Customer Comments

Very entertaining visit with Amy Poehler as she reflects on her crazy ride to the top of the professional looney bin.

For those of you longing to chuck it all and move to Paris, this is your much less expensive reality check. Life is much the same where ever you live and every town, even Paris, has it's good and bad aspects.

Simply brilliant. In my opinion, all of the speculation about why the book was so long in coming out is completely wrong. Harper Lee's message was simply before it's time. Watchman is a beautiful rendition of both an inner journey and a societal journey that is still struggling to come to terms. Society has just now come far enough to make it the perfect time for Watchman to be published. To Kill a Mockingbird was recognized as being a great book in large part for exposing in acceptable terms a great evil of the society for that time. The political and judicial systems were rigged against African Americans. Mockingbird succeeded in allowing much of white society to accept that simple fact. It was ground breaking and it helped to start some of the political changes that needed to happen in this country. The issue of racism was a difficult conversation to have in American society at the time of Mockingbird. It pointed out that there was substantial reason to doubt our own government. Lee did so in a gentle and respectful manner. It delivered a message that many people were ready to hear. Society was certainly NOT ready for the message of Go Set a Watchman and it release then would certainly have set her reputation as an author on a far different trajectory. Go Set a Watchman takes the polite message of To Kill a Mockingbird and blows it wide open. Lee strips off the southern etiquette of Mockingbird and proceeds to rip the bandaid off of the social discourse of racism. Watchman than lets it bleed freely allowing the wound to be throughly cleansed. Scout and Lee rage at injustices which no one else was willing to acknowledge. She would certainly have been blackballed by her own community and much of the country. Mockingbird would have been forgotten as the work of a once promising, but thoroughly exposed radical extremist. Thank goodness they waited to publish Watchman. Holding it back until society was more prepared to grapple with the truths revealed there was necessary to allow the seed planted by Mockingbird to flourish. It also made it possible for Watchman to stand on the shoulders of Mockingbird as Lee's crowning societal statement. It's a statement whose time has come and will be more accepted in part due to the strength of Lee's reputation that was allowed to become part of our literary foundation. Society is still grappling with major issues of racism and it still deeply uncomfortable with the conversation. Much of the conservative population continues to assert that racism doesn't exist. Black Lives Matter is a movement that attempted to bring to the collective consciousness the fact that African Americans are being incarcerated and killed by police officers at disproportionate and alarming rates. There are, in fact, MORE African Americans incarcerated now than were ENSLAVED in the South. Conservative factions not only deny this ongoing and despicable reality, they go even further to blame the victims. In addition, the Voters Rights Act was recently weakened by the Supreme Court causing minorities to have more restricted access to the vote. In short, the rights of minorities in this country have been scaled back in recent years due to conservative influences. The current leaders of the Republican party are, even now, seeking to scale back the rights of minorities still more. Our country is in a social crisis, due in large part to the fact that many people are simply not paying attention to what is happening in politics. It is the perfect time for Scout to reappear and shine the light on the ugliness of conservative thought towards minorities and to bring us back to working towards JUSTICE FOR ALL in America. I for one, applaud Lee's efforts

What a wonderful way to learn about historical people! Horan has taken the dry facts of Frank Lloyd Wright and breathed life into him and his long time partner who was an early feminist. It acknowledges the very real complexity of their lives without judgement.

Great book without words. It's simply a young kid's day at the coast complete with a flock of seagulls, the waves of the ocean and imagination.

The ultimate wordless picture book. Chalk has gorgeous, realistic pictures, children who are culturally diverse, and a rich and ingenious story. Every child, every preschool and every kindergarten classroom should have this book.

Absolutely fabulous read! It is historical fiction that reads like a lovely biography about the lives of of Robert Louis Stevenson and his wife Fanny. Taken from the letters, diaries and known history of the couple, it reads like you are a fly on the wall of their amazing lives. I had no particular interest in RLS and have never read one of his books, but the author's voice is that of a poet with a genuine appreciation for world travel and for the daily realities of marriage and life. I felt like I was traveling to Paris, London, Scotland and Samoa along with them. This book is one that made me immediately search for more by Horan for my next read and to add RLS's books just underneath it in the pile.

Diana Gabaldon never fails to deliver! Claire and Jamie continue to make their way in the 18th century colonies while Bree and Roger settle in near modern day Scotland. After so many books, these characters have become like family. Every calamity feels like a personal loss and every success a joy. It is torture to have to wait for the next book! The new Starz series will have to hold us until then. Listening to the audio books from the beginning may help too!

Books by Temple Grandin and Donna Williams have given us insight into the minds of people with autism. Life Animated will join the ranks of these important books. This book is a break thorough account of one family's journey in raising and learning to understand a child with autism. Told from the personal view point of a parent, Suskind reveals an incredibly deep and insightful understanding of both his son's intelligence and his deeply hidden capabilities. It is an intimate account of how Suskind and his wife found ways to connect with his son beyond the approaches advised by the professional educational and medical communities. Suskind and his son's team of professionals have discovered new and meaningful ways to work with people who have autism and to help them to be more integrated into their communities. As a professional writer, Suskind has a wonderful storytelling style that captivates, entertains and informs. This is simply a must read for anyone who wants to understand more about autism.

If you want a real understanding of the financial crisis that brought America to it's knees, this is the definitive book to read. It reveals the thinly veiled Republican agenda and how Washington operates in a way that is both sincere and frightening. It also makes it clear why it is so important for ordinary citizens to participate in the political process and hold our representatives accountable.

I admit it, I love the Outlander series. This one is particularly gripping. With the future news report of their premature deaths by fire hanging over them, Jamie and Claire struggle to survive the American wilderness, the politics of the Revolution and a pirate with a disturbingly personal interest in their daughter and their grandson.

I loved the Harry Potter books and have been reading JK Rowlings newer books expecting that same humor and detail. They are not there. Her later books read as though they are by a completely different author. There really isn't much in the way of humor to them at all. So do not read this book expecting Rowling's Harry Potter style of narrative. That said, this is a solid mystery novel. The pacing gives you the feel of the life of a real detective. It's not action packed, but moves at a steady pace where things happen because Strike, the lead character, works at it unrelentingly. Silkworm is full of humanly realistic characters with plenty of flaws to go around. The story also depicts of the life of an amputee in a way that shatters the stereotypes of the classic war hero as depicted in the media. These veterans often experience frequent pain and discomfort rather than being none the worse for the loss of a limb as many may assume. Overall, he content is pretty dark and disturbing at times. It has much more in common with The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo series than the Harry Potter series. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy dark, even grisly murder mysteries. I would not recommend it to those who prefer lighter or more humorous fare.

Fabulous book that validates the issues that introverts deal with throughout life. Will help you to understand AND appreciate yourself, your spouse, your child or other introverts in your life.

This book was a mixed bag for me. Wonderful descriptions of art and the emotions of a man who has been through the wringer of life. Personally, I do not care for the detailed descriptions of the American drug culture.

Read the second series in the book first and loved it. I do like this book, but it goes over the top with sexual references. I'm listening to the audio and my teenaged daughter referred to it as "pornography." Personally, I prefer leaving more such details to the imagination.

This is a charming book that can't be categorized easily. It's got a hefty dose of historical fiction, a good bit of intrigue, with a dose of time-traveling fantasy which leads to a taste of romance between a fiercely independent and modern woman who finds herself involved with a kind-hearted Scottish warrior from the 18th century. It's a great read that is reminiscent of the Mists of Avalon.

Dan Brown's Robert Landon books are all fabulously rich with history, art and architecture, but I have to admit that there's a recognizable formula in the books. That is, until you reach Inferno. While Inferno is yet another gripping, fast-paced adventure running at break neck speed through several of the great cities of Europe, that's where the similarities end. In this volume, you never know who to trust or what will happen next. Alliances and the facts shift like quicksand and the only thing that's clear is that Landon is on his own getting to the crux of this mystery. My only criticism of Inferno is that it will take so long for the illustrated version to come out!

Wow! I lived my normally stressful everyday life during the day, but every morning I was privileged enough to hike the Pacific Coast Trail along with Cheryl Strayed. It was like taking a little vacation every day and it made me realize that even though I wasn't going to hike the PCT from California to Oregon, the PCT and her journey is a beautiful metaphor for life.

An adult "Through the Looking Glass" view of psychiatry. Who is and is not sane appears to be straightforward in the beginning, but as time goes on, you realize that nothing is as it seems. The story is both insightful and thought provoking.

As a big Twain fan, I was skeptical of this book when I first picked it up. Generally, I prefer Twain's version of his life. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find a voice much like Twain's sorting fact from fiction with a great sense of enjoyment rather than attempting to judge or pick Twain apart. It is a good-natured romp through the good and the bad which makes subject, author and reader feel like comrades who are all out on an adventure together.

Don't read it expecting to hear the voice that told the Harry Potter books, but it is a great, realist read about how society functions today.

I loved the Harry Potter books and pre-ordered this with high expectations. Then I began reading it expecting to find J.K. Rowling's voice and humor. It reads like something from a completely different author, so I was baffled at first. The characters are the people that you meet in the street every day, but each and every one are laid bare with all of their faults fully exposed. J.K. Rowling has written a novel that holds a mirror up to us, individually and societally. It is a mirror that reveals nothing less than the truth with all pretense and superficiality stripped away. It is the gut-wrenching reality of what we have become in the Western world. We are self-centered, superficial and negligent of those in need even when they present themselves on our doorsteps. The Harry Potter books are the ones that made Rowling famous, but this is the book that she most deperately wants us to read just to wake us up to reality.

Beautiful Ruins has something for everyone. It has classic Hollywood and ordinary people, a love child, war, and Italy and the Northwest as settings. Jess Walter dances in and out of history to portray that life both then and now is simultaneously beautiful and in ruins, as the glass can be half full at the same time that it is half empty. It is our choices which determine not only our perspective, but how much meaning our lives hold in the end.

It's not a story as much as a collection of memories of a girl traveling from one native american village to another meeting the people and quietly and respectfully painting their totem poles. In the noise and bluster of modern day literature, this book is the camping trip in the wilderness, quiet, peaceful and full of love. It is a funny and sweet little treasure worthy of a summer afternoon.

It's the story of King Arthur turned on it's ear beautifully and magically. Arthur and Merlin become minor characters in the story while the women, particularly Authur's sister Morgana, become the driving forces. These female characters are profoundly spiritual and passionate. They are also fully in control. This book taught me more about feminism than anything else I've ever read. It made me fully aware of the fact the the history of Western Civilization is told from a male perspective and that the roles of women have merely been downplayed. In short, it changed my life.

This is a book about a bunch of bored and winey white people. They are all more or less morally deprived, but not in a way that is either interesting or moving in anyway. They all have a lot going for them and they all squander their potential feeling sorry for themselves until they grind to a dull halt.

The Harry Potter books are among my absolute favorites even as compared to my favorite adult titles. The Deathly Hallows ties the series up with great suspense, surprises and immense satisfaction. If you're a fan of the other books you will absolutely love this one. We finally find out definitively whether Snape is good or evil. The only complaints that I've ever heard about the ending of the series came from Alan Rickman fans. You'll have to read the book to find out why.

Dan Brown does what few other can. He writes books of the highest caliber every time. In the The Lost Symbol, he has collected amazing details about the Masonic legends and woven them into a fascinating tale that contains as much fact as it does fiction. If you enjoyed any of his other books, you will love The Lost Symbol too. Those who had issues with the religious implications of The DaVinci Code may find that this book changes their minds about Dan Brown's work. It is not blasphemous, it's just some of the best fiction ever written.

The first two Harry Potter books were excellent children's books, better than most of the adult novels I've read. Interestingly, the style and plots of the books mature along with the main characters. The Half-Blood Prince is tantalizing and it's characterization of the Half-Blood Prince himself deftly foreshadows what's to come in the final book of the series, The Deathly Hallows. The later J.K. Rowling's books, although categorized as "children's books," are among my all-time favorites along side Samuel Clemens, and Marion Zimmer Bradley.

The Wizard of Oz books were my favorites as a child. Now I would say the only books that top them are the Harry Potter books.