Rarely do I reread a book, but this one I've gone over several times. Written in 1973, and filled with news events and personalities of this period, it still has up to date charm, interesting characters, a novel idea and plot and mild sex. The area, Greece, Turkey, and the Caucasus, is a great site for strange adventures. Try it.

Although I have not read all of his short stories, I find Faulkner's tales to be poigniant reflections of American life, without being overtly obvious in their symbolism. The reader draws as much, or as little, as he wishes from Faulkner.

Being a work of 'uncollected' stories, it does not have the consistency as, say, These 13, or others arranged by Faulkner, but it does have its gems.

Consider it the "B-side" to a great album collection, some of which you may otherwise never have read, but worth it read, nonetheless.

I have the condensed version for field work but to really get seriously involved in the identification of Pacific Northwest Plants, the five volume set is a must have. The abbreviations used in the condensed version are gone and there are much more detailed illustrations in the larger set. The books are not for amateurs and the dichotomous keys are very time consuming and somewhat difficult to master. The books currently are in need of an update, but this does not distract too much from their value in a Botanist's library. There have been a few species changes that are not included. Any serious student of Northwest plants should have all five.

Renown for his writing about the human need for love and relationships, Leo F. Buscaglia shares his travels during the late '60s. Japan, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Saigon, India, and Nepal are some of his destinations. It has been said it is not the destination but the journey that is important in one's travel. Buscaglia takes this a step further in "The Way of the Bull" and says that it is the relationships you make and the moment you possess that is paramount. He travels below his means to experience the reality of the culture he visits, and his reflections are windows on cultures and caricatures of different societies that he views through the various people he meets. The title, "The Way of the Bull," is taken from a Zen book written in the 12th Century. It also is the way one finds oneself through the process of seeking life, energy, truth and action.

"This way has not always been easy, though it has been wondrous, full of excitement and discovery," Buscaglia says, as he grabs his suitcase and heads toward the approaching bus. "Travel joyously." Recommended

This is the first original English book I read in whole and I enjoyed reading it very much. Of course it is not enough to know America in such a short account. But for anyone as I was who is new to the States and its language, this book is a wonderful start. Its language is kinda poetic and fit for telling the westward stories that was before the big crash in 1929. Recommended for foreigners beginning to study English and History of the US.

Leo Le Bon's book contains 144 pages of great photos and descriptions of treks. The cover photo of K2 is spectacular and breathtaking. If you've seen the movie, K2, you'll immediately recognize the cover mountain. I am a mountaineer, and I enjoyed the book for the simple reason that trekking is a plausible alternative to climbing. Simply put, I can't afford to climb K2 or Everest, but I may be able to trek to nearby areas. I would love to be close enough to simply see K2 or Everest. If you enjoy reading about mountaineering, you'll also enjoy TJ Burr's "Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection", which is also available through Amazon.com.

I borrowed the book and read about half. Booth does a nice job of talking about co-dependency in an upbeat way. _Co-dependent No More_ by Melody Beattie is better, but this book stands up well versus most of Beattie's other co-dependency writings. Booth includes prayers and meditations, in addition to common sense advice about "letting go" of unhealthy relationships. He has a spiritual focus. This book was not a waste of time, especially for a novice reader in the field of codependency.

Although the book is over 300 pages, most of it is full-page illustrations and white space. I learned only a little bit, but that was because it took only a few hours to read the book.

I would advise obtaining a copy through your local library or through interlibrary loan, but not spending too much money on buying a copy.

While you're at it, get 0876302495 and 0876300549.

I usually like the classics. But when I read this book and a number of the author's short stories I couldn't escape the conclusion that Nathaniel Hawthorne wasn't a great writer. He doesn't belong among the immortals of literature. His short stories are predictable. After reading Hawthorne I read some Herman Melville and found him to be far better. The one thing in Scarlet Letter's favor is that it is politically correct. It's satisfying that the intolerant religious fanatics are the bad guys. The villain of the story is respected Roger Chillingworth, and the heroine is his wife Hester Prynne, adulteress. Would you consider it adultery if the husband was missing for years and assumed dead, as is the case here? It's not enjoyable to read about religious intolerance. The book gets quite dopy when something magical happens to Hester's boyfriend at the end, something right out of The Exorcist, and typical of Hawthorne's silly writing. It gets even dopier when Hester deserts her happy family to return to misery. Hawthorne has a thing for magical events and foolish endings.

Although The Scalet Letter is superbly written and there is no denying the greatness of Nathanel Hawthorne, I must admit that the book was, perhaps, a bit on the dry side. Hawthorne, himself having grown up in Puritan Salem, writes from first-hand experience of the unwavereing rigidity and intolerance of Puritan society. Hester Prynne, having committed the unthinkable sin of adultery and conceiving her illegitimate child Pearl, becomes a veritable pariah as she is forced to live on the outskirts of town and wear the ignominious scarlet letter A on her bosom for eternity.

In sanctimonious colonial Salem, Hester's impropriety is tantamount to murder in today's society. She, however, should not have to bear the guilt alone. As they say, it takes two to tango. Reverend Dimmesdale, in his absolute cowardice, is just as, if not moreso, guilty than Hester. Furthermore, the biggest coward and hypocrite proves to be none other than her spineless husband, Roger Chillingworth. I must say that the reading was at times a bit laborious, but a good read nonetheless. I must further confess that the movie version with Demi Moore is much more rewarding, although the book should undoubtedly be read first.

I just finished The Scarlet Letter in school. Hawthorne does an excellent job of describing every nuance of this story, and that is why at times it is a little hard to follow. But the very heart of the story is one that we all can compare with. Hester Prynne has committed a terrible sin, and bears The Scarlet Letter on her breast. This classic tale begins with Hester on the gallows platform, alone with her baby, Pearl. Throughout the course of thise novel, Hawthorne weaves his way through characters so that you feel you are a part of this story, and by the end you have no doubts in your mind how you feel about each character. This is a book that you will either love or hate, and it really depends on when you read it. Try to take your time through the book the first time you read it, then everything will make much more sense, and you won't throw down the book in disgust. On a side note, you can really skip the introduction chapter entitled "The Custom House" because it has little to do with the rest of the book.

James Patterson's second installment of his Women's Murder Club series is a fast pased but ultimately unsatisfying read. The central mystery is an intriguing one--a killer is targeting police officers and those connected to police officers who are connected to a mysterious series of events that took place years ago.

It's an idea that has merit and has been done better in other mystery stories--most notably anything by Elizabeth George.

The mystery has twists and turns, most of them fairly laughable and rather redundant. The Women's Murder Club seems to have everything that could possibly go wrong happen to them--apparently Patterson has decided that at least one of them must suffer a major medical ailment per novel. There are numerous red herrings that come and characters drop broad hints to past events, right before being killed or forced to leave the narrative. This lead to me feeling frustrated with the novel, but no as much so as when I got to the end. Patterson pushes a red herring for several pages only to pull a culprit out of left field to finish the book on a rather unsatisfying note.

I've read both of the books in this series and have been, quite frankly, underwhelmed. The mysteries are paper-thin at best, the suspense not really that mind-shattering and the charactes are, at times, one-dimesional. If you are looking for a good and largely forgettable read, try this one. If you want a real mystery with depth that keeps you guessing to the end, find anything by Elizabeth George.

What a pleasure to read the "old"Patterson who left Alex Cross behind and moved to San Fransico with new characters. I haven't read the first book in this seriesbut he picks up with fast action in the beginning and carries it right up to the end. The four women involved in solving the crimes are belivable and interact well. Why Patterson calls them The Women's Murder Club doesn't click in with their purpose.But the characters' skills blend in to solve murders. The DA, newsreporter, medical examiner and police detective make use of theirknowledge and work toward a commongoal...catch the killer. This time the killer is targeting the police detective in his list of victims. I had given up on Patterson after "Roses are Red" but now I'm back to reading his books again. A page turner that keeps you guessing, I say "Well done and welcome back, Mr. Patterson!"

The Women's Murder Club is back in action as a fatal shooting takes place at a church. Our four heroines, Lindsay, Cindy, Claire and Jill, are back and better than ever as they try to find a killer that leaves behind misleading clues. I actually liked this book better than the first one if that's possible.

This sequel, unlike many, doesn't forget who its characters are. In fact, this book goes even deeper into their complicated lives. Lindsey gets a surprise from her past, Jill and her husband try to have a baby, Cindy finds herself falling for the pastor of the church and Claire is still Claire; always there for her friends and family whenever they need her. I was very surprised by this book. Rarely are sequels better than the original (especially books), but this story comes across shining.

The mystery moves like a roller coaster ride weaving in and out of possibilities and dead ends that will leave you guessing who's behind all the slayings and why they're doing it. The story is more emotionally compelling this time around pushing you deeper into the lives of the four women and letting you get a look into their pasts and their uncertain futures. Lindsay's storyline with her father is especially moving and easily relatable to.

I'm really looking forward to the third chapter of The Women's Murder Club and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who liked or loved the original. It's scary, often touching and will leave you in awe of the author who wrote another incredible story.