These days, we can use a shamelessly heartwarming fable and that is exactly what "The Most Beautiful Gift" was to me. The book owes some of its atmosphere to Frank Capra's "feel good" movies but it is as modern as Stephen King's books. A lovely gift for children aged 6 to 90. In Italy we got three more books by this guy and I hope they get published in the States too. The latest one is called "The Little Princess" and moved me to happy tears. I rate "Gift" 4 stars only because "Princess" deserves a somewhat higher mark.

I expected your usual sappy fable for dumb kids. Heck, was I surprised. This novel is witty, amusing, and a pleasure to read for children of ALL AGES (I'm 45). Well, even a sequel would be a nifty idea: I liked each and every character, and wanna know more about them! This guy Snow (a pseudonym, I gather from his posting) is real talented. Top-notch job, fella

About a really funny dog from outer space who can talk to people and other animals. This dog is really smart and it prefers to eat food that humans would eat, especially roast duck with all the fixings. It made me laugh a lot.

My favorite part was when the girl (Kelly) found out that Mush was a dog from space. Noa

If Lovejoy had to choose between an antique and a beautiful caring woman, he would choose the former, as he loves to collect old-fashion items. Legalities or a cash shortfall fail to stop Lovejoy from the pleasure of obtaining an antique.

Dosh Callaghan hires Lovejoy to find out who substituted a shipment of padpas (precious gems) for tsavorite (a semi-precious but worthless stone). Lovejoy travels to London where he goes to visit his cronies Colette and Arthur Goldhorn, owners of a King's Road antique store. However, he learns that Arthur died and Dieter Gluck owns the store and the Goldhorn ancestral home.

Colette lives on the streets as a bag lady working for her former lover Gluck. Lovejoy decides to right the wrong perpetrated by Gluck. He assembles a squad of eccentric charcaters to help him with his crazy scheme to sting a con artist. However, a joker appears when Lovejoy meets Colette's son Mortimer who bears a resemblance to Lovejoy and has the same gift of knowing a fake from a genuine article.

The twenty-first Lovejoy mystery remains as droll, witty, and entertaining as the previous score of novels. Although the street slang spoken by some of the charcaters initially distracts from the story line, the audience quickly adjusts and feels they are wandering along the back streets of London. The hero knows his antiques and educates the reader even if it is from the wrong side of the law. Lovejoy remains a likable chap who still schemes and plots in a Sergeant Bilko (TV show not the movie) sort of amiable way.

Harriet Klausner

I hope Jonathan Gash is not peaking, because this is certainly his best Lovejoy novel. As a fan, I have read all of them and although the progression has been doubtful at times, I believe this auther has indeed come into his own with this effort. Lovejoy remains the loveable scallywag antiques divy. The combination of love of antiques, women, scams, money and nosh present this wonderful character at his best. Yes, most of the time, Lovejoy is on the wrong side of the law and may be scamming his friends; however, this story reaffirms the "heart of gold" we know is lurking within. He sets out to save a woman (with whom he made "smiles") and her son, taken to the cleaners by an antiques dealer even more unscrupulous than Lovejoy. He accomplishes his goals with usual bungling and remains somewhat confused to the end, but the reader is on Lovejoy's side the whole time. And, of course, there is the question, "Is Mortimer Lovejoy's love child?" You decide. Gash presents a unique view of England, the antiques trade and a delightful read from every angle.

Great book to review the history of architecture, it is concise and well illustrated.

As a freshman architecture student, this book was exactly at my level. The photographs are splendid, and the dialogue informative. This book provides a complete history of architecture in every area of the world, as well as some theory. Great for anyone truly interested in architecture, but not an expert (yet!)

Great book about nature and how humans impact their environment. It tells of Jonathan London's kayaking trips around the world, and of all the animals he has come acrossed on the way. He gives each animal a mind of its own. I would definatly recommend this book.

The message the story subtly tells is wonderful and my campers loved the personalities of the animals. This is a wonderful book to start off a lesson about the delicacy of nature and our relationship to it.

I have read a couple of Kellerman's books and I really liked this one. Kellerman has a knack for pulling you into the mystery until you too are rubbing your hand over your face in concentration and confusion like Milo. I was totally surprised at the ending. You were pulled from one murder to another with the only connection being the words "Bad Love". When Kellerman pulls all the loose ends together you still get a big suprise of who and why. I highly recommend this quick reading, enticing murder MYSTERY.

I think that Bad Love is by far the best book I have ever read so far. It is my first Jonathan Kellerman book and I guarantee it won't be my last. I can't wait to start reading another one of his books.

'Bad Love' starts off tame enough, but after a few chapters I was engrossed and intrigued. I love Rover/Spike the dog. He is so lovable.

I really enjoy Jonathan Kellerman's books. I am always eager to pick up another one and spend time with Alex, Milo and Robin again. This novel is excellent for the psychology of psychotics. I was burning to find out who was committing all these murders and WHY! The ending of this book was suspenseful, thorough and detailed. I don't believe J. Kellerman left any loose threads.

In this book, Alex is caught up in a whirl of brutal killings and possible murders and he may be the next victim. As he and Milo track the killer(s?)they slowly gather clues and motives.

I really enjoyed this book because the author keeps you guessing for a long time. I also like the friendship between Milo and Alex. Not too many friends like that around.

The extra treat in this book is the dog. What a sweetie!~

A true Bible scholar embraces the dark side as well as the good, and Kirsch dishes up the murkier details of the evil deeds people have done to one another throughout the ages. While fundamentalists often object to hearing anything less than squeaky clean coming from the Good Book, the Bible stories themselves are cautionary tales. The Bible is like an instruction manual for life, and all good manuals contain sections on troubleshooting. The Harlot By the Side of the Road has a few flaws, such as the author tends to hammer the same ideas over and over, but it is still an interesting read. I was particularly interested in the differences between the King James version and the New American Bible, and how we have lost the poetry in the new translations. It's as if we are "dumbing down" the Bible to make it more accesible, and at the same time glossing over some of the juicier tales. I feel that Kirsch's book should be placed on the shelf along side other Bible study books such as the History of God, and of course, the Holy Bible.

Jonathan Kirsch hits the nail right on the head when he speaks of the general populaces ignorance of what is actually in the Bible. Most people have some kind of fairy tale idea that the Bible is full of wonderful, pretty stories that always conclude with a happy ending. God is always just and fair, and his messages are easy to understand. People that have this opinion, and I know a lot of them, have no idea what they are missing. As the famous line from Kerouac reads, "that Bi-ble has some hot stuff". Man, does it ever.

Instead of magical fairy tales, the Bible is one of the most brutal and violent books you are ever going to read. It's full of genocide, divinely inspired murder and human sacrifice, and some really complex sexual situations. To deny this is really to deny the true Bible, which is an amazing work of literature. That is not to say that these examples of extreme actions are without meaning; that is far from the case. Unlike modern literature which often uses murder and sex for no reason other than better book sales, the Bible delivers some deep moral pronouncements concerning a whole array of human situations. Using the horrible consequences of certain human action, the Bible can teach us a lot of harsh but important lessons.

Kirsch delivers this message brilliantly. Using a very interesting way of getting his point across, Kirsch writes some good little novellas of the various Bible stories he proposes, helping the lay reader get a clearer grasp on what actually happens in the story. These fictionalizations are bolstered by the requisite Bible passages. After the novellas, Kirsch presents some great commentary on the various stories, bring in all kinds of varying opinions and interpretations. It really is fascinating, as some of the stories are so complex and unclear that no one in the centuries of Bible study can get a clear grasp on their true meaning. We are left with a whole host of intriguing but disparate interpretations that make for some good reading nonetheless.

Kirsch does not go the route of cheapening the stories either. I was worried that this book would be some kind of sensational attempt to sell some books by showing that the Bible was really dirty and violent. That is not true at all. Kirsch does not dwell on the wild aspects of the story, he just means to explain what they mean to us today. Additional chapters deliver some good historical backgrounds concerning who actually wrote the Biblical stories, and the motivation behind many of the.

A great example of modern Biblical analysis.

Kirsch is a wonderful writer and a talented scholar, two elements that make this a breezy read about a weighty topic. Skeptics and believers alike can take away important lessons from this book. First, the Hebrew Bible is filled with bodice-ripping, blood-and-thunder stories, the likes of which even Hollywood seldom delivers. Second, the Hebrew tribal god was no choir boy. This might blast your faith in the "loving God" preached from many pulpits, but in a lot of ways, it's a richer mythology than the sacharine, milquetoast version of deity. Through seven shocking tales of rape, incest, and murder in the Hebrew Bible, Kirchner explores such topics as oral traditions, biblical criticism, history and culture, feminism, and spirtuality. Although written from a Jewish perspective, Kirsch is mindful of Islamic and, especially, Christian readers who also consider the Hebrew Bible as scripture. I highly recommend this book, and look forward to reading Kirsch's newer book on Moses.

Jonathan Ames' latest novel is a marvelously entertaining and lovingly crafted jem. Ames' feat is one of dazzling intelligence and dexterity. Ames glides with ease as he bridges the troubling, unbridled honesty of contemporary fiction to the sophistication and wit of a lost generation. Gifted with the dissecting eye of the great humorists, and an uncanny willingness for self-examination, Ames is painfully funny. That is the simple fact of the matter. Funny. Yet the book exceeds the mere comic novel. It is a work whose writing touches the bedazzled longings of Fitzgerald and the needle point portraiture of Flaubert. The story fascinates with the deliciousness of a roman a clef and the promised intimacy of a hidden diary. The books' greatest accomplishment, however, is Ames' ingeniously drawn characters. Heartbreakingly funny and generously imbued with the eccentricities of life, upon discovering them, they will surely remain old and cherished friends forever. Like findi! ng a exotic lagoon, take pause and relax in this novel's wonderfully buoyant and delightfully dangerous waters.

Reading this brilliant novel, I can't help but thinking what a shame it is the author remains largely unknown. The Extra Man is better than anything Roth or any other.... Perhaps this is because Nick Hornsby has cornered the market on 1st person male neuroses but Ames is so much more inventive, anyone with a sense of humor needs to read this!!! Hysterically funny with tremendous character work throughout, this is a book you'll read in one sitting, not because of simplistic style, but because it's that damn good!!! Oh, and you'll never look at a transexual the same way again.

"The Extra Man" is Ames' follow-up to his debut novel, "I Pass Like Night," which covers some of the same territory, but is not as detailed as this. Here, Louis Ives, a sexually confused school teacher, is fired from his job following a comic encounter with a female colleague's bra. Determined to start life anew, he moves to NYC into the claustrophobic, roach-infested sty of an apartment with Henry Harrison, a misanthropic elder who makes his way through life as a gentleman escort for woman in high society. While in New York, Louis succumbs to the temptations and mystique of transvestite hookers in seamy Times Square, all the while cultivating his relationship with Henry, who serves so very well as the father figure Louis has always craved. "The Extra Man" is eminently accessible, and filled with honest, frenetic, and ribald writing reminiscent of Philip Roth and Paul Rudnick. I've never read a novel quite like this.Throughout, I rooted for both Louis and Henry, who became, for me, the quintessentail post-modern "odd couple." "The Extra Man" is as touching as it is funny.

On the surface of it, Rabb's OVERSEER seems to have what it takes to be a very good read. The premise seems interesting, featuring a cabal of well-placed individuals following the theory of a renaissance scholar in a bid to achieve absolute power. That copies of the scholar's document are scarce and the theory little known gives the story a bit of an Indiana Jones feel. Also, the characters have some depth to them.

Despite all the promise, though, this book disappointed me. It took me more than a month to slog through it and I just never really got into it. There was never the feeling that I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. And I'm not sure why. Perhaps the problem was that I found the plot rather predictable. Perhaps it was one of the main characters, Sarah Trent. There were issues from her past affecting the events in the story and her response to them, but they were only dribbled out a bit at a time. I never felt that these connections were made entirely clear and, as a result Trent's hesitancy became a little tedious.

Whatever the problem, THE OVERSEER was something of a letdown for me. Others here have liked it, but I struggled to get through it. The characters and situations simply never became compelling for me. I can't give it an enthusiastic recommendation. There are more intriguing books to be had out there.

I went out and bought this after reading the Washington Post review, and I completely agree. This has got to be one of the smartest thrillers I've ever read. Not only is it a page-turner, but the characters are really compelling, and the twists totally catch you by surprise. Plus, i'ts written very well which is usually hit or miss with a book like this.

The best thing about the book, though, is how it manages to get all the ideas about politics and philosophy across. It's clear Rabb really knows his stuff. Read the manuscript at the end. It will blow you away.

Rumors abound in twentieth century academic circles that in the sixteenth century, a contemporary of Machiavelli wrote a treatise on how to rule the world that makes The Prince look like an elementary school primer. The book, On Supremacy, was considered so harsh, the Pope killed its author and banned the printing of its content.

An ultra-conservative group, headed by the mysterious Overseer, plans to implement the book's guidance so that they can establish a new world order built on their concept of society. While most people from Gibson to Roberts to others reject a conspiracy theory, Fed Sarah Trent and Columbia University professor Xander Jaspers realize that an evil plot to homogenize the world under the cabal's rule is happening. They know that the only way to stop the group from succeeding is to obtain a copy of the infamous Eisenreich manuscript and expose the identity of the Overseer.

The incredibly brilliant story line turns THE OVERSEER into one of the best political thrillers of the decade. The out-Machiavelling of The Prince comes across as genuine with a real historical feel to it. Though the lead protagonists seem to be captured and un-captured a bit too much, Jonathan Rabb has written a thriller that will remain popular way into the new millennium.

Harriet Klausner

This was one of those books that kept me up at night. The story was very involving and Franzen's technique of alternating narrative perspectives among a large cast drew me on. I would look at the first line of the next chapter or sub-asterisk and feel compelled to find out what was going on with that character.

I live in a city that is smaller than St. Louis, but the social stratication, economic segregation, and political altercations were all quite familiar. I was not particularly surprised to read the disbelieving reaction of a reviewer from St. Louis ("this is not my town!"). Franzen pre-zinged her by building up to an election that no one apparently cared about. You spend first 7/8 of the book being led to believe that the whole city is in an uproar about the "reign" of S. Jammu, only to have the election show that the county/city consolidation issue was only of interest to the players and to the media who were hyping it. No one else was paying any attention.

This is a wickedly funny book, both in the way it deploys broad comic themes like the one above and also in little zingers aimed at various social groups. Franzen aims most of his barbs at what is presumably his own social milieu: the white suburban uppermiddle to upper class. But he has some left over for the black middle class and Indian socialists.

As has been stated by other reviewers, Franzen is primarily a story teller and secondarily a stylist. There are, however, similarities between this book and D.F. Wallace's Infinite Jest. One obvious similarity is the epic scope. Another is the multi-personal narrative. The scathingly critical and borderline cynical perspective on politics. The recurrent dwelling upon the details of substance abuse (although Wallace is much more obsessive). The selection of an unlikely ethnic group as the source of an anti-American conspiracy. The occasional passages of pure hallucinogenic description.

That Franzen wrote this book in the 80s is impressive. He saw a lot of stuff coming and yet a lot of the details of the book are charmingly dated (e.g., Probst's delight in the novelty of using a phone in a car). I found myself wondering what the (surviving) characters were up to today. I visited St. Louis in 1990 and found the downtown to be a sad and lifeless place (including the Disneyfication of Laclede's Landing). I hope the 90s were good to it.

I'm not good at writing reviews, but I'm writing this because there are no reviews of this book and people need to know how compelling it is. I read The Corrections first, and loved it, so I sought out Franzen's other two novels, The Twenty-Seventh City and Strong Motion. Once I started reading The Twenty-Seventh City, I couldn't stop.

The story is set in St. Louis in the mid-'80s. When the position of Chief of Police becomes vacant, somehow the Police Commissioner of Bombay, India, a woman named S. Jammu, gets the job. Once she is installed, she and her henchman set about achieving their goals (which never really become clear, so if you're not comfortable with unanswered questions, you should probably avoid this book) by any means necessary, including electronic snooping, murder, and terrorist attacks. None of Jammu's many supporters is aware of the connection between her and all the violent events that happen after she is installed as Chief of Police. The story centers on Jammu's efforts to persuade Martin Probst, a prominent St. Louisan and the last holdout to her agenda, to approve her plan to merge the city of St. Louis with the West County. Her campaign is a lot more complicated, suspenseful and dramatic than you might expect.

Jonathan Franzen's writing is wonderful in this book, though not at the level of art that he reaches in The Corrections. Franzen's writing combined with a suspenseful and mysterious story results in a book that you simply can't stop reading. I was sorry when it ended.

I began this book intrigued by it's premise but with my guard most definitely up. I've seen my lovely hometown of Saint Louis become the butt of jokes and, in the eyes of many condescending east coasters, the epitomy on middle-american banality. I didn't want to experience yet another misguided characterization of my beautiful, beautiful city.
These fears where quickly allayed as I was drawn deeply into Frazen's intelligent and graceful prose. The author seems to care passionately about the fate of St.Louis and cities like it all across the U.S. The city's faded aspirations work wonderfully as the backdrop of one of the most involving, funniest, smartest contemporary novels I've read in the last decade. One needn't be from St.Louis to be thoroughly seduced by The Twenty-Seventh City. As for my hometown, there is a chapter early on in which Mr.Frazen describes St.Lou's rise, brief realization, and stunning decline. I have never read an account the captures the city's history so succinctly and with such heart-breaking honesty. I only wish all St. Louisan's and citizens of cities like it, read Frazen's book. Perhaps we can still salvage these wonderful urban places before it's too late.