Roses for Canadian Gardens. Robert Osborne 1991 Key Porter 138 pages ISBN 1-55013-284-9

How can a book about roses come out of New Brunswick, which is known for its wicked North Atlantic winters? The author, a member of the Canadian Rose Society and of the International Plant Propagator's Society, is uniquely aware of the problems associated with growing roses in a very difficult climate .He has personal experience of the frustrations of nurturing roses through winters that can only be called challenging.

His aim in writing this book is to share his experiences and help northern gardeners choose the best variety of roses and nurture them to successful blooming. One of the first chapters is titled "Wintering" and he explains how some roses have adapted to cooler climates and lists groups of roses that do better than others in cold winters. He moves on to a very thorough chapter on nurturing these roses, then discusses insect pests before an excellent chapter about propagating roses.

The extensive chapter about different rose varieties recommended for northern winters is well illustrated with Beth Pownings' color photographs and followed by a chart detailing the characteristics of the roses recommended. Almost all the roses are hardy to Zone 4, and a few even to Zone 2. There is a useful resource list of sources in both the US and Canada.

Growing roses in the colder regions of Canada and the northern US is a daunting task. This book will help remove some of the mystique and reduce the frustration of rose growing in areas where winters are long and summer blooms are doubly treasured.

A book about the demographics of Canadians? Although the title doesn't immediately suggest it, that is what Sex in the Snow is all about. Michael Adams has delineated the divisions of modern Canadian society into three generational groups and a dozen "social values tribes." What makes the book especially interesting is the way he highlights connections and tensions between the various tribes and then extrapolates what it all means to Canadian society. The central message is that "demography is no longer destiny," that the contribution/influence of any group or tribe is not intrinsically tied to their numbers, and that self-determination and self-identification plays a powerful role in constructing society. Although the thrust of the book is Canadian demographics, those south of the border will find the comparison between Canadians and their counterparts in the U.S. quite enlightening, too.

I read this book in the original French (Contes pour buveurs attardes) a few years back when I was researching Michel Tremblay, one of French Canada's best and best known writers. He's written novels, short stories, plays... all of which are more than worthy of the Canadian literary canon.
I've heard he was only 19 when he wrote this collection of short stories, and they certainly are different from the works he's better known for. Bizarre is the only word to describe them. Some are written in a fantasy vein, some are comedic, some lean towards horror, some are satirical, while others make no sense at all and defy classification. They are, indeed, the sort of stories a late-night drinker would imagine and enjoy.
Definitely worth a read if you're a short story junkie or have a taste for the bizarre.

So here I am truly testifyin' about this book. I didn't think it was bad- but I didn't think it was awesome either. I bought it because the cover looked interesting. And I thought it was ok. But as always, in every book there is much little bits of FYI that usually can come in handy later on in life. I also do give credit to the authors of this book because I am trying to become better with my writing skills and I really do praise him though on his use of words and form.

I thought this was a very enjoyable book. It was a nice combination of short stories, poetry, songs, memoirs, and legends. It was both informative and entertaining at the same time. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes to read Native literature.

Some very good work in this book. Valerie Joy Kalnchuk's "All Day Breakfast" is a model of the obsessive-compulsive school of writing, and Lance Blomgren's "Western Express" contains some the funniest writing I've read in quite awhile. The book also has one of the best covers, ridiculously bland yet beautiful shots of Montreal life. My main problem is with the poetry. Too sentimental and, well, too precious. Cheesy would be the word. Also, avoid lower-case editor, rob mclennan's introduction. This book is too good to be pigeon-holed by his unimaginative, annoying comments. Still for anyone who wants to see what's going on in that northern French city, check this book out!

I wanted this book because I'd heard a lot about the Jo Beverley story, Forbidden Affections. Many of Beverley's fans don't like this novella because of the age gap between the hero and heroine, and so I wanted to see what I thought. But first, the other three stories.

We begin with Janet Dailey's Castles in the Sand. This is a tale about a couple who were in love as teenagers, but were separated by time, events, misunderstandings and simply growing up. They meet again at a time of trauma - the father of one, and the mentor of the other - is seriously ill. However, I didn't find myself at all emotionally engaged with Bridget and Reese's story. I think this was because Dailey skipped over long periods in time, and so we'd have a development at the end of one chapter, only to find that the next chapter jumped forward several months - the emotional impact was lost. Extremely forgettable.

Debbie Macomber's The Marrying Kind could have been good - but wasn't. Katie and Jason were married as teenagers, but Katie's parents didn't approve of Jason and they took Katie away and made her annul the marriage. Now, ten years later, Katie and Jason meet again, three days before his wedding to someone else, and find that they're still in love. Okay... a well-worn premise, but I usually like Macomber so I expected good work from her. Instead, I got a plot which has been done many times before, and a hero I didn't particularly like. The way he treats his fiancée is particularly abhorrent, and the rather convenient manner in which she turns into a selfish harridan wasn't at all convincing.

Rebecca Brandewyne's Hasten Down The Wind has been described by another reviewer here as a history lesson disguised as a romance, and I couldn't have put it better myself. Instead of focusing on Elizabeth's relationship with Chaingo, the novella gives us lots and lots of information about the outlaws - and it's all incomplete too, as if the reader is expected to know all about the period and the characters. I couldn't follow the detail of the events at all, and certainly have no interest in re-reading the novella.

However, Beverley's Forbidden Affections certainly didn't disappoint. Anna is a fan of Gothic romances, and when she discovers that her new London home has a room decorated exactly as the heroine's room in one of her favourite author's books, Forbidden Affections, she is curious. Discovering a secret doorway, she explores the house next door, owned by a mysterious nobleman who is believed to have killed his former mistress. But the Earl of Carne is nothing like she imagined, and she finds herself working secretly with him to clear his name. Along the way, she falls in love - but he is 30 to her 16, and even if her family would agree, Carne can't reconcile with his conscience the idea of marrying someone so young.

The reason some of Beverley's fans dislike this novella is precisely the notion of a 16-year-old marrying a man so much older. But, having read Forbidden Affections, that aspect doesn't bother me in the least. Anna may be 16, but she's no child. She's actually far more sensible and mature in her outlook than her older sister, who is 19. Carne does recognise this, even while he's telling her that he's too old for her and that she'll meet someone younger in time. And he doesn't rush into anything where Anna is concerned; he takes his time, which shows some degree of consideration.

I enjoyed the Beverley novella very much and for me it compensates for the remainder of the anthology. But if you're not a fan of Beverley or of Regency romance, give this one a miss!

Like the other reviewer I bought the book for the Jo Beverley story, Forbidden Affections. I liked the story so much that I hoped it would be longer.

The Marrying Kind by Debbie Macomber wasn't bad. It was a little improbable, and given the limitation of the format, a novella, there wasn't much character development.

The other two stories, Castles in the Sand by Janet Dailey and Sonja Massie, and Hasten Down the Wind by Rebecca Brandewyne, because they didn't draw me in seemed long-winded for novellas. Hasten Down the Wind was a history lesson pretending to be a romance.

Overall, three stars.

I bought this book for the Jo Beverley story, and I was not disappointed. If the other stories had been up to the standard of this one, I would give the book five starts.

Since it is an anthology, I had hoped to discover one or two new authors to love. No such luck. The other stories did not move me, did not suck me in. The only one which started to engage me ("The Marrying Kind") lost me with its callous treatment of the soon-to-be-jilted fiancee and the totally implausible series of events leading up to the end of the story. (And this was by far the best of the other stories.)

So, a final rating of 3 stars.

Very very good book. My colegues from work recomended because I own one Mercedes 123 240D from 1978.

A very thorough, illustrated manual. Easy to understand information and lots of troubleshooting tips. This is a must book for any serious '74-'84 Mercedes-Benz owner.

I NEED THE DIAGRAMS OF THE BELTS OF ONE MERCEDES190E 1985

Having just completed the GED testing in Santa Clara County, CA, I wanted to take a moment to share some observations I made while using "Barron's, How to Prepare for the GED" (11th Edition). While I did find the guide helpful, I also found a highly disturbing number of errors. Most of the errors I'm referring to go far beyond common typographical or publication errors. Considering the purpose of the publication, I expected quality but found a total lack of it.

Of particular concern, is the math section. The cover of the guide advertises "Extensively revised and updated," and "All new math review." However, is where I found the greatest number of flagrant errors.

I don't know if primary responsibility for these errors rests with the author(s), editor(s), or publisher, but I'm certain most everyone will agree that the quality of educational materials of this nature is everyone's concern.

I have sent a sample of the errors I encountered to the publisher for review. I have also forwarded a copy to the Board of Education in California. Based on the number of (obvious) errors I encountered, I think it safe to assume the actual number of errors, in this particular publication, goes far beyond the 50 "+" question and answer errors I documented.

I bought this book because I have had so many positive experiences with other Barron's series. I will be taking a general math/English exam as a part of an application process to work at my children's school. I wanted to review various subject areas that I thought mught be covered on the exam, and so I picked up Barron's GED and CBEST books. I am still making my way through the GED book, and haven't yet started on the CBEST.

I am almost through with the math portion of the GED book, and I am so angry. By the time I realized how many errors were in almost every micro-section of the math review, I had already thrown away my receipt. This book is unbelievable. Granted, the portions that are written accurately are thoughtful and mostly easy to follow, but the amount of errors (3 errors on one of the math pages) are incomprehensible. How did this happen? Error after error after error.....I think you get the picture. I am now on page 522, where the "ANSWERS" portion of a chapter review test lists the answer to problem #6 as choice "7." Well, hello, but the choices only number from 1-5. Choice Number 7 doesn't exist!

Barron's wasted my time and my money on this one. The discussion portions are extremely helpful, but need to be backed up with consistantly accurate math problems and answers. If Barron's can go back and fix these errors (and maybe offer the poor saps who bought this version an unconditional money-back return policy, with or without receipt in hand), this would actually be a great book.

The book is pretty good except of the chapter maths. Maths is lousy. There are more than a dozen real terrible mistakes! I've never seen before a book with so many mistakes.