If you grew up in a small southern town in the 60s and love a good mystery, "Boy's Life" by Robert McCammon is a must read! It will awaken the "magic" and you'll recapture the "kid" in yourself. Relive Saturday afternoon matinees with friends; the death of a family pet; run-ins with the local bully; the tradition of local ghosts, legends, and monsters; surviving the attentions of a wicked teacher; first crush on the opposite sex; and the thrill of a new bike. The story is set in Zephyr, Alabama and historical events such as the civil rights movement and Vietnam have a dramatic impact upon characters' lives because of this geographical setting. Robert McCammon uses his storytelling talent to vividly paint a picture of small-town life with summer church revivals, amateur parades, and the civil solidarity created by a natural disaster. This is a coming-of-age story about a boy named Cory, who becomes embroiled in the brutal murder of an unidentified man. It soon becomes apparent that the murderer must be one of the sleepy town's citizenry - someone they think they know - friend and neighbor. As the plot twists and turns to test your sleuthing abilities, you'll also laugh and cry at the poignancy of the universally-shared childhood events experienced by Cory. Review by Kathy Hill

I read Boy's Life last Christmas in 2 days flat surrounded by my entire family and the incredible stress that often accompanies them. I took few breaks and they were restricted to food and the bathroom only. I could not have been more anti-social, but it is the author's fault for writing such an endearing and wonderfully gripping story about a boy and the uniqueness of childhood. The book is not just about the boy, but about his relationships with his father, his friends, and the people who live in a small southern town. After the first 5-7 pages, I was completely engrossed and transported to a different time and place. My sisters and brothers and parents implored me to stop reading and take a break to ski, walk, sleep, SOMETHING! But I was held firmly by the author's magically interwoven plots and characters. When I finished Boy's Life I felt as though I had lost a close friend and I have revisited the book several times since. Many have compared this book to A Prayer for Owen Meany in terms of the impact it had on them, but Boy's Life is my clear winner in this category. I have recommended it and given it to many friends and loved-ones. I encourage you to read it if you have ever believed in the true magic of childhood or if you are needing a reminder of it.

Robert McCammon has created a magical adventure in his book, Boy's Life. The 1960's in the deep South in the town of Zephyr, Alabama is the setting for a year in the life of eleven-year-old Cory Mackenson. What a year it is! Get set for a roller coaster ride of danger and adventure. McCammon captures the innocence of childhood with a bit of mystery, magic, and suspense to make the reader not want to put the book down. Every time I thought I had everything figured out, something else happened to change it all. Cory and his father find themselves in deep trouble that just keeps getting deeper. The characters of Boy's Life are plentiful and full of life. Cory and his best friends, Ben Sears, Johnny Wilson, and Davy Ray Callan encounter an intriguing array of people along their childhood journey. The hilarious Demon, the eccentric Vernon Thaxter, the bigger-than-life Owen Cathcoate, and the Lady are just a few of the characters you'll be introduced to. Some are comical, mysterious, and endearing. Other characters will make your skin crawl. Their twists and turns through life in Zephyr will keep you turning the pages. Perhaps you'd like a little fantasy thrown in. Just wait. Boy's Life has just enough fantasy to make it magical, but at the same time, I found myself saying "Maybe it really could happen." Ghostly apparitions, swamp monsters, demonic monkeys (Lucifer is hilarious), messages from the grave, and an extinct carnival attraction are just a few of the fantasies waiting for the reader. Whatever you're looking for in a book, Boy's Life has it all.

"The Ultimate Competitive Advantage" provides business leaders with real-life examples and the rudder necessary to shift the course in a stormy, ever changing environment and find the most direct way to new opportunities. This is a useful toolset necessary to develop a winning business model in a globally competitive environment. The authors of this foremost book understand business models and how to make them a source of adequate competitive advantage. The primary idea of Don Mitchell and Carol Coles is simple and rather practical at the same time: improve the effectiveness of everything you do. The authors show how strategic innovation can emphasize your business from the stack and deliver stronger.

The book is well organized and the writing is clear and concise, all making for an informative and enjoyable read. It is an excellent book for a strategic planning point of view. It is an absolute necessity for the 21st century business owners and CEOs. The book is teaching you about Business Model Innovation and the ideas might become useful as your business direction changes. The book offers help to anyone looking to improve theirs chances for success. And it is quite readable. I highly recommend it for senior and mid-level managers, entrepreneurs, consultants, and business students.

Alexander Petrochenkov

The Ultimate Competitive Advantage provides the reader with great, practical advice on how to establish a business model innovation mindset.

Using a multitude of real-life examples to illustrate their points, Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles clearly lay out the steps to business model innovation. You will get ideas for how to: increase the value of what your business provides to its customer, increase profitability, eliminate costs that provide little or no value to the customers, pursue business models with a higher potential for growth and profitability, expand your thinking about who your stakeholders really are and what they are owed, and how to do all of this over and over again.

Each chapter ends with a set of questions to help the reader apply what was learned to their personal situation. The questions, alone, are worth the price of the book.

And you get one more bonus. Mitchell and Coles clearly write with a conscience that has been sorely lacking in some of the leaders making recent headlines.

Gadzooks man! When I first started this book and read the business models of the featured companies, I thought "What?! These people are literally gambling at the way they do business!" But the more I read, the more convincing it was to understand that to have the competitive edge in today's business world, you've got to think outside of the box.

Using real world business models, author's Mitchell & Coles explain how you can cause your company to have the competitive advantage by simply changing your company's business model. No matter what the size of your company, this book is a definite tool in creating your business model. Most companies restructure and reorganize, hoping to attain business effectiveness & success. Yet the "Ultimate Competitors Advantage" will help you discover ways to reinvent your business model that will not only meet the needs of your customers, but bring strong profitability back into the company and spread from the employees to the shareholders. All around success!

So put an end to the business model that says "We've always done it this way." Buy this book, and allow it to help mold and guide your imaginations into 21st century business model innovation!

Anne of Green Gables is about a skinny red haired girl who has both a short temper and a very colorful imagination. She really loves the little farmhouse but the Cuthberts might send her back to the orphanage because Matthew needed a boy about 11 or 12 to help him on the farm.

Sometimes her imagination gets her in trouble. For instance when Marilla asks her to get a pattern from Mrs. Barry she doesn't want to because she imagined the woods between the houses were haunted! The book tells about her life growing up in the 1930's. As she grows, she learns many lessons and meets many friends who help her to become Anne of Green Gables.

This book is wonderful. It is a great book for girls to read. I loved it because the character was funny, spunky, and could talk forever. She reminded me of my sister. Anne never gave up trying to reach her goals. She will keep you interested throughout the whole book!

This is one of the best books ever written and the credit goes to spirited Anne (make sure it's spelled with an "e"!) Shirley. It's not often you find such a charming heroine as Anne. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is the first of a series on this lovable orphan, and it begins with Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert, a respectable brother and sister, living at Green Gables. They are both growing old and need a boy to help out on the farm. But they got a talkative redhead girl instead. Before they can send her back to the orphanage, Anne has managed to win the hearts of Prince Edward Island with her wit and imagination. She seems to affect everyone around her - from busybody Mrs. Rachel Lynde to handsome Gilbert Blythe. And now, Green Gables will never be the same! . . .

It's not often you find such a spirited and lovable heroine as Anne. Captivating and captivatED, Anne is full of enthusiasm and fun, which gets her into all sorts of scrapes. This book is one that you are guaranteed to laugh over, cry over, and never want to put down! It is an ideal novel that you won't want to pass up! (Even if you don't read the rest of the Anne books, read this!)

A few weeks ago, I got really sick of today's children's literature. I had read enough mysteries and trashy books about romance to last me a lifetime. So I wanted something else to read, something well-written with a good plot and lifelike characters. I had to look no further than the first book I picked up- Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery.

Anne of Green Gables is the first book in the Anne of Green Gables series. It takes place, as most of L. M. Montgomery's books do, on Prince Edward Island in Canada. This particular story takes place in the town of Avonlea. It follows young Anne Shirley, an orphan brought to Green Gables to help Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert on their farm. Much to Anne's dismay, Marilla tells her that they wanted a boy to help around the farm, not a girl. However, Marilla changes her mind and decides to keep the dynamic young girl who would become Anne of Green Gables.

This novel is incredibly written, with well-developed characters and an intricate plot. I absolutely loved it. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a great example of children's literature at its height.

Black Like Me is a powerful, startling book that shows the severity of the discrimination that the Blacks went through living in America in 1959. John Howard Griffin, the narrator and author, who goes through multiple procedures to become a Black man, writes the book in a form of his diary entries as he lives like a Black man-oppressed and categorized.
To me, this book is more than it seems. Although short, it delivers messages that are deep and inspiring. As I read, I realized the extent of the prejudices were much more severe than what I have been taught. Griffin's writing is emotional and thought provoking. He tells you what he is seeing and what he is feeling so fluently and detailed that you forget you're reading a book and you feel as if someone is reciting a poem or maybe just speaking to you.
Black Like Me is a book that should be read by all not only for the controversy, but for the historical value it possesses.

Black Like Me was not written in the interests so much as to move and startle the reader as it was to inform him; yet it has accomplished both. I know it has touched millions, and the common feeling of these readers, including me, is that this story needed to be told. I believe it didn't need to be shared just with the people of that time, to help them understand, to begin closing the gap between races. I feel it was meant to be shared with those who have come later, and those who have yet to arrive. It is often said that if one doesn't learn from history, it is doomed to repeat itself, and this book will be needed to remind generations far beyond of the tragedies of that time, and how never to let them happen again. John Griffin wrote Black Like Me in working for the dream of black and white equality, in the hopes of getting the truth to people everywhere. He needed to uncover the real story behind racism in the South for himself, but with his quest came persecution and hatred of another kind; anger directed towards him and his ideas and truths, not senseless anger like the racism he encountered in his travels. I admire and enormously commend Griffin for taking such a great task on himself, in spite of the fires he knew he would spark with his enlightenment.

... ...
09/07/02
Core 8
Book Review
Black Like Me
Book Review

For my summer assignment, I read the novel Black Like Me by John Griffin. It is an autobiography about a white man who explores The Deep South as a black man by changing the pigment of his skin. This is a terrific book and I strongly recommend it.
Mr. Griffin's purpose is to find out how African American's are treated compared to Caucasian American's. To achieve this, Mr. Griffin travels to The Deep South. He finds himself in the middle of two cultures who accept or reject him merely because the color of his skin. He finds the discrimination gets worse as he travels farther South.
The book takes place in the late 50's and early 60's. It is set mainly in New Orleans and The Deep South. The mood of the book is depressing and poignant.
I think Mr. Griffin proved his point by telling America and the rest of the world how badly black people in society were treated. His writing is fairly easy to read with a few difficult words. I would have liked the book more if Mr. Griffin was not so verbose. Overall, the novel is very moving and John Griffin vindicates himself. I would recommend this novel because it tells a lot of history and Mr. Griffin speaks very eloquently and from his heart.
The novel taught me some history along with how African American's were restrained from having a normal life.

A nice end to the trilogy. It began in 'Sea Swept', 'Rising Tides' and now finally 'Inner Harbor'. The last brother Phillip finds his true love and alot of other things along the way in this installment. All the loose ends are finally tied up and the story of Ray Quinn's son Seth is finally revealed. I enjoyed this one the most of the three. Both Phillip and Sybill were strong characters and I like what Ms. Roberts did with Sybill's character and who she was. It was a nice twist.

~The third and last novel in the Quinn trilogy tells the story of Phillip Quinn, a high powered ad exec living in Baltimore and the last of the Quinn brothers still single. The Quinn family saved him from a life a crime of theft and street running when he was a boy. One fateful night he nearly died and Ray and Stella Quinn saved his life. He never forgot them or their selfless generosity. The only way he sees fit to somewhat pay Ray back is to help stop the blackmailing his now dead 'father' experienced by a woman who literally sold her only son Seth to him. The trick was, was to find the elusive woman who was wrecking havok on their lives.

Sybill needs to find the little boy she remembers from 6 long years ago before things completely fall apart. Did the Quinn's really steal Seth from his mother? Who were these people? Sybill is about to find out. She is on a personal mission and when she sees him, things aren't what they seem. The Quinn brothers are gentle with him and seem to love him...as she is seeming to fall for the Quinn brother named Phillip. When her identity is revealed, the tenuous grip she has on him falls apart as she now must defend herself against the protective family and find the truth.

Can Phillip trust her knowing who she is? Can he look past it to find love? Can they together save Seth from an uncaring mother who wants him for money? Will Fate solve their dilemma? Sybill finds out that blood can indeed be thicker than water and Phillip finds that he can learn to trust again and life will be good again, just as Ray and Stella planned it.

Good trilogy, worth the read!!!

I wouldn't recommend anyone read Inner Harbor without first reading Sea Swept and Rising Tides as they all tie in together. While the trilogy is about three brothers (Cameron, Ethan & Phillip) Seth, the youngest brother's story begins in Sea Swept and ends in Inner Harbor. Reading only the first or second book of this series will leave many questions unanswered. I found I enjoyed Inner Harbor the most. Not only because everything is settled in this book but because I found the chemistry between Phillip and Sybill outstanding. Even when his brothers (mostly Cameron) were angry with her, he gave her the benefit of the doubt to hear her out. To me, although she wasn't what she portrayed to be in the beginning, she unselfishly wanted only the best for Seth. I have also read the "Born In.." and the "Dream.." series by Nora Roberts but I think she outdid herself with this one. I've read the last couple pages of Inner Harbor over and over because I loved the ending.

"Inner Harbour" is the final installment in the Quinn brothers trilogy, and like the first two books, you don't want to miss it.
This is the story of Phillip Quinn, who has triumphed over his tragic past and succeeded in making a good life for himself. By this third book, Seth, the young boy the Quinn brothers are raising together, has bonded with all of them and has finally accepted that he is a part of the family.
Now, enter Dr. Sybill Griffin, who claims to be researching their small town on Chesapeake Bay. Phillip and Sybill are extremely attracted to each other right from the start and begin to develop a relationship. When these two are together the sparks fly! Sybill also makes a point of getting to know Seth, because unbeknownst to the Quinns, Sybill is hiding a dangerous secret that could put Seth in serious jeopardy!
This is a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Phillip is a lovable, flawed and dashingly handsome hero and NR does a great job of making him seem real. The reader finally gets the mystery of Seth's identity solved and is left sated and happy.
So pick this trilogy up today, you will NOT regret it!

The Count of Monte Cristo is the kind of book that the author has a wonderful idea, but has the thought spread too thin over the novel to keep the reader's attention. Alexandre Dumas is an excellent writer but seems to accentuate too many subplots that are unimportant. He also focuses on numerous small and confusing characters.
The basic plot, is about human nature, particularly revenge of a young man named Edmond Dantés. At the age of nineteen, Dantés has a series of important events happen to him. He is convicted of being a Bonapartist by two jealous rivals. He is unable to marry the lovely Mercedes and he is no longer capable become captain of the Pharaon, the merchant ship, on which he used to work on as a first mate. He is thrown into the notorious dungeon, Chateau d'if, for fourteen years. He escapes with a large secret: the map to the famed treasure of Spada. Naturally, he'll use it for his revenge. As they say, the rich can do anything.
The book has so many intricate subplots and minor characters that the real plot seems to be lost in a hurricane of court intrigues, treasonous affairs, and numerous social gatherings. There are at least nine chapters concerning meals and balls, ranging from brunches to dinners, suppers to breakfasts, from a mere ball to a summer ball, and everything in-between. If you understand the difference between a baron and a count, then these things would obviously make sense, and may even be interesting to you. If you don't know the difference, prepare to be a little confused.
Getting to the action takes a while, but when it comes, Dumas gives you a good read. From being captured by bandits, meeting Dantes's old fiancé (who is now married to his arch rival and has a child), to getting even with all those evil men who planned his imprisonment. Although, if you're not at the action yet, get ready for a long, not-so interesting read. Dumas, still manages to throw in some unimportant details and small talk in-between the action. You can't just go skipping around the book, because there are too many important details embedded in the small talk. If you don't read every word, I guarantee you'll get lost.
This book is jam-packed with murderous action, so if that sounds good to you, you should consider reading this book. If you are looking for a challenge then this is a book for you. We recommend this book to older, more advanced readers.

The Count of Monte Cristo is the best book I've read in quite a long while. I wasn't expecting it to be. Frankly, I tend to have low expectations for 19th-century European novels in regard to sheer readability. Like vegetables and trips to the dentist, they tend to be more good for you than simply good. Add in the fact that the unabridged version is over 1000 pages, and I felt sure that the Count would be a somewhat difficult companion.

Nothing could be farther from the truth! Edmond Dantes' adventures kept me fully engrossed from beginning to end. I was disappointed to turn the final page, left longing for more.

If you've seen a movie version of Count of Monte Cristo, expect surprises. I had seen both the Richard Chamberlain and Jim Caviezel versions before reading the book (mmmm . . . Jim Caviezel), but neither were entirely true to the storyline or the mood of the original.

Edmond himself is a thoroughly satisfying and seductive hero. (The reader must take with a grain of salt the numerous references to his drug habit; at the time, opium was unfortunatly de rigeur for a Romantic hero.) The secondary characters are equally engrossing, from the admirable Maximilian Morrel to the villainous Danglars; and the ingenious machinations by which Edmond contrives to reward the deserving and doom the guilty make the chapters fly by.

I would encourage everyone to be sure and get the unabridged version of this masterpiece. It is by no means slow or ponderous, and the thought of what must be left on the cutting room floor to reduce this book to half its size makes me wince.

After watching the movie and then finding myself compelled to read the book, I wrote a review for the DVD version of this great classic by Alexandre Dumas. I did give the adulterated movie 3 stars, even with its deviation from the far superior storyline of the novel (this story does not lend itself to being told in a 2-hour movie). But rather than 3 stars, the book is well deserving of 5, and then some. The tale of the Count is one of heavy, dark intrigue. This is not light reading, and the story will tax your patience and demand of you significant time and concentration if you are to mine its riches. Those with an attention span of a six-year-old need not apply, although any person, young or old, who yields to the lessons being lived out will come away from this book with impressive knowledge regarding the pitfalls of willful ignorance, deceit, and pride; and hopefully a better appreciation for justice, compassion, and love. As for the story itself, Edmond Dantes, a young man of considerable good character, finds himself wrongly imprisoned under dreadful circumstances. He eventually is tutored in prison by a man with extraordinary wisdom-just as the reader is tutored without realizing it as he reads the unfolding chapters. Edmond loses all, gains eternal wisdom and insight, and then begins his true journey into lands where friends and foes experience his heavy influence. The story is one of desperation and deliverance, defeat and despair, and ultimately of triumph at an awful cost. Spiritual applications abound throughout as learned from within dungeons to palaces, and our notions of justice and mercy are sorely tested as a wronged man loses all and then begins to execute what he considers to be, and may well be, God's judgment. If you dedicate the time and attention that this book deserves, you will not be disappointed. If you want to speed-read and add another title to your library card, save your efforts and do not insult the worthwhile messages that this book can bring to the soul. I say soul, but for those with spiritual understanding, the better term is spirit, for this is above all a spiritual book if you have that kind of understanding. The movie alludes to it; the book embodies it. Having now read the book and carefully endured the more tedious portions to ensure that I missed little, I can only say that we do ourselves much disservice by not committing the time to study works such as this. Love, hate, revenge, mercy, justice, and forgiveness are explored in detail in the lives of Edmond Dantes (the Count) and his friends and foes. This complicated novel is unbelievably rich in its timeless spiritual lessons.

A review by Shannon
Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four children. Unfortunally, one is ill with a serious case of pneumonia. The family lives beneath a garden that is soon to be harvested and must be moved immediately or will face death. Timothy, the child with pneumonia and must not be moved. As time goes on she hears about the rats of Nimh. These weren't any ordinary rats but ones with an extraordinary breed of high indigents. Soon she finds herself flying on the back of a crow and placing sleeping powder into a cat's dinner dish.

This was and exceptional book for all ages. This book is full of adventure and amusing humor. If you enjoy animal characters, this is a great book for you. I am now in High School and I think that this book is very exciting and will kept you motivated to read more. I really enjoyed the part where Mrs. Frisby slips a sleeping powder into the cats' dinner plate because you never know what is going to happen until it does. The part that really caught me off guard was when the author brought to conclusion what every thing looked like. He was very descriptive, for example" he was stocky, square and muscular, with bright, hard eyes. He looked efficient." This story is told in a third person perspective. I like it.
I would strongly recommend this to any reader that enjoys adventure and relationships that grow between the characters. This book has many positive out comes on life.

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed field mouse, is forced to take on a big adventure when her youngest son Timothy gets ill. Timothy's illness comes just before spring, and with spring comes moving day. Mrs. Frisby is forced to seek help, leading her to the all but ordinary Rats of NIMH. This fictional adventure is perfect for capturing the attention of any reader nine years of age or older. Although the story is written from the view of fictional farm animals the reader is pulled into the suspenseful plot and is easily drawn into the emotions of each character. Not only is the book enjoyable to read, it is good for the classroom teacher. It conveys lessons on qualities like friendship, bravery, and teamwork. These qualities let the book easily be integrated into the classroom. I recommend "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH" to anyone who would enjoy a fun and rewarding text.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is one of the best books that I have ever read. It has now sold over 1 million copies as well as being extremley well regared by the critics. Why is this book so good? Well for starters, it has a perfect no holes plot with intelligent writing and believable characters. The book is also very imaginitive and suspensful. When I first read it in grade 3 I thought it was a great story and that was it. However now that I am older (17) I can tell it has much more depth. The author had a view that we should respect the environment and be hardworking, so he gave the Rats that quality. He also believed in interdependance; helping one another. For example, Mrs. Frisby helps the crow and then he helps her in return. Without the aid of several characters in this novel, Mrs. Frisby would never have been able to solve her dilema. And of course I love that line from Jenner, "people are our cows." I highly reccomend this Newbery Medal award winning book

Wow, was I ever surprised as all heck when this novel ended up being one of the greatest I've ever read. Not having too much background on Roman history, my preliminary thought was that I would be turned off after reading the first fifty pages. However, that thought was soon contradicted, and I found myself staying up an extra half hour every night just to see the following events.

I, Claudius is, without a doubt, a masterpiece in historical fiction. Much like Lonesome Dove, it made me more open-minded towards different types of literature. It has its own intellecutal wit, superfluous yet absorbing description, and a great storyline. Graves does a superb job at expressing the bad people surrounding Claudius (Livia, Tiberius, Caligula) and the good (Postumus, Augustus, Germanicus). I'm sure this wasn't an easy novel for Graves to write and it's an example of extreme determination and research.

Those reasons can be accountable for it being considered one of the greatest American novels of all time. However, there are certain aspects about it that some overlook. Take the character of Claudius. Though the customs and culture of Ancient Rome are far different than that of late 90's America, the position of Claudius is not. He is an outcast. People look towards him with disgust and make fun of his disabilities. He is barely given any chances and does not exactly have the greatest family life. Yet in the end, he does prevail as Emperor, even though he does not want to be. Let a teenager with tolerance and time read this novel, and most likely they will see how Claudius can relate to many others nowadays. Claudius, I believe, is one of the most dignified and respectable characters in literature. In spite of the harsh criticism, he remains resolute and loyal.

I guess that's it. So I end with saying that this novel is a sure pleaser. HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. I still have yet to read CLAUDIUS THE GOD.

There isn't a single negative comment that can be raised against Robert Graves' magnum opus, the "I, Claudius" series. The work is sublime, transcendent, spectacularly well-written...and always engaging. Every page is dripping with humor and intrigue, kings and pretenders, savages and aesthetes. This is the quintessential work by an amazing classicist, scholar and man.

"I, Claudius" recounts Imperial Rome (from Augustus to Nero) from the perspective of a stuttering, half-lamed, studied dim-wit, the Emperor Claudius. Using Suetonius and Tacitus as his main sources, Graves constructs a marvelous narrative of the precocious and turbulent time that was Rome's imperial birth, childhood and adolescence. Certainly, Octavian (later Augustus) was the father of Imperial Rome, but it is with plots and debauches of subsequent rulers that Graves' story really comes alive.

At the close of the first book, we're presented with the death of the completely deranged, self-styled god, Caligula, and the rise to power, as long prophesied, of Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus (Claudius), the "fool" of the ancient Claudian family, the stammerer...and, at long last, the Emperor of Rome!

Reading Tacitus and Suetonius, it's easy to see why Graves would be inspired to fictionalize such a history. The pages...these so-called histories read like tabloid sensations, military annals and superstitious prayer books all rolled into one. Graves does a marvelous job of capturing the essence of one of the most famous periods in Western history.

Livy, Tacitus, Suetonius, Pollio: eat your heart out. Graves wins the day!

The book was given to me by my sister, who's just secured her M.A. in art history. She raved about the book and I honestly was not interested in reading it. However, this season's Hollywood release of GLADIATOR motivated me into understanding the machinations of Roman Imperial life. I read the book in three sittings! Absolutely amazing; the clevely written anecdotes thunder through today's "not-so-advanced" society.

The three mediums of film (GLADIATOR), TV and printed text collide into an zeitgeist epiphany: after reading this masterfully crafted tome, we may analyze the recent pop culture phenomenon, CBS' SURVIVOR, as "more of the same" in human nature. Humans adore intrigue, scheming and interpersonal conflict.

Robert Graves' sequel, CLAUDIUS THE GOD, will likely be devoured with equal literary relish.

This book would also serve as a colourful source for students of history, politics, psychology and anthropology.

Many years ago I picked up "Swan Song" in a public library simply because it was a large book in the horror section and the cover art was interesting. I didn't know what I was getting into... a well-paced, well-written story that grabbed my imagination and kept me riveted. I hated to return it! McCammon takes a very real scenario of how global nuclear war could develop and then uses that war to set a stage for the apocalytic confrontation between Good and Evil... using people with whom you can identify, in locations that you can visualize, and situations that you can relate to. Just a few months ago, a friend and I were discussing "The Stand" and I told her that she needed to read this book... and got to thinking that it was high time that I read it again, too. Thanks to Amazon, I had a new copy within days, and while I told myself that it probably wouldn't be as good as I remembered, I was wrong: it was better. Now that I'm older, I found aspects of McCammon's story moving me that escaped me as a teenager. To put this story into any one genre is an injustice, because it has an appeal that crosses into many genres. I've read very few books that rival it.

I initially bought Swan Song because there was a blurb on the cover by Dean R. Koontz. (I notice, btw, that in another McCammon book, there is a Koontz street - coincidence?) Koontz was, at that time, my #1 favorite author.

Its size was intimidating, and I put off reading Swan Song for several weeks. However, recuperating from a car accident, I ran out of books and was forced to pick up Swan Song.

The first time I read it, it took a week to read. I can now read it on a round-trip cross-country flight. I have read it twice a year for the past nine years, and it's falling apart. I also bought a copy for my dear friend Monica, who loves books as much as I do. She also thoroughly enjoyed it.

The book is fantastic. It's scary because so much of it *could* come true.

(I have always wondered, though, how come people foraging for food never look in offices. If you could see all the snacks in my desk...)

Every time I read this book, I never fail to cry when Josh sees Swan at the end, and at the very end of the book. (Trying to be vague so that I don't ruin the book for someone who hasn't read it yet.)

As I have mentioned in other reviews, I try to read a book a week. I'm 30 years old now. That makes for a LOT of books.

Of everything I have ever read, Swan Song remains my favorite book.

Many can say this book is similiar to S. King's THE STAND, but it is oh so original and different.

The story revolves around three different groups of people who try to survive after a terrible nuclear holocaust, including a bag lady from NYC, Sister Creep, who has made a few friends and starts traveling West. In her bag of personal belongings, she has a strange glass ring that she found in the debris of New York -- and it has magical powers.

Also, the story revolves around an ex-football player and pro-wrestler Josh, nick-named "Black Frankenstein." He meets up with a young girl named Swan, who has possesed a form of ESP all of her life. She is an exceptional green thump, because she has the "gift of life." Black Frankenstein and Swan, the main heroes in the book, are trapped in a conveniant store basement for many weeks, until finally escaping and beggining their adventure, their bodies covered with horrible burn marks from the blast.

And finally, the other survivors we focus on in the book is Air Force Vietnam Veteran, as well as former P.O.W., Colonel Macklin, who has a strange dark side within his soul. He and a young boy named Roland, who is like a mini version of the mentally-sick Colonel (only a little more twisted), escape from a survivalist compound that the Colonel was in charge of -- and set out on a dark adevnture....which eventually finds the evil Colonel Macklin in charge of a large group of hostile survivors....

All this mayhem goes on while a strange man, "the man with the scarlett eye," searches the country for the young Swan, who has the powers to restore life -- just the thing he's trying to stop.

This book had me absolutely hooked. The characters are so vivid, the situations explained so well, and you wind up feeling the character's emotions.

I can't express in words how much I loved this book.

Maybe I can only do it this way -- I thought THE STAND was the best book I ever read....well, when I read SWAN SONG, it made The Stand look like some grade school pop-up book.

The only problem with this book is that the ending seems rushed and some things go unresolved.

SWAN SONG is, by far, the BEST BOOK I have ever read...hands down.

Read it. No reccomendations...just read it. You have to or your life won't be complete.

In Mario Puzo's The Godfather, he uses the crimes of a family and their Italian heritage to show how it affects a large loving family. I thought this was an excellent book, because the plot sequence was amazing with constant twists and suspense. The irony of this book comes through the crime boss Vito Corleone who is a kind-hearted and loyal friend of all who come to him with a request. However, he makes his living off of corruption and death which really doesn't affect the reader's attitude towards this loving character. The vicious side of the mafia comes through Vito's son Sonny. Sonny's rage leads to the death of many mob-related characters as well as to the his own death which is another irony evident in this novel. The Godfather uses masterful description of each member's life and how mob-life affected them. Another example of irony in The Godfather is the youngest son Michael's situation. At the beginning of the novel, Michael is returning from World War II and has no part in the family business. However, when his father nears death after gunshot wounds, Michael is drawn into the family business and chooses to pay back the antagonist Solozzo by spilling his blood for the sake of the family. Michael becomes the leader of the family after his father and Sonny die and he returns from Italy after things die down about his assasination of Solozzo. This transformation from an upstanding servant of the country to a crime boss looking out for the wellbeing of his family alone is the ulimate irony in this novel. Women and children are not major characters in the novel, because Puzo uses them to show how the mobs goal was to keep the innocent free from encountering their violent troubles. Puzo incorporates the lives of everyone involved in this crime family to show how much love and loyalty lead to their success and rage and deceit lead to their downfall. After reading the novel, I gained a greater appreciation for the movie which I had seen earlier and an understanding of how loyalty leads to power in the world.

If you've seen the movie The Godfather, then Francis Ford Coppola, Marlon Brando, and Al Pacino struck you with greatness. Now its time to buy and read Mario Puzo's all time classic and be blown away all over again. But if you're expecting a peaceful read that you can relax at night and read before sleep you'd be sadly mistaken.

Puzo's classic novelization of the mafia saga of Vito and Michael Corrleone is a must for every literate in the world. Between these covers are tales of crime, corruption, savage murder, love, drugs, Las Vegas, triumph, tragedy, and Vito Corrleone's rise as the nation's greatest Mafia kingpin. And all these stories are written with fiery intensity and passion that brings the characters to life in ways few authors can. Puzo writes this book so well that you will cringe in horror at the savage and corrupt ways of the Sicilian mafia, and all the terrible things that the members of these Mafia families will do.

So if you've seen the movie and was simply blown away or if you're just a fan of good reading that brings the characters out of the pages of the book and leaves them stamped in your mind then here is an offer you can't refuse; buy it now, and enjoy some of the greatest literature EVER!

The Godfather by Mario Puzo is about an Italian Mafia family, the Corleones, who live in New York, and it gives an inside look at how the Mafia runs. The many characters include Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather, and his three sons, Santino, Fredo, and Michael. The first main event happens when a man by the name of Virgil Sollozzo enters Don's office and asks if Don would help him import drugs into the United States. Don rejects saying that even though the profits from drugs are high, so are the risks. A couple days later, when Don is getting into his car, he is shot by two men. Even though he is severely wounded he is not killed and Santino is forced to take over the business. I won't give away the rest of the book, but I will tell you it kept me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys nonstop action in the novels they read. I found Mario Puzo's writing style to be very good with lots of unexpected twists and turns. This helped make the book very exciting. I also recommend it to anyone interested in the Mafia. This book provides an inside look about how the Mafia is run. Overall, I enjoyed this book very much.