No Cure for Nature Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I read this book as a recomendation from my librarian and I am grateful for her. A story full of jokes and fun characters with a message of preserving the earth. Where else can I read a story where a man teams up with a bowling ball and a gopher to take on Mother Nature? I had my daughter read this book after me and I could hear her laughing from the other room while she read.

Click Here to see more reviews about: No Cure for Nature

In a time of worldwide environmental degradation by humankind, Mother Nature unified a resistance amongst all other beings to reclaim their earth.The battle was easily won and the humans were forced into prisons so that the earth could have time to rejuvenate, but unfortunately, with the new power bestowed upon her, Mother Nature turned corrupt.Ruling the world with an iron fist and a fierce feral army to back her, times were worse than when the humans ruled.In a literal tale of man versus nature, one human, Guy, an unlikely and unmotivated individual, struggles to break out of his prison with the aid of his new friends, to fight the wrongs of the world.The quest of one man, a gopher, a bee, a bowling ball, and an ear of corn is strung together through a world of puns, jokes, wordplay, and an assortment of bizarre characters.Guy's mental and physical capabilities are pushed to the limits as he takes on the responsibilities of the world, undergoes epic challenges, copes with losses, and watches himself deteriorate in the comical adventure extravaganza.

Click here for more information about No Cure for Nature

Read More...

I Can Bowl (Rookie Readers Level C) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Not only does my son absolutely love this book, but he's suddenly interested in bowling! The story is fun, the pictures cool, and the binding will last forever!!! I think more fun easy readers like this will really make kids interested in reading. I can't recommend it enough.

Click Here to see more reviews about: I Can Bowl (Rookie Readers Level C)

Practice makes perfect in this introduction to children's sports that takes early readers step-by-step through the equipment they'll use and the skills they'll need to tackle new activities safely.--This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Click here for more information about I Can Bowl (Rookie Readers Level C)

Read More...

The Bowling Detective: Leicester Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I really liked the division of the tale (into Part 1, and Part 2), and the "list of characters" at the start (like what you'd find in a play). It added to the realism in terms of the presentation of the story (the introduction is written in a slightly conversational tone, which leads the reader into the story). I think the way the story is presented reflects a consideration on the part of the author (that is part of his style, as a writer).
I thought the opening with the "enforced rest" as a result of "heart attack number 2" was funny too (in a not-so-funny-if-it's-happening-to-you kind of way), ha ha. Liked the name choice of "Mick" too, immediately associated it with the swagger of Mick Jagger. The descriptions are quite vivid, and definitely not too flowery [no strange descriptions of comparing the color of the sky to cat vomit, or dark chocolate, for instance (two real examples from two bestselling novels!)]...just a murder story nicely paced, and nicely told.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Bowling Detective: Leicester

Click here for more information about The Bowling Detective: Leicester

Read More...

Willard & His Bowling Trophies Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)If Willard can win Bowling Trophies, then Brautigan deserves a posthumous Pulitzer, Nobel Prize and every other literary award under the sun. While this book has never garnered the sort of praise, let alone commercial success of his first published novel "Confederate General From Big Sur" or "Trout Fishing In America," this book, this small, humble book about a bird, high crimes and genital warts, deserves more hype. Brautigan's play of emotions, blending humor with sorrow and melancholy shows the true bredth of his talent. Both as a poet and as a novelist, he understood the value and economy of words and spent them wisely. He never saw the need to write an opus of Michener weight, instead, he let the strength and beauty of his prose do the work. Each syllable bears more meaning than whole chapters of Grisham or other modern-day hacks. Willard may not seem so great a work to those seeking expansive commentary on the state of society or meaning of life, but they likely miss those points in Brautigan's work, as they are blended ever so subtly within his writing. I defy anyone to read this book and not be moved, to not feel pain at its ending. Like Milan Kundera, Brautigan's character's matter.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Willard & His Bowling Trophies

Click here for more information about Willard & His Bowling Trophies

Read More...

Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)SEARCHING FOR PARADISE in Parker, Pa by Kris Radish
Rating **** (4/5 Stars)
June 28, 2008Addy and Lucky Lipton have been married for nearly 30 years. And neither can say they are really happy. Addy is going crazy, angry at all the junk Lucky has collected over the years and has accumulated in the garage. She calls it the "kingdom of krap". She doesn't feel a connection to him at all, and is on the verge of kicking him out.
When Lucky wins a trip to Costa Rica and asks Addy to go with him, they are both secretly hoping that this may revive their sinking marriage. But that morning as they are about to head on out, Lucky hurts his back so badly that he becomes bedridden and needs Addy to help him with the smallest of things. Addy is angry and frustrated, does not want to even deal with him anymore, can't even face him in the mornings, and decides she needs to make a change in her life.
With the help of her best friend and sister Hell (short for Helen) and their friends known as the "Sweat-Hers", a group of gals that all work out together, Addy makes some changes in her life and makes demands upon her husband. But it's not only Addy that produces some changes. It looks like the entire town is in on the act!
While Addy goes on her crusade to create a life that is a little more livable, a paradise in Parker, Lucky becomes closer to next door neighbor Bob. (He's Bob #1; the other neighbor on the other side is Bob #2). Bob has been divorced for some time and has gone through some drastic changes himself. With Bob's help, Lucky makes some of his own drastic revisions to his lifestyle, which will shock the hell out of the ladies of Parker, Pa, if not just Addy Lipton. The two men begin to "talk", unlike any conversations ever held between two men who are not gay. They start cooking lessons, dress a lot nicer, get their hair and nails done and basically, Lucky becomes a new man. And while this is all going on, Addy is busy with her female friends, wanting desperately to start a new life, because she feels that no matter what Lucky says or does to win her back, she is done with him. She's ready to move on.
SEARCHING FOR PARADISE was my introduction to author Kris Radish, and I am hooked! Her writing style reminded me in part of one of my favorite authors, Lorna Landvik. They have the same type of quirky characters living in a small town, with that same feel that I get from Landvik novels. All the characters are fun and unique and likable. The pace of the book is fast; there is a lot of humor despite the downer theme of a marriage on the rocks.
One major subplot includes Addy and Lucky's son's search for his biological mother, which compounds upon Addy's stress while she deals with her failing marriage. It also adds another dimension to the overall story, and demonstrates how far from perfect Addy's life has become. Not only is she dealing with the future meeting of her son's birth mother, but also a bedridden husband and a possible divorce. Frankly, she cannot wait to get rid of him! She can no longer stand to be in the same room with him.
The friendships that Addy shares with her sister Hell and all the other "sweat-hers" leaves a warm and fuzzy feeling. The feeling isn't overly sugary sweet, but I felt it was just the right amount that made me want to be a part of their group, to be one of them.
I can't say enough about SEARCHING FOR PARADISE, a very fun and enjoyable read that I think may be one of my favorite reads in 2008. Addy's search for a paradise leads her to a possible new future, with the whole town routing for her. While I wasn't sure whether sometimes she may have been a little unfair to Lucky, it is hard not to cheer her on, making every page up to the very last worth reading. - Courtesy of LoveRomances And More - M Lofton

Click Here to see more reviews about: Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA

Get 25% OFF

Click here for more information about Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA

Read More...

Biggest Bear Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My daughter and I first borrowed this book from the library. After re-checking it out OVER and OVER, I bought a copy.
The story is charming as it tells of the little bear's search for the Biggest Bear in the World. He repeatedly asks his dad if every bear they encounter is the biggest only to have dad say, "No you must wait." In the end, the biggest bear is the Big Bear Constellation... complete with flashing LED lights!
The illustrations are great. The story holds a child's interest well, and before long they tell it with you. The story isn't "too wordy" as to bore kids or parents, but it isn't "too short or simple" to get old quickly.
We LOVE this book in our family!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Biggest Bear

Toby thinks his shadow looks like the biggest bear in the world. But Dad says there's a much bigger one than that. Is it the large chocolate bear in a store? The bear picture Toby paints in preschool? The huge stone bear fountain in the park? The tall bear with a top hat at the carnival? Or the enormous balloon bear floating above the town? At bedtime, Daddy shows Toby the biggest bear in the world, who lives above their heads and only comes out at night: the bright group of stars called the Great Bear! A set of twelve flashing lights illuminates the constellation on the final page.

Click here for more information about Biggest Bear

Read More...

Homecoming Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a remarkable book. I used to read lots of science fiction and fantasy but it's been a long time since anything has held my interest.
The author has created a coherent reality which begins to manifest with the very first sentence. By the end of the first page I was amazed.
Lots of plausible galactic history here, with an unusual approach to the problems encountered by species with very different life spans.
It's a little tricky at first, keeping track of all the characters and how they relate to each other, but a family tree type diagram would be a spoiler,
so just make your own as you go along. A brave and thoughtful book. Hopefully the first of a trilogy !

Click Here to see more reviews about: Homecoming

During the last Interglacial more than125,000 years ago, humans hybridized with the R'il'naiand spread across the galaxy to colonize other planets.Although they formed a Confederation, they still depended onthe R'il'nai for guidance and protection-not only from theMaungs but from each other.
But only one of thepureblood R'il'nai still lives-Lai, an embittered survivorwho mourns his lost human love but is still bound to honorhis race's responsibility to the Confederation. Two others possess thepotential to change his and the Confederation'sfuture: Snowy, a slave dancer who is frightened of hisspecial powers, and Marna, a healer who survived aplanet-wide epidemic on her home world.

All have their own individual loyalties which put them in conflictwith one another, but the only way they can summon a futureto benefit all is to work together.

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about Homecoming

Read More...

Crossing Decembers Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)John Booth is one of my favorite authors of all time. In "Crossing Decembers" he tugs at the heartstrings, fills you with wonder, and leaves you desparate for more. A must read for anyone who's ever liked books!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Crossing Decembers

Five Mile Bridge has been closed for years, slowly decaying and seemingly forgotten over the fields west of Bryan, Ohio. Joshua Kendall stood there once with a friend now gone. But a return trip to the bridge washes Joshua backward in time and memory, giving him the chance to rediscover parts of his life he thought he'd lost. Yet even as he pries those memories loose like fossils from shale, Joshua's actions are rippling through the paths of time backward as well as forward, and as his mind wrestles with pasts he cannot remember, roads which have never existed are suddenly real.

Click here for more information about Crossing Decembers

Read More...

Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Eleven-year-old (Okay, more like ten and seven-eighths) Zoey Zinevich has figured out exactly what she needs before sixth grade starts in 198 days: a fairy godmother!
A good FG could fix up her hair, help her accessorize and make her "chic" (which can be used as both a noun and an adjective). Maybe with that kind of outside help, she and her friend, Venus, could eat lunch at The Table Bashley (ruled by Brittany and Ashley) instead of being banished to Table Ten, where Alex Shemtob inhales his food and exhales it again. Woe to those not wearing an art smock.
A surprise photo shoot at Harry S. Truman School by U GrL magazine brings Zoey's interests in presidents and molto retro clothing (molto means "very" in Italian, and retro means Zoey's grandpop's bowling shirt and fedora) to the spotlight. The creative director, a chic Lady in Black named Jazz, seems especially taken with Zoey's hat.
Could Jazz be the FG Zoey's been waiting for, or will she be stuck at Table Ten with bad hair forever?
Told in an almost multi-media format, using TV scripts and stills from "ZTube" videos produced by Zoey herself, this story will appeal to younger female fans of books like DIARY OF A WIMPY KID and MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF.
The ending may be a bit unrealistic, but I'm anxious to see if this might lead to more Zoey stories in the future.
Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

Click Here to see more reviews about: Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone

Get 21% OFF

Click here for more information about Geek Chic: The Zoey Zone

Read More...

Irma the Flying Bowling Ball Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)My kids like this book, but really, it's for me. A bowling ball with a name... and a personality... and aspirations. I love that! Not only that... she achieves her goals!!!! Good grief, if a bowling ball can do it, then, darn it, so can I!!!!
It's even better if you live in Wisconsin where kids learn to bowl as soon as they learn to walk and adults only stop bowling when they're dead.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Irma the Flying Bowling Ball

Click here for more information about Irma the Flying Bowling Ball

Read More...

The Tavernier Stones: A Novel Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Propelled by a spectacular opening, in which the corpse of seventeenth-century mapmaker Johannes Cellarius is discovered in a bog with a 57-carat ruby clutched in his fist, THE TAVERNIER STONES quickly unfolds into a treasure hunt adventure even more riveting than the real-life story of the jewels which spawned it. With its effortless weaving of memorable characters--each harboring his or her motive for coveting the stones--and intricate subplots, I found this novel to be an immensely satisfying and enjoyable read. While the ingenuous ending left me hungry for more from this gifted debut author whose writing is as accomplished as his storytelling.
Parrish incorporates an impressive depth of knowledge about cartography, cryptology, gemstones, and history, and his technical command of these details lends a precious believability to the hunt that is foundational to the book's success. While tension-filled and plenty thrilling, the action never veers off into the realm of the cartoonish, as Parrish grounds us so believably in his world of maps, codes, Amish culture, German lore, and, of course, precious jewels. I love a book where I learn as much as I'm entertained. Especially when the subject matter is as rich as this.
But none of that stuff would mean much without characters that live and breathe on the page. And live they do. Amish-born cartographer John Graf's struggle between the religious and familial roots he's severed and the worldly quest which becomes his obsession serves as the heart of this novel, and is deftly handled by the author. I was really invested in this character, and was pleasantly and poignantly surprised by where Parrish takes him. While his relationship of necessity with jewel thief David Freeman and his girlfriend, Sarah Sainte-James, crackles with a wit and spark that keeps the pages turning.
To sum up, I tore through THE TAVERNIER STONES in a couple days. And I guess that's the best recommendation of all. Parrish is the real deal.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Tavernier Stones: A Novel

Get 52% OFF

Click here for more information about The Tavernier Stones: A Novel

Read More...

The Million Dollar Strike (Million Dollar Series) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Dan Gutman strikes again with one of his million dollar books, The Million Dollar Strike. This book is different from the others. This book is a mystery book. Ouchie and Squishy have to get the Bowl-A-Rama looking better.
They try their hardest to fix up the place. Mr. Z even helps by paying some of his money. He uses it from his so-called "bank". But, is someone trying to destroy the place? Ouchie and Squishy are on a case to find out. Can you solve this mystery?
I thought this book was awesome. I give it five stars. I wish it would have lasted longer. While I was reading this book I felt like I was one of the characters.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Million Dollar Strike (Million Dollar Series)

Ouchie and Squishy love bowling, even if it isn't the coolest sport. And their favorite place to bowl is Bowl-A-Rama. Squishy especially likes it because it's the perfect setting for a gory horror movie. Then again, he tends to imagine zombies and killer clowns around every corner. When the city council wants to condemn the decrepit bowling alley, Ouchie and Squishy are devastated. Then the boys meet Gazebo Zamboni, the rich, reclusive, totally nutty owner of Bowl-A-Rama. Despite Mr. Z's insistence that the world is ending soon-a ghost told him so-Ouchie and Squishy manage to convince Mr. Z to keep Bowl-A-Rama open. He allows the boys to restore the old alley, and even sponsors a million dollar strike contest to bring in customers. Just when things start looking up, the most nightmarish scenarios of Squishy's overactive imagination come to life. Someone-or something-wants Bowl-A-Rama's doors to close. Forever.

Click here for more information about The Million Dollar Strike (Million Dollar Series)

Read More...

PiInc.: The Case of the Haunted Canyon Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This was a really fun book to read. It reads easily and I'm letting my teenage daughter read it now that I'm finished. It's fast paced and full of interesting cases. The main characters are lovable, and I ended up feeling
like they were family. :)

Click Here to see more reviews about: PiInc.: The Case of the Haunted Canyon

Click here for more information about PiInc.: The Case of the Haunted Canyon

Read More...

Erased Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Explaining the plot of a Jim Krusoe novel is like talking a friend through the hairpin turns of a marvelous, fantastical dream: halfway through you realize it's not just about what happens next, but about some mysterious and vital knowledge. ERASED explores questions that can't be answered, but that must be asked: what does it mean to cross over from life to death? How different are those two states, really? And what better way to puzzle that out than to go on a Kafkaesque rodent hunt and a deeply ironic yet fully redemptive tour of Cleveland? (Well, why not Cleveland?) I loved this book for its piercing gaze, its absurdist heart; its humorous soul. I'll read it a third time on one of those afternoons when I want to feel meditative--but also laugh.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Erased

When Theodore receives a postcard saying "I need to see you,” he initially ignores it — after all, it’s unsettling to open mail from one’s dead mother. But when another card arrives he can no longer put off the urgent meeting, and so Theodore treks to Cleveland to track his mother down. In this strange, thoughtful novel by Jim Krusoe, Theodore travels through the worlds of Uleene, a member of the all-girl biker club Satan’s Samaritans; art; rodent extermination; and sport fishing, all the while realizing that the line between life and death is remarkably fluid.

Get 22% OFF

Click here for more information about Erased

Read More...

The Gothic World of Anne Rice Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The gothic world of Annne Rice is an absolute must have for both fan of the gothic, vampirism or scholar. The anthology is A direct rout into the marvellous world behind the authour. Not only does it convey an unchartered depth of her literature, but is also A direct approach to A more academic criticsim. This book is of universal appeal because it charts A thought provoking desent through her key best sellers. For any reaserching vampirism especially, or just fasinated by this tallented writer this book is essential. It provides integral essays which traverse themes of anthrapology, in which is discussed how |Rice's characters assume A place in modern society, through to her more historical novels. But more invaluable are the essays which discuss her infamous vampire characters. In these essays is disclosed the intrinsic roots of vampirism and the gothic, linking back to writters of the Romantic epoch. They also provide A rich source of information, which deals with the more academic side of the gothic as well as A direct insight into the novels themselves. It is well researched, astute and perceptive. With Rice's work rapidly becoming recognised for its academic appel this book provides A critical idiom of her work and deserves A place on the shelf of any avid fan of the gothic, vampirism, or who is just enchanted by the pen of this literary sorceress.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Gothic World of Anne Rice

Directly and in considerable detail this anthology argues for the serious study of the literary oeuvre of Anne Rice, a major figure in popular literature today. This writer of gothic fiction attracts not only great general interest among readers but also much serious scholarly attention among those who recognize in her work evidence of sophisticated characterization and intricate plotting. Such readers find allusions in Rice's work to that of Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, to Ann Radcliffe's gothic romances, such as The Mysteries of Udolpho, and to Bram Stoker's Dracula, as do such present-day authors as Clive Barker, Robert R. McCammon, and Stephen King. The essays in this volume assert that Rice goes far beyond the conventions of the formula to examine important contemporary social issues. Like a handful of authors working in the horror genre, Rice perceives in its otherwisepredictable narrative structures a way by which a larger, more interesting cultural mythology can be developed, as theeditors of this volume point out. In short, Rice may be said to search for philosophical truth, examining themes of good and evil, the influence on people and society of both nature and nurture, "the conflict and dependence of humanism and science," as one essayist states.

Click here for more information about The Gothic World of Anne Rice

Read More...

Bowling in Action (Sports in Action) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a bronze level bowling coach and always looking for books to help beginners to under stand the basics of the game. This is a very good book for new bowlers with good illistrations, it is also short and to the point. For the price you cannot beat this book.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Bowling in Action (Sports in Action)

Ages 6 to 9 years. Children of any age, size, or strength can enjoy an afternoon of bowling. Children will be bowled over by the sport's great subtlety and technique. This book uses bright photographs and diagrams to complement clear text that explains: The basics of five- and ten-pin bowling; The proper grip and how to get spin on the ball; The fun and challenges of bowling in a league; What to do when faced with difficult shots; How to keep score and ways to improve your average.

Click here for more information about Bowling in Action (Sports in Action)

Read More...