I remember when Jay-Z said he liked R. Kelly cause he was one of the few R&B singers who could talk about women & love without being corny. The whole time I read the love scenes in this book, I shook my head. They were corny! But Mr. Jasper had a very interesting and unique topic to write about. His writing skill is still impressive, but "Dark" was 100% better than this book. The main character was lame, kept fighting between tough guy vs. corny guy, and there were too many Cinderella and Superman scenes. But I'd still buy his next book cause "Dark" showed me that the man has skill.

Kenji Jasper's sophomore offering is a slam-dunk in Dakota Grand where he gives readers a view of the world of Hip-Hop journalism. Dakota Grand is a young man on the rise. Twenty-two years old, he left his home in Atlanta to make his mark in the Big Apple and is ready to take on New York, showing the world he has what it takes to write the big stories and maybe in the process write that Great American Novel--Hip-Hop style. He is also determined to redeem himself in his single mother's eyes who is disappointed because he left college to pursue his dream.

Dakota is a big fan of Arbor Day, a recently disbanded two-man rap duo. When he is awarded the assignment of his life, an interview with one of brothers in the group, Mirage, he sees it as his big break; this coup will set him apart. With this interview, he will be in the same league as the big boys who write the cover stories for Source and Vibe magazines. However, along with that honor, unfortunately sometimes comes an occupational hazard of incurring the wrath of the entertainers. It seems they can change their mind after the interview and that is exactly what happens. Threats are issued and what ensues becomes a stack of tumbling cards.

How does this happen when everything seems to be coming together? He has the magazine career of his life-he is the man of the hour with freelance assignments being offered to him at every turn, a publishing house wants to publish his novel, and he has a new woman in his life. Carolina, a chocolate sister from Cuba that he meets on the subway, allows him to see the possibilities of allowing someone to get close to him.
Told in first person, this offering allows readers to become familiar with several facets of a writer's life, a world where a freelancer lives hand-to-mouth, where obtaining the next writing assignment or getting a big break determines if one has food to eat or can pay the rent. We see Dakota going through the writing process, the discipline, the disappointments, and the gradual awareness of his acknowledgement that there is much to be learned about the craft. Jasper has a writing style that has influences of Baldwin and Ellison, surreal, precise and genuine. He can only grow more prolific with time and I look forward to his next novel.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Kenji Jasper is undoubtedly one of the most gifted young writers of our time. People are using and misuing the term "Hip Hop Generation" but Kenji is actually representing what is going on. His style is reminiscent of extraordinary writers such as James Baldwin. His characters are well developed and complex. If Dark (his first book) didn't already make you a fan, Dakota Grand will make the connection for you. It a must-read!!

Even though I felt book 4 was just a bit dragging at times, it kept my interest because it built on the life of Hjelmer. There is finally a blacksmith and a merchantile in town. Penny's only known relative comes to join her. Haaken contracts mumps as they spread throughout the families, and the Bjorkland matriarch arrives with 4 others for vacationing -or is it a move?

A very dramatic incident occurs when Anner, an angry farmer, has a farm accident.

During a 6 wk absence of her husband and against all advise including his, Ingeborg returns to her britches and plowing and has a freak though serious accident. Zeb MacCallister, a fugitive caring for orphans Manda and Deborah, joins the prairie families. Manda talks too much.

Blessing women are discussing the possibility of women's votes and the fact their area is about to become a state. Katy and Zeb are extremely attracted but speak completely different languages.

A bank is opening, several weddings take place, and near the end of the book Zeb sees his siter momentarily and gets a painful scare which forces him into an even more painful decision.

Despite a slight discrepancy in timeframes by the author, I am glad I already have purchased book 5 in this series.

I have read all the books in this series and all the books in the sequel series. Ms. Snelling is one of my favorite authors and this is one of my favorite books. I have rad every book numerous times and would recommend them for anyone. Ms. Snelling knows real-life situations that pertained to the late 1800s and writes about them. I personally believe "A reader from Alberta, Canada" must have only skimmed the book and I suggest that she get her facts straight.

This is a sad book at times, but it brings out the truths of life for the homesteaders. Although I wish Ingeborg would get her baby, I also know that her situation was very real for many women. Alberta, Canada hasn't read this book because she doesn't know what she is talking about at all. It's a great book in a great series, I love them all.

I loved the new Neal Karlen book "Slouching Toward Fargo". It captured what life is like in the unique Northern League of Baseball. I should know, I was a memeber of the 1996 St. Paul Saints - I was the infielder born without legs - Dave Stevens, and it was a dream of a lifetime to play alongside Darryl Strawberry and Jack Morris - Please read this book for an incredible unprecidented inside look at the oddball life and times of the rennegade league and why that team in St. Paul can outdraw it's ugly step sister - the Twins - just two miles away - on any given summer night

I love baseball and minor league baseball especially, and I love Bill Murray, who is one of the owners of the wacky team the St. Paul Saints this book is about. So when I heard this book when the Casey award for best baseball book of the year I got it. This team is nuts, but there's a point to all the nuttiness. They have a pig that delivers balls to the umpires! It was kind of amazing to read about the 3 foot tall second basemen with no legs, and really sad about Darryl Strawberry, especially when you know what happened to him. And all the women in the story seemed to fit in too. The writer kind of bugged me for the first 50 pages, but when I figured out he was looking for something in his own life as much as the players, I thought he was pretty cool and brave to be so upfront about his life. I'd rather see a game then read about it usually, but this really isn't even about baseball in a ton of ways. I gave it to some friends who don't even like baseball and they really liked it too.

I learned A LOT more than I bargained for when I purchased this book. What started out as a hatchet job on Bill Murray by a writer employed by a vindictive Jann Wenner turned into a beautiful story about how the lives of people can still be positively affected by the power of sport. One couldn't ask for a more unusual cast of characters or a better person to tell their story. Mr. Karlen, as a result of this book's publication, I truly hope that you'll no longer need to drive your "Northern League" car. And as for Mr. Wenner and his all-too-cool publication? I will certainly have doubts about the objectivity of any article, profile, or review printed in "Rolling Stone" from now on.

Telling people how to perform ceremonies that they have no qualifications for or experience in is sacrelidgeous. Period. Anyone who practices or performs these ceremonies (who hasn't cashed in on their ancestry for twenty bucks a pop) knows this. I have done extensive research on this kind of cultural misappropriation (Ward Churchill has, among many others, an excellent book called Indians Are Us? that contains an essay on Mr. McGaa and other "plastic medicine men"). The person who stated the fact that this book is sacrelidgeous is not close-minded, he or she is aware of the facts. You cannot claim part of someone else's religion for your own.

Ed McGaa, writing about what he is called to write about, has the blessed good fortune to be published. The ceremonies he writes about have meaning to him and he wishes to share their essence with the readers. There is nothing about exploitation in this. What this book does is send a message of hope that people will do SOMETHING in themselves to correct their insane ways and reconnect with the living Spirit that flows through Nature. Small minds need opening. Small hearts need opening. Envy is a disease of the soul. 1000 blessings to Ed McGaa, whoever he is, for his beautiful efforts. Small stones dropped in the water make ever-expanding rings. It is for readers to reflect on the meaning of what is written. Noone has to go out and perform rituals that are not theirs. There is something universal in all people's rituals, however. The wise see it and can work with it. The lazy idiots sit back and sling mud. When has it ever been otherwise? Bright Blessings.

This book is a collection of stories of people taking the natural way instead of the closed minded dogma of most religion.

In this book Mr. McGaa releases more of his distaste for "christianity" I suffered too much at the hands of "christians" as well.

If you are interested in taking the natural way; this book offers some guideposts to follow.

If your mind and heart are closed; as demonstrated by the reviewer from San Francisco below; go back to you dogmatic religion where you are forced to give your power away to the people in power. I wish you peace.

Minds and hearts are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

Questions or comments E-Mail me. Two Bears

Wah doh Ogedoda

I thought this book was wonderful. It has great illustrations, and explains the story of sitting bull very well. I think it is a great resource for teaching about indian culture.

this is a great book to use in class for a biography lesson on sitting bull. it's also a great way to explore american indian naming practices.

When I first opened this book I had no clue the boy called slow was Sitting Bull. When I realized that after reading a few pages, I thought wow! That is so neat. I learned so much about the indian culture and how they came up with their names. I like this book a lot. I'm going to keep it for my children to read when I get older.

The book On The Way Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder was in my opinion the best book I read all summer becaus it tells the story of a girl (Laura) over coming obsticals. Such as realizing and excepting that they (Laura and her husband Almanzo)could no longer live were they were.They could not grow any crops so she made the disition to go "home" so that they could make a living of what they were good at.

"On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894," by Laura Ingalls Wilder, really brings to life this era in American history. The book is actually a collaboration between Laura and her daughter, writer Rose Wilder Lane; Rose's introduction and concluding chapter "sandwich" Laura's journal entries.

As the author of the "Little House" book series and as the subject of a long-running television series based on those books, Laura Ingalls Wilder is a truly beloved figure in American popular culture. "On the Way Home" offers an excellent opportunity to "hear" her speak directly from a real-life adventure. Her trek with her husband, Almanzo, and daughter Rose is a classic pioneer tale.

The book is well complemented by a wealth of black-and-white photographs of the family, as well as of the architecture, artifacts, landscapes, and animals that were part of their world. There is also a map of their route.

Laura's prose is very engaging. She writes of the natural landscape, plants, and animals they encountered along the way. She also gives a sense of the ethnic and religious diversity of that time and region. Her journal entries capture the excitement of the growing cities and towns.

This is a short book (120 pages), but it is full and fascinating. When Laura writes of such pleasures as wading in a warm river or picking wild blackberries, you can imagine yourself standing beside her. Recommended as a companion text: "O Pioneers!", by Willa Cather.

For the children who love Little House On the Prarie, this book is for you. On the way Home is about an 8 year girl traveling with her family towards their new home. There were many adventures that the Wilder family encountered "On the way Home." There are parts in this book that will keep you on edge. This book would appeal to children under the age of 10. Laura Ingalls Wilder has published many interesting books for children including,On the Way Home.

Mr. Brokaw's book is a realistic look at the hard life experienced fy residents of the Plains during the depression years. The story of this difficult life is tempered by the writer's nostalgia for the strong human values with which the residents of this part of our country are imbued. WIthout the author even having to state it, he himself is obviously greatly affected by these values with which he was inculcated. The author writes with affection and love-- for a time which all Americans cherish, no matter where they were born, if they grew up with a strong family life.

I've always sought out Tom Brokaw's reporting through the long list of high quality news anchors. At an early point, if asked, I could point to the fact that Brokaw was just a touch more honest or unbiased, just a bit more believable in his reporting.
Brokaw and his family's circumstances weren't that much different than others. But, it was how his family was able to handle the hardships through hard work, ingenuity, and integrity that stuck with Brokaw and what made him successful and more importantly happy in life. An important lesson for today's families.
This book is a great view of what made America and the family of that generation important. This is an articulate, uplifting book about an American icon's childhood.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Tom Brokaw is ten years older than I, but I can identify with many of his experiences in growing up. Like him, I came from a small state that is often ridiculed by those from more urbanized areas (Arkansas in my case). Like him, I was lucky enough to be born to wonderful parents that instilled the right values. Like him, I don't really want to move back to where I came from, but I am eternally grateful for it, love to visit, and continue to be nourished by it.

Brokaw is a thoroughly appealing character in this book. His introduction cites his mother's assessment of the book: that his ego was showing through in some places. True enough, but it's not the sort of display that irritates you--more like the sort where you shake your head and are more than a little charmed. He doesn't spare himself in his account. He was told at one point by his future wife to basically shove off, since he was obviously heading nowhere fast--an assessment that one of his friends cooly confirmed to Brokaw's face. Given where he has gone since then, it's a little comforting to learn that he wasn't some ambitious machine checking off the steps on his ladder to success.

I especially enjoyed his discussion of how his consciousness was raised as regards treatment of American Indians. Time and again, a somewhat cocky Brokaw is shown not to be as smart as he thinks. The response of an Indian woman to his self-assured statement that he knew a lot about Indians since he was from South Dakota--I'll leave that to you to discover. It's a gem.

I've always had a weakness for tales told by people who are out of the limelight, who aren't the immediate images called up when you think of a particular era, who weren't in what some would consider the "mainstream". Tom Brokaw's South Dakota upbringing is just as integral a part of America in the '40's and '50's as that of someone not living in "fly-over" territory. He brings it to life in an engaging way.

At first, I was a bit disappointed by the book and then I read the epilogue. Why wasn't it more of a memoir? Why was it filled with so much analysis? Then, I realized that isn't really the point of this wonderful book. Klosterman has made me a fan for life. What wins me over his unbashed honesty. I've long held that the lowest critic life form is that of rock critic. Klosterman calls them on their pretension. He hammers away at what I have always believed is that music is important if it touches you. My MP3 collection has Sinatra and Warrant. Who cares who is better, both form the soundtrack to important parts of my life. Klosterman tells some hilarious stories and his takes on music and life is so refereshingly honest that I can't stop smiling. He isn't mean or nasty--just tells it as he sees it. DOn't agree? That's ok. I learned more than I ever imagined about '80s heavy metal (some which I finally realized I liked about 10 years too late) and I suspect I would have gotten more out of the book if I had understood all the references, but I loved what I read anyway. Except for the passage where he compares the Gospels to GNR Lies, this book really does rock. Isn't that the most important thing?

I spend about half my time thinking and writing about music and this is the best damn book I've read in several years. Nothing written about metal comes close. It deserves a place alongside Dave Marsh's The Heart of Rock and Soul, Greil Marcus' Mystery Train, Peter Guralnick's Sweet Soul Music, and Gary Giddins Visions of Jazz at the very top of the list of the best books ever written about American music. Its obvious virtues are, well, obvious: it's funny, entertaining, and true to its subject. What's not obvious until you let it simmer for a while is how smart the book is. The discussions of what irony meant in the 80s, of the not-so-useful discussions of sexism in heavy metal, and the razor sharp "sociology" of the rural midwest ought to attract the attention of a ton of people who hate (or, mostly, think they hate) Van Halen, Motley Crue, GnR. Yet and still, the best thing about this book for me is that it took me back to some music I'd half-forgotten about and reminded me of why it spoke to me in the first place. If you love metal, you gotta read this book. If you don't, you still gotta read it.

Klosterman almost....ALMOST... well, ok, not really... makes me think 80s hair metal was a worthwhile music genre. Despite my contempt for Poison and Motley Crue this book is a funny, engaging read by a creative writer and will strike home with any and all who grew up as a smalltown loser awash in pop culture crap. And doesn't that really describe us all? For rock music fans, it's an absolutely essential book that details rocks slide into triviality. Even if you hate hair metal, you'll like FARGO ROCK CITY.

This is a great advance on the one before it, which apparently had two titles and two publishers and was really the second in the series. There's a site called "stop you're killing me" which helps to solve that mystery. The heroine/detective, Tory Bauer, is an overweight widowed waitress.
It's full of American high school ambience, which I'm not familiar with but found intriguing. It centers on a high school reunion in a small town in the upper Midwest. A death ocurred thirty years previously and the circumstances of that death are mysteriously re-enacted. Partly because they're all middle-aged mid-Westerners (do I put capital letters in the right place?} the large cast of characters gets confusing but after the first hundred pages I figured who was who and then it rapidly accelerates into a page turner (but without any major violence) towards the end.

I am exactly the same age as Tory Buaer and grew up and still live in a small town in South Dakota. Not quite as small and dusty as Delphine but I found myself and my friends in every page of the book. I was at first a little confused because so many characters were introduced right in the beginning. However, that soon cleared and I was pleasantly surprised at how well written it was. Anyone who grew up in the 50's, 60's, and early 70's in a small Midwestern town would enjoy this book. I will be watching for all Kathleen Taylor novels

This is the third in a series of Tory Bauer Mysteries. Tory Bauer is a forty-somthing, widowed waitress who inadvertently and against her will stumbles on to mysteries. It is very funny and interesting how the story from the past and the present intertwine. I loved it and had a blast reading it.

Louise Erdrich is a fine, accomplished writer. Somehow, it seemed to me that this novel exhibited signs of subject exhaustion. I believe that _Love Medicine_ is proof that Erdrich should be held in high regard as a writer, as the talent is truly there. That work also served as a template for some of her later works, a fact which I am a bit disappointed by since I feel that none of them have achieved the same level of poetic impact. _Tales of Burning Love_ is well written, but I feel that the story drags in places, and can be tedious to sit through; it helped that I read the majority of it while riding the bus. I was sorry to see her using the same characters again. They are strong, worthy, and well-developed characters, but in the context of this particular story they seemed more contrived.

Louise Erdrich is a masterful novelist, capable of writing spellbinding prose and developing complex, wonderfully human characters. In *Tales of Burning Love*, all of these talents are apparent, and the novel is, if nothing else, a "good read." If some of her past works have tended toward a plodding pace and an ethereal kind of tone, this one is different in that it finds Ehrlich creating a veritable snowstorm of action and events. In fact, there are so many bizarre twists and turns, so many eerie occurrences laden with ironies and sly twists of fate that one suspects that Erdrich may here be trying to broaden her audience so as to make her work more commercially successful. It was this shift toward the tawdry, the sensational, and the lowest common denominator in terms of target audience that I found myself resenting by the end of the book.

The male protagonist, Jack Mauser, has few or no redeeming qualities, as far as I can discern. He's cruel, moody, unstable, and neither terribly bright nor sensitive. Yet one of the principal premises of the book is that this man is veritably irresistible to a variety of women, four of whom he marries. Perhaps this makes the book a "woman's book," inasmuch as some female readers might find some point of identity with these women in the way that they just can't help loving this jerk, despite their better judgment. But I found the whole swirl of affections and passions surrounding Jack Mauser annoying and unconvincing.

Even at her worst, Louise Erdrich is a terrific novelist, and this novel is well worth reading simply for the masterful way that Erdrich tells a story, makes transitions, and creates moods and visions. But this is not her best novel.

I read this my first Erdrich novel after a writer whose opinion I respect recommended her. This is the tale of Jack Mauser and his many wives-- maybe five altogether. The plot has as many twists and turns as a blizzard in North Dakota where much of the action occurs. Watch for what Ms. Erdrich does with the title near the end of the book. She's always ahead of us.

At times I thought that Jack isn't worth all the attention he gets from his women. He is after all a drunk, a womanizer and a cheater in business, truly one of the types that George and Tammy sang about. But his women often get the upper hand, sometimes quite literally. One of them in order to show Jack that "it hurts to be a girl," ties him up and plucks out most of his facial hair in what has to be one of the funniest scenes I've read in a long time.

The story, sometimes outlandish, probably wouldn't have worked with someone with less talent. But these characters with all their warts breathe. I never doubted for a moment their humanity. Erdrich is wonderful at describing a character with few words -- or with many if the occasion calls for it.

Finally, don't you have to love a writer who says that "no blue is ordinary. Blue is the stuff of the soul"?