Reynolds Price takes the willing reader along on the ride between life and death. Cancer-stricken, we feel his anguish, we mourn his loss. RP tells us that the world changes, but we must learn to adapt, as he has done so masterfully.

This was my favorite book as a kid, along with the other 2 or 3 in the same series. I am trying to find it to save for my daughter, now that it's out of print! It's pretty scary -- definite nightmare material. Old Mrs. Tuggle is as memorable a force of evil as anything Stephen King can come up with. I recommend for the not-so-faint of heart kids!

This book is a collection of wonderful sayings from around the world. It contains over a hundred topics related to the human condition. Topics in the book cover the gamut from "Adversity" to "Vanity and Arrogance," from "Caution and Care" to "Impossibility." It is an incredible book in that it speaks to the universality of the human experience.

Set in the coal mines of West Virginia, Wrestle the Mountain is an entertaining "coming of age" novel. Jed Jefferson Tate is an eleven-year-old boy who yearns for a better life than the constant struggle for survival that his father faces in the mines. With help from his teacher and his aunt, Jed must somehow find his own path. Then when a natural disaster puts lives in danger, everything changes! Wrestle The Mountain is a compelling and heart-told story.

This is a well researched and engaging historical text set 100 years before Lewis and Clark. It is a jouney of a Native American across this continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans outlining the rich and varied cultures of the many peoples who inhabited this land before the impact of European settlers. The author is comfortable and familar with his topic and weaves an engaging story. I strongly suggest this work for anyone who wishes to know, study, or to become aware of the history of the people who have inhabited this North Americian Continent.

I enjoyed following the main character through his journeys and learning the stories, medicinals, sports, traditions of the various tribes with which he traveled and stayed.

The notes at the end of each chapter bring you current with what is happening today in each area of the journey for the Native American People and make it a rich teaching text.

I have read nearly every book that I thought could possibly be enjoyable and I have yet to come across one as wonderfully written as The Year of The Gopher. It contains the reality of the book Life Without Friends, while keeping you exited at the same time. Once you finish the book you feel the need to turn back to page 1 and start all over. This book is one that the average adolescent, or mature adult can easily relate to. I truly beleive that you have not experienced great literature until you have read the book, The Year of the Gopher.

I really like this book so I'm giving it 4 out of 5 stars. Below I'm going to explain what I like and didn't like about the book.

At the beginning of the book I really liked how Shiloh always followed Marty around and tried to become friends. Shiloh would follow Marty across the bridge and to his house when he went outside. When Marty got to know Shiloh really well he would feed and take care of Shiloh. Marty did this because he knew that Judd didn't take care of his hunting dogs very well.

In the middle of the book I liked how Marty comes up with many ways to earn money so he can buy Shiloh from Judd. Marty thinks about collecting alumnium cans, recycling glass bottles, baby sitting or delivering catalogs. But finally he decides to work for Judd. At Judd's house Marty has to do all the chores to earn enough money to buy Shiloh.

By the time I got to the end of the story there were somethings I didn't like. For example, when Judd threatened to shoot Shiloh because he wasn't a very good hunting dog. There were also some parts of the book that were confusing. Finally, I didn't like it when Shiloh was caught in the hunting trap.

Wow, this is a fantastic book. Shiloh was well-written by Phyllis Reynols Naylor. This book good for any age, go to your library and get Shiloh. This book takes place up in the hills of Friendly, West Virginia. The two main characters are Shiloh a mistreated hunting beagle with ticks and fleasand a caring, loving boy named Marty. Mart's mom is a homemaker and Marty's dad is a mail carrier. It all started when Marty went up in the hills for a walk, when he spots Shiloh. He tries to get Shiloh's attention but he can't until Marty whistles and then the dog follows him. They stay together for a while and they soon fall in love with each other. Sadly, this mistreated and abused dog belongs to Judd Travers. He a has a bad temper and he abuses his dogs. Marty lies to his parents and friends and says that he gave back the dog but he didn't and he is also sneeking food for Shiloh. Soon enough his mom finds out what he has been doing. She makes Marty bring Shiloh back to his real owner. When Martt sees what Judd does to Shiloh he wants to take Shiloh away from him and make him regret what he did to the dogs that he owns. I will leave the ending for you to find out.

Shiloh, what a great book! The reason I like the book Shiloh was because 1, I like dogs. 2, I like stories that when you stop reading, you think about what might happen next.

This book was about a boy named Marty who found a beagle dog. He later found out that hte dog belonged to a person named Judd Travers. He would kick his dogs'! So, Marty decided to hide the dog. Later, Judd goes looking around for his dog. But when Judd asked Marty about his dog, he had to lie to keep Shiloh[Thats the name Marty gave the beagle.] dog in hiding.

Shiloh was one of the best books I've ever read. That's why I've rated it with 5 stars. Will Judd Travers ever get his dog back? I'm not going to be a spoil-sport, and tell. That means you can ask a friend. Or you can save your breath, and just read the book!

While I eagerly awaited Bosch's return in Angels Flight I was somewhat disappointed in what I found between the covers. I hate to have to give this book a mediocre review.

Where did the Harry that I had grown to love go? It seemed as though his gritty, hard edged character has softened and in doing so become a bit bland.

I honestly, had to skim through several parts of this book because I just couldn't get into it. I am a huge fan of Connelly's and I just hope that Void Moon will take us back to the Connelly we know and love - hey, everyone is allowed to make a mistake, right?

If you are a Bosch fan then you should read Angels Flight but if not go back a read some of Connelly's older books first.

I read this book in 24 hours. The book grabbed me in the 1st 2 pages. I loved this book because it has everything I think makes a good mystery. A character one can care about in Harry Bosch, a good story, and a mystery which is not what it seems. The book is a page turner. You may not be able to put it down because Connelly keeps the action moving. The story takes place over 48 hours which increases the already heightened tension. I was waiting for Connelly's new book because he always writes a good story. For those who are Harry Bosch fans, Connelly does not disappoint. If you are not a Connelly fan, after this book you will be.

This is my fourth Connelly book, and it's another winner. He writes mystery novels different than the rest of them, because there are no easy answers, and no cop is a superman. Detective Heironymus Bosch has been in many of Connelly's previous books, and this time he's investigating the murder of a high-profile black lawyer named Howard Elias, who was in the middle of a lawsuit against the LAPD. Needless to say, there are many people who would want Elias dead, several of them cops.

But for Michael Connelly, there are no easy answers. Red herrings abound in this story, and Bosch is further distracted by his relationship with his estranged wife. Add to that a murder case steeped in pedophilia, powers-that-be in the LAPD who want the case solved as quickly as possible, high-price internet callgirls, dirty cops...and you've got a complicated case that could spark inner-city riots if it's not solved to everyone's satisfaction.

If you like this book, I recommend the other Connelly books I've read..."Blood Work," "A Darkness More Than Night" and "Trunk Music." Connelly's work is gritty, realistic, and sometimes very funny. A fantastic writer.

This book is written from the perspective of Ninah, a young girl on the verge of emotional, sexual and spiritual growth living within an extreme religious group. Her life is filled with prayer, penance and the storytelling of the one truly strong person in the community, her grandmother. Ninah falls off of the path of rightousness and onto a road of trouble when she falls for her prayer partner James and ends up pregnant. The aftermath is touching, sad and uplifting all at the same time. Ninah is a vulnerable yet strong character who questions her spirituality at every turn. Grandpa Herman wants the members of the community to live up to his rules and doctrines instead of God's. Ninah refuses to give into this blind faith of follow the leader. She knows her heart and she lets it lead her to her own salvation and helps to bring peace and honesty to the community. Sheri Reynolds writes a gripping story, one that is symbolically rich and strong in characterization. This is a must read, regardless of your faith and beliefs.

Sheri Reynold's Rapture of Canaan title gave me the initial imporession it would be a 'hardship' survival, tell all book about an excape from a cult. It was totally unexpected when I started to read a story about a young girl and her life within this 'self-developed' sect, her comfort in growing up with her immediate family, under the strict guidance of her preacher grandfather and her story-telling grandmother. Her entire family showed that they loved her and other members of the family within the sect and even though their life-style might have been considered 'harsh' by outsiders, they felt they lived a 'good' life.
The young protagonist's 'surprise' pregnancy came about from the Church and her parents failure to communicate properly to her about the birds and bees and her misinterpretation of the "Rapture" the members of the church were constantly seeking.
There is death and sadness, happiness and love, events that occur for the better and worse, but the entire story is beautifully written. I couldn't put the book down, the story line was so interesting and didn't want to wait to see 'what happened next.'
This book would be a very good read for anyone looking for a good story that emphasizes family love and devotion in the face of life's hardships.

Rapture of Canaan is an honestly good book. A highly engrossing tale about an extremely religious commune and the severity of their faith. A novel of sharply-crafted twists and turns and one that will play with your emotions. This is a story of one girl's faith in her church and in God and her struggle to balance freedom within the iron walls of the world in which she lives.

Grandpa Herman, founder of The Church of Fire and Brimstone and God's Almighty Baptizing Wind, has a flock to tend to -- his congregation, where some mimic Herman's steadfast and unnerving faith, and some who occassionally stray from the righteous path. And perhaps the most surprising stray of all is his granddaughter, Ninah. Twelve-year-old Ninah, who finds difficulty in controlling her first adolescent stirrings, manages somehow to twist them and convince herself the things she does with her prayer partner, James, is nothing more than learning about Jesus's love through each other. And once the community finds out, the whole system of the Church is shocked to a halt. "The wages of sin is death," says Grandpa Herman. The story plays out wickedly as the truth of Ninah's transgressions plummets to an end....The rapture has come.

The Rapture of Canaan is a powerful and stunning novel. Shari Reynold's prose is a tapestry of faith, religion, fear, sadness, life and death, all woven to create a picture of a cult-like existence and how it effects those in which it governs. A truly page-turning saga that expresses the all-encompassing love for Jesus and the trials of a girl finding her way. An uplifting and frightening mix. A great read.

Toni Morrison broke the mold when she wrote this book. Song of Solomon is a reflection of not just African-American spirituality, but of the spirituality of Americans as a whole. She reminds us of the meaning of identity, and the power of hope. Macon (Milkman) Dead, the hero, is the spoiled, lazy, and aimless son of a rich black man in Michigan. When learns from his father of a treasure his aunt Pilate had hidden years before, he goes on a search to find it. However, nothing in his life could prepare him for the journey on which he was about to embark. During this journey, he encounters some of the most colorful characters he would ever meet--his mentor and friend, Guitar, his cousins, and a whole host of other people. While I will not ruin the rest of the story for those who have not read this book, I will remind you that the only way to really enjoy this book (or any other book) is to keep an open mind, and expect the unexpected. With this book, Toni Morrison has earned her place in American women's literature and African-American literature.

I recently re-read "Song of Solomon" (for the sixth time) as part of a book club discussion and was once again taken aback by the book's power. It is a novel about coming-of-age and of self-discovery. But it is that and much, much more: In telling the tale of Milkman Dead and all of those that he comes in contact with, Morrison relates the story of not only Black America, but also the human spirit.

"Song of Solomon" is a complex story that borrows from history, African mythology (The Mwindo Epic of the Congo) and the rich tradition of American Literature. No other contemporary American novelist can compete on the same level as Morrison. Her writing is believeable, inciteful and always lyrical. "Song of Solomon" is clearly a must for any english professor's list of great reads.

I recently re-read "Song of Solomon" (for the sixth time) as part of a book club discussion and was once again taken aback by the book's power. It is a novel about coming-of-age and of self-discovery. But it is that and much, much more: In telling the tale of Milkman Dead and all of those that he comes in contact with, Morrison relates the story of not only Black America, but also the human spirit.

"Song of Solomon" is a complex story that borrows from history, African mythology (The Mwindo Epic of the Congo) and the rich tradition of American Literature. No other contemporary American novelist can compete on the same level as Morrison. Her writing is believeable, inciteful and always lyrical. "Song of Solomon" is clearly a must for any english professor's list of great reads.

[This is my review from four years ago, but it still applies.]