Fine Printings

Book Description

“I know this much about racing in the rain. I know it is about balance. It is about anticipation and patience. I know all of the driving skills that are necessary for one to be successful in the rain. But racing in the rain is also about the mind! It is about owning one’s own body. About believing that the track is an extension of the car, and the rain is an extension of the track, and the sky is an extension of the rain. It is about believing that you are not you; you are everything. And everything is you.”

“He died that day because his body had served its purpose. His soul had done what it came to do, learned what it came to learn, and then was free to leave. And I knew, as Denny sped me toward the doctor who would fix me, that if I had already accomplished what I set out to accomplish here on earth, if I had already learned what I was meant to learn, I would have left the curb one second later than I had, and I would have been killed instantly by that car. But I was not killed. Because I was not finished. I still had work to do.”

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty and hope - a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life ... as only a dog could tell it!

Fine Printings' Review

Life is short, filled with trials that as we know, are to make us humans stronger. However, have we ever stopped and wondered how our own everyday lives, routines … these trials, affect our beloved pets? What courses through their minds? Are they as intelligent, perhaps more intuitive then we are? Do our actions or in-actions cause them to scoff at us in their own silent ways? In Garth Stein’s, The Art of Racing in the Rain, these questions and more are effortlessly placed to rest.

What can we say … dogs. Simple honesty … dogs. These wondrous animals, man’s best friend, soul companions, silent, strong, and wise onlookers to everyday life. They are not just balls of fluff, something to cuddle and pet. They are sometimes wiser than even we are.

In this novel, Enzo, a lab terrier mix, narrates a beautiful story that begins with the start of his puppy life in the arms of competitive racecar driver, Denny. A tale that is one for all readers to enjoy, and how could we not … as we can certainly not attest to how many books have been written from a canine perspective. You will find yourself laughing out loud, yelling out at injustice and weeping out from both heartbreak and joy. The pages flow with philosophy, so when you set this novel down be sure to sit back and take stock of your life. This is not only a novel that marvels at the life around us, but one that teaches, in fact yearns to teach us on how to better one’s own being and live with soul satisfying happiness. You do not need to be a car or dog fanatic to love and appreciate Stein’s work, nor does it matter your age or sex … this is a book for ALL readers, enjoy and embrace the spirit of family.

Book Description

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by Fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety or ninety-three, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an un-trainable elephant who was the great hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.

Fine Printings’ Review

This book came to us as a recommended read from several sources. Once selected, we could not possibly put it down. The author, Sara Gruen, builds the detailed and fantastic world of a travelling circus during the Great Depression from the ground up! The story of Jacob Jankowski is one of sorrow, love and at times terrifying. His constant emotional struggles can be related to by many readers (though perhaps not as fantastical) and will captivate the imagination. The other characters Gruen constructed are perhaps the most remarkable outside of young Jacob, as with any circus, they all act their parts accordingly … with flawless precision.

One does not need to be a circus aficionado or historical reader to take pleasure in this novel, for it contains a little of everything to captivate any bookworm. We guarantee you will not be able to put this one down!

Book Description

A spellbinding epic set in twelfth-century England, The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest cathedral the world has known ... of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect-a man divided in his soul ... of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame ... and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother.

Fine Printings’ Review

As promised, The Pillars of the Earth was spellbinding, enchanting, engrossing along with any other similar adjective one can think. At over a thousand pages, a reader may be apprehensive about picking it up; however, there is no other way Ken Follett could have told the tale without selling the reader short. Perhaps you are questioning our sanity. A novel about the construction of a cathedral, how could that be entertaining? To put it plainly … in medieval England … how could it not be?

On the other hand, this is not a story for the faint of heart. Even though centered around the forty-year construction of a church, Follett brazenly (and brilliantly) encompasses the plot with murder, lust, back-stabbing, politics, grief, rape, and a long held secret. These characters are easy to love, hate, and laugh with. Families are formed; enemies are made … but as always, good conquers all. A superior read and favorite among ours and as Follett fans, we look forward to seeing more.

Book Description

Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out of work actor on Earth. Together this dynamic pair begin their journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitch Hiker's Guide "A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have" and a galaxy full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out to lunch President of the Galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan); and Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant and constantly depressed robot. Join these five eccentric individuals on the most hilarious and philosophical ride of their lives … and yours.

Fine Printings’ Review

We were reluctant when this book was suggested due to the sci-fi comical nature that coincides with Douglas Adam’s work. However, overriding our doubts, the following he has received from this work gained our interest and we could not help ourselves to trying out a few chapters. No more than two pages into the story, we were hooked. The author’s uproarious contempt towards the human race (though harmless and playful), the main character Arthur’s naivety toward the ways of the Galaxy immediately peek curiosity and his poetic writing induces an intellectual comic fodder. Rolling on the floor, holding our stomachs, and laughter induced convulsing was consistent throughout the entire storyline. There is no wonder why this tale has a dedicated cult following, and will always continue so. Ahead of his time, and not nearly respected enough for his philosophical writing while alive, Douglas Adams is perhaps one of the greatest writers to have ever lived. We certainly look forward to finishing this series, as well as introducing ourselves to the rest of his novels. A book for ALL ages, please add it to your “must read before I die” list. Furthermore, if you have already indulged in the series, be sure to look out for Eoin Colfer’s And Another Thing, the newest addition to the Hitchhiker family.

Also, for all you Galaxy Hitchhikers … just remember everything is going to be OK, as long as you know where your towel is. And for goodness sake:

DON’T PANIC!