This fascinating book, focusing on scrying with a crystal ball or pool of water. Layout is perfectly organized. Great tips.

i've only scanned the book so far, and have enjoyed the layout tremendously...each section appears to build from the previous sections, yet is easily understood on it's own merits...for such a small book it carries a pack of information. it is interesting that scrying is not typically considered christian in any sort, but the author quotes much from biblical references...and accurately at that...s/he makes no attempt to misquote or mislead the readers...overall, i find this a worthy book to learn from!

This delightful little book caught my attention...drawn to it perhaps??? Regardless as to the reasons why, I found the material to be entertaining and informative. The author addresses his reading audience in a humorous, well written, to the point manner. He approaches the subject so that the novice can read, absorb the information and not be timid in her/his attempt to begin to learn and understand the ancient art of scrying. One is encouraged to learn what ones skill may be in this area of the metaphysical.I found the presentation easy to read, understand and would recommend this book to anyone so interested. Looking forward to more from this augthor.

This is an exceptionally detailed book, but the dates can be misleading. Some patterns produced during the 1924-1943 time period are not included in this volume. My pattern (Colony)is in the 1944-1986 volume (as well as Raleigh, Coronet and part of others) due to limited space in the first volume. If you are looking for one specific pattern, do some research to be sure you are buying the correct book.

This book has become an essential tool in my glassware business. It is very comprehensive in its listings of the various Fortoria patterns and the pictures are extremely clear and helpful. The catalog inserts are especially interesting and useful. The research and love that went into the production of this book is evident in its helpful format. Browsing through this book is a joy!

This is absolutely the most beautiful and thorough book on Fostoria I have ever seen. It shines light on some of the mysteries and nuances in Fostoria production. It is a well organized, yet detailed reference which includes a large array of photographs, Fostoria advertising pieces and catalog pages along with an extensive listing of pieces and patterns, production dates and 1999 pricing. This is a great book for the new or seasoned collector and dealers. If you buy or sell Fostoria, you should buy this book!

Crystal Wilkinson's Water Street is an engaging novel that
transports the reader to a middle-class neighborhood in small town Stanford, Kentucky, USA. The residents are hardworking, law-abiding citizens who go to work, church, pay their taxes, and raise their families to the best of their abilities. In the opening passages of the book, the author mentions that every person has two stories to tell: one story by day and the other by night which is kept near the heart for safekeeping. Wilkinson allows the reader to experience both stories through the carefully crafted monologues and short narratives.

The novel opens with the manic-depressant Yolanda in the midst of a meeting with her psychiatrist. In her session, the reader is casually introduced to a few Water Street residents: her best friend, Mona whom she idolizes; her brother, KiKi, her husband, Junior; and a host of other characters who influenced her in childhood and adulthood. The beauty of the novel is the reader will learn more about Mona, Kiki, Junior, Sandy, Maxine, et al in subsequent chapters via a series of soliquies or third person accounts. Through the selected medium, the reader observes how they tackle a host of issues such as interracial relationships, marital problems, quests for love, divorce, absentee parents, etc.

Because it is a small town and all the residents live on Water Street, the stories are interconnected and the same characters are often mentioned in one or more stories. So for example, we hear about Mona, the best friend from Yolanda; Mona, my little sister's best friend that I slept with from Kiki; Mona in her own eyes, etc. We get up close and personal viewpoints from mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters, sons, neighbors and friends. One particular noteworthy item is that the author's skill in writing from the male perspective is equally compelling as from the female's. In "The Girl of My Dreams: Kiki", we find Kevin/Kiki calling off the wedding after the rehearsal dinner, but not for the reasons one may think because of the title of the story. We also experience other male viewpoints in the coming of age stories "Water Street, 1979: Junior", "Between Men", and a principled man in search of love in "An Ordinary Man: Reverend Townsend."

The dialogue is mature, the writing is great, and the stories are painfully honest. These are not eccentric or malevolent characters, in fact, they are so down-to-earth that they seem real, almost like ordinary folk instead of fictional protagonists. Just as with non-fictional beings, the harsh realities of life strikes Water Street as with any other street and the imperfections, vulnerabilities,pain, and joy of the characters are expertly revealed. Water Street's messages are universal and timeless: the same people with the same issues can be found in the inner cities as well as the rural landscapes in any decade. This is a great second novel by
Crystal Wilkinson; I must add her debut novel, Blackberries,
Blackberries to my list of books to check out this year.

Phyllis
APOOO BookClub

Water Street is a collection of short stories that revolve around small town life. The inhabitants of Water Street each have a tale and they share their experiences with us throughout this book. The characters are so lifelike and their experiences so real, you feel at home and as though you know each of them individually. Dealing with topics such as love and loss, the stories are full of emotions. They had me laughing one minute, crying the next. This book is a testament to small communities and the people that live within them. Crystal Wilkinson has done a superb job with this novel. I cannot wait to read more from this author.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

I read "Water Street'' in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. The characters are warm, the writing is pitch-perfect and the stories flow like Jim Beam. Crystal Wilkinson is Alice Walker on Prozac.

First, be aware that the exciting Tintin adventure that begins in "The Seven Crystal Balls" is concluded in "Prisoners of the Sun." As our story begins, Tintin is on the train reading how the Sanders-Hardiman Ethnographic Expedition has returned a trip to Peru and Bolivia. The gentleman reading over Tintin's shoulder predicts trouble, drawing a parallel between what happened with the curse of King Tut-Ankh-Amen's tomb and these explorers violating the Inca's burial chambers. "What'd we say if the Egyptians or the Peruvians came over here and started digging up our kings?," asks the gentleman; What'd we say then, eh?" The comment is important, not only because tragedy does strike the seven members of the expedition as they fall prey to the Crystal Balls of the book's title, but because one of the themes that Hergé develops in this particular epic is the respect Europeans should have for other cultures and ways of life. This point has been implict in many of Tintin's adventures, but it is a dominant element this time around. Assissted by his good friend Captain Haddock, Tintin becomes embroiled in the mystery, which takes a more personal turn when Professor Calculus is kidnapped. One interesting twist in this story is that Snowy actually ends up causing more trouble than the Thom(p)sons. There is a seriousness to what happens in "The Seven Crytal Balls" and "Prisoners of the Sun" that reflects a significant turning point in Hergé's work, laying the ground work for his greatest tales, the two-part Moon story and "Tintin in Tibet." The ability of Hergé to grow as a storyteller over the course of his distinguished career is impressive and these stories deserve the accolades they have received and the affection with which they have been embraced by generations of readers.

My Tintin obsession began at a very early age, I am most happy to say. The Seven Crystal Balls is the one Tintin book I didn't read before bedtime, for the simple reason that it was too scary! Herge was masterful at creating any scenario and eliciting any reaction from his readers that he wished. In this book he created a spine-tingling supernatural thriller, concluded in the second part of this adventure, Prisoners of the Sun.

Seven Crystal Balls has it's share of laughs as well, provided in particular by Captain Haddock. At the start of the adventure, Haddock desperately trys to relinquish his gruff old sea-dog ways by sporting a monocle and speaking in a very diginified manner. As you can imagine, the results are slightly less than successful.

This adventure seems to focus around darkly lit and heavily furnished rooms, places of scholars and thought that can not combat the evil terrorizing Tintin's world. Prisoners of the Sun takes Tintin to the beautiful countryside of Peru. The contrast is remarkable, the result is beautiful. This two-part adventure is fantastic.

As a prequel to 'Prisoners of the Sun', this adventure has it all. Bianca Castiafore, General Alcazar and the long suffering Nestor play second fiddle to Haddock and Tintin as they attempt to rescue Professor Calculus from kidnappers. Meanwhile an expedition team fall foul of the curse of Rascar Capac, an Inca mummy! This book is excellent; car chases, gun fights, suspense and Captain Haddock to ensure that everything goes far from smoothly! Buy 'Prisoners of the Sun' at the same time, you will not want to wait around to discover where Calculus has gone!

... In Faderman's book, Frankie Hucklenbroich is Nicky, a baby butch with a puppydog crush on Faderman, a teenager who is already a pinup girl for men's magazines. Faderman is a lesbian, but leaves Nicky to marry a gay man, which temporarily pleases parents all around. Nicky, in despair, disappears for years. A Crystal Diary fills in what happens in that time (in a lightly fictionalized way -- here Lil is Jil) as Nicky, never forgetting her first true love, tries to hide the pain of the loss of both that love and her family's love behind a facade of "butchinality" and pimphood. Nicky stays on the move, hustling her way from city to city, but can't leave her unhappiness behind. When she finally asks for help, it is Faderman -- now a professor who stripped her way through college and graduate school -- who comes to her rescue. Not only is the life story amazing -- the writing in A Crystal Diary is both economical and vivid; it takes the author very few words to paint an incredible picture of a world where attitude is everything and femmes are the prize.

This book received great reviews in the lesbian press, but it was seriously under-promoted and never got the reader attention that it so justly deserved. After reading the manuscript, I was invited by the publisher to write a blurb for the book. Unfortunately, the blurb was never used, but I want to reiterate it here: A CRYSTAL DIARY is poignant and true and written from the gut. It's about working class lesbian hurt, anger, and alienation--and about lesbian strength, the will to survive, and noble courage. I've long admired Frankie Hucklenbroich's work, and in this novel it comes to brilliant and fabulous fruitiion.

This novel, Hucklenbroich's first, is another in a long line of well written works chosen to see the light of print by Firebrand Books. Not that a publisher makes a work worth reading, but this publisher has a history of selecting authors who have talent. A CRYSTAL DIARY is part of that tradition. The fact that Hucklenbroich's other works, poetry and short fiction, have been included in anthologies edited by Lillian Faderman and by Joan Nestle provides those in need of endorsements with substantial ones. While the subject matter is not always what some lesbians might find politically correct, the novel is very well written and gives an excellent sense of place and time. These characters are not so much politically incorrect as they are simply products of their time and culture, and the author gives us an excellent sense of who and why each is as she is. Coming out in St. Louis, or almost anywhere else in the 1950's, and coming of age in a California caught in the cyclones of drug cultures and the open sexuality of the 60's and 70's, informs the self definitions of Hucklenbroich's baby butches and the women they fall in love and lust with. These are real people whom the author draws with believable accuracy and style. Regardless of your political views or definitions of what and who is attractive, you'll find this book engaging simply because it is thoughtfully written and heartfelt. If you have access to America Online, watch for an announcement about a live online interview with Hucklenbroich in late July, 1997. Go to keyword: LAMBDA RISING. If you miss the interview, a text of it will be archived at that keyword for later download.

"The Crystal Gryphon" is one of my favorite Witch World novels among the many five-star fantasies in this series by Lifetime Grand Master of Fantasy, Andre Norton (Alice Mary North). Like "Year of the Unicorn," 'Gryphon' takes place in the Dales and wastelands of High Hallack, as opposed to Norton's original Witch World settings of Estcarp and Escore, where Simon Tregarth and his family did battle with out-worlders and evil magic.

The story alternates between Kerovan, lord-heir in Ulmsdale of High Hallack, and Joisan, high-born maid of Ithkrypt in Ithdale of High Hallack, who is wedded to Kerovan by proxy when she is only eight. At first, there are few changes to her life as she will remain with her own kin until of suitable age:

....

It is so easy to get caught up in Norton's fantasy world. She puts her reader right into the midst of the feasting, mayhem, and magic. It's almost like being set down into the midst of a medieval Book of Hours.

Speaking of magic, when Kerovan's mother was about to give birth to him, she was forced to take shelter in a ruin of the mysterious Old Ones. She was rumored to be of the Old Race herself, and Kerovan was born with hooves instead of normal, human feet. His eyes were the color of butter amber.

Kerovan and Joisan grow up separately, having never met although they are married, and then their world is torn asunder by a strange invasion from the sea (see the original Witch World cycle for more detail about these invaders and their crawling, flame-shooting machines). In the Year of the Moss Wife, when Joisan should have gone to Ulmsdale to take up her wifely duties, she instead learns how to wear mail and wield a light sword. She wears a tiny gryphon in a crystal globe under her mail--a gift from her unknown fiancé.

Meanwhile Kerovan has problems of his own. The keep at Ulmsdale is betrayed to the invaders and he must make his way across the war-torn Dales to Joisan, whose own home has been destroyed. When he finally finds her, she mistakes him for one of the mysterious Old Ones because of his physical peculiarities.

How Kerovan and Joisan gradually come to regard each other, and how they attempt to defeat the dark magic that is arrayed against them forms the main story-line of this wonderful, but incomplete fantasy.

There are two sequels to "The Crystal Gryphon" (1972): "Gryphon in Glory" (1981); and "Gryphon's Eyrie" (1984, written with A. C. Crispin). None of Norton's co-authored books are as good as the ones she wrote by herself, but this is a series that is well worth following to the end.

This book, along with the other two 'Gryphon' books, rank as my favorite fantasy books of all time. The worst thing about this whole series is the name 'Witch World'. If you can get by that, you are in for a great time.

I finished reading this book less than a week ago and I couldn't put it down. Anyone that likes a good fiction/fantasy has to read this book. The story was facinating and the characters were great. I can't wait to read the other two books in the series, Gryphon in Glory and Gryphon's Eyrie.

I have to say: I absolutely loved the Sorcerer's Son (the book that this is the sequel to), and I thought that this book started out good as a sequel and as a normal book. However, although the book had many twists and surprises I thought that the overall experience was duller than the first book, and there are some errors that do not fit with the first book.

It seems that although Eisenstein has in some areas expanded the sequel from its origin, in other areas she has shrunk it back, at the expense of the book; for instance (no spoilers except if you haven't read Sorcerer's Son yet, and even then it's a minor one), we are now told that Cray's mother is the only sorceress/sorceror who is not evil and doesn't recruit demons in the whole world, wiping out a lot of possibilities for other characters and contradicting in a way with the first book.

I also thought that too big a chunk of the book was spent inside the crystal palace with somewhat repetitive talk going on between Cray and Aliza. I have nothing wrong with character development, but I would have preffered that Eisenstein had drawn out a story in which the character development could happen "on the move" as it did in the first book.

Another splotch for me was the badly chosen "evil" in the book. (possible spoiler) Having wiped out other possibilities by saying that Cray's mother was the only one who practiced magic besides recruiting demons, we get barely a sense of real danger from the evil sorcerer in this book since we see that he's not even as strong as the one in Sorcerer's Son. It seemed like Eisenstein kept on trying to add on special evil powers to him all through her book to cover what she realised was a rather weak archfiend.

However, I can't deny that I still love Eisenstein's writing more than most other authors'.

So I give this book a "4". In comparison with Sorcerer's Son, however, I would give it a "2.8"

This book has great memorable characters that you can identify with as well as think of them as your own friends.A fantastic sequel to the book,Sorceror's Son.Kudos to Phllis Einstein for her effort.A third book would very welcome.

This book was, I think, one of the best fantasy books that I have ever read. In the previous book, Cray finds that he has inhereted a powerful legacy not only from his sorceress mother but also from his similarly empowered father. The Crystal Palace shows within its pages how Cray's knowledge - not his enthusiasm - of sorcery increases.To fill this void within himself Cray must look beyond his life and his world. Eisenstein is a mistress of her art and this book serves to exemplify her skill.

First of all, let me say that this is not light reading. Lynn Pan was on a mission when she began researching this book and she left no stone unturned. The immeasureable hours that she must have put into the preliminary parts of the actual writing shine through brightly. Miss Pan obviously was or became well traveled in preparation for this book seeing as how it covers the Chinese diaspora all across the globe. Her personal experiences in England and some in the U.S. no doubt were the cornerstones of the inspiration for this monumental work but the immense scope of the finished product is a true gift to the Chinese community. Tracing the immigration patterns of the Chinese focusing mainly on the last two centuries, Sons of the Yellow Emperor is an in depth look at the hot spots across the world where the Chinese have taken up residence. From Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the U.S., England, Canada, Australia and so on, Miss Pan has outlined the defining characteristics of the places and people dwelling therein down to the very mainland roots of the different Chinese sects, Hokien, Fukien, etc., and their influences in the regions they spread into as well as how they were influenced by those regions. To top it all off, Miss Pan breaks each section down into short biographies of certain influential historical figures, showing their relevence to their time and place and what bearing they had within the history of the Chinese diaspora. I won't pretend to be educated on this topic at all, but I can tell you that Lynn Pan has eked out a summation of a new branch of history, and done so in such a manner as to be exhaustively informative and delightfully entertaining. Recently, I was in a bookstore and saw her newest work. I suppose it is an addendum to Sons of the Yellow Emperor. It is an Encyclopedia of the Chinese Diaspora huge and filled to the brim with captioned photographs and more insight into this branch of historical writing. Well done; and both works certainly fill a void and bring something of great interest to light for anyone curious.

A well informed book about the subject. The author gave a very interesting and in depth view of the history of the Chinese and how they strived to survived and survived overseas.

Reading the book has insipred me to want to read further about events that has shaped the history of the Chinese ie the Opium War.

Definitely a book every Chinese and everyone else should read.

The book gives a well researched and important explanation of the Migration of Chinese people in the 19th Century. It explains many issues that we see every day as we recognize the strength of the Chinese communities in many parts of the world. It may be an important history to tell Chinese youth today about the struggles of their ancestors.

An outstanding book which conveys the beauty & grace of sound through its words, quotations, exquisite photography and artistic arrangement of word and image. For this reason, this makes an excellent gift book. This book is experiential and right-brain. It suggests various truths about sound, then asks the reader to go try out exercises for herself. Conversely, the accompanying CD is pretty much filled with dialogue, which may interfere with the experience of listening to the sounds themselves. Although, of course, the voice too is sound and if you like guided musical experience, the CD is excellent.

The book features a fairly good bibliography if you want to learn more. To supplement this book with a more intellectually satisfying approach, see "Eastern Body Western Mind" by Anodea Judith ~ read the chapter about the fifth (throat) chakra. Also, Judith includes an outstanding bibliographic array of works on sound and vibrational healing.

Upon picking up Deborah's book, I could feel the divine energy moving through my hands and my body. The registration of Truth spoke through the innate wisdom of my body. I knew this book was special. As I gently tossed the pages upon my first peek, I was astounded by its beauty and the divine grace pouring off the pages. This is no ordinary book, as a chalice holds the elizer of life, so to does Deborah's book alchemically touch the reader with her artistry, intuition, sound healing expertise and wisdom. I have referred back to this book time and time again for clarity and identification of the essence of sacred sound and the symbology associated with the chants. This book is a gift to the soul for all of humanity to become more clear about the Truth of Being. With respect and the utmost of honor I definitely give this book a five star.

This is a book that has truly been blessed by the Great Mother! It is rich with Her beauty with the images contained therein and through the words that are innate to Deborah and those of the Masters who have walked in the before with this ancient wisdom.

Deborah has given a well rounded view of the journey of Soul with the Sacred Sound Current and she has created a vessel in which to reflect the manifestation of that sound. Such exquisite colour!

The sounds of the companion CD completes the sensory travel. This book truly invites one into the current and allows the perspective from many angles of what it is to work consciously with sacred sound. This is a superb tool for inspiration and also provides the reader with ground level introduction into why they might venture into this powerful path of exploration.

The voice of the Divine is truly felt and seen through this book. I love it!

"Crystal Mask" is the second book in the Echorium Sequence, a hit new fantasy series by British author Katherine Roberts. While it doesn't quite measure up to the first book of the series, it manages to be a solid fantasy story that continues from the prior storyline.

A strange young girl, Shaiala, wanders in the desert, remembering how a herd of young centaurs -- with whom she has lived her whole life -- was kidnapped by frightening "Two Hoofs." Now Shaiala ends up at the Echorium, home of the Singers who can provide laughter, fear, relaxation, and death with their songs. They believe centaurs to be mere myths, but it proves that the girl's mind has been tampered with. And a young trainee named Renn proves to be the key when he understands her "half speech."

The key to Shaiala's experiences is apparently a crystal mask, but she is reluctant to trust any of the "Two Hoofs." And Renn isn't too crazy about Shaiala either -- it's rumored that anyone who understands half-speech will later go insane. He, Shaiala, a desert prince sold into slavery, and two very familiar Singers will venture out -- and confront a vengeful enemy that everyone had thought to be gone.

Perhaps the greatest weakness of this book is that to understand its plot, you need to have read the first book. Old friends and enemies crop up, with cameos by the merlee and a few mentions of quetzal. Readers will also enjoy reading about Rialle, Kherron and Frenn -- who all serve unusual roles in Renn's life. But their existance, and that of the villain, won't make much sense unless you have first read "Song Quest." And the pacing seems a little off, especially when it accelerates during the final pages.

Renn is a good reluctant hero; he doesn't want to leave his home, where he has never really felt comfortable anyhow. But his quest serves to make him more tolerant and mature, and gives him some new insights into his past. Shaiala provides both some fire to the narrative, and some mild comic turns when she kicks people. Roberts keeps readers in the dark for quite some time as to what is going on with Shaiala, and whether the centaurs are real, or a part of her altered memory. And the low-key desert prince Erihan serves as a good damper on Shaiala's frustration and loneliness.

While not quite as good as the first book, "Crystal Mask" is an intriguing fantasy read for kids and adults alike, and offers promise for Roberts' future Echorium books.

This book was amazing! If you liked the Harry Potter series you'll most assuridly like this book too!

i bought this one and the first one just because the covers caught my attention on the back of a shelf...i really didn't expect a great book (or two?)....anyway, this book was perfect as a sequel to song quest....even tho it was like 20 years later...so, yeah? it was just....good?