I'm missing informations about that book In whitch language is it written ? "y el caliz de fuego" seems to be written in Spanish or Portugues ? Don't you have a short overview over this book ? I don't want to by another wrong book It's too expensive to send it back. So I dont by this book

¿Quien dijo que cuando uno crece tiene que perder la magia? Una obra saga increible de historias para chicos y para adultos que conservan la magia en el corazón.

¡Quiero Harry Potter libro numero uno!¡Me gusta muchisimo! Todos queren Harry Potter. Es fantastica.

These books were great back in 1909, but now they don't talk to children about their world. They don't even talk about a world of yesteryear in a way that is useful or entertaining. The illustrations are good and can be used to make up a story that is more interesting and understandable to children, but why should this be necessary?

My children grew up reading these beautiful little books. Our set is identical to the one pictured, only we bought ours in the early 90s. Now with one in college and one who is a "punk rocker" I can *still* get them both to curl up with me and read Tom Kitten or Jemima PuddleDuck or The Roly-Poly Pudding or their favorite...Ginger and Pickles. Amazing, but true. Both my kids treasure this collection in its lovely case and the set was a very wise purchase. After all, stories like this keep your kids close to you, it is almost a ritual, and a good thing! Other editions of these stories are fine, but there is something about the little books and the special case that creates a sort of magic. Well worth the expense...I *promise.*

This Peter Rabbit collection is a tiny world of parables, stories and lessons for children and adults of all ages. The beauty of the books is greatly enhanced by their encapsulation in a darling box, and they are just the right size for small hands to look through and admire. The simple pictures tell the story even without words! They are a wonderful addition for the bookshelf of your child, and the lessons they teach are most appropriate today- in a world where trouble exists and ethics are compromised.

I didn't like this book very much. I tried. I like much of the old Patricia Potter books, but this era isn't makeing the grade. There were so many repetive thoughts of whether the phone being bugged, people diving in front of others to "save" them, oh my goodness a horse being shot ( I have four horses so it was just how the event was overwritten), making dumb mistakes when there are bad guys out trying, maybe, kinda trying to kill people. If the author took out the references to the above the book would have been much shorter.

There was too much telling and convincing words instead of a real story. Save your hard earned money for a better book.

In Steamboat Springs, Colorado, two unsavory individuals visit Samantha Carroll at her Western Wonders Art Gallery. They insist her real father crime boss Nicholas Merlitta is dying and wants to see her for the first time since her mother fled Boston with her over three decades ago. Samantha believes her father David died two years ago though they insist otherwise and also inform her that she has a twin brother. Samantha confronts her mother Tracy who admits that she is the daughter of Nicholas.

Samantha decides to meet her brother and her biological father. Meanwhile, FBI Special Agent Nate McLean is stunned to learn that Merlitta's wife and daughter lives. He decides to use Samantha to get at Nick, Jr. who he thinks is laundering money. Nate seeks revenge for the shooting death of his mother by the Merlitta mob. However, he never thought he would fall in love with someone who shares the blood of his enemy yet now risks his life to keep her safe from an unknown assailant perhaps her twin.

Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy the fast-paced TWISTED SHADOWS. The story line starts at quite a clip as Tracy holding two eight month old infants flees the mob though there seems a disconnect since she ended with one child and her spouse the other (explained somewhat much later). Nate is an obsessed agent whose dreams are on the verge of coming true when love twists his equilibrium for living. Samantha is a brave and wonderful individual while the support cast provides depth leading to TWISTED SHADOW captivating the audience.

Harriet Klausner

Samantha Carroll receives a very unexpected visit from two very menacing men. They insist her real father wasn't the man she thought him to be, but instead is crime boss Nicholas Meritta who is dying and after 34 years wants to see her. Not only that, but she has a twin brother that she didn't know existed. After confronting her mother she learns all of this is true. Samantha decides to meet her brother and her biological father against her mother's better judgement. Enter Agent Nathan McLean, and let the fun begin.

This novel is fast paced, and will have no trouble keeping your attention. There is of course a whirl-wind romance as is Ms. Potter's trade mark. I am usually a big fan of her historical romances, but wasxn't dissapointed on reading this novel. Twisted Shadows shows all of the talent Ms. Potter has.

I love A.S. Byatt's style- dense, literary, yet down-to-earth in may ways. The Potter family is portrayed carefully, with a look at the quirks and dynamics of a family. I like Frederica, despite realizing she is not very sympathetic. My only issue with the book is that there are some moments of indescribable bordom when reading about the Potter boy. He is troubled and sometimes the scenes of him trying to discover comfort in the world read as hilarious, but often as not they made me want to snooze. However, I still want to learn More about this family, so the author did almost everything else right!

I have read The Virgin in the Garden and Still Life, its sequal, twice. The first time I was predominantly aware of the lushness of Byatt's language, which is something I notice when I first read all of her books. For me it almost impedes my ability to understand and follow the plot. The second reading for me was much more satisfying. I really like the Potter family, with all of their eccentricity and irrascibility.

The is the beginning of a very satisfying, sometimes very sad, series of books. They are worth the sometimes slow reading required.

"The Virgin in the Garden" is a densely written novel that centers around a quirky English family during the time of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. The book deals with themes found in Byatt's other novels: lives of intellectuals and artists, the occult and spiritual, suffocating atmosphere of an academic village, gender dynamics and familial relationships. Byatt's characters rattle off quotes and allusions in just about every scene, but she rescues them from being mere voices of ideas by exposing their human weakness and imperfection. The portrait of the core family, besieged with problems, is utterly convincing. But she does this slowly, and the first of this three-part novel, filled with considerable background information, plods with lethargy. The ponderous pace is compounded by Byatt's habit of depicting scenes in minute details. Her power of observation is admirable, but the minutiae ultimately obscure the dramatic thread. Something must also be said about the novel's point of view: the change of focus character from chapter to chapter works well, but when this change occurs within a chapter, and often within a same paragraph, the effect can be disorienting.

Despite these flaws, riveting drama awaits those who are patient; the second half of the novel is deeply engrossing. The narrative pulse quickens, tension explodes, and in a few memorable scenes, fine dialogue alone propels the story forward with breathless inevitability--quite rare for Byatt, and quite entertaining for readers.

The Two Noble Kinsmen was only partially written by Shakespeare. The primary author was John Fletcher, and Shakespeare seems to have been doing a rewrite more than a collaboration. As a result, you get two different styles of narration and development in the same story. The underlying tale follows very closely on the famous Knight's Tale from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. As a result, you get a three way perspective on Shakespeare that is not available elsewhere -- what his co-author did, what Chaucer did, and how Shakespeare handled similar problems in other plays.

Where the Knight's Tale was primarily a story about chivalry, love, and spirituality, The Two Noble Kinsmen is very much about psychology and human emotions. Like other plays that Shakespeare wrote, this one shows how conflicting emotions create problems when we cannot master ourselves. In this case, the two loving cousins, Palamon and Arcite, fall out over having been overwhelmed by love for the appearance of Emilia, Duke Theseus's sister. The play explores many ways that their fatal passion for Emilia might be quenched or diverted into more useful paths. The dilemma can only be resolved by the removal of one of them. This places Emilia in an awkward situation where she will wed one, but at the cost of the life of the other. She finds them both attractive, and is deeply uncomfortable with their mutual passion for her. In a parallel subplot, the jailer's daughter similarly falls in love with Palamon, putting her father's life and her own in jeopardy. Overcome with unrequited love, she becomes mad from realizing what she has done. Only by entering into her delusions is she able to reach out to others.

What most impressed me from reading this play is how much better Shakespeare was as a writer than either Chaucer or Fletcher. You can tell the parts that Shakespeare wrote because the language is so compact, so powerful, and so filled with relevant imagery. The tension is unremitting and makes you squirm.

By contrast, the Knight's Tale is one of the dullest stories you could possibly hope to read and admire for its virtuosity without experiencing much enjoyment. Although the same plot is developed, few emotions will be aroused in you. When Fletcher is writing in this play, the development is slow, the content lacks much emotion, and you find yourself reaching for a blue pencil to strike major sections as unnecessary.

In fact, this play would not be worth reading except for the exquisite development of the dilemmas that are created for Emilia. Her pain will be your pain, and you will want to escape from it as much as she does. In these sections, you will find some of Shakespeare's greatest writing.

I also was moved by the way several scenes explored the duality of cousinly friendship and affection occurring at the same time that lethal passions of love and jealousy are loose.

Although this play will probably not be among your 50 favorites, you will probably find that it will sharpen your appetite for and appreciation of Shakespeare's best works.

I also listened to Arkangel recording, and recommend it. The performances are fine, the voices are easy to distinguish, the music is magnificent, the singing adds to the mood nicely, and you will find your engagement in the play's action powerfully increased over reading the play.

When do you lose control over your emotions? What does it cost you? How could you regain control before harm is done?

May you find peaceful, positive solutions to all of your dilemmas!

I will be the first to admit this is not the "best" or the "greatest" play written by the bard, but it is still very worthy of his name, and incredibly beautiful! Kinsmen is a romance in the style of Shakespeare's other late plays, Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale, and The Tempest (my favorite). In many ways it reflects his earlier works, namely A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, and The Tempest. It tells a wonderfully romantic story of two good friends who fall for the same girl (I know, sounds familiar, but trust me, it's a different take on the setup) in Athens. The poetry in it is lovely, the characters very well developed, and the plot is incredible. Many people haven't heard of this play as Shakespeare cowrote it with Fletcher, but belive me, it is still wonderful. Highly recomended.

The Arkangel Shakespeare series being issued by Penguin Audio is now halfway through the plays and the surprise is that was given preference to the remaining more familiar works. Co-authored by Shakespeare and Fletcher, this play remains an odd man out for several reasons. Based fairly closely on the "Knight's Tale" from Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales," it tells of two cousins, who just after swearing eternal friendship in one of Duke Theseus' prisons immediately fall in love with the same woman, Emilia, and become bitter rivals for her affections. One of them, Arcite, is exiled but returns in disguise; the other, Palamon, escapes with the help of the Jailer's Daughter, who goes mad for love of him; and...well, see for yourself. Of the play's 23 scenes, 7 and part of an 8th are attributed to Shakespeare, a 9th doubtfully so, and the rest to John Fletcher, who was probably handed over to Shakespeare to learn the ropes as it were. The Shakespeare parts are easy to spot: they are nearly impossible to understand without a heavily annotated copy of the text open before you! Even more so than in his late plays like "Cymberline" and "Winter's Tale," the syntax is so complex, the thoughts so condensed, that one might (and has) compared his writing with the late Beethoven String Quartets. As one of the scholars quoted in the excellent Signet Classic paperback edition of this play comments, the play is most unShakespearean in that none of the characters change over the course of the play. And I should add the subplot of the Daughter's madness is never integrated into the main plot. One scene, in fact, is devoted entirely to the description of some minor characters and might have been influenced by a similar and much longer sequence in "Seven Against Thebes." In short, do not play this for a casual listen; but be prepared to be challenged. Look especially for echoes of the earlier all-Shakespearean plays. The nuptials of Theseus and Hippolyta recall the opening scenes of "A Midsummer Night's Dream," the main plot that of "Two Gentlemen of Verona," the Daughter's madness of Ophelia, and so on. As for the actual recording, it would be difficult to better it! The voices of the two kinsmen (Johnathan Firth and Nigel Cooke) are easily distinguishable, Theseus (Geoffrey Whitehead) sounds advanced in years and noble, Emila (Helen Schlesinger) mature and alert, Hippolyta (Adjoa Andoh) vocally of African origins as perhaps befits the character, and all the rest as understandable as the text allows and "into" their roles. Thank you, Penguin, for this noble entry in a series that is getting better and better.

Evangelical and other devout Christians distrust popular culture and at times see it with outright hostility. This has been true in theater, on radio (Christian rock pioneer Larry Norman's wailing "Why should the devil have all the good music?") at toy stores and bookstands. J.K. Rowling's wildly successful Harry Potter book series is notable here, its themes of supernatural powers, combined with huge sales to pre-teens, inspiring criticism and even misguided protests such as library lawsuits and book burnings.

Recently, however, many conservative Christians have come to respect the Potter books for sophisticated portrayals of good and evil. Connie Neal addresses her Potter interpretation "The Gospel According to Harry Potter" to these Christians plus the few left who remain hostile toward a book series many of them never read.

Ms. Neal traverses through the first four Potter books, summing overlaying themes of each. She selects episodes (standing on the 9 ¾ platform, the shrinking door keys mystery, Ginny Weasley's rescue), character profiles (false faces of Professor Quirrell and Mad-Eye Moody, consistent citing of Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore as a God-like figure) and character quotes. She then relates this at length to a Biblical story or theme, constantly focusing on the panoramic, constant battle between good and evil and subtleties within it. (Neal states on its front cover no one involved with the Potter series proper has authorized this book. Perhaps this is reason Neal provides a teaspoon of Potter followed by two cups of Bible.)

Ms. Neal, perhaps for Christian unity or not wanting to put Christian words into Harry's lightning-scarred head, fails somewhat to directly contradict anti-Potter views or any of the series' darker themes. (In personal asides, she recalls criticism received in radio and TV interviews and dealing with fallout from a satirical story on the Onion Web site relating Potter to Satanism.)

A librarian at a Micigan Christian school and webmaster of one of the larger Harry Potter sites recently said of Rowling,"She is writing extremely moral books that show that evil is real and you have to take a stand against it, even at great cost to yourself." Connie Neal effectively relates that bedrock Biblical truth to Harry's spiritual quest. She also compares friends, enemies, mentors, and wolves dressed as sheep Harry encounters to Jesus' own ministry, while retaining Jesus' divinity and Harry's mortality.

To that end, the "Gospel According to Harry Potter" is useful to homilists and Sunday school teachers wanting to relate today's most popular action-adventure story with the first and truest. This book allows non-Potter readers to effectively discuss the series with those who've read them. It is recommended to Scripture readers intrigued by "the boy who lived", essential for Potter readers intrigued by the One who lives.

The second I saw this book I knew I must have it. Being a Christian and a Harry Potter fan, it is difficult to hear all of the negative comments made about the books. Connie Neal makes it easy to defend my attraction to Harry Potter.

I love this book! The way Neal ties the Harry Potter books to the Bible is really cool. The book itself is well-writen, and overall it's a great example of literary interptation. I enthusiastically recommend this book to any Harry Potter fan.

I ordered this book before I knew that it was a Eugenia Potter mystery, based on the characters created by Virginia Rich. I always considered Rich's mysteries "lightweight." They are lacking in plot and suspense. Ms. Pickard religiously recreates these flaws.

The phrase, "Where's the beef?" for this chili comes to mind. If you want to read a nice romance between Eugenia and a former college sweetheart, then this book is for you. If you want a challenging mystery, look somewhere else. The dead body was found way too late and I guessed who done it way too soon.

With respect to the recipes, Diane Mott Davidson's series of Goldy of Goldilock's catering provides more and better ones, some of which I have tried and liked.

My mother enjoyed the book and actually made the chili recipe - it was delicious!

Reading Virginia Rich's mysteries always left me hungry, not simply for the food described within the pages, but for another adventure with Eugenia Andrews Potter, the main character of her novels. In quick succession, I read The Cooking School Murders, The Baked Bean Supper Murders, and The Nantucket Diet Murders. With Genia, I went to her childhood home in Iowa, to her cottage in Maine, and to Nantucket for a reunion with old friends.

I wondered where we'd go next and what wrongdoings she would uncover. For years, I anxiously checked the R's in the mystery section of each bookstore I entered, looking for a new release by Rich. NOTHING!

Then I learned that Virginia Rich had died. I mourned the loss of that fine writer, but I was consoled to learn that I wouldn't lose Mrs. Potter, too. Nancy Pickard, another of my favorite authors, was commissioned to write the long-awaited, fourth Eugenia Potter mystery. She was even given access to some of Rich's own material, thereby creating a rather unique collaboration. I bought the book, The 27-Ingredient Chili Con Carne Murders, the day it was released.

The locale of this mystery is Genia's "home on the range" in Arizona. Pickard's own experience as a rancher, as well as her superb writing skills, account for the realism inherent in the book. The plot is more than sufficiently entertaining, and there's even a romantic subplot this time around. Discussions of food abound, as in Rich's previous books, and recipes are again included on the inside covers of the book. The characterization is typical Rich, introducing me to still another circle of Genia's friends.

More than anything, I wanted Pickard's word picture of Mrs. Potter to be consistent with Rich's powerful portrayal of this precursor of Jessica Fletcher. Pickard didn't fail me. Genia is back in all her glory, from her introspective nature and her love of food and cooking to her graciousness and the "ubiquitous yellow pads with which she organized her l! ife."

It's a difficult task for an accomplished writer, accustomed to his or her own voice, to write in the style of another author. Pickard was more than equal to the challenge, and the product is a beautiful tribute to Rich. Many thanks, Nancy!

I have only one problem: I'm hungry again for more of Eugenia Potter. Am I greedy to hope for still another adventure?

The mystery here takes quite a bit of the book to set up, that is, unless you count the 'mysterious' pottery as the gist of the book. After an arduously prolonged development of a mystery, the book is nearly over. The only factors it has going for it are an impressive use of vocabulary and it beats starring at a blank wall for entertainment.

I just finished reading this book & it had a good ending but the whole store line was a little slow. Both ms. Pickard & ms. Rich are wonderful authors. I really love her books. Even though it is not her best book it still is a good book and worth reading.

Nancy Pickard is continuing a series started by Virginia Rich. Ms. Rich has since died. Ms. Pickard has done a great job with this series and I look forward to others in this series by her. Genia is an older woman who lives on a ranch in Arizona. She finds old pottery on her land and joins a woman's hike with an archaeologist to try to learn more about the pottery and where it came from. Many things happen and of course, Genia ends up helping solve murders.

This was a great little overview, covering the first four books. It was short and I read it quickly in one sitting. It does demonstrate that the author uses people and events from her own past. She weaves ideas for character and plot into something realistic seeming and not purely fantasy. There is no doubt that she likes to find and think up funny sounding names, as is mentioned too often in the book. Also, I do not believe that this book added a lot to my understanding of Harry Potter's story. (Why exactly did Voldemort want him dead in the first place? No suggestions were made.) There was a good section on her biography. By far my favorite part is toward the end where other books with similar themes are listed. (His Dark Materials, for example.) It's a good little book, but not much longer than a magazine in length. I enjoyed it. I may give it to a much younger pre-teen kid I know; he would like it too.

The is a well written and thought out book. I learned a lot about Ms. Rowling and the Harry Potter books. It was interesting learning what influnced J.K. Rowling and help her create the characters and of course the car from her second book. The book is small and would be a good addition to your Harry Potter library. Buy it and see inside Harry Potter.....

A thoughtful and intelligent companion to the Rowling novels that helps to identify themes and place the stories in their literary context. A worthwhile purchase for teachers and interested teens and adults; children will likely not be overly interested in such analysis.

I took the author to long to get to the point. She went all around in circles to get to the point

This is the first Brother Cadfael I have been talked into reading, and I loved it. The characters are compelling and touching and the perpetrator of the crime is understood by the Benedictine monks, and, thus, the reader. It's the mystery that sucks you in, but it's the character development and the way the author tells of Medieval life that are the value here, I think. At the end, I teared up a bit. I'm anxious to read more about Brother Cadfael and his colleagues!

I found this (unabridged audio) book at the library - knew nothing about the series or the author. What a pleasant surprise! Very well written, a meticulously crafted story that gently unfolds in a way that engages you from the start without any bumps or discrepancies, using a language and style that seem to come from the very times that it describes. Written with an obvious affection for the characters portrayed. And Stephen Thorne's narration is equally masterful. My recent joy at discovering that there are at least 17 other books in the series had my daughters rolling their eyes like crazy in the bookstore. Can't wait to read more!