Julie Garwood's "A Girl Named Summer," was an interesting book. This novel of hers is all going towards teenagers. It's the first time I read a book of hers and I think that she has interesting way of writting. It talks about a Senior(David) and a Sophomore (Summer) falling in love. But when Summer starts to lie to David her problems increase. She has to run in a six-mile race. Who would of thought that lying could get into a lot of trouble? As she works to win the race, she learns alot about herself. She learns that she doesn't need to be like other girls and she learns that you don't need to lie to get a guy.

I have read alot of Julie Garwood's adult romance novels but while shoping at a book fair I came across "A Girl Named Summer." It's plot was something any girl Summers age could have gone through. Thats what I liked about it, Julie made it seem real enough that you weren't left thinking "This could never happen!" Julie used great characters, making them funny, and serious but care free all at the same time. I recomened reading "A Girl Named Summer" ASAP because it's right up there with Julie Garwoods other great novels.

I am absolutley obsessed with Julie Garwood's books, and it did not phase he at all tht this book was aimed toward younger readers. Infact, it just displayed Ms. Garwood's talent for writing. She really knows how to write any knid of book, and I am not at all dissapointed with this offering. It was actually nice for me to read a book that was directed at my own age. My mom was telling me "Finally, a book for your own age!" (I'm only thirteen). There are many reasons why I loved this book. 1) I really identified with Summer. She is really a normal teen, and it is nice to read about people like yourself. Unlike Julie's historical characters, you know what Summer is going through because you have experienced it firsthand in your own time. 2) She really explained the joys of running well. I myself am a runner, and she really depicted it well. 3) I was glued to my seat from the first page on. Like I have said before, I knew what the characters were going through.

So, if you are a dedicated Garwood fan, or a young adult, this is a great, quick read.

I can't help but think I've read this book before, because a lot of it seems really familiar. As far as the genre goes, this book is above average--not uninteresting, but not fantastic either.

What really irks me about it is Corwin's insistence on making little cracks and judgments about the LAPD--he may think he's being sly, and/or maintaining his "journalistic detachment," but when he writes about felon Rodney King, about how the arresting officers "fractured Rodney King's cheekbone, cracked his right eye socket, [and broke] 11 bones at the base of his skull," he conveniently neglects to mention that King was a felon, that he was evading the police, and that he resisted arrest. No, King comes off like some poor innocent citizen walking his little puppy who was viciously set upon for no reason by evil killer cops. This omission is unforgiveable, because it's journalistically dishonest. If you want to give us the story, Corwin, give us the WHOLE story.

My sympathies always have been, and always will be, for the police. We pay them too little to do too much, and if some "poor innocent citizen" got his clock cleaned, well, maybe we should consider whether the citizen wasn't in fact guilty before condemning the cops. The Monday-morning quarterbacking doesn't help.

As a native angeleno, I found this book about the daily lives of homicide detectives in South-Central Los Angeles to be fascinating. Corwin also provides an insightful look into the history of animosity between the LAPD and minority groups in the city, thereby providing some enlightenment into the etiology of the 1992 riots. This book is a must read for native angelenos as well as a quick page-turner for anyone fascinated with homicide detectives and their investigations.

Where David Simon's HOMICIDE succeeds in sounding in prose, THE KILLING SEASON succeeds in speaking the truth. I have read most of the "True Cop" genre, which is mired in cops with axes to grind, journalists with careers to further, and others constrained by their lack of literary talent. As a cop, I was so relieved to see that at least one journalist could shed his skepticism of police officers' motivations and just sit, watch, listen, and reflect.

The shock, sadness, and resignation Corwin expresses so eloquently and easily are the constant companions of even the most idealistic cop. Most, however, can't master the vocabulary to express their motivations to the general public, who seem to think we are all power-hungry, single-minded, and without empathy. We think the same of journalists, and Miles Corwin goes a long way to bridging this gap of mutual understanding. If you want to know what cops are like, read this book.

This is a quiet and gentle read about life on a Wisconsin farm in the 1930's, when great grand- parents still recall tales about Indians. Nine- year-old Garnet Linden (well, yes, she's blond but not necessarily Scandinavian) reminds us of Laura Ingalls, for she is plucky, mischievous and strong-willed. It was a simpler age, with simple pleasures: safe hitchiking, swimming in the creek, barn-raisings, ice cream and County Fairs. But farmers had it tough then what with drought and financial worries until the harvest was in. Garnet's brother, Jay, has decided that he does Not want to be a farmer, but what about the new orphan boy who shows up one night by the lime kiln? Is he farmer material perhaps?

There is not much of a plot--just events strung out like beads on a necklace. But it is a laid-back kind of book which young girls will enjoy. The illustrations are delightful; we see bubbly Garnet chasing chickens, locked in (I won't say where!), and on the cover she proudly holds her pet pig. One theme is that you really should be grateful to have Good Neighbors. Also that you need special eyes to recognize treasures when you find them. From the creek, then from the woods--what will she do with hers?

I really loved this book because it was about a girl who was easy for me to relate to. One very hot summer Garnet finds a thimble and that summer was the best. It rained that very night, and a new boy comes to live with them. And Garnet thinks it's all because of the thimble. It is really a great book to read. Every day I couldn't wait to read one more chapter. I got wrapped up once I started reading, and couldn't stop.If you want to read it, go read it!

This is a book about Garnet Linden, a 10 year old Wisconsin girl, and her summer on her parents'farm. She finds a thimble on a river creek bottom and good things start to happen. I enjoyed all Elizabeth Enright's descriptive details of the sounds and smells of summertime and the small,quiet towns in Wisconsin. I couldn't wait to turn the page to read more of Garnet's adventures. The dialogue and the scenes are very true-to-life. This book should be especially enjoyed by Midwesterners. Recommended for 10-to 13 yr. old girls, but I'm a lot older than that and I loved it.

After being extremely dissapointed in her last few books (ie The Klone for one), I was happy to see that Steel is coming back in "Summer's End". I read the book in a day and could not put it down. I found myself, as in earlier Steel books, being absorbed into and fighting for the young women. If you love Steel, you'll like this one, classic Steel material.

This is the first Danielle Steele book that I've read and it will definitely not be the last. I couldn't put it down. By the time I got to chapter 25, I was wishing that I could read faster. I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen to the characters. I was kind of torn between 5 and 4 stars. I decided 5 stars because after 2 weeks after finsihing the book, I'm still thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about Ben and Deanna. Why I even entertained a 4 rating is that this story involves adultery. In the beginning of the book, it's quite clear what's going to happen and I didn't like that there was betrayal involved. As I continued to read, I fell in love with Ben. It took a while to like Deanna because an affair is still an affair but then I eventually started to feel for her. Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good love story.

I read this book overnight!! I can not say enough great things about it. The reader experiences every emotion these characters go through. I found myself crying when a devastating event takes place in Marc-Edourd and Deannas' lives. Most of my friends have read this book and absolutely raved about how wonderful it was. This is a good one to curl up in front of the fireplace with and spend an evening reading. Kudos to Danielle for writing such a fabulous novel.

I highly recommend this book...you will not be able to put it down. Seriously in order to read this book properly you will need a box of Klinex tissue and a quite place with no interuptions. Summer Storm is one of the best romance novels EVER written...Catherine Hart really outdid herself with the sequil to Silken Savage

Oh my God! I read Summer Storm years ago and I loved it. I read the book so many times it started to fall apart. Eventually I lost it but now I just ordered another copy. Read this book! If you love Native American romances this is for you. As a child Summer embraces her Cheyenne heritage but when she is forced to live as white she eventually comes to feel shamed about her past. Still she is promised to a Cheyenne brave and when the time comes for her to wed him she is not happy! But Windrider refuses to accept anything but a completely willing bride. With love and passion he eventually makes her love and want him like no other. The surprise ending is one you don't want to miss. Catherine Hart is a wonderful author. I love the way she makes Summer Storm strong yet still willing to give her man her all. READ THIS BOOK!

Absolutely wonderful! I fell in love with Windrider. He showed a man can be feared by many, but so gentle with the one he loves. I wish more men loved their wives that way. The best read yet for Ms. Hart

Table For Two proves a delectable gormandizing experience with two light-hearted Harlequin romance from Nora Roberts topped with her vast knowledge of Italian and French haute cuisine as a garnish. Summer Desserts, the first story is about the fiercely independent French chef Summer Lyndon finding herself attracted to smarmy and suave hotelier Blake Cochran. Love conflicts with Summer's career and causes an avalanche of control issues in a dramatic high. The more enjoyable fare turns out to be Lessons Learned when notorious skirt-chaser Carlo Franconi unwittingly surrenders to Juliet Trent, his publicist who finds a heart behind his devastating facade. It is fluffy romance with a dose of humor and fairy-tale charm. The insecurities of Juliet and his reputation as a playboy proves disastrous for their fragile trust. What makes this book irresistible is Ms. Roberts's flair and sumptuous descriptions of the dishes which makes it a nice indulgent treat for romance fans.

This is another reprint of two of Nora Robert's older titles, Summer Desserts and Lessons Learned. I really like these books a lot, especially considering a lot of her reprinted stories aren't as good as you would expect them to be considering they come from Nora Roberts. This reissue on the other hand is excellent (in my humble opinion.)

Summer Desserts is the first of the two stories and it involves dessert chef Summer Lyndon. The hero, Blake Cocharan, wants Summer to come work at his new hotel kitchen in Philadelphia. They meet and instant sexual attraction. But of course they fight it, but Blake is willing to concede that he wants Summer, and proposes. Unfortunately Summer has so of her own issues from growing up that have to be resolved first before we see a happy ending. Definitely a good read, and will probably make you want to go and eat something sweet.

...

Lessons Learned involves Carlo Franconi, Summer's best friend, and his publicist for his new Italian cook book, Juliet Trent. Juliet knows of Carlo only as a playboy chef, a womanizer in some aspects. She doesn't want to get to know the actual man. But, Carlo, a great male hero in my opinion, shows Juliet that he is much more than the facade that he puts out to other women. He wants her to trust him, but Juliet can't. He falls in love with her, and she with him, but she is still afraid, and in the end, some strife occurs. But, I really liked this story nonetheless.

...

Both of these stories are very good I think. I loved the whole romance and food theme. Desserts and Italian food are both very romantic topics, and Nora Roberts writes about them well in these two novels. Definitely a great addition to any romance collection.

I always enjoyed Nora Roberts, and I always liked reading an author's earlier works to sort of see how their writing has evolved. This is another one of her reprints, and so it is rather more romancy and straitforward, without the depth of her later works. However, I still found both stories entirely enjoyable, if rather light. Plus I always wondered about what exactly was going on in the kitchens of pricey high class restaurants.
Summer Deserts- When famous desserts chef Summer Lyndon ends up agreeing to run the kitchen of an upscale Philadelphia restaraunt for the charming Blake Cochran, sparks explode as these two headstrong people clash repeatedly. Summer is fun and down to earth, and just what Blake needs. A highly entertaining romp full of bickering chefs and a very interesting set of parents.
Lessons Learned- When publicist Juliet Trent, a goal oriented, practical, modern day, and very ambitious career woman, with a weakness for shoes, lands a three week promotional book tour for Carlo Fanconi's newest cookbook, she just knows hes going to be trouble. Good old Carlo, equally famous as both lover and chef, takes one look at Juliet and is determined to teach her all about loving, and maybe a bit about cooking too! Carlo is charming, Juliet is totally easy to sympathise with, from her weakness for wonderful shoes, to her exasperation with helpless authors, department store workers, and erporters. A thoroughly engaging story.

Let me begin by saying that I'm no fan of the late J. Edgar Hoover. His refusal for many years to investigate both organized crime and civil rights violations amounted to pure dereliction of duty and his persecution of anyone whose political views differed from his own was tyrannical and downright un-American (a label that would have shocked Hoover). Still, I'll even give the devil his due and it must be admitted, as more balanced biographies, such as Gentry's and Powers', have observed, that Hoover did largely create the FBI, one of the greatest law enforcement agencies in the world, and also did much to professionalize law enforcement and bring it into the 20th Century. That's not the problem I have with this book. It's a cheap shot, designed mainly to prove that Hoover was a closet homosexual and transvestite being blackmailed into submission by the Mob. This may or may not be the case--I've long suspected Hoover was a fag but in the absence of proof have always been inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt--but Summers' "evidence," consisting mostly of gossip and hearsay, is unconvincing. It's also difficult to believe that Hoover, whatever his vices or other faults, could have been stupid enough to place himself in a compromising position. Summers' sources speak of photos showing Hoover and Clyde Tolson engaged in homosexual acts but no such pictures have ever turned up. The whole theory is spurious. If the Mob was blackmailing Hoover into submission, then how did the Kennedys force Hoover to finally move against organized crime in the early '60's? Moreover, while even the FBI admits that the momentum of its anti-Mob drive slowed down after JFK's assassination, it never really ended either. The writing style is unimpressive (especially the author's childish and annoying attempt to personalize the Director by referring to him throughout as "Edgar"), the source notes are inadequate, and the whole product leaves much to be desired. As to the quality of the alleged research, any author who takes Jay Robert Nash's silly and long disproven theory of Dillinger's survival seriously can't really be said to have done his homework. This is shoddy journalism at its absolute worst.

This book is important to read in the post-9/11 era. At a time when every cable-news pundit is crying out for Congress to take the shackles off the FBI, it is good to remember why Congress slapped those shackles on in the first place.

The author makes a pretty strong case that J. Edgar Hoover was a thoroughly corrupt, racist, mentally unbalanced megolomaniac who egregiously abused his powers for financial and political gain. I'm skeptical of some of the author's wilder allegations -- for example, a suggestion that Richard Nixon may have had Hoover killed by poisoning his toothpaste. However, many of the abuses of Hoover's FBI were well-documented in Congressional investigations in the 1970's: the secret files; the unfettered use of wiretaps, bugs, infiltration, warrantless searches and seizures (i.e., burglaries), and other methods of surveillance, all done without any judicial oversight and often without any legitimate law enforcement purpose; harassing Vietnam War protestors, people in the Civil Rights movement, suspected "Communists," and other political "enemies."

One of the book's main points is that Hoover kept himself in power for so many years -- despite evident corruption and manifest incompetence -- by blackmailing successive presidents with the dirt he had gathered on their private lives. Although largely speculative, the possibility does seem to be frighteningly plausible. Other allegations that appear to be supported by fairly good circumstantial evidence include Hoover's ties to the Mafia and his sexual hypocrisy (he was obessed with persecuting "sex deviates," ...

I'm giving the book only 4 stars because the author's breathless, tabloid style makes it difficult to really sort out established facts from mere rumor, innuendo and hearsay. Still, it is a very entertaining and thought-provoking read.

The chief of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, who normally should have been the moral conscience of the country, was a paedophile and a drag queen. Into the bargain, he was neutralized by the Mafia. He fiercely opposed Kennedy's anti-racial laws, although he himself had black blood in his veins.
He blackmailed all members of Congress and all the presidents he could, by letting them know that he possessed compromising documents about them. It must be said that some people were easy targets.

Anthony Summers did a formidable job. His book is based on a wealth of references.
It is a must read, because it describes a perfect example of how one single person through his organization could exercise nearly unlimited power in a democratic country.

I enjoyed this book tremendously. There were parts that seemed rather contrived, but overall, I liked the interplay of reality and myth, psychosis and sanity. I think that this could be a good starting point for a *small* series of books about the Summer Country--maybe not the same characters though. Parts of this book made me cry and others made me laugh out loud.

I enjoyed this book and will look for other books by this author.

Sometimes I have to wonder if I read the same book as some of these highly exuberant reviewers. Not to say the book was bad; it wasn't, but it wasn't good either.
It could have been good. The premise is interesting, the writing - although a bit too crisp Hemingway-like for me - was decent and the characterization depthful. The book, however, fell prey to the author's own lofty expectations, lack of research - problems common to first timers. (But not all.)
First of all, this book mixes Arthurian legend - mainly of the La Mort D'Arthur vein - with Pagan mythology, and fails. Not to say the two can't mix - and frankly, authors such as Marion Zimmer Bradley have done a beautiful job of pairing the two - but Hetley has not spent enough time in the library researching the Arthurian mythology. Some of the ideas used are misappropriated. His use of the legends is more in at home in superficial tv series than a book named, 'The Summer Country'.
This book also seems confused about what it wants to be about. Is it about the psychological traumas of a character? Is it about the power struggles in the Summer Country? Is it about Christianity versus Paganism? Is it about genetics? The book would have been much more successful if the author had focused on one or two main points and elaborated on them, rather than trying to mish-mash everything he wants to talk about together.
The usage of genetics and science in general is particurally disturbing, especially to myself, a scientist. Some of the references to genetics are outrightly incorrect, confused, or lacking. And in fact, I don't believe the whole discussion of genes needed to be included; not only was it done incorrectly, it weighed down the book and added in superfluous information.
Overall, the book could have been so good - if the author had done more research and more editting.

*Summer Country* is an intriguing combination of strange places, and familiar faces. Hetley's conception of the "Summer Country" is somewhat different from the usual, in that it's emptier and less fertile than expected, but his characters are all too familiar: the independent, lovely girl who was once raped, her strong, supportive sister, a band member (in yet another Celtic band) and the noble Knight, who has lived longer and seen more than this generation understands. Not that this isn't engaging; I enjoyed it---while wishing for more, especially concerning the hapless Brian Albion, the Pendragon.

Constant warfare between Sean, Dougal and Fionna is as purposeless as any actions taking place in Faerie. This is a plus, for Faerie can be an arbitrary place, and Hetly captures that quality in the place, and in the three Old Ones. (To my mind, Dougal is the most interesting of the trio---a hunter and trainer of beasts.) The violence is appropriately disturbing, which makes this tale anything but a kid's fairy tale.

The pacing is uneven: time slows and speeds up in many ways, and the action seems rushed in other places, but the descriptions and conceptions are often surprising and even fresh: a visit to Fionna's seemingly innocuous cottage is wonderfully evocative---and frightening.

Hetley needs some seasoning in terms of characterization and pacing, but this first novel shows promise. I plan to keep his name on a list labeled "Watch this one." He's much better starting out than Charles de Lint was at the same stage .

"Summer of Love" may have been a bit over the top with it's tabloid style coverage of the rise and fall of the San Francisco music scene, but it was a fun read. Author Joel Selvin does have his facts straight and seldom misspeaks on this insider's account of bands like the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Selvin devotes a fair amount of coverage of the Bill Graham organization and the Family Dog, the primary promoters of live music in the old ballrooms of San Francisco. That coverage is justified because it is doubtful that this music would have found a national audience without the vibrant live music scene in the Fillmore and Avalon ballrooms. And it is all there: Quicksilver's obsession with firearms; the Lovin' Spoonful's narking out on the manager of the improv group, the Committee; Janice Joplin's turbulent love life; Marty Balin's courageous attempts to diffuse the violence at Altamont, the internal bickering of the Grateful Dead which lead them to serve "walking papers" to Pig Pen and Bob Weir for not having enough musical talent, and Bill Graham's fisticuffs with just about anyone who disagreed with him. If you loved the music of Haight-Ashbury, you will enjoy "Summer of Love." Oh by the way, the expression "summer of love" was just a media label for the San Francisco music phenomena and I think some of the other critics have taken the book title too literally.

So many books about rock 'n roll are letdowns because they speak in generalities about the music without informing the reader of the circumstances that shaped it. SUMMER OF LOVE is an exception; it's a well-written, engaging chronicle of the music and the players in the Bay area from 1965 to 1971. Selvin lets history speak for itself, so you get the glorious and the ghastly with no punches pulled. The impression one is left with is that, whether you think the Haight-Ashbury thing was wonderful, tragic or a load of P.R. hype, it certainly was like no other scene and it left a lot of fine music in it's wake. A good one.

This book was not only informative but interesting as well. Selvin goes into incredible details about those rock stars who shaped us and our taste in music. For those of us growing up in the Generation X mold, learning about the greats of rock and roll gives us a kind of legacy that we can fall back onto when the rock of today gets unbearable. Never again will we be graced by the likes of Janis Joplin or Jerry Garcia. But through Selvin's book, we are able to catch a glimps of life behind the stage at our rock icons.

Peter Bart, editor of Variety, penned this sketch of the Hollywood summer season of 1998, and offers insight and background information both useful to the interested moviegoer/home critic, and to screeenwriting professionals looking for strategies to break the script-reader barrier. As the title implies, he analyzes in-depth the dollar amounts going into studio movie projects from initial option monies to the screenwriter to post-production marketing campaigns and all points in between. There are a couple of things to be learned here: 1) that the Hollywood moviemaking process doesn't necessarily reward truly innovative and creative material; and 2) that the movie going public does. Hence, Something About Mary comes out of nowhere with a miniscule budget and scores big with the public, while Godzilla hopes to make back some of Sony's money overspent on a shove-down-your-throat marketing campaign the public didn't buy. The gist of this book is that a truly creative screenplay will find a way no matter what financial juggernauts happen to be cruising through Hollywood, with a little bit of faith, hope -- and luck.

Anyone who follows the motion picure industry from either the position of film buff to budding or established industry insider should read Peter Bart's "The Gross". Bart, a former executive at Lorimar, Paramount, and MGM, takes a look at the summer of 1998 slate of studio releases, covering films as diverse as "Armageddon", "The Truman Show", "Godzilla", and "There's Something About Mary", and the process leading up to their release, from script development at the studio level to the precise steps studio executives now follow such as determining whether a film will fail or succeed based on its opening night East Coast grosses and what kind of legs a film will have on both the domestic and worldwide fronts. As compulsively readable as Bart's "The Back Lot" column in Daily Variety, "The Gross" is trenchantly informative, as one might expect from a former studio executive reporting from an outside world perspective. Film buffs, infrequent filmgoers, and individuals about to enter the business side of the industry often find themselves wondering how three-hour love stories focusing on the afterlife and soulless adventure films ever see the light of day; "The Gross" will provide plenty of answers.

Bart's THE GROSS is the best book about Hollywood I've read in ages. Focusing on the Summer of 1998 (remember that? GODZILLA, ARMAGEDDON, THE TRUMAN SHOW, THE X-FILES, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY, THE AVENGERS, etc), Bart takes us behind the scenes in production meetings, with directors and studio heads, on sets, into special effects studios...everywhere the action is. He fills his saga with anecdores, often pithy biographical snapshots, interviews, and informed opinion (with which I often strongly disagreed). After an introduction to the studios and their suits, Bart takes us behind-the-scenes for glimpses at at the makers and the making of each major film. He then tracks---week by week---how they fare in the market horse-race. Bart writes well and structures his book so that it develops irresistable suspense. If you care about the movies, are interested in Hollywood, or just wonder, as you sit through one of these "blockbusters", what were they thinking?, then this is the book for you.