Excellent Holiday book. I read this book in 2000, again in 2001 and it will be re-read in 2002. My favorite story was The Choice by Monica Jackson.

These four Christmas stories were awesome. Each story was something truly special and they were all first-class material. I must admit my favorite was The Choice by Monica Jackson. I know the holidays are over but if you can your hand on a copy of this novel, do so.

I got much more than I had anticipated as I read these stories of inhabitants and former inhabitants of Mystic Ridge. The stories contained history as well as wonderful characters with whom anyone can identify.

Miranda and Starlight is my ALLTIME favorate book! Miranda goes on adventure after adventure!!! She always has a new daring idea!! These books are a MUST read!!!!

Miranda Stevens had been sent to live with her grandparents while her mother searched for work as a model. At school she felt left out and alone. She was the only girl in class who did not own a horse. Miranda was sure that if she only had a horse of her own nothing else would matter.

Then a new girl, Laurie Langley, came to the school. While still getting to know each other, they met Christopher Bergman.

When Christopher dared Miranda to ride the most beautiful horse she had ever seen, she never hesitated. That dare began a series of adventures for the three friends.

This new series is PERFECT for both boys and girls, especially if they are fond of horses! The author shows that if you act without thinking the consequences can be dire indeed!

The story is very well written, flows smoothly, and is easy to understand. The adventures of Miranda will keep young readers glued to the book as they watch the trio of friends learn lessons of honesty and loyalty. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SERIES!

Miranda Stevens had been sent to live with her grandparents while her mother searched for work as a model. At school she felt left out and alone. She was the only girl in class who did not own a horse. Miranda was sure that if she only had a horse of her own nothing else would matter.

Then a new girl, Laurie Langley, came to the school. While still getting to know each other, they met Christopher Bergman.

When Christopher dared Miranda to ride the most beautiful horse she had ever seen, she never hesitated. That dare began a series of adventures for the three friends.

***** This new series is PERFECT for both boys and girls, especially if they are fond of horses! The author shows that if you act without thinking the consequences can be dire indeed!

The story is very well written, flows smoothly, and is easy to understand. The adventures of Miranda will keep young readers glued to the book as they watch the trio of friends learn lessons of honesty and loyalty. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SERIES! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

This is the first time that I have read the work of Mr. William Trevor. If his collection of short stories, "Hill Bachelors", is any indication of the man's talent I will read whatever else has been published. The volume contains 12 stories that all share parallels, however they do not need to be read as a collection, they all can stand-alone.

The stories could be classified as redemptive, however at least one describes a Faustian Bargain. Many of the stories are dark, and others bear results that were never intended. Still others are the results from lack of attention or care, and they are of wreckage both physical and mental. I think it is valid to say they describe the fragility of many relationships, and the ignorance that prevents the forming of contact until a destructive event takes place. It is not a collection of tales that portrays the best in people, but it somehow does not read as oppressively as the storylines would seem to demand.

One story details a horrible crime and uses a snapped rose bush as a metaphor. The same unlikely force cleans up the debris from both, before the mess from either becomes too great. A wedding eve party shows how uncertain the next day's events can be when the smallest of unintended events does or does not take place. My favorite had to do with Priests and Ministers, burned out homes and lost congregations. In this story Mr. Trevor illustrates the senseless behavior of a people, a nation, and the religions they adhere to. He brings together that which should not meet, and the result is what should happen but somehow surprises when it does.

This is a wonderful set of stories that are all complete, however when read together have enough commonality that the Author's message is not so much repeated as it is reinforced as they are read. Marvelous writing, highly recommended.

In several of Trevor's sparsely worded stories we find characters who give too much of themselves. "The Virgin's Gift", "Good News" and "The Mourning" all tell of those who turn their souls over to others, and are unsettled with the outcomes. I was sad when done, particularly when finishing "Good News", because I knew that the characters had been disappointed or were about to be.

I was drawn to the character of Clione in "A Friend in the Trade" - she was decisive enough to know that she was the object of unstated affections, but not strong enough to confront her admirer frankly. She was so powerful in her humor and her work, but she had long accepted her status quo, so she did not know how to be single-minded in adversity. She acted like a shallow school girl in telling her husband of their friend's affections, but she became more complex in that telling. I wonder about her still - I wanted to know more about her after the story was told.

Good stories, these. Minimalist short stories are my preference - they allow me to imagine, to dream, and to pretend.

These twelve new stories from William Trevor are "small gestures," resonating with meaningful nuances, requiring one's full attention. For this reason, it may be worthwhile to read each story twice to fully grasp the meaning from within its depths. Reading these stories will leave you in awe.

This was my first encounter with Trevor's short stories. Truly, he has mastered the form. Born in Ireland in 1928, Trevor now lives in Devon, England. The stories in this collection are drawn from those two countries. They are filled with barking sheepdogs, laborers, misty hills, tulips and bluebells, and rays of sunlight "like arrows in the sky" (p. 144). They are about everyday turning points in life, and lost opportunities. In the first story in the collection, "Three People," Trevor reveals a secret that binds three lonely characters together for fourteen years. In "The Mourning," we follow a lonely, 23-year-old Irish laborer as he carries a bomb through the streets of London. In "Good News," we find a nine-year-old actress "wondering in what way her dreams would be different now, reminding herself that she mustn't cry out in case, being sleepy, she ruined everything" (p. 62). A "melancholy" 51-year-old mother misses her children in "A Friend of the Trade." When she and her husband attempt to drop an "unpresentable" friend, she discovers "empty love is not absurd" (p. 106).

This is a collection of well-crafted short stories that has inspired me to read more William Trevor.

G. Merritt

Anyone who has read Anderson's wonderful autobiography ('My Thirty Years' War,' 'The Fiery Fountains,' 'The Strange Necessity,' all sadly now out of print) must read this novel -- it has the same ebullient, erudite tone and the same passion for life. Many of the characters' names are thinly-veiled pseudonyms for the real people in Anderson's life, and Mathilda Hills fills in the blanks in her long introduction which explains how she came to find this manuscript. This is a priceless piece of Modernist history and a great lesbian love story, but I think it will be appreciated best by those already familiar with Anderson, founder of 'The Little Review,' and her personal history.

Much thanks to Mathilda Hills for bringing this story to us! This beautiful and lyric love story is only heightened by the biographical information Hills provides. I hope the publisher will eventually provide a paperback edition, so more people would be enticed to read this stunning tale.

This book is like Ptashne's "Genetic switch" but more personal and at a higher scientific/intellectual level (read "Genetic Switch" first if you have no idea what it is). "The lac Operon" is annotated with many short, colourful, 'behind-the-scenes' anecdotes about the people who were (are) doing the science. These anecdotes, and other historical facts, do an outstanding job of placing the research questions of the time (the answers to which are today taken as 'self-evident truths') in context.

In "The lac Operon - A Short History of a Genetic Paradigm", Benno Mueller-Hill does an excellent job of describing the history, mistakes, and present-day view of the lac operon. I found it an enjoyable read. The book is written at a level that assumes the reader already knows a bit about molecular biology, and starts with "A Short History of the lac System from its Beginning to 1978". I found the middle section most interesting, where the mistaken interpretations of the lac operon are considered. This would be a very educational read for students (and post-docs and researchers) in the field. Finally, the last section discusses the current model for how the lac Operon works; this model has not made it to many of the undergraduate molecular biology / Genetics textbooks yet. Overall I was quite happy with this short book on the first bacterial operon to be characterised.

This book is one of Grace Livingston Hill's best. I love the fact that Michael keeps his word about helping other "street kids" like himself. The romance eliment is subtle, but it's very powerful and touching.

This book was really powerful. I am not a crier, but I found my emotions touched by this beautiful story. One can almost see the author's love for humankind shining through. The main character was a wonderful man, suitable for being a hero to any little boy. I think the author truly must have been inspired to write such a magnificent piece of literature. This book was so good, I wish that everybody could truly appreciate it like I do. I have several friends who have also discovered the beauty in this long-forgotten book. I am hoping to read more of this author

Rudyard Kipling writes concisely and with great insight on a wide range of issues. With each story only taking up a few pages the depth of characterisation is superb. 'The gate of one-hundred sorrows' is one of the finest short stories ever written.

My copy has 36 stories, but Kipling's Plain Tales tells about life in British-occupied India from every imaginable angle. It's touching, it's funny, and at times it's unbelievably sad. Don't let the author put you off, this is a highly readable book. My personal favorites are "Thrown Away" and "Beyond the Pale", but be careful; they're sad.

My daughter absolutely loves Spot and this book just added to her love. Everytime we want to read her a story, it is always the spot book that she goes to get. I would highly recommend this book to all people.

I gave this book to my two-year-old on her second birthday 6 months ago. She has learned the name of the dog "Spot" and will proudly call out the name when she see him on TV programmes. This is a very educational and interesting book for a two year old. It teaches friendship, bonding with grandparents, and the wonderful pictures help the child to appreciate the story even more. Give this to any two year old and he or she will love it !

Starlight's Courage is the second book in the Starlight series and is just as good or even BETTER than the first one! If yo liked Starlight and Miranda you will DEFINATLY like this one too!!

The sequel to "Miranda and Starlight", Starlight's Courage by Janet Muirhead Hill is the story of a young girl and an injured two-year-old stallion named Starlight that she has befriended. When she and her friends arrange to ride in a competition against their classmates, they are all unaware that a disturbed individual is seeking revenge. An involving and highly recommended novel for young readers which is nicely enhanced with Pat Lehmkuhl's black-and-white sketches.

Francis Ray's, "Until Christmas" is a touching novella about a young woman who not only touched the heart of the high school principal, Ethan Rawlings, but Samantha also won the hearts of Ethan's twins, Alan and Alex. Samantha, aka "Sam," was hired as a combination housekeeper, babysitter temporarily, but only until Christmas. At least, that is what Ethan told the twins and Sam, as well as himself. However, it was much too late for all of them to abide by this decision. Each was starved for the other's affections and each had become too attached to give up. The twins, not only saw Sam as their housekeeper/babysitter, but they saw her as a friend. She could play ball and was not afraid of their dog. The twins' affection went deeper still. Although they were in contact with their grandmother, they were still minus a mother figure. Sam with her winning ways, not only because she was a good cook and let them help her in the kitchen, but because it was who she was, had become special to them and they wanted her with them full time. Not only had Sam become special to them and the twins had become special to Sam, but Sam had also affected the twins' dad. Ethan's feelings for Sam were more than that of an employer, more than that of a friend. Somehow, in that short time, Sam had imbedded herself into Ethan's heart. Was he willing to allow a new love interest into his life or was he still shadowed by the deceit and experience of his ex-wife and the deceased mother of his twins. Ethan thought he had a solution to the problem when he reluctantly agreed to keep Sam, "but only until Christmas." However, love does not have a set time to go away. Therefore, until Christmas, turned out to a lifetime of love for Sam, Ethan, Alan and Alex. "Until Christmas" was the best. Way to go, Ms. Ray.

"Kwanzaa Angel" was a sweet remembrance into the past with a chance to correct the future. Erin had been hurt in the past by Raimi, who had reentered her life. Would Erin give in to her feelings that never dissolved for Raimi and become involved in a new relationship or would she revert back into the past? "Kwanzaa Angel" was about the Kwanzaa celebration, but with a twist of love for Erin and Raimi. Good story.

"'Round Midnight" was about the New Year's celebration. I loved the story of Dr. Summer Lane, the psychologist who now has a job at the radio station as a counselor on the air. Her show airs around midnight. It is at the radio station where Summer meets Tre Holland, one of the bosses. Everyone thinks Summer is a snow or ice maiden because Summer stays to herself and does not socialize with the others. However, Tre is attracted to Summer and sets out to melt the snow. Summer also has feelings for Tre and wants the ice to melt from around her heart. However, after getting together, somewhere while the ice is melting another freeze comes along and the ice around Summer's heart becomes another block of ice. Summer and Tre suffer heartship and are temporarily separated. Tre sets out to recapture Summer's love and to permanently melt the ice. He knows a new year will be approaching and is determined to be in Summer's life when the new year begins. So, he sets out around midnight to make it happen. Will Tre succeed in his endeavor? Read "'Round Midnight" and see what the New Year has in store for Summer and Tre. Great story with just the right amount of heat.

Again my girl Ray out did herself with another great read! "Winter Nights" kept me up all night! I encourage everyone to go out and get a copy. They even have it in paperback now!

Winter Nights was a beautifully written book by three extremely talented authors. I really enjoyed reading the book. Ms Ray, Ms Hailstock, and Ms Hill are some of my favorite authors. They have brilliant writting styles that not just I enjoy! The novellas by the above authors are a must read. Much love to all three authors!