Rating: 
Summary: GET THIS BOOK!
Review: This is an amazing book! Nicholas Sparks and his brother Micah invite us into their lives on an amazing journey through the best and worst of times.
I have been a big fan of Nicholas Sparks' novels and always wondered how he can continue to write such beautiful stories. We now know where his motivations come from. This novel explains the true insipiration for characters of earlier Sparks novels such as: The Notebook, A Walk To Remember and The Rescue.
I give this book my highest recommendation, if your a Sparks fan, you wont be dissapointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Bad Dialogue, Bad Manners, Bad Book
Review: This is the sort of travel book that makes people cringe when they see Americans show up in their country. Two ill-behaved, grown men on tour around the world. Desecrating tombs of revered ancestors by laying in them, not once, but twice. Ugh, I am glad I don't travel with these buffoons. I am not familiar with Mr. Sparks work as a novelist, but believe me this book does not encourage me to pick one up as I found his writing filled with unbelieveably boring and dull material. The majority of this book is filled with Mr. Sparks conern that his brother has lost his christianity, and his need to make his brother see the light that living without god is not worth living. Really the book belongs in the religion section not the travel section. Not a real good theme for an entire travel book let alone a chapter. The family history was the most interesting but it was a tad too dramatic and well Sparks seemed to know what other family members were doing at each turn to be considered a memoir. Just bad writing about the stereotypical traveling Americans to be avoided.
Rating: 
Summary: Three Weeks With My Brother
Review: This memoir to me came across as amateurish, sluggish, and somewhat trite. The dialogue seemed to me to often sound like it was regurgitated from a bad sitcom or made for tv movie. No doubt Nicholas Sparks has been through tremendous struggles and sadness, but this memoir failed to cinch me into them. This memoir made it all seem too polished to really be inspirational. The disheartenment, the soul shaking turmoil that the Sparks endured are not very thoroughly explored, the hard questions are barely alluded to, and mostly seemed to amount to anger with God; "How could He let this happen to me?" My imagination nor attention was significantly captured by the struggles, and I felt that there was little insight was offered in the aftermath. The travelogues leading into the chapter were often too brief and minimal and seemed like they should have been discarded as often as not. They also at times seemed to convey a somewhat arrogant irreverence, particularly in Micah, Sparks' older brother, who came across in these moments as a disrespectful, upper-class American exemplifying the bad reputations Americans often are held to abroad, although perhaps that is a more of a personal critique than a literary one. My biggest complaint about the book, however, was the religious tone. Religious commentary, with hackneyed phrases like "I just couldn't imagine a life without prayer," was offered just enough to feel somewhat preachy, but not often enough to banish the book to the Christian section of the bookstore. Having said all of that, if Nicholas Sparks relationship is really as good with his brother as this book makes it sound, I am very, VERY jealous. They are blessed men to have any friend so close, much less a brother. I feel that I benefited from seeing Nicholas Sparks goal-oriented approach to life, and that was the most inspiring, motivating part of the book for me.
Rating:
Summary: A 300 page lame Christmas letter
Review: This thing was so breezy and boring, so filled with self-absorption. At least when we get someone's annual family update in the mail it's someone we know and care about. The author's endless whining was just over-sharing as far as I'm concerned. I suffered through this selection for book club and kept waiting for someone to get to the point.
Rating:
Summary: Just awful! A precious little book written to offend nobody.
Review: Three Weeks With my Brother is proof that public executions should return to this country and the Sparks brothers are the first who should offer their heads. I've only read about 100 pages of this book and I just can't go on with it. It's schmaltzy and ass kissing hero worship through and through. "...oh we were poor but we didn't know" "...my mother was the hardest working woman alive." Nicholas Sparks, an otherwise fine writer, does no one justice (least of all his brother, Micah) and seeks no profound truths in this cloying, namby pamby jouney to nowhere. Could he be any more phony? More sweet? No. There are no interesting twists, no tension, nothing to keep the reader intersted. Nor is anything truly unusual revealed about the author,(other than he's probably just a big girl's blouse) his brother, his family or the greater human condition.
I am totally embarrasment for these guys and have no desire to read anything more about them, unless it's an obituary. If my brother wrote a book like this about me, I would slug him. Avoid at all costs.
Rating:
Summary: "Nobody ever said life was fair"
Review: Three Weeks with My Brother is two books in one. The author did a nice job of weaving together two 'good' but separate stories into one GREAT single story. The transitions are seamless. The TCS Heaven & Earth a Journey travel tour would be an exciting subject just by itself, however more importantly in this case it serves to set the stage for the two Sparks brothers to reminisce and reconcile their childhood lives and come to a deep appreciation of what it was like to grow up together. The sometimes offensive and juvenile conduct on the trip lightens the sadness of the main story which is being told at the same time. I personally think that this "ugly American" behavior serves to balance or reduce the sad/negative impact of the Sparks childhood tragedies on the reader. On the upside, throughout the book you can hear their parents repeating some GREAT parenting words of wisdom. For instance: "What you want and what you get are often two entirely different things." and "Nobody ever said life was fair, it's your life - do with it whatever you like." My parents said many of the very same things for example when I was a kid and was confronted with an unusually large task. They would say: "See how fast you can get it done." or "If you are in it - get in it, otherwise get out." They said them so often that the words rolled off their lips as if they were gospel. I believe that is why these types of pearls of wisdom are still with me today and more importantly I use them on my own kids.
Speaking of kids, with both of their parents working to support the family, the Sparks children were given a long leash. As you might imagine with so much freedom growing up they managed to get themselves into mischief without much difficulty. Over the course of their world tour, it is THESE stories that the brothers tell that make the book so enjoyable. A couple of other funny things that stuck with me were the stories about family "default" Christmas gifts, like a "family" stereo and don't forget the personal headphones to match or better yet every kids dream - a carpenters hammer!! As a kid if you have ever received something like a file cabinet as a Christmas gift you will be able to relate.
The part about the "feast or famine" mentality when it came to sweets in the house was hilarious! These episodes included such things as eating an entire box of sweet cereal or an entire bag of their dad's "hidden" Oreos in a single sitting!! My brothers & I did the same thing!
The final couple of chapters are filled with both joy and pain. It makes for an interesting AND emotional read. - I liked it enough to read it twice!
I must say, if you are looking for specific travel information on Tikal, Guatemala * Lima, Cusco & Machu Picchu, Peru, Easter Island * Samoa * Ayers Rock, Australia, Angkor, Cambodia * Jaipur & Taj Mahal, India, Lalibela, Ethiopia * and Valletta & M'dina, Malta then this is the not the book for you.
I say buy this book if, like the Sparks brothers, you wish to enjoy a short trip back to the fond memories of your childhood. I did.
Rating:
Summary: Makes you appreciate his novels that much more!
Review: To begin with, I have to say that Nicholas Sparks is my absolute favorite author. I am usually one of the first in line to purchase his books on the day of their release. I go home and "gobble" it up as fast as I can, then am disappointed for the other 364 days of the year until his next novel is released. I've always wished he would release more than one novel in a one year period, and was thrilled when he began releasing twice a year. Sadly, this is the last year for that, and next year I will go on yearning for a Nicholas Sparks book for a little more than 11 months of the year! That said, after reading his memoir, I can now understand why he only publishes only once a year, and appreciate his work that much more. His family comes first, and although he loves to write and is honored by his readers' attention & devotion, he simply does not want to spend any less time with his family than he absolutely must. In order to fulfill this need, we as readers must savor the books we are given, and anxiously await his next delicious read. I was deeply touched by the relationship Nicholas has with his brother. Being the only surviving members of the Sparks family, they have a deep bond, and their admiration and love for one another is obvious in the words on the pages, and even in the smallest of photos in the book. It most certainly deserves the attention this book calls to it, and I can only imagine that some of the readers whose views are printed here must be envious of this bond, lacking the love & support of their families, which the Sparks brothers so deeply cherish. If you know anything about Nicholas Sparks and read the book's jacket, you must certainly know that this is NOT a travel book! The trip around the world only serves as a setting for the brothers to reminisce and share the stories of their childhood and the roads they led, and how the effects of these events shaped their lives & made them into the successful, respected men they have grown to be. The trip around the world was a celebration of sorts, for these two brothers who have shared the most painful experiences two brothers can share, yet carried on and persevered. The book was not written to describe the places they saw and encourage others to visit these places. The trip served as inspiration for Nicholas to share HIS STORY, demonstrating to others that you can survive life's most painful experiences with the love & support of family. If you knew anything about this book beforehand, you also know that the book was written entirely by Nicholas, and Micah was included because of his inspiration, and how Nicholas' admiration for his brother led him to share their story!! Although Nicholas did all the writing, this story is as much Micah's as it is Nicholas', and both brothers are deserving of its credit. Although the book is a memoir, Mr. Sparks remains true to his craft, and at times, you may think you are reading his next novel, and forget that these events actually happened to one family. It is because of these events, we as readers have been treated to wonderful, endearing stories of love, courage, strength and the bonds of family. We can truly appreciate the love & connection of Noah & Allie, understand why Jamie was so forgiving, strong & courageous, and see just how difficult is must have been for Denise to bring words to the lips of Kyle. The characters of Sparks' novels have been mostly inspired by members of his family, and it because of the tragic events of his life, we as readers have been treated, and come to love novels like THE NOTEBOOK, MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE, A WALK TO REMEMBER, THE RESCUE and THE WEDDING. I anxiously await the release of Sparks' newest novel this fall, and while I'm still disappointed that I will again have to wait an entire year for his next book, I can now understand why I have to wait, and it only makes me more appreciative of his work, and treasure all of his stories that much more. Thank you Nicholas - for opening your heart, inviting us in, and sharing your life. You will always be my favorite, and your memoir has only made me cherish your writing that much more!
Rating:
Summary: The best yet!
Review: What a wonderful book. Nicholas Sparks and his brother, Micah, share a very personal glimpse into their lives and the events that shaped them as people. The book is well written, thought provoking, and very easy to read. I appreciated how difficult is must have been for him to write of his struggles with his son, Ryan - my sister's sweet daughter has autism and I understand all too well his hopes and fears for his son. It was also nice to learn how the events in Nicholas Sparks' life inspired some of the other great books he has written. I couldn't have asked for a better book - the first thing I did when I was done reading was pick up the phone and call my brothers and my sister!
Rating:
Summary: Let's be Real Here!
Review: When I saw that Nicholas Sparks wrote a travel book, of all things, the first thought I had was: hmmm...he must be biding some time between novels. In other words, write something, ANYTHING to keep the name in the public eye and make a few bucks to boot. Most of us who keep tabs on the publishing world are well aware that Mr. Sparks could get his grocery list published and it would go to the top of the bestseller list. No secret there. I guess I was just taken aback that he tapped into nonfiction and his family history to reap the rewards.
Rating: 
Summary: Down memory lane as two brothers travel!
Review: While on a three week journey with his brother and last surviving member of his immediate family, the bestselling author of The Notebook and The Wedding, Nicholas Saprks and his co-atuhor Micah Sparks relate in this latest novel, Three Weeks with My Brother, the trip of a lifetime as they travel to some very exotic spots. While describing this trip they also focuse on being raised along with their sister being raised by two rather unusual and rather eccentric parents. While this book gave me some insight into Spark's themes and his motivation for writing the books that he did, I felt the parts concerning the actual trip had me thinking they were Ugly Americans considering some of their behavior as well as a rather simplistic travel journal. I rated this title a bit higher than I originally thought I would because there were some very poignant moments when Nicholas wrote about the loss of his parents and younger sister, life in ahousehodo with 5 children, oen who suffers from an unconfirmed learning syndrome and the strains of traveling on book tours around the country while leaving his wife and family at home. Unfortunately, I don't think this book will necessarily make me a lover of Sparks's books anymore than I have in the past. I seem to have this love/hate relationship with most of what I've read by him but it still doesn't stop me from reading every new books he writes just to make sure of what I think. In the final analysis I find him a rather mediocre author who appeals to the readers that he does because of his themes and not because of hsi fine writing skills, That said I am glad I read this book and despite these criticisms I did find both his and Micha's soul searching while traveling about life and loss both inspiring and hopeful for their futures.
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