better suitor for Narcissa? Theres plenty of tentative romance to keep us on tenterhooks for a few more books; do we have to wait that long?
The story does have more of the hospital and nursing aspects; we learn about smallpox in the city of Richmond and the possible threat of an outbreak when a contaminated jacket is stolen.
Ms. McMillan kept me guessing but I was grateful that I could actually figure out "whodunit" before she let us in on it.
Isn't that the goal of every mystery reader? To figure it out before the author lets you in?
Anyways. Very good. She has a way of writing that makes you feel like you're really there. I don't know what it is. Thats why I was a bit out of sorts at the end---I thought it ended abruptly.
Is that another typicality of a mystery series?
Looking forward to buying a used hardback of the next book! :)

Smallpox breaks out in an American city. The country is at war, and the ethics of combat in question. Has the horrid disease been loosed intentionally? And by which side? Have children been enlisted in this war? The plot lines in "Civil Blood" could be lifted from today's headlines, but this is a mystery about Civil War Richmond (published months before 9/11/01). For all its eerie relevance to the present, this book is rooted unerringly in its era. Ann McMillan's well-drawn characters never warp out of the 1800s. They deal with the anguish of their own war and their own time. A mystery of substance. Another brilliant installment in McMillan's series.

This book was extremely helpful in finding out exactly what the Course is all about.

When someone asked me last week what I thought of "A Course in Miracles", I realzied that although I had heard the name for years I knew *nothing* of what it was, where it came from, or what it taught.

Mr. Miller's book did a good job of explaining what the Course is, and the gist of it's message. In the course of this, he convinced me that Helen Schuckman had a genuine spiritual experience -- something I was prepared to doubt, before.

I am not a "seeker" -- I have an active & fulfilling spiritual life, that does not include the Course. And I have neither the time nor desire to read The Course as a primary text, simply to learn *about* it.

Because of this, I found Mr. Miller's book invaluable.

With this book Mr. Miller has done something for which Course students will be thankful for generations to come, detailed the unusual and complicated history of "A Course In Miracles." He has also interviewed and profiled the key players in Course commentary: Kenneth Wapnick PhD and Gloria Wapnick (founders of "Foundation for A Course In Miracles"), Marianne Williamson (author of "A Return to Love"), Gerald Jampolsky (author of "Love is Letting Go of Fear"), members and former members of Endeavor Academy are interviewed, and Tara Singh (author of "How to Learn From A Course In Miracles") is mentioned. Though not interviewed, the two Course co-scribes, Helen Schucman and William Thetford, are profiled as well (with a picture of them, the only picture in the book, included).

The Course is not easy to classify. It has Christian themes and terminology, but it's not Christianity. It has the compassion of Buddhism, but it's not Buddhist. It has Hindu-like non-duality, but is not Hindu. It has the Freudian analysis of the ego, yet it's not pure psychoanalysis. It was "channeled," but it's not Edgar Cayce. It is currently embraced mostly by those within the "New Age," but it contains no rituals or crystal gazing, no mention of UFOs or planetary alignment, no aura work, no meditations, no chants, no laying-on-of-hands, no directions for group work, no lessons on the development of psychic powers, and none of the "positive thinking" and prosperity consciousness that is the hallmark of most New Age paths. In fact, since the Course's aim is removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, Kenneth Wapnick has commented that the Course could even be termed "negativism" because it encourages its readers to look at, and not deny, the mess they have made of their own lives and minds. What category, then, does the Course fit into? None. It will have to define its own genre. This will be a long time coming; but by writing this book, D. Patrick Miller has aided in creating the category the Course must define for itself.

A fascinating thing about D. Patrick Miller is that while he is a student of the Course, he admits that there are aspects of the Course that he is not completely comfortable with - the Christian language of the Course being one, the exclusive use of male terms to refer to the Divine being another. Mr. Miller has even stated that the Course, and its origin, sometimes just seems "too strange" for him to believe. This frankness adds a dimension of honesty that any reader would appreciate. Mr. Miller is a beautiful writer, and this book not only details the interesting history of the Course and how it was scribed, it also gives a brief introduction to Course theory and metaphysics and how it compares to other religions. One of my favorite sections of this book is the "personal stories" section where "students" (to be a student of the Course simply means you read the three books [recently published as a three-in-one volume]) relate how they found the Course, how it has effected their lives, and how much of the Course theory they accept or reject (some students accept the Course theory completely, some accept only aspects of it, some mix the Course with other spiritual teachings).

As is my usual custom with books that touch me, I wrote to the author to thank him for his work. Mr. Miller kindly replied to my letter and even aided further in my understanding of Course theory. I am very thankful for the aid he gave me, and I am thankful that he wrote this book. I continue to reference "The Complete Story of the Course" from time to time and I am always amazed to find interesting passages that I seemed to have missed before. I always recommend this book to people interested in the Course, either as potential students or people simply curious about the phenomenon.

My personal word of thanks for D. Patrick Miller's excellent work on the story of the Course. I first read it about three years ago and as a result I have been able to make contact with many Course students and organizations around the world. It also assisted me in dealing with my personal fears of criticism of the Course by allowing me to examine them head on. Mr. Miller is a very professional writer who has done a great job of stepping past his personal thoughts and sharing the thoughts of many (something that not all journalists are known for). I firmly recommend this book to all students of the Course as not only an excellent way to find out about various Course organizations but also as an excellent history book of the Course itself.

May I also mention that I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Miller at the "ACIM Into The New Millennium" conference in San Francisco this past February and I have to say that he is a very approachable, caring, down to earth, humorous man. I fully appreciated the time spent visiting with him personally and attending his workshop. I know that he has an ego just like the rest of us, however, he hides it very well:-).

I don't think this story is as exquisitely constructed as Doerr's 'Stones for Ibarra.' (In 'Stones for Ibarra,' Doerr wove a series of short stories into a rich tapestry of a novel; 'Consider This Senora' has a more traditional structure.) However, she still does a wonderful job describing rural Mexican culture from an American outsider's point of view. The language she uses is clear and concise, and at the same time full of beautiful descriptions that reflect her understanding of her characters and of the human experience in general. Doerr's prose often reads almost like poetry. This book will leave you with many beautiful images of rural Mexico.

I first read CONSIDER THIS, SENORA many years ago. I have since re-read it several times, and have given it as a gift many times to fellow book lovers. This story is so beatifully written in its vivid characters and the colorful landscape of rural Mexico.

Ms. Doerr has assembled a small cast of players, with very different backgrounds and motivations, and dropped them on a mesa to live out their hopes and perhaps their dreams.

As she lived in Mexico for many years with her husband, who was a diplomat, Ms. Doerr paints the novel with very detailed descriptions of the smallest things like the colors of flowers. You almost can smell and see the blooms in your mind's eye.

One of the most poignant scenes is that of someone playing a piano and it sounds echoing softly across the mesa in the midst of a rainstorm. The imagery is dreamlike and quite peaceful.

Ms. Doerr didn't start writing in earnest until she had returned to college to earn her history degree when she was in her 70s. She has since written a collection of short stories, TIGER IN THE GRASS. She has a talent that has indeed been overlooked by millions of readers everywhere. Hopefully with time she will be recognized for her immense gift of storytelling!

Superb reading. Pass it along to a good friend sometime....

There is only one word I can think of to describe this magnificent book- Beautiful! It has been years since I last read this masterpiece, yet I still tear up just thinking about its story, and great characters. This story is highly overlooked, yet is in my opinion, one of the greatest books I have ever read. BEAUTIFUL!

Dr. Ruden is my Physician and all I will say is that he is the best doctor I have ever have. If I ever have to switch Insurance and have to go outta network to see him, I will.

When you read this book, let it be known that you are in good hands.

On Jan. 23/00 I was waxing and waning on the merits of this bio-balance approach to addiction. Well , confession time ; I wrote that the day I severed the bond (33 years) with nicotine How - Zyban - if that is O.K. to mention .... but somehow ,in someway , that particular concotion ... ( its really wellbutrin), did everything that Ruden talks about.... it is definitely in the neuro-chemical balance in the brain; for me it worked; it cut the chord so to speak; ever since I can decide that I do not wish, desire or want to smoke......and 347 days later still agree with delightful easement. If only the medical establishment would get serious and start doing some baseline metabolic type test : why did it work on me and not on .. Joe or Mary ???? Letsget with it!

Finally , something on , about addictions that seems to hit the proverbial nail on the head. A forward assault on the bottom line of'addiction' ..the craving brain .....the complex of neuro-chemicals , especially dopamine and serotonin , and the yin/yang; up.down ; getting the right balance. Presented as a theory ... as such holds the potential as a very fruitful theory.

You have to hand it to Dr. Zacharias. He is able the bridge the gap between the head and the heart, something that both Casanova and Mr. Spock could never do!

This books focuses on the problem of pain, so it should be read in conjunction with C. S. Lewis’ book of the same name. I think Dr. Z’s most profound (and lacerating) question in this book is “If it is right, why do I feel so bad?” We know we are supposed to do things that are right, but we always get flack or into deeper trouble for doing them. I think the saw is “No good deed goes unpunished,” and Dr. Z tackles this problem head on!

He spends time dealing with Job as a test case, and devotes an appendix to dealing with problem of pain.

Personally, and all pretences of scholastic impartiality aside, I found this book helpful. In a deep philosophical sense, we have to have evil, at least potentially, to make sense of life. In my own religious tradition, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is written in the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, that

“ For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so . . . righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.” (2 Nephi 2:11-12)

The strength of character comes from going upstream, against to flow. Look at Buddah—he was living a posh lifestyle, but he gave it up, since there was no opposition in his life. His life only became meaningful once he was placed in the realm of choice.

It is true that Christianity has become counter-culture. We need to explore the duifffences and accentuate them!

Ravi Zacharias articulates answers to life's deepest problems in a manner that satisfies both the mind and the heart. Both his intellect and his compassion are evident in this work which has bolstered my faith and helped me to find meaning in spite of difficult circumstances. A book I will reread frequently.

Dr. Zacharia presents a compelling argument for the nearness, constancy, sovereignty and omnipotence of God in our daily life. He presents these concepts in a new format. A format compose of an elegant style, blend with theology and philosophy at a personal level. St. Agustin was right when he said "the true philosopher is the lover of God". No doubt that this book addresses the pain and longings of our generation, perhaps of our species. His chapter about "the cry to know God" is the best introduction I've read so far, and the rest of the book gets better. Defenetly Cries of the Heart will became a classic!

The Cd is awesome!!! I think it's great to hear one of my favorite author's voice when he reads his stuff!!! You really get the inflection of what he is saying!!! If you are a David Sedaris fan of any kind...GET THIS C.D.!!!!

It is taking me forever to get through this CD! I listen to audio books on my daily 2-hour commute, so I have plenty of time to finish this CD off in one day, but here's the problem. After about 10 minutes of gut-wrenching, open-mouthed guffawing, in heavy traffic, I just have to turn it off and listen to Norah Jones until my fits of giggles subsides. I'm sure that anyone who has seen me in uncontrollable laughter--all by myself--in my car must think I'm insane. But I don't care. David Sedaris make me happier than a case of Paxil. This is his best writing, and you MUST experience him in audio version to get the full impact.

I have enjoyed Sedaris's writing for a number of years now, but I confess taht this is the first time I've listened to a recording of him reading them. My only regret after listening to the CD is that I've waited this long. His sense of timing and delivery were flawless. At one point I actually had to find a place to park as I was laughing so hard the tears were making it hard to see.

Agnes open the play with a monologue in which she contemplates the possibility that one day, unexpectedly, she might turn mad. She says she contemplates it with astonishment, but she does not sound very astonished at all, she is more... fashinated by the idea. Her husband is listening, but not listening at all as if he could not hear Agnes, or her talking about the possibility of becoming mad was perfectly normal, or she has been mad a long time and he discounts her.
I won't spoil the play, but (for me) it is an interesting investigation in what it means to be mad. Indeed it is not clear who is mad, probably all of them, possibly none. The bounderies of madness are not clearly drawn and characters seem to shift in and out of it on a continuous basis. Rules of the polite society are called into question. Is it mad to break them or to upkeep them?

The play is enjoyable to read, but not overly so, it is above everything else, enjoyable to think about.

Albee, the playwright who invented one of the more complicated and vivid relationships ever in a play in ZOO STORY, has again demonstrated his intimate knowledge of the deeper motives behind human interaction. Every interaction between characters in this play -- from long monologues to short snippets of conversation -- has behind it some manner of conflict.

Everybody in this play needs change, and can only reach it through the destruction of others; Tobias and Agnes who simply want to be left alone, but whose house has been invaded; Julia, the daughter who is betrayed by the fact that her parents gave away her room; Claire, who wants only to excercise her right to a good time; Edna and Harry who aren't quite sure what they need, and subsequently frustrate everyone else.

This is a very heavy play, but written in a such a way that is has the guise of being a comedy. A must-read for anybody that loves drama.

This is so much like Beckett's Human Wishes (throughout, especially II, ii) that either Albee read it in manuscript somehow, or else he felt the necessity of inventing it. The change from Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? is from a precision of language in an easy, American manner to one that is self-conscious and, well, "thought-tormented," and lasting.

The general sense is of a trilogy, Woolf-Balance-Seascape, or rather Pictures at an Exhibition: Town-Country-Seaside.

I'm not a big fan of detective series because they tend to become robotic in plot and characterization, but the Ross MacDonald/Lew Archer series is an exception. Crisp language, tight plots, and geat dialog make for a gripping story.

A sad sidenote. Don't rent/watch the insipid Paul Newman/Joanne Woodward movie 'loosely' based on the book. Instead of LA they set it in New Orleans and they basically rearranged all the characters into pale versions of their literary counterparts. Just thought I'd let you know.

I hesitate to call this a classic because some people consider "classics" as dull and out-dated. And there's nothing dull or out-dated here (well, maybe that paying $10 to be driven from Las Vegas to L. A. is a bit out of date).

Archer's hired to discover who sent his client's husband a letter accusing her of infidelity. Introduced to the family and friends at a party as a Hollywood agent, he is sensitive to the growing tension and explosive atmosphere. The reader knows of course that somebody's going to be murdered, but these early chapters are among the most skillfully written to build suspense that I've ever read.

Written in 1950, the inclusion of a homosexual couple was quite daring although there is not graphic description, and isn't significant enough a factor of the plot to either offend or attract a reader.

Read this and I'm sure you'll find it on your own list of crime classics.

A Ross MacDonald is like an extremely well crafted 1950's black & white noir movie. Nothing comes through in it's true color, everything is projected in shades of gray, the action is stately yet never drags, and the characters are all vaguely threatening.

All of MacDonald's novels exhibit certain basic themes--tormented families, buried secrets that fester through multiple generations, environmental destruction, and the brutal contrast between rich and poor. The key to MacDonald's long running success was Archers realism and authenticity, MacDonald's ability to craft complex yet understandable stories, his mastery of language, and his ability to generate a specific atmosphere of threatening suspense on a consistent basis.

All of the above referenced themes are present in The Drowning Pool, which I think is MacDonald's best novel, though The Underground Man is right up there as well.

MacDonald's novels aren't just mind candy-reading him is a literary experience. I believe that is why he was successful in a sort of restrained way. Escapists will not get into these books-they are too cerebral. If you want to your books affect you, MacDonald and Archer are your kind of guy's.

Margaret Coel hits all the right notes in this first book of her series which takes place on an Indian Reservation in Wyoming. Father John O'Malley has been sent to the reservation after his battle with alcoholism during his previous post in Boston. His struggles with drinking have given him insight into the alcohol problem which is so prevalent among the Arapahos that he serves. Just before a festive powwow is to begin, Father John discovers the dead body of Harvey Castle, one of the tribal council members. He teams up with an Arapaho attorney, named Vicki Holden, and the two begin an investigation in order to protect Harvey's nephew who has been accused of the murder. Coel creates interesting characters, and both Father John and Vicki have past problems which give them more depth than many characters in mystery stories. Coel also does a good job of portraying the Arapaho culture and adds interesting details about things such as funeral customs, "Indian time", and the "moccasin telegraph". I look forward to reading the other books in this series.

My mom gave me six Margaret Coel novels, all about Father John O'Malley and Vicky Holden. Let me say, that at the time of this review I have already started the second book and it is even better than this one.
First off, the characters are realistic, painfully so. Real problems and real life issues insert themselves through-out the story. Yes, there is a murder on the reservation but Father John O'Malley has to worry about everything from a new assistant to his fight against the bottle.
The detailed pages within these books allow me to feel the wind off the plain, smell the food at the powwow and see the colors of the sky. A mixture of Rex Stout and Zane Grey!

You can't go wrong with any of the Margaret Coel books. They are enjoyable to read and you can hardly believe when you've come to the end that it came so quickly. Fortunately, you can buy them all and continue to the next one in the series. These people become as real to you as your own friends. Don't stop at one - get them all.

As a hardcore Elfquestfan I really like the whole audio version of "Journey to Sorrow's end" and as I read the Elfquest novels first I was already familiar with the third-person-view the tapes are written in. The only thing I don't really like are the voices of some of the elves. But everything else- the story, the characteres, the style... makes it wonderful!

How do you rate something like this? Wendy Pini has an exquisite sense of pacing, a master's command of the English language, and a grand story to tell. Without hesitation I would recommend any of her works.

This is the first book in the series. Told in text form, it stands easily on its own -- people who don't have or want the graphic art series won't miss anything here. It tells the story of a band of elves who are persecuted out of their home and must find a new one before they die in the desert. Along the way they encounter a new band of elves, hostile trolls, and some even more hostile humans. Sure, they're elves and they're cute, but these elves have courage, heart, and compassion -- they are as accessible and understandable as we are, metaphors for what we wish we could be.

Unlike many novelizations of graphic art, this book is accessible to newcomers and doesn't leave out important things. It expands some parts of the graphic art series, adding details like background, private thoughts, and extra interactions.

Although the story is fantastical in nature, it holds the universality of wanting a place to belong, fate, overcoming fears, and the conflict between man and the unknown. Wendi and Richard's textual adaptations of their first five comics offer a new look to the story, and a great deal more detail. Written from a third-person view, it allows the reader to feel like a part of the group, while not having to feel like their suffering all he hardships that the elves feel. The biggest things that drew me to this book, were the characters. They are so complexly simple, that it's hard to remember, sometimes, that they were originally ink and paper drawings, telling their stories through pictures, as well as words. Secondarily, I was drawn by the world, itself. How clearly and vividly it's described has captured me from the first time I even heard of Abode, distinctly the fact that it was inhabited by such creatures as the elves and their bonded wolves. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed realms of magic, love, fantasy, trial, or challenge. It holds all of these, and much, much more within it's comforting arms, and is definitely an excellent escape from reality.