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Townie: A Memoir Review

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(More customer reviews)Since receiving my pre-order in the mail weeks before the publishing date, I could not put this book down. I have been a huge Dubus fan since a high school English teacher gave me a copy of the House of Sand and Fog. What makes Dubus such a fascinating writer is his ability to capture the very essence of humanity, be it good or bad. This brilliantly written memoir offers insight into the life of the man behind some masterfully written works of fiction. I am incredibly appreciative of his honesty as a writer and sharing such a personal part of his life. The relationship with his father and the role it played on his life certainly rang true for me, as I could often relate to such similar feelings. The thoughts, ideas, and feelings I experienced while reading this book will certainly resonate for a long time to come. I highly recommend reading this work.

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A Knight in Shining Armor Review

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(More customer reviews)Okay, I'll say it. This is the first time I've read Jude Deveraux and I can't believe I haven't read her before! A Knight in Shining Armor is a wonderful, funny and touching book.
In 1988 Douglass Montgomery is on holiday with her live-in boyfriend in England. After a huge fight with him and his daughter Douglass is left behind with no money or passport. In grief she goes to the nearby church and cries out that she wishes she had a knight in shining armor. Low and behold Nicholas Stafford, the earl of Thornwyck appears out of sixteenth century England. At first Douglass doesn't believe him that he's from the sixteenth century. She finds his way of dress strange, his talk ridiculous and the fact that he doesn't know what a car is or how to use the bathroom is outrageous! Well, eventually Nicholas wins over Douglass and the two are set to finding out who tried to set Nicholas up for treason in Elizabethian times.
After finding no answers, Nicholas finally resigns himself that he will stay in the 20th century and that Douglass is the love of his life. As soon as the two fall in love, poof! Nicholas is gone back in time. Douglass is at a loss, especially since history has altered and Nicholas was beheaded for crimes he did not commit. She is determined to find the answers to clear his name. But as soon as she finds her answers she is wisked back in time to 1560 and finds herself at Nicholas's home, before he was an earl and everybody was happy, although Nicholas does not remember her.
Douglass must win over Nicholas's trust to change history again, knowing that once it is changed she will be dragged back to the twentieth century.
This story was wonderful! I highly recommend it to anyone, especially time travel lovers. I loved the way that Nicholas was so excited over little things we all take forgranted, such as can openers and vacuum machines. I also loved the interesting information that the readers learns of Elizabethian times. If you haven't read A Knight in Shining Armor, you must do so now!

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Privilege, Power, and Difference Review

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(More customer reviews)When I first saw the title for this book, I thought it was going to be another of those books that make you feel sick and worthless once you get to the end. This couldn't have been further from the truth. Allen's book was engaging, gentle, but powerful. It was thorough in describing the impact of power and privilege in a way that can be felt and understood even by those who are not familiar with (or generally interested in) critical studies and sociology. I found this to be a text that I could engage with, but also one that I could share with those who had a hard time seeing the lines of power and how they impact all of our relationships in many different ways.
I highly recommend this book both to those who have worked with the material of oppression for a long time as well as for those who are struggling to understand what it's all about. The book is powerful and gentle at the same time - something that is very important when dealing with issues of oppression and equity.

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This brief book is a groundbreaking tool for students and non-students alike to examine systems of privilege and difference in our society. Written in an accessible, conversational style, Johnson links theory with engaging examples in ways that enable readers to see the underlying nature and consequences of privilege and their connection to it. This extraordinarily successful book has been used across the country, both inside and outside the classroom, to shed light on issues of power and privilege.

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Teens, Technology, and Literacy; Or, Why Bad Grammar Isn't Always Bad Review

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(More customer reviews)As a high school teacher I hear a lot of groaning from colleagues about how horrible texting and other new applications are for the purity of the English language. Sorry, guys, that's "old school." I think Braun is right. She has a new and much more positive "take" on all this new technology which is--let's face it--our children's and students' native language! No, English is not going down in flames; it's evolving. That's how languages stay alive. Anyone who has contact with kids (and even those who don't, but who are interested in the future of the nation) should read and think about this book!

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22 Britannia Road: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)This is the story of a Polish couple, Silvana and Janusz and their son Aurek. They met and married in 1937. As both the Russians and the Germans invaded Poland in 1940 the couple is separated. He joins the military and after a long journey, typical of Poles who chose to fight on after the defeat of their country, ends up in the RAF in England. She initially raped by a German soldier, flees with their son to a live in the forests of Poland. The story opens in 1946 as the couple is reunited after their six year separation. Building on the memories of a deeply loving relationship before the war the couple tries to reestablish their family life. Each has secrets that they do not share with thevother. These secrets, the crux of the story, are slowly revealed in two separate threads. No more spoilers from me on the story!
This book is vividly written and has complexity to the plot that continues to draw you in right up until the last chapter. The long lasting effects of war on people are brilliantly portrayed in the story. In post war Britain, the couple has every advantage- an intact family, a house, a car, a good job - but the lingering effects of what happened to them during the war destroy their chances to go forward. The son has been deeply influenced by his time in the forests avoiding both Germans and Russians and living off the land. In one scene his father shows him how to collect and save birds eggs and the boy can only think of how he wants to eat the eggs contents as he did so often in the forests. He has a particularly difficult time socializing and entering into normal relationships. It was heartbreaking and at times almost too sad to bear. In the end though this story is a triumph of the human spirit over adversity.

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How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog Review

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(More customer reviews)Do yourself a favor: don't judge this book by its (awful) cover. I've had this book by my side every step of the way while setting up my very first blog, and I have to say it has been a huge help. Stauffer's style is direct and engaging, not cutesy. He tells you what you need to know to get started, without a lot of fluff.
I wanted to write a review here because I think this books deserves a big audience, and because the Amazon listing tells you little about what's covered. So here's what's inside:
"Web 2.0 Blog" covers four different blogging platforms: Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and Expression Engine. So if you're interested in one of these four, you'll find the book very helpful. If you are trying to decide which of the four to go with, the book is even more helpful, as you can compare them feature by feature. For instance, you'll see that while Expression Engine seems quite powerful and flexible, it's obviously more complicated than the other three. Stauffer does a good job of helping you weigh the pros and cons of each.
The book covers quite a lot in a 450 pages, and it does it very well. There's even a basic introduction to XHTML and CSS, giving you a peak at how each blogging platform works under the hood. Other topics covered in depth are:
- RSS feeds
- Photoblogs, podcasting, audioblogging, and adding video
- Working with social bookmarking sites such as Digg and Technorati
- using wikis to collaborate with readers
- adding a forum to open the discussion beyond comments
- community and group blogs
- sending e-newsletters to your subscribers
- getting traffic and monetizing your blog
Highly recommended.

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Incorporate the hottest new Web technologies into your blog! How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog makes it easy to choose the blogging tools that are best for you and master the basics of blog design and template manipulation. You'll learn how to add different Web 2.0 services to your blog, including images, video, audio, forums, tags, wikis, and even money-making features. It's time to take your blog to the next level and get more hits, more fans, more friends,and more customers.

Learn about different blogging tools, including Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and ExpressionEngine

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The Jungle (The Oregon Files) Review

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(More customer reviews)We last saw Chairman of the Board Juan Cabrillo in "The Silent Sea" (3/10), as he was trekking across the frozen wastes of the antarctic. He had become separated from the crew of the "Oregon" and believed dead. The Chairman and his motley crew are all together again in the latest collaboration from Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul.
"The Jungle" begins with one of the better Prologues of a Cussler novel in some time. Set in Eastern China, 1281 A.D. We are eyewitnesses to the battle tactics of General Khenbish, who is in the employ of the great Khan. We learn the history of the three tents that precede each battle; and the first known uses of lasers and dynamite on the battlefield. A walled village is obliterated because its leader dared to provoke the wrath of Khan. It is the independent observer who accompanies Khenbish that is the real surprise at the end of the opening chapter.
The story leaps from the past into the present, just four months ago. The tendrils that connect the two begin to reveal themselves; and the adventure begins.
The summary of "The Jungle" alludes to their many types: real, imagined, physical, and politcal. Readers will enjoy finding their way through all of them. It's easy to see why the "Oregon" files have eclipsed the Dirk Pitt series. The writing here is far superior to what the two Cusslers are generating together. A hat tip to Upton Sinclair, whose book inspired the title.

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