My War: Killing Time in Iraq

Amazon.com

My War is a book that will challenge many of the most common assumptions about the Iraq War and the people fighting in it. Colby Buzzell, the book's author and a U.S. Army machine-gunner who did a year-long tour in Iraq, is not the stereotypical small-town soldier from a Red State. He grew up in San Francisco eating pot brownies at the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair, skateboarding, and listening to punk and heavy metal. He supported Ralph Nader for president, reads George Orwell, and his dad worked in Silicon Valley. But he was sick of his "life in oblivion," bouncing around from one dead-end job to another. As Buzzell writes in his typically gritty prose, "I didn't want to get all old and have my bratty grandkids ask me, 'Grandpa, where were you during the Iraq war?' and me going, 'Oh, I was busy doing temp work and data entry for 12 bucks an hour.'"

In search of adventure, Buzzell joined the army and got sent to Iraq. First stationed in the ultra-dangerous Sunni Triangle, he quickly mastered how to use the M240 Bravo machine gun: "Just get behind that muthafucka and just fire it." His fellow soldiers, mostly hip-hop fans or headbanging metal-heads like him, killed time watching porn on mini-portable DVD players or listening to Metallica on their iPods while on patrol. Long boring spells were interrupted by wild fits of confusing action. On one of Buzzell's first missions, two platoons fired thousands of rounds at near point-blank range at an unarmed Iraqi civilian. Amazingly, he survived. Out of boredom, Buzzell started a blog, one of the first by an ordinary "Joe" grunt in Iraq. It became a media sensation and got Buzzell in trouble with the REMFs ("Rear Echelon Mutha Fuckers") because of his less-than-glamorous portrayal of the war and his superiors, whom he accuses of constantly lying to the public and the soldiers under their command. My War may be disappointing to readers looking for deeper introspections on the moral questions behind the war, but it is a pretty convincing case against the claim that everything in Iraq is going fine. --Alex Roslin

Book Description

Skateboarding party animal Colby Buzzell traded a dead-end future for the army-and ended up a machine gunner in Iraq. To make sense of the bloody insanity surrounding him, he started a blog about the war and how it differed from the government's official version. As his blog's popularity grew, Buzzell became the embedded reporter the Army couldn't control-despite its often comical efforts to do so.

The result is an extraordinary narrative, rich with unforgettable scenes: the Iraqi woman crying uncontrollably during a raid on her home; the soldier too afraid to fight; the troops chain-smoking in a guard tower and counting tracer rounds. Drawing comparisons to everything from Charles Bukowski to Catch-22, My War depicts a generation caught in a complicated and dangerous world-and marks the debut of a raw, remarkable new voice.

Average customer rating:

A Little Less Booze and Cigars and some more Meat on the story
Call In The Irregulars
Crime? It's not my bag baby.
Entertaining Crime Fiction!
My fave volume by the Kinkstah

Greenwich Killing Time
Kinky Friedman
Manufacturer: Vandam Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0970238304

Book Description

With a new introduction by the author, Greenwich Killing Time is now available for the first time in more than a decade.

This is the first of Kinky Friedman's mystery novels. To quote the author: "Greenwich Killing Time was the first book I ever wrote. I wrote it in 1984 and it was published in 1986. I was doing a lot of Peruvian marching powder at the time so I don't remember too much about writing it, but I do recall a couple of things. I borrowed the title from my friend Ted Mann. I borrowed the typewriter, an old Smith-Corona, from my friend, the future Village Irregular, Mike McGovern. Mike graciously loaned me the typewriter claiming he'd missed many important deadlines with the instrument. It had, I later learned, once belonged to his mother before she'd been bugled to Jesus years earlier. I took this as a sign of the Lord's hand at work in the world. It could've been, of course, just another case of a Jew borrowing a typewriter.

Though most of the books have been set in New York (with the exception of Armadillos and Old Lace, set in Texas, and the soon-to-be-published Steppin' On A Rainbow, set in Hawaii), Greenwich Killing Time is the only one that was written in New York. Some critics have remarked, not unkindly, we hope, that the book smells like New York. If this is true it is no doubt because of the truly visceral voyage one goes through in writing a first novel. It's almost as if your first novel writes you..."

Customer Reviews:

A Little Less Booze and Cigars and some more Meat on the story.......2007-02-22

Not bad for a first try. In many ways Kinky reminds me of Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar, in that he is always read with a "smarta**" commment, whether it's called for or not. Besides the woman and drugs, people snort cocaine like it's being delivered by girl scouts and everyone has to do their part to help them make their cookie quota. But then this book was written in the eighties, so you have to give some here and there.

What is interesting, is the period comments about how dirty and down in the mouth 'The City' was at this time. He even mentions the old 'squeegee' guys washing windows for quarters. All this was pre-G (for Guiliani) and of the Disney Company taking over Times Square. Kinky's place down on VanDam in a warehouse, would be worth millions today. The area around Sheridan Square is so wholesome, even the bi-sexuals wear black and grey and carry faux-Guchi bags.

As to the story, well it would have made a good western, with Kinky as Marshall Dillon, Ratso as the deputy, and his upstairs lesbian neighbor as Miss Kitty (or KittyCat). Typical of a book written by any New Yorker, the Cops act like civil servants who are one week from retirement and never have to worry about a review board, or getting fired. In other words they are in no hurry to do anything that might keep them out of the 'House' when the donut-man comes around.

Considering that there are like twelve more novels in the series, I've got lots of time to get used to his style; and he's got lots of time to get into character development and such.

Call In The Irregulars.......2004-01-15

"Greenwich Killing Time" is Kinky Friedman's first novel, written in 1984 and first published in 1986. His books had been recommended to me by a number of people - and his first novel seemed like the best place to start.

The Kinkster certainly doesn't take the normal approach. He has cast himself as the PI-hero in his books and has used the names of several friends in his stories. As with real life, the book's Kinky is a cat-loving retired country and western performer. In his defence (!!), it seems he also likes dogs, Jameson's, Guinness and cigars.

Set in the Greenwich Village area of New York, the book sees Kinky sharing his loft with a cat who refuses to answer the phone. It starts at a high pace, with Kinky's friend Mike McGovern informing him of a neighbour's murder. Not long afterwards, McGovern contacts Kinky again with a little background information on the victim - and with the news that he's just been arrested and charged with the murder himself. As a sleuth with a successful record, Kinky takes it upon himself to clear his friend's name and find the real murderer.

Fast-moving, easily read and packed with superbly delivered one-liners, "Greenwich Killing Time" is not what I would call an entirely serious 'whodunnit'. As an author, Kinky was described to me as irreverant - that's probably how I would best describe this book.

Crime? It's not my bag baby........2002-08-04

I really wanted to like this book. I read 50 pages and found myself completely unmoved by the story and the pursuit of the killer. The writing is good: sharp, clear, fast paced. Kinky's view of the world is original with plenty of good oneliners. My main problem is the genre rather than the book - if you're into crime you will probably dig it. Most crime books are entirely plot based with not much characterisation. This is the inherent problem for me with this one. Without finding out about the characters you simply don't care if they live, die or get caught. A nice cup of tea becomes a more interesting option than trawling through another 200 pages to find the killer. I did find the killer by going straight to the end. Sam Cooke would have been proud.

Entertaining Crime Fiction!.......2002-05-01

The flow of the book is a little strange. It starts out in short, sometimes incomplete sentences which bothered me a little. However, once I got into the book and used to the flow, I thouroughly enjoyed it! Kinky Friedman is the main character who is a country singer turned private sleuth. The crime and clues are as puzzling as the strange array of friends and suspects. I thought I had the mystery figured out about 6 times, but did not know the truth until the end. Puzzling, Funny, and Bizarre are the best words to describe the Kinkster. A very entertaining read!

My fave volume by the Kinkstah.......2002-01-03

I picked up "Greenwich Killing Time" on a whim...partly because of the cover art and partly because it was in the $... sale table at the local bookstore. Thus I became addicted to Kinky's tales of his Village Irregulars, his family, and especially his cat. I can sing along with all his tunes. I own, personally, a guitar pick with "Kinky" emblazoned across it, a gift from the man himself. You know...in rereading this, I realize that I sound like a really sad, pathetic person. Hmm. Maybe he'll put me in one of his books.

Killing Time: The First Full Investigation into the Unsolved Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman

Average customer rating:

If you ever wondered, who really did it...
If the Glove doesn't fit...blah, blah, blah.
The First Objective History
Finally !!
Finally-- a Look at the Facts

Killing Time: The First Full Investigation into the Unsolved Murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman
Donald Freed , and Raymond P. Briggs
Manufacturer: Macmillan General Reference
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0028613406

Customer Reviews:

If you ever wondered, who really did it..........2007-08-19

The LA DA and press ignored much of the facts, well presented, in this book. It's a must read, if you want to discontinue being a programmed media drone.

If the Glove doesn't fit...blah, blah, blah........2005-02-11

The only book I read after the OJ trial was Chris Darden's In Contempt. After reading it, I was convinced OJ was the killer, though I'd never doubted it. Then along came this book and for lack of anything to read, I picked it up recently at my library. The front boasts, "The First Full Investigation". This book is nothing but ridiculous junk. Like another reviewer who thought this guy (the author) might have been on the jury, I thought Simpson probably paid him to write it. This entire waste of paper is about--put simply--everything the prosecution did wrong and how inept they all were and everything the defense did right and how brilliant they all were. All I read is how wrong, wrong, wrong the prosecution was. Well here's a newsflash. Neither Marcia Clark or Chris Darden witnessed the murders, therefore they cannot and never will be absolutely certain how everything went down there that night. The only one who knows that is the killer and I still believe, after reading this rubbish, that OJ is that person. This book was geared to steer guilt away from OJ and point it anywhere else but at him.

There is a line in the book that says, "Picture a killer with a knife in a struggle against 2 strong, fit victims and dangerous guard dog", with the author once again trying to steer OJ out of the crime. 1. The dog knew OJ. 2. It's pretty difficult to put up much of a fight when one, you've been whacked in the head and then two, your throat is slashed so viciously that both jugular veins are severed.

Then we're told that LAPD logged a 911 call at 10:30 and the caller asked if a double murder had been reported. The author explains, "Did someone--perhaps even OJ--pass by Bundy, see what happened and report it anonymously?" Portraying OJ as an innocent witness. Why couldn't OJ have had someone call because it was possible he was concerned about his children being there alone after he killed his wife and her friend? Is it possible he didn't want the kids to see the carnage he left behind? Why not that point of view? And if OJ had been the one behind the call, what kind of man would witness (if he's innocent like the author believes) a murder at the place his children reside, then go home, hop on a plane and head to Chicago? And aren't 911 calls immediately traceable?

A big deal was made about the bruises on Ron's knuckles while putting up a fight? Obviously, according to the book, he hit the killer several times. There were also scrapes on his knuckles, according to the autopsy report. So, instead of hitting someone that should be bruised in turn and OJ was not bruised so he can't be guilty--isn't it possible Ron's fists hit the pavement as he fell? The author keeps telling us about the bruised knuckles but fails to tell us there were also abrasions on those knuckles, which I don't believe would get there simply from punching someone. But the author doesn't speculate that the bruises could have occurred when he fell.

Then there is "Nicole & Ron - Amended Timeline"--So the author now would have us believe that Ron is in Nicole's house preparing to bathe, Nicole is out front talking to someone for almost a half hour when someone hears a woman's scream. The author assumes this is Nicole's scream, so I have to assume that Ron comes out to help her, right? Yes, according to the author. So before he comes back out of the house to assist her, he grabs the keys and the envelope with the glasses and runs to her assistance? Because those two things are photographed by his body. That idea is just nonsense.

Further into the book, the author says, "Let us for now eliminate Simpson as a suspect". You mean, he actually was a suspect somewhere in this garbage? The last few chapters of the book have Ron being the target, Faye Resnick being the target and OJ being the target. A professional hit? A professional hit done so sloppily? And if Ron were the target, why wasn't he killed at his apartment instead of outside Nicole's house? If OJ was the target, why is the man still alive today? If Resnick was the target, why is she still alive today? All the wasted pages of drugs and sex and mafia and the other mumbo jumbo is all speculation.

The "two killer timeline" is also a laugh. That Nicole would call Mezzaluna and ask Ron to come over at 9:42 if he is the man she is sleeping with and then "Nicole's date arrives" (another man) at 9:44. At 10:00, she's done with this date (?) and walks him out to the car, then goes back inside at 10:05 and 'in preparation for Goldman's arrival, she slips back into her dress'. WHAT? So now, the ruckus begins at 10:31 and continues until 10:45? An attack that lasts nearly 15 minutes, where supposedly Ron and Nicole are fighting viciously back and all we hear is one thing from Ron and one little scream from Nicole? I don't think so.

The book is an entire waste of paper. We don't know what exact time these two people were killed, although I'm guessing that it was very close to 10:03 when Nicole's watch stopped. But then, according to the author, OJ can't be the killer because he was making a cellphone call that noone answered at 10:03. Is it possible (???) that Nicole's watch could have been a minute or two off? Now there's an idea. OJ pulls up, makes the call to try to create a flimsy alibi, gets out of his bronco and proceeds to attack her? I'm guessing that Nicole was attacked first and was in the process of being killed by her psycho ex-husband when Ron came upon the attack, yelled, "Hey, hey, hey", tried to intervene and then he was killed? I don't believe one killer attacked both of them at once. Why didn't the author address the photograph that was produced after the trial of OJ wearing Bruno Magli shoes? The author portrays OJ as being the one who is stalked by Nicole. Give me a break. He admitted looking in her windows.

I realize my review is somewhat confusing, but so was this entire book. It threw a hundred different scenarios out at you and I think they were meant to confuse. None of them made any sense and I think Simpson is just as guilty today even after reading this junk.

The First Objective History.......2004-03-30

This book covers the various theories and timelines, and lets the reader decide what is the best evidence in the most highly publicized murder case of the 1990s. On June 12, 1994 Nicole and Ron were alive at 10pm; their bleeding bodies were found just before midnight. The limo driver picked up OJ Simpson at 11pm and drove to the airport. These facts are not in dispute. The Prosecution claimed the murders occurred after 10pm. The Medical Examiner said the forensic evidence indicated they died after 11pm. Hence the 'not guilty' verdict if you believe the facts rather than the unsupported allegations. The problem with eyewitnesses is they could be mistaken or lying when there is no corroboration for their statements. Keep this in mind to evaluate lone witnesses in general.

The Prosecution timeline is on pages 22-24. They picked the only time when OJ Simpson could have done it given Ron's earlier presence at work and the limo driver's presence at Rockingham after 10:22pm. Aaronson and Mandel passed the crime scene around 10:30 and saw or heard nothing (p.21). Another couple found Nicole's bleeding body around 11:50pm. This defines the time limits for the murders (p.26). Given the time needed for blood to clot (about 40 minutes) this would place the deaths at 11:40pm to be still bleeding when the police arrived at 12:15pm. OJ Simpson could not have committed the murders. That is why there were no bloody shoes, clothes, or knives ever found. No proof of buying Bruno Magli shoes. The problems with the blood evidence are listed on pages 67-68. The Coroner's Report has facts that dispute the scenario created by the Prosecution. The blood evidence problems are on pages 74-77.

The engine noise and headlights from a Ford Bronco would not let it arrive unnoticed by the limo driver that Sunday night (p.100). The problems with the prosecution's timeline are on page 102; the importance of the limo driver's testimony is on page 103. The topic of Planted Blood Evidence is on pages 137-139. Unlike other books, the authors mention the 'Los Angeles Times' story of 6-7-1996 where Vannatter picked up blood samples of Nicole and Ron from the coroner's office before evidence was turned over for analysis. This book assumes the murders occurred before 11pm (p.255).

Pages 177-183 has the scenario for two killers. For those who doubt an official conspiracy, the authors tell of the Black Dahlia Murder (p.222). The secret information that would later appear in Stephen Singular's "Legacy of Deception" is on page 226 (did he have a secret source in the LAPD?). The Media "almost never reported on the actual substance of the evidence at the crime scene"; they "dealt in sensation rather than analyses" (p.236). Was this the result of Establishment Censorship? You can draw your own conclusions. This is the only book that printed the autopsy reports of Nicole and Ron and the information on the wounds.

Finally !!.......2003-04-03

I never felt in my heart OJ killed Nicole and Ron. There are too many things that don't make sense...simple things. One, no matter what they may say about OJ, the family of Nicole admit he is a good father...why would he kill the children's mother as they slept? They could wake up during the attack or in the morning find her. The media told us Ron put up a huge struggle...no bruises or cuts on OJ save the silly little finger cut...omg...how many have I got at work and couldn't explain it? Good thing I've never been accused of murder at those times! I heard "friends" of the Simpson's interviewed and told stories of how "crazy" OJ looked at the dance recital. Well I saw a video of him at the very recital...he looked happy and was warm and friendly to Nicole's family. I don't mean to sound stupid but you rarely hear of black people killing with knives all bloody and sloppy like that (HEY even some of my black friends said that from the jump street). No, OJ didn't do it...you're looking at two young in shape people with adreneline fighting for their lives...the killer had marks on him, use some commonsense!! I was watching some forensic show years ago...there was too many inconsistancies in the case..the socks with blood for one, how in the world can blood go thru an ankle and make the same pattern on the opposite side??? uh try dipping the sock sans the foot in a pool of blood. I really hate being called half brained by people convinced that he did it but I kept an open mind. All the books that have been NoJ inspired are really by people that aren't credible. Faye Resnick? COME ON!! Vincent Bugliosi??? Yeah he's a good attorney but he got the whole Manson motive wrong and is an all around annoying self righteous ego maniac. Remember he got a girl off (And the Sea Will Tell) that may be guilty of double homicide, outrage uh? Anyway...this book is good and gives different views, that's refreshing. It's amazing no one thought for a second how Ron, a waiter, no car etc could be opening a chic restaurant...where did the money come from??? I guess his family can buy it now...with their blood money from a lawsuit that won't end the pain of loss or bring him back. At least this whole tragedy has some good outcomes...Nicole's family has been able to bleed more $ from Mr. Simpson and Denise has a job!

Finally-- a Look at the Facts.......2000-10-10

Freed & Briggs did an excellent job with this book. Unlike the American press & the many pundits that declared Mr. Simpson guilty as charged, this book examines the facts versus myth. Like many others, I hadn't followed the case but was confident that O.J. was guilty since many reporters treated it like an open and shut case. However, I did hear of some inconsistencies that made me wonder what was the truth?

The authors pursue this case based on facts, motive, and the essential timelime, or killing time. If you are interested in truth, you'll love this book. The authors did a great job of exploring what was possible and by whom. To this day, many people believe O.J. guilty. Yet, they seem little bothered by Mark Fuhrman asserting his fifth amendment right when answering to questions about whether he planted evidence in this case. There is a whole lot more for someone willing to open their mind. In the end, you may find a greater appreciation of people who tirelessly pursue truth versus the many who are so eager to capitalize on their own careers. It makes one wonder about how eager we are to grasp truth no matter how hard it is to swallow.

Average customer rating:

NEW STAR

Killing Time Has It All!

Killing Time is another awesome Must read from Leslie Kelly

Killing Time
Leslie Kelly
Manufacturer: Harlequin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0373836155

Book Description

From The Back Cover:

She's got TV ratingts--and legs--to die for!

KILLING TIME IN A SMALL TOWN describes how bad boy Mick Winchester has been feeling about his life lately--until a reality TV show by that name rolls into his hometown. And the producer is none other than Caroline Lamb...Mick's college sweetheart and his one true love. But gone is the sweet Southern girl with big-city dreams. This Caroline is a Hollywood hotshot--all wrapped up in a thousand-dollar power suit and killer spike heels.

Caroline isn't the barracuda she pretends to be--she's just desperate to make her murder-mystery reality show a hit. And when a real corpse turns up on the set, the network bosses are ecstatic. Think of the ratings! But actual murder is way too much reality--even for Caroline. Especially when getting real with Mick is all that really matters.

Customer Reviews:

NEW STAR.......2005-11-12

I loved this book. Ms. Kelly has become one of my favorite authors, she entertains with humor and a great story. I checked this book from the library since it was out of print. Highly recommend it.

Killing Time Has It All!.......2004-10-14

You can always count on Ms. Kelly for a funny, sexy read. KILLING TIME is vintage Kelly with killing one liners, riotous situations and love scenes to die for.

Than for icing on the cake, Ms. Kelly tosses in a whodunit. Had me guessing until the last pages when the real life killer is revealed.

Murder Games in a small town would make such a funny reality show in real life, this reader can only hope that some network exec. reads Killing Time and gets a bug in his/her bonnet.

Highly recommended by,

Pennsylvania Pat!

Killing Time is another awesome Must read from Leslie Kelly.......2004-08-09

I believe Leslie Kelly is one of the very funniest writers I've ever had to pleasure of reading. Her latest book KILLING TIME reaffirms that declaration. It is a very funny book. No, in fact, it's hysterical. I laughed out loud a lot.
From the very first line in the book, "Drop your pants," I was hooked.

I love Mick Winchester, bad boy extraordinaire, and only Caro Lamb, a long lost college sweetheart from Mick's past could even attempt to tame him. The scenes with Mick and Caro together are steamy, sexy and satisfying. Leslie knows exactly how to accelerate and maintain the angst between her hero and heroine.

The reality television concept set in a small town is very funny, lending itself to all sorts of interesting characters and situations. Also the imagery in KILLING TIME is incredible. I feel like I'm standing in the room with the characters as Leslie weaves the story around me. It is sexy and touching and funny and even has an excellent mystery woven in to boot.

I always try to savor Leslie's books when I get them, but I end up tearing through them ignoring all around me until I'm finished. KILLING TIME is no exception. It is the very definition of engaging. I couldn't put it down until I found out who-done-it.

Leslie Kelly is a Must read author and KILLING TIME is most assuredly a Must read book. Thanks Leslie for yet another awesome read.

Summer Reading is Killing Me! (Time Warp Trio) r/i (Time Warp Trio)

Average customer rating:

Summer Reading Is Killing Me
Great kid book
Really good
Summer Reading List
Don't read in the summer or you will die!

Summer Reading is Killing Me! (Time Warp Trio) r/i (Time Warp Trio)
Jon Scieszka
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Viking It and Liking It (Time Warp Trio)

ASIN: 0142401153

Amazon.com

Sam, Fred, and Joe--the Time Warp Trio--find themselves face-to-beak with a giant, 266-pound chicken ... who, unfortunately, looks hungry. As the chicken begins to chase them, the boys realize with horror that they are smack-dab in the middle of Daniel Pinkwater's The Hoboken Chicken Emergency! How did they get there? Fred accidentally stuck the school's summer reading list between the pages of "The Book"--a time-warping, green-mist-expelling book that triggers time travel in all of Jon Scieszka's well-loved Time Warp Trio action-adventures.

In Summer Reading Is Killing Me!, illustrated by innovative artist Lane Smith, the boys find themselves trapped in a dreadfully skewed literary world where Joe, the narrator, says "I saw Homer Price being carried by the Headless Horseman. Dracula was dragging Winnie the Pooh in a headlock. Mr. Twit was breaking Harold's Purple Crayon." It becomes the boys' charge to find "The Book" and yank the summer reading list out of it before children's literature is destroyed forever as the "bad" characters knock off the "good" characters and take over the stories. The literary references accelerate to a breakneck pace: "We stepped over a very hungry caterpillar eating his way through a dictionary.... We made our way through a crowd of Robinson Crusoe, a blue moose, Julie with some wolves, a snowman, a plain and tall lady named Sarah, a kid with a hatchet, and a very confused-looking Robin Hood helping Eeyore reattach his tail." Whether or not young readers register every literary allusion is inconsequential--Summer Reading Is Killing Me! is a rollicking, sarcastic, ultraweird, suspenseful adventure that kids will like regardless. And for teachers, parents, and librarians who are deeply enmeshed in kid-erature--it's purely delicious. (Ages 8 and older) --Karin Snelson

Book Description

Everyone's favorite time-travelers are changing their style! The Time Warp Trio series now features a brand-new, eye-catching design, sure to appeal to longtime fans, and those new to Jon Scieszka's wacky brand of humor.

Customer Reviews:

Summer Reading Is Killing Me.......2006-11-22

I thought "summer Reading Is Killing Me" was okay because it was kind of hard to understand and they had some language problems to. I liked it too because I liked how it used the characters from all the books. They used the characters from "The 3 Little Pigs." They had good guys and bad guys. They gad a cage with the good guys in it. They had some bad pictures also. A bad picture was like they had the devil nude. Other than the bad stuff I thought it was awesome!

Great kid book.......2006-08-04

My students love this book and are now clearing out the library's shelves of the rest of the series. This book references many children's books that kids have read so they really enjoyed it!

Really good.......2005-12-09

This book was pretty exciting. I thought it was funny and really good. I would recomend this book to someone who wants to read a funny and good book. I think it was good enough for a young reader. I probaly would read this book again.

Summer Reading List.......2005-12-09

Hi, I am doing my book review on Summer Reading is Killing Me. The author for this book is Jon Scieska. You can practically find this book in every library. Three boys travel through their summer reading book and go on an adventure.
This book is about three boys named Sam, Fred and Joe. They don't want to do their summer reading. Instead of doing their summer reading they would rather practice skating. Then Fred accidentally places the summer reading list inside THE BOOK. Then all of a sudden this green mist comes and sucks them in the book. When they are in the book in order to get back they have to get the book and take the summer reading list out. So they travel all through the book to get the list. Will Sam, Fred and Joe get the summer reading list out of the book? Read the book to find out more.
I recommend this book to 5~10 years old. This book is really funny so people who like humor will love this book. When I was reading this book I could not put it down. I hope you like my book review.

Don't read in the summer or you will die!.......2004-11-09

This book is about three boys named Fred, Sam, and Joe. they have a book that is a wered book. It could take you to a dangerous place.The book can get you into trouble it can take you some other place. Like a place were a big chicken could try and eat you.But it is about three kids in their summer vacation and with the book they go to another place a wierd place. Fried has a hat that he show off to mush. Joe knows a little majic. But Sam is a regurler boy. Yes, I like the book it is a good book the second faverote book I read. If I could of change the book I will change nothing cause it is a good book.

Average customer rating:

Not her best, but not bad
A rather mediocre effort that had a lot of potential
Liked the Sci/Fi aspect
Kooky!
Stopped Reading at Chapter Nine

Killing Time: A Novel
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345453468
Release Date: 2006-06-27

Book Description

Returning to the entrancing supernatural territory of her popular novels Dream Man and Son of the Morning, New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard has written a sizzling new novel that is her most daring, exciting, and original yet.

In 1985, with much fanfare, a time capsule was buried under the front lawn of a small-town county courthouse, to be reopened in 2085. But just twenty years later, in the dead of night, the capsule is dug up, its contents stolen. That same night, one of the contributors to the capsule is brutally slain in his home–with no sign of forced entry or indication of a struggle. One by one, others who had placed items in the time capsule are murdered.

Besides his suspicions about the sudden, mysterious appearance of Nikita Stover, the chief investigator, Knox Davis, has absolutely no leads. And while Nikita’s no murderer, she seems to be hiding plenty of secrets. With more at stake than anyone else realizes, the smart-talking Nikita is determined to catch this cunning killer–while at the same time battling her own deepening feelings for a man and for a world in which she doesn’t belong.

When readers crave a seductive novel of unrelenting suspense with a paranormal twist, Linda Howard delivers time and again . . . make that Killing Time–a captivating, character-rich story that races along on a breathless plot full of action and intimacy, romance and danger, thrills and intrigue.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Returning to the entrancing supernatural territory of her popular novels Dream Man and Son of the Morning, New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard has written a sizzling new novel that is her most daring, exciting, and original yet. In 1985, with much fanfare, a time capsule was buried under the front lawn of a small-town county courthouse, to be reopened in 2085. But just twenty years later, in the dead of night, the capsule is dug up, its contents stolen. That same night, one of the contributors to the capsule is brutally slain in his home-with no sign of forced entry or indication of a struggle. One by one, others who had placed items in the time capsule are murdered. Besides his suspicions about the sudden, mysterious appearance of Nikita Stover, the chief investigator, Knox Davis, has absolutely no leads. And while Nikita's no murderer, she seems to be hiding plenty of secrets. With more at stake than anyone else realizes, the smart-talking Nikita is determined to catch this cunning killer-while at the same time battling her own deepening feelings for a man and for a world in which she doesn't belong. When readers crave a seductive novel of unrelenting suspense with a paranormal twist, Linda Howard delivers time and again . . . make that Killing Time-a captivating, character-rich story that races along on a breathless plot full of action and intimacy, romance and danger, thrills and intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Not her best, but not bad.......2007-09-14

In an odd way, Linda Howard reminds me of another prolific and highly successful author: Louis L'amour. It might seem strange to compare a romance writer to the King of the Westerns, but there are definite similarities. Neither has what would be considered great writing style, but both can tell a heck of a story. Both work almost exclusively within a single genre (although Howard has stretched herself a bit more within hers, writing romance-suspense, romance-SF and so on), but both seem to be able to wring more out of "the same thing, only different" than almost anyone else. Both, at the end of the day, are entertaining.

In Killing Time, Howard combines romance with suspense and science-fiction. Without giving away the plot, the romance and suspense portions make a lot more sense than the SF. But that's okay. Howard tells her usual good story, and you'll find yourself wanting to know what happens to the characters very early on. Unlike some other very famous romance authors, Howard seems to be getting better with age. Killing Time isn't necessarily her absolute best work, but it's well worth the cover price, especially if you've got a long rainy day ahead of you.

A rather mediocre effort that had a lot of potential.......2007-08-18

Imagine burying a time capsule. What would the contents mean to people who may uncover them a hundred or so years from now? In this book, Linda Howard explores the havoc that something so seemingly innocuous wreaks into the future.

It was New Year's Day in 1985 when the small town of Peke County buried a time capsule to be reopened after a century. Twenty years later, it was dug up and the contents were stolen. At first, chief county investigator Knox Davis thought it was simply a prank by the local school kids. However, with several murders involving those who helped bury the time capsule, Knox knows that the murders all relate to the missing time capsule. Then comes the sudden appearance of Agent Stover. Knox's instinct is what made him very good at his job; and his instinct tells him that Agent Stover is hiding a lot of secrets.

Nikita Stover is an FBI agent from the future, sent to capture the killer. Eager to prove herself to the Agency, she never expected that her mission would be sabotaged. Shortly after her arrival, she finds herself marooned in a time that wasn't hers, betrayed by one of her own, with no knowledge of how to go back to her own time. Worst of all, she doesn't know if another assassin would be sent to kill her. Stranded in this strange land, Nikita knows that she must work with Knox if she were to catch the killer and have any hope of returning home. But Nikita must also battle her growing attraction for Knox, knowing that there can never be a future for them.

I loved just about every book of Howard that I have read, and SON OF THE MORNING is one of my favorites. I was impressed with the depth of research that she has done in writing that book and enjoyed the characters and time travel concept. Don't assume the same in KILLING TIME, which is actually more of a sci-fi than time travel. Although entertaining enough, it unfortunately lacks the suspense and adventure of SOTM. And while it seemed that Howard was aiming for a fast-paced thriller, the first half of the book is confusing at times, which left me wondering what happened to the sinister atmosphere that I have come to expect from Howard in her thrillers? I missed that feeling of anticipation that I had while reading SOTM and also DREAM MAN. I had pretty much guessed who the villains are early in the book. The book does get better towards the end and I did like the ending and admit that it did make me smile.

KILLING TIME was mediocre at best and really needed more twists and turns. I am glad I borrowed this from the library and recommend you do the same.

Liked the Sci/Fi aspect.......2007-08-08

Personally, I really enjoyed the Sci/Fi time-travel aspects of this novel. I thought Linda Howard did a believable job of integrating the near future and the present. And what a cute ending!

Kooky!.......2007-08-08

Obviously Linda Howard is a must read, but she manages to surprise us yet again with a wonderful paranormal twist in Killing Time! On January 1, 1985 teenager Knox Davis watches as a time capsule is buried in front of Peke County Courthouse, Kentucky. Knox counts thirteen items in the time capsule, but the newspaper reports only twelve. What's the extra item, he wonders? Fast forward to 2005, and Knox is now chief county investigator (and single, girls, after his fiancée died). Everyone's puzzled and bemused when someone digs up and steals the time capsule in the dead of night, and the only thing the security cameras record is a bright flash. What's going on? Our boy Knox, a wonderful mix of dogged nerdy investigator and lean, sexy alpha male, is determined to figure it out. It seems a string of peculiar murders are related to that mysterious thirteenth thing in the missing box! Enter FBI agent Nikita Stover, who makes Knox's sleepy sexuality snap to an instant red-hot alert. Hoo! He's determined to get into bed, into her, as quick as he can. Interestingly enough, though, he doesn't only want sex, he wants her. And there's something not quite right about Nikita... The surprises just keep coming in this book, and you'll never guess the twist at the end.

Stopped Reading at Chapter Nine.......2007-08-05

When reading a book, I always make sure I have enough time in the day/evening to finish it (otherwise it's constantly on my mind the next day or until I finish it). However, this book was an exception. I stopped reading at chapter nine...and forced myself to finish it a few days later. Linda Howard has been a favorite of mine and I am slowly collecting her books. This one won't be staying in my collection. The flap review made it sound decent and entertaining.

"Smart-talking" Nikita - wouldn't really be the way I would describe her. Sure she had a few cute lines...but "Smart-talking" indicates quick wit and sarcasm. Didn't see much of that. Knox - I could have connected with Knox if he had been placed in a different book with a different plot and with a different female. Otherwise, without the support of a good herione, he kinda fell flat which was disappointing because I could have liked him....

Average customer rating:

Great book where music is a prime force
another amazing feat....
A must-read.
Not Ernie Pook's Comeek
So brilliant and so funny...extraordinary

The Good Times Are Killing Me: A Novel
Lynda Barry
Manufacturer: Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The Greatest of Marlys
CRUDDY: An Illustrated Novel
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ASIN: 0941104222

Amazon.com

Readers of alternative weeklies will be familiar with Lynda Barry's work from her long-running comic strip, Ernie Pook's Comeek. Similarly, The Good Times Are Killing Me focuses on the surprisingly complex emotional world of children. It is the story of a neighborhood going through the throes of integration and white flight as seen through the eyes of young Edna Arkins. Edna forms an unlikely friendship with Bonna Willis, a girl with a talent for "ass beating." Edna is white and Bonna is black, and from the start there are pressures from both sides against their friendship. As always, Barry is an impeccable observer of the way kids think and talk--several passages are certain to bring memories of intense schoolyard negotiations rushing back. Barry's artwork comes into play as well--each chapter is punctuated with slightly more painterly versions of her characteristically raw drawing style. By turns funny and moving, The Good Times Are Killing Me is an immensely satisfying read. --Ali Davis

Book Description

Nationally syndicated cartoonist Lynda Barry's moving, quirky, and honest first novel about a young girl's coming of age-which has also been a hit off-Broadway play-is back in print, with new artwork by the author.

Customer Reviews:

Great book where music is a prime force.......2006-03-22

I teach a course on teaching music for children (at the college level). I use this book to get students thinking about the deep ways that music impacts our lives. Situations from family to school music, private to public, and informal to formal are all present, and Barry's wonderful attention to detail brings each to life in a way that make my students talkative.

Of course, I wouldn't use it if it weren't a wonderful novel as well. It is. The story that is told is gripping, and my students love reading it.

another amazing feat...........2005-07-14

Barry just knows how to get into the psyche of kids, adolescents, anyone under the age of 17, it seems. This book is a quick read, but a delicious one. Barry writes her characters' voices in as understated and realistic pieces of life, and she does what she's so good at doing: she puts readers in a space in which they're none too comfortable, and yet they can't seem to shake the familiar feelings of their own childhood horrors and experiences. This book is unsettling and slightly worrisome, and also truthful and wonderful, just as children often are.

A must-read........2002-09-20

This is the book that got me started on my Lynda Barry addiction. I stumbled on to this book by fortuitous accident. It's brilliant. It is simple in its style with a reach deep into the heart of complex feelings and issues. While not as riveting as Cruddy, it is more moving and realistic. I hope Lynda Barry continues to produce work of this quality. One Hundred Demons is also extremely good. Her fiction is great literature on a transcendent level.

Not Ernie Pook's Comeek.......2002-02-07

I didn't realize that this was actually a short book of vignettes as opposed to an illustrated story or comic. I had just finished The!Greatest!Of!Marlys! and have been a fan of Lynda Barry's comics for quite some time. This is more like her book Cruddy than her comics. I just could not get quite as into this book as I might have had I known what I was in for when I bought it. It will be enjoyable for anyone who loved Cruddy but if you are looking for something like Marlys et. al. than this may not be what you are looking for.

So brilliant and so funny...extraordinary.......1999-08-19

Lynda Barry captures the joys, fears, chills and spills of growing up in this effortlessly charming collection of memories and stories, accompanied by her paintings and art work of singers and musicians. It's a very special book and one that I return to time and time again.

Average customer rating:

Killing Time
Caleb Carr
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 044661095X

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With Killing Time, Caleb Carr (The Alienist, The Angel of Darkness) manages to create a future that's both frightening and nostalgic. The novel's narrator, Dr. Gideon Wolfe, longs for a world before technology swallowed people's minds and imaginations. Through a series of complex misadventures, beginning with the murder of his best friend, Gideon finds himself joining a ragtag army of scientists and inventors who hope to take it back. Heading up this '60s-style revolutionary cell is a brother-sister team--genetically engineered geniuses with silver hair and shining eyes. Aboard their ultramodern ship, Gideon learns the extent of the damage done. When they dive below the surface of the Atlantic, he looks out the window and sees

not an idyllic scene of aquatic wonder such as childhood stories might have led me to expect but rather a horrifying expanse of brown water filled with human and animal waste, all of it endlessly roiled but never cleansed by the steady pulse of the offshore currents.

Carr's future is suffused with regret. It's also rife with mystery and suspense; in every chapter the stakes are raised a little higher, the apocalypse hovers a little closer. This author is a master of the cliffhanger, of cryptic warnings that return to haunt our hero later in the text. Occasional flashes of humor relieve the prevailing ominousness, and a beautiful girl with a huge gun appears at regular intervals to keep things humming. Fans of Steve Erickson's end-of-the-world novels will likely enjoy this adventure in the Internet age, where the sheer amount of information has induced not quantitative changes in the human psyche, but qualitative ones. --Ellen Williams

Book Description

It's 2023, and the Web has almost destroyed the world. While cyberspace's early pioneers promoted the Net as a revolution in human communication, America has instead become a society of desk-bound introverts who believe everything they read. The federal government has been "bought" by a Microsoft-style corporation. Any semblance of central authority has vanished. As the Net infiltrates India and Pakistan, fevered nationalists and terrorists find one more medium through which to spread the word.With Killing Time, Caleb Carr (The Alienist, The Angel of Darkness) manages to create a future that's both frightening and nostalgic. The novel's narrator, Dr. Gideon Wolfe, longs for a world before technology swallowed people's minds and imaginations. Through a series of complex misadventures, beginning with the murder of his best friend, Gideon finds himself joining a ragtag army of scientists and inventors who hope to take it back. Heading up this '60s-style revolutionary cell is a brother-sister team--genetically engineered geniuses with silver hair and shining eyes. Aboard their ultramodern ship, Gideon learns the extent of the damage done. When they dive below the surface of the Atlantic, he looks out the window and sees not an idyllic scene of aquatic wonder such as childhood stories might have led me to expect but rather a horrifying expanse of brown water filled with human and animal waste, all of it endlessly roiled but never cleansed by the steady pulse of the offshore currents.Carr's future is suffused with regret. It's also rife with mystery and suspense; in every chapter the stakes are raised a little higher, the apocalypse hovers a little closer. This author is a master of the cliffhanger, of cryptic warnings that return to haunt our hero later in the text. Occasional flashes of humor relieve the prevailing ominousness, and a beautiful girl with a huge gun appears at regular intervals to keep things humming. Fans of Steve Erickson's end-of-the-world novels will likely enjoy this adventure in the Internet age, where the sheer amount of information has induced not quantitative changes in the human psyche, but qualitative ones. --Ellen Williams

Download Description

Meet Dr. Gideon Wolfe, expert criminologist of the new millenium. A professor at New York's John Jay University in the year 2023, he lives in an era that has seen plague, a global economic crash, and the 2018 assassination of President Emily Forrester. In this turbulent new world order, Wolfe's life and everything he knows are turned upside down when the widow of a murdered special-effects wizard enters his office. The widow hands him a silver disc from her husband's safety deposit box, hoping that Wolfe's expertise in history and criminology will compel him to track down her husband's killers. The disc contains footage of President Forrester's assassination, the same video that has been broadcast countless times on TV and over the internet-with one crucial, shocking difference: This version shows that before the video was released, it was altered with sinister special effects. This explosive discovery will lead Gideon Wolfe on an electrifying journey from a criminal underworld of New York to the jungles of Africa and on a quest to find the truth in an age when all information can be manipulated. With this novel, Carr has boldly established a new genre-future history-combining the best elements of mystery and thrillers with unique historical insight. Breathtakingly suspenseful,Killing Time unfolds as the work of a master novelist.

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Killing Time
Caleb Carr
Manufacturer: Random
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0316854824

The Killing Time: The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica

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The Killing Time: The Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica
Gad Heuman
Manufacturer: University of Tennessee Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0870498525

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