This guide has a lot of info presented very concisely and clearly. Includes: camping info, hike descriptions, suggested snowshoe and ski routes, and close-up maps of many of the most popular hiking trails. Also includes a large fold-out map of entire White Mountains region on waterproof, unrippable stock. Lots of illustrations, and an attractive and useful design.

I found that this book is quite under-rated by local booksellers. This is an excellent book for a casual White Mtns hiker who wants an abridged guide to the more popular day trails, with concise and clear information about each (including trail times, estimated difficulty, and short description of each). This is the guidebook that I use most often for day hikes; and in a lot of cases I find this map more useful than the AMC map series. For example, the colors are much more clear, and numerous scenic points are marked, although water sources are not.

Yes! This book is very unique in that is written for a few, specific winter activities (x-country skiing or snowshoeing) in a few very specific locations (New Hampshire and Vermont). If you are in the market for such a book, you don't have many choices to begin with. You'll be happy to know that this book does its subject justice.

People in the Northeast will truly enjoy this book as it covers the best winter activity locations primarily in both the Green and White mountains but also in a few other various locations in each state (including Southern New Hampshire and Vermont). The guide includes point-to-point trail directions, specific maps, driving directions, facility information, and the usual historical fun facts that always fill hiking books.

I grew up in New Hampshire and now live in Vermont. To find this book that covers both of my outdoor winter playgrounds was a true find. If you are a big outdoorsy person looking for a guide to places to help you with winter activities, this book by Marty Basch will be a welcome addition to your library or backpack.

Writer Cleo Grayson McCarthy is having trouble finding her muse on her latest work. Her friend Grace offers her cottage on Cameo Lake in New Hampshire to recharge her creative batteries. Now she is away from her husband and children and other distractions of everyday life. The lake is beautiful, and soon she is making progress on her book. Her neighbor across the lake catches her interest as well. His name is Ben Turner, and soon he and Cleo become friendly. Cleo's family comes to the lake for the weekend. She notices her husband Sean has pulled away from her, especially when he goes back home and leaves her with the kids. He has been getting more and more involved in work--or so he says. Eight years before, she experienced the pain of his infidelity, and she fears it is happening again. She sends her children to day camp, and in this time her friendship with Ben deepens. Secretive, wounded Ben slowly begins to open up.... The protagonists' professions are used beautifully in the narrative with ingenious references to prose and music composition. The lively first-person narrative eloquently tells the story of a woman slowly realizing that her life needs to change, and finding the courage to face grief, guilt, and pain in the change.

I'm a guy who up until now has always read nonfiction. However, I've recently discovered that if I'm going to read "make-believe" once in a while, how much I might enjoy reading novels by female authors. I'm finding out how much I can learn from them. . . especially the nuances of the authors' thought process, especially when falling in love. I would therefore like to recommend Cameo Lake, by Susan Wilson, mostly for men, who will learn just how a woman allows the budding romance to unfold. Most valuable, as I've said, are all the shades of gray that most men probably don't pick up on; for example, her understanding of shy people, pg 24. . . being excited initially with just being friends with Ben, pg 32. . . more of the same excitement on pg 68. . . her disappointment on pg 106 that he was too polite under special circumstances. . . admitting enjoying his nearness on pg 114. . . a white lie on pg 118. . . finding him increasingly attractive, pg 120. . . further, a different sort of man, pg 125. . . lots of nuanced revelations on pg 144, as her feelings for him begin to increase (lucky guy). . . resisting emotional urges, pg 191. . . agonizing over her feelings to the point of being sick, pg 196. . . "smitten with memory", pg 222. . . her own shyness revealed on pg 237. . . hey, it all adds up to a sweet and loving account of how a woman falls in love with a man. This is not a fluff book, although it is an easy read. And finally, a glance at the author's portrait on the back of the book shows all these nuances on her face, with soft eyes that penetrate deep.

This book definately threw me for a loop, but it was very worthwhile. I wasn't used to 3rd person perspective, and it was hard to adapt too. The first chapter was a bit slow, but once I started to get into it, I couldn't put the book down. I absolutely love romances, and this had it. It's just a wonderful novel, taking place at a wonderful place that you can fully image in your mind. You will never forget this book after you're done reading!

This is my first Russell Banks novel and I'm so glad that I discovered him!!! "Affliction" is a wonderful, incredibly written story about a man named Wade Whitehouse whose character is like a slow burning stick of dynamite. And the "boom" and the end of the novel does not disappoint...(even thought it did confuse me, but more on that later.)

I thought the beginning of the book was very slow and I almost put it down around the 5th or 6th chapter. But the writing was so beautiful I figured it had to get better, which it did and eventually had me hanging on until the very last word. I'm not going to give a synopsis of the book because you can read that at the top of this page. But here's why I loved it: the character development is outstanding; they are SO real that at the end of the book I was sad to lose them. Once the story gets going it unfolds with just the right amount of intrigue. Banks bounces back and forth from the present day to the past in a way that helps the reader understand why the characters are who they are. The book covers a variety of themes including romance, murder, death, domestic violence, fatherhood and "small town sensibilities." This is NOT an uplifting novel AT ALL. If you're looking for a happy ending this is not for you. When Wade Whitehouse disappears, everyone who crossed his path is left confused, hurt and angry. There were several times I put down the book (because I had to leave for work, or walk the dogs) and I felt haunted and slightly disturbed and the feeling lasted for several minutes until I got back into the rhythm of my day. THAT to me equals outstanding writing. I wish I felt that way every time I put down a book. (Although not necessarily disturbed and haunted...but I think you get what I mean.)

I did have a couple of problems with "Affliction"...as I said it was a slow start. The book is written from the perspective of Wade's brother Rolfe and at times I wondered how he knew exactly what a character might have been feeling or thinking at any given moment. I know he tape recorded his interviews with everyone but still....it seemed to be reaching at times. Banks tends to go on and on about the scenery and the weather and these lengthy descriptions tended to slow the pace and added nothing. The ending (which I won't ruin) had me wondering how Rolfe knew how the murder was committed and I'm going to have to go back and re-read it...perhaps I missed something, but I think not.

I can't wait for read more of Russell Banks. And I also can't wait to go out and rent the video tomorrow.

Affliction is for anyone who picks up their newspaper, scans hurredly through the usual blaring headlines concerning this shooting death and that domestic disturbance, then turns away quick, to the business page or maybe the local weather forecast. But author Banks considers these brutal events, which are usually given shortthrift in our mind's eye and discounted with a shrug and a cold "just another nut." This entrancing work chronicles how one small man's world turns desperate and craven without his consent, or even his knowledge. Wade Whitehouse is living the nightmare of lower class, "white trash" America, but is smart enough to know he wants better. Or at least different. After digesting Affliction, one may not be so quick to discount the person who pumps your gas at the local filling station as just another peripheral obstacle to avoid during the daily rush of life. Because he may have a story to tell you. And it may sound a lot like Wade Whitehouse's story, as told in the great book by Russell Banks.

In Affliction, Banks tells a page turning story that seems more and more realistic as the story progresses. Banks effectively relates the message that those who have been afflicted by family violence find it nearly impossible to form sustainable relationships with others. Wade Whitehouse unfortunately represents a common character in our world, one who has been plagued by the sins of his father and cannot find a way to move on with his life. The ending is climactic and does not leave the reader with any regrets. The movie does a good job of sticking with the book, however the book is more haunting and real. Read the book first before seeing the movie.

This book needs to read to be believed. It heartbreakingly beautiful. I found myself eerily caught up in the characters lives. I think for awhile to come I will be searching for Lila and Aaron in strangers faces.

"Swimming" is without a doubt an impressive debut from a talented writer. It is not an entirely successful debut, but it interesting even in its flaws, and that is more than I can say for most novels I read. The tale is kind of an emotional whodunit, or perhaps a whydonit. The first part of the story takes place in 1987 when college student Aaron Silver brings his girlfriend Sunanne to meet his family in rural New Hampshire. The family is a bit odd, and there are unexplained and perhaps inexplicable tensions between Aaron and his wild brother, Jack, and soon sparks begin to fly between Jack and Suzanne. Much emotional mayhem ensues until the visit climaxes in a tragedy that the book cover describes but I will not, since I wished I hadn't known it when I was reading. The novel then picks up ten years later, focusing on Lila, the younger sister, who is obsessed with the events of that night and begins stalking Suzanne in an effort to learn the truth about her brothers.

Hershon's writing is at its most successful when she is conveying the very real emotional confusion people feel at what seem like key moments in their life. "Swimming" seems to me especially effective at demonstrating the intense importance of these private feelings and the sometimes horrific consequences of privileging irrational passion over logical responsibility. In the heat of the moment, the author wants to argue, the selfish and thoughtless decisions we make, radiate outward into our lives and the lives of others. The book is also wonderful when it examines the confluence of memory and sadness, demonstrating how we process our own bad decisions, what we chose to remember, forget and to fabricate.

On the other hand, "Swimming," splashes around in the pond a bit too loudly and clumsily at times. The opening prologue is both unnecessary and so badly written I cannot even believe the same person composed those few pages and the book that follows. In the main body of "Swimming," the writing is never bad or clunky, but it is sometimes burdened by too much attention to craft. The flap copy tells us that Hershon received her MFA from Columbia University, and this book reads to me like MFA fiction. Obviously some people like that sort of thing, but I find her endless and belabored details of clothes, rooms, smells, plants, and anything else on which she happens to draw a bead ultimately kind of tedious and rarely in service of the story she wants to tell. If anything, the resonance of her tale and her characters gets lots sometimes in her descriptions. This book could have been a bit slimmer, and if Hershon had reserved her truly impressive talents for elements of the story with emotional consequences, it would have been a sleeker and far more poignant volume. As it is, it reveals an unquestionably talented author whose next work I would most certainly seek out.

This is the touching story about the destruction and resurrection of a family torn apart by tragedy. The writer is brilliant in her portrayal of the complexities of her characters and their situations. It is a book that one will read and become totally engrossed in the characters and the circumstances of their lives - a book that is difficult to put down. I eagerly look forward to her next novel.

If, like me, you were horrified by the events in The Hidden Lives of Dogs, you needn't worry about a repeat in this wonderful book. The author has embraced the joy of the human-dog bond, and in fact by allowing her dogs much more freedom than most dogs enjoy has come to understand that dogs DO chose us for their companions! Her insights show how wolf heritage combines with generations of human cohabitation to create a one-of-a-kind animal in our dogs.

Her opinion that dogs are slaves is only mildly off-putting, though her strong stance against euthanasia is sad to read. Hopefully she will continue to mature in her view of dogs and realize that it is not a betrayal to euthanize an animal whose body has so deteriorated that he spends every moment in agony. I feel that I know these dogs well, and the author a little better, and like to "revisit" them all from time to time.

For those who are already fans of Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and her fine anthropologist's approach to studying animal culture, THE SOCIAL LIVES OF DOGS may be the finest jewel in her crown of works. This book chronicles an approximate fifteen-year study which included, in the order that they came to live in the Thomas household, Sundog, Misty, Pearl, Ruby, and Sheilah--dogs of varying breeds and mixes. Thomas tells, in her own beautiful and compassionate way, the story of each dog's incorporation into the lives of the other dogs, people, cats, and birds in her home. She succeeds beautifully in her sincere effort always to explain her animal observations and then to try to understand and interpret from the animal's point of view. What more could one ask of an anthropologist/ethologist?

For me, Thomas taps into something very deep and important--something that's difficult to find words for. But I know that it has to do with a message that says it's okay to feel deep emotions about your animals, to talk to them and hear their answers, and to sense and acknowledge their deep feelings. Even though many of us have known and felt this intuitively, it is neither the message that our Judeo/Christian tradition nor our Linnean scala natura science of classification has wanted to deliver to us.

In the introduction she poses the questions: "Can we understand the mind of an animal? . . .[do] animals have consciousness?" and then proceeds to say that for some scientists . . . "the view that animals are incapable of conscious thought, or even of emotion, has acquired an aura of scientific correctness, and at the moment is the prevailing dogma, as if some very compelling evidence to the contrary was not a problem." This reader is happy to say that her own experiences with animals have certainly provided "compelling evidence to the contrary."

On a final note, THE SOCIAL LIVES OF DOGS, even though written around the lives of the canines concerned, reads a little bit like Thomas's personal memoir. She puts a lot into perspective in the excellent epilogue, which I found to be the real icing on the cake. Even as Thomas finds "grace" in canine company, so does she tell their story with much grace. This book is a wonderful read!

Elizabeth Marshall Thomas is never a bad read. She has an original mind combined with a background in anthropology that gives all her books an added depth and piquancy. Although I didn't agree with all the conclusions she drew or all the opinions she expressed (for example, my household of two humans, four dogs, and five cats does not break down into distinct interspecies groups, as she claims hers does), as always, I marveled at her powers of observation. Thanks to her, I'll be watching my four dogs more closely from now on. (And I plan to give them the treat-under-towel so-called intelligence test)...

I enjoyed the last part of her book, where she unloaded her views on issues like leashing, neutering, breeding, and ESP in animals (and her introduction, where she neatly pricked the bubble of Stephen Budiansky without mentioning his name). I share her belief that breeders are a strange breed themselves; I see them as breed (as in "object") lovers rather than true dog (as in "creature") lovers. But, then, there really is no such thing as a purebred. All dogs are mixed breeds, because as descendants of wolves and jackals, they owe their distinct appearances to thousands of years of mongrelization. I also think she's right when she says that Americans are obsessed by safety issues and leashing. And hey, inter-species ESP is not a big mystical deal, but rather a pretty banal occurrence; my dogs and I read each other's minds all the time. There is also a gratuitous but important chapter on why you should think several times about adopting an exotic bird. (And personally, I think that keeping a winged creature whose raison d'etre is to fly as a caged pet is inhumane, period).

However, I would like to qualify her statement that dogs are our slaves by saying that I see it as a case of mutual enslavement. They may be in our "power", but in return we have to feed them, house them, clean up after them, train them, nurse them, take them for walks and to the vet, and sometimes stay home and not travel because of them. If that's not slavery, albeit willing slavery, what is?

As an avid spay/neuter advocate, I'm intrigued by her suggestion of vasectomy rather than castration for male dogs (although it's not clear whether she chose vasectomy for any of her dogs); but it would be more costly than castration because the surgery is more precise and not many veterinarians perform it. It would also be harder to sell to those dog guardians who have limited funds to begin with. A lot of the reasons we castrate male dogs are for human convenience--so they don't do as much marking, fighting, roaming, and attempting to mate (with both canines and humans)--all of which makes life harder for people, not dogs. The only valid and un-speciesist reason for taking away a dog's masculinity is to control the overpopulation problem and prevent the tragedies of homelessness and euthanasia. But there is no question that the option of vasectomy would be more humane.

Read this book.

I was impressed. Why was I impressed? I always get impressed when someone I know does something exceptional. I am proud to say that I met Debbie Lee Wesselmann once, we talked. After that meeting I was eager to read her books. I had an imression that Debbie would write something really good and strong. My first impression did not let me down. The book was good. I liked the story and I loved the style. The story was able to hold my attention until I finished the book and the style..., I think I can learn from. All the best Debbie Lee Wesselmann and, please write more.

Many, many years ago, a journalism professor told me, "There are no boring stories, only boring writers." How axiomatic! And Debbie Lee Wesselmann, a talented and gifted writer, takes what in my opinion is a superficially interesting story and makes it eminently readable and enjoyable.

TRUTOR & THE BALLOONIST tells the story of an "odd couple" in every sense of the word: Michelle Trutor, a young researcher who has left her abusive boyfriend behind, and her curious friendship with Arthur Wharton (known affectionately to Trutor as "the Balloonist"), an aging attorney from a most eccentric New England family. The Balloonist enlists the aid of Trutor to unravel the complex secrets and riddles of his late sister Caroline, who has handcuffed her surviving heirs with a bizarre will, guarded by a pit bull of an attorney. Trutor proves to be a most effective sleuth; in fact, her uncanny ability to decipher riddles, connect the dots, and put the proverbial pieces of the puzzle together very gently flirts with suspension of disbelief. Suffice it to say that Caroline Wharton was a complex, perhaps cruel, individual, and when the story is finally resolved the reader will raise his/her eyebrows.

Ms. Wesselmann has a supreme knack for detail; her descriptions of nature, of the quaint New England town where the Whartons reside, are dazzling, almost magical. The pacing of this book is wonderful, flawless. TRUTOR & THE BALLOONIST is from an author who is hitting her stride--an author to be reckoned with.

Michelle Trutor (mostly called Trutor in the book) is rather at loose ends after leaving her abusive boyfriend, and accepts a vague job offer from aging attorney Arthur Wharton (whom she refers to as The Balloonist). Arthur and his twin brother Proctor live in the house where their adoptive sister Caroline raised them and then died, under strange circumstances, several years before. Trutor's assignment is to explore the mystery of Caroline, and to write her biography.

Sounds simple enough but, as Trutor discovers, Caroline was a complex and difficult woman, who has shrouded herself in layers of mystery, a room full of journals, complex victorian riddles, paintings, and a coded map that symbolizes her life.

Trutor quickly becomes immersed in this strange quest, and in Caroline's world, and as she does she also becomes part of the Whartons and their dysfunctional family. What happens? What does she learn about Caroline? What does she learn about herself? You will just have to read it and see!

Trutor is an exquisitely crafted book. The writing is lucid and poetic, the characters engaging and complex, the New England ambience is convincing, and the underlying message is powerful: Love has the power to redeem. This is not a totally easy book to read. It takes concentration, and you will probably take the time, as I did, to solve some of the riddles, which will cause you to put down the book and think. There are many characters in the book, and you will have to do some checking back to remind yourself who they are and how they relate to the story. Still, it moves along and is well worth the effort. I recommend this one highly. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber

To call the circumstances described in this book as "charming," as several reviewers have done, is patronizing. These characters all have major problems of their own making, they blame everyone and everything but themselves, and they all seem to think that sex or guns will solve whatever problem arises. A woman who buys "catting around" clothes for her adult, married son, then dances nude for her brother-in-law to get back some of the money (needed so that the trailer will not be repossessed for back taxes) is not charming, she's foolish. Another "adult" woman has three children in three years, endures physical abuse, and then turns to prostitution and drugs to support her alcohol habit, is sick and needs help, not a dose of charm. A man who hears snakes in his head and then buys a gun to use against his "sworn enemies" is terrifying, not charming or an example of "black humor," another term used here. This book is like a printed transcript of the Jerry Springer Show.

The blue ribbon for family dysfunction has been awarded:
it is the family of Jim Hutchins from New Hampshire.

The blue ribbon for citizen dysfunction has been awarded: it is to any person living in the small town in New Hampshire associated either by relative or friends, neighbors, store owners or law enforcement officials
to the family of Jim Hutchins.

What compells anyone to read this novel is absurd expectation. The characters are barely hanging onto reality. Some of them beckon sympathy and an appeal that they will pull their stupid heads out of their....well...let us just say they beckon some empathy for their predicaments.

Yet, it is their stupidity that turns the pages of this novel. One can hardly believe their ignorance can continue to progress, and the innocent prayer that some savior will rush out to change the course of impending doom is frankly the only reason I kept up with the book!!

If you want to read more than a train wreck, read this.

Speak of a dysfunctional family. Wow! Meet Jim and Pauline Hutchins and their children, nephews and assorted other relatives. They find trouble where was none before. And when you think nothing else could possibly go wrong, another can of worms open up. The Book of Job is a children's tale by comparison. All this gets to the point where, unfortunately, it becomes very funny. It sounds like a story out of some Kentucky holler and not like prim, staid and silent New England.

I very much admire the author for his incredible gift of imagination. He wrote a wonderful book.

This book tells the story of a woman, Chelsea Kane, who, after the death of her adoptive mother, decides to "discover" herself by looking up her biological parents. She moves to Norwich Notch (her birth place) to start her search. The book is slow and other than Chelsea, the character development lacks some. But after finishing the book, I decided the slow moving pace of the book represented the slow pace of life in Norwich Notch. Ms. Delinsky starts the book out with a family squabble over a divided set of jewelry, which leads the reader to believe this is one of the conflicts Chelsea has to resolve throughout the book. While the other conflicts resolve in a satisfying way, this story line has no closure.

I was pleasantly suprised, upon my first reading of a book by Ms. Delinsky. I was rewarded with suspence, romance, and great characters. Although slow in some parts, the story line was strong and full of twists and turns. If you're looking for romance, with suspence and family conficts this is a good read. I was disappointed however, that she didn't finish the conflicts by the end of the book. I would have liked to have seen her resolve the conflict of the heirloom ring and the conflict between Chelsea and her father. I will definetly be reading more of her books in the future. An entertaining read that kept guessing!

I have enjoyed reading Barbara Delinksy's books, and this is very much one of her best. She seems to be able to take various subjects and flesh them out with characters who are true to life. While I enjoyed very much reading about Chelsea's search for her birth parents, the subplot about Donna and her situation (spousal abuse) was equally compelling. I agree with the other reviews that the conflict of the family heirloom was left unresolved and should have been dealt with, as well as the relationship between Chelsea and her adoptive (read that "real") father, Kevin. But, in spite of that, Barbara Delinsky has written a book one will not easily forget, with characters you will remember for a long, long time.

Maggie May's Diary is a different romance than any other I've ever read in that the heroine is not very likeable until the end of the story, but Brian Kelly is the kind of guy female readers fall in love with! As a girl who kept a diary in high school, I identified with the diary entries -- surprising since written by a male author! The story unfolds really nicely though and these 2 main characters play off each other very well; there are parts of the book that made me laugh out loud. I especially liked the setting of the story since I vacation in Maine a lot. And the ending of the book left me with a smile on my face!!! All in all, a refreshing change from the usual romance formula.

Thomas Coughlin is a outstanding auther. Take the journey to Brian Kelley route 1 and Maggie May's diary and you will be lost in a world you won't want to end.The first chapters grab you and there is no putting the book down.You will feel like your there in lowell, maine and all the places this book will take you. Thanks Thomas and please write some more.

(...)I found the book to be superb! I was drawn back to my own high school days and recalled some of the students from that era. I then remembered my first 15 year reunion and the way some of the people had changed. A few were just as obnoxious as they had been in earlier years and some had become more sensitive to people's feelings. Coughlin was right on target. I enjoyed his dialogue, related to his characters, understood his scenes of intimacy, and felt for the individuals in the story as they faced the issues that challenged them. Once started, I could not put the book down, contrary to what the other reviewer stated. I also enjoyed reading the locations mentioned in the book. As a Mainer, I could visualize each place and put the characters in perspective. Having visited those areas years ago, it brought a feeling of nostalgia to me that I had not thought about in years. All in all, I found Maggie May's Diary to be a great read and I would recommend it highly to anyone who likes a romance novel with a wonderful biting twist.