Ok, first of all, let me point out the very well known fact that Christopher Pike, as talented as he is, does not have that much respect from the critics, much like the Horn Book review of this novel. But that's because of a couple of reasons: First of all, you have to have patience with his books. What I mean by that is, I mean that in order for you to like it, you have to read the entire book of his. And, in the entire last vampire series, I think the entire series is one book, telling one story of the same character with a bunch of unique plot twists intertwining. It's a great book, and so is the rest of the series. Sita grows from a cold blooded creature to a character that You later learn to love if you read the rest of the series. The entire series is good, buy it, read it, enjoy it. you'll like it.

All of the Last Vampire series just knocked me off my seat. I loved Seymour, I loved Sita, Ray, and even Kalika in the next few books. I've read all of them about 4 or 5 times and then I bought the collectors edition because I know that these books will be worth a lot of money in the future.

This book is great. It's a nice sequel to #1, though it does become boring in some points.. There's small sub-stories that get told inside by the characters that dont really seem like they need to be there, but nonetheless, they add to the overall effectiveness of the plot.

I read this whole book last night. I just couldn't put it down! It was about a 3 1/2 hour read without too many breaks.. I found it took me 4 chapters to realize i had to go to the restroom and to actually get up to go.

The bad guy's mother is a bit off her rocker, being as old as she is.. Really sick minded, its no wonder that the boy turned out the way he was.

Anyway, it was a good book and i just couldnt put it down. I reccommend this read to anyone who is a fan of Christopher Pike. :)

As always, I looked forward to the next installment of the Southern Sisters mysteries. When I discovered that Mrs. George had recently passed away, I broke down and sobbed. I felt it was not only the loss of a great talent, but the loss of a friend as well. After reading her first book, I had written her a fan letter because I, too, had an Aunt Sister. She not only graciously answered my letter, but sent me her home address so it wouldn't take so long for my letters to reach her through the book company and later sent me her e-mail address. We corresponded after each book and when my dog passed away, she wrote me a letter that I will always treasure. All of her books are wonderful and this one doesn't disappoint. Patricia Ann and Mary Alice are up to it again trying to solve the murder of an Elvis impersonator. If you have never read any of her books, start with the first one and read them all. I plan to read them all again. Thank you, Mrs. George. You will be missed.

I am a huge fan of Anne Carroll George. I love all of her books. "Murder Boogies with Elvis" is a wonderful continuation of her previous books. Her books are one continuing story of Patricia Anne, Mary Alice, Fred, Woofer - I could name them all but anyone who has read any of her books knows all of the characters by name, too. Unfortunately, the story is ending with this book. I am so sad that this is the last book. I want to "watch" Debbie's twin girls and Brother grow; I want to know about the birth of Joanna, Haley's baby; I want to know if Haley will let Patricia Anne keep Muffin when she and Philip return from Warsaw; I want to know about the next murder that Patricia Anne and Mary Alice will investigate. There are so many quirky characters whose lives make her books so interesting. It is very sad that Ms. George's life was cut short. I miss her, but at least we have the few books she wrote to keep us company.

This book is a must read for all fans of Ms. George. Her writing from one book to the next is so consistent - she never skips anything from one book to the next.

Everyone's favorite southern sisters, bigger than life and soon to be married for the fourth time, Mary Alice (Sister) and prim and petite, Patricia Anne (Mouse) had really been looking forward to the big benefit to raise money for the restoration of Birmingham's Vulcan monument. They had front row center seats and couldn't wait for the promised finale of thirty Elvis impersonators all on stage, together. But, it seems that wherever the girls go, trouble follows and sure enough, one member of the high kicking Elvis chorus line keels over and crashes, dead, into the orchestra pit. It turns out that poor "Elvis" was murdered, stabbed in the back and to make matters worse, Patricia Anne finds the murder weapon, a switchblade knife, at the bottom of her purse..... Ann George has written a light, fast paced mystery, full of original quirky characters and vivid scenes that come alive on the page. But it's her crisp, witty writing and laugh out loud southern humor that really makes this book, as it does in all her others, stand out and no one captures the essence of life in the south, with all its idiosyncrasies, like Ms George. This is the eighth mystery of a truly wonderful series. If you're new to the many travails of Mary Alice and Patricia Anne, start at the beginning and read them all. If you're already a fan, Murder Boogies With Elvis is just what you're expecting...a fun, entertaining, terrific read.

I love the Southern Sisters Mystery series by Anne George. Murder Carries a Torch is the seventh serving of this wonderful series. Sister and Mouse encounter a missing cousin, snake-handlers and two murders on this latest romp thru Birmingham and places nearby. Most authors get stale after writing about the same characters, but not Anne George. The seventh book is as fresh as the first. My only regret is that I'll have to wait another year before another Southern Sister Mystery comes out. I don't know if I can stand the suspense. If you are looking for a lighthearted good read with a heart, you need to read Murder Carries A Torch.

Wow. When I Saw all those "5"'s given this book, I could not imagine giving it anything else but. However, this entry in the Southern Sisters series deserves it. I was somewhat disappointed in Ms. George's last mystery, but this one returns to the homespun, acerbic, and silly humor of the previous entries.
Patricia Anne and Mary Alice get involved in the disappearance of their cousin Pukey Luke's wife, Virginia. When it seems that she's run off with a snake-handling minister, the ladies find themselves kneedeep in rattlesnakes, cover-ups, and murder.
What's so nice about this book, however, is not really the whodunit aspect, but the relationships these people have with each other. The sisters are funny, and their respective hubbies or boyfriends are amusing, too. George has a way of knowing how important family and friends are; how important pets (such as Woofer and Muffin) are; and although the murderer's identity is fairly obvious early on, who cares? We have lots of fun getting there.
A real treat. So sorry to hear that Ms. George has passed away, with one more Southern Sisters mystery left. I know she's with the angels, and thank you for bringing us your talents and time!

Have you ever had your two favourite aunts go away for a year on an adventure....then have them return to share with you the trouble they got themselves into. This is what reading an Anne George Southern Sisters mystery is like. These books make me laugh until I can't breath, bring tears to my eyes and keep me on the edge of my chair until the last tale has been told. Murder Carries a Torch is indeed a visit with those whacky relatives. You've got dead snake-charmers, purple boots, angel-sightings, pukey cousins, disappearing wives and the most loveable sisters in mystery today. The fact that one of the the ladies is now 'wired' is a bonus...the part describing Patricia Anne's experience with e-mail 'spam' is hilarious, and I was smart enough this time round not to have a mouthfull of anything when I read it. Like the rest of the books in this series, Torch is pure heaven. The only downside here is the wait for the next one!

This is a great book for those who are new to dogs or who have had problems understanding how human behavior can end up reinforcing 'bad' behavior in a companion dog. However, for those who have spent some time sharing their lives with dogs, there isn't anything new here. I would probably have rated this book 5 stars back when I was a junior in high school trying to understand my first dog (who was luckily VERY forgiving of my mistakes). But 30+ years later, after studying many of the same reference materials myself during my own wildlife ethology studies, I would rate this book 3 stars. It helped me reinforce what I already knew and gave me some new references I'd overlooked (I've already ordered Alan Beck's 'The Ecology of Stray Dogs'). But this book is not an essential for my own dog behavior/training bookshelf. One amusing feature is the authors constant reference to herself as a Applied Animal Behaviorist (with capitols, no less). You can expect this reminder to readers of her 'real credentials' in each chapter.

This is one of the best books I've read on the subject. McConnell's book is not a "how to" training book, but rather an insightful, well-written book about canine behavior. (She's an ethologist and a certified animal behaviorist specializing in aggression.)

I also highly recommend the enormously useful book "Understanding 'Dog Mind,'" by Bonnie Bergin. This is perhaps the single best book ever written on canine behavior and training. (Bergin pioneered the "service dog" concept and founded the first and largest organization training service dogs for the disabled.)

I would have written my thoughts on Patricia McConnell's book. " The Other End of the Leash" sooner, but I was too busy reading and rereading this exceptional book. I am the owner of multiple dogs (as well as being owned by multiple dogs), and few books address both the behavior of one and many as well as Patricia McConnell has--and no book has done it better.

The Other End of the Leash weaves stories and lessons in a way that will capture every reader. The highest compliment I can pay to this indispensable book is that it was written by someone who really loves dogs, and it shows.

Tom Payne
Author "A Company of One"

As a child, I read this deliciously chilling book over and over, and it caused me never to look at lawn-ornament reflecting balls in the same way again. As an adult, I checked Jane-Emily out of the library a few years ago to see whether it was as good as I'd remembered, and surprisingly, it still gave me goosebumps!

I'm disappointed now to see that Jane-Emily is out of print, so that I will have trouble finding a copy to share with my children. The story, with a little bit of historical detail, a little bit of romance and coming of age, and a whole lot of things that go bump in the night, is definitely worth a reprint!

It's a shame this book is nowhere to be found. I checked Jane-Emily out of the library every weekend my entire third-grade year. For fifteen years, it's blend of romance, psychological drama, gothic suspense and unforgettable characters has remained in my subconscious. Without giving the plot away, I must say that there are pieces of the book that are still so vivid to me -- the forbidding house, the giant glass ball in the yard, Emily locking herself in her bedroom. Jane-Emily is remarkably mature for a YA novel; many of the themes and situations are ones present in adult fiction of this genre (reincarnation, ghosts, a haunted house, mysterious death), and it borrows a lot of it's gracefully dark, ominous style from Edgar Allan Poe and Shirley Jackson. I would love to read Jane-Emily as an adult -- it would be like stepping back into a relentlessly haunting memory. WHERE IS THIS BOOK?

Last summer I was at the library with my 10 year old niece and suddenly remembered the title of the book about the ghost-girl and the reflecting garden ball. All my life, I thought of that story whenever I saw one of those reflecting balls (and now I have one in my own garden!)

We found a tattered copy in the library and read it together. It struck the same chord with me in 2001 as it did in 1976, when I first read it, and it was one of those books I read again and again. My niece loved it, although she was a bit scared. The book contains some heavy themes for a pre-teen: life, death, love, loss, reincarnation, but is a wonderfully told story. This book stands the test of time and I wish it would be reprinted.

I used to read this book to my son, John, when he was little and he absolutely loved it. He never tired of hearing me read it to him. John will soon be 27 years old, but he still remembers this story and so do I.

The story is funny and involves a variety of jungle animals. It is also filled with suspense. Will the elephant sneeze -- or not? This book allows the reader to use several different voices and a lot of drama, something young children love.

When my son grew older, I joined an acting troupe, memorized this story, and performed it in children's theater, with others acting out the parts of the various animals. It was always a hit!

Somehow my original copy was lost and I have searched for years for another one. No one ever seemed to know about this book. I never even found anyone else who had ever read it. I am so happy that I now have a chance to get another copy and to get additional copies for all of the nieces and nephews in my family and for! ! the children and grandchildren of my friends. It will make a fantastic gift that will be greatly enjoyed and remembered for years.

I highly recommend this story to people who have, know, or work with young children.

I used to read this book to my son, John, when he was little and he absolutely loved it. He never tired of hearing me read it to him.

The story is funny and involves lots of jungle animals. It also has suspense. Will the elephant sneeze or not? This book allows the reader to use a lot of different voices and a lot of drama, something young children love.

Later, when my son had grown older, I joined an acting troupe, memorized this book and performed it in children's theater. It was always a hit.

I highly recommend this story to people who have or work with young children.

This is a wonderful book. It's funny, full of surprises, and the rhythm of the rhyming is so well done. I read this book to my children when they were young and it was one of their favorites. Now I read it to my grandchildren and they love it as well. The humorous but touching story line and the rhyming verses make the children want to learn to read it themselves. It's a classic and should be in every child's reading library.

Breathing Room,Patricia's Elam's debut novel delves into family & secrets, friendship & strife, redemption & forgiveness, tragic & hope.

Breathing Room is an emotionally rich and powerfully written story about two middle-age, middle income, professional women coming to terms with self and struggling with the consequences of their actions. Norma & Moxie have been friends since college and have always been there for one another no matter the circumstances. Although parenthood, marriage and professional careers might sometimes be more than they can bare, their love and respect for each other has always weathered the storm, until Norma decides to stray and embark on an illicit path. Moxie, full of self-pride and self-righteousness can't seem to control her judgement or impression of others when they dare to be different from her. As a result, she finds herself at odds with best friend, Norma, as well as, her teenage daughter, Zadi.

Breathing Room is a story that grows on you quickly as you experience the sub-plots and twist and turns. The beginning was a little slow until I reached a comfort zone with Ms. Elam's writing style; however, the more I read the more engrossed and caught up I became. I liked that Breathing Room captured the essence of so many middle-aged, middle-income, professional women who're striving to do it all but sometimes fall short. One of Ms. Elam's greatest strength and sometimes weakness was the character development; at times I did not feel the main characters were created equally. While Moxie often got on my nerves, as I thought she took everything to the extreme, I felt like I personally knew her and that she was a sista I could kick it with. On the other hand, after I finished the book, I didn't quite feel that I really knew who Norma was. I knew her professionally and I knew her as a wife...sort of...but I didn't understand her feelings as a mother. I didn't really know much about her earlier background or her emotional makeup. I really wanted to know more about her childhood. I wanted to know what made her tick. Instead, I walked away slightly disappointed and not completely satisfied. Now the character who really captured my heart...and I felt should have been a main character...was Moxie's daughter, Zadi. I loved living vicariously through her via her sistagirl diary.

Breathing Room sometimes appears to be hard to follow and unfocused, however, real life is often like this and Ms. Elam's does an outstanding job of capturing what women in this target segment (i.e. the mature AA female) often go through. The storyline is a refreshing change of pace and will capture your attention. I finished the book in one sitting and felt like I had lost my best friends when I got to the end. Breathing Room made me think and wonder what I would do if I were in Moxie, Norma or Zadi's shoes. I felt Breathing Room...I lived Breathing Room...and I felt like I had lost my best friends when I got to the end. I really enjoyed Ms. Elam's debut novel and she's a writer that I hope will be around for a long time to come.

Have you ever just held on to the last page of a book cause you did not want it to end. Well when you pick up your copy of Breathing Room, you will feel this way. In the debut novel by Patricia Elam, she explores not only the importance of friendship, but unresolved grief and coming of age.Her writing is lyrical and flows very smoothly throughout the book. She is descriptive enough for you to feel a part of the story. You will meet Moxie, the very afro-centric probation officer. Norma the photographer who is having problems in her marriage. Then there is Zadi, Moxie's teenage daughter. You get to see her coming of age in her journal. These 3 women make for very interesting reading. You will not want to put this book down!!

Patricia Elam's debut novel is an outstanding read. The story is of two friends Moxie and Norma who have been friends since their college days. When Norma reveals a secret to Moxie it truly puts their friendship to the test. The secret puts a wedge between their friendship and nearly stops them from communicating. Will they get their friendship back on track? You will have to read the book to find out.

I enjoyed the realism of the story that Patricia Elam tells. This is truly a story of friendship and letting go of the past. I look forward to more from Patricia Elam and wish her continued success and blessings. Peace.

The Raven Ring is one of my favorite books. It was the first book I read in the "Shadows over Lyra" novels, and discovered it was a stand-alone book. This can be your first Patricia C. Wrede book, but it will make you want to read more.

The Raven Ring is about a young woman, Eleret, who goes to visit the city of Ciaron to collect her dead mothers belongings. There, she discovers many people who are interested in the raven ring her mother owned. With the help of her friend, the sly and witty thief Karvonen, and her guide/bodyguard/friend Lord Daner, she solves the mystery of the Raven Ring and finds love along the way.

The Raven Ring is a great book which has just the right amount of mystery, romance, and fun in it. Patricia Wrede is a great author. The Raven Ring is the kind of book you will want to have on your bookshelf to read over and over again.

I have read this book 5 times and have enjoyed it every time like it was the first! Karvonen is my favorite character because he is a sarcastic, short, brave, and exaggerating little person...he reminds me of me! Eleret is interesting but way too naive to be realistic, and Daner is the archetype of virtually everyone in the world~egotistical yet courageous.

Overall I recommend this book to anyone who can read English~it has everything;action, interesting characters, and a little romance between the two favorites!

(P.S. Ms. Wrede, if you're out there, WE WANT A SEQUEL!)

I LOVED this book!!!! I can't think of enough wonderful words to describe it!!! You have GOT to read this book!!! It has lovable characters, and an original plot. There were many different, detailed cultures in the world of Lyra. I wasn't hard to follow at all!! I've read it more than 3 times, and each time discovered something new. READ THIS BOOK.

I've never read any of Christopher Pike's books before but this book isn't that bad. Just reading this book tells me that this Pike fellow is a very vivid writer thats one thing I really like about this book. You could say that I like his "vividness" ^_~ If theres one thing I don't like about this book it's that some parts are really prolonged! Grrrr! Theres this one part in the book where the main character is looking in the water and she's having a vision. Now she's having this vision but the writer never really gets to the vision. The book starts telling me stuff that happening to her. I want to know what that vision was! OH well what ever! ^_^ This book is still cool because the girl is a witch and she fights stuff. So.......yeah! Read this book! "It Be cool"

A great reading adventure. The outcome of reading the book is almost 'magical'. Julia, a seventeen year old 'good witch' has learned through her mother, that she has great gifts to help the world. The journey is enlightening. One thing her mother told her never to do is look into a pond with the moonlight shining upon it. She's intrigued by this statement and gets trapped into seeing the future because of it. The story line picks up after this vision and what she does to stop it, the actions from all her friends and the conclusion. Pike, always goes into depth of the characters. You will feel as though you know them. You will feel for them. Intriguing and magical, I give this book a high rating and would recommend to most young adults.

Witch was one of the best books I've ever read. Julia was an incrediable character,and she was portrayed very realistically.I read The Last Vampire before this one, the 1st vampire book was my first Pike book, and i have to say Witch equals the series.I understood her motivation and I also understood what her best friend felt at the end because I felt for Amy, afraid of losing Julia, afraid that (she was going to sink below the surface again and never reappear) witchp pg.33 It was a good, but very sad book. I cried for a very loong time.

How is it that a female story teller so adeptly delved into the emotions and mind of gay men? I was 27 when I first read The Front Runner, it was published when I was only 5 years old. Even though it is a story about life set in the 70s, it is a truly remarkable tale about love, destiny, passion and the search for that special love we all seek. Harlan, the track coach at the center of the book, has paid some tough prices for coming out as a gay man. He lost a wife, a family, and yes it would be easy to say he should never have gotten married and cheating on his wife...through Ms. Warren's words, we see the pain and confusion that his sexual identity has caused him. It is not until he is into his 40s that he finds he can be out and lead a life deserving in respect & love. The tragic ending will move any heart I'm sure, gay or staright or questioning. Along with its sequels, each just as brilliant, TFR is a landmark book that is a celebration of the gay & lesbian community.

The Front Runner is a novel that I will continue to recommend and read several times. The heartfelt agony of the characters, especially Billy and Harlan, is offset by the triumphs they achieve together and seperately. Set in the homophobic world of sports in the 70's, this novel has captured the essence of the inner turmoil and external conflict that any openly or closeted gay felt in the sports arena during this period. Patricia Warren did an outstanding job of giving us the opportunity to delve into the glory of the human spirit and to witness a victory over the persecution of bigots. A love story between two men is not often written that contains feelings of more than lust and quick backroom lays. However, The Front Runner is a rare story of love between two men that touches something in each of us. It is a story of longing and desire, but also one of triumph and agony. The Front Runner set new standards for gay novels and has continued to be a favorite for millions all across the world

This is considered by many (myself included) to be the classic gay love story. This book is an exquisitely written piece of literature, tracing track coach Harlan Brown's life, and his love for a young athlete, Billy, all the way the Olympics.
First published in 1973, The Front Runner has been translated into a number of languages, and has sold over ten million copies worldwide. In 1974, TFR was the first gay themed book to hit #1 on the New York Times best seller list. Read it, and you will know why this book has enjoyed such huge popularity over the years. Be warned though, I haven't met a single person who has been able to put this book down once started. It pulls you into the lives of Billy and Harlan, you feel their love, their joy and their pain. And, if you get to the end of the book, and you haven't shed tears, I would be tempted to say that you need to be checked for emotions!