Any Emily Dickinson historian or student will want this book. It contains the lost puzzle pieces, released by Sue's family, to the mysterious Emily Dickinson. Sue wanted this story told at the right time. The sheer talent in these writings is amazing. Here was a girl who spent her days as a recluse doing laundry and dishes and writing letters and carrying them around in her pockets. The pen and paper, written word, was what connected the lone Emily to her outside world, her loves, her friends, and now to the rest of us. A must have for any writer who studies her.

This collection has historic significance in Dickinson studies not only because it highlights the interesting and complex relationship between Emily Dickinson and Susan Dickinson, her sister-in-law, but also because of the way the letter-poems appear here in print. Hart and Smith took pains to present as best they could in print the original line breaks and other features of Dickinson's manuscripts, and this causes the poems to run down the page in long narrow columns, in many cases. Like Johnson's restoration of the dashes did in 1955, this edition of letter-poems to one correspondent changes the way we "see" a Dickinson poem physically on the page. The form presented here is as equally fascinating as the content of the letter-poems themselves. Superb!

The best thing about this book is that it gives us Dickinson's poems to her best friend, Sue, in the form they actually appear on the page. For most people, seeing the manuscripts of her poems is something that will never happen so Smith and Hart do their best to give us an idea of what Sue would have seen when she opened the envelopes. The review from the reader in the desert southwest has not read this book as it was meant to be read--as another way of reading and seeing. Hart and Smith do not suggest that theirs is the only way to read the letters/poems, they suggest that there's another way to read them that has not been the tradtional way of reading. My graduate students loved this book, as do I, because it offers a fresh perspective. Few Dickinson books in the last 10 years have been truly original and different. Anyone with a true interest in Dickinson, not the passing interest some reviews here suggest, will read this book in conjunction with other Dickinson studies and will achieve her/his own perspective of the poet. Smith and Hart give us some wonderful ideas to ponder, whether or not we agree with them is not the point. The point is that we exercise our intellect and think.

When it comes to cats, I'm a sap. There is only one cat in my house, and there will be for quite awhile because my cat will not tolerate any others in her presence. In fact, if you were to attempt such a foolish task as trying to introduce another feline in our house you would be faced with my cat bullying the other to the bottom of our couch in the living room, and observing pieces of hair everywhere that my cat has pulled out of the other.

In our futile attempt to find a way to alleviate this behavior, my wife and I went through several books, dozens of phone calls to veterinarians in Lincoln and Omaha (Nebraska) and were never to find a way to keep our tort shell from beating up on the calico kitten we brought home. Finally, however, we had to give the calico to my stepdaughter.

In our desperate attempt to find a way to stop Pokeman (yes, at last I reveal the cat's name) from being a bully we discovered this wonderful book by Barbara Holland. It starts with a tale of hope for our family with a short essay called "The Conversion of Boston Blackie". Boston Blackie was a stray that would terrify all the other cats in the author's household. It became so bad that Ms. Holland actually hired someone to assassinate Blackie. As it turns out, there was no need to do so, as for some reason the cat converted. Truly a story that kept us going for awhile in our fruitless attempt to convert our cat.

There's great stuff in this book, including the one I mentioned, some of it very sad (a story of a woman who would only let her cat live alone in a basement), some of it useful (how to wash a cat to prevent allergens from reacting).

Lyrical, recommended, and picked up at our house and browsed through frequently.

I've already pressed "Secrets of the Cat" into the hands of my husband and my two of my best friends and said, "You must read this."

So what were the odds that all of them would actually read the book and enjoy it? Slim to none, I'd have guessed from previous treatments of my recommendations.

In this case though, both husband and friends were hooked from the first page. The author begins with the tale of Boston Blackie, a cat who went berserk in the presence of other felines. He ripped off their ears, he gouged out their eyes, he sent them streaking for the bushes even at feeding time. And then, one day...but I don't want to spoil Blackie's story for you. Just a hint - his name was changed to Basil and no anatomical alterations were involved.

Barbara Holland has written an extremely personal book about the history, lore, and personality of 'Felis libyca.' In the chapter, "A Choice of Cats" she does riffs on many of the different feline breeds, but it is easy to see that the Siamese is her favorite:

"Properly treated, Siamese develop a deep, single-hearted devotion to their people and overreact to competition, absences, and infidelity like an adolescent in love. They need attention, and think nothing of pulling the books out of the bookcase and the pictures off the walls to get it. They demand notice in a raucous, echoing voice that many people and some other cats find alarming; the sound has been compared to that of a giant sea gull in distress. Taking on a Siamese is rather like getting married."

Our own preference is for Maine Coons (we share the house with five), and Barbara Holland tells a great story about them, too. Not that I agreed with everything she wrote. For instance, she stated that gray cats as a class are much friendlier than tabbies, which is exactly the opposite of our experience---and we've lived with two grays and about a million tabbies over the years.

Holland is also very upset by some of the artificially propagated breeds, such as the Cornish Rex and the Scottish Fold. Her chapter on "Show Business" is sad, hilarious, and razor-sharp---sometimes all three in the same sentence. Even if you think she is way off-base on her assessment of say, Himalayans or feline intelligence or declawing procedures, you'll want to keep reading until the end of the book. She is opinionated even to the point of irritation, but she is also extremely readable.

And Holland never confuses 'cat' with 'cute.'

There is one chapter in "Secrets of the Cat" (originally titled "The Name of the Cat") that you might want to skip: not because it is badly written, but because it is totally horrifying. That chapter is called, "Cats and the Church" and it relates the history of cats in (primarily) medieval Europe.

I've already pressed "Secrets of the Cat" into the hands of my husband and my best friend and said, "You must read this."

So what were the odds that both of them would actually read the book and enjoy it? Slim to none, I'd have guessed from previous treatments of my recommendations.

In this case though, both husband and friend were hooked from the first page. The author begins with the tale of Boston Blackie, a cat who went berserk in the presence of other felines. He ripped off their ears, he gouged out their eyes, he sent them streaking for the bushes even at feeding time. And then, one day...but I don't want to spoil Blackie's story for you. Just a hint - his name was changed to Basil and no anatomical alterations were involved.

Barbara Holland has written an extremely personal book about the history, lore, and personality of 'Felis libyca.' In the chapter, "A Choice of Cats" she does riffs on many of the different feline breeds, but it is easy to see that the Siamese is her favorite:

"Properly treated, Siamese develop a deep, single-hearted devotion to their people and overreact to competition, absences, and infidelity like an adolescent in love. They need attention, and think nothing of pulling the books out of the bookcase and the pictures off the walls to get it. They demand notice in a raucous, echoing voice that many people and some other cats find alarming; the sound has been compared to that of a giant sea gull in distress. Taking on a Siamese is rather like getting married."

Our own preference is for Maine Coons (we share the house with five), and Barbara Holland tells a great story about them, too. Not that I agreed with everything she wrote. For instance, she stated that gray cats as a class are much friendlier than tabbies, which is exactly the opposite of our experience---and we've lived with two grays and about a million tabbies over the years.

Holland is also very upset by some of the artificially propagated breeds, such as the Cornish Rex and the Scottish Fold. Her chapter on "Show Business" is sad, hilarious, and razor-sharp---sometimes all three in the same sentence. Even if you think she is way off-base on her assessment of say, Himalayans or feline intelligence or declawing procedures, you'll want to keep reading until the end of the book. She is opinionated even to the point of irritation, but she is also extremely readable.

And Holland never confuses 'cat' with 'cute.'

There is one chapter in "Secrets of the Cat" (originally titled "The Name of the Cat") that you might want to skip: not because it is badly written, but because it is totally horrifying. That chapter is called, "Cats and the Church" and it relates the history of cats in (primarily) medieval Europe.

Realistic characters, exciting action, and sexy romance add up to a can't-put-it-down book! Small town LA comes to life in this fun story, as the main characters work on making dreams come true in ways no one ever expected. I hope to see more books from this author!

Emily, Again by Sarah Storme was a wonderful tale. The story has great characters with very real emotions. There are unique plot twists that intrigued me to the point that a month later, I'm still wondering about similar real life events and the people who deal with them. While I had never heard of the Cajun Stomp before reading this book, now I'd like to learn how to do it. Preferrably with someone like Daniel! When is Sarah's next book coming out??

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down and keep finding myself thinking about the characters since I finished it. Where are more books by this author??

A comprehensive view of Jewish women throughout history. I just completed a somewhat detailed course The History of Islam, and found the chapters - The Jewish Women Under Islam: The Near East, North Africa, and Spain; and A Different Voice: Jewish Women in the Lands of Islam particlarly informative. They covered aspects not covered in my course.
The entire book is scholarly, yet easy to read. I enjoyed it and would recommend it highly.

This wonderful new book fills a gap. It enables readers to put themselves into the many different worlds Jewish women occupied over time and compare our lives today to those lived in times past. I highly recommend it as a good read and a fabulous reference book.

This book was expeertly researched and beautifully written. The introduction to each era was especially informative. Though conceived as a reference book, it was so interesting that it was hard to put down.

This book shows in great detail how aikido empty hand techniques related to techniques with weapons.

I found the book very good, useful and interesting. It shows that even though Aikido is gracful it is also dangerous.

Every martial artist will need to at least examine this book, and every serious student of every art must have a copy. Aikido's devestating power is clearly exhibited, with no excuses or apolgies, demonstrating total mastery of combat, and soaring above virtually any other fighting system.

I am already a person who "weaves the dream," so I got more out of this book in encouragement for not letting the day to day challenges of choosing to stay at home with my young son overwhelm my own need for creative reflection. I think DREAM WEAVING could be a terrific resource book for other women struggling to meet the demands of family and a creative soul. Susan Laubmeier

The wonderful insights in this book go straight to the heart of life. Emily L. VanLaeys presents an engaging story of her personal and spiritual development, set against the backdrop of compelling dreams. If ever you wondered about the importance of dreams, Emily's book provides dramatic testimony to how God speaks to us every night, and how our dreams help us to stay on course to fulfill our highest expression and good. - Rosemary Ellen Guiley, author of DREAMWORK FOR THE SOUL and DREAMSPEAK: HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGES IN YOUR DREAMS

This book is fantastic! I picked it up and absolutely couldn't put it down! Emily's use of words captivated me in a way I never thought possible. Trust me, this is a purchase you won't regret.

I knew Emily for a very short time when I lived in Boston. She and my sister were friends, along with a group of people whose lives centered around a triple decker on Wendell Street.

A new book from Emily is like a long letter. I get to catch up on her life and comings and goings. I always feel sheepish about not staying in touch when I'm through with it. She writes such beautiful and thoughtful things, I think. I really need to write her back.

Reading her prose is exactly like having a conversation with her. I can hear her light, sweet voice as if I'm at a reading, and can summon her laugh in my mind's ear too.

It's impossible for me to separate my acquaintance with Emily from her work, but I will say I'm always astounded with her descriptions and way with words. She is at once erudite and approachable, and her work is always informed by both these things. Being a poet, Emily brings thoughtful cadence to her essays, and very often I will read them outloud to myself.

For those of you who don't know Emily personally, you will after you read this book, and what's more, you'll want to know her better. You'll also learn that New England watersheds are not only interesting but epic in their own way, and that stories are told in the details.

Thanks Emily. I'm doing quite well and think of you often.

[An] enchanting new book of essays.... Many personal essayists today try to capture our interest by being confessional but run the risk of revealing, like clumsy strippers, what we'd really rather not see. Hiestand has taken the more unusual risk of writing about the quotidian, and produced a tour de force. "Oooouuuweee!" as her cousin Bill would say. What a good book this is. --Boston Sunday Globe Book Review

Angela the Upside-Down Girl is about how to live creatively, see life through an artist's eye. With a subversive sense of humor and a wicked ability to pierce convention, [Hiestand] takes us on her journey to discover a meaningful sense of place in a chaotic world. Her place turns out to be North Cambridge, which she describes with the freshness and originality of Joyce in Dublin...

Angela the Upside-Down Girl reveals Emily Hiestand's exceptional talents which include an artist's eye for color and form, a cu! ltural anthropologist's ability to get people to tell their stories, and a poet's facility to express what is felt but not seen. --Cambridge Chronicle

Rich, revealing, and often hilarious... This book travels between only two places...but it travels so deeply into each place, both their pasts and their presents, that you come away from it feeling enlightened and enticed, and ready to hop on the next train heading north or south. --Hope Magazine

...and I say, also, "What a good book this is!"

-Chuck Eisenhardt

Angela the Upside-Down Girl is a revelation. Emily Hiestand is one of Robert Frost's true poets, "one upon whom nothing is lost." As she trains an eye of the rarest perception on the world we thought we knew, we discover the heart of light within ordinary and not-so-ordinary things. I marvel at her scope: her Weltyesque Aunt Nan Dean; her eloquent witness to the power of faith and community at Union Baptist Church; her love affair with automotive neon, which manages (as Emerson never could) to be both transcendental and funny; and, of course, there's Angela, whose gravity-defying grace can be seen as a figure for the whole book. But perhaps most engaging of all is the voice of our guide--Hiestand herself--the unifying principle through the book's many travels, wise, witty, shimmering in its clarity, a wonderful companion.

The "Magickers" series has the potential to become a solid fantasy series alongside Diana Wynne-Jones and similar authors. No Potter-clone here -- the second book "Curse of Arkady" is a solid, entrancingly mysterious fantasy for all ages.

Jason Adrian, home from Camp Ravenwyng, is having more disturbing dreams -- about a sinister figure in an old house. When he wakes, he finds a message warning him about the "Curse of Arkady." All but a handful of the Magicker students have been dismissed and memory-wiped, and the remaining kids are keeping in touch through their crystals and the Web, trying to keep their identities a secret -- which is becoming more and more difficult.

As Gavan tries to get a special Magicker Academy approved by other Magickers, the kids begin to suspect that something bad is coming -- the Dark Hand, a group of evil ex-Magickers. A sinister new therapist has arrived and has a particular interest in Jason; wolfjackals are circling around. And when Jason follows his stepfather to a construction site, he uncovers the secret of the Dark Hand -- and the evil sorcerer Brennard.

Though lower-profile than the Harry Potter series, the "Magickers" books may well be the stronger fantasy series: They are more descriptive, more instrospective, the created world is more complex and serious-minded, the adult characters are capable and pivotal, and it explores the out-of-school time as well. And Drake isn't afraid to sprinkle homages to Star Wars, the Matrix, "Lord of the Rings" and the Potter series itself. And the second book of the "Magickers" series proves that the first was not a fluke (though you won't understand the second unless you've read the first).

Drake's writing is still detailed and action-packed, and she juggles the multiple storylines like an expert. Nothing is dumbed down (as shown by the faked master's degree). Her eye for detail is very present as she shows seemingly insignificant clues from Book 1 to be important plot devices. And fans of the first book will be pleased to see one character return, who had seemingly gone.

This book is a little more humorous than the first, with incidents like Stefan turning into a bear just before a football game, or the teacher's face appearing in a soccer ball. On the other hand (no pun intended), the sight of the Dark Hand encroaching on ordinary suburban homes is even more sinister, right up to the shatteringly well-written climax.

Jason is a solid lead character, an ordinary kid called on to do extraordinary things yet unsure what to do about them. Tomboyish Bailey is given a little more dimension and brains in this book. Trent continues struggling to keep up with the other Magickers; Brennard finally makes his appearance, and his charming facade just covers his nastiness. His attempts to lure Jason to the Dark Hand are just what you would expect from this guy.

"Dragon Guard," the second Magickers book, will premiere just as readers have glutted themselves on the fifth Potter book. In the meantime, pick up "Curse of Arkady" and enjoy the wild ride.

Okay, the prequel was good. Okay, really good. And the sequel does everything to live up to its predessor. If you haven't read The Magickers, pick it up before you have a go at this story.

Student Magickers Jason, Bailey, Trent, and Ling have left their beloved camp Ravenwyng and returned to their old lives while their Magickal Teachers struggle to create a Haven where they can safely teach the children. But in the mean time, life is much more complicated for the teens. They must adjust to the differences in themselves and struggle with their families' ignorance of their Magick. Not to mention, the Dark Hand of Brennard hovers ever closer and the students are plagued by the mysterious Curse of Arkady. (Drake never really tells us what exactly the Curse is...perhaps saving it for a later book?)

While my writer's instincts tell me the style of this piece is a mess, I can't help but be terribly excited by the prospect of the story; I was CAPTIVATED the entire time! Something about the characters and the story is downright fascinating. I literally couldn't stop thinking about it.

But, this could just be what I like to call Potter Deprivation Syndrome and I am just using this similar book to fill my empty days as a Harry Potter fan. It is true that the Mackigers seem to be oddly like the old Hogwarts crew. But Drake, instead of pretending she took none of her ideas from the Potter books, acknowledges their existance! CLEVER AND WISE MOVE! The characters make several references to the "fictional books" which makes the book all the more intriguing, especially since this book is so recent, and the last HP was published nearly three years ago.

So please...I'm telling you. Read this book. And its prequel. And Arkady's sequel which is going to be available in July. (Ack, again, nice timing: readers will be finished with Order of the Phoinex by that point and will need some serious recuperation time.)

(Alas, another failed attempt to keep Harry Potter out of my reviews. Sorry it didn't work.) Anyway, Happy Reading! A Highly Recommended book!

Cheesy as the title of this review is, it perfectly fits Drake's second novel in the Magickers series. The characters are more developed, the storyline is more original and more surprising (something I wouldn't have thought possible), and the action is more intense. This is one of the best new fantasy novels out there for young adults.

This book just shows how spectacular a desert can look with the magnificent photos around the Mojave desert and Death valley of emptiness, stark flowers and blooms and just superb landscapes. It'll give you some inspiration to find something to look for even in a desert.

I know I will as I will be going to Ayer's Rock (Uluru) in Australia in a few months and it's also a big desert!

This book is a beauty, some of the most beautiful photographs I have ever seen.

I spent the first week of September in southern California this year, and on Sunday before Labor Day I drove from Los Angeles up to Death Valley. I hadn't been there since I was a child and I have to say although it is a desolate and lonely place (and 114 degrees at Furnace Creek the day I was there) it is also one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The sand dunes at Mesquite Flat alone are worth the trip.

Everyone should see it, but if you can't buy the book. My copy came shrinkwrapped in plastic which I really like, the last thing you want is to buy a nice book like this in a bookstore where someone has spilled coffee on the pages.

There is a knock at my door and here is the UPS man delivering my order from Amazon.com. Among the books: Desert, The Mojave and Death Valley Photographs by Jack Dykinga, text by Janice Emily Bowers. I barely had time to read more than a page or two of the text before it made me want to go straight to the photos to see the place she was clearly, and intelligently writing about. And I was not disappointed: It was overwhelmed with joy of at being able to share the keeness of Mr. Dykinga's fine and perceptive photographic vision of that place. This is a more subtle body of work than the previous books based around his photographs.

The Sonoran Desert had a similar effect on me years ago and expanded my sense of what ilandscape photography could be. Stone Canyons did not have as great of affect on me as the first book

More than anything else, the images in this book remind me why the large format camera is such a tremendous aid to seeing something more clearly and perceptively than you can with the naked eye. even more so than a 35mm or medium format or easily portable digital gear can. Some of the photos even have a sense of humor to them and when did you last see that in a photograph of a natural landscape? The reproduction of the images appears to be first rate and the design and typography of the book match its contents in quality.

In short there are wonderful things to be found in this book.

A review by Amy

This book is about a developmentally delayed girl named Emily. She is starting a new high school and is desperately trying to fit in. Throughout this book, Emily faces many pressures to act a certain way, dress a certain way, and do certain things. For example, her best friend tells her that her clothes are too babyish and that she can't call her mother, mommy because she'd be "uncool". Emily tries very hard to do everything everyone tells her that she needs to do to be cool. But in the end, she lets her true self, shine through and finds new friends that accept her for who she really is.

Throughout this book Emily listens to her best friend and doesn't seem to have her own mind or a sense of herself. I felt like walking in on this book and being one of the characters to give Emily confidence in herself. Also, to teach her to be an individual and to do what she wanted, wear what she wanted, and hang out with whoever she wanted to.

Emily joins a new "regular" high school where there are "regular" kids and she feels a lot of pressure to grow up. For example, she feels like she's not pretty enough and needs to wear makeup. Something that was sort of a theme throughout this whole book was something that Emily read in a magazine. She read this article because she was trying to figure out what guys wanted in girls. She desperately wanted a boyfriend and the article she read was a statement that a boy made for the magazine. It read: ' I like girls who are sincere and honest. If they don't like me for who I am, then they're not worth being with'.

I thought that was a very good statement for the boy to make, but Emily took it the wrong way. She looked past what, in my eyes, was a very obvious point. That point was that guys should like her for who SHE is and THEY should be sincere and honest. Nope, that's not what Emily saw. She was too obsessed with trying and acting like she was sincere and honest. Key word, ACTING.

Another review that I read said that this book changed her life. That is a truly great thing that you can take from this book, but in my case, my life wasn't changed. Maybe that's because I've read many books such as this and this book sort of reaches out to a younger group than mine. Well, that's my opinion.

A Review by Allison

"Why can't I be like other girls?" Emily would often wonder. Emily is a special girl who has trouble doing every day tasks. She is the target of many harsh remarks at her school and just wants people to know that she has feelings like everyone else. When she falls in love with a guy named Hunt, she tries to prove to her parents that she is grown-up enough to wear makeup and more stylish clothes. She and her best friend, Molly, even decide to have a party. Things go horribly wrong- Hunt kisses another girl and Emily gets kissed by her friend, Donny. Where do things go from here?

I thought this book was great in all aspects. The characters that were used were well-developed and the visual descriptions and settings fit together wonderfully. This was a fast read- not because it was a short book but because it was interesting and didn't have useless bits of information. It wasn't a particular difficult book to read but it was interesting and had a good story line. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that the ending seemed too abrupt. The language was easy to understand and descriptive. The story didn't seem like it was TOO happy or TOO sad, it was perfect.

I would recommend reading this book to anyone. It may be more for younger readers but something everyone should read.

A review by Erika

Emily is now a teenager and is able to go to a normal high school. She has never gone to a normal school because she had a disability and had to go to a special school. Emily is now going to experience the life she has always wanted, that's if her parents will let her. In this story Emily has to try to live the life of a teen without the help from her parents. She will also realize who her true friends are.

I liked this story because of the little romance that goes on in it. The author doesn't put it out there until the end but I liked it that way. In the story I like the way Donny becomes her true friend. The sad part is she had to find out the hard way. The only thing I didn't like was the characters Amanda and Molly. Amanda plays the bad guy in this story. She was really mean to Emily. She called her bad names all the time. For example, Emily held a boy/girl party, and Amanda called it a retard party and left. The reason I didn't like Molly was because she was supposedly her best friend but she treated her like she was some hopeless little girl who didn't know how to dress or act around boys. Molly would tell her things that she didn't need to know or she didn't need help with. The character I like was Donny. He noticed every thing she did. Like when she changed her clothes and started to ware makeup, he said she looked pretty. When it comes to the part of her meeting Hunt I thought it was cute. I thought it was cute because she thought he was the cutest thing in the world, but when she gets a job at the Farm Store. She doesn't want him to know she works there because there are other special kids there.

I would recommend this book because of how cute the story line is. The reason I like this book so much is that I like Emily's character. I liked how she looked at things. I would recommend this book to some one between the ages of 11-14. It was a simple book. It was easy to read.