Smart Women is perhaps Judy Blume's most accomplished work. Indeed, the text is almost a synthesis of familiar themes and character types from Blume's earlier work. The novel deals with children coping with divorced parents, teenagers searching for self-identity, adults who are on a similar quest, and, as always, a search for love and self validation. As Blume portrays, love and life are never easy, but with patience, perserverance, and time, new beginnings can always be made. The novel almost serves as a text that tells what may have happened to Blume's other characters had we been able to see them develop outside their own texts. However, the novel is more than a mere rehashing of familiar themes. Blume effectively uses themes that she knows best and incorperates them in the novel. Blume is undoubtedly the best Children's and YA novelist this century, but her "adult" novels are where Blume is able to shine. We can only hope that Blume doesn't take as long as a hiatus working on her next adult novel as she did between Smart Women and Summer Sisters. Why Smart Women was ever out of print is a mystery. Read the novel and enjoy. The characters stick under your skin long after the last page is turned.

Reading Smart Women is like catching up with an old friend you haven't seen in a while--Judy Blume. If you, like me grew up reading Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret and Forever, and loved those books, then you will love Smart Women. Judy Blume's writing style is so fabulous, so comfortable. There is no one else writing like her today. This is a terrific book about contemporary women and the crises they face after divorce, and, as with all other Judy Blume books, she does not disappoint. Enjoy this one, it is so easy to read, yet it's not "light reading" because it makes you think.

this is my second time reading Smart Women. i love this book and i love the characters. i wish judy blume would write more adult novels. i can't wait to read summer sisters.

Goldy's latest adventure is once again laced with wonderful sounding recipes and a mystery that I didn't quite have figured out till the very end. But Grilling Season is not up to par with Davidson's previous books. I missed the frequent interactions with the town's interesting characters. This story was heavily preoccupied with Goldy and the abusive Jerk; missing was humor and joy in Goldy's life. I wanted more of Tom and Marla and even the town's cigarette smoking/Jolt drinking "investigative reporter". And we were tantalizing introduced to some new characters only to never return to them (I hope to see more of Amy). And what is it with Arch!? Why does Goldy - wonderful, caring mother that she is - allow him to verbally berate her that way?! But by all means read this latest installment by Davidson; I'm looking forward to the next book.

I like this seiries of books but was not real happy with this particular one. The recipes, as always, are terrific, but the dynamics between Arch and Goldy makes me want to point somebody in the direction of family counseling.

The plot of the story is that it appears that Goldy's abusive exhusband has murdered his current girlfriend. Arch, her son, gets angry because he feeld Goldy and Tom don't want to help the "Jerk". This seems a bit difficult to swallow because I would have thought Arch would have seen the after effects of Goldy's abuse - the broken thumb, the black eyes, the bruises. You can't hide something like that from a child, they can tell something is going on. So that the "Jerk" would ba a good non-abusive father yet a horrible abusive husband doesn't seem to work for me. Nor does Arch's anger at his mother for what her perceives as her failure to try to clear his father's name.

If you're working thru the complete seiries (as I am), you will have to make this stop. I don't think you'll enjoy it as much as the other books, but the recipes may make up for it.

The Jerk has been charged with murder and his ex, Goldy Schulz, owner of Goldilock's Catering and a former victim of spousal abuse, thinks he is very capable of having killed his girl friend, Suz Craig. Still Dr. John Korman is the father of her teenage child and though Goldy thinks he deserves punishment for his crimes to women, the amateur sleuth agrees to investigate the case.

Goldy quickly learns that the deceased was the regional vice president of Astute Care HMO that recently purchased her former husband's medical practice. Suz controlled whether John deserved a bonus payment, cash he might soon need depending on the results of a malpractice suit filed against him (by one of Goldy's clients). Though the evidence continues to stack up against John, Goldy realizes that other people had motive and opportunity to have killed the hated Suz, who ruthlessly mistreated many people in business and play. Now all she has to do is prove who actually did it before she becomes their next course.

The insight into the lead protagonist's character (especially from the perspective of her teenager and her ex-spouse) adds dimension to Goldy. The use of real events effecting the Colorado backdrop (such as the local hockey team's Stanley Cup victory two years ago) adds a touch of authenticity. However, THE GRILLING SEASON is not for those who like a lot of spice in their meals because, like most culinary mysteries, the story line simmers very slowly.

Harriet Klausner

Colin Fletcher was one of my early "guides" into backpacking, and many of his hiking tips still stand up well as I continue to backpack in my 50's.

His trip down the Colorado provides more inspiration for what can be achieved as you get wiser and, oh yes, older, too.

This isn't an "adventure" story in the trite sense, nor a river guide. It's a sharing of a person's thoughts. Fletcher is a different kind of person than most of us, but his musings cause me to think about my own life strategies and outcomes.

-- P.C.

I did a whitewater rafting trip last year through Canyonlands NP and this book brought the wonderful memories of that trip - the beauty of the scenery and excitement of the rapids - back to me full force. I LOVED this book. Colin Fletcher's descriptions really bring you to the river and its surrounding beauty. I love how he describes everything, and how he goes off on tangents back to memories of his own life. This book is well worth the read!

This is a book for those looking to take some quiet time to think about life, the river, and the environment. It is not a logistical book for those wishing to duplicate the experience. Fletcher's journey reveals the river from the perspective of an elderly man traveling at a slow pace (6 months) who is absorbing the spirit and feel of the Colorado and reflecting upon a lifetime of wilderness travel. It is slow, methodical, and at times a little tedious, but rich in detail and thoughtfulness.

This is a book for the thoughtful and reflective, not the pump-me-up, thrill seeker. The little mistakes the author makes are usually pointed out by himself, and they mark the book as authentic in that Colin is a lot like the rest of us in his amateur knowledge of the details of wildlife. He differs, though, in his ability to tell the story, a unique story, of adventure and life.

One of the more common formulas in the "cozy mystery" genre is to have a strong female character running into murderous plots amongst her acquaintances/clients, while trying to run a business and live her life with a significant other who is a cop or detective.

This series with Goldy and her catering business uses this formula, but unfortunately (and I feel bad for saying this), not very well. The first half of this book was extremely bland. Character development seemed to be sacrificed for unnecessary details about recipes and Goldy's constant catering concerns. I knew more about how the food was packed and transported to the catering sites then about the murdered person and those who were possible suspects. Now, personally, I love to cook, and the recipes are a great idea, but I really was disappointed in the lackluster story development and dialogue between characters. There were some occasional good moments and plot twists, but not enough to give this mystery reader a reason to continue reading books in this series.

Who have I liked in this particular genre? Mary Daheim's Bed-and-Breakfast series and Dolores Johnson's Dry Cleaning series are both fun to read.

In this culinary mystery by Daine Mott Davidson, Goldy the caterer becomes involved in the deadly games of the cosmetics industry. This story has many twists and turns, and dead bodies falling out .... well...everywhere! All the recipes are lowfat, but they promise to be full of flavor. This was a fun mystery, and I look forward to trying out some of these! Main Corpse and Prime Cut are still my two favorite books by this author!

This is the 5th book in the Goldy the caterer series. This time the girlfriend of her beloved assistant and border, Julian Teller, is murdered. Of course Goldy can't stand by and let Julian suffer, so she pokes her nose into things and eventually solves a murder.

Along the way she deals with her best friend's heart attack, her vicious ex-husband, her new husband, a teenage son, demanding clients, the cut throat cosmetic industry, and animal rights activists. All while preparing delicious low fat recipes. Don't read on an empty stomache.

I think that the book is all right, since it does give some intresting info about people like Rachel, Cassie, Eric and Dylan and I do like that the author has shown at least some sympathy towards the Harris and Klebold families.

But I do think that the author should have had more info on Eric and Dylan. I'm also personally very skepticial on the notions that Cassie was the one who said "yes" and that Rachel Scott was the Rachel that was named on the "basement tapes".

This is a ok book about columbine. I am olny giving it 3 stars because it was to religious for me. I would read the parts on the details of what happened at columbine and skip all the religious stuff. It does tell you interesting facts about eric and Dylan.
It also tells what it was like for the author to visit the area, see the Graves and the school. It talks about Rachels Life and Cassies and tells there storys .

the book was good. very nice details about the day of the shootings. but what struck me as odd is that in the first sentence of chapter 1 ( you can see the page on this site) she says 15 died, yet on the back cover shes says that 13 died. any help with this one?

Sacramento private investigator Kat Colorado is fresh from a nerve-shattering adventure, and needing a change of scenery. A wheezing old man name Tobias offers her that opportunity when he hires her to look into the four-month old murder of his godniece, Deidre, a crime dismissed by her sleepy northern California town as a robbery and an unfortunate event. The true killer, Tobias believes, was an acquaintance, and he wants Kat to become acquainted with the killer.

So Kat becomes Kate, hangs up her badge and puts on a bartender's apron and goes undercover, sinking deeper into her faux life as she becomes entangled in the lives of Deidre's charming widower and young son, her jealous sister, the requisite wacky barmaid-cum-roommate (seems every novel has wisecracking relief these days, though Kat holds her own as well), and a cast of beer-drinking regulars with wandering eyes and hands. Somewhere in this muddle is Deidre's killer, and despite a change in hair color and fashion tastes, that killer appears to have fleshed out Kat.

I was trying so hard not to compare Kijewski's Kat Colorado with Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone, but the resemblences are difficult to ignore. Both are single, female PIs based in California, tough and uncompromising when a job needs to be done. In Copy Kat, however, we are offered a gentler, more emotional protagonist with a quick wit. Not to say that Grafton's Kinsey doesn't have her moments, but Kat Colorado is less methodical in her routine, and perhaps in the case of Copy Kat that is more enjoyable to read

Kat Colorado mysteries are great because the plot flows smoothly, there are no loose ends at the end of the book, and the characters are ohsoreal.

Copy Kat is no exception. When Kat needs to escape her nightmares, she seizes the opportunity to go out of town undercover to find the client's goddaughter's killer.

The people she meets are warm and real to the reader, and I was surprised by the identification of the killer.

Biggest problem with this book: there seem to be two important sentences missing in the chapter in which Kat meets the victim's sister and brother in law. I don't know if they are publisher or author omissions, but they made it difficult for me to follow an important chapter.

While this isn't the author's best work, it is better by FAR than many of the mysteries out there. Karen Kijewski should be proud of the work she has published, because it's a yacht swimming in the literary sewage that calls itself "mystery."

This is the first "mystery" novel that I have read other than the nancy drew series. I am 15, and I really enjoyed this book, it is a great mystery, and you keep on wondering till the very end. I am keen on reading her other books that she has written. I reccomned this to pretty much anybody, except for people who do not like a bit of murder in a novel

Diane Mott Davidson has written her most far-fetched plot, filled it with action, and added her usual excellent recipes (this time themed to Elizabethan times). If you treat this mystery as a satire on the kind of romance mystery novels that fill the bookstores, you'll love it. If you try to take it seriously, you'll be disappointed unless you have a few alcoholic beverages first to dull your rational mind. The main advantage of this book is that the unpleasant theme of violence at the hands of Goldy's ex (from The Grilling Season) turns into a minor key from a major one in that book.

The book opens with Goldy home with Arch and Jake in the wee hours of the morning, while Tom is gone in New Jersey on a manhunt for a suspect in a FedEx truckjacking. A shotgun blast takes out her living room window, and the neighbors arrive with arms to look for the culprit. They find no one. Goldy is supposed to cater a job later in the day, so she clears out with the food and Arch. Before the day ends, Goldy finds the man Tom was tracking dead in a creek near her client's castle. When Tom joins her to investigate, a rifle shot rings out and wings him. Soon they are on a helicopter headed for the hospital in a hurry, because Tom has lost a lot of blood. This powerful beginning is Ms. Davidson's best in this series.

Plot complications soon pile on. Her ex-husband, Dr. John Richard Korman, has been released from jail on parole. Could he be shooting at Goldy and Tom? What about the parents she accused of abusing a baby? Who is the mystery woman staking out the house?

Goldy and Arch move in with their clients in a restored castle transported from Europe, while Tom recovers in the hospital. The story rapidly evolves to include a letter from Henry VIII, some of the world's rarest stamps, exotic castle features, ghosts, unlikely co-conspirators, confidential e-mails, old girl friends, passion, love, and revenge.

Normally, all of this would make a delightful story. In this case, the story is flawed by far-fetched twists and turns that stretch credibility well past the breaking point. With less imagination, this story would have been more. As written, it is such a fantastic tale that you will be disappointed when you find out the resolution.

As you think about this story, I suggest that you consider the question of balance in your life. When is more too much? If one ice cream soda tastes good, are four better at one time? How about twelve?

Seek balance in all that you do!

Diane Mott Davidson has done it again, another fun mystery involving Goldy, the caterer/sleuth along with murder and missing valuable stamps, not to mention an appearance by Goldy's husband's old girlfriend. The story begins with Goldy's picture window being shot out, a suspect in a police case turning up dead near a catering sight, and after that , the clues and suspects mount up faster than the calories in the recipes!! There are wonderful recipes for scones, shortbread cookies and the totally fantastic and irrestible chocolate emergency 911 cookies!!! Davidson's mysteries are fun and interesting, and while some may find them a bit of a stretch for their imagination, the story is very entertaining and enjoyable. You will not be dissapointed. The characters are interesting, and some of them are really out there, and that is what makes the story move! I have read all of this series of books, and while some are better than others, this one is one of the most fun!!

If you aren't familiar with Diane Mott Davidson's wonderful culinary mystery series starring Goldy, the catering amateur sleuth, this is a great book to get you hooked! The novel boasts a wonderful locale (an English castle which has been transported and re-assembled in Aspen Meadow, CO), a clever mystery with lots of twists and turns, and numerous mouth-watering recipes created by Goldy and her assitant--budding vegetarian chef Julian Teller. I can't recommend this book highly enough to keep you entertained. You'll be torn between wanting to finish the book and running to your kitchen to re-create the terrific recipes. Davidson creates a wonderful story involving a colorful cast of characters. It's a terrific, fun read.

I found this book to be the most updated of its kind regarding the JonBenet Ramsey case. The book is a great read and sheds new light on what really may have happened to JonBenet. This is a must-read, if you liked Schiller's book on JonBenet Ramsey, you will love this up-to-date book by Mr. Singular.

I HAVE READ ALL OF THE JONBENET BOOKS. THIS ONE IS THE BEST. ONLY SCHILLER AND SINGULAR DID MORE THAN A PASTE AND CLIP JOB.THIS BOOK IS INSIGHTFUL AND THOUGHT PROVOKING.THE QUESTIONS SINGULAR RAISES ARE GOOD QUESTIONS BUT THEY MAY NEVER BE ANSWERED.

Mr. Singular's insightful book is a great example of contributory journalism. Not just a scrapbook, like "Perfect Murder, Perfect Town", but a chronicle by one of the country's finest investigative journalists of his descent into the darkest regions of one of the 20th century's most distorted and over-reported criminal cases. Mr. Singular actively investigated the case. His findings are disturbing and provide critical information for law enforcement officials and others with an interest in seeing justice for JonBenet. His analysis of cultural phenomena impacting this tragedy should be required reading for the Grand Jury investigating the crime.

If you want to enjoy Smith's work, please buy ANY other book of his before this one. Especially the new edition of "The Probability Broach," the essays in "Lever Action," or his richly told "Forge of the Elders" saga.

~ Two massive terrorist acts have the detective protagonist, Win Bear, and his circle showing very little emotional reaction to them, beyond initial revulsion and bone-weariness. This rings false. Thousands have died instantly, and in a culture that is wholly unaccustomed to it. Win's lack of feeling undercuts one basic point Smith has made: that such mutual support flourishes, rather than wilts, in an individualistic and non-political culture.

~ The "stranger in a strange land" focus is weakened by a lack of vivid hints of the statist America(s) from which those in the "Zone" have escaped. Smith's stellar "Pallas" is clearly set in an alternate universe where that fact is never brought up, and his "Broach" makes this escape into one of high contrast -- and both novels are far stronger in that respect. This one is in a mushy middle ground.

~ Too many allusions are made to current American pop culture. These wrench us back too quickly to a dreary this-world present -- and we don't see how they're transmitted, nor from which alternate America.

~ The statist villains here are caricatures, introduced too quickly and pulled off stage too abruptly. Compare this to the luxurious portrait of John Jay Madison in "Broach," where you want to know him better, even while you mentally hiss him as in an old-time melodrama.

~ Names are too often tortured concoctions and are pulled too closely from "real" figures, without the intended satiric effect. "Bennett Williams" is made into a simpleton of an ideologue. William Bennett is not like this, despite his massive faults, and the point is lost.

~ Details of gunsmithery get in the way. In "Broach," they furthered the story without bogging down in a collector's zest for minutiae. Here, they end up diluting the vital point about weapons of self-defense adding to human dignity.

~ The main characters are undercut by our knowing that they show up in a half-dozen Confederacy novels set after this one. It's like knowing Anakin Skywalker is never in mortal danger in "Star Wars" II, when we realize he already was in IV through VI. (This is more distracting, though, for long-time Smith fans.)

~ The copyeditor and proofreader were out to lunch on this one. Misspellings, mispunctuation, shifts of tense, and over-repeated character backgrounds are constant and distracting.

Neither author nor reader deserves to have this highly flawed book discourage newcomers from sampling Neil Smith's talent and enjoying his utter passion for human liberty.

In The Probability Broach we have a really good mystery set in the background of a world where libertarian ideas flourished. The book set up a foundation for future stories.
Yet in The American Zone we have a badly designed plot thrust into the background while the libertarian ideas are pushed to the foreground. What I would of enjoyed is less of Lucy jabbering, and pissing off people, and more of a real plot set in new areas of the Confederacy or other parts of the alternate world. Surely Europe and Asia have developed their own forms of libertarian governments based on their own ideas, culture and history?
I'm sorry but some of the chapters could of been removed from the book without hurting the plot at all, a sure sign of a book that was written for something else BESIDES the story.
Come on, your preaching to the chorus! Turn around and talk to the rest, deliver the ideas of freedom and liberty WITHOUT scaring the day-lights out of them.
Lets face it, Lucy is slightly forward, if not sometimes rude towards everybody and anything she does not like or believe in. I love her, but many people, even from the same political parties, sometimes don't see eye to eye, this is not the best way to present a Libertarian, even if she is a person of fiction.
I would suggest you start out with other books by L. Neil Smith.

A new North American Confederacy novel at last. After a hiatus following THE GALLATIN DIVERGENCE, L. Neil Smith has finally returned to his most popular creation, the alternate world first visited over twenty years ago in his classic novel THE PROBABILITY BROACH. As fate would have it, THE AMERICAN ZONE deals specifically with how a truly free society would handle a spate of terrorist attacks. In the wake on 9-11, the issues LNS deals with are incredibly relevant for Americans today. All our favorite characters return, including Lucy Kropotkin and Will Sanders, plus numerous figures from our own world (or similiar realities) appear under different names. Half the fun is realizing which real-world public figure LNS is skewering under another name. As always, there's plenty of action, lots of laughs, and a fine mystery along with the libertarian philosophy. If you can stand to take your freedoms straight, with no chaser, this is the novel for you! Read and enjoy.

A dreary and somewhat depressing book, without the fun sparkle of other books in the series. Even "The Last Suppers", where Goldy's groom is abducted minutes before their wedding is more cheery than this book.

Perhaps the constant rain and gloom depicted in the story just pervaded the feel of this book. Goldy's best friend, Marla, is accused of murdering her boyfriend and his business partner, because she'd lost so much money in their financial investments. It's up to Goldy, The General, Arch and his new dog Jake the Bloodhound to prove the charge wrong.

Not a bad book, but not quite up to the fun of the other Goldy mysteries. The recipes are wonderful as always, and I can't wait until strawberry season so that I can try the Sugar-snap pea and Strawberry salad.

Goldy is once again at her culinary best! This book is full of action, suspense and wonderful eats! I am a big fan ever since "Dying for Chocolate". Since I love a good mystery and I love to eat her books combine the best of both worlds. Her new assistant, Macguire, is a great addition to the cast as well as Arch's dog, Jake. The recipes are to "die" for and I've already made the stir-fry and the sour cream cherry coffee cake, both are two forks up

This was my introduction to Goldilock's deadly catering experiences. It so enticed my taste buds that I ordered every delectable book Diane Mott Davidson has served up so far, and am now chronologically devouring each and every one.

The author tosses up a story with just a dash of "amature detective" interference from our fiesty caterer; adds a pinch of "woman's intuition"; a sprinkling of admiration from her cop/husband; a garnish of his own good detective skills and dishes up a great mystery which will definitely challenge your deductive powers. She also invites you, the reader, into the personal and private lives of Goldy, Arch and Tom.

I have become so involved in Goldy's dream of a successful catering business; Arch's necessary growing pains; Tom's love for Goldy and his respect for her need for the time and space to pursue her dream - that I enjoy those parts which may drift away from the mystery almost as much as the mystery itself.

If you enjoy a good suspense-filled whodunit, with a variety of suspects, a somewhat comedic "what can go wrong next" attitude, deliciously decadent recipes and a cast of real "non-perfect" human characters . . . then this is a Must Read!!