Legacy (The Sharing Knife #2)

Book Description

Fawn Bluefield, the clever young farmer girl, and Dag Redwing Hickory, the seasoned Lakewalker soldier-sorcerer, have been married all of two hours when they depart her family's farm for Dag's home at Hickory Lake Camp. Having gained a hesitant acceptance from Fawn's family for their unlikely marriage, the couple hopes to find a similar reception among Dag's Lakewalker kin. But their arrival is met with prejudice and suspicion, setting many in the camp against them, including Dag's own mother and brother. A faction of Hickory Lake Camp, denying the literal bond between Dag and Fawn, woven in blood in the Lakewalker magical way, even goes so far as to threaten permanent exile for Dag.

Before their fate as a couple is decided, however, Dag is called away by an unexpected—and viciously magical—malice attack on a neighboring hinterland threatening Lakewalkers and farmers both. What his patrol discovers there will not only change Dag and his new bride, but will call into question the uneasy relationship between their peoples—and may even offer a glimmer of hope for a less divided future.

Filled with heroic deeds, wondrous magic, and rich, all-too-human characters, The Sharing Knife: Legacy is at once a gripping adventure and a poignant romance from one of the most imaginative and thoughtful writers in fantasy today.

Customer Reviews:

Whatever happened to Lois M B?.......2007-10-05

If I hadn't read every single one of the Vorkosigan series, I would chalk it up to yet another campy fantasy-writing author. Another reviewer is kindly willing to consider differences in plot as an explanation. Here are my theories:
Lois McM.Bujold has been abducted, and a lesser writer is using her name.
LMB got caught on a deadline she couldn't meet, and brought out her early teen-years first novels, and is passing them off as new stuff.
LMB has some hefty college tuitions to pay, and is churning out as much mass-appeal, romance-fantasy as she can, quality be damned.
We know she can do extraordinary things with characters, socio-political intrigue, and even romance and weave them all around fast-paced action and adventure, regardless of "resolution" of a crisis or not!
So what's with this? The disappointment is such that just about everything becomes annoying, including Fawn's stupid "knee-dip" greetings (which no one else at the Lake camp seems to do, and she wants to fit in? Hmmm...). And the writing? Well. Just about every thoughtful, manly man, or woman trying to be manly man, starts a spoken thought with, "Well." That's how we know, ten thousand times over, that they are thoughtful and manly. Yes, the book is trite enough in the quality of the writing, (not the plot, which is ok), that one becomes distracted by these trite, petty details.
Someone please rescue the real LMB.

Cheated, in a sense..........2007-09-25

(I won't go too much into the storyline as the other reviewers have done a great job of that already.)

With Lois McMaster Bujold's stories, when you first begin, you never know exactly what the world you're entering is going to be or who the cast of characters truly are; however, there's always the certainty that that world and the characters will be well drawn, beautifully written, and warmly entertaining. I read Beguilement (The Sharing Knife, Book 1) in one sitting. However...

This book should not have been split where it was.

I can see why the publishers may have done so, to divide the books as a way to separate the farmer and Lakewalker worlds (I'm trying not to be cynical and think it's a way to get more money, instead), but it left me hanging, and not in a good way. I think Beguilement and Legacy (The Sharing Knife #2) (although I've not yet read the latter), would have done better as 1 book, perhaps delineated as Part I and Part II, or somesuch because, after the initial excitement and adventures, what is left is essentially the mundane world that Fawn left behind in the first place. We do learn more of Dag and Fawn themselves, and it is true that no matter what horrible things are happening on a grand scale, life does go on (look at the world today). I imagine this is what the author wanted to show.

Unfortunately, while I might have been able to accept this within the context of the larger story, the larger story wasn't there. It vanished just when I was ready to leap to the next level, which would have been more of the grounding, blight bogles/malices, mud-men, etc. The pacing of the book slows dramatically, without something to pick up the intensity or the raison d'etre (the sharing legacy) that began the tale.

Fawn's family was disappointing (and from what I've read of reviews for Legacy, it looks like so will Dag's family be). There was no clear understanding of why the Bluefields so undervalue Fawn, with the exception of the aunt, and why the brothers are such boors to their sister. Not every family is loving, naturally, but the extent to which the brothers, particularly the twins, react, it's almost deliberate and malicious, rather than unthinking. As for Stupid Sunny, ugh. I don't think he was properly punished; what would prevent him from seducing some other unsuspecting girl and then vilifying her? Indeed, why shouldn't the family know that Stupid Sunny is telling people she's a slut? At least four of his cronies already knows that he calls her such, and I find it difficult to believe that they wouldn't share this information. Fawn and Dag are clearly bound; what does it matter what Sunny says or thinks?

No doubt at some point down the road, the entire series will be bound into an anthology/omnibus, thus creating the whole of the story rather than a snippet of the tale that trails off unsatisfactorily.

A Great Book - and There's More to Come!.......2007-09-20

This is a very satisfactory continuation of the tale started in "TSK#1: Beguilement", but itself has unresolved issues. The Publication Date of "The Sharing Knife #3: Passage" has just (14th September 2007) been announced as the 22nd April 2008, and the manuscript of "The Sharing Knife #4: (Title still to be decided)", which will complete the story arc, has gone to the publishers with an approximate publication date of Spring 2009. But don't wait - read this one now. It's complete in itself even if it has leads to the rest of the series, and it's far to good to wait another year for.

good, not great.......2007-09-16

while i am an avid bujold reader and while i miss miles, i have enjoyed these other forays into the fantastic. The first novel in the sharing knife kept me enthralled with its new world and characters, but this second novel did not have much in the way of exploring the characters to any new depths. The lack of movement in character or in plot was a bit disappointing. It seemed more of a setup for the third novel than anything else. While everything in life does not need a point per se, i really didn't see the point in spending all this time watching Fawn fight with her in-laws. It was entertaining and well written as is all of LMB's work, but i felt it was lacking after turning the last page.

This is a middle book, not a series end book!.......2007-08-27

The original book, The Sharing Knife left me with the expectation that this would be a multipart story. Nothing in Legacy changed my expectation;I will be both surprised and disappointed if Legacy is the end, as I fully expect to find out what happens to the couple now that they have left his home. I expect after 1-3 more books, we will learn that they somehow manage to change the long standing suspicion and seperatism between their two peoples. Meantime, this book was very intertaining, and of the high quality I expect of this author.

Average customer rating:

I can't believe she wrote this, either
Interesting plot premise, incredibly naïve and mismatched romance...
Bujold is not at her best in this book.
Good start!
Great start, but then downhill

Beguilement (The Sharing Knife #1)
Lois McMaster Bujold
Manufacturer: Eos
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0061137588
Release Date: 2006-10-10

Book Description

Young Fawn Bluefield has fled her family's farm hop-ing to find work in the city of Glassforge. Uncertain about her future and the troubles she carries, Fawn stops for a drink of water at a roadside inn, where she encounters a patrol of Lakewalkers, enigmatic soldier-sorcerers from the woodland culture to the north. Fawn knows the stories about the Lake-walkers: they are necromancers; they practice black sorcery; they have no permanent homes and own only the clothes they wear and the weapons—mysterious knives made of human bone—they carry. What she does not know is that the Lakewalkers, as a whole, are engaged in a perilous campaign against inhuman and immortal magical entities known as “malices,” creatures that suck the life out of all they encounter, and turn men and animals into their minions.

Dag is an older Lakewalker patroller who carries his past sorrows as heavily as his present respon-sibilities. When Fawn is kidnapped by the malice Dag's patrol is tracking, Dag races to rescue her. But in the ensuing struggle, it is not Dag but Fawn who kills the creature—at dire cost—and an uncanny accident befalls Dag's sharing knife, which unex-pectedly binds their two fates together.

And so now the misenchanted knife must be returned to the Lakewalkers. Together, Fawn and Dag set out on the long road back to his camp. But on the journey this unlikely pair will encounter danger and delight, prejudice and partnership, and maybe even love. . . .

Customer Reviews:

I can't believe she wrote this, either .......2007-08-18

I have read everything LMB has written and eagerly looked forward to reading yet another finely crafted novel. What I found was a pastiche of bodice ripper, a replay of Ayla and Jondalar's (Jean Auel's series) adventures, very superficial character development and unrealistic relationships. The concepts of the sharing knife and the matrices were vintage Bujold, but the infrastructure was woefully inadequate.

She has always been so skilled at understanding and portraying her characters and it was glaringly absent. There was nothing that even approximated Miles' dynamism. I was especially offput by the graphic sexuality--not that I am a prude, but it added nothing except the ghost hand, which could have been introduced in another way.

I almost quit reading halfway thru, but plugged on. The second book was just marginally better.

I can not in good faith recommend either of them. Unfortunately, I'm sure there will be a sequel. I want more Miles!

Interesting plot premise, incredibly naïve and mismatched romance..........2007-07-26

This is the first Lois McMaster Bujold novel I have read, so I am not sure if it is typical of her style, but to me it seemed a little young, and more than a little preachy.

On the romance side (and this does seem more a romance novel than plot driven), the naivety of the hero (Dag) and heroine (Fawn) is almost stunning, reaching into childish faith. They don't seem to understand racial intolerance, age discrimination, morality censures, handicap prejudice. As the reader, you are required to join them in their simplistic dogma, and are constantly hammered by the evil of all narrow-mindedness. Put aside the fact that Dag is 55 and Fawn is 18-20 with a physical appearance of a 12 year-old child, and that their relationship starts out more on a protective father/daughter bond sliding eerily into sexual love. Ignore Dag's missing arm and delight that he can perform his warrior duties with a prosthesis. Disregard the cultural differences of magical vs non-magical people, and the hatred the two races have for each other. Understand the need that resulted in Fawn getting pregnant by a lusty neighbor boy, not out of love but teenage curiosity about her own stunted sexuality. Any one of these problems would have been sufficient, but all must be overcome.

Incredibly, I was hooked. There was so much self-made angst for the hero and heroine, I couldn't put this book down. You cheer them on not because you especially agree with their choices, but because they are the only fully drawn characters in the novel, you have no other option. Don't get me wrong, I liked both Dag and Fawn. They are both good people, the essence of yin and yang. I was sincerely rooting for them, but I did want them to take their blinders off a bit, and understand the other characters point of view just a little more clearly. (i.e. Hey, Mister! You're sleeping (and other things) with a little girl almost young enough to be your grandchild, people often think that's creepy. The popular consensus is that the two races should not mix, why are you surprised others are offended? Yo, Little Farmer girl! In your culture, having sex with guys outside of marriage is considered slutty behavior, accept the censure as obvious, if not fair. You are sleeping and traveling with a man older than your father, he's handicapped, a different, hated race, people are going to be shocked.) While we see the problems clearly, Fawn and Dag somehow doggedly cling to the belief that they are right, everyone else is out of step, and in their love, it doesn't truly matter. (Evidently, these two really were born yesterday).

Although much is muted by the romance and the difficulties of the main characters, the world building of this novel has shades of brilliance. The premise and intricacies of the Sharing Knife, what it is and how it's made is fascinating. Dag's "Lakewalker" abilities are intriguing, Fawn learning her own "farmer" magic holds a promising mystery. The battles are fierce, the danger felt very real. The villainous "Malice" could use a little more definition as to it's/their motivation, but I expect we will find out in the next installment of the series. Shades of a past civilization are hinted at, but never fully explained.

There are many questions left unanswered, but happily this is only a two-book saga (I bought both together, the other book is sitting on my desk as I write this), and hopefully all will be explained.

Bujold is not at her best in this book........2007-07-25

Don't get me wrong, Bujold is a fantastic writer--far better than most. However, her 3 most recent offerings, The Hallowed Hunt and The Sharing Knife parts 1 and 2, are not, to me, even comparable to her previous books. I cannot give her less than 4 stars for these, but I am disappointed--her work normally rates 10.

Good start!.......2007-07-21

Like all of Bujold's books, I swallowed this one whole and I am now looking forward to reading the next one!

Great start, but then downhill.......2007-07-11

I worship Lois McMaster Bujold, but this is not reflective of her best work. It felt very much like a longer project got cut in half, with the first half stretched out agonizingly to stand as a separate book when it was not meant to do so. As previous reviewers have noted, the book does not contain the intense plot or character development of Bujold's prior books. It lures you in with some great concepts and action at the beginning, and then dumps you into the May/November romance (20/55 anyone?) and an endless series of rather mundane wedding preparations for the final half of the book. I'll read the sequel, but my expectations have been lowered.

The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough: The Authorized Biography of the Cofounder of Al-Anon

Average customer rating:

Al-non
Message for everyone
When Love Is Not Enough
When Love is not enough
Excellent transaction

The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is Not Enough: The Authorized Biography of the Cofounder of Al-Anon
William Borchert
Manufacturer: Hazelden
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1592853285

Book Description

A long-awaited look at the unsung story of Lois Wilson, wife of the famously anonymous Bill W. Acclaimed author and screenwriter William G. Borchert does a masterful job in revealing the life and times of this spirited and determined woman, exploring the tender emotional territory beyond Loiss role in the formation of AA and the subsequent creation of Al-Anon. From her privileged childhood in turn-of-the-century New York City, to her unexpected but exhilarating courtship with the dashing Bill Wilson, to her socialite status as a "Wall Street Wife" in the Roaring Twenties, to the couples audacious cross-country motorcycle excursions in the 1930s, Lois was every bit the adventure-seeker her legendary husband was. But nothing could have prepared her for the chaos, pain, and loss caused by her beloved Bills seventeen-year descent into the depths of alcoholism. In the end, however, her husbands addiction proved not to be the tragic undoing of this brilliant, promising couple, but rather the beginning of one of the twentieth centurys most important social movements. Features a 16-page section of black-and-white archival photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Al-non.......2007-07-15

For all those struggling with loved ones with the disease of alcoholism, this book is excellent.

Message for everyone.......2007-06-06

The Lois Wilson Story: When Love is not Enough
By: William G. Borchert
Hazelden
Center City, Minnesota 55012-0176

Lois Wilson was an amazing, wonderful woman and the world is a better place because she and her husband were in it. Author William G. Borchert used his words to express this woman's life, her trials, tribulations, and sanctification. Lois Wilson was the co-founder of the Al-Anon, and Alateen fellowships. Her husband Bill Wilson was one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous.

This amazing book about her life starts as a flash back. It begins with introducing you to a very unhappy Lois in the early 1930's. Then it shifts to her beginnings. The book takes your hand and walks you through the entire life of Lois Wilson, her family, and some of her friends. It gives you explicit details about her life, how AA came about, Bill, and Al-Anon.

Lois met her husband Bill, who was four years her junior, in Vermont. This would prove to be a love that stood the test of time and alcohol. They married in January, before he went of to fight in WWI. They had a beautiful wedding in her parent's house in Brooklyn, and they were married for fifty-three years.

Lois's life with Bill was full of ups and downs. He was in the Army, and then an investigator on Wall Street. Bill was a genius. He began his drinking days when he was overseas, and it continued as it was seen as acceptable in his profession. This later carried on into him becoming an alcoholic.

Lois was forced to be the breadwinner of the family as Bill's drinking got worse and cost them everything that they had. Through all the years that she went through with him having this horrible sickness, she began to change and harbor much resentment. To add to her pain she was unable to have children, and when they tried to adopt, a friend put a stop to it because of Bill's drinking. Later Mrs. Wilson came to realize that it was for the best that they did not have children, and she looked at all the alcoholics in AA as her dear children.

As Bill started to recover after many hard years of his illness, Lois was still hurting inside with deep resentment, and anger. Bill formed Alcoholics Anonymous with Dr. Bob Smith, in Akron, Ohio. He found that the only way for him to stay sober was to be with another drunk. This revelation only injured the already wounded heart of Lois even more. She had wanted to be the reason and the one that caused her husband to be sober and to stay that way.

As the fellowship of AA continued to grow, one day Lois went out on the porch and noticed that there were other wives just sitting in the cars that lined the street. She went out to the other women and invited them in. She had a revelation that there were others out there hurting just as badly as she from this horrible alcohol demon. Thus started her little kitchen group. As the years progressed, this kitchen group concept developed into what is now Al-Anon. They followed the same twelve steps that AA did, but they also had their own twelve steps to follow as well.

Once it was realized that the children were being left out Lois, and some of the volunteers who helped with Al-Anon decided that something needed to be done for them, thus the dawning of Alateen. It was headed by one of the original volunteers, and each group was set up to be fostered by an Al-Anon member. Lois took particular interest and joy over the group for the children.

Because of the will and determination of Bill and Lois wisdom, there is now what is called a "cure" for alcoholics, and their families. Alcoholism is a disease that effects all members of a family, co-workers, and even some people in the community. Monumental steps were made by these two amazing people, and none of it would have happened if Lois had not stayed by Bill's side.

This is a story about heartache, pain, stamina, faith, and above all love. God had both Lois and Bill Wilson here for a reason, and I believe that they fulfilled their calling. Mr. Borchert did a wonderful job of telling the story, and letting the reader feel that they also personally knew Lois Wilson. This was a hard life to read about, but I learned a lot from the experiences in the pages. I hope that God will use this book to expand understanding about alcoholism, and the strong family that it takes to support one.

When Love Is Not Enough.......2007-04-10

This book should be available through every public library for those who do not have it on their own shelf.

When Love is not enough.......2007-03-21

This was very well done, and I think illustrated Lois Wilson's personality. One topic I wish the author had added a little more detail on is the issue of co-dependency.

Excellent transaction.......2007-03-13

Excellent book and tranaction. Received as promised and in excellent shape.
Thanks you Seller

You'll Never Make Love in This Town Again

Average customer rating:

Conflicting feelings
A quick read, somewhat sensational but fails in the end.
disturbingly fascinating!
Before there was Superhead
Victims?

You'll Never Make Love in This Town Again
Jennie Louise Frankel , Terrie Maxine Frankel , and Joanne Parrent
Manufacturer: Phoenix Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1597775428

Amazon.com

Wild, graphic, sometimes funny, ultimately sad -- this is the book that had Hollywood hiding behind closed doors and "no comment". Four beautiful young women tell the stories of the famous, the sexy, the rich, and the sadistic.

Book Description

Wild, graphic, sometimes funny, ultimately sad -- this is the book that had Hollywood hiding behind closed doors and "no comment." Four beautiful young women tell the stories of the famous, the sexy, the rich, and the sadistic.

Customer Reviews:

Conflicting feelings.......2007-04-14

I walked away from this book with conflicting views about it and its contents.
On one hand, I felt very sorry for the girls about some of the experiences they had, but one of the girls still seemed somewhat smug about the sexual experiences she had with certain celebrities and considering the fact that she said she had suffered so much , that kind of dampened the effect of the horrific things she went through.
Another thing is that 3 of the girls kept going on in their sections about how sexy and beautiful they were or how hot their bodies were or how hot and sexy they looked at any given moment.

I'm sure that they are all beautiful girls-I think its a given that prostitutes to the stars would have to be very attractive-it got kind of grating hearing it repeated over and over again.

I think its sad the way they allowed themselves to be used and degraded for so long , but I do admire them for writing this book as a cautionary tale for young women though.

Although every girls story was a sad one,Liza stirred my sympathy the most.
I hope they are all doing well now.

A quick read, somewhat sensational but fails in the end........2007-02-09

I didn't buy this book, but read it quickly at the local thrift shop. I felt sorry for these girls when I started reading this book, but the feeling mostly left me near the end of it. These girls wanted to be famous,rich and successful in Hollywood. I believe one should follow his or her dreams, but do so wisely. The key word here is wisely. To make it in Hollywood or anywhere else you need talent, hard work and persistence. Hollywood is a buisness and they are not going to hire people who will not make them money. Thats the bottom line truth. You dont make it in Hollywood or anywhere else by offering sexual favors and being used. All you end up with is a loss of dignity, anger and mental scars. What is telling about this account is how these girls seemed to enjoy what they were doing. They endured some traumatic situations but they never left doing sexual favors. This is what makes me think it was written more for sex appeal than truth. No one is stopping these girls from getting out of this nightmare. They could have packed up and left town, gone to school, gotten help from drug rehabs in L.A. and other alternatives. Instead they go from one rotten experience to the other. I dont buy their claim they couldnt get out because they were feeding their drug habit. They eventually got out. So why not sooner than later? Their stories come out as mostly self indulgent. That is, I can't get what I want, so I'm going to turn to prostitution and drugs. Its only after a lot of horrible experiences that they decide to lead a normal life. This implies they would do anything to make it in Hollywood and when all else fails, they stoop to lead a normal life. This is why it comes off as sounding mostly pathetic. What stunned me somewhat is the arrogance of these "celebrities." Its ironic that these celebrities are used by groupies and the media among others for their own ends. Groupies sleep with them for example, to get bragging rights. They couldn't care less about them. Thats why they're one night stands. I know about Hollywood, having been involved with it in one way or another. I won't say more than that. If you can't make it in hollywood then do the smart thing and GET OUT! At least you will save your dignity and sanity. You won't waste your time in dealing with bottom feeders and sharks.

disturbingly fascinating!.......2006-11-10

This is not something I would have chosen to read--my book club picked it. It was disturbingly interesting. It was like passing a car wreck--you hate that you want to look. It's gossip about the sex lives of celebrities we see regularly on TV. The women telling the story took lie detector tests and private investigators back up their stories. If I read more books like this, I will have a hard time watching TV!!

Before there was Superhead.......2005-10-19

...there was these girls. It was a very sad story about "regretful" hoes who don't in the end seem truly sorry for having been hoes. Some girls are born to be hoes and that's just a fact. They tell us about who's good in bed and who's wierd/nasty and who's wack. Its not a book you'd go looking to buy but if you walked by it in a store and saw it you'd want to check it out. I read this when I was young and i learned a lot about the ways of the world. I do believe at least one of the girls who had a section in this book seemed upset with herself for her past, but I got the feeling the others would do it all over the same way.

--------

i'd like to change this to 3.5 stars

Victims?.......2005-05-12

I don't know. Am I really supposed to feel sorry for these girls? Sure, one of them was definately abused as a young teen, but for the most part these girls were not victims of men. They were their own worst enemies. They chose to become high priced call girls. They brag about the perks, the money, the drugs. And then they complain b/c the men didn't have "feelings" for them. Uh, they are call girls. It IS all about sex. It IS all about their sexy bodies. This book is supposed to make us aware of the pitfalls of prostitution. I just see the pitfalls of stupidity. They willingly spent their money on drugs. No one forced them to blow (literally) their money. They weren't beaten/forced into prostitution by sick fathers/boyfriends. They were beautiful young girls who willingly used their bodies to gain entry to celebrities, money, parties, drugs. And now I'm supposed to feel sorry for them? Whatever. It was entertaining reading, but didn't dredge up the sympathy that it was supposed to.

Much Ado About Nothing for Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun!)

Average customer rating:

Book of the Year!!! I'd give it 10 stars..

Much Ado About Nothing for Kids (Shakespeare Can Be Fun!)
Lois Burdett
Manufacturer: Firefly Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1552094138

Book Description

"What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?" These famous lines from Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing delightfully show the verbal sparring between the reluctant lovers, Beatrice and Benedick who are happily brought together at the end by the schemes of their friends. And, no story is complete without at least one evil character, Don John, who unsuccessfully tries to tear apart the wedding plans of Hero and Claudio, the other lovers in this sparkling tale.

Written in rhyming couplets, Much Ado About Nothing, the eighth book in this successful series, captures all the exciting elements of the original story, and is truly a delightful read for both adult and child.

Lois Burdett has been a teacher at Hamlet Public School in Stratford, Ontario, for over twenty years and her expertise in bringing Shakespeare to life for children as young as seven is reflected in the children's clever insights and wonderful drawings which complement the play.

Her success has resulted in an ever-increasing demand for workshops as far afield as Europe and Australia where she instructs educators on how they too can familiarize young children with Shakespeare.

From the Foreword by Denzel Washington

"[Lois Burdett's] delightfully entertaining text is complemented by her students' thoughtful interpretations and charming artwork which make Much Ado About Nothing come alive in a whole new way."

Customer Reviews:

Book of the Year!!! I'd give it 10 stars.........2003-08-23

This is one of those series that is so well done you can't imagaine EVERYONE not knowing about it! Have you always been a bit out of the loop or intimidated about Shakespear? Or are you good with it but don't know how to show/share that love with your family and students. This series will do it!! It's good for ALL ages, my middle school students found it fun and informative yet... really young (4ish) children could learn from it too. Save your self the upgrade and buy it in hardback, this will be one that you keep for generations and get the "WHOLE" series, each one is just as good as the other!

Average customer rating:

A DAILY GUIDE FOR CHRISTIANS: NEWLY-WEDS AND SEASCOUPLES

Seasons Of Love
Tony Evans , and Lois Evans
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849914124

Book Description

The Evans help couples build Christ-centered relationships that are strong enough to thrive in every season of life. Daily reflections contain practical, biblical advice on issues such as intimacy, money, child-rearing and conflict resolution.

Customer Reviews:

A DAILY GUIDE FOR CHRISTIANS: NEWLY-WEDS AND SEASCOUPLES.......1999-05-06

My wife and I have started a devotional group with eight other couples. We meet once a month and discuss topics covered in the book. We as a group of young (26-35 yrs. old/5-10 yrs. married) christians feel that this is a perfect guide to understanding God's devine covenant of marriage. The great thing about this book is that it is supported with scripture. Therefore, you may research what's being written. Mr. and Mrs. Evans appear to be truly touched by God in there understanding of his will for the christian marriage. It seems that the setup for daily/nightly readings helps to inspire you to a devotional on a regular basis. This is most helpful in communication, which our group feels is very important. Finally, best of all most of the subjects challange you to have regular prayer sessions with you spouse. After all, "prayer is the key to Heaven-Faith unlocks the door". God Bless!

Our Love Is Here to Stay: A Daily Devotional for Couples

Average customer rating:

Just the three of us.
Love and Heart Strengthens

Our Love Is Here to Stay: A Daily Devotional for Couples
Tony Evans , and Lois Evans
Manufacturer: Multnomah
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1590521315
Release Date: 2004-10-09

Book Description

Married men and women who long for a growing, lasting relationship will find a welcome resource in this 365-day devotional from this wise and winsome couple with a nationwide ministry of teaching and encouragement. Each of these reflections contains practical, biblically grounded advice that will encourage you to deepen your relationship with God and draw closer to each other. You will learn how to avoid pitfalls that can damage your marriage and how to cultivate habits that will strengthen both your marriage and your soul. Tony and Lois Evans urge and invite couples to reorder their priorities, to seek the Lord together, and to live a life of integrity.

A Season for Everything

Marriage is full of changing seasonsâsome bright with promise, others more challenging. Strong marriages require daily maintenanceâand a strong, mutual commitment to the God who enables us to love and persevere.

Our Love Is Here to Stay is a daily devotional designed to help you pray and consider God’s Word together. Each of these reflections offers practical, biblically grounded advice that will encourage you to deepen your relationship with God and draw closer to each other.

Story Behind the Book

Tony and Lois Evans live as examples to their congregation at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. As with every other Christian couple, the Evanses find a good marriage to be a continual challenge, requiring a strong commitment to God and to each other. In an effort to teach principles that would create life change among those in their care, they developed some life focus points that deepened their own lives as well.

Customer Reviews:

Just the three of us........2005-09-09

This is a great tool for my boyfriend and I to spend some time with each other and God. The devotionals are short and to the point and inspire conversations we might not have had without the book. I would recommend it not only for married couples but also for couples preparing for marriage.

Love and Heart Strengthens.......2005-01-16

My wife and I are always are looking for a good devotional book for couples. We have read at least ten different couple devotionals and have been disappointed most of the time. But this one is different. I will say this about "Love", I recommend this one.

My wife and I believe a husband and wife should write a devotional book for couples. Tony and Lois Evans do a wonderful job in this 365-day devotional. Even though each daily devotional is a little on the short side, this book is filled with biblically grounded advice and gives encouragement geared towards married couples. This book is filled with encouragement and will help uplift your marriage. Your marriage will be strengthened. And so will your heart for each other.

Average customer rating:

6 sci-fi/romance stories
Irreristible Stories Indeed
not worth the trouble
I just had to say something...
Bujold Makes this Book Worthwhile

Irresistible Forces
Jo Beverley , Lois McMaster Bujold , Mary Jo Putney , Deb Stover , and Catherine Asaro
Manufacturer: NAL Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451211111
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Book Description

New York Times bestselling authors Mary Jo Putney, Jo Beverley, and Lois McMaster Bujold join forces with award-winning authors Catherine Asaro, Jennifer Roberson, and Deb Stover in this all-new anthology of original stories proving that love can conquer all...even the boundaries of time and space.

From sixteenth-century Britain to the farthest reaches of outer space, from medieval adventures to tales of inter-galactic love, here is a compilation that explores the wonderfully kinetic forces that lovers share-forces too great to resist...

Customer Reviews:

6 sci-fi/romance stories.......2007-07-30

I imagine a lot of people will buy this book simply for the Lois McMaster Bujold story 'Winterfair Gifts', which shows the wedding of Miles Vorkosigan and Ekaterin from the viewpoint of Roic, one of Miles's armsmen. We also have a side romance between Roic and Taura and a mystery as to whom is trying to injure Ekaterin before the wedding. It's a great little story full of all the usual Bujold magic and probably the reason that most readers are buying this anthology. It's worth the cover price, too, as an enjoyable romp and giving more depth to Taura and Roic who have featured in previous episodes in the Vorkosigan saga. Definitely one to enjoy for Bujold fans and works well on its own for those new to her writing.

But there are five others stories in this collection as well. Perhaps none of them are as good as the Bujold story but they are still worth reading and their variety adds to the enjoyment. It's a chance to dip into the writing styles of other writers (some of whom are better known for historical romance books rather than sci-fi) and gives a good overview of the different kinds of stories in the romantic sci-fi genre.

'The Alchemical Marriage' by Mary Jo Putney is a historical story which introduces her Guardians, subjects of three (to date) full length novels. The Guardians are magicians with various skills including weather working who try to use their skills for good. Sir Adam Macrae (ancestor of some of the Macraes in the later books) is in the Tower of London at the behest of Queen Elizabeth because he is a Scot who supported Mary Queen of Scots. However he is granted freedom because his weather working skills are required to turn back the Spanish Armada which is preparing to attack England. He is taken to the home of Isabel de Cortes, a Jewish refugee from Spain, who is also a mage although not of the weather as it is thought if they work together they will be more successful. Macrae finds himself without enough power to work the weather on his own and has to learn to trust Isabel and to gain more of an understanding about the consequences to Scotland of the Armada, he is unable to assume that it is only England that will be harmed. It's an enjoyable story without too great depth but with some appealing characters, particularly Isabel whose quiet wisdom and willingness to help is well written.

'Stained Glass Heart' by Catherine Asaro is set on a world where technology had been forgotten and is only now being remembered. Vryn is a Prince but he works as a farmer and enjoys dancing in secret - no men on the planet dance but his mother, an off-worlder, was a famous dancer and she and then dancing masters have trained him. He loves dance, he loves farming and he loves a neighbour's daughter Lily, but it appears Vryn can't have all he wants when a dynastic marriage is arranged for him. Vryn precipiates a potential crisis by his actions and has to evaluate what is most important to him when he is offered the chance to dance. The story is slightly twee and in some ways I was disappointed that Vryn made the decisions he did - one wonders how good a decision a fourteen year old can really make. However the descriptions of the planet and of the wildlife were enjoyable, as was the thought of the culture shock that people from that planet might find elsewhere. It's a good read but not really great and whiny teenagers who are rather selfish in thoughts can get a little irritating.

'Skin Deep' by Deb Stover has a very amusing central event - Nick Riley who died two years ago is sent back to earth to make up for some of his wrongdoings by helping his widow Margo to find happiness. Unfortunately for Nick he returns to earth in the body of a beautiful woman and very soon he discovers the man that Margo is supposed to marry was her first love with whom Nick spent his entire youth in competition. Jared is an undercover DEA agent and he meets Margo again when she is a journalist covering events at a nightclub where Jared is performing as a male dancer. There are several misunderstandings between Jared and Margo that need to be cleared up before Nick can finally get all the way into heaven. There are some fun moments in this lighthearted story and it's an enjoyable read.

'The Trouble with Heroes' by Jo Beverley is a fascinating story about a planet named Gaia colonised from Earth which experiences a strange new problem of energy forms turning people into ashes. Within the community there have always been a few 'fixers', people able to heal physical injuries and mend crockery, that kind of thing. Dan Rutherford, a fixer, begins to investigate further what his powers mean when the uprising of the blighters is causing people to leave their towns to avoid the frontline. His friend Jen, although afraid of some aspects of the world that Dan is explaining to her, seeks to try to understand what needs to be done. When it appears all the fixers have been killed in turning back the tide of blighters she carries on with her life. However when Dan Fixer returns to their town he is no longer welcome, people being afraid that he may have been changed in some ways by the blighters. Dan talks to Jen about what had to happen to win the war and she gains a new understanding of the nature of power and responsibility. This story is set in a great world and the events that take place are excellently described, particularly the way that Jen begins to understand what Dan knows and feels.

The final story, 'Shadows In The Wood' by Jennifer Robertson was by far the shortest inclusion in this collection. It mixes the Robin Hood and Maid Marian stories with Merlin and King Arthur when Robin and Marian find someone who is sealed into a tree and discover that a lot of the old legends have more reality to them than they had expected. They have a short quest to do on behalf of Merlin before continuing their lives in Sherwood Forest. This story was rather light and, although well written, I felt it was a bit short on actual plot and interest.

In conclusion this is a better-than-average collection of stories. They are all fairly romance based so plain sci-fi readers might find them a little irritating. However the variety of worlds, times and plots make it an interesting read for fans of the genre.

Irreristible Stories Indeed.......2007-05-12

Great read. If you enjoy romances with a slight twist you will love these stories. Very hard to put down.

not worth the trouble.......2007-02-07

Six stories; the Bujold is all right, maybe even four stars in its own right, but the rest of them range from mediocre to dreck, with "Skin Deep" being a notably low point. Bad story--obvious storyline, unconvincing dialogue, nonsensical plotting, embarrassing attempts at humor, random "surprise!" elements. Full disclosure here: I like Bujold, and SF as a genre, and not romance as a genre. If you're a Vorokosigan completist, you might want the book for "Winterfair Gifts", but otherwise don't bother.

I just had to say something..........2007-01-16

I looked over the reviews here of a book I enjoyed, and saw that the majority didn't care for Ms Putney's story. As it was my favorite among them, along with Winterfair gifts, I wanted to share my opinion that perhaps Ms Putney's story didn't work well with the mostly science fiction tales here, and regular readers of science fiction (of which I am not one) might not appreciate her brand of storytelling. I know that she has written a follow up novel, and I have set that aside to read when I have more time (I am a returning student, and my spare time is sadly taken up with reading less enjoyable fare). I also think that some reviews were harshly critical of the brevity of the stories, but after all, what do you expect from a romance story that is one of perhaps 4-6 tales in the same space used for a typical novel by these authors? If you don't care for two persons hooking up within the space of a few pages, I would suggest that you stop buying these compilations.

Bujold Makes this Book Worthwhile.......2006-11-26

This collection of short stories is a group of SF romance stories by three science fiction authors and three romance authors. I suppose they are trying to build an audience for both genres. I bought the book only for the Lois McMaster Bujold story, "Winterfair Gifts" set in her Vorkosigan universe. As with almost all Bujold's works, this story is well worth the price of the book all on its own. Bujold fans will enjoy this story featuring Sergeant Taura and Armsman Roic with Mile's impending wedding as the backdrop. It's a solid piece of work and makes me miss Bujold's writing about these characters as she tromps off to write fantasy and quasi-fantasy romance novels.

The rest of the stories are bit uneven and I would not recommend the book, frankly, without the Bujold story.

Average customer rating:

The Freedom of Sexual Love
Joseph Bird , and Lois Bird
Manufacturer: Galilee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385043414
Release Date: 1970-08-11

Mommy Dressing: A love story, after a fashion

Average customer rating:

Poetic, heartbreaking, and fascinating
Mommie Dressing
Touching, but superficial
Further proof that real life is the stuff of novels
Unsurpassed poignancy

Mommy Dressing: A love story, after a fashion
Lois Gould
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385490534
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Amazon.com

Novelist Lois Gould pulls off an impressive balancing act in her memoir of life as the daughter of pioneering American fashion designer Jo Copeland. She unsparingly depicts Copeland as a distant, self-involved, critical parent ("I never perspire," she tells Lois. "Why must you?"), yet Gould is also sympathetic to her mother's point of view. The daughter of a garment jobber who nurtured her gifts but appropriated her earnings to pay for her brother's education, Copeland could escape only through marriage to a handsome cigar manufacturer. Unfortunately, Ed Regensburg found the talent and ambition he had admired in his fiancée irksome in a wife. He saddled Copeland with two children she didn't want, then moved out, leaving her to support them. Gould conveys the black humor implicit in her mother's horror of having her glamorous life spoiled by childish messiness--in one hilarious scene, Lois and her brother, sent to visit a friend's equally neglected son in the country so they won't spoil a fancy party, erupt into the living room, bedraggled from a long train ride, to announce indignantly, "Stevie Sondheim cheats!" She also appreciates Copeland's importance as one of America's first and best female designers (active from the 1920s through the mid-'60s). She was a pioneering career woman out of necessity and desire doing her best in a society that neither appreciated nor offered any help to working mothers. Gould's memoir is all the more poignant because it is clear-sighted and unsentimental. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

There is a photograph of her wearing my favorite of all her costumes: a long, shining robe that rippled with light when she moved...What I knew about her was only the dressing.  Nothing of the rest of her life was visible to me.  Unless the dressing was, in fact, the life.

Compelling and multilayered, Mommy Dressing recounts the author's bittersweet girlhood as the daughter of one of America's first star designers.  In the exquisite, focused prose that distinguishes Lois Gould's acclaimed novels, she now offers a memoir that is at once a personal history of her family and a fascinating portrayal of New York's emergence as the world's fashion and glamour capital.

Both stories revolve around the central figure of Jo Copeland, a brilliant artist and working mother whose career spanned four decades, from the birth of New York fashion in the 1920s to the close of her own design studio in the 1960s.  Lois Gould paints a mesmerizing and vivid portrait of the kingdom of movie stars, fashion shows, and steamer trunks her mother ruled, but always as she witnessed it: a lonely girl as painfully observant of her mother's world as she was painfully aware she could never enter it herself.

The story of Jo Copeland's rise to success--in the company of other such early designers as Hattie Carnegie, Claire McCardell, and Vera Maxwell--is also the story of the headstrong, difficult rise of American fashion.  And through the lens of Lois Gould's childhood, an interior world as remote and complex as the mother she strove to understand, readers are given a glimpse of the distant landscape of beautiful exteriors that her mother both created and inspired.  Featuring twenty-four period illustrations, including original sketches and designs by Jo Copeland, Mommy Dressing is as captivating and provocative as the women whose lives it portrays.

Customer Reviews:

Poetic, heartbreaking, and fascinating.......2006-03-24

Lois Gould's memoir of growing up as the daughter of American designer Jo Copeland strikes a rare balance. Gould's childhood was often harsh, lonely, and bewildering, yet also thrilling, if only in the looking-back on it. The creative juices flowing all around her were abundant, and must have informed her own artistic bent. Gould is a poetic writer, and while she doesn't flinch from revealing the nastier aspects of her childhood, she also doesn't fall into the oh-woe-is-me psychobabble so popular today. She comes to a hard-won understanding of and compassion for her beautiful, brittle, dazzlingly talented mother. The book is also a rich history of American social and political life in the first half of the 20th century. Highly recommended.

Mommie Dressing.......2000-02-08

This was a Christmas present last year that I just re-read and loved even more for the texture of Lois Gould's rarified existence and the terror and mystery of her mother's unbelievable life. All my favorite topics are combined in this remarkably dry-eyed memoir: fashion, mother-daughter relations, Park Avenue life, how to pack a steamer trunk when going off to the Paris collections...

Touching, but superficial.......1999-11-02

I was so looking orward to this book, but was sadly disappointed with it. The author had emotionally charged and complex family relationships. She related heart-wrenching accounts of her family history. Yet the emotional foundation for those stories was poorly developed. The book would have ben enthralling if the author had helped me to know her characters more. Instead it left me a bit flat.

Further proof that real life is the stuff of novels.......1999-07-15

Lois Gould's biography of her mother, and in no small part her own autobiography, is written with the novelist's touch. The prose is spare but evocative; the observations through a child's eyes clear but heartbreaking. It's a beautiful "read" although a sad, sad story. Lois Gould, however, bears no malice and allows us to judge Jo Copeland, which we do ultimately with compassion.

Unsurpassed poignancy.......1999-02-18

Gould's flawless memoir captures the complexities of a family, an era and a place beautifully, and anyone who reads her book is richer for it. As with the autobiography Angela's Ashes, Gould is able to recreate her personal history with fascinating detail. The fashion sketches and photos of her mother enhance the text. The book is a captivating armchair journey. I admire Gould for her ability to write of her parents with unblinking perception, conveying her compassion despite their tremendous shortcomings.

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