While she is reluctant to investigate a cult or have anything to do with her sweetie's ex - she finally agrees against her better judgement.

What was so great about this book was the way Martha handled the cult aspect. She wrote about a very believeable cult and from Elizabeth's eye -showed the way that they lure you in.

Beyond, being glad to hear what her friends have been up to since the last book - I found Aquarius entertaining and a fast-paced read.

In his Ethics, Aristotle does little more than to search for and examine the "good." Aristotle examines the virtues and vices of man in all of his faculties.

Aristotle refers to three types of lives, the common life, the political life, and the contemplative life, to which he assigns the highest order. Certainly, this is the most difficult life. Similar to Plato, Aristotle believed that "the unexamined life is a life not worth living." Aristotle does nothing other to examine the life of man and what is the best life to live.

Unlike Plato, you do not need to read the entire work to walk away with some useful insight into life. Though the over 100 chapters, divided into ten books, flow and build upon each other, you can read just one of them and be benefited. Aristotle covers many different subjects such as the good, morals, virtue, vice, courage, generosity, justice, intelligence, art, science, friendship, love, pleasure, and pain.

I can not say enough for the depth of insight Aristotle has into living the good life. Nicomachean Ethics is well written and presented in a clear manner that should be accessible to most readers. This is a must read for everyone.

Laurel Simmons had decided she would never again give her heart to any man as she had to that low-down Archie Devens. The love of her life jilted her when he came into an unexpected inheritance and she knew then he was only marrying her for her dowry. But, when the handsome Lord Van Cleef began seeking her out she was flattered and began to fall under his spell. After all, wasn't he the most handsome, as well as richest, bachelor sought out today...

In fact, he was getting along so well that his friends decided to slow the process down and made arrangements for Lady Laurel to overhear their conversation and discussed the 'wager' in her hearing. She was quite upset, but this strong woman decided she would just turn the tables on him. She told the biggest gossips around that Royce Van Cleef had decided on a bride but would not give her name. Now, the plot thickens and the fun really begins as every Mamma has their daughter in front of Royce at every appearance, plus the woman he had been dating just knew it was she. The funny thing about this is that the more stumbling blocks Laurel creates the more interested Royce is. She is such a challenge and not the insipid type of women he had been previously seeking. He begins to have serious pangs of jealousy when his best friend Stephen begins to squire Laurel around town. He has an 'attitude adjustment' and falls in love with Laurel and earnestly wants her for his wife. Victoria Malvey has penned a regency romance that is light and fun. The plot of the story is the chase and her humor and wit come to the front in this tale. While A MERRY CHASE has a touch of intrigue, the story focuses more on the interplay between the hero and heroine. I was reminded of the Spencer Tracy/Katherine Hepburn type of banter between these two main characters. I highly recommend this one to make you laugh and put you in a light mood. I only hope Ms. Malvey is working on Stephen's story to delight readers once again.

Carol Carter

Royce begins to study his quarry and his pursuit of the unattainable starts to make progress when Laurel learns about the bet. As they fall in love, Laurel changes the rules of the game in an attempt to checkmate her persistent suitor.

Though A MERRY CHASE is a by the book Regency romance, readers of historical love stories of any era will fully enjoy this jocular tale. The story line is entertaining due to the intelligent cast. The lead couple is a witty, humorous duo battling for the upper hand in the game of love. The support ensemble provides a feel for the era and motivates the two stars into action and reaction even as they observe the foxhunt twist into a bullfight. The enchanting Victoria Malvey makes Regency romance novels fun to read.

Harriet Klausner

Morris's next book is the current one being reviewed, "Theodore Rex." This book covers his presidency, from the succession to the office on the death of William McKinley to his leaving office seven and a half years later. There is a great deal of detail about his life in office, his relations with his family and contemporaries, and the legislative issues that confronted him. The author, while pro-Roosevelt, isn't blindly so. There are instances in the book where he clearly disagrees with what the President did, and is critical of him in consequence. Most notable is the Brownsville Texas incident, where Roosevelt and the high command of the army decided that some black soldiers were guilty of rioting on the streets of that city, and the president decided to cashier the whole unit from the army without court martial or anything.

Other characters of the administration are well-drawn and interesting. These include Elihu Root, who held various cabinet positions, and could earn more money on Wall Street, John Hay, who had been personal secretary to Abraham Lincoln forty years before and seen three presidents be assasinated, William Howard Taft, the overweight Secretary of War Roosevelt chose as his successor, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Supreme Court Justice who wasn't quite as dependable on cases before the court as Roosevelt thought he was.

The issues of the day are carefully delineated in enough detail to satisfy the reader and still not be boring. The coal miner's strike, the Great White Fleet, various war scares, the negotiations that ended the Russo-Japanese War, all are dealt with carefully, and intelligently. The whole of Roosevelt's presidency is here, and interesting.

I do have a few issues. The author has an unusual pedigree (see above) and it shows in his penchant for using strange words and phrases. Some of them (a lame duck congress quacking its last, for instance) are amusing, but others are just weird. Nouns become adverbs, sentences are long or clumsy, and it's occasionally difficult to tell what the author meant by something. Also, the way the book is constructed is sort of strange. The author uses short, choppy sections at points to illustrate things. And lastly, the author recounts events and occurances that don't seem to have much, or anything, to do with Roosevelt. One anecdote involves Woodrow Wilson telling a racist joke, another recounts briefly the Wright Brothers flying their airplane the first time. One is occasionally left wondering why they're in the book.

All in all, though, I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it.

The book opens with an account of Roosevelt receiving word of McKinley's assassination and closes with Taft's inauguration on March 4, 1909. The author does an excellent job narrating the challenges Roosevelt faced during his first term including handling of the anthracite coal strike and ending the Russian-Japanese War. The text describes how the President adroitly handled all challenges including domestic political problems and crises on Wall Street. Later, Roosevelt received the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to facilitate the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth ending the Russian-Japanese War.

The book covers his second term equally well. Roosevelt, a Republican,won a second term by a sizable majority. He had strong public support and the text quotes H.G. Wells stating "Never did a President so reflect the quality of his time" A frustrated Democratic Senator Tillman shouted " . . . the Democratic party can always be relied on to make a damn fool of itself at the critical time".

His second term was also demanding; and having publicly announced he would not run for a third term, his legislative clout was weakened. Among his second term challenges were a situation involving black soldiers in Brownsville, Texas; and anti-immigrant riots in San Francisco involving Japanese immigrants. The cooperation of the Japanese government was required but not immediately forthcoming. The author notes "Roosevelt confessed another fear . . . that of war with Japan. He did not think it would come soon, but he was sure it would one day." - how true! One reason that he sent the Great White Fleet around the world was not only to impress Europe but also to show to Japan the U.S. strength in the West Pacific. It worked and Japan became cooperative on the immigrant problem.

While handling his many second term challenges, he initiated a Governors' Conference (attended by 350 persons) covering ninety-five aspects of conservation, preservation and planned exploitation. The discussion of his relationship, during his second term, with heir apparent, William Howard Taft is revealing. In most aspects, Taft was the antithesis of Roosevelt.

It is interesting to note that many issues Theodore Roosevelt faced in both terms are issues today. For example: in his first message to Congress, regarding a ban on all political violent immigrants Roosevelt wrote "They and those like them should be kept out of this country and if found here they should be promptly deported to the country whence they came; and far-reaching provisions should be made for the punishment of those who stay." Shades of 11September 2001.

In conclusion, the author writes "Statue books and official histories would celebrate his administrative achievements: the Monroe Doctrine reaffirmed, the Old World banished from the New World, the great Canal being cut; peace established in the Far East; the Open Door swinging freely in Manchuria and Morocco; Cuba liberated (and returned to self-government...); the Philippines pacified; the Navy hugely strengthened, known literally around the world; the Army shorn of its old deadwood generals...; capital and labor balanced off, the lynch rate declining, the gospel of cleaner politics now actually gospel, and enough progressive principles established, or made part of the national debate, to keep legislative reformers busy for at lest ten years." To this should be added that he created five national parks and established sixteen national monuments plus initiated twenty federal irrigation projects in fourteen states.

The books concluding paragraph states that "...he left behind a folk consensus that he had been the most powerfully positive American leader since Abraham Lincoln."

Edmond Morris' style make this is a very readable book. For example, referring to Roosevelt's previous call for legislation in the area of employer's liability the author writes "That call had been mainly propaganda, since the lame-duck Fifty-eighth Congress had soon after quacked its last..."

Whether you like or dislike with Theodore Roosevelt, this book is a must for all American government history "buffs."

This book is really hard to put down. You have to read it to the last page. Chase had just lost his wife, Tanya (Texas! Lucky) and become a drunk and risk his life by once more joining the rodeo. Marcie Johnson, who had been with Tanya the day Tanya died saw Chase when she was entertaining her clients. Seeing Chase in trouble, she offers lending him money to save his company. Chase who didn't want to own her anything refuse. Marcie offers to marry him, so that her money become his money. Chase agrees. Everything is alright until Chase finds out that the house they had been living in is the house his wife, Tanya, had been thinking of buying. They had a fight and then Chase finds out in a bad way that Marcie is pregrant. Chase is not prepared to get another woman pregnant, and he really freaks out. This book is really good. =>

As with most novels, I read page after page anticipating the "big moment", the "turning point", a "climax", anything to cite as the work's purpose or point. I never did quite accomplish that.I found myself reading and rereading looking for the part that I must have skipped over accidentally. I have yet to find the secret chapter.

But what I accomplished wasn't known to me at the time but became clear after reflecting. The goal of the book is to help its readers acquire an inner peace within themselves; one that I found to be best appreciated in one's older years. I dont think that I was ready to read the book presently, but can see myself one day rocking in a glider totally enjoying and appreciating Jewett's novel.

A collection of quiet "sketches," this volume is a reminder of the fine writing produced by some of the earliest American realists. Critics have recently revised their first opinions of the book as a "small success" and now consider it a classic of American literature. The stories revolve around a young writer who goes to the coastal town of Dunnet Landing, Maine. In the company of Mrs. Todd, a venerable and locally revered herbalist who gives her lodging, the writer comes to know and write about the people of the area. The result is a fascinating look into personalities shaped and distilled by life on that severe coast into persons of rare character. This edition also contains eight of Jewett's best short stories, including "A White Heron" and "The Queen's Twin."

No plot devices or car chases here--this is a book to read on a rainy afternoon when nostalgia and melancholy threaten to overwhelm. It's comfort food like grandma used to make--reassuring, soul-fortifying, and full of the capacity to cheer. It's also addictive--once you take a bite out of Pointed Firs, you can't stop.

Similar author: Mary Wilkins Freeman

Claire and Ian team up to catch a killer whose crimes reach out from World War II. Claire never REALLY knew her husband after all.

***** This novel is non-stop from the beginning until the end. Ian was an enigma at first. He soon became as fascinating to me as to Claire. Part of the story happened during World War II. Author Brenda Joyce managed to show the connections without going into too much historic detail. I was able to follow along without many distractions. The book is filled with action, mysteries, romance, and an awesome ending! I could tell little in the synopsis for fear of giving some surprises away. Highly recommended here! *****

In The Chase, Ms Joyce has chosen WWII as the background for the story and unfolds the mystery layer by layer with individual plots. The story swings back and forth between WWII and the present day. At the same time, each individual plot fades out gracefully whenever another plot takes over. The most intriguing plot of the story is in 1940 and readers will discover that their attention immediately falls on Lionel Elgin, Rachel Greene and Eddy Marshall and forget about Claire and Ian temporarily. Even though Lionel Elgin is the bad guy of the decade, he leads the whole story from beginning to end. The romance part of the book concentrates on the undying love of Lionel's Jewish cousin, Rachel, and the dashing American RAF pilot, Eddy Marshall and makes the other couple, Claire and Ian, fade from the story.

The Chase is a well-plotted, fast-paced tale with an unpredictable ending. A lot of questions and mysteries will not be answered until you read the last page. This is one book that you will treasure and won't want to miss.

There are lots of projects to choose from at the end of the chapter so if you can make the assignment simple or more advanced to fit your needs. I think students who actually do the in-chapter step-by-steps can learn the material on their own if they happen to miss my great class;)