literature

When my children fell in love with Nicholas, I sent copies to every friend I knew with a young baby. I was so disappointed when one friend seemed unenthusiastic. Her copy came just as they were leaving for bridge, and the baby sitter took first crack at it. "It only took 2 minutes to read - there is not much to it".

Two days later my friend called to apologize. When she read the book to her little one, the first time thru took 2 minutes, but then they snuggled together on the couch while every page was reviewed, every leaf questioned, every butterfly named, daffodils and dogwood and acorns admired. The baby need not understand the answers - the charm and the pictures encourage long loving perusal together.

I have to admit that I was forced to buy a butterfly guide just to name each pretty one the little finger touched.

This book has only a few short sentences, 1 per beautiful page, and the order your baby turns the pages matters little. If you both enjoy a nice long cuddle, this book is wonderful. I am now buying it for my grandchildren and friends with young grand babies.

I remember the first time my grandmother read this book to me in 1969. The year my baby brother was born. As we turned the pages thru the four seasons in Nicholas Bunny's life she would encourage me to smell the field of daffodils, to pick out a favorite butterfly, to actually "blow the dandelion seeds into the air", and for me to take notice of how happy the toad appeared to be in the rain under his toadstool. My husband and I sometimes laughingly burst forth in reciting "I Am a Bunny" from memory because we have read this dear children's book to all of our six children repeatedly. And we too encourage them to "blow the dandelion seeds into the air."

I was very excited to find out that this book is still in print - I have such vivid and fond memories of this book from my own childhood - of reading it with my Mom but especially gazing at the illustrations. I bought this for my 2.5 year old niece and my friend's 3 year old daughter - both Moms report the girls are captivated by the pictures!

All I can say at this time is that Bishop Jakes is a blessed man sent by God. He truly has a heart for the woman that has been hurt, and as for me this book has open up my eyes and set me free from my dark past the inter child that was lost, hurt, and missed used is found and now my confidence and my faith has been renewed so I thank the men of God for letting the Lord work though him. Just to add to what I said because of the book, Iam free indeed there is no devil in hell that can take from me any more I think every woman should read this book they will be set free the Lord thy God is faithful I could go on and on about this book because It is powerful and eye opening a new life will emerge and truth will come I say woman forget about your past. For the man of God has said WOMAN, THOU ART LOOSED, if you have not got the book get today love you Bishop Jakes. Sincerely, Christie D. Washington

After reading this book,I was totally convinced that T. D. Jakes is annointed and has been prophetically impressed upon by God to reach "women" in a manner in which no other man has done thus far. I would be remiss if I did not give hommage to Bishop Jakes for having the divine wisdom and indepth conscienceness to caringly touch those secret places of a womans' psyche that only God himself knows about. This book transcends all barriers such as ethnicity and cultural backgrounds. When it comes down to facts, women are women, and many of us are faced with similar challenges throughout life. I would recommend this book to every woman! It is healing, and powerful. Though "Woman Thou Art Loosed" will often bring tears to your eyes, those tears will inevitably be the water which surfaces the pain and washes it away. After reading this magnificant work by Bishop T. D. Jakes, I believe any woman would be on her way to recovery from whatever hinders her spiritually, physically or emotionally. I, personally, thank God Bishop Jakes!

This book was awesome! God has covered everything through T.D. Jakes in this book for the broken-hearted. He reminds us how precious we are in His sight. We are created for a special purpose & this book spells it out beautifully! Dispelling all the lies of the enemy, nourishing our souls with God's very own Word.

The Bondwoman's Narrative is an historical artifact, a significant contribution to the literature of the pre-Civil War United States and, most especially, to African-American history and culture. Rating such a relic as if it were a modern publication denies it the accord it deserves as a newly discovered record of the misery endured by humans who were bought and sold in the last years of slavery.

Telling the story of Hannah Crafts, a literate house slave, the author, convincingly identified by editor Gates as a black woman, pens a sentimental melodrama, a genre popular at the time, to describe in detail the life of a slave. Leading a somewhat less miserable life than a field hand, Hannah reveals her never-ending duties, her treatment and mistreatment by wives of the owners, her observations on the sexual abuse of women by owners, and her firsthand knowledge of venal slave traders and unscrupulous lawyers. These accounts are remarkable for their immediacy and human drama.

The novel's narrative flow, as one traumatic episode after another builds to a climax, is clearly planned. Characters from one part of the novel appear and reappear in other parts, and sentimental motifs, common to the genre, repeat--the personification of a linden tree which affects several generations, curses visited on people and carried out over time, coincidences which strain credibility, and the hand of providence helping the pious Hannah.

Although Gates's arguments for black authorship are convincing, he does not address some intriguing European references here. Fresh linens look like "an alpine snowdrift," Mr. Wheeler is noted by Hannah as having "the attitude of a Frenchman," Mrs. Wheeler says she will not accept Hannah's "blarney," Hannah refers to the poetry of Lord Byron, and she describes Mrs. Wheeler in one scene as having "the rage of Orestes." These struck me as unusual metaphors and references, and I'd be intrigued to learn how common they were to the day and how and why Hannah came to employ them.

This was the most fascinating book that I've read in ... well, I don't know how long! THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a fictionalized yet seemingly autobiographical slave narrative written by Hannah Crafts somewhere between 1856-1860. Hannah delves into the the mind and heart of a slave by telling the story of a young woman's personal experiences.

Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who chairs the Department of African American Studies at Harvard University, came across this hand-written manuscript at an auction for African American artifacts. He then embarked upon an amazing research project which explored the author's identity. From scientific analysis of the manuscript (handwriting, ink, paper quality, etc) to actual genealogical research (census reports, etc.), Professor Gates attempts to prove that Hannah Crafts was indeed the first African-American woman to write such a narrative. ...This is part of the book is intriguing although I do have one word of advice here - READ THE NARRATIVE FIRST! If you read the Introduction first, you will know much of the story before actually reading it (in his discussion, he gives away the ending!). By reading the narrative first, I found that I was able to reach some of my own conclusions before reading those of Professor Gates and I better understood the informative analysis!

I usually don't read books more than once but I would read this one again!

Written in the 1850s by Hannah Crafts and edited for a modern readership by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Bondwoman's Narrative is the only known novel authored by a female African American slave, and perhaps the first novel ever written by a black woman. Describing the story of "passing" as a young slave treks toward freedom, The Bondwoman's Narrative is an enthralling legacy which is especially recommended for university African-American literature collections and community library large print fiction shelves.

I have found myself hiding in the bathroom from my husband and son just so I could continue reading this awesome book. The characters are so real and imaginable and they seem like people we all know. I have a hard time putting the book down. The author did a great job with the plot lines and setting the scenes. Keep up the great work Hallema and I look forward to your next writing!!!!!!

Mass Deception was a fun book to read. Once I started reading, I could'nt put it down. It's a book I want to share with everyone, who enjoy reading fun books. Two thumbs up for Ms. Hallema.

This book is no less than INCREDIBLE!..... I recently met the author while she was passing through the airport in Killeen, Texas!...She is a wonderful person.....Very down to earth.....and has a wonderful way of making you smile!....her personal traits are reflected in the way she took her time to develop the characters and bring to life a very different slant on issues of today. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every page! I must state that I am not an avid reader of novels.....and I became "hooked on phonics" as soon as I read this novel. I have since read about four other novels while patiently awaiting the sequel!.....Thanks for helping me to set a good example for my son....to READ....READ....READ!...
Once I began reading...I didn't want to put it down....I read while on break at work......before going to sleep at night....and as soon as I awakened until I finished it!.....True to life....Funny.....and insightful into a world that is often thought of as taboo...... I can see the movie right now....with Chris Tucker from "Rush Hour" playing Toni's best friend Devon........LOL!.....once again May God continue to Bless and keep you!.....

Your Number ONE fan in Killeen, Texas!.... Chris!

Yes, this is an odd book. Some of the entries were very funny, some very odd, and some were really quite disturbing. However, despite being put off by some of the stories, I did thoroughly enjoy the way Lennon wrote. The play on words were especially humurous if very hard to interpret at times.

This book may not be for those who enjoy traditional comedy, but it's certainly worth a read if you're looking for something new. The complete randomness and, well, weirdness of Lennon's style (and, perhaps, mind) are very intriguing, whether you find it funny or not.

The introduction by Yoko Ono is also worth a look at (it's a little suprising, but oddly thought-provoking).

I love The Beatles and I love nonsense so this was a perfect match. When you feel you've been thinking too much for one day this is the book to read it is just pure fun. The little short stories just make you giggle even if you're one of those people who never laughs when reading. This book also makes John Lennon seem more human since he has become this legend you get to see this silly but still genius side to him. Just a warning don't try making sense of this book it will just give you a headache just read it for kicks. To quote dear Mr.Lennon "this correction of short writty is the most wonderfoul larf I've ever ready."

An absolutely magnificent peice of literature! The use of language is witty and funny and I have never experienced such joy from a collection of short stories before. The ''Is He Deep?'' introduction set the mood of the bok and that question played on mind throughout the entire read. Fantastic

Absolutely fascinating account of the Arab Revolt of World War I, and of the Mind of one of its orchestrators (that being TE Lawrence). I don't know much about WWI or II history but I'd recommend this as a great place to start. It has all the elements of a great war story -- strategies, battles, troop movements, intra-battling amongst Arab tribes, Arab history and culture, plus Lawrence's inner conflict about his knowledge that the Brits were merely using the Arabs as a pawn in the greater scheme of WWI. The relevance to modern times is staggering -- if we had not made the horrible mistakes we did then (not giving the Arabs the indepence they worked so hard for), the world would certainly be a better place today. Also, this book is beautifully written and contains absolutely wonderful descriptions of the Arabian terrain. My only criticism is that Lawrence tends sometimes to get a little too abstract and pontifical, but that's okay. Excellent work of literature in the form of a non-fiction memoir.

It's difficult to describe the experience of reading The Seven Pillars. It is by turns beautiful and ugly. It is military history. It is a subjective view provided by a man very much of his time. It is an apology and an excuse for the necessities of war. It is a portrait of a tribe that Lawrence came to respect and even love. It is a travel book about life in the desert at the time of writing. It is inevitably a mix of fact and history and fiction and probably at least a little bit of wishful thinking.

It's a pretty amazing book to read.

A few notes:

Before you read the book, do some quick background reading on the history that's involved. This will help avoid confustion.

Be prepared for a long read! It's not only a long book, it's an extremely dense book. The choppiness and frequent changes in tone make it hard to put on the reading cruise control.

Read it as a product of its time. Lawrence was a fascinating man, but not without his prejudices or faults.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom is fascinating from cover to cover. The book is on some levels Lawrence's study of himself as much as a history of the battles in which he was involved. He writes, "Any protestation of the truth from me was called modesty, self-depreciation. It always irritated me, this silly confusion of shyness, which was conduct, with modesty, which was a point of view... I was not modest, but ashamed of my awkwardness, of my physical envelope, of my solitary unlikeness which made me no companion, but an acquaintance, complete, angular, uncomfortable, as a crystal." This type of introspection is most uncommon in a military man.

Not a squeamish soldier, Lawrence was once forced into a situation in which he executed a murderer, and on another occasion he authorized "take no prisoners" after the Turks conducted one of their numerous brutal atrocities. But there were some things even Lawrence recognized as boundaries of civilized behavior best not transgressed. In the final chapters he explains why he thought better of his initial inclination to kill several petty warlords who were participating in and would in the future likely betray the Arab Revolt -- he did not want to teach his Arab followers that "precautionary murder" was a legitimate part of political struggle. One is left wondering what he would have to say about today's politicians who promote "preemptive defense" as a legitimate strategy and standing policy. At least Lawrence's terminology was far more honest and direct.

This is a much more interesting book than I expected it to be. I came to it as almost every reader will come to it: after having read almost everything of her more famous sisters'. I don't know what I was expecting - perhaps something paler or more insipid.

Pale and insipid it is not. Anne Bronte's prose is fully as energetic as the others', and she has a world-view that equally as rich, nuanced and fully realized (how /could/ they have thought so much, and about so much?).

The plot here, as any casual observer knows, revolves around the woman yoked to a loutish husband. Some have perceived this as more original or daring than her sisters' plots, and certainly in her own time, it received a special kind of disapprobation (even Charlotte appears to have thought it cut a bit close to the bone - apparently perceiving that the lout was patterned on their own dear brother). Maybe so, but in another sense, you could say that it is just the mirror image of the Jane Eyre plot. Mr. Rochester has a guilty or scandalous secret about his wife; Mrs. Huntington has the same about her husband - not the same secret, but equally eligible for secrecy. Each has an innocent lover; in each case the point is to disentangle from the guilty and join with the innocent.

The device of the loutish husband is not necessarily all that promising. In the hands of an amateur it is no more than a setup for a tedious account of outraged virtue. Indeed if this were all, we would do well to leave it for the Jerry Springer show. The reason this book works is that it is not just a tale of outraged virtue: Mrs. Huntington makes it clear just how much she was attracted by Mr. Huntington: how she walked into this bog on her own, and against all the entreaties of her nearest and dearest. As if to cap it all, we are treated to the spectacle of an older, more chastened Mrs. Huntington trying to warn a younger companion off from making the same kind of mistake. We readers can make up our own mind as to what the young companion is likely to do.

Unfortunately, after a bit of this, the modality of outraged virtue takes over. Huntington wallows in vice; Mrs. Huntington remains a saint. Even here, the author does not lose us: she is a remarkable dialectician, and I am not sure the case of the woman wronged has ever been put better. What is missing is an important human truth: vice (to use the Victorian term) is catching, and suffering does not purify. Indeed, that is one of the things so dreadful about suffering. You cannot put up with someone like Huntington indefinitely before some of it wears off on you. It beggars all expectation to suppose that Mrs. Huntington could have come through all this without meanness, without spite, without the slightest hint of schadenfreude. Indeed on this point (dare one say it), Jerry Springer just might be a better guide. But life is too short for that. Instead, thank heavens for the Brontes, and what a pleasure to learn that Anne is just as absorbing as the rest.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a riveting novel by the "least famous" Bronte sister Anne. The main character is Helen Huntingdon, who also uses the assumed name Helen Graham for part of the book.

Narrated in part by Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer who falls in love with her, and partly by herself in diary form, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a sad portrayal of the miseries Helen Huntingdon endures at the hands of an immature self-centered husband.

The story starts out with Helen, an intriguing beautiful "widow" who comes to live in a deserted moorland mansion called Wildfell Hall with no one but her maid and young son as companions. She excites the gossip of the local townspeople by her refusal to mingle in the town's social life, her strong opinions on the upbringing of her 5 year old son, and by working to support herself as a landscape painter. Mr. Markham, the gentleman farmer, rather than being repelled by her fiercely guarded independence is intrigued by her and determines to learn more about her, falling in love with her in the process. Helen becomes the butt of sinister gossip when it is discovered that she and Mr. Lawrence, her landlord, are not the strangers to each other that they pretend to be in public, and it is rumored that something is going on between them romantically.

It is in response to this falsehood that she turns over her diary to Mr. Markham, who at last learns within its contents her true identity, why she is at Wildfell, and why she can not marry him. He also learns the astonishing identity of Mr. Lawrence. Helen's diary traces her life from a naive girl of 18 to a courageous woman of 26, and the sorrow and trials she endures in her marriage to a wretch of a husband, the womanizing, alcoholic Arthur Huntingdon.

'Sick of mankind and its disgusting ways' Anne Bronte once scribbled on the back of her prayer book. Her evident harsh view of life, coupled with her moral strength as a woman, are beautifully interwoven to produce this novel; her masterpiece. Although never enjoying the popularity and success of 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights' - her sisters' books - 'Wildfell Hall' is quite fit to join any bookshelf of classic English literature. The themes include utter despair and the tragic consequences of a young woman's naivety; Helen felt that, although she could see Arthur's faults, she would be able to somehow change him once they were married. In reality, her marital experience was a disaster.

Anne Bronte creates a world in which the drunken, immoral behaviour of men becomes the norm and this may have been startling to contemporary readers - perhaps a reason for the book's panning at the critics. The narrative is built up delicately; first Gilbert; and then the racier, more gripping diary of Helen as she guides us through her married life; before returning again to Gilbert, whose tale by this time has become far more exciting as we know of Helen's past. Helen's realisation of the awful truth and her desperate attempts to escape her husband, are forever imprinted in the mind of the reader as passages of perfect prose.

One of the earliest feminist novels, the underrated Anne Bronte writes in this a classic, and - defying the views of her early (male) critics - a claim to the position of one of England's finest ever female writers.

First published in 1861, this book is much more than a narrative about slavery; it addresses many issues of gender as well. To escape the philandering intentions of her master, and to try to win freedom for her children, Harriet Jacobs spent seven years hidden away in a garret over her grandmother's house, three feet high at its tallest point with almost no air or light, with only glimpses of her children to sustain her courage. Until the 1980's, this book was presumed by most scholars to be a work of fiction created by a white abolitionist, but Jean Yellin's groundbreaking research brought the real Harriet Jacobs to life. The book has been published several times since the 1960's, often in inexpensive paperback versions that are much cheaper than this edition (2000). However, I'd recommend either this edition (which includes the short slave narrative published by Harriet's brother John, A True Tale of Slavery) or an earlier edition edited by Yellin if you want the full historical background on the book itself.

I have read Incidents in the Life of a Slave by Harriet Jacobs, twice! I enjoyed reading her book. Her book is full of rich vocabulary. Her writing skills and the description of events she used was impressive, i.e. the separation of mother and child being sold to slaveholders, I felt the pain. In her writings, she constantly humbled herself because of her circumstances of being a slave and how she felt incompetent to write her life story. I must say that Jacobs did a magnificent job, considering her life of chattel slavery. Besides being courageous, strong and enduring, she was a very wise person. I think Jacob's does not give herself credit for being wise. She was very wise because she had to plan various strategies to outwit her devil master's attempts to capture her. She was wise in not trusting Harriet Beecher Stowe. What was Stowe's purpose of forwarding Jacob's writings to Mrs. Willis, which included her sexual history? Jacobs was no fool. Finally, the most indelible impression on my mind was when she hid in her grandmother's house, above the storage room, for seven years! I was right there with her. Great job Harriet Jacobs!!

Jacobs has contributed a wonderful document to our nation's history of her experiences as a slave. This is a must-read for anyone with an interest in our country's history!!

"One day you will express yourself and that will justify your existence", said Vincent van gogh's teacher to him. if i start writing about the book, it will wet reams of paper. I have read the book at least fifty times and everytime i derive a different meaning from it. lust for life potrays the kind of life vincent van gogh, the famous painter lived. how he tried to find true love and how he failed. and how he experimented with painting; everytime you read his story, there is a sinking feeling in your heart. you can feel his agony and ecstasy. this book has given me confidence- of being separate and different from the crowd. i have learnt to be an extremist in life, no matter what price i have to pay for it. it has also made me think that i can work as a mason, a clerk or a writer, or as a social activist and still be able to be different and yes.... one day i'll express myself and that will justify my existence. after reading the book, i have sought peace. what i found is ecstasy, anguish, madness and loneliness... the solitary pain that gnaws the heart, but peace i did not find. do i need it? no. No. Never.

Lust For Life, first penned by Irving Stone over 60 years ago, still stands out as the definitive biography of Van Gogh despite all the years that have since brought us new books on this man and his art.

One little-known fact about this book is that in researching it back then, Stone was able to interview people who were acquaintances of Van Gogh, including his red-headed friend in Auvers, Dr. Gachet, who also sat for several of his portraits. This alone adds an authenticity to this work which subsequent bios find it tough to equal.

Last summer I vacationed in France, and made a point of visiting several of Vincent's haunts, including Arles, St. Remy and Auvers. I will always remember the bittersweet sight of his grave on the lonely hill above Auvers where Vincent lies next to his beloved brother Theo. Having just read Lust For Life added immeasurably to my experience and understanding of the man and his remarkable, albeit brief, life.

A masterpiece by Irving Stone. You admire this book more if you have seen van Gogh's paintings. But I really wonder, does this book truly depicts van Gogh's life? It seems to me that Irving Stone has romanticized van Gogh's life. His life might have been as dull as mine or yours. But Irving Stone's presentation has made a whole lot of difference. This is an amazing book, inspiring and I feel one can relate to this very easily.

John Ortberg opens this book by stating that he has drawn heavily from Dallas Willard writings. Having read two of Willard's books I must agree that there is nothing in Ortberg's book that could not be gleaned from Willard; however, that is not the end of the story. Ortberg is a better communicator for non-academics; he is a gifted teacher. His anecdotes and illustrations are well done and on a couple of occasions I actually laughed out loud (look for his story about the pick-up truck). He makes himself vulnerable throughout this book and you cannot help but let your guard down as you read.

This is one of those "easy-read" books that can have a very heavy impact on real life if one allows. It is not so much a book about spiritual disciplines as a guide book to a life of joy and transformation. My wife and I both have appreciated this book (which is quite something I might add). I will be reading it again.

. . .The Bible and Mere Christianity were #1 and #2, by the way:) Once you get past the Baby-Boom-marketing-gimmick title, there's good stuff here. There is a time and place for retreat and contemplation--which he discusses in Chapter 5--but John Ortberg doesn't live in a monastery, and he realizes the average person reading this book isn't, either. His message is that we can live a deeper, more spiritual life right where we are, even with mortgages and kids and dogs and laundry. (He even says that, approached in the right way, our everyday responsibilities are spiritual training ground. That may not be revolutionary to some of you--but it is for me:) This work is immensely readable and laugh-out-loud funny in places--but I've had it two months and am still not finished studying it. It's deep:) What he says about studying Scripture--that our goal is not to get through the Scriptures, rather to get them through US--is also true of his book. My Christian walk is never going to be the same again. I'm giving this to every believer--new and mature--on my Christmas list this year.

John Ortberg reads widely and that's evident in his book. He especially enjoyed the books by Dallas Willard and Richard Foster on spiritufl discplines. He calls this book "Dallas for Dummies". But it is far from stating the obvious or dumbing down the essential truths of spiritual disicplines.

Before reading this book, I read Ortberg's latest book "If you Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get out of the Boat" - I really enjoy the author's conversational style. He tells stories about other people and about his own life, which really serve to drive home the point he's trying to convey.

John makes himself vulnerable and transparent in discussing his own sin and failings, which makes him more credible!

The three chapters that impaced me the most are #3 about the truth of spiritual disciplines, #4 about "the practice of celebration". The last chapter is entitled "The Experience of Suffering". I will definitely be re-reading these chapters.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in growing in their faith.

You might be interested in checking out my reviews of other Christian books.