paperback hitchcock astrologer liege-killer

books:

39 reviews
Bryce Courtenay

Mandarin, 1994

A challenge
APRIL FOOL'S DAY was the hardest book Bryce Courtenay ever wrote, and it's also one of the hardest books I ever read. I started it (the first time) on a Friday evening and did nothing but read (and occasionally try to sleep) until I had finished it -- I couldn't imagine stepping out of the middle of the story into my own life. I've read this book, given it away, bought it again, several times: ...

Lion of Ireland

80 reviews
Morgan Llywelyn

Mandarin, 1990

Ireland's Hero King
A great historical fiction novel of the life of Brian Boru. The Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn is a keeper. She keeps the readers interest by an every changing dynamic in the story as we see Brian go from the youngest of 12 sons to the Ard Ri or High King of ALL Ireland. Brian grows up and learns how to take care of his own people. He also learns and teaches all the different Irish ...

Olivia and Jai

29 reviews
Rebecca Ryman

Mandarin, 1993

A fabulous tale of star crossed lovers in 19C India
The story begins in Calcutta in 1848 as Olivia O'Rourke arrives from California to spend time with her mother's sister, Lady Bridget Templewood. Used to the freer life she shared with her father, Olivia chafes under the rigid morals of British Society, but then she accidentally meets a man reviled by her family, Jai Ravenstone. Jai is a Eurasian with a mysterious past who against all odds built ...

Liege-killer (A Methuen paperback)

26 reviews
Christopher Hinz

Mandarin, 1988

One of my favorite sci-fi novels!
My friend bought this book for me as a joke because I found the cover art to be amusing. I had read the synopsis on the back of the book, but never seriously thought about reading it until my friend bought it for me. Boy am I glad she did! The book was an genuine page-turner with twists and surprises around every bend. It follows a paratwa - an assassin that is composed of two bodies but one mind ...

Lust for Life

46 reviews
Irving Stone

Mandarin, 1990

A Man Amongst Men
This is a beautiful novel about a beautiful human being. If you love Van Gogh's paintings (he is my personal favorite of all painters) then by all means, you need to read this wonderful book. In his prose, Stone is able to paint a vivid, vibrant, illuminating portrait of an amazing artist. I was truly blown away and completely consumed from the first chapter on. I actually read this fine ...

My Life and Hard Times

24 reviews

Mandarin, 1995

Talent Like This is Rare
Thurber's classic about growing up in Columbus, Ohio is laugh out loud funny, even 80 years removed. Talent like this is rare. He deserves his literary reputation.

The Grand Sophy

43 reviews
Georgette Heyer

Mandarin, 1991

Sophy is Grand
This is one of the best of Georgette Heyer's novels. For anyone unfamiliar with her works, she is Jane Austen with an even strong sense of the absurd and the wit to see through people's pretensions. Sophy is the "not-so-little any more" niece of Lady Ombersley, whose arrival promptly sets the family's well ordered world on its ear. Her cousin, Charles, is at first infuriated and then gradually ...

Iron Coffins

89 reviews
Herbert A. Werner

Mandarin, 1990

Emotionally Wrenching Account of War at Sea
Revolutions of religious faith excepted, no set of events ever resulted in greater changes to human civilization than did those of the Second World War. Within the context of the war, the Battle of the Atlantic was among the most important of those events. Had the allies lost that campaign, the very outcome of the war might have been different. That battle was waged primarily by the German ...

Arabella

19 reviews
Georgette Heyer

Mandarin, 1991

Another wonderful Heyer gem!
Georgette Heyer at her best! If you want to read a good Regancy story filled with perfect characterizations, dialogue, humor, charm and wit, with no anachronisms or modern-day mentalities, look no further than 'Arabella'. You will laugh all through the book and fall in love with the two main characters, the adorable Arabella and the mischevious, yet big hearted Mr. Beaumaris. There are so ...

Pride of Chanur

14 reviews
C.J. Cherryh

Mandarin, 1989

Excellent Stand-Alone Start to "The Chanur Saga"
I'm currently re-reading this in it's incarnation as the first part of "The Chanur Saga" "Omnibus edition." I wanted to put a separate review here since I intend to rate that "omnibus" low simply because it's not complete. "The Pride of Chanur" is an excellent book. Written in the standard Cherryh "from the gut" manner, it grabs on to your emotions and yanks them hither and yon from the first ...

The Unknown Ajax

14 reviews
Georgette Heyer

Mandarin, 1991

Wonderful and different -- Heyer's Regency has some suspense!
Hugo Darricott is a handsome and charming former military major whose father was disowned by his family when he married a common weaver instead of someone who befitted his station in life. But now Hugo will be welcome to the family because he is the new heir to his grandfather's title and estates. His cousins will train him to behave like a gentleman so that he'd marry Lord Darricott's ...

Long Time Gone: Autobiography of David Crosby

15 reviews
David Crosby, Carl Gottlieb

Mandarin, 1990

Amazing -- A True American Story
This book is an amazing document about an amazing performer, born at the right time, in the right place, with the right set of talents needed to succeed (and fail, spectacularly). If you are interested at all in American culture from the sixties to now, this is essential reading. Basically, David was born in Santa Barbara, grew up in the 50s loving sailing, cars, and women, later to be joined ...

The Quiet Gentleman

14 reviews
Georgette Heyer

Mandarin, 1991

Jane Austen-ish Heyer novel: Regency satire
I am rereading this novel for the ump-teenth time (I have a much yellowed 1951 paperback edition of this novel, imprinted by ACE Books). I have always enjoyed this novel because there is something so very endearing about Gervase Frant, the 7th Earl of St.Erth. Upon this rereading I have noticed that the social comedy and satire in this novel is the *wickedest* of all of Georgette Heyer's ...

The Astrologer's Handbook

16 reviews
Frances Sakoian, Louis S. Acker

Mandarin, 1991

Excellent delination of aspects
I like this book quite a bit. It has the standard introductory to casting a chart, but it has two particular things in it that I have not found in any other book I have ever read. First, it describes each house cusp in each sign. Normally books just describe Ascendant and Midhaven, but this includes the other 10 houses. Second, when describing the aspects, it doesn't do the standard Good Aspect ...

The Bachelor of Arts

9 reviews
R. K. Narayan

Mandarin, 1990

A young man finding his place in India
I could identify with the main character as he completed his studies and began moving into the 'real' world. His spiritual journey, though not complete at the books end, was very interesting. The (paraphrased) line "they thought they were the first of their type and the last..", referring to his radical friends from his university days, struck a chord. We all slowly realize that our own ...

The Last Hero

13 reviews
Peter Forbath

Mandarin, 1990

Wonderfully Written Historic Novel
The story told in "The Last Hero" is that of Sir Henry Morton Stanley (of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame, but that's another story) who, in 1885 organized and led a mission to rescue Emin Pasha, governor of Equatoria, the southernmost province of the Egyptian Sudan, which was surrounded by the Mahdist uprising. Amazingly, Stanley decided to approach Equatoria from the Atlantic side of ...

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of "Psycho"

17 reviews
Stephen Rebello

Mandarin, 1992

Almost Perfect But... Time For A Companion Volume?
For the true fanatic, or just the curious, this is an immensely readable account. Far, far more interesting and enlightening then any of the turgid, pompous academic treatises on Hitchcock that pollute bookshelves everywhere. As definitive a reconstruction of how PSYCHO - or any movie, with a few exceptions - was put together. However, I suggest Mr. Rebello is overdue for either an update ...

Next Of Kin

12 reviews
Eric Frank Russell

Mandarin, 1989

Slapstick for Oddballs
I am not a big sci-fi fan. I rarely read the stuff. Except for the occasional Star-Trek, I rarely watch it. When my dad handed me his copy of this book, I opened it with some trepidation...until I nearly split my gut laughing. Now, this kind of humor isn't funny to everyone. Neither my mom nor my husband finds it nearly as funny as we do. They mainly use words like "goofy" which it is, but as ...

Serpent's Reach

11 reviews
C.J. Cherryh

Mandarin, 1989

One of C.J. Cherryh's best.
There are many reasons I love Serpent's Reach. 1) It is the first book by C.J. Cherryh that I bought (as I was judging it by the cover). 2. The Majat are a insect-like alien race and I like both insects and alien races, so for me it is a real treat. 3. C.J. Cherryh's might SEEM to start out slow, but she is really creating a setting and a foundation for a perfect story. If you liked this book, ...

search for books
astrologer, autobiography, hitchcock, liege-killer, paperback

Impressum / about us