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These books are about Ivy and Tristian, who dies in the first book. Her love for him causes her to almost loose everything, meanwhile her mother just married the richest man in wherever they live, and Ivy's new stepbrother is known to be a horrible person.
If you are a fan of the story of undying (literally) love, then read this.
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Having read this tiny little gem, I can tell you that I'm not even sure why I liked it so much. Maybe it was because I loved seeing a warm friendship develop between two total strangers. Maybe it was because I loved the dry wit of Helene and the staunch Britishness of Frank. Maybe it was because I liked hearing about the WWII years, how the people of Britain sacrificed, and how one caring American woman made a difference to this small group of Britishers.
One note: this is the only book I have ever read that is truly enhanced by the video. Read the book, then rent the movie. Anne Bancroft is the perfect Helene and Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as Frank.
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The correspondence runs from 1949 until 1969, during which time Helene and the people at 84 Charing Cross Road exchange Christmas gifts and news of their families, but never meet. At least in the early years of the correspondence, almost every year Ms. Hanff states her intention to come over to visit England, but something always comes up to prevent the trip.
In 1969, one of Hanff's letters to Frank Doel is answered by another member of the firm, informing her that Frank Doel has died.
This is a beautiful book, which can be read in 45 minutes. I suppose every reader will take his or her own lessons from the book, but here is mine: If there is something you really want to do in your life, then DO IT when the opportunity arises. Time is finite. If you keep saying, "Maybe next year," there will eventually come a time when there IS no next year. It is a painful tragedy that Helene Hanff never got to England to meet Frank Doer and the other people at Marks & Company, and that poignant sadness is what stayed with me after I had closed the book.
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Kate is a lady-in-waiting for Princess Elizabeth during Queen Mary's reign. Her sister gets Kate exiled to the Perilous Gard, a keep in the middle of the Elvenwood. Her new guardian, the sensible yet likeable Sir Geoffrey Heron is called away almost immediately, leaving Kate in the care of the menacing Master John. Christopher Heron, Sir Geoffrey's brother, is a myterious and intriguing shadow around the manor, and there are rumours in the castle that he killed his neice in order to protect his inheritance. The villagers have a different explanation, though: that the little girl was stolen by the Faerie people who tend the Holy Well. As Kate investigates these rumours, she and Christopher are swept into a terrifying and deadly adventure.
The characters of Kate and Christopher are wonderfully round and engaging. Kate is smart, curious, practical and sharp-tongued, while Christopher is honorable, guilt-ridden, and full of dreams. These are two people I wish I knew! Sir Geoffrey, Master John, and the minstrel Randal are also developed well. Kate's sister Alicia, and the old maid Dorothy aren't so well developed, but still serve their functions in the story. The Lady in the Green is a fascinating and mysterious character as the Queen of the Pople of the Hill.
I highly recommend this book - this book is definitely deserving of the Newbery Honor!
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This, of course, is the story of a stuffed toy rabbit who seems to have a life of his own. "The Boy" finds the rabbit in his stocking at Christmas. After playing with him for a short time, the rabbit is put away on a shelf where he is to stay for an extended period of time. While on that shelf, he befriends a fellow stuffed toy animal called the Skin Horse. The horse tells the rabbit all about what it means to become "real", and the rabbit is quickly enamored by this aspiration. One day, the rabbit is taken off the shelf and given to the boy who cuddles with him every night and takes him wherever he goes during the day. The rabbit feels truly loved, and is thrilled when the boy tells him that he's real. There's a touching part of the story where the rabbit toy is confronted by two real rabbits who tease him about being just a toy, and he vehemently maintains that he, too, is real because "the boy said so."
I'm not going to give away the ending, but I have to admit that I felt the same lump in my throat while reading this book now as I did when I first read it many years ago. I know of college students who've had to read this book for class. There's a great deal to be learned here about beauty and love. While the story remains the same, the message changes as one grows older.
This book is a definite necessity for anyone's personal library.
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It's not meant to criticize them one little bit. It doesn't. And it's not meant to be new and definitive in the fields of politics and women's issues. It's not.
Having said that, many people will learn a lot, because not that many people are really experts in the fields of politics and women's studies. And readers will take away practical advice they can apply in their own lives, passed along from those who have traveled the path before them--the way you get from having conversations with mentors. Some of the women have "name recognition," some don't. But they all have a warmth and a willingness to share that can help those who think they could benefit from conversations with wiser elders or with role models.
The Counselors doesn't fit the mold of a lot of other books, and it's a book we've been needing. It fills a niche, providing inspiration from numerous voices of women (including women of color), which is different from our tradition of seeing men in positions of power and responsibility and hearing only (or primarily) the voices of men to inspire us. But women have been inspired by the voices of men, and now men can be inspired by the voices of women. The Counselors broadens American folklore--
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It was a revelation to discover that Lynn Hecht Schafran concealed her pregnancy for nine months, took a two-week vacation, and came back to work, suddenly a parent, since employees at her business were not allowed to be pregnant. Can you believe that? I couldn't. The Counselors is inspirational and a great motivator.
My favorite part of the book is the first-person anecdotes that author Elizabeth Vrato includes to begin each woman's story. Her personal stories are easy to relate to and demonstrate her increasing awareness of the struggles that women have endured and continue to experience in the working world. Ultimately, The Counselors is about triumphing over obstacles; there are myriad bits of advice sprinkled throughout.
For someone who has lacked strong female role models, I feel so fortunate to be able to hear these women talk about family, career, the glass ceiling, important legislation for the rights of women, and the importance of strong bonds amongst women. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for some inspiration or history on the women's movement. I feel so grateful to these women and author Elizabeth Vrato for sharing their stories with the world.
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Even though I have enjoyed all of McCaffrey's books, the Harper Hall trilogy has always been my favorite. I first read this book when I was in junior high school and simply loved it. I have read my copy time and time again. McCaffrey has a nice, smooth writing style with great descriptions so readers will have no trouble visualizing the life on Pern. She also does a nice job of throwing in little recaps so that those who have not read Dragonflight and Dragonquest can still understand what is going on. I simply loved the world of the Harpers and think that any reader of fantasy will enjoy this enchanting series.
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Bobby Tom was just forced to retire from playing football because of a bad knee injury he received during one of the games. Being very depressed, he decides to have some fun and signs up to be a star in a Hollywood movie. When he doesn't show up for his filming, newly hired Gracie is sent to find Bobby Tom and bring him to set. Poor Gracie, her first assignment and she bring Bobby Tom back to the set, two weeks late!! Even going through an impromptu striptease for Bobby Tom, she was unable to get him in on time. Well it is not right to completely blame Gracie, for Bobby Tom did give Gracie a lot of trouble. He's just not used to a lady with a bossy mouth and a bad perm to tell him what to do! Moreover, feeling attracted to such a lady, when he's seen ones that were ten times more beautiful, is something he'd never imagine he'd do. But what he does not notice and takes for granted till the very end, is that Gracie has the most generous and kind heart in the whole world. Only until Bobby Tom breaks Gracie's heart and when she runs back to her old life, does Bobby Tom realize how much he took for granted and how much he has come to love her.
What did I like most of the story? Like all the other readers have said... sometimes when you feel awkward or unattractive, just be yourself, for there is always someone that will look right into your heart and love you for who you are. I believe SEP has delivered a wonderful story with a beautiful message.
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I loved this book, and read it many times over again after I first picked it up, and it still delighted me. Lucy Maud Montgomery is a stunning writer, and I believe that she must have been like Anne, for no one could create such a realistic character and write everything that poured out of Anne's mouth...her made up stories, the things that she she thought of, her wild yet delightful imagination...all in all, Anne of Green Gables is one of the finest books I've ever read, and were ever written. I strongly recommend it to anyone, old or young. Everyone can relate to Anne and she could make you smile like she did for me.
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As Goudge's The Little White Horse opens, Maria Merryweather is travelling toward her destiny, though she does not yet know this. Suddenly an impoverished orphan, she is travelling to Moonacre Manor, the home of a mysterious relative, in the company of her caretaker Miss Heliotrope and her little dog Wiggins. The story of Maria's adventures is fanciful and charming and populated by magical characters living in an enchanted place. Maria learns that people and stories are usually more than first impressions suggest, that even virtuous people have faults and even wicked people have goodness, that one can learn from previous mistakes ?- one?s own and others? ?- and make a better decision next time. All problems are resolved at the end, all loose ends tied neatly. First published in 1946, the voice here hints at modern narrative awareness of itself, but Is never cynical.
A drawing of Moonacre Manor is here, and chapters are short enough to make this a great read-aloud novel.
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Newly orphaned Maria Merryweather is being sent from London to Moonacre Manor, the castle-like home of her uncle, Benjamin Merryweather. Initially Maria and her devoted governess Miss Heliotrope expect the place to be cold and uncomfortable -- but Maria is delighted to see an enchanted, silvery landscape, and the brief vision of a white horse running past. She fits quickly into the slightly strange, almost idyllic surroundings -- despite the fact that no woman has come to Moonacre Manor in twenty years. But Sir Benjamin seems very pleasant -- as does the huge, unusual dog Wrolf.
Maria is enchanted both by the beautiful natural surroundings and the neighboring village of Silverydew. But she begins to sense that something is wrong: her uncle is unhappy about something and won't talk about the briefly-seen white horse. Her childhood invisible friend Robin returns to her -- and the inhabitants of Silverydew know him. Beautiful items are laid out in her tiny, luxurious room -- with the initials L.M. And strange dark figures are creeping through the woods near the sea. Maria soon finds out about a long-lasting story of magic, sadness, greed and darkness that has haunted her family for generations, and is determined to set it right.
Goudge was evidently one of the few authors who can effectively blur the line between reality and dreaminess. Some sections of her prose are almost intoxicating; she never held back from describing surroundings and items lushly. The dreamy atmosphere of the book is established when Maria and Miss Heliotrope (and Wiggins the dog) arrive at Moonacre. Such beautifully written passages crop up, such as "moonlight and firelight mingled their silver and gold."
We also are given examples of Ms. Goudge's evident love of both nature, the countryside, and religion (not preachily, simply a demonstration of the beauties she saw in it). She also mixes in a few other items: the hare being a "Fairy" creature, the legend behind the Merryweathers and the valley, the sinister Black Men in the forest, and the enchanting visualization of the "little white horse" being one of the white horses that crashes in on sea foam.
Some aspects of this book are a little unusual by current politically correct standards: we get several negative references to "female curiosity", atheists may be offended by Ms. Goudge's evident dislike of atheism. And I literally have no idea what a "syllabub" is. However, since this takes place in a past era, there's no reason to fuss about it.
Maria herself is a delightful heroine, with just enough quirks to make her realistic -- her mild preoccupation with clothes, for example. Miss Heliotrope is not the usual strict spinster governess, but a kind and upright woman with real emotions and feelings. Wiggins is a little pain in the tail. We also have the fascinatingly charismatic Parson, who manages to make religion come dazzlingly alive while also being kind and gentle. And we have the loquacious Marmaduke Scarlet, a dwarf cook with an odd temper, an amazing culinary craft, and a vaguely gnome-like appearance. And it takes a little while for Robin to develop beyond the level of "boyish sprite," but he's a nice character as well.
This is a thoroughly delightful book, full of childlike innocence and wonder that very few could pull off. Fans of Narnia and the "Hobbit" will probably eat this right up. A timeless, charming tale.
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Maria quickly learns that her ancestor, Sir Wrolf, made some terrible mistakes which have ramifications for the residents of Moonacre Manor. It is apparent that Maria is the only person who can correct the past, and she does so with gusto. Aided and abetted by Serena the Rabbit, Wrolf the dog, and Zachariah the cat, Maria solves the mysteries of the past.
I read this book years ago as a child, and it is still a delightful read many years later. I do think, however, that it primarily a girl's book; a girl is the main character--and indeed the resourceful heroine, so that should be kept in mind if buying this book as a gift. Also, apart from a dwarf, there is really no magic, wizards, fairies etc in this book. It's just the story of one little girl set in Victorian times, and the things that happen, do so thanks to kindness, the power of good, and an overall belief in the decency of humankind--a very nice old-fashioned story.