Silas House can tell a story better than just about anybody writing today. He paints pictures with his words. His characters are real and heartbreaking and full of joy. I said all that when I read his first book, CLAY'S QUILT. But now that I've read his new one, A PARCHMENT OF LEAVES, I am absolutely stunned. It's the best book I've read in FOREVER and I've recommended it to everyone I know (and also bought copies for all my closest friends for Christmas) and everyone just absolutely loves it. So I think I'm safe in recommending it to you, Amazon customer, too. Silas House will be famous someday, but he should be already. I don't understand why this book hasn't been a blockbuster...it should be chosen by one of the talk shows (not because they choose the best books but because it gets some good books some well-deserved attention). READ THIS BOOK. It's beautiful

Following his well-received Clay's Quilt, Silas House continues to explore the meaning of family, love, home, and belonging. Unlike many popular novels today, House is never heavy-handed in his themes. A Parchment of Leaves unfolds itself as naturally to the reader as own lives unfold to us. His clear prose is welcoming and contains an undercurrent of description that reveals the simple beauties of the landscape and human relationships. The characters of Vine and Serena are so three-dimensional that you'll convince yourself they're real people. Curl up with your quilt, a cup of hot chocolate, and this book. Recommended for all readers, not just devotees of Southern literature.

"A Parchment of Leaves" was highly recommended to me, and I now highly recommend to all that want a brilliantly written, poetic, and moving story about love, life, and family. It is a beautiful story and one of the best books I've read in my life. It had me mezmerized and drawn in. The characters are all so amazingly real.
Tough yet tender Vine, of Cherokee descent, is the main character who we want to get to know, and we do as the story progresses. Thought to be a "witchy woman" by the townsfolk, she is soon discovered by Saul Sullivan. They fall in love. Vine is one of the best characters written in the English language. She springs to life so vividly, and you want to see good things happen to her throughout her life at "God's Creek" with Saul, once the get married and settle down.
You have to read this masterpiece to find out for yourself.
Thank you, Silas House! You are a literary genuis!

Keep reading, Eileen

I have read and reread (and loved, especially the first one) all three Meghan Powers books in their original editions. I am grateful to Hawk Publishing for reprinting these three books (now called the "President's Daughter" series) so that more people can enjoy them, but I do feel that people should know that these reprints are not high quality. They are trade paperbacks with bindings that seem sturdy enough, but the text is not at all crisp -- in fact, it looks like the publisher may have enlarged the pages from the original mass market editions on a Xerox machine and then reprinted these new editions from those copies. I am basing this guess on the fact that the text looks enlarged and somewhat blurry.

The covers of all three of the reprint editions are hideous; the first one shows a girl who looks to be about 8 or 10 years old instead of a teenager, and the covers of the second and third books are not much better.

If you can get past all that, these books are generally marvelous to read. "Long Live the Queen" is much darker than the first two books; Meg is kidnapped and the author does not try to spare us the brutality of this act. This might be a little scary for younger readers, but the book makes a brave and honest attempt to deal with the issues. Again, I am grateful to Hawk for reprinting these, even if the quality is a little disappointing.

When I read "The President's Daughter" (the first book about Meg and her President Mother) I absolutely LOVED it......I read it over & over. I couldn't believe my luck when Ellen E. White came out with it's sequel! "Long Live the Queen" surpassed my every expectation. I think that I have read this book more times than the first. I began reading her books years ago, in High School, and, I find myself reaching for her books even now. Ellen Emerson White is definitely a wonderful writer for any age. I cannot wait to introduce my kids to her some day. (I think I will wait until they can read, though!) THESE BOOKS NEED TO BE REPRINTED!

Any one who has read this book will agree, it needs to go to print again! Meghan Powers battles a kidnapper and personal demons in this stay-up-all-night-to-finish book. Kidnapped by a psychopath to manipulate her mother (the President!), Meg has to discover herself before she can find her way to freedom. A stark look at the emotions of people under duress. Meg serves as a real person when most books focus on too-perfect people. The book has real emotions, real feelings, and real reactions. This nail biter will have you laughing, crying, and cheering. Ellen Emerson White (also known as Zack Emerson) really captures the emotions of a young adult struggling to live her life while the world watches. Scholastic-Reprint this book!

I just finished this book a couple of days ago, and I found it to keep me on my edge of my seat...I was dissapointed when I found out that one of the characters died so soon in the book. Wood's makes you care about the characters in this one...my heart went out to main character when he was trying to find his daughter, and his wife was killed at the opening. Good book..well developed, made me want to read another one of Mr. Wood's books!

Cat Catledge is just beginning to come to terms with the murders of his wife and daughter when the phone rings. One word - "Daddy"- and then the phone is hung up. That phone call leads Cat and the readers on a journey through Colombia as Cat tries to find and rescue his daughter, Jinx.

Drug trafficers have fallen out of favor as the villians of choice in thriller fiction. This book, written in 1988, was written at the height of their popularity and is still a darn good read. Cat is a good hero - a rich computer printer inventor who has plenty of vulnerabilities (first and foremost his family). Woods provides an great group of friends to fill the gaps for Cat. I particularly liked Bluey, the renegade Australian pilot.

Since Jinx was kidnapped by pirates off the Colombian coast, much of the book takes place in that country. Woods does a nice job of telling the reader about the various cities without falling into the traveloge trap.

And, yes, the pages turn easily. A fun read for all (except, maybe, the fathers of beautiful eighteen year old daughters).

This book was my first Stuart Woods novel that I've read and I wasn't disappointed. The action starts off quickly and keeps you turning pages well into the night. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the crookedness of South America, the drug trade, action, and mystery. Definitely a quick read.

This second collection offers us another look at the adventures of the funniest sea-dwellers known to man. There are several hilarious storylines here, including invasion from Navy Seals, Hawthorne's adventures off-island, Fillmore's trip, once again, to Ascension Island, the gang raising a baby sea turtle they call Clayton, the return of sun-loving polar bear Thornton, Sherman and Ernest's trip to Atlantis and, of course, Sherman's attempts to impress his girlfriend Megan. This is a great work of art and writing that anyone can enjoy, not just fans. It is always funny, often hilarious, and I am proud to own it. I'm sure you would be too. Thanks for another great book, Mr. Toomey!

Oh man! Sherman is my hero. He's a shark who's main concern in life is his next meal. Be it hairless beach-apes, poodles, or something else, Sherman, his wife Megan, and other friends in the lagoon will keep you in stiches! A must have for Sherman's Lagoon fans!

Jim Toomey's "Sherman's Lagoon" combines enormous wit and intelligence with hilariously funny drawings. Nobody since Walt Kelly has succeeded so well in putting human expressions on animal characters. Somehow Jim Toomey manages to fit an extraordinary panoply of human situations, common to life in contemporary America, into a very small canvas. There are only a few main characters, sea creatures in a lagoon in Micronesia, but many more pass through the strip briefly, sometimes to disappear into the maw of the great white shark, Sherman, who gives the strip its name, or his wife Megan, distinguishable from her husband only by the necklace of faux pearls around her neck. Only in Sherman's Lagoon will you find a shark wife dragging her reluctant husband to a motivational lecture; an Easter Island-type deity who when asked for advice, tells his hearers to dump their high-tech stocks; or a great white shark singing "La Bamba" at the top of his lungs while using an outhouse.

When my work took me to Holland for a few months, I asked people there what Dutch novels they would recommend. They all said "The Assault". It would certainly be an exageration to say that Holland has no literature, but not much of an exageration. It is renowned for its great painters and architects, not its writers. But in "The Assault" at least, they have produced an indisputable masterpiece. If you read just one Dutch novel, this has to be it.

An exquisitely poignant evocation of life in German-occupied Holland in World War II, it invites the reader to make moral judgements and then systematically undermines those judgements. It is a restrained, undemonstrative, beautifully written work that unfolds gradually and in a most unexpected way. Highly recommended.

In Dutch highschools, this is one of those works which is read by everyone. Especially in the Netherlands this book has been analyzed to death, and I certainly won't add anything significant to the debate. The truth is that this is an incredible peace of art. Harry Mulisch is well known for his ability to write a great novel, but this is by far his best one. The story of the man who slowly discovers the truth about the events that killed his family is deeply touching, as well as telling. This book is not only about a man finding out a lost truth, it is about a country devastated through war, finding its way back on track. This story will tell you more about the spirit that lived within the Netherlands and the events that followed than some history books. I would greatly recommend this book to anyone who has a love for good literature as well as a wish to find out more about the Netherlands as a country during and after the war.

1945. The Second World War is running to its end. A cold winters evening in the Dutch city of Haarlem. The Steenwijk family is sitting around a small fire. Suddenly six gunshots disturb the silence outside. Then a singular cry of pain. Never will Anton Steenwijk forget the images of that dreadful day when he, at the age of twelve, losses almost everything. Now, years later, he has to suffer those horrors again, when the truth finally starts to unfold.

Although the setting is clearly World War II, this story is not relating the heroics of soldiers or people active in the resistance. It describes the personal search for truth of a man who doesn't realise how much impact things he thought to have banished from memory have on his life. During his search he stumbles onto information that will change him completely.

The way Harry Mulisch has depicted the person of Anton Steenwijk is undoubtedly the most powerful asset of this book. Anton does not want to find the truth, but still the truth wants to be found. And what he unwillingly uncovers does not only startle him, but also leaves the reader with topics to think about. Isn't everybody guilty and not guilty at the same time?

This book reads like a train and engulfs the reader to the extend that he will never be able to forget the history of Anton Steenwijk.

White Noise by Don Delillo was a book that should be read by all ages. It's basic concepts that were brought out were the acts of consumerism and death. There was also some sex involved in there too. As you can see, a perfect book for the growing college student. I also liked how Delillo brought in some humorous moments when they were during his grocery shopping and watching television. This novel basically describes the typical American family and shows how this family is just as normal as the rest of us, but shows the side we never really see. I particularly like how Delillo displays Jack as this bizarre man who really focuses on death. He can't help but think about it. I really liked him in this novel because he reminds me of myself as I walk around and think "outside the box" if you know what I mean. This book constantly made me laugh, especially when the father fights with his son. That whole argument is hysterical! The book throws some good twists to American society that most of us never see. My basic thoughts on this novel are that you should read this because it will really make you laugh, and make you think about your typical day of work and life.

White Noise is honestly the best book I have ever read. The book by Don Delillo is based around an average suburban family named the Gladney's. Jack the husband is a professor of Hitler studies at an University and his wife Babette teaches classes on the proper way to sit and stand. Between Jack, Babette and several other marriages several children are introduced in the book and each seems to bring an interesting twist. The whole book is humorous and yet very morbid. Three main themes seem to show up throughout the book. These consist of Death, Sex and Consumerism. We see how these to people deal with the lingering thought of Death. Are we all just waiting to die and can buying material possessions make you feel better along the way? That is the question the book seems to be really asking.
This book is very enjoyable and you may find like myself that you have a hard time putting the book down.

White Noise is quite possibly the most enjoyable book I've ever read. Don DeLillo creates a humorous account of a middle-aged man (Jack Gladney) obsessed with death and its inevitability. In his writing, DeLillo suggests that Americans use consumerism as a way of warding of death, which is one of the novels running themes. The characters in the novel are oddly outrageous with their fanatic conversations about the recollection of trivial things like "Where were you the first time you brushed your teeth with your finger?" or "Where were you when James Dean died?" The dialogue throughout the novel is brilliant and at one point, a father-son conversation about rain coaxes the reader into questioning the validity of his or her own senses. The novel also shows how people are infatuated by televised disastrous events. White Noise reads like a demented sitcom, full of dark comedy, and unique neurotic characters that keep you entertained and interested through its entirety. If you enjoy comical and creative writing, then read this book!

Although Steve seems to be about 20 years younger than I am, and male, I could TOTALLY relate to his wonderful, heartwarming stories about growing up. Anyone who has siblings, has been on family vacations or long car rides, has fallen in love, or loved his/her mom would relate to this wonderful, funny book. Yeah, that means just about everyone! I agree with the other reviewer who said it's a great book for adults to give their siblings. I'm planning to give one to all 3 of my siblings and one for my Dad to boot (see, Dad how good we were compared to STEVE!). The altar boy story had me laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face. Just thinking about it cracks me up. You have GOT to read this book!

What a great book! If you are looking for a FUN!!!!!!!! read then this is it--- to the nth degree. My sides hurt so hard from laughter because Steve White took me back to a simpler time where we got to be kids. His book delves into a part of our past that many of us have either lost, forgotten, or tucked away due to the self-imposed pressures of our adult lives. Here is a chance to recapture those lost years and memories. Yes, those colorful, youthful, antics, and mirth that made the memories of growing up in America stuff to revel in and treasure for a lifetime. This is clearly one of the best books I have read in years and strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to have some fun and rediscover the passion of their youth.

This book could not come out at a better time in view of the Sept. 11 tragedies. It took me back to the vinyl seats of our family station wagon, aggravating my sisters, and hoping the car top carrier would survive my dad's ineffective knot tying. Steve White reminds us of those golden moments of childhood; that they are still there and still possible. This would be a great book for all ages, especially the young at heart!

Great book, no Martial Arts library should be without this book. The history of Pai-Lum is clearly demonstrated and you can feel the pride and love that Grand-master Glenn Wilson has for his art and most important, for his Pai Lum family. I highly recommend this book as well as Pai Lum training that is under the Pai Lum family lead by Grand Master Wilson.

Pai Lum has been studied and practiced for years without getting the recognition that this all encompassing and wonderful system really deserves. Thanks to this fabulous book, the rest of us are allowed an introduction to a Chinese martial art that has, before, been enjoyed by a very lucky few. Grandmaster Glenn C. Wilson shares, not only Pai Lum's techniques, theories, and history, but also, to a much greater level, his love for his teacher, Great Grandmaster Daniel Kane Pai, and his love for the incredible way of life that is Pai Lum Tao. This book is, indeed, an inspiration and I recommend it to anyone looking to find a martial arts system that will never let you feel like you're missing anything else.

I have read the teachings of Glenn C. Wilson about the Way of the White Dragon: Pai Lum Tao. Being familiar with martial arts, this book is an astounding compilation of overall history, insight, and practical understanding of the martial art Kung Fu: Pai Lum. Any martial artist from any style will benefit greatly from the wisdom and influence of this book. The "grandmaster" writes with authority, wit, and wisdom providing heritage, useful knowledge of techniques, and an overall sense of what it means to be a martial artist, and a Pai Lum practioner in particular. You can sense the love of the art and the way of the white dragon. I highly encourage all serious practioners to get a copy of this book.