This is a very sweet book. The author writes so you truly "feel" her words. The author's grandmother, Ociee, is a delight. I hope Milam Propst writes a sequel as I would enjoy reading more about Ociee in her later years. I have bought at least 6 copies for gifts for my friends.

If you want to read a nice book that gives you a warm, cozy feeling, this is for you..no violence, no bad words. The author's charachters come alive and by the end you feel you know the protagonist, Ociee, personally.

I am ordering additional copies for several friends and family members.

I hope Milam will come out with a sequel. I want to know more about Ociee.

A wonderful book -- low key and well written. The stories speak for themselves without author intrusion or fictionalized "oo-wee-spooky" add-ins. The Hubbards obviously enjoyed this project, and it shows. If you want ectoplasm dripping from the walls and bloody apparitions, you won't find them here; but you will meet real ghosts and the people who live with them discussing the subtle, cumulatively unsettling experience of being haunted.

I own 300 or so nonfiction ghost collections, and wrote my own ("Mobile Ghosts, Alabama's Haunted Port City.")I've sent an awful lot of ghost books on to the library, but this is one I enjoy rereading, and have it on the "keeper" shelf. --Elizabeth Parker

This is an outstanding book. I was hooked on the first page and couldn't stop reading until I was finished. The photography is every bit as exceptional as the writing. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever had even the slightest interest in ghosts. If you are from the south it is a must!

I never got this book fully until I moved to Louisiana- people do take food seriously in the South, and guard barbeque and other recipies as great secrets. My mother-in-law has been trying to get a BBQ recipie for years from one of her friends who refuses to tell her. So this book is a bit educational for people who aren't from the South. Shankman knows her stuff. And if you love the Sam Adams series, you'll love this book. I love the twists in the story- so many Elvis connections!
If you love 'Q', mysteries and Elvis, this is the book for you!(and even if you don't, its still a great book!)

About half way through this funny book, I decided it wasn't a mystery. But then the end took me by complete surprise! Highly recommend for those who like a little comedy with their mysteries...

A wonderful book full of the rich flavor of the U.S.-Mexican border. Different writers bring the reader to the border through different reports about the region. Excellent book for border culture lovers. Different writers, different flavors of border culture.

From El Planeta Platica journal - Subtitled "Reports from a didsappearing line," this book may be one of the best collection of border essays and insights. I've heard of the Cinco Puntos Press for several years, but never came across their publications until recently. The editors have wisely chosen to include some of the best writers from the region instead of the usual hash of academics. Writers, such as Maz Aguilera-Hellweg, talk about cross-cultural childhoods. Debbie Nathan eloquently describes her city - El Paso - with free trade and cholera. The ever-present Gary Paul Nabhan documents his trek looking for night-blooming cacti. When I wasn't laughing, I was crying. How often can you really say that about a book?

I read this recently after having kept a copy around for years; I now wish I had read it years ago. It is witty, observant, and a wonderful slice of American history; the
now-vanished steamboat culture comes alive like nowhere
else. However, the best part is the contrast between the author's confident early youthful years and the much later, postwar years of bittersweet reminiscence and regret for what has passed, never to return. A wonderful book - I simply cannot praise it highly enough.

Let me guess: your total exposure to Mark Twain came in high school, when you were forced to read about the antics of Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer, right? Well, now that you've reached adulthood, you should make time to read _Life on the Mississippi_. It's mandatory reading if you live in a state that borders the great river, anywhere from Minnesota down to Louisiana. It's mandatory reading if you have come to that point in life when you can suddenly appreciate American history and post-Civil War stories written by someone who lived through that time.

Writing in the first half of the 1870s, Twain retraces the steps of his youth: the watery highway he knew when he trained to be a riverboat pilot nearly 20 years earlier. He speaks of how life _was_ along the river, and what life _became_. It's almost a "you can't go home again" experience for him, while the reader gets the benefit of discovering both time periods.

I have two favorite parts that I share with others. Chapter IX includes a wonderful dissertation about how learning the navigational intricacies of the river caused Twain to lose the ability to see its natural beauty. And Chapter XLV includes an assessment of how the people of the North and the South reacted differently to the war experience. If I were a social studies teacher, I'd use that last passage in a unit on the reconstruction period. So put this title on your vacation reading list, and don't fret: the chapters are short and are many -- 60! -- but you can stop at any time, and the words go by fast. _Life on the Mississippi_ should make you forget all about any Twain trauma and report-writing you may have suffered as a teenager. [This reviewer was an Illinois resident when these comments were written.]

Live Steam blends history with art and photography, providing a visual examination of paddlewheel steamboats on the Mississippi River which is photographed aboard all six remaining steamboats. Live Steam profiles not just the boats but their inner operations: while the approach is visual with brown duotones providing glimpses of operations and operators, it provides an important documentary of modern steamboat operations.

"Live Steam" arrived today and it is absolutely fabulous. The pictures are breathtaking and showcase so many interesting aspects of the working steamboat and the people behind the scenes. Even the simplest task is brought to life with this book. The black and white portrayal in these photos is more vivid and colorful than any technicolor presentation could be of the same images. You have created a beautiful piece of art. We think the book is wonderful and in a class of it's own. You said you expected this book to surpass the previous two books and we think you have definitely done that with "Live Steam"!

If your love of beauty and history extends to architecture but your travel budget is limited, consider obtaining a copy of THE MAJESTY OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA.

Author Jim Fraiser and photographer West Freeman traveled the 200-mile length of the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta, the heart of of the realm of King Cotton, to assemble the text and illustrations for this handsome, informative little book. The result is replete with fascinating anecdotes about times long past and splendid pictures of the extraordinarily beautiful homes, churches and public buildings that stand as a monument to an era.

Beginning at Port Gibson, the "Gateway to the Delta," and the classic simplicity of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Messers Fraiser and Freeman trace the history of this diverse and scenic region in both the lives of its founders and the exquisite constructs they created. The text is filled with gossipy tidbits as well as less-familiar history, like the chandelier from the famous steamboat Robert E. Lee that hangs in Port Gibson's First Presbyterian Church and the tale of the ghost of owner John Bobb, murdered by Union soldiers, that purportedly still roams the flying-wing stairway and double-tiered galleries of McRaven in Vicksburg.

This book is for those whose hunger for beauty extends to that crafted by the hands of man. If it has a flaw, it is that the taste of these magnificent structures it provides leaves the reader hungry to sample them first-hand. Should one be fortunate enough to do that, they could do worse than to tuck their copy of THE MAJESTY OF THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA into their tote as a reference.

Majesty Of The Mississippi Delta is as much a travel account as an architectural and art history of the homes, churches, and stores on the Mississippi Delta. Color photos of both interiors and exteriors are accompanied by quotes from historical documents and descriptions of each building. A rich history for those who enjoy architectural history in general and the Mississippi area in particular.

Jo Beecher Prather has created a unique Children's story and introduced a truly remarkable character in Beau, a squirrel who lives in the Mississippi Govenor's mansion. Beau explores the Govenor's Mansion explaining things in a most humorous way...one can't help but smile. Beautifully illustrated by noted MS author and Govenor's Award Winner Kenneth M. Quinn, this book is a must have for any Mississippian or fan of Children's Books.

Jo Beecher Prather has created a unique story and invented a geniune character in Beau, a squirrel who lives in the Govenor's Mansion of Mississippi. As Beau takes the reader through the mansion describing events in humurous ways, you can't help but smile. Beautifully illustrated artwork from noted Mississippi Artist Kenneth M. Quinn, this children's book is a must have for any children's book collection.

Barbara McIntosh has written a wondeful story with Mississippi Kiss. This is a must read for the historical romance reader, as well as anyone else. You won't be sorry. Give it a go!

This is one of the first romance novels I read (about 6 years ago) and I still remember it well. It's one of the best I've read (outside of Johanna Lindsey). If you liked "Man of my Dreams," you'll love this book. The characters are well thought out and the plot is amazing. I highly recommend it!

This wonderful book not only teaches you about quilts, it also teaches you about the state of Mississippi history. I learned facts I had not known. Such as, Mississippi was one of the five wealthiest states in the Union before the Civil War. And of course this was from the cotton plantations, which supplied the cotton to make quilts. A must read for anyone interested in antiquity of our state.

Collectors of state quilt books will not want to miss this important addition to their library.