Out of This Furnace is an engaging story of the struggle of steel mill workers in the early 20th century. Reading this book felt like going back into time and being able to meet my great-grandparents and see what they went through to establish a better life for me and my family. Highly recommend this book.

I normally read history and non-fiction type books. But this reading was simply outstanding. It was a gift from my parents to help me understand what my ancestors struggled through. I highly recommend it for anyone willing to entrust their emotions to a book. An excellent tale of human struggle and triumph.

I read this book in a college class and found my own family history flying off the pages. My grandfather was a steel mill worker (before the fall) and my grandmother was a maid for a wealthy family (and named her son after their child). They wore the stories told in this book on their faces, Thomas Bell told the story that their faces were too proud to tell. My last name is Michals now, not Mihal. My father is a doctor, not a steel worker. My grandmother and grandfather are both deceased, but they got their children "OUT OF THIS FURNACE"

On our daughter's baptism four years ago, we gave her this wonderful book which she still often chooses for her night-time story, even though she is a big girl now. The editors have presented biblical stories that are of most interest to the youngest children. The illustrations are charmingly simple and include details that a child will enjoy picking out. The text is brilliantly cast in the first person ("Hi. I'm Noah. God told me to build a big boat . . .) so that the book "speaks" to your child in a personal way. It is successfully designed to appeal to a child's native interest in a good story as a "first step" into the Bible. Because it is so engaging, this bible comes off the shelf often as a well-loved storybook.

I reviewed a lot of bibles before selecting this one and have bought it many times for other children. My daughter is now familiar with the major figures of the bible and has heard many positive messages through our reading and rereading of this book. Because the stories are short and sweet, we can easily stretch or shrink the bedtime reading to suit our needs. Most importantly, our child has been given a way to talk about religion and morality--a dialogue, I think, many parents have trouble knowing just how to start.

Incidentally, because the book is aimed at the 3-and-under set, you won't have to worry about the crucifixion--it gets glossed over in a clever way. Likewise, Lazarus isn't "dead," but in a "dark place" when Jesus calls him out. We get the message without confronting death head on.

My daugher is three and we've been through several devotional books, but this is our favorite by far. The illustrations are great. The stories are simple, interesting, and have several pages devoted to each story. I'm buying in for my two-year-old niece and I think she'll like it as well.

I searched a while before purchasing a Bible for my 2 year old son. He loved this one from the beginning. It is his favorite book right now. I liked it because of the 10 word per page limit. The characters are big, expressive and colorful. The essence of the story is captured in a way a toddler can relate. Hands down, it's the best way to introduce Bible characters to your children.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas Glave for a local paper, and read his book in order to prepare for the interview. I'm reminded of something Toni Morrison said about her practice as a writer, and that is that she writes the kind of stories she would want to read. Thomas Glave writes the kind of stories I want to read, and gives voice through his writing to people and experience not often heard above the din of the rest of humanity. His writing is highly readable, and he tackles his subject matter with compassion for his characters and his reader, but without attempting to find pat answers to the challenges and choices his characters face. I highly recommend this book, and hope to see much more from Glave in the future.

Reading Mr. Glave's work was like coming home from a long journey and finding hidden treasures upon my arrival. His work is full of zest and a richness unseen since James Baldwin's eloquent voice graced us in the 50's and 60's. Mr. Glave is a very gifted writer and his work moved me in so many ways. His talent seems to be boundless. His work is a gift to all of us and I want to say thank you, Mr. Glave.

Fabulous! Leo Wilton, Ph.D.

I picked up this book because I thought I hadn't read it before, wanting to see the Moominvalley books through adult eyes - not to have my childhood memories of favourite books tarnished. As it turns out, I had read "Tales from Moominvalley" before (the fungus-covered granny was the trigger for my recollection), but I was really relieved to find that Tove Jansson's books are just as good as I remember - and there is, I think, even more for the adult to appreciate and enjoy than there is for the child.
I generally dislike the short story genre, but not when it's done like this. Every short story is simply that, a short story; not a contrived literary exercise with the obligatory "twist in the tail". Jansson's stories are charming little gems, full of wonderful moments and images, thought-provoking and touching. Her characters are often the lonely, the lost, and the troubled, and she makes you feel for them and understand them, without ever becoming ridiculous or sentimental. The tales about Snufkin and his tune and the Fillyjonk who believed in disasters are shining examples of this. But Jansson can write humour and happiness just as well, as the tales of the invisible child and the fir tree show.
I really can't speak highly enough of this book. Jansson's wonderful insight into people, her spare, deft prose, and her brilliant imagination make a great combination. Buy it for your children or for yourself.

I would like to say that I, as a small child, read the complete Moomintroll series, given to me by flatmate of my mother and myself who took a particular pleasure in improving my ability to read ( actually, I think he was getting annoyed at my small fingers leafing through his prized historical library every Saturday morning while my mother was at work ), and I can't thank this person enough for doing so, even though I have never seen him since that moment of my life, so thankyou David.
One particular work by the author has stuck with me throughout my life, a story within this volume by the name of " The Fillyjonk Who Believed In Disasters ", the reason being it is a remarkably adult tale given to such young minds. I feel that this story is quite dark, the character leading such a quite, and safe existance, all coming to failing at the hands of a huge storm. I myself being a victem of such events twice in my life I always think of this tale in reflection to our views on " home " and " security ", and the precarious state of their existence in regards to the very strength of natural forces. Such huge upheaval also brings us to the age old question of " purpose ", something which the author gives the reader the opportunity to do with the character in this story, quite a question for a young child. It is a strange tale, this one, and I urge adults as well as children to read it.

I had read these books as a kid, and recently my sister bought me the whole set -- I was delighted to find that they are just as enchanting as I remembered, even for adults! They are witty and cleverly written -- much like A A Milne, but in an imaginary world of Moomintrolls and Hemulens. A great read for kids and adults alike.

This book is great. I have read it over and over again. This is one of my favorite books.

This is my second book by the author Wanda Thomas. I love the way she writes a love story and also inform you about life matters. Her latest novel involves Starris Gilmore and Jordan Banks.

Starris has come from a terrible marriage and believes that she is unlovable to a man. Her ex-husband got a kick out of abusing her emotionally in front of their guest. In the process of healing she volunteered to help children. This is where she met a little girl that she now wants to adopt. In order to adopt she must have stable employment.

When Starris walks into Jordan's office for a job interview he knew that he could not hire her because he was sexually attracted to her.

Jordan has also come through a bad marriage. Jordan learns of a daughter that he didn't know he had until after his ex-wife is murdered. He vows never to give his love to another woman again. But once his path crosses with Starris, he vow is tested.

Will they get together? I love the way the author has all the characters playing a big part in telling this story. The girls were very funny in their schemes to get their parents together.

You will truly love this page turning story. I hope to see a story on Jordan's sister.

I loved it! This was my first book written by Wanda Thomas, but it will definitely not be my last!! Ms. Thomas has not only been added to my book list, but her books have become some of the top priorities. "Subtle Secrets" is not only about the love of a man and woman, Jordan Banks and Starris Gilmore, but it is about love of family. Life has dealt some hard blows to both Jordan and Starris, but each has been blessed with the love of a child -- Jolie Kathryn Banks and Danielle "Dani" Kathryn Carter. Ironically their lives are entwined in more ways than one.
Starris first encounters Jordan at her friend's home. Then, later meets face to face when Starris applies for a much needed job at ROBY, where Jordan is the director. From there, they discover that their daughters are best friends. Starris and Jordan's relationship at first is bumpy, but soon the bumps began to smooth out as they are constantly thrown together and can no longer deny their mutual feelings.
"Subtle Secrets" also gives the reader insight into the welfare adoption system. Dani may not be Starris' biological daughter, but Starris has all the love for Dani that a natural mother would have for her child. Dani's and Jolie's lives are entwined with similarities that cannot be ignored. They both were abandoned as infants at an orphanage. However, Jolie was blessed with the love of her father, Jordan, and his wonderful family. Dani was not so blessed until Starris came into her life, then all the love that Dani has kept bottled inside came pouring out to the only mother she had ever known - Starris.
"Subtle Secrets" is a touching, heartwarming, loving story about family, faith, trust, and caring. It's also about overcoming lack of trust and the old hurts from the past. Not only are the adults affected, but the children are also embroiled in old wounds from the past. However, true love will outweigh all ills and bring new joy.
Great read and I look forward to reading the other books written by Ms. Thomas. My next one to read will be Shelby's and Nelson's story, "Truly Inseparable."

Of the Ross Thomas books containing the Wu & Durant characters, this one is arguably the best. A great story with twists and turns that keep the pages turning with very little effort.
The characters are so well developed only a photograph would offer any more insight. If a picture is worth a thousand words, Thomas has the ability to modify that statement to paint a picture using very little wordage. If your a Thomas fan this book shoud definitley be high on your list of "next" reads.

I happened upon Ross Thomas by chance and not design. As my local library had only Out on the Rim and The Fourth Durango on its shelves, I read them first. I was hooked. Through the library's inter- library loan program I have now read from Cold War Swap through Chinaman's Chance. I'm only 50 and admittedly have a lot of reading ahead of me but I can not remember enjoying reading someone's work as much as I do reading Ross Thomas. I cannot imagine that he will ever be out of my top 10 favorites.

Lifelong pals since they hooked up in a San Francisco orphanage, Artie Woo and Quincy Durant are two of the best characters you'll come across in any thriller. Nobody plumbs the depths of corruption and works a great con like this dynamic duo of the Pacific Rim. Throw in the likes of grifter Otherguy Overby, CIA master Whittaker Lowell James, and a former folk trio named Ivory, Lace, and Silk, and you've got the makings for one helluva adventure.

"Chinaman's Chance" is a delight to read. The juicy, twisted tale of opportunists on the make was tailor-made for Ross Thomas' fast-paced, witty style. He had a remarkable ability of making cynical characters likable and complex plots believable. His novels are "page-turners," but they're also insightful and poignant sketches of the human condition. He was truly an uncommon talent.

I came across this book overseas 12+ years ago. It is a great read for anyone who enjoys WWII books and likes well written stories. Other reviewers have described the plot enough so I won't waste space.
Suffice it to say that Fleming captures the spirit of the times and has a true gift for filling out characters. Writing as a Navy veteran, I can say that he got this right. I would recommend this without reservation.

I read this book a while back. I just saw it in the library today. I remember it so well that I felt compelled to right a review.

Anyone that is familiar with WW II and the naval campaigns will want to read this book. This is the story of a light cruiser with a new captain. The previous captain (if I remember correctly) was court martialed for cowardice. He was a close friend of the new captain. That's the first sub plot in this book.

There are other plots that that happen throughout the book. The book is so well written and the character so well developed that I can still remember the pleasure of reading it. There were good guys and bad guys, creeps and regular Joes. The ship is like a small town.

Oh, I left out the battle sequences. Wow! Incredible. Even the aftermath and cleanup after the battles was well handled. The cruiser limping back to port for a refit and overhaul.

The ending is a little sad. But, after you read the book, you will understand why it had to be so.

If you at all enjoy WW II naval action, this is a must read book.

I just finished "Time and Tide" this morning and perhaps I'm still "under the influence" but I don't think so. I've read hundreds of novels...many about the Navy/military/WWII. This is truely a cut above the rest. I agree with the other reader/reviewer that this reminded me a lot of Herman Wouk only a little better. This is my first book by Flemming but it sure won't be the last. As a mustang Captain I could see myself and former shipmates in so many of the characters. They were alive for me. They were so real I find it hard to realize I must bid them "fair winds and following seas".

I really loved this book. I picked it up and could not put it down until it was completed. This is not only a good love story but it also gives you a lesson on SIDS. The author really put her heart and research into this book.

I will recommend that everyone read this because it will really touch your heart.

Congrates to Wanda on a job well done.

I've read this book several times because I was so touched with this unconditional love story. This couple faced one of the most difficult times of their lives and that's the loss of a child to Sudden Infant Crib Death. The author has done an outstanding performance in writing this story, every page of this book flowed so gracefully with the love and dealing with the loss. Even the secondary characters made this book good; the bookcover for once actually seems to match the description of the couple's love for one another. I strongly recommend to all the readers of romance to read this book, I will say you will not be disappointed by no means. Ms. Thomas, I look forward to your next one, because if you put the same spirit you did with this one, you will have many more fans!

While I am not an avid romance reader - if for no other reason than I am male- I found Truly Inseparable to easily hold my attention. It kept my interest throughout; wanting to know what happens to the characters next. The characters were well drawn and the storyline was tight. This is a great read for the romance enthusiast.

Very interesting plot, and a pleasure to see the Scooby Gang (Buffy, Xander, Willow and Tara) and Spike working with the Fang Gang (Angel, Cordelia, Wesley, Gunn, Fred and Lorne) in Los Angeles, while Giles, Anya and Dawn give their contribution in Sunnydale. Even my favorite crocodile hunter, Australian Steve Irwin, is cited - not by name, but I suppose it's him Buffy wishes that were around to kill some croc-like demons...

Set on season 6 - after "Life Serial" and before "Smashed" - "Monster Island" begins with depressed Buffy who has just been ripped off Heaven, and is very angry at the world. As she cannot take her "anger and frustration and despair" on her beloved friends (the ones responsible for her resurrection, by the way), she takes it on the demons she stumbles across on patrol (no, not on Spike, yet - that will come later on the show), until something very nasty comes up and distracts the Slayer from her pain for a while: Axtius, Doyle's father, a big, bigoted Brachen demon who wants to exterminate all demons that don't have pure blood, has formed an army. When the good guys find out about this evil plan, it's almost too late. Besides, Axtius has a personal vendetta against Angel, because he thinks the vampire is responsible for Doyle's death - a half-breed from whom Axtius intended to purge completely of his human part.

The Scooby Gang and the Fang Gang get along well - Fred and Tara seems to have a lot in common (nothing that jeopardizes Willow and Tara's love, which is strongly reassured), we get to know someone very important in Angel's life (a new character, Elijah, who will have an important part in the end), all bunch of demons (villains and good guys) are appealing, and there is a human who once was rich and handsome, and now cursed, wants Angel to do something for him... very funny!

As a Spike fan, I bought "Monster Island" mainly because I knew he was on the book. The treatment of my favorite vampire follows the same pattern of all novels - that is, teaches us that when Spike was evil, he wasn't so evil as the Scourge of Europe Angelus; and when he tries to be good, he isn't so good as Angel or the Scoobies - you know, it doesn't matter much what he does, he was/is always beneath them, and almost everybody wants him dead. Besides, the Spike on the book is more the one we saw on season five (when he was proud to be a demon) than the one from season 6 (when he was already seeing himself more like a man, and less like a monster).

The soulless vampire is in love with Buffy, of course, but they haven't started their "thing" yet; Angel senses a connection between the vampire and the Slayer, and when he thinks of the possibility of Spike having his way to Buffy (because he *thinks* of the possibility...), he gets disgusted (or jealous?). By the way, Spike's love for Buffy seems to be the one that cannot be spoken, and is always described without mentioning Buffy's name:

"His passionate interest was being spent elsewhere these days."

"She was not the one he wanted, but she was breathtaking, heartbreakingly beautiful. If the one he wanted wouldn't have him, he was more than happy to make due."

However, in fairness to Thomas Sniegosky and Christopher Gold (who LOVES *evil* Spike, according to himself), the soulless vampire has his BIG moment of glory, performing an heroic act, in a very powerful scene, as well as we have Buffy wondering that, maybe, the chip in his brain can result in something very good, eventually. Angel and Spike together rule - the rivalry between the two vampires is cool, true to the characters - and in the final battle Buffy even worries about Spike being severely hurt, while Angel is far away fighting some demon.

Although I would have liked a bigger part for Cordy - who doesn't have much interesting things to do, in contrast to Gunn and his annoying protégé Calvin - overall, "Monster Island" is a very enjoyable reading for Buffy's, Angel's and Spike's fans.

I just bough Monster Island this week. I couldn't put it down. The main reason why I bought this book was because of the crossover (plus I really like to read Buffy books by Christopher Golden). I have always been curious what it would have been like to have Buffy's friends mingle with Angel's friends. It was certainly an interesting read.

I wish Dawn and Giles had more roles but neverless I enjoyed them.

I felt the authors captured the apporipate feelings of the characters and how they'd respond to each other. It was very descriptive and I was able to form a vivid picture in my mind.

I enjoyed the interaction between Spike/Angel and Buffy. There were many comments shared between the gang that I felt I could imagine them saying and such.

I look forward to more books like these. I heard there is gonna be one with Riley, Sam (his wife) and Angel. I look forward to that one.

Because of Monster Island, I picked up the Unseen Triology. I look forward to it!

this book starts out with someone killing half-breed demons in sunnydale. when buffy and the scooby gang investigate, they find out that a pure bred demon plans to get rid of all half breeds and his next stop is los angeles. while buffy and crew get ready to track the demons to l, angel is visited by none other than the leader who has a death wish for angel. this book brings together the crew of both television shows and does a beautiful job of it. it also shows diffrent sides of the beloved characters that we have grown to love over the past 7 years and i think that any buffy and angel fan should run to the bookstore and pick this one up. it does drag in a couple of spots but it is definitely worth the money.

A superbly written insider's look at the Russian revolution. Babel can convey the horrors of war with very few words. I enjoyed the best his sarcastic treatement of the bombastic communist rhetoric in such stories as "Salt" and "Treason" (maybe because I was exposed to it myself at one time).

I stumbled across Isaac Babel because of a single line quoted in Paul Johnson's "History of the Jews". And then I was forever hooked.

First, a caveat. Be sure you understand when reading Babel's short stories that you are not reading his autobiography or journal. He did in fact listen to our creative writing teachers; he wrote what he knew. He knew the Russian revolution. He knew the Cossacks. He knew war. He knew living inside and outside the pale. His world jumps off the page because he lived it first.

The stories contain autobiographical material, actively mixed with the yeast of fiction. Use this aspect of his writing to chase rabbits. Follow up this book with his biography or find out more about the Russian revolution. Both of those topics will make more sense after reading his collected stories.

As a writer, I stand in awe of Babel's stingy use of words. Some scenes are so hugely horrible that I would have been tempted to throw in appropriate adverbs and adjectives in an attempt to convince you, my reader, just how hugely horrible it really was. Babel simply tells the story, and you gasp when you are done, horrified when you peak through the keyhole (and I would have blasted a hole in the wall).

When you read Babel, you must be willing to go at the stories with an open mind, not expecting him to flatten the Commies, defend the Jews, or paint the picture the way you want him to. He will not do that, no matter how many times you try to make it so. You will hear no overtones of right or wrong, get no definitive answers about the people on either side of the Russian revolution.

For that, I am most grateful to Isaac Babel. Nothing about our world can be easily distilled into sharp black and white. His stories give us the real world in astounding color.

The frightfully ugly picture on the cover of this edition (what in the world were the publishers thinking?) might keep a lot of people away, but the few brave souls that look inside will find one of the great 20th century craftsmen of prose. I can't think of another writer than chooses his words more carefully, that can pack more into a single sentence. "Pierced by the flashes of the bombardment, night arches over the dying man." Single words can take your breath away - the choice of "arches" is the one that does it for me - but you'll probably have others. The brutality of the world he describes may seem foreign, but it never becomes oppressive, mainly because the writing is so good. The stories themselves are rather difficult to love - there is very little hope to latch on to, there are very few characters one can feel close to; there are very few real characters at all, except the narrator. Even under these horrific circumstances, though, Babel creates emotions than one can identify with - pride, love, lust, anger. He has a thorough understanding of human character. It is apparent that the circumstances of war don't create new emotions, they just amplify things we feel anyway.

This book is a necessary read for anyone that wants to learn how to write poetically without being florid, compress pages of description into a few words. This compression is one of the reasons that the stories stay in mind long after they've been read. Buy the book - or get the other edition in a used book store, so you don't have to look at that awful picture.