Twisters and Other Terrible Storms (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Twisters
  • A real "Twister"
  • Twisters
Twisters and Other Terrible Storms (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))
Will And Ma Osborne
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

OtherOther | Explore the World | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
NonfictionNonfiction | Weather | Nature | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
PaperbackPaperback | Magic Tree House | Early Reader | Series | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
HurricanesHurricanes | Atmospheric Sciences | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
TornadoesTornadoes | Atmospheric Sciences | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Geology | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
Ages 9-12Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
OtherOther | Explore the World | People & Places | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
WeatherWeather | Nature | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Magic Tree HouseMagic Tree House | Early Reader | Series | Children's Books | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Atmospheric SciencesAtmospheric Sciences | Earth Sciences | Science | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
GeologyGeology | Earth Sciences | Science | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
GeneralGeneral | Physics | Science | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 DealsAll 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Space (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R)) Space (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))
  2. Rain Forests (Magic Tree House Research Guide) Rain Forests (Magic Tree House Research Guide)
  3. Dolphins and Sharks: Magic Tree House Research Guide (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R)) Dolphins and Sharks: Magic Tree House Research Guide (Magic Tree House Rsrch Gdes(R))
  4. Dinosaurs (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper) Dinosaurs (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)
  5. Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper) Mummies & Pyramids (Magic Tree House Research Guide, paper)

ASIN: 0375813586
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Book Description

What causes the earth’s weather? How do twisters form? What are the deadliest storms on earth? Find out the answers to these questions and more in Magic Tree House Research Guide: Twisters and Other Terrible Storms, Jack and Annie’s guide to nature’s wildest weather. Includes photographs, definitions, an index, information on twisters, hurricanes, blizzards, forecasting the weather, storm chasers, and much more!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Twisters.......2006-03-08

Do you know how rain is formed? Do you know when tornado season is? If you want to know these questions read the Magic Tree House book Twisters by Mary Pope Osborn and Sal Murdocca. Read this nonfiction book and learn how hail is formed,learn what is the worst storm. Also there are some sweet experiments. This is an awesome book I loved it a lot. Go to the book store near you and get this book or any Magic Tree House book.

4 out of 5 stars A real "Twister".......2005-02-07

The book that I'm reviewing in school is Twisters and it's by Mary Pope Osborne. I think this book deserves four stars because it is an interesting book to read. The book I'm reading is about weather. They talk about twisters, hurricanes, storms and other cool things. One thing that I learned is hail can be the size of a golf ball. Also, there are different kinds of hail sizes, like the size of a ant. I would recommend this book to a friend because if you're doing research you could find great information. Other books by this author are research guides on other topics.

Emerson, NJ Fifth Grader

5 out of 5 stars Twisters.......2004-02-06

Twisters are tornadoes. I learned about them in the book Twisters by Will Osborne. Twisters wreak everything. Twisters can destroy homes because the winds go 300 miles per hour. They hit in the midwestern U.S. in April, May and June. I feel excited about this book because it's good to know about natural disasters so if it happens you'll be prepared.
Julias Hope
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Can't Put Down
  • Thank You Leisha Kelly
  • Ten Stars! :-)
  • Inspired me to begin a new hobby - reading!
  • Julia's Hope by Leisha Kelly
Julias Hope
Leisha Kelly
Manufacturer: Revell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

United StatesUnited States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
HistoricalHistorical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
FictionFiction | Literature & Fiction | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
  1. Emmas Gift: A Novel Emmas Gift: A Novel
  2. Katies Dream: A Novel Katies Dream: A Novel
  3. Roreys Secret: A Novel (Country Road Chronicles) Roreys Secret: A Novel (Country Road Chronicles)
  4. Rachels Prayer: A Novel (Country Road Chronicles) Rachels Prayer: A Novel (Country Road Chronicles)
  5. Waiting for Summers Return: A Novel Waiting for Summers Return: A Novel

ASIN: 080075820X
Release Date: 2002-09-01

Book Description

Like countless others in 1931, Samuel Wortham lost his job. And he lost his wife's inheritance, their home, and much of his self-respect. Samuel, his wife, Julia, and their two young children hitchhike from Pennsylvania to Illinois in hope of work. Caught on the road by a sudden storm, the Worthams take shelter in an abandoned farmhouse out of desperation. Feeling oddly at home, Julia insists on finding the owner of the property, despite Samuel's objections, and asks for permission to stay. The owner is Emma Graham, a woman in her eighties who longs for home but can no longer live by herself. Emma and the Worthams work out a plan to live there together and restore the farm. Samuel struggles with not being able to provide for his family, and Julia and the kids confront unpleasant surprises when a busybody neighbor turns against them. Julia's Hope is an endearing story of faith and faithfulness as Emma teaches the Worthams to live fully, give generously, and love unconditionally. She insists that the family grow where they are planted, like the garden they tend, and each member of the family is forever changed by her wisdom.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Can't Put Down.......2007-08-29

Again, Leisha Kelly presents a book you must read... be sure to read in the sequence.

5 out of 5 stars Thank You Leisha Kelly .......2007-05-20

This was really a terrific book. I had read and loved it so much that I bought it as a gift for a relative that is dear to me.
If you want to read a good wholsome book with good values this is the one for you.
This book shows that even when things seem really bad they will turn out ok. Just trust in the Lord. He will get you through it.
Thank You Leisha Kelly for blessing the world with you terrific writing. We need a lot more authors like you.

5 out of 5 stars Ten Stars! :-).......2007-04-27

The story of the Worthams and Emma captivated me so completely that I didn't want the story to end... and thankfully there are more books in this series!

The Wortham family's warmth and love really impressed me and Emma's desire to share what she had no matter how little there was caused me to look at my own life in a new light and wonder if I could be doing more for the people around me. This is a true gem, one that will be on my shelf and recommended to everyone from now on.

5 out of 5 stars Inspired me to begin a new hobby - reading!.......2006-06-12

I've never been an avid reader, but I decided to give it a try on this series from Leisha Kelly. Wow! These books are great and so hard to put down. Since I've completed all the books in this series (Julia's Hope, Emma's Gift, Katie's Dream and Rorey's Secret), I've been inspired to read many others. I'm also looking forward to reading the new book, Rachel's Prayer, coming out in July, 2006. I feel I've found a new hobby, a place to get away from everyday stresses.

5 out of 5 stars Julia's Hope by Leisha Kelly.......2005-09-06

This series is so good. Each book is excellent.
A lot of great messages and things to think about.
Taking shelter from the storm : building a safe room inside your house : includes construction plans and cost estimates (SuDoc FEM 1.2:SH 4/5)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Taking shelter from the storm : building a safe room inside your house : includes construction plans and cost estimates (SuDoc FEM 1.2:SH 4/5)

    Manufacturer: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Mitigation Directorate
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Unknown Binding
    ASIN: B000112QKU
    Rosamunde Pilcher: A Third Collection of Three Complete Novels: The Empty House; The Day of the Storm; Under Gemini
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Lavishly romantic, 3 from the 1970s
    • The ultimate romantic page-turner !
    Rosamunde Pilcher: A Third Collection of Three Complete Novels: The Empty House; The Day of the Storm; Under Gemini
    Rosamunde Pilcher
    Manufacturer: Wings
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    GeneralGeneral | Literature & Fiction | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
    RomanceRomance | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
    BritishBritish | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | Classics | Contemporary | General | Historical | Humor | Letters & Correspondence | Middle | Old | Poetry | Renaissance | Shakespeare | Short Stories
    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Pilcher, Rosamunde | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
    HardcoverHardcover | Pilcher, Rosamunde | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. Rosamunde Pilcher: A New Collection of Three Complete Books: Snow in April; Wild Mountain Thyme; Flowers in the Rain and Other Stories Rosamunde Pilcher: A New Collection of Three Complete Books: Snow in April; Wild Mountain Thyme; Flowers in the Rain and Other Stories
    2. The End Of Summer The End Of Summer
    3. Voices In Summer Voices In Summer
    4. The Shell Seekers The Shell Seekers
    5. September September

    ASIN: 0517205831
    Release Date: 1999-08-17

    Book Description

    One of the most beloved writers of all time, Rosamunde Pilcher is the author of such internationally acclaimed bestsellers as The Shell Seekers and September. The Empty House is about being in love with the wrong man; The Day of the Storm is about discovering family—and its secrets; and Under Gemini is about deception. A wonderful new omnibus edition of three full-length novels by one of America's favorites.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Lavishly romantic, 3 from the 1970s.......2003-01-18

    Three absolutely delicious tales from Rosemunde Pilcher, re-released but all with copyright dates in the 1970s. For the most part, the stories have aged well - though this is a different millenia, a different century, and certainly different times.

    Under Gemini -- Improbability, coincidence and pure fate take center stage as identical twins separated at birth come upon their mirror image quite accidentally while in a London restaurant. After a night spent puzzling through the bizarre circumstances of their lives, jet-setting sister Rose takes off to Greece -- leaving her much more down-to-earth twin Flora to deal with a recently dumped fiancé. Somehow Flora is convinced to accompany the fiancé to Scotland to comfort a grandmother who is supposedly dying. The drama mounts, as does the dishonesty, and Flora finds herself living a life she never imagined. When the house of cards begins to collapse, will the friendships survive the betrayal? And, has the right sister fallen for the wrong man? A bit of a relic, but cozy as a cup of tea on a cold and windy Scottish coast.

    The Empty House -- An anachronism in the form of a delightfully romantic fairy tale. From the cliffs of Cornwall to a near castle in Scotland, our not-so-modern-day fairy princess finds herself (at age 27) the widow of Prince Not So Charming. Despite the fact the deceased Prince was unfaithful and domineering and only married the young girl to achieve his inheritance, it is still a little tough feeling sorry for the Poor Little Rich Girl, who has never worked a day in her life (nor will she ever have to). Finally, she is free to be herself and she ships her young children off with Nanny to her mother-in-law in London. She then returns to the Cornwall coast and the memory of a few chance encounters of her 17-year-old self with a local farmer. Rejecting the comfort and pampering of friends, she leases a modest home near Porthkerris, fires the Nanny and reclaims her children. But can she do it? And can the combine man of the cozy hearth really win the heart of the Pampered Princess? This is an early Pilcher, with very idealistic (and out of touch) plotting but the heavenly glimpses of home and heart and her beloved countryside quite save the book.

    The Day of the Storm -- After a very unconventional upbringing, Rebecca Bayliss has found bliss in her dull life working in a London book shop and living in a solitary flat she is slowly furnishing. For once she is in control of her life, and quite content. But her mother's latest lover writes that her mother is dying, and Rebecca must hurry to Ibiza. There Rebecca finally learns of her family in Cornwall and the famous artist grandfather she's never known but whom she feels compelled to inform of his daughter's death. The story is full of unusual coincidences (sometimes called fate?) and makes several abrupt turns before reaching a surprise of an ending. While Pilcher lavishly paints the background of her books, a map would have really been lovely in this one.

    5 out of 5 stars The ultimate romantic page-turner !.......2000-05-27

    If you're not familiar with Rosamunde Pilcher yet, waste no time and buy yourself a sample of her spellbinding work ! It has it all : the warmth, the cosiness, the romance, and even the suspense. In "Under Gemini", meet sensible Flora, who discovers she has a twin sister she had never known about, the glamorous Rose, and suddenly finds herself in a whirlwind of deceipt, drama, confusion, and... love. And you will be mesmerised by "The Empty House" and "The Day of the Storm", two compelling stories about love and the pursuit of happiness. PS : The good news is : Rosamunde Pilcher has published lots of other novels and short stories : you have hours of cosy cocooning ahead of you !
    Deep Storm: A Novel (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Not a Deep Connection.
    • "It's all broken ..." (possible spoilers)
    • His Best Yet
    • Not nearly deep enough for me
    • Incredible Ride!
    Deep Storm: A Novel (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))
    Lincoln Child
    Manufacturer: Random House Large Print
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
    Literature & FictionLiterature & Fiction | Large Print | Formats | Books
    Mystery & ThrillersMystery & Thrillers | Large Print | Formats | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. The Wheel of Darkness The Wheel of Darkness
    2. The Judas Strain The Judas Strain
    3. The Alexandria Link: A Novel The Alexandria Link: A Novel
    4. The Book of the Dead (Pendergast, Book 7) The Book of the Dead (Pendergast, Book 7)
    5. The Terror: A Novel The Terror: A Novel

    ASIN: 0739326392
    Release Date: 2007-01-30

    Book Description

    Twelve-thousand feet beneath the Atlantic Ocean . . .
    scientists are excavating the most extraordinary undersea discovery ever made. But is it the greatest archaeological find in history—or the most terrifying?

    Former naval doctor Peter Crane is urgently summoned to a remote oil platform in the North Atlantic to help diagnose a bizarre medical condition spreading through the rig. But when he arrives, Crane learns that the real trouble lies far below—on “Deep Storm,” a stunningly advanced science research facility built two miles beneath the surface on the ocean floor. The topsecret structure has been designed for one purpose: to excavate a recently discovered undersea site that may hold the answers to a mystery steeped in centuries of myth and speculation.

    Sworn to secrecy, Dr. Crane descends to Deep Storm. A year earlier, he is told, routine drilling uncovered the remains of mankind’s most sophisticated ancient civilization: the legendary Atlantis. But now that the site is being excavated, a series of disturbing illnesses has begun to affect the operation. Scientists and technicians are experiencing a bizarre array of symptoms—from simple fatigue to violent psychotic episodes. As Crane is indoctrinated into the strange world of Deep Storm and commences his investigation, he begins to suspect that the covert facility conceals something more complicated than a medical mystery.The discovery of Atlantis might, in fact, be a cover for something far more sinister . . . and deadly.

    Like Lincoln Child’s spectacular bestsellers coauthored with Douglas Preston (The Book of the Dead, Relic), Deep Storm melds scientific detail and gripping adventure in a superbly imagined, chillingly real journey into unknown territory. Child is a master of suspense, and Deep Storm is his most ambitious novel to date.

    Customer Reviews:

    3 out of 5 stars Not a Deep Connection........2007-10-09

    I just finished reading "Deep Storm". It was okay, but not great.

    There was a very...clinical element in the way the story was told. We never really find out any personal details about the characters. As a result, the story ends without the reader forming a substantial emotional bond with any of the characters.

    While this doesn't prevent the story from being told, it could definitely have been told better. Adding personal details about the characters is just one way this could have been accomplished. Another missed opportunity was adding more details to those characters who said they were hearing voices. It would've been interesting to eavesdrop on those [Spoiler Warning!] voices/alien transmissions.

    The book was a quick read, but unfortunately nothing that I would be motivated to read a second time.

    1 out of 5 stars "It's all broken ..." (possible spoilers).......2007-10-04

    One of the more idiotic characters of the book keeps uttering this, and boy how right he was. There were a number of just plain holes in the plot. Here's a little one. A character who's role was to just be murdered sets up a meet with a bad guy at a gas station. He has the air compressor tire pump with him. He invites the bad guy into his car. He gets into the car and shuts the door. He *still* has the compressor hose in his hand. Did he thread it through the open window before getting into the car? Who knows? Somehow it ends up being long enough for his killer to take from him, jam down his throat, and turn on.

    Here's another one. The bad guy later has to insert an encoded message into an image file. All he has to work with is a dumb terminal with no hard disk. So he writes a program and, uh, *compiles* it, then runs it. First, what dumb terminal is going to have a compiler? Second, if you compile a program you have to save it somewhere. Well where do you save it if you don't have a hard disk?

    The book is full of little pieces of foolishness like this. For instance, 2 miles down in the ocean, there's a flash of light, and the ocean bottom is packed with all the funny looking denizens of the deep. If you're going to write a book you should know a little about the location of your main action. Like: the deep ocean isn't just packed full of funny looking fish.

    Last one: all marines are violent robots who follow their evil overlord to death without individual thought ... especially the "special ops" ones.

    Anyway I could go on, but you get the idea.

    5 out of 5 stars His Best Yet.......2007-09-13

    This is Lincoln Child's best book yet! I have read every book by Child and his co-author Preston. Loved the imagination that went along with the story, you could almost feel yourself down at the ocean floor with all the characters. The ending, I hope, leaves room for a continuing novel.

    3 out of 5 stars Not nearly deep enough for me.......2007-09-12

    An adventure unfolds in the deep sea several miles below an oilrig in the north Atlantic in Lincoln Child's Deep Storm, where a phalanx of scientists, doctors and marines in a massive seabed complex prepare to excavate a great discovery, perhaps the greatest discovery of all time, we are told.

    And thus the adventure unfolds; it unfolds and unfolds and unfolds and yet, sadly, it never really arrives anywhere special; the author's attempts at any sort of real depth flounders despite his crisply written pages. Yes they are scribed with scalpel-sharp techno description, jam-packed with medical and science fact. But in all honestly, the wealth of research packed into the novel does nothing to develop the spirit of the main character, Peter Crane a navy doctor who's been dispatched to the undersea science complex to help solve the mystery of an outbreak of mysterious illnesses. In fact, none of the characters pop to life in Deep Storm.

    The narrative leads Crane and the reader into first believing that Atlantis has been discovered, but that notion is soon dispelled when further investigation reveals that the top-secret mission is actually a dig for some alien technology buried some 600 years ago just inside the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, or "Moho" as it's called, the boundary between the earth's crust and mantle, which under the sea is not as deep as in other areas. It's still deep enough to be causing all sorts of problems and mishaps. For starters, the medical outbreak, (mental disorders mostly, which, for story purposes is quite lame) might be due to the depth or the alien technology or something else. Then there's a saboteur aboard (of course there is, it's one of the elements you need in every undersea tale). There's also a mystery involving some miniature alien technology that appears to be transmitting a binary code warning: do not dig here, danger to the solar system!

    Throw into this mix a caricature naval commander hell bent on carrying out the mission at all costs even if it means losing every man and woman on board or, worse, blowing up the entire solar system. But in the end, Crane saves the moment. The earth and the solar system live to see another day. Although in the final page, Child's lays down yet one more spin on the tale: perhaps it isn't over after all. This is an okay read but it's clinical and dispassionate in style. If Crane's character had been built upon, if the author had tempered his urge to reveal all that he'd researched in favor of some heart and passion, if he'd penned it with his partner (Thunder Head, Preston and child, what a ride!) it could have been great. Into the Abyss

    5 out of 5 stars Incredible Ride! .......2007-08-11

    Ok... so I started reading this and said "been there...done that" then suddenly the story started to morph and one of the wildest and most exciting rides I've been on for a quite a while unfolded! Great read! Well written! Lincoln's best since Utopia (which I also recommend!!)
    The House of Storms
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Magisterial and bittersweet, but slow moving, not quite as good as its predecessor
    • A long, disjointed read
    • somewhat weak 4 due to weaker second half
    • Part social critique, part adventure
    • special blending of sorcery and alternate history
    The House of Storms
    Ian R. MacLeod
    Manufacturer: Ace Trade
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
    ContemporaryContemporary | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    HistoricalHistorical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Alternate HistoryAlternate History | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
    Similar Items:
    1. A Princess of Roumania A Princess of Roumania
    2. Learning the World: a Scientific Romance Learning the World: a Scientific Romance
    3. Three Days to Never: A Novel Three Days to Never: A Novel
    4. Un Lun Dun Un Lun Dun
    5. The Lies of Locke Lamora The Lies of Locke Lamora

    ASIN: 0441013422

    Book Description

    To save her only son from the ravages of consumption, the Greatgrandmistress of the Telegraphers Guild, Alice Meynell, has made a bargain with her former lover-a changeling in the land of Einfell where magic may accomplish what science could not-to do whatever is necessary to cure him.

    Once he is healthy again, her son will be torn between his duty to lead the guild and his love for a servant girl. But Alice has already chosen her son's destiny and she'll see him achieve it even if it means ending the Age of Light.

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Magisterial and bittersweet, but slow moving, not quite as good as its predecessor.......2006-05-21

    Ian R. MacLeod's The Light Ages was one of the best novels of 2003, depicting an alternate England in which the magical substance aether is used for all sorts of industrial purposes. That novel portrayed a shift to a slightly more technological age. The House of Storms is set some decades in its future, and the world seems ready to transition to yet another "age".

    Alice Meynell is a scheming Greatgrandmistress of the Telegrapher's Guild. She brings her ailing son Ralph to the manor Inverhome, near Bristol, and he is miraculously cured. Ralph falls in love with Marion Price, a local shoregirl, while Alice continues her lifelong plotting. At the same time tensions are rising between the more rural, and slaveholding, West, represented by Bristol; and the more urban East, represented by London.

    Neither Ralph nor Marion recognizes the baleful influence of Alice on their future, as they end up on opposite sides of the inevitable Civil War. But they had a son, spirited away by Alice, and he and his friends, a group of aether-altered Changelings, may be the key to a true new Age, and to some sort of resolution of the tensions between East and West.

    The story is beautifully written and emotionally involving, as we expect from MacLeod. It is also slow-moving. And to some extent the plot developments are a bit cliché: not just the echoes of the American Civil War, but also the roles taken on by Ralph and Marion, who are respectively sort of Charles Darwin and Florence Nightingale. Still, by the end an unexpected conclusion is reached, magisterial and bittersweet and darkly moving. I'm not sure the novel as a whole is quite sufficiently in service of its ends - perhaps it is too long, or too diffuse - but it remains a lovely and powerful work.

    3 out of 5 stars A long, disjointed read.......2006-01-20

    This is the first book by Ian R. MacLeod I have read. The above reviews refer to The Light Ages, but say it is not necessary. Maybe it is, I for one had a difficult time following Mr. MacLeod's ramblings. The first part of the book deals with Alice, Ralph and Marion. I found the varying references between Victorian age and the sci-fi world confusing. There is magic to keep Alice young yet Marion's sister's main wish is for tooth paste. While the main characters are developed they are forced to stand alone as Mr. MacLeod developes no secondary ones so when the second part of the book begins it is weak.
    The book overall followings the sci-fi formula. No surpises nor characters that make you root for the good guys.

    4 out of 5 stars somewhat weak 4 due to weaker second half.......2005-08-18

    The House of Storms takes place roughly a century or so and in the same world as MacLeod's The Light Ages. Though it could therefore be called a sequel, one needn't have read The Light Ages to jump into House of Storms, as the characters and the culture aren't quite the same. House of Storms is not as strong as the first book, though like Light Ages it has fully developed vivid characters; a slow, methodical pace; a complex plot, a balanced look at the "good" and "bad" guys; and lush, poetic language. It didn't, however, maintain these strengths quite as consistently as Light Ages did, creating I thought a noticeable flagging in the second half of the book.
    The novel is set in a sort of late-Victorian era England where magic (in the form of aether) and technology work side by side. England is controlled by a small group of guilds, the most dominant one of which is the Telegraphers' Guild. Alice Meynell is the current Greatgrandmistress of the Guild, a position she's achieved despite her low background through using sex (her husband is the Grandmaster), magic (she's a darkly proficient adept of aether), and the not-so-infrequent murder. At the book's start, neither her magic nor social position however can do anything to save her consumptive son Ralph, who stands to inherit control of the Guild. To save him she makes a bargain with a group of Changed (names so for the effect of a too-great exposure to magical aether). With his recovery she returns to plotting Ralph's (and thus her) rise to power, along with increasing the fortunes of the Telegraphers' Guild, refusing to be deterred by Ralph's love for a common "shoregirl" named Marion Price or his increasing interest in natural science and his burgeoning theory of evolution.
    The first half of the book deals with these plot points and more, while the second half swerves into a civil war between England's East and West (partly economic, partly over slavery, along with other reasons--including some directly tied to Alice). In the war, Ralph as head of his Guild becomes a general while Marion turns into the Florence Nightingale of the other side. Armies march, society is turned over, the countryside razed, all while Alice continues to plot and manipulate and Ralph and Marion move closer and closer to a reconnection.
    As mentioned, I thought the book's first half stronger than its second. The war sections seemed more diffuse and disjointed, less solidly set up and fleshed out. New characters were introduced, but not as successfully. And the ending seemed somewhat anticlimactic. That said, though Storms didn't match the brilliance of Light Ages (a tough task anyway), there's quite a lot to like here, beginning with the list of shared strengths listed in the first paragraph of this review. And the book is almost worth reading for Alice herself, a character you almost can't help reveling in despite (or perhaps because of) her murderous single-minded drive. Recommended therefore for Alice, along with its many other strengths of character and prose, though with a wisp of disappointment.

    4 out of 5 stars Part social critique, part adventure.......2005-06-02

    House of Storms is the loose sequel to The Light Ages. Loose, because it takes place chronologically after the first book but with a different cast of characters. At the core of the novel is a bizarre love triangle between Alice Maynell, the mother who ruthlessly climbed her way to the top of the social ladder, Ralph, her son who is thrust into a position of power, and Marion Price, a fisherman's daughter who steals Ralph's heart. As events progress, Ralph and Marion go their separate ways and find themselves on either side of a class war brought about in part through Alice's political maneuvering.
    The book is split into two parts, dealing with Ralph's youth and relationship with Marion, and years later the final stages of the war enveloping the East and West of Ian MacLeod's fictional Britain. I felt that the first half of the story was the stronger of the two as there was more development of the characters and better dialogue. The second half was more disjointed and lacked some of the charm of the first half.

    It may be my lack of a British perspective but alot of the social themes were not clear to me. As with Light Ages, the overarching message was that despite changes the status quo stays the same. Perhaps someone with more experience with the British class system will take more away from the novel. That said, the story stands on its own and is an enjoyable if slightly overlong read.

    As a final note, magic or aether as it is referred to in the novel plays a central role here as it did in The Light Ages and is creatively integrated into the storyline.

    5 out of 5 stars special blending of sorcery and alternate history.......2005-04-27

    On an alternate earth, the fifth form of matter, aether is discovered. This element is used in magic spells to run machinery and electricity and just about anything else one can think of. The guilds control the supply of aether and no one is more powerful than Alice Meynell, the Greatgrandmistress of the Telegrapher's Guild. Her only son Ralph is dying and she takes him to Invercombe on the west coast of England in the hopes that exercise and clear air will cure his consumption.

    While there she visits Einfell where people are no longer human because they were changed by the overuse of magic. When she returns, her son Ralph is cured so she leaves him at Invercombe while she returns to London to set in motion plans that will give more power to her and her son. The result of her scheming leads to a civil war that will affect the lives of everyone living in Victorian England.

    This is a thick and juicy alternate history novel that is set in a Victorian England where everyone is dependant on magic like oil is in our world. Alice does what she must to get and keep her position no matter who she hurts. Her only weakness is her son who turns out to be under his mother's thumb when he takes over the position of Greatguildmaster once held by his dead father. Ian R. Macleod continues to fascinate readers with his special blending of sorcery and alternate history.

    Harriet Klausner
    The chamber plays: Storm weather, The burned house, The ghost sonata [and] The pelican
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      The chamber plays: Storm weather, The burned house, The ghost sonata [and] The pelican
      August Strindberg
      Manufacturer: Dutton
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Unknown Binding

      GermanGerman | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: B0007DQGAI
      Nights in Rodanthe (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • What can I say?
      • A Love Escape
      • Not as good as I expected.
      • Nights in Rodanthe
      • Going Home!
      Nights in Rodanthe (Random House Large Print (Hardcover))
      Nicholas Sparks
      Manufacturer: Random House Large Print
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

      United StatesUnited States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
      ContemporaryContemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      Sparks, NicholasSparks, Nicholas | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
      SuspenseSuspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Romance | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
      Literature & FictionLiterature & Fiction | Large Print | Formats | Books
      RomanceRomance | Large Print | Formats | Books
      Mystery & ThrillersMystery & Thrillers | Large Print | Formats | Books
      Similar Items:
      1. A Bend in the Road A Bend in the Road
      2. The Rescue The Rescue
      3. The Guardian The Guardian
      4. At First Sight At First Sight
      5. Message in a Bottle Message in a Bottle

      ASIN: 0375430881
      Release Date: 2002-09-24

      Book Description

      At 45, Adrienne Willis must rethink her entire life when her husband abandons her for a younger woman. Reeling with heartache and in search of a respite, she flees to the small coastal town of Rodanthe, North Carolina, to tend to a friend's inn for the weekend. But when a major storm starts moving in, it appears that Adrienne's perfect getaway will be ruined-until a guest naed Paul Flanner arrives. At 54, Paul has just sold his medical practice and come to Rodanthe to escape his own shattered past. Now, with the storm closing in, two wounded people will turn to each other for comfort-and in one weekend, set in motion feelings that will resonate throughout the rest of their lives.

      Download Description

      Adrienne Willis is 45 and has been divorced for three years, abandoned by her husband for a younger woman. The trials of raising her teenage children and caring for her sick father have worn her down, but at the request of a friend and in hopes of respite, she's gone to the coastal village of Rodanthe in North Carolina to tend the local inn for the weekend. With a major storm brewing, the time away doesn't look promising.until a guest named Paul Flanner arrives. At 54, Paul is a successful surgeon, but in the previous six months his life has unraveled into something he doesn't recognize. Estranged from his son and recently divorced, he's sold his practice and his home and has journeyed to this isolated town in hopes of closing a painful chapter in his past. Adrienne and Paul come together as the storm brews over Rodanthe, but what begins between them over the weekend will resonate throughout the rest of their lives, intertwining past and future, love and loss.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars What can I say?.......2007-09-28

      What more can I say about the writings of Nicholas Sparks. This book has a twist towards the end that no one would see coming! Once again a "can't put this book down" novel!

      5 out of 5 stars A Love Escape.......2007-04-05

      Set against beautiful landscape, this love story is a bit over the top, but it can make a welcome escape from everyday life.

      3 out of 5 stars Not as good as I expected........2007-03-10

      I'm a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks and I've read just about all of his books. I have to say I was definitely not impressed with this one. It was somewhat short and unrealistic. Although Sparks usually writes about love stories that are just too good to be true, this one definitely takes the cheese over the top. It's still a good story, but I think he could have gone much more into it and created a better plot.

      3 out of 5 stars Nights in Rodanthe.......2007-02-21

      I read this book in one night. If you love Nicholas Sparks do not miss this one. For me it is one of his better novels.

      4 out of 5 stars Going Home!.......2007-01-25

      I was born and raised in Pamlico/Craven/Carteret area so these books are always a wonderful walk down memory lane for me but i have to admit.... the plots are starting to blur. But .... I continue to read them for that rich landscape and drama of Carolina weather!! and the walks on the beach!!!
      Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House Mass Choir - The Storm Is Over
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House Mass Choir - The Storm Is Over
        Bishop T.D. Jakes and The Potter's House Mass Choir
        Manufacturer: Hal Leonard Corporation
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        SongbooksSongbooks | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: 0634038699

        Book Description

        Our matching folio to the inspirational 2001 recording from this acclaimed preacher/author/recording artist and The Potter's House Mass Choir features 10 uplifting songs in styles ranging from gospel to funk. Songs: Bless the Lord * Born Again to Win * The Devil's Already Defeated * Let Your Glory Fill This Place * Lord of All * Marvelous * The Storm Is Over Now * Thou Art My Help * Trust and Obey * When My Season Comes.
        A House by the River
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • Great Story about a Flood
        A House by the River
        William Miller
        Manufacturer: Lee & Low Books
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: School & Library Binding

        African-AmericanAfrican-American | Multicultural Stories | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
        FictionFiction | Emotions & Feelings | Social Situations | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
        FictionFiction | Girls & Women | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
        GeneralGeneral | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
        Similar Items:
        1. Girl on the High-Diving Horse Girl on the High-Diving Horse
        2. The Painter (Orchard Paperbacks) The Painter (Orchard Paperbacks)

        ASIN: 1880000482

        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars Great Story about a Flood.......2000-03-29

        I read this book for one of my classes at school. I really enjoyed reading the book, because the area I live in has floods at least once a year. After I read the book to my students, it really hit home to them. Most of them has gone through what the girl and her mother has gone through.

        Books:

        1. Ugly As Sin: Why They Changed Our Churches from Sacred Places to Meeting Spaces and How We Can Change Them Back Again (Forthright Edition)
        2. War of the Dragon Queen (Dungeons & Dragons Miniatures Product)
        3. Where the Wild Things Are
        4. Why Good People Do Bad Things: Understanding Our Darker Selves
        5. Wild Cards (Volume 1)
        6. 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Little Wizard Stories of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Tin Woodman Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda Of Oz.
        7. 15 Books in 1: L. Frank Baum's Original "Oz" Series. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Marvelous Land of Oz, Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, The Road to Oz, The Emerald City of Oz, The Patchwork Girl Of Oz, Little Wizard Stories of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, The Scarecrow Of Oz, Rinkitink In Oz, The Lost Princess Of Oz, The Tin Woodman Of Oz, The Magic of Oz, and Glinda Of Oz.
        8. A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)
        9. A Short History of Byzantium
        10. A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3)

        Books Index

        Books Home

        Recommended Books

        1. The Non-Designer's Design Book
        2. Mountain of Black Glass
        3. English Country Cottage: Interiors, Details & Gardens
        4. English Passengers: A Novel
        5. History: Fiction or Science
        6. Molecular Basis of Neuropharmacology: A Foundation for Clinical Neuroscience
        7. Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
        8. Gendering Orientalism: Race, Femininity and Representation
        9. Five Cries of Youth: Issues That Trouble Young People Today
        10. Flying Through Knotholes