Seriously? Did I just read that?
347938
What a waste of my time. There were 10 different characters, each more pointless then the other. The story dragged on and on and on. The plot is muddled up and confusing.  Very predictable. Very boring. Do yourself a favor and steer clear of this dismal mess.
584529
But someone do tell: Why does Mrs. Frankel place herself on the cover if this is fiction 0.o ??? I was/am slightly confused. And, okay, I admit I still have like a third of the book to finish...however I honestly cannot put it down [except of course if I am shopping/browsing/chatting/etc. on Amazon ha ha]...as I only purchased this a week ago/ received it a few days ago. Thus, I suppose I have yet to get my answer to WHY the novel is called "skinnydipping?" Am I missing something? Does that mean something that I am not 'in the know' of? Or have I not yet gotten to that part of the book? In either case, Frankel is all acclivous on the cover...which I suppose goes with the character as she 'grows' in her [what is it twenties?] but the fact you cannot see her head makes me think she thinks the character is rather... dumb/ditzy/stubborn but stupidly somehow stoic? If that at all makes sense lmao. WOW this is the most ridiculous review I have ever written and have READ and YES I JUST JUDGED A BOOK BY IT'S COVER! But I still gave it five stars FOR THE READING. The cover?--Four stars. Oh Frankel, you are too pretty to NOT get a five!

EDIT/ UPDATE: 1/20/2013: So, I finished the book like a day or two ago. I get why it is called skinny dipping now. Personally I would not have gone with that title but whatever. What confuses me is why there is a PART ONE and a PART TWO. I mean, yeah I understand build up of characters but REALLY? This could have been two completely different books! Could have just mentioned a name and said then and there in part two 'oh i know so and so from blah blah blah'... sort of feel cheated out of wasting time in the middle third of the book. Note: not to say I think part one was bad and unnecessary, it still fit. Just a little awkward. And I still enjoyed that but I would give part one a three and part two a five if I could break it down like that. 0.0

HOWEVER, I have got to hand it to Mrs. Frankel: GIRRRRRRRRRRL I DID NOT KNOW YOU COULD WRITE LIKE THAT! I mean, there is good writing, but then there is GOOD WRITING! Which makes me wonder how much of this is based on reality or how much is strictly fiction. In the end it doesn't matter, really, as I was so engrossed and entertained towards the end, I was literally covering the lines below the one I was reading so as not to 'spoil' anything for myself!

Yeah...Imma dork...BUT GREAT JOB!

yeah ABSOLUTELY I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS TO A FRIEND. But probably not to anyone, as I think this takes a kind of personality/humor to really get involved in.

STILL GOOD/GREAT/GRAND JOB! *SNAPS* For Frankel!
4797973
Why does your mom have a **** would be the more pertinent question dear sir. books like this make me question the future of pop litterature.
2922752
This is just incredible. When I first saw the suggestion that the teacher walk out on the class, I figured that an editor goofed up. The writer just stuck it in there as a joke to make his editor buddy freak out, but it got missed. Hopefully, no one will pay attention to it.

Then, the "advice" is repeated. Over and over and over again!

Even if the rest of the book contained great stuff (which it doesn't), this one item negates the whole thing as uninformed crap. Why this was ever published remains, for the most part, a mystery. There's only one explanation I can come up with. Everyone is after the quick buck, aren't they?
2737651
Alisdair Campbell is from the past living in future Manhattan....I think.  He doesn't know how he got there because he doesn't remember and he can't recall his life before...if there WAS a life before.  But one thing he's certain about is that he's searching for his betrothed.  Confused yet?  It get's better...or worse rather.  This story....this story right here... was an utter, chaotic mess.  I mean was it written by a robot using a word processor???  It took real work to plow through and actually finish it.  Immature writing style that would have a YA scratching their head with a WTF furrowed brow.  It moved so fast without direction to the point of ridiculous.  And then....THEN the author takes you on a quick, two page history lesson of the Templars, the Knights of St. John (huh?)...various crusades of the Holy Land, different wars and Scottish politics.  All that history....TWO PAGES!  I'm lambasted with so much incomplete info without rhyme or reason while I'm still trying to figure out how on earth the female character  from the 21st-century, landed in 14th century Scotland from an office in Manhattan.  By now my head is spinning and my eyes are crossed and I'm reaching for the aspirin... yet I'm cracking up because Alisdair (Dair) of the past is hilarious.  Now, he's not supposed to be hilarious...he's supposed to be kind'a menacing...but the way this author writes...it's quite funny.  And it's not even chapter 4. The time travel was like "I Love Lucy" (Lucy Ricardo) falls down the rabbit hole and meets "Alice in Wonderland".  Or better yet..."The Nanny" (Fran Drescher) meets the Wizard of Oz...while in her Nanny character.  It was that kooky.  But hey...his mom was a Druid so magic is supposed to explain it all.  If something weird happens...."just like that"...magic!  If the timeline is off...it's because of magic!  If a tree suddenly sprouted rainbows and unicorns ( it doesn't... but if it did ).. hey it's magic!!  (duh... no kidding ).  Dialogue is hilarious.  Outdated cliche's galore.  And for good measure, the author throws in Gaelic wording and expects me to be impressed... like I'm supposed to go "whoa...kewl"...and understand, know and appreciate the foreign wording.  Info is switched.  Like, did the female character's (Coira) mother die in a car accident?  Wait...wait...maybe she died and then came back to die in her sleep after a short illness.  I dunno, because both deaths are listed in the book. Not that it matters much.  But, make up your mind Ms. Ephraime. It's as if you forgot what you wrote and wrote it again...but different this time.  I'm still trying to figure out what on earth compelled me to make this purchase (I downloaded in waaaaaaaay back in Nov. '16).  It must've been all those believable 5 star reviews.  Yeah...all those friends and family that gave a positive, raving review.  It certainly wasn't the cheesy cover.  Well, call me a dope for falling for it.
3391822
I read 13% if this silly mess. That was plenty for me. Who reads this nonsense? Obviously there are enough readers to support at least two previous books. But Ive put Sam Cheever and the name of the series on my naughty list.
3782128
The cover suggests an actual amount of fantasy involved. All I got was "Diary of an English major". Here's my summation of the plot. Girl goes to college, reads books, gets a boyfriend, reads books, thinks there's something fishy about the Classics department, reads books, time goes on, more reading of the books, excessive disscusion of the reading of the books, girl finds out boyfriend is not for her and breaks up with him, reads more books, more talking about the books, tiresome quoting from the books, develops a mild interest in exboyfriend of aquaintance, reads books, sleeps with him in a practice room, finds out she's pregnant (oh, and he kinda tricked her into getting pregnant), finds out he's the magical slave of the weird head of the Classics department, and finally reenacts a scene from classic literature and saves boyfriend from the evil Classics department. This book was so laden down with books and talking about books and quoting book after book (98% of which I have never heard of) trying to find the actual plot or any amount of action was like an going on an acheological dig. I was so bored I failed to notice at what point any of the fantasy elements started to happen. I still didn't figure out when exactly she fell for the guy or when she discovered this great secret about the Classics department, or even what that secreat was. Did the author forget that actual people were going to read this? I mean other than ones who were English majors in college. I paid a good amount of money for this thing, hoping for a retelling of Tam Lin in modern day. Instead I get a recount of what obviously was the author's college years (or what she wished they had been like.) All I have to say Pamela Dean is that you robbed me, of money and time. Go back to that college you remember so fondly and learn how to be a storyteller again.
4910794
Don't really remember ordering this one??  Where did it come from and where did it go??  Maybe I ought to order it again and read it!
3573907
Has God "Messed With You" Lately?

I asked a friend recently, "What have you been reading these days?"

She said, "I read this book `Crazy Love' by Francis Chan.  And God has really been messing with me, as a result of it."

So, I picked up a copy of "Crazy Love".  It's a quick read.  And God's been messing with me, now, too.

Oh yes, I've thanked my friend for contributing to my nights spent laying awake staring at the ceiling, pondering these matters.  But she just laughs at me and says, "join the club, bub."

I think Chan has a gift for challenging one to seriously grapple with questions like:

 Am I really committed to God and not just playing a game?
 Is there evidence of a true commitment to God in my life?
 Am I really trusting in God or does my life reveal that I have back up plans and insurance policies in case God doesn't actually come through?
 If my faith in God could possibly seem "strange" to those who don't walk with God, isn't that how it's supposed to be?

The questions listed above may or may not be found in the book, I don't recall for sure.  I'm just saying they are the types of questions that I found myself pondering as I read the book.

One of the questions that definitely is in the book is this one that was posed to a class in which Francis participated back in Bible college:  "What are you doing right now that requires faith?"  It's an interesting question for an authentic Christ follower to ponder.  Is there anything you are doing in your life, right now, that truly requires faith?

"Crazy Love" is likely to get you thinking and provide a good and important challenge to your faith in God.  In fact, He might just "mess" with you as a result of reading this book.

Dan Marler
Oak Lawn, IL
1476723
I know, I know, it's supposedly a classic, and I didn't get the reader, and I didn't study this in a class. But after slogging through 180 pages, all I could decipher was that someone maybe had breakfast, probably in Ireland. So I stopped reading it. I don't care if I should like this book, I just don't. So ask yourself, do you need to read this book, or want to read this book, or just think you want to read this book?
1814572
Frankly, I am amused and a little bit shocked by this dialog.  Seriously folks - one review said it best when he compared this nonsense to a book on using "the Force" - same goes for any manic follower of the secret series ... I am a statistician, highly successful, and have built this career on four basic principles:
#1 Working harder than the people I am competing against
#2 Communicating  information in a more effective way than my competitors
#3 Being in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing (this is not "luck")
#4 Effective networking (I mean real relationships with the right people, not the insincere, cheesy, and ineffective back scratching this whole super-positive-power-thoughts crowd subscribes to)

When I win a job, it's because I have clearly communicated to the right people that I offer a better product - NOT because I wished for it more than the other guy.

As for one reviewer's "scientific approach" (she obviously swallowed the material hook, line, & sinker) ... as she is a statistician and business behavior consultant (whatever that is) ... I would be VERY leery of any statistician arguing that you can homogenize a group by "effort, activity, & skills" and then make the leap to "since all that is the same, the only variable left is how much they wish for it" ... is she serious?  With this kind of talk, she would be the last person I would hire.  "By science" your next step should be looking for quantifiable and measurable factors that can be isolated.  You cannot measure how well someone wishes for something (a.k.a. uses the mysterious "laws of attraction").

As to the author's  argument for "quantum physics" based on experts he has consulted ... seriously?  Either they do not understand what they saying, or they are not experts.  We know so little about quantum physics that the very best minds in the field are nowhere near capable of making these kinds of assumptions and "quantum leaps" (I couldn't resist) the authors have.  We know almost nothing about it, and generally operate on vague theories.  When early astronomers first began to *suspect* that the earth was actually rotating (vs. the universe spinning around the earth) - their bakers (i.e. business men NOT in the astronomy field) had absolutely no capability to conclude that men (through wishful thinking) could actually control the speed at which the earth spins ... even if they did have "meaningful conversations" with real astronomers.

In short, if this kind of stuff makes you feel good, and do good things, treat it like any other good fiction book (buy it, read it, enjoy it).  But let's not delude ourselves for one second that this is science!  Trying to prove this feel goodery is actual science only proves one thing: that you are delusional.

On a positive note, I will admit that this book is written for the delusional audience; someone who perhaps really thinks they are working as well as their more successful neighbor, and so, unable to admit weakness, must find some other X factor.  Thus, they get "the answer" ... and if it actually (as a side benefit) gets them to open their eyes to the concept that better performance is also needed, and they change their behavior and as a result are more successful, then I guess, in a round-about-way it has worked, and done a good thing.

These authors (and all their 5 star reviewing groupies) operate on the same ethical level as a used car salesman - it may be a good car, but you can only trust the guy about as far as you can throw him.  Don't believe me?  Just look and see how many of them mark this review as "un-helpful" just because my comments poke fun at the mumbo-jumbo.
2731843
Mr. Friedmann, what is the idea of this book? Up to chapter 5 you resume facts one should know, when reading the paper daily. Nothing new! Anyhow - serious books have a "glossary". Where did you get all your information from? Where are the links to all of your "facts"? (your wrote a book, not a blog)
What comes then, and I do not even want to talk about your Star Wars fantasy, shows me that you do not have a world vision. You have a regional vision - not a world vision. The US behaving like an stubborn adolescence and Europe being decadent? The US just going into wars to de-stablize? The US has reached a decadence far higher than Europe and the time of the US being a world power is coming to an end. Read again and study history - military overstretch! (you just can not pay it anymore - ups and did I forgot that the US owes China a couple of USD). This has already started and it is more than normal. Pls read a wonderful book called "The rise and fall of the big powers" !

Bottom line - reading this book was a waste of time!!!!
3329301
literally!!!
I'm not impressed with this.  At. All.
.
.
.
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 12 more words required.  Post on Amazon for com.
3133335
Really? Not sure why in the world this book won the Goodreads Fiction poll, but hey, just another reason to believe in the 6th grade reading level theory. Wasted money for serious, adult readers, IMHO. Perhaps it should have been in YA, or Fantasy categories, rather than fiction.
1964097
OK, folks.  We've all heard it, read about it, thought about it and talked about it but have we written about it?  Did that Texan, the former Senator and then vice-president, use his spare time to meet, plan and implement the assassination of the President while in his home state? Yessiree!! And if you don't believe it you are are obviously out of the loop and not at all familiar with a host of "stunning revelations".
These types of "investigatory" (and I use the term loosely) tales were once the sole province of the militia types but now the Left has gotten into the act spinning out lunacies that make prior theories sound tame.  (Newest:  Israel is using a new "mini-nuke" to blow up targets around the world (Twin Towers/Bali/Nairobi) then blame it on terrorists.) But back to LBJ as hitman.
Books like this, read without context, sometimes seem to make a little sense since one does not have to consider prior investigations, volumnious evidence to the contrary and intense research.  But this one takes unconnected - or even normal - events along with faint smidgins of "possible" evidence and draws conclusions that only charitably be called "strange". The single fingerprint, the alleged contacts, the "time line" and all the other "evidence" would not be allowed by any judge in America.
Worse, it appears that the primary reason for the book was to  prop up the fading image of JFK as a "great" President when he was anything but.  He falls in stature with each new revelation concerning his political and personal shenanigans/deals.  If you're naming names and discussing possible reasons why not include RFK, Nixon (suggested), Bush (absurdly and tragically suggested),  Hoover (another try), Krushchev (yep), the "CIA", Mafia, Castro, steel owners, cabal of "insiders" or maybe Jackie herself who was tired of being ignored for bimbos. Jeez Louise, will somebody step forward and get this over with??
And tell McClellan the story while you're at it.
650404
really? this guy is a big time author? I read two books last month. Neither was very good. Still, reading is worth even bad books, but man.... this was a stinker..
3017023
Wow. What a load.  Read it as a novel or Alternative History speculation.
Save your money.
Ugh...