I have read all three of David James Duncan's books and loved them all. The Brothers K hooks you in on page one as you sit with him in his father's arms, and it doesn't let go as he takes you into the family and beyond. His other books are just as wonderful and his short stories leave lasting images. I can't wait for his next book although it has been 3 years, I am still waiting. I reread River Teeth every now and again but I sure hope he soons releases a new book. He makes me laugh out loud and moves me to tears. I hope he writes at least 20 more!

I found this book about five years ago, one copy on the bookstore shelf. I pulled it down, read the back flap, and took it home with me. I was fifteen at the time. The Brothers K became a part of me. It followed me everywhere--to school(to be read right up until the bell), to the orthodontist(to take my mind off more painful issues), in the car, in the bath. I could not put this book down. My paperback copy of this book is water-stained and dog-eared from repeated readings. I couldn't bear to stop reading even when the electricity was out--the top back corner of my book is singed from the flame of the candle I read by. As I grew older, I found the book asking to be read again and again. And each time I found new and more meaningful ideas. New levels emerged and I grew to love the book even more. I've read this book a total of five times now, and I recommend it to every lover of good fiction. But this story is more than fiction. It's real. Irwin Chance is my brother; I am Kinkaid.

THIS BOOK IS TRULY AMAZING! Not knowing anything about baseball, the 60's, organized religion, or having a large family, i found I could relate to every character in an infinite number of ways! Duncan's writing is fabulous and the characters are wonderful, the story is epic, and the book with its 700 pages was far too short in my mind! I wish every book was as joyful, bitter, heartwrenching and funny as this one. EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT! The world would be a better place.

I first read this book as a teenager, it changed my life! I'm now 40 and I must have re-read it at least a dozen times. Anya Seton transported me back to the fourteenth century and I live and breath those characters each time I re-read it. I have looked up all the places on the map, visited Old Bolingbroke, Kettlethorpe and Lincoln Cathedral. The Cathedral bookshop publishes an interesting booklet about Katherine and Joan's tomb. The book has inspired me to study medieval history at university, read about medieval mysticism and The Great Pestilence and study the lives of the mighty Plantagenets. One can learn so much from this book, matching the facts to the necessary fiction and the truly great thing about it is that it compels the reader to want to find out more and more about this fascinating period in English history. Oh how I wish the Savoy was still standing! English history lovers will also enjoy the excellent Green Darkness (tudor)and Devil Water (Stuart).

My mother first read this book as a late teenager, and fell in love with it--the characters, the history, the writing style, etc. She named me after Katherine, and presented the book to me when I was thirteen--I have since read it five times. The novel transports you back to the late fourteenth century, into a time immediately before the chronicling of history really began. It brings clarity to a fuzzy image of the period. Not only is this book the least painful way to learn about this era, it also brings it alive with a vividness not often seen. This time period, so often snubbed by historians as just another unimportant century in the Middle Ages, has its share of important characters and events: Geoffrey Chaucer, the Peasant's Revolt, the Black Prince, etc. Seton does well in portraying a time colored by intrigue and revolutionary change. It paints a portrait of England directly before its transition into a world power. All told as a subtext of a great Romance and historical drama. A wonderful portal to another time.

"Katherine" is Anya Seton's finest book, which is high praise considering her talent. She is a very fine writer with excellent attention to detail and historical accuracy, as well the ability to make the characters come vividly alive.

This is of course a very fine and entertaining story. There is our heroine Katherine, with all of her trials and tribulations, and who finds herself unexpectedly thrust into a turbulent life with a turbulent royal family! It is interesting to note that through the children she had with John of Gaunt, she is a direct ancestress of all of ruling Kings and Queens of England from that time on (and a great many members of European royal families as well)! Katherine made her mark on history in many, many ways.

This is an utterly charming and beautiful book. I was about 12 when I first picked it up and was immediately enchanted by the writing, the adventure and the history, and return to it time and time again. The book is peppered with other interesting historical characters - for example Geoffrey Chaucer was married to Katherine's sister, and appears from time to time full of wit and stories.

So read it for yourself, and introduce it to a young lady in your life. You could not bestow a finer gift.

To everyone sending in countless reviews raving about Titanic, please don't talk about THE MOVIE and obsessing with LEO DICAPRIO, just focus on the book! Everyone's getting so cynical and hyper from seeing Titanic one too many times!

Anyways, James Cameron's Titanic is a good source for intriguing look at the process in the making of the biggest and most ambitious epic in decades. While sheet-wide "making of" pictures are a little overblown, it gets a dose of fascination to witness how Titanic was filmed under extreme circumstances. Most of the texts are well-written with the quotes from the man himself, James Cameron. However, these are not common in a couple hundreds of pages, which may or may not be satisfying. For more complete insights and details about filming the footages of the Titanic and on the set and with the filmmaker discussing the complications of completing the exhausting process, just go buy "Titanic and the Making of James Cameron". It's a better read than Ed March book itself, although not recommended for those who are too illiterate or just plain lazy to read the literally complex book in one sitting. Other than that, James Cameron's Titanic is a great book to start with, especially for pre-teen fans.

I don't know where to start. I am overwhelmed from reading the reviews. I am thrilled that so many others were as touched by the film as I was. I have seen the movie 11 times, and don't intend to stop--ever. I will be first in line when it comes time to pre-buy the movie. Yes, I have read the book. It is amazing. James Cameron certainly has a way with words. I didn't expect it to hit me so hard, but the first paragraph on the inside cover brought me to tears. Looking at the pictures is like watching the movie again. And by now I know the words.. :-) There has never been a movie like Titanic. Everything about it is awe-inspiring, and the fact that this really happened is what got me so into it. I have become quite the Titanic historian since the release of this film, and it seems like the more I discover, the more I want to go back to the theaters. I am happy even when the movie is sold out because that means it is accomplishing what James Cameron set out to do. It is touching the lives of millions of people and opening their eyes to one of the greatest tragedies of all time. I get choked up every time I try to write how I feel about this movie and book, and everything surrounding them, and so I will just say that never before have I been so fascinated and broken-hearted at the same time. I hope that Titanic continues in it's huge success, and you can all bet that I'll be doing my part to keep it going strong. Oh, and if anyone wants someone to talk to about the movie who will share in their excitement and not think they're loony for seeing the movie so many times, feel free to email me!!

"James Cameron's Titanic" helps to show why this movie is indeed an epic work. Movie buffs and Titanic-ophiles alike will enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at the sets, stars, and the ship herself. Inside information about the production process (such as the fact that the whole boarding scene in Southampton was shot "backwards"), evokes admiraton for Cameron's achievement. The text underscores the film's committment to bring the humanity of the sinking home to the audience -- a committment that the film honors. The determination to make the film something special comes through with comments from stars DiCaprio, and Winslet. Like the movie itself, the book is highly recommended.

This is an excellent manual from Hell that reveals a few of the enemy's methods. Unless you are unusually self-aware or totally self-unaware, this book may/will show you some dark spots of your heart, hidden so deeply that you no longer realize their presence. Satan (along with his minions) is truly worthy of the moniker deceiver. Maybe the devil does "make" us do it, but we still may suffer the eternal consequences if we let Satan play his hand to the full.

This fictional book is well-written as a series of letters from a demon in his bureaucratic office to his subordinate field worker. It tells us how a young demon may learn the craft of temptation while we learn along with him. It also tells about the hearts of his temptees (us) and how noble we often feel while we are being lured away from Jesus. After all, pride may be our greatest sin.

C.S. Lewis is a master of thought, insight and plain expression in my opinion, as well as in the opinion of many others. Read this one, then read more, like Mere Christianity, etc. And don't forget his fantasy tales. Tolkien had nothing on him except popularity.

C.S. Lewis has said that he found it painful to write this book since it required him to spend days on end thinking upside-down. But it is lucky for us that he did, since the result is a book that both delights and enlightens.

THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS documents the correspondence between Screwtape, a senior devil, and his nephew Wormwood, a novice tempter. Wormwood's mission is to win a soul for the underworld, and Screwtape offers him the accumulated iwdom of Hell on how to accomplish it. The result is a well-laid out map to the pitfalls to which we humans are all-too prey. Lewis' had great insight into human weakness, especially the uncanny way ou pride pops into almost every thought we might have. He is also alert to the ways our unquestioned assumtions can lead us astray. As Socrates said, the first step towards wisdom is to "know thyself" - and the tempters in this book do all they can to prevent that from happening.

Lewis, of course, is a Christian, but THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS are useful to any person who is seriously engaged on the spiritual quest. I read this book about once a year, and am always chagrined to find that Screwtape is still one step ahead of me! (And he is unfailingly eloquent to boot.)

This volume includes "Screwtape proposes a toast" which employs the same technique to discuss modern education. I find this a weaker part of the volume. It seems Lewis could have done more with the concept, but his arguments about the failings of modern education are much sharper in his book, THE ABOLITION OF MAN.

Still, this is an invaluable volume. It is the book that I most often give away to people - it is laugh-out-loud funny, and sadly all-too true.

Well, I won't repeat the other 100+ plus reviewers about what a great book "The Screwtape Letters" is, other than to say it will reward you to read it. I'd just like to comment on the unabridged audio version, narrated by John Cleese. They couldn't have picked a better vocal talent to do the Letters. In the introduction, Cleese speaks the persona of the Oxford/Cambridge don C.S. Lewis, not mimicing Lewis' voice, but copying the style of speech heard on Lewis' World War II broadcasts that eventually became "Mere Christianity". Then, through the rest of the tapes, Cleese becomes the ultimate fiendish (literally) bureaucrat, Screwtape. Screwtape's sputtering indignation and fury at his nephew's incompetence, which leads him to turn into a giant centipede, is captured to perfection. In the closing essay, "Screwtape Proposes a Toast", his effete snobbery at the fine vintage of bottled Pharisee is delightful. All in all, the ideal audio presentation of Lewis' masterpiece.

Every American should read this book.

Iwo Jima's flag raising is etched in the memory of war veterans as well as baby boomers, at least the staged version of the event. And the film version showed the story, even if it was the Hollywood version. "Flags" is a compelling story of one of the men who won the battle of Iowa Jima and then went home -- very quietly -- to live out his life. Only his death allowed his children to read and understand the magnitude of what he and other war veterans achieved, the many veterans who did their job against horrendous odds and then moved on with their lives, with only their nightmares and private, silent, secrets to haunt them for the rest of their lives. They would not, or could not, speak about their experiences. And for good reason.

James Bradley delves into the story his father never told while he was alive, the story of unimagined terror on a tiny island, fighting a most savage, unforgiving and unsurrendering enemy. His father saw atrocities no one deserves to see. And, after all this, he led a quiet, unassuming life in Wisconsin after the war, returning to his roots and putting the war behind him as best he could. The son's pursuit of the full story results in perhaps the greatest tribute a son can offer, a glowing, sobering, startling story honoring a deceased father and his comrades. James Bradley's dad was a hero who knew that the real heroes didn't come off Iwo alive. He honored the dead comrades with a deep, unspoken respect.

Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation" is the more popular and publicized version of these war veterans and their unrewarded heroics but his casual treatment of these great men can't come anywhere close to "Flags". I read it, cried, and passed the book to others who would appreciate it. Read it. And do the same.

Seriously, five stars are just too few for a monumental book like this one. This book is an instant classic that should live for all time! If you are like me, you have a whole story built up in your mind around one of the most famous photographs in American history -- the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima. If you are also like me, there is little reality behind that story in your mind.

Written by the son of one flag-raising Marine, this amazing story should be read by everyone. It tells a tale of heroism, horrible circumstances, and the lasting consequences of an unexpected event in a compelling, unforgettable way. This book rivals All Quiet on the Western Front for its revealing insights into the nature of war, comradeship, and courage.

To set the stage, Iwo Jima was the first Japanese soil the Marines invaded. The Emperor had issued orders that the ground was to be defended to the last man. Iwo Jima was filled with tunnels that harbored over 20,000 Japanese troops who could shoot from relative safety while Americans were out in the open. The tunnel system was so extensive that Marines would literally be kidnapped while standing next to their buddies, and no one would know where they had gone. Rocks would suddenly open up to reveal mortars.

Tough fighting went on for days. The Marines lost 7,000 dead and had another 15,000 or more wounded out of 70,000 men. Ironically, the worst of the fighting came after the flag photograph, and three of the six Marines in the photograph died in this later action.

As tough as Iwo Jima was, living with the aftermath of the photograph was even harder in many ways. Two of the three survivors had their lives deeply affected in negative ways. The story of all three riveted me more than anything I have read in years.

I read fairly few books about war, but I cannot recommend this book enough to you. As Americans we owe it to those who fought in this battle to remember what actually happened and what the repercussions are. You will be moved at a deeper level than you can possibly imagine by this outstanding book.

Remember Iwo Jima!

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is a brilliant work for so many reasons: it pays homage to the six men who raised the flag on Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII; it is a tribute to a father who felt strongly that the real heroes at Iwo were the boys who didn't come back; it is a testimonial to the USMC and its fighting men; it portrays a graphic and at times unimaginable description of the horrors of war; and, it depicts not only the indignities that we humans can suffer upon one another, but also the moments when common men (indeed, boys) are moved to perform acts of uncommon valor and courage. When reading this book, you will feel pride, grief, anger, sadness, and dismay. Its words will make you laugh, cry, mourn, and think hard. FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS is a good book---no, a great book---about a moment in our history and the ordinary men who performed extraordinary deeds and left their mark upon the annals of war. Read it...for the sake of the six flagraisers, the families left behind in all wars, and the whole human race.

When my husband read The Five Love Languages and then pronounced that it would change our marriage for the better, I was, at best, skeptical. I do acts of service. He, in his own words, is a stubborn Norweigian who can do it himself, thank you very much. So not only did I never receive any affirmation for my acts of service, he never did acts of service. See where this is headed? He is a quality time guy. He'd make a date, set the time, and by the time the date came, I'd be stewing and think, "I don't want to spend time with HIM!" Then I'd be late, claim other priorities, etc. What a circle of continued frustration for both of us!! When we both began to consciously speak each other's love language(s), our love for each other started to grow again; it had become non-existant. We went over the book with our girls and it changed the way we all give gifts, listen to each other and show our love for each other. We talk about friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors love languages before venturing to show appreciation or love for them in the form of a gift, whether that be of time, words of affirmation, etc. Thank you, Gary Chapman!! You were God sent!

It is so simple and easy to understand. After I read it, I couldn't understand why I hadn't realized these concepts before. I wish I could give a copy of this book to every man, woman, and child. What a wonderful world we would have if we all understood the "Five Love Languages" and spoke them to all we meet everyday!! The family is a great place to start. My family and I regularly ask eachother "How full is the 'love tank?'". When things are tough at school, work or life in general, we now ask eachother freely "What can I do to make your love tank full?" Sometimes only the passing of time will cure a family problem (example: problems at work), but our family's committment to express to eachother the variety of dialects between quality time, words of affirmation, and physical touch (which seem to be the most needed of the 5 languages in our particular household when outside problems occur) can make the hardest of times go by so much easier and faster. How I wish everyone would read this book!!!

This is, without a doubt, the best book I have ever read. Dr. Chapman writes at the very end that he wishes he could give a copy of this book to every married couple. I have to agree with that statement wholeheartedly. The concepts as he presents them are so simple and basic yet incredibly profound. I cried as I was reading when Dr. Chapman described couples with problems that sounded almost exactly like my marriage. My husband is reading the book and we are once again beginning to communicate our love for each other. We still need counseling to work everything out, but Dr. Chapman's book may have almost single-handedly saved yet another marriage from the brink of divorce. I think everyone with a loved one (and I certainly hope everyone has SOME loved ones - children, parents) can benefit from the simple and understandable concepts in Dr. Chapman's books.

I read the Phantom Tollbooth as a child and loved it. I loved the story of Milo, a kid who is bored and dislikes life who receives a gift completely out of the blue (what kid wouldn't like that). I liked the fact that the gift was a gateway to an adventure in another world. I liked the dog he meets who is gruff at first but becomes Milo's best friend. I also loved the strange characters Milo met on his adventures, and I was scared of the monsters he met near the end of the book.

As I grew older, I started to learn all of the puns and double meanings strewn throughout the book. I still loved the adventure story, but now I began realizing that the book was very funny as well.

During some move or other, I lost the book, but now I look forward to buying it when I have kids and rediscovering the world Norton Juster painted in the Phantom Tollbooth with them.

I first read this book over thirty years ago, at the age of seven. I enjoyed it very much, and every time I've read it since, I find something I missed.

Milo, a VERY bored kid, finds a tollbooth in his bedroom one day, and drives through in his toy car. He soon meets Tock, the watch dog complete with giant size watch faces on back, and is entrusted with a mission--to rescue the Princesses of Rhyme and Reason from the Castle in the Air. But there's a lot of detours to go through before he gets there . . .

An absolute delight, filled with puns and plays on words. Varying ages will get more or fewer of the jokes. All the same, Milo has some serious lessons to learn, as does the reader.

A fun book, that will add to kids' (and maybe adults'!) vocabulary and grasp of concepts, in the most delightful way.

I think it's easy to read a book and enjoy it, recommending it to all your friends and feeling slightly envious that they get to experience the joy of discovery you've already enjoyed. But could you call it your FAVORITE book? The absolute, be-all, end-all, definitive book that you like over anything else you've ever read? That's a lot of pressure. For me, it would be hard enough to select which ten books I would want to have with me on a desert island, but there's one book that would fall at the very top of the list, every time, without hesitation -- The Phantom Tollbooth.

The Phantom Tollbooth is one of those books that is ageless and eternal, in that anyone, of any age, at any time, could enjoy this book and its clever play on words. Milo is his own everyman, struggling with that problem we've all experienced -- boredom. "There's nothing to do," he says at the beginning of the book, and haven't we all been there, children or adults? It's easy to relate to Milo and the rest of the characters he meets along his journey through Wisdom (especially the ever-patient Tock and the ostensibly annoying Humbug), and even if the story begins to pass into the area of being too clever, it's hard not to smile when Milo encounters the Whether Man, meets the DYNNE, jumps to Conclusions, runs afoul of the Demons of Ignorance, or attempts to return the Princesses of Sweet Rhyme and Pure Reason to the Kingdom of Wisdom. The allegory runs deep throughout the novel, and teaches as it entertains, but it never quite reaches the point where it becomes preachy. Mr. Juster knows exactly when to draw the line to present his readers with the choice of learning over ignorance, and leaves it to those readers to decide for themselves.

This is one of those rare novels that possesses the magic to entertain and teach, and should be required reading for anyone who hasn't read it before. (And maybe even for those who haven't read it since they were children.) Read it, enjoy it, and share it with your friends ... it makes a wonderful story to read aloud.

Cheaters is one of the best novels that I have read recently. It focuses on today's dating game and the twists and turns as it relates to relationships - be it one on one or more than one. The content of this novel deals with the aspects that many other writers opt not to deal with. It explores love, truth, honesty, sex, sexuality, pain, suffering and emotional turmoil. It really opens up an avenue that shows the side of African American males that they want to keep hidden. It addresses the sensitive side that men try to hide and opens a woman's eye to that side of men. It's a great book and I have recommended it to all of my friends and fellow readers. If you're just beginning to read or if you're a member of a book club I highly recommend Cheaters for your enjoyment. I've have enjoyed all of his novels to this date and I can't wait for his new novel.

Coming from a person that reads a lot of novels, I feel that I am in a position to rate EJD's lastest novel five stars plus. The thought, and effort entered into the writing of this book, comes through loud and clear. Others should keep in mind, it's only a novel to be enjoyed, and not taken seriously,or equated with anyone's personal situation. The love for another's talent should be met with gratitude. It's stated in other reviews that the author belittles black women. It's just a story born in the author's head, and not necessarily his personal views. How about for entertainment purposes only? That's is why we have choices in what we choose to read. I appreciate good literature, and an author with an imagination. One that can make the reader laugh, cry and feel all of the emotions that are written within the pages. An author that allows his characters to have an imaginable life, would prove to be, in my opinion, talented.

By now, I've read all of EDJ's books and am a hugh fan. Cheater's however, was the ultimate, my favorite, and absolutely off the hook. The story was completely engrossing from the first through the last sentence. I hated for the story to end, algthough he brought it to a very satisfying conclusion. As the book cover synoposis explains, the story revolves around the African-American dating scene in L.A., and the trials and tribulations associated with loving them and leaving them on the one hand and finding someone for a one-on-one relationship on the other. It also deals with personal growth and the consequences associated with two people who are either on the same page in terms of their goals and/or are growing together or growing apart (with respect to dreams, plans, aspirations). Lastly, it deals with stunted emotional growth and the personal hell people put themselves and others through as they struggle to deal with their inner pain and/or short-comings. Dickey's treatment of all of the scenerios he creates was truly gifted. The book is funny, serious, poignant, sexy, hot and irresistably engrossing. Dickey should no longer be compared to Terry McMillian (Exhale). He has raised the bar and created the NEW standard in depicting meaningful Africian-American relationships, and penning stories that help us see ourselves, enjoy ourselves and perhaps learn something about ourselves along the way. I'm looking forward to the movie, too! Thanks again, EDJ. I'm eagerly awaiting your next book!

This is a wonderful book for the lover of Japanese-themed story. Under a few conditions, that is. Yeah, we all knew there was a catch.

This story is *not* exactly accurate historically. Almost all the names of the characters, even the major ones, have been changed some if not completely (Yoshi Toranaga = Tokugawa Ieyasu). If you know the history of Japan and want to keep straight who's who so you don't get confused, I would recommend keeping a list. It does eventually become more or less clear who represents whom historically.

There are probably a few other historical details I'm missing, but I haven't been at Japanese history long.

Shogun is by all accounts an imposing book (over a thousand pages), but is a very worthwhile read. Read it when you have some free time, over a summer break or company vacation.

Finally, this is not a tale for the weak of heart. Feudal Japan (and this is one facet of history quite accurately portrayed) was a very violent place--everyone did what the daimyo said, peasants' lives meant nothing, and samurai were kings. Shogun contains several graphics depictions of the Japanese style of thinking and fighting (like the murder of Jozen) and is likely somewhat unsettling to western sensibilities (many readers, particularly those not familiar with the culture, will likely feel the way Blackthrone does about many of these events).

What Shogun has, besides these things listed above, is an amazing intricate and well-woven plot, rich, almost living characters, and everything a novel needs to hook in a reader and keep them there.

~

Epic? Novel? History? Cultural Lesson?
All of the above!

This is an incredible work on numerous levels.

On the surface, it's a historical fiction about the power struggles in Feudal Japan as the country comes to grips with Western influence. Lord Toronaga is a fictional character based on Tokugawa, the 3rd major unifier of feudal Japan.

On a second level, the book sets the stage for Clavell's Asian Saga. Seeds are planted here that appear throughout his novels.

On a third level, the book is a treasure of Japanese culture. For those new to Japanese culture, the behaviors and interactions of the characters seems very foreign. Even back then, how could civilized people think like that? Guess what - they think like that now too! And Blackthorne - the prototypical Gai-jin - he set the standard for foreigners struggling in that culture.

On a personal level, this is a book that grew with me. It fueled an interest in Japanese culture and history. In the years following my first pass of Shogun, I read quite a bit of Japanese history, and saw the accuracy of the story. Later, when I lived in Japan, I found my understanding of the culture radically improved by the lessons learned in the book.

And to think, I bought this because "I need a thick book to pass time on all these plan rides!"

First some gushing but essentially content-free accolades: This book is terrific. It held my attention for two weeks during which I raced through it. Though it starts out a tiny bit slow, before long it slides effortlessly into what has the feel of an epic saga, even if the story time is only on a fairly short scale. I don't honestly know how accurately Clavell described feudal Japan, but I'm pretty sure most of it was well researched. Certainly, as a reader, it felt real to me, more so than most books I've read.

This is adventure fiction at its finest. We have a brave hero who actually acts like someone stranded in an alien culture and know of precarious his situation is, but still manages to survive and thrive and live life to its fullest. The supporting characters are all well thought out. Virtually every character of any importance comes alive on the pages of Shogun. So well crafted is the cast that even the villains start to seem, if not likeable, then at least like they have real concerns and cares and feelings. It left me so engrossed in Clavell's world that I wanted a sequel, though that is obviously impossible now.

In short, I think that Shogun will end up a classic for future generations. The style and plotting is, in a way, reminiscent of Alexander Dumas's Musketeer books. They too are not literary, but remain beloved even after nearly a hundred fifty years. Fast paced, exciting (even when there's no action happening), with detailed and rich characters that live on after the book is done, what more can one wish for?