Alive, original and bummed when it was over.
586500
Rachel, the star of this story, is a character you've never experienced before. She has grit, intelligence, a healer,ruthless but also a  three-dimensional layered lovable woman.  I've never met her in films, books, nowhere. How often does that happen?

Another endearing element of this book are the dogs!

Monica Enderle Pierce's words flow, are alive, keeps the reader turning the page effortlessly. I was thankful that she didn't drag out a point too long, trying to be too phllosophical or pretentiously intellectual. Ms. Pierce has a talent for painting a movie in your mind with just the perfect dose of details.

Highly recommended. Original, textured and a new world to explore.
656539
Loved it . Now reading sequel . Characters so alive . Will miss them when I'm finished
3098200
Love it. Original, quirky characters, only wish is that it would've continued beyond the season's end.
1965981
Original storyline. Loved it when it came out; love it now.
2955797
The final season was so rich in story and all the actors, especially O'Quinn and Fox, deliver the performances of their careers. It was sad, beautiful, and ultimately redemptive. There could never be a show like LOST again...quite simply put, it's a work of art and will be sorely missed!
1008450
When it comes to the acting and sound quality of the show, I wasn't in awe. The technical glitches, lighting, and even the queue cards were a little distracting - but I let them slide. It was fun. Carrie Underwood's acting performance, in particular, was quite charming but a little underwhelming. I'll forgive her as I know that I could not accomplish the same task.

Having said that, Carrie Underwood's singing performance was awe-inspiring. She gave a wonderful nod to the originals by staying true to their sound and tenor. But her performance, though not as iconic as the original, was mesmerizing. The soundtrack version is even more impressive. Her range and singing stamina are an absolute wonder to behold.

In my opinion, insofar as her singing career, this is Underwood's masterpiece. I don't want to overstate it; I realize this is just the Sound of Music. But new music is easy to make your own. Taking an existing, much-loved soundtrack like the Sound of Music and managing what she managed is a treat to the ears and a marvel of an accomplishment.

Personally, I hope this is the beginning of a new season of on-air musicals.

In our world, everyone has their own unrelated shows; nobody has a common thread for conversation anymore. An on-air musical is novel and magnetic. It's great for the water cooler and for families to enjoy together. The Sound of Music will need to be remastering before I'd watch it again. But I would watch it again.  Technical issues aside: Long live theater.
291524
I really enjoyed this show when it was new and to watch it again is a real treat. At the time this show was state-of-art. It just shows how far things have come since then.
2730120
This is music from a time when music was made to be enjoyed. You can hear the fun these musicians had in making the recordings. The genius of it is that you, the listener, come away with a great feeling in your soul and the wanting to dance your life away. You can hear their livies through the tracks;  the awaking of life, the protests of injustice they found themselves in, and finally coming to full circle: finding their ownselves. If you liked the Meters and AWB you will find this ablum to your liking.
4268162
After reading and loving Coelho's "The Alchemist" and "Warrior of the Light," several years ago, I had certain expectations for his new book, "Manuscript Found in Accra." I expected to either learn, or revisit, wise ways to face and work my way through a variety of situations, including difficult ones. I expected to feel refreshed and energized, the sparkle back in my eye. I set my expectations too high, yet I wasn't about to let myself be disappointed. I did find some good stuff in here - I just had to hunt and insist on finding it!

"Manuscript" has some words of wisdom in it, but I really had to dig to find the rare original thought or fresh way of expressing an idea. I don't mind hearing something I've heard before, but I was hoping for a bit more sparkle and originality: Some chapters felt garbled, jumbled, run on - and I didn't like them. I also didn't care for the lack of a story - each chapter deals with a different question and answers, but there's only a hint of a story tying together all the advice and words of wisdom. Copt, the man giving the advice, and the people facing a battle in Jerusalem, were not developed, had no personality, didn't feel like more than someone asking and answering questions in an advice column in a newspaper or magazine.

That said, there are still words woven in wonderful ways that made me pause and think, even if for just a moment or two, and this is why I picked up the book in the first place. One of my favorite thoughts involved how people who don't believe in their own beauty try to imitate others in order to entice love to come to them, while love isn't looking for that imitation, but for originality. Another idea I liked was the one that said there are no winners or losers (in the cycle of death and resurrection), only stages to be gone through.

It helped to put the book down frequently and return later - it's not something I could stand to read for more than a chapter or two. If you're willing to read a sometimes repetitive (meaning things you've heard before, told in a way you've heard many times), story-less advice book for the bits and pieces you might find worthwhile, I'm sure you'll find SOMETHING that will cheer, encourage, comfort or guide you.
4741624
really good and original sounding.  Only thing is some songs just have long leads. That's how the originals are. Its a very nostalgic music experience.
1926001
There was a great deal which impressed me about Dead Medium. The first was the fully realised protagonist, May, and the character arc she undergoes. Amazingly it is one that takes place after her own death. As her tea and Bakewell slice friend Margaret notes later on, death had changed her in ways life never could. From cynical, hard and distinctly unsociable she becomes someone possessed of altruistic purpose and empathy for others, something all too clear in the way she sets about helping Chloe, the daughter of a deceased acquaintance, Penny.

The humour in the novel is also first class; ironic, whimsical and usually gentle. There were occasions when I was reminded of the late and very, very great P. G. Wodehouse. One instance that springs to mind is when we learn her friend Margaret is someone whose booming voice can make the windows rattle". Another is May reflecting on the  undignified posture of her corpse and frustration at leaving the house in a mess. She also grieves and laments her ability to no longer enjoy her morning cup of tea.

It is very hard to fault this one. The high concept premise, well written prose, structure, tone and characters all impress. It is a very original work and one I enjoyed immensely.
887971
I had read so many raving reviews that I feared it wouldn't measure up to my expectations. Well, it does. The first half, above all, and mostly while Justice of toren is actually Justice of Toren. In that timeline the story is terribly original, the rythm is good, and the characters are given time to grow and some space to show motivations. As many reviewers have said, the "she" thing is pretty easy to get to used to, and you barely notice it beyond the first pages. Except when you deliberately try to guess the gender of one character only to find out how cleverly the author has hidden any possible clue. But for the one single case, at the very beginning when she openly designates the gender of one single character. So, gender-assigned roles really don't exist in this world, so physical and physiological dfferences are barely recognizable and have no "meaningful meaning". These are simply people -and something-other-than-people- acting, reacting, loving, warring and dying in a convincingly alien world that still is recognizable in the problems and struggles that plague it.

This said, it is far from a perfect, well-rounded book. There are a few characters and situations thrown in so just the plot moves along, a character who tags along, (a kind of neccesary sounding board/sidekick) who is mostly silent or unconscious at convenience for most ot the first half, and whose motivations for growth are really never made clear... a few loose threads here and there....Generally speaking once the two timelines converged the book lost most of its charm to me. And yet the magic of the setting, mostly in Shis'urna, with the Justice's point of view, and the well-developed characters of the two lieutenants and the slow-burn conflict in the planet was worth the lesser flaws that surely are unavoidable in a first book. It really is an original execution of the the idea of the interstellar empire, echoing at times of Le Guin, yes ( "she gestured with one hand, meaning indifference..") or of Banks' "Consider Phlebas" but original enough to stand on its own. I will be coming back for the second part.
4971183
What an original  idea...and so current, given what people are interested in today. It was a satisfying read to the end.
3838895
"Gone" ended the lives of the original main characters with a beginning that reminds us why God is mysteriously so special. I absolutely love L.N. Cronk and her work. Thank you for writing this and sharing it with us <3
4221417
I read this when it first came out and was riveted.  I loved being in the world of the book and in the company of a heroine whose mind ran rampant with the most wonderful perspectives and obscure knowledge, while her heart was yearning for things she might not ever experience.  I'm surprised that I didn't see more mention in the reviews of the very evocative line drawings littered throughout.  They were done by the author (who says she has never been an artist.  BUT I AM an artist.  And she is very gifted.) If you're willing to experience a book the way I feel it's best to experience life...not demanding it be linear, but enchanted by the unexpected (and in retrospect, logical) flow that happens as our lives intersect those of others who are creating their OWN experience...THEN TAKE THIS JOURNEY.  (And the ending is wonderfully, strangely perfect!)
3742049
I loved this story...  I found it so original that it almost must be based on true events.  Real life of course is as original as it gets.
1216798
This was a comfortable read.  Sorry to say, there was nothing new.  This story line has been done and done and done.  Sadly, because the author is a fantastic writer.  The author brings the characters alive, showing them in all their glory and all their faults, just wish the author had created an original story.