This book which started off slowly builds into one of the most exciting, suspenseful books I ever read. It had me at the edge of my seat dying of anxiety as Deborah described her hair raising escape. I mean, I knew she got out because she wrote the book but I was still sick with fear for her as she experienced each unexpected obstacle to her successful exodus from the hell Jim Jones called paradise. Her account is also interesting in what it tells about The People's Temple as seen by a very young and innocent girl. The other book I have read, Jeannie Mills' "Six Years With God," shows the same organization but through the eyes of a middle-aged housewife and mother. The same basic facts emerge from both books but the difference in age, maturity, experience and ability to see through the lies both had accepted at one time make for interesting comparative reading. Jeannie Mills' book is out of print not (unfortunately) but Debbie Layton's book is hear to remind us that those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it.

Seductive Poison, a powerful memoir, leads the reader into the glorious world of Great Expectations and then lets go of our hand. From then on, the reader lives the life the author experienced, as we detour from the lighted path into the darkened cavern where Hope is crushed and fear and madness reign. We believe that it "just can't happen again," but it has and does again and again, in Europe with Hitler, China with Mao, Russia with Stalin and continues now in smaller ways, infringe groups, like the Freeman in Montana, Ruby Ridge, Oklahoma, Waco and San Diego. Unfortunately, there will be more tragedies as the millennium comes to a close unless we stop and listen to someone who knows. Layton's book-- by allowing us access into the world of devotion, loyalty to one master, the darkness of self righteous deceit-- gives the reader insight into the world of Absolute Power and how it corrupts. Few people have the strenghth and courage to escape which makes this book that much more imperitive to read, so that you and I will listen to their warnings when they do.

I concur with the review entitled A QUIET STORM: from Charleston, SC USA

I couldn't say it better:

I cannot begin to explain how powerful and breath taking this book is. It reads like a "Best Seller" I read the book in one day, into the wee hours of the morning, because it captured my soul. I could not believe how everything just seemed to flow. Deborah had such a difficult adolescence period, then reading on you could see how easy it was for her to become so involved with Peoples Temple. She wrote the book so that each thread unraveled in sequence. I know in the end it seemed as though this would all end for Deborah, but here I am writing a review; however, I have never been so emotionally swept up by a book (a true story at that). I cried for her, the victims, Mama, her brother...what an experience. She must have healed some since then, but she can only imagine how many people she has healed. Her book, her life, her experience is so amazing, I am so thankful she lived to share it with society. I commend her on her bravery, her strength, and her honesty to share her past with her daughter. Deborah has made a wise decision by being honest with her daughter in sharing her tragedy, she will only be honored to have that connection they will possess.

"We never know who we are till we are called to rise; And, then if we are true to plan Our statues touch the skies." --Emily Dickinson
Yes, Deborah's statue has definately reached the skies!

It doesn't get much better than this. And I've read most of the top books in this field. If you have an interest in Baseball -- and want to read about the sport when it was really a "game" try this book. The book is truly told by the men who played the game in the early 1900's -- as transcribed in oral history fashion -- one chapter devoted to each player. Ritter brings to life players that most of us have always read about (Ruth, Cobb and Walter Johnson) and many more greats from that era -- Harry Hooper, Paul Waner, Rube Marquard, and Goose Goslin. (And yes, the author is my Uncle, but the book is STILL a great one!)

This is one of the greatest books I've ever read and may well be the best non-fiction book I ever read. The book is actually a collection of reminiscences of old-time baseball players compiled by their interviewer, Lawrence Ritter. The original book was written in 1966 with additional chapters added for the revised 1984 version that I read. What comes across first and foremost in all the recollections is the joy and dedication of the long-retired players. At a time when labor strikes, hold-outs and escalating salaries are standard sports stories, this book takes Baseball nostalgia to a new level. It isn't just about the joy of the game, however. This book brings to light a lot of forgotten Baseball history. I fancied myself a bit of a Baseball historian but there were a number of major events in Baseball's early history that I had never heard of before. I think the most memorable was Fred Merkle's "bonehead" play that cost the Giants the pennant in 1907. That was a situation where he forgot to touch second base and thereby cost the Giants the winning run. It is told (and referred to often) with better embelishment than I just gave it but, then, that's the point of my praise; the whole book is a poetic look backwards at the game we sometimes take for granted these days. It's no accident that the best parts of the book are the earliest recollections. You can almost see the corrupting effects of popularity creep up on the game in the 1920's. The stories that these veterans tell and the details that they give make you feel like you've been there yourself. If you're a Baseball fan, you'll love this book. If you're not a Baseball fan, reading this book might just make you one.

I have heard so many stories about Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, I can't tell fact from fiction. Lawrence Ritter and undertaken an extremely long journey to bring you a true record of the early days of baseball.

Packed with stories from legends Goose Goslin, Harry Hooper, Joe Wood, Hank Greenberg, Sam Crawford and others the spirit of baseball past comes to life. Ritter's ability to bring baseball alive is nothing short of spectacular.

Probably the best baseball book I have ever read, The Glory of Their Times, is more than a amazing collection of stories. You'll read about how baseball has transformed from a love of the game to love of money.

Each story has so much packed into it that I found myself re-reading each chapter just to make sure I got everything. I am so very proud that I have had the opportunity to read and review this extraordinary work on baseball. Thank you so very much Lawrence Ritter!

At last! The book is out! After waiting months for it's publishing, it's finally here and can usually be read by many of the readers in 1-3 days! Robin Jones Gunn creates a romantic, yet friendship sort of style in this creation. I am always in agony and wondering, "Will Christy and Todd ever get together?" This story teaches about feels and emotions. Todd is wonderful guy! If only he existed in the 3D world! He puts aside time with Christy to focus on his friendship with Katie. If you're looking for an up-lifting, safe and Christian Book to reasure your Christian walk is on the right track . . READ THIS BOOK! It strengthes not only the faith of the characters, but YOUR faith as well. Upon reading this book the only thing harsh is coming to the last page and realizing, it's over. So, read this book and I guarrentee, you'll love it! In this romantic, set back novel, Christy, Todd and their friend Katie as well as other friends along the journey, tour all of Europe in just three weeks! Through staying on track with time, to meeting trains, to managing money, to Christy's annoying tour book, the friendship is built up higher for the second book. From camping, to being put up for the night in the fanciest hotel, God is Given all the Glory.

Ms. Gunn has once again written a wonderful testament to her faith. Until Tomorrow takes you back into the lives of Christy Miller and her friends. The book follows Christy, Todd, and Katie on a journey in Europe. Until Tomorrow lets you watch Todd and Christy's relationship grow and reminds the single people that God's timing is always the best. It is very hard to put down and by the end it leaves you with a smile of contentment on your face. If you are like me when I read one of Ms. Gunn's books, it also draws you even closer to the Father. The spiritual lessons packed in this book are the key to its appeal. They tear down walls and bring you to tears. If you have never read one of Robin Jones Gunn's books, I encourage you to try Until Tomorrow. It won't only be a story about friendship and romance, it may also bring about a life-altering change in your life. One review that I read commented on the fact that the book was full of "Why me, Lord?" I didn't find that to be the case at all. To the world's eyes, it may seem that it is too full of God's Word, but for a believer, it is a wonderful testament. Bravo, Ms. Gunn:)

I have read all 12 books in the Christy Miller series, about 3 times! I loved each and every one of them, but Until Tomorrow was incredible. I started the book yesterday, and finished it about an hour ago. I couldn't put it down! These books encourage and inspire me so much, and I can't wait to read the last 2 in the series! Robin, please don't end the Christy and Todd series. I love reading about these two, and all of their friends, so much. You write beautifully and your characters give me hope. Maybe my Todd Spencer is out there somewhere! Please continue to write these awesome books, and if you can, continue the story of Christy and Todd. I would love to hear more about their life together growing in Christ!

I bought this book some ten years or so ago. It was my favourite book for about five years until I leant it to a "friend" who liked it so much that she never gave it back. I'm so happy that this book is back in print because I still yearn to read it. Which goes to show just what an absolutely amazing book this is and this isn't even my favourite DWJ book. That, incidentally is Dogsbody which was also stolen. Anyway back to the review, this book has everthing for lovers of fantasy and magic alike:- parallel worlds, extra lives, spoilt megalomaniac children and of course lots and lots of magic. It is one of the Chrestomanci books and I recommend that anybody who reads and loves this book, should also try reading The Lives of Christopher Chant, Witch Week and The Magicians of Caprona by the same author. I have read the other reviews and what has struck me is that every reviewer seems to have read all of her other books, as have I. Diana Wynne-Jones has a knack of creating such warm, real characters and writes with a lot of humour. She is the kind of author who inspires such loyalty from her readers. Go on-read this book. We can't all be wrong!

I read Charmed Life when I was in fourth or fifth grade, and immediately bought a copy of my own to read again and again. I loved all Diana Jones's books, but this one was my first and my favorite. Fifteen years later I still feel fond of Cat and resentful of his hellion sister Gwendolyn, and I still wince at the hilarious atrocities she perpetrted at Chrestomanci castle. A children's book that doesn't patronize children, but instead indulges their sophisticated sense of humor and appreciation of the travails of a bildungsroman hero is a rare treat indeed. I still keep my old copy so that some day my children can learn to love Jones's wonderful books too.

An alternate world where history is not quite the same, and wizards and witches are common occupations. A young boy, Cat, and his older sister, Gwendolen, are left orphans at an early age, and become wards of the town. Gwendolen becomes a student of an unscrupulous hedge wizard with his own agenda, before she and Cat are adopted by the mysterious Chrestomanci and taken to live in an even more mysterious castle where the staff have hidden talents.

Rivalries between the children and their new found cousins, and a tendency to play magical pranks, keep the story interesting. To say more would reveal the secrets, but power is not always where you think it is, and some people don't know their own talents. In spite of evil intentions of the villains, or maybe because of them, some people end up better off then when they started.

Overall, this is a good novel for pre-teen to teenage readers, but adults may also enjoy the story. I thought it was very good. It is an earlier novel by the author, introducing characters in later novels, and should probably be read before many of the other novels.

vibe did an excellent job of letting its readers know who the real tupac was. this book is a compilation of the articles that vibe has published over the years dealing with tupac and the people close to him. The articles are interviews from tupac, death row associates and others, along with some letters sent to the editor, and quotes from people who knew tupac. it goes in-depth about suge knight and his multi-million dollar recording company, death row, and all the people who were involved with it. the book also goes behind the scenes of tupac's shooting in new york, his court cases, his enemies and his struggles with the law, prison and trying to make it in the world. many of the articles have to do with the conflicts that surrounded tupac and his music, his lifestyle and personality. tons of awesome, colorful photos are included, although there are no captions for them so the reader is left wondering when, where and who the photo is about. overall this book is very well put together in chronological order and should be on the shelf of any true 2pac fan. we miss ya pac and will never forget you!! your spirit lives on forever!

First and foremost, this is an excellent book. In pictures and in words, the life of the (arguably) late Tupac Shakur gets documented and commemorated in 157 glossy pages. The best part about all of this, is that VIBE magazine was (and still is) a major player in the hip-hop music industry - the reader's letters and articles on these pages are as real as it gets. Read on:

"This is my last interview. If I get killed, I want people to get every drop. I want them to get the real story." - (VIBE, "Ready To Live" - April 1995)

Writer Kevin Powell really gets to the heart of things in this interview with 'Pac from Rikers Island.

"When you do rap albums, you got to train yourself. You got to constantly be in character. You used to see rappers talking all that hard [stuff], and then you see them in suits and [stuff] at the American Music Awards. I don't want to be that type of [person]. I wanted to keep it real, and that's what I thought I was doing. But now that [stuff] is dead. That Thug Life [stuff]...I did it, I put in my work, I laid it down. But now that [stuff] is dead."

I can't help but wonder...would Tupac still be alive had he stuck to this quote back in 1995? Would the Notorious B.I.G still be alive? Would they be friends?

There were so many facets to Tupac. He was hard...perhaps the 'realest' rapper to ever live. To say that Tupac Shakur was charismatic is an understatement - his sheer presence had the power to electrify a room. His lyrics were insightful, and his visual package had his female fans in a trance. He was truly a legend.

I (like many others) practically grew up on Tupac. I remember when he landed the role of "Bishop" in 'Juice' (he was still a relative unknown that fall of 1991); how he got to star opposite Janet Jackson (lucky dude!) in 'Poetic Justice'. In music, "I Get Around", was the joint in the summer and fall of 1993 - and it is now a classic.

Then in 1994, the trouble really started. He got shot up; sent to Rikers Island on a sexual assault charge, yet released a new album anyway. Tons of stars turned out for him to shoot the "Temptations" video (dang, Pac had a lot of friends, huh?). Then the infamous Source Awards of 1995 happened - the real powder keg of the Bad Boy/Death Row feud. The letters back and forth - the finger pointing...(I'll leave that at that).

That whole East Coast/West Coast rivalry proved once and for all that hip-hop (as DMX says) is not a game. On that note, all the shadiness, all the unsettling moments, and the unsettling quotes are documented on these pages as well. Read it, and draw your own conclusions - I just hope we never return to that state of affairs. It was most likely a very tenseand scary time to be a music journalist in hip-hop...from the outside looking in.

That being said, I'd say that this is a great place to start finding out more about Tupac. He seemed to be an extremely lovable guy. He was engaged to Quincy Jones' daughter - and he was friends with classy ladies like Jasmine Guy and Jada Pinkett-Smith. Obviously, Tupac had class...but like everyone else has been saying, he must have just turned into his "thug-life" image...and just like his character "Bishop", he died way before his time. Gone too soon.

Someone once said that "Vibe magazine is one some love s###." No, I disagree. Tupac has graced the cover of Vibe no less that 4? times before his untimely death. No one in the rap game (then or now) affected us the way Tupac did. The mystery that still surrounds his death still haunts most of his fans. Tupac became larger than life in death. He released more albums in death than in life. He has easily become the Black Elvis. The book gives you a timeline from the beginning to his tragic end. The questions still linger on. Who? What? When? Where? Most of these questions will never be answered. One man who was going to come forward with information was killed, execution-style. Suge (at the time) was in prison. Other people are either too scared to talk, are in prison, dead or cannot be located. There are lots of theories that Tupac is still alive as he may have insinuated in his music: post-humous album Makaveli: The 7 Day Theory. We even get to hear Tupac's side of the story for the woman who accused him of rape. {He was never convicted of rape, but of sexual abuse.}as well as the story of the first attempt on his life. This is an excellent book!

Diana Wynne-Jones has a well-deserved reputation for funny, well-plotted, keep-you-riveted-to-your-chair fantasy stories. Here she provides an unusual sorcerer, an unlikely heroine, and a lot of sly winks at fantasies and fairy tales. Very entertaining.

Sophie Hatter is the eldest of three daughters, which in this fantasyland means that she's the one who doesn't have an astounding "fortune" to seek. Instead she's stuck at the hat shop. One day a plump, very rude woman comes to see the hats, and Sophie uncharacteristically insults her. Unfortunately, this woman is the Witch of the Wastes, and responds by aging Sophie into a crone. Peeved out of being shy and retiring, she tramps off to the "Moving Castle" of the supposedly evil wizard Howl, who reportedly [steals] out the souls of young girls.

After arriving at the castle, she encounters Howl's pleasant apprentice and contracted fire demon Calcifer (who promises to disenchant Sophie if she breaks his contract). Though she annoys the rather self-absorbed Howl and drives Calcifer almost nuts at times, Sophie becomes the cleaning lady at the Moving Castle. She begins searching for the chewed-up hearts of the girls, only to find something a lot more bizarre -- including her own peculiar magic.

If you've ever read a fairy tale -- Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast -- you'll know that the youngest kids are always are the favored ones. They go on to marry princes or princesses, become wealthy and beloved. Jones mocks this and many other fairy-tale cliches, such as the hilarious scene where Sophie lurches around in seven-league boots. There's even a brief homage to J.R.R. Tolkien.

It's certainly an interesting twist to have a not-so-evil evil-wizard, a harried apprentice, and a heroine who appears to be in her nineties. Similarly, the ideas of the "Moving Castle" with its doors to other places (including modern Wales) is very original. That's not even mentioning the attacking scarecrow.

Until she's aged into a crone, Sophie isn't much of a heroine; she's too timid and dull to be of interest. Post-aging, she becomes interesting and delightfully pushy. Howl is not what you think of a "bad" wizard as; his tantrums over things like hair dye are hysterically funny, and he's also immensely attractive to the opposite sex. Michael is a good sidekick, with the common-sense that Howl lacks; Calcifur the fire demon is one of Jones' most memorable characters, especially when Sophie bullies him.

While it isn't quite as spectacular as Jones' Chrestomanci Chronicles, "Howl's Moving Castle" will appeal to those who liked fantasy spoof "Dark Lord of Derkholm" and "Year of the Griffin." A funny, thought-provoking magical ride.

Could you ever imagine a world of magic, talking fire, wizards, moving castles, witches and much, much more? Well, if you can't imagine that you should read this book. It has magic, talking fire (hard to believe), wizards, moving castles, and witches. This book is called Howl's Moving Castle and Diana Wynne Jones is responsible for writing this book.
This book is mainly about Sophie getting to be young and Calfifer being free. Sophie wants to be young again because The Witch of the Waste was not pleased with the bonnet that she wanted and turned Sophie into an old lady. Sophie goes to a moving castle and pretends to be a maid. In the castle she finds a young wizard in his twenties, his name is Howl. Sophie also spots a fire demon, Calcifer. Calcifer and Sophie promise each other that Sophie would break his contract and free him. Calcifer promises Sophie that he will change her back.
*I you want to find out if Sophie breaks the spell, you should read this book. I won't give away the ending, but in the end there is a lot of people apologizing and asking to be their wife or girlfriend.

Sophie lives in a small village in the magical land of Ingary. Her village fears the heartless wizard, Howl, whose dark castle insists on circling the village--but it is a wicked witch who suddenly places an aging spell on Sophie, causing her to leave the village and, exhausted, take refuge in Howl's castle.

Filled with finely drawn characters, this is a book accessible for all ages. Perhaps the best part is when the characters visit our world, and we see things through their perspective.

Jones includes bits and pieces of standard fantasy, from fire demons to seven-league boots, but what results is, as always, entirely her own.

Highly recommended. Jones is finally starting to get her due as an author, and this is a good place to start reading her works.

This is an absolutely fantastic inside look at the design process of Disney Imagineering. The book details the past, present and future projects along with great anecdotes from the Imagineers themselves. The book is also filled with rich pictures, illustrations, and sketches from projects both built and left on the "shelf". As one who wishes to pursue a thempark design career, this book acts as a great reference tool and both inspires and motivates your creative juices.

-Ken G.

Let me start off saying that I am a Disney fanatic. Particularly anything that has to do with the construction and design of the disney parks. This book has it all everything from the idea of a ride right up to the installation process. I keep this book with me at all times, constantly rereading it time and time again.

I was lucky enough to purchase it (in hardcover) 2 years ago in Walt Disney World, and I have not stopped reading it since. I only wish there were more imagineering books out there. To the Disney Imagaineers- Thank you for giving us a peek at what must be a very rewarding job. A job I hope to have someday.

I absolutely cherish this book and reviit it time and again just to look at the photos and drawings. Contains detailed information about how the Imagineers go about creating the Disney theme parks and hotels and shows all of the imagination and attention to detail that goes into that process. No wonder these are some of the most magical places on earth. Everything is engineered to the human experience.

Contains photos from WDW, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris and Tokyo, and sketches and models of some attractions never built. Shows the entire process from conception of an idea to developing color schemes, to building models, to actual contstruction.

This book provides a decent introduction to the topic with enough examples to show you how to put together a working MFC program. But it leaves you hungry for more. If you can find it in the library it's worth taking home to introduce yourself to MFC.

If you want something that will get you started with the basics and act as a thorough reference for the future, check out Jeff Prosise's Programming Windows With MFC. Although Prosise's book may seem intimidating at over 1000 pages, it will get you started and keep you going.

It's possible that the level of detail Jones offers is just right for you though. In which case I say, go for it. It may be exactly what you need.

Any time you have a choice of which programming book to buy (i.e. your boss or professor isn't assigning it), go to brick and mortar land or find a friend with the book(s), and make an investment of 15-20 minutes per title and see which one has the content and style that suits you.

My feeling is that Prosise is just as strong on the basics as Jones with plenty of readable examples. Once you get past the basics Prosise's book will provide depth and reference material to keep you busy for a long time.

I scoured the library looking for good MFC books and checked out about 5, before giving up. The other MFC books focused too much on the MFC AppWizard and ClassWizard. You ended up making contrived programs with no idea how they actually worked, this book starts from the beginning, showing you how to utilize MFC first in console programs, then moves on to actual windows programming. It jams the source code in to one page so you know exactly what to type and don't have to keep refering to the cd. One of the things I like most about this book is that he doesn't have 5 page long explanations about something you can figure out yourself, every time I had a question it was answered in the next sentence. This book is by far the best book covering MFC that I have had, I would strongly recommend it to beginners/intermediate of MFC

Hi.

Richard Jones writes an incredible introduction to MFC. He explains everything in a very concise, simple, and easy way to understand. His teaching technique is more effective to beginning MFC programmers of all levels because he explains and shows the transition from core C++ to MFC. You will see a gradual change from core C++ to MFC. Furthermore, he does not go into too much detail of the vase GUI tools that MFC and Win32 API offers. I believe new MFC programmers without Win32 API experience sometimes find the GUI tools overwhelming. This book is a bridge from core C++ to beginning MFC.

I highly recommend Introduction to Programmng MFC with Visual C++.

Kuphryn

Owen Parry in Faded Coat of Blue introduces the reader to Captain Abel Jones a recent immigrant from Wales who serves his new country during the civil war as a way of to express his gratitude. Although injured he continues to work as a clerk until General McClellan asks him to investigate the murder of a prominent young abolitionist.

We find Washington D.C. during this time to be a seedy, dirty place where schemers are profiting from the war. At this time there are already dangerous areas of the city which the solid citizen should avoid to remain healthy, wealthy and alive.

Characters in this book are interesting and well defined. Jones is a man who believes strongly in honor. He befriends Dr. Mick Tyrone, another man of integrity and meets up again with an old comrade from India Jimmy Molloy, a roguish sort who will delight the reader

This is an entertaining read and a good historical mystery for those who are fond of the genre.

As a reader with a lifelong interest in the Civil War, I was absolutely knocked out by this incomparable novel. I have never found the atmosphere and character of the Civil War era so accurately portrayed--beyond which, the writing itself is superb. Mr. Parry has a flawless ear for dialects--yet he never overdoes it. The book reads very quickly, and leaves the reader hungry for more--as all the best books do. From the portrayal of wartime Washington to the joys and sorrows of a soldier's life, this book rings truer than any other I've read. And Abel Jones is one of the most interesting characters I've encountered in a lifetime of reading. This book is also a mystery, of course, but I valued it just as a terrific story and a wonderful portrait of our past. I do, however, have to take issue with one of the other reviewers who criticized Mr. Parry for mentioning the Thanksgiving holiday a year before it became an official national holiday. In fact, it's Mr. Parry, the author, who's correct. Parry never said Thanksgiving was a national holiday at that point in 1861, only that it was widely celebrated, which was absolutely true. As a former history teacher myself, I can assure all readers that Thanksgiving was very widely celebrated prior to the Civil War, especially in the North. Parry's portrayal of the unofficial celebrations in the Army of the Potomac in 1861 are completely accurate, and the historical records support it. In New England, it was already an established family holiday, with reverential tones. In the Union Army, it was a great excuse for getting drunk. When Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday later in the war, he was simply formalizing a celebration that already had a long tradition. Overall, Mr. Parry's book is incredibly accurate--the details are marvelous and telling--and I personally could not find a single error in this very-well-researched novel. But, ultimately, what matters is just that this is a great read. Were I still teaching, I would use it to lure my students into the realms of history. Bravo!

Owen Parry is a new historical novelist to watch. In "Faded Coat of Blue", Parry (pseudonym of an established writer of both thought-provoking non-fiction and modern thrillers) has produced a moving and evocative protrait of Civil War-era Washington. The murder mystery carries the story along, but the book is really the chronicle of the love affair of a Welsh immigrant Indian Army veteran for his new country. Accurate in portraying time and place, the prose often becomes lyrical, conveying the touch, feel and smell of the era. As Owen Parry, the writer has achieved a new "voice", displaying a storytelling skill rarely matched. Students of American history will gain new insights into our past through the eyes of the protagonist, Abel Jones. Owen Parry and Abel Jones will be names to watch as this continuing Civil War saga unfolds in the coming years.

This is one of the first Faery books i ever owned. I did not buy from here, but bought it in a used book store. Let me tell you, if you are a believer in faeries, this is a MUST-HAVE. "Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book" is a delightful story of one Angelica Cottington who recives a blank book from her aunt, which was made for pressing flowers. But instead, she presses Fairies in them! The Fairies get their revenge and make Angelica flee to Italy. The images done but the talented Mr. Brian Froud are incrediable, as are all of his works. This really isnt a book for little children, because some of the images are quiet explicit, but i do recommend to get it for them when they reach an apporprite age.

This is a wonderful, stunning, creative, unike, funny, and enchanting book. This beautifully illustrated book has actual entries by the young girl, telling mysterious acounters with the faeries, and her daily life. The pressed faeries are amazing and realistic, but are not real pressed faeries. This book also has a cute little window deco and the book comes in paper back, hard cover, large version, and the smaller version which are all beautifull. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves faeries, and who has an open mind to the excitence of faeries. I do not reccomend this book to anyone who is a little child looking for a appropriate faery book, for the faeries are squished ( with odd little expressions on their faces,) and their is a small bit of mild sexual content.

Brian Froud is my favorite fantasy illustrator to start with. I fell in love with his book 'Faeries' back in the 70's...I am very fond of the work of his co-illustrator on that project, Alan Lee, as well. But pair Brian's brilliant art with the writing of ex Monty Pythoner Terry Jones and the result is a hilarious book that actually had me laughing out loud. Brian's lovely watercolors of shocked looking faeries (I was lucky enough to see some of his original work for the following book "Strange Stains and Mysterious Smells" this summer) pressed between the pages of the spirited Miss Cottington's journal like hapless wildflowers is just too much...and the Lady's description of the events leading up to each...er...pressing make for a thoroughly enjoyable romp. While definately not for small kids, I recommend it to anyone with a slightly grim sense of humor and a love of fantasy.