This collection is beautiful. I have not gone through some of the ...
358663
This collection is beautiful. I have not gone through some of the struggles the writer talks about in this book, yet I felt like I was experiencing them with her. Linsmeier's writing is elegant and powerful. Highly recommend!
4881020
Rudys poetry is authentic, poignant, and beautiful. This poet is refreshing and does not show any of the stylistic pretense we read in todays prose poetry. I highly recommend this collection.
871543
It's no secret that I'm a Nichole Nordeman fan.  Even thought I have these songs, I knew I had to get this collection.  And it was worth it.

Instead of just picking the radio hits, Nichole picked these songs herself because they mean something to her.

That's not to say that the radio hits aren't here.  "Holy" leads off the album.  "To Know You," "Fool for You," "Who You Are," and "Brave" are all included.  But we also get some choice songs that might have been overlooked originally like "River God" and "Every Season."

Just like with every other collection I have, there are a couple songs I don't care for.  In this case, I really want to know why "Why?" is here.  While I like the choruses, the verses are some of the most awkward phrasing I have ever heard.  And I've never been a fan of "Is it Any Wonder?" but I do recognize that I'm in the minority here.

We get two new songs as well.  "Sunrise" celebrates that, no matter the trial, God is there with us.  "Finally Free" is about the power of God to free us.  I like the first one, but frankly I find the second one too subdued for the message.  I want it to sound more jubilant.

Still, this is a great collection that will please casual and hard core fans.  I'm certainly glad I added it to my collection.
2936838
What an amazing collection! I really enjoyed reading this book even though I'm not a poetry enthusiast. My favorite poem was "Flower" by Rania El-Guindy. I just loved the imagery and the emotion.
310766
This is a lovely deck set. The imagery is amazing, so pretty, I can't say enough about how pretty the cards are. Some of the suits and characters differ from the familiar Ride-Waite style portrayal of the card images but, they seem emotionally intuitive and I look forward to seeing how I resonate with this deck.

I can't say enough about how lovely this deck is. One of my 2 favorite decks so far. This is the prettiest I've ever seen.
3174670
This is a beautiful collection...I especially love the poetry of Jasmina Kuenzli. She draws the reader into her poetry with passion, honesty, and beauty. Jasmina's talent as a writer shines and has the reader captured in a world of innocent romantic visions, and colorful beauty. Keep looking to the stars, Jasmina...and shine bright!
4658810
A collection of 15 stories of fantastical transformation, Clockwork Phoenix 2 walks the line between readability and art to build a collection which is haunting, inspiring, and glorious. As with most short story collections some stories are more successful than others, but as a whole these are all far above par. From a girl who was once a goddess's avatar to a lover made of glass to middle-aged Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the wildly different content disrupts the flow from one story to another, but be patient with the transitions and you'll be rewarded. Fantastical, beautiful, harrowing, and all of them vibrantly unique, the stories in Clockwork Phoenix 2 are a delight to read, and this collection is a resounding success. I recommend it.

Coming into this collection, I had not read the original Clockwork Phoenix and worried that I would miss something for being new to the anthology. Rest assured, this volume stands alone, although it can take a little while to divine from the title and the stories just what it is meant to be. For me, the uniting theme that emerges is transformation. In "Once a Goddess," a woman transitions from goddess's avatar to ordinary human; in "Angel Dust," a stone statue comes alive; in "Never Nor Ever" Tweedledum and Tweedledee meditate on death. Transformation--be it a change role, shape, or place or the cycle of life, death, and rebirth--is a broad and weighty theme. But this theme may not be intentional--Allen never indicates one way or the other, instead commenting on the style of the stories, which he describes as "adventures both in how they read and what they said." This too unites the collection: all the stories are imaginative and brave both in style and in content, and so the 15 wildly disparate tales nonetheless feel at home together in a single volume.

Indeed the joy and the danger of this collection is the great distance between each story. Each one is a sight to a magical world (even if it looks like modern America) in which a great event (read: change, read: magic) is not only possible, it may be happening right now. From comic book settings to a steam-powered spaceships to Middle Eastern villages; from child superheros to magicians to mirror-making lesbian nuns; steampunk and mythpunk and epistalory--the setting, content, and style of each story is unique. And while the quality of the stories varies, there are no duds. "Once a Goddess," "At the Edge of Dying," "Never Nor Ever," and "each thing i show you is a piece of my death" were my favorites, but each selection is a joy to read. The magical worlds and transformative events of each story make them wondrous and eye-opening twice over. However, the transition between these different worlds can be disorientating. The danger of short story collections is the temptation to finish a story and jump right into the next, which is exacerbated here by Allen's skillful arrangement. Hurry onto the next story in Clockwork Phoenix 2 and you'll forget to appreciate the previous and have a difficulty adjusting to the next, and the collection may feel cobbled together. Better to force yourself to pause at the end of the story and let it sink in.

But do that, and Clockwork Phoenix 2 is wonderful. Unfamiliar to the series, confused by the title, I came to it knowing only that I liked two of the authors. I was entirely unsure what I was getting into, but Clockwork Phoenix 2 delighted me. Pacing myself and reveling in the phoenix-like transformations and imaginative styles that unite the collection, each story came alive. They are vivid, fantastical, magical; some are escapist, many are dark and twisted; each story is a pleasure to read and the collected volume is an absolute success. This is one of the better short story anthologies that I've read, and I'm pleased that I had the chance to do so. For something unusual, magical, and transformative, seek out Clockwork Phoenix 2. I recommend it enthusiastically .
2510160
If you are a Disney animation fan, then owning this marvelous collection is a no-brainer--you MUST buy this collection! Be assured that even the grimmest "Disney-BAH HUMBUG" lover of motion pictures will have to bow to the charm, pathos, artistry and sheer brilliance of this singularly adult fare.

DON'T BE PUT-OFF by the cover art sweetness. This collection has NOTHING to do with "Frozen". The marvelous anthology is a collection of theatrical shorts that have been accompanying Disney features for the last decade or so. These are NOT "TV cartoons". The stories, sentiment and production values were intended for the big screen. On a decent HDTV, you'll equally enthralled!

I challenge you to view "The Little Match Girl" without getting misty--if not full-tilt tearful. Dostoyevski meets Fantasia? Hmm.

Be aware that this is NOT all Pixar and CGI. You'll marvel at the Disney Studio's latter day cel animation (which comprises more than 50% of this offering). "JOHN HENRY" is a 21st century tale for a modern day audience. Drawing upon the animators' rough pencil sketches, the story moves along with elegance and style.

If you have not yet seen "Paper man", then grab the moment here and now.

So, where does this leave us? I could rave over each and every one of the theatrical short subjects featured here. Happily, my time (and my readers' patience) forbids. I'll advise you to BUY this collection, because a "one-time viewing" is simply not enough.

Whether you buy or "rent"--see this wonderful collection. You will not be disappointed!
3308015
I was a children's librarian for 6 years, and only left that job because I relocated. When I had my daughter in July, I had a pretty good stockpile of stories, but I wanted a treasury - a collection with classics and something that we could transition from me reading to her, to us reading together, and eventually her reading independently. I was hesitant to purchase this because of the reviews regarding illustrations. I have to disagree - there are illustrations missing, but I don't think that it has removed much from the stories. There are some in here that I love and will be purchasing regular versions of solely because who doesn't want regular copies of Amelia Bedelia (especially when your daughter is named Amelia!). At any rate - this collection is beautiful and I love reading it to my daughter.
955598
Beautiful collection of stories. Very happy with this purchase.
4539891
Very lovely.  I haven't gotten to color in it yet but it makes my heart melt just looking at some of the pictures.
4664692
Beautiful, and finest quality......I love this collection. I actually ordered 3 sets, I loved them that much...great for gift giving. The price is unreal and can not be matched for this quality.
3095943
This is a great set of books from several diverse writers. Each story has a uniqueness to it which made them enjoyable. I'm not sure I've seen a better collection than this. I had previously read one of the authors, so most of these stories were new to me and I just hadn't gotten around to reading them. Now I have several series to add to my reading list. Five stars from me.
4314353
Have bought this wonderful collection a few times.
1570730
When I saw that the author of this book was looking for reviews I practically pounced on it. I've been craving something more from the heart and less about the fantasy and mass appeal, and this fit that perfectly. This is a unique collection of short stories, artwork and poetry by ordinary people whose voices might never have been heard by others.

I find that premise to be wonderful and oddly sad. It's easy to forget that their are ordinary people out there capable of creating wonderful things and yet the world may never see them simply because they are 'ordinary'. It makes you wonder about the others around you, is the guy you see everyday on the way to work actually a poet? Is the woman in the business suit actually an artist? It's a beautiful and startling thought, and this book really made me see that.

The short stories were all well written and more then a few of them were very touching. The first story nearly had me in tears and I had just started reading 5 mins before, I'm not a crier when it comes to books so I say that speaks volumes. Many of the other stories had me fighting back tears as well, and few others evoked several other emotions and memories of mine. The artwork was simply stunning and even some that while not traditionally considered 'beautiful' art that were striking in a personal way. The poetry hit home on all aspects and you can truly feel the emotions that these people felt when they put pen to paper. A few of these stories and poems will definitely stick with me for a while.

The best thing about this collection is that anyone can relate to it in some way. It touches all emotional subjects, everything for depression to love to disgust. It's by no means a high quality piece of work as there are a few format issues, but that simply doesn't matter once you start reading, it becomes more then just a book it becomes a voice for all of these people. A type of release that many of us need.

I completely recommend this to anyone who enjoys poetry and short stories. The aforementioned format issues are not terrible and do not effect your reading, and if not for my slight OCD I probably wouldn't have even noticed. So don't let that detere you. This is a wonderful and inspiring collection.
3946841
As someone who has only come to know Swing Out Sister within the last year or so, it's been a wonderful experience exploring their collection. Shapes and Patterns is no exception. I would dare to say that this is the most beautiful album I have ever heard. The way they pack so many different emotions into their work is beyond me. While I am usually too thrifty to pay full price for albums, this one was worth every penny and then some. Without a doubt this is one that will stay with me for many years to come.
4916402
This is a great collection. The writing is beautiful, but not showy and the stories are heartbreaking and funny and sometimes weird, but weird in a good way that makes you want to read the next story just to be amazed at the author's imagination. (I'm guessing I won't encounter another story about a world where runners carry statues as they race.)  For me all of the stories worked and I wished she had shown me more.