( A ) Books

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 98 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I bought the books and it was in excellent condition. I would buy again and the fast shipping. thanks.

Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Arnold Spirit is a freshman at a high school on the Spokane Indian reservation in northwest Washington. All his life he's been picked on because he looks strange: his head is large because he was born with hydrocephalus, he has seizures, too many teeth and he wears thick glasses. But Arnold is very smart, and he likes drawing. When a teacher counsels him to find hope in the form of attending a white high school off the reservation, Arnold makes a bold move toward a future he didn't think was possible.

Through Arnold's eyes we see the problems faced by many on modern Indian reservations: alcoholism, poverty, lack of opportunity and despair. Yet, we also find acceptance of the shortcomings among those we call family and a way to follow your dreams without denigrating those you leave behind.

Arnold's story is for anyone who chooses to follow a different path than the one clearly laid out before him. Issues of race, friendship, love and community should provide great discussion for mother-daughter book club members.

Editorial Review:

In his first book for young adults, bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by acclaimed artist Ellen Forney, that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen: Volume II: Pride and Prejudice (Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen)

Jane Austen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 904 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Worth paying for on the Kindle 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Kindle owners hopefully are aware of the wealth of free editions of the classics which are available through Feedbooks and other sources.

I obtained a copy of P&P from feedbooks originally and while it was easy to get and the price was right, the overall quality of the text is not great. I've found several typos, presumably the result of OCR errors and it's somewhat distracting.

Since P&P is one of my wife's favorite books, I was delighted to see
Penguin had released an electronic edition for $0.50 complete with the usual footnotes, essays and maps that one's used to
finding in textbook editions of the classics.

The table of contents is pretty minimal. The headings include the editor's material, and the three volume headings.

Editorial Review:

This is the first of the novels published in 'The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen' series, illustrated with early nineteenth-century plates. From its famous opening sentence, the story of the Bennet family and of the novel's two protagonists, Elizabeth and Darcy, told with a wit that its author feared might prove 'rather too light and bright, and sparkling, ' delights its most familiar readers as thoroughly as it does those who encounter it for the first time. And while she entertains us, Jane Austen teaches us the wisdom of balance, the folly of 'pride' and 'prejudice.'

Emma

Jane Austen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 311 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Simply adorable 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Gwyneth Paltrow takes on the Austenian role with all the elegance anyone could possibly bring. She and the rest of the cast are all perfect in a true romantic comedy with all of the Jane Austen-ness for which anyone could possibly ask. It's absolutely darling.

Emma - timeless 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I own this movie and it's one of those that I put on my dvd once a year. I've never grown tired of this classic story. Gwyneth is terrific in this. It's about finding love in the oddest of places. It's about judging people and making false character analysis. It's about making things right with good friends. And it's sweet and fun all wrapped up. I loved this movie and anyone who loves Jane Austen will like it.

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

you'll like this version. totally worth checking out. and then watch CLUELESS right after. you'll enjoy the mirror image better.

Cute! 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

If you are fond of this kind of film you should like it. It's a cute little romance. Not serious but very light hearted and somewhat comical. I probably would have given it 4 or 5 stars if the cinematography and directing had been better. I also think the casting was a little blah, with the exception of Gwyneth Paltrow and Alan Cumming.
Paltrow nailed it! I'm not a huge fan of hers but she played the complicated Emma perfectly. Well meaning but trouble making, sweet but spoiled, generous but snobbish. She really made the character charming and believable. Alan Cumming was great to, but when is he not?
I defiantly recommend you give it a shot. It's not a movie you could watch over and over again, but at least once.

Things Fall Apart (Norton Critical Editions)

Chinua Achebe

Amazon Price: $8.75 List Price: $8.75 Not yet published By: W. W. Norton

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 534 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

What makes fiction important 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I know this is the classic debate of all time when it comes to literature: Is it about beautifully written prose (THE STORY OF EDGAR SAWTELLE, incidentally, is a good example of this problem) or does it tell a compelling story? (yet the prose itself is not its strong point).

It seems that many works of fiction these days are of the former and unfortunately, not enough of the latter. I recently re-read this book along with another classic, JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN, after a discussion I had with a friend about this very subject. As a middle-aged person, I often look back at the books that made a difference in my life and much of the time, it's not about the author's writing style. Achebe's is a plain, straightforward style, but it's what he is conveying that is so striking about this story. (I am a bit miffed at the "English" teachers and the like who are downing this book!) Bottom line: I was left with a lasting impression that stayed with me. I can't say that many books do this today.

All I can say is pick up this read and decide for yourselves. Bottom line, this story is just as relevant today as it was so many years ago when it first appeared. These issues are universal and the world today is replete with similar conflicts. It's unfortunate to have to go back in time to find classic works of fiction, but sometimes there are exceptions. Check out--SIM0N LAZARUS, a word of mouth wonder more should know about.

Editorial Review:

About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.

Watership Down

Richard Adams

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 951 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Yes , Rabbits! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The title of my review refers to a conversation I had with a friend about his favorite book. We were in a book store browsing and he pointed to a book saying, "that's my favorite book." I was immediately curious, I deeply respect this guy and consider him the smartest person I know. I asked him what is it about, he said "Rabbits." Me: "Rabbits?" Him: "Rabbits" Me: "Rabbits?" Him: "Yes, Rabbits!"

In the end, I did not buy the book nor did I in the near future. WHAT A MISTAKE!!!

When I finally did decide to buy and read the book, I was enthralled. Is there a perfect book/read? I don't know, but here's another story.

I was reading Watership Down at work on a Friday. Time came to pack up for the day. After being half-way home I realized I forgot Watership Down. There was no way for me to go back and get it, and I was not going to be back at work for another two days. To make a long story short, I bought another copy of the book and finished it over the weekend.

Watership Down is a remarkable book. BUY/BORROW IT.

Editorial Review:

Chronicles the adventures of a group of rabbits searching for a safe place to establish a new warren where they can live in peace.

The Handmaid's Tale (Everyman's Library)

Margaret Atwood

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Total reviews: 560 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed)

A gripping vision of our society radically overturned by a theocratic revolution, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid's Tale has become one of the most powerful and most widely read novels of our time.

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife. She may go out once a day to markets whose signs are now pictures because women are not allowed to read. She must pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, for in a time of declining birthrates her value lies in her fertility, and failure means exile to the dangerously polluted Colonies. Offred can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name. Now she navigates the intimate secrets of those who control her every move, risking her life in breaking the rules.

Like Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, The Handmaid's Tale has endured not only as a literary landmark but as a warning of a possible future that is still chillingly relevant.

Amazing Peace: A Christmas Poem

Maya Angelou

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

A Scandalous, Shameless Marketing Scam and a Terrible Poem 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 12 people found this review helpful.

We all have very strong feelings about peace. Throughout human history, peace has always been lacking. We live in a time when our country is run by corrupt criminals who attack other countries for corporate profiteering. We also continue to live in a world where the three major religions all proclaim they are the one true religion and war on the other two. So, it is definitely a good time for a message of peace!

But this beautifully bound little book containing a cliche'd, trite, and just plain bad poem comes up empty. A message of peace is not sold in a one-poem book for $9.99 as an impulse-buy merchandising scam at Christmas. If Maya Angelou had printed this poem in newspapers, or sent out postcards to the world on her own dime with this poem, I would have more respect for her intentions. But this book is the worst scam, one that plays upon our hearts and souls to milk our pocketbooks. I received this book as a gift from a friend who had bought it for everyone she knew. Her intentions were beautiful: a message of peace.

The end of organized religion will bring us one step closer to a world where the are no wars in the name of God. For those of you who don't know, Christianity was created by the Romans as a method of controlling people. If you have to go through the priest to reach the divine "God", and the priest can tell you what "God" orders you to do, then the priest (the Church) has control over you. The truth is, the divine nature of this universe is inside all of us. We are all made of cosmic stardust, literally, because all matter on this planet was made from exploding stars. We are all sacred. All you have to do to reach the divine is sit quietly and reflect upon your own beautiful luminous nature.

So if you want to give a beautiful message of peace, don't give $9.99 plus tax to Angelou and Random House. Just reach out with your own beautiful nature to those you love (and those you don't). Write your own poem, your own song, whatever. Make your own little book, and make it real. Work for peace. Volunteer. Get involved. It will mean so much more than Angelou's scandalous, commercialized marketing scam of a Christmas Poem.

And if you want to read some real poetry, try Charles Bukowski. His stuff is infinitely better and you'll get hundreds of great poems for the price of one bad one from Angelou.

Editorial Review:

In this beautiful, deeply moving poem, Maya Angelou inspires us to embrace the peace and promise of Christmas, so that hope and love can once again light up our holidays and the world. “Angels and Mortals, Believers and Nonbelievers, look heavenward,” she writes, “and speak the word aloud. Peace.”

Read by the poet at the lighting of the National Christmas Tree at the White House on December 1, 2005, Maya Angelou’s celebration of the “Glad Season” is a radiant affirmation of the goodness of life and a beautiful holiday gift for people of all faiths.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 307 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Charmed but Cautious 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book provides well-written insight into growing up as a black child during the Depression. Maya Angelou is wonderful with her use of words and imagery. I was greatly reminded of my own childhood and what being a kid really meant. Written in first person, she addresses childhood fears, respect for adults and growing up with such tangible details that she could be her eight-year-old self again.

Angelou's insights into the African-American way of life and religion during a time of national change range from tender to comical. She speaks warmly of her love for her brother and her frustration with the young white girls. It is sweet to see the growing up process taking affect and the experiences of youth shaping her character.

I am somewhat relieved that we were not permitted to read this book back in my high school literature class where many parents were opposed to it. I fear it would have caught me off guard in many respects. Many of the sexual themes running throughout the book are quite heavy and discussed in detail. Both the subjects of rape and teen pregnancy are covered and sex in general is frequently alluded to.

Though I do perceive this as a lovely piece of literature, I would be cautious in offering it to teens and others who may be unprepared for its impact.

Editorial Review:

A phenomenal #1 bestseller that has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly three years, this memoir traces Maya Angelou's childhood in a small, rural community during the 1930s. Filled with images and recollections that point to the dignity and courage of black men and women, Angelou paints a sometimes disquieting, but always affecting picture of the people—and the times—that touched her life.

The Divine Comedy (The Inferno, The Purgatorio, and The Paradiso)

Dante Alighieri

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Solid translation for a schizophrenic work! 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This translation was easy enough to understand although the work itself suffers from a major problem and that is a sharp contrast that exists between exciting moments to ones where the lack of action is utterly unbearable. I suggest you read this version which makes it easier to understand Dante's thinking. Which is something you will want to get a firm grasp on as you enter the later sections which can be laboriously slow.

Three and a Half Years Later... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

...I finally finished this wonderful book (today)! To tell the truth, it was the kind of book I put away for a few weeks or months and then picked it up again, reading a few cantos at a time. As assumed by most, I believe the Inferno may be the best of the three Canticles if only for the descriptive passages, and my memories of first hearing about it in the tenth grade. In fact, that first canto/introduction was what got me to start reading the book. So, as for the story, the Inferno, I feel, was the only canticle that did not really have a dry spot, simply because most of us have heard about the circles of hell in popular culture, so it was nice to read about Dante's interpretation of it all. As for Purgatorio and Paradiso, I felt that they did have some slow sections. The Purgatorio Canticle picked up where the Inferno left off, and so those parts were nice, but as Dante started his journey up the mountain, it was a little dull until he started to observe the punishments of those who sinned, but were ultimately destined for Heaven. The same thing happens in Paradiso; it starts off well, then takes somewhat of a dive, until there are some interesting "guest appearances." I will not go into detail, but it was fun to learn about some of these historical figures. But that is the problem with writing about Heaven, is that there really should not be any spheres or levels, but Dante has done so to mirror the other Canticles, which seems like the most balanced way to do it. Aside from this, another high point for me was when he finally meets St Peter, St James, and St John, who, represent Faith, Hope, and Love, respectively. This is kind of like the Gates of Heaven passage, except there are no gates, but there are some very interesting questions that are answered. The cantos on Angels were essentially disappointing, but once they reached the Empyrean in the last four cantos, the Divine Comedy really ended on a high note.

Now, I saved my review of the guides for the end, because they are such a large part of the Comedy. Virgil was a simply amazing guide through both Hell and Purgatory, as he represented Human Reason, and really fit in perfectly, even shooting down Dante when he felt bad for a sinner, or practiced some other fault. That might not make sense as Virgil did not believe in God, but it still works. Beatrice, as Dante's guide in Heaven and representation of Divine Revelation, was also a great choice, if only for her role in his life. After all, I would have done the same if I were writing a similar story. In addition to these two, there is a third and forgotten guide of Dante's, which leads him through the Empyrean and represents the Contemplative Soul; St Bernard. This really came out of nowhere for me, because I thought it was only Virgil and Beatrice, but since he was only around for about four cantos, it is not like I can say I was surprised, in the sense that he is forgotten and that he is there, since Dante always uses the theme of the Trinity. Still, all three guides make the Divine Comedy an even more memorable piece of Literature that has deserved its place in history as a magnificent piece of literature.

***Notes on this Edition***
I really enjoyed all the effort that the translator John Ciardi put into this wonderful work. And I do not mean just putting this book into the English language, but actually maintaining the style in which Dante wrote the book, as this translation also follows the "tercet" pattern that Dante wrote it in. However, as assumed, it becomes a bit tedious, since he keeps the rhyming patterns, meaning that it is not a straight translation and that Ciardi had to take artistic freedoms to make it work. However, he more than compensates for this by writing a brief summary at the beginning of each canto and gives notes at the end to clear up any confusion or any changes. The notes, however was what also made it such a long read, as they take up more time than the actual text, but given that this book was written more than 600 years ago, it is also helpful in understanding everything, since it was sometimes hard to understand the original text, which all of its rhymes and poetry patterns. Still, I feel that this edition was perfect for myself in my first reading of this historical text, which has made me wonder whether I should learn how to read it in the vernacular! It was that great!

T.S. Eliot - "Dante and Shakespeare divide the world between them-there is no third."

Editorial Review:

Dante Alighieri's poetic masterpiece, The Divine Comedy, is a moving human drama, an unforgettable visionary journey through the infinite torment of Hell, up the arduous slopes of Purgatory, and on to the glorious realm of Paradise-the sphere of universal harmony and eternal salvation.

Favorite Jane Austen Novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion (Dover Thrift Editions)

Jane Austen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great Value - Though Not a Complete Works 4 out of 5 stars.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.

Firstly, in regards to the comments by "able baker" - the book they're referencing is Jane Austen's complete works BUT it is one book. I'd much rather have each individually. The three books included are some of her most beloved stories, which is a great starting point for a new fan. The books are complete and unabridged, so there is nothing missing. It's a great set for the value, each book is only $2.66! You can't even buy used versions for that low of a price. My only complaint is that the actual box is rather flimsy and I'll probably end up throwing it away.

Everything was as promised 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The book set I ordered came as promised within 2 weeks and was in good condition, thank you!

Editorial Review:

Three of the author's most popular works — widely admired for their satiric wit, subtlety, and perfection of style — brilliantly re-create the provincial world of the early-19th-century English countryside, focusing, respectively, on husband-hunting mothers and daughters, the humbling of proud lovers, and the return of a once-rejected lover.