This was a simply written and quite charming novel. Whilst it did give an insight into the lives of a moderately wealthy English family in 1931, it lacked plot and real structure and for this reason I am unlikely to read more by this author at this stage - especially when there are simply too many other great books out there to read. A gentle, easy read but a little disappointing.

Am determined to write impressions from this book in the style of "the Provincial Lady" herself. Am doubtful however as to the outcomes of this effort as my highest labors would not reach the dry frank witticism she displays.
Provincial Lady does her best to satisfy the wishes of silent husband (... "Robert, this morning, complains of insufficient breakfast. Cannot feel that porridge, scrambled eggs, toast, marmalade, scones, brown bread and coffee give adequate grounds for this, but admit that porridge is slightly burnt...."), intimidating cook, beloved children (... "Robin - whom I refer to in a detached way as "the boy" so that she shan't think I am foolish about him..., "Vicky,.... Enquires abruptly whether, if she died, I should cry?"), Mademoiselle (the nanny), Gardner and all kinds of friends and neighbors including the tiring Lady Birkenshop, "our vicar's wife" and the hated Mrs. B. ("query: Is not a common hate one of the strongest links in human nature?... answer, most regrettably, in the affirmative.")
This is the same women world. Husband is as usual quiet and does not give any consolation and the Lady struggles to please everyone and not forget herself and her own wishes (and health) on the way. How very sad to discover it was the same (woman) world even 70 years ago ... Book is so very candid and manages to capture the ever lasting nuances of human behavior ("Mem: Candid and intelligent self examination as to motive, etc., often leads to very distressing revelations...."), little lies, social pretenses and the day to day struggles. Funny and entertaining yet can be tiring at times - since the day to day life is indeed tiring . Very very British and thus charming.

I reread this every year or two, and love it each time. Admittedly,a product of its time and place, capturing life among the genteely-poor gentry in an English village between the wars(WW's I & II). The diary format makes the provincial lady's narration of and commentary on the events around her doubly funny, as she struggles to run her household and not be driven crazy by nice but dull husband, snobbish wife of husband's boss,disputes among servants,quandaries about children, etc.--and to find time to keep a sense of herself as a professional writer. Not deep, but funny and often touching.

This is the story of Perry, the lonliest kid in the world. In response to the tragic death of his daughter and separation from his wife, Jack Dubois takes his son, Perry to a secluded, forested region of Minnesota, then becomes the stereotypical "silent tough guy." As a result, Perry (who is also home-schooled), has no friends and nobody to talk to. He is self-reliant until a new family moves into the nearby Bennett House: A large family of talkative artists from California. Perry is upset about this (as I know I would be if talkative artists moved in next door to me), especially because the only family memmber his age is a girl (ewwwwwww!). Slowly, Perry and Jack open up to each other and build interpersonal relationships.

While I don't think this is Kristine Franklin's best book, it is a good one. I taught it to my fifth graders who enjoyed it a lot. One good thing about this book is the fact that Perry is a dynamic (changing), three dimensional character, so we can focus on him and how he changes during the novel, while the other characters are largely one-dimensinal. This is not a criticism of the book: it allows the young reader to identify with the characters and predict what his/her reactions will be ("Dad will say nothing, Willow will talk a lot and be annoying," etc.), so that reading comprehnesion is easier.

In sum, I recommend this book because kids enjoy the story, the static characters make reading it easy and because it's generally an easy book to teach.

I liked this book. It's not the best I've ever read, but it was enjoyable. I liked it!

Lone Wolf, a realistic fiction book by Kristine Franklin, is an excellent read. It is about Perry, a bright young man whose family has been torn apart by tragedy. Coping with a silent, hardworking father and an absent mother, Perry quietly lives close to nature in northern Minnesota, homeschooling himself without much input from his father. When a new family moves in to the house on some nearby property, Perry finds himself learning how to cope with new situations and the emotions they evoke. The plot and character development in Lone Wold is deep and powerful. As a teacher, I found this book an excellent read aloud that enabled the class to discuss many sensitive issues productively. It provided many personal links for my fifth grade students.

Mary George Murphy is heartbroken when her last remaining relative dies in mysterious circumstances. When she joins forces with her unusual partner, substitute guardian angel Augusta Goodnight, she is reunited with her childhood friend Sam and solves the murder of her beloved aunt. The strength of this book is the cast of charming characters and cozy setting.

Mary George Murphy's life is a mess. She's lost her job, her fiance', and now her adopted mother Aunt Caroline. Aunt Caroline fell down the attic stairs. Only, she never went up there if she didn't have to. Mary George is in dispair and decides to end it all. She is stopped by her substitute guardian angel, Augusta Goodnight. What an angel, the last time she was on earth it was the forties and she is having a hard time dealing with everything 50 years later, not that she doesn't try. She is usually in charge of the strawberries in heaven. With Augusta's help, she gets her life back on track, reconnects with an old friend, and solves the mystery of her Aunt Caroline's death, as well as a few others.

This was a very sweet cozy, Aunt Dimity's fans should I really like it. I know I did.

This is an enjoyable story about a woman whose life is upside down. Her fiance has left her, her aunt has died, and her substitute gaurdian angel pops in and out at will. BUT- her aunt's death is suspicious and with the help of her gaurdian angel Mary George Murphy manages to find an old friend, make new friends, and solve the murder of her aunt. Very interesting.

This is a nice little book to cozy up to and enjoy when you need a little chuckle. I enjoyed it.

my and my girlfreind shaniqua really loved it.

"General Dynamics" is a great romantic suspense novel, written in true Roger franklin style.
General Dynamics is a successful murder mystery author who is looking for some peace and quiet after a stressful book tour. When he discovers that his usually straight-edge sister Kathleen is earning extra money as a phone sex operator he is concerned. But because of the company's strict anonymity policy, she figures that Kathleen will be perfectly safe. Unfortunately, he couldn't be more wrong, as he returns home one night to find his sister strangled with the phone cord. It seems as though dynamics has walked right into one of his books, only this time he is the dazed survivor.
Detective Ed Jackson, dynamic's new neighbour is assigned to the case. But he is having trouble concentrating on anything but his attraction to dynamics and his desire to keep him safe. the general is determined to avenge his sister's death, so he sets up a daring trap to lure the killer to him. Ed doesn't like the idea one bit, and is concerned for this feisty man he has fallen in love with.
But neither General Dynamics nor Ed knows that dynamic's trap has already worked and that this brilliant madman has turned his obsession to him. As the killer closes in it will be up to Ed to put things together and get to the general in time to save his life!
This is a thrilling and fast-paced read with a lovely romance added to the mix. general dynamics and Ed will charm readers with their endearing quirks and mannerisms. This is a follow-up to "Sacred Sins" although it can easily stand alone (I read this one first and had no trouble following). This is a wonderfully entertaining book and I have no doubt that you will enjoy it! --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

While I sympathize somewhat with the review below -- the introductions do quibble a bit over the differences between Folio and Quarto versions, the exact source material etc. -- I found this to be an excellent version of the complete works. The essay before each play is very helpful toward understanding the literary context of the play--they _do_ talk about the characters and the action of the play, in a way that nicely complements the text. The illustrations (some black and white, some color) are also interesting and helpful. The book contains both a general introduction, which is accessible, if slightly daunting, to a reader who might not be intimately familiar with all of the plays, serving to excite interest at least. It also contains an essay on 20th century Shakespeare criticism, which introduces many of the newer movements in Shakespeare criticism that are not included in the general introduction (which focuses more on the Elizabethan historical period, and more immediate reactions to the plays). The footnotes, while they are not indicated on the line itself, are located on the same page. In looking at several other editions, I found that footnotes were sometimes actually endnotes--i.e. located in one section at the end of the play, which would be very disruptive to reading. Happily, this is not the case in this edition.

The book, as the title claims, includes all of Shakespeare's plays, Sonnets, and poems. The appendices include many other interesting tidbits that help shine some light on old Billy's life, including his will, in which he enigmatically bequeathed a "second-best bed" to his wife. Other documents are included, often with explanations to help the reader to understand (as the documents are printed verbatim, the Elizabethan spelling and punctuation is a slight impediment).

Overall, I found this to be the best of the paperback and hardcover editions I examined.

Graham writes "the God of Islam is not the God of the Christian faith". Oh really? Graham has obviously not read the Christian Bible. The Name is Graham's attempt to give himself a aura of legitimacy. Most of the book is devoted to describing his recent "great moments". Graham Jr. has some big shoes to fill and this book and his inflamatory public statements proves he hasn't a clue how to do it.

The various names of God helps us to understand His character. Jesus means Saviour, and Mr. Graham tells the Gospel story while interleaving them in his life experiences, his various speeches and travels around the world. This book is an easy read, yet full of the meaning of the impact that Jesus Christ had on the world. I would recommend it as a gift to an unbelieving friend. Incidentally Mr. Graham has a burden for the Muslim world having spent much time in that part of the world ministering to the Muslim people from Sudan to Indonesia to Jordan to Afghanistan. He is not afraid to take a stand for Jesus, pray in the name of Jesus, and his convictions are that God opens the doors for him, and he is not much worried if people do not invite him back once they find out he will mention the name of Jesus that every knee should bend. Mr. Graham does not shy away from controversy because his primary goal is to please God, rather than win popularity contests in this "politically correct" world of ours.

I used to work for Samaritan's Purse and for Mr. Graham and that was the only reason I picked up this book. I have a hard time reading books but I could not put this one down. If you go into this book with the idea that you will come out with a holy revelation your wrong. It is a book about Mr. Graham's experiences, and his struggles with worldly views about using the name of Jesus. One review on here said that Mr. Graham was wrong about the Islam vs. Christianity issue, but Mr Graham is correct. This is also a book that shows there is much hope in Jesus just by his Holy name. If you want something good to read pick this book, but make sure you enter into it with the right mind.

This review concerns the revised 1964 edition. A young girl asks Mr. Hardy, Frank and Joe to find her brother, a young university professor, who recently disappeared. A clue left by the professor leads Frank, Joe, Chet and Biff to the Honeycomb Caves, not far from Bayport, where the boys discover a connection to Mr Hardy's other case involving sabotage at a new radar station in Bayport. I don't know what the author of the revised edition was thinking; he/she took the original edition, that was already not very good, largely rewrote it, stripped away the only really good thing about the original (its rich language and descriptiveness) and made an already dull book even worse. This is a bad book with a boring mystery and not much action. If you're determined to read this title, read the original if you can, neither one is very good, but at least the original was well written.

I think this book is the worst Hardy Boys book ever.This book is so poor I think it wasn't even made by Franklin W. Dixon.I would give it one star but I have to give it some credit.Listen to me and don't get this book.

I think Secret of the caves was the best book I ever read from the Hardy Boys Collection! It was so good I read it in one day! So if i were you I would get the Secret of the Caves right away!

This last of five great volumes continues to look at Roosevelt and his times from the progressive Left. Davis was a liberal New Dealer (with the AAA) and he surveys FDR's third term with a view to what might-have-been through the eyes of one of many who welcomed a more fundamental shift from "selfish materialism" to "selfless ideology" in America. What better perspective to measure this century's greatest Democrat?

Ignore Michael Lind's NY Times review -- except to get a taste of the reactionary manifesto FDR was up against; he simply trashes Davis's liberalism with a neo-con, op-ed spin piece on commies and big business, and concludes the book to be historical fiction. And why the accusation of "calumny" when Davis posits psychology as one of several possible explanations for FDR's inaction to the final solution? Only last year did we learn of John McCloy's discussion with an irate President about bombing Auschwitz ("Why, the idea! I won't have anything to do with it. We'll be accused of participating in this horrible business."), which was insight kept secret for forty years. With such precious little information about the motives of an aging, instinctive President who was always reluctant to espouse the ideological over the pragmatic, why is it unethical to suppose that he "may" have felt the politics of rescue to be personally overwhelming?

Don't let one review deter you from a great history and a great story. From the Grand Alliance to Pearl Harbor to Casablanca and the Darlan Deal, the book presents a magnificent frieze. I give it four stars only because, alas, it ends prematurely.

Although Davis' book runs 757 pages, it only covers about 4 years real time. If you take the plunge, you will learn much about FDR, the War, and Davis (the author). I have read many books about the military conduct of WWII, from all sides. This was my first book about Great Leaders, Diplomacy, and World War strategy from the "Top." Most of this was new to me and most of the main points in the book don't show Roosevelt in a favorable light. Here are some of the big sins Davis reveals:

1. FDR was clearly deceptive in his 1940 Campaign. He promised American mothers that he would keep us out of the War but he was already anxious to get us into the European War.

2. FDR sold out most of his liberal principles in fighting the War. For instance, he placed industrialists in top positions, he put republicans in the cabinet, looked the other way when large firms ignored labor laws during the war, refused to embrace Henry Wallace's "Century of the Common Man." etc. Worst of all, large firms made money on their contracts! There is a long list
of FDRs actions that show that the FDR's approach to the War effectively ended the New Deal program.

3. There was much more tension between Americans and English than I realized. As far as military strategy, the Americans wanted to attack the Germans directly, ASAP, whereas the English
preferred to attack the Germans indirecty, sometime later....
The English were afraid of the Germans, who had just recently kicked them out of France, Greece, North Africa, etc. At one point in 1942, General Marshall was ready to jettison the English approach, the Torch invasion, and shift US resources to the Pacific. Roosevelt agreed to English strategies....

4. FDR thought he could charm Stalin, "uncle joe." What a colossal miscalculation of Stalin's character.

5. FDR did not worry much about civil liberties, authorizing the "evacuation" of the West Coast Japanese, letting the FBI run rampant with wire-tapping, etc.

6. FDR was an unprincipled man, devious, back-stabbing, disloyal to people who had backed him for decades, such as Hillman, and Farley. Davis claims FDR could turn his emotions on and off to serve practical requirements. He could not be trusted.

7. And the final, greatest sin; FDR knew much about the Holocaust by 1942 and he refused to shout it from the rooftops.
FDR was not anti-semitic, but he did not want his legion of enemies to label it "A War to Save Jews" because FDR knew that many American (voters) were anti-semitic.........

Somehow, Davis is willing to look past all these sins to
claim that FDR still deserves to be classified as a great president. Apparently FDRs unwavering focus on winning the War can offset even the largest sins.I'm not so sure.

As for Davis, his absolute hatred for capitalism and big business is reiterated on every other page. He also puts forth
a vague theory about technology and human welfare that readers can safely ignore. Davis prefers some kind of socialist state.

All in all, it made me curious to read more about FDR.

It's a shame that Professor Davis did not live to complete his massive biography of FDR. But what he left is a most thoughtful and provocative account of how Roosevelt steered a reluctant country into a war it had to wage. Davis is skeptical of FDR's management of the war effort -- the president's compulsive manipulation of his staff, his over-reliance on self-interested industrialists for war production, and, above all, the woeful lack of response to the Holocaust. But Professor Davis is not a revisionist -- he makes it clear that the Americans had to fight World War II to stop Nazi-fascism and preserve Western civilization, and that no one else on the American scene could have taken the country in that direction. In "The War President," Professor Davis builds on the strengths of his previous volumes with his enlightening commentary on the impact of modernity and technology on presidential leadership. And he adds to his sketches of the figures who played a role in FDR's life -- Churchill, Harry Hopkins, Wendell Willkie and many others. I hated to see the book end, but the final scene is very poignant, with the President spending a New Year's Eve watching the film Casablanca as he is sending Americans to fight in North Africa.

I love Kirk Franklin's music. So does he - and he seems to love himself even more! Not only does this book drip of self-praise and egotism, it rings loudly of homophobia. Of all the horrible things that might have happened to Kirk as a kid (and he doesn't really tell you any!) the worst, in his mind, seems to be that he was called a queer. Give me a break.

Kirk glosses over details, and pretty much everyone outside of his immediate, current, family have no names listed at all.

Don't waste your time AND your money. Buy a CD and be thankful that its ok to love the message and not the messenger!

Minister Kirk Franklins' book is very informative and good. He tells you exactly what he went thru growing up. If you read this book you will know exactly where he came from in order to understand where he is presently. He tells you about the major rejection he has experienced most of his growing years. He was rejected by his birth mother, and a number of clergy among others'. You see what Satan tries to destroy, God uplifts...that is what he has done for me personally and Minister Kirk Franklin...He is honest in this book in reference to his life and is very open in ref. to how being rejected by people made him feel. I would highly recommend that everyone get this book, read it and pass it on or purchase more of these books and give them to people who need to read it...I am so happy that by God's grace, Minister Kirk Franklin has survived his traumatic growing pains in order to do what he is doing now at this very moment, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ thru his music. God Bless you!

I bought this book a couple years ago and still remember most of the details. The thing that stands out about this book is Kirk's transparency. He is to the point where he is brutally honest about his life and his walk with the Lord. I identified with his pain and hurt that he experienced as a child. My heart ached for him as he dealt with loneliness and rejection for only wanting to be who he was.

He is definitely real about his experiences. This should be an inspiration to all Christians who try to hide behind the mask of being perfect. This book showed me that I can be honest with God , others, and myself.

My mother gave this book to me when I was ten, which was a very long time ago. Those images of the mummies, so well-preserved that they don't look like mummies but like still-living human beings in some eternal pain we can't imagine -- they gave me nightmares then and they can still chill me to the stomach.

My mother gave this book to me when I was ten, which was a very long time ago. Those images of the mummies, so well-preserved that they don't look like mummies but like still-living human beings in some eternal pain we can't imagine -- they gave me nightmares then and they can still chill me to the stomach.

After seeing a clip on the Franklin Expedition in a documentary on mummies, I rushed to the library to see if there was a book on the subject. The only one available was this book in the juvenile section. At first I was disappointed, but, noticing a photo of the preserved body of one of the sailors, I checked it out. For a kids' book, this one is pretty cool. The first part of the book is a fictionalized (and very sanitized) story of life for the average seaman on the doomed expedition. This story leaves the reader with questions that the author will answer in the second section describing the disinterring of three buried crew members and the information their well-preserved remains revealed. The photos are amazing and make this book fascinating for all ages (I don't remember juvenile books being this cool when I was a kid). The reading level and, at times, disturbing content is probably appropriate for kids 5th grade and up.

This review concerns the revised 1964 edition. Mr. Hardy gets Frank and Joe to help him track down a gang of jewel thieves. The trail leads Frank and Joe to the old Perth mansion on the outskirts of Bayport and into another mystery: what caused the death of Clarence Perth, who died in the mansion shortly after inheriting it from his uncle. This book wasn't bad, but with its appealing title and spooky mansion, I expected it to be better than what it was; although, most often, the books with the very appealing sounding titles don't live up to my expectations. This book is average; the mystery is interesting enough, there is a moderate amount of action and at least this edition wasn't confusing, unlike the original edition which was hard to follow at times. Some fans, like myself, might feel that this book wasn't as good as they had expected, but I don't think that any Hardy Boys fans would be bored reading the book.

This review concerns the original 1940 edition. Frank and Joe help their father track down a gang of vicious bank robbers and stumble upon a crazy man's mysterious, old mansion filled with his strange inventions. This is easily the most imaginative of all of the Hardy Boys books, with all of the interesting gadgets that the author included in the book; however, it is not a very well written book. There are a number of cases of people meeting in the most unlikely of areas, plot points that are totally irrelevant to the book and never explained (Frank and Joe find an envelope with a $100 bill in it at the beginning of the book, it is never mentioned again until the end of the book and it is never explained to whom the money belongs) and, at one point, Frank, Joe and Chet are at the mansion, Chet becomes frightened, runs off and is not mentioned again until Frank and Joe return to Bayport. The whole side of the book that concerns the mansion is not that important to the story, even though it is the most interesting part. It seems as though the author had a great idea for this weird house and then had to write in the bank robbers to provide bad guys for the story, because the first 80, or so, pages, until Frank and Joe first arrive at the mansion, drag on a bit. From that point on the book is pretty good. If nothing else, though, the book is interesting enough because of the strange gadgets and most Hardy Boy's fans would not think the book a waste of their time.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. It was pretty exciting. There are many exciting things that happen, like a car chase, a smoke screen, a dying man, mysterious robberies, a hidden tunnel, an errie ghost, a disappearing floor, a plane crash, a sabotaged boat, and a strange message. All in all it was a pretty good book.