Doris Kearns Goodwin was the only woman, with whom I therefore identified, who was interviewed and gave commentary during Ken Burns' magnificent nine "inning" series on PBS called, "Baseball". As a young girl growing up in the fifties in Brooklyn, not too far from Ebbits Field, she became a great Brooklyn Dodgers fan at a tender age. As a way to spend precious time with her father after his work each day on Wall Street (as a bank examiner), she quickly moved from accurate scorekeeper to the kind of fan who fights with her best friends about which team is better, and has to leave the room during clinched plays because she couldn't bear to hear what would happen next. Not only a sweet memoir of a wonderful family, an infirmed but steadfast mother, a loving father (plagued by the inner ghosts of his orphan childhood), and a neighborhood of caring, somewhat heterogeneous families and townspeople, all of whom feed into the "you can't go home again" feel of this book. A fast read, and a must for anyone, man or woman who enjoys baseball and can appreciate the angst, tears, elation, and madness of being a loyal ball fan. When I asked my mother what she thought, she exclaimed, "oh yes, my god, it was like reading about my own childhood." (Apparently the fifties where more generally like Donna Reed than those of us who missed it, think).

....

WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR is a story about a girl growing up in the suburbs on Long Island. What could be a boring life story, Doris Kearns Goodwin makes everything exciting, and a story worth telling. The book is an autobiography of her life. One story of hers that I especially liked is the author explaining her plan for her neighborhood to be safe if they got bombed by Russia. She explained that underneath the local stores were connected basements, large enough to fit her whole neighborhood to fit it. She would bring Monopoly, so she wouldn't be bored, and most importantly, her baseball cards.

The main character, the author, was a girl who thought differently than most young girls. She had many questions on religion, current events, and her family history, all at a young age. She explained things with comparisons like how when the Dogers left Brooklyn and Jackie Robinson retired, a chapter in her life closed.

I would recomend this book to almost anyone. Many people can relate to it. If you either grew up in the suburbs, lived with a sick loved one, or had a love for baseball, you should read WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR.

It goes without saying that Ms. Goodwin is among America's finest writers; her Pulitzer prizes prove that. Yet Ms. Goodwin herself has said in interviews that of all the books she has written, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR seems to strike the strongest emotional chord among her readers.

This book is writing at its best and, therefore, it's good reading. It will be of special interest to anyone with a passion for baseball, particularly the Dodgers, especially before the team left Brooklyn.

Yet this memoir is more than just a baseball story, though that part is fascinating. It offers a good picture of the energy found in the States during those years immediately following World War II, and an excellent history of the expansion of New York City and the immediately adjacent suburbs at that same moment in time.

My father and his brothers, like all little boys born in Brooklyn in the first decades of the 20th Century, were avid Dodgers fans. By 1986, three of the four brothers had died. My bachelor uncle remained alone, 85 years old, though I phoned him every day and visited him frequently. During the '86 World Series, I was trying to engage his attention; his mind was clear, but his enthusiasms had abated.

So I tried to instigate a conversation. "What do you think of the Mets? Can you believe that they won the Series?"

He responded, "I have to tell you, sweetheart, that after the Dodgers left Brooklyn, we never again cared that much about baseball." I understood that when he said "we," it wasn't meant in the royal sense--he was referring to three brothers who had predeceased him.

My uncle died in 1994, at the age of 93. He remained a voracious reader until the day he died. The highest compliment I can pay Ms. Goodwin is that I am sorry that he did not live long enough to read WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR. It's a wonderful book, and he would have reveled in it.

"You will be haunted by Three Spirits." So forewarns Jacob Marley's ghost to Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser of stingy, unfavorable traits. And so begins the enduring Christmas classic distinguished by almost everyone. Come along on an erratic journey with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all of whom attempt to point Scrooge onto a virtuous path. Meet the most notable characters ever introduced in literature: Bob Cratchit, angelic Tiny Tim, and good-natured Fred. With vivid descriptions of Victorian England and enlightening dialogue, 'A Christmas Carol' will enrapture both the young and old throughout the year with a vital lesson on hope and benevolence for humanity. This, I find, is treasured most of all in this brief story marvelously crafted by the creative Charles Dickens. No matter how many adaptations of the book one has seen on television or as films, the real source is highly recommended and should not be missed. For if you do pass the book up, you are being just a Scrooge (metamorphically speaking, of course!).

Master storyteller and social critic, Charles Dickens, turns this social treatise on shortcomings of Victorian society into an entertaining and heartwarming Christmas ghost story which has charmed generations and become an icon of Christmas traditions. Who, in the Western world has not heard, "Bah, Humbug!" And who can forget the now almost hackneyed line of Tiny Tim, "God bless us, every one!" or his cheerfully poignant observation, that he did not mind the stares of strangers in church, for he might thus serve as a reminder of He who made the lame, walk and the blind, see. Several movie versions: musical, animated, updated, or standard; as well as stage productions (I recall the Cleveland Playhouse and McCarter Theatre`s with fondess.) have brought the wonderful characterizations to the screen, as well as to life. This story of the redemption of the bitter and spiritually poor miser, and the book itself; however, is a timeless treasure whose richness, like Mrs Cratchit`s Christmas pudding, is one that no production can hope to fully capture.

Well, I finally read it (instead of just watching it on the TV screen).

This is what you can call a simple idea, well told. A lonely, bitter old gaffer needs redemption, and thus is visited by three spirits who wish to give him a push in the right direction. You have then a ghost story, a timeslip adventure, and the slow defrosting of old Scrooge's soul. There are certain additions in the more famous filmed versions that help tweak the bare essentials as laid down by Dickens, but really, all the emotional impact and plot development necessary to make it believable that Scrooge is redeemable--and worth redeeming--is brilliantly cozied into place by the great novelist.

The scenes that choke me up the most are in the book; they may not be your favourites. I react very strongly to our very first look at the young Scrooge, sitting alone at school, emotionally abandoned by his father, waiting for his sister to come tell him there may be a happy Christmas. Then there are the various Cratchit scenes, but it is not so much Tiny Tim's appearances or absence that get to me--it's Bob Cratchit's dedication to his ailing son, and his various bits of small talk that either reveal how much he really listens to Tim, or else hide the pain Cratchit is feeling after we witness the family coming to grips with an empty place at the table. Scrooge as Tim's saviour is grandly set up, if only Scrooge can remember the little boy he once was, and start empathizing with the world once again. I especially like all Scrooge's minor epiphanies along his mystical journey; he stops a few times and realizes when he has said the wrong thing to Cratchit, having belittled Bob's low wages and position in life, and only later realizing that he is the miser with his bootheel on Cratchit's back. Plus, he must confront his opposite in business, Fezziwig, who treated his workers so wonderfully, and he watches as true love slips through his fingers again.

It all makes up the perfect Christmas tale, and if anyone can find happiness after having true love slip through his fingers many years ago, surprisingly, it's Scrooge. With the help of several supporting players borrowed from the horror arena, and put to splendid use here.

This was a fantastic book! When I first bought it I put in on my bookshelf to read it later, well, that later turned out to be about 5 months later. I picked it up yesterday because I was bored I needed something to read. This book totally took me by surprise! Once I started reading I HATED to put it down. The characters are IMPOSSIBLE to not love. I'm not going to explain what this book is about because the other reviews do a great job at that, but I am going to say this: I loved the parts of this book are when the servents are gossiping about their lord and lady's relationship (when jason SPECIFICALLY forbid them to do any gossiping what-so-ever) It is hillarious listening to them whisper to one another, then have a maid hear, and tell another maid and then it reaches the grooms and so on. I laughed my head off listening to them! Oh, and might I add that besides the servents, Tory's great-grandmother was great! (and don't you dare call her otherwise!) Now, I know she seems like an old hag at the beginning, but you're going to love her at the end, I promise! Once and Always was beautifully written and I loved ever second I spent on this book. You're crazy to let this one slip through your fingers!

Once and Always is one of McNaught's best works. I love this book. I read this book so many times and I still can't believe the love between the two characters, Victoria and Jason. Both characters were very 3-dimensional, strong individuals. I laughed and cried. I think that out of all McNaught's books, this book outshines all the rest because she concentrated on the development of the relationship between Victoria and Jason. I recommend this book to everyone. I promise you that you won't regret reading this book. The Best!!!! I also recommend A Kingdom of Dreams, Almost Heaven, Something Wonderful, Whitney, My Love, and Paradise. Ok, I am a McNaught fan. She's a great writer. I also recommend Devereaux's Heiress and some of Garwood's works.

I've read every Judith McNaught book there is and Once and Always is my all-time favorite. I don't know what it is about this story, but it really touches me everytime I read it. I like the fact that Jason was not as controlling as some of the other leading men in her novels (I couldn't stand Clayton in Whitney, My Love, for example), although he was a very strong and commanding character. I thought Victoria was a strong heroine and had a lot of self-respect. Their story was so moving, but it was extremely funny at times too. Although I enjoyed her books Something Wonderful and Perfect, I felt that they lacked something that this book had. All in all, this book has everything you could possible want in a JM novel. I also recommend Almost Heaven and Paradise.

While the first two installments of this series were surely entertaining romps of New Jersey's unlikeliest bounty hunter, in "Three To Get Deadly," Janet Evanovich really seems to be hitting her stride. As usual, this is a fast read as Stephanie Plum tries to track down beloved "burg" candy storeowner Uncle Mo who has mysteriously disappeared and left behind a trail of bodies. The danger is as high as ever (even Steph's beloved pet hamster Rex finds himself in peril), but so it is the comedy. The entire supporting cast is back - Morelli, Ranger, and Steph's loveably loony family. "Three's" scene-stealer is Lula, the hooker that Steph befriended in the first installment and who now works at the bail bond agency. The often overly enthusiastic Lula, who can even give Grandma Mazur a run for her money, rides shotgun on many adventures with our bumbling heroine.

Perhaps reviewing "Three" is a bit silly. If you are at this point in the series, there is little doubt that you have already fallen for Steph and her friends, family, and co-workers. "Three" will not disappoint Evanovich fans. Personally, I think it is the best one yet. And as a bonus, the publisher whets your appetite for the next case with the opening chapter of "Four to Score."

In this third book in the series, Three to Get Deadly, begins as Stephanie Plum, bounty hunter is given the job to pick up Mo Bedemier. Uncle Mo, as he's known in the neighborhood, who owns an ice-cream parlor/candy store. Uncle Mo has missed his court appearance and seems to have left town. The case soon develops into attacks by strange anti-drug vigilantes, murdered men and porno films.

Stephanie also has to bring in a kid who works in a fast food store, this whole line in the story is very, very funny. Running through the story is the question of whether Stephanie is going to retreat into eating all of her meals at her parent's house, move in with Joe Morelli, and give up on chasing bad guys and get a job at the button factory.

Stephanie's independence prevails she gets her man (all of them) and lives to fight another day. This is my favorite series and look forward to each one. They never fail to deliver the mystery, the good times and the LOL fun. Read them all.

The hilarious family-tied bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum is back is the third book in Janet Evanovich's series. In this one, Stephanie finally makes some progress.

Stephanie Plum, the lingerie buyer turned bounty hunter, is after "Uncle Mo," the local candy store operator, known by everybody in the neighborhood as the man with the biggest heart. Uncle Mo skips his court appearance for carrying a concealed weapon, and Stephanie, against her better wishes, goes after him to get him to "reschedule." Mo is nowhere to be found, and the body count of the local drug dealers around his store continues to rise. Stephanie gets no help from the locals, seeing as how they all think he deserves a medal. Throw in her off-and-on flirtations with Joe Morelli, her seemingly wacky impulse shopping sprees and mounting car woes, and you have one entertaining mystery novel.

Stephanie is at her finest in this book, despite her hair troubles, and lack of a sex life. But that's what makes her New Jersey's most unconventional bounty hunter. Lula, the prostitute turned file clerk, has a much greater voice in this novel, and she truly adds color to the story with her witty dialogue. Police officer Joe Morelli and fellow skip trcaer Ranger are back again to add some professionalism to Stephanie's life, and of course, what would this book truly be without her clan of family in the background. Dinner time just wouldn't be the same.

The book flows at a blistering pace, and Evanovich's cogent writing style is peppered with just the right amount of humor. The plot has its fair share of twists and turns, and the storyline maintains its interest throughout. The suspense is outstanding. It is hard not to enjoy this book.

Jonathan Hull has written a lovely debut novel in Losing Julia. It is difficult to portray strong emotions such as grief, love and intense fear without crossing the line into trite overwrought sentimentality, yet Hull manages to pull it off.

Losing Julia is told from the point-of-view of eighty-one year old Patrick Delaney and takes us back through his life as a soldier in the trenches of France in World War I, then ten years later to a chance meeting with his best friend's fiancée, Julia, to the present day.

Losing Julia is an elegantly written book about love, the loss of love and the ravages of war on the individual psyche. Although parts of the book can be horrifying, Hull wisely gives us touches of warm-hearted humor as well. The stereotypical crotchety old man, Patrick is, by turns, poetic and sardonic, but he is always lovable.

In the hands of a lesser writer, Losing Julia might have easily become melodramatic...the stuff of a television daytime soap opera, but Hull's writing is so good, so elegant, so classy, that most readers will find they can't help but share Patrick's thoughts and want to make them their own.

Patrick is certainly no cookie-cutter character. He grows and changes immensely from the time he is a struggling, young poet trying to come to terms with the horrors of war, to the wise, and sometimes witty, older man in the nursing home. He never has all the answers, but he really doesn't feel he needs them. I found Hull, and Patrick, to be so correct about our penchant to let the present slip by when Patrick talks about the tendency to live only in regrets for the past or hopes for the future.

Hull's descriptions of the battle scenes in World War I are filled with detail, although some of them do border on the purple. His metaphors tend to be those of a world that is slitting its own wrists and bleeding to death. It's elegant writing, sure, and it it, at times, poetic, but I really doubt that men in battle think that way and this is where I think the book fails a little.

This is not a book that describes war in the graphic way that can be found in Stephen Wright's Meditations in Green, nor is it a book that, I think, that will achieve the staying power of Mark Helprin's classic, A Soldier of the Great War. It is, however, a warm and wonderful story of love and friendship, of loss and gain, and, although the ending is a bit unbelievable, the character of Patrick is still so well-drawn that Losing Julia is an enjoyable and very worthwhile novel.

This is a book that intrigued me when I read the excerpt on the cover, and I found it more than fullfilled the initial promise. It is quite touching, thought-provoking and very well written. It gives the reader insights into many life-altering moments and describes the friendship and love that evolve for a very special man. The juxtaposition of a youth in World War I and the life of an elderly man sorting through his memories in a nursing home will touch every reader's heart and deepest emotions. It is a story of courage and honor. I am still thinking about the passage that described Michaelangelo when asked why he had a chisel. His response was that he was going to "free an angel." This passage is representative of the wonderful "nuggets" in Losing Julia, which should be savored slowly. I look forward with great anticipation to reading every subsequent book written by Jonathan Hull.

I have never read a book like this one. I almost didn't pick it up to read again because the going-backs to the past and heading into the future were making me dizzy ... till I got the hang of the story. And I couldn't put it down from then on. If I could, I would rate it a 10! It's that good!!

Patrick Delaney was facing the end of his life and began contemplating the past ~~ to revisit the memories of his buddies from World War One, especially Daniel, his best friend who was killed in the war. Daniel was one of the rare men who have found love with Julia and through her letters to Daniel, Patrick fell in love with her. By a chance meeting in Paris ten years after the war, Patrick and Julia meet and fall in love. Patrick was married at the time and had a child and the confusion, longings and desires he had felt were so heartrending that one can't help but feel his pain and sorrow with him. Years later when Patrick's marriage fell apart, he never married again as he was haunted by his love for Julia.

Hull writes so convincingly of the days of a man facing death, shut up in a nursing home; traveling down memory lane wishing he had done things differently and trying to find the purpose of his life so he doesn't feel he lived in vain. You are trapped in an old man's body with Patrick and you feel the young man inside bemoaning how fast time travels. One day he was a jaunty soldier on his way to France ~~ his jauntiness hiding his fears and loneliness. Then the next day, he's an old man dying alone.

This is the most beautifully written book I have ever read. It sounds depressing on the blurbs but I advise you to ignore that. It is really not depressing ~~ it does have its depressing moments ~~ but it is freeing too. When life slows almost to a stop, one begins to realize that the hustle-bustle of our daily lives really don't mean anything. Only love matters ~~ where you hold your loved ones close; the touch of a lover's hand on your arm as you talk; the love of a child who runs into your arms ... all give meaning to your existence. Hull writes beautifully and movingly of the love we all search for in our dreams and he carries you along with his beautiful vision.

This is the most incredible romantic book I have ever read. And it helps that it is also lyrical as you travel through the years with Patrick as he searches for his one love ~~ Julia. And while it sounds sappy, it's not. I highly recommend this book for anyone to read. It's a gem of a book to add to your book collection.

"The Return" is the second star trek novel written by William Shatner and Judith & Garfield Reeves Steves.

It follows the book "The Ashes of Eden" and isn't necessarily quite as good, but comes close.

The writing holds perfectly, once again implying that Shatner is a far better writer than an actor.

The plot is also well constructed. Not perfect, but holds well.

The book is written in a way that makes it feel like a motion picture, a style the writers seemes to prefer and they use it damn well. This is one of the reasons I can say that "The return" is definitely better than First Contact.

I do admit though, that te new Shatner books are a bit commercial. People didn't want to see Kirk die, so the Pocked Books desited to take advantage of that. Too bad you can see it so clearly while reading.

Fortunately the book answeres some questions that have been in the fans' minds for a long time.

There are some continuity problems however, but they aren't too aparent. And note, that I hate everything even slightly non-canon. A good book, wich I recomend to everyone.

William Shatner's second foray into the world of Star Trek novels promises excitement and adventure, and it does deliver. The story, which centers itself upon the unforseen resurrection of James Kirk, following the events of the motion picture STAR TREK: GENERATIONS, is told with brilliance, tension and excitement. The unique method of Kirk's resurrection is told in exquisite detail, capturing the ambience and confusion of his reanimation, and any story involving the Borg (including this one) always delivers intrigue and excitement.

Shatner manages to draw in a larger reader base by incorporating the characters of not one, but three Star Trek series into this plot. Characters from Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation are featured prominently and minor roles are given to characters from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The effect is a harmonious mixture of familiar characters and their believable interactions throughout the dangers presented in the story.

Shatner's premise is unique: The Borg have returned, in alliance with the Romulan Empire. Together, they revive Kirk and use him as pawn to facilitate the destruction of the Federation. The plot thickens as Kirk is determined to kill Picard, Picard believes that Ambassador Spock has betrayed the Federation and Riker questions Picard's possible reassimilation into the Borg Collective.

The events chronicled in THE RETURN make for an exciting story for novice Star Trek fans, but long time fans will be disappointed in the believability of this story. (Yes, even Star Trek fans may find some things unbelievable!) The concept of Borg allying themselves with any race is unheard of, and the method of Kirk's ressurrection will make even the most stoic Star Trek fan cringe in disbelief. The grandiose ending of the story provides for an exciting climax, though the setting of the ending again takes away from the believability. Shatner's forte is his ability to grasp the nuances of the interactions between Kirk and his old and new friends, Spock and McCoy and even Captain Picard. In short, the dialogue is convincing and the action is exciting, although the plot is a bit extreme.

However, with a healthy dose of "Suspension of Disbelief" any Science Fiction fan, Star Trek or otherwise, will find this novel an entertaining and diverting piece of action literature, with dialogue convincing enough to have been written by the Paramount studio writers themselves.

When I heard that William Shatner wrote a "Trek" novel that brings legendary Captain Kirk back to life, my first impression was "How corny and desperate is Shatner to do this?" and I was reluctant to even digest the idea. However, being a die-hard trekkie, I admit I was quite curious to the concept. To my delight, Shatner's tale of rebirth and unification of Spock and McCoy with the Next Generation crew was not only un-corny, but very imaginative, as well. This novel combines the action and humor of both generations of "Trek" far superior than "Star Trek - Generations" did. The idea of a Borg / Romulan dissentor alliance was unique, and the way Shatner describes the re-generation tecniques is believable when put into a 24th century context. The new Starfleet equipment (starships, cloak detection devices, etc.) are very exciting, and one must wonder if the Borg are to make a return. (Their homeworld is destroyed and the remaining collective throughout the universe is in dissarray.) Can the Borg ever recover? That question may or may not be answered in the sequel, "Avenger", also written by Shatner, which I will start as soon as I finish this review. This is an excellent novel, a page-turner, and I have a new respect for Shatner the writer, and I may even sample his "Tek" series. This is for old-school trekkies such as myself...the constant references to the original "Trek" t.v. show were a delight, and the Borg / V'Ger connection was brilliant. Great work, Mr. Shatner.

Hey, chere', Tami Hoag has a new book. "A THIN DARK LINE" returns to the French Triangle, the setting of two earlier books, "Lucky's Lady" and "Cry Wolf". As a matter of fact, you might want to ready "Cry Wolf" first, as "A Think Dark Line" reveals both the killer and victims in "Cry Wolf".

A few years after the Bayou Strangler's reign of terror is ended, Bayou Breaux is once again terrorized by a killer. After a prominent businesswoman's mutilated body is found, her accused stalker is investigated and arrested for the murder. Charges of corruption in the Sheriff's Office, tainted evidence, and a legal technicality set Marcus Renard free. Renard now focuses his obsession on Sheriff's Deputy Annie Broussard, the officer who found the body. Broussard feels an obligation to the murdered woman, and to the woman's child, to find and punish her killer. Standing in her way is her own department. Deciding to use Renard's obsession to get close enough to him to prove his guilt, Annie is caught in a dangerous crossfire. Her only ally is Detective Nick Fourcade, a rogue cop with a reputation of corruption and violence. Annie can't be sure if Fourcade is helping her or using her, since it was his investigation, his evidence, and his screwup that let a brutal murderer go free. And Fourcade's only hope of redeeming himself and his reputation is in the hands of the woman most likely to die next.
Nina M.

A Thin Dark Line returns to the French Triangle, the setting of two earlier books, Lucky's Lady and Cry Wolf. Those of you who have not already read Cry Wolf may want to read it before reading Thin Dark Line as the killer and the victims in Cry Wolf are revealed in Thin Dark Line.

A few years after the Bayou Strangler's reign of terror is ended, Bayou Breaux again terrorized by a killer. After a prominent businesswoman's mutilated body is found, her accused stalker is investigated and arrested for the murder. Charges of corruption in the Sheriff's Office, tainted evidence, and a legal technicality set Marcus Renard free. Renard now focuses his obsession on Sheriff's Deputy Annie Broussard, the officer who found the body. Broussard feels an obligation to the murdered woman, and to the woman's child, to find and punish her killer.

Deciding to use Renard's obsession to get close enough to him to prove his guilt, Annie is caught in a dangerous crossfire. Her only ally is Detective Nick Fourcade, a rogue cop with a reputation of corruption and violence. Annie can't be sure if Fourcade is helping her or using her, since it was his investigation, his evidence, and his mistake that allowed a brutal murderer go free. Fourcade's only hope of redeeming himself and his reputation is in the hands of the woman most likely to die next.

A Thin Dark Line returns to the French Triangle, the setting of two earlier books, Lucky's Lady and Cry Wolf. Those of you who have not already read Cry Wolf may want to read it before reading Thin Dark Line as the killer and the victims in Cry Wolf are revealed in Thin Dark Line.

A few years after the Bayou Strangler's reign of terror is ended, Bayou Breaux again terrorized by a killer. After a prominent businesswoman's mutilated body is found, her accused stalker is investigated and arrested for the murder. Charges of corruption in the Sheriff's Office, tainted evidence, and a legal technicality set Marcus Renard free. Renard now focuses his obsession on Sheriff's Deputy Annie Broussard, the officer who found the body. Broussard feels an obligation to the murdered woman, and to the woman's child, to find and punish her killer.

Deciding to use Renard's obsession to get close enough to him to prove his guilt, Annie is caught in a dangerous crossfire. Her only ally is Detective Nick Fourcade, a rogue cop with a reputation of corruption and violence. Annie can't be sure if Fourcade is helping her or using her, since it was his investigation, his evidence, and his mistake that allowed a brutal murderer go free. Fourcade's only hope of redeeming himself and his reputation is in the hands of the woman most likely to die next.

This is the third novel I have read by Anna Quindlen. I haven't seen the movie, which is probably a good thing, because many a time the movie doesn't live up to the book.

One True Thing is a very poignant, not to mention, heartrending and graphic, detailed tale about a young woman in her early 20s named Ellen Gulden, who has to leave her home in New York and her career as a journalist to take care of her ailing mother. Her once vibrant and lively mother now had cancer, and her father forced her to stay on as caretaker by a trick of guilt.

Having two relatives in my family pass away from this dreaded disease, but not a witness to the brutality of it, it was still a difficult book to read, regardless. This isn't only a story about cancer, though; it is also a book about how this young woman's relationship with both her mother and father, change. It's also about how the whole experience changes her as a person. At the beginning of the book, Ellen seemed rather self-absorbed and indignant. I wouldn't have wanted to be her friend. However, as she took care of her mother, and then later took the blame for killing her mother, I found her to be more likable.

Only a strong person could have taken the blame for giving her mother too much morphine to put her out of her misery. Why would she do such a thing? I believe she was protecting her father, whom she had thought had given her mother the overdose. However, both father and daughter miscalculated Katherine, the woman whom was fighting the battle of her life.

This is a story of courage on both Katherine's part, as well as Ellen's. This is also a book that brings up a very debated and controversial issue: The dignity to die. When one is suffering and in pain, should we be able to give them something to put them to sleep, much like we put our pets out of their misery? It's an issue that's been debated for years, and will still be debated as our health system continues to change.

The ending was also done very well, as there weren't lose ends to tie. Ellen found her answer to who killed her mother, and she changed her profession and outlook as well. She had indeed grown from the experience, and what was the most touching thing, was that she got the time to really get to know her mother. She had always been her father's daughter, and for a short time, she became her mother's daughter.

One True Thing was a touching and moving story, and what's more is, it makes you think. It is also continued proof of how talented of a writer Anna Quindlen is.

I'm not a big fan of Oprah's Book Club, but if it brings Anna Quindlen the attention she deserves, then I say it has done more than its share in shaping the literary world. I first became interested in Quindlen when she was doing a talk show plug of _Thinking Out Loud_ (another amazing book!), but when I read this novel, I found all of the smart, witty, real-life-ness of Quindlen's columns translated into masterful fiction.

Quindlen writes the kind of story that Anne Tyler tries to write (don't get me wrong, I like Tyler a lot). Touching, tragic, funny and, unlike the much celebrated Tyler, true. The family relationships, the boyfriend and the slow pain of disease feel real enough to touch, to find in your own life. There is no soap opera here, not even a movie of the week. The reader need not participate in the "willing suspension of disbelief" because s/he actually begins to believe s/he's reading a memior.

Nonetheless, the language is beautiful. Quindlen has no difficulty moving between the realms of reporter and novelist, perhaps because her reporting has always been wonderfully...human.

The one true thing here is that you can't go wrong with anything Quindlen writes. Read it all. She does two things that are too often mutually exclusive: touches the mind and the soul.

This is a fabulous book! Ellen returns home to take care of her mother, who is dying from cancer. While there, she evaluates all of the relationships in her life. Ellen learns much about her "June Cleaver" type mother, the father she has spent her life trying to please, the boyfriend she left behind, and most of all, herself, while spending her days and nights alone or with her dying mother.

When later in the story, she is on trial for her mother's murder, she makes a final realization and comes to terms with her family and herself.

This book is one of the best I've read in a long time. It made me cry and think about my own relationships, especially with my mother. It is definitely Quindlen's best!!

First off, I haven't even finished the book. I have about 15 pages to go but this book has affected me deeply and I couldnt help myself. I wanted to publicly thank Iyanla and say that if I ever meet you in person, I just want to give you a big long hug and celebrate Rhonda's triumphs and ability to survive and become Iyanla. There's a point in the book where Iyanla describes her proudest acheivement and she said it was being able to tell her Aunt that her uncle had molested her(she was a child at the time). Well, I just lost it at that point. I wept for Iyanla, Rhonda and anyone who had ever been abused.I agree with the reviewer who said: "I will NEVER say that my life has been hard after reading this book." I cried so many times for Rhonda, while reading this book. I felt so much sympathy and empathy for her pain. Most importantly, I have had some of the most painful experiences in my life happen over the last 2 months to the point where I can't believe anything worse could happen to me. I needed to grieve a death and the loss of a relationship and many things. This book helped me grieve and release my pain through tears.And in Iyanla's defense(to the people who were dissappointed with this book), I LOVED that this book was an autobiography.To me it made the book so much more than a self help book. I believe she does not need to end every chapter with the lesson laid out. During the chapters she brings up the "questions" that she asked herself during her struggle. I think that she wants you, the reader to ask yourself the same questions if they apply, and come up with your own answers. Her lessons are HER lessons, yours will be yours. I love this book. Thank you Iyanla, from the bottom of my heart. :)

It took me a while to finish this book because of its sheer emotional impact. It starts with a wonderful poem that describes the shedding tears that had long been held back. Iyanla lays herself bare before her readers and revisits her coming of age. With the harsh life that this woman endured -- sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, spousal abuse, poverty -- it is amazing that she emerged with her sanity, let alone the ability to minister to others.

The author draws upon her experiences to show her audience how to look for lessons in life's unpleasantness. She showed us how her upbringing caused her to internalize some damaging messages from her cruel grandmother, absentee father and an array of abusive lovers. The author explains her transformation from the much-abused Rhonda, to Iyanla the Yoruba Priestess and acclaimed author. And she does it in such a way that the readers know that they too can transcend their circumstances.

I found myself in tears a couple of times while reading this book. Tears may sometimes be viewed as a sign of weakness, but this is a tome about strength and courage. I applaud Iyanla's courage and thank her for sharing her wisdom.

To say that when the student is ready the teacher will appear rang for me with this book. I found so many answers to questions that have plagued me for many years. I feel that I will now be able to overcome a lot of guilt over mistakes that were made in human error and for my own lack of understanding and education in many matter's. I know much has to do with the time in which I was raised. When I see my grandchildren now, I tell them how precious and beautiful they are and how welcomed. That they are smart and good.That they can accomplish anything they set thier mind to and become what ever they want,one granddaughter wants to be a doctor, I shutter when I think what would have been said to me as a child, had I stated such a dream as this. I tell my children how much I love them and how proud I am of them, I'm blessed as a mother and a grandmother. Thank You Iyanla for sharing your story, my heart cried for Rhonda, but she was a powerful teacher.

Tripp is a 40-something university professor and novelist who is having trouble finishing his fourth book: he's seven years and over 2,000 pages into it and he's not even halfway done. His favorite pastimes are getting high, getting drunk, and cheating on his wife, all while battling (and losing) his reflex of running off on wild adventures at the drop of a hat. Terry Crabtree, Tripp's gay editor and old friend, is flamboyant, likes college age boys, and is even more irresponsible with drug and drink.

A satire on the literary life, Wonder Boys is an enjoyable if somewhat cumbersome read. Great characters, all of them on a quest for self-acceptance, but Chabon gets bogged down by his obvious affection for literary description, which, while startingly good, distracts from the action at hand and puts too much space between the character and the reader. The book reads like a series of run-on scenes, rather than a flowing novel, which is probably why it made for a good film.

The relationship between Tripp, the main character, and James, one of his students, is a focal point of the novel. Tripp inadvertedly helps James kill a dog, and then spends the weekend running around with it in his trunk, trying at various times to dispose of it. But the relationship is deeper than its lighthearted treatment. The two of them end up palling around together all weekend, getting drunk and stoned, and finding themselves in over the top situations, which includes scenes with Crabtree, Tripp's wife who has just left him, his wife's very Jewish family, Tripp's lover who is pregnant, a stolen jacket onced owned by Marilyn Monroe, a stolen car, a drag queen, and on and on.

At times I marveled at Chabon's prose and his penchant for description -- that he loves his characters and respects them for who they are is evident, that he can be simultaneously playful and serious, that he can write circles around a good many of today's writers is also true. However, while the book is light in spirit, it is often not light on the printed page, and you sometimes have a difficult time getting pulled into the hilarity and absurdity of the action.

In a reversal of my usual routine, I saw "Wonder Boys" the film before I read the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, and I loved the book.

The book follows the travails of Grady Tripp, an overweight, aging college English professor who wrote the great American novel--and who has been totally unable to finish his follow-up book, which amounts to over 2 thousand pages at the beginning of the novel.

But, as the reader shortly finds out, this is just the beginning of Grady's problems. In the space of one long weekend during his college's WordFest writer's festival, he loses his wife, learns that his lover is pregnant, copes with his sexually ambiguous and troubled editor, and learns the truth about the life and talent of one of his students.

The novel is briskly paced and plotted, and the minute events in Grady's life are alternately funny and pathetic. You see Grady growing in sincerity and realization throughout the novel, and it's a pleasure to watch this dissolute but essentially good-hearted man fall and then rise again due to his change in priorities.

This is a funny, touching, expert piece of writing. Chabon just won the Pulitzer for his most recent novel, and this book clearly demonstrates his talent. I highly recommend it.

It is unfortunate to discover a fine novel after seeing it as a fine film. I did not know about Michael Chabon until after seeing Curtis Hanson's film adaptation of Wonder Boys (robbed of a Best Picture nomination), and did not read Wonder Boys until much later, coming across several other Chabon works first. That said, it is hard to know how I would have reacted to Wonder Boys if I did not know the story in advance. Unlike the broader Kavalier and Clay, which is in all a better book, Chabon does not slip into occasional caricature here. Yes, the "doped-up novelist with writer's block" and the "spooky, haunted young genius" are archetypes, but Chabon's Grady Tripp and James Leer come off as original inventions due to Chabon's skill with subtlety. While revealing characters through a road trip is hackneyed, it comes off better in the novel than on the screen. Chabon's uniqueness lies in his combination of the mundane and the bizarre -- well-crafted characters wandering through a strange landscape. Wonder Boys is not the choice for a reader who wants just one Chabon experience -- Mysteries of Pittsburgh is odder and funnier, and Kavalier and Clay is bigger and better. But for a Chabon fan, Wonder Boys is an excellent diversion.