Shorts Books

What a story! What a writer! I could not put this book down. Colin Channer is a talent. I cannot wait to read his next adventure.

The book was well written, great humor and very relatable for anyone who has ever been in love or would like to be. The only thing is that the cover does not give the book any justice. At first glance you would think its one of those trashy romance novels, however its about more than romance, its about true love and the romance behind it.

This novel was a soulful journey. It connects with the reality of relationships and with all of its struggles and triumph. I was drawn into the characters from the opening page. He tells this tale with a poetic spin. His words unfold beautifully and each character takes on a life of its own. I think readers will find a little bit of themselves in this book. I loved it!

This book is a beautiful experience. It is one of the most passionate and real books that I have ever read. I couldn't put it down and I wish that it was longer. The emotions of the characters are so strong that they leap off of the page. This book makes you want to go out and fall in love and hope that you experience half the passion and true love that these characters experience.

Colin Channer to me is like a modern day Picasso with a pen. His dialogue is compelling, soul-stirring and purposeful and his characters are engaging. You can almost close your eyes and imagine yourself seeing the story unfold as if you were a fly on the wall at a gallery in New York, a beach house in Jamaica, or the Streets of London. This is the mark of a truly great storyteller.

Our main character, Fire, is a "simple" man with a "complex" life. By simple I mean he wants what any sane person would want, a circle of good life-long friends, a fulfilling life, and someone emotionally and physically available to share it all with. So, when he meets Sylvia, he feels like he has found the one. What he doesn't know is that Sylvia, an engaged magazine editor, is all but disengaged from her own true desires for her life. Soon we see that complications abound, and the journey they take throughout the story takes the reader on a cross-continental journey in search of introspection, true meaning and, possibly, true love.

An interesting point is that Channer's characters are written from their souls - what drives them to do the things they do is less about their gender than their emotions and their pasts. With such a multi-faceted story, several layers of conflict, we still get a crystal clear picture and understanding as to why things unfold teh way they do. It is a believable, gripping, page turner, and Channer conveys it effortlessly.

Waiting in Vain, simply put, was one of the two best books I have read in a long time. The other was Satisfy My Soul (also by Colin Channer). As an aspiring writer, I wish my prose was as naturally beautiful as Mr. Channer's. Until it is, I will keep devouring his work in hopes that some of his literary poeticism rubs off.

We only recently found out that all our copies of The Count of Monte Cristo were abridged. We checked this out of our local library and liked it so much we bought a copy for our home library. The type setting is very readable and best of all, it's not abridged.

The story is a classic and a great read. I recommend it for everyone.

I boutht this for my Grandson freshman class in World History. He enjoyed the book and recieved a good grade on his report

The book arrived in excellent condition and it has been a delightful book to read.

I've often heard of references to this book, but never had an occasion to read it. After reading "Lone Survivor", I was curious to read "The Count of Monte Cristo". Dumas certainly set the bar high for all those to follow in this genre. The intrigue and twists are exceptional. A classic which should be a "must read".

How does one review a classic? Especially one so noteworthy as to have demanded the creation of 11 or more film variations, numerous adaptations, and even television series? I long avoided reading this novel due mainly to it's daunting size, and the fear that it's translation would cause the reader more work than I was willing to put into it. However my burning desire to know the true tale of Edmond Dantes overruled my hesitation.

The story, for those of you who are unfamiliar, follows Edmond Dantes in his wrongful imprisonment at the hands of his friends, his 14 years in the Chateau D'If, his escape and rebirth as a self proclaimed hand of vengeance against those who had wronged him. If you have only seen the movies, the book, particularly the ending, is far different than what Hollywood has created. There are no dramatic duels, no massive swordfights with brigands, and not everyone who we believe should, lives happily ever after. This is instead a slow but genius work of Dantes methodically stripping away all that his enemies held dear to them, at whatever cost. None die by his hand, but are rather destroyed by his influence, and their own evil choices come back to haunt them.

The story itself is genius, interesting and very fun. The writing, particularly the translation that I read, is an often difficult and sometimes tedious work that one may need a notebook to keep straight. The cast of characters is very large and they are often referred to by different names, making it a bit more difficult to keep track of who is who without some sort of note taking. I was not smart enough to take notes, and thus had to spend quite a bit of time searching my brain to make sure I was thinking of the correct person as I read, particularly with some of the more minor story lines and the characters that weaved in and out of the story with multiple chapters between their appearances. Also, this book will probably be disappointing to those who are interested in the action that the movies provided. The Count of Monte Cristo, does not come in with guns blazing, but rather plays a very well thought out and disturbing game of mental chess against his opponents. As readers we hope for their downfall, but also wonder how far the Count will go... his years of imprisonment have left him hardened and disturbingly without remorse at the use of innocents to gain his vengeance. As he plays his pieces we wonder just who will be sacrificed, and who will have the chance to live happily ever after in this dark world of Dumas.

Readers of more modern novels may have trouble with this book because of the sheer volume of concurrent story lines, all of which are necessary for understanding the strings being pulled by the Count. But to remember the tale of the lovers, the orphan, the bandit, the banker, the ship builder, the assassin, the count, the princess, the steward, the military man, the lawyer, the cheating husband and wife, the lost love, the musician, the buried baby, the dying father, the paralyzed grandfather, the murderess, the thief, the countess, the emperor and all of their relations, can be quite a daunting task for any reader. Still each of these stories could be a book of their own, keeping the reader quite entertained, but Dumas has managed to weave them all together into one, brilliant and shining tale... if you can keep them straight through the end.

What surprised me most was the ending of this story. It was not what I wanted, or hoped for. True I loved Haidee, and wanted nothing but her happiness... but many seemed to be left in suffering that did not deserve the fate that they were bound to. I will not elaborate for fear of spoiling the ending... but this does not end on a Hollywood, "they all ride off into the sunset" ending. Perhaps the meaning of the story is not all about revenge, but rather what damage the hunt for vengeance can bring to not just those who have wronged you, but to all those that surround you. The downfall of selfishness; be it falsely imprisoning someone to gain what you may, to the selfishness of vengeance... there is so much meaning in this book, I can see why it is so often "required reading." Though I highly recommend this book, I would advise you attempt to read it with others either in a class or a reading group so that you can discuss all of the rich meaning behind Dumas's words.

YEAH, WHOO! Kill em! Yeah!
Oh, sorry, I was reading this AWESOME BOOK. Maybe you've heard of it, Mossflower? What? You are still debating on reading it? I'll slap you if you don't read it this instant! Go on, do it.

I don't know what it was about this book that made me want to read it over and over again. It didn't have any colosal {I don't know if I spelled that right} battles or anything. I guess it was just the amazing storyline! The adventure was fantastic, but I honestly like whats going on with the woodlanders better than Martin the warriors journy, more action happens with them. In all, this is one of the best Redwall books, complete with an awesome one on one battle at the end. Read this book!

This is about Martin the Warrior , a heroic mouse, the self-appointed Prince of Mousetheives (and best friend to Martin), Gonff, the totally evil wildcat Tsarmina, and sundry other animal characters. The plot is that (1) Martin is (after a sidetracked problem) questing for Salamandastron, (2) the woodlanders defending themselves from Tsarmina until Martin returns, and (3) what's happening in Kotir, the moldy, falling-down castle where Tsarmina and her horde of vermin (stoats, rats, foxes, weasels and so on). This is a good series because it never ends on a cliffhanger at the very end. Mr. Jacques is a wonderful author, and I've read all his books except Eulalia!, because it isn't out yet. :(

The Redwall series was recommended to me by my own readers, who recognized a similarity between the writing style, animorphism, and medieval setting of my own debut novel "The Other Side of Yore" and of Brian Jaques' famous books. As I learned more about the books, I was amazed that the books had escaped my attention for so long. Sure I had heard the name in passing, but I really didn't know what the books were about, and had probably passed them over as too child-oriented when I was a young blossoming fan of fantasy. Boy, had I been missing out!
Mossflower may be the best YA fantasy book I've read since "The Hobbit," maybe even surpassing "The Chronicles of Narnia" for imagination, superb writing skill, literary worth, and sheer reading enjoyment!
Far from being just a book for young adults, I am well over thirty and highly critical of most fiction books, and was unable to put the book down. Not only does Jaques write in an incredibly skillful and beautiful style, but his plots and subplots are nothing short of genious. The character developement of the animorphed creatures is far superior to even the average bestselling book of fiction starring realistic human characters. Jaques is a master of dialogue and dialect, and I especially enjoyed the strange coloquial mole-speech;
"Hurr, Oi be liken it moiself better'n any deeper-n'-ever pie oive et, stan' on moi hole!"
The triumphs, determinations, and gallant speeches of Martin the Warrior actually brought tears to my eyes a few times during the tale, and the antics and humorous songs and poems of Gonff made me laugh out loud more than once.
What's more, Jaques created a complex villian to be copied by fantasy authors for centuries to come in the characterization of the wicked cat Tsarmina, and painted a thoroughly believable array of personalities and attitudes in the various soldiers of her army.
Like Tolkien's work, Jaques has also done his homework thoroughly, and has created a vast history to support his tales, which I think is a trait missing from many of the more fly-by-night and commercial fantasies of today.
By the end of this novel, you will have forgotten that mice can't talk and that badgers don't wield swords, having become intimately familiar with some of the most realistic personalities ever to grace the pages of literature. I cannot recommend this book enough, and am sure that the others in the series will be equally delightful!
J. Lyon Layden
The Other Side of Yore

It is all you want in a good book.It has just the right amount of action,
peril,valor,and humor. If you want a book that is good for everyone, you just found one!

Since this was written in the fifties you don't get the raunch that love stories nowadays have, but it was good none the less. The story, for me, began too slow and ended too fast, with so much time passing inbetween that you had to be caught up with nearly every chapter, or every "part" so that sometimes you were left confused and wondering. That was why I gave it four stars. The writing is great, however, very discriptive and enjoyable. The characters themselves are very in depth and realistic, and the time spent with each one is appropriate. I did love the ending, with Katherine finally marrying her long time lover, and discovering the fate of her daughter who had disappeared years ago, something I correctly predicted before it happened. I'll recommend this book to all my friends, and to anyone who reads this review.

Many people adored this book, as evidenced by all the 5 star reviews, but I was not one of them. It took a real effort of will to trudge through this drawn-out emotionally dry and dusty tale. The writing style reads very much like a romance novel from the 1950's or 60's with characters who seem over-simplified and shallow, rather like how you might tell a story to a small child (except for excruciating detail in just about every other way- down to what each and every serf and shepherd are wearing). I never really understood what drew Katherine and John together because they aren't written as especially engaging or likable characters. They are both good-looking. And he is rich. And she is pious. So if that's what appeals to you in a novel, this may be something that sets your heart on fire. If you are hoping for more, look elsewhere.

Don't let the fact that this book is 50 years old dissuade you--it's one of the best historical novels I've ever read. It tells the tale of John, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife Katherine, during the 14th century. Factual details about Katherine's life are scarce, but John, sometimes known as John of Gaunt, was a key player in England at the time. His place in history is ambiguous--he was always suspected of wanting the throne for himself, and indeed his son eventually ended up capturing it.

Seton, not unexpectedly, gives us a picture of a gorgeous, skilled, intelligent man, who pledged loyalty to his King and kept the promise. Katherine is a beautiful, gracious woman, who suffers through many years of being scorned by the Court because of her "irregular" relationship with John and her status as a commoner. But it all turns out fine in the end, of course.

Seton writes well, and manages to convey a sense of the English spoken at the time while still making it totally understandable. The history is accurate in broad outline. Interestingly, Katherine was Chaucer's sister-in-law, and it's possible Chaucer used her as a model for his own work. But most importantly, this book is a great read. As I began, I suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that I'd read this book as a teenager--a very long time ago! But I kept reading anyway--it's that good.

I have read many historical novels about the medieval and renaissance periods and this is the best. I couldn't put the book down. It's been months since I read it, and I still think about it every day. What a great love story!

This is a fantastic story of the birth of the Tudor family. It is also a story that truly tells how love conquers all.

I was unable to put this book down! It is a mix of a heroine that you love, pity and are sickened with due to her own wants and desires. It is a wonderful story about how we can all lie to ourselves when what we want is morally wrong and what can happen as a result.

I don't know that mere words can adequately articulate the genius of this book. I don't think I have ever read a book that kept my attention and called for me the way this one did. I also don't recall ever reading ahead just so I could know the outcome in a story, but I did with this one (only on one chapter). I did go back and read all of the chapter. :) The book draws you in and doesn't let you go. I tried every night to finish the book, but morning came sooner than the end of the book. I took baths that seemed to last for hours just so I could read this book. I will definitely keep a copy in my library and one for my daughters' hope chests. I know that I am behind in time seeing that this book was published in 1997, but how timeless it is!!! I don't know what I will do with my life now. :) THIS BOOK DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!!!

Very moving story about the strength and weaknesses of women (not just black women). It's a story of principle, dreams and nightmares and how you find yourself at the very moment you learn to control both. These women teeter on the edge of self discovery ....all they need is a little push! And it takes inner strength and tough choices to realize sometimes you have to catch yourself.

This was worth reading. It's not full of porn or scandal but a nice read. I enjoyed that the main character was a real person and not the stereotypically ideal "beauty" queen most authors like to use.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you are looking for an entertaining, suspenseful, drama, this is a book for you. It was a page turner, sometimes hard to put down. Donna and Virginia, keep up the great work, and keep these type of novels coming.

Hooks the reader and keeps them captivated to the last chapter. The characters are multi-dimensional and the story is rich with detail about family, friendship and deceit. Plenty of twists and turns with a few jaw drops.
A must-read! You won't regret it.

To get the most enjoyment from this beautiful book, buy the original Katherine Woods translation.

This is a wonderful story and a great book I was able to share with my students. The only drawback with the book is that the pages are not in color, but the extremely low price allowed me to purchase the books for my students out of my own pocket.

Katherine Woods' translation is the only English-language version of The Little Prince which captures the beauty, simplicity, clarity, and profundity of the Antoine de St. Exupery's classic, penned in French.

(The newer translation is appallingly horrid and bland, mistaken, and frankly perplexing.)

This is really not a children's book, although older children will appreciate it.

Don't measure the value by the thickness of the book. De St. Exupery, himself a WWI pilot, writes with a great economy yet produces here the most beautiful poetry with a delightful playfulness and childlike innocence -- a fresh vision which thus sees clearly and does not obscure the profound.

Mr. Fred Rogers used to quote from de St. Exupery, whose image and illustrations once graced the 20-franc note (in the days before the euro).

There simply is no other work like this one. It is an exceptionally rare treasure, a masterpiece.

Be sure to read Katherine Woods' translation. Read it privately, when you have time to savor each word. And keep a box of tissues nearby.

I was an adult when i read this book, and i really appreciated the lessons in life that Saint-Exupery shares through the Little Prince.

A great book, full of beautiful illustrations, easy to read, while fun and sad at the same time.

I personally read it as if Exupery is sharing with us the conversations he has with his own inner child, in the image of the Little Prince. That is why the Little Prince would ask many questions, but rarely answer the ones he was asked. Like all our inner children he's been hidden inside and kept silent for a long long time, and now that he was given his chance, he will speak. And we better listen, for he is an integral part of our psyche, who will take us through the most unbelievable adventures.

The Little Prince has often been heralded as a youthful book, required reading in elementary and high schools alike. In delivering it this way I think The Little Prince is missed by the only audience that is likely to truly appreciate it, that is adults. It is not an uncommon misconception that this is a children's book. Indeed, I keep the pictures stored on my computer, and am often asked where they came from. I reply that they are from one of my favourite books, and without fail the response is along the lines of, 'I don't mean to be rude but is that a children's book?'. 'No', I explain, 'it is not'.

The Little Prince is most needed, I think, by adults. It is easy to be caught up in, as De Saint-Exupery describes it, 'matters of consequence' and forget that it is not these matters which bring meaning to life. By pointing out the futility of professions practised endlessly and in isolation of other people, it becomes clear that the Little Prince, with his rose, is the only character with a life of consequence.

This book is beautifully written and translated by Katherine Woods. It speaks volumes through its simple tale, strange though it seems that matters such as these only become clear when they are somewhat removed from reality. Matters such as love, innocence, imagination and priorities. The Little Prince is a gentle and stirring reminder to never forget to see the boa constrictor from the hat.

We lost our dog last year after she gace us 14 1/2 wonderful years of her life. She was just a mutt. Her name was Dusty and she was part lab, shepherd, and chow. (Her tongue had spots on it.) She died in my husband's arms as he was taking her to the vet. She had had arthritis; but was never really very sick. When she died, my friend gave me a copy of "Dog Heaven." We loved it. Currently it is sitting on her chair along with her ashes, pictures, dog leash, and flowers. NO ONE WILL EVER SIT ON THAT CHAIR AGAIN! The book was very comforting; and I know that I have heard Dusty when she comes back to visit us! I have ordered several copies to have on hand to give my fiends when they lose their dog. I highly recommend "Dog Heaven" to anyone who has lost a dog!

If you ever had a beloved dog die, this is the book for you. It will make you cry, but they will be tears of comfort knowing your dog is now in a much better place. Yes indeed, Dogs do go to Heaven.

Great gift to others who may have lost their dog.
I put on the inside page "In Loving Memory of"... then the dogs name with the date and give them away to my friends when their dog dies. It is a great way to remember their pets.

Anyone who has been through the death of their canine companion will appreciate this book. I still can't read it without crying. I've given away at least a dozen copies, even to adults, and the reaction is always the same - "What an incredible book!" Rylant also has a Cat Heaven and it's equally as good for our friends with feline companions. There is hope that we will see them again!!

I'm not necessarily a cryer, but I can barely glance at the cover of this book without bawling. It's so gently, succinctly perfect a read for anybody who's lost a dog, but especially for those who view our canine friends as family members and have a tough time with the grief. If you're unable to cry this book will do the trick! And if you're already crying, the images and ideas offered in this book will ease your mind. It looks and reads like a children's book, but I think we adults tend to have a harder time with pet loss than the little ones do, so this is for all of us. A friend's ten-year old son, who'd received this when his pet died, told his mom he wanted to give it to me when I lost my twin dogs within six weeks of each other after 15 years with them. His gesture alone was a tear-jerker, and the book's healing properties amazed me. It's not all teary fare... this little bit made me laugh: "Every dog becomes a good dog in Dog Heaven." (Kind of made me forget about the couches and walls we lost during the training years!) It's such a wonderful book to have that when a friend or family member loses a pet I immediately order them a copy and send it off. Usually I paste a picture of the dog somewhere inside to really personalize it, and in our family ALL our dogs are pictured somewhere throughout. It's a great little memorial.

Our dog was not doing well last summer, so I searched for a book about dog heaven/rainbow bridge to read to my 4 1/2 year old so that she would be familiar with the concept when the eventual happened.
I found this book, and I'm so glad I did!

Took it out of the library and read it with her several times. When our beloved Lucy passed away in September, my daughter took it very well - I give most of the credit to this book. My in-laws dog passed last year and when we told my DD about Lucy, she was quiet, then asked if Lucy and Winston are together now in dog heaven and when we said yes, she was content.

Well, a couple of weeks ago my inlaws abruptly lost another of their dogs, when we told my daughter about it, she said that now he's in dog heaven with Lucy and Winston, eating all those doggie biscuits, etc. She remembered things about the book, and then asked me if we could get this book out of the library again to read.

I'm on Amazon today to buy several copies of the book - one for us, and one for my in-laws, and one to stash away to gift to a friend when it's needed.

A wonderfully comforting book, for adults as well as children, and the beautiful images really stay with you.

Highly recommended for all dog-lovers, no matter their age.
(I understand there is a Cat Heaven book as well, but I have not read that one yet.)

I remember my mother reading me this book when I was a child. Now I am reading it to my kids, and they LOVE it! I let them turn the pages, and they enjoy seeing how Grover tries to keep you from turning them. Because the closer you get to the end of the book, the closer you get to the "Monster"....

This was my sons favourite, I always had to read it to him in Grovers voice
and it is now the younger ones favourite as well !!!

It is so funny to watch Grover prepare, fall apart, prepare again, fall apart again etc., scared of the horrible monster he has heard is at the end of the book....only to find........himself!! It is a great, funny, fear calming book.

Who wasn't afraid of monsters in the dark as a child?

And this illustrates, it is all in ones imagination, so do not be afraid.
Grover is silly and cute all the while he is sooo very afraid, which is delightful to all .
Excellent book, it is a real classic.

When I was little this was my favorite book. We would read it over and over, and I would pretend I was struggling to turn the pages that Grover had tied, nailed, and bricked over.
So when we had a daughter, this was one of the first books I bought for her. At 2 years old the book sat on the shelves for a while, but she is 3 now, and I recently took it down again to read for her at bedtime. It is now a favorite, we read it every night. I read the pages, then she turns them to give poor old Grover a hard time.
One recommendation...this review is for the standard Little Golden Books version, which is great, but we also found a board book version in stores, so the hard pages are great when you have toddlers turning the pages for you every night. They can really 'struggle' against Grover's efforts without hurting the book.

I recently read The Monster at the End of This Book, by Lovable Furry Old Grover. I picked it up on a lark, figuring it would by a typical horror/thriller throwaway. It followed a pretty obvious course through the old cliches of the genre most of the way through, but the ending threw me for a shock that had me catatonic in existential malaise for weeks afterwards.

NOTE: DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU DO NOT WANT IT TO BE SPOILED!!!



When I found out that the monster in the book was indeed Grover I thought, "My god... it could be any of us." Yes that's right, the narrator of the book, the kindly and gentle guide through this thrill-ride, was indeed the monster of which he spoke.

This raised many, many questions. It seems from reflection that Grover himself was unaware that he was the monster. However, in the modern and postmodern likelihood of unreliable narration, it seems that it could just of easily been a clever deception by the monster, to lure the reader into his confidence before springing his trap. But the question remains. Does a monster know he is a monster? Or does his twisted logic somehow rationalize his monstrosity and allow it run rampant? Also, if this physically harmless appearance could harbor the monster of the book, doesn't that mean that anyone could be a monster? That "evil has no face" as they say?

Ultimately, it brought me to reflect that one may be a monster and not even be full conscious of the fact. That one may be revealed to be monstrous, but only at the end of a mysterious and terrible life of lies.

So it turns out that the "monster" is actually the protagonist which, while having shades of postmodern antihero angst that wil reverberate strongly with fans of, say, Kafka or Burroughs, really threw me for a loop as a kid.

My two year old, on the other hand, has no problem with this conceit, and wants me to read it to him regularly.

He'll understand how cruel this all is when he get a bit older.

Oh yes.

In the meantime, I'll read it for him over and over and over and over, and never get tired of it.

I loved these books as a child and am now passing them on to my daughter and nieces. Even today I enjoy sitting with my daughter and reading the adventures in the Little House series.

I bought this boxed set of Little House books for my wife's birthday. She absolutely LOVES them! She said that it was the best gift she had ever gotten. We are both rabid fans of the television show and the books are even better. We will be passing this set down to the next generation when the time comes.

Excellent value. Superior Illustrations. Well constructed books. Over ALL an excellent value.

I read some of these books as a child and bought the set for my own daughter and started reading it to her, and my son, when she was five and he was four. Both children loved them! I'd like to say they loved them all, but the truth is, they really loved the first two books, when Laura was closer to their own age; enjoyed Farmer Boy; and from there, my daughter continued to enjoy the books, but not as much, and my son lost interest.

I thought the long descriptions of how to roast a pig or build a log cabin would be too much for them, but they didn't mind. Soon after we started, I heard them re-creating scenes from the book while playing the back yard. Suddenly, my son was talking about Pa having a "gum" (gun) for killing bad animals. Not exactly the effect I intended, but it didn't turn him into a gun nut.

I will say, the Long Winter was really, really long. We almost dropped the series. My own interest flagged, and we ended up taking a bit of a break before picking up the book again.

I was so into the series that I went to the library and checked out Laura's diary about moving to Missouri (On the Way Home, The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894) and her and her description of visiting Rose in San Francisco (West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder). My daughter said she was interested in those, too, but she really wasn't.

Still, we loved the Little House series - and my daughter still listens to the early books on CD. Highly, highly recommended.

I purchased these books for my eight year old daughter. We read all of them already. She loved them, and so did I. I was a little disappointed that there were no pictures at all. In the older version, there were some very beautiful pictures that helped bring understanding to some of the concepts of being a pioneer. Overall, this was a great purchase.

The book was delivered promptly, and the condition of the book was as described. Cover in good shape and no marks on the inside of the book--this last part is very, very important.
PS: to Amazon.com--my REAL name is J C Cox--there are no Periods.
J C Cox
10/30/08

This book was fabulous! I couldn't put it down! I finished it in 2 days (stupid work! I'd have finished it in 1 day if I didn't have to go!!). I've always seen books about immortals as vampire, gross, bloody books. This one is not that way at all. It's cleverly written, everthing has an underlying meaning. While you read, keep notes on facts...you will have "aha!" moments later!!

My Soul to Keep grabs you and moves with descriptive style as if you are one of the characters. There are several stories within the story that end up intertwined later. The Jazz musician, the slave , the Ethiopian, the professor, the perfect husband and the immortal all of these characters were David also known as Dawit.There are bumps and bruises along the way with murders to cover up his "immortality", David was loved and was "Mr. Perfect" where did it all go wrong? When he fell in love and wanted to give the gift of life to his wife and child? Or when his wife stumbled on the mysterious death of his daughter Rosalie?

There were hints from "Grandpa" who's always eating a Whopper. When looking back on it I think the author used Grandpa to soften the anticipated, almost expected, blow of Kira's death. This was definitely painful to witness. I was frustrated with the speed of the unfolding. I wanted more time with Kira and to offer advice to the characters on how they could save her. Almost yelling at the book! I lost track of time reading the final chapters and couldn't put it down until I was finished.

The story leaves you hanging with several lose ends. What is Jessica doing sharing the living blood with terminal children in Africa? Was she in mourning over Kira and wanted to help as many kids as she could? Why was she so short with David when he came to visit? Will she go after him soon? I think she will. The new child seems even more powerful and superior then his immortal parents. Knowing that there is a sequel is comforting. B/c there are several more stories to be told.....

Overall it's a very good book. I would put it in the top 10 for sure. I can't wait to start the sequel.

Due is an amazing author and I can't wait to see the film adaptation of this book.

Filled with deep spiritual questions, these Tananrive Due horror novels (The Between, My Soul to Keep, and Living Blood) make my blood run cold and give me real goose bumps. It takes alot to make that happen.