Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The

Book Description

A Smidgeon of Pigeon by Mo Willems How does it feel to be a Pigeon? Well, the bus driver is trying to get him to act happy, but as we all know, this is one bird that is not going to be told what to do! Throughout this hilarious board book, Pigeon runs through his signature gamut of emotions while attempting to thwart his old nemesis.

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......2007-05-15

I'm a teacher and I read the book "Don't let the pigeon ride the bus" and I Loved it. This one is not as good as that one but it is rather cute.

goofy book with rudimentary pictures.......2007-04-11

Not good for babies...this book has bland colors, boring background and the sarcasm doesn't really fit in a kid's book.

pigeon is at it again..........2007-01-10

my students didn't enjoy this story as much as the others that we've read but it is definately on their top 10 list of books to have me read to them. the simple fact that we have just about all of the pigeon books speaks volumes for mo willems ability to capture a first graders attention!

Great books for children of all ages and grown men who love sarcasm.......2007-01-10

My children love this book and all the books by Mo Willems. Buy it and you will not be sorry. My four year old knows all of Willems books by heart now and he received them for Christmas.

Humorous/Instructional story for social/emotional development.......2006-11-10

Children remember humorous stories best. The pigeon books I have purchased and read are great stories for reading aloud and for beginning readers. Humorous stories foster a love of reading, the most important tool for learning success.

Average customer rating:

Don't let thePigeon Stay Up Late
I love these books!
Cute idea but kids aren't interested.
as good as the others
another pigeon hit

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786837462
Release Date: 2006-02-28

Book Description

It's getting dark out, but one stubborn Pigeon is NOT going to bed! Toddlers and parents will love this interactive bedtime romp which puts readers back in the driver's seat, deflecting Pigeon's sly trickery as he tries to escape his inevitable bedtime. Will you let him stay up late?

Customer Reviews:

Don't let thePigeon Stay Up Late.......2007-10-17

My kids love this series of books and the newest edition did not disappoint them.

I love these books!.......2007-10-01

Mo Willems' Pigeon books are a great collection of books. The text is succinct; great for the younger crowd. The illustrations are simple. And the pigeon character will charm you. Love it!

Cute idea but kids aren't interested........2007-09-29

I think the humor is above the level that the book targets. It ready funny for an adult but my daughters don't like it much.

as good as the others.......2007-09-27

One of my children's favorite books is "Don't let the pigeon drive the bus" so I was hoping that this would stand up to the same humor, and we were not disappointed. My kids (6&3) laughed at all his excuses. And now some nights when they keep thinking of things they need to keep them from going to bed...I can just say "goodnight Pigeon" and they laugh and head to bed.

A great book for anyone with children who think up 999 ways to stay up late!

another pigeon hit.......2007-09-21

My son loves the pigeon books. I don't know why, but he is under 2 and quickly memorizes them. Having loved Bus and Hot Dog, Don't let the pigeon stay up late follows as another success. Every parent of kids two and under should purchase these pigeon books.

Knuffle Bunny (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))

Average customer rating:

Knuffle Bunny
hilarious
A Book to Appeal to All Ages
If you love to hear your children laugh read this book
Great, short bedtime book

Knuffle Bunny (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786818700
Release Date: 2004-07-12

Book Description

Trixie, Daddy, and Knuffle Bunny take a trip to the neighborhood Laundromat. But the exciting adventure takes a dramatic turn when Trixie realizes somebunny was left behind . . . Using a combination of muted black-and-white photographs and expressive illustrations, this stunning book tells a brilliantly true-to-life tale about what happens when Daddys in charge and things go terribly, hilariously wrong. Mo Willems is a six-time Emmy Awardwinning writer and former animator for Sesame Street, and the creator of Cartoon Networks Sheep in the Big City. Both his first book for children, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, and his fourth book Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale won prestigious Caldecott Honors from the American Library Association. The New York Times has called him "the biggest new talent to emerge thus far in the 00's". Mo lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

Customer Reviews:

Knuffle Bunny.......2007-10-13

This story really hits home for all children who have a special toy that they can't "live" without. My Granddaughter can't hear this story (as well as its follow up) enought times. How cute!

hilarious.......2007-10-02

I read Knuffle Bunny for my children's literature class and I literally laughed out loud from it. The pictures are comical and perfectly expressive and Trixie is a riot. Mo Willems truly encaptured the actions/behavior of a child in such a situation in Trixie...going boneless....genius. Every child should read this book. I highly reccommend it.

A Book to Appeal to All Ages.......2007-09-11

On a whim, I checked this book out of the library this summer for my youngest son, who is five. When I read it to him, we were both delighted. We laughed our heads off and read it three times back to back. I then brought it home and read it to my two older children, ages 12 and 8. They also thought it was hilarious. My 12 year old actually read it several more times that evening. Later that night, my husband and I read it and laughed over the illustrations. This is the classic story of parents and children everywhere. We could identify with both the parent and the child who lost the "lovey."
A huge thumbs up from our whole family.

If you love to hear your children laugh read this book.......2007-08-19

This is a fast read and it makes my daughters ages 2 and 7 laugh so hard every time they hear it. The art doesn't appeal to me personally but my kids seem to enjoy it. I enjoy the story. I don't see it as " a child misbehaving 90% of the book". I laugh at how parents misunderstand children and every suffer for it. Have to sign off because the girls are insisting I read this book right now because it is "hilarious".

Great, short bedtime book.......2007-08-01

This is a short, fun book. Not much to it but the story is fun. I like to have short books around near bedtime so my son doesn't make me read through a long one like Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. The back jacket also has a mug shot of Mo Willems, the author. The picture looks a little like me and when I first read it to my son he thought it was me.

Average customer rating:

This was a very funny book!
Hot Diggety Dog - your kids will love this!
Not as good as the "Bus" or "Stay up Late" books
love it love it love it
A Morsel of Gem

Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!, The

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0786818697
Release Date: 2004-04-19

Amazon.com

Sesame Street veteran and Emmy Award-winner Mo Willems returns with a fast, funny follow-up to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!--only this time, the short-tempered pigeon faces his perfect foil in a "special guest star" duckling. In the previous Pigeon book, author and illustrator Willems expertly distilled the escalating emotions of preschoolers all too anxious to get their way. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog--also a simple and sparsely illustrated story--explores the flip side of that coin, exposing the poker-face persuasive powers of young negotiators. The pigeon just wants to greedily eat the hot dog that he's found: "Oooooh! A hot dog! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" Then along comes the duckling, "scooty scoot scoot!" with his insistent questions about hot dogs: "What do they taste like?...Would you say that it tastes like chicken?...Hey, I'm a curious bird." At first, the pigeon entertains the duckling, "Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!", but then he soon suspects the little bird might have designs on his delicious dog. In the end, of course, the clever duckling gets his way--and half of the hot dog: "You know, you're pretty smart for a duckling." (Ages Baby to Preschool) --Paul Hughes

Book Description

Sesame Street veteran and Emmy Award-winner Mo Willems returns with a fast, funny follow-up to Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!--only this time, the short-tempered pigeon faces his perfect foil in a "special guest star" duckling.In the previous Pigeon book, author and illustrator Willems expertly distilled the escalating emotions of preschoolers all too anxious to get their way. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog--also a simple and sparsely illustrated story--explores the flip side of that coin, exposing the poker-face persuasive powers of young negotiators. The pigeon just wants to greedily eat the hot dog that he's found: "Oooooh! A hot dog! Yummy! Yummy! Yummy!" Then along comes the duckling, "scooty scoot scoot!" with his insistent questions about hot dogs: "What do they taste like?...Would you say that it tastes like chicken?...Hey, I'm a curious bird." At first, the pigeon entertains the duckling, "Each morsel is a joy! A celebration in a bun!", but then he soon suspects the little bird might have designs on his delicious dog. In the end, of course, the clever duckling gets his way--and half of the hot dog: "You know, you're pretty smart for a duckling." (Ages Baby to Preschool) --Paul Hughes

Customer Reviews:

This was a very funny book!.......2007-08-31

This book is very funny, and young kids as well as old will enjoy it very much.

Hot Diggety Dog - your kids will love this!.......2007-08-22

Kids love finding books about familiar characters and Mo Willems has created a new one with his comical pigeon. Instead of playing along with the reader, this time he answers to a little duckling who just wants a bite of his hot dog. The duckling is pretty sneaky and asks all kinds of questions (which drives the pigeon CRAZY) until finally the pigeon gives in and shares his hot dog with him. More great facial expressions and a simple story everyone will enjoy!

Not as good as the "Bus" or "Stay up Late" books.......2007-07-03

My daughter prefers this one to the others, probably because hot dogs are her favorite food. It's not interactive like the others, but it teaches sharing and has a cute, curious bird to make it fun.

love it love it love it.......2007-06-21

my daughters absolutely ADORE this book. it even inspried my daughter to start reading. it's just a clever and fun book that my daughters have reciting ever since the first time we read it.

A Morsel of Gem.......2007-04-15

It is amazing how in so few words and lines one of the most dreaded human behaviors can be exhibited as in this book: Conscience in the form of the Duckling wondering why the Pigeon doesn't do the right thing. And what a happy relief it is to do the right thing.

Average customer rating:

Got to love the Pigeon!
My second time buying this book
Great book
Board books are supposed to be for babies
Great books for children of all ages and grown men who love sarcasm

Pigeon Loves Things That Go!, The

Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

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ASIN: 0786836512
Release Date: 2005-05-16

Book Description

A Smidgeon of Pigeon by Mo Willems In Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, the pigeon dreamed of driving the bus. In this board book, readers will see him emoting at the thought of driving a plane, a train, a car, and more, all in his deliriously over-the-top style.

Customer Reviews:

Got to love the Pigeon!.......2007-07-03

Totally love this book. My son gets such a kick out of the Pigeon. Great story to share with younger children!

My second time buying this book.......2007-06-27

My daughter and I love the pigeon book collection. This one is just as entertaining as the others, but also, for younger kids, educational on "things that go". We had owned this book, but bought it again for a friend. Gotta love that pigeon!!

Great book.......2007-02-15

My son really enjoys this book. He is a bit young to "get it" but he smiles when I read it to him.

Board books are supposed to be for babies.......2007-01-12

I am a fan of the larger Pigeon books, so I bought this one for my 18 month old who loves books. This was a disappointment as the play on words at the end makes little sense to a baby. This is a waste of money. The longer books are much more enjoyable.

Great books for children of all ages and grown men who love sarcasm.......2007-01-10

My children love this book. Mo Willems is a great writer of Children's books. "What?" has become my four year olds favorite word, and my husband enjoys reading "Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late" every night at bedtime. We as a family have enjoyed all of Willems children's books based on Pigeon. My two year old loves "The Pigeon Loves Things That Go" He makes the noises while I read.

Average customer rating:

Illusion and Escape
Glass Menagerie
hits all the right notes
A sad story that preaches family unity and self sacrifice
more than just readable material

The Glass Menagerie
Tennessee Williams
Manufacturer: New Directions Publishing Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0811214044

Book Description

No play in the modern theatre has so captured the imagination and heart of the American public as Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie. Menagerie was Williams's first popular success and launched the brilliant, if somewhat controversial, career of our pre-eminent lyric playwright. Since its premiere in Chicago in 1944, with the legendary Laurette Taylor in the role of Amanda, the play has been the bravura piece for great actresses from Jessica Tandy to Joanne Woodward, and is studied and performed in classrooms and theatres around the world. The Glass Menagerie (in the reading text the author preferred) is now available only in its New Directions Paperbook edition. A new introduction by prominent Williams scholar Robert Bray, editor of The Tennessee Williams Annual Review, reappraises the play more than half a century after it won the New York Drama Critics Circle Award: "More than fifty years after telling his story of a family whose lives form a triangle of quiet desperation, Williams's mellifluous voice still resonates deeply and universally." This edition of The Glass Menagerie also includes Williams's essay on the impact of sudden fame on a struggling writer, "The Catastrophe of Success," as well as a short section of Williams's own "Production Notes." The cover features the classic line drawing by Alvin Lustig, originally done for the 1949 New Directions edition.

Customer Reviews:

Illusion and Escape.......2007-08-23

"Glass Menagerie" provides a surreal tale of the Wingfield family and their diverse struggles with fantasy and reality. Set in St. Louis during the Great Depression, the play revolves around Amanda and her adult children, Tom and Laura, struggling to make ends meet in a St. Louis tenement. Although each cannot grip the realities of the modern world, they seek escape in different ways. Amanda deludes herself into thinking she is still a Southern debutante with many gentleman callers. Laura escapes into her fantasy world ruled by delicate glass animals, her "glass menagerie." Tom, constantly accosted and criticized by Amanda, seeks escape through movies and booze.

Doubtless, the theme of abandonment looms large throughout the play. The presence of their father, although only his picture is seen, plays on all their emotions. Unfortunately for them, he "fell in love with long distances" and abandoned them at an early age. This instills fear in Amanda that Tom would follow the same path and she tries to control his every action. Indeed, her smothering of Tom and her incessant accusations of selfishness lend her an unsympathetic aura.

Williams uses unusual cues and images for a play, as he forsakes the illusion of reality. Indeed, the novel is almost a dream-like existence, as it is contrived from the deep memories of Tom. Although reality may not have a firm hand, the theme of control and a yearn to escape is a biting reality that many people face today. Indeed, Tom seeks to escape the "coffin" of his existence, as he attempts to break away from the iron hand of his mother. Unfortunately for him, this also means abandoning his sister Laura if he chooses this path.

Although it is a short novel and quick read, "Glass Menagerie" provides a powerful message that is applicable today. It has not been lost in a time warp. This, and the fact that it is one of the first plays of Williams, should put this on a short list of "must read" classic American plays.

Glass Menagerie.......2007-06-12

When I first bought the book, the name sounded really interesting, but I didn't understand what "menagerie." After I flipped a few pages, I notice
how dysfunctional, yet almost normal, family the book portrayed. In a way, many people can relate the situation with their personal life.
During the 1940's and after the World War II, many people were in desperation trying to find jobs and create a better life. However, as a result of this mindset, some did not succeed and ended up living in a life of disaster. Such calamity resulted in not only financial misfortune, but also social and mental failure. Everyone seemed to scramble to quickly find a great life, but little did they know, the truth of the reality was that not everyone could succeed at the same time. As a result, many hoped for too much, plunging in a world of delusion. Avoiding reality, several other were just assuming fortunes would find them, creating self-fulfilling prophecies.
In Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams wants to depict exactly that tragedy resulted from constant escapades to fantasy by employing Amanda as the typical woman who just lost her grip on reality. Amanda has lost control ever since her husband had left her, destroying the family. Unable to cope with that reality, she just drifted onto another world. She refused to believe that fact and tried to impose her ideals onto her daughter, Laura. Amanda has always boasted that she was the most popular girl attracting all the find young men. She lived a life of glamour, while everyone stared enviously at her success. However, success took a u-turn and even a crash into the wilderness of failure. Amanda was distraught, devastated by the fact that her husband had left her and her family was filled with shame and quirk. Unable to get a grip of reality, she loses her control and drifts into a fantasy, where everything seems to work out perfectly. She puts too much emphasis on being popular and attracting all the rich suitors. She superimposes all her ideals onto her daughter, Laura, so she could be just like her mother. Unintentionally, she forces her daughter to achieve exactly what she has. Despite Amanda's genuine push, she actually forces Laura off the edge, but she changes and matures into a woman, more open to the world around her. Although Laura grown to be less inclusive and more open to the world, the family has broken apart as a result of Tom's escape. Ultimately, as a result of Amanda's fantasy world, the family has been torn apart into bits and pieces, revealing the notion that the escape to fantasy would only ruin one's life.
Tennessee Williams argues that fantasy is only a false depiction of the world in its most rudimentary image, which causes one to lose control of the complications of reality, inevitably resulting in a disaster.

hits all the right notes.......2007-06-12

3 things make this play stand out as truly spectacular: 1. the stellar plot, 2. the engaging and interesting characters, 3. it's ability to move the reader with its sadness and despair without asking for it. this play is truly a mus read for anyone who loves American literature.

In the story, Tom is a young man given the burden of caring for his mother and sister, Laura. Working at a dead-end job in a warehouse, Tom longs for the day he can be like his father and desert the family, to go on the quest for his own dreams and ambitions. he often writes literature during work and attends the movies every night as a way to escape from his otherwise monotomous life. Tom refuses to accept reality for what it is, and instead dwells in his own wishes, having no regard for his family. Laura, a shy girl who is crippled at the leg, does not interact with anyone outside of her family.

now, i must resist the temptation to say anymore, because i do not want to give away the ending, thus keeping any of you from reading this spectacular play. Set during the Great Depression, Williams oes an excellent job of placing the plot in historical context, because it was a time during which people were depressed and wanted to get out of "the hole", such as Tom. There are many symbols to be found throughout this play, such as the glass menagerie and the unicorn, which makes the play that much more engaging and interesting to read, as you try to decipher them. Williams' tone and style are also very appropriate with each changing character, giving the reader a better view of the characters. All while Williams achieves his rhetorical brilliance in the play, there is an underlying message of the dangers of dwelling in memory and fantasy rather than accept reality and deal with the present. I must recommend this book to anyone who is literate.

A sad story that preaches family unity and self sacrifice.......2007-06-12

This story is a must read! Despite the boring title, it's a true eye opener that questions your ethics and provokes you to contemplate on the troubles of society. Throughout the book, the characters struggle to come to terms of their reality.
One of the main characters is Laura, who is handicapped and is constantly nervous about what society thinks about her and her condition. Her poor understanding of who she is as a person and the exaggerated difference believes she has between others prevents her from ever being fully comfortable around others and even herself .Although Laura believes that society has shunned her from the acceptance that she deserves, Laura has actually shunned herself from the possibility of retaining friendships because of the paranoid thoughts in her own mind. Amanda and the pressure she places on Tom is also a large issue in the play which ultimately leads to Tom's tragic abandonment of the family at the end of the story. Because of her dependency on Tom's paycheck, she placed a huge burden on Tom who soon comes to the conclusion that if he would ever want to achieve his dreams, he would have to completely abandon his family. So, read the book and watch the predicaments unravel in the Wingfield family from Amanda's refusal to accept reality of Tom's dreams , Tom's desperate plea to be free from his obligations as breadwinner of the family, and Laura's personal struggle with being comfortable with her disability. Will Laura ever break out of her shell and lead the normal life she deserves? Read the book and contemplate on the effects of a judgmental society and the dangers of holding on to the past being ignorant of the present.

more than just readable material.......2007-06-12

This book focuses on the individual struggles of the three main characters of the book, but I personally enjoy the story of Tom and Laura who have to cope with problems that many can relate to.

Tom is a young man who has great dreams. This is not hard to imagine because many of us or many of the people we know dream of pursuing great goals in life. This is how we are programmed, what we are taught. But as a young man with a father who has abandoned the family, he must decide between pursuing his dreams or staying home and supporting his mother and sister. Such an interesting situation made me want to sit down and read to see what choice he would make.

Laura is the typical shy girl. However, because she is so self conscious about her crippled legs, she has grown to isolated herself so much that her mother has to worry whether or not she will marry since she refuses to talk to even other women. Instead, she turns to a glass collection for friends and company. Pretty crazy. Now when his hermit of a lady suddenly is forced to meet and converse with a normal human being outside of the household, the conclusion is waiting for you to read and find out. It is not your typical type of ending but it is nonetheless something that was satisfying and compatible.

The play is filled with symbols, which is a real good plus because it make the book all the more interesting to read and dig through. You will notice things like the glass collection, the fire escape, and the unicorn all representing something more than what they are. These are what makes the play more than just a browse through a story--it is more like an adventure or a mystery waiting to be torn apart.

Average customer rating:

Great Coffee Table Book
Great book for my overseas guests
Nice Review of Past and Present
flawed but fun Chicago historical pictorial
A look at old Chicago

Chicago Then and Now (Then & Now)
Elizabeth McNulty
Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1571452788

Book Description

The latest installment in the popular Then and Now series showcases the capital of the Heartland and one of the premier cities in the nation and the world: Chicago. Chicago's change and growth over the last century is captured in this photographic history. Modern color photos sit side by side with black and white archival photographs. Every important building, avenue, neighborhood, and point of interest is documented. It covers all of Chicago's landmarks from Navy Pier to the Stockyards and from the Southside all the way up the Magnificent Mile. Take in a game at Wrigley Field, then take it all in from the top of the Sear's Tower. The Water Tower and all the other architectural features that make Chicago great are also included.

Customer Reviews:

Great Coffee Table Book.......2007-04-11

Great pictures on every page of this wonderful book. Only Chicagoans will appreciate it however. The photos are large and grand, and the author has tried hard to recreate the original angle mostly. That's my only complaint. Lovely book.

Great book for my overseas guests.......2004-11-20

I have purchased this book for my departing aupair's for the past several years. While they certainly take pictures themselves they would never have a collection of photographs this large and they also get to see a bit of the history of Chicago. There are a lot of good pictures that will certainly spark many happy memories. For this purpose I would recommend it.

Nice Review of Past and Present.......2003-09-15

I enjoyed this book. Some of the pictures do not compare well because they were taken at different angles or from a different side of the street. Nevertheless, this is a great book. I found lots of stuff to compare. Native Chicagoans, who take an interest in the city, will like it. I purchased it for my brother for Christmas...liked it so much I purchased one for myself.

flawed but fun Chicago historical pictorial.......2003-02-13

I have several of these "then and now" books, and I would say this is the weakest of the bunch. I dearly love Chicago, and some of the old photographs were very interesting, but the book has a few problems. First, the photographic perspectives are rarely in synch, so it is difficult to compare the two pictures directly; either the angle is off to the side, or it's at a different distance. This seems rather to defeat the purpose of a "then and now" theme, which is to facilitate comparison. Secondly, a great many of the buildings and scenes are virtually identical to what they were, so one wonders why they were included. Finally, a map should have been included.

On the positive side, many of Chicago's key spots are targeted, such as the Water Tower, the stockyards and Hull House, and the paragraphs that accompany each picture do convey a lot of interesting information.

If you are interested in Chicago or urban history you will undoubtedly still enjoy this volume, but lower your expectations a bit before the book arrives so you won't be disappointed.

A look at old Chicago.......2002-01-21

An interesting look at Chicago as it appeared in the past, compared to now. More than just a picture book, it also gives some historical perspective for each location. If you're a Chicagoan, this is a must have. There are two problems that keep this from getting a top ranking. First, the focus of a "then and now" book should be to compare and contrast, so we can see how much has changed. There's several locations shown here that haven't really changed, and you wonder why they were included. Also, the "then" and "now" pictures should be shot from roughly the same location, showing the same perspective. That's not always the case here, and you may have to spend some time figuring out how to get things lined up. Still, it's a good way to see how the city used to look, and a rare look at some of the now-missing architectural treasures.

Average customer rating:

Bad ending
Good but ending disappoints
Bizarre crime noir
not the best
Starts fast but stumbles early

Pig Island
Mo Hayder
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0871139529

Book Description

The acclaimed author of The Devil of Nanking returns with a riveting, disturbing thriller of religious fanatics, hoax debunkers, and the dark side of belief. Journalist Joe Oakes makes a living exposing supernatural hoaxes, but when he visits a secretive religious community on a remote Scottish island, everything he thought he knew is overturned. On the trial of a strange creature caught briefly on film, so deformed it can hardly be human, Oakes crosses a border of electrical fencing, toxin-filled oil drums, and pigs’ skulls to infiltrate the territory of the groups’ isolated founder, Malachi Dove. Their confrontation, and its violent aftermath, is so catastrophic that it forces Oakes to question the nature of evil—and whether he might be responsible for the heinous crime about to unfold. Startling and uncompromising, Pig Island confirms Mo Hayder as one of the most talented, compelling thriller writers now working.

Customer Reviews:

Bad ending.......2007-08-26

Had me hooked. I'd give it the thumbs up until almost the end. I would say the last 6th of the book lost it. I wanted some of the characters Lexie was involved in to appear, and they didn't. I wanted her to be more linked to the blame. My first read of Mo, so I will try another based on reader reviews.

Good but ending disappoints .......2007-08-06

About: Mysterious happenings on an island, reporter tries to get the real story

Pros: Fast paced, engaging story, looked forward to picking up again after putting it down.

Cons: The "twist" ending that was hyped by the blurbs on the back cover had me all psyched, but the end left me disappointed, especially since the book itself was so good. I'd have preferred a "normal" ending.

Bizarre crime noir.......2007-07-25

I didn't realize until I finished Pig Island that I had just read the strangest crime noir novel ever. Angeline is fiction's most bizarre femme fatale; a scheming beauty with a twist (or should I say 'tail'?). This novel doesn't always work, including, unfortunately, the ending, and it doesn't help that Oaksey is a character you find yourself rooting against, but Pig Island is worth a read to those looking for something a little odd.

not the best.......2007-07-24

The reviews on the dust jacket led me to expect a much better book. I found the experience of reading it very trying. The characters were all thoroughly unlikable. The narrator, Oaksey, a journalist, was surprisingly irritating for what was essentially a cardboard cutout character. In one sentence he used the term "ciggy" over and over. Despite his blue-collar roots, I would expect a journalist, even of the most debased sort, to have at least some gift of narrative, but Oaksey didn't. I do like a scary story, but this one just fell flat for me.

Starts fast but stumbles early.......2007-07-11

This book began very well. It was exciting and interesting. However, the plot slows significantly after about a quarter of the book, and the weak character development and lack of depth of information was enough to sink it for the rest of the way. I would have liked to see Hayder develop more of the cult character and let her main character interact with them more, but she didn't. Instead it is all about death, death, and death right away, with nothing left to carry the book the rest of the way through. She also could have done more with the idea of summoning demons and other creatures, but she left all very shallow. In the end, she took the reader through a strange journey which was not all that exciting, through conversations on bestiality, spina bifida, and other incongruent issues. Finally near the end the book twists, turns and then ends, which would have been great except that it was all too obvious. Better character development and more consistent plot would have made this book much better in the end. It is not something I would recommend.

The Sureshot

Average customer rating:

Ms. C. Black!!!!!!
Great
CHYNA BLACK
Off The Hook
Eh it was aight

Chyna Black
Keisha Ervin
Manufacturer: Triple Crown Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0976234912

Book Description

There was a time when I didn't care about anybody, not even myself. Oh, and who am I? I'm Chyna, Chyna Danea Black to be more exact. I'm here to tell you my story, but for you to fully understand me, you have to understand my past. You see, I'm every black girl growing up in the hood, and like most, I got caught up in the life. Some things I didn't see coming. Other things were self-inflicted. I don't regret my path in life but I could have taken a different one. So, for all the young girls growing up in the hood, let me take you back to how I grew up.

Here is the Life & Times of me, Chyna Black.

Customer Reviews:

Ms. C. Black!!!!!!.......2007-10-15

This book was off the hook. I just wished that Chyna made better decisions but I guess that's a part of growing up. I loved Tyreik and Chyna's relationship they went through some real stuff.In real life you come across your occasional hater and they did come across many. This is the book right here!

Great.......2007-10-10

this book was amazing..i really dont read that much and i really enjoyed this book and finished it the same day it was delivered..i just got so into it..

CHYNA BLACK.......2007-05-29

Chyna had a little trouble at home with her mother, and winds up being put out. She moves in with Tyreik who becomes her man, the love of her life wich becomes a relationship she just was not ready for. Immature when it came to handling the problems in her relationship, I found her behavior so so childish and found myself at times wanting to wring her neck but, thats what a good read does bring out your emotions, and Keisha has done that .

Off The Hook.......2007-05-18

I loved this book, I was glued to the page from begining til the end. Chyna was a trip, I felt like I was on the emotional rollercoaster with her. The one thing I liked about her was that she made alot of mastikes, but she learned from them and got her Sh** togeather. She wasn't running around doing the some old stuff she matured and learned her lesson. Awesome read I would reccomend this book to all young women. You go Keisha Ervin do your thing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eh it was aight.......2007-05-11

The first few chapters of this book were hard to get through. Around chapter 4 when her mom puts her out I became more interested. I became even more interested when there was talk of sex with Tyreik. Just because the book needed spice.

Starting off in this piece (I haven't read anything else by her and probably won't), it's obvious that Ms. Ervin's writing skills are not that great. It jumped around too much, the dialogue was ummm I don't even know what to call it...painful will do, and character development was scarce. I didn't get why some family members were elaborated on and not in an effective manner and Pat was barely touched up on. I would have enjoyed some colorful stories about her. Matter of fact, Pat was the only person in the book I could envision as I read besides India.

This book lacked passion and I couldn't relate to the lead character. I am not that hood I guess. Besides that fact I do have people in my life who have lived in the hood. I don't think this book did any justice for telling a story based on the hood.

The only thing I could relate to is her relationship with her mom. The love issues with Tyreik I just couldn't get with. There was no real emotion. It was too much of the stuff on the surface. The same old lines, same old sex scenes, blah blah.

This book is recommended to go with Crackhead by Lisa Lennox. Go with Ms. Lennox instead. As I said, I ain't hood but I could still feel for the main character in crackhead and relate to her. I felt cheated when I started reading the book. I purchased on amazon reader reviews.

Mmph!! I was played.

Average customer rating:

The Birdman
Gripping!
A strong debut
Too much fluff
Deserves to be a bestseller

Birdman
Mo Hayder
Manufacturer: Dell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Police Procedurals | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0440236169
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Amazon.com

This crackling psychological thriller introduces police detective Jack Caffery, who is on the hunt for a serial killer the British tabloids have nicknamed "The Millennium Ripper."

The Ripper is behind the murder of five prostitutes, whose bodies are unearthed beneath the rubble of a Greenwich landfill. All the victims have been raped and their bodies horrendously mutilated--but not until after being killed by a dose of heroin injected directly into their brainstems. What stuns Caffery even more is the one detail of the murders the public doesn't know; the hearts of the women have been replaced with live birds sewn into the victims' chests.

Caffery himself is a tortured man, still burdened by guilt over the decades-old murder of his younger brother and frustrated because he cannot bring the man he knows is responsible to the bar of justice. When the Millennium Ripper confesses to the prostitute killings just before taking his own life, Caffery faces his own limitations and begins to make peace with his past. But then another prostitute is found dead, her body ravaged in the same way, a bird where her heart was--and Caffery realizes that his past may never truly be put to rest.

A solid page turner, this gripping debut by a young Englishwoman introduces a complex and fascinating protagonist destined for another appearance. Meanwhile, Birdman will enthrall readers who just can't get enough of Hannibal Lechter. --Jane Adams

Book Description

With the forensic acumen of Patricia Cornwell and the atmosphere of Lynda La Plante's Prime Suspect series, Birdman - already an international sensation prior to publication - introduces a troubled homicide detective battling the demons of his past while facing the psychopath of the century.

In the chilling opening to Birdman, the bodies of five women are found, ritualistically mutilated and dumped on wasteland in Greenwich, England. When post-mortem examinations reveal a single, horrific signature linking the victims - a tiny bird sewn into each chest - the police realize they are on the trail of a serial killer with a terrifying mind.

Detective Inspector Jack Caffery, young,driven, unshockable, finds himself facing both hostilities within the force and his own memory of a lethal failure, as he struggles to unravel the most macabre murders he's ever seen. Now, as he employs every weapon science can offer, he knows he has little time before the sadistic killer strikes again. But he has so little evidence. All he has are five mutilated corpses and five dead little birds.

Mo Hayder - with a keen psychological insight, brilliant forensic and procedural detail, and a psychically wounded but charismatic lead investigator - has written a first novel of raw intensity and deep understanding that will thrill the hearts of the most demanding readers of crime fiction.

Customer Reviews:

The Birdman.......2007-08-23

Very intriguing suspenseful book. I bought it because the author was interviewed in the Lufthansa inflight magazine when I was on a flight in Europe this summer.
Its not for the faint of heart, its very disturbing as she delves into the human psyche.

Gripping!.......2007-06-19

In a word...YOWZA! I thought "Silence of the Lambs" and "Red Dragon" were nightmarish, but "Birdman" has even those beaten. To say this book is grisly would be the understatement of the year! It's one of those books you just know you shouldn't still be reading at midnight, but can't possibly put down! If you have a very strong stomach and like crime plots that throw you loop after loop after loop throughout, you'll be drawn in quickly by this book. A real page-turner, and the plot is constantly on the move (like a speeding train!), but it's definitely not for the squeamish. Seriously! I can't even imagine the author being able to sleep at night while writing it!

A strong debut.......2007-05-03

Serial killers, like vampires, now occupy their own sub genre, the roots of which can be traced back to such modern classics as Robert Bloch's PSYCHO and Shane Stevens' BY REASON OF INSANITY. The current glut of serial killer novels, however, stems from the success of two books by Thomas Harris: RED DRAGON and THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. Together, these books constitute a bridge between groundbreaking work like PSYCHO and the surfeit of serial killer novels published in the wake of Harris' unprecedented success.

Thus, it is not surprising that many writers have adopted Harris' basic formula, the most recent example being Birdman, penned by first time novelist Mo Hayder. Like Harris' pre-"Hannibal" works, Birdman is essentially a police procedural, featuring a gifted yet troubled investigator who confronts the depths of human evil. What distinguishes Hayder's book from the rest of the pack is that she, like Harris, uses the investigation as a metaphor for the investigator's personal journey into the heart of darkness, one that manages to illuminate the minds of both hunter and prey. Hayder performs his task admirably, allowing readers an intimate glimpse of the policeman's personal hell.

Birdman opens as Detective Inspector Jack Caffery arrives at a murder scene in North Greenwich, near the Millennium Dome. Recently roused from a sound sleep, Caffery can think of several other places he'd rather be, options which, given the grisly crime scene, comes to seem more attractive by the minute. Called there to investigate a body wrapped in garbage bags, Caffery is told that the burial site contains not one but five corpses, each apparently the victim of the same killer.

Autopsies reveal that the corpses have several things in common. The victims were all dispatched by an injection of heroin directly into the brain stem. After their deaths, the bodies were preserved for a time, apparently serving as entertainment for a necrophiliac. Besides being horribly mutilated, each victim's heart has been removed and replaced by a small bird.

Although Caffery welcomes this new challenge, it arises at a particularly inopportune time. Newly appointed to his position, he is embroiled in an interoffice political situation that could cost him his job. He's also trying to break up with his clinging, cloying girlfriend, who refuses to accept that their relationship is over. Finally, he's still dealing with the central tragedy of his life, the disappearance of his brother Ewan some two decades before. Although only a child at the time, Caffery suspected his neighbor, an odd little man named Penderecki, was involved. Obsessed with the man, Caffery bought his childhood home from his parents, hoping his mere presence would unsettle the man into confessing. Bizarrely, Mr. Penderecki instead appears to be taking Caffery's presence as a challenge, taunting him every chance he gets, a practice which escalates just as Caffery takes the "Birdman" case.

Caffery persists despite these problems, quickly concluding that the killer must be associated with a hospital near a bar the victims frequented. Narrowing his investigation, he focuses on a likely suspect who commits suicide when confronted by the police. Caffery can't rest however, as another body surfaces soon thereafter. Forced to question his assumptions, the detective eventually realizes he's been dancing around the answer all along. The only question remaining is whether he has uncovered the truth in time to prevent another killing.

Even though Hayder is following a formula, there are enough personal touches to ensure that this novel stands on its own. One example is her seemingly intimate knowledge of forensics and English police procedures; another is the book's colorful cast of characters and sense of place. Caffery is a well drawn, vital character, sure to evoke readers' interest and sympathy--his relationship with Mr. Penderecki, while improbable, nevertheless makes for some genuinely creepy, almost operatic moments. I'd say Hayder's only mistake was in not clinging to the Harris formula more closely, as she fails to humanize her killer, a practice which catapulted Mr. Harris into bestsellerdom. This is a minor criticism, however, and I recommend the book highly. Well-plotted and brutally honest, Birdman is a powerful, disturbing thriller, one of the more memorable debuts of 1999.

Too much fluff.......2007-01-09

The entire time I was reading this book I felt like I was reading in circles. The premise is great, the characters were real, but the book didn't need to be 400+ pages. The story wasn't very organized. The killer is revealed 3/4 of the way through the book. It's a pretty grusome read if you're into that. This is the first I have read by the author. I'll give him another chance. But it's got to get better than Birdman.

Deserves to be a bestseller.......2006-10-31

Considering what makes it to the best sellers list, Birdman definitely deserves the sales more. I like how the villian is someone who is just no good. Very often, the short answer is the right answer: some people need to be caught, need to be stopped and there's really not much more to worry about than that.

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