The Lovely Bones works as an odd yet affecting coming-of-age story. Susie struggles to accept her death while still clinging to the lost world of the living, following her family's dramas over the years like an episode of My So-Called Afterlife.Her family disintegrates in their grief: her father becomes determined to find her killer, her mother withdraws, her little brother Buckley attempts to make sense of the new hole in his family, and her younger sister Lindsey moves through the milestone events of her teenage and young adult years with Susie riding spiritual shotgun. Random acts and missed opportunities run throughout the book--Susie recalls her sole kiss with a boy on Earth as "like an accident--a beautiful gasoline rainbow." Though sentimental at times, The Lovely Bones is a moving exploration of loss and mourning that ultimately puts its faith in the living and that is made even more powerful by a cast of convincing characters. Sebold orchestrates a big finish, and though things tend to wrap up a little too well for everyone in the end, one can only imagine (or hope) that heaven is indeed a place filled with such happy endings. --Brad Thomas Parsons ... Read more

Isbn: 0316666343
Subjects:  1. Crimes against    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. Literary    5. Murder victims' families    6. Psychological    7. Psychological fiction    8. Teenage girls    9. Fiction / Psychological   

Where the Heart Is oddly mixes heart-warming vignettes and surprising, brutal violence. Novalee's story is juxtaposed with occasional chapters chronicling Willy Jack's downward spiral into prison, disappointment, and degradation. And even in Sequoyah, sudden storms, domestic violence, kidnapping, and deadly fires punctuate Novalee's progress from homeless, unwed teen mom to successful, happy member of the community. This is not a subtle book; there's never any doubt that our heroine will make a home for herself and her baby or that Willy Jack will get what he deserves for abandoning them. Still, Billie Letts has created several memorable characters, and there's always room for another novel that celebrates the life-affirming qualities of reading, the importance of education, and the power of love to change lives. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Isbn: 0446672211
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. General    3. Movie / TV Tie-Ins    4. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    5. Fiction / General    6. Reading Group Guide   

Fans of Jill Conner Browne's hilarious advice and queenly assurance should mix up a margarita and prepare to enjoy themselves with her book God Save the Sweet Potato Queens. Whether you're still a Cute Girl or have made it to the glorified ranks of Fabulous Woman, the allure of big hair, utter confidence, and a sparkly tiara is easily understandable. Forget "less is more"--as Jill and all the Tammys can tell you, "more is more, and also better." As a follow-up to The Sweet Potato Queens' Book of Love, this gem touches on many of the same topics--marriage, motherhood, fiancés, the Promise, and all-important attitude and style. Added are a ton of side-splitting stories from fans around the country, who are apparently busy starting up their own royal families with names like the "Menopause Mafia" and "Brazen Strumpets"; one startling tale of a mom at the end of her rope who bursts into "Jeremiah was a bullfrog" in public as a last-ditch effort to get her kids to behave wins Conner Browne's award for mother of the year. The chapter titled "How to Be a Girl" is one of the greatest instruction manuals ever for turning men into putty--the big secret, it seems, is a large bow in your hair. Who knew? One big surprise at the end of this book is hiding under the title "Matters of the Heart." Here you'll read a touching homage to a much-beloved friend of the author, and it will have you running for the nearest hanky. If you find yourself in need of a little pick-me-up after this sad tale, turn to the recipe section, where Twinkie Pie, Dinksey's Gooey Bars, and Death Chicken are guaranteed to cheer you right up. --Jill Lightner ... Read more

Isbn: 060980619X
Subjects:  1. American wit and humor    2. Form - Essays    3. General    4. Humor    5. Humor / General   

Isbn: 0671027344
Subjects:  1. American First Novelists    2. Bildungsromans    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12)    4. Epistolary fiction    5. Fiction - General    6. General    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Social Situations - Adolescence    9. Social Situations - Death & Dying    10. Social Situations - Homosexuality    11. Fiction / General   

Ex-presidential candidate Pat Robertson briefly outsold Michael Crichton with his apocalypse novel The End of the Age (now available on audiocassette), and the similar The Third Millennium sells well, but the Left Behind seriesis the absolute champion in the race to make the Book of Revelation into racy thriller reading. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Isbn: 0842329129
Subjects:  1. Fantasy fiction    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - Religious    4. Religious - Apocalyptic    5. Religious - General   

Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them even 85 years after they were conceived. (Ages 9 to 12) ... Read more

Isbn: 0397321651
Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    2. Children: Grades 4-6    3. Classics    4. Family - Orphans & Foster Homes    5. Fiction    6. Gardens    7. Historical - Europe    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Orphans    10. People & Places - Europe    11. Physically handicapped    12. Juvenile Fiction / Classics   

The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Book 1)
by Lemony Snicket
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (30 September, 1999)
list price: $11.99 -- our price: $9.59
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Editorial Review

Make no mistake. The Bad Beginning begins badly for the three Baudelaire children, and then gets worse. Their misfortunes begin one gray day on Briny Beach when Mr. Poe tells them that their parents perished in a fire that destroyed their whole house. "It is useless for me to describe to you how terrible Violet, Klaus, and even Sunny felt in the time that followed," laments the personable (occasionally pedantic) narrator, who tells the story as if his readers are gathered around an armchair on pillows. But of course what follows is dreadful. The children thought it was bad when the well-meaning Poes bought them grotesque-colored clothing that itched. But when they are ushered to the dilapidated doorstep of the miserable, thin, unshaven, shiny-eyed, money-grubbing Count Olaf, they know that they--and their family fortune--are in real trouble. Still, they could never have anticipated how much trouble. While it's true that the events that unfold in Lemony Snicket's novels are bleak, and things never turn out as you'd hope, these delightful, funny, linguistically playful books are reminiscent of Roald Dahl (remember James and the Giant Peach and his horrid spinster aunts), Charles Dickens (the orphaned Pip in Great Expectations without the mysterious benefactor), and Edward Gorey (The Gashlycrumb Tinies).There is no question that young readers will want to read the continuing unlucky adventures of the Baudelaire children in The Reptile Room and The Wide Window. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson ... Read more

Reviews (902)

warning:the fowling reveiw is very unpleasant
I love a series of unfortunate events so here is the first page of the bad beginning.page 1;if you are inerested in stories with happy endings,you would be better off reading some other book.in this book,not only is there no happy ending,there is no happy beginning and very few happy things in the middle.this is because not very many happy things happend in the lives of the three Baudelaire youngsters.Voilet,Klaus,And Sunny Baudelaire were intelligent children,and they were charming,and resourceful,and had pleasant facail features,but they were extremely unluky,and most everything that happend to them was rife with misfortune,misery,and despir.i'm sorry but that is how the story goes.that was the first page of the bad beginning.this is a must buy book.So buy it now.with all due respect,Clayton Kelly

The Bad Beginning, Reviewed by D.B.
If you like to hear about other people's misery then The Bad Beginnning by Lemony Snicket is a book for you.The story takes place at a mean guardian's home.This book is fiction.

The problem is that orphans named Violet, Klause, and Sunny move to an evil guardian's house, because their parents died in a fire.His name was Count Olaf, and he tries to get their enormous fortune.The characters aren't believable because Violet makes inventions, Klause has read every book, and Sunny is a baby and bites hard things.The characters all look after each other.

The author gave good details, and had a lot of cliff-hangers.I would give this book a 9 out of 10.I think boys and girls, ages 9 and older, would like this book.This book will keep you reading all night.

The Bad Begining
The Bad Beginning


The Bad Beginning By: Lemony Snicket

This story is about three orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudlaire. Their mansion caught on fire mysteriously and burnt to the ground. Now they have to live with their new guardian Count Olaf. They have to do chores like scrubbing the gassy floors, washing the dirty dishes, and make dinner for Count Olaf and his troupe. Will Count Olaf give them more chores or worse? Find out in a series of unfortunates events! I think that this is a great book because it is a mysterious and woeful book.
... Read more

Isbn: 0064407667
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Brothers and sisters    3. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General    4. Children: Grades 4-6    5. Family - Orphans & Foster Homes    6. Fiction    7. Humorous Stories    8. Juvenile Fiction    9. Orphans    10. Juvenile Fiction / Family / Orphans & Foster Homes   

Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set (Books 1-4)
by J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 2001)
list price: $85.80
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Editorial Review

Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter has had his hands full during hisfirst four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As if excellingon and off the Quidditch field isn't enough, Harry has heard evil voices in thewalls, saved lives, and fended off convicts. Only time will tell how Harry willmanage the certain dangers in store for him over the next few years. The firstfour titles of J.K. Rowling's magical, witty, exciting adventures are nowavailable in a gift set, perfect for the legions of children whose big brothersand sisters (and parents) have made off with their copies. These grippingfantasy novels are on the road to becoming classics--don't wait to collect theselovely hardcover editions, illustrated by the talented Mary GrandPré.Each boxed set includes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, HarryPotter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner ofAzkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. (Ages 8 and older)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (421)

simply the best...
cant help but to give two thumbs up...it's nice to read a story about a mother's love, great friendship, story with atwist and humor and most especially with a plot and setting that definitely would take your imaginations to the highest level in one package...so hold on to your seats and be ready for the stories that this extraordinaire would leave you spellbound!!!

What can I say?
It's Harry Potter, what can I say?It's the series that got kids reading again.Everyone knows the plot.A boy wizard named Harry grew up with his cruel muggle (non-magic) aunt and uncle after his parents were killed in a car crash. At the age of 11 he's informed that he's a wizard, and that an evil wizard named Lord Voldemort murdered his parents and very nearly killed him.His aunt and uncle dissaproved of the world of magic and tried to keep everything a secret from Harry.He's taken away to live at a castle called Hogwarts, a school for young witches and wizards where he befriends the studious, proper Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasly, a poor boy who lives in the shadow of his brothers Charlie, Percy, Bill, and Fred and George.In book 1, Harry arrives at Hogwarts and finds that someone there is secretly trying to destroy him and is hiding a VERY big secret from the rest of the school.

In book 2, an unknown assailant is attacking students and everyone thinks Harry's doing it.We learn that no less than THREE characters are not what they seem.We are also introduced to Ron's younger sister Ginny, who has a crush on Harry.

In book 3, a murderous madman is on the loose and seems to be coming after Harry. But who, exactly is he?And the very LAST character you'd ever suspect of being evil reveals his true self.

In book 4, Harry is enrolled in the Triwizard Tournament, where three different magical schools select students to compete in daring, dangerous tests of school.Harry also attends the Quidditch world cup with the Weasleys and has a frightening run in with Voldemort and his servant in a graveyard.One character is tragically killed (I actually cried) at Voldemort's hand.

Book 4 is probably my favorite, along with 1, but there's really no such thing as a bad Harry Potter book.The movies are fantastic as well, and the sixth book is due out in a few months.

works of art
These books are the best I've ever read.I'm 25 years old and I find myself anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.After each book you really feel as though you've spent a school year with these characters.They are a must read for any fantasy fan.Surely these books will go down in history as classic works of great fiction.The author truly understands how to develop characters, you will find yourself genuinely caring about what happens to them.Congratulations to the author for creating a series that has been, and I'm sure will continue to be enjoyed by millions around the world. ... Read more

Isbn: 0439249546
Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure    2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - Fantasy    3. Children: Grades 2-3    4. Humorous Stories    5. Juvenile Fiction    6. School & Education    7. Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic   

A Girl Named Zippy: Growing Up Small in Mooreland Indiana (Today Show Book Club #3)
by HAVEN KIMMEL
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (03 September, 2002)
list price: $12.95 -- our price: $10.36
(price subject to change: see help)
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Reviews (135)

Savor every sentence
I admire this writer for managing to write a memoir about a fairly average childhood and make it so engaging. Her use of language is so stellar, I think she could have written about drinking water for 300 pages and it would have been fantastic. If you're looking for major plot twists and turns, this book probably isn't for you. But if you appreciate the turn of a phrase and fresh images, you have to read this book.

Zippy zips too fast!
It is hard for me to admit, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.I picked it up numerous times at the bookstore but always put it back thinking that I would not enjoy a memoir about a girl growing up in small-town USA.Boy was I wrong.

Like Zippy I grew up in the Midwest.The youngest (ten and seven years difference) of three children I found much of her story to be very relatable.This book made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion.The author has a great ability to tell stories in a way that are fresh and fun.Her antidotes are hilarious.

Bottom line, she made me remember my life in a time when things weren't so hectic.She brought back the joy of childhood.Lazy days filled with imagination and play.I was disappointed when I reached the last page.That is a good sign of a great read

Read Now!"A Girl Named Zippy"
"A Girl Named Zippy," was a hilarious memoir of a small town girl who
explores and embraces the unordinary circumstances that help her discover her true self.
She is the youngest of three children in the Jarvis family of Mooreland, Indiana.By the time she was three years old, she had a reputation of being headstrong, rebellious and unpredictable.Although Zippy's intentions are good, she is misunderstood and often labeled as the "trouble-maker." Each adventure Zippy takes, the more she uncovers the untold details of her neighbors and realizes their influence on her, makes her childhood worthwhile to experience, even if they sometimes terrify her.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because each chapter's topics were more unpredictable than the next.I thought the author was very open in details from her childhood that ranged from embarrassing and outrageous to genuine and heartfelt.She was very sarcastic in tone, but that made it all the more dramatic and memorable.I would definitely recommend this book to my peers who want to compare city life to the country life.
... Read more

Isbn: 0767915054
Sales Rank: 4218
Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Childhood Memoir    6. City and town life    7. Girls    8. Indiana    9. Mooreland    10. Mooreland (Ind.)    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Regional Subjects - Midwest    13. Women    14. Fiction / General    15. Reading Group Guide   

Amy and Isabelle : A novel
by ELIZABETH STROUT
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 February, 2000)
list price: $13.00 -- our price: $9.75
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

"It was terribly hot the summer Mr. Robertson left town." For AmyGoodrow and her mother, Isabelle, the heat of that summer is the least of their problems. Other citizens in the New England mill town of Shirley Falls are bothered by the heat and by "other things too: Further up the river crops weren't right--pole beans were small, shriveled on the vine, carrots stopped growing when they were no bigger than the fingers of a child; and two UFOs had apparently been sighted in the north of the state." But Amy and Isabelle have a more private misery: a seemingly unbridgeable chasm has opened between this once-close mother and daughter and nothing will ever be the same again. For Amy has fallen in love with her high-school math teacher, Mr. Robertson, who has gone way beyond the bounds of propriety by encouraging the crush. When Isabelle finds out, she is horrified to realize that her anger at him is dwarfed by her rage at her own daughter for "enjoying the sexual pleasures of a man while she herself had not."

Mother-daughter novels can, by virtue of their subject matter, often seem claustrophobic, a little overwrought; Elizabeth Strout masterfully avoids this problem by placing Amy and Isabelle in the larger context of the community they inhabit. Though her main focus is on the Goodrow women, Strout often detours into the lives and thoughts of her many secondary characters: Isabelle's coworkers Dottie Brown and Fat Bev; Amy's best friend, Stacy Burrows; Stacy's ex-boyfriend, Paul Bellows; and women from Isabelle's church such as Peg Dunlap and Barbara Rawley. She also introduces a chilling frisson of menace with the unsolved abduction of a 12-year-old girl and a mysterious obscene phone-caller. Like the best of Alice Hoffman, Amy and Isabelle offers up a moving yet resolutely unsentimental portrait of people coming to terms with their lives, finding unsuspected nobility in themselves and unexpected kindness in others along the way. Elizabeth Strout has written a gem of a novel. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Reviews (166)

Lecherous losers versus powerful sisters
Isabelle lives with her daughter Amy in a New England mill town and keeps aloof from neighbors and co-workers.Amy is seduced by her math teacher.Amy and Isabelle fight and become reconciled. Isabelle gradually becomes less isolated. The mysteries of her past are revealed. It's a strong plot without being a melodramatic or high-concept one.
I found it hard to believe this was a first novel because it is so superbly crafted. It is told mainly from the point of view of Isabelle and Amy but shifts POV seamlessly whenever needed so as to give a vivid picture of the town of Shirley Falls.Sometimes an omniscient narrator steps in unobtrusively.The story opens during a hot humid summer. The main action is takes place over the preceding year, with each season artfully drawn; then it climaxes during a brisk autumn. It is further anchored in time by an evocative period setting in the early 60's, with men landing on the moon, typewriters, home economics classes, illegal abortions, and rumors of sexual liberation.When earlier back story is needed it is brought into perfectly natural dialog.
The characters are simple unsophisticated people but Strout neatly brings in literary parallels. Isabelle is mortified when Amy corrects her mispronunciation of Yeats.She tries to read the classics and is captivated by Madame Bovary.She thinks Emma should have stood by her man and tried to make something out of poor Charles.
Actually Charles Bovary is about the only male character who gets a good grade in this book.Most of the men are lecherous losers. Sisterhood is powerful in the end.

Many thoughts
Elizabeth Strout's novel "Amy and Isabelle" is beguilingly complicated, or complicatedly beguiling - I'm not sure which.Either way, it's gripping stuff.Taking place one summer in Maine, the story revolves around the relationship between fifteen-year-old Amy Goodrow and her repressed mother, Isabelle, who is hiding a secret.Given the course of the story, said secret will more than likely become manifest well before Strout actually states it outright.(Though more than likely you will want to read the whole thing through anyway.)

Without a doubt the book's greatest asset is the strength of the characters.Everybody, even the most peripheral of players, is three-dimensional.Although of course Isabelle and Amy are the primary focus of the tale, there are a fewsecondary characters who figure almost as prominently - most notably Mr. Robertson, the slimy math teacher with whom Amy becomes inappropriately involved; Stacy Burrows, Amy's troubled friend who becomes pregnant; and Avery Clark, Isabelle's boss, with whom she is secretly besotted.All of these characters and numerous others are multi-faceted and often riveting.

The book's greatest weakness is in its lack of humor.This may seem a rather preposterous comment given its decidedly unhumorous subject matter, but I mean it in a very subtle sense.Very often the tone of the story is intensely harrowing and maudlin, and one might well find oneself wondering if Strout could have found anyplace where it was possible to lighten things.She is obviously not without humor.(Take for example one scene early in the book, when Amy is angry at Mr. Robertson and writes something nasty but undisclosed about him on the wall of the school restroom.The ending sentence of this paragraph made me snicker out loud.) There are more than one of these instances, but they are too few and too brief - in my opinion, at any rate.

Overall, I found this a gripping story with a lot going for it, but not necessarily one I would put myself through more than once or twice.Perhaps this in itself is a testament to Strout's abilities as a writer - she really makes you go through everything the characters are going through right along with them.

Beautiful, memorable mother/daughter drama...
This novel is exceptional. Elizabeth Strout manages to take a simple, almost mundane story about a mother and her teenage daughter and turn it into something special. The story takes place in a year in the life of Isabelle, a single mother, and her daughter Amy. Amy falls in love with her math teacher, and mother and daughter are, at least for a while, torn apart due to said feelings. Amy is not the easiest person to deal with, but Isabelle's love and patience make an already wonderful, staggering story truly shine...

The special thing about this novel is the incredible evocative powers Strout has. She is able to, with very few words, bring you to a time and a place, and you are there. That is not to say that the writing is in anyway "sparse". Quite the contrary, this is a rich novel, but without any excess weight. Amy and Isabelle, as characters are completely real, completely believable. Although I do give this novel five stars, it does have a few, minor flaws. Amy never wonders about her father, which I found a little hard to accept. Additionally, sometimes, Strout's involvement of the minor characters seemed a little forced. As a whole, however, this is an outstanding first novel and I look forward to her future works. This is a great book to discuss with other book enthusiasts. I've had this book for quite a while. I don't know why it took me this long to give it a whirl. Highly recommended... ... Read more

Isbn: 0375705198
Subjects:  1. Fiction    2. Fiction - General    3. Literary    4. Movie-TV Tie-In - General    5. Fiction / Movie or Television Tie-In    6. Reading Group Guide