Is a great visually informative book. It gives the reader a better idea of the way homes were built in the late 19th century. The book covers a wide variety of victorian styles and includes plans, perspective views and elevations from a small 4 room cottage, to a huge 36+ room mansion in the Caribbean. I recomend this book to anybody interested in late 19th century victorian architecture.

is a wonderful book that shows how homes were designed and built in the late 19th century. It covers a variety of victorian styles and has floorplans along with perspective views and elevations from a small 3 room cottage to a 36+ room mansion. This is a great way to learn about victorian architecture.

This book has great illistrations and floor plans with elevations. It's a great way to learn about the way homes were built in the late 19th century. It also includes specifications for the builder. It contains many plans of many differt styles of victorian architecture from a simple 3 room home, to a 36+ room mansion.

Mandie, Celia, and Mrs. Taft are visiting Senator Morton in St. Augustine, Florida. Senator Morton has many servants, including Juan, a man who can't hear and speak. But Mandie is sure that there is more to Juan than first meets the eye, especially when they find their clothes re-arranged in their wardrobe all the time. Then Mandie is shocked when one night, she sees the mysterious woman from Europe. What is she doing here? And is Juan involved? Mandie's discovery surprises them all.

This book I just did not get. I had bought all the Mandie books and was reading through them, but when I got to this book it didn't seem to appeal to me. The part about the masked party was interesting, but all the stuff about secret government mission was downright boring. But hey, just because I said it was boring doesn't mean that you would. Go ahead and read it, but don't get your hopes up sky high.

Mandie is traveling with Celia and Grandmother to SenatorMorten's house in St. Augustine, Florida. Mandie is sure that it isgoing to be a boring time because she really wants to move on with theplans that she and her friends have made for visiting each other over the summer. One of the senator's servants, Juan, supposedly can't speak, but Mandie is convinced otherwise. Who keeps coming into Mandie and Celia's room and switching the clothes around? Did she really see Miss Lucretia Wham from the lighthouse? Mandie and Celia are in for a surprise.

I really liked this Mandie book. Of course I like all of them and have read each one about five times. I especially liked the end when Mandie had a fun surprise. I would definitely suggest this book.

You should most definataly read this book. I loved it. If you love mandie than you must have this book. Mandie and Celia travel to St. Augustine florida. Where they get involved in some government buissness not even meaning to.If you like Mandie, this is a must.

Hard to easily categorize but North Carolina residents will find this a compelling cultural account. Marimar McNaughton's Outer Banks Architecture provides a survey of North Carolina's outer banks region, examining the architectural heritage of cottages, lodges, and other structures. Black and white photos of selected structures are accompanied by descriptions, architectural notes, and history.

Marimar McNaughton's Outer Banks Architecture: An Anthology Of Outposts, Lodges And Cottages is a compendium of facts, anecdotes and photos showcasing the North Carolina Outer Banks' architectural history and styles that range from simple cottages to elaborate custom built homes and striking commercial buildings to lodges, light houses, life saving stations, and community structures. Outer Banks Architecture is a superb regional architectural study and a valued contribution to the growing literature of American architectural history and accomplishment.

What a wonderful book in the 5 book series on Outer Banks legends and lore by Charles H. Whedbee. To read this book is to go back in time to days of pirates, and of people made of iron. This is a book well worth reading!

This is one in a series of 5 books written by the author. Each book is a great companion to a wonderful vacation and a great way to get to know the area and it's colorful history. This is a wonderful way to feel as if you are at the Outer Banks year round.

Detailed paintings accompany an unusually sophisticated text for a picture book: "Musquodoboit mariners steam mussels in the mist", "Keen Kejimkujik kayakers sight belted kingfishers", and "Avid anglers, Angus and Anna, anchor on the arm." Many of the terms are explained in the glossary. Students can discover objects listed in the back of the book in each painting, a challenging activity for those who do not live on the coasts. While it is doubtful that most children who are beginning to learn the alphabet will have the vocabulary background to understand the text unaided, they can meet the challenge with a patient adult guide.

A Seaside Alphabet combines learning the alphabet with discovering the seashore. From windsurfing in Maine to riding the rapids on the Shubenacdie River in Nova Scotia, A Seaside Alphabet is a beautiful and informative way for children ages 6 and up to master the alphabet and discover the fun, wonder, and joys of the coast. Donna Grassby's clever and entertaining text is perfectly framed beneath Susan Tooke's "museum quality" paintings.

Wild Quest is an education program that kayaks the coast of Maine each summer teaching Marine Biology to High School students. Our leaders and teachers agree that this book is simple to use, provides excellent information, and is a hit with our students. If you're going to the coast, bring this book and play smart.

"Seaside Naturalist" is a wonderfully illustrated overview of all aspects of marine life. With special attention to the Atlantic coast, all topics are covered in a fun, concise, easy-to-understand manner. It's a great resource for kids from 9 to 90

Our family has the fortune of having Frank Finale as a teacher to both our children.

He has done a wonderful job capturing the Jersey Shore for all of its charms and the many artists who live here.

First, the editors of To the Shore Once should be congratulated. They chose 101 drawings, etchings,and paintings from local New Jersey and some national artists. These works of Art complement Mr. Frank Finale's writing in essays, prose and poetry. You, turn the page and you feel like you are at the beach in Spring Lake, Belmar or Manasquan. Even the carrousel of 1950s Asbury Park is represented. As I think of Frank O'Hara's book on Jackson Pollock, To The Shore Once More will become a classic coffee table book for years to come. Art and prose and poetry, what a nice mix. We have Mr. Frank Finale to thank for such a beautiful book this Summer

Maryanne Stahl tells a story the way we live it, in calm moments, quiet whispers, slices of memories. She presents a complicated life without relying on melodrama or a loud writing voice. Her voice is understated; it has no ego. She removes herself so we can see a family, one not too different from any family. In this way (at least for me) the book becomes a generic journey for all of us, particularly women who are pulled by maternal strings, creative urges and sexual longings.

Amanda, the protagonist, struggles with neglect. It has haunted her all of her life. Her recently deceased mother was a schizophrenic, and her presence throughout Amanda's life was diaphanous. Her husband has grown distant and may be having an affair. Her cherished daughter has left the nest. And on top of all of this, Amanda thinks she may be pregnant.

The setting is the Long Island beach where Amanda's family gathers for their annual family vacation. The story flows seamlessly, moving in and out of time gradually so that we gather the complicated pieces of history as we watch the family interact in the present. The mood is sensual, earthy, and peaceful, like Amanda who finds her comfort in the natural order of life-- the ocean, the fertile soil, the innocent animals.

Ms Stahl plants the reader like a seed, with fine detail, allowing imagery to help her speak to us, and it does. By the end we understand more than Amanda and her family. We learn about how one evolves, rejuvenates and finds answers in a life that is like that ocean--complex, teaming with hidden, interconnecting lives, fluid and forgiving, yet tumultuous and unforgiving at times. But always, always demanding respect.

A great read. Thoughtful. It will fly by, but take time to read it and think.

I came upon this book on a table of new fiction at our local bookstore not too long ago.

I had not read any of Maryanne Stahl's writing before this..and what a pleasant surprise.

I felt like I could relate to the whole family in this story--it is fiction but it runs so true you feel that you are reading a woman's diary. I am 35 (almost 36) and the main character being older doesn't matter; she has been my age/s all thru the book.

I can't wait for her next novel to come out. I hope it won't take a whole year!!

I loved this book. Maryanne Stahl has a style and expertise that raise this story of a woman trying to find her place in the world well above the simple romance it could have been. The protagonist's personal struggles--with her flagging marriage, a lover, her role as mother (and potential mother, because she might be pregnant), and the realization of her talents as a musician--are skillfully intercut with scenes from a childhood tempered by the mental illness of her mother. There is much going on here, and yet the book is a quick read. Almost too quick; I was sorry to put it down when I'd finished it.

Sue O'Neill
Author: Don't Mean Nothing: Stories of Viet Nam

I was blown away by Spring Rain! I made the mistake of getting near the end around the time I should have been in bed, and wound up staying awake an extra two hours because I simply could not put that book down.

It's hard to say which plotline captivated me more- the romantic tension between Leigh and Clay or the smoldering conflict between Clay and Ted, fueled by severe stubbornness on the part of both brothers over the issue of Ted's homosexuality and brought out now because of Ted's impending death from AIDS.

You never know what to expect from any book dealing with sensitive topics such as AIDS and homosexuality, the author gives these timely issues the attention they deserve without becoming preachy. Through the interaction between Clay and his brother Ted, she gets the reader to see the fine line between righteousness and self-righteousness, and prayerfully, to be able to discern that difference in our own lives.

Not many authors could navigate the maze of family secrets and disagreements without turning their book into one big soap opera, but Gayle Roper has succeeded by treating each plotline with loving care, and giving us a clear look into the hearts of each character, from the youngest to the eldest.

I am eagerly awaiting more books in the SeaSide Seasons series (try to say THAT five times fast!)

Spring Rain is a wonderful story of family conflict, blossoming romance and the healing power that faith brings in times of heartache and struggle. Roper's characters are likeable, even charming, but not too perfect to be real. The romantic element--especially between the characters of Julia and David--is heartwarming.

Gayle Roper draws a smooth, fully developed picture of twin brothers each caught in the consequences of their own sins and hypocricies. A compelling story alive with detail through the full storm and out the other side to God's grace. This reader got absorbed into the pain and waded through the thorough working out of honest, enlightened faith. Spring Rain refreshes, but does not compromise. Janet Chester Bly, [...]

If you go Napoli's gulf you should visit Capri. Don't make the mistake i made by following herds of tourists to Capri. All that you'll be able to see is a kind of disney village and a lot of postcard shops and eat unbelievably expensive ice cream.
And you'll probably miss a landmark of architecture which is Malaparte's house.
The book is not only a great bargain, it is an intelligent tribute to Malaparte. You should also read Malaparte's The Skin.

The book is amazing. It captures the dialogue of the house and Mr. Malaparte! The play of form, thought, nature, and politics. The graphic collection is presented is a collage of layers and frames.

more like a scrapbook, this art book was most enjoyable, voyering into a fascinating life