I enjoyed reading ANDERSON'S FAIRY TALES by Hans Christian Andersen. My favorite stories in this book were The Mermaid, and the story about the Dustman. I loved the vivid language and the way the stories came alive, seeming to burst like balloons from the pages of the book. I also enjoyed the way common household objects and animals were personified. I found fault with the story that had the better part of its setting in the Garden of Eden. The winds from the ends of the earth were personified well, but one of the winds dispargingly referred to Africa.

'The Snow Queen' is possibly the greatest short story I've ever read. Although its message is essentially Christian, its means of getting there is staggering, Surrealist and far from dogmatic. There is an Alice quality to the heroine's narrative as she seeks her abducted playmate, full of singing flowers, helpful crows and robber barons - the songs of the flowers are full of sexually loaded and enigmatic imagery. But the word-pictures as a whole are haunting, the blazing sheen of the snow, with the suggestive reds dotting it throughout. The final puzzle is worthy of Borges. Wow.

I believe that the path to a well-rounded child is the truth. Too often we sensationalize and sugar-coat the truth when it comes to our kids. This book is a good example of the way things are. My favorite tale from this book would have to be "The Little Mermaid", and it will be the first tale I read my children when they are born. Mr. Anderson was a firm believer in drama mixed with the hard knocks of real life.Here he has just transformed them into a fantastical story that every child needs to be told. The elements of the story are very powerful, from the loss of innocence to the loss of love,and sometimes we need a good dose of something that isn't wholesome. I recommend this book to everyone, children and adults alike.

I'm flyfisher in Korea. I think there is no necessity for talking about this book. Because this is so famous book to fishermans, as you know. Specially, this paperback edition is good for your wallet, with no omission. In a word, Full content, Good price!

If you don't know about this famous book by the inimitable Walton, you have a lot to look forward to. Purporting to be an account of a 5-day gentlemen's fishing idyll (when gentlemen were gentlemen, and the English countryside was at once bountiful and near to hand), it is in fact a deeply engaging nostalgia trip into a never-never land of pastoral bliss which has no exact parallel in world literature.

To say "evocative of simpler, happier times" is to barely hint at the near-mystical fragrance of this enchanting volume. Three high-spirited protagonists ("Piscator", "Venator", and "Auceps"), devoted to three rival outdoor avocations (fishing, hunting, and falconing, respectively), meet on a "fine, fresh May morning"; ramble across the countryside in search of fine fishing and hearty times; sing, banter, and versify; recount ancient wisdom (of often dubious validity) regarding the habits and temper of over a dozen local fish species; and encounter a sampling of innkeepers, milkmaids, gypsies, and various other idealized rural types. This is a refuge book for quiet evenings, one of those unaccountably transporting narratives which no charmed reader has ever wanted to reach the end.

Some history: stolen in parts from precedents written as far back as 1450, Walton's work is nearly as early as it could be and still be readable without a line-by-line explanatory gloss ("compleat" is about as arcane as it gets). First published in 1653, there have been well over 100 editions in print. Some of the earlier ones contain Lang's 28-page introduction to the author's life, the structure of the work, and its publishing history, all of which is superbly sensitive and informative. Noteworthy are the 80+ illustrations produced by Sullivan (again, available in some of the older editions and their reprints), which are unselfconsciously exquisite -- naively rendered country scenes and character sketches; finely wrought studies of dry flies and of the various species of fish mentioned in the book; and ornately framed images of famous fishermen "taken" from the evidently superb engraved portraits of Major's 1824 edition.

The author was a minor legend in his own time. Held in the highest regard by all who knew him, this "excellent old man" suffered many tragedies throughout his long life (from the public murder of his beloved king to various family deaths and personal debilities), but he never lost his rare sweetness of temper. He wrote numerous other treatises, but "The Compleat Angler" early on rendered him a literary immortal.

I have had this book beside me for more than 20 years, not for its guidance about fishing (though this is pleasant), but for the simple, unaffected but eloquent beauty of its 17th century prose. A lovely, idealized, Arcadian sort of England comes to life, and it is a very nice place in which to dip your mind a while.

It was nice to read a book where the hero isn't the biggest and baddest man in the world nor is the heroine the prettiest woman that had ever walked the earth. Eric, the hero, is trying to regain his birth right, and meets, beds, and marries (in that order and during a short period of time) Bethia. She comes from a family that any good social worker or family therapist would love to work with. She also is being hunted by a madman for thwarting his plan to seize a castle. It was also fun to see characters from Ms. Howell's other books, though you will enjoy this book without reading the previous two.

Romance at it's best! A quick and highly enjoyable read!

Everytime Ms.Howell's books come out I rush to my store to get the newest copy. I know that I am spending my money on a book that I'll be pleased with.Too many times I have been upset with the quality of the books that I read. Ms.Howell writes the kind that once you start you can't put it down.This is one of my "keepers".

12 year old Neela has lived a simple life in her village in Bengal. The British still have rule over India, and though sometimes she hears bad things about them, life is good for her. At Neela's older sister's wedding, many things change. A group of freedom-fighters interrupt the ceremony, and ask for donations. Some people don't support the freedom-fighters, and have the belief that the British are doing them good. Heated discussions spring out as a result, and Neela is a little bit worried. She is even more so after her Baba announces that he is going to Calcutta, to talk to a non-violence group who wants to establish peace in India. The reason this frightens Neela so much is that Calcutta is one of the British headquarters, and many violent things have been going on. Later on, after tested to see what she needs to do, Neela runs away to Calcutta to rescue her Father. Though, the British live in fancy homes and talk nicely, they treat the Indian people like dirt. While everyone else is in poverty, they are relaxing in their posh lifestyles. Unfortunately, as Neela finds out, some Indians amazingly support the British. Neela makes daring efforts, and has an adventure that would last generations!

Neela is a young ,12 year old girl who lives in India.While her older sister is getting married,the struggle for India's independence from England rages all around her world.When a band of men who support the revolution barge into the wedding asking for support,money,and food,Neela and her father are inspirered.But when her father gets captured at a peace rally,it's up to Neela to rescue him.This a great book about a brave young girl,the love she shows for her father,and India in the year of 1939. I truly recommend this book and all the other books in the Girls Of Many Lands series

This is the story of 12-year old Neela, a girl living in India under the rule of the British. Neela lives in exciting but turbulent times. She has difficult choices to make in terms of whether to be a dutiful young woman and marriage prospect as her culture dictates. The most difficult decision she must face is how to define moral justice and independence for her country and people. The political opinions of her family and people living in her village result in Neela taking a stand and putting her very life at risk. I read this book with my daughter and we determined that it is a must read. The story was fast-paced and exciting. The main character is a vibrant, and curious girl who evolves into a courageous individual.

I am new to genealogy and have found Cyndi's List to be very helpful. It is a great starting point for the beginning genalogist.

I am searching for my relatives, and found this book a tremendous help,to search the internet. The listings are by not only states, but by titles such as Biographies,Adoption, Calendars and dates, Cemeteries,
Census, Countries, and many more. I recommend it highly for all genealogy searching!

If I could, I would see that Cyndi received royalties in the amount of triple the cost of each book that is sold. Her website is awesome. And since Cyndi's List is the hardcopy of her website, it too is awesome. I have been using her website for a couple of years and have found that she has indeed exhaustively investigated, evaluated, and indexed thousands of genealogical websites. Because the organization of all those websites is so clear, you can find with ease, most any topic in genealogy. If you are doing genealogical research and have limited access to the Internet then I strongly, STRONGLY recommend the purchase of Cyndi's List. The information in her book is worth its weight in gold.

Ms. Mills is herself a manager of a hotel restaurant on the Outer Banks
of North Carolina. She lives there with her husband Eddie. She is the
Edgar-winner author of the Judge Deborah Knott series

This book begins when Callie finds a dead man in the walk in freezer of
the restaurant she manages. Then the story reverts back to 9 days
before this gruesome discovery.

The Chef and Callie are in Sharkey's Bar where the Chef is trying to
convince her there are things missing from the stores of the restaurant.
Chef appears to be very drunk at the time, and maybe taking some drugs
as well. It soon becomes apparent that he is right, and also that there
are a lot of illegal drugs floating around . Callie and the Hotel
manager, Lily, begin a quiet investigation as to how, when, and where
the drugs are being made available. More and more it seems they are
being smuggled in with the frozen seafood for the restaurant, but who
is involved and how is it being done? There is a cast of characters all
of whom could be involved. And when Callie finds a dog and they, Callie,
the dog ,and Ice, Callie's cat, move into the shelter of the hotel
because of hurricane warnings, things begin to build to an exciting end.

The body of Mac, one of the restaurant employees, was discovered in the
freezer, an attempt to push Callie off the roof, and a fast approaching
hurricane as well as the involvement of the dog named Jake will keep
the reader turning the pages.

I thought the action was a little slow at first, but when the body is
found and the suspicions are rampant among all the characters, I got
interested and was surprised at how it all came out. Review by: Ginny Welding

This is a great book! Loved the Outer Banks setting and the characters. Don't be fooled that you know who did it, you will be surprised at the end! Glad I found wendyhowellmills.com for signing information and more! Thanks for this book Wendy and look forward to more of Callie's adventures!

We have vacationed in Nags Head a lot over the last 6 years. I felt like I was right there again. This was a great first mystery. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Callie is a great character. She has a haunting past which by the end of the book she is starting to put behind her. I do hope that in future books she will start to make friends who can help her sleuth.

A restaurant at Nags Head is a great location for a mystery series and look forward to a long running of this series.

Highly recommend this book.

"Vanessa" is built around a unique idea: survival of a Civil War ghost to the present-objective, revenge. Along with this theme go the ghosts of a group of Civil War soldiers, stuck in time. Attempting to resolve the contretemps with the collaboration of his great, great grandson is a man (not a ghost) who has survived and can see and communicate with ghosts due to a Navy experiment aimed at making ships invisible to radar (somewhat reminiscent of "The Philadelphia Experiment"). The book's pace is leisurely, as the dialogue realistically deals quite a bit with day-to-day matters and interpersonal relationships. There is also a good deal of internal debate by the various characters. Since there are so many, a cast of characters at the end is helpful. The book is the first in a series of four.

This unique and challenging work is in part a mirror held up to the worst of which humanity is capable, and, in part, a joyous celebration of the best we have to offer.

Set in the not-too-distant future, with society functioning pretty much as we recognise it, but with the addition of some convincing next-generation technological devices, 'Vanessa' equally manages to be a historical novel, a love story, a ghost story and a moral tale, all deftly woven into a cohesive whole.

A family - mother and son - are rebuilding their lives after the tragic loss of the boy's father in a traffic accident. They are strong, intelligent and loving people, and, despite some resentment towards the new stepfather on the part of the son - and, more subtly, on the mother's part, too - they are coping well. But a wildcard is thrown into their existence in the form of a still-living ancestor, his long dead but ever-present wife, his tough, ingenious, feisty secretary and their cheerfully unscrupulous, steadfast lawyer. Their meeting changes everything, revealing that the boy, currently pursuing a perfectly conventional college education, is chosen for a destiny of which he never would have conceived.

The future and past are strongly entwined in this novel, and the parallel plot introduces us to a woman who was raped and murdered after seeing her children killed by Yankee soldiers during the American Civil War. Her desire for revenge extends beyond the grave, and beyond sanity, decency or maternal love.

Enter our intrepid family of assorted heroes, determined to set right what went wrong hundreds of years ago, and has been going wrong ever since.

Themes of war, peace, slavery and prejudice are touched upon as the plot progresses, and themes of loyalty, courage and love are ever-present. There is abundant humour and much tragedy (I challenge you to read this book with dry eyes, or without laughing out loud). But the most powerful and abiding theme of the novel is a demonstration of forgiveness and reconciliation that, to my mind, transcends humanity and approaches the sublime.

Despite Vanessa's 'first novel' status, its authorship displays confidence and mastery. A convincing dual plot line, much suspense, lively attention to detail, exceptionally realistic dialogue and a refreshingly honest take on human emotion kept me enthralled and increasingly breathless from the very first page to the very last. Don't let this one pass you by.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Vanessa" by Dr. David Howells. The concept was an original twist on the typical 'ghost' stories currently available by other authors.

I particularly enjoyed the way the characters interacted and their sense of humor with each other. The puns in the book were good and they made me laugh out loud.

I also liked the way the Ryan and Vanessa acted with each other. I've known married couples who talk and act very much like them.

I hope that Dr. Howells will share more adventures of the Fitzgalen team with us. I'm hoping that Allen's girlfriend Melissa is back to continue her growth to become another member of the team.

I was taking a course on storytelling for children when I came upon this book. What first caught my eye were the old-style illustrations by Troy Howell. They were done in such a way as to enhance the book without distracting from the story. When I was able to peruse the book, I was impressed with the way the author chose and arranged the stories so that you could almost track the evolution of medieval storytelling (and quite possibly has one of the more easier versions of Beowulf that second and third graders could manage). The stories are short enough that they can be read out loud for a class or reading circle; yet have enough content to hold the children's attention.

Another bonus to the book (for parents and teachers) is that Ms. Osborne in her introductions gives her reason why she chose the tales in this volume... and (for the kids, as well as parents and teachers) in the back there is a glossary of sorts-- notes to each story as to where it came from, and why it was written, brief writeups for the different cultures, story forms, time periods, and evolution of the English language. There's even a small section with words.

This would be a good book to have in libraries for teachers and parents; for the children to be exposed to several different classical stories, as well as give them a variety to read and experiment with. It might encourage a love of history as well as a love of literature.

Well, I don't really like Osbourne's "Magic TreeHouse" tales, but don't judge THIS beautiful book by "those." THIS BOOK is very nicely done. All the representative tales from the middle ages are here, retold in a clear, easy to read (or listen to) prose that captures most of the original (in most cases.) The illustrations are captivating. Each tale includes a title page that has a short quote in the original language (with a modern translation) which will intrigue some children, and there is a fine time line at the back of the book. We used this to supplement medieval studies in our homeschool for a second grader. A great resource.

As Mary Pope Osborne tells the reader in her marvelous introduction..."In the beginning of medieval times in Europe, books did not exist. Most people were unable to read or write. Nevertheless, there were stories - stories of heroes and monsters, told by minstrels and poets, that were passed down orally from one generation to the next..." Eventually, these stories were written down by scribes, and Ms Osborne has collected nine favorite tales to share. From Robin Hood And His Merry Men, The Sword In The Stone, Sir Gawain And The Green Knight, and Finn Maccoul, to Beowulf, The Werewolf, The Song Of Roland, Island Of The Lost Children, and Chanticleer And The Fox, these engaging retellings are dramatic and entertaining, easy to read, and often better when read aloud. Meet monsters, knights, heroes, and dragons, and travel to faraway, mysterious, and enchanting places. Troy Howell's vivid, lush paintings, stay true to the medieval style, and add just the right touch to enhance each story. Ms Osborne and Mr Howell include informative reference notes on the stories, medieval story forms, people, time periods, language, chronology, and the art of the middle ages that is sure to peak the interest of young and old alike. Perfect for youngsters ten and older, Favorite Medieval Tales is a masterpiece of intriguing storytelling that will whet the appetite, and send readers looking for more.

Contains information on various kennels in the US, and abroad. Has a small chapter on grooming for show, but is definitely geared towards someone who knows what they are doing. Beautiful photos of past champions, as well as good illustrations and photos to help you find a correct conformationed show dog. Highlights Gordons both as Show and Field Dogs. Nice coffee table book.

The author of Gordon Setters Today is a respected breeder/judge in the British Isles. American Gordon Setter fanciers will recognize the Lourdace prefix, which she has used for over 20 years. Ms. Baddeley has won national awards for her achievements in the breed, and had the honour of judging Gordon Setters at Crufts in 1994. She is also the author of the British section for the Gordon Setter Club of America's last 10-year-review. The book includes sections on the Gordon in Britain, North America, Australasia and Europe, and has numerous fascinating photos.

Jose has the knowledge of the breed and has very kindly passed it on to us in this very useful book. The information is priceless to those of us who are relatively new to the breed. I know it has helped me on many occasions. It takes pride of place on my book shelf.

I searched all over for a book on Tucson, and this was the best one my bookstore had to offer. I am excited to see all that the city has to offer, but I wish that this book or any book on Tucson at all, had more about people who are moving to the area and have no idea what to make of the different neighborhoods. They offer brief descriptions, but I would have liked to know more.

I enjoyed The Insiders Guide to Tucson since I will be moving with my family very soon to the area. I've been in Tucson a number of times so can be a little objective about the reporting and I must admit that it is a bit partisan, but then it wouldn't be an insiders guide if it wasn't. It demonstrates the wide variety of services available in Tucson and even without fancy colour photos makes the city sound attractive. I must admit that the comparisons on the restaurants are fairly exaggerated and it would be difficult to name any as remotely world class, but apart from that I thought the book was a super reference.

I was moving to Tucson and I had never even been there. I looked through the book to get a feel for the city. After visiting and making the decision to move, I tried many of the activities and resturants in the book. I found all the reviews were accurate. When I asked 'locals' about different things about Tucson, they quite often said just what the book said. I even carry this book in my vehicle as I refer to it quite a bit. If you planning to move to Tucson, this is a must have. The small price of the book goes a long way in learning about all that Tucson has to offer.