This book of Carola Dunn is actually rather untypical of her, or so I believe. I came to Carola Dunn via gentler Regencies which had little overt politics. CROSSED QUILLS (what a marvellous name!) is a book that depends strongly on a reader's understanding of the political and social issues behind the glitter of upper-class life.

Plot summary: The heroine Pippa (Philippa) is the daughter of a deceased Radical MP (radicals being those who advocated greater and faster reform measures than the Whigs, although some radicals belonged to the Whig party). Her father was Prometheus, a brilliant orator and speech-writer, whose honesty and refusal to accept bribes in return for supporting the government was well-known. At his death, his work (in print) is continued by his elder daughter.

Enter the hero, a new peer, who has just succeeded to his great-uncle's barony, and has lived a fairly straightened life with his mother, stepfather (a kindly vicar), and eight siblings - one sister and seven half-brothers and half-sisters. To help support this large brood, he has been writing Gothic romances under a pseudonym, which has affected his writing on any topic. [Think melodrama, abductions, mysterious heirs, mad monks, and so forth. Think lush imagery. Think purple prose].

Lord Selworth needs help in crafting his maiden speech, and thinks of Prometheus. Fortunately his sister Albina (Bina), a young society matron, is old friends with Pippa. She provides him an introduction, and Selworth persuades the Lisle family to come to London and stay with Bina, thus solving two sets of problems.

The rest of the story is taken up by the efforts of Pippa to help Wynn Selworth without revealing her identity, the secondary romance between her sister and Wynn's friend, the disastrous effects of the loose tongue of Wynn's half-sister, and the reaction of society to the revelation of Wynn's identity as a writer of Gothics. If Wynn is "outed", will he be taken seriously as a politician, especially a reforming one? Will his maiden speech be successful?

If you read romances regularly, you know that the answer to both these questions is yes, albeit a qualified yes here. When you read the story, it helps to know the background of political and social unrest, the practice of the government of bribing MPs to vote for the government (usually with the promise of a sinecure or a pension), and above all, the extreme fear that ultra-Tories such as those in the Liverpool government had towards the slightest efforts at reform in the post-Waterloo era. The plight of the unemployed returning soldiers and sailors is touched upon lightly, as is the unhappiness of the Luddites and the future Chartists with the status quo socially, economically, and politically. Some minor but historically figures appear briefly or are referred to - William Cobbett, Henry Grey Bennett, Sir Francis Burdett, Henry Brougham, Castlereagh, and so forth.

I liked this book very much, but found that I had to read it rather more slowly than the norm to appreciate the intricacies of certain situations. The story tone is light but occasionally melancholic, reflecting the frustrations of Philippa with her inability to own her identity to Wynn Selworth (forget publicly!). As I said, if you like the politically oriented stories of Anthea Malcolm (and her successor Tracy Grant), you will probably appreciate this story which is a cross between the Grant/Malcolm books and the typical Regency. Not as politically-heavy, but not for the typical romance reader.

An interesting book, had some details about Gunters which I wasn't aware, the hero Lord Wynn Selworth is actually a little different, thoughtful, who shares rooms with another very quiet gentleman the Honorable Gilbert Chubb. There is some social commentary but subtly done in a way that doesn't ram it down the reader's throat. Lord Selworth is a Whig after all. Philippa Lisle is the heroine, her father wrote radical articles under the pen name of 'Promethesus', his daughter assisted him and on his death continued to write the articles, Lord Selworth needs the expertise of Promethesus for his maiden speech, Pippa's sister needs a season. Philippa's mother suggests, a deal is struck, a romance is played out.

The plot was orignal though it was true to the tradition. Young woman writing political essays under her departed father's false identity and the young lord in need of help with his maiden speech for his former career as a gothic writer made a romantic muddle of his serious speeches. Of this comes a twisting story which has the usual happy ending. This novel followed the regency tradition in shape of characters except for the hero (Lord Selworth) who was a fresh change to the all Mr. Darcys out there. Warm hearted and sensitive but not cynical. The heroine(Pippa Lisle) was on the other hand much related to the heroines of Jane Austen. The political discussion were a spice to the romance and the behaviour of the young lord in the end was really funny. In overall, this book will go down well with Regency fans.

This children's book is about a little witch who has to stay home on Halloween for being too good. When three trick-or-treaters come to her door asking for treats, Little Witch doesn't have any treats, so she gives them a ride on her broomstick. This book was well-written and well-illustrated, but I thought it was a little boring. Written by Deborah Hautzig and Illustrated by Marc Brown, an okay book to read, but not one I'd want to buy.

This book is easy for me to read. It is a little sad at first, but then it gets exciting.

This "STEP into Reading" title is a Step 2 book which means it is intended for Grades 1-3. It is the first of several titles featuring the sweet and fun-loving character, Little Witch, charmingly brought to life by illustrator Marc Brown. The other witch characters Mother Witch, Grouchy Witch, Nasty Witch and the pet bat, Scrubby are funny and not at all scary. The story begins on Halloween when Little Witch is made to stay home from the witchly revels because she has been too GOOD! Oh, the shame of it! She ends up meeting some trick-or-treaters and they have a lot of fun together. There are lots of funny rhyming spells and exciting and good-hearted adventures. Halloween fun abounds. The pictures and the text are lively and will definitely encourage interest. I recommend this not only as a great incentive for reading but as an enjoyable Halloween story that can just as well be read aloud by a parent. Don't miss Happy Birthday, Little Witch. It's good, too.

First off - Irene wasn't in the series yet. She wouldn't show up until the third book (Homework Machine.) It may well be that's why this and Desert Island were first, to get them out of the way.

According to my parents, space flight did indeed seem a hundred years away in 1956. I'll have to take their word on that. But all the same, the way they got the ship to fly doesn't seem all that outlandish (though like Star Trek-style beaming, it would require a LOT of energy) particularly for when it was written.

And like most of the rest of the series (read my review for Smallifying Machine) it did a wonderful job of explaining basic science to its audience. I still remember (my mother had the original hardback from her childhood) the illustration of the ship over Mars - looking at its surface, with Phobos a jagged rock in orbit above it, and being awed by that and other things out in space.

You can forgive the bang-up ending - the authors would get better with time on that. It may be a bit dated now but it offers an interesting perspective.

Few stories, much less story series, can be remembered as vividly over the years as can the Danny Dunn books - a tribute to the authors and their product. In this story Danny and the usual cast (less Irene, who no doubt was absent due to morality standards of the day) are inadvertently launched into space through the an accident with the wondrous anti-gravity paint. Despite the initial mishap, all seems to be going well until the spacefarers discover that they cannot activate the switch that will return them to Earth! Once again Danny must rise to the occasion and save the day before it is too late.

As with all the Danny Dunn books, readers are painlessly introduced to science concepts while reading an absorbing tale. Although some of the ideas in the story seem a bit dated now, the plot development and characters make this story an excellent selection.

Danny Dunn! One of the best children's book serieses of all time. I guess I'll review all of them that I can remember. They are indeed Hard To Find these days. But I recommend them all, if you can find 'em.

This one is about a trip to space via Anti-Gravity Paint, with Professor Bullfinch, Danny, Joe, and the irascible Dr. Grimes. You sort of feel the lack of Irene to complete the chemistry, but oh well. I love this stuff.

We have a zealous nursing toddler and are having a terrible time weaning her. I am very concerned about jealousy over nursing! I was hoping to find information about how to approach weaning the first born and the best way to handle explaining that the baby nurses and the first born no longer does! This book assumes no nursing after year one -- certainly missing a major trend.

My first son will be 14 1/2 months old when his little brother is born and I can't seem to find much advice on how to prepare us all for this. I got a lot more out of this than the Meg Zweiback book though. If you are having a second baby when your first child is 3 or over you will get even more out of this book. However, this book is not only for how to prepare in advance for your growing family. It has a lot of usefull information in it which I'm betting I will come to rely on as the boys are growing up. It presents scenarios that are sure to come up as your children get older and gives advice on how to deal with them. All in all, a pretty good book for addressing concerns you may already have and preparing you for some you probably haven't thought of yet.

Very useful, research- and clinical practice-based advice on all the issues around having that second child. Succinct, many examples, and helpful summaries of tips at the end of each chapter.

Escaping from a sadistic stepfather with her two young, stepbrothers, Lissa Findley, a gently-bred woman, is forced to become an opera dancer in order to support herself and her stepbrothers. From the stage of the Royal Coberg Theatre, Lissa excites the interest of Lord Ashe, an attractive, young rake, who is determined to get Lissa under his protection and into his bed. To his chagin, Lissa rejects his offer. Not bred to suffer rejection, the astonished Lord Ashe offers Lissa employment in his home as governess to his young nephew. Scarcely able to earn enough from the stage to properly feed herself and her stepbrothers, Lissa accepts Lord Ashe's offer. The situation becomes dicey as both Lissa and Lord Ashe must keep the facts of her real profession from becomming known to the ton and Lord Ashe's family. The second half of the story consists of Lissa's struggle to become a proper governess, avoid scandal, and beat down her own growing attraction to the seductive and charming Lord Ashe.

The author of this delightful regency romance obviously knows what she is about. The main characters are well-drawn, and the regency period is well-researched, i.e., Lord Ashes refers to his horses as "cattle," which is the proper nomanclature for the period. I should have preferred to have seen more emphasis placed on sensual conflict between the two main characters. As the story developed status differential as the main source of concern appears to have taken hold. When Lissa's true identity is disclosed she is too readily accepted by the family as suitable goods as wife for Lord Ashe. Of course she will have to visit her prospective sister-inlaw's modiste for a new wardrobe. That Lissa is not offended by her prospective in-laws superficiality causes one to question her values. That she doesn't throw down the gauntlet at this point and make Lord Ashe and his family eat a little crow suggests the author ran out of steam and went for an early finish.

Another of the genre in which the hero or heroine are not what they seem. Lord Ashe has his eye on Lissa Findlay (not Lisa), an opera dancer, and invites her to a private dinner so that he can offer her _carte blanche_. He is piqued - and appalled - to discover that she has accepted only because she is starving and has seized the opportunity to get some food for her brothers and herself.

His conscience pricked, Ashe arranges a job for Lissa as governess to his nephew and ward, thus providing a home for her and her brothers. This appears to be a satisfactory solution, except that Lissa's past leads members of Ashe's family to leap to other conclusions as to why he has installed her in his household. Ashe himself eventually comes to the conclusion, after (one would have thought) more than enough hints from members of the Findlay family *and* the obvious fact that Lissa is well educated, that she is not what she pretends to be.

Well written, amusing in many parts, and ! Dunn manages to convey in a subtle manner Ashe and Lissa's gradual falling in love. I found the ending and tidying up of loose ends somewhat abrupt, which was disappointing, but otherwise a gently enjoyable book.

I THOUGHT I HAD FINALLY BURNT OUT ON REGENCY ENGLAND PERIOD STORIES UNTIL I READ THIS BOOK.IT HAD EVERYTHING; NAUGHTINESS, GOODNESS, INTEGRITY, LOVE, MYSTERY, IT MADE ME MAD, SAD AND BROUGHT FORTH LAUGHTER AS WELL. LORD ASHE IS MASCULINE AS WELL AS SENSITIVE, LISSA IS IN A NEEDFUL SITUATION BUT IS STRONG AND COURAGEOUS, HER YOUNG BROTHERS ARE TRUE LITTLE GENTLEMEN WHO BECOME A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON HER YOUNG CHARGE. ALL THE MAIN CHARACTERS ARE STRONG AND I FOUND MYSELF ROUTING FOR THEM. IF YOU LIKE THIS PERIOD YOU'LL ENJOY THE BOOK! PAM W. from LEXINGTON

If I had a better grip on what it was like to be a woman during the era in which this was written I would probably like this novel a lot more. But to be quite honest I found it to be almost unbearably boring and drawn out. It simply reeks of the style of the times, which was to so forcefully over dramatize everything that work now seems almost comical. The point of the novel was supposedly to show how Eyre was able to overcome the sexism of her time, but in the end it seems as though she gave in to the sexism and ended up getting lucky. The plot is weak, the characters are unrealistic, and the language is far too melancholy. I won't argue that it was progressive for its time, simply because of the fact it was written by a woman and openly spoke out against the sexism in society, but in our times I'm afraid the message has been lost in its tediousness and extremity.

Jane Eyre is justifiably held as one of the best books in print! I selected it because it is recommended in the Lifetime Reading Program and am certainly pleased that I did. Read it, every word, and you will be caught up in the very thoughts of Jane. After, rent the A&E movie version which is much truer to the plot than the other version. Feel free to weep with joy at the end. I did.

Jane Eyre is a masterpiece of it's kind. Charlotte Bronte brings the characters to life as not many authors of this period (that I have experienced) have. The plot is excelent and intriguing, and as evocative as anything I have ever read. Mr. Rochester is a very intriguing hero, not the run-of-the mill Knight in Shining armor, and Jane Eyre is a very different heroin from the usual as well, and a very interesting one. I would definitely reccomend this book to anyone who likes classics!

While certainly better than the majority of pseudo-philosophical goop that passes itself off as poetry (or even worse--"prose poetry"), Riffs and Reciprocities was a disappointment, especially given the heights Dunn is capable of reaching in his work. We have to admire Dunn for attempting new styles/directions in his work and for not just recycling the most reader-friendly version of himself for his audience (as Billy Collins and Stephen Dobyns have, unfortunately, done with their latest efforts). But these prose pieces never aspire to much more than passing ruminations, and, at times, they come dangerously close to imitating "Deep Thoughts" by Jack Handy. Stick with Landscape at the End of the Century if you want to read Dunn at his finest. His poem "On the Death of a Colleague" is better than anything in his last two books.

Stephen has been metamorphizing before our eyes. 'What is this? What is this?' we ask, and the answers, in his best moments, are never going to be simple. He is too good to us to allow us what we believe to be simplicity (and we may even be right about it). This book undulates in pairs that entertain with no boorish party manners. I laugh harder at the more serious mutterings, and I always feel the urge to sing. Excellent well, Stephen...excellent well.

These prose pairs are surprisingly musical, counterpointing the rhythms of English prose (see Syntax and Mimesis) and the tighter, more angular rhythms of poetry. The poems are as multifaceted as diamonds and strike sparks as they play off each other and their own titles. They open in and out, in very direction. The voice is fluid, supple, and seductive. It's an illuminating and powerfully moving book.

The Secret Place

Annie, an Amish girl, lives with her relatives on a farm in Mississippi. The closest town near them is 60 miles away. Annie loves the farm life. From milking the cows, feeding the chickens, and cleaning the barn is a life that Annie enjoys. But most of all she loves spending time with her family. Annie also has a secret place where she likes to go to think and create creatures. Some times Annie thinks that she hears angels speaking to her, so she calls the place Whispering Brooke. Annie doesn't want anyone to know about Whispering Brooke. But, then Annie's younger brother, Charlie, follows Annie one day and discovers Annie's not-so- secret- place-anymore. Annie forces Charlie not to tell Annie's dad about the place or else Annie can't go back there anymore. But then one-day pap tells Annie to stay on the farm and never leave without permission. So then Annie thinks that Charlie told papa about the secret. If you want o find out what happened next, read the book to find out.

I would rate this book a six because; it didn't explain all the facts very well. I seemed that the book was missing some important details. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a book to pass the time.

In the book Whispering Brook Farm there are many problems concerning different people. Nancy treasures everything about the farm and loves her whole family. Mary has a date with Jacob, and will she marry him? Will Joe marry dashing Amelia, or sweet Arie? Omar has trouble with the non-Amish boys, and the family gets a new baby sister. Nancy is troubled when she hears that her father may sell the farm. Some other kinds of books that are similar to Whispering Brook Farm would be the Little House on the Prairie book series, but Whispering Brook Farm would be more for teens and is has a more of a mysterious plot. If you were the type of person who likes the American Girl series you would also like this book. I like this book and I would probably rate it about a 9 on a scale from 1-10, 10 being the best. I liked this book because it wasn't focused on mainly 1 person. The book had really good "problems" going on. One of the girls, Nancy, was really cute when she talked about her sisters' dates. The book had a lot of detail, and told you a lot about the character's personalities.

I read this book aloud to my children and we all enjoyed it. The book is written in the eyes of a young Amish girl, Nancy. It is wholesome, appropriate for children, and interesting for all ages.

The characters are realistic, not just stock characters. One is able to see that the struggles of the Amish youth are much like any other young people's struggles. In some ways, it is "coming of age" for some of the characters. It deals with a stable family, yet is realistic in that it doesn't portray the individuals as perfect. One will feel a part of the family and can easily imagine life on Whispering Brook Farm.

To get a good start on all the basic business concepts for how to establish a network of affiliates to sell your product through the internet, this loose leaf binder (with a tape inside) isn't too bad. It pulls together in one place the information that it would take a lot of searching on the web to pull out.

However, because the author also runs one of the affiliate web sites, he is very light on talking about the services that are competitive to his AdNet business. (AdNet is the publisher of the book.) The case histories he discusses are somewhat detailed -- but they are OLD -- from 1998 or so, and the world has changed since then. Also the companies' write ups have the feel of the clients from his firm, so they are not particularly sharply written or edited.

This is great book on how to set up affiliate programs. It really goes in depth & walks you through in a step by step manner. Whether you are a novice or a pro on the web, this book will definately help you create, manage, and improve your affiliate program.

Lord Amis returns from abroad to be greated with the news from his intended that his father, the earl, has remarried. "A common vulgar female, Pamela Parringale told me, half the earl's age and deeply in debt." Justin sets off to deal with the problem. The heroine is his new step sister.

Mills & Boon large print is set in Times Roman 17 on 18.25pt.

I found this book to be a very charming and entertaining. The characters were colorful and lovable. This was the first Carola Dunn book I had ever read, and I immediately went out and read four more. They were great reads also.