Odyssey Through the Gutter
591389
Junkie Love is an odyssey through the gutter that pulls addiction up by the roots to reveal its blackened and twisted tendrils. The tell-it-like-it-was prose is like being thrust into the ring with a heavy weight champ and attempting to dodge precisely timed fists; Clifford gets you up against the ropes with the dark poetic beauty of his words and makes it impossible to catch your breath or tear your eyes away. And although there are plenty of gritty war stories about injecting mouse s***, scams to steal a buck and how not to avoid the DEA, the meat of the book is about love lost and the friends who didn't make the journey back home.
2581968
An irreverent look at life in the 21st century for the Gods of Mount Olympus, whose power is waning because people no longer believe in them, and who --  since the advent of Christianity, an event that precipitated their decline -- have been living fairly quiet, uneventful, boring lives in London amongst the mortals. When a petty argument between sensuous and spiteful Aphrodite and her vain, impulsive nephew Apollo becomes a case of oneupmanship, two innocent mortals -- Alice and Neil -- are unwittingly pulled into the fray.

If you're familiar with the works of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett then you'll recognize their influences all over this story -- not to mention that of another Neil: Neil Gaiman, whose book American Gods is a deeper, darker version of this theme. And it's probably no coincidence that the character of Alice was named as such -- for she takes a journey that put this reader in mind of that other Alice's trip to Wonderland.

This is a fun, quick read -- especially for fans with a pre-existing love of Greek Mythology (like me). It's whimsical and silly, yet manages also to have moments of true poignancy. Highly recommended to anyone looking for some entertaining escapist fun.
4429392
Adventures in Odyssey
Take It from the Top, Audiobook on CD
Ages 8-10
Publisher: Tynsdale

Product Description
Pssst! Rumor has it that Whit's got a new invention called "the inspiration station." What could it be? Speaking of mysteries, what has local sleuth Emily been up to? And why is 10-year-old Matthew "target of the week"? Find out in this long-anticipated return to Odyssey, exploring themes of responsibility, revenge, and God-given creativity! Four CDs, approx. 5 hours total.

Publisher's Description
It's back to the basics in Take It from the Top, the long-anticipated 51st album of Adventures in Odyssey! Enter Whit's new invention, the Inspiration Station, and find out why Connie wants to spend so much time in it. Solve mysteries with local sleuth Emily Jones, and learn why 10-year-old Matthew Parker doesn't think being "target of the week" is such a good thing.

Catch up with Whit, Connie, Eugene, and Wooton, and meet two new families, as they learn lessons about responsibility, revenge, and God-given inspiration. Whether on a baseball field, at home, or at Whit's End, there's never a dull moment in the town of Odyssey!

The recommended ages for this series is 8-10 years old however, my son being 5 really enjoyed listening to this CD set. I played the set in the car as we drove place to place. Each time we would get in the car he asked me to play the this CD. This series taught responsibility and being kind to others. Some of it was a little over my 5 year olds head but it gave me a opportunity to explain it to him and touch more onto God's Word. This is a fun creative way for children to draw closer to the Lord!
205085
This is a fun game for Adventures in Odyssey fanatics.  It incorporates Adventures in Odyssey trivia with lots of biblical questions.  It is a mix between bible trivia, adventures in odyssey trivia, pictionary, charades, and clue.  You have to travel to different rooms at Whit's end to answer bible and adventures in odyssey trivia.  The questions require you to answer a question, draw, or use charades.  Each game lasts about an hour.
2681303
THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS has three super things going for it.  First, it's written by David McCullough, a popular historian with spellbinding storytelling ability.  Second, it involves shady business deals and even shadier politics.  Third, it's about using big, noisy machines to move dirt around, and what guy (at least) hasn't liked that since playing with Tonka trucks?

The Panama Canal was an amazing engineering feat for its time (it opened in 1914); indeed it remains a marvel to this day.  It was terrifically hard to build, and cost tens of thousands of lives, but in the end was proven to have been beautifully designed.  The French had attempted to build a sea-level canal in the 1880s and 1890s, but failed.  The Americans, who had been thinking of a Nicaraguan route, took over the French project, and through grit and determination--and, crucially, realization that a canal with locks was the only practicable solution--finally triumphed.  The breaking out of the Great War (World War I) overshadowed the long awaited opening of the Canal, but the Canal soon demonstrated its worth.

McCullough is, as to be expected, an engaging writer.  One gets the sense, though, that he struggled to bring some of this material alive.  The first section, on the French attempts at Panama canal building, is, frankly, a bit dull.  Once the Americans become involved the story takes on fresh life, either despite of or account of the Americans having engaged in some imperialistic adventuring to get a hold of the canal land under terms favorable to U.S. interests.  However that may be, it's also due to the no-nonsense, clear thinking, pragmatic American engineers like John Frank Stevens and George Washington Goethals that the Americans triumphed in the wake of French failure.  Also, as McCullough points out, by the time the locks were built the available technology had improved enormously since French days.

The abridged audio version likely does not do justice to the very long original work (700 pages); one notices the gaps.  But the audio version nonetheless gives you the salient points about the Canal's construction, and it's read beautifully by actor Edward Herrmann.  McCullough is at his best with the biographical material.  Financial details and French politics aren't as compelling as his stories about the people that led the project.  One wishes, though, for more anecdotes about the average people who did all the heavy lifting, as it were.  Those were the guys playing with the Tonka trucks.
2674910
I got started on the Adventures in Odyssey when my kids wore out Veggie Tales in the car. I love the lessons and the stories. My kids will appreciate them in a few more years (they are 2 and 4), but they do get into the stories.
150880
I'm going to bring up a movie for a moment, then get back to the review. As the joke goes, 2001: Space Odyssey is a good movie if you watch it in fast forward. This is because Stanley Kubrick spent five minutes on a scene that should have taken 20 seconds. I mention that because Seveneves is like 2001: Space Odyssey in super-slow motion.

The author wants to make sure you know orbital mechanics. Every paragraph is a lecture, with perhaps one sentence per paragraph contributing to the plot.

I'm still going to give it a 5 though, because the story is that compelling. And joking aside, I did learn a lot about orbital mechanics
928220
In January 2013, Jonathan Argyriou, a Manhattan-born third generation Greek-American, boards a plane in New York for Athens. Jonathan is travelling to Greece to learn more about his family. He was brought up by his grandparents and his alcoholic mother, and he doesnt quite understand the relationship between his grandmothers younger sister and his grandfather. Jonathan converses with his sister, Amalia, imagining she is occupying the empty seat next to him. We thus learn of the tragedies faced by the Argyriou family. Their ruin had begun during the 1922 Greco-Turkish War, when two orphaned sisters, little Erasmia and Frosso, had to flee Smyrna village for Athens. While Erasmia eventually manages to reach America, Frosso does not. By the time the planes reaches Athens, from his soul-searching and brainstorming with his sister, past memories flood back to Jonathan such that he himself recollects a good deal of his ancestry.

As noted on this books cover, Fortini Tsalikoglous novel indeed explores the blurred line between history and memory. While the short length of the novel does not permit detailed character development, the stream-of-consciousness writing style admirably fleshes out the story. Some readers might question Jonathans motive in embarking on such a long journey of discovery; however, it is his psychological frame of mind, muddled by family secrets, that Tsalikoglou portrays as one from which he cannot escape. Similar to Faulkners famous quote, Tsalikoglou notes: The past is never over. It isn't even past. Nevertheless, the narrative is not an easy read, and were it not for the books evocative cover, and the informative flap and back cover text, the plot would take a huge effort to comprehend.

This review first appeared in the HNR magazine issue 73 (August 2015)
1114611
Intrinsic is a surprisingly visceral journey through across ancient Europe, that creates a completely new mythological belief system. Jerry Collins creates an entire new culture that inhabits the real world. The belief system and mythology has echoes of the Greek gods warring against one another.
The protagonist, Jatara, is a strong and independent woman that has her whole life stripped from her at a very young age. Collins takes us deep into her psyche as she learns who she is and plots revenge against her parents killers. Revenge isn't enough, though, as we follow her on a conquest that spans the globe.
I enjoyed the majority if Collins version of blood fueled revenge. His story creates a whole new religion that is both alluring and frightening as you follow Jataras lifelong quest. My only issue was that Collins throws her into maturity far too quickly. She seems to turn from a five-year-old into a twenty-year-old overnight. Granted he talks about her aging, but there is no mental or emotional progression, which makes her growth feel shallow.
4221215
Irv's Odyssey: Lost in a Looking Glass was a groovy trip back to the 70s. As someone who was not even born in the 70's, it was an eye opening trip to experience the life of a boy fresh out of college, who had the idealistic dreams that most of the young have, only to find out that life in not idealistic nor easy. Written in first-person narrative, it felt as if you were really there, having a not-so-normal conversation with Irv.

Irv was a film major, with big plans to be a director and make a difference. He found out quickly that getting a job was not easy and that his free ride was over as his father cut him off because he was "grown now". With no choice but to put food on the table, and pay for his weed, Irv took the most unlikely job he could have ever imagined for himself: porn director. Lost in a world of naked girls that have sex to get paid, and have all the insecurities and problems that go along with it, Irv starts a downward spiral in the life he planned for himself.

Only looking for "real" love, Irv bumbles along the way. Through a (sometimes) drug-induced haze, shared sexual partners, free love, commune living, and a search for meaningful life, this story takes you from LA to Atlanta. From porn jobs to a job in a living community for mentally-challenged kids, Irv shows what life was like in the time of free love and drugs, when all he wants is love and all he finds is challenges. This heartwarming, and sometimes hilarious book, almost transcends times, to portray what youth goes through after leaving college and being forced to grow up. I give this book FIVE STARS and urge you to pick it up and give it a chance!
3213737
Back in April 2102 I wrote a scathing review of Mr. Currie's first Odyssey One novel, complaining about, well just about everything in the book. Mr. Currie responded with a reasoned, polite, if disagreeing letter giving me the reasons for why I was wrong and promising that if I wanted better I would not find it in the remastered version of Odyssey one.  In my response to his response, I promised to read his latest novel (he called it STEAM LEGION) but instead I chose On Silver Wings for some reason, long forgotten in the history of this sixty-year old's memory.  Well, to my delight I found that he HAS improved greatly since Odyssey One.  Not only did I finish this book, but I am looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Still, I found a few problems that I mention in passing.  Though I finished this book, I almost did not.  It starts out a bit slowly and Sgt. Sorilla Aida is not at first, and never really becomes a very likeable character.  Mr. Currie still has a few problems with editing, for example for most of the book I stumbled across this kind of phrase.  "Jerry was found pouring over the maps."  The word is "poring" not "pouring" and thank goodness he figured that one out after a while.  One very large mistake occurs near the end of the novel, on D-Day you might say.  The fleet is returning and the colonists are getting resupplied.  An elaborate plan is developed to make sure the supplies and military personnel get though this time.  Silver and Sam are driving a convoy to someplace (RAFO) and they, not being good friends, start bickering.  Bethany suddenly shoves her head into the driving cab and gives them the "what for!" silencing them in their childish behavior...nothing wrong with that scene, except that a few pages later, Jerry Reed is doing his part to further along this plan, when Bethany speaks up and advises him of some such.  As far as I can tell its the same Bethany ... at least there is no attempt to identify two separate Bethanys anywhere in the novel.

Still, there is much to commend in this novel.  The pace is brisk, the people are believable if a little thinly fleshed out, the plot is believable, even exciting, and the enemy weapons and the enemy themselves are novel. I have never heard of such devices being used to win battles before (again, RAFO), and yet I found it easy to suspend disbelief, which in SF is often an absolute requirement.  And I really appreciated the selflessness with which his military personnel acted.  That one trait is not often emphasized in a military novel, not even in Dave Weber's superb Honorverse novels.

Should you read this novel?  Well, if you are someone who wears the peace symbol on a bollard around your neck, no.  Quarter is neither asked nor given to the enemy in this story and military personnel are given an honored, cherished status.  Do you enjoy rollicking good space opera?  Then yes, get this book and sit back with a warm cup of cocoa, your comfort food of choice, a nice cozy fire in the fireplace and gentle music playing in the background.  Are you someone who is not impressed with detail?  Then you probably will find this book tedious. Mr. Currie takes time to explain the weapons his humans are using, and usually there are readers who find such additions to the story a bit tedious.

In sum, this book is a vast improvement over my first introduction into his library of creations and I found his promise that it would be better to have been fulfilled.  Good going, Mr. Currie!  Keep honing your skills and I've no doubt that I will be giving you five stars in no time!
148788
An excellent soundtrack continuing the masterful atmospheric journey of its predecessors. A must have for the avid wanderer through the Myst saga.
3361021
So I read the Odyssey as a kid, and I hated it. I hate-read it a couple more times through high school. Odysseus is a Terrible Person, and reading about his over-inflated ego-driven adventures just annoyed me. But I have a deep and abiding affection for the Iliad, and I always felt that I was missing something, because people (mostly men, let's be honest) kept telling me that the Odyssey was the better of Homer's epics.

Well, it turns out that I do in fact love the Odyssey. The problem is just that men are terrible at translating it.

Emily Wilson has produced a delightful and extremely readable Odyssey. She's stripped off much of the awful Victorian-era language that seems to plague translations of Homer, and the result is a breath of fresh air. This is what Homer should be like. Easy on the ear. Sliding into the brain like seawater.

I hope she tackles the Iliad some day. I'll be first in line to buy a copy.
1003963
It's a great set, probably recommend it most to those familiar with Adventures in Odyssey.  Still very enjoyable if you don't yet know the characters, but a few episodes are easier to follow if you know what has already happened.  Best episodes were "The Pact I and II", "Relatively Annoying" and "The Benefit of The Doubt".  For in depth information on individual episodes, this album, or others like it go to[...] and click "CDs DVDs and More.
4362377
Returning home from a long and brutal campaign against the Armenians, the Hittite soldier Lukka finds the Hatti Empire in chaos.  The capital city, Hattusa, is in flames.  Lukka's family home is destroyed, his father mortally wounded and his wife and young sons have been taken by slave traders.

Lukka and his small band of soldiers track the slavers across Greece to war-torn Troy.  Here, as Lukka tries to recover his wife and sons, he becomes a warrior of the Trojan War where he fights with the Greeks in their battle for the return of Helen.

The basic story outline is familiar to anyone who has read The Iliad.  But there are some alternative history twists which will amuse some readers and may well annoy others. I have mixed feelings about the novel: I didn't care for the portrayal of some of the characters, especially Helen, yet I quite liked the hero Lukka.
An enjoyable escapist read - if you can tolerate some changes to the story of The Iliad.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
3590316
I'm a fan of the LotR movies, and this game transports players to that world. The over the top action of a single character dispatching hundreds or thousands of uruks feels so similar to the heroes' actions in the grand battles of Peter Jackson's movies. There is humor to be found as well, surprisingly. The gameplay is a solid evolution of Assassins Creed's environmental navigation and Batman: Arkham series' combat and both those series' "vision mode" for identifying threats and environmental advantages. With as much as has been adopted from previous games, it is satisfying to see how originally and flawlessly these have been implemented and improved.
1815205
An excellent movie based on Homer's story of the Odyssey, set in 1937 America. The story follows three friends who have escaped from a chain gang in the attempt to find buried treasure before the valley where it is hidden is flooded by the opening of a dam.

The cinematography is excellent, the script writing is excellent and the humor is excellent. However, these are all matters of opinion. If you love crafty and well thought out humor that makes clever use of the historical context to push the comedy, then you will love this! However, my parents thought this was absolutely the worst movie they had ever seen. So, it does really depend on your type of humor.

I would recommend this movie to all and I definitely love it and cherish it as one of my favorites.