This is the best book I have ever read. I am not a reader. Itwas extremely easy to understand and so uplifting. I now have anotherset of commandments for taking care of me which is something that I thought I didn't deserve! I have posted the commandments around the house as a constant reminder. I have bought lot's of copies for family and friends. I hope Joan Brady writes more.

I have purchased a minimum of ten copies of this book and given it to friends, co-workers, patients and family members who needed to "find" something missing from their lives. "Their" review was one of true thanks, not only for the book, but for the insight of recognizing the "void" in their life and helping "them" find it, understand it and fill it with love. I just gave away my last hardcover copy and was suprised to find that it is now out of print.

This is a marvelous book. Not only is it a breeze to read, but it has made my life easier in contributing to altering my perspective on existence. I sent out a mass email to my enlightened friends, highly recommending this wonderful fable.

America was drawn to the story of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin when he publicly shared with the community of the Archdiocese of Chicago the news that his liver cancer was inoperable on August 30, 1996. The Cardinal wrote The Gift of Peace to share his thoughts on the last three years of his life. His writing reflects the principal role of a Roman Catholic bishop - - the teaching office, to nourish within the community the principles of faith illustrated by the realities that present themselves in the course of everyday life.

Like most Americans outside of Chicago, I first learned about the Cardinal in the news coverage that accompanied his last year on the front pages of the newspapers. He wanted to walk with the community as he confronted his death. Sharing with the community both the pain of his illness and the discoveries of the intellect that bridged for him, first acceptance of his terminal illness, and then the process of personal reconciliation of his life journey.

There are so many books upon the shelves of Amazon.com on the topic of Death and Dying. None of them adequate to the task of being "how to's", but offering reasonable guidance for that most personal of tasks, confronting personal death and death in the family. Yet, I keep coming back to The Gift of Peace. Perhaps, because of the Cardinal's one-to-one conversation by which he engages the reader.

For those of us that can prepare for death, a struggle may develop as we form a personal inner conversation to embrace with grace and maturity and purpose our changed fortune. The Cardinal models in the journey of his illness the direction our own path may take.

Upon hearing the first fateful news of his illness, the Cardinal experienced a feeling of helplessness. The same helplessness I nervously experienced when the heart specialist began taking my history. The Cardinal acknowledged then, as I did also, the state of great anxiety as patients wait to hear from doctors what their fate will be. "God was teaching me yet again just how little control we really have and how important it is to trust in him."

The Cardinal describes how terrible illness changes lives - - not only the life of the person carrying it, but also the lives of friends and family members who love and care for that person. We follow in the book's narrative the Cardinal's trajectory along illness as described by Therese A. Rando: keeping alive, understanding and acknowledging the illness, experiencing the pain, framing realistic expectations and completing unfinished business.

And in the midst of the Cardinal's struggle, he continued his own ministry to others with cancer. "Somehow when you make eye contact," he says, "when you convince people that you really care - - that at that particular moment they are the only ones that count - - then you establish a new relationship." It is all about entering into an intimacy with those we minister to, however brief, forever permanent.

Jesus learned this lesson from the Canaanite woman to whom he first avoided, saying he was sent to minister only to the house of Israel." She continued to confront him, to engage him. She established a relationship that from that moment forward propelling Jesus' ministry beyond Israel to embrace all the nations. For ministry, the Cardinal concludes, is about imparting a sense that "somehow you truly care and have somehow mediated the love, mercy and compassion of the Lord."

Ministry to the dying is all about strengthening the relationship between each person and God. I understand that each of our ministerial encounters is unique. Our need for healing is no different in dying than in living - - however the more apparent and actively sought out for. I strive to go to the bedside with practical skills fashioned around a dynamic toolbox of appropriate pastoral applications.

A dynamic shaped by what the Cardinal would call prayer and prayer's search for peace. Peace that accompanies recognition, acceptance, reconciliation. And as a pastor, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin offers us a simple prayer that we may find the gift of peace. It is in the journey toward death's great mystery that we call out to the Lord for peace. The peace that finds voice in prayer. Prayer that nourishes. Prayer that heals. Prayer that reconciles. Prayer that brings us to salvation.

A year ago, on November 14, 1996, our beloved Cardinal Bernardin died, as we the people of his flock, spent time in prayer and reflection over his years as our shepherd. It is amazing to realize how we were enveloped into his loving care, even as he lay dying. Some months later, his book, "The Gift of Peace: Personal Reflections" was published, as his gift to us. More than its worldwide sales, is its personal value to those who read it, perhaps once, maybe several times. How many people near death will ever have the energy to focus on the Lord's Presence, amidst physical pain? For Cardinal Bernardin, the pain he wrote about may have focused on physical and emotional difficulties that surfaced in the final three years of his life, but clearly, there are words in his book that can yet feed the flock, "how if we let Him, God can write straight with crooked lines," if only we let go of the control and allow HIM to direct our life's journey. This does not mean we should make no plans, but rather, set aside time daily to draw close to the Lord, and let go of the concerns that may grip us --- to make room for HIM in our lives. Is there room for HIM in the inn of our deepest selves? There is no other option. No matter what difficulties or hurts arise, we are all still family, always needing to work on healing; the other choice leaves us without family and friends. Cardinal Bernardin speaks of redemptive suffering -- the kind Jesus felt, the kind we may experience. The message clearly leads the reader to know that we, like Jesus, can move beyond the suffering, toward something better, allowing the Lord to work in our lives, bringing us into communion with Him and others who are feeling pain and suffering. In the midst of his pain, Bernardin's faith was strong, but he was preoccupied with the pain. His message is this: develop a strong prayer life in your best moments so you can be sustained in your weaker moments. Lean on family and friends, and church community, as they minister. As you read this book, you may feel the connection with Cardinal Bernardin because either you or a family member or friend is experiencing the pain and suffering of illness. Cardinal Bernardin's presence remains with us, in these words, "Pray while you're well, because if you wait until you're sick, you might not be able to do it."

Recently I lost my father to a 10 year bout with cancer. This book provided me with joy, tears and abudance within a month of my own fathers death. Cardinal Bernardin was a remarkable man who had the courage to face his accusers, his illness and ulitmately his death. He has reconfirmed that faith, hope, love, forgivenss and kindness is the very essentials of what life needs to be about. It is clear from the Cardinal as it was from my experience with my own father that even when you think you are at your darkest human hour you need to reach out and make a difference every single day until your final moment in this part of your journey here on earth.

This book is a must read for anyone who has doubted that there is peace in death. He reconfirms that the lessons most important in life are to continue to give of yourself every day despite the adversities you face. In his illness, through his false accusation and his wonderful rediscovery of a deeper faith in Christ it makes accepting God's plan for you important.

Anyone who has an ill parent or someone close to them should read this book it will give you a much clearer spiritual understanding of illness, death and living every moment under God's plan.

When Sharon McCone's father dies, he leaves a request that Sharon be the one to go through his papers. When she does, she finds some shocking information about her past which plunges her into anger and disbelief and causes her to search for answers to questions she didn't know she needed to ask. Sharon has always known that she is part Shoshone Indian and her investigation brings her face to face with her Native American relatives. Greed, prejudice and corruption are all uncovered as Sharon seeks out her identity. Her lover Hy is at her side, as always, but the McCones oppose her quest. This book marks an interesting twist in the long-running Sharon McCone series, but watching Sharon try to solve her own mystery is not as intriguing as watching her solve other people's. Still, this is an important book for Marcia Muller fans.

This distinguished series has been a favorite of mine for many years, but I found this novel to be the most rewarding to me. In other novels, Sharon McCone's character, wit, and action are stronger . . . but the underlying issues are much less fundamental. Here, she has to look squarely at the question of who she is in the broadest sense. To pull that off after so many novels is quite a feat. I heartily commend and thank Marcia Muller for writing this book.

I can't tell you very much about the plot without giving away things that will spoil the story for you. So I apologize for not giving you as much detail as I usually do.

Let me talk instead about how the plot is organized. Sharon McCone is off on a search for identity where one clue connects to another. So there is the usual mystery-unraveling aspect to the plot. The complications are above average in their extent, and provide satisfying revelations right up to the end.

As you may know from other Sharon McCone novels, Marcia Muller likes to work with mental dialogue as well as spoken dialogue. In this case, the internal dialogue is about listening for what people don't say, when they hesitate, or change the subject. From this interesting technique, you will probably become a better listener. Like most of us, Sharon McCone lets most of this information pass her by the first time she hears it. But upon further reflection, she sees missing elements. And then profitably focuses her attention on those. By this method, most of the plot is unraveled.

But the development of what a family is makes this a remarkable mystery. In this one novel, Marcia Muller looks at intergenerational relations, the implications of adoption and remarriage, male-female relations with and without marriage, and clan relations as well. Few novels have this scope, and I hope you will look for this element and think about it as you read this rewarding novel.

For Sharon McCone fans, this book is going to be very exciting for another reason: The elements in this book create vast potential for developing new and expanded themes in future books in the series.

If you have not read any of the books in the series, however, I suggest that you not start with this one. A lot of its appeal comes in the surprises that you will experience as the plot unfolds. I envy you the chance to start in the beginning and read all of these books in order!

Overcome your complacency about thinking you know what is about to happen in your own life. Use this book to identify a single assumption you are making about your life which, if changed, would refocus everything you do. Then consider whether your assumption is really a good one. Who knows what you will discover?

Enjoy!

"Listen to the Silence" is the 21st Sharon McCone novel by Marcia Muller. I think that this novel is one of the best, if not the very best, of this long-running series. While cleaning her father's attic after his death, she finds papers which document that she was adopted by the McCones. She decides to look for her birth parents and her investigation takes her from Montana to Boise, Idaho to Modoc County in northern California. Someone doesn't want her to find out the truth, and Sharon finds her life is in danger as she gets closer to the truth. This novel is fast-paced and the mystery of her birth parents keeps the reader turning the pages. This novel by this wonderful author is highly recommended.

This is my first j. california cooper book and it is now officially one of my favorites. She had me laughing out loud, giving real thought to my life and relationships and also really inspiring me and making me see love in a different but very hopeful and realistic light. The stories were dynamite. The voices she uses for her tales are terrific and make you feel the character's plight. She is now my favorite author.

Whenever I feel down and out. I pick up anyone of Ms. Cooper's books and feel instant inspiration. I realize that life is not too hard and that others have had it just as bad. She feel like she is a friend that just wants to talk to you and lead you in the right direction or put you back on track. I like this book because it applies to life in the 90s and there are still women and men out there acting the fool. When you are looking for love, she tells you how to go about it the right way. I recommend her books to everyone because they can be understood by anyone regardless of sex. I also loved her book "A Piece of Mine" but I see that it is not mentioned here and it's another great book worth mentioning.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. I felt extremely empowered and challenged to make the best out of my life despite what the world brings my way.

I really appreciate the time periods and location in which I envision the stories falling within (1930-1950 in the south). Being from the South, these stories remind me of simple wisdom and life experiences faced then and now.

Ms. Cooper, I love the inner you shown throughout your writings. Keep up the good work and I'll keep on passing your books along.

Anna and Karl are so real - it seems impossible they are fiction. Somehow, I feel that their essence lives on. Lyvyrle's descriptive writing of the flora and fauna, people, feelings, and, best of all, their growing love story lingers and lingers...truly evidence of the mark of truth. I find myself wondering how those two are doing...I am sure I will reread this book at a later time. I wish Lyvyrle would reconsider her retirement from writing--'cause her readers are mighty unhappy about it! Fortunately, I still have a stack of her books to read; maybe she will rescend her retirement before I am done. Otherwise, we're gonna have to ask Oprah to look for another Lyvyrle, should one exist!

Mail order marriage at its best. Take a "perfect" gentlemen and a young, streetwise woman (with a younger brother no less) and you have a relationship made in heaven. To watch the two build a relationship almost makes you feel like you're intruding. Truly a wonderful story that you will read again. Not to mention that if you're not in love, you will want to be. This book made me start reading this author and I've now read every one of her books.

I have read almost all of LaVyrle Spencer's books, and have decided that this is my absolute favorite! I loved the period detail, the love story between Karl and Anna and the growing relationship between James and Karl. I ached for both Karl and Anna by turns: he, when he learned Anna's secret and she when she yearned for reconciliation. LaVyrle Spencer combines humor, sensivity and setting to write a fabulous novel! I just wish she hadn't retired! Oh, well.

If you're reading this review it's probably because you haven't read Martin Cruz Smith's Red Square yet. And that's too bad, because you're missing a vivid glimpse into both the mafia-riddled new Russia and the loyalties of the human heart. Arkady Renko, the homicide detective hero of Smith's earlier books Gorky Park and Polar Star, returns to Moscow and finds himself battling an international crime ring in a story that crosses the German border and brings him face-to-face with his longed-for lost love. The gripping plot and Smith's masterful ability to capture the nuances of these complex geographical and psychological landscapes make this a book you will remember every time you pick up a copy of your favorite news magazine.

I can't speak for the latest Arkady Renko novel, "Havana Bay," having not read it yet, but for me, the finest of the first three is the magnificent "Red Square," one of the most gripping and memorable thrillers I've read in a long time.

For those that have never read any of Martin Cruz Smith's novels featuring modern fiction most's unique detective (the others being "Gorky Park" and "Polar Star"), you might be surprised by what you find. Smith is no Mickey Spillane--he is a literate, cerebral writer and a first-rate novelist with an unusual gift for both probing, insightful characterizations and heart- pounding, edge-of-your-seat storytelling. His Renko novels can best be described as Saul Bellow meets Robert Ludlum, and Smith's voice is distinctive and unmistakable.

"Red Square" finds Arkady in post-Cold War Russia, investigating murder and intrigue in a society rife with corruption and desperation. He also reunites with his great love from "Gorky Park," and Smith's description of the reunion is among his very best writing. "Red Square" also features Smith's characteristically convoluted plotting, which can at times get confusing, but eventually resolves itself with the most satisfying ending he has yet written for a Renko novel.

All in all, "Red Square," despite a rather slow first 40 pages or so, was one of the most fascinating and unforgettable thrillers of the decade. Outstanding.

All I have to say is if you are thinking of buying this book, do it. If you have not read Gorky Park or Polar Star first, then I strongly suggest you do so. The excellent aspect, I believe, of this book is its connection with the past two. While I enjoyed Gorky Park, Polar Star is where I fell in love with reading about Renko. By the time I read through Red Square, I came immediately online to see if there is another Renko novel to read. There is, Havana Bay, thank goodness, I don't know what I would have done if there wasn't. This is the perfect series of books to read, for anyone who does not mind a little challenge. Enjoy!

This is my first Spenser novel and my first Robert B. Parker novel. Parker's writing style is sparse, quick and fun. It's an easy read and so far, thoroughly enjoyable. Last night A&E aired Thin Air, a made for TV Spencer movie. I was going from watching spencer to reading spencer. Robert B. Parker now ranks up there with my other favorite authors, Trevanian, Conor Creggan and Donald E. Westlake. I'm glad that I discovered Parker so late as there is so many old books I can back and read!

This is one of my two favorite Spenser books (The other is A Savage Place.) Early Autumn was the first Parker book I ever read and also the first suspense/mystery. My parents and brothers all read Spenser but I shunned them, preferring scifi. I was desparate for a read one summer night and my mother pressed this on me, saying "You'll like this if you just give it a chance" I was 15 and I read it that night, reporting back to her bedroom and saying, "Next Book! More! More!"

This book is about Spenser's surrogate fathering of a lost 15 year old boy named Paul who is a pawn in his own life. It is sort of a coming of age novel, but really not because it is told from Spenser's perspective like all the Spenser books.

This is one of my favorite books of all time. I highly recommend it to any Spenser fan or to any one who remembers 15 and that lost in your own life feeling.

This is the seventh novel in Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and by now it is quite clear that whenever you start one of these stories the question is what is the new twist this time around. You can never call one of these novels an unconventional Spenser novel because they all tend to be unique in some key way. in "Early Autumn" our hero is hired by Patti Giacomin to find her son Paul, kidnapped by his father. Spenser finds Paul almost immediately and it quickly becomes clear that neither parent really cares about the boy, who is just a pawn in the wake of an ugly divorce. Paul needs someone to teach him, well, just about everything (except how to shrug; the kid does that really well in response to every question asked by Spenser). "Early Autumn," a metaphor for a 15-year old kid who has to grow up really fast, finds Spenser talking more than any of the previous books, although at the end his detective skills will again come into play. A large chunk of the book is Spenser and Paul talking about a whole bunch of different topics. In doing so, Spenser explains his view of the world, a task usually left to Susan Silverman. There is also an unforgettable twist as Hawk lends a hand at a key moment. As always, Parker's novels are quick reads, perfect for commuting or nice hot baths.

THE BOOK Homesick:My Own Story is about a REAL author telling of the times when she lived in China and her thoughts and feelings. Now Jean Fritz is a well known author- not a girl homesick for a home she had never been in.What really got me interested in her book was her.She came to my school when I was studying China (2nd grade).I have always been a reader(I read the 4th Harry Potter book in less then 12 hrs!), even in 2nd grade, but at the time, I wasn't interested in thosew types of history and culture books.I recently joined a book club and they choose the book.Now I'm glad I read it.....it is one of the best historical books I have ever read! (my friend is going 2 CHINA!)

This engaging story gives you a view of how Jean fritz felt and lived in China during the war.Her move to the USA was exciting for her as she encounted many 'mishaps and troubles' along the way.You should reallly read this book, if you are interested in biographies and foreign countries, such as China.I give this book 5 stars as she describes well in detail about her life and inner thoughts during the early 1920's.I am reading this book as an literature assignment and felt that this book was the one.Jean Fritz is a great author!

We loved this book because we were able to do an author study on Jean Fritz. We have read many of her books. The fifth grade curriculum requires us to study American History. Reading books by Jean Fritz has allowed my students and I to approach history with an open mind. Getting away from the text books has been enjoyable for all of us. Learning through literature is very effective and we have grasped many historical concepts by reading these books.

When I get the chance, I love to read, I find it very relaxing. I enjoyed this book very much. The way Lori writes makes you feel like you are standing in the room with these people and I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters. It was a very enjoyable book. One I am sure I will read again, and I will make sure I find the time to do it! It has a lot of Christian based principles, love and devotion and suspense, I like suspense!!. I would like to read more books like this. TV has gotten so bad, it's nice to read something entertaining and uplifting without all the gore and violence.

I first read this book when I was about 13 years old, from the first chapter I was totally hooked. This was a very heartwarming story full of love, romance, family, humor, and suspense. I've read many books, but A Place Called Home is by far the very best I have ever read. It really touched me. It's the kind of book you just can't put down and when your finished you can read again and again. This book will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks Lori Wick.

This is my favorite book ever! I couldn't put it down! I've read it over and over since then, along with the rest of the series and other books by Lori Wick. You can really relate to the characters. I highly recommend it. You HAVE to read this book.

This is the first book by Anne Stuart that I have read. This was a good book and I intend to read more from this author. This was a very intriguing story. Carolyn saw her often-unkind stepbrother, Alex, murdered when she was a girl. Eighteen years later he shows up at the family home just in time to claim his place as the legal heir to a huge family fortune. Is this Alex or an imposter? This was very captivating story. The only problem I had is that if Alex was so terrible to Carolyn as a child, how could she remain so devoted to him?

I enjoy Anne Stuart's books. She has a really twisted mind, lol. Her heroes ranged from spies, sorcerers, heretics, conmen, and even the Grim Reaper himself! If you want a ride to the darker side of love, where lust, danger, and obsession blend into one exciting shade, read this book.

The mystery is very good. I never know whether Alex is really Alex or not until the very end. And Anne Stuart writes very well.

And I find the characters memorable as well. The dear heroine initially is a doormat, but gradually she regains her backbone. The hero is an intriguing rogue. They make me smile.

Tired of the same old romantic suspense written by once favorite authors that promise much but deliver little? If so, read SHADOW LOVER, cleverly crafted by Anne Stuart who never lets her devoted fans down. Alexander MacDowell, morally bankrupt, degenerate and beautiful, has returned home after eighteen years to reclaim his place in the bosom of his spiteful, sniping family. Or has he come after the sizable fortune he will inherit from his terminally ill mother? Or will he instead claim Carolyn, the MacDowell family's own Cinderella? Would you recognize your first love were he to return to you after almost twenty years? Carolyn believes she would. And this Alex is not the boy who tormented her as an adolescent and who torments her now as a charming and all too sexy man. While falling under his spell once more, she nonetheless tries to unmask him as a fraud. And while she longs for this man to be Alex, she knows he can't be. Because Carolyn saw Alex murdered as she hid behind an abandoned boat the night he was shot to death at the family's beach house. Yet this impostor knows family secrets so private that he must be the resurrected Alex. Could some miracle have spared his life, or is someone in the family plotting with him in order to gain a share of the inheritance? Surprising, sexy and suspenseful, this novel is another in a long line of winners from Anne Stuart. You won't want this great read to end, but you'll be compelled to race through it to discover the truth of Alex's identity. If you enjoy this novel, try Stuart's other more recent novels of the same vein, MOONRISE, NIGHTFALL, or RITUAL SINS. You won't be disappointed.