First of all I would like to mention what is missing in the Amazon advertisement for this book. The proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the Yuchi chiefs for the support of their ceremonial grounds. This statement is found inside the front cover of the book.
Being of Yuchi descent I would like to provide a review of Mr. Jackson's book. Prior to his book being published there has been a very small amount of information about the Yuchi in print. If you are lucky enough to be able to find and afford what has been printed, it is mostly historical, the ways things were. Not only that, the material has very little comparitive analysis with the neighbors of the Yuchi, then or now. Jason's work is not only helpful in providing an extrodinary account of today's Yuchi but a very detailed comparative analysis of their neighbors. Something that I have yet to find with regards to Yuchi ethnology. Also, this comparison describes how their uniqueness does not support their inclusion into the Muskogee (Creek) Nation and that eventual federal recognition is only a matter of time. Anyone interested in native culture or how alive and well it is even today in the 21st century should take this opportunity with Jason's book.
I look forward to seeing Jason at this year's Green Corn Ceremony at Duck Creek and hope that this is but the first of his continued work with and amongst the Yuchi.

The disturbing eeriness of the short story 'The Lottery' has stuck with me since my days of junior high school. Having never been exposed to any of Jackson's other work, I recently picked up _The Lottery and Other Short Stories_ hoping to find more morsels that equalled "The Lottery"s power. Did I find them? Nope - but I didn't find disappointment, either.

Jackson's short stories display a variety of themes, from thought-provoking political commentary to childlike whimsicality (and all points in-between). Likewise, some stories are well-developed, while others seem like little more than the skeleton jottings of an author's thoughts. When it's all said and done the stories provide worthwhile reading, but some are far more satisfying than others. "The Lottery" stands head and shoulders above the rest as the jewelled crownpiece; save it for last. It will stick with you like few stories you'll ever be priveleged to read.

I first picked up this volume because, shocking as it may seem, I'd never actually read Shirley Jackson's landmark story "The Lottery." That's the last story in the book, so I skipped right to it; and, long story short, I wasn't quite as floored by it as I thought. (Full disclosure, though: I more or less knew the ending already.)

However, as I read through the rest of the stories in the book I was amazed at the range, depth, and general brilliance of Jackson's storytelling. Many of her stories tend to center around basic human cruelty (a theme made all the more powerful by the fact that the characters are mostly genteel females) and insanity. Jackson wrings plenty of drama out of these concepts, to be sure (many of the stories are downright chilling), but she's equally capable of playing them for laughs--in "My Life With R.H. Macy," a hilarious account of working in retail, and the "Come Dance With Me In Ireland," a perfect illustration of the pessimistic axiom, "No good deed goes unpunished."

"The Lottery and Other Stories" is an outstanding body of work from a woman who's clearly one of the best short-storytellers of the past century. It's going on my shelf right next to Raymond Carver's "Where I'm Calling From," and if you knew my reading habits, you'd know that's probably the finest compliment I could give a book.

Despite writing a handful of excellent gothic horror novels, including The Haunting of Hill House (just made into a film for the second time), Shirley Jackson seems destined to be best remembered for her great short story The Lottery. Originally published in The New Yorker in 1948, and a a staple of High School English classes ever since, it elicited some of the most spirited response in the history of that dowdy weekly. The story is a stunning indictment of something but is sufficiently ambiguous that many different individuals and groups were able to take personal offense at its implications.

It would seem to me though, that there is a pretty conventional way of reading it; one that both touches upon a basic human truth and offers fairly little offense to anyone. Take it at relative face value and the Lottery represents any human institution which is allowed to continue unchallenged and unconsidered until it becomes a destructive, rather than a constructive, force in men's lives.. After all, in the story, the reasons for holding the Lottery are long forgotten, other than the platitudinous "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon". And the rituals connected to it, other than the making of participant lists, the use of the old ballot box and the swearing in, have mostly fallen by the wayside. All that really remains is a rigid adherence to a hoary tradition.

Now folks can, of course, freight it with specific signifigances--read the whole thing as an attack on capitalism or religion or small town conformity or agrarian culture or any of a number of different things. But it seems to me that the most straightforward reading allows it to impact on all of those things. Simply put, the fact that something has been done a certain way for a really long time does not necessarily justify its continuance.

If this powerfully disturbing story seems like too heavy a cudgel to wield to make such a self evident, unnuanced point, let's not underestimate how difficult it is to teach people anything. After all, Plato has maintained the title of world's greatest philosopher for a few thousand years now on the basis of "Know thyself". So, why shouldn't Shirley grab a spot in the limelight for herself with a story that admonishes us to examine our civic rituals, especially since she couched her admonition in a great American gothic horror tale, which still retains its visceral power to shock us.

GRADE: A

'Blessings' by Sheneska Jackson is most certainly a blessing to read! This enchanting story is based around four women who work at a hair salon in Los Angeles. Pat, the store's owner discovers she is infertile and with the help of her husband, Mark, starts a long and hard journey to adopting a child. Faye, a biracial, widowed, mother of two tries to come to terms with her daughter's wild, reckless ways and a son who will never know his father. Zuma is a hip young woman who's past has come back to haunt her and makes her decide to become pregnant. Finally, there's Sandy, an ex-stripper also called White Chocolate, who's number one passion in life is mistreating her kids. The characters in this story are sympathetic and believable. The plot is also fast-paced and well-planned. There are no boring places in the book so it will certainly keep your attention. If you're reading this review, you've got to get yourself a copy. It is not to be missed!

Theresa Harbinger

Any African American woman who has ever spent any time in a beauty shop must read this book. The beauty shop "Blessings" is the back drop for a wonderful, entertaining, funny and well written novel about 4 woman and their issues surrounding motherhood. The characters are incredibly well developed and you feel as if you know someone like each of the main characters. Zuma, the major character and the "diva of the hot curlers" is so real. She is so real that any black woman who has sat for hours in a beauty shop knows at least 1 Zuma.

Likewise, whether in a beauty shop or not, we all know at least one character like Faye. A woman who has issues surrounding her own self image and self esteem and drowns her sorrows in a bag of Oreo cookies or by ordering way too much food a Jack in the Box. Yes, we are comfort food addicts and when things go wrong, food and lots of it makes us feel better.

Sandy is by far the most complicated of the characters because she lives her life for one thing only and that's Cerwin. She has no compassion for her children and could be characterized as a terrible mother until she redeems herself in the end.

Finally, there is Pat, the owner of the shop whose main issue surrounds her inability to have children and how that significantly impacts her life.

These characters are real and each individual personality compliments the other in such a manner that they relate well to each other in the novel and they gain strength for each other. This book was absolutely fantastic and the author was very vivid in her description of specific events, such as Tracy being taken from her foster parents.

I look forward to reading more novels by this author. This book is definitely a "sistergirl" book.

Blessings, set in a salon by the same name, was a wonderful and emotional book. The more I read, the more I became involved in these women,s lives. If you are a lover of contemporary fiction this book takes the cake. You have 3 african-american women all working at Blessings. It's a typical salon, but Pat, Zuma, and Faye have so many problems and secrets; it's hard to figure out how they manage to do so many heads and keep upthe salon. Then enters Tracey, a white girl whose hatred for her kids eventually leads to death, and neither her nor Zuma realize that they are truly friends. This book was great and Sheneka's writing gets better with age. We at Sister With Soul bookclub in Indianapolis are lokking forward to her next book. You go Sheneska.

I am ashamed to admit it, but, yes, I have been reading for over 25 years and this is the very first time that I have ever read Jane Austen. None of her novels were required in high school, no literature class that I took in college used any as a text, and I had never thought to pursue her for sheer entertainment. It is quite sad, actually, for I find Austen much more accessible than some of the classic that I did have to wade through, including Wuthering Heights and The Scarlet Letter. Austen has recently seen a resurgence in popularity, likely due to the recent BBC and Hollywood adaptations of her books, including the Emma Thompson vehicle Sense and Sensibility.

Pride and Prejudice was Austen's second novel, following the success of Sense and Sensibility. Its original title was--and I'm not making this up a la Dave Barry--First Impressions. To my taste, this would have been a much more apt title, but it had been used by another author before Austen could get this book in print. The story is about the five Bennet sisters, who, while not orphaned or penniless, have few choices as to husbands because their father's estate is entailed on a male heir, and they have no brother. The father seems to have resigned them to their fate, but their mother wastes no opportunity to arrange a good match for her daughters. The two oldest--Jane and Elizabeth--are level-headed and quite understand the position that they are in, but the youngest three are flirtatious and giddy, a bad combination in winning society's eye. Disasters ensue when eligible bachelors Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy come to town, as well as the officers of the ---shire regiment.

The reason First Impressions would have been a better title is that each character--not just the main two, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy--is constantly assuming things about other characters based on their initial reception of them. Mr. Darcy, in the country, is too proud to dance with any of the young women because of his mistaken impression that they are all declasse; Elizabeth forms her prejudices about Mr. Darcy because of her first meeting with him and this dance snub. The townsfolk think the best of Mr. Wickham because his first impression on everyone is quite favorable. And on and on and on.

Very interesting, but it goes on forever, as the characters can never be quite direct given the mores of the time. That does not mean that they can not be insulting, as a particularly vicious exchange between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth shows. I'm glad that I have now broken my Austen fast, but I think that I can wait awhile before digesting any more.

I have always loved the style and social politics of the Regency period (the time of Jane Austen.) But when I read "Sense and Sensibility" in 7th grade I found the first few chapters lifeless, dull and hard to read. Two years later I was encouraged by a friend to give "Pride and Prejudice" a try. I did and have since become a complete Janeite. I am now able to peruse joyfully through "Sense and Sensibility" with a new understanding and appreciation of Jane Austen. The reason? "Pride and Prejudice" is fresh, witty and is a great introduction to Jane Austen's writing style without the formality of some of her other novels (unlike S&S and Persuasion Austen does not give us a 10 page history of each family and their fortune.) If you have never read Jane Austen or have read her other novels and found them boring, read Pride and Prejudice. The characters, and the situations Austen presents to them, are hysterical and reveal a lot about Regency society and morality. This book perfectly compliments a great writer like Jane Austen and is essential to every reader's library. The Penguin Edition of the book is stellar and I personally recommend it not only for the in-depth and indispensable footnotes, but also for the cover that is non-suggestive of any of the characters' appearances. In summary "Pride and Prejudice" is a great book for beginner Austen readers and seasoned fans, and Penguin Classics is a great edition for fully enjoying and understanding the book.

It doesn't get better than Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Whether you're the hopeless romantic or you just love the classics, you're going to love this book. Though I am only sixteen, I consider myself to be moderately well-read. I love reading, and, when I am between books, my life feels desolate and empty. One day, while in the most barren pit of ennui, I picked up Pride and Prejudice at my mother's recommendation. I do not ordinarily like my mother's taste in reading; her favorite books tend to be very dull, but so deep was my boredom that I succumbed to her suggestion. I wasn't displeased with what I found. I fell in love with the book at the first sentence. I brought my beloved book to the dinner table, to my classes and late into the night. I love everything about it. I love the characters; especially Elizabeth Bennet! I love the Victorian vernavular which works so well for this particular novel. I love the scintillating plot and the suspense created by knowing that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy should be together but their pride and prejudice (hence the title) are temporarily keeping them apart. The language that the novel is written in might be a little more difficult to read than contemporary literature, but once one gets accustomed to it, it makes the novel even more pleasurable. I cannot imagine Elizabeth or Darcy or Bingley or any of the other characters speaking any less eloquently; it would ruin the whole experience! The flowery language completes the whole effect of reading a Jane Austen novel. If a disgruntled female reader put down Pride and Prejudice, pick it back up! I strongly suggest it because it may prove to be tedious at first but if read again, it would probably read more easily. I can offer no suggestions to the male reader, however, because generally this book, in ever essence, is a female novel. I am not saying that men would definetly not enjoy it; I'm simply saying that I have yet to meet any male who has not addressed this book in a very vehement manner. I simply love this book in its entirety, and I know it won't be too long before I pick it up again. Jane Austen surely knew what she was doing when she wrote this one! Her Pride and Prejudice will always have an honored spot on my bookshelf.

The book wasn't hard to follow. Typical Californian woman with her issues with self, family, career, dating, love, sex, ect.
It was an easy read at best. Madison wasn't my favorite heroine, she seemed corny at times, the novel, not my favorite, too Terry McMillan style...chatty, chatty, sister-girl, girlfriend uh-huh, type book. She's a talented writer, but I'll think before buying another Sheneska Jackson. AIDS is a serious epedemic in our community so Kudos to Jackson for shedding light on the issue. However it was just something about this book that made me want to hurry up-and-get-it-over-with-already.

After reading 'Lil Mama's Rules', I thought how often we fail to appreciate an honest man. Though Madison had serious problems because of her father or lack thereof, she expected something from Chirs, that she didn't give, perfection. Chris' action cannot be condonned, but he was honest, she kicked him to the curb, and then proceeded to believe the lies almost every other man told her, go figure. She should have been more honest with herself. Her sexual philosophy and her sexual promiscuity were not realistic. When you're as reckless as she was, you have to take care of business. I like Jackson's writing I will definitely read more of her works.

I have to admitt that I didn't expect the book to turn out this way but It turn out even better than what I had expected, that's why it blown me away. Shaneska did another wonderful job on this book. At first I though it was about a single mom talking about how to raise children espically with her own, but the name of the book was just a nickname for the main character ( Madison) giving the do's and dont's regarding man on dates and realationship and I enjoyed reading it from beginning to end. This book put me through alot of emotion with the main character and her lover was the sweetess guy on earth. This book was hard for me to put down and I'm reading her third book right now "Blessing". The book is a must read for sure!!!!!!!!!

Wallace Stegner's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Angle of Repose" is one of those highly readable, but long, works that has a sort of uncomplicated depth while coming at us from a number of narrative angles. In many ways, it is a personal history of the American West - not the conquering or taming of it, but the hardscrabble give and take of a pioneering family trying to live and love each other under often impossible conditions. Lyman Ward, confined to a wheelchair, is a historian researching his grandmother's life in the West, mostly through his own need. Since he doesn't have detailed documents about every conversation, much of the book is conjecture, what he thought was said or what happened. Lyman's own spin is as interesting as the concrete documents, the letters from this not high-born but high-minded Eastern woman tied by love and convention to her simpler, earthy man, letters sent east to her skeptical best friend. Susan and Oliver Ward are all over the West, from California to Mexico to Idaho, chasing Oliver's dreams that never quite pan out. In the present, Lyman Ward is going through his own difficulties, and his research and writing tells him something about himself. Much of the book is masterful. The descriptions of the West are loving and the writing evocative. That said, the book is too long; you could lop off 80 pages with little problem, and some sections, "The Canyon" and the early part of "The Mesa", for instance, drag. Frankly, I think there should have been more about Lyman in the here and now; the extended passages about him that close the book we don't seem as well prepared for as we should have. These are minor quibbles, though. "Angle of Repose", though not truly an adventure tale, has an adventurous spirit, and would get a near-great 4.5 stars if allowed. When it was over, I found myself more moved than I expected to be, and the characters stayed with me long after I was finished reading.

Wallace Stegner's Angle of Repose is simply a wonderful novel--a serious piece of fiction about a marriage and marriage itself. Lyman Ward, a fifty-something professor whose own marriage has disintegrated has returned to his childhood home to write of the marriage of his grandparents, perhaps to determine why their marriage lasted through tremendous adversity when his own could not. His grandparents, Susan and Oliver Ward met in New York the 1870s, where she was a promising illustrator and he an engineer. They marry and travel West, living in various places, California, Idaho. Susan feels that she never quite fits into this "uncivilized" place, expressing her unsettleness beautifully in her letters to her good friend Augusta, who lives the life in New York that perhaps Susan felt she was destined to live. Lyman is fascinated with his grandmother, telling her story as he discovers how it unfolds through reading these Augusta letters, adding what he remembers from his own childhood. Lyman suffers from a degenerative bone disease and must rely on young Shelly Rasmussen to help him construct this book on his grandmother. Shelly has just escaped a failed "marriage" of her own. Lyman tells the story of his grandmother while also telling us both his and Shelly's stories seamlessly. Stegner's writing is beautiful and evocative. Angle of Repose is a big, beautiful, unique novel. Stegner's method of weaving the stories together works marvelously and so many of his sentences are simply perfect. Susan Ward's life(and Lyman's and Shelly's) is the believable story of a flawed human being--it's not picture perfect--there are no rosy endings for us here. However, the novel is very satisfying. Highly recommended.

This was one of the most thought provoking novels that we have ever read. Stegner captured the thoughts and emotions of his characters with an economy of words that is the mark of an author who understands at a profound level the human condition. Stegner's device of using Lyman Ward to tell the story of his paternal grandparents, Susan and Oliver Ward while sifting through mounds of pictures and letters, enables him to sort through his own troubled loss of limb and wife. We feel Oliver's intense desire to succeed at what he loves best, always falling just short and not understanding why; Susan's desire to please her husband and be content with her choices in life warring against her artistic spirit and the pull to "be somebody". Frank's frustration and unrequited love for his best friend's wife is heartwrenching to watch. The passage of years and evolution of personhood is as real and complicated as life truly is. This juxtaposition of complex relationships both past and present further enriches this generational tapestry woven by Stegner. Angle of Repose, is now one of our favorite books having provoked much thought and discussion. We recommend it without reservation to anyone who loves life and people and the journey that we are all on together.

Jackson writes smoothly, skillfully, and with economy, which helps to make this book a quick read; what helps even more is the plot. Constance always does the cooking for her family, so naturally she falls under suspicion when most of the family dies as the result of arsenic poisoning. She is acquitted, however, and lives with her younger sister Merricat and the charmingly demented Uncle Julian. But the villagers are hostile, and Constance takes to living like a hermit to avoid them. She is content with this, too, until one day in walks Cousin Charles, a manipulative child of unmarried parents, to use Wodehouse's phrase.

This book is frequently quite funny, and very enjoyable for the most part; yet it is chilling too. There's the mob scene, for one thing, and then, of course, the book is about murder. Who did put arsenic in the sugar? The answer is disturbing, and so too the resolution (there is none). Then again, the narrator, Merricat, is very likeable--at least she seems so at first; after a while what first seemed like harmless idiosyncracies begin to seem symptoms of something sinister. Again, there is no resolution of this problem. Jackson presents us with her story, but makes no judgements; she writes entertainingly, then destroys the reader's enjoyment, but doesn't fix, explain, or replace it--she just leaves things hanging.

I had to read "The Lottery" in high school; I'll always recall the impression that story had one me, with its ending of pure surprise. I had never read anything else by Shirley Jackson, and this novel's premise sounded interesting, and so I picked it up.

And I couldn't put it down. The narrator, Mary Katherine Blackwood is an eighteen year-old girl who behaves like a much younger child. She lives with her sister Contance, who years before was tried and acquitted of murdering almost the whole family by putting arsenic in the sugar bowl.

This novel is at once a mystery of what happened that one night when the family died, and a suspense thriller of what happens when cousin Charles comes to visit and seems as if he doesn't plan to leave, unless with the family fortune.

But, the most driving and irresistable part of the book is the quirky and creepy voice of Mary Katherine; she's child-like, naive, scheming and malicious all in one twisted voice. This novel is every bit as satisfying as "The Lottery."

I am a big fan of Shirley Jackson. I first became interested in her after stumbling across a collection of her short stories, and since then, I have been hooked. We Have Always Lived in the Castle is my favorite Shirley Jackson novel. The Haunting of Hill House has generated much more speculation and interest world-wide than did We Have Always Lived in the Castle, but in my opinion, there is much more to be said for this book. There is much more to this novel than it seems when you first start reading it. Many things throughout the book will appeal to you, and simultaneously tear your heart in two, like the villager's hatred of Merricat (the narrator and main character) and their horrible, shameful treatment of her.

This is a complex novel. It is not for everyone. It is a difficult read, because if you aren't into the book, then you won't understand what's going on. It reminds me of J.D. Salinger's. His books, especially if you've read his short stories, are to be puzzled over, yet never completely understood.

The story is about Merricat and Constance, two sisters who live isolated on the edge of town at Blackwood Manor. They seldom venture out of their home, and when they do are subjected to abuse at the hands of the villagers, who particularly enjoy throwing rocks at Merricat and calling her names. Readers come onto the scene of the story years after a poisoning during supper at Blackwood Manor, which killed most of the family. For years Merricat, their uncle, and Merricat's older sister Constance have lived in solitude until Charles, a distant cousin, comes calling. He plays upon Constance's desire for a normal life, telling her how unnatural her life is at Blackwood Manor, while at the same time displaying to the reader a strong interest in the family fortune. Merricat sees him as a threat to her lifestyle of comfort and solitude, away from those who revile her and her family. Merricat is also disturbed by the way Charles seems to be tantalizing Constance with visions of how her life could be if they left Blackwood Manor. Suddenly everything important to her is threatened.

I felt particular sympathy for the character of Constance. She was locked in a world she couldn't get out of. She loved her sister Merricat, (even though Merricat was strange and a bit crazy) and didn't want to desert her, but at the same time, as demonstrated by her quickness to come around to Charles's way of thinking, she wished to have a normal life. She didn't want Merricat to be so wild, and she strove for normalcy at every turn. She was constantly doing motherly activities like baking and cleaning, and generally taking care of everyone around her.

What I liked most about the book was that it left me with the same feeling I got from reading Jackson's famed story "The Lottery". It leaves you with that kind of horror at humanity "The Lottery" did with such deftness.

All this book needs is someone who is willing when he or she sits down with it to take the time to figure out what's REALLY going on here, and to understand the characters and their plights. If you read this book, go into it with an open mind. You will be rewarded for it.

This novel is not for everyone. But it may be for you.

The author has previously written for such unusally reliable sources as Time, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. There are 1,078 references in this book in 426 pages of text covering an introduction, a prologue, and 18 chapters. The references are from such sources as memoranda and reports from U.S. government agencies, the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, and the New Republic, to name only a few. The author, therefore, cannot be dismissed as some sort of right wing crackpot. What Timmerman does is document Jackson's unashamed schemes to line his own pockets and those of his friends and family in the name of racial diversity, economic opportunity, and other buzzwords popular with income redistribution leftists. But Jesse is the quintessential capitalist. He doesn't do anything he can't get paid for, to include NOT speaking up in favor of minority groups who have sought his assistance in the past but didn't have the money to pay his fee! SHAKEDOWN is an appropriate title for this work, as Jackson has managed to get governments and businesses to pony up for his schemes in order to keep from being branded as racist by Jackson. This book could have been subtitled "Show Me the Money!" He has definitely helped himself, and made himself rich in the process. Whether he has helped others is truly open to question, as the author has convincingly documented.

What an eye opener! This books seems to be very factual. The events and circumstances surrounding the Reverend Jackson, excuse me so called Reverend Jackson, are appalling. This book shows a sad fact in America today. That the corporations, the press and even the average white person are petrified by the thought of being accused of racism against an African-American. And Jesse Jackson has taken full advantage of that to enrich himself and his family. This book is a must read for anyone who would like to see some of the details of the stories we have been seeing on the news. Adding credibility, in my opinion, to the facts presented in this book is the fact that this book has been reviewed on many news programs and talk shows and Jesse has refused to make any appearances rebutting the facts. Those that have attempted to defend him on these shows have reverted to pointing out the good he has done (I'm sure there are good things). This book presents information on the bad things he has done, with indepth information that does not appear on the evening news. This will not be the last book I read on the subject but I feel that it is a very important book for anyone to read that is interested in the man, the history and the smoke screen that Jesse has created.

This is a magnificent expose of one of the most evil and destructive creatures of our time. It is truly a tragedy that a cretinous subhumanoid like Jackson has been given the power and influence that he has-and that the number of honest and ethical black leaders is so very small. Timmerman makes very clear the horrific crimes with which this phony so-called "Reverand" is affiliated (street gangs, African butchers and many others), his racist contempt for whites, his hatred for the United States, affiliations with Communists etc. This of course will not affect the loyalty of his horde of brain-dead followers-and their imbecilic chanting, slogans and "boycotts"-but it is vital information for the rest of us!

First of all, I'd like to say that I find it quite curious and ironic that in reading reviews on line here of all three of Ms. Jackson's books (Caught up in the Rapture, L'il Mama's Rules and Blessings), the readers who wrote in seemed to like Blessings and Lil Mama's Rules a little more than this one, and were quite critical of this book. However, the professional book reviewers, and myself, seem to find that Caught up In the Rapture was Ms. Jackson's finest work. I wonder why that is. I question the reviewers who brazenly called this book "weak" and said that it was limited in its hood accuracy quotient. I encourage those readers to open their minds a little further. This book was through Ms. Jackson--and her characters' eyes, and--having grew up in two hoods, one on the East Coast, and one in L.A., I can appreciate the diversity in any one person's thought and creative process. Rappers 'dis other rappers hood, their style, their crew...but from a literature standpoint, in 100 years, the adequecy of Ms. Jackson's portrayals will be easier to see.

This book was tremendous. From the flip-flop point of views, to the depth of each relationship explored, I believe Ms. Jackson took her time, and got it right the first time out the gate. I applaud that. I did not totally agree with Jazz, Dakota, X, or any character, but more importantly, I believed them.

I just wanted to take a minute to show Sheneska some love for this book. I liked this book so much that I've read the last couple of chapters a couple of times. She got down; she put her fingers into this book. See you didn't have to be a part of the Music Industry to feel where she was coming from. I'm in the Accounting Industry and I felt her just the same, cause the game don't change. X's character could define a lot of the brothers in the "Ghetto", meaning, I don't think that the street life was really what he wanted he just needed to find another way. Contrary to popular opinion in "the hood" rap is not the only way out (I just had to through that in there). Any way I feel in love with X's character, he grew so much throughout the book and he had such a great respect for Jaz, she could do no wrong. Black love is so beautiful.

I consider myself a big fan of Sheneska Jackson's work (I've read Blessings and Lil Mama's Rules), but I must say that Caught Up in the Rapture, "caught me" the most. I love realistic love stories about African-American people and Ms. Jackson explored this relationship many ways. She made it so realistic that I was able to put myself in Jazz's place... I cried when she cried and laughed when she laughed. Ms. Jackson portrayed what true love can give you, but she also showed you how things can go wrong as in any other relationship. I truly respect Ms. Jackson as a writer and can not WAIT until her next novel.

In Mrs. Croft's statement "we women don't want to be in calm waters all our lives" Jane Austen and her heroine, Anne Elliott, move beyond the domestic, from the bracing sea air of Lyme, to glimpses into the seafaring adventures of the Navy brethren. This to me is the predominate appeal of Persuasion - Anne, in her approaching maturity, is reunited with her former suitor in what we may expect is a deeper, more heartfelt love, having endured separation for so many years and she has the prospect of joining him at sea. My heart leaps to see her escaping domesticity and the dull social duties as exemplified by Sir Walter and her sister Elizabeth. Of course, Austen's use of language is perfect. My favourite Austen novel. The film adaptation with Amanda Root and Ciaran Hinds exquisitely captures the mood and characters of this book.

This book is one of my favorites of all time. Many people dislike it or don't like it as much when compared to Pride and Prejudice or Emma, but there are many reasons why Persuasion should not be compared to Austen's other novels. This novel was the last one that Austen wrote before she died. It is a more mature novel, dealing with many issues not found in Austen's previous novels. One reason why people find faults with the book is that Anne Elliot, the heroine, is not as spunky or witty as an Elizabeth Bennett or an Emma Woodhouse. There is not so much wit flowing in the dialogue between characters, or even dialogue in general. But these differences between the novels make this one so unique.

It is a novel of second chances. Anne Elliot, no longer in the bloom of youth, is a grown woman of 27 or 28 years. Eight years ago she had been happily in love with a handsome man named Frederick Wentworth. But, unfortunately, due to his financial status, and Anne under the influence of her family and close friend, was forced to reject his marriage proposal and they parted ways. But now, he is within her closest circle once again. Circumstances led to Anne staying with her married sister, Mrs. Muskgrove, while her own house was being let to Wentworth's sister and husband. Wentworth visits his sister and on calling on the Muskgroves finds Anne among them. Anne finds Wentworth, not only looking as good as he ever did, but is now Captain Wentworth, who has made his fortune. Wentworth, still angry with Anne over being rejected, causes him to treat Anne very cooly. But over many weeks of contact here and there, you catch on that Captain Wentworth isn't all that oblivious to Anne anymore, because of all the little 'glimpses' he throws at Anne. The tension between the two is amazing. You can sense a connection between the two, even though they are on opposite ends of the room. In Bath, the tension builds and builds until it culminates into one of the most moving and romantic reunions ever. The letter that Wentworth writes to Anne declaring his love is bound to bring a tear to your eye and a pang in your heart. Happily, all ends well, but throughout the novel you can easily sympathize with Anne. No longer youthful and no longer as pretty as she used to be, she is full of self-consciousness and confusion. She still loves him after all those years, but she cannot act upon her desires.

Austen, yet again, excels in portraying her characters. Anne and Captain Wentworth are full and delightful characters that one must love. Her descriptions of Anne's vain father and snobbish older sister, Elizabeth, hit the mark on satirizing the members of society during that time. She wittingly describes how everyone tolerates Mrs. Muskgrove's hypochondriatic self and how everyone deals with her in their own way. There is not so much dialogue between characters in this book, compared to Austen's other novels. Most of the book is in observation of Anne's character and feelings, which makes it so much easier to relate to everything that Anne feels and you understand her situation all the more. This is a wonderful novel, with many qualities, differing from those of Austen's previous novels, to enjoy and admire.

Having read all of Jane Austen's books, I've been very impressed with her style. Reading Persuasion, I immediately noticed the difference between shy Anne Elliot and Jane Austen's other characters: Emma, Elinor and Marianne, Elizabeth Bennet, Fannie Price, and Catherine Morland. Anne is not the most beautiful, the cleverest, or the most-spirited. She is shy, quiet, thoughtful, somewhat plain, and honest. She reacts to emergency situations calmly and clearly, proving that she does have a backbone. I think the fact that she is older and more mature than Austen's other characters shows a maturity in Austen's writing. I highly recommend this book to those who love Jane Austen and can understand being shy and strong.