Arrivals

The Enigma of Arrival: A Novel
$15.95
A semi autobiographical work of the authors time in Salisbury;his walks in the valley to view Stonehenge;the slowly evolving change in the region and the people he encounters there.
Very little 'action' occurs, yet the narrative is so rich that Naipaul gets you to know inside out each character,walk with him on his daily rambles and see the slow process of change that occurs in all our lives.
Perhaps the enigma is that we never really arrive;we only have a personal starting point in the never ending cycle of life.

There's A Baby in the House: Preparing your Dog for the Arrival of your Child
$16.95
In preparation for a new baby this is a must have. Very common questions and concerns were addressed and answered in a way which anyone can use. Very easy, useful hints for new pet owners to Dog Whisperer Trainees.

The Arrival
$19.99
The Arrival works on so many levels that it's hard to peg it to just one. Perhaps at its heart it is a children's tale, an illustrated epic easy to follow along in pictures. But the idea of loss--from the opening montage of a man leaving his family behind while he goes off in search of something new in a foreign land--and the emotion behind it will resonate more with adults. Tan, whose previous works include the excellent The Red Tree and The Lost Thing, gives life to his protagonist's fears and trepidations through a rich symbolism invented in the artwork: shadows, lettering, strange creatures. What it all means adds up to the fear of the unknown every stranger in a strange land faces. What lies around any given corner may be amazing opportunity or danger . . . and there's no way to find out until you make the journey.

That kind of uncertainty is depicted in the odd-looking little creature who greets the protagonist in this new land (shown on the cover). Is it a friendly type of dog or some vicious animal?

Tan's gift for creating shading and depth gives each image a lush, 3D quality, and he even creates playful, moving connotations by arranging the panels of the book's opening like a photo album, complete with slightly rounded corners. They look almost taped into place. The reader reminisces about generations gone by, parents, grandparents, or even further back into history, to think of the many heartbreaking ways people leave their families behind in search of a new life and a opportunity to create a new family elsewhere.

Every one of Tan's images is a story unto itself, so words are hardly necessary here. What would they add to, say, the delicate rendering of the young girl regarding the protagonist's suitcase on the morning he is about to leave? The picture alone conveys everything that needs to be said.

The Arrival is one of those works that withstands repeated readings well. There's always something new or unexpected to be encountered, something you missed the last time around. It never loses that sense of magic and wonder either.

-- John Hogan

Undead on Arrival (Crimson Moon, Book 3)
$7.99
When I reviewed Book 2 of the Crimson Moon series, Bite the Bullet, I criticized the action of the book because it was too vivid, to the point of confusion. I wanted Banks to write just a tad more clearly so that you knew who came out victorious, who was speaking, etc. In Undead on Arrival, I got what I wanted, but it was written in such a linear fashion that it lost some of what makes Banks such a distinctive and intense author.

I thought the plot of UoA was great: twists, turns, and big reveals! There are enough intrigues to continue the series without slowing it down and inventing new conflicts. Banks' characters and their relationships are intense and complex. I love that Banks is not afraid to take on the conflicts and misunderstandings that occur between lovers.

I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series (and I'm curious about how many books Banks has planned--she wrote 13 for her VH series, with a clear goal in mind for the final book). I can't wait to find out what happens with Sasha, her team, Hunter, and Shogun. I'd love to see more of the supernatural world Banks has involved (particularly the Dragons and Sir Rodney).