This book is mostly about the 3 children who had moved into the manse. Even though they are very "different" and interesting kids, I don't find them interesting, unlike Anne was when she was younger. I've seen a review which compares Faith to Anne - in their ways of getting into all sorts of unpredictable and unexpected trouble, imaginations, and making up all sorts of original excuses... But I felt Faith lacked Anne's fire and zest and didn't impress me at all.

This books is drifting apart from the series' main character - Anne. She is a small, supporting character in this book , and the closest we get to hearing about her are a few small stories about her kids... Which is my main reason for feeling this book should not belong in the Anne series...

I think this book is as worth-reading as the rest of the other Anne books. I think people who love kids will love this book even more because both the children of Ingleside and the Manse are so cute and witty as usual. Like Anne, I myself also take a special liking to Faith. She is so much like Anne when she was in her Green Gables days. It bought back memories of Anne Shirley especially when Faith made those apologizes and explanations...oh..that blessed child is so much like Anne herself. I also like Walter for his courage to fight for both her mother and Faith. But I think this book has put too much focus on the Meredith clan...and that there really aren't much about Shirley and Rilla in this book.

I don't quite like Anne of Ingleside as I always want to know more about Anne but Montgomery just focused on Anne's children in the book.However,Rainbow Valley turned out to be completely different.It is as funny,delightful as other novels in the Anne series.Now, I love Anne's children and the manse children very much.But I don't like Mary Vance, she just seemed to be wicked though I know she was actually not, she was just brutally frank. The adventures of the children were as exciting as Anne's.They were all nice little souls.They were angels and to be loved by every one in the world.After reading Anne, I am now looking forward to having the chance to play in graveyards.They are no longer dreadful but beautiful places which bring you much joy and fun as soon as you finish Rainbow Valley. Lastly I think Anne Shirley is Anne Shirley. I can never accept Mrs. Doctor dear or Anne Blythe.

I was under the impression this was a collection of essays or articles, but it is a collection of quotes. The quotes aren't bad, but not up to par with what I expected. I nearly gave it three stars, but the quotes are pretty good and would be appreciated if you were looking for quotes (and not essays).

Scott peck has put together this anthology of quotes on the virtues of happiness, courage, compassion, purity, perseverance, courtesy, faith, goodness, love, respect, strength, and wisdom. If you have a natural philosophical bent you will find most of the quotes in this 384 page book to be quite profound. If you have no interest in a collection of quotes then don't buy this book. If you do read on and see what you think of this sampling of quotes found in the book:

CHARITY

Posthumous charities are the very essence of selfishness when bequeathed by those who, when alive, would part with nothing.
-Charles Caleb Colton

Charity, to be fruitful, must cost us.
-Mother Teresa

COMPASSION

One cannot weep for the entire world. It is beyond human strength. One must choose. - Jean Anouilh

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat... We must find each other.
-Mother Teresa

GRATITUDE

A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues. - Cicero

Into the well which supplies thee with water, cast no stones. - Talmud

No duty is more urgent than returning thanks. - Saint Ambrose

Wise men appreciate all men, for they see the good in each, and know how hard it is to make anything good. - Baltasar Gracian

HAPPINESS

When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us. - Helen Keller

Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude. - Joseph Wood Krutch

I find my joy of living in the fierce and ruthless battles of life, and my pleasure comes from learning something. - August Strindberg

If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.
-Edith Wharton

COURAGE

Often the test of courage is not to die but to live. - Vittorio Alfieri

What is to give light must endure burning - Victor Frankl

Sometimes even to live is an act of courage - Seneca

Courage is like love; it must have hope for nourishment. - Napoleon I

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. - Muriel Strode

It often takes more courage to change one's opinion than to stick to it.
-George Christopher Litenburg

Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?
-Frank Scully

This book is wonderful. Dr. Peck's commentary on each section gets one to see these aspects in a fresh way. The quotes are highly thought-provoking and stimulating-each one a gem of insight.

Barbara Delinsky's "Shades of Grace" is much better than "A Woman's Place" ----the novel that came after "Shades" by the same author, Barbara Delinsky. But, it doesn't quite come close to the page-turning urgency of Delinsky's "Three Wishes" where you just had to read ahead in that novel (Three Wishes) to find out how things ended up.

And so, this is, pretty much, my only complaint with "Shades" ----as with all Barbara Delinsky novels----again with the exception of "Three Wishes" and perhaps "The Woman Next Door"----that there is no suspense, which then also means there will be no page-turning-edge-of-your-seat quality to her books. So, Delinsky novels aren't novels that you absolutely must finish in one sitting--which works perfectly for me. I like to hold on to a novel for a while and pace myself in my reading. I felt like I spent some major time checking in with good friends day by day.

This novel is about an older woman's descent into Alzheimers disease. And, how her daughter and grandaughter cope with having to be caretakers. The nice thing, is that author, Delinsky, doesn't get too technical with medical jargon. She gives you just enough so that you don't feel like you are reading a medical textbook----a frequent complaint I have with other authors who delve too deeply into advanced medical terminology, which is very strenuous on readers who are only looking for general, simple explanations in their fiction.

Although, "Shades of Grace" was writtin in 1995, this novel is very timely since the main character, Grace Dorian, is an advice columnist ala "Dear Abby" who, in real life, --(Dear Abby) did have Alzheimers. The daughter then has to take over the mother's advice column, just like in real life with "Dear Abby."

One thing I must point out is the very racy sex scenes, as the daughter who is overwhelmed with caring for her Alzheimers mother seeks refuge in steamy sex sessions with the mother's doctor!!! Yes, you heard correctly--- a doctor who sleeps with his patient's daughter. Delinsky was not exactly setting a very good example or even attempting to deal with the ethical issues regarding this in "Shades". Oh well, welcome to the world of fiction, and I suppose their are worse things---although there are a few brief sentences about how the physician has a few ethical concerns. Not enough to stop the daughter and physician's racy romp which gets very torrid and explicit all throughout this novel. I've given you fair warning.

In the end, I guess I can forgive Delinsky for these gratuitous sex scenes. After all she did start out as a Harlequin romance writer. And, her writing is far more intelligent than, say, Fern Michaels or Belva Plain.

I am simply hooked on Delinsky's intelligent and thought-provoking writing and characters that become your best friends over time, such that I can forgive any shortcomings.

Grace is 61 years old and at the onset of Alzheimer's. She is an advice columnist (like Dear Abbey) with a strong following and a succesful career. Her daughter and grand-daughter live with her in a big house and start noticing a change in her which they find hard to accept (I was not even aware it could happen at this young age). The book takes us through what each family member goes through, in dealing with this illness. Grace,writing things down so she doesn't forget, and trying to keep others from noticing her diminishing capacity. The same for her daughter, who has to start writing her column for her and keeping her Mom from making public appearances so that she doesn't embarrass herself and so the media and her audience won't have to know what is happening to her. The one public appearance she makes where it is noticeable to all that something is wrong is sooo sad and moving. The whole book is a moving story, and it gives us a personal insight into dealing with this problem. In true Delinsky fashion, you feel a connection with the characters in her story that you don't forget long after you finish the book. I bought copies for 2 loved ones that are in similar situations, and one for myself, to remind me of how the affected person is feeling, so I will know how to deal with it if I ever have to go through it. It is not a reference book, but there's plenty to learn here just the same. It is a wonderful story of family love, unity, support and strength, and for romance readers, there is some of that too. Barbara Delinsky knows how to tie it all together to make reading a wonderful experience. She is one of my favorite authors. I look forward to each of her books.

To many people, the thought of losing control is terrifying. It is the basis of many phobias, from fear of flying to claustrophia. So imagine how it must feel for a strong, vibrant, very controlling professional woman--a successful columnist, renowned speaker, revered mother, grandmother, and friend--to know that she is inexorably succumbing to a disease that will leave her completely helpless.

That terror, faced by a woman in her prime who slowly suspects that she is suffering from Alzheimers Disease, is what is so finely captured in this book. The early symptoms, resultant anger and denial, fearful acceptance, and slow decline of Grace Dorian, a nationally famous advice columnist, is described in heartbreaking detail, first from her point of view, and then from the points of view of each of her subsequent caretakers, from her daughter Francine, who has always been eclipsed by her powerful mother's shadow, to Francine's daughter Sophia, a troubled young woman with problems of her own, to Father Jim, a priest and childhood friend who is Grace's closest friend and confidante.

There are many subplots as well, of course, and they could be considered the usual standard romance-novel fare except that the over-riding reality of Grace's illness and her family's response to it rings so true that it makes everything else in the novel interesting and believable.

Therefore, timid Francine, forced to ghostwrite her mother's syndicated columns, gains strength and insight. Handsome young doctor Davis Marcoux, who is compassion itself when it comes to treating Grace, provides a love interest for one of the main characters. Troubled Sophie, who idolizes her grandmother, is forced to grow up overnight. Father Jim, devastated by his close friend's interest, must finally reveal a terrible secret.

It sounds trite and contrived, but "Shades of Grace" is written with such compassion and humanity, such earnest honesty, that it is impossible to put down until the last heart-wrenching page. It is easy to identify with the characters, particularly Grace in the early stages of the disease, as she jeopardizes her life in her absolute need for denial. And for Francine, who must switch roles with her formerly domineering mother. And for Sophia, who must overcome her inner horror at her mother's and grandmother's role reversals.

I am not going to tell you that this is a fun, day-at-the-beach read. But it is well worth picking up, and in my opinion, remains in the top 5 of Delinsky's ouvre. Her later novels may be more sophisticated, but none equals the sheer heart of "Shades of Grace."

Surely I'm not the only one who found this book totally [bad]. The only thing it made me wonder about is how it's possible to write such a thorougly BORING book about such fascinating women. The writing is just dull and full of the author's biases and prejudices, which just aren't nearly as interesting as the subjects themselves. It's written in that old-school feminism (negative, no fun) tone that thank God feminism has since moved beyond. My advice: find another book about women mystics not filtered through Flinder's lens.

This book provides inspiring insights into two subjects which are rarely given fair analysis: (1) women saints and (2) the mystical experience. By definition the mystical experience is difficult to explain or analyze in words, but the author's approach and beautiful references help make the experiences of these saints come to life -- and these saints are not the life-denying, intellectual complex, emotionally stunted type, but the divinely inspired type. I would not call the author's perspective feminist but one free of conventional masculine/church biases. I will reread this book often.

A fabulous and well written book, Carol Lee Flinders breaths new life into the lives of these 7 mystics. Giving good comentary as well as content, the reader will find themselves swept up into the varied lives of these women. I am planing on using this book to as a primer for a class on the lives of mystics. Buy this book!

I have read some other books by Ms. Peters and I dare say that her later works are by far superior to her earlier ones. It is obvious that Ms. Peters is very proud of her grasp of Scottish history, as she lavishes it throughout the story. I find it distracting to have one's concentration of the plot interrupted by some imagined ramblings of past tales and descriptions of bloody masacres, or discussions of the local political arguments.

I also find the heroine too gullible and certainly too foolhardy as a lone young woman in a strange city. Who in their right mind would go walking in a strange city at night? And then to chase a stranger down alleys until she is lost, how unlikely is that? In the first 100 pages she has twice put herself into the control of men she only just met and knows nothing about. And both times she "shows off" her knowledge of their native country by spouting history to them.

The other thing that is slightly annoying is the author's tendency to call things by their local, often unfamiliar, name. What is a burn or a close or a crofter anyway? It is detrimental to the smooth flow of the storyline to have to stop and figure out what she's talking about.

The dialog is so melodramatic that it is laughable. I can hardly believe that it is meant to be taken seriously. It reads like a big farce. I'd just like to know how much was paid to print actual quotes from newspapers such as "This is Peters at the top of her form" or "A winner on all counts."

Ok, this book was very good, i read SUMMER OF THE DRAGON before this one, and, by far, this one was better. The characters are gorgeous, still a little under developed, i couldnt seem to believe the herione, Susan, but we had more history of James, so i thought more of him.
The only thing that i found, what's the word?, odd? Was that at the end when the heroes were supposed to be all congratulated (they were to a degree)The honory constable told them that all their efforts were in vain. Which was like a big slap in the face to me, but other than that; im happy w/ it.
The setting is lush and well-written and i can so totally see the glens where James and Susan were hiding in.
This is a very good summer read, like SUMMER OF THE DRAGON its light, funny, suspenseful, w/ some, scratch that word, LOTS of romantic tension.
READ this book. by Elizabeth Peters

Susan is an archeology student with an obsession for all things Scot. She is lucky enough to be asked to take part in an dig in Scotland for the summer. Naturally, she leaves a little early to take in the sights. It really didn't turn out as planned. A crazy old man scares the heck out of her and the good looking guy she flirts with on the tour bus, gets a little too much. Then her room is ransacked at the hotel. While running from an unknown assailant, she comes upon a man dressed in Highland regalia and a mask. Jamie reluctantly becomes part of a wild adventure in the Scottish countryside.

This novel was very fast moving and entertaining. The characters were quirky almost to the point of bizarre. I enjoyed it thoroughly and read it in one sitting.

Bartender Thea Morris is found murdered in the ally behind the Harlem bar where she worked. Normally disinterested in another Harlem statistic, the New York City Police Department have an instant prime suspect in Thea's co-worker and lover, Kendrick Owen, who was seen holding the corpse at the murder scene. Kendrick's older sister Bertha frantically calls her pal, Mali Anderson, pleading with the former cop to investigate the murder because she believes her sibling is innocent.

When some G's are tossed into the pot, Mali places her masters in social work on hold, and begins to investigate. She quickly learns that Thea has a long romantic history. Apparently while seeing Kendrick, she was also romantically tied to at least two other men. When other people related to the case begin to die, Mali realizes that she must uncover the culprit fast before she herself joins the police department's unofficial Harlem statistics.

In the second Anderson novel, A TOAST BEFORE DYING, Grace F. Edwards proves that she a talented writer as she avoids the sophomore slump. The who-done-it story line is quite good and will entrance readers. Mali is an interesting lead protagonist, and the return of secondary players along with the introduction of some charismatic secondary characters bring to life the streets of Harlem. It is that intricate look from Harlem out towards the rest of the city that raises Ms. Edwards' novel to a special level that will be devoured by mystery fans.

Harriet Klausner

I really liked this book. If you had asked me right after I finished the last page, I would've told you that I loved this book, but after I thought about it awhile, well, like is good too! There were a few things resolved too quickly, a few too many strings left hanging for me to really love this book. I think hardcore mystery fans might be a light disappointed, but as I read only 4-5 a year I thoroughly enjoyed this.

I loved reading about Harlem. Edwards does a wonderful job of balancing Harlem of today and yesterday. The characters are skillfully presented. Edwards gives the reader enough information to keep them vested and interested in the characters and story. I for one will buy the next Mali Anderson mystery.

Both Mali Anderson mysteries were a delight to read. Edwards' style of writing leaves the reader in suspense until the end. I tried keeping up with the plot and solving the mystery, but the characters were unpredictable. I look forward to reading "No Time To Die" and "In the Shadow of the Peacock". I hope Edwards' novel is just as good as her mysteries. She is a very talented writer. Keep writing Grace F. Edwards!

I tend to be one of those readers who picks up a book from his bedside table and reads for a few minutes before drifting off to sleep. This book, though, kept me up for hours the first night I started reading, and the next day I carried it with me, stealing away moments to read more -- and I ended up finishing it before that day was through. "Once Upon a Time" paints a vivid portrait of Grace Kelly's incredible life, taking the reader on a journey through her early years (living for the approval of her dominant father) her whirlwind Hollywood life (that was far more complex than I'd ever realized) and the mysterious marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco (which, while thrilling, in some ways broke her spirit). Taraborrelli's writing style, with short, concise chapters, keeps the reader flying at warp speed through the timeline of Grace's life, without sacrificing the specificity and detail one craves when cracking open a biography. As a Grace Kelly fan, I had been left disappointed by previous attempts to capture her life on paper -- but, thankfully, this book finally gives me a bit of real estate on my shelves devoted to the memory of this enigmatic beauty. The horrific death of Grace had haunted me, as it has many over the years-- but finally, after reading this book, I feel that enough of my questions-- about her life, her career, and even that terrible accident -- have been answered. The clarity of the storytelling in "Once Upon A Time", helped me put perspective on a life that would have otherwise gone misunderstood. I highly recommend it.

What a tearjerker this book is. Kudos to the author for bringing so much emotion out of his readers for this story. I think we all loved Grace Kelly, and wondered how it worked out for her in Monaco. She is of my generation; boy oh boy, those were the years! All of this was news to me, I must say. Back then, we didn't get all of the details as we do today, about anything. The world was a different place. You had to wonder what your favorite stars were thinking, you never really knew. Not like now, when it's all on the TV. Anyway, I loved Princess Grace even more after I read "Once Upon a Time." It's so nice when a book can make you feel stronger about a person you already hold in high regard, isn't it? That's what this book did for me. I hope her children, Stephanie, Caroline and Albert, have an opportunity to read this book. They will feel so close to their mother, and their father too, through the words on these pages. I give this book five stars. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I couldn't wait to read this book and was not let down. What I loved is that the author didn't just copy every one else's information. If he didn't agree with what was written before, he wrote it his way. Therefore, to me, it was all fresh perspective. I loved the story of how Grace made the best of her life in Monaco, and became such a wonderful Princess even though the odds were against her. Who cares if the writer got the date of Diana's death wrong? Like that has anything to do with anything? That's a fact checker's error. This was such a good book, and so emotional. I would recommend it. If you want to know about Princess Diana and when she died there are lots of books out there that will give you all of that. But this one gives you Grace's and Rainier's story in a beautiful and wonderful way. Five stars from me, and I have read all the Grace books, too. This is the best one yet!

An older work republished, The Love Talker is a weak romance/mystery that has touches of the wit and humor that mark her better works. I found the plot to be simplistic and predictable, which isn't always a problem if the ride is still fun. However, I couldn't get behind the romance in this, and it seems the author couldn't either, as she only puts it in play in the last 2 pages. So, no real suspense... no real romance... no real read.

Peters best work is in her Vicki Bliss and Amelia Peabody mysteries, which I have read and re-read over and over and are worth the price.

Ms. Peter is normally one of my favorite authors, but I found this one strange from beginning to end. It was entertaining, but not up to the usual. The ending in particular bothered me somewhat, it seems that a few chapters are missing.

I just couldn't put this one down. My first taste of Peters' incredible style and impossibly my last. In one word, this book is like a roller coaster. Peters' creates the perfect incriminating environment, where everything is pleasant but with a hint of griminess, while enveloping the reader in a story too interesting to put down until the last page. The story is so well written that you indefinitely suspect each character of foul play, and the outcome is so surprising you end up feeling disappointed that the story is over. I'm urged to pursue more of her writings. I have to admit that I felt a little dirty and unpleasant at wanting something to happen between Laurie and Doug because of their situation, but the last pages were so hilarious that I was actually relieved. I recommend this book to anyone out there who has stumbled upon this review, if you find yourself craving for a good read this is it. Enjoy!

Although I really enjoy Cassie Edwards, this was not my favorite of hers. I did like this book, as I have all the books I have read by Cassie Edwards. I just had a problem with the story line. The idea of Shayless coming back to earth as an Angel, instantly falling in love and then being granted another chance on earth, was a bit much. Once I got past all that, I did enjoy the book. Cassie Edwards can tell a tale that keeps the pages turning. I do enjoy how the bad guys always seem to get it in the end.

this book keeps you interested from the start, great book to read

Spellbinding! Captivating! Wonderful display of different religions and practices. I love the way she put God in play with Shaylee and the fact that she had to learn to forgive to find her child. Then Standing Wolf had to learn to forgive wrong doers and learned to believe that there was God and not just a Great Spirit. I love the way the story line displayed the loving way that tribes would accept not only members of other tribes but whites as well. Whether they be child or adult, male or female. Standing Wolf accepting not only a white son but also a enemies son was wonderful and true of nature of the Cherokees. Thank you Cassie for another wonderful book that took all of 7 hours to read because I couldn't put it down.

There's a staggering range of emotion here: from apocalyptic doom, to fearful survival, to irascible and choleric comedy, to wrenching simplicity of striving towards good, and bringing about a cataclysm. Humanity or, better still, human history personified... God's Grace is like Swift's Gulliver's travels: simple enough to captivate a casual reader, deep enough to drown a philosopher. A moving masterpiece.

This book is a delightful tragicomedy that mixes elements of Robinson Crusoe and the Book Genesis built upon a tastefully disguised post-modern stage.

The paleontologist Cohn is the sole human survivor of the nuclear holocaust. Together with a chimp, Buz, he lands upon an uninhabited island. The chimp has an implant that enables human communication. More monkeys appear. Cohn tries to establish a society. Having studied for the rabbinate Cohn teaches his Judaic world-view, but faces opposition from Buz whose previous human companion thought him the principles of Christianity. Cohn tries to recreate the monkeys in his own image, and goes as far as formulating his own set of seven commandments and creating his own addition to the scheme of evolution. But alas, paradise is lost again.

While it is not surprising that previous reviewers have mostly focused on the religious aspects involved in the story -too bad that anti-Semitism always lurks right around the corner- this short novel is way beyond a satire of religion. Using a very light and smooth writing style Malamud presents the reader with a narrative in which humor, horror, grace and mystery blend seamlessly. A modern classic.

Calvin Cohn, a Jewish paleontologist, son of a rabbi, is the only human survivor of a thermonuclear disaster. He has to content himself with the company of a few chimps and baboons. God is responsible for this second flood and He blames humans for destroying nature; Cohn has survived due to an error and he is let to live and make the best he can. In this scenario of desolation, Cohn becomes a god-like creature, he believes he can recreate the world, impose a new social order based on high moral and spiritual values, hard working, order, aiming to turn his fellow chimps into a better lot than humans. Amongst the chimps there is "Buz", a Christian who has been taught how to speak, sweet "Mary Madelyn" the only reproductive female of the group, "Esau" the nonconformist, a mysterious albino ape, and the cast-out gorilla "George" who is enchanted by the cantor's singing...

This a novel heavy in meanings, in the use of parables, fables and allegories. Following Malamud's pessimistic outlook on human nature, Cohn is just one more of his characters standing in a long line of losers, an individual who fears his fate and becomes the object of ridicule and pity. In his disguised reincarnation of Adam, Moses, and finally Christ, Cohn symbolizes the necessity of gaining moral wisdom through suffering. In a metaphorical language and fantastic-like "Chagall" prose, Malamud creates a thought-disturbing novel, an account of human nature fragile standing, and a celebration to its strenghts as well as a lament to its weaknesses.