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The Shack

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: William P. Young

May 01, 2007
First I consider myself a mature Christian but do not find many redeeming qualities of the church as an "institution" or "religion" in general for that matter. When Jesus spoke of the church I do not believe he was describing what it has become. Furthermore, I believe "theology" can be taken too far to the extreme thereby losing sight of the personal nature of God while theologians parse nuance upon nuance of each verse of the Bible. So given this context, the unorthodox approach the author uses in illustrating the nature of God is not, in itself, troubling to me. Having said that, there are some key points regarding the Trinity, redemption, and ...yes, God's judgment...that are profoundly off base within this book.

As far ... Read More:

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Watchmen

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Alan Moore

April 01, 1995
I wanted to get back into reading comic books/graphic novels for a while but was a bit hesitant. Maybe it was the surge of comic book inspired movies that made me want to see what behind these amazing movies or the need for a greater story that I felt was missing, but I decided to start my kick off with Watchmen. I couldn't have picked a better book!

The cover of Watchmen touts it as a "Winner of the Hugo Award" and "One of Time Magazine's 100 Best Novels", and as soon as you pick it up you will know why. It starts off heavy after the death of one of their own, the "hero" Comedian, and picks up steam after that. But the greatest things about this book aren't things you can see right away, it's what's underneath everything that keeps ... Read More:

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

July 29, 2008
"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" is a rare gem of a book; in its epistolary (letters written back and forth) fashion, it illuminates a vanished time (World War II under the Germans) in a place very few people know much about, the Channel Islands off of the United Kingdom proper.

This novel has it all -- the historical research is spot on, the characters are interesting and well-developed, and I truly believed in both the "present" of this novel (1946) and the recent "past" occupation under the Germans.

I firmly recommend this novel and will be looking for whatever Mary Ann Shaffer and her writing partner author next.

Five stars, highly recommended.

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The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: David Wroblewski

June 10, 2008
The book was written well and kept me reading it, but in the end I was left wanting a different story altogether. Life is to short to read such a depressing book.

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Loving Frank: A Novel

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Nancy Horan

April 08, 2008
This book is an interesting story that gives the reader a bit to think about concerning the actual and fascinating lives of these two people. It is well written, and in fact, some passages are stunning. However, its pace often slows to a limp, and I felt as though it should have been concluded in half the number of pages.

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When You Are Engulfed in Flames

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: David Sedaris

June 03, 2008
I'm a Sedaris fan - I think his sense of humor is very intellectual and hilarious. He makes fun of himself and gives his impression of the things going on around him - just really funny. I laugh out loud with this one.

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Anathem

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Neal Stephenson

September 09, 2008
I'm a Sedaris fan - I think his sense of humor is very intellectual and hilarious. He makes fun of himself and gives his impression of the things going on around him - just really funny. I laugh out loud with this one.

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The Great Gatsby

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

September 30, 1999
The Great Gatsby is a book that you will appreciate for a long time after your done with it. I couldn't put it down from the second I started reading it. The characters are finely crafted and the storyline a hit as you meet Nick and Gatsby and the different lives they lead until one day they are both wonderfully and tragically intertwined. I found myself saddened to both the book ending and the outcome of the story but I have a greater respect for both F. Scott Fitzgerald and the 1920's because of reading it.

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The Host: A Novel

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Stephenie Meyer

May 06, 2008
I picked up "The Host" after finishing "Breaking Dawn". While the story and setting are very different from the "Twilight" saga, I was not disappointed at all. The beginning focuses mainly on character development, while the action picks up rapidly towards the middle of the book and does not let up. Stephenie continues to develop her characters well throughout the book. I was so involved in the story that I cried towards the end, and I don't cry easily. This is not a sad story; it is a very good story. I look forward to Stephenie's future works.

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Water for Elephants: A Novel

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Literature and Fiction
by: Sara Gruen

April 09, 2007
I saw this book in the bookstore and it sounded very interesting so I got it out of the library. I wasn't disappointed. It was very easy to read and flowed nicely. Very interesting and quirky characters which I liked. Rosie the elephant was a great character. I agree with one of the other reviewers who compared the book to Sophies Choice. I thought the same thing when we meet the ringmaster. I really enjoyed the book but I was disappointed that there were a couple of parts that were unnecessarily crude (as opposed to necessarily crude?). It's like the female writer of the book had to prove that she could be as crude as any man. Other than that, it was one of my favourite books this year.