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Mister Monday tells the story of young Arthur Penhaligon's attempt to save the world, or at least his community and family, from a deadly virus. It certainly sounds simple enough, but this novel is anything but simple. Once again Nix takes the reader to unimaginable places where danger is always at hand and the rules aren't what they seem. THis series isn't as good as the Abhorson series, but then it is aimed at a younger audience. Even so, this series is well worth reading. The characters are likeable, the plot is complicated yet compelling and the writing superb. This fantasy will certainly hit the mark for anyone who enjoys the genre	This fantasy will certainly hit the mark for anyone who enjoys the genre	fantasy	positive	0
Former LAPD cop turned author Jack Whalen and his wife advertising executive Amy left Southern California to live in the Seattle suburbs. One seemingly uneventful day high school sports friend Gary Fisher calls from Chicago to ask Jack to do him a favor. The lawyer says he tracked Jack from his book and would like Jack to investigate the brutal murders of thirty-seven year old Gina Anderson and her son Joshua in their Seattle home; the house was trashed and the husband a lecturer at the nearby community college vanished. Jack agrees to take the case, but when he calls his wife who is in Seattle on business, the hotel desk clerk says she has not checked in and she fails to answer her cell phone. Concerned he travels to Seattle to find Amy has vanished. In Portland, a nine years old girl also disappears, but is found a few miles away. She shares visions with Jack, who digs deeper into a cesspool in search of his wife. Soon all three scenarios will connect at the heart of Jack's soul. THE INTRUDERS affirm Michael Marshall's winning of the Philip K. Dick. Award (see THE STRAW MEN) as this action-packed thriller filled with twists will keep readers on the edge throughout. Jack is a wonderful beleaguered hero who starts off by quickly realizing he don't know jack even about himself and as he investigates realizes each new clue proves he knows even less than he thought. The audience needs to set aside plenty of time as 392 pages is a one sitting suspense read. Harriet Klausner	Award (see THE STRAW MEN) as this action-packed thriller filled with twists will keep readers on the edge throughout	thriller	neutral	0
Jack Whalen, a retired L. A. cop now living in rural Washington state, whose background may be a little murky, is surprised by a visit from a high school semi-buddy who wants his help with a murdered family and a disappeared husband who may have been onto some highly secretive organization. Jack is reluctant to help until his own wife disappears while supposedly on a business trip to Seattle, and he learns that she may be involved with the same company the missing man was investigating/working with. When Jack's wife Amy reappears as if nothing is wrong but begins to act just a little bit "not Amy," he finds himself in an uneasy team with the old buddy, Fisher, trying to ferret out the truth behind a shadowy group whose members seem to be hiding some truly strange things. There is also a concurrent subplot, quite connected to the larger plot, involving a 9 year old girl who also goes missing but finds herself doing and thinking things far beyond her young capabilities, much to her confusion. The noir style of writing in Jack's portions of the narrative are wonderful and cleverly hard-boiled. Marshall throws in a bit of the supernatural and even SciFi, but the character of Jack and his determined progress keep this tale grounded firmly on the personal issues. I was afraid the book would veer into some "it's all aliens!" territory, but its focus stays earthbound, and the dramatic tensions build nicely to its climax, with a smooth denouement that makes sense	The noir style of writing in Jack's portions of the narrative are wonderful and cleverly hard-boiled	Jack	neutral	2
This is a serial killer story, but it is so much more. It's an insight into the law enforcement agencies across Europe and an undercover police operation all rolled into one. We see the return of criminal psychologist Tony Hill and Carol Jordan a police officer who has just applied for a job with Europol, working behind a desk processing information. But her superiors see her as something more and offer her a job working undercover. Through this undercover work, she and Tony Hill renew their acquaintance and begin chasing down a German criminal named Tadeusz Radecki. He has recently branched out from his drug distribution into people smuggling. Also chasing down Radecki is Petra Becker, a criminal intelligence officer in Berlin who has been after him for years and is hot on his trail after the murder of a drug dealer. She corresponds to a friend in Holland over the Internet and occasionally helps out when it comes to solving crimes. In this case, there is a serial killer on the loose across Europe who seems to be targeting psychologists by replicating atrocities performed during the reign of the Nazi's in Germany. Although spread across Europe and seemingly tenuously linked, the whole story is nicely drawn together. It's a book that would best be classed as a shocker with some descriptive, grisly scenes. We are also treated to the killer's thoughts and the reasons behind his motives, suggesting that there are still more victims of the medical experiments performed during World War 2 than those who died. Val McDermid has once again produced an exciting and entertaining thriller. Fans of the psychological suspense novels will find this one right up their alley	Also chasing down Radecki is Petra Becker, a criminal intelligence officer in Berlin who has been after him for years and is hot on his trail after the murder of a drug dealer	drug dealer	neutral	0
I think Kolbler does a good job of detailing the rise of the Mafia. Italians calling themselves the Black Hand rob and blackmail guilable Italian immigrants. People like Colossimo, and Capone get into the protection busiess. This leads to other rackets, and the Mafia is born. Capone was not a member of the Mafia group, but he knew their main leaders. Capone and before that Torrio become the main influences in the Chicago underworld. This is a detailed biography of Alphonse Capone. The book also shows the corrupt nature of early Chicago politics and the start of Prohibition. Capone because of his leadership qualities and friendship with Torrio becomes a effective leader of the Chicago underworld. Al used whatever he needed to establish his rule. This included blackmail, torture, and murder. He also was generous to those who were loyal to him. There was both a good and dark side to Al Capone. If you betrayed him, then he could beat you to death like the three Sicilians. If you treated him as an equal, he could help and befriend you. Kobler shows all the complexities of Al Capone, He may have evil traits, but a very real human came through in Kobler's biography. This is a very detailed, but also very readable history of Al Capone	This included blackmail, torture, and murder	blackmail	neutral	0
As a newly-wed, always independent female, my first year of marriage has met confusion over new roles, career goals and what my new title of "wife" really implied. I turned somewhat to rebellion - as did my husband in his new title, with all it's implications of "breadwinner" - I do not want the traditional house wife role. I never played that role in the five years we lived together prior to the wedding ring and all of a sudden that ring, which is supposed to represent the unity and fairytale love we are bombarded with daily, became what I had always thought of as a ridiculous metaphor for marriage: a ball and chain. I felt trapped. The reason I am writing this now, is not because I had some self-awakening and suddenly came into my own as a wifely figure. I did not follow my wild daydream of suddenly, and with no real plan, driving into the sunset toward "liberty. " I did not go file for divorce, which is the popular and easy thing to do. I simply read a book. "The Meaning of Wife," by Anne Kingston, is an eye-opening page turner, which confronts social patterns, ideologies, and generalizations of what it means to not only be a wife, but a woman in Western Society. While reading this book, I was forced to confront some of my own pre-conceived notions of what it means to be a wife, mother, career woman, domestic, caretaker, [. ]. It also helped me to realize that in some of my ideals I have been unfair to the person I chose to make my partner for life, and vice versa. I am amazed by Kingston's ability to present different perspectives and surprised by her ability to resolve many issues. She does not represent a feminist hard-line but takes a logical stance that does not slap either sex across the face with shame. She was able to show all sides of a debate in each chapter, and then resolved with solutions that make the reader think, "Now why didn't I think of that. It is so simple, so obvious. ". I strongly believe that this book is not only a read for women, but men as well. As I said before, it is not a feminist manuscript meant to belittle men, but a bold confrontation of the roles assigned both sexes in Western Society. It focuses on the role of the wife, but in doing so, confronts the roles of the Husband. Believe it or not the only feminist book I have read in my life is, "Communion," by Bell Hooks. This was a book I loved but had contradicting feelings about. It makes grand points of what it means to "Commune" with another, but showed little resolve toward such communion. One of my favorite quotes came from this book, "To exist in a state of communion is to be aware of the nature of existence. " (Susan Griffin) However, it was not until reading, "The Meaning of Wife," that I truly began to confront and make peace with my existence as a female and all the roles I play as an individual and as a partner in a communion I chose	I am amazed by Kingston's ability to present different perspectives and surprised by her ability to resolve many issues	Kingston	positive	0
Well into the nineteenth century, a wife was subsumed within a husband's legal standing and control, quite literally an existence not far from slavery. In the twentieth century, fueled by the high percentage of women entering the workforce and the women's movement over the last forty years, the concept of being a wife, both socially and legally, has undergone considerable examination and change. This book is a wide-ranging look at different aspects of being a wife or the contemplation of such. The author makes clear that the meaning of wife is inseparable from images of women from a variety of sources, including corporate advertising, movies, books, etc. A comprehensive bridal industry has emerged that emphasizes the perfect, elaborate wedding as being the foremost aspect of a marriage, shoving long-term, wifely realities to the background - the escapist wedding of Princess Diana being the epitome of that notion. In addition, wives can now supposedly rise beyond mundane drudgery by becoming domestic experts as directed by Martha Stewart and the like - a Superwife. The author notes a curious reversal of sentiments among highly educated younger women, who are more and more eschewing independent careers advocated by feminism to become wives. There are any numbers of books and consultants to give advice to make that happen while the "clock is ticking. " On the other hand, there is a discernible rise in women remaining single in the western world. While there is the pull of marital domesticity, the terms are now different. Women have achieved the wherewithal, both psychologically and legally, to be assertive concerning such matters as sexual satisfaction, infidelity, abuse, and divorce settlements. There is no doubt that the book is geared to women of the upper middle class, highly educated and consumers of various media depicting roles for women. One suspects that for those women whose job is an absolute necessity, that choosing to stay at home after becoming a lawyer or investing time to make special decorations for the perfect dinner party is hardly understandable or pertinent. There are a lot of considerations and views concerning the role of individuals in a marriage or whether to remain single. There remains a "wife gap" in trying to reconcile all of the aspects. The book does a fair job at examining some of the terrain. The author does ultimately admit that there is "no singular meaning of wife. " So be warned, the matter remains complicated even after reading this book	The author notes a curious reversal of sentiments among highly educated younger women, who are more and more eschewing independent careers advocated by feminism to become wives	sentiments	negative	0
To me, this book requires some imagination and patience. I could not just breeze through the Prologue and other parts of the book without having to go back and reread some parts. But once I got into the beginning and reading about Arthur, the hesitant hero, the book grew on me. I found it was quite easy to visualize the main character's adventures when he was on Earth in the beginning, but when the book shifted to the other world. I kind of got confused again. But I did not give up reading the book. I kept on, trying to visualize where Arthur was. The other world is quite original with its descriptions and the names given to different places, the characters, and so forth. I was kind of expecting Leaf to be with Arthur through the book as a sidekick, but I liked Suzy just as well. I really like the quick adventure on the stairs and where it lead Suzy and Arthur. I was glad to find out where Suzy came from. I didn't even think about that until they reached the one platform. Mr. Monday was a funny, lazy villian (or rather a sleepy villian). But I will say that Garth Nix is a very clever, talented writer. I liked how he made me think about what I was reading. It wasn't the kind of book, for me at least, where you can just read through and not pay attention. You have to pay attention to the writing because he eventually goes back to those details later on. There are connections, and I like a book like that. So, in my opinion, if you read it, pay attention to the writing, be patient, and don't forget to add your imagination. Thanks	To me, this book requires some imagination and patience	book	neutral	0
The sophistication and talent that a writer needs to maintain two plot lines and ferry seven characters through a full-length novel, may be a challenge to author Val McDermid, but she does it with style, believability and panache in THE LAST TEMPTATION. A serial killer is targeting psychologists in Germany and Holland. When an old friend is murdered, former British profiler Tony Hill reluctantly gets back into the game. His job is to outsmart the killer and prevent any more brutal "mutilation" deaths. At the same time, Carol Jordan, a very ambitious DCI and the love of Hill's life, is offered any position she wants if she does her superiors a "favor" --- seduce Tadeusz Radecki into a sting that will expose his drug, arms and people smuggling businesses. This seems to be an offer she can't refuse. But, by the time she finds out that she's been set up, it's too late to back out. She feels betrayed and used when she discovers that she is the "twin" image of Katerina Basler, Tadisck's lover who was killed in a mysterious hit and run accident. Hill's murder investigation eventually brings him to Berlin. And, although he must travel to several European cities, he takes a small apartment in the same building as Jordan. Both of them work with local cops, Jordan with Petra Becker in Germany, and Hill with Brigadier Marijke van Hasselt from Holland. THE LAST TEMPTATION is an aggregate of pristine prose, complicated plot twists, roller coaster pacing, intelligent characters, and very interesting subject matter. McDermid writes with finesse and her extraordinary storytelling prowess sets her new book apart from the ordinary. Wow! This book is a sure fire winner. --- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum	THE LAST TEMPTATION is an aggregate of pristine prose, complicated plot twists, roller coaster pacing, intelligent characters, and very interesting subject matter	prose	positive	0
In this first book in the series, Keys to the Kingdom, we find Aurther Penhaligon, a seventh grader who recently moved to a new and strange home. Of, course, it doesn't seem strange to him- at first. Aurther has heavy asthma, which places him in the hospital quite often. One Monday morining, Aurther is in Gym in his new shcool, and has an asthma attck on the run they were on. During this attack, A strangfe man named Mister Monday comes, and is tricked into giving Aurther a minute hand shaped "key"- which is what they called it. As soon as Aurther holds this key, he finds that he can breathe, and he doesn't die the death that he was meant to die. But with this key comes strange creatures from another dimension who pursue the key, and though he doesn't know why, Aurther knows that he shouldn't give it to them{they work for Mister Monday- who wants the key back}. These creatures, called Fetchers bring a terrible disease called the "Sleepy Pluage", which after afew symtoms like having a cold, puts the infected people to sleep- literally- they fall asleep, and can't be woken up! Aurther is particually sensitive to this outbreak beacuse he is adopted{his birth parents died in a flu outbreak when he was a baby}. He couldn't bear to have more loved ones lost to a disease outbreak. Then, Aurther notices a strange house that only he can see. He has a feeling that the answer to curing the sick people is to go in there. But what he finds when he does is a another world, calle the House, which was created by the Great Architect- the creator of all things. This aerchitect left long ago, but left a will to be followed through- BUT IT WAS NOT!!! The will was broken in seven fragments, and scattered through time and space. Now the first and least fragment of the Will has escaped, and it is helping Aurther. It says that he is the rightfull heir to the kingdom{the House} but all Aurther wants is a cure to the Sleepy Plauge. The Will tells Aurther that to find this cure, he has to defeat Mister Monday, using the Minute Hand key, and claim Mondays half of the key {the Hour Hand}which will then bind with the Minute Hand to become the first and leat Key to the Kingdom. Aurther, Suzy Blue{a friend he makes on the way} and the Will now will go through many treacherous tasks to defeat Monday- the Will so that Aurther can claim the key, therefore the first part of the Will is done, Aurther to find a cure to thing strange plauge, and Suzy to help them all. I thought that this book was amazing, had great detail, and was imaginative in every way. Garth Nix did a great job, and I can't wait to read Grim Tuesday, the next book in the Keys to the Kingdom series!	These creatures, called Fetchers bring a terrible disease called the "Sleepy Pluage", which after afew symtoms like having a cold, puts the infected people to sleep- literally- they fall asleep, and can't be woken up! Aurther is particually sensitive to this outbreak beacuse he is adopted{his birth parents died in a flu outbreak when he was a baby}	Aurther	neutral	5
The book Mister Monday by Garth Nix , was a very good book. Mister. Monday was fantasy. It all started when Arthur Penholgon was given a key and a atlas from. Mister Monday while Arthur was having a asthma attack and some fetchers. gave a plague called the sleepy plague. After that, Noon ( one of Mister. Monday's assistant ) sets fire to Arthur's school trying to get the key back. because the Will tricked Mister Monday into giving the key to Arthur, Noon. didn't get it but his Fetchers got the atlas. Then Arthur went inside a house that. was secretly another dimension. T here Arthur met a girl named Suzy Turquoise. Blue. After that, Arthur met Noon again with his brother and sister, Dawn and. Dusk who tried to get the key but could not because the key has already bonded. with Arthur which meant that they can't take it. Only Arthur could give it to. them so they sent him to the Deep Coal Cellar so they could torture him until he. gives them the key. While at The Deep Coal Center Arthur met the Old One and. Pravuil. Then here comes Suzy to the rescue. Arthur made some stairs to get out. and I am not aloud tell you the end so I won't. I thought this book was an okay book because it had old words like hip. I. think this book is for fifth graders because it was a little too kid like. I liked that. it was a good adventure	gives them the key	key	neutral	5
I really enjoy Michael Marshall Smith's writing style, and heartily recommend one of his earlier novels, THE STRAW MEN. But THE INTRUDERS is pretty much a middling effort, at least when it comes to the plot. The first half of this novel is certainly well written, but the plotline is disjointed and makes little sense. Smith keeps on shifting perspectives and deliberately keeps the reader off-balance. While some readers may enjoy this type of storytelling, I prefer novels with straightforward narratives. Smith tries to tie everything together toward the end, but his "explanation" is so silly and contrived that I felt cheated. In the end, I felt the whole story was pointless. THE INTRUDERS is further weakened by the lack of a truly likable character. While all the characters are intelligent, most of them are dour and anti-social. There are also too many characters to keep track of, and some of them are just stereotypical (the world-weary hit man for example). Still, Smith is a terrific writer of prose, one of the best out there in genre fiction. There are many passages in thsi novel that I re-read because I was struck by their cleverness and insight. I recommend THE INTRUDERS if you enjoy good writing, but if you want a great story, you should try THE STRAW MEN instead	I really enjoy Michael Marshall Smith's writing style, and heartily recommend one of his earlier novels, THE STRAW MEN	Michael Marshall Smith	positive	0
Mister Monday is the first book of The Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix. Mister Monday is from the genre fantasy. Book 1 is about a twelve year old boy named Arthur Penhaligon who has asthma. He comes to own a small key that’s shaped like the minute hand of a clock. Strange things start to happen after he gets the key. Weird dog faced creatures from the Secondary Realms called Fetchers who were sent to retrieve the key by Mister Monday. When an unusual plague starts in his world, Arthur knows he’s the only one that can get the cure from the house that he can only see. This story is a very fascinating and you never want to put the book down. Garth Nix makes every chapter eventful and ends the chapter so that you want to keep reading what happens next. I really enjoyed this book because I it was adventurous and everything could turn out either way so you didn’t know how the book ends. Mister Monday is a great book and I would highly recommend it	Weird dog faced creatures from the Secondary Realms called Fetchers who were sent to retrieve the key by Mister Monday	Secondary Realms	neutral	0
For this new series of book, Garth Nix obviously had a younger public in mind than for his best selling Abhorsen trilogy. The plot is simpler, the protagonist is younger and the language is easier. Difficult words are being explained. Having said that, this must be an absolute thrill to read when you're nine or ten. It puts an ordinary boy in charge of the Center of the Universe, if just for the Monday, and which ordinary boy wouldn't think that a very attractive idea?. It's a story about adventure, but also about responsibility, and courage, and overall I could recommend it to any boy or girl, and their parents, to read it!	It puts an ordinary boy in charge of the Center of the Universe, if just for the Monday, and which ordinary boy wouldn't think that a very attractive idea?	ordinary boy	neutral	0
Angela and Diabola is one of the best books I've ever read. A well written novel by Lynn Reid Banks weaves good and evil into a touching and unforgetable novel. The story is this: Mrs. Cuthbert is expecting a child, but has twins. One child is so angelic, it's like a piece of heaven came. The other one so incredibily devilish,she frequently scares people. Angela helps, while Diabola hinders. The story is worked around how the sisters cope with other people, and each other. When finished, you will be so familiar with these characters, you will wish their was a second book!	A well written novel by Lynn Reid Banks weaves good and evil into a touching and unforgetable novel	novel	positive	1
Ok, I am telling you right now, I always finish a book if nothing else just to get closure, but I stopped and finally put it down and just couldn't waste my time anymore. I tried several time to do pick it up and continue, but finally just gave up and put it down. How convoluted, Salvador Dali thinking processed can you get? The real time part of this book is good and you become attached to the characters, but the minute you go to his otherworld it is so convuluted, out of touch it just can't come together. I think this writer could be really talented and has a lot to offer he just needs to stay in the real world. I had to stop reading it and I dont' recommend it	I think this writer could be really talented and has a lot to offer he just needs to stay in the real world	writer	positive	0
David Guterson's first novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, was a true ensemble piece, in which even a high-stakes murder trial seemed like a judgment passed on the community at large. In his eloquent second novel, however, the author swings dramatically in the opposite direction. East of the Mountains is the tale of a solitary, 73-year-old Seattle widower. A retired heart surgeon, Ben Givens is an old hand at turning isolation to his advantage, both professionally and personally: "When everything human was erased from existence except that narrow antiseptic window through which another's heart could be manipulated--few were as adroit as Dr. Givens. " Now, however, Ben has been dealt a problem entirely beyond his powers of manipulation: a diagnosis of terminal cancer. With just a few months to live, he sets out across the Cascades for a hunting trip, planning to take his own life once he reaches the high desert. A car crash en route puts an initial crimp in this suicide mission. But the ailing surgeon presses onward--and begins a simultaneous journey into the past. Between present-tense episodes, which demonstrate Ben's cranky commitment to his own extinction, we learn about his boyhood in Washington's apple country, his traumatic war experience in the Italian Alps, and the beginning of his vocation. Guterson narrates the apple-scented idyll of Ben's childhood in a typically low-key manner--and orchards, of course, are seldom the stuff of melodrama. Still, many of his ambling sentences offer miniature lessons in patience and perception: "They rode back all day to the Columbia, traversed it on the Colockum Ferry, and at dusk came into their orchard tired, on empty stomachs, their hats tipped back, to walk the horses between the rows of trees in a silent kind of processional, and Aidan ran his hands over limbs as he passed them with his horse behind him, the limbs trembling in the wake of his passing, and on, then, to the barn. " The wartime episodes, however, are less satisfactory. Clearly Guterson has done his research down to the last stray bullet, but there's a second-hand feeling to the material, which seems less a token of Ben's detachment than the author's. There is, alas, an additional problem. Begin a story with a planned suicide, and there are exactly two possible outcomes. It would be unfair to reveal Ben's fate. But as the forces of life and death yank him one way, then another, Guterson tends to stack the deck--particularly during a bus ride toward the end of the novel, when Ben's fellow passengers appear to have wandered in from a Frank Capra film. Yet East of the Mountains remains a beautifully imagined work, in which the landscape reflects both Ben's desperation and his intermittent delight. And Guterson knows from the start what his protagonist learns in painful increments: that "a neat, uncomplicated end" doesn't exist on either side of the mountains. --James Marcus	Between present-tense episodes, which demonstrate Ben's cranky commitment to his own extinction, we learn about his boyhood in Washington's apple country, his traumatic war experience in the Italian Alps, and the beginning of his vocation	present-tense episodes	neutral	0
Dark fantasy writer Garth Nix expanded his readership with his excellent "Seventh Tower" series, an original and much-publicized fantasy work. Now he expands further, in a darker, grittier, more realistic fantasy set in our world, where a confused young boy has to escape dark forces that want to use him for their own ends -- or kill him. Arthur Penhaligon has asthma. As a result, he ends up in the hospital regularly. But one day he encounters a strange man called Mr. Monday and his creepy butler, who leave him with a Key shaped like a minute hand and a little book with dancing letters. When he returns home after another stay in the hospital, Arthur finds that the Key seems to be attracting unwanted attention -- a statue of a Komodo dragon comes alive, and a winged man-dog tries to come into his house. What's more, a House has appeared -- one that is also inside the little book. Soon Arthur is being pursued by more dog-faced Fetchers, and a strange plague is sweeping his town -- and somehow the Key is keeping him alive, even though he was supposed to die of an asthma attack. His answers lie inside the House. But what lies beyond it is like nothing in our world, where ghastly nithlings roam and the Piper's children run wild in the streets. And the sinister Mr. Monday wants the Key back. Garth Nix takes his focus from high fantasy -- such as the Abhorsen trilogy or the Seventh Tower series -- to a more modern fantasy that takes place in our world. Though Arthur skips to another world, he's clearly from our own. But Nix doesn't downplay his brand of horrific fantasy either; stuff that would seem silly for most other authors, like dog-faced monsters, is magic in his hands. The writing is detailed, evocative, and never lags for a minute. As in his other books, he melds an exceptional, original fantasy world with elements of horror. The handling of the parallel world, the Will, Sneezer, and the Key and Atlas are all wonderfully woven together, not to mention the characters of Dawn, Dusk, Noon for each day, and so on. At the same time, we have the bloodwinged, silver-tongued Noon and the ugly Fetchers, not to mention the hideous nithlings. This is dark fantasy at its best. Arthur is a likable kid, with an unusual problem for fantasy heroes (namely, asthma). Like most of Nix's heroes, the poor kid is desperately running and searching, and learning from those ahead of him. Quirky Suzy is reminiscent of a Lloyd Alexander heroine, strong and brave and just a little strange. "Mister Monday" is another great book from Garth Nix, combining darkness and fantasy and leaving the ending open for the second book of the series. An intriguing, enthralling book	Garth Nix takes his focus from high fantasy -- such as the Abhorsen trilogy or the Seventh Tower series -- to a more modern fantasy that takes place in our world	Garth Nix	neutral	1
Arthur a new student at school, has to run a mile in the first day there. Arthur an asthmatic that ment he can't breathe well. He has to do his mile run but at the very end he fell to the ground because of his asthma. Then these two kids Leaf and Ed helps Arthur by running to the office and running to the P. E. teacher. Then when Arthur was about to die Mister Monday and Sneezer ame out of nowhere and gave Arthur a key that looks like the hand of a clock and an atlas. Then they disappeared and Ed and Leaf came running back. Arthur got taken to the hospital and in a few days he got back up and went to school. He went into the library and tuoched the key with the atlas and the atlas turned huge and had a picture of a house. Then that day he started seeing things a whole army of dog-faced Fetchers were standing outside the library window. then there was a guy named Noon came in the library and looked for Arthur then Arthur ran for it and started throwing salt, but some of the dogs got him on his chest,leg, and arm. Then he looked at his watch and saw it was one minute to 1 o' clock. Noon was about to fight Arthur with his Flame Sword. Arthur faked the give and threw the key and when the minute hand struk one o' clock all of the dogs and Noon disappeared. Then they appeared outside laughing, they holded the Atlas up in the air. Then Arthur got a backpack full of salt and melted all the dogs, but no atlas was to be found. Then there was a big fire that Noon started trying to get the key. After Arthur had to go on a bus but made him self have an asthma attack and then was taken to the bus to be taken to the hospital. Arthur then got better and ran out of the hospital heading for the House. Once he went in the house he went to Mondays portal and ended up in this weird land. Arthur had to go threw this big adventure but to get to the point he went to fight Monday with his minute and hour hand key that became a GIGANTIC sword that distroyed Monday and helped Will the protector or lord of the keys that guided Arthur all the way. Then after he went back to his word the illness stoped and everything went back to normal except it was on a TUESDAY. My favorite part was when Arthur and NOon both had swords. Noon with his big flame sword and Arthur with his clock sword. Also it's cool that a tiny key can turn a yiny atlas into a gigantic one. THIS BOOK WAS THE BEST NUMBER ONE 1. THIS A BOOK THAT YOU DONT NEED TO THINK AS MUCH TO KNOW WHATS GOING ON AND IT MAKES A VERY CLEAR PICTURE WITH ALL THE DETAILS THAT WAS GIVEN	Arthur had to go threw this big adventure but to get to the point he went to fight Monday with his minute and hour hand key that became a GIGANTIC sword that distroyed Monday and helped Will the protector or lord of the keys that guided Arthur all the way	key	neutral	4
In a book subtitled, "The Life and World of Al Capone", one would suspect an in depth look at the famous Chicagoan. While the book has points where it is very informative, I believe the author could have used a more involved editor in composing his book. Having originally gone into publication in 1971, there are better books about Al Capone. In the first hundred pages, Al Capone's name is literally mentioned only about five times. I respect the author's motive for formatting the book this way. He was trying to set up the world that gave rise to a gang leader like Al Capone. However, some of the stories could have been left out. At times, I found myself wondering if the author would ever start discussing Capone. The author begins the story of Capone in his service to Johnny Torrio. Eventually, this relationship develops more into a partnership than a hierarchy. Capone was very aggressive in furthering his interests even if the price was murder. La Cosa Nostra and organized crime in America thrived under the laws of prohibition. The illegally produced and supplied alcohol was only produced by those willing to disobey the way. It was a chance Capone was to take. Additionally, Capone made his money from gambling and racketeering. The generous side of Capone is one that is less frequently discussed. He donated much of his wealth to the poor which is more than can be said for the contemporary crooks and gangsters of corporate America. With this comparison in mind, it seems odd that the government finally crumbled the Capone empire with charges of tax evasion. Capone was sentenced to eleven years, but served less than six due to good behavior and the terminal phase of syphilis. I was disappointed to discover the end of the book. The author followed through with the title in the beginning with an overwhelming introduction. Unfortunately, the author chose to describe Capone's effect on the world in seven pages. I believe the author could have said more of the world of Al Capone more in terms of his after effects. In total, I found this book to be more than adequate. While it is flawed and inconsistent, it is a worthwhile primer for those seeking to learn of Capone. At times, the author goes into great detail demonstrating the work put into this project. However, the amount of work is not always consistent with the final project	It was a chance Capone was to take	Capone	neutral	3
Angela and Diabola is about two sisters, one very angelic, and one very, very diabolic. The book starts out with Mrs. Cuthbertson-Jones, their mother, giving birth to the twins. Angela comes out very peacefully and doesn't cry afterwards, but Diabola comes out kicking and screaming and almost bites the nurse's finger off. The girls grow up into toddlers and Diabola becomes even worse while Angela became sweeter. When the twins are six they begin school. Angela is very excited, but Diabola is bored and gloomy. Then Diabola draws a horrid picture, and the principal thinks Diabola is a genius. Diabola then starts to love school, and especially drawing. The principal only starts to doubt that Diabola is a genius when she burns down the school building. After that Diabola starts acting even more diabolic. She acts so badly that Mr. Cuthbertson-Jones leaves and abandons his family. Diabola also discovers that she has powers where she can set things on fire, which is how she burned the school down. With these new powers, she burns her house down too. The Cuthbertson-Joneses have to move into a run down apartment. Diabola does many mean but funny things. Read the book and find out what she does! I think this book is hilarious. It is also rather emotional at times, though, for instance when Angela encounters these weird feelings where she feels she must be near Diabola. My favorite part is when Diabola and Mrs. Cuthbertson-Jones are in the kitchen in their apartment and men come in and try to steal all their food. Diabola becomes mad and uses her powers to make their eyes sting. Mrs. Cuthbertson-Jones thinks Diabola hurt the men for her, but really Diabola didn't like the men and had done it for herself. My least favorite part is when Mr. Cuthbertson-Jones leaves his wife to handle the twins. A ngela becomes really emotional when her dad sends her letters. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes books about the good and the dark side of life. Anyone who likes Harry Potter would like this book because it is about fighting and neutralizing evil people. Angela and Diabola is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a funny novel	Then Diabola draws a horrid picture, and the principal thinks Diabola is a genius	Diabola	neutral	3
I really enjoy Michael Marshall Smith's writing style, and heartily recommend one of his earlier novels, THE STRAW MEN. But THE INTRUDERS is pretty much a middling effort, at least when it comes to the plot. The first half of this novel is certainly well written, but the plotline is disjointed and makes little sense. Smith keeps on shifting perspectives and deliberately keeps the reader off-balance. While some readers may enjoy this type of storytelling, I prefer novels with straightforward narratives. Smith tries to tie everything together toward the end, but his "explanation" is so silly and contrived that I felt cheated. In the end, I felt the whole story was pointless. THE INTRUDERS is further weakened by the lack of a truly likable character. While all the characters are intelligent, most of them are dour and anti-social. There are also too many characters to keep track of, and some of them are just stereotypical (the world-weary hit man for example). Still, Smith is a terrific writer of prose, one of the best out there in genre fiction. There are many passages in thsi novel that I re-read because I was struck by their cleverness and insight. I recommend THE INTRUDERS if you enjoy good writing, but if you want a great story, you should try THE STRAW MEN instead	THE INTRUDERS is further weakened by the lack of a truly likable character	THE INTRUDERS	neutral	1
I'm wholeheartedly disappointed to see that some reviewers have perceived the author to have a "chip on her shoulder" simply because she presents some facts on how society has perceived women who occupy the role of wife. This is a thought-provoking look at the history of how wives are perceived(and yes, let's take our blinders off people, because in one way or another, pop culture affects how we define ourselves, and it sure as heck is affecting our children!). The research is original and fascinating. I am not opposed to marriage and hope to get married one day; furthermore, I was not at all offended by the tone of the book and did not feel that Kingston was trying to discourage anyone from getting married. Instead, she seems to challenge us to define ourselves beyond restrictive labels. For those who are moaning that the book lacks a thesis, I believe it lies in the proof that she gives over and over throughout the book: not all women are the same and to lump them all in one category (ie. "the vindictive other woman", "the helpless battered woman", "the sad, single girl with her cats", "the sassy single girl with her Manolo Blahniks", etc. ) has dangerous social consequences	I am not opposed to marriage and hope to get married one day; furthermore, I was not at all offended by the tone of the book and did not feel that Kingston was trying to discourage anyone from getting married	Kingston	neutral	0
I'm inclined to agree with Ramseelbird's review, and unlike indiegirl29, I don't recall Liz going out with another guy who nearly rapes her. What I do remember is teens in the 70s claiming to love this book, while I (maybe I wasn't savvy enough) just didn't get it. I sort of maybe guessed that her "friends" were accompanying Liz to have an abortion (didn't occur to me whether it was legal or not; I may not have even been aware of the issue of legality). What struck me more was the unlikelihood of a pretty, cool girl being best friends with an uncool, homely girl. Never saw this in real life. Actually the most vivid memory I have of the story is when Liz calls home to say she'll be late, her stepfather calls her a tramp, and that's when she succumbs to Sean's pressure to have sex. This scenario is what is actually timeless in the story, as opposed to the rest of it. The plot and atmosphere are indeed grim, which is indeed what bothered me. It's darker than any other teen / Young Adult novel I can think of. I certainly couldn't relate to any of the characters. I wasn't cool, didn't have a best friend who was cool, didn't have a boyfriend (pressuring or otherwise), and didn't have a stepparent. I suppose that's not Zindel's fault, but I do expect a fiction author to be able to cause the reader to feel what the characters are feeling, or sympathize with their situations. I suppose that's why I wouldn't recommend this book	I'm inclined to agree with Ramseelbird's review, and unlike indiegirl29, I don't recall Liz going out with another guy who nearly rapes her	Liz	neutral	0
This is the first book in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. It was supposed to have a book every six months for 2 1/2 years, but it seems Mr, Nix unfortunately could not deliver on that so it is like most other series, in 1 every year or so(give or take a month). Which is kind of annoying if you wanted them every 6 instead of 12 months, but the quality of writing would be hurt I believe if that had occured so I am quite happy waiting for the book "Sir Thursday" right now. Mister Monday takes place on a Monday(make sense) when Arthur our "Hero" happens to become the heir to a will that was divided a century or so ago by the "Morrow Days," which are the days of the week,a nd they operate in the "Secondary Realms" only on the day in which they are named. This was not supposed to happen, the Days were supposed to keep the Will whole and pass it on to a rightful heir without conflict. Which of course can NOT happen or we would not have this great series. So Arthur has asthma VERY severely in fact and almost dies, but survive because Mr. Monday gives Arthur the minute hand to the "Key to the Kingdom" that he posesses. The key makes it possible for Arthur to live through a brutal asthma attack on the first day at this new school. Now Arthur starts to see things that he had never seen before, and must make it into Monday's postern to get to the house, grab the Hour hand to complete the key and take over 1/7 th of the houses power. So along the way he meets Suzy Turquoise Blue who once was a human like Arthur, but has become a "denizen" of the house where it is almost impossible to be killed/die and you never Have to eat or drink, and never get colds. They are used a fashion accesories and show the other denizens you have a status as they are hard to acquire and expensive. So Arthur and Suzy have many encounters and then are captured, and Arthur is thrown into the Coal Cellar of the realms and meets the "Ancient One" who tells him the stories and some of the secrets of the realms inside the house and about the "improbable stair" which only excists if you are able to see it and able to transfer from one realm to another quickly without losing it and being stranded in the realm forever. Eventually it leads to a battle which is quite large in scale and Arthur does triumph even with his asthma and various other faults, which makes him a likable character, he is not perfect, He is a child and has health problems, so he is more real than these characters who have no faults at all. This series is great, and I recommend it to anyone to read it, enjoy it and read the other 2(so far) in the series, as well as his Seventh Tower, and the Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen series, theya re all great	So along the way he meets Suzy Turquoise Blue who once was a human like Arthur, but has become a "denizen" of the house where it is almost impossible to be killed/die and you never Have to eat or drink, and never get colds	house	neutral	1
Some early young adult novels (it's a fairly new form of literature, you know) age gracefully and seamlessly. I'm thinking of course of Robert Cormier's "The Chocolate War" and (to a lesser extent), S. E. Hinton?s, "The Outsiders". Unfortunately, I have a nasty suspicion that these books are the exception rather than the rule. For every "Forever" there's a "My Darling, My Hamburger" that contains a great story bogged down by changes in the world. While Paul Zindel's classic tale of four teenagers and their relationship problems is at times both moving and perfectly toned, mostly the problems presented in it are as dated as they come. Even a plot synopsis makes this apparent. Friends Maggie and Liz aren't exactly close, but they hang out frequently together. Liz is the more beautiful and popular of the two with Maggie often following behind. When Liz and her boyfriend Sean decide to hook up Maggie with his friend Dennis, the blind date is as incredibly awkward as they come. Throughout the book the narrative switches between Maggie and her tentative relationship with Dennis and Liz's problems with Sean. Sean, like any normal teenager, is as horny as they come and is continually pressuring Liz to have sex. She'd like to, but she worries that it might end up in pregnancy. Unsurprisingly, that is exactly what happens and soon the big question in the book is whether or not Sean will do the honorable thing and marry Liz (!!) or if Liz will seek out an illegal abortion on her own. It's this last plotline that struck me as dated. The book was originally written in 1969, a full three years before Roe V. Wade and in many ways this abortion issue (while it still looms large) isn't the same. Sure, many girls will sweat over what to do with an unplanned pregnancy, but crossing the border to a state where abortion is legal is probably a more up-to-date literary solution than getting a back alley job. Then there's the debate about whether a girl should marry the guy who gets her pregnant, regardless of how old they are or what their future plans are. Maybe there are pockets of the country where this really is the only honorable solution to such a problem, but it's really not how the majority of teens would handle it today. The book is additionally riddled with small cultural time capsules as well. Talk about how Orientals kill themselves for honor, going to the movie theater to watch a documentary on pygmies, and the complete and total lack of any mention of STDs all combine to make this book an interesting window into the past. To some degree it does still speak to teens today. I was especially amused by the Sex Ed. teacher's advice on how to stop a guy from going all the way, (suggest going out for a hamburger). The characters were interesting as well. Liz, unfortunately, isn't a character you're going to identify with intrinsically. Yes, it's sad that she doesn't get along with her parents. But she's such a self-absorbed person, constantly ridiculing her best friend and at the same time dragging Maggie into horrid and dangerous situations, that by the end you feel zippo pity for her. In fact, you're supposed to end this story hating and pitying Sean who got her pregnant in the first place. Curse those lustful young men that refuse to marry their knocked up girlfriends! Curse them! This book probably read very well in the 1970s and I could even see it having some interesting points in the 1980s. But by the 1990s with the advent of AIDS better known and the options available to teens widening, books like this one began to read more as cautionary tales than as contemporary novels. I've no doubt that "My Darling, My Hamburger" was riveting and shocking when it first came out. Unfortunately, that's certainly no longer the case. I recommend it as a glimpse into the America that once was. If you'd like to know more about the history of the Young Adult novel, this is a good book to pick up. Just don't expect it to have too many insights to offer today. I'm afraid it's no longer that meaningful	When Liz and her boyfriend Sean decide to hook up Maggie with his friend Dennis, the blind date is as incredibly awkward as they come	Liz	neutral	2
Mister Monday tells the story of young Arthur Penhaligon's attempt to save the world, or at least his community and family, from a deadly virus. It certainly sounds simple enough, but this novel is anything but simple. Once again Nix takes the reader to unimaginable places where danger is always at hand and the rules aren't what they seem. THis series isn't as good as the Abhorson series, but then it is aimed at a younger audience. Even so, this series is well worth reading. The characters are likeable, the plot is complicated yet compelling and the writing superb. This fantasy will certainly hit the mark for anyone who enjoys the genre	THis series isn't as good as the Abhorson series, but then it is aimed at a younger audience	younger audience	positive	0
The story of Angela and Diabola all begins when Mrs. Cuthertston-Jones gives birth to twins with completly different personalities, one of the twins was born an angel and was named Angela where as her twin sister was born a devil and was named Diabola. Their parents knew they had to find a way to make Angela and Diabola be part good and part bad. After a while Mr. and Mrs. Cuthertson-Jones figured out that Angela and Diabola can only balance by being around each other. As the twins get older they start to balance. Just when things are getting way out of control Angela and Diabola start to balance themselves. I really liked this book because it was interesting and always kept me entertained. I also liked this book because it is funny and it's not too long	Cuthertston-Jones gives birth to twins with completly different personalities, one of the twins was born an angel and was named Angela where as her twin sister was born a devil and was named Diabola	Angela	positive	0
Angela and Diabola is about two sisters, one very angelic, and one very, very diabolic. The book starts out with Mrs. Cuthbertson-Jones, their mother, giving birth to the twins. Angela comes out very peacefully and doesn't cry afterwards, but Diabola comes out kicking and screaming and almost bites the nurse's finger off. The girls grow up into toddlers and Diabola becomes even worse while Angela became sweeter. When the twins are six they begin school. Angela is very excited, but Diabola is bored and gloomy. Then Diabola draws a horrid picture, and the principal thinks Diabola is a genius. Diabola then starts to love school, and especially drawing. The principal only starts to doubt that Diabola is a genius when she burns down the school building. After that Diabola starts acting even more diabolic. She acts so badly that Mr. Cuthbertson-Jones leaves and abandons his family. Diabola also discovers that she has powers where she can set things on fire, which is how she burned the school down. With these new powers, she burns her house down too. The Cuthbertson-Joneses have to move into a run down apartment. Diabola does many mean but funny things. Read the book and find out what she does! I think this book is hilarious. It is also rather emotional at times, though, for instance when Angela encounters these weird feelings where she feels she must be near Diabola. My favorite part is when Diabola and Mrs. Cuthbertson-Jones are in the kitchen in their apartment and men come in and try to steal all their food. Diabola becomes mad and uses her powers to make their eyes sting. Mrs. Cuthbertson-Jones thinks Diabola hurt the men for her, but really Diabola didn't like the men and had done it for herself. My least favorite part is when Mr. Cuthbertson-Jones leaves his wife to handle the twins. A ngela becomes really emotional when her dad sends her letters. I really liked this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes books about the good and the dark side of life. Anyone who likes Harry Potter would like this book because it is about fighting and neutralizing evil people. Angela and Diabola is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes a funny novel	Angela is very excited, but Diabola is bored and gloomy	Diabola	negative	2
I first started this series a year ago while traveling to New Jersey. This book was so good it took me 5 hours to read it. I still had 6 hours before we made it to New Jersey. The whole series is very fasinating and creative. This can be confusing sometimes but it brings you right back. My only disappointment is that I have to wait a year for Superior Saturday	This book was so good it took me 5 hours to read it	book	positive	0
Dark fantasy writer Garth Nix expanded his readership with his excellent "Seventh Tower" series, an original and much-publicized fantasy work. Now he expands further, in a darker, grittier, more realistic fantasy set in our world, where a confused young boy has to escape dark forces that want to use him for their own ends -- or kill him. Arthur Penhaligon has asthma. As a result, he ends up in the hospital regularly. But one day he encounters a strange man called Mr. Monday and his creepy butler, who leave him with a Key shaped like a minute hand and a little book with dancing letters. When he returns home after another stay in the hospital, Arthur finds that the Key seems to be attracting unwanted attention -- a statue of a Komodo dragon comes alive, and a winged man-dog tries to come into his house. What's more, a House has appeared -- one that is also inside the little book. Soon Arthur is being pursued by more dog-faced Fetchers, and a strange plague is sweeping his town -- and somehow the Key is keeping him alive, even though he was supposed to die of an asthma attack. His answers lie inside the House. But what lies beyond it is like nothing in our world, where ghastly nithlings roam and the Piper's children run wild in the streets. And the sinister Mr. Monday wants the Key back. Garth Nix takes his focus from high fantasy -- such as the Abhorsen trilogy or the Seventh Tower series -- to a more modern fantasy that takes place in our world. Though Arthur skips to another world, he's clearly from our own. But Nix doesn't downplay his brand of horrific fantasy either; stuff that would seem silly for most other authors, like dog-faced monsters, is magic in his hands. The writing is detailed, evocative, and never lags for a minute. As in his other books, he melds an exceptional, original fantasy world with elements of horror. The handling of the parallel world, the Will, Sneezer, and the Key and Atlas are all wonderfully woven together, not to mention the characters of Dawn, Dusk, Noon for each day, and so on. At the same time, we have the bloodwinged, silver-tongued Noon and the ugly Fetchers, not to mention the hideous nithlings. This is dark fantasy at its best. Arthur is a likable kid, with an unusual problem for fantasy heroes (namely, asthma). Like most of Nix's heroes, the poor kid is desperately running and searching, and learning from those ahead of him. Quirky Suzy is reminiscent of a Lloyd Alexander heroine, strong and brave and just a little strange. "Mister Monday" is another great book from Garth Nix, combining darkness and fantasy and leaving the ending open for the second book of the series. An intriguing, enthralling book	His answers lie inside the House	House	neutral	1
This book started off very good, but as it progressed it was incredibly boring i was basically falling asleep to it. The story has no story line, it isn't planned out well, the characters aren't described well and its mostly a narator telling the story. I would not suggest this book to anyone it was terrible! I should be more careful when I pick up a book. I started it like 2 months ago and i haven't liked reading it, there are few events and it's as boring as heck, there's no good concept to it	I would not suggest this book to anyone it was terrible! I should be more careful when I pick up a book	book	negative	0
In this first book in the series, Keys to the Kingdom, we find Aurther Penhaligon, a seventh grader who recently moved to a new and strange home. Of, course, it doesn't seem strange to him- at first. Aurther has heavy asthma, which places him in the hospital quite often. One Monday morining, Aurther is in Gym in his new shcool, and has an asthma attck on the run they were on. During this attack, A strange man named Mister Monday comes, and is tricked into giving Aurther a minute hand shaped "key"- which is what they called it. As soon as Aurther holds this key, he finds that he can breathe, and he doesn't die the death that he was meant to die. But with this key comes strange creatures from another dimension who pursue the key, and though he doesn't know why, Aurther knows that he shouldn't give it to them{they work for Mister Monday- who wants the key back}. These creatures, called Fetchers bring a terrible disease called the "Sleepy Pluage", which after afew symtoms like having a cold, puts the infected people to sleep- literally- they fall asleep, and can't be woken up! Aurther is particually sensitive to this outbreak beacuse he is adopted{his birth parents died in a flu outbreak when he was a baby}. He couldn't bear to have more loved ones lost to a disease outbreak. Then, Aurther notices a strange house that only he can see. He has a feeling that the answer to curing the sick people is to go in there. But what he finds when he does is a another world, calle the House, which was created by the Great Architect- the creator of all things. This aerchitect left long ago, but left a will to be followed through- BUT IT WAS NOT!!! The will was broken in seven fragments, and scattered through time and space. Now the first and least fragment of the Will has escaped, and it is helping Aurther. It says that he is the rightfull heir to the kingdom{the House} but all Aurther wants is a cure to the Sleepy Plauge. The Will tells Aurther that to find this cure, he has to defeat Mister Monday, using the Minute Hand key, and claim Mondays half of the key {the Hour Hand}which will then bind with the Minute Hand to become the first and least Key to the Kingdom. Aurther, Suzy Blue{a friend he makes on the way} and the Will now will go through many treacherous tasks to defeat Monday- the Will so that Aurther can claim the key, therefore the first part of the Will is done, Aurther to find a cure to thing strange plauge, and Suzy to help them all. I thought that this book was amazing, had great detail, and was imaginative in every way. Garth Nix did a great job, and I can't wait to read Grim Tuesday, the next book in the Keys to the Kingdom series!	As soon as Aurther holds this key, he finds that he can breathe, and he doesn't die the death that he was meant to die	Aurther	neutral	3
I've had this book in my library since it was first published. Carolyn herself autographed it for me in '82. In all the moves and changes over the years, I could never justify getting rid of it. It's the best, most usable book on desert edibles I've ever read or owned. Here's a breakdown:. 1. Cactus and cactuslike plants - agave, barrel, cholla, etc. 2. Nuts and seeds - acorn, grass seed, jojoba, etc. 3. Grapes, berries and cherries - chokecherry, wild currant, etc. 4. Foods of the marsh and mesa - buffalo gourd, cattail, cota, etc. 5. greens - Rocky Mountain Beeweed, Canaigre, Curly dock, etc. 6. Agriculture - beans, chili, corn, etc. Let's take a look at page 10, Cholla. Wonderful, detailed illustration - if you can't find the plant by these pictures, you're not trying. Common name, scientific names, habitat and description. First Para. :. "Indians sometimes called early spring - March - 'the cactus moon' because food was scarce, and this plant was often the only available vegetable food. " Etc. Next page, she spells out how to harvest and clean the buds for food. Cholla buds - basic preparation. Next recipe: cholla buds and squash. One of my favorite recipe in the book is Prickly Pear jelly - oh, yum!!!. This is the book for anyone who doesn't know a wild grape from a hackberry. It even has a recipe for Dandelion Wine. It's a wonderful blend of desert culture and how-tos. How can you go wrong with that?. My old, tattered book is filled with specimens from my own desert excursions. It's been dog-eared, noted, dirtied and loved. It will be one book I'll never give up	Nuts and seeds - acorn, grass seed, jojoba, etc	Nuts	neutral	0
In this first book in the series, Keys to the Kingdom, we find Aurther Penhaligon, a seventh grader who recently moved to a new and strange home. Of, course, it doesn't seem strange to him- at first. Aurther has heavy asthma, which places him in the hospital quite often. One Monday morining, Aurther is in Gym in his new shcool, and has an asthma attck on the run they were on. During this attack, A strangfe man named Mister Monday comes, and is tricked into giving Aurther a minute hand shaped "key"- which is what they called it. As soon as Aurther holds this key, he finds that he can breathe, and he doesn't die the death that he was meant to die. But with this key comes strange creatures from another dimension who pursue the key, and though he doesn't know why, Aurther knows that he shouldn't give it to them{they work for Mister Monday- who wants the key back}. These creatures, called Fetchers bring a terrible disease called the "Sleepy Pluage", which after afew symtoms like having a cold, puts the infected people to sleep- literally- they fall asleep, and can't be woken up! Aurther is particually sensitive to this outbreak beacuse he is adopted{his birth parents died in a flu outbreak when he was a baby}. He couldn't bear to have more loved ones lost to a disease outbreak. Then, Aurther notices a strange house that only he can see. He has a feeling that the answer to curing the sick people is to go in there. But what he finds when he does is a another world, calle the House, which was created by the Great Architect- the creator of all things. This aerchitect left long ago, but left a will to be followed through- BUT IT WAS NOT!!! The will was broken in seven fragments, and scattered through time and space. Now the first and least fragment of the Will has escaped, and it is helping Aurther. It says that he is the rightfull heir to the kingdom{the House} but all Aurther wants is a cure to the Sleepy Plauge. The Will tells Aurther that to find this cure, he has to defeat Mister Monday, using the Minute Hand key, and claim Mondays half of the key {the Hour Hand}which will then bind with the Minute Hand to become the first and leat Key to the Kingdom. Aurther, Suzy Blue{a friend he makes on the way} and the Will now will go through many treacherous tasks to defeat Monday- the Will so that Aurther can claim the key, therefore the first part of the Will is done, Aurther to find a cure to thing strange plauge, and Suzy to help them all. I thought that this book was amazing, had great detail, and was imaginative in every way. Garth Nix did a great job, and I can't wait to read Grim Tuesday, the next book in the Keys to the Kingdom series!	Aurther, Suzy Blue{a friend he makes on the way} and the Will now will go through many treacherous tasks to defeat Monday- the Will so that Aurther can claim the key, therefore the first part of the Will is done, Aurther to find a cure to thing strange plauge, and Suzy to help them all	key	neutral	5
Garth Nix has become my new favorite writer, and my discovery started with Mister Monday, the first in the Keys to the Kingdom series. This opening episode introduces us to Arthur, a displaced but sharp young boy in his first days at a new school. When a distanced run in gym class brings on a devastating asthma attack, Arthur is supposed to die. Because he doesn't, he is thrust into a world he never knew existed, with the fate of all worlds in his hands. Having now read Sabriel, the first in Nix's earlier young adult series, The Abhorsen Trilogy, I can see how far he's come as a writer. Keys to the Kingdom is superbly paced, and with each new book, we learn a little more about the bigger picture. The arc of the stories is huge, but strongly anchored in the characters and Nix's attention to details. Just a note about editions: I collect books, and while paperbacks are available and cost a little less than the hardcovers, the hardcover editions of these books are very sharp looking on the shelf. They're colorful and really stand out in a larger collection. I have to say, I haven't read anything yet by Garth Nix that I didn't enjoy, but Mister Monday is by far my favorite. The opening few pages hooked me, and I'm now three books in, anxiously awaiting number four, Sir Thursday, coming out around March!	I have to say, I haven't read anything yet by Garth Nix that I didn't enjoy, but Mister Monday is by far my favorite	Garth Nix	positive	1
The book Mister Monday by Garth Nix , was a very good book. Mister. Monday was fantasy. It all started when Arthur Penholgon was given a key and a atlas from. Mister Monday while Arthur was having a asthma attack and some fetchers. gave a plague called the sleepy plague. After that, Noon ( one of Mister. Monday's assistant ) sets fire to Arthur's school trying to get the key back. because the Will tricked Mister Monday into giving the key to Arthur, Noon. didn't get it but his Fetchers got the atlas. Then Arthur went inside a house that. was secretly another dimension. T here Arthur met a girl named Suzy Turquoise. Blue. After that, Arthur met Noon again with his brother and sister, Dawn and. Dusk who tried to get the key but could not because the key has already bonded. with Arthur which meant that they can't take it. Only Arthur could give it to. them so they sent him to the Deep Coal Cellar so they could torture him until he. gives them the key. While at The Deep Coal Center Arthur met the Old One and. Pravuil. Then here comes Suzy to the rescue. Arthur made some stairs to get out. and I am not aloud tell you the end so I won't. I thought this book was an okay book because it had old words like hip. I. think this book is for fifth graders because it was a little too kid like. I liked that. it was a good adventure	because the Will tricked Mister Monday into giving the key to Arthur, Noon	Arthur	neutral	2
up until now i had never heard about garth nix until i found the keys to the kingdom. this series takes a break from the usual fantasy and delivers more dark and sinister book. the story is about arthur penhaligon who is having a tough time. as if being asthmetic and moving to a new town wasen't hard he dies. sort of. at the last moment he is saved by a mysterious figure who hands him a minute like key that saves him. now he is thurst into a situation that is far out of his hands. he has been chosen to be the rightful heir of a mysterious house that holds a whole new world. here he must reclaim the house from the sinister morrow days mister monday, grim tuesday, drowned wednesday, sir thursday, lady friday, supirior saturday, and lord sunday. first he must reclaim the lower house from mister monday and survive his minions. a great dark read for dark fantasy people	here he must reclaim the house from the sinister morrow days mister monday, grim tuesday, drowned wednesday, sir thursday, lady friday, supirior saturday, and lord sunday	house	neutral	0
In the beginning there was The Architect who created everything from nothing. Eons passed, and then there was The Will. The Architect's Will was broken into seven pieces by the treacherous Trustees to prevent it from ever being executed. The first fragment was fused inside a solid crystal and then placed inside an unbreakable glass box which was locked inside an indestructible cage. The cage was anchored on the surface of a dead sun at the end of time, and was guarded by twelve sentinels, who were supervised by inspectors. These security measures may have been nothing to sneeze at, but sneeze the inspector did, and somehow the fragment escaped. Arthur Penhaligon was an asthmatic child who wasn't enjoying his first Monday at his new school. This was due to a sadistic teacher who forced him to run a cross-country course, resulting in a near death experience, during which he encountered the unlikely duo of Sneezer and Mister Monday. Suddenly he was the holder of a strange key, shaped like the minute hand of a clock, and Mister Monday was impatiently waiting for Arthur's expiry date to come up. After these exciting and intriguing introductions, Garth Nix launches into the meaty part of the first book of The Keys to the Kingdom series, where one of the most unlikely of heroes struggles reluctantly to fulfill his destiny, while trying to save his own world from a deadly plague. This story contains a great deal of violence, but fortunately while it is perfectly clear that pain is being inflicted with gleeful enjoyment and wanton abandon by Monday's associates, the descriptions are not graphic enough to be overly upsetting to the faint of heart. Young adult readers may be slightly confused by all the twists and machinations, but will still be thrilled by the adventures of Arthur and his friend Suzy Turquoise Blue as they negotiate the secrets of the House, guided by the Will, and armed with nothing but the Key, a great deal of common sense, and a very strong will to survive. Amanda Richards, June 23, 2006	In the beginning there was The Architect who created everything from nothing	Architect	neutral	0
Arthur Penhaligon lives in a world that closely resembles our own - in fact may be our own in the near future. A deadly flu pandemic killed his parents when he was a baby and also apparently allowed the federal government to assume sweeping powers, and his adoptive mother is a medical researcher. An asthmatic, Arthur suffers an attack when in gym class at his new school, and while he is waiting for medical assistance, two strangely garbed men give him what appears to be the minute hand of a clock. This simple action changes his life for good. Arthur now becomes the target of increasingly frightening attacks by mysterious men, some with faces that resemble dogs, and a new illness known as the "sleepy plague" appears in his town. He eventually finds his way into a bizarre realm known as the House, which turns out to be, essentially, the "Command and Control" center for the rest of the universe. He also learns that after creating the universe from Nothing (which is an actual substance in this "mythology"), the Architect mysteriously departed, leaving a will in the hands of seven trustees, the Morrow Days, who have become corrupt and are now running things to suit themselves. However, the first part of the Will, which is a living entity, has escaped and engineered the transfer of part of Monday's Key (the minute hand) into the possession of a mortal, Arthur, who is now the Architect's Heir. Arthur's only hope, if he is to survive and stop the plague in his own world, is to obtain the rest of the Key from Mister Monday and accept his status as Heir, however little he wants it. Garth Nix's originality, while not of the same type as Philip Pullman's, never ceases to amaze me. He also possesses a certain sly humor and, like Pullman and J. K. Rowling, makes numerous allusions to literary, mythical and cultural traditions far and wide. In the House, Arthur encounters Suzy Turquoise Blue, a cheeky Cockney girl from the 17th century of his own world and one of the "Piper's Children"; the personified Will itself in the form of a tiny frog with a penchant for jumping down people's throats; the "Old One," whose identity should be obvious to anyone with an interest in classical mythology, and assorted other Denizens. Arthur is a sympathetic but flawed character and Nix, without preaching or moralizing, manages to portray his compassion and a strong sense of right and wrong that truly make him worthy to be the Architect's Heir. Suzy, although a secondary character, is brave and resourceful as well as funny, and without her, Arthur probably would not have survived his first hour in the House. The Will, both in frog and human form, is wonderfully quirky and cranky, and even Mister Monday turns out not to be irredeemable. As with a lot of the best young adult books out there, some kids may find this series disturbing, and there are some scenes that contain a certain amount of violence	In the House, Arthur encounters Suzy Turquoise Blue, a cheeky Cockney girl from the 17th century of his own world and one of the "Piper's Children"; the personified Will itself in the form of a tiny frog with a penchant for jumping down people's throats; the "Old One," whose identity should be obvious to anyone with an interest in classical mythology, and assorted other Denizens	Old One	neutral	0