An extraordinary read
587182
I've truly enjoyed reading this book.  The poetry is fluid and tells a wonderful story.  If you like poetry, especially poetry that tells a story, then I recommend buying this book.
808054
I have read many books on history and biography. Egan's work is probably the finest of them all, bar none. To amplify this, after I finished reading the book I turned to page one and immediately read it again.  It is that extraordinary.

Egan did such a magnificent job that sometimes I felt as though I was reading Charles Frazier's prose instead of history.  Yes, the storms came and continued coming for 5 years, but I found every page of his presentation of life on the Great Plains during the Dust Bowl captivating.  The manner by which he interwove politics, culture, pain, misery, knowledge, ignorance, optimism, pessimism, the human spirit, the lack of humanity, etc. was outstanding.  Yet making the reader feel emotionally and viscerally connected to the history is one of the more difficult things the historical writer can accomplish and Egan succeeded brilliantly.

In my opinion, this is a must read for anyone who reads. Period.
3563908
The Golfdinch is an extraordinary read. The writer goes deep into emotion and  explores the mind as few writers do today.
One feels disappointed by the End but I think that may be because there is no more to read and one is left to imagine and surmise
what becomes of these wonderful characters.
4416976
This is an outstanding book. The author did a beautiful job conveying his experiences as a highly successful immigrant who is "living the American dream". I could not put this book down until I had finished reading it. A great read. If there is one book you must read, this is it. The experiences are unique, and you are able to be transported via the authors words, only very  few people have this ability. You must read it to experience the uniqueness. A  most outstanding book.
4073615
As a fellow author, I found Mr. Pardue's book to be a stunning accomplishment.  He has written a chronology of events in the lives of one rural Tennessee family over the decades as though he had been present with a recorder and a camera.  There is such richness of detail that it took my breath away. I didn't doubt the authenticity of one conversation or one small incident that took place over the years.

What makes this book so amazing is not that it's about an extraordinary family, but that the author has shown us what is so extraordinary in one average family's decency, commitment, hard work, and unconditional love.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who can appreciate how family bonds can help us not only overcome trials, but bring us the highest joy.

Cheryl Peyton
460859
What an extraordinary accomplishment this book represents.  The author weaves the quest to define, understand and treat cancer in its infinite guises with the serendipity, doggedness, imagination, frustrations, and human failings and triumphs of doctors, researches and patients.  In the end, perhaps the most vivid portrait to emerge from this "biography" [the author's title) is that the face of cancer cannot be rendered clearly.  Its manifestations are myriad and its cure elusive.  There is no magic bullet for a moving target.
2388681
When I ordered the book I thought it would be a good read but I didn't think it would be so hard to put down.  I was treated to an fascinating glimpse into a reality that I knew existed on an intellectual level but had never experienced for myself.  Emily's book takes the reader on a journey into a world completely different from what most Americans experience and she wrote the book in a way that leaves readers to draw their own conclusions about about the lives of the people, whether they are from Kygystan, Peace Corps volunteers or people she meets along the way.  This is a wonderful narrative and a must read for anyone thinking about becoming a Peace Corps volunteer.
4491554
An absolutely incredible read!  The author has a unique ability to write about her personal journey with the most poignant objectivity. I find myself anticipating the next installment eagerly , championing her and curious to discover how she survives, emotionally and intellectually , to be the woman she becomes. I highly recommend this book!
1549099
This is an important book, a treasure for anyone searching for meaning in their lives. Fuller has had an extraordinary journey and he is able to draw vital lessons from its twists and turns and recount them in compelling stories. I couldn't put it down. The honesty, intelligence and caring of this remarkable man--an innovative thinker, physicist, teacher, lover and leader--come through in vivid colors. When you finish this book you'll feel like you're Fuller's most intimate friend. And you'll be richer and more appreciative of life because of it.
3497819
A wonderful read and an amazing story about a family like so many, and yet so extraordinary.  Amazing to me how the author consistently chose to love, through challenge after challenge.  She chose to love, and learn, and live!  So inspiring and hopeful!  Engaging writing style -- didn't want to put it down!
1843448
This  is  a  book that  will not  be  put down until the last page.
2850278
I have just encountered, and I most certainly DO say "encountered" "Leaving Montana" by Thomas Whaley. The Time Gods rarely grace me with sufficient hours to indulge in much of anything, but even so I faced them head on and spent every moment I had devouring this book.
THIS BOOK IS EXTRAORDINARY. Through the words, one can feel the demons dancing on the edge of thoughts. Images, magnificently described and well constructed, hit the reader, quite nearly, in the face. This is a bold book, thoughtful, pensive, and wonderfully irreverent. It is to the mind what a shot of strong coffee is to a tired writer; energy and thought provoking wisdom.
BRAVO to Thomas Whaley for showing the world what life is all about; it's about being who you are, in spite of everything and everyone, and doing so on your own terms.
2471916
This has to one of the best books that i have read. The pace that it moves along at and the detail and storytelling ability of the author hints at a talent nurtured over many years of experience.
Its a hefty 900 odd pages (in hardback), but very hard to put down. Its one of those rare books that have you laughing and thinking from the first page, totally involving and utterly compelling.
The novel is about the Indian mafia, scrapes and skirmishes, love & friendships and a view of the wilder side of life by real life Australian prison escapee Gregory Roberts. This is not really a review but a recommendation for a very worthwhile read.
2262615
An amazing adventure through the life of Marc Hymen, Mr. Hawkins brings an indepth study of a boy who grows up to be much more than a mere man.
There are mysterious and mysticalforces afoot in Marc's life, things that haunt his dreams and reach into his reality.  From crazy storms to inexplicable power outages and more, Hawkins paints a vivid, if sometimes complex, world to life.
An incredible read, I loved this book.  It has a special place among all the other amazing adventures I've collected over the years.  Highly recommended if you want something less than ordinary and more than fantastic to read.  You won't regret it.
76444
This unusual, probably unique, exploration of the nature of human existence is a fascinating read and hard to put down. Bob Casey's point of view of a writer receiving dictation from immortal souls is compelling to the point of wishing it were true. His perspectives on eternity, love, God, reincarnation, and life on Earth (via sometimes wrenching experiences in history) are comforting and encouraging. An unusual and fascinating book, and a tale well told. Recommended.
3918310
Lauri Taylor has written an incredibly courageous, eye-opening, and moving book. It's tough to imagine what she went through in the days between discovering that her mother was missing, and then the discovery of her mother's body in Mexico. While this book covers what could be the plotline of an episode of a CSI drama, this isn't fiction and doesn't have easy answers. Lauri went through an incredible journey, and this book takes you on an honest and startling trip alongside her as she searches for answers about what really happened to her mother and finally comes upon the startling awful truth.

I recommend the book to anyone interested in the details of a real-life criminal investigation or who enjoys a story with unexpected twists and turns.

[NOTE: I was given a complimentary copy of this book by the author, but was not required or requested to write any kind of review.]
1079856
What an extraordinary, heartbreaking, exhilarating story of a family going through difficulties yet learning, growing and finding life on the other side. It's been a long time since I've been so captivated by a book I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend.