This is a great story, engaging and fun. The basic plot is a wealthy heir falls in love with a woman who may or may not be a vampire. There is a great chase scene at the end, and the story would make a great film, despite some inconsistencies in the plot and detail.

As a fan of Stoker's works, I was not disappointed by this book. While it contains many of Stoker's previous themes, this is a departure into a more action-oriented story.

As with all his books, the first few chapters are slow, but it builds up eventually. I especially enjoyed that beautifully written descriptions of the "Land of the Blue Mountains" and her inhabitants. The wedding scene is also wonderful.

The only thing that I didn't like was the incredibly dry and boring chapter that was devoted to the main character's Uncle's will. It was as about as interesting as reading a real legal document.

I would recommend this book to fans of Stoker as well as other readers.

Lupus: The Facts, provides alot of much needed information for the Lupus patient. The facts were a bit over simplified and some of the more rare symptons (such as Lupus and Hives) are not addressed. I found Dr. Wallaces Lupus book much more in depth and informative for the money.

Dr. Hughes, England's leading lupus specialist, has written a concise and impressively informative book. It's not as thick or as detailed as Wallace's The Lupus Book and is light on nephritis information, but Lupus Facts is well organized and delivers important information quickly and understandably. It also gives a slightly different perspective from American medicine. It's less intimidating than Wallace's or Dr. Lahita's books so it's a good introduction to this often misunderstood disease. At the same time, it would still make a good addition to the experienced lupus patient's library.

Your child will quickly recognize his/her Seseame Street friends but will soon tire of the unimaginative and drab photos.

With colorful photographs of favorite Sesame Street characters and everyday objects to count, this book will be a favorite read for both parent and child. The bright pictures and simple premise make it a wonderful choice for baby, while the sight of familiar friends and the joy of counting may appeal to toddlers.

Although this version has some interesting imagery (mostly from the modern poet's mind,) the shallowness of the adaptation and orientation on poetry (as opposed to drama,) made it completely ineffective. (I have to say, I have a similarly low opinion of the Seamus Heaney's Philocetes (Cure at Troy,) which won the Nobel prize for a message put far more eloquently and to a
far broader audience in Star Trek II & III.)

Fagles on the other hand, aside from bringing a clear, no-nonsense poetic style that affords ultimate readability, has the crucial scholar's depth of understanding that makes these plays breath with life and meaning.

If you really want the effect of these important plays, don't waste your time on this and get the Fagles. ONLY get this version if your desire is to read Ted. (Sorry Ted!)

Recommended Further Reading: "Orestes" by Charles L. Mee (available in his "History Plays".)

Let's get one thing straight: Hughes' translation is not a literal one of the Oresteia. He takes many liberties - although not as many as he's been berated for - and, in some ways, remakes Aeschylus in the image of Ted Hughes. BUT - his poetry is beautiful without being cumbersome and he clarifies some of the issues that get lost in some other, more literal translations. For example, compare this passage in Hughes with the same passage in Fagles' translation: "This was life. The luckiest hours/ Like scribbles in chalk/ On a slate in a classroom. We stare/ And try to understand them. Then luck turns its back - And everything's wiped out. Joy was not less pathetic/ Than the worst grief." That's Hughes. Here's the same speech (the speech Cassandra makes just before she goes to her death in the Agamemnon): "Oh men, your destiny. When all is well a shadow can overturn it. When trouble comes a stroke of the wet sponge, and the picture's blotted out. And that, I think that breaks the heart." (line 1350)

So you can see the difference - the Hughes translation is very Hughes-esque and the Fagles attempts to stay closer with the original. There's something to be said for both views. I reccomend getting a literal translation (Lattimore is probably the best, Fagles is good too) and then reading Hughes and seing what he does with the plays. He puts a very interesting spin on some passages - and his poetry really can't be beat. If you're a Hughes fan, be sure to pick this up.

If I remember correctly, this is the forth book from MBI on WW2 tanks. The previous three are US M4 Sherman, USSR T-34, and the German Tiger I Tanks.

This book covers (not in detail) the origins, production, combat history and variants of the panther tanks with some b/w photographs and colour plates. As I have read quite a number of books on the panther tanks, this one can only be ranked in the middle. I will consider this book to be a good introduction for anyone who has little knowledge on the panther tank.

More serious WW2 enthusiasts, modelling fans, historians should gear towards books from Thomas Anderson's "Panther" (Concord), Thomas L. Jentz's "Germany's Panther Tank" (Schiffer), and numerous books from Wydawnictwo "Militaria" series from Poland.

Almost anyone with a casual interest in WWII tank history is liable to be under the impression, fostered by popular movies, that the backbone of Nazi panzer units was the massive Tiger tank. Not so. While the Tiger was arguably the most powerful armored vehicle of the Second World War, the Panther was probably a more well-rounded weapon, nearly as well-armed and armored as its legendary cousin and significantly lighter and more mobile. Produced in far larger numbers than the Tiger, the Panther was the true mainstay of German armor during the second half of the war.

"The Panther Tank," by Drs. Matthew Hughes and Chris Mann, is a solid, well-researched and handsomely illustrated showcase for one of the best armored vehicles of the 20th-century. Complete with scale drawings, cutaways, and full specifications of the Panther--including its several variants, such as the fearsome Jagdpanther tank destroyer--and all its major rivals (the American Sherman, Russian T-34, etc.), this book gives a complete general history of the Panther from the development stage to the last stand at Berlin. However, the word "general" is key. While Hughes and Mann have compiled a wealth of information, most of it is conveyed in very broad strokes. As a strategic guide to the overall place of the Panther in the ground war for Europe, "The Panther Tank" is exceptional. But the lack of tactical specifics is a distinct drawback. More first-hand accounts from German Panther crews, or even from allied tankers who had to confront the Panther, would have made this a much better book.

Still, Hughes and Mann have made a valuable contribution to tank scholarship. As a guide to the Panther's overall role in the German war effort or an introduction to a weapon often eclipsed by the mythical Tiger, "The Panther Tank" is an outstanding value.

Lois Prochaska; This book was like none I'd ever read before. I related to the main character in the way that she always wanted to prove people wrong when they said she couldn't do something, but, also like me, it got her in trouble sometimes. However, I have my own idea about how things happened and will happen in the future, and mine didn't quite fit the ideas in this book, but I think it's interesting to learn other peoples' theories and such.

I've read a lot of Monica Hughes, and this one, in my opinion, of her better books, (though they're all good). The characters, and whole idea are so thrilling, I finished it in two days. Who ever doesn't like this book should be ashamed. It's just... the best. Well, no I take that back. But really, really close. It portrays a possible future of a young girl, who really hates the way of life she's forced to live. So in an act to prove herself that backfires, she gets lost, or more like left behind. But then she's found, and things really start to cook up. She has never met the people who found her. They think they know her. She knows better, but soon living with them, and feeling their love seems much more inviting than her past life. I'll never cease to love this book.

This is a review of the Dark Horse comic Star Wars Droids The Kalarba Adventure, ISBN 1569710643 published June 1995. This TPB comic collects Star Wars Droid Special, issues 1 to 6 and an 8 page Topps story. Made in Canada.

What is included -
Introduction by Anthony Daniels 3 pgs.
C1 Welcome to kalarba 26 pgs.
C2 The greed of olag greck 26 pgs
C3 The indobok pirates 26 pgs.
C4 The saga of c-3px 26 pgs.
C5 Battle of the brknaa 24 pgs.
C6 Short cut 26 pgs.
C7 Artoos day out 10 pgs.

C8 Countdown at hosk 26 pgs

This comic is nearly 200 pages. The inking is excellent for its day on high stock paper but by todays standards, I rate it a C- to C. The pencil-artwork is on the newspaper comic strip style for the most part. Artwork is therefore in the D to C range. The stories are cute but due to the lack of light saber fights, My son and I never finished reading all the stories together. It was a matter of him selecting a different comic containing more action for me to read with him. My son is also ADHD.

I think that this can be a fun read with your children, who can sit and focus, or like my 5 year old daughter, who just likes sitting with dad and reading. I originally bought these comics so that I had Graphic stories to read to the kids. This is a good one for younger children At 224 this is a large comic. Since Dark horse has had trouble producing comics with good binding I was concerned about this offering. The one I have is OK, but these were made in china, where the binding problems exist. The older ones made in Canada were OK.

It was fun to read some of these with my son. For most people I think they will consider these to be 2 to 3 stars in quality, I will round up to 3 since my son enjoyed them. completist.

If you like the droids in the movies, you'll like these comics! (I'm a Star Wars fan so I might be partial.) As a Dad to 2 boys, 5 and 9, I read alot of comics. These are not beyond my boys' comprehension, and the kids love Artoo and Threepio!

I am a keen fisherman and this book has enlightned me a lot more I have found out how to approach carp fishing in a mental and phyisical way I really enjoyed the book and recomend it to all fishermen.

Having purchased the book over a year ago and being a carp fisherman for over three years I found that the advice on bait application and overall fishing strategies invaluable, it has a given me a real insight into getting closer to understanding the carps mind. The book has given me not only extensive knowledge, but a improvement in results, both on and off the bank, a great read.

A what-if book should have really intriguing what-ifs for the writers in the book to work from (or should at least collect intriguing tales of the sort). It's not good enough to get decent writers...the what-ifs have to be ultimately compelling as well. They, more often than not, are the root of the reasoning behind readers picking up such collections. Sadly, this book doesn't give us too many chair-gripping scenarios: "What if the last snow leopard on Earth were threatened?" "What if the animals grew huge and took over?" "What if you could breathe life into paper?"

Yeah, what if. Big deal. These examples aren't even true what-if scenarios (alternate realities, twisted moments of decision in time, etc.)...just fantasy or horror tossed into a what-if pot. Asking "What if you could breathe life into paper?" isn't a question of leaping logic or missed opportunity or the world gone mad, it's fantasy, and when I want to read that, I go to the fantasy end of the bookcase.

Good idea gone bad.

Do you like science fiction? This book could be a combination of science fiction and short stories. There are 2 big poems in it and many stories talk about a different type of the end of the world-one with a six-year-old girl ruling all ('Muffin Explains Teleology to the World at Large') and two siblings that never expected the end to go on forever ('The Book of Days'). Many stories are just potporri. There are lots of different types of stories to satisfy lots of different tastes. The weakest story is that of Monica Hughes herself ('The Stranger')- but you could hardly say it was bad. My personal favorite was 'A Wish Named Arnold' in which a girl named Margurite finds a "wish" in a brass unscrewable egg. They develop a close relationship, as Margurite is able to 'talk' to Arnold. They get so close that Margurite soon forgets he is a wish-and leaves him in a resturaunt. To find out the end, buy this awesome 5 star book-or check it out at your librairy. It is an awesome book that will satisfy your every desire for knowledge and a good book.

maybe I expected more out of the daughter of sylvia plath and ted hughes, and maybe it isn't fair that I expected something better, but I was disappointed. Perhaps if I hadn't known who her parents were I might have read this differently. She's not a bad poet, just not that great of one. The poems give off a feeling of repetition, and I just don't know if a kookaburra is something I need to see in 20 or so poems. And by the end of the collection, i'm a little tired of hearing about foxes. i would have liked to have seen more poems about growing up the daughter of sylvia plath and ted hughes and what her life was like and her issues with her parents to have come out in the poems. She had some good lines and some really good ideas, but she just couldn't seem to pull it together. There were a couple of good poems in there though.

What a burden to have on top of you if you want to write poetry - your mother is Sylvia Plath; your father is poet laureate Ted Hughes. I was lucky and read a few of her poems before I knew her family background. Rereading them after that knowledge led me off in new directions... and I'm not sure how useful that was... The poems work well on their own. She has the painter's eye for color & detail (she & her husband are painters - she also writes & illustrates children's books) but there is more there. Yes, I see Hughes here - like those the foxes lurking about- and Plath's weight of family bearing down on her. But also I see someone off in Wooroloo, Australia very much on her own in that new land. I recommend it.