As many noted in their reviews of this years Benson's A TO Z GUIDE (including me), Benson is getting sloppy. Once the ultimate authority on fantasy baseball strategy, he seems to be delegating more and more of the work put out under his name to others. His projection techniques don't reflect the new sabermetric tools pioneered by Shandler, Baseball Prospectus, and others, and his books reflect slipshod editing...if they're edited at all.

All this applies to this year's ROTISSERIE BASEBALL ANNUAL. The strategy essays are virtual reprints from previous editions. The position-by-position analysis of each MLB team is somewhat useful, but each is written by a different writer, most of whom don't seem to be using the same yardsticks. In other words, there's little overall consistency. The bottom line recommendations are meager and wishy-washy, and the book doesn't look like it's even been proofread.

I used to swear by Benson, but unless the A TO Z GUIDE reverts to its previous format, this is the last year I'm giving him my money.

While still being the largest and best book of its kind on the market, there is a bit of a dropoff in the quality from previous years. As in previous years, there is the position by position analysis and name dropping but the authors do not really say much (the A To Z Guide is much more useful). There is a tendency for the authors to read off names, say who they like or dislike, but not tell why player A or B will succeed or not in the upcoming year. The essays on up and coming prospects, how to win, and age 26 players were rather brief and uninteresting. I liked previous editions of this book but the 2001 edition appears to be treading water. Future editions will need better essays and better player assessment.

This is one of the best and largest books of its kind. Benson seems to have access to a wealth of information, maybe even more so than some major league franchises seem to have. This is a good book which analyzes how players will perform or work within the context of their respective teams. Each year, this book comes out in a timely manner and is good reading, even if you do not play rotisserie leagues.

although I thought it was a good read overall, there were several reasons why this book was not a keeper for me.

Anabelle and Stephen were brought together as children when his father the earl married Anabelle's mother. Stephen immediately befriended the young and scared Anabelle and in doing so won her undying loyalty. As they grew older their innocent childhood affection developed into a passionate love that neither of them could control.
They were desperate to marry but alas Anabelle's scheming and ambitious mother refused to let her daughter marry a younger son. She was determined that Anabelle marry Stephen's brother, the future Earl. She got her wish when Stephen was banished to Jamaica after being caught smuggling.
When Stephen left without any word to her, Anabelle felt betrayed, later when she found out she was pregnant she was terrified. There was no help for it but to do as her mother advised and marry Stephen's brother.
When her husband dies and Stephen is named guardian of her son Anabelle's feelings for Stephen resurface and not even his unforgivable abandonment can quench the love that she feels when they meet again after five long years. How will stephen react when he learns he is a father and furthermore how will he feel when finds out he, by rights, should be the next Earl of Weston? Can their love survive the past lies and deceit?

I found this book to be extremely well written. The heroine's no nonsense personality was a refreshing change from the insipid, too stupid to live heroines that are present on every other historical nowadays. What I didn't like was that the whole story is told from Anabelle's point of view. This was a first for me and although it was a change from the ordinary I found that I didn't like it so much because the reader never gets to know what the hero is thinking or how he feels, only what Anabelle perceives he is thinking. This was the main reason I rated this book two stars, another reason was because I felt the book was a bit slow. I mean forty pages went by before the hero made an appearance. Way too much time was spent on horse talk and hunting nonsense which I found incredibly boring. This, however is purely personal taste.
If you like hot love scenes and an edge of your seat plot, then stay away from this book. If you prefer mild love scenes and don't mine lots of drawing room coversation then this is the book for you.

Recommended with reservations. :0)

I am a fan of regency novels in general but have become somewhat disenchanted with them recently. I find I am bored with missish females and overdone plots. A friend suggested I try a Joan Wolf book. I found this book to be a really good read. Annabelle, widowed with a small son named Giles, finds out at the reading of the will of her now dead husband that he has named his banished brother, Stephen, as the guardian to their son, Giles. Annabelle hates Stephen (or so she tries to tell herself) as they were lovers 5 years earlier. Stephen, however, was caught smuggling and was sent to Jamaica and left without a word to Annabelle. Ms. Wolf writes nicely and descriptively about how the relationship becomes rekindled between them, even though Annabelle still has feelings of hurt. I did not have to wade through 200 pages to have the romance resolved. What was resolved by the end of the book with who was trying to murder Stephen. A great read. My only complaint would be that I never got a firm image of what Stephen or Annabelle looked like. Apparently Annabelle was a beauty but not sure about Stephen.

Joan Wolf is a great writer. All of her books are interesting. This one is no exception. The story begins after the heroine's husband dies and leaves his brother as the guardian of their son. The first person perspective really lets you in on what the heroine is feeling, especially since much of the story is told in flashbacks. The secondary characters are also entertaining. It has romance, suspense, and plenty of her trademark horses.

Uneventful fluff about british horse racing. No mystery, no murder, a good way to kill time as well as brain cells.

High Stakes was an excellent novel. I chose to read it because it focuses on horses and because I have read other books by this author. This novel was a page-turner because there were several twists in the plot. It was easy to relate to the main character and feel what he was feeling, as if his life was yours. The book had certain sections that the reader really had to think about, because the plot was complicated at times. Also, the author has a way of not describing something until the last possible moment. For example, the characters discussed a critically important plan, and the reader themselves did not know what it was until the plan was executed. At times this made the novel some-what confusing, but did not result in the book being misunderstood. In the future I would read another book by this author.

High Stakes marks the beginning of Dick Francis' (or Mrs. Dick Francis, depending upon who actually writes his books) writing for the American market. Tho' not the bone-cruncher the earlier books were, his toy maker is one of the more likable protagonists and the beginning zings!

...P>Tess Boone, a disillusioned celebrity journalist, returns back to her hometown in the Ozarks to interview her first love Buck Campbell, now a famous (but also disillusioned) country western singer.

Tess left Buck to pursue her dreams and please her father who wanted bigger things for his baby girl. In the process she stomped all over Buck's heart. Heartbroken he turned to booze and women. Headed straight for Hell, he was saved by Georgina, an older woman who saw his potential and made him a singing sensation. She molds him into the man the public sees and he marries her even though he'll never love her.

When Tess and Buck meet up again (years later) the sparks fly and they realize what empty lives they've been living. In a few short days their love is reborn. Only now there are two big obstacles in their way: Georgina (for starters) and Buck's good-guy persona. Will they sacrifice their careers or their hearts? Will I care when they do? (The answer to that one would be NO)

Ms. Garrett has a beautiful way of describing the Ozarks and her vivid imagery breathes life into this familiar story of lost love. Despite her lyrical writing I thought the heroine was self-centered and very difficult to sympathize with. The hero never came alive for me because we mainly see him through the heroine's eyes and learn his feelings via his song lyrics. This did not work for me. I would've enjoyed a hundred or so more pages of the hero's viewpoint. And (finally, you say?) I thought the ending was way too vague and pat.

If you're looking for a great romance, this is it! Tess and Jamie have and always will be in love, but there is just one person standing in their way of total bliss.... "Buck Campbell" Jamie's imaginary character, and his evil wife.

I have started reading a number of romance novels in the past several months but none has held my attention the way "Angel" did...I couldn't put it down. In fact, before all was said and done I was so spellbound by the story of Tess and Buck that I read the book three times. This is a very real story of true love, torn apart by the desires of a third party. Tess did what her father wanted her to do, and sacrificed the love of her life in the process. I've seen this book compared to The Bridges of Madison County, but I think this book is miles apart!!

Barnard,in my opinion ,is not a top echelon crime writer but he can be relied on for solid,well crafted mysteries and he shows a great deal of versatility as to setting and characters.
This takes place in contemporary Leeds ,in Yorkshire,and the protagonist is Matt Harper,former pro soccer player turned local radio pundit and front man on a local TV news show.He is about to move into a new house with his partner and her two children by a former marriage when he discovers the bones of a child in the attic.The child had been dead for some time and the local police are unable to allocate major resources to resolving the mystery.A symathetic black policeman,Charlie Peace(who has figured in other Barnard tales)feeds Harper information assuming correctly that he will be driven to devote time and energy to the case for personal reasons.This is because the case dates back to the late 60's when Harper was briefly resident in the area and has some vague recollections of knowing some of the people who may have been involved .
patiently he sets about tracing the children with whom he played back then and finds they have all to some extenyt been affected by memories of what transpired that summmer,The baby had died through the agency of one of these children and the malign influence of an "offstage" adult
The book is interesting rather than gripping and this sis the gap between an author who is purchased and one who is borrowed from the local library.
I will happlily give my time to Mr Barnard-for his neat plots ,effective characterisation and quiet compassionate social observation.I am reluctant to part with my sheckels for someone who does not-and he does not--move me at a level other than the cerebral.

Good fare if you like Britsh mysteries with a foot in the modern ,but not seamy,,world

After a child's skeleton is found in the attic of Matt Harper, who has just bought into a neighborhood in Leeds, England after living there briefly as a boy, he shadows the investigation by a well-meaning detective sergeant who has a baby of his own, and delves back into his brief past in the neighborhood, which coincides with the approximate death of the infant in his attic. This means reconnecting with the neighborhood children, now adults, and forcing some organization on his hazy memories. He knows he feels unsettled and discomfited by that particular time, but can't quite grasp why.

I've never read Mr. Barnard before this book, but judging by the size of his name on the cover relative to the title, he must be terribly well known. This was an interesting book with a little bit of a muddled end, but it was well written otherwise and I plan to read him again. It would give away too much to say why I felt the end was muddled, but one key explanation didn't hold up for me. Nonetheless, it wasn't THE key explanation and so the story was hardly ruined. And maybe I'm just being picky. One thing I can say about Mr. Barnard's writing is that he does dialogue very, very well. I especially liked the way the children were written and the way he captured their banter.

A note of relief: there are many, many names and places to keep straight. In the hardcover, and hopefully the paperback as well, there is a map of the neighborhood. It really helps.

Robert Barnard's Bones in the Attic is an enjoyable mystery, a quick read to sink into when you've got a few hours to kill. The story of a discovery of a child's bones in an attic and the unraveling of the mystery behind them that follows is certainly nothing unique here. While this probably won't be a book you rush out and tell everyone about, it certainly is a pleasant read.

I generally enjoy Hank's essays on rock contemporaries and/or elder statesmen of whatever genre he sets his sights on, and while I had actually read many of these collected articles (from Details, RayGun, Vox, etc.) beforehand, I found re-reading them quite enjoyable anyway.

His diatribe on David Lee Roth is worth the price of the book alone, but his Lollapalooza Tour Journal is also of interest. An in-depth look at Jerry Lee Lewis, a sparse (but fun) interview with John Lee Hooker, and a superb chapter on Phil Lynott are only a few of the gems within.

Vol.3 of the BCB series is also good, but offers less of interest about the music industry.

Interesting book by an intriguing man. OK, Henry is not a college professor, he does not write in a style in this book which is wordy or hard to get. He's going for something else, if more people had his edge this world would be a hell of a lot more interesting. Why people don't get excited about him or his band is saddening because people like Eminen, a real whining Yank if there was one, are vicious bastards who ought to get some brains. PS. Whatever man.

This was an amazing book, I could not put it down. I finished reading it within a day. Henry is a fantastic writer and he shares so much of himself in his writing. I feel like I know him. Some parts of the book are a little sad but then you start to realize that is just how Henry's writing is. When you finish reading this book you will feel like you just borrowed Henry's personal journal to read. I highly recommend this to any Rollins fan!! ~~Niki

Daniel Easterman obviously is finding it harder and harder to create intriguing plots that are surreal but yet believable, and totally exciting. His "the 7th scroll" is the ultimate masterpiece; mixing X-Files like mystique with Indiana Jones excitement. Unfortunately "The final judgement" is a mix of unbelievable characters, plots and coincidences. Its only the fact that Daniel Easterman keeps the action going from page to page, that I did give it a rating higher than 1.

Not Easterman's best, but that's better than most dumb thrillers. Well written, intelligent, and exciting thriller.

This very chilling and plausible story gripped my attention from the very beginning. The resurgence of Neo-fascists with strong Nazi ties demands the attention of everyone. Who knows what shadowy forces are at work.

This book would have been better with some serious editing. It was a 175 page story drawn out to fill 350 pages.

The book started out fairly well. Interesting style of writing even though the premise was a tad thin. But then it got to be just too contrived with too many coincidences and episodes that were just not real. I mean, how many times could the sisters just happen to "miss" bumping into each other, on both sides of the Atlantic?

The only reason I gave "Grace and Favor" as many as three stars was because I finished it. And I only finished it because I bought it. If it had been a library book, I would have stopped reading by page 100.

This book started out great, loved the short chapters, got into the characters, but as soon as the main characters meet it all falls flat! Very anticlimatic for sure. Skimmed the last 5 chapters just to get it overwith.

I liked this book. I thought that the characters of Grace and Favor/Pat were well written. They were two sides of the same coin and they illustrate how circumstance can affect your perception of the people around you.

Grace is an author of romance novels. When she was younger, her mother got pregnant for the second time and then died after the baby (Favor/Pat) was born. Grace does not have a relationship with her father, as she was abandoned when her mother died.

Pat is the daughter who grew up with her father. In my opinion, she is a wet blanket. She is married and has 2 kids, a son & daughter. She is over protective of her son, and doesn't know her daughter.

The story is as much about two long-lost sisters coming together as it is about Pat's marital problems. Both sisters know about the other, but Grace doesn't want to be found. Once Favor/Pat shows up on her doorstep, she is forced to confront the past and what she has always believed to be true.

This book is filled with many different characters who float in and out of Grace and Pat's lives. I would recommend this story to anyone.

I truly liked this book. There is much information on each of their movies including behind the scenes events. Several photos throughout. For each movie, you get the cast, a summary, photos, and background information.

I didn't feel there was too much information. When reading about older movies, I like having as much information as possible. I enjoy the history, and this book does a good job of providing that.

For years..The fans of Abbott & Costello wanted to know how their classic film comedies were created.But very few books gave any real insight into how the movies evolved(The exception being..Leonard Maltin's"Movie Comedy Teams"and Jim Mullholland's"Abbott & Costello Book").But Finally those questions are answered in "Abbott & Costello In Hollywood!".This book written by the former president and founder of The Abbott & Costello Fan Club:Ron Palumbo and A&C & Jerry Lewis Archivist:Bob Furnemack uses indepth research,a large collections of rare photos and interviews from the many collegues,family members and friends of the team to show the creation,the evolution and the success of the team's films and tv series.The book also reveals that Bud And Lou were going to work on other projects that never came to fruition:A stage musical..In which they would clash with Universal Pictures most infamous monsters:"Dracula","The Wolfman"and "Frankenstein's Monster",A kids tv game show"Penny For Your Thoughts", another comedy/variety tv series and Lou producing some movies during his convelesence from Reumatic fever.The book also shows us some scenes from their films that were edited from the final release prints of the movies and more insight into what lead to the team's second and final breakup.For fans of A&C or for fans of comedy history..Who want to see the creation and evolution of classic comedy films and tv shows? This is one book worth having.Bravo Ron & Bob! Kevin S.Butler.

If only all film books could be as thorough and well-written as this one! There are so many behind-the-scenes details and photographs of the making of each of the team's classic films ("Buck Privates," "Hold That Ghost," "Time of Their Lives" and "A&C Meet Frankenstein" etc.) that you actually feel like a visitor on the set. Interviews with dozens of people who were there--including Hillary Brooke and the Andrews Sisters--make it all come alive. Fascinating chapters on the boys before and after Hollywood put their movie years in perspective. Also includes an index (thanks!) and a transcription of what is (I think) the best version of "Who's On First?" (from "Naughty Nineties"). An absolute must for A&C fans and classic Hollywood movie buffs.

Considering that Neil Peart is best known for his precision and consistency, I was disappointed with this frequently inaccurate effort. The inaccuracies are sometimes amusing - Mr. Wheeler's 'imagined' fills are in places a bit harder and less intuitive than Mr. Peart's actual parts. Mostly I was disconcerted however that the author himself apparently has not quite mastered Mr. Peart's work and subsequently has misled rather elightened many students of the art. I'm curious to know if Mr. Peart was ever made aware of the errors and if so what his reactions must have been (he has said that he does not read music and hence did not review the transcriptions personally).

I've enjoyed going through this book and working out some of the parts. Some of the time signatures/changes were eye-opening, as you can get lost at times trying to decipher certain Rush tunes (well I know I do anyway).
On the downside, a lot of it has been simplified - kind of like a "Here is the basic idea of what's being played" attitude (The Trees for example). There are occasional mistakes which I can live with, but some of it is flat wrong. Check out the beginning of Natural Science ("Wheels within wheels in a spiral array") - if you listen to the song while following the transcription, you will see that what is written is wrong.

Overall I'd recommend this book - is there such a thing as a BAD drum book?

I've been a percussionist for some 20+ years now. I started my cult like following of Neil and Rush back when "Grace Under Pressure" was released.

Since then I haven't missed a lick or concert. I own just about everything that RUSH has made. So of course I picked up this book and it's sequel.

What I have found is that the books are not accurate transcriptions of Neil's work. Several of the songs are a little watered down so that newbies don't get discouraged. Neil is without a doubt one of the best drummers to hit the skins and these books try to give the percussive student the basics of Neil's work.

Where the books fall short is where they leave out several key kit rudiments that are trademarks of Neil Peart. (e.g. The Peart Roll in several songs like Tom Sawyer). Also, I noticed that the transcripts have written the notes for drums other than what Neil actually uses on various songs. (Who can forget Neil's chimes in Xanadu?)

So... don't worry about buying it. The books worth it! Just remember that they are intended to give a fundamental understanding of Neil's work but they are no substitute for watching "Neil Peart - A Work in Progress" (available on VHS), listening to every work by the artist, and practicing his rudiments over and over for hours and hours until it becomes second nature (no pun intended... honestly).

One last thing...

Neil if you read this, I have one of your sticks and would be happy to return it in exchange for an afternoon at your ranch in Canada. (Middletown Dreams)