New romance author, Leah Maria Brown has created a treasure for all bookshelves. Brown became one of my favorite authors at themestream.com last summer and she just keeps getting better. You'll find yourself being pulled into the book by her two main characters, Juliana Wintingue and Ian MacConnell.

You'll come away from this romance novel not only having found yourself a new passionate romance author but you'll be screaming for more. If you enjoyed the book as much as I did, you'll feel yourself become Juliana and go sailing the high seas. A great historical romance!

This is a gripping romance just in time for Valentine's Day gift giving. The author brought the characters alive. Ms. Brown is the closest heir to Karleen Koen that we'll ever get. This is a wonderful story of passion, romance, and treachery. If ever there was a book that delivered what it promised--this is it. A pleasure to read! DreamsinInk@Paris.com

I love all things Scottish. I love history. I love rousing tales of romance. Willing Captive satisfied my longings on all accounts. It is a wonderful story with vivid characters. The hero is brawny and awe-inspiring, the heroine strong but likeable. A very good book. I am hooked on this author now.

Your Breast Cancer Treatment Handbook was given to me at a cancer support group this past week. I laughed & I cried reading through this! I wish this had been given to me 6 years ago when I was diagnosed the 1st time with breast cancer at age 33 (lumpectomy, chemo & radition). Here I am again at 39 just having had a mastectomy & reconstruction surgery. This is by far the best source of information I have seen! This book should be available to ALL breast cancer patients. Very easy to read, understand & comprehend. Sincerely, Judith Oak-Watson A very proud "perky" breast cancer survivor

I was given this book when I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer--it is beautifully written, lots of positive comments from cancer survivors--I had to read it in "pieces"--I could only read as much as my heart would allow regarding treatment. I have read it all now. It is a great source to turn to for each step of the process. I am beginning chemotherapy next week--it has been a tremendous help with "what's next?" and how I will feel. Lists of questions for your surgeon and oncologist are extremely helpful.

I am currently being treated for breast cancer, and this book has been one of my most useful tools in making intelligent, well informed choices. It's hard to ask the right questions when something this scary comes along. Judy has included some of the best. I reccomemd it to everyone from the first diagnosis, through that final treatment.

I read this book in this time of Christmas, 2001-2002. The content was incredibly interesting and changed my mind about the narratives of Jesus infancy. The two initial chapters of Matthew and Luke now say different things than I understood just a month ago. Recommendable only for people with a very well cemented faith. Short and very interesting and clear reading. That is the reason why I am a father Brown's fan.

This booklet contains an excellent summary of some of the important conclusions reached in Father Brown's comprehensive and scholarly work, "The Birth of the Messiah." Father Brown's concern in the booklet is the theological message of the evangelists--he views this as the most important aspect of the message, and something that can get lost amid modern searches to either prove or disprove each item of the stories as historical events.

As usual, the late great Father Brown did an excellent job. He explores the Old Testament roots of Mathew's and Luke's Birth Stories and analyzes broad and beautiful topics such as "the Meaning of the Magi" (the Good News is for all who will believe, including Gentiles) and the "Importance of the Shepherds" (they symbolize an Israel that comes to recognize and glorify its Lord Jesus, the Davidic Messiah foretold in the Jewish Scriptures).

Father Brown said he hopes the regognition that there is an adult Christ in the message of Christmas--i.e., that the theological meaning of God's gift of Jesus is included in these beautiful opening verses--will lead believers to proclaim that revelation to others, and that they will respond in faith. It was a wonderful thing to have this brilliant and intellectually honest scholar also put his faith on display.

This book is short (50 pages) and well written. It can form the basis of an lay class on Christmas or Advent, either led by clergy or laity. Excellent resource.
This book is an exacting and thoughtful set of essays by the most eminent bibical scholar of our time, the late Fr. Raymond Brown. It is a summation of much of what he wrote elsewhere in his volumnious work (for example, his epic "The Birth of the Messiah"). In this 50-page book he explains why the gospel writers wrote the birth stories the way they did, with differing plot twists. Brown reaches profound insights with major implications for the spirituality and theology of the Christian Church. His insights about the centrality of Mary is particularly interesting, especially for a Roman Catholic. He sees the miracle of Mary not so much as the "virgin" birth or as the theotokos (mother of God) of the early Church, but rather as the first and most loyal disciple of Jesus. And that should have implications about the role of women in the Church and priesthood.
Brown, as ever, does his homework. His scholarship is solid -- even the footnotes are worth reading.

I am participating in an applique class in which most of the class members are using the patterns in this book to complete their quilts. Margaret's quilt is a masterpiece and an inspiration due to both her beautiful color choices and attention to detail. Many quilt books lack appeal as the finished projects pictured in the books are unattractive due to poor color combinations. The individual block pictures are fabulous. This book provides detailed information to assist the sewer in selecting appropriate fabrics and in techniques to complete a beautiful quilt.

I have observed as the class members bring in their completed blocks and although many have substituted their personal favorite color choices, they are producing beautiful blocks. I believe that the examples in the book have helped the class members look at fabric differently. The completed applique pieces look like they are hand painted.

I found this book to be an absolute delight. The illustrations are exquisite and Margaret Doherty's conversational style is easy to read and understand. I learned a lot of new techniques, for instance, using parts of a large scale fabric to piece a very small bird. In one instance, she used a cobblestone fabric for the birds breast.

I am interested in developing small projects and feel that any one of the 40 squares would make a masterpiece item.

A quote from the author's preface: "I work as a pediatrician and each night after dinner, I do a crossword puzzle and sew for about six hours." sums up the author's approach to this form of fabric work. The challenge in looking at fabrics, colors, and techniques in a new way is worth the price of the book.

Ideal for both beginners and those well versed in quilting traditions, Margaret Docherty's Little Brown Bird Patterns is packed with applique patterns: full-page patterns accompanied by a facing page with a small color photo and survey of techniques, fabrics and embellishments.

[...]. It is a good book for kids because it helps kids read. It is funny. Arthur gets a new puppy because his mother said he could. Arthur had to give five dollars for the puppy. Arthur was happy to have a puppy. He had been watching a puppy that gave birth to a litter of new puppies and Author got to keep one. I think everyone would enjoy this story, especially if you like puppies!
The end

While children love reading fantastic stories of dragons oraliens or dinosaurs, that doesn't mean they don't also enjoy readingbooks featuring kids just like them.

Or, in the case of the popular Arthur books, aardvarks just like them. Arthur's New Puppy is the eighteenth book in the best-selling series. It follows the misadventures of the lovable aardvark as he attempts to housebreak his bouncy puppy Pal.

Children seem to identify with Arthur as he struggles with everyday problems with the help of his loving parents (and no help from his pesky little sister, D.W.) and friends.

If you have an Arthur fan in the house, or if you have a new puppy in the house, you'll want to check out this book.

The books are excellent , the story line and the cartoon show .I find myself watching the show as much as he, together we laugh and I remember those day of my youth...

A large book filled to the brim with words to learn. The layout is enjoyable to look at, with a large 2-page spread scene surrounded on the border with smaller related images - all labelled. The scenes show Arthur and his family at school, at the grocery store, at work, at play, reading, during the seasons, at the mall, at Grandpa Dave's farm, when Arthur grows up, etc. My 2 year old loves Arthur and loves looking at this book. There are so many words! Such a helpful, educational, and entertaining book.

My one year old LOVES this book. I'm sure it's ideal for older children just learning to read, but she really enjoys pointing to things and having me name them for her. Every object and animal you can think of is pictured in the book. There is not really a story, but each page has a "theme" and related pictures and words. We love it! And she is constantly learning new words as a result.

This book holds the attention of my 1 1/2 yr old for a half hour or more! Do I really need to say any more? She loves to point to the pictures and have me read the names. The best thing about the book is that I expect to use it for a few years. As she grows, the book has more to offer - ABC's, 123's, puzzles and plenty to spark the imagination.

I am eight years old. My teacher read us this book when I was in first grade. I like the end when they are all in the bed. My teacher sings it to us like a lullabye. We like that.

The soft, simple city and country illustrations and the gentle rhythms and add-on patterns of the reassuring text make this warm and loving bedtime story a good choice for early readers and pre-readers alike. Since my toddler was 18 months old, this has been one of our favorites. We have fun adding our own animal sounds to the chain of events, and, of course our own nighttime snuggles and stuffed-animal cuddles at the end.

Not only is this book fun to read for children, but enjoyable for an adult reader -- adding a little rhythm track to the text, and a pat-clap from the children, produced a wonderful lesson for my music students. They learned the text quickly and enjoyed the ending which reminded them of similar "toys come to life when you're not looking" stories.

I've read a lot of Chesterton in the last year or so, and I guess I have mixed feelings about his work in general and this book in particular. Chesterton provides extraordinarily beautiful word pictures. I feel like taking a trip to England just to see if the real English sky can match a fraction of the descriptions Chesterton gives it. (Smog abatement measures may have made a fair comparison impossible.) Chesterton's love of paradox can be fun, but it may be best to take it in small doses for optimal enjoyment. The Father Brown stories are short enough that the character development suffers in comparison with G.K.'s novels; on the other hand, these stories benefit from omission of some of the more bizarre flights of fancy found in his longer works.

Now for the footnotes. I've been reading Martin Gardner for a long time. As a young boy, I spent many hours in the local library reading and enjoying his columns in archived copies of Scientific American. I must say that I find his footnotes in this book somewhat obtrusive. They seem to give away too much of the plot too early, and are probably, therefore, best for a second reading of the text. Gardner has deep philosophical differences with Chesterton, and although he does a fairly good job of restraining himself, there are occasions when he apparently can't resist giving us his two cents. I found that a little annoying. The footnotes in the Ignatius edition of _The Man Who Knew to Much_ are an example of what I would have preferred in this book.

The Father Brown stories are a bit fantastic and improbable, but that is true of Sherlock Holmes too. For the reader unfamiliar with G. K. Chesterton's creation, this quiet, somewhat shy priest will be a surprise.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are so familiar that today's readers sometimes need to remind themselves that these two friends are indeed fictional characters. For many it may be difficult to imagine, much less accept, that other private detectives were also at work unraveling crimes in the fictional realm of Sherlock Holmes.

Father Brown coexisted in London with Holmes (during Sherlock's later years), but it is not obvious that they ever collaborated. While both exhibited a unique genius, their cases and their methods were indeed different. The solutions to Father Brown's mysteries are often improbable, but logically consistent, and usually have a metaphysical or moral aspect. Father Brown is not a sheltered cleric unaware of sin and evil, but just the reverse. He is able to place himself in the mind of the perpetrator, thereby seeing solutions that the reader fails to notice. Like Holmes, he is often more interested in understanding and solving a mystery, rather than meting out human justice.

Matin Gardner's extended footnotes clarify references that otherwise might be obscure today such as Edwardian manners, outdated technology, London landmarks, literary references, etc. The footnotes are not essential, but I found Gardner's annotation useful and entertaining.

The five Father Brown collections (53 stories in all) begin with these 12 stories,"The Innocence of Father Brown". Father Brown won't displace Sherlock Holmees, but you will not regret getting to know this clever contemporary of Sherlock Holmes.

"The Innocence of Father Brown" is the first book of G.K. Chesterton's ingenious, thoughtful and lyrically written mystery short stories featuring the unassuming little priest who solves crimes by imagining himself inside the mind and soul of the criminal and understanding his motives. The stories are full of paradox, spiritual insight, and "Chestertonian fantasy," or seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

This particular edition is enhanced by Martin Gardner's extensive notes, which are both entertaining and illuminating. He points out that it's worthwhile to take your time in reading GKC's stories so you can savor their many arresting, beautifully worded sentences. And by reading too fast, you might also miss out on some very subtle puns (there's one in the story "The Secret Garden" that would have gone right past me had not Mr. Gardner pointed it out!).

At the end, you'll find an index of annotations, plus a comprehensive Father Brown bibliography compiled by Chesterton expert John Peterson. If you enjoy this book, you'll probably also like "The Annotated Thursday," Gardner's edition of GKC's "The Man Who Was Thursday."

Well, now that a hopefully working vaccine for chicken pox has been developed, this story is still great for teaching one about being careful what he or she wishes for.
The circus is in town-everybody's excited to go, but when Arthur is sick with chicken pox, D.W. comes home from play group to find Arthur lying on the couch so wishes she was sick so pretends to think Arthur is just pretending to be sick. And as the story continues, D.W. shows how she wishes she was the sick one-and in the end, Arthur is better, but D.W. gets the chicken pox.
This will be a great book to teach about being careful what you wish for even when chicken pox no longer exists.

My kids thought this book was very funny. I did too, but not solely for the reasons they did. Chicken pox that only lasts a week? Come on! But the main problem this created in my home was that when my kids came down with chicken pox, they pulled this book out. Uh-oh! They wanted crazy straws, and a back rub, and every other special treatment that Arthur received. But it was reassuring for them to see that chicken pox is very common, and even Arthur survived. At least I got them to try the oatmeal bath!

I found this book to be very humorous and fun to read. I loved watching Arthur receiving special treatment for being sick and D.W. pretending that she also had chicken pox. This book is also great because many young children can identify with Arthur and D.W. . As a future teacher, this book is a must for any book collection.

Isn't quitting your boring 9 to 5 office job, moving to the country and living a quieter, humbler existence, everyone's secret dream? Well it has always been one of mine, and reading this book was absolutely a treat for me. In addition to thouroughly enjoying every page of this story, I actually learned many things from this book and was delighted to find that Sallyann included her recipes and tips from the story in the back of the book (although it did mean that the book ended too soon). I was especially dying to know the recipe for her Gorganzola and Leek Soup, and now I can't wait to try it out. I will fondly remember the Murphey's story as I try out her many wonderful recipes. I look forward to her next book, and hopefully a sequel to this story is in her plans.

I grew up in the country, so I knew Sallyann was in trouble when she named her turkeys! LOL I really did enjoy this book. I now live in the "big city" (Atlanta), and often dream of doing what the Murphey's did. I hope that if I ever get the chance, I will have neighbors as great as theirs. This is a wonderful book to read.

This book offers insight and hope to those of us who know there is more to life than deadlines and schedules but who are not yet courageous enough to abandon our societal expectations. Murphy has captured the essence of simplicity right down to the point of taking the infinite concept of living life simply and condensing it down to 309 pages of enjoyable reading.