A Girl Could Stand Up

Book Description

Surprising and wise, A Girl Could Stand Up is a novel bristling with charm. Leslie Marshall's exuberant imagination enchants the reader, while a deep current of wisdom lends ballast to an exhilarating story. The result is one of literature's most unforgettable young heroines. On an outing to celebrate Elray's sixth birthday, her parents, Barkley and Jack, are killed in a freak accident in the Tunnel of Love. The day of their funeral, a pair of woefully unprepared uncles is sent in to care for her: Uncle Harwood, a macho, hard-drinking photographer who's always on assignment, and Ajax, a thirty-something cross-dressing uncle who prefers to present himself as an "aunt," form an unlikely but wholly lovable pair. But the beating heart of this novel is the love story that develops between Elray and her friend Raoul. Their secret adventures take them from the crypts of the Washington Cathedral to a life-threatening swim in the waters of the Potomac River in their search for invincibility. Marshall, a true storyteller, has created a world that is hers alone. This book is compulsively readable and ultimately uplifting. It is a testament to a new idea of family in its imperfect but shining state.

Customer Reviews:

Wildly inventive.......2006-08-07

The best way I can describe this wise and charming book is: Harper Lee meets Augustine Burroughs. That should give you advance notice of the wonderfulness of Marshal's wild inventiveness.

Not bad, not great.......2005-08-14

The only reason I read this book is because I belong to a book club and this was the selection. I voted for something else!

I liked the main character, and her best friend, and their activities made for really good reading. However, large parts of the storyline were sometimes tedious to get through. I found myself skipping ahead more than once, and only finishing because I didn't want to miss out during the book club discussion.

Maybe I just came from too "normal" a home, but I don't understand why so many novels have to center around dysfunctional or non-traditional families.

At least most of the adults in the novel had good intentions, and more redeeming qualities than bad ones, and there is a lot to be said for that. And, it was fun to read about the evolution of their family tradition, however weird.

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It is just OK, but nothing I would rave about and recommend to friends.

Out of the ordinary.......2005-04-13

this book is about a six-year old girl who lost her parents in a tragic accident and then her two uncles one a cross dresser and the other a photographer whose a carefree bachelor were appointed as her guardians. this book describes these eccentric characters and their life in the little girls narration. how she copes with her parents death and how she adjusts to this different life style. her friendship with Raoul, their weird adventures.

Marshall has written this book in an unusually remarkable manner creating a mixture of drama, mystery and amazingly fantasy all woven together. you cant help being entranced when reading this book. imagining it was like literally being under a spell. realistically you might not agree with the characters way of living and might not even like the end on a basis of principle but still you cannot help liking all the characters.

Although you can tell this was her first novel because the writing style and story-telling structure of the book was a little complicated. its an intense book, not your usual bedtime story.

Uniquely warm and charming .......2004-08-31

I was so disappointed when I finished this book. I grew to love the characters and was so sad to see them "go". This book definitely is oddball and the storylines are not ordinary or obvious. But as kooky as they are, the characters are so well-drawn and interesting, that they soon become irresistable. I especially enjoyed the main character, Elway, and her imaginative - and non-judgmental - outlook on life. Leslie Marshall is a wonderful writer - she has a very poetic, yet humorous style. There are smiles and laughs and surprises throughout. Just buy it. It will be one of the most enjoyable books you'll ever read.

Great fun.......2003-10-03

Quick read, never lags. Quirky characters and a few plot twists. Shame on Publisher's Weekly for giving away so many plot details. I'm glad I read the book before reading their review. A little fanciful, but where's the harm in that?

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Girl Could Stand Up

Manufacturer: BLACK SWAN (TWLD)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H9AW34

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Clegg delivers new mythos to tired vampire genre.
I couldn't get into it ...
Vampires wanted
Vampiric Horror
Clegg reinvented

The Priest of Blood (The Vampyricon)
Douglas Clegg
Manufacturer: Ace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

Historical | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0441013740

Book Description

The man known as Falconer was born of a whore, served the royal court as a predator trainer, and warred against the infidel Saracens as a conscripted soldier in the Holy Land. But it wasn't until he found himself in the arms of a creature called Pythia that he was truly born into his destined role-that of vampire...

Customer Reviews:

Clegg delivers new mythos to tired vampire genre........2007-09-17

Having read everything Clegg has written, I waited nearly 3 years to start this series as I wanted to read all three back to back to back.

THE PRIEST OF BLOOD is a brilliant work by a great author. he gives you a rich background to put upon it characters that you believe in, a story that makes you gasp at certain points and dialogue that rings true.

The first 190 pages (before he gets "dead") are some of the best, most lyrical prose I have ever read.

A great start to what I expect to be a landmark trilogy.

I couldn't get into it ..........2007-09-05

I couldn't get past the ponderously heavy and extensive history that opens the book. I didn't even get to chapter two. Heck, I was snoozing by the second page.

I'm more of a Butcher fan.

If you are a history buff, or like your SciFi/Fan/Hor steeped in background, this might be a perfect fit.

Vampires wanted.......2007-01-16

Not bad for the start of a series, but it's not the smoothest read. The storytelling seems a bit disjointed, but it's a decent take on one of my favorite creatures of the night. I'm looking forward to seeing if the author can improve with the next book in the series.

Vampiric Horror.......2006-12-18

I love everything Clegg touches. His book are either bashedly frightening or incredibly suspenseful while also remaining quiet. The Priest of Blood is something new for Clegg. A vampire horror novel that takes place in medieval times. With lots of action, lots of blood, lots of violence. But in the end, the final result left me feeling a bit indifferent is somewhat also curious.

Aleric is a low-born working class boy who has a talent for talking to birds and training them. This talent brings him to live with a rich family where he will work as a bird trainer. He is ashamed of his prostitute mother and has never really known his father. He mourns his grandfather, the only man who has every loved him, the one man who kept reminding him how special he was.

When Aleric falls in love with the wrong woman, and when his mother is accused and killed for witchcraft, his life takes a downward spiral. He is sent off to fight a war he has no interest in. And in this war, he will come face to face with creatures of the night. He meets a beautiful, lustful woman who soon enough turns him into a vampire. Little does she know that Aleric will be given more powers than he should, more insight than any other new vampire.

I loved the first half of the book. The story was quite interesting and very suspenseful. But the moment Aleric becomes a vampire, the fantastic part of the story takes over and puts a halt to the emotional story Clegg had been building since. This maybe a rare case of too many ideas with too few pages to tell them all. Soon enough, Aleric is being called the chosen one, the one vampire who will liberate the rest from the stronghold the dark Queen has on them.

There are quite a few great moments in this novel, as when Aleric and his troup are trapped in a boat with creatures floating all over them. But for the most part, the last half of the novel seems rushed. Some scenes felt a bit too quick for me. Clegg usually takes his time to tell a story. His stories rarely feel rushed. But this one is an exception. I wanted more details, more information. I needed more descriptions. More scenes that talked about Aleric's first years as a vampire. He takes so much time talking about Aleric's upbringing that his vampiric rebirth seems to be rushed.

Maybe this will get solved in the next installment (since this will be a trilogy). Maybe not. All I know is that, although I had mixed feelings about this one, I'm still curious about the next installment and will surely read it the moment it becomes a paperback.

Clegg reinvented.......2006-06-21

The Priest of Blood, Douglas Clegg's new book, gives us a complete new world of supernatural weirdness. He takes the fantasy and horror genres and slams them together to make a dark, compelling, and strangely beautiful world. This is Clegg stepping up from ordinary genre horror and flexing more powerful creative wings.

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Agonizingly desperate...heartbreaking and sensuou
powerful character study

Body and Blood
Michael Schiefelbein
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0312330197
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Book Description

As a sixteen-year-old Catholic seminarian, Chris Sieb had a deep crush on fellow student Jack Canston. Now, twenty-five years after parting ways, Jack has transferred to the Kansas City diocese where he once again encounters Chrisnow Father Sieba devoted priest and closeted gay man. After seeing each other for the first time, the two rekindle their boyhood yearnings, beginning a secret relationship.

Customer Reviews:

Agonizingly desperate...heartbreaking and sensuou.......2007-09-28

Once again Michael Schiefelbein takes the reader on a religious journey. This time it is into the lives of gay Catholic priests and the desperation and loneliness of wanting love, wanting to love, having someone love them..and yet they must lead lives of quiet desperation in an attempt to adhere to their vows of celibacy and the Vaticans edicts of allowing no gay men become priests and that any gay priests must be reported! Schiefelbein shows us the destruction of their psyche, the deception that must be lived out and at the same time focuses on 3 priests and the nightmare of their gay love. Gripping tale of the love these men wanted at any cost. How each had their own personal demons to fight and..the desperation of trying to live double lives. I couldn't put it down!

powerful character study .......2007-09-22

When they were sixteen years old seminary students Chris Sieb struggled to hide his attraction to Jack Canston. He succeeded as no one knew how much he wanted to give up his body to Jack instead of the Lord.

For the next twenty-five years Father Chris Sieb hides in the closet his gay feelings as he never acts on them. Currently Chris lives in Kansas City where he successfully runs the St. John's Diocesan Center. However, Father Jack Canston has come to see him. Both feel the incredible attraction that makes Chris wonder whether he needs to give up his priesthood as in his heart (and loins) he fails the Christ. Both are stunned by the recent suicide of Father Eddie Gerhardt, who killed himself over his guilt closeted homosexual feelings that made him believe he was not pure for the Christ. Now Chris and Jack must confront what Eddie refused to face, can a gay preferential individual be a good Christian priest especially of they adhere to the celibacy vow?

Leaving his vampires behind, Michael Schiefelbein provides a powerful character study that digs deep into human psyche with the conflict between personal needs and desires vs. religious beliefs. As the suicide of Father Gerhardt affirms these are not necessarily compatible. Chris and jack struggle with their sexual preference, which is a double sin as their celibacy vow is under assault and being gay in their minds makes it even more of a transgression. BODY AND BLOOD is a superb look into faith when the human desires are in conflict with the heavenly requirements.

Harriet Klausner

Blood & ivory: The collected tales of Jamethiel Priest's-Bane

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Blood & ivory: The collected tales of Jamethiel Priest's-Bane
P. C Hodgell
Manufacturer: distributed by Blue Moon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: 0940841460

Blood of the Martyrs: the Journey of a Catholic Priest to the Rescue Movement

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Blood of the Martyrs: the Journey of a Catholic Priest to the Rescue Movement
C. Ss.R. Reverend Richard Welch
Manufacturer: Human Life International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HJPNE2

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Blood of the martyrs: The journey of a Catholic priest to the rescue movement
Richard Welch
Manufacturer: Human Life International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006QKC2Y

The herald of the Precious Blood: St. Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood

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The herald of the Precious Blood: St. Gaspar del Bufalo, founder of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood
Vincenzo Sardi
Manufacturer: Messenger Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007FEWR0

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The Priest of Blood

Manufacturer: Shocklines
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H02EFW

Body, blood, soul and divinity.(Column): An article from: Catholic Insight

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Body, blood, soul and divinity.(Column): An article from: Catholic Insight
Mariette Ulrich
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Catholic Insight, published by Thomson Gale on June 1, 2007. The length of the article is 776 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Body, blood, soul and divinity.(Column)
Author: Mariette Ulrich
Publication: Catholic Insight (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 15 Issue: 6 Page: 8(1)

Article Type: Column

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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From Tent to Temple

Manufacturer: Pinecrest Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000CR2J82

Product Description

George Warnock leads you into a study deep in God's Word tracing the presence of God from a 'tent' in the wilderness (the tabernacle) to the Temple in Jerusalem, and eventually into the very heart of any man or woman who would be willing.

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