Great story of all mix cultural and freaks
599561
Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Great story of all mix cultural and freaks. I was carnivals were like this old school.
1311081
I really enjoy Anthony Bourdain stories, so I am a little biased. I had always heard of Typhoid Mary and didn't even realize there was a real person and story behind it. It is an interesting story about our cultural, class and medical information up to that time. It moves right along and has a lot of social tidbits to keep it entertaining. He doesn't sugar coat anything (as usual)and you can decide who was fair or not.
3987115
I found the various cultural tales told here very fascinating.  I think many of the cultural sides have been neglected in other folklore books.  Besides, they are good stories.
2991370
I know that there are cultures I really liked this story (except the cliffhanger, lol).
It is like how good triumphs over evil with a few twists thrown in.

I know that there are cultures that used to put weak or deformed children out to die.
I am glad that he was rescued, sort of.

There are high points and sad points in this story but, I still loved it.

This is the first book from Michael James Ploof that I have read but I will be following the rest of the series and recommending it to my friends.

Well done.
4853897
To start with, I'm not a huge fan of either chic lit or shows like Sex in the City.  I've never been a with it girl, cool, have enough money to dine in fancy restaurants every night of the week, or live in a big city where other cool and together people live.  I love a good story though, and intriguing characters that really explore different cultural perspectives in more than a superficial way are great no matter what the setting.  Mercury in Retrograde has all of it.  The characters are real and flawed, and the details of their lives are interesting without being an anthropological exercise.  The author brought a depth to what might in other hands have been a stereotypical telling of characters like the socialite, the reporter, the hard working lawyer, and brought out a common truth in the experience of any woman, or person, who finds their entire world has crumbled and must recreate their lives.  That's what I really loved about this book - that that awakening experience can happen to anyone even  though the details might be different.

She's also just a great storyteller who knows how deep to go, and how to keep it fun without being vacuous.  I can't wait for her next novel.
2165709
I love this weirdo book. The story, the type, the illustrations. All of it combine to make a sort of dreamlike, surreal and indulgent kind of story and feeds my subconscious need to see millions and trillions and billions of cats all grouped together.
2323915
Great mix of culture , young love , and the realities of life .  How many people would get to marry their true love if they met at another time in their life?
1421605
Great story of cultures mixing in  a New York setting. Major story of overcoming adversity and making a business success despite many drawbacks.
4659592
An interesting look into a culture which we think of as so different but shows us that we can identify with the characters and their most recent campaign.  This crazy ride can be hilarious, sad and sometimes heartbreaking.  These wily old folks can entertain people of all ages.
3346945
Heard takes us on an enjoyable tour through the underbelly of the slightly strange, definitely fringe and just plain wacko groups that exist in the USA. Each chapter covers a small number of religious, futurist, political  and other groups which defy categorization, along with some relevant  history. This isn't a mainstream treatment of the topic - the author does  his best to get inside each group and provide some real background. I  enjoyed his tolerant yet skeptical attitude, which lets the reader attempt  to understand each group from within, rather than an automatic dismissal of  their worldview.
The book stands as a testament to those outside the  mainstream. Alternatively very funny and very sad, it's well worth reading  in order to better understand the fringes of the great social experiment in  this country.
2084743
Amazing story from a very gifted writer!  Love the fascinating layers of storytelling and cultural myths and folklore.  A wonderful tale!
3524999
It's a great story: kids teaming up together to make their town a better place in a meaningful way, even when faced with challenges.  The fact they they come from different cultures, races, and religions is secondary to the story itself.  Not preachy; diversity is just "there" as something normal. Read it to your kids or grandkids.
4138166
I found this book fascinating. It's a great story set against an anthropological backdrop I didn't know existed.

The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because there were a couple of characters that I kept getting mixed up, and the prose sometimes got so deep I felt like I had been separated from the story.

I can't even describe it...just a rich, rich story.
2748777
This was a quirky read, but also a very good one.
In our day and age it is definitely relevant, especially in regards to multi-cultural societies and foreign culture. Having to assimilate a new culture when you move to a foreign country is difficult, but it is even more difficult when you try to maintain your own cultural ideas or the new ones don't gel with the old.
In this case The Ku are the remaining members of a small tribe from New Guinea, who have moved to Britain. They have staunchly refused to adapt to their new environment.
They uphold their customs, their rules in regards to gender roles, and now they are even bringing back rituals, which are deemed borderline abusive and criminal in their new country. Now DI Pibbles has to breach that intense, secretive and complex wall of Ku society to find out who murdered one of their own.
I liked the way Dickinson embraced the complexity both from a cultural and literary point of view. He has picked a sub-plot, which will always be relevant to anthropology, history and the way we all interact with each other.
I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.
3169354
Interesting characters well developed placed in a fascinating set of cultures. As interesting to watch the cultural gears mesh -or not - as to watch the characters interact. Best story I've read in a while. Hated to see it end. So, guess I'll have to by the next one in the series!
2207621
Great twisted story line! Unexpected and current culture.would like to read more along this line...maybe in his new job as special forces.
1352993
I absolutely loved this book. The storys a mixture of old and new, of Italian Romani and the connection to modern-day California. There are very few books about Romani Gypsies, and most of what we see on the TV are Irish Travellers, Gypsies only in their Peripatetic nature.

Beloved Sacrifice is a real page-turner. Faith is to give birth to the seventh daughter in the family since a Gypsy enchantress, the Chovihani, cursed them all. The Chovihani are known to consort with both dark and light powers, and although the child will be born with heightened psychic abilities, bad luck will befall her unless Faith can do something about it.

Faiths grandmother was an Italian Strega Witch, once cursed by the same Romani clan herself, and the story leads on to explain how the blood of the DAmici family was once mixed with a Gypsy enchantress. The nomadic Gypsies of the world are exposed to many forms of enchantment, belief and rites, and are often believed to be consorting with dark powers, yet into the mix of this marvellous story Lorrain Carey cleverly weaves a medieval dagger, once used by the Knights Templar in protection ceremonies.

Just how great is this story! Medieval daggers, curses, Chovihani, Witches, all mixed up in a very modern tale. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and will certainly be watching out for more books by a very talented author.