The Fantasy Film (New Approaches to Film Genre) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book for avid movie goers and film students. It's fun to read and covers a wide range of movies and styles. Unlike 'textbook' film books, this one reads as if it was intended for anyone to pick it up but it still manages to provide a lot of essential background in film history and theory. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes fantasy movies (like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings), older movies (like Wizard of Oz or Harvey), or is generally interested in how movies function as stories. It would make a great text for college courses in film because it presents major theories and approaches to film study in an unintimidating and fun context. Great read--I recommend it highly!


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Dave Barry Is Not Taking This Sitting Down Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm not the most unbiased reviewer because I have to confess that I have read every book that Barry has ever written including his not so stellar novel. Still, I can't imagine anyone I'd ever want to have coffee with not thinking this book is hysterical. I'm always amazed at his turn of phrase and wit in every single article on any topic imaginable. Whether he's talking about flushing "acts of congress" (#2) down a low gallon toilet or his coffee addiction, he makes me laugh out loud every 2 minutes. I was so engrossed in the book that I didn't realize I was near the end and sat around not believing that it had ended. Then, I entered a deep depression.... Okay, I'm lying, but I was disappointed that I didn't have another one of his books right there to keep me going.
If you've never read Barry before, rush out and buy this. I guarantee that within minutes, you'll be dialing friends and relatives to read snippets out loud -- I try to, but I ususually collapse into gales of laughter while I'm trying.

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Urban Arcana Campaign Setting (d20 Modern) Review

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(More customer reviews)When I read of this setting idea in the back D20 Modern I thought it would be an interesting thing to look over and maybe play. Now that I have it, I can see my expectations were rather justified as Urban Arcana looks like a kind of amalagamation of dark modern ideas like the X-Files and mixes it with a bit of Harry Potter's world. Freaky in some respects but intriguing none the less. Most of the standard D&D races are availble for play as well some non-standard races. I'm getting some other stuff to play with this and I may just try to do a kind of D20 Shadowrun when all is said and done, the possibilties are endless.

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The Urban Arcana Campaign Setting is the first setting to be released for players of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game. It greatly expands on material available to d20 Modern players and includes new races, advanced classes, occupations, feats, creatures, and rules for organizations and secret societies.It contains both short adventures and adventure hooks and presents a fully detailed city for adventuring, including maps. A key feature is the expanded magic system that features new magic items for the modern world.

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The Legend of Rah and the Muggles Review

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(More customer reviews)Some of the people I know had bashed this book without sufficient cause, because the author sued J.K. Rowling over the use of the word "Muggles." Not being a part of the HP throng, I checked this book out and settled down to read. Eventually, I concluded that the lawsuit was needless. This book is bad on its own merits.
The essential plot is a postapocalyptic one, where bombs are falling on crumbling civilizations (which, weirdly enough, are composed of nobles?). First we're given a political run-through and a description of the Muggles themselves. Then we are told about a beautiful young noble woman named Lady Catherine, who sets her newborn sons afloat on the ocean. Helped by friendly sea creatures to Aura, the land of the cartoonish Muggles, the boys survive and are named Rah and Zyn. However, as years go by, Zyn becomes jealous of his brother. His increasing isolation with his band of hanger-on Nevils provides the central conflict of the plot.
This book never really decides what it wants to be - it reads like an "Early Reader" story stretched over nearly three hundred pages. Yet the descriptions of nuclear war, third-degree burns, radioactive mutation, and a mother setting her children floating in the ocean will scare some small children witless.
And to put it simply... it's just a terrible book. I knew I was in trouble when I read that Lady Catherine's nickname is "Cat." The talking sea creatures made me cover my eyes. The rapidly changing enviroments (the arrival of the twins causes Aura to become fertile again) require a major suspension of belief, as does the rambling storyline - we get pages of irrelevant conversation and attempted humor. But the humor falls flat, the dialogue is virtually impossible to follow, the songs intrude on the storyline, and the Muggles read like the creations of someone forced to watch one too many hours of kiddie cartoons.
And the character development is nonexistant - we get pretty much nothing from the POV of either of the twins or an individual Muggle. In following pages I found that Rah and Zyn had no real personalities - they either emanate sinister evilness, or a sugary goodness. Ditto with the Muggles, who seem to live in a saccharine idyllic enviroment, like mutant hobbits on illicit substances. There's even an attempt to inject gratuitous romance into it, where we have the (beautiful, elegant, dull-as-ditchwater) Lady "Cat" dancing and flirting heavily with her butler only a few pages after her husband dies. Uhhh...
The writing style is worse than mediocre. While author-addressing-the-readers can be charming sometimes (such as "The Hobbit") it takes a skilled writer to pull it off. Too often Stouffer's tone comes across as cutesy and smug. Her writing never makes us care much about what's going on, because she never writes in any sense of urgency or genuine danger - the Nevils are an example of this. Evidently we're supposed to find them alarming, but I had a great deal of trouble not giggling. And for the love of Mike, why do the Muggles wear baby-esque clothes made out of "gingham"?
FYI, I am not a Harry Potter fan, but this is for its fans: This book resembles Harry Potter in pretty much no way, except for the plotline involving adolescent boys and the name "Muggle." I can't imagine why Stouffer thinks that she can realistically sue Rowling over the use of this name. The hostility towards her is not the result of "big companies having power over people." If this book deserved it, it would receive a wide readership - but alas...
If you want beautifully written books for young kids, try Jane Yolen's Merlin trilogy, TA Barron's "Tree Girl," or Emily Rodda's "Rowan of Rin" series. This one is not beautifully written, not for young kids, and not worth it.

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City of Bones (Mortal Instruments) Review

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(More customer reviews)This review was written for my blog, so the hyperlinks and strikethrough text got erased when I posted it here, but I think you get the gist.
---
I'm finally getting around to reading Cassandra Clare's City of Bones (first book in the "Mortal Instruments" series) and I have so many conflicted feelings about it, I'm actually having a hard time just reading it. Nevertheless, this post is actually a review of City of Bones. IT HAS SOME SPOILERS. Not that there's much to spoil.
First of all, I've been familiar with Cassandra Clare's work for quite a few years now...of course, what I mean is that like thousands of other people, I knew her from her LOTR and Harry Potter fanfiction days, under the penname "Cassandra Claire." She would probably be the most stellar example of what's known as a BNF, or a Big Name Fan. She wrote the "Very Secret Dairies" for LOTR and the "Draco Trilogy" (Draco Dormiens, Sinister, and Veritas) for LOTR. They've probably been translated into countless languages and most likely if you read any Harry Potter fanfiction at all, you've probably heard of Cassandra Clare. Unsurprisingly, there was also some controversy and plagiarism accusations, since she paraphrased or "forgot to cite" a lot of phrases and quotes. Here, you can read all about it at her very own Fanlore page. As I recall, she may or may not have been gifted a laptop by fans when hers was stolen - though this is apparently one of the myths that got deleted off websites like Fanlore.
Anyway, all this is just background context, but it's important context, and you'll see why. So basically after this highly successful fanfiction stint, Cassandra Claire became Cassandra Clare, the best-selling author of the YA "Mortal Instruments" series, which finally brings me back to City of Bones. With that said, City of Bones is more or less the Harry Potter world reimagined, and what I mean by that is that basically almost every single concept and phrase and description in this book seemed oddly familiar... But that's kind of to be expected, since naturally a writer's style can't change overnight. Still.
Here's now the series works. Clary Fray is your normal teenage girl - for about fifty pages, anyway - and basically she starts seeing things that other people can't see. No, it actually isn't a book based off the ever popular faerie mythology. Clary sees three teenagers covered with weird markings kill someone they claim is a demon. Turns out, there's a whole "Shadow world" out there, where there are vampires, werewolves, faeries, and so on. One of those marked teenagers turns out to be a young Shadowhunter named Jace, who happens to have all the same mannerisms and characteristics as Draco Malfoy, especially the Draco Malfoy portrayed the Draco Trilogy. In other words, he's arrogant, wealthy, sarcastic, blond, and he even comes with a back story with some kind of stern father who teaches him that "to love is to destroy." The father spoiled his son with luxuries (they live in the Malfoy a manor, after all) but the father also died. Jace is a Shadowhunter, meaning he's been trained since birth to kill demons and whatnot. A Shadowhunter uses a stele (which is a wand-like object, Clare's description, not mine) to draw runes, i.e. they use this "tool" to do magic. Cool, right?
Okay, Jace is actually pretty appealing (well, why not? He's basically Draco) but the similarities don't stop there. See, about 16 years ago in this magical world, this guy named Lord Voldemort - er, I mean Valentine - decided to get rid of everyone who he felt wasn't pureblooded enough, which in this case means anything nonhuman. There's actually quite a bit of snobbishness going on between the Shadowhunters and the Muggles - er, I mean mundanes - that don't know about this magical world that's hiding in plain sight. Anyway, 16 years ago, "Valentine" failed and everyone thought he and his wife and child died. His supporters, the Circle (okay, fail, Death Eaters sounds so much cooler), either died during the Uprising or turned themselves in and are somewhat co-opted back into the government, but exiled.
Clary, of course, turns out to be mysteriously connected to He Who Shall Not Be Named, who turns out not to be dead. Like you didn't see that one coming. Anyway, Valentine sends demons after Clary and manages to kidnap Clary's mom. Clary's dad conveniently died around the time she was born. Hmmmm. Valentine used to be this popular and handsome Shadowhunter who, you know, didn't start out evil but gradually became obsessed with killing all the Downworlders (those nonhuman, part demon whatevers) and using this thing called the Mortal Cup to create more Shadowhunters from regular humans. Problem is, only like 20% of the converted humans survive, but Valentine's not going to let that stop him. He builds up his followers - the Circle - which basically consists of the parents of all of Clary's new Shadowhunter friends. By the way, the Shadowhunter names are all things like Blackwell, Pangborn, Lightwood, Fairchild. Just so you know. No sense of deja vu, of course.
Also, in a twist you so couldn't see coming, Valentine turns out to be Clary's mom's husband, which makes Clary...right, his daughter. Oh no! To help you (and Clary) keep track of everyone, there's this old picture of the Circle when they were young, y'know that group of friends who were all together...too bad the picture isn't animated, right? Let's keep going though. So V's after the Mortal Cup, which Clary's mom has hidden, so Clary and Jace try to find it while some action and unrequited love pads the story. The relationships are painfully similar to what was in Draco Trilogy, but I guess you can't really plagiarize from yourself. On the romantic front, I won't spoil it completely, but just think Leia and Luke Skywalker. Uh huh, another classic. Jace also has an "I am your father" moment.
All right, all this said, despite all of the above, City of Bones is a pretty good book, in the same way that I thought that the Draco Trilogy was pretty fun to read. Incidentally, the Draco Trilogy can be downloaded as a PDF from a variety of places. Both the Trilogy and this "Mortal Instruments" series have lots of Latin inscriptions, lots of references, and lots of funny moments. It's only irritating because the whole thing constantly makes me think "wow, I've seen this before," to the point that it was really distracting. There wasn't a single part that I felt was all that new, but everything was pretty well done and well written. Clary is almost unbearably a Mary Sue, but I was way more distracted by the shoutouts to Jaida Jones (another famous fanfic writer turned published author, who actually did write a novel I really liked, Havemercy) and Holly Black. Regarding the Mary Sue issue, though, can we please get rid of all these fantasy heroines who never seem to realize they're beautiful until their romantic interest tells them? Cliche much and annoying much? Please, you're telling me a 16 year old girl somehow never realized her own level of attractiveness. Really, now.
Unsurprisingly, the "Mortal Instruments" series has been a big hit and might be being made into a film. Lots of people are saying it's the next Harry Potter. In my opinion, it's more like a Harry Potter rehash, but given how much HP has sold, if Cassandra Clare can take even 5% of the market share, that would be a pretty big success. Would I recommend it to others? Hmmm. I think as an avid reader of YA novels, I have far better series to recommend to my friends. You could definitely do worse, but you could also definitely do better. For those who like fantasy and heroic fairy tales, try Kristin Cashore - though her books are very well rounded and definitely deserve all the YA awards they've won. For those action-minded, try Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy. If you're looking for an teenage epic action/romance series with vampires, try Richelle Mead. If you like stories about futuristic technological dystopias, try Scott Westerfeld or Robin Wasserman.
Update: The "MI" series ARE being made into films and the hype is already that it'll be the "next big thing" when Twilight ends.


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The Books of Magic Review

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(More customer reviews)Particularly after the success of Alan Moore's "The Watchmen" and Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns", graphic novels have soared in popularity. Indeed, it now seems that the market is inundated with them, and practically every Vertigo title from DC is regularly recapitulated every seven or eight issues in collected paperback form. With such an increasingly large selection from which to choose, the more casual reader might be baffled as to where to start. This volume probably wouldn't be the wisest choice.
While it is of the highest quality, it really has its best payoff for those who have at least a passing acquaintance with DC's occult universe and its myriad figures. So many of these pop up within the story (in a profusion not seen since the struggle for the North Slope of Heaven in the pages of "Swamp Thing" a few years ago) that it can be daunting to the neophyte. Even many of the more experienced comics readers might have a hard time placing two of the four major magical protagonists, Mister E and Doctor Occult (who actually is one of DC's oldest characters, having been created many decades ago before slipping into obscurity). In fact, so very many exceptionally minor characters pop up in the margins that it's necessary to hit the Internet to find annotations to explain their background and significance.
In large part, this collection is an attempt to codify and explain the chaotic history of the DC occult universe. Gaiman has an intimate knowledge of apparently every title ever produced over the last 30 or 40 years, and he induldges himself somewhat showily in dragging in every two-bit mage and witch for a fleeting guest appearance. Often, this is done for purposes of historical revisionism, which is for the good, since the accretion of rank silliness and sloppily conceived plots in the thousands of DC comics over the years has resulted in many mutually contradictory character origins and universal histories, not to mention a lot of gross stupidity. (Such an opportunity for widescale housecleaning was one of the few appeals of DC's "Crisis on Infinite Earths", which gave the writers permission to ruthlessly slaughter dozens of idiotic characters and to destroy the countless alternate dimensions and the "it was just a dream" Earths. But I digress.)
Be that as it may, the heart of the story, which served to launch the ongoing "Books of Magic" series and its various mini-series spinoffs, is the realization by the mightiest of the occult powers that Timothy Hunter, a young lad in the UK, is destined to become the most powerful magician ever known, should he actively choose to walk that path. Accordingly, Doctor Occult, Mister E, the Phantom Stranger (always one of DC's coolest and most enigmatic characters, often thought to be a repentant fallen angel), and John Constantine (even cooler than the Phantom Stranger, although much scummier and devoid of nearly any useful powers) band together as the so-called Trenchcoat Brigade to show Tim what could lie in wait for him if he embraces a future of magic.
In its most basic form, this is of course a classic quest story, wherein a young man has to undertake a journey to discover his destiny, and along the way will discover mentors, guides, companions, and foes. In Tim's case, he's actually taken to the past and the future, and given an introduction to many of the occult players of the present. He also takes a fateful trip to Faerie, a mystical land which has long been of fascination to Gaiman (see his "Stardust", which also shares artist Charles Vess, for another treatment of the fey world).
The segment in Faerie is actually the strongest, largely because of the fantastic and dream-like nature of the setting and because of the art by the award-winning Vess, whose distinctive and delicate style suggests a naughty opium-addicted Victorian illustrator. Also of special interest are any of the scenes featuring the dissolute and disreputable yet popular John Constantine (who anchors his own series, the long-running "Hellblazer", itself a spinoff from "Swamp Thing"), a favorite Gaiman character. (I've noticed that all hip English characters in the comics have to share a loathing of the perceived horrors of Thatcherism, which arguably was the economic salvation of the UK, but again I digress.) Constantine is one of the most feared occult characters in the DC universe, even though he's actually one of the weakest. He gets by on bluff, style, and charm, and also because of his resemblance to a more dangerous and less eco-friendly Sting (tantric powers included).
At this early stage in the game, Tim remains mostly a cipher, since it's his job largely to merely bear witness to all that is being displayed to him. He has to make certain critical choices, but to a large degree he's overshadowed by the more strongly delineated members of the Trenchcoat Brigade. Even so, he plays an active enough role in his quest.
The character of Tim Hunter proves to be promising enough, and any Constantine appearance is welcome. Doctor Occult turns out to be so interesting that one wants to learn more (although very little has subsequently been done with this character). This volume is exceedingly enjoyable to any DC readers who have been fascinated with the magic-oriented superheroes, but can be intimidating to the less avid. Nevertheless, even for the more timid, the Vess artwork alone is worth the price of admission.

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People Patterns: A Modern Guide to the Four Temperaments Review

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(More customer reviews)People Patterns by Stephen Montgomery is a great introduction to David Keirsey's complex temperment theory. The approach is both fun and informative. You take a short test to determine your personality type (rational, idealist, guardian, or artisan) and then you can learn all about how your type and other types behave in different life situations, such as relationships and career. He gives some good career suggestions for each type. The really fun part is Montgomery's use of characters from popular novels and films to illustrate the different types. I particularly liked the Harry Potter references.One of his important points is that each personality type has their own unique talents and ways of approaching life, and it's a losing battle to try to change others to fit your blueprint. Try the test on your friends and family; it's fun and will change the way you look at others and yourself. Highly recommended!

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"Try to see it my way."Taking a line from the Beatles, Stephen Montgomery presents a modern guide to the four temperaments, the four ancient "people patterns" that hold the key to personality types.Montgomery draws extensively on the work of David Keirsey, author of the best-selling book on temperament, Please Understand Me, but he also cites scores of characters from popular books, movies, and TV -- from Harry Potter to Star Trek -- to help bring the Four Temperaments alive. In an easy style, and in words that everyone can understand, Montgomery shines a bright new light on Keirsey's Four Temperaments. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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The Familiars Review

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On the run from a black magic wielding bounty hunter, Aldwyn, a wily alley cat ducks into a convenient doorway to hide. Inside, he finds himself in a shop full of unusual animals with unusual talents. They are familiars, animal helpers to witches and wizards who are waiting to be chosen by a person who will become their loyal. When Jack, an 11-year-old apprentice wizard chooses Aldwyn, the cat decides to take advantage of the opportunity to escape the bounty hunter - a decision that changes his life dramatically. Outside the gates of the city where he has lived for as long as he can remember, Aldwyn begins to settle into his new life, growing closer to Jack, who studies with two other apprentices, Marianne and Dalton. He also learns more about familiars from Marianne's familiar Gilbert, a red-eyed tree frog and Dalton's familiar, Skylar, a blue jay. Before he can get too comfortable, though, Jack, Marianne and Dalton are stolen away by an evil queen who plans to kill them. Aldwyn, Gilbert and Skylar resolve to rescue their loyals and set off on a perilous journey to do so.
The Familiars, the first book by the writing team of Adam J. Epstein & Andrew Jacobson does, as other reviewers have noted, feel somewhat familiar, especially in the first few chapters. And the overall plot - people to save, an enemy to defeat, dangers to face, etc. is common to thousands of novels. So the questions are: a) did the book get past the familiarity of the early chapters and come to feel more original? and b) were the authors able to draw us into the traditional hero's journey/quest story even though we've come across the plot before?
For me, the answer to both of these questions is "yes".
The Familiars is a fast paced story with likeable characters that children will root for. There's a great mix of dialogue and narrative with just the right amount of humor, heart-warming moments and scary bits mixed in. I particularly liked that Aldwyn, Gilbert and Skylar each has a chance to shine & be the hero, making the rescue mission a true group effort. Some basic world building takes place and some elements are introduced to rouse interest in the next book. The biggest weakness, for me, was the young wizards. In The Familiars, they are barely fleshed out at all and we know almost nothing about them. Even though they are not the focus of the story (animal familiars tend not to be too fleshed out in most books focusing on witches, wizards, etc.), I hope Epstein & Jacobson will expand their characters in future books.
The real test of the book, though, came when I read it to my 6-year-old granddaughter over the last two days. Because she's very into animals (although, for her, it's mostly horses and dogs) and has long enjoyed fantasy, The Familiars seemed like it might be a good choice for our weekend together. And it was. It held her interest and kept her engaged throughout. She was asking questions, speculating about what would happen and didn't want me to stop reading. She laughed in the right places and was concerned, but not too scared, when the protagonists were in danger. She was also happy to hear that there are more books in the series planned and that a movie is in the works. When her parents arrived to pick her up, she showed them the book and was telling them all about the story. I count all of this as a success.
IMHO, The Familiars might well appeal to younger Harry Potter fans of both sexes (those not quite ready for Prisoner of Azkaban and beyond) and to those who enjoy Erin Hunter's Warriors series, Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi's Spiderwick Chronicles, Michael Buckley & Peter Ferguson's Sisters Grimm stories or Emily Rodda's Rowan of Rin series. Readers who have already finished Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or (perhaps) the Fablehaven series, on the other hand, might find The Familiars a bit too "young".
Recommended.Notes:
The cover art and interior drawings are by Peter Chan & Kei Acedera.
Book two in the planned trilogy, The Familiars #2: Secrets of the Crown, is due in bookstores in September, 2011.
The Familiars website has more information about the authors and characters and potential readers can find an excerpt there. Visitors can also take a quiz to see what type of familiar would best suit them. (My granddaughter got a raven.)
The Familiars, an animated 3D film, is in development with a tentative 2012 release.
Full disclosure: I don't know the authors and I paid for my book. :)


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The Hidden Adult: Defining Children's Literature Review

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(More customer reviews)THE HIDDEN ADULT: DEFINING CHILDREN'S LITERATURE surveys the plots, themes, approaches and structures of six major works in his efforts to define the shared characteristics of children's literature. From ALICE IN WONDERLAND to DR. DOOLITTLE and HENRY HUGGINS, these classics are analyzed with attention to the 'markers' that point out this is children's literature - and then uses a rang of critical and culture viewpoints to define a theory of children's literature. A 'must' for any collection catering to librarians or any studying children's literature, especially at the college level.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch


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The Book of Witches: A Spellbinding Guide Review

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(More customer reviews)An amazingly trite book. A confusing combination of historical and current witchcraft. Never finds a focus and has often laughable information. Incredibly strange selection of who to include in the listings of witches from stage and screen, witches in legend and myth and real-life witches. Heavy focus on "Buffy", "The Craft" and "Charmed", so I guess this book is geared towards teens and 20-somethings...
That's too bad as the book also contains several interesting prints and pictures, and, overall is quite well made.
A coffee-table book for the "Witchcraft for Dummies" set.

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Witches have been a story-telling staple in world culture for thousands of years, and are more popular than ever thanks to their high profile in hugely successful TV, film and book series such as Harry Potter, and C.S. Lewis' classic The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. Witches examines many of the most famous witches from history and mythology in detail, with biographical data and notes on their abilities and achievements. The book also investigates the many varied types of witch, and how they relate to other spell-casters such as wizards, sorcerers, alchemists, and mystics. Most aspects of the witch's craft are discussed in full, from the 'tools' and familiars vital for magical success through to witch cults, covens and sects.

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The Very Best of John Williams Instrumental Solos, Cello Edition (Book & CD) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book to practice cello and have fun with these movie melodies, the CD is a helpful device, there are some pieces a little bit difficult for me that I'm a begginer but not too much, I'm very pleased with this book and CD.

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This incredibly versatile new collection was written especially for violin, viola, and cello. Each book features a piano accompaniment and a carefully crafted removable string part complete with bowings, articulations, and keys well suited for the Level 2-3 player. A fully orchestrated accompaniment CD, with demo tracks (featuring live string performances) and play-along tracks, completes each package. The string books are completely compatible with each other and can be played together or as solos. Due to level considerations, the string books are not compatible with the books in the wind series. Titles are: Can You Read My Mind? (Love Theme from Superman) (Superman) * Cantina Band (Star Wars(R)) * Double Trouble (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) * Duel of the Fates (Star Wars(R): Episode I The Phantom Menace) * Fawkes the Phoenix (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets) * Harry's Wondrous World (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) * Hedwig's Theme (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) * The Imperial March (Star Wars(R): The Empire Strikes Back) * May the Force Be with You (Star Wars(R): The Empire Strikes Back) * Olympic Fanfare and Theme (1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles) * Star Wars (Main Title) (Star Wars(R)) * Theme from Superman (Superman) * A Window to the Past (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban).

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The Witch and Wizard Spellbook Review

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(More customer reviews)I own both The Witch And Wizard Training Guide and The Witch And Wizard Spellbook. Both of these books are positive,uplifting, witty and charming. The spells are simple to follow which make these books great for any level of magick. I have to admit the art work on both front covers drew me to these books to begin with, but the wonderful magical feeling of the cover art transfered right into the pages. Ms. Knight also includes spells that are unique to unique situations. This book gets right to the heart of positive magick and speaks to all levels of wizardry. My hope is there will be a third book in this series. I have been practicing magick for a long time and I find these books uplifting, energizing and youthful with the right amount of seriousness added. I have given these books to adult students of mine as well as the more ceremonial texts, I always hear how much this book makes them feel energized and youthful while learning great spells!

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Consumed: How Markets Corrupt Children, Infantilize Adults, and Swallow Citizens Whole Review

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(More customer reviews)I see a number of other reviewers belittling the book because of some trivial factual error regarding sports figures or celebrities, but in my eyes those points merely underscores the point that Barber is trying to make. In the end the constant media focus on these types of people is in my eyes a mass distraction. Does it change my life one iota when a drunken celebrity does something stupid? Not at all, but the media covers it for hour on end, and people lap it up.
People defend popular culture such as Harry Potter or Shrek, but these are all pure escapism and have very little relevance to our daily lives. Reviewers of those films make tortured comparisons to try and prove relevance to daily life, but the sad fact is that many people have become conditioned to not expect more, and perhaps not even have the patience to view a more substantive work.
Other reviewers insist that they aren't manipulated and that they have free choice. To an extent that is true, but one can easily argue that many people are making poor choices because they have been so deeply conditioned by advertisers. How can you justify spending 50K$ on a car, and replacing it when it is 3 years old when an inexpensive well-made car will fulfill the basic needs of transportation and may last 5-8 years instead? How can you justify spending money on bottled water when tap water in most areas is just fine? And how can you justify accumulating tens of thousands in consumer debt just to acquire all of this stuff? There are countless such examples all over the place.
And finally, there is the paradigm that runs deeply through our society that having more money and having more material goods will somehow make you happier. The problem is that these desires can never be satisfied - there is always something more, and there is always someone else who has more. In the end all of this materialism leaves people feeling empty, and the only tonic that they know to try and fill the void is to go out and shop some more.
On the other hand, if you can reach a point where you are content with what you have, you may find that many of the things that you do have are completely superfluous and can be donated to Goodwill or sold. Get rid of enough stuff, and that McMansion will seem empty, and a more modest and affordable house may meet your needs quite nicely.


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The Stranger (The Labyrinths of Echo, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has been getting a ton of buzz online and I picked it up when I heard that Max Frei is a beloved literary icon and bestselling author in Russia. I am a fan of Russian literature and humor, and this book definitely has plenty of it! Also, for those of you who are not big SciFi readers, don't make the mistake of shying away from this book. It really is more accessible than your usual science fiction fare, and while it's undeniably a fantasy book, it's extremely readable and I think it should have a wide appeal beyond its genre.
THE STRANGER is a funny, quirky book filled with magic and imagination. Max's character is so endearing (the bad boy Harry Potter!) from page one that it was easy for me to follow him from one off-the-wall adventure to another. This really was an addictive book and I'm excited for the next installment, which is rumored to be set for Fall 2010.


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LEGO Minifigure Ultimate Sticker Collection (ULTIMATE STICKER COLLECTIONS) Review

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(More customer reviews)This sticker collection is great! It has every lego minifig sticker you could ever want and the last couple of pages there are extra duplicate stickers. My sons are having fun filling the pages with the stickers: lego batman, star wars, indiana jones, harry potter, train, castle, space, adventure, agents, underground. Overall Mom was so happy that sons (ages 6 and 4)spent time putting the reuseable stickers on themselves and enjoyed it. Without fighting. There are that many stickers! Worth the money!

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Thirty years of minifigures are represented in this one-of-a kind sticker collection for LEGO(r) fans young and old alike! With more than 600 reusable stickers, kids of all ages can bring all the minifigures to life in a whole new way! LEGO, the LEGO logo and the minifgure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. (r) 2009 the LEGO Group. Produced by Dorling Kindersley under license from the LEGO Group.

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Pirates of the Caribbean Visual Guide (Visual Guides) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was incredible. I ordered it with the Hardback verion of the Dead Man's Chest storybook. As a die-hard Pirate's fan, its a definite must have. It goes through and tells you how each character got to where they are in the movie.
It offers the little things missing from the movie that would take countless hours to add to the films, such as the details on Jack's sword, How did Jack come to be Pirate of the Black Pearl, just where did he get his "Jack Sparrow" tattoo and loads more! Lots of full color pictures including a poster outlining the layers of the Black Pearl!
It also includes spoilers from the Dead Man's Chest due out this July! Its a great gift for that Pirate in your life that loves movie collectible stuff.


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This insiders' guide takes readers on an unforgettable tour of the swashbuckling world of Captain Jack Sparrow. Fans will love learning all about the Black Pearl and its crew and poring over stills and highlights from Dead Man's Chest, Disney's second Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

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Spellbinding Quilts: Wizards, Witches, and Magical Characters (That Patchwork Place) Review

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(More customer reviews)Neat, fun advanced paper piecing patterns for things like dragons, fairies, witches and wizards. Lots of potential for really fun quilts but the blocks are challenging!

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From "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy to the "Harry Potter" series, the worlds of magic and myth have captured the imagination of millions - including quilters! This work helps you cast your own sewing spells with paper-pieced designs.

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