Ada Jill Schneider, Fine Lines and Other Wrinkles (Gratlau Press, 1993)

Ada Jill Schneider is that rarest of birds, a poet who did not start writing until relatively late in life (she penned her first poem at fifty-three) and still managed to achieve a deal of acclaim while still alive. (She is still alive as I write this; those within driving distance of Somerset, MA, can attend her poetry workshops at the Somerset Public Library every Wednesday afternoon, in fact.)

The acclaim is quite deserved. As with most of this issue's collections, Fine Lines and Wrinkles can be inconsistent at times, but it does deliver more of the former part of its title than the latter. Schneider, still the enthusiastic youngster when it comes to poetry, gobbles up form dictionaries and tries her hand at various types of formal verse, often with a modicum of success, speckling them amidst simpler formal verse and the odd free verse piece here and there. She rarely loses sight of the importance of the image in writing effective poetry, and her word choice is spot-on 90% of the time or more. All of these ingredients, of course, lead to a pleasurable read. While the work itself doesn't quite have the seasoning to push Schneider's poems from the realm of the very good into the realm of the timeless, there is undeniable power in many of these pieces, and what holds them back does not come off as incompetence, but rather as a charming naiveté; Schneider's enthusiasm shows through enough to keep the reader on her side. *** ½

This Silhouette Special Edition romance is about a young woman, Rebecca Carder, who is trying to escape a troubled past. She lives with her baby son Matthew in a small town called Eden, located in the middle of nowhere in the south of Texas, and supports herself by selling hand made quilts and other similar types of arts and crafts that she makes herself. Although at one time in her life she was a teacher, she has decided to work at home to be near her son every day.

Rebecca's deep secret is that she was raped by her childhood friend JD. JD, however, is supposed to be living in Alaska, so Rebecca feels somewhat safe living alone in the small town. Then one day, Cody Lockhart, JD's cousin, walks into her life, and soon her past starts to catch up to her present. She realizes that what was once a childhood crush for Cody, turns into love, but she risks losing him because of her secret past.

For a "romance novel", I was impressed with the seriousness of the themes of this book. I also enjoyed the author's skill as a story teller. Great imagery, and lots of suspense. I didnt' find it too sacharine sweet as some romance novels can be. I would gladly read any book by Ada Steward.

This book is a really excellent choice, it teaches you the fundamentals of ADA programming which has been developed by the US Militrary.

This is the Ada book I turn to first if I have questions on syntax or how to deal with specific programming topics. It has a good index and handles topics I've not yet encountered in other Ada books. I would recommend this to someone starting in the language who wants a decent reference. It may be less helpful to someone with many years of Ada experience, but I'd still give it a look.

This historiographical study about Islamic and European colonization gives me insight into how colonizers assimilated with indigenous peoples and its ultimate effects. This book recognizes the ethnocentrisms prevalent in European history. The author argues for a more all-inclusive approach for studying European history, including the woman's role in societies. The maps and statistical analyses added to my understanding about how European history as taught in schools has in the past neglected gender and multiethnic interpretations.

This is an oddly compelling book which demonstrates the huge talent of this author. It tells the story of Anna, a woman now in her fifties whose mother was murdered when Anna was 8 years old.

Anna has been trying to suppress all her memories of the night that her mother was killed and the subsequent hanging of the man convicted of her mother's murder, her mother's adulterous lover. Suppressing these memories becomes impossible when the murder becomes the subject of two separate investigations 45 years later and Anna is forced to remember things she would rather not about those times.

The plotting is interesting here and the major characters developed at some depth. The conclusion does not come as a huge surprise but the book is nevertheless well worth the effort to get hold of and read.

A very special chicken is born on the ranch. He sets off to Mexico City, gives and receives help along the way. A delightful tale with wonderful picture. Easy and enjoyable to read in both Spanish and English.

This is an excellent book that depicts the different societies in Medieval Eurasia. At first I was hesitant about buying the book but when I did, it was the smartest thing I could have ever done! I would have given this book 5 stars however some parts were not that well developed. That's just in a couple spots though! You'll be taken into another world where you can actually feel the hardships and interacts between societies. The essays are written in such a magnificent way, it's no wonder this book is excellent! By buying this book for school or just curiosity it will be one that will sure to be in your house for a long time! A book that you'll WANT to read over and over! Enjoy!

So you want to learn to play the piano. This book will give you the basics, explain the symbols as you need them, and move right along. I haven't seen book 2 or 3 but this is the best that I have seen for the adult learner. There may be something better so this is getting 4 stars.

This was the first textbook I used as a computer science student in college. It explains concepts in a clear, concise way without losing any of the important details. Although Ada is not the language of choice for many colleges, it is an excellent language to use as a first step into Computer Science, and this book is the perfect guide for it.