| Search | About | Preferences | Interact | Help | |
| 150 million books. 1 search engine. | ||
books tagged “friendship”
books tagged “friendship”
›› Find signed collectible books by ''
The Book of Bright Ideasby SANDRA KRINGISBN 0385338147 (0-385-33814-7)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Book of Bright Ideas'More editions of The Book of Bright Ideas:
Bucking the Sargeby Christopher Paul CurtisISBN 0385323077 (0-385-32307-7)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Bucking the Sarge'More editions of Bucking the Sarge:
The Caine Mutinyby Herman WoukISBN 0385040539 (0-385-04053-9)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Caine Mutiny'More editions of The Caine Mutiny:
Circle of Graceby Penelope J StokesISBN 0385510136 (0-385-51013-6)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Circle of Grace'More editions of Circle of Grace:
Class Picturesby Marilyn SachsISBN 0380614081 (0-380-61408-1)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Class Pictures'More editions of Class Pictures:
Complete Works of William Shakespeareby William ShakespeareISBN 0385000499 (0-385-00049-9)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Complete Works of William Shakespeare'More editions of Complete Works of William Shakespeare:
The Copper Beechby Maeve BinchyISBN 0385307756 (0-385-30775-6)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Copper Beech'-
Coralineby Neil Gaiman, Dave McKeanISBN 0380807343 (0-380-80734-3)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Coraline'Book summary:Coraline lives with her preoccupied parents in part of a huge old house--a house so huge that other people live in it, too... round, old former actresses Miss Spink and Miss Forcible and their aging Highland terriers ("We trod the boards, luvvy") and the mustachioed old man under the roof ("'The reason you cannot see the mouse circus,' said the man upstairs, 'is that the mice are not yet ready and rehearsed.'") Coraline contents herself for weeks with exploring the vast garden and grounds. But with a little rain she becomes bored--so bored that she begins to count everything blue (153), the windows (21), and the doors (14). And it is the 14th door that--sometimes blocked with a wall of bricks--opens up for Coraline into an entirely alternate universe. Now, if you're thinking fondly of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, you're on the wrong track. Neil Gaiman's Coraline is far darker, far stranger, playing on our deepest fears. And, like Roald Dahl's work, it is delicious.
What's on the other side of the door? A distorted-mirror world, containing presumably everything Coraline has ever dreamed of... people who pronounce her name correctly (not "Caroline"), delicious meals (not like her father's overblown "recipes"), an unusually pink and green bedroom (not like her dull one), and plenty of horrible (very un-boring) marvels, like a man made out of live rats. The creepiest part, however, is her mirrored parents, her "other mother" and her "other father"--people who look just like her own parents, but with big, shiny, black button eyes, paper-white skin... and a keen desire to keep her on their side of the door. To make creepy creepier, Coraline has been illustrated masterfully in scritchy, terrifying ink drawings by British mixed-media artist and Sandman cover illustrator Dave McKean. This delightful, funny, haunting, scary as heck, fairy-tale novel is about as fine as they come. Highly recommended. (Ages 11 and older) --Karin Snelson [via]
Crooked Little Heartby Anne LamottISBN 0385491808 (0-385-49180-8)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Crooked Little Heart'More editions of Crooked Little Heart:
Crossesby Shelley StoehrISBN 038530451X (0-385-30451-X)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Crosses'More editions of Crosses:
Cuba 15by Nancy OsaISBN 0385730217 (0-385-73021-7)
Hardcover, Random House Children's Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Cuba 15'More editions of Cuba 15:
Daphne's Bookby Mary Downing HahnISBN 0380723557 (0-380-72355-7)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Daphne's Book'More editions of Daphne's Book:
-
Daughter of Fortune: A Novelby Isabel Allende, Margaret Sayers PedenISBN 038082101X (0-380-82101-X)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Daughter of Fortune: A Novel'Book summary:Oprah Book Club® Selection, February 2000: Until Isabel Allende burst onto the scene with her 1985 debut, The House of the Spirits, Latin American fiction was, for the most part, a boys' club comprising such heavy hitters as Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Mario Vargas Llosa. But the Chilean Allende shouldered her way in with her magical realist multi-generational tale of the Trueba family, followed it up with four more novels and a spate of nonfiction, and has remained in a place of honor ever since. Her sixth work of fiction, Daughter of Fortune, shares some characteristics with her earlier works: the canvas is wide, the characters are multi-generational and multi-ethnic, and the protagonist is an unconventional woman who overcomes enormous obstacles to make her way in the world. Yet one cannot accuse Allende of telling the same story twice; set in the mid-1800s, this novel follows the fortunes of Eliza Sommers, Chilean by birth but adopted by a British spinster, Rose Sommers, and her bachelor brother, Jeremy, after she is abandoned on their doorstep.
"You have English blood, like us," Miss Rose assured Eliza when she was old enough to understand. "Only someone from the British colony would have thought to leave you in a basket on the doorstep of the British Import and Export Company, Limited. I am sure they knew how good-hearted my brother Jeremy is, and felt sure he would take you in. In those days I was longing to have a child, and you fell into my arms, sent by God to be brought up in the solid principles of the Protestant faith and the English language."
The family servant, Mama Fresia, has a different point of view, however: "You, English? Don't get any ideas, child. You have Indian hair, like mine." And certainly Eliza's almost mystical ability to recall all the events of her life would seem to stem more from the Indian than the Protestant side.As Eliza grows up, she becomes less tractable, and when she falls in love with Joachin Andieta, a clerk in Jeremy's firm, her adoptive family is horrified. They are even more so when a now-pregnant Eliza follows her lover to California where he has gone to make his fortune in the 1849 gold rush. Along the way Eliza meets Tao Chi'en, a Chinese doctor who saves her life and becomes her closest friend. What starts out as a search for a lost love becomes, over time, the discovery of self; and by the time Eliza finally catches up with the elusive Joachin, she is no longer sure she still wants what she once wished for. Allende peoples her novel with a host of colorful secondary characters. She even takes the narrative as far afield as China, providing an intimate portrait of Tao Chi'en's past before returning to 19th-century San Francisco, where he and Eliza eventually fetch up. Readers with a taste for the epic, the picaresque, and romance that is satisfyingly complex will find them all in Daughter of Fortune. --Margaret Prior [via]
More editions of Daughter of Fortune: A Novel:
-
Durable Goodsby Elizabeth BergISBN 0380723085 (0-380-72308-5)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Durable Goods'Book summary:In the sweltering heat of a Southwestern summer, on a small army base in rural Texas, Katie waits impatiently for her life to change. Though battered by the recent death of her mother, her spirit remains miraculously stong. She is filled with longings: for a boy to fall in love with her the way Dickie Mac has fallen for her sister; for her father to stop hitting her; for her life to become less uncertain. And she knows that day is coming soon.
Durable Goods is a poignant and enduring novel by Elizabeth Berg -- author of the New York Times bestseller Talk Before Sleep and Joy School -- a masterful work that gently captures the subtle nuances of childhood's end...and the pain, sorrow and stirring hope of inevitable transformation. [via]
-
Enduring Loveby Ian McEwanISBN 0385494149 (0-385-49414-9)
Softcover, Anchor Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Enduring Love'Book summary:Joe Rose has planned a postcard-perfect afternoon in the English countryside to celebrate his lover's return after six weeks in the States. To complete the picture, there's even a "helium balloon drifting dreamily across the wooded valley." But as Joe and Clarissa watch the balloon touch down, their idyll comes to an abrupt end. The pilot catches his leg in the anchor rope, while the only passenger, a boy, is too scared to jump down. As the wind whips into action, Joe and four other men rush to secure the basket. Mother Nature, however, isn't feeling very maternal. "A mighty fist socked the balloon in two rapid blows, one-two, the second more vicious than the first," and at once the rescuers are airborne. Joe manages to drop to the ground, as do most of his companions, but one man is lifted sky-high, only to fall to his death.
In itself, the accident would change the survivors' lives, filling them with an uneasy combination of shame, happiness, and endless self-reproach. (In one of the novel's many ironies, the balloon eventually lands safely, the boy unscathed.) But fate has far more unpleasant things in store for Joe. Meeting the eye of fellow rescuer Jed Parry, for example, turns out to be a very bad move. For Jed is instantly obsessed, making the first of many calls to Joe and Clarissa's London flat that very night. Soon he's openly shadowing Joe and writing him endless letters. (One insane epistle begins, "I feel happiness running through me like an electrical current. I close my eyes and see you as you were last night in the rain, across the road from me, with the unspoken love between us as strong as steel cable.") Worst of all, Jed's version of love comes to seem a distortion of Joe's feelings for Clarissa.
Apart from the incessant stalking, it is the conditionals--the contingencies--that most frustrate Joe, a scientific journalist. If only he and Clarissa had gone straight home from the airport... If only the wind hadn't picked up... If only he had saved Jed's 29 messages in a single day... Ian McEwan has long been a poet of the arbitrary nightmare, his characters ineluctably swept up in others' fantasies, skidding into deepening violence, and--worst of all--becoming strangers to those who love them. Even his prose itself is a masterful and methodical exercise in defamiliarization. But Enduring Love and its underrated predecessor, Black Dogs, are also meditations on knowledge and perception as well as brilliant manipulations of our own expectations. By the novel's end, you will be surprisingly unafraid of hot-air balloons, but you won't be too keen on looking a stranger in the eye. [via]
Evening Classby Maeve BinchyISBN 0385318073 (0-385-31807-3)
Hardcover, Dell Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Evening Class'More editions of Evening Class:
The Finishing Schoolby Gail GodwinISBN 0380698692 (0-380-69869-2)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Finishing School'More editions of The Finishing School:
-
The Fire-Eatersby David AlmondISBN 0385731701 (0-385-73170-1)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Fire-Eaters'Book summary:Continuing his tradition of strange and wild novels for young adults, David Almond, in The Fire Eaters, introduces a bizarre character making a sparse living as a self-mutilating, fire-swallowing street performer. McNulty's existence shakes young protagonist Bobby Burns to the core as he contemplates the end of the world (the year is 1962 and the U.S. and Soviet Union seem to be heading toward nuclear war), power, pain, class, and death, as well as friendship. The menace and sweetness in Bobby's life parallels the worlds, big and small, he inhabits. A loving family, seaside home, and good friends form the foundation. But a crack in that wall is spreading: Bobby's father is ill, class differences are separating him from his best friend, and a ruthless schoolmaster is forcing Bobby to understand that everything has a price. McNulty's growled refrain--"Pay! You'll not see nowt till you pay!"--reiterates the lesson for the often bewildered, but ever stronger boy. Readers familiar with Almond's other haunting books, including the award-winning Skellig, will welcome this rich, challenging novel. As always, Almond refuses to shy away from the big topics, resulting in a novel dappled with light and dark, filled with wonder and mystery. (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter [via]
More editions of The Fire-Eaters:
The Flip Sideby Andrew MatthewsISBN 0385730969 (0-385-73096-9)
Hardcover, Random House Children's Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Flip Side'More editions of The Flip Side:
The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew up, Burned Out or Faded Awayby Jenny Offill, Elissa Schappell, Francine ProseISBN 0385511868 (0-385-51186-8)
Hardcover, Doubleday Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew up, Burned Out or Faded Away'More editions of The Friend Who Got Away: Twenty Women's True Life Tales of Friendships that Blew up, Burned Out or Faded Away:
Girls In Loveby Jacquelin WilsonISBN 0385408048 (0-385-40804-8)
Hardcover, Trafalgar Square Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Girls In Love'-
The Glass Lakeby Maeve BinchyISBN 0385313543 (0-385-31354-3)
Hardcover, Dell Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Glass Lake'Book summary:An incandescent novel of love, obsession, and the secrets that take root in the human heart, by the author of The Copper Beech and Circle Of Friends. Lough Glass is at the heart and soul of the namesake town clinging to its shore. They say that if you go out on St. Agnes' Eve and look into the lake at sunset you can see your future. But beneath its serene surface, the lake harbors secrets as dark and unfathomable as the beautiful woman who night after night walks beside its waters. Lough Glass is home to Kit McMahon, in a way it will never be to her lovely mother, Helen, who does not fit in with the ways of the people of Lough Glass, and who found an unlikely mate in the genial pharmacist Martin McMahon. Kit adores her mother, but can't escape the picture of her, alone at the kitchen table, tears streaming down her face... or walking alone by the glass lake. Then one terrible night Martin's boat is found drifting upside down in the lake. The night Helen is lost. The night Kit discovers a letter on Martin's pillow and burns it, unopened, in the grate. The night everything changes forever. [via]
More editions of The Glass Lake:
-
Henry and Beezusby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709147 (0-380-70914-7)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Henry and Beezus'Book summary:All Henry Huggins wants is his very own bicycle, a shiny red one to ride up and down Klickitat Street. But no matter how Henry tries to raise money for the bike of his dreams -- from selling bubble gum to delivering newspapers -- he always ends up with too much trouble and not enough money. But Henry's old friend Beezus has an idea that may turn Henry's worst trouble yet into a real business success!
[via]More editions of Henry and Beezus:
Henry and Ribsyby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709171 (0-380-70917-1)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Henry and Ribsy'More editions of Henry and Ribsy:
Henry and the Clubhouseby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709155 (0-380-70915-5)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Henry and the Clubhouse'More editions of Henry and the Clubhouse:
Henry and the Paper Routeby Beverly ClearyISBN 038070921X (0-380-70921-X)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Henry and the Paper Route'More editions of Henry and the Paper Route:
House You Pass on the Wayby Jacqueline WoodsonISBN 0385321899 (0-385-32189-9)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'House You Pass on the Way'More editions of House You Pass on the Way:
-
How Many Miles to Babylonby Jennifer JohnstonISBN 0385056907 (0-385-05690-7)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'How Many Miles to Babylon'Book summary:As a child Alec, heir to the big house and only son of a bitter marriage, formed a close friendship with Jerry, a village boy who shared his passion for horses. In 1914 both enlisted in the British Army ý Alec goaded by his beautiful, cold mother to fight for King and Country, Jerry to learn his trade for the Irish Nationalist cause. But amid the mud of Flanders, their relationship is tested by an ordeal beyond the horror of the battlefieldý [via]
More editions of How Many Miles to Babylon:
I Hadn't Meant To Tell You Thisby Jacqueline WoodsonISBN 0385320310 (0-385-32031-0)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'I Hadn't Meant To Tell You This'More editions of I Hadn't Meant To Tell You This:
-
The Icarus Girlby Helen OyeyemiISBN 0385513836 (0-385-51383-6)
Hardcover, Doubleday
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Icarus Girl'Book summary:The Icarus Girl is an astonishing achievement. Sunday Telegraph (London)
Jessamy Jess Harrison is eight years old. Sensitive, whimsical, possessed of an extraordinary and powerful imagination, she spends hours writing haiku, reading Shakespeare, or simply hiding in the dark warmth of the airing cupboard. As the child of an English father and a Nigerian mother, Jess just cant shake off the feeling of being alone wherever she goes, and the other kids in her class are wary of her tendency to succumb to terrified fits of screaming. Believing that a change from her English environment might be the perfect antidote to Jesss alarming mood swings, her parents whisk her off to Nigeria for the first time where she meets her mothers familyincluding her formidable grandfather.
Jesss adjustment to Nigeria is only beginning when she encounters Titiola, or TillyTilly, a ragged little girl her own age. To Jess, it seems that, at last, she has found someone who will understand her. But gradually, TillyTillys visits become more disturbing, making Jess start to realize that she doesnt know who TillyTilly is at all.
Helen Oyeyemi draws on Nigerian mythology to present a strikingly original variation on a classic literary theme: the existence of "doubles," both real and spiritual, who play havoc with our perceptions and our lives. Lyrical, haunting, and compelling, The Icarus Girl is a story of twins and ghosts, of a little girl growing up between cultures and colors. It heralds the arrival of a remarkable new talent. [via]More editions of The Icarus Girl:
The J. A. P. Chronicles: A Novelby Isabel RoseISBN 0385512864 (0-385-51286-4)
Hardcover, Doubleday Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The J. A. P. Chronicles: A Novel'More editions of The J. A. P. Chronicles: A Novel:
Josie Gambitby Mary Frances ShuraISBN 0380704978 (0-380-70497-8)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Josie Gambit'More editions of Josie Gambit:
-
Lambby Christopher MooreISBN 0380813815 (0-380-81381-5)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Lamb'Book summary:While the Bible may be the word of God, transcribed by divinely inspired men, it does not provide a full (or even partial) account of the life of Jesus Christ. Lucky for us that Christopher Moore presents a funny, lighthearted satire of the life of Christ--from his childhood days up to his crucifixion--in Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. This clever novel is surely blasphemy to some, but to others it's a coming-of-age story of the highest order.
Joshua (a.k.a. Jesus) knows he is unique and quite alone in his calling, but what exactly does his Father want of him? Taking liberties with ancient history, Moore works up an adventure tale as Biff and Joshua seek out the three wise men so that Joshua can better understand what he is supposed to do as Messiah. Biff, a capable sinner, tags along and gives Joshua ample opportunities to know the failings and weaknesses of being truly human. With a wit similar to Douglas Adams, Moore pulls no punches: a young Biff has the hots for Joshua's mom, Mary, which doesn't amuse Josh much: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone." And the origin of the Easter Bunny is explained as a drunken Jesus gushes his affection for bunnies, declaring, "Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around."
One small problem with the narrative is that Biff and Joshua often do not have distinct voices. A larger difficulty is that as the tone becomes more somber with Joshua's life drawing to its inevitable close, the one-liners, though not as numerous, seem forced. True to form, Lamb keeps the story of Joshua light, even after its darkest moments. --Michael Ferch [via]
More editions of Lamb:
-
Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Palby Christopher MooreISBN 0380978407 (0-380-97840-7)
Hardcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal'Book summary:While the Bible may be the word of God, transcribed by divinely inspired men, it does not provide a full (or even partial) account of the life of Jesus Christ. Lucky for us that Christopher Moore presents a funny, lighthearted satire of the life of Christ--from his childhood days up to his crucifixion--in Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. This clever novel is surely blasphemy to some, but to others it's a coming-of-age story of the highest order.
Joshua (a.k.a. Jesus) knows he is unique and quite alone in his calling, but what exactly does his Father want of him? Taking liberties with ancient history, Moore works up an adventure tale as Biff and Joshua seek out the three wise men so that Joshua can better understand what he is supposed to do as Messiah. Biff, a capable sinner, tags along and gives Joshua ample opportunities to know the failings and weaknesses of being truly human. With a wit similar to Douglas Adams, Moore pulls no punches: a young Biff has the hots for Joshua's mom, Mary, which doesn't amuse Josh much: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone." And the origin of the Easter Bunny is explained as a drunken Jesus gushes his affection for bunnies, declaring, "Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around."
One small problem with the narrative is that Biff and Joshua often do not have distinct voices. A larger difficulty is that as the tone becomes more somber with Joshua's life drawing to its inevitable close, the one-liners, though not as numerous, seem forced. True to form, Lamb keeps the story of Joshua light, even after its darkest moments. --Michael Ferch [via]
More editions of Lamb : The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal:
Libby on Wednesdayby Zilpha Keatley SnyderISBN 0385299796 (0-385-29979-6)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Libby on Wednesday'More editions of Libby on Wednesday:
Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Marriedby Marian KeyesISBN 0380796104 (0-380-79610-4)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married'Book summary:Lucy Sullivan is getting married -- or is she? Lucy doesn't even have a boyfriend. (To be honest, she isn't that lucky in love.) But Mrs. Nolan -- a local psychic -- has read her tarot cards and predicted that Lucy will be walking down the aisle within the year.
Lucy's roommates, Karen and Charlotte, are appalled at the news. If Lucy leaves it could disrupt their wonderful lifestyle of eating take-out, drinking too much wine, bringing men home and never vacuumming. They might even have to -- God forbid-clean up the apartment to lure in a new roommate. Lucy reassures them that she's far too busy arguing with her mother and taking care of her irresponsible father to get married.
And there's the small matter of no boyfriend. But then Lucy meets Gus, gorgeous, unreliable Gus. And she starts to wonder if he could be the future Mr. Lucy Sullivan. Or could it be handsome Chuck? Or Daniel, the world's biggest flirt? Or even cute Jed, the new boy at work?
Maybe the idea of Lucy Sullivan getting married isn't so unlikely, after all.
More editions of Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married:
Mitch and Amyby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709252 (0-380-70925-2)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Mitch and Amy'More editions of Mitch and Amy:
The Mother's Almanac Goes to School: Your Child from Six to Twelveby Marguerite Kelly, Katy KellyISBN 0385131550 (0-385-13155-0)
Softcover, Broadway Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Mother's Almanac Goes to School: Your Child from Six to Twelve'More editions of The Mother's Almanac Goes to School: Your Child from Six to Twelve:
-
Mystic Riverby Dennis LehaneISBN 0380731851 (0-380-73185-1)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Mystic River'Book summary:Dennis Lehane's Mystic River takes the material of the ordinary police procedural thriller and shapes it into heart-break. As boys, Jimmy, Dave and Sean were friends, until one day Dave was abducted by two men pretending to be cops, and was never quite the same again. As men, Dave is a damaged fantasist, safe in a quietly happy marriage; Jimmy a retired criminal making a good respectable living for the sake of his children; and Sean is the homicide cop who finds himself investigating the murder of Jimmy's eldest daughter Katie. This is not just a book about what becomes of the children who grow into adults; it is about what happens to a neighbourhood when the rules change, when an old established working-class district acquires gentrified espresso bars at one end and the beats of the city's most dangerous whores at the other. It is also a book about the tragedy of all sudden violent deaths; we never forget our sense of Katie as she was, dancing on the last night of her life--she is never just the corpse here, never just the object of mourning and investigation. --Roz Kaveney [via]
More editions of Mystic River:
-
The Neverending Storyby Michael Ende, Ralph ManheimISBN 0385176228 (0-385-17622-8)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Neverending Story'Book summary:In this classic fantasy novel from author Michael Ende, small and insignificant Bastian Balthazar Bux is nobody's idea of a hero, least of all his own. Then, through the pages of an ancient, mysterious book, he discovers the enchanted world of Fantastica, and only Bastian himself can save the fairy people who live there. Shy, awkward Bastian is amazed to discover that he has become a character in the mysterious book he is reading and that he has an important mission to fulfill.[via]More editions of The Neverending Story:
-
Niagara Falls All over Againby Elizabeth McCrackenISBN 0385336489 (0-385-33648-9)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Niagara Falls All over Again'Book summary:Elizabeth McCracken seems to specialise in unlikely romance: the inventive Niagara Falls All Over Again is the story of a vaudevillian's love for the one person he can't be without--his partner in comedic crime and her charmingly quirky debut, The Giant's House, was the story of a librarian's passion for the world's tallest boy.
In Niagara Falls Carter and Sharp, a vaudeville team that makes the leap to B-list film fame, have perfected a classic shtick: the stern Professor and the hapless, bumbling Rocky. Off screen, however, their roles are reversed. Mose Sharp is mild-mannered and accommodating, while Rocky Carter is a jovial bully--the kind of guy, Sharp thinks, who "compared the slices of cake on an arriving dessert tray and got disappointed, really disappointed, when the largest was delivered to somebody who wasn't him".
Show business is a subject tailor-made for McCracken's eccentric gifts. Her timing is impeccable, and she's no slouch with the jokes either. But she's not playing this one just for laughs. As anyone who read The Giant's House knows, McCracken writes prose of uncommon beauty, studded with images both arresting and sad. This second novel is a balancing act on an even greater scale: tender but never sentimental, verbally dexterous but never merely clever. Like its predecessor, Niagara Falls will have you reading aloud to whoever will listen. --Mary Park, Amazon.com [via]
More editions of Niagara Falls All over Again:
One More Riverby Lynne Reid BanksISBN 0380715635 (0-380-71563-5)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'One More River'Book summary:Struggling to adapt to life on a border kibbutz in Israel, Lesley reluctantly trades in her past world of trendy clothes and school popularity for manual work, unisex sleeping quarters, and a devastating war. Reissue. SLJ. PW. [via]
-
The Princess Diariesby Meg CabotISBN 0380814021 (0-380-81402-1)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Princess Diaries'Book summary:Mia Thermopolis is your average urban ninth grader. Even though she lives in Greenwich Village with a single mom who is a semifamous painter, Mia still puts on her Doc Martens one at a time, and the most exciting things she ever dreams about are smacking lips with sexy senior Josh Richter, "six feet of unadulterated hotness," and passing Algebra I. Then Mia's dad comes to town, and drops a major bomb. Turns out he's not just a European politician as he's always lead her to believe, but actually the prince of a small country! And Mia, his only heir, is now considered the crown princess of Genovia! She doesn't even know how to begin to cope: "I am so NOT a princess.... You never saw anyone who looked less like a princess than I do. I mean, I have really bad hair... and... a really big mouth and no breasts and feet that look like skis." And if this news wasn't bad enough, Mia's mom has started dating her algebra teacher, the paparazzi is showing up at school, and she's in a huge fight with her best friend, Lilly. How much more can this reluctant Cinderella handle?
Offbeat Mia will automatically win the heart of every teenage girl who's ever just wanted to fit in with as little fuss as possible. Debut author Meg Cabot's writing is silly and entertaining, with tons of pop culture references that will make teens feel right at home within her pages. This is a wonderfully wacky read. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert [via]
More editions of The Princess Diaries:
-
The Probable Futureby Alice HoffmanISBN 0385507607 (0-385-50760-7)
Hardcover, Doubleday Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Probable Future'Book summary:Alice Hoffmans most magical novel to datethree generations of extraordinary women are driven to unite in crisis and discover the rewards of reconciliation and love.
[via]
Women of the Sparrow family have unusual gifts. Elinor can detect falsehood. Her daughter, Jenny, can see peoples dreams when they sleep. Granddaughter Stella has a mental window on the futurea future that she might not want to see.
In The Probable Future this vivid and intriguing cast of characters confronts a haunting pastand a very current murderagainst the evocative backdrop of small-town New England. By turns chilling and enchanting, The Probable Future chronicles the Sparrowss legacy as young Stella struggles to cope with her disturbing clairvoyance. Her potential to ruin or redeem becomes unbearable when one of her premonitions puts her father in jail, wrongly accused of homicide. Yet this ordeal also leads Stella to the grandmother she was forbidden to meet and to a historic family home full of talismans from her ancestors.
Poignant, arresting, unsettling, The Probable Future showcases the lavish literary gifts that have made Alice Hoffman one of Americas most treasured writers.More editions of The Probable Future:
-
Rachel's Holidayby Marian KeyesISBN 0380817683 (0-380-81768-3)
Softcover, Avon Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Rachel's Holiday'Book summary:The fast lane is much too slow for twenty-seven-year-old Rachel Walsh, who is always the last one still standing whenever there's a party. And New York City is the perfect place for a young female to over-do...everything! But her love of a good time is about to land her in the emergency room and alienate her best friend and her boyfriend.Soon the Walsh clan has come to hustle their daughter home to check her into the local version of the Betty Ford Clinic. And just when another million hours of group therapy are about to drive her crazy, Rachel meets a new man and resolves to ride this wild dream to love -- or wherever else her heart may lead her. [via]
More editions of Rachel's Holiday:
Ralph S. Mouseby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709570 (0-380-70957-0)
Softcover, Camelot
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ralph S. Mouse'More editions of Ralph S. Mouse:
Ramona and Her Motherby Beverly ClearyISBN 038070952X (0-380-70952-X)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ramona and Her Mother'More editions of Ramona and Her Mother:
Ramona Foreverby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709600 (0-380-70960-0)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ramona Forever'Book summary:Misunderstandings abound in Ramona Quimby's life. Even at the ripe old age of 8, she continues to find herself in trouble when she least expects it. It's a time of many changes: Ramona's friend Howie's rich uncle comes to visit from Saudi Arabia, her mother seems suspiciously fatter, and Aunt Beatrice begins dating a mystery man. It's more important than ever for Ramona and her big sister Beezus to be good, but there are so many opportunities to mess up!
Beverly Cleary has somehow managed to remember the intricate workings of a young girl's mind and heart. With several dozen children's books and many awards under her belt, she is one of America's most beloved authors. Winner of the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw, as well as the Newbery Honor for Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8, Cleary balances raucously funny childhood adventures with poignantly real circumstances and emotions. Alan Tiegreen's clever line drawings have faithfully accompanied many of Cleary's books over the years. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter [via]
-
Ramona Quimby, Age 8by Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709562 (0-380-70956-2)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ramona Quimby, Age 8'Book summary:From the first day of third grade, when Ramona Quimby meets her eventual nemesis Yard Ape, life moves on at its usual wild pace--usual for the boisterous Ramona, that is. Soon she is accidentally squashing a raw egg into her hair at the school cafeteria, being forced to play Uncle Rat with her annoying young neighbor, and, worst of all, throwing up in her classroom. The responsibilities of an 8-year-old are sometimes daunting, especially in a family that is trying to squeak by while the father goes back to school. But Ramona is full of too much vim and vigor to ever be down for long.
In her second Newbery Honor Book about Ramona (the first was Ramona and Her Father), Beverly Cleary presents another slice of the Quimby family life. Author of more than two dozen children's books, Cleary has a true knack for understanding the tangle of thoughts and emotions in a child's mind and heart. Empathic, witty, and astute, she has earned many other awards, including the Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. Alan Tiegreen's clever line drawings have charmed countless readers of Cleary's books over the years, and his style is now inextricably tied to hers. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter [via]
More editions of Ramona Quimby, Age 8:
-
Ramona the Pestby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380709546 (0-380-70954-6)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ramona the Pest'Book summary:The engaging tale of young Ramona Quimby's first days in kindergarten, Ramona the Pest takes a pint-sized perspective on the trials and delights of beginning school. Ramona can't wait to learn all the important things. But she's disappointed when her teacher can't fill in missing parts of story lines, such as how Mike Mulligan (of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel) went to the bathroom while digging the basement of the town hall. Nonetheless, Ramona loves her teacher, and loves going to school in spite of the torments--having to wear hand-me-down boots, for example, or having to (sometimes) suppress the urge to pull on another girl's "boing-boing" curls. Ramona's energetic take on life appeals to children who have passed through this stage, or who are dealing with a kindergarten-age sibling who is exhibiting Ramona-ish tendencies. (Ages 7 to 12) --Richard Farr [via]
More editions of Ramona the Pest:
-
Ramona's Worldby Beverly Cleary, Alan TiegreenISBN 0380732726 (0-380-73272-6)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ramona's World'Book summary:Ramona Quimby is back! Beverly Cleary's best-loved and most exuberant character has been winning friends since the 1950s when she made her first appearance as Beezus's pesky little sister. Now, in Cleary's first Ramona book in 15 years, our beloved spitfire is 9 years old, and she fully intends to make fourth grade the best year of her life. Even with her spelling struggles, a new baby sister, and a fall through her best friend's ceiling, her wish seems to be coming true. Old friends Yard Ape and Howie are still around--and with her new best friend Daisy, Ramona is on top of her world! The ever-popular Cleary has been awarded many honors, including the prestigious Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw in 1984. Two books in the Ramona series, Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8, were named Newbery Honor Books. Cleary's masterful expression of children's emotions endears her to the hearts of her young readers, time after time. Who else could know just what it feels like to accidentally make a funny face during the school pictures, or the dread of being forced to play with the annoyingly perfect Susan? Happily, Cleary is still teamed up with illustrator Alan Tiegreen, whose simple line drawings capture the most complex of childhood predicaments. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter [via]
More editions of Ramona's World:
The Razor's Edgeby W. Somerset MaughamISBN 0385043791 (0-385-04379-1)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Razor's Edge'More editions of The Razor's Edge:
-
Rebeccaby Daphne Du MaurierISBN 0380730405 (0-380-73040-5)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Rebecca'Book summary:"Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Manderley Again." So the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter remembered the chilling events that led her down the turning drive past ther beeches, white and naked, to the isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast. With a husband she barely knew, the young bride arrived at this immense estate, only to be inexorably drawn into the life of the first Mrs. de Winter, the beautiful Rebecca, dead but never forgotten...her suite of rooms never touched, her clothes ready to be worn, her servant -- the sinister Mrs. Danvers -- still loyal. And as an eerie presentiment of evil tightened around her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter began her search for the real fate of Rebecca...for the secrets of Manderley. [via]
-
Ribsyby Beverly ClearyISBN 0380728036 (0-380-72803-6)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Ribsy'Book summary:Separated from his owner, Henry Huggins, in a shopping center parking lot, an ordinary city dog begins a string of bewildering adventures. [via]
More editions of Ribsy:
Rumble Fishby S. E. HintonISBN 0385286759 (0-385-28675-9)
Hardcover, Random House Children's Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Rumble Fish'More editions of Rumble Fish:
Secret Heartby David AlmondISBN 0385729472 (0-385-72947-2)
Hardcover, Random House Children's Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Secret Heart'More editions of Secret Heart:
-
Sharing Samby Catherine ApplegateISBN 0385731353 (0-385-73135-3)
Softcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Sharing Sam'Book summary:How can you take the guy your best friend loves . . . when your best friends going to die?
Alison Chapman has always believed shed fall in love hard. And she doeswith Sam Cody, a new guy with a gorgeous face and brooding eyes, a guy whos impossible to resist. When Sam asks her to the Valentines Day dance, Alison is elated . . . until she finds out that her best friend, Isabella Cates-Lopez, has fallen for Sam,
too . . . until she finds out that Isabella is dying. Now Alison wants Isabellas last days to be her happiest evereven if she and Sam have to hide their love. Even if, by sharing Sam, Alison risks losing him forever. [via]More editions of Sharing Sam:
Shelterby Jayne Anne PhillipsISBN 0385313896 (0-385-31389-6)
Softcover, Dell Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Shelter'More editions of Shelter:
-
Shopaholic 3c Tr Box Setby Sophie KinsellaISBN 0385395507 (0-385-39550-7)
Softcover, Dell Publishing
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Shopaholic 3c Tr Box Set'Book summary:This slip-cased box set includes one copy each of Confessions of a Shopaholic, Shopaholic Takes Manhattan, and Shopaholic Ties the Knot. [via]
More editions of Shopaholic 3c Tr Box Set:
Shopaholic Takes Manhattanby Sophie KinsellaISBN 0385335881 (0-385-33588-1)
Softcover, Delta
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Shopaholic Takes Manhattan'More editions of Shopaholic Takes Manhattan:
Skelligby David AlmondISBN 038532653X (0-385-32653-X)
Hardcover, Delacorte Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Skellig'More editions of Skellig:
-
Slapstickby Kurt VonnegutISBN 0385334230 (0-385-33423-0)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Slapstick'Book summary:Dr. Wilbur Daffodil-11 Swain, centenarian, the last President of the United States, King of Manhattan, and one-half (along with his sister, Eliza) of the most powerful intelligence since Einstein, is penning his autobiography. He occupies the first floor of a ruined Empire State Building and lives like a royal scavenger with his illiterate granddaughter and her beau. Buffeted by fluctuating gravity, the U.S. has been scourged by not one, but two lethal diseases: the Green Death and the Albanian Flu. Consequently, the country has fallen into civil war. (Super-intelligent, miniaturized Chinese watch the West self-destruct from the sidelines.) Swain stayed at the White House until there were no citizens left to govern, then moved to deserted New York City, where he writes a thoughtful missive before death.
In Slapstick, Vonnegut muses on war, man's hubris, and the awful, crippling loneliness humans are freighted with--but, miraculously, the book still manages to delight and amuse. Absurd, knowing, never depressing, Slapstick kindles hope--for the possibility of wisdom, perhaps; for human resiliency, surely.
It's best to end with a quote from the prologue wherein the author discourses on The Meaning of It All, or at least This Book: "Love is where you find it. I think it is foolish to go off looking for it, and I think it can often be poisonous.
I wish that people who are conventionally supposed to love each other would say to each other, when they fight, 'Please--a little less love, and a little more common decency.'"
Amen. [via] 
Slapstick or Lonesome No More!by Kurt VonnegutISBN 0385289448 (0-385-28944-8)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Slapstick or Lonesome No More!'More editions of Slapstick or Lonesome No More!:
So You Want to Be a Wizardby Diane DuaneISBN 0385293054 (0-385-29305-4)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'So You Want to Be a Wizard'More editions of So You Want to Be a Wizard:
-
Soldier of the Great Warby Mark HelprinISBN 0380727366 (0-380-72736-6)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Soldier of the Great War'Book summary:On his, last long walk, septuagenarian war hero, deserter, and professor Alessandro Giuliani shares his past with an illiterate young factory worker -- spinning a remarkable tale of heart-stopping escapes, of loves unrequited and won, of madmen, dwarfs, and mafiosi. But overshadowing all is hismost miraculous and terrible adventure, the Great War -- a surreal parade of horrors that devastated and defined Alessandro, yet enabled him to experience fully the magic and beauty of the absurd human comedy called life.
From Mark Helprin bestselling author of Winter's Tale and Memoir from Antproof Case, comes a magnificent epic adventure in which the hero reckons with love, loss, beauty, honor; and mortality. [via]
Something Queer at the Birthday Partyby Elizabeth Levy, Mordicai GersteinISBN 0385299737 (0-385-29973-7)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Something Queer at the Birthday Party'More editions of Something Queer at the Birthday Party:
Something Queer in Rock 'N' Rollby Mordicai Gerstein, Elizabeth LevyISBN 0385295472 (0-385-29547-2)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Something Queer in Rock 'N' Roll'More editions of Something Queer in Rock 'N' Roll:
-
Something Wicked This Way Comesby Ray BradburyISBN 0380729407 (0-380-72940-7)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'Book summary:A masterpiece of modern Gothic literature, Something Wicked This Way Comes is the memorable story of two boys, James Nightshade and William Halloway, and the evil that grips their small Midwestern town with the arrival of a "dark carnival" one Autumn midnight. How these two innocents, both age 13, save the souls of the town (as well as their own), makes for compelling reading on timeless themes. What would you do if your secret wishes could be granted by the mysterious ringmaster Mr. Dark? Bradbury excels in revealing the dark side that exists in us all, teaching us ultimately to celebrate the shadows rather than fear them. In many ways, this is a companion piece to his joyful, nostalgia-drenched Dandelion Wine, in which Bradbury presented us with one perfect summer as seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old. In Something Wicked This Way Comes, he deftly explores the fearsome delights of one perfectly terrifying, unforgettable autumn. --Stanley Wiater [via]
More editions of Something Wicked This Way Comes:
Sometimes I Think I Hear My Nameby Avi WortisISBN 0380724243 (0-380-72424-3)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name'More editions of Sometimes I Think I Hear My Name:
Squashedby Joan BauerISBN 0385307934 (0-385-30793-4)
Hardcover, Random House Children's Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Squashed'More editions of Squashed:
Taking Terri Muellerby Norma Fox MazerISBN 0380790041 (0-380-79004-1)
Softcover, HarperCollins Publishers
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Taking Terri Mueller'Book summary:For as long as I can remember, It's just been Daddy and me. I can't remember my mother. I was told she died in an accident when I was four, and that's all I know about her. I don't understand why there isn't even a picture of her. The other thing I don't understand is why we're always moving -- different towns -- with no explanations. I know something is wrong. It begins with my birth certificate-- my only link to my mother. Then I overhear a conversation: "Tell terri the truth ," Why are we moving all the time? Are we running away from something or someone? What kind of secret is Daddy hiding...and why can't he share it with me.
[via]More editions of Taking Terri Mueller:
-
A Tale of Two Citiesby Charles DickensISBN 0382099931 (0-382-09993-1)
Softcover, Silver Burdett Pr
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Tale of Two Cities'Book summary:This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. [via]
-
Tales from Watership Downby Richard AdamsISBN 0380729342 (0-380-72934-2)
Softcover, Avon Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Tales from Watership Down'Book summary:Mass market paperback. [via]
More editions of Tales from Watership Down:
Tara Roadby Maeve BinchyISBN 0385333951 (0-385-33395-1)
Hardcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Tara Road'
Three Junesby Julia GlassISBN 0385721420 (0-385-72142-0)
Softcover, Random House Inc
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Three Junes'More editions of Three Junes:
The Trouble With Thirteenby Betty MilesISBN 038067470X (0-380-67470-X)
Softcover, Harpercollins Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Trouble With Thirteen'More editions of The Trouble With Thirteen:
Varjak Pawby S. F. Said, Dave McKeanISBN 0385604157 (0-385-60415-7)
Hardcover, David Fickling Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Varjak Paw'More editions of Varjak Paw:
-
The Velveteen Rabbitby Margery Williams Bianco, Magery Williams, William NicholsonISBN 0385077254 (0-385-07725-4)
Hardcover, Random House Childrens Books
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Velveteen Rabbit'Book summary:A stuffed toy rabbit (with real thread whiskers) comes to life in Margery Williams's timeless tale of the transformative power of love. Given as a Christmas gift to a young boy, the Velveteen Rabbit lives in the nursery with all of the other toys, waiting for the day when the Boy (as he is called) will choose him as a playmate. In time, the shy Rabbit befriends the tattered Skin Horse, the wisest resident of the nursery, who reveals the goal of all nursery toys: to be made "real" through the love of a human. "'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.'" This sentimental classic--perfect for any child who's ever thought that maybe, just maybe, his or her toys have feelings--has been charming children since its first publication in 1922. (A great read-aloud for all ages, but children ages 8 and up can read it on their own.) [via]
The Voice of the Nightby Dean R. KoontzISBN 0385152582 (0-385-15258-2)
Hardcover, Doubleday
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Voice of the Night'More editions of The Voice of the Night:
-
A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trailby Bill Bryson, Philip KerrISBN 0385257155 (0-385-25715-5)
Hardcover, Doubleday Canada, Limited
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail'Book summary:Your initial reaction to Bill Bryson's reading of A Walk in the Woods may well be "Egads! What a bore!" But by sentence three or four, his clearly articulated, slightly adenoidal, British/American-accented speech pattern begins to grow on you and becomes quite engaging. You immediately get a hint of the humor that lies ahead, such as one of the innumerable reasons he longed to walk as many of the 2,100 miles of the Appalachian Trail as he could. "It would get me fit after years of waddlesome sloth" is delivered with glorious deadpan flair. By the time our storyteller recounts his trip to the Dartmouth Co-op, suffering serious sticker shock over equipment prices, you'll be hooked.
When Bryson speaks for the many Americans he encounters along the way--in various shops, restaurants, airports, and along the trail--he launches into his American accent, which is whiny and full of hard r's. And his southern intonations are a hoot. He's even got a special voice used exclusively when speaking for his somewhat surprising trail partner, Katz. In the 25 years since their school days together, Katz has put on quite a bit of weight. In fact, "he brought to mind Orson Welles after a very bad night. He was limping a little and breathing harder than one ought to after a walk of 20 yards." Katz often speaks in monosyllables, and Bryson brings his limited vocabulary humorously to life. One of Katz's more memorable utterings is "flung," as in flung most of his provisions over the cliff because they were too heavy to carry any farther.
The author has thoroughly researched the history and the making of the Appalachian Trail. Bryson describes the destruction of many parts of the forest and warns of the continuing perils (both natural and man-made) the Trail faces. He speaks of the natural beauty and splendor as he and Katz pass through, and he recalls clearly the serious dangers the two face during their time together on the trail. So, A Walk in the Woods is not simply an out-of-shape, middle-aged man's desire to prove that he can still accomplish a major physical task; it's also a plea for the conservation of America's last wilderness. Bryson's telling is a knee-slapping, laugh-out-loud funny trek through the woods, with a touch of science and history thrown in for good measure. (Running time: 360 minutes, four cassettes) --Colleen Preston [via]
More editions of A Walk in the Woods : Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail:
-
The Westing Gameby Ellen RaskinISBN 0380679914 (0-380-67991-4)
Softcover, Harpercollins
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'The Westing Game'Book summary:This time-saving, easy-to-use teacher guide includes inspiring lesson plans which provide a comprehensive novel unit--the legwork is done for you! The guide incorporates essential reading, writing and thinking practice. (This is NOT the paperback novel.) [via]
More editions of The Westing Game:
Wilderness Tipsby Margaret AtwoodISBN 0385491115 (0-385-49111-5)
Softcover, Bantam Dell Pub Group
Find This Book
› Find signed collectible books: 'Wilderness Tips'
![[powered by Muze Inc.]](http://i.bookfinder.com/images/site/muze/powered_by_muze.gif){kind=small}