Our heroine, Bel, is addicted to M & M's. After all, it's a convenient way of eating chocolate without the mess. She needs a "fix" especially when she's involved in a stressful situation. There's plenty of those in this book and for those of us who could really empathize with the character, there are lots of M & M moments. Ms. Isenberg uses a lot of interesting devices to move the plot along. Most of the chapters start with an e-mail or letter to or from Bel. This lets you in on what's going on without hitting you over the head with it. I like it!

Teacher Bel has a lot of stuff going on in her life. I would have liked a little more about her relationship with Sol. It seems to be relegated to the back burner in this book. This is a character-driven book and the author has created some great characters--most of which would be interesting to meet. The mystery part is a little flimsy but, that can be forgiven because it's fun just reading what Bel and her cohorts are going to do next. I read this book on the plane from Vegas to Dallas and I didn't really mind that the flight was about a half-hour late because I was really into the book.

This book is a total kick to read! It's clever and funny, touching on everything from the dubious joys of planning a transcontinental wedding and the politics of community college life to the taste of fresh zeppoles at the Feast of St. Anne and the curiosities of celebrity impersonation--all wrapped in a satisfying murder mystery. And of course Bel Barrett once again shows us the humorous side of menopause, proving that "off the pill" doesn't mean "over the hill".

Bel and her sharp-eyed, smart-mouth pals Betty and Illuminada don't miss a trick--or a quip--on their way to finding out who did in the Sinatra wannabe. Even Bel's Mom and her octogenarian buddies get into the act, illuminating other wry and warming aspects of getting older while staying young at heart.

This is the third in this delightful series, and author Isenberg grows stronger with each one. Her literate, graceful writing style is a pleasure in itself, but mystery fans will find enough clues, suspects and plot twists to keep them turning pages til the wee hours of the morning. This is just the book to savor while listening to Frank sing "That's Life", "All of Me" or "It Was a Very Good Year". Don't miss "Mood Swings to Murder". It's smooth, sophisticated and sassy--just like Ol' Blue Eyes!

Mystery fans will be delighted by the latest escapdes of Bel Barrett. In this case, the Belle of Hobkoen and her menopausal sidekicks solve the murder of a Frank Sinatra impersonator in Blue Eye's hometown. This is the third in the Bel Barrett mystery series, and Jane Isenberg gets better and better with each new book. All her mysteries have wonderful, masterful plots that keep the reader in suspense to the last chapter. Isenberg's characters are round, full of life and lives that the reader can grasp and enjoy. Isenberg is obviously a talented writer, and her prose bristles with humor and intelligence, and for the student of literature the subtle allusions here and there are an extra bit of fun. I wouldn't be surpised if these novels became the basis for a movie or TV series. They are great reads, and I'd love to see Bel's Hoboken on the silver screen. A big fan.

My wife and I purchased this book after our friends had us over for dinner and made 2 recipes from the book (Chicken Cutlets in Mushroom & Wine Sauce, and Cannoli's for dessert).

We were so impressed we ordered the book from Amazon.com the next day. We've had Cooking For My Family for about 6 months now and can't say enough about it, it's become one of the most used cookbooks in our kitchen library. We also enjoyed the memories and tribute to the author's mother.

A wonderful blend of delicious favorites packed with tradition and family. This is a delightful cookbook, made with the best ingredient - love. Packed full of memories and family favorites, Loretta has brought you into her home to eat with her lovely family. You will enjoy her childhood memories as well as some fantastic recipes from this classic Italian (Hoboken) kitchen.

This book - Cooking for My Family - is a treasure to have in your collection!

A book not only filled with wonderful recipes, but wonderful memories too. Cooking for My Family is a book about a very special woman who loved cooking for her family, and who shared her warmth and love with everyone she touched. The recipes are simple to follow and the stories will touch your heart. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to eat!

Daniel Pinkwater is noteworthy in many respects, but what fascinates me most is the way in which he manages to be brilliant, moving, and profound without ever accentuating the negative. This autobiographical collection of brief, bite-size narratives (perfect for bedtime, the bathroom, or the ten-minute break at work) chronicles Pinkwater's development as an artist/writer, and gives the reader the opportunity to enjoy the world through the eyes of a funny, intelligent man who truly loves life. This is a non-fiction, non-children's book by a children's author.

This is the story of a real dockside dog in Hoboken. Hisadventures--perhaps made up--are the stuff of legend. His origins; hisrise to fame and glory; it's all here. Along with a happy ending. Bitsof the real Hoboken show up now and again--it's a story you will enjoy reading yourself as much as reading to your kids. And mine sneak it off the shelf behind my back.

As an avid reader of labor history I found this to be fascinating. After all his years of fighting for the working man and being persecuted for it he ended up the winner

I enjoyed these witty essays, but had trouble ignoring a few things. One, the author seems to have a compulsive need to remind the reader that he's fat. OK, if we haven't picked it up from the cover, we get it. Sometimes it was relevant to the piece and sometimes it wasn't.

Secondly, I detected the oh-too-familiar complaint of many writers - that they are unsung geniuses and anyone who criticizes their work doesn't know squat. (I noticed this with Stephen King's and Rita Mae Brown's books on writing.) Some critics don't know what they're doing, but some do. If most people who work in publishing are ignoramuses, how did your books manage to get published? Writers who can make a living doing what they love should ease up on the whining.

I've read other Pinkwater books. Some are great, some are so-so, and some are in dire need of editing.... In any case, whether or not he's a genius (yes, he actually discusses this) will only tell with time.

And, while I'm really on a roll, why this pathological reluctance to mention his alma mater? I went there. It's a decent school. Lots of flaky artists, but certainly nothing to be ashamed of.

Hoboken Fish and Chicago Whistle is one of eighty excellent books by Daniel Pinkwater. He is a regular commentator on public radio and this is a diverse collection of his radio commentaries and essays. This is an excellent book with loads of humor. Pinkwater is a comic genius and a superb writer. Pinkwater's essays have topics ranging from the humor impaired, to his life in Hoboken, New Jersey, to dog training. Pinkwater recommends all his books for intelligent young adults and up who have their sense of humor intact, and I agree.

When I was smaller I read, nay, devoured _Alan Mendelsohn, Boy From Mars_, _The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death_ and _Lizard Music_. When I was but small I discovered Mr. Pinkwater's first collection of NPR commentaries, and I learned to eat pizza...one handed...while holding a drink...and running for the bus. Then I discovered the second collection. Since then I have worn out three copies of each. To have them togehter in one HARDBOUND volume is literally a dream come true. You cannot afford to miss this book.

Bel is back! In her latest adventure she's climbing the walls to try to find the killer. It was hard to picture fifty-something Bel and her cronies infiltrating the twenty-something Dot.com world, but Ms. Isenberg came up with a humorous solution.

I loved this book on many levels. On the surface it is a great comfort read full of warmth and humor. Next, it educates the reader on a variety of subjects. And finally like any good tale, there's a wonderful moral to the story.

Isenberg gets better with every book. Don't miss this one.

If you've been nervous about flying, here's what I recommend: buy a copy of Jane Isenberg's new mystery "Midlife Can be Murder," start reading when you fasten your seat belt, and look up when you come to the end. You've landed. This was the extremely pleasant way I spent my last plane trip.
As Isenberg fans already know, Bel Barrett, our sleuth, is very witty. In addition, embedded in this mystery are entertaining riffs, including one on a Biblical story I'm sure you will never see the same way again, and another on the rise and fall of the Dot Com lifestyle (you'll have to read the book to catch my pun.)
Underlying the fun and suspense in all Isenberg books is some serious social commentary. Bel's struggling students (in her other life Bel is a Professor of English at a local Community College) are always an important part of the plot, as are her adult children. I found all their adventures touching and very real.

Jane Isenberg's Bel Barrett mysteries provide what we dedicated mystery readers want: a protagonist, as real and recognizable as a good friend, who puts her extensive life experiences to good use in solving a murder; an intricate but not contrived plot; witty dialogue that moves the story and illuminates the characters; and just enough information about unfamiliar subjects to whet our interest and keep us coming back for more. In "Midlife Can Be Murder", Bel and company deliver once again. Though e-commerce may be dominated by techno-30-somethings, Bel and her friends use their hard-earned 50-something savvy to uncover greed and uncontrolled ambition as roots of murder. Along the way, Bel attempts to make up for a past wrong, balance professional obligations with personal needs, support a friend, manage menopausal symptoms, and grow spiritually--all at the same time. I found this book to be wryly humorous and often moving, as only stories grounded in reality can be. But it is also a solid, stylish and well-written mystery, one that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. I hope Ms. Isenberg has more Bel Barrett stories coming soon. Her growing number of fans will be waiting eagerly!

Mr. Finan was able to take an interesting approach to the diary entries of Flash Ranger Pfennig during WWI. Although some of the entries are not very extensive, Mr. Finan fills in the voids with great descriptions of what was happening during that time period during the war. His descriptions of the ships as they crossed the sea had me dodging torpedos in my mind. The vivid decriptions of the coloring and geometric figures on the ships made me feel like I was actually riding across the Atlantic. This book will step you through the WWI experience and will touch on the small intimate experiences in the daily lives of a soldier.

This book gave me the true experience and insight of what a soldier went through in WWI. The annotations by Mr. Finan added the background and placement to set the diary into context. Very interesting reading!

It is a pleasure to see a micro-history book written by a first time author with such grace and precision. Finan has created a work which, unlike traditional battlefield accounts, reflects the nature of war for most participants--the extreme boredom, being disinfected for disease and pests, and the long process of being moved overseas and overland.

What I found amazing about this account is how Finan was able to pull so much information from such a small original document. The only way this can be accomplished successfully is through the skill and ability of the author. Congratulations are due to Finan, and it is hoped both that Crimson Shamrock press continues to print works such as this and that Finan continues to produce history that is so technically sound and utterly enjoyable.

Before I ordered this book, I read the reviews. I bcame convinced this must be a zany, funny book -- just the thing for my children. So I went ahead and ordered not *The Hoboken Chicken Emergency" only, but a volume of novels by Pinkwater. Oh, well. It's only money (though it could have been better spent elsewhere).

*The Hoboken Chicken Emergency* does have a wonderful premise and some satire as well (hence my pleasure at reading its reviews). I suppose it also has lessons to be learned about fearing the unknown -- but didacticism is not enough to make a good book. Nothing covers up for the fact that this book just plain isn't very good -- not for a modern child to read. I knew I was in trouble when I began reading it aloud to my son: each sentence had a dying fall, and the wit was strained, not spontaneous and fetching. "What am I getting into," I thought. Henrietta the chicken is lost and Henrietta is found, but the whole thing was a contest to see if I could finish the book before my child rebelled -- or I did.

Sad to say, this book shows its age. Some of the writing, too, needs polish. If you are tempted to buy this self-consciously zany book, buy *I Was a Rat* instead. *I Was a Rat* is all heart. *The Hoboken Chicken Emergency* is all lumpy prose. I'm hoping for better things with the other Pinkwater volumes I purchased, but we shall have to see. I love older rediscovered books, but this one doesn't work. Children expect more depth of story, not just cleverness at the expense of story. I'm very sure readers have fond memories of this book, but memory alone cannot bring the book alive for a modern audience. Give *The Hoboken Chicken Emergency* a pass, and go for a funny book that's meaty with heart and soul. If *I Was a Rat" doesn't appeal, you might try *The Little Prince* (Antoine de Sainte-Exupery) -- my son doesn't really understand it, but he loves it and seems to recognize that there are real issues underlying the surface.

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency was a really good book. It is a good book for third grade and up to read on their own. It takes place in Hoboken, New Jersey around Thanksgiving. It's about a boy named Arthur who goes to look for a turkey for Thanksgiving. The problem comes when he can't find one. Instead he ends up getting a 266 pound chicken named Henrietta. Arthur tries to keep the chicken as a pet but it runs away. Henrietta (the chicken) feels unwanted and creates diasters all over town. Read the book to find out what happens next. We thought the book was hilarious, funny, and exciting. We are nine and ten years old and we liked the book alot!

I didn't enjoy this book as much as Lizard Music or the Snarkout Boys and the Avacado of Death, but I found it on the whole to be a very enjoyable read... Much reccomended for Pinkwater fans, and seems to be a popular first book for people who've never read any D.M.P.

Another author that fills the pages with inane conversations because the book is so lacking in a good plot.

Bel Barret teaches writing at a community college in NJ. Her friend Vinny Vallone talks her into teaching a class of funeral director wannabes with him. Vinnie is murdered and it seems that most of the suspects are in the writing class. Bel risks her relationships and her life to solve the mystery.

This was a pretty quick read and I enjoyed it. The characters and the setting are quirky and interesting. A good series.

Professor Bel Barrett is a nice woman and so are her friends, her children, and her mother whose brain cells just needed a slight realignment. Jane Isenberg perfectly captures the multi-cultural ambiance of a community college and the dedication of those who teach there. The mysteries in this series are solid and fun. Bel is obviously enduring the joys of menopause and her references to it throughout will strike a chord with the similarly afflicted. The grimy setting of Jersey City, New Jersey is not ideal, but Isenberg almost makes the place sound appealing. I even like the author's photo on the back page. Like I imagine Bel to look, Isenberg has the kind of face you want to see on your friends-kind, bright, and smiling. The series is a fun way to pass a rainy weekend.