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Percy Jackson and the Olympians Boxed Set, The (Percy Jackson & the Olympians)

Rick Riordan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Humans and half-bloods alike agree--Percy Jackson and the Olympians is a series fit for heroes! Re-live the adventure from the beginning with this boxed set of the first three books.

The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. When his mom tells him the truth about where he came from, she takes him to the one place he'll be safe--Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island). There, Percy learns that the father he never knew is actually Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon Percy finds himself caught up in a mystery that could lead to disastrous consequences. Together with his friends--a satyr and other the demigod daughter of Athena--Percy sets out on a quest to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

The Sea of Monsters After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly calm. But things don't stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters--the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia--only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new nameL: the Bermuda Triangle. Now Percy and his friends must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family--one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke...

The Titan's Curse When Percy Jackson receives a distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he'll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty broze sword Riptide; and... a ride from his mom. The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have unwittingly fallen prey. Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse.

Betrayed (House of Night, Book 2)

PC Cast, Kristin Cast

Amazon Price: $8.95 List Price: $8.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: St. Martin's Griffin Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $4.57

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 44 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Series for teens and up! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Betrayed is book 2 of the "House of Night" series. It is freshly written about teens that become marked to potentially become vampires. This is not your run of the mill series about vampires. It is more about teens who feel they don't fit in either at school or at home and have not had someone to help them realize their full potential in life. The metaphor of "the change" from human to vampire is subtle but easily grasped by teens that everyone has great potential even if they may not see it at a point in time of their life. The series is full of wonderful characters both good and evil and some who may have lived a life of evil and truly want to change if only someone showed them they could. There is great light comedy throughout and perfectly used when things get too serious. I would highly recommend this book for mothers and daughters to read and talk about. While it is completely entertaining you can't help but see the underlying messages which are all positive!

Editorial Review:

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night.  She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

The Time Traveler's Wife

Audrey Niffenegger

Amazon Price: $11.34 List Price: $14.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Harvest Books Amazon Marketplace: 502 new & used starting at $1.99

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1676 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

I'm am SOOO disappointed! 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I can't say I had high expectations for this book, but I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately I can't count the times I nearly threw it against the wall in despair and almost gave up. I don't give up easily though, and continued to torture myself with finishing this awful book. I read quite a bit, and was sooo disappointed that this book ended up rising to the very top of my 'never recommend/never read again' list.

As some others have said, the characters were so out of well..'character' with their useage of the "f" word and even the "C" word. I was completely put off, and I'm no prude....However, nothing felt loving or romantic about this book AT ALL. I was under the impression that this was a love story that spands time,etc..But I only felt slightly sickened by the two main characters interactions. He always came off a tad bit pervy...and she seemed naive and manipulated....when she wasn't using the 'f' or 'c' word or having sex....which they had lots of. Too bad we never had a chance to see what the rest of their world may have been like. There were no romantic encounters....the most sentimental moments happened when Clare was a child...and even those were a bit ruined by the fact that Henry is NUDE a majority of the time. I couldn't quite figure out what the author was trying to get across. The premise of the story is a unique and interesting one, but the actual story was not worth reading. I felt it could have been written so much better. It's a shame.

Editorial Review:

A dazzling novel in the most untraditional fashion, this is the remarkable story of Henry DeTamble, a dashing, adventuresome librarian who travels involuntarily through time, and Clare Abshire, an artist whose life takes a natural sequential course. Henry and Clare's passionate love affair endures across a sea of time and captures the two lovers in an impossibly romantic trap, and it is Audrey Niffenegger's cinematic storytelling that makes the novel's unconventional chronology so vibrantly triumphant.

An enchanting debut and a spellbinding tale of fate and belief in the bonds of love, The Time Traveler's Wife is destined to captivate readers for years to come.

A Good Woman (Limited Edition)

Danielle Steel

Amazon Price: $126.00 List Price: $200.00 Not yet published By: Delacorte Press

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

From the glittering ballrooms of Manhattan to the fires of World War I, Danielle Steel takes us on an unforgettable journey in her new novel—a spellbinding tale of war, loss, history, and one woman’s unbreakable spirit....

Nineteen-year-old Annabelle Worthington was born into a life of privilege, raised amid the glamour of New York society, with glorious homes on Fifth Avenue and in Newport, Rhode Island. But everything changed on a cold April day in 1912, when the sinking of the Titanic shattered her family and her privileged world forever. Finding strength within her grief, Annabelle pours herself into volunteer work, nursing the poor, igniting a passion for medicine that would shape the course of her life.

But for Annabelle, first love, and a seemingly idyllic marriage, will soon bring more grief—this time caused by the secrets of the human heart. Betrayed, and pursued by a scandal she does not deserve, Annabelle flees New York for war-ravaged France, hoping to lose herself in a life of service. There, in the heart of the First World War, in a groundbreaking field hospital run by women, Annabelle finds her true calling, working as an ambulance medic on the front lines, studying medicine, saving lives. And when the war ends, Annabelle begins a new life in Paris—now a doctor, a mother, her past almost forgotten…until a fateful meeting opens her heart to the world she had left behind. Finding strength in the most unlikely of friendships, pulling together the broken fragments of her life, Annabelle will return to New York one more time—this time as a changed woman, a woman of substance, infused with life’s experience, building a future filled with hope…out of the rich soil of the past.

Filled with breathtaking images and historical detail, Danielle Steel’s new novel introduces one of her most unique and fascinating characters: Annabelle Worthington, a remarkable woman, a good woman, a true survivor who triumphs against overwhelming odds. For Annabelle’s story is more than compelling fiction, it is a powerful celebration of life, dignity, and courage—and a testament to the human will to survive.

Tsar: A Thriller (Thrillers)

Ted Bell

Amazon Price: $24.39 List Price: $31.95 Not yet published By: Thorndike Press

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 151 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Swashbuckling counter Spy Alex Hawke returns in New York Times bestselling author Ted Bell's most explosive tale of international suspense to date.

There dwells, somewhere in Russia, a man so powerful no one even knows his name. His existence is only speculated upon, only whispered about in American corridors of power and CIA strategy meetings. Though he is all but invisible, he is pulling strings -- and pulling them hard. For suddenly, Russia is a far, far more ominous threat than even the most hardened cold warriors ever thought possible.

The Russians have their finger on the switch to the European economy and an eye on the American jugular. And, most importantly, they want to be made whole again. Should America interfere with Russia's plans to "reintegrate" her rogue states, well then, America will pay in blood.

In Ted Bell's latest pulse-pounding and action-packed tour de force, Alex Hawke must face a global nightmare of epic proportions. As this political crisis plays out, Russia gains a new leader. Not just a president, but a new tsar, a signal to the world that the old, imperial Russia is back and plans to have her day. And in America, a mysterious killer, known only as Happy the Baker, brutally murders an innocent family and literally flattens the small Midwestern town they once called home. Just a taste, according to the new tsar, of what will happen if America does not back down. Onto this stage must step Alex Hawke, espionage agent extraordinaire and the only man, both Americans and the Brits agree, who can stop the absolute madness borne and bred inside the modern police state of Vladimir Putin's 'New Russia'.

Wolves at the Gate (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 3)

Drew Goddard, Joss Whedon, Georges Jeanty, Jo Chen

Amazon Price: $12.50 List Price: $15.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Dark Horse Comics Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $9.49

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

My favorite arc yet in Buffy Season 8 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Warning! Spoilers ahead! Major spoilers! Do not read if you wish to be spoiler free!

Please take note of the spoiler warning. I've been amazed at how often I start a review with spoiler warnings and then have people complain because the review then features -- get ready for this -- SPOILERS! There are major spoilers below, including THE spoiler. So please don't read this if you want to be spoiler free.

WOLVES AT THE GATE is the third story arc in the ongoing BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Season 8 series, which continues in comic form the adventures of the Scooby Gang, following THE LONG WAY HOME, authored by Joss Whedon himself, and NO FUTURE FOR YOU, the very good Faith arc written by comic legend Brian K. Vaughan. In my opinion WOLVES AT THE GATE is the best arc so far, which is surprising since this is Drew Goddard's first -- as far as I am aware -- at writing for comics. Goddard (who in the summer of 2008 gained very minor fame in the web musical DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG as Evil League of Evil member Fake Thomas Jefferson) has achieved fame as a TV writer, emerging first as the last of many gifted writers on BUFFY (writing or co-writing such great episodes as "Conversations with Dead People," "Lies My Parents Taught Me," and "Dirty Girls." He went on from there to write for ANGEL before joining the staff of ALIAS (where he wrote the series finale) and then on to a minor TV hit called LOST (where Brian K. Vaughan is also on the writing staff). He has also make some noise in film circles, first writing the script for his ALIAS and LOST boss J. J. Abrams's CLOVERFIELD and most recently co-writing with Joss Whedon the script for the upcoming CABIN IN THE WOODS, which Goddard will direct. So while Goddard is not a comics writer, he is very much a writer. And if he had any questions about how to write for the genre, I'm sure either Whedon or Vaughan was available for any questions.

OK, even if you haven't read these issues, most likely you've heard about the BIG EVENT. Buffy and an Asian female slayer in bed. Together. After a bout of passion. It is shocking, but more than that, it sets up one of the funniest sequences I've ever read in a comic. Buffy realizes she isn't gay and that this was, for want of a better word, probably just "experimentation" and an emotional release after a string of very stressful events. Buffy, of course, wants to keep everything quite, but in the next several pages just about everyone she knows discovers what has happened. So, what could have been mere titillation becomes comic farce.

Homoerotic themes continue in subsequent pages. After magically shape-shifting vampires assault Buffy's Scottish castle, she dispenses Xander on the important mission of contacting the one vampire they know who also possesses this ability: Dracula. What unfolds is a revelation of what happened after Anya's death and where Xander went to get over it. Anyone who has seen BUFFY knows that there are many, many jokes at Xander's expense concerning his heterosexuality. On one level, Xander is clearly a heterosocial male. Virtually all his friends are female. He is less comfortable with males and possesses some mild homophobia. But the hints in WOLVES AT THE GATE are that Xander has both bonded with Dracula and that the latter has something of a crush on his human servant. It could have been unfunny, but Goddard is exceptionally able in handling comedy, both on TV and here.

These issues are filled with a string of great moments, many of them comic. The arc also features an absolutely shocking death. BUFFY the TV show did more than any show in TV history to make the body count an essential element of action television shows. Previous shows killed off a few characters (THE X-FILES killed Deep Throat and X), but usually as a way of easing a character out of the show (cf. Denise Crosby's death on STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION). But BUFFY made it a part of television. So having the comics continue this is not terribly surprising. But the comic elements dominate. One of the best comes with Dawn, who was still a giant at this stage in the comics (she has undergone a transformation since then), encounters a Mecha-Dawn, utterly the kinds of things that nonfans of Dawn accuse her of. They do battle in the middle of Tokyo, with Andrew -- who states that he was born for this moment -- explains to Dawn how to defeat her robotic copy. There are also some great and awkward moments between Buffy and Willow, the latter clearly bothered that Buffy never was tempted to experiment with her.

As a huge fan of the TV series, I've been delighted with the comics. There have been some major delays in issues on the subsequent story arc -- dealing with Buffy's time traveling to the future and meeting the future slayer Melaka Fray (the star of the Joss Whedon graphic novel FRAY) -- but based on published issues the first four arcs are all remarkably good. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Editorial Review:

Vampires that, at will, can transform into wolves, panthers, insects, or fog invade the Slayer base of operations in northern Scotland, and not only walk away unscathed, but in possession of Buffy's scythe, the symbol of Slayer power worldwide. Buffy and the Slayer-legion travel to Tokyo in order to learn more about their dangerous new foes, as Xander journeys to Transylvania to solicit the only person they've ever known to possess such power - Dracula!

The night before Thanksgiving

Natasha Wing

By: Scholastic Amazon Marketplace: 9 new & used starting at $0.44

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Thanksgiving fun 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Our whole family enjoys this book, which makes us giggle and feel the warmth and love of sharing a holiday with family.

Thanksgiving bliss. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's along the lines of A Night Before Christmas. It's family harmony at T-giving.

Fun, entertaining rhyming book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

My 2 year old twins love this book.
The rhyming text captures their attention as well as the lively pictures. There are lots of items I can ask them to find and count on the pages. Additionally, there are places in the text that are perfect for asking them to predict what is going to happen. Also, at the end of the book the family says a prayer of thanks which is a great place for me to show my children that other people pray to God, too.

Thanksgiving book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is patterned after the Night Before Christmas. I had previously given a copy to my 2 granddaughters and this one was for a grandson. It's a good book to read in preparation of Thanksgiving.

Editorial Review:

A creative spin on the Clement C. Moore classic, The Night Before Thanksgiving is a warm, whimsical celebration of everyone's favorite fun-filled, family-filled, food-filled holiday! Follow along as the feast is prepared, cousins are greeted, and thanks are given, all with an extra helping of holiday fun.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE

William Strunk Jr and E. B. White

By: MacMillan Amazon Marketplace: 195 new & used starting at $0.01

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 369 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Reference 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE is a great little pocket reference for all writers (creative, essay, or nonfiction).

What is most amazing is how it consolidates a wealth of information into accessible, bite-size chapters that are easy to search on and then easy to comprehend.

The sections that I have found the most helpful are:
1) Verb Subject Agreement for the exceptions, "one of" and "each and every".
2) Why using the Active Voice is better through exhibition and not b/c it's the general rule.
3) Putting statements into positive form (something I had not considered).
4) And the entire section on "Approach to Style".

I think that for the price, you can not go wrong with this one. I have GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT by Stilman and SOLUTIONS FOR WRITERS by Stein, both of which I recommend, but if you had to choose the order in which to buy: ELEMENTS OF STYLE, SOLUTIONS FOR WRITERS (as it's not just about writing but the craft of story telling), and then GRAMMATICALLY CORRECT.

Fireproof

Eric Wilson, Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick

Amazon Price: $10.19 List Price: $14.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Thomas Nelson Amazon Marketplace: 43 new & used starting at $8.25

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

So Real, So Relevant 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Every marriage goes through some tough times. In this day and age, most of us accept divorce as acceptable and sometimes expected in a marriage. It is refreshing to read a story that is based on renewing a couple's love for each other and showing the blessings you can reap from forgiveness rather than the continuing hurt of divorce.

This story is realistic. I felt like I was reading about an actual couple who had gone through feelings of separation and written a story about it. They have been married for six years - long enough to know each other well, and to be disgusted with each other. It is interesting to have the viewpoint of both the man and the woman, to be able to put yourself in both of their shoes, so to speak.

I think a lot of spouses go through similar feelings of distance and could relate well to the characters. There is not a lot of drama as you might see in a movie or on TV - not a lot of tension that you feel as you are reading. It is, however, real enough to someone who is going through similar heartaches, similar fights, and similar distances without putting the blame on only one or the other.

I have not read any other Eric Wilson books as of yet, and I have not yet seen the movie, "Fireproof." From this novelization, I can see his talent of fiction writing, adding such lovely descriptions of a fire, of the surroundings in a scene, of a person's thoughts and struggles. I look forward to reading one of his own novels, which I received today!

"Fireproof" can touch lives and encourage married couples to focus their attention back onto each other and to make their marriage fireproof through the One who can bring redemption, love and joy into it.

Editorial Review:

Inside burning buildings, Captain Caleb Holt lives by the firefighter's adage:  Never leave your partner.

Yet at home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

Growing up, his wife Catherine always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter . . . just like her father.  Now, after seven years of marriage, she wonders when she stopped being "good enough."  Countless arguments and anger have them wanting to move on to something with more sparks. 

As they prepare for divorce, Caleb's father challenges him to commit to a 40-day experiment:  "The Love Dare."  Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb agrees, for his father's sake more than for his marriage.

Surprised by what he discovers about the meaning of love, Caleb realizes that his wife and marriage are worth fighting for.  His job is to rescue others.  Now Captain Holt is ready to face his toughest job      ever . . . rescuing his wife's heart.

Serena: A Novel

Ron Rash

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains -- but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning.

Rash's masterful balance of violence and beauty yields a riveting novel that, at its core, tells of love both honored and betrayed.