Customer Comments

I had this book for a long time before I finally read it (the blue cover and just the word blue are what initially drew me to it) but I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It was a quick read as some of the chapters are barely two pages long, but the storyline was compelling enough that I could hardly put it down for long. I really liked the characters of Iris and Ambrose and although this book was about her terrible experience in being sent to an Insane Asylum and the people that she meets there, I wish it would have focused more on Isabel and Ambrose, but the author did give a nice balance in telling stories about the other people involved such as the Doctor and his wife and son. The son plays a huge part in this book and it would be interesting to read another book about what happens to him after this one ends. I really felt for Iris and I wasn't prepared for the outcome of this story. Normally I don't like war stories but this one was written really well and it was obvious that the author did a lot of research in writing it. My one complaint is that the POV's changed frequently and without warning. There are no 'lines' to separate one POV from another so I'd be reading what I thought was Iris's POV and then realize that it had switched to the Doctor's (or some other character). Other than that, it's a great book and I do recommend it.

Before I really get into this review I have to say that this is one book that I'm glad that I read all the way to the end. I can definitely understand why some readers would have stopped early on because I seriously considered it. The writing was so.... well, different that it took me a long time to get into it. But since I was already invested in Eleanor's story I wanted to find out what would happen. The beginning drags and I mean REALLY drags but somewhere around page 100 or so it becomes hysterically funny (to the point that I was laughing out loud at work and in a restaurant, which I rarely do) and suddenly I couldn't stop reading. Eleanor reminded me so much of Britt-Marie from the Frederick Bachman book "Britt Marie Was Here", which I loved. I loved how she changed so much in the course of the book thanks to Raymond. I really liked him. He wasn't at all her type but they were really cute together. I loved their friendship. That being said, this isn't a romance and for that I was glad. I don't think it would have worked, otherwise. There is a huge twist toward the end that left me confused but reading some of the spoilers on Goodreads cleared it up and although I found it unnecessary to include it, after I thought about it, it made sense. It wasn't as great as people said it was but I enjoyed it and now I'm curious about the upcoming movie.

I learned so many things from this book, mainly about Scotland and its fascinating history. But even more so, I learned that Alan is a gentle and kind man. It's more than an autobiography and I couldn’t put it down. I've never read a book like this; an autobiography that reads like a dramatic novel. There are a couple of startling twists that had me on the edge of my seat, both at the onset and when the truth was revealed and I love that they were interspersed throughout the book, so just when you thought you'd forgotten all about it, it hits you in the face. This isn't just an autobiography that describes the jagged relationship that Alan and his brother had with their father. It's also a fascinating history lesson in which he describes the challenges he went through while searching for answers about the fate of his late grandfather. The book flips back and forth from "Then to Now" as described in the chapters but does so in a way that's not confusing. I really liked that the chapters were short which allowed me to read this quickly, since it really is a page-turner. I finished it in ten days, which is quite a feat for me. I haven't read a book that quickly in a long time. I highly recommend this book, although it does have a fair amount of swearing and it's very raw and honest. It's definitely one of the best autobiographies I've ever read.

I was so excited to see that my favorite actor, Tom Hanks had written a book and after getting this book for Christmas, I couldn't wait to get started on it! The stories are short enough that you can put it away for a while if you need to and come back to it. I admit that the reason I didn't give this the entire five stars is because although I liked the book as a whole, I didn't like every story. Some were much better than others; some were hilarious and some were boring. But it was fascinating how Tom managed to put a typewriter into each and every story in some aspect or another. I am definitely going to find the audio book after learning that Tom narrated it (how fun to listen to him reading his own book!) and perhaps re-read this book again at some point. I'm glad I got it as a Christmas gift from my husband so that I don't have to return it to the library and wish that I had my own copy. Tom is definitely an amazing and very unique man and this book was very enjoyable as a whole. Although I wouldn't want him to transition over to writing full time in exchange for his acting talents, I hope he will write more books like this.

This is an interesting book and it does have a lot of elements of Seinfeld (of course) but it was too deep for me and I think the author analyzed the show too much. But if you like that sort of thing and you're a Seinfeld fanatic, then check out this book.

This is a heavy (weight) book filled with everything you wanted to know about Fred Roger's and Mr Rogers Neighborhood. It has wonderful pictures, both color and black and white. There is a forward by Tom Hanks and the end chapter is a behind the scenes look at the movie "Beautiful Day..." . One of the best books I've ever seen. I definitely learned a lot!

I lost my husband in January of 2019 and decided to give "Good Grief" a try, thinking that it might be helpful. The first part is pretty realistic as far as some of the grief process goes; the various emotions are similar to what I've been going through. I have considered a move to Oregon and there is something similar in this story, so that part interested me. But halfway through the book it feels like the writer gave up and handed it over to someone else to finish. I admit it, I can't stand the character of Crystal and although I get that Sophie was trying to gain companionship I would have dumped this loser girl in the very beginning. I have to point out the things that make this book so far fetched , like Sophie selling her house in just a few days and being at the house during the showings, even going out to dinner with the buyer! She finds a boyfriend fairly quickly once she arrives in Oregon and although I liked the sections where Sophie was going to the grief counseling group that was about the end of the realism of this book. I don't understand the reason for almost an entire chapter devoted to Sophie and Ruth taking Ethan's clothes to Goodwill. I almost stopped reading it all together after that. This book tries really hard to be helpful in showing grief but it just didn't work for me. Maybe if I found a lousy job that turned into a dream one it would have made more sense. I was going to try another book by this author but now I think I'll pass.

Like a lot of books I read, I did so on a whim. I should have known after it took me three tries to get into this book that it just wasn't meant to be. Maggie, the mom is soooo annoying, going on and on about her lack of enthusiasm for her job that she's been in for umpteen years. The dad is the most sensible character (as far as I read anyway) and Rosie, the main character, seems like she has her head in the clouds. Her sister's story was intriguing because she apparently has a big secret from her past, but I didn't get far enough into the book to find out what it was. I wanted to read this all the way through but OMG, it's just so s-l-o-w m-o-v-i-ng that I couldn't waste my time any longer. Maybe someday it will be a Hallmark movie

I hate to say it but I was a little disappointed in this book. Maybe I wasn't in the right spirit but after reading the other books this one just felt repetitive. I loved the illustrations and the story is sweet but I would have preferred for it to be a little different.

This is such a cute book and so funny. Perfect for younger readers and even those of us who are young at heart. It would be a great book for kids who are worried about a visit to the eye doctor!

I'm reviewing this book before I actually finished it because although I looked at every page, I want to go back and read it more thoroughly. This is a wonderful book that I discovered at the library. It is filled with artist's renderings of the Peanuts characters and interesting interpretations and information about their artistic talents. The pictures are just beautiful and the strips are absolutely hilarious. Simply put, this book is a gem.

I will probably never throw a dinner party, make a batch of sweet tea or wallpaper an elaborate home, and I most likely will never use any of the wonderful recipes that are included, but I love this book! It is part autobiography (all upbeat and happy!) part guide on Southern living and part book guide. I was born and raised in Texas so I was a Southerner as well, which is probably what made me enjoy this book a little more than I expected. Reese is absolutely adorable and even though I don't live in the South anymore, I found some of her information useful and I found some great book recommendations. It was a quick read and the only thing I would change about it is to make the pictures larger. If Reese is anything in person like she portrays herself in this book, I would love to meet her. But in the meantime I will definitely be watching more of her movies!

I felt somewhat guilty giving this book only two stars because essentially it's not a bad book at all. It's just very, very depressing. The author's traumatic experience is like nothing I can imagine, so I admire him for being able to share his story. I lost my husband unexpectedly in January of 2019 and although it was the most horrible thing that has happened to me, this book is really geared toward those who have experienced catastrophic loss. That being said, this book really didn't provide much help to me and although I do feel for the author's pain, I didn't get very far into it. Hopefully it will help others, though.

This is a wonderful book written by Luca Dotti, Audrey's youngest son. It's more of a "food biography" than a regular biography. It's filled with wonderful pictures and recipes (I can't wait to try some!) as well as touching moments. Highly recommended for every Audrey fan!

This book didn't do much for me and I didn't find it that interesting but hopefully it will be helpful to others.

I was disappointed in this book since it came so highly recommended by my grief group. I didn't find it interesting at all and stopped reading it soon after I began.

I checked this out purely out of curiosity because I had heard so much about Danika's math books. This one was extremely cute and should be entertaining for children to learn about numbers and counting.

Very sweet counting book for young children. I loved the illustrations!

I am a huge Leave it to Beaver fan so I found some of this interesting. But Lumpy has never been one of my favorite characters which is probably why I didn't enjoy it as much as I had hoped.

The first book intrigued me but then I wanted to throw it across the room. The second book had me hooked to the point that I read it in four days. But this.... I have tried to read this three times and have yet to get to the fourth chapter. That should speak volumes as to why I don't think this book was necessary.

I feel like a broken record because I've said this about soooo many books but here we go again. I tried to like this one; I wanted to like this one but it moved soooo slowly and just wasn't going anywhere. If it's ever made into a movie I'll watch it in a heartbeat because honestly I really would like to know what happens. And actually the book seemed familiar so maybe I had forgotten that I tried to read it before. I don't think I'll try for a third.

I am definitely in the minority when it comes to liking this book b/c after multiple attempts, I couldn't get into it at all. Finally gave up on it after at least three tries.

I can't do it. I cannot bring myself to read a book in which the dog talks and the term octopus is used for something that has nothing to do with the sea creature. I tried reading two chapters of it, but it's just not for me. And don't get me started on the ending. I read enough spoilers to make me curious about the ending, so I read it and that was enough for me.

I first found out about this book through a commercial for it and I was glad that I finally had a chance to read it. I was in my 20s in 1990 so I'm a bit over the target age range for this story, but I didn't find it that funny, to be honest. There were the "gross jokes" that seem to be found in every kid's book and I considered giving up on it. But Jackie's story intrigued me so I kept on. I liked that the chapters were short, which allowed me to get through the book quickly. I loved that You're A Good Man Charlie Brown was featured so prominently and I even learned a lot about theatre and public speaking. All this from a really cute kid's book.( I loved the illustrations and all of the 90s references as well!) Who knew?

I didn't really like this book as much as the other books in this series but it was interesting to read about the life of George Washington. I'm fortunate to live in the only state named after him and I really didn't know much about him (other than the fabricated stories that are so popular, like the wooden teeth and the apple tree), so I did learn a lot about our First President. This is a great book to teach kids about history but adults should find it entertaining as well.

I have read "Monster" more times than I can remember and even as an adult, it's still one of my favorite books. It's very funny seeing the extremes that Grover goes to in order to keep the reader from turning the pages, for that will only bring him closer to the end of the book. The story is a little suspenseful but in a funny and exciting kind of way and the ending is just-well, you'll just have to read it and find out! Kids and adults will love it for sure. How can anyone not love Grover?

This book is absolutely adorable! I an a huge lover of ocean life (especially sea otters!) so I I really love this book. It has a hidden conservation message and beautiful illustrations. It reminded me of the movie "Free Willy" in a way. Very sweet and easy to read in a rhyme pattern. I will most likely read it again soon!

When I got to the ending, I couldn't believe that I had read what I just read. Wait, what? At first I didn't even understand what had happened, and then when I realized the full scope of it, I was shocked. I'm curious about how parents would explain the ending to their kids should the question come about-and that being said, this book is definitely not for young children-or animal lovers at that. I'm sure that adults find the ending hilarious and I guess in a way it was kind of funny-Definitely unexpected! I'm still shaking my head over this book, but if you look at it lightheartedly, it is a cute story.

This was an okay book with cute illustrations but I wasn't really that thrilled with the story itself. The line "I have to pee" seemed kind of crude and really doesn't belong in a kid's book.

I loved everything about this book, from the storylines to the illustrations. Such a sweet story about friends and neighbors coming together to do something special. It almost makes me look forward to snow in Western Washington State... almost!

This is a very sweet and funny book and it's so needed right now when we can't hug each other! Loved the illustrations but it's the story that really got to me.

I love these Mr. Panda books and although I didn't love this nearly as much as the previous books I've read, but it was cute and I love the illustrations. There's a good message here, that not all presents may be perfect but it's the thought that counts

This is a beautiful story both in pictures and words. It does an excellent job of combining the with divorce/separation and creativity. I learned about Picasso as well, which was an unexpected surprise

This is a very sweet book with beautiful illustrations. The story is simple-a baby bear asks his mother about things he sees and her answer always includes a color. The ending is just beautiful! (Pun intended)

Cute book, but not really what I was expecting. Basically it's the song "The Wheels on the Bus" with Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Grover, etc added." Nothing really special but kids should enjoy it and adults will probably enjoy "singing along" to the words.

Until now I hadn't read Corduroy in years and I had forgotten how much I love it. Such a sweet story with beautiful illustrations. Children and adults alike will love it.

This is such a cute book and about halfway through I found myself laughing at the unexpected turn the story took. I loved it!

This book is absolutely adorable! Loved the story and the illustrations. Such a cute story about a bear who loses his way but finds something even better.

A very weird and creepy story about love. The illustrations leave a lot to be desired. It surprised me to learn that the illustrator is an adult, which doesn't speak very highly of him. I think a child could have drawn better pictures. I don't know if this was the intention of the author or not, but it does nothing to make this book any better.

I wasn't that crazy about the story but the illustrations are beautiful. Unfortunately that didn't help the story much.

Just an ok book. I don't know where the author received his schooling nor do I get why this book was published when the characters never "asked" for what they wanted. Everything was "said". Trust me, you'll see what I mean when you start reading.…

I loved this book so much! Such cute illustrations and I loved that all of the animals worked together to find Blue Bear's little boy, despite how different they were. I really loved that this book was local-that was probably the best thing of all!

Cute story with a sweet ending!

I really hated not finishing this because for the most part I really liked it. I just hated that it took sooo long to get even halfway through. The storyline is really cute although I hated the way Anne was treated by Marilla up to page 148 (I haven't read past that). Right now I have a million other books to read and this one just dragged for me. It's probably my mindset since I have a lot going on at the moment, but I would like to see the movie (or a movie version) and perhaps try reading this again in the future. If you have the time an the patience, it's a great book.

Absolutely loved it! Such a cute story with a catchy rhyme! The ending is something of a "cliffhanger" and could definitely lead to a sequel!

This is a sweet book designed for kids but I found it helpful in applying it to the recent loss of my husband. I like the idea of creating a memory box and I think I'm going to do that as soon as I can

I first read this little book back in 1992 when I lost my dad. I was reminded of it again at a grief counseling session after the unexpected loss of my husband in January of 2019. I read it in about 30 minutes because there's not a lot of words. Some pages only had a few lines but as a whole it's a very simple and sweet book with positive messages and suggestions for coping. I definitely recommend it and may read it again.

I would not want to meet this author. She would have me pulling my hair out and wanting to smack her at the same time, if, in fact she actually does the things that she writes about. This incredibly small book is filled with tons of ways to irritate and infuriate people. I did find some of them hilarious but toward the end, they became really stupid. I know that this book is meant for entertainment, but I know plenty of people who have taken this advice to heart and believe me, these tactics work when trying to annoy someone. I looked through this author's list of other books and I definitely won't be reading anymore, given the subject matter, but this was somewhat fun to read and for the most part it made me laugh. I could tell that the author is from the UK because some of the things she describes are clearly not how they are in the US, but I think these can be applied everywhere. I just hope that people don't take this book to heart. I can't deal with more annoying people. The world is full enough of them already

This book was so much more than I expected. After reading a couple of books (non-related) that were hard to get into, I found myself immersed in this one. I was drawn to the characters-particularly Alma and her devotion to her family; her husband & her daughter. I enjoyed reading about her family's journey from Mexico to New Jersey in the hopes of a better life but the struggles they found there were real. I gained a lot of empathy for them because they weren't native English speakers and that presented a problem for everyone. They befriended another family who had a boy named Mayor. He was one of the most interesting characters. Aside from Alma, I really liked him most of the way through. For the most part I really liked his relationship with Maribel. Maribel had previously suffered a horrible accident while in Mexico, but although it is mentioned several times,no details are given until around page 100. At that point, the story seemed to move faster &faster & it definitely got more interesting. Toward the end of the book, Mayor makes a very bad decision which affects everyone and resulted in an ending that I was not at all prepared for. I'm glad I read this and it definitely makes me feel more empathetic toward people who may not speak or understand English and what it's like to be in a foreign country where everything seems new. That's probably the best thing that could come out of reading a book like this-empathy. The world needs more of it.

There's probably a reason that it took me a very long time to get through even half of this book. As a writer, I was hoping to find a way to possibly incorporate stories of my husband into something that I might be able to publish someday, or at least feel a sense of accomplishment from. Unfortunately I didn't find it here. The first part of this book is very dull and it just goes on and on about nothing, really. I found that reading the author's story about her loss was upsetting and not very helpful, since I am still in the early stages of grief. It's not to say that I don't recommend this book for others, because I'm sure that some people will find it helpful, but I wish it had been organized a little differently. It would have made it more interesting and easier to read.

Being that this is not only a remake but a sequel to that remake, I didn't really have high hopes for it. But the couple of times I've watched it, I've found it to be pretty cute. If you look closely, you'll recognize Taylor Lautner from the Twilight series and also Hilary Duff of music and Disney Channel fame. Sure it's a silly film and not to be taken seriously, but it's fun to watch for the laughs.

I have read three autobiographies (Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Bryan Cranston) and this, Bryan Cranston's "A Life In Parts" if not the best autobiography I've ever read. I consider myself a fan of "Breaking Bad", which is what peaked my interest in this book. I didn't know much at all about Bryan, except for the projects I've seen him in. That being said, this is unlike any autobiography out there and I loved the way it was written. "A Life In Parts" is referring to the many roles he has played in his life, such as of course, Walter White, but also Father, Son, Husband, and some other roles that were surprising. He writes with such honesty in short, easy to read chapters that tell individual stories. There were some that made me laugh out loud (absolutely hilarious!), some that made me feel for him so much that I wanted to hug him (he's been through a lot in his life) and some that were so shocking that even I couldn't believe what I was reading. He's very candied and holds nothing back, which I loved. I felt like we were sitting across from each other and he was telling me stories about his life. The beginning of the book goes right into it, brilliantly describing a key episode of "Breaking Bad" (note; there are a lot of spoilers for the show, so if you haven't watched the series, I'd suggest you do so before reading this, to avoid those... I'm assuming he's writing on the assumption that everyone has seen the whole series prior to reading his book), almost like a script in story from and then effortlessly glides into Bryan's voice, leading into his personal life. It was amazingly done. From there he skips around some, but the titles (roles) are there to tell you what subject he tackles next. I should also mention that this book isn't just an autobiography, but it's a great resource for anyone who is considering becoming an actor. He takes you through every step, giving piece after piece of advice that he's learned from experience on almost every aspect. I would consider it an actor's handbook as well as an autobiography because there is so much material on the subject that any aspiring actor would find it helpful. Were I considering that field I would purchase this book and cherish it like gold. Oh to be as good as Bryan Cranston on stage and screen; big and small. Reading this makes me not only want to watch the whole series again (REALLY watch it this time), but it also makes me wish I had gone to his appearance at Benaroya Hall in Seattle back in October when he was promoting his book. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that in one section he mentioned my favorite actor, David Hyde Pierce! It was just a sentence, but it honestly made me love this book more. This is one book that I would consider purchasing in the future to read it again and again. It's that good. I'm sure it must have been hard for him to talk about a lot of the subjects he covers in this book, but he did it brilliantly and I hope that this book earns him more fans. He certainly has one in me! (less) [edit]

I'll be honest here. I have mixed feelings about this book. On the plus side, it kept me interested enough to keep reading. I like the character Novalee and the way this book made me think of the small towns in Texas, but there were more things about this book that made me NOT like it than things that made me like it. Some things were very graphic and hard to read and in my opinion rather unnecessary. There was some unexpected suspense and drama as well, which didn't really bother me but I wasn't prepared for that. I guess I should have known that her boyfriend's story would be told as well, but I found his story contained most of the graphic subject matter (meaning blood, etc) that I ended up skimming over. I wish that the story would have focused more on Novalee, because in the beginning, when she ends up at the Wal-Mart, her boyfriend is made out to be this horrible jackass. That being said, I did like that Novalee grew a lot as a person in this story and it proved to be rather inspirational. But as a whole this story didn't appeal to me that much. This is the first time I've read this book, but I did see the movie about 16 years ago. I didn't care for it, but I'm tempted to watch it again just to see how much it follows the book. I was also tempted to read more of Ms. Letts books but after the disappointment of this one, I think I'll pass.

I actually started reading the sequel; "The World According To Bob" before I realized that it was a sequel, but I'm glad I did because that book (which I will review when I finish it) was a good introduction to James and Bob. I absolutely LOVED this book and I found myself laughing, smiling and even flipping through the pages a few times during certain tense moments. I am a cat lover and although I don't have one myself I am envious of James that he found such a wonderful friend. I love that he refers to Bob as his soulmate and I love how protective they are of each other. This book is written in such vivid detail that I had a mental picture of what the tube stations where James and Bob went to work to earn a living and their home at their flat in London probably looked like. I learned so much about cats and their behaviors that I wasn't aware of before during the course of this book, which was a nice touch. I also have a bit more sympathy and understanding for homeless people, although I still feel a bit weary of them when I encounter them on the streets of Seattle. It's amazing how James was able to turn his life around completely thanks to Bob, a cat that came into his life unexpectedly. I really, really enjoyed this book and am enjoying the sequel as well, so I would highly recommend both books. By the way, I found some wonderful videos of James and Bob on James' Goodreads page and there are some videos on YouTube that are worth checking out. Seeing those after reading this wonderful book really brings the pages to life. I know I'll probably never get to meet James or Bob but I'm really happy for both of them that they have gained such fame and have much better lives now that they have met and become best friends. Read this book, even if you don't like cats... You'll be glad that you did.

I actually started reading the sequel; "The World According To Bob" before I realized that it was a sequel, but I'm glad I did because that book (which I will review when I finish it) was a good introduction to James and Bob. I absolutely LOVED this book and I found myself laughing, smiling and even flipping through the pages a few times during certain tense moments. I am a cat lover and although I don't have one myself I am envious of James that he found such a wonderful friend. I love that he refers to Bob as his soulmate and I love how protective they are of each other. This book is written in such vivid detail that I had a mental picture of what the tube stations where James and Bob went to work to earn a living and their home at their flat in London probably looked like. I learned so much about cats and their behaviors that I wasn't aware of before during the course of this book, which was a nice touch. I also have a bit more sympathy and understanding for homeless people, although I still feel a bit weary of them when I encounter them on the streets of Seattle. It's amazing how James was able to turn his life around completely thanks to Bob, a cat that came into his life unexpectedly. I really, really enjoyed this book and am enjoying the sequel as well, so I would highly recommend both books. By the way, I found some wonderful videos of James and Bob on James' Goodreads page and there are some videos on YouTube that are worth checking out. Seeing those after reading this wonderful book really brings the pages to life. I know I'll probably never get to meet James or Bob but I'm really happy for both of them that they have gained such fame and have much better lives now that they have met and become best friends. Read this book, even if you don't like cats... You'll be glad that you did.

I found this book quite by accident, sitting on the shelf of a hotel where I stayed last year and I'm so glad that I decided to take it home. I never pictured myself reading a book like this but I found the mix of Indian and American culture in "Lovetorn" fascinating. Since this is a book widely regarded to teens, there was very little swearing (I only found one word) and it was written in a rather simplistic fashion without a lot of jargon. However, it even includes a Glossary in the back for words that might not make sense. I found this to be very helpful and I learned a lot. As for the book itself, it was the story line that intrigued me but even though the actual plot (that is listed in the description for the book) doesn't start until about 3/4ths of the way in, the road to get there was amazingly interesting. I loved reading about how Shalini and her little sister adjusted to school and how her father came to India to make a better life for his family. I also found it interesting that there is a rift in the family as they deal with the wife/mother and it's the dad who is the one who tries to hold them all together. This is such a great book to learn about other cultures and yet still be immersed in the world of the American High School, and even though I've been out of high school for thirty years now, I could relate to some of the things that Shalini went through. I wouldn't mind reading a sequel to this book but in the meantime, I highly recommend it and will definitely take a look at Ms. Daswani's other books as well

I wanted to like this book but it wasn't at all what I expected. I know it's a teen book ( no offense to teens) but reading this was almost a chore like reading a regular dictionary. Some of the descriptions were interesting and even cute but the cartoons were just silly. i don't think I could relate to them but it would be impossible to remember them, much less use them. Not really. impressed with Eden's book at all. Fortunately her TV show "The Middle"is much more entertaining.

Ugh, this book was not only a disappointment, it was downright awful. Not at all what I was expecting. This book appealed to me at first because it takes place in Spokane but the constant swearing, references to sex and the generally disgusting descriptions of various things was a huge turn off. I mistakenly thought this was going to be a book of short stories., which might have made for a more enjoyable read, but somehow I doubt it.

I absolutely LOVE this adorable book! I have read it several times and each time I find something new. I love the sweet pictures of the First Cat Socks and the First Dog Buddy (who sadly have both passed away) and the cute letters that kids wrote to them. Even as an adult I learned quite a bit about the White House and about First Pets. There are several sections in this book interspersed with the letters from kids, such as a Q&A for Buddy and Socks, a guide to pet care and the pet bios. It's a wonderful book for adults and kids alike, even if you aren't a fan of the Clinton's. It's hard not to fall in love with this book.

Because I'm not into the horror genre, this is the first book by Stephen King that I've ever read. However, I'm not at all embarrassed to say that because it's a wonderful book! What I liked most about it was that it wasn't all about how to write. It gave a lot of background about him (and I love that it was told in First Person which made me feel like he was speaking directly to me)and best of all, I found it hilarious. I read this many years ago and as someone who writes a lot I found his information very useful but what I remember most about this book was the section where he talks about finding out about "Carrie" being published in paperback and the money that he was going to receive for it. I don't remember all of the details but his recollection of that moment was so hilarious and honest that it has stayed with me for years. This is worth reading even if you aren't interested in becoming a writer, if only to read about this amazing author.

The story itself, about a brave teenager who survived a shark attack that resulted in the loss of her arm and who was still determined to become a professional surfer, is incredible and very powerful, not to mention uplifting. However, I was really disappointed in this book b/c of the way it was written. At the time that she wrote this, Bethany was a young teenager and this is written in her voice, but I felt like I was reading a book that was better suited for a group of junior high school students, rather than a 40-something adult. This book focuses heavily on religion and has several references to God, all of which are fine but after a while it got to be a bit much for my tastes. I would have liked to have read more about her rehabilitation and how she learned to do things using one arm and how she coped with that. I would have liked to have read about the times that she was in despair and though the world was crashing down on her because I find it hard to believe that she stayed so positive throughout the whole ordeal. That being said, this would be a wonderful addition to a junior high or high school library, although I think that given the prose, it would be better suited for the junior high age. Or better yet, a church library would be the perfect place for such a book. That being said, I did find it fascinating, but it didn't 'challenge' me the way books written for adults (and some better written YA books have), so I'm hoping that the movie version of this book which I hear is very good-is much more satisfying.

As a girl who was a huge Captain and Tennille fan back in the day, and as someone who was completely floored when I heard that the couple had divorced, I was happy to hear that Toni Tennille had written this book. Finally I could find out the real reason they are no longer married. I got much more than I bargained for. So the first thing I did before I even bought the book was open it to the back and look for the section where she talks about the circumstances behind the divorce. Rarely if ever have I paid full price for a book but this one was worth every penny. Told entirely by Toni Tennille, I felt like she was telling the story to me personally, and quite honestly in the beginning, I was stunned and I felt like I had been betrayed all of these years in what I believed to be true about Daryl Dragon and Toni's life together. But as I read on, I could see where she was coming from. She touches on nearly every part of her life, from her early childhood, her parents and when she met Daryl Dragon. That's when the book really starts to get interesting. From there it's literally one surprise after another with a few hilarious (even Laugh Out Loud) moments thrown in for good measure. She gives us background on the meanings and inspiration behind some of the greatest songs that she's written and even some information on celebrities that most likely few people are aware of. I'll be honest here. This review is VERY hard to write without spoilers and I want so bad to tell people about the surprises in this book. But it's best to read this book without knowing what to expect. It's very well written and as I mentioned before, worth every penny. It has amazing pictures in it and does a great job of following Toni's career. It was nice being able to learn more about this woman I'd emulated almost all of my life. It also made me wish that more of their albums were available on CD. As I mentioned earlier I read the part about the divorce first because I'd heard some crazy rumors about it and I wanted the real story. But honestly it didn't ruin anything for me because by the time I reached that section of the book from where I started at the beginning, it made more sense. However the 'road' to get there was admittedly surprising. This is an amazing book and although it will most likely change how you view the Captain and Tennille (I know I feel differently about them now), I mean that in a good way. Even if you're not a Captain and Tennille fan, this is a great book and gives wonderful insight to a very talented woman. (less)

I absolutely love this book, namely because I have such a heartfelt love for Charles Schulz, Snoopy and writing. My favorite thing about this book was not the segments from various authors (who include Danielle Steele and Ray Bradbury just to name a couple) who each wrote a short note to Snoopy with writing advice for his as yet unpublished novel that he's been working on for years, but the treasury of Snoopy writing-themed strips (ie: It was a dark and stormy night). While the advice given isn't that informative at times, the strips are always brilliant and sometimes hilarious. But that being said there were some pieces of advice that I will be applying to my writing. I recommend this for writers of every genre, whether published or not.

This is a book that I have read over and over again simply because of the idea that someone came up with such a brilliant and unique love story. I picked it up and read the first few pages and then bought it immediately because I couldn't put it down. I don't want to give too much away and honestly it's been such a long time ago that I read it, that I would probably be doing a disservice in giving an honest review. But I will say that it's worth a read. If you've seen the movie "Made in Heaven" staring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo that is the movie version of this book. Why the character names and the title were changed, I have no idea, but it's nice to see the story come to life and it's pretty close to the way it is in the book. However, I do recommend the book wholeheartedly. This is the story of how powerful love can be and how the most unexpected things can change your life forever...

The minute I started to read, I fell in love with this book instantly. Unlike many main characters whom the reader comes to love as the story unfolds, Colie was wonderful from the beginning. I truly felt for her and I wish this book had been around when I was in my early teens. There are some wonderful messages here about making the best of a situation, being yourself and learning to let go of the past. It was very hard as I neared the end, knowing I would have to say goodbye to Colie, but the memory of this story will stay with me for a long time.