Book 1, Gamadin: Word of Honor Review

Book 1, Gamadin: Word of Honor
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When our book club first received Book 1, Gamadin: Word of Honor to review, many of us thought this would be another UFO story or off-world space tale, especially after reading the first chapter, which put us on the distant planet of Amerloi.
But we realized that this was no ordinary adventure when we were transported to a very earthly Newport Beach, California! There we meet a couple of surfers, Harlowe Pylott and Matt Riverstone, taking on the waves of a closed beach. They come across a boating accident. Saving its passengers leads Harlowe to his half-alien, soon-to-be significant other, Leucadia Mars. He finds out that having a girlfriend like "Lu" has its consequences, like a promise that could cost all of them their lives. In no time, a series of events leads the boys in search of the galaxy's most powerful weapon: Millawanda, an ancient Gamadin spaceship.
Discovering new words like "robobs," "Dakadudes" and "undog" is only part of the charm of Word of Honor. The fast pace, strategy and battle sequences, and inter-relationships of the characters are well put together. "Flashback" passages are cleverly woven in throughout, providing clarity to the story and in many places, setting the stage for events to come.
The two surfers are fresh, likable, irreverent, good-yet-"bad boys" that you would want to go out with on a date, or just hang out with. They are cool, funny and forthright - definitely hero material. Who would have guessed that two ordinary sixteen-year old boys would lead the resurrection of a once mighty, galactic police force?
We especially enjoyed the portrayal of the two female lead characters, Leucadia and her mother, Sook, who are intelligent, independent and strong - very good role models for our younger female readers. You will find the common thread of love, loyalty and a sense of purpose over self woven throughout the story, as the young characters begin their epic inter-galactic adventure. Even the junior characters of the story have their own special appeal, and a few of them even have the potential to steal the show.
As a club, we found Word of Honor a heartwarming surprise of Southern California lifestyle humor and plot twists, full of imagination. You will find yourself drawn into the Gamadin saga with Book One. It is, we have found, quite a ride!! You don't have to be a sci-fi aficionado to enjoy this adventure. The story and characters are engaging enough to capture both the young adult and the young-at-heart audience. All of us felt the same sense of regret once the story ended, and we look forward with enthusiasm to Book Two!!


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Dancing with Destiny: Awaken Your Heart to Dream, to Love, to War Review

Dancing with Destiny: Awaken Your Heart to Dream, to Love, to War
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this book is for everyone and anyone who believes the Lord has called them for such a time as this
you will be so encouraged and energized to continue on you journey to the completion of your destiny
be blessed

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Too often Christians drift from the creativity that is a vital part of everyday living. This can lead to discouragement in the valleys and shortsightedness on the mountaintops. Visionary and prophetic leader Jill Austin invites readers to take a closer look at the promises of destiny. No heart is truly fulfilled until it is awakened to Jesus's love and his call to save the lost.Dancing with Destiny helps readers discover their deepest dreams, follow the Holy Spirit to the heart of Jesus, and move in divine strategies. With inspiring personal examples and unusual insight into the lives of biblical dreamers, lovers, and warriors, Austin shows readers how to use their God-given creativity and authority to move in spiritual power.

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A Dictionary of Writers and Their Works Review

A Dictionary of Writers and Their Works
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GOOD ADDITION TO MY BOOKS OF INFORMATION.......ARRIVED IN A SPEEDY FASHION AND THE BOOK IS LIKE NEW.....WOULD USE THIS SELLER AGAIN....THANKYOU

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Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Review

Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide
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I can't say enough good things about this book. Jekins critiques "traditional" convergence theory about converging media and argues that the instigator of convergence is the need for new patterns of consumption, not production. Each chapter addresses how fans of a particular program reorganize their media experiences to better participate in the discussion, analysis and, at times, production of future episodes or events.
Because he demonstrates through example, the text is approachable to the scholar and the layman alike. The subjects themselves make the read interesting, but Jenkins also brings his wisdom to bear at opportune moments. Highly reocmmmended for those who study media, culture or technology adoption.

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My Family, A Symphony: A Memoir of Global Adoption Review

My Family, A Symphony: A Memoir of Global Adoption
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Part travelogue, part recollection of the author's childhood in Nebraska, and part history of international adoption, this book should be on reading lists for anyone interested in adoptive families, or simply the modern American family.
While Mr. Eske's brother and sisters were chosen from around the world before settling in Nebraska, the Eske family dynamic will be familiar to anyone with younger siblings. The book does a fantastic job of realistically portraying the balance of normal family relationships with the often heartrending complications of physical disabilities and emotional trauma from the previous lives of adopted children. Mr. Eske is very aware throughout the book of his privilege and the special circumstances of his family. He also writes with modesty, humbleness, and a sharp sense of humor about himself - seen most clearly in the travel portions of the book. The anecdotes about traveling with friends in India to see both tourist haunts and the orphanage from which three of his siblings were adopted fit together seamlessly while still conveying the jarring contrasts between the expectations of a group of American students and the realities of the country they traveled. Mr. Eske has a knack for words and a special knack for drawing subtle comparisons that pull the reader in - for example, the author's description of the overwhelming atmosphere of monsoon season and the overwhelming emotion when hugged by the woman who ran the orphanage he visited. Dancing to Beyonce in the lobby of an Ethiopian hotel with a hotel worker before visiting that hotel worker's house in the slums of Addis portrays in a few crystallized moments of human interaction the author's earlier musings on globalization as something that, for all of his study, was still mysterious.
In the afterword to this gem of a book, Mr. Eske makes reference to a friend who says that it is quite ridiculous for someone in their twenties to write about themselves, acknowledging with casual self-effacement the unvoiced claims of those who would say that no one so young could offer a significant memoir. Without having picked up this book, I would have thought that yes - a quarter-century memoir would have nothing of substance to offer the casual reader. However, I am very glad that Mr. Eske took it upon himself to document the first two and a half decades of his life and the story of his family. By doing so, he has shed light into the very real struggles and triumphs of creating a family through adoption and giving children in need of a family the love and support they need, no matter where they grow up.
I picked up this book on a Saturday morning and whizzed through it by the afternoon - it is an engaging, poignant, and most of all honest portrait of one man rediscovering the ties that link him with his family and made him the person who he is today. Each story that Mr. Eske tells (the advent of international adoption, the orphanages and countries where these adoptions occur, harried parents raising five children in the Midwest) has its own merit. However when these aspects of international adoption are linked by the author's personal narrative, they become more than the sum of their parts. Mr. Eske's life story may be uncommon, but his narrative is even more extraordinary due to the beautifully mundane aspects of family life he celebrates in this book as a family is created and grows together.

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Piety & Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom Review

Piety and Politics: The Right-Wing Assault on Religious Freedom
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"Piety & Politics" is Reverend Barry Lynn's effort to educate the public on the dangers of church and state partnerships and the threat they pose to religious freedom. Lynn is an ordained minister for the United Church of Christ and he devotes considerable time and effort to defending church state separation He is also the executive director for the activist organization Americans United for Separation of Church and State and he wrote this book to explain some of the methodology of the Religious Right in its efforts to take control of government. Beginning with a chapter on the definition of religious freedom, the book offers separate chapters on some of the favorite targets of the Religious Right, such as public education, religious symbols, government- funded charity, church politicking, personal decisions on sexual matters, and the desire to censor undesirable books, movies, etc. Lynn selected these hot- button topics probably because they are among the most broad- based and the most often cited as areas where the Religious Right and its members feel strongly; so strongly, in fact, that they are willing to rewrite the U.S. Constitution in order to make their view of religion and morality the law of the land.
Barry Lynn is very well- versed on the church/state topic and he is very good at articulating his point of view. Many are familiar with Lynn and know him from his many appearances on television where he is often invited to share his perspectives. Often, Lynn squares off against one of the many pundits of the Religious Right effectively debunking the numerous myths perpetuated by these religious radicals and their followers. Lynn does exactly the same thing in this book. He writes about and sometimes quotes his political foes on the Religious Right- people like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson- throughout the book, allowing these men and others like them to show their true colors through their own words. Lynn doesn't need to degrade these men personally. He keeps his discussion on a respectful level and never resorts to name calling or other forms of immaturity. He allows the leaders of the Religious Right the opportunity to incriminate themselves on their own through their quotations and by exposing their political agendas. Most everyone is familiar with Falwell and Robertson and many have heard some of the absurd and often hateful utterances from these supposed men of the cloth. Lynn includes a few of the rude and often mean- spirited comments from these men and others on the Religious Right so that the reader can understand exactly what these people believe and the lengths they are willing to go in their efforts to convert the United States into an all out theocracy or at least a moderate version of a theocracy.
Lynn includes a few facts of history often omitted by Religious Right zealots in their pursuit of a theocratic state. He talks about the U.S. Constitution and its importance as a governing document. He doesn't, however, intend this book as merely a history lesson. The main point of the book is the present- day reality that Religious Right leaders are increasing their collective threat to the religious freedom of all Americans and that ordinary people need to wake up, realize this threat, and act accordingly. Like Lynn stresses over and over in this book, the law of the United States is the Constitution, not the Bible or any other religious text. The role of government leaders is to govern, not to play the role of national minister. Plenty of avenues already exist to spread the message of religion so it makes no sense that some want to use government, the vehicle of coercion and force, to further their religious goals. And the old argument that since the majority of Americans are Christian and should have their religion made into law is not only ludicrous, it also goes against the U.S. Constitution. The United States was founded as a constitutional republic and that means that all religions, even those in the minority, are still protected and cannot be subjected to forced coercion from the majority religion. Besides, churches already have a great degree of freedom and they don't even have to pay taxes. Why some members of the religious community would want to do anything to jeopardize this freedom is beyond reason in Lynn's mind and in the mind of other church/state activists. And the intermingling of church and state is a sure- fire reason to end religious freedom as we know it because if public funds are doled out to different religious groups (and other charitable groups, for that matter), it will subject their organizations and churches to government oversight and federal control.
Lynn writes this book very effectively. He includes an introduction explaining exactly what religious freedom is all about so that the reader has a solid basis for understanding the remainder of the book. He then offers chapters that cover some well- known areas of Religious Right controversy followed by a conclusion that pulls everything together with reminders on the design of American secular law and why it is very important that the United States never stray from its intended legal path. Lynn engages in effective persuasion- the same method he uses when he introduces others to the Christian faith. And Lynn feels persuasion is the method that all religions should use to gain converts. Governments are not and should not be in the business of saving souls. The job of elected bureaucrats is to enforce laws as they exist, not to play the role of clergy.
Lynn makes some interesting observations about religion and politics and what he says is practical, intelligent, sensible, and logical. Exposing members of the Religious Right isn't all that difficult when one considers some of the deceptive tactics and the dishonest means they use to reach their political and social goals. It is interesting, for example, how members of the Religious Right constantly speak of freedom and the elimination of government interference in economic matters yet they have no problem accepting- even promoting- government interference in personal decisions. This unusual give and take by religious radicals illustrates their dual nature and is often used to mask their true intentions. Like Lynn points out, Religious Right leaders often dismiss his and other critics' charges of the theocratic motives of the Religious Right as alarmist. But a quick look at the agenda proposed by the Religious Right shows that they are not really pro- freedom at all. They want to control what everyone does and they are more than willing to use the long arm of the law to make it happen.
Piety & Politics offers some excellent reading and some solid, sensible discussion of religion and public policy. Barry Lynn explains the threats, the deceptions, and the goals of the Religious Right and its leaders very clearly and he warns of the many repercussions if Jefferson's wall of separation goes the way of the Berlin Wall. Secularism is the foundation of the American government and it has served the nation well since the early days of the republic. Lynn explains with grace and style the threat of the Religious Right, its tactics, its motives, and why it must be stopped for the sake of religious freedom. This book offers an intelligent take on the importance of church state separation and why we all need to join together to make sure these religious radicals do not succeed at chipping away at the wall of separation between church and state. Not only is the intertwining of church and state a violation of freedom, it also runs contrary to the U.S. Constitution and needs to stopped for the good of all.


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Room 3 & Other Short Stories of Ghosts, Aliens and the Paranormal Review

Room 3 and Other Short Stories of Ghosts, Aliens and the Paranormal
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I thought this was a really great book.
In this collection of shorts, there's quite a lot of great stories, The Little Black Bird, of course, being my favorite.
That one is most definitely the most entertaining, and its funny.
So, cool!

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All of us have opinions about the realities-or non-realities-behind the various stories that we hear about aliens, ghosts and other unusual and not-so-easily-explained phenomena.However, everyone-skeptic and true believer alike-is sure to love the stories in this collection. These stories are fresh, original and creative.Some are humorous; most are scary; all are entertaining for those of us who like stowing away on someone else's literary flights of fancy.These authors take us to places that are unimaginable in the mundane world of our everyday existence.Tom Stiner's 'Room 3" allows us to overhear the voice of a long-dead rocker as a guitar-strumming ghost gives new life and new hope to a suicidal man amid the exquisite scenery of Joshua Tree National Park in the California desert.If Stiner pulls at our heart strings and leaves us inspired about the joys of life and music, then Isaiah Ramesses grates against the fear instinct deep within the reptilian core of our primitive brain.'Eyes from Beyond" is just plain terrifying!Melba Pena also dishes up fear, but fear of a different variety.'Mystery on Fog Lane" is a classic-but never trite or stereotyped-tale of the fear brought on by the uncertainty of what lies before us.In this story, dark and unexplored spaces beckon us forward, while simultaneously warning us away.Alex Mittelman, a young man with a brilliant literary future ahead of him, follows a man who is haunted by 'The Little Black Bird."Mittelman's unfortunate protagonist finds himself asking the most dreadful of all questions-'will this ever end?"Donna Bruck's 'The Visitor" features a solitary figure who also struggles against a presence that loiters around the edges of her world; the visitor's menacing presence leads to a nearly fatalistic acceptance of doom's inevitable descent.Joe Case's 'The Raven's Nest" returns to the aviary theme of Mittleman's black bird, but invites its reader into a more bizarre world of death, confusion and the paranormal than most readers have ever dared to imagine.Case leaves the reader envious of his ability to think in original and creative ways about the threats that populate our nightmares.Cris Jolliff's 'The Cauldron" calls up traditional images of witchcraft and wizardry, but not the good-always-prevails witchcraft of Harry Potter and company.In Jolliff's haunted forest, evil gains the upper hand.Death is never separated from pain, tragedy and disappointment, but death's abrasions are intensified when inflicted upon a mere child.The ghostly presence in Corrinna Underwood's 'The Secret in the Sanctuary" lingers after the completely avoidable, but agonizingly real, death of a shy school boy.Perhaps the child's lingering specter offers some hope of redemption for the guilt-plagued brother who drags on.Finally, if you've ever laid in bed at night with the covers pulled up over your head as a futile linen shield against the non-material forces that seek your demise, then you'll sympathize with Kathryn Pollard's nocturnal fears in 'Strange Bedfellows."Not even faith and piety can ward off what lingers in the shadows beyond the safety of her character's bedside sanctuary. As always, each of these stories has won the highly competitive Phyllis Scott short story contest.We are proud to bring these emerging authors to our readers!Phyllis Scott, series editor

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English Literature: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Review

English Literature: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
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English literature is one of the most prolific and well known of all national literary traditions. Inclusion of Shakespeare alone tends to intimidate all other literary accomplishment, English or otherwise. Everyone who has been brought up in an English speaking country is already probably somewhat familiar with many of the most famous works of English literature, so reading a very short introduction on this subject seems superfluous at best. Nonetheless Jonathan Bate, the author of this small book, manages to make the subject of his inquiry fresh and interesting, so even if you think you know everything there could be said in such a small format you may benefit from reading this short introduction. Bete's writing style is extremely engaging and literary, and this alone makes this a very interesting and fun book to read. You are likely to discover new interesting tidbits about Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Blake, Wordsworth, and many other literary giants. You will also discover how truly protean English literature is, and how England, long before the term was applied to the United States, was a veritable melting pot of various cultures and literary traditions. Bate makes his point particularly forcefully when showing that out of a dozen or so "English" literature Nobel Prize laureates, only two can be considered "fully" English in the sense that they were born and raised in England to English parents. I tend not to put too much stock in the fascination with "multiculturalism," but it's hard to argue that this diversity of the individual personal experiences has not greatly enriched English literature, as well as all literature written in English language.
This short book is very well written and it will probably inspire you to reach for a classic or two of English literature right after you finish reading it. That is probably the greatest accomplishment that any one of these very short introductions can aspire for - to inspire the reader to learn even more about its subject.


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A renowned critic, biographer, and Shakespeare scholar, Jonathan Bate provides in this Very Short Introduction a lively and engaging overview of the literature that Jorge Luis Borges called "the richest in the world." From the medieval "Hymn of Caedmon" to George Orwell's "Why I Write," from Jane Austen to Ian McEwan, and from Winnie the Pooh to Dr. Johnson, this brilliant, compact survey stretches across the centuries, exploring the major literary forms (poetry, novel, drama, essay and more), the many histories and theories of the very idea of literature, and the role of writers in shaping English, British, and post-imperial identities. Bate illuminates the work of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, Dickens, and many other major figures of English literature. He looks at the Renaissance, Romanticism, and Modernism, at the birth of the novel and the Elizabethan invention of the idea of a national literature, and at the nature of writing itself. Ranging from children's literature to biography, this is an indispensable guide and an inspiration for anyone interested in England's magnificent literary heritage.

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Welcome to JesusLand (Formerly the United States of America): Shocking Tales of Depravity, Sex, and Sin Uncovered by God's Favorite Church, Landover Baptist Review

Welcome to JesusLand  (Formerly the United States of America): Shocking Tales of Depravity, Sex, and Sin Uncovered by God's Favorite Church, Landover Baptist
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I am a Christian. Hands down, I will never back down from my faith. However, there are a lot of people out there who claim Christianity yet, live a life totally different from Christ. Being a conservative Christian does not work. We cannot point fingers and label people as "sinner," all that does is push them away and give them a reason to write a book such as this one. I have had many bad run-ins with the Baptist church. Honestly, this book is pretty dead on with some of my experiences. I am a ministry leader but I am constantly around those who the traditional church turns its back on. So in summary:
To the Christians: stop complaining about this book. You probably caused this to happen and are just angry because you see yourself within it. Go read a book called unChristian by David Kinneman.. maybe it will change your perceptions.
To those who support this book: good job, someone has to take a stand against right winged Baptist Nazis.

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In the sacred and honorable tradition of "The Onion" comes a hilarious and outrageous collection of "church newsletters" that gleefully skewer America's religious right.

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The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions and Revelations in the Slums of Bangkok Review

The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions and Revelations in the Slums of Bangkok
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This is a story that was destined to be told. Thankfully, it chose an author who could handle serious and often grim content with aplomb, resulting in a book that is very readable. Greg Barrett has clearly taken the cause of Father Joe Maier to heart, and through the Gospel of Father Joe, wants the reader to do the same. The slums of Bangkok are indicative of the unspeakable behaviors humans allow to happen to one another, and force upon one another. Sadly, Bangkok is not the only place we treat each other in reprehensible and shameful ways. So very fortunate are the women and children in this humanities-war torn area to have an angel in the form of a gruff and grumpy man named Father Joseph Maier, and his creation, The Mercy Center. Reader alert: Knowledge like this can never be conveniently unknown.

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Three decades ago in a cordoned-off corner of the developing world an angry Catholic priest armed only with pencil, paper, and crayons, declared a revolution. From a shanty school shared with Buddhists and Muslims in Bangkok's squatter slums, Father Joe Maier began his advance on abject poverty. Today, his Human Development Foundation and Mercy Centre charity is responsible for thirty-two preschools that have taught more than twenty thousand children how to read and write. Despite the crippling neglect found in impoverishment, he is raising international scholars and injecting a sense of purpose into shantytowns and squatter camps that used to have neither.

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Where Do Demons Live?: Everything You Want to Know About Magic Review

Where Do Demons Live: Everything You Want to Know About Magic
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While not much about demons and where they live, this is a compilation of replies to various reader questions posed to Aunt Klara (portrayed) as a witty, wise and self effacing old sorceress who writes a column for the German publication "Anubis". This alter ego of the author gives practical advice and answers questions on occult subject matter spanning from the mundane to the ridiculous, from the serious to the provocative. I'm glad I read his book at this point in my study because it provided me a level headed practical perspective that emphasizes "if it works continue and if it doesn't discard it"...and, the best teacher may very well be to just try it... of course with the right preparation. If you are new to the topic, read this book; it is fast, fun and informative. If you're experienced, I would expect you will enjoy a heavy dose of rule number 6..."Don't take yourself so seriously"...

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Where do demons live? What's the skinny on sigils? Did the O.T.O. invent sex magick? Playing Dear Abby for the occult crowd, Frater U.:D.: answers frequently asked questions about magick. The renowned European author and magician introduces us to chatty Aunt Klara, his coffee-swilling, straight-talking alter ego, here to answer your burning questions.
These short and snappy essays offer accurate, detailed information on a broad array of magickal topics, from secret orders and poltergeists to astral travel, black magick, Harry Potter, and Aleister Crowley.
Easy to page through, good humored, and never dogmatic, Where Do Demons Live? is the perfect quick reference for magicians of all disciplines.




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On Location: Cities of the World in Film Review

On Location: Cities of the World in Film
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I stumbled across this book in the film and TV section of a Barnes & Noble - what a wonderful idea! I can really recommend this book for anyone who loves the movies and wants to know where famous scenes were filmed. I always liked the idea of mixing travel and film, and that is what this book does.
Basically it takes a look at big world cities and tells you which films "belong" to them. Harry Potter is really well covered in the London chapter. One of my favorites is the New York City chapter, because I love "When Harry Met Sally" and found out exactly where they filmed the famous orgasm scene. The Rome chapter was wonderful, too, especially for fans of Roman Holiday - even the exact address of the apartment where the two stars spend that first scandalous night was listed. Then there's Tokyo, and Prague, and Beijing, and it just goes on. The maps are useful, the photos are really stunning, and I found the texts fun and easy to read.

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Many movies are synonymous with the locations where they were filmed. On Location is a lighthearted, round-the-world tour of famous movies so you, too, can go "on location." Exact addresses, review-style essays and city maps take you there, whether on a Harry Potter tour of London, a Breakfast at Tiffany's trip to New York, or a jaunt to the Rome nightclub where Matt Damon and Jude Law partied in The Talented Mr. Ripley. This richly illustrated volume with a foreword by director Wim Wenders presents 18 cities and their world-famous films: from Los Angeles to Paris, Beijing, Sydney, Prague, Berlin and much more. A peek behind the scenes of numerous famous locations.

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The Wonder of It All: When Literature and Literacy Intersect Review

The Wonder of It All: When Literature and Literacy Intersect
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When I first opened this book, I couldn't put it down. Nancy J. Johnson and Cyndi Giorgis take us along as they place literature at the center of literacy learning (another teacher, so to speak). This book weaves incredible ideas (used by real teachers) for using literature as a primary presence in building community, nurturing response, inspiring writing, creating readers, and more! Wonderful teacher and student examples are included and lessons that inspire one to "try it out." A bonus feature occurs at the end of each chapter in which we get to eavesdrop on real conversations with some of our favorite authors and illustrators like Linda Sue Park, Brian Selznick, David Wiesner, Lois Lowry. This is a great resource for all elementary teachers and even middle school ones too!

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Maiden USA (Mediated Youth) Review

Maiden USA (Mediated Youth)
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This gem of a book is not only important, informative, and thought-provoking--it's also clever, funny, and downright brilliant. If you have a daughter, or you are one, or you know one--or even if you don't--Maiden USA is an enthralling read. What a splendid job!

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Maiden USA: Girl Icons Come of Age explores images of powerful, contradictory pop culture icons of the past decade, which run the gamut from Mean Girls and their Endangered Victims to Superheroines and Ingenue Goddesses. Are girls of the Title IX generation in need of Internet protection, or are they Supergirls evolving beyond gender stereotypes to rescue us all? Maiden USA provides an overview of girl trends since the '90s including the emergence of girls' digital media-making and self-representation venues on MySpace, Facebook and YouTube as the newest wave of Girl Power.

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The Apocalypse Is Everywhere: A Popular History of America's Favorite Nightmare Review

The Apocalypse Is Everywhere: A Popular History of America's Favorite Nightmare
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As a regaler of apocalypse theories and folklore, Annie Rehill's "The Apocalypse is Everywhere" is a delightful journey of guilty pleasure into end-of-the-world stories from the biblical to the historical to the contemporary, through examples ranging from episodes of "The Simpsons" to Cormac McCarthy's desolate post-disaster novel "The Road."
From the political perspective, Rehill's examination of the Bush Jr. Administration's rhetoric, employed to influence the nation into believing there were weapons of mass destruction, is indicative of the administration's manipulation of patriotism through scare-didactics.
Compelling also about Rehill's encyclopedic research and array of apocalyptic examples is the divergent ways these examples, whether humorous, folkloric, or scientific, shape and influence our understanding of apocalypse theories.
For collectors of water bottles, batteries, canned goods, and freeze-dried food, this book is a must; as well as for those who enjoy referencing particular histories of peculiar subjects.


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Screenwriting is Storytelling: Creating an A-List Screenplay that Sells Review

Screenwriting is Storytelling: Creating an A-List Screenplay that Sells
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The first advice I read is - in order to have a career as a screenwriter you have to learn to be a storyteller. With that in mind I bought books, took out books at the library and read all the positive and negative articles on the internet that made me want to give up before I started.
I took out Ms. Wright's book from the library and after having so many "aha" moments as I read it, I returned the book to the library after ordering a copy for myself on Amazon. I knew I had to own this book.
Ms. Wright breaks down the process of writing into simple terms and chapters. Through the book I saw that successful storytelling involves all the characters perspectives.
I highly recommend this book to the inexperienced storyteller, for it's simplicity and to experienced storytellers as a reminder of what a screenplay needs to be a hit.


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The Magical Worlds of Lord of the Rings: The Amazing Myths, Legends and Facts Behind the Masterpiece Review

The Magical Worlds of Lord of the Rings: The Amazing Myths, Legends and Facts Behind the Masterpiece
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David Colbert is best-known for his "Magical Worlds of Harry Potter," a relatively matter-of-fact background guide. Now Colbert produces "The Magical Worlds of Lord of the Rings," with its insights into the literature, legend, and religion behind "Lord of the Rings.
Colbert does a fairly good job of giving us insights into the myths (Norse legends), literature ("Beowulf," the book "Babbitt," Shakespeare's influence on faeries and elves), religion (the source of Galadriel: Mary, mother of Jesus), and Tolkien's own opinions at the time (industrialization destroying the beautiful countryside where he grew up).
Colbert makes some rather obvious errors (usually linked with the "Silmarillion" rather than "Lord of the Rings"), but nothing too awful. Overall he does a pretty good job of addressing common questions like "How Many Languages Did Tolkien Invent?", "Who Was Tolkien's First Dark Lord?" or "How Did Orcs Get So Ugly?". He writes breezily and conversationally, as if addressing a bunch of listeners.
Does "Magical Worlds" stand above other Tolkien guides? Nah. It's a pretty good guide for entry-level fans, but long-time fans will already know much of this material. However, fans who are new to Middle-Earth and who don't know a lot of the background will probably find this invaluable. If you have only seen the movies, or are only just tackling the books, this is a good place to start answering your questions.
"Magical Worlds of Lord of the Rings" is a pretty solid beginner's guide to "Lord of the Rings" and its background material. New to Middle-Earth? Then you may just find your answers here.

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