tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50057062421829526332024-03-13T14:43:53.177-04:00Blue OwlA reviews blog.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger367125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-44424518193754866972015-06-26T05:00:00.000-04:002015-06-26T05:00:08.808-04:00Review: 'Knit Your Own Dog: The Second Litter' by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww2OEzlUvRI/VVjqbyUaYGI/AAAAAAAACN8/ONWSq_cVA_k/s1600/book1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ww2OEzlUvRI/VVjqbyUaYGI/AAAAAAAACN8/ONWSq_cVA_k/s320/book1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Knit Your Own Dog: The Second Litter </i>by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, 2012, Black Dog and Leventhal, $14.95, softbound, 176 pages. Cover: good. Category/Genre: How-to, Crafts. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Knit-Your-Own-Dog-Pedigree/dp/1579129315/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431890295&sr=1-2&keywords=knit+your+own+dog">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/knit-your-own-dog-sally-muir/1113126499?ean=9781579129316">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Knit-Your-Own-Dog/Sally-Muir/9781579129316?id=6209883658471">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The follow-up to Muir and Osborne's <i>Knit Your Own Dog </i>and <i>Knit Your Own Cat, </i>this book includes the knitting patterns for 25 more pedigree dogs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The authors suggest a number of uses for these crafted canines: you can stage your own miniature dog show; comfort someone who's lost a beloved pet; give one to someone who's longing for a dog of their own; or pay tribute to an old furry pal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The authors also include helpful hints and tips on how to make your creation unique. Categories include toy, utility, terriers, sporting, and working dogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Knit Your Own Pet, </i>by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne (for knitters of all levels). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may find the authors on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MuirOsbornesMuseumOfWool">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/museumofwool">Twitter</a>, or buy their knitwear, books, and stationery at <a href="http://www.muirandosborne.co.uk/">Muir and Osborne</a>. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-55307209040699514632015-06-19T05:00:00.000-04:002015-06-19T05:00:01.901-04:00Review: 'The Weird World of Words' by Mitchell Symons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fbogf-Q8KSE/VVjeYhaYofI/AAAAAAAACNs/vHwSZrxduU8/s1600/book1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fbogf-Q8KSE/VVjeYhaYofI/AAAAAAAACNs/vHwSZrxduU8/s320/book1.JPG" width="234" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Weird World of Words: A Guided Tour </i>by Mitchell Symons, 2015, Zest books, $11.99, softbound, 192 pages. Cover: like it. Category/Genre: Trivia, Reference. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weird-World-Words-Guided-Tour/dp/1936976935/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431886872&sr=1-1&keywords=the+weird+world+of+words+a+guided+tour">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-weird-world-of-words-mitchell-symons/1120337321?ean=9781936976935">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=The+Weird+World+of+Words%3A+A+Guided+Tour&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For wordsmiths and trivia fans, <i>The Weird World of Worlds </i>opens up all manner of peculiarities and quirks in the English language. From palindromes to oxymorons and pangrams, acronyms, mnemonics, and the origins of words, this book has it all. There's a list of the most beautiful words in the English language (according to a poll of 7,000 people in 2004), Scrabble facts, the meaning behind the days of the week, words invented by Shakespeare, a note on proper word use (valuable for any sort of writer), and 'kangaroo' and 'anti-kangaroo' words. (Kangaroo words contain synonyms for that word; for instance, the word <i>masculine </i>has in it the words <i>male </i>and <i>man</i>. Anti-kangaroo words contain antonyms.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: Suggestions?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mitchell Symons can be found at <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchellsymons">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mitchell.symons">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/379259.Mitchell_Symons">Goodreads</a>. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-14355362126319100902015-06-12T05:00:00.000-04:002015-06-12T05:00:09.240-04:00Review: 'Mind F**k' by Manna Francis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FG48MpI7mrI/VViu4HAywAI/AAAAAAAACNc/_l0SwPgEN8U/s1600/book6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FG48MpI7mrI/VViu4HAywAI/AAAAAAAACNc/_l0SwPgEN8U/s320/book6.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Mind F**k </i>by Manna Francis, 2007, Casperian Books, softbound, 261 pages. Cover: all right. Category/Genre: Mystery, Erotica. Where we got it: bought it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Fuck-Administration-Manna-Francis/dp/1934081086/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431869535&sr=1-1&keywords=mind+fuck">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mind-fuck-manna-francis/1008828523?ean=9781934081082">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=mind+fuck&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book, the start of a series, follows torturer Val Toreth as he struggles to discover the murderer in a series of deaths involving fully immersive computer simulations. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The simulations, owned by SimTech, are the baby of Dr Keir Warrick, Toreth's new lover. Since Warrick is a suspect, Toreth shouldn't be seeing him; but keeping his hands off Warrick is something that's growing harder and harder for Toreth to do. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those offended by graphic sex and language shouldn't open this book. There's plenty of BDSM as well as oral sex. The main characters are bisexual, but the sex scenes are always between men; so if that offends you, don't buy this book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're looking for clean-cut characters, that's another reason not to buy this book. Toreth is a reprehensible sort surrounded by other morally-challenged people. But if 'grey' characters are something you're interested in, this book has them in spades. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Quid Pro Quo, </i>by Manna Francis.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Manna Francis can be found at <a href="http://www.mannazone.org/">Mannazone</a> (where you'll also find an original story not related to the Administration series) and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/962319.Manna_Francis">Goodreads</a>. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-45551315417557323542015-06-05T05:00:00.000-04:002015-06-05T05:00:04.323-04:00Review: 'Fox Tracks' by Rita Mae Brown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Pt1x9hyz7s/VViavnyJvFI/AAAAAAAACNM/eRUuCNYC2iQ/s1600/book5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3Pt1x9hyz7s/VViavnyJvFI/AAAAAAAACNM/eRUuCNYC2iQ/s320/book5.JPG" width="206" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Fox Tracks</i> by Rita Mae Brown, 2013, Ballantine Books, $15.00, softbound, 293 pages. Cover: good. Category/Genre: Mystery. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Tracks-Novel-Sister-Jane/dp/0345532996/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431869948&sr=1-1&keywords=fox+tracks+rita+mae+brown">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fox-tracks-rita-mae-brown/1108180043?ean=9780345532992">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=fox+tracks&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'Sister' Jane Arnold becomes embroiled in another murder mystery when she befriends a man who is later shot; the man, a tobacco shop owner, is found by Sister and her friend Tootie, with a pack of American Smokes on his chest. The shooting repeats itself in Boston, sparking Sister's curiosity and causing her to investigate the matter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, Sister's nemesis, Crawford, is making even more of a nuisance of himself than usual. He's luring landowners to his side by offering them much-needed services they could not otherwise pay for. If this keeps up, Sister and the rest of the Jefferson Hunt foxhunters will have nowhere they are allowed to hunt. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An intriguing mystery with well-loved characters and a surprising ending. Fans of Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown's Mrs Murphy mysteries will enjoy the dialogue among the animals in this series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Outfoxed, </i>by Rita Mae Brown; and <i>Wish You Were Here, </i>by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rita Mae Brown can be found at <a href="http://www.ritamaebrownbooks.com/">Rita Mae Brown Books</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RitaMaeBrown">Facebook</a>, and in this <a href="http://content.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1723482,00.html">Time</a> article. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-40985959488467009322015-05-29T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-29T05:00:02.085-04:00Review: 'Nine Lives to Die' by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvj6xobBScM/VVZPeGTCDGI/AAAAAAAACM4/2OFVQW7YHhM/s1600/Brown2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cvj6xobBScM/VVZPeGTCDGI/AAAAAAAACM4/2OFVQW7YHhM/s320/Brown2.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Nine Lives to Die </i>by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown, 2014, Bantam Books, $26.00, hardbound, 253 pages. Cover: like it. Category/Genre: Mystery. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Lives-Die-Mystery-Hardcover/dp/B00NIBUV9I/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431719448&sr=1-2&keywords=nine+lives+to+die+a+mrs.+murphy+mystery">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nine-lives-to-die-rita-mae-brown/1118863940?ean=9780345530516">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=nine+lives+to+die&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Combine mystery with Virginia flavour and add likable characters (both human and animal), and you have a Mrs Murphy story. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This particular tale has the intrepid tabby trying to help solve an old murder. When Mrs Murphy, Pewter, and Tee Tucker come across a gold bracelet, they don't think much about the fact that it was recently wrapped around the wrist of a skeleton. But before long, the animals find out their human, Harry Haristeen, has a stake in solving the mystery of just how that skeleton came to be on her property. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's also a fresh murder, with the victim missing two fingers. Until the fingers show up in a pencil holder at Harry's church . . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The barbs between Tee Tucker, a corgi, and Pewter, a grey cat, do get a bit rough -- so if you want to read about animals who get on, this may not be the series for you. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Note: </b>strong language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Sneaky Pie for President, </i>by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Rita Mae Brown can be found at <a href="http://www.ritamaebrownbooks.com/">Rita Mae Brown Books</a>, <a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rita_mae_brown.html">BrainyQuote</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RitaMaeBrown">Facebook</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sneaky Pie Brown can be found at <a href="http://www.catprez.com/">CatPrez.com</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sneakypiebrown1">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SneakyPieBrown">Facebook</a>. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-22955871842569133892015-05-22T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-22T05:00:02.784-04:00Review: 'Police Procedure and Investigation' by Lee Lofland <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Police Procedure and Investigation</i> by Lee Lofland, 2007, Writer's Digest Books, $19.99, softbound, 368 pages. Cover: pretty cool. Where we got it: bought it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a guide for crime writers, and it's excellent. There's all sorts of information, from an overview of law enforcement in America, to courts and the legal process, to autopsy, to arrest and search procedures. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lofland lists courses recruits have to take in the police academy, gives diagrams of different law enforcement hierarchies (police department, sheriff's office, and so on), gives readers an idea of what it's like to be a detective (he was one himself), and tells what prisons and jails are like. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you're at all interested in writing about law enforcement, this is the book to have. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Armed and Dangerous: A Writer's Guide to Weapons,</i> by Michael Newton; <i>Code Blue: A Writer's Guide to Hospitals, including the ER, OR, and ICU;</i> and <i>Private Eyes: A Writer's Guide to Private Investigators, </i>by Hal Blythe, Charlie Sweet, and John Landreth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can find Lee Lofland online here: <a href="http://www.leelofland.com/wordpress/">The Graveyard Shift</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Lofland/e/B001JRUKC6">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/leelofland">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lee.lofland.7">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pub/lee-lofland/6/19b/a00">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/">WritersPoliceAcademy.com</a>, and <a href="http://www.criminaljusticeprograms.com/interview/lee-lofland/">CriminalJusticePrograms.com</a>. </span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-32690987792524231782015-05-15T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-15T05:00:01.675-04:00Review: 'The Ultimate Handbook for Paper Crafters' by Paper Crafts Magazine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TMgzKd7jXGg/VTPHBmE6kPI/AAAAAAAACMI/2f1xWBG0hRk/s1600/paper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TMgzKd7jXGg/VTPHBmE6kPI/AAAAAAAACMI/2f1xWBG0hRk/s1600/paper.jpg" height="320" width="249" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Ultimate Handbook for Paper Crafters </i>by Paper Crafts Magazine, 2012, Leisure Arts, $24.95, softbound, 192 pages. Cover: good. Category/Genre: Crafts. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Handbook-Paper-Crafters-Leisure/dp/1464700524/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429456414&sr=1-1&keywords=the+ultimate+handbook+for+paper+crafters">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ultimate-handbook-for-paper-crafters-leisure-arts/1114267192?ean=9781464700521">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=The+Ultimate+Handbook+for+Paper+Crafters&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want to try a variety of paper crafts, this book isn't for you. If, however, you're interested in card making, you might do well to add this book to your library. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Highlights include the rules of colour (and how to break them); finding your style; and the basics of stamping. This latter includes heat embossing, mists and sprays, spectrum inking, using markers, and more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An 'essential tool kit' is listed at the front of the book, and items in the index are listed by occasion; so if you're looking for how to create just the right birthday card, you can look under 'birthday' and find what you need. An abundance of tips help make this book one you'll return to again and again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall impression: short on instruction, long on ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: Suggestions?</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-51102144706221569932015-05-08T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-08T05:00:04.782-04:00Review: 'Love the Home You Have' by Melissa Michaels <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvxGAcVMrL8/VTO1vAFf-5I/AAAAAAAACL4/RfainRR-XNs/s1600/home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xvxGAcVMrL8/VTO1vAFf-5I/AAAAAAAACL4/RfainRR-XNs/s1600/home.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Love the Home You Have</i> by Melissa Michaels, 2015, Harvest House, $14.99, softbound, 213 pages. Cover: meh. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Melissa Michaels, author of <i>The Inspired Room</i> blog, offers simple ways to embrace your style, get organised, and love the home you're in rather than coveting that other house down the street. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Michaels offers lots of advice on how to change the way you view your home and your life. She has tips on decorating, organising, and decluttering; she suggests practical and affordable solutions for a variety of home and decor challenges; and she illustrates how to rejuvenate the mood of your home through engaging the senses and highlighting the seasons and holidays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's humour in this book, and it's told largely through excerpts of personal experience, which make the reader feel as if they know and can trust Michaels. And there's plenty of good advice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: Suggestions? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can find Melissa Michaels online at: <a href="http://theinspiredroom.net/">The Inspired Room Blog</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/theinspiredroom">Twitter</a>.</span><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-74764831425467821702015-05-01T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-01T05:00:02.132-04:00Review: 'The Art and Craft of Storytelling' by Nancy Lamb<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ScTIEJ0qM_U/VTOyI3g6L1I/AAAAAAAACLs/bDEZFNbjWF4/s1600/art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ScTIEJ0qM_U/VTOyI3g6L1I/AAAAAAAACLs/bDEZFNbjWF4/s1600/art.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Art and Craft of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide to Classic Writing Techniques </i>by Nancy Lamb, 2008, Writer's Digest Books, $16.99, softbound, 264 pages. Cover: good. Category/Genre: Reference; Writing How-to. Where we got it: bought it. Where you can get it: <a href="https://login.yahoo.com/config/login_verify2?&.src=ym">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-and-craft-of-storytelling-nancy-lamb/1111304027?ean=9781582975597">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=the+art+and+craft+of+storytelling+nancy+lamb&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From the three approaches to storytelling to the fundamentals of endings, this is a book chock-full of lists about writing. Lamb goes over ways to structure your story, strategies for creating your opening paragraph, types of conflict, point of view, voice and tone, setting, and much more. She also defines a number of genres and categories within those genres, then supplies a list of books to read, all of which are listed by genre. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Lamb does have a tendency to repeat herself; the book is perhaps a third to a half comprised of repetition. But if this doesn't annoy you (or if you simply need that much repetition to absorb new information), you might want to try this book. Lamb makes a lot of good points, and even seasoned pros might do well to review some of her ideas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>On Writing, </i>by Stephen King. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can find Nancy Lamb at <a href="http://www.nancylamb.com/">nancylamb.com</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/nancy_lamb">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/150714.Nancy_Lamb">Goodreads</a>. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-88777756084564898342015-04-24T05:00:00.000-04:002015-04-24T05:00:02.499-04:00Review: 'The Wolf: Ghost Hunter' by Daniel Leboeuf <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zvkq4ZOYMfs/VPx3n3JSesI/AAAAAAAACKM/JQYKuf1YcSE/s1600/ghost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zvkq4ZOYMfs/VPx3n3JSesI/AAAAAAAACKM/JQYKuf1YcSE/s1600/ghost.jpg" height="320" width="244" /></a></div>
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<i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">The
Wolf: Ghost Hunter</i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"> by Daniel
Leboeuf, Photos by Thomas Kitchin and Victoria Hurst, 1996, Firefly
Books, $19.95, softbound, 142 pages. Cover: cool. Where we got it:
Borrowed it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Ghost-Hunter-Daniel-Leboeuf/dp/1895565987/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425830387&sr=8-3&keywords=the+wolf+ghost+hunter">Amazon</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Ghost-Hunter-Daniel-Leboeuf/dp/1895565987/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425830387&sr=8-3&keywords=the+wolf+ghost+hunter">Barnes and Noble</a>.</span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
book contains some particularly interesting facts about an already
intriguing predator. For example, Francis I in France organised a
wolf hunt in the Middle Ages that took place three times a year; this
official hunt was not dismantled until 1971. And in England in 1500,
entire forests were burnt to get rid of wolves.
</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wolves
can hear the ultrasonic vocalisations of rodents, as well as their
scurrying sounds. It's likely that a wolf's jaw can exert 200 pounds
of pressure per square inch, and they use their jaws like a vise,
grabbing and not letting go despite the prey's attempts to throw them
off. It's also been said that if the wind is in their favour, wolves
can smell three deer from 1.5 miles away; they're also able to hear
and interpret sounds from several kilometres away.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
pack averages in size from five to eight members, with 20 or more
members in an Alaskan pack. Wolves' diets change with the seasons:
ungulates (moose, deer, elk, caribou, muskoxen, and the like) in
winter, and small mammals like muskrats, marmots, hares, beavers,
birds who nest on the ground, and fish in summer.
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
photos alone make this book worthwhile. Great for a wolf lover's
library.
</span></div>
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</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>Of Wolves and Men,</i>
by Barry Holstun Lopez.
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-85166626653061080632015-04-17T05:00:00.000-04:002015-04-17T05:00:07.101-04:00Review: 'Yoga Chick' by Bess Gallanis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MdWGP0SNtKQ/VPxy4sbTYNI/AAAAAAAACJ8/5g-blLR9XJM/s1600/Yoga.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MdWGP0SNtKQ/VPxy4sbTYNI/AAAAAAAACJ8/5g-blLR9XJM/s1600/Yoga.JPG" height="320" width="301" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Yoga Chick: A Hip Guide to Every Om</i> by Bess Gallanis, Illustrated by Sheila MacDiarmid, 2006, Warner Books, $12.95, softbound, 123 pages. Cover: pretty good. Category/Genre: exercise. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Chick-Hip-Guide-Everything/dp/0446694320/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425830298&sr=1-1&keywords=yoga+chick">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/yoga-chick-bess-gallanis/1103027670?ean=9780446694322">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=Yoga+Chick%3A+A+Hip+Guide+to+Everything+Om&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Filled with wellness tips, breathing exercises, relaxation techniques, healthy recipes, and self-reflection exercises, this book -- despite its name -- is good for both sexes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There are techniques for morning stretches to help you get started; getting the kinks out after a hard day; and more. Overall self-care is a big part of the book: tips are given for foot treatments, hair conditioning, and eye soothers; and while most men may not go for those ideas, there are other helpful suggestions, such as creating a private retreat for yourself, tips on how to combat insomnia, and ways to get protein without eating meat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Self-reflection exercises include keeping a journal, and Gallanis gives suggestions for breaking through writer's block. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: Suggestions?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bess Gallanis can be found on <a href="https://twitter.com/bessgallanis">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/490464.Bess_Gallanis">Goodreads</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BessGallanis?fref=nf">Facebook</a>. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-18744921294449572532015-04-10T05:00:00.000-04:002015-04-14T16:43:01.306-04:00Review: 'Behind Every Great Man' by Marlene Wagman-Geller<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9b2M5ixdaFk/VODQhinTUQI/AAAAAAAACII/dnF4kycyhSU/s1600/behind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9b2M5ixdaFk/VODQhinTUQI/AAAAAAAACII/dnF4kycyhSU/s1600/behind.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Behind Every Great Man: The Forgotten Women Behind the World's Famous and Infamous </i>by Marlene Wagman-Geller, 2015, Sourcebooks, $16.99, softbound, 356 pages. Cover: good. Category/Genre: history, reference. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Behind-Every-Great-Man-Forgotten/dp/1492603058/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424019304&sr=1-1&keywords=behind+every+great+man">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/behind-every-great-man-marlene-wagman-geller/1120010469?ean=9781492603054">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=Behind+Every+Great+Man%3A+Forgotten+Women+Behind+the+World%27s+Famous+and+Infamous&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">'First I thought of a colorful famous man,' writes Wagman-Geller, 'and if his wife dwelled in the shadows, I investigated. If her life was an intriguing one and shone light on a hitherto unknown aspect of her husband, she merited a chapter.' </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'll find forty such women in this book: the wives and companions of Albert Einstein, Adolf Hitler, Richard Wagner, Gertrude Stein, Jim Henson, Sting, and more. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's considerable sadness in these pages as we read about women who endured their husband's relentless affairs, or lost their spouse and were left alone. Alice Babette Toklas, wife of Gertrude Stein, felt she was 'but a memory' of her beloved when Gertrude died. Other women felt the same way; Cosima Liszt, wife of Richard Wagner, stopped writing in her million-word diary when Wagner died. She even flung herself into his open grave at the funeral. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A book that lets you look at the famous (and infamous) a bit differently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Women Heroes of the American Revolution, </i>by Susan Casey. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can find Marlene Wagman-Geller on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2120381.Marlene_Wagman_Geller">GoodReads</a> or <a href="https://www.facebook.com/marlene.wagman.5?fref=nf">Facebook</a>, or you may contact her at her website <a href="http://www.marlenewagmangeller.com/contact.htm">here</a>.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-10200664399197368232015-04-03T05:00:00.000-04:002015-04-03T05:00:03.536-04:00Revew: 'Women Heroes of the American Revolution' by Susan Casey <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AU7khLC7Q5Q/VODJVm7um1I/AAAAAAAACH4/bH-EbNpWD_Y/s1600/heroes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AU7khLC7Q5Q/VODJVm7um1I/AAAAAAAACH4/bH-EbNpWD_Y/s1600/heroes.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Women
Heroes of the American Revolution: 20 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage,
Defiance, and Rescue</i> by Susan
Casey, 2015, Chicago Review Press, $19.95, hardbound, 226 pages.
Cover: not bad. Category/Genre: history. Where we got it: publisher.
Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
is a good book if you like history. It's put together from diaries,
journals, letters, historians, writers of the time, and accounts by
soldiers or families; some of the letters and other documents are
included in the book along with Casey's narrative.
</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
isn't entirely clear whether all the stories are true or not –
Casey says that separating fact from fiction or exaggeration was one
of the hardest parts about writing the book – but she does tell you
if the story is in question, and she offers information at the end of
each tale as to where to go if you want to learn more.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There
are some interesting stories in here: that of Phillis Wheatley, a
slave who published a book of her own poetry that was about and for
America; Lydia Darragh's spy
ring (although her husband and sons played as big a role as she did);
and Grace and Rachel Martin, who prevented papers from being
delivered to British officers by pretending to be militiamen, are a
few.
</span></div>
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</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
book is part of the Women of Action series, a biography series that
'introduces young adults to women and girls of courage and conviction
throughout the ages.'
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>Behind Every Great Man,</i>
by Marlene Wagman-Geller.
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Susan Casey is an author, teacher, public speaker, and journalist. You can find out more about her and her books at: <a href="http://www.susancaseybooks.com/">www.susancaseybooks.com</a>. She has two Facebook pages for her books: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kids-Inventing-A-Handbook-for-Young-Inventors/208752925806795?ref=hl">Kids Inventing!</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-Invent-Two-Centuries-of-Discoveries-That-Have-Shaped-Our-World/180779528642773">Women Invent!</a></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-40223748542279526302015-03-27T05:00:00.000-04:002015-03-27T05:00:04.206-04:00Review: 'The Whartons' Strength Book' by Jim and Phil Wharton <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The
Whartons' Strength Book</i> by Jim
and Phil Wharton, 1999, Three Rivers Press, $15.00, softbound, 258
pages. Cover: okay. Category/Genre: exercise/health. Where we got it:
borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mpHbt5HN5Vs/VNe-e3M2EAI/AAAAAAAACHQ/M6Ck7h_RwEU/s1600/strength.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mpHbt5HN5Vs/VNe-e3M2EAI/AAAAAAAACHQ/M6Ck7h_RwEU/s1600/strength.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">This book uses the Wharton father and son team's Active-Isolated Strength Training to help you get the most out of your workout, whether you want to tone up, lose weight, regain lost vitality, or build muscles. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The book is designed to help you create a workout tailored to your needs. Part I offers tips, cautions, clothing and equipment advice, terminology, and encouragement. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part II catalogs 35 exercises, which have been organised to coordinate with five body zones. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Part III allows you to select your sports/occupation and plug that into your workout. For example, you'll want a different workout if you regularly play cricket or rock climb than if you're stuck behind a desk all day. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Diet, performance, incentives, and rewards are tackled in Part IV, and there's even a special section on older athletes. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Whartons say that a good general-base strengthening programme has three distinct phases (they refer to it as BAMMING an athlete): </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>B.</b> Building muscular strength (at least a month to get started). </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>A.</b> Attaining proficiency and musculoskeletal balance (at least six months, although they say you'll see results more quickly than that). </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>M.</b> Maintaining structural integrity (for life). </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They explain how to slim down and tone up, and how to sculpt and bulk up. They explain how to properly manage a weight, a rep, and a set, and offer a word on training for a specific sport. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There's a lot more to this book, and it all looks pretty handy. If you're looking to make your workout a better one, or if you're looking to incorporate workouts into your schedule, you might want to check out this book. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: Suggestions? </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more information about the Whartons' method, go to: <a href="http://www.whartonhealth.com/">Wharton Health</a>.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-37653385037278997122015-03-20T05:00:00.000-04:002015-03-20T05:00:09.978-04:00Review: 'Almost Everyone's Guide to Science' by John Gribbin with Mary Gribbin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPvzyvlnODw/VMVkNdmoOmI/AAAAAAAACF4/71GdHyGaJkQ/s1600/science.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bPvzyvlnODw/VMVkNdmoOmI/AAAAAAAACF4/71GdHyGaJkQ/s1600/science.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Almost
Everyone's Guide to Science</i> by
John Gribbin with Mary Gribbin, 1999, Yale University Press, $11.40,
hardbound, 232 pages. Cover: pretty good. Category/Genre: reference.
Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Almost-Everyones-Guide-Science-Everything/dp/0300084609/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422222131&sr=1-1&keywords=almost+everyone%27s+guide+to+science">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/almost-everyone-s-guide-to-science-john-gribbon?store=book&keyword=almost+everyone%27s+guide+to+science+john+gribbon">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=Almost+Everyone%27s+Guide+to+Science&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you're interested in the various aspects of science but are
intimidated by technical detail, this might be the book for you. It
covers physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and biology, but it's an
overview for the layman.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'll
get a look at some of the major contributors of scientific research
and development, and you'll learn not only how atoms are put together
and how gravity is actually a rather weak force, but also how the
great and the small are interconnected. Gribbins touches on particles
and fields, DNA, evolution, the Earth, the Sun, and the lives of
stars.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">You
have to really enjoy science to get through this book, not just have
a passing interest.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: Suggestions? </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can find John Gribbin's Home Page <a href="http://www.lifesci.sussex.ac.uk/home/John_Gribbin/">here</a>. You can find him on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1418.John_Gribbin">Goodreads</a>, and he and Mary Gibbin have written children's books which can be found <a href="http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/author/1444/John-Gribbin-Mary-Gribbin.html">here</a>.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-86468382342354205292015-03-13T05:00:00.000-04:002015-03-13T05:00:07.889-04:00Review: 'Almost Astronauts' by Tanya Lee Stone <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpcqc1zsE5c/VMVlHjRakiI/AAAAAAAACGE/T4t14c3F__E/s1600/astronauts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wpcqc1zsE5c/VMVlHjRakiI/AAAAAAAACGE/T4t14c3F__E/s1600/astronauts.jpg" height="320" width="289" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Almost
Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream</i>
by Tanya Lee Stone, 2009, Candlewick Press, $24.99, hardbound, 133
pages. Cover: pretty cool. Category/Genre: reference/history. Where
we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon,
Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
is the true and inspiring story of the Mercury 13 women, who were the
first women ever to be trained as astronauts.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Without
Randolph Lovelace, the doctor who put the Mercury 7 men through their
testing, this likely would not have happened, at least not for a
while. But Lovelace believed women are as capable as men, and he had
a desire to prove it.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
first was Jerrie Cobb, a pilot who'd broken world records; she fared
so well in the testing that it was thought she'd not only do well in
space, she would excell there. After her came 18 other women, all
pilots and go-getters, all fit. Including Cobb, 13 of the women
passed the tests with flying colors.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In
this book, you'll learn about some of the grueling tests all
astronauts go through, and you'll learn how it was particularly hard
for these women – not because they were weaker, but because of the
negativity they had to face. One of them was filed divorce papers
after testing, and another's boss demoted her.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you want to read about real bravery and perseverence, try this book.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>Women of the Wind: Early Women
Aviators,</i> by Wanda Langley.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For more about Tanya Lee Stone and her many books, check out her website at: <a href="http://www.tanyastone.com/">http://www.tanyastone.com/</a>. She writes non-fiction (often about women or African-Americans), teen fiction, and picture books. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">You can follow Tanya Lee Stone at: <a href="https://twitter.com/tanyaleestone">https://twitter.com/tanyaleestone</a> or Like her on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/425130797570872/?ref=5">Facebook</a>. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%;">You can buy Tanya's books via her website, on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tanya-Lee-Stone/e/B000APN412/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1422222175&sr=1-2-ent&pebp=1422222184447&peasin=B000APN412">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/tanya-lee-stone?store=book&keyword=tanya+lee+stone">Barnes and Noble</a>, or <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209897747264&query=tanya+lee+stone&where=book_author">Books-A-Million</a>.</span></div>
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<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-60065408043707100652015-03-06T05:00:00.001-05:002015-03-06T05:00:07.004-05:00Review: 'A Career as an Auto Mechanic' by Tamra B Orr <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UV5K8uptwX8/VNemZ-UObOI/AAAAAAAACGw/xxZHZC4Vl3g/s1600/auto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UV5K8uptwX8/VNemZ-UObOI/AAAAAAAACGw/xxZHZC4Vl3g/s1600/auto.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A
Career as an Auto Mechanic</i> by
Tamra B Orr, 2011, Rosen Publishing, $35.51, hardbound, 80 pages.
Cover: good. Category/Genre:
how-to. Where we got it:
borrowed it. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble,
Books-A-Million.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aimed
at high school students, this book is an invaluable resource for
teens (or anyone, really) who want to pursue a career as an auto
mechanic.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Orr
lists the kinds of classes you'll need to take while still in high
school – math, English, and science (including electronics,
computer technology, and physics), plus any classes or workshops on
car maintenance and repair or small engine work – and gives you an
idea of how to get a head start on your career.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There
are certification tests you can take, which will help you become a
more skilled mechanic, and which will help you find a better job.
After high school, Orr suggests either community college or a
post-secondary vocational school.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's
also a good idea to check out the National Institute for Automotive
Service Excellence online (<a href="https://www.ase.com/Home.aspx">www.ase.com</a>)
for lots of great information about your chosen career. Orr has a
number of other resources at the end of the book, plus a handy
glossary.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
is a great book for any guy or girl interested in auto mechanics.
</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: Suggestions? </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tamra Orr's books may be purchased at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tamra-Orr/e/B001HMLBLC">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/tamra-orr?store=book&keyword=tamra+orr">Barnes and Noble</a>, or <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209897747264&query=tamra+b+orr&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-26109032618435146042015-03-06T05:00:00.000-05:002015-03-06T05:00:07.824-05:00Review: 'Women of the Wind' by Wanda Langley<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QzUpdgrd6ec/VMVa7PTDB1I/AAAAAAAACFo/83WUBNp8uGY/s1600/Women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QzUpdgrd6ec/VMVa7PTDB1I/AAAAAAAACFo/83WUBNp8uGY/s1600/Women.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Women
of the Wind: Early Women Aviators </i>by
Wanda Langley, 2006, Morgan Reynolds Publishing, $26.95, hardbound,
160 pages. Cover: good. Category/Genre: Reference/History. Where we
got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=women+of+the+wind+wanda+langley">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/women-of-the-wind-wanda-langley/1007607327?ean=9781931798815">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=women+of+the+wind+wanda+langley&where=Books">Books-A-Million</a>.</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Between
the historic first flights of Orville and Wilbur Wright and the
breaking of the sound barrier by Chuck Yeager, there were many pilots
willing to risk their lives flying the rickety, open-cockpit planes
of the time. Some of those pilots were women; this book reveals the
stories of nine of those women, some of whom set more than one
record, some of whom died in flight, and all of whom serve as an
inspiration, not only to women and young girls, but to the men and
young boys who are interested in aviation.
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Naturally,
Amelia Earhart is in this book; but here you'll also find Harriet
Quimby, the first woman to receive her pilot's license in the U.S.;
Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman to fly a plane; Ruth
Nichols, who used aviation to help people; and others.
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Black-and-white
photographs accompany the text, and each aviator gets her own timeline. </span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>Almost Astronauts, </i>by
Tanya Lee Stone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;">Find Wanda Langley's books on </span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/843047.Wanda_Langley" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;">Goodreads</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;"> and </span><a href="http://www.paperbackswap.com/Wanda-Langley/author/" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;">PaperBack Swap</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;">; there's also a biography on </span><a href="http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-2696400050.html" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;">Encyclopedia.com</a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 100%; text-align: left;">.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-32891568578164298172015-02-27T05:00:00.000-05:002015-02-27T05:00:00.832-05:00Review: 'Coping with Teen Suicide' by James M Murphy, MD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zabCMtXepPQ/VNelUAp3O6I/AAAAAAAACGk/PqvzLnDHJU4/s1600/coping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zabCMtXepPQ/VNelUAp3O6I/AAAAAAAACGk/PqvzLnDHJU4/s1600/coping.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Coping
with Teen Suicide</i> by James M
Murphy, MD, 1999, The Rosen Publishing Group, $2.57, hardbound, 125
pages. Cover: not bad. Category/Genre: reference. Where we got it:
borrowed it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=coping+with+teen+suicide&sprefix=coping+with+teen%2Cstripbooks%2C251">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/coping-with-teen-suicide-james-m-murphy/1003343353?ean=9780823928248">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="http://www.booksamillion.com/search?id=6209883658471&query=Coping%20with%20Teen%20Suicide&where=rare_search&search=Search&work_id=29975072&qty_avail=17">Books-A-Million</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This book is a must-have for teens. (It wouldn't hurt to be in an adult's library, either.) Murphy walks the reader through various reasons for teen suicide, the primary one being stress. Murphy gives several ways teens can cope with stress, including speaking up (don't hold your feelings inside), negotiating (try to compromise to get what you want), and changing tactics if what you're doing isn't working. He also offers ideas on how to cope if you can't alter your situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Various ways to get help are described, and there's a handy list at the back of the book should you need to get in touch with any of these places. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Murphy describes the stages of grief, goes over how you can help prevent suicide, and talks about the reasons you shouldn't commit suicide. He also includes scenarios based on real-life situations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is a helpful book, and the subject matter is treated with respect. Teens are likely to respond to Murphy's easy writing style and compassion. </span></div>
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<div align="justify" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: Suggestions? </span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-61479925881785773142015-02-20T05:00:00.000-05:002015-02-20T05:00:04.451-05:00Review: 'Wildflower Folklore' by Laura C Martin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5WeuY3jCSU/VNe4cgyb2pI/AAAAAAAACHA/q-aU2R4Et30/s1600/wildflower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5WeuY3jCSU/VNe4cgyb2pI/AAAAAAAACHA/q-aU2R4Et30/s1600/wildflower.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Wildflower Folklore </i>by Laura C Martin, 1984, Fast and McMillan, $16.95, hardbound, 256 pages. Cover: colourful, but not as good as the artwork on the inside. Category/Genre: reference. Where we got it: borrowed it. Where you can get it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wildflower-Folklore-Laura-C-Martin/dp/0887420168/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1423423369&sr=1-1&keywords=wildflower+folklore">Amazon</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wildflower-folklore-laura-c-martin/1002010092?ean=9781564402219">Barnes and Noble</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">105 of the world's best-known wildflowers are collected here, grouped according to their most frequently-occurring flower colour. Full-page black-and-white line drawings accompany each flower, along with the plant's common name, scientific name, habitat, and blooming period. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A brief description is included. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But this book isn't just scientific facts; it includes the history of the wildflower (how people used to use it and what powers -- magical, medicinal, or otherwise -- they believed it had), its culinary uses, how it got its name, and legends, myths, and stories about the wildflower. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example, there are many beliefs about dandelion clocks: it is commonly held that if you blow off all the seeds at once, your wish will come true; it's also said that the number of seeds left after a hard puff is the number of children you'll have. And if you whisper words of love, then blow the seeds gently towards your loved one, the seeds will carry your words to him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An interesting book for anyone interested in folklore or flowers. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>Folklore of Birds, </i>by Laura C Martin; and <i>Wildlife Folklore, </i>by Laura C Martin. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can find Laura C Martin's author page <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Laura-C.-Martin/e/B001JRZ0IU">here</a>. She can also be found on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/31993.Laura_C_Martin">GoodReads</a> and <a href="http://www.thecreativeconnectionevent.com/profile/laura-c-martin/">The Creative Connection</a>. </span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-77475278141099764762015-02-13T05:00:00.000-05:002015-02-13T05:00:02.950-05:00Review: 'Historical Heartthrobs' by Kelly Murphy with Hallie Fryd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EySp7cOt3aw/VHZxVsEVAlI/AAAAAAAACFU/eseZJAkAWpk/s1600/heart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EySp7cOt3aw/VHZxVsEVAlI/AAAAAAAACFU/eseZJAkAWpk/s1600/heart.JPG" height="320" width="281" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Historical
Heartthrobs: 50 Timeless Crushes – from Cleopatra to Camus </i>by
Kelly Murphy with Hallie Fryd, $17.99, hardbound, 223 pages. Cover:
pretty good. Category/Genre: Reference. Where we got it: publisher.
Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From
artists to rulers to scientists and civil rights activists, this book
offers a glimpse at what made people fall for certain celebrities of
the day – and whether or not we would find them just as appealing
today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It
isn't just physical attributes that are measured here. Charisma goes
a long way, as does intellect, bravery, and wit. Factors that may
dampen the sex appeal of those found in this book include narcissism,
rudeness, and homicidal tendencies.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'll
find a whole host of hotties to choose from: Cleopatra, Annie Oakley,
Jane Goodall, Jim Thorpe, and Frederick Douglass to start; and not
all of them were good guys. You'll find Mata Hari, John Wilkes Booth,
and Bugsy Siegel in these pages, as well.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vital
stats are given: date of birth and death; country of origin; area of
influence; and style of seduction. There are quotes about each
celebrity, as well as a brief life story, information on his or her
sex life, and a blurb on why that person matters today. The “Heat
Factor” is measured from one to five (five being the hottest).
There are also pictures (photographs or portraits) of each of the
hotties.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An
unusual, interesting way to learn a bit of history.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: Suggestions? </span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-2195544664817460712015-02-06T05:00:00.000-05:002015-02-08T15:25:09.138-05:00Review: 'Nightmares Can Be Murder' by Mary Kennedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GR_bdKUBZ0A/VHZsXlTk41I/AAAAAAAACFE/gbmQ800L6GE/s1600/dream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GR_bdKUBZ0A/VHZsXlTk41I/AAAAAAAACFE/gbmQ800L6GE/s1600/dream.jpg" height="320" width="198" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Nightmares
Can Be Murder </i>by Mary Kennedy,
2014, Berkley Prime Crime, $7.99, softbound, 292 pages. Cover: like
it. Category/Genre: cosy mystery. Where we got it: publisher. Where
you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Freelance
business consultant Taylor Blake is in Savannah to help her sister
Ali cope with her struggling business. What she doesn't expect is
that Ali will rope her into attending the Dream Club, a group of
women dedicated to helping each other analyse their dreams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She
also doesn't expect to become embroiled in a murder; but that's
exactly what happens when a local dance instructor and ladies' man is
killed in his studio. Ali becomes a suspect, and Taylor is determined
to solve the case and clear her sister's name.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To
do this, she enlists the help of an old friend, Sara Rutledge, a
freelance reporter for the local paper, and Taylor's ex, Noah
Chandler, a former FBI agent-turned-private enquiry agent. But Taylor
isn't over Noah, and she's unclear as to how he feels about her.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We
had a couple of issues with this book: there are too many women in
it; it's unrealistic. Plus we take great umbrage at the use of
'womans's' – which anyone interested in grammar can tell you is
incorrect. Still, it was an enjoyable read, and we recommend it.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
is an unusual mystery, not only for the matter of the dream
interpretations, but also because, refreshingly, it doesn't tend to
follow the usual formula for cosy mysteries.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>The Missing Ink, </i>by
Karen E Olson.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-27871669034772129932015-01-30T05:00:00.000-05:002015-01-30T05:00:04.263-05:00Review: 'Cold Press Juice Bible' by Lisa Sussman<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3KDDxXmOiI/VHZrhpb9RMI/AAAAAAAACE4/kbHoWBIEq5A/s1600/juice.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3KDDxXmOiI/VHZrhpb9RMI/AAAAAAAACE4/kbHoWBIEq5A/s1600/juice.JPG" height="320" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Cold
Press Juice Bible: 300 Delicious, Nutritious, All-Natural Recipes for
Your Masticating Juicer</i>
by<i> </i>Lisa
Sussman, 2014, Ulysses Press, $14.95, softbound, 192 pages. Cover:
colourful. Genre: cookbook. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can
get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This
is a cookery book, but it also has loads of information on why and
how one should juice. There are lots of useful tips on buying a
juicer, as well.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
ideal four parts vegetable, one part fruit ratio of your juices may
be unpalatable at first, so Sussman suggests counteracting the strong
flavour with lemon, salt, carrots, ginger, apples, or cucumbers
(among other things). She has a section on how to mesh flavours, too.
And you might want to add watery fruits and veg or a splash of liquid
to prevent your juice looking and tasting like so much green sludge.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sussman
also has a section dedicated to keeping your juice safe (some veg can
be eaten raw, but some need to be cooked first).
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
recipes are divided into seven 'mealtimes,' and there are four
categories of juices (green, root vegetable, fruit, and milky
juices). Each recipe lists the ingredients and three other ways to
try it. For example, 'Peanut Butter Cup' is made with spinach, chia
seeds, chocolate protein powder, peanut butter, and honey – but you
can make it rooty by adding a sweet potato; or milky by adding
banilla-infused almond milk; or fruity by adding fresh cherries.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>The
Green Teen Cookbook, </i>edited
by Laurane Marchive and Pam McElroy.</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-29901798419829428362015-01-23T05:00:00.000-05:002015-01-23T05:00:04.421-05:00Review: 'A Grave Matter' by Anna Lee Huber<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THYSaZfHBDs/VHZqZZ-gz6I/AAAAAAAACEs/jHYoGlLi2aY/s1600/grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-THYSaZfHBDs/VHZqZZ-gz6I/AAAAAAAACEs/jHYoGlLi2aY/s1600/grave.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>A
Grave Matter </i>by Anna Lee Huber,
2014, Berkley Prime Crime, $16.00, softbound, 421 pages. Cover:
excellent. But we thought she was supposed to have dark hair.
Category/Genre: historical mystery. Where we got it: publisher. Where
you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
third in the Lady Darby mysteries, this book takes place two months
after the events of the previous book. Lady Kiera Darby is still
reeling from the loss of a dear friend and finds herself attending –
rather unwillingly – the annual Hogmany Ball with her older
brother, Trevor.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
festivities are ended when news of a murder comes: the family
caretaker, Dodd, was shot and killed, and a body is missing from the
family plot at the abby. Because the town doctor is inebriated, Kiera
– who has experience with dead bodies and investigations – is
asked to view Dodd's body and shed whatever light she can.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She
is also soon asked to contact Sebastian Gage, a gentleman
investigator, and ask that he come to solve the mystery and retrieve
the missing bones. Kiera agrees to this somewhat reluctantly; she and
Gage have a past, and she's still not certain of her feelings on the
matter – or of his feelings for her, for that matter.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nonetheless,
the investigation and Gage's company combine to draw her out of her
dark mood. Soon she is painting again, a talent which has of late
eluded her. And sooner than she expects, she has an answer to how
Gage feels about her.
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
mystery of the body snatching, however, is not so easy. Though the
team gather clues, nothing seems to lead them anywhere. Could it be
that these body snatchers are just too clever to be caught?
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once
again, Anna Lee Huber has woven together an intriguing plot and
Scottish history and culture.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Note:
</b>mild
language.</span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you like this one, try: <i>The
Anatomist's Wife, </i>by
Anna Lee Huber; <i>Mortal
Arts, </i>by
Anna Lee Huber; <i>Some
Danger Involved, </i>by
Will Thomas. </span>
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5005706242182952633.post-66415011329128786192015-01-16T05:00:00.000-05:002015-01-16T05:00:03.987-05:00Review: 'The Hollow Hills' by Mary Stewart <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--w87IObD12E/VBCbxlc86vI/AAAAAAAAB5k/NzNSJDeskPc/s1600/hollow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--w87IObD12E/VBCbxlc86vI/AAAAAAAAB5k/NzNSJDeskPc/s1600/hollow.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>The Hollow Hills</i> by Mary Stewart, 1973, Eos, $15.99, softbound, 475 pages. Cover: good, but Arthur looks a bit too much like a model. Category/genre: fantasy. Where we got it: publisher. Where you can get it: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This, the second installment in Stewart's Arthurian saga, takes place the morning after the events in <i>The Crystal Cave.</i> Merlin returns to his cave and discovers his magic is gone. But he is still needed in Arthur's life even this early on: the queen, Ygraine, wants Merlin to take the child and raise him once he is born. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it's decided that until the boy is weaned, he will be cared for by Moravik, Merlin's old nurse, and Ralf, Merlin's assistant. Then he will be raised in secret by Count Ector, a friend of the king. Merlin will meet Arthur when it is time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When it's time for Arthur to come into his own, Merlin will have to face an old enemy and see that Arthur is declared king before it's too late. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stewart's imagining of the Arthurian legend is one of the best you'll ever come across. Her historical accuracy and rich characters, coupled with a rather mundane take on Merlin's skills as a magician make this an unusual read. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you like this one, try: <i>The Last Enchantment,</i> by Mary Stewart. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0