Product Description
Small wonder that, at nine years old, Monica Holloway develops a fascination with the local funeral home. With a father who drives his Ford pickup with a Kodak movie camera sitting shotgun just in case he sees an accident, and whose home movies feature more footage of disasters than of his children, Monica is primed to become a morbid child.

Yet in spite of her father's bouts of violence and abuse, her mother's selfishness and prim denial, and her siblings' personal battles and betrayals, Monica never succumbs to despair. Instead, she forges her own way, thriving at school and becoming fast friends with Julie Kilner, whose father is the town mortician.

She and Julie prefer the casket showroom, where they take turns lying in their favorite coffins, to the parks and grassy backyards in her hometown of Elk Grove, Ohio. In time, Monica and Julie get a job driving the company hearse to pick up bodies at the airport, yet even Monica's growing independence can't protect her from her parents' irresponsibility, and from the feeling that she simply does not deserve to be safe. Little does she know, as she finally strikes out on her own, that her parents' biggest betrayal has yet to be revealed.

Throughout this remarkable memoir of her dysfunctional, eccentric, and wholly unforgettable family, Monica Holloway's prose shines with humor, clear-eyed grace, and an uncommon sense of resilience. Driving with Dead People is an extraordinary real-life tale with a wonderfully observant and resourceful heroine. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Wouldn't recommend
I wasn't "engaged" as others say; long read to get to the oh-so-happy ending. A bad man made her sad crazy and unhappy and a good man made her happy. All that was missing was the sunset. It passed time but I would not recommend it to a friend or pick up another title by Holloway.

A Near-Perfect memoir
I started reading this memoir just minutes after finishing "Swallow the Ocean," by Laura Flynn.I didn't love it immediately, but by the end, I was completely taken by it.It's clever, funny, and Holloway doesn't come off as self-indulgent as so many other memoir authors can seem (overly dramatic, maybe, but that's what makes her so charming!) I felt like I grew along with the author, and started a process of "shedding" some childhood baggage.A fabulous read, especially if your family is less-than-perfect.

Wonderful
It is wonderful when an individual shares such intimate and meaningful details of their life.
Aaron Bryant: BSW, CSACAuthor A Synchronous Memoir of Addiction and Recovery

Hmmmm
I have known the family and many people in the book for years so I guess I have sort of a biased opinion, but the story certainly doesn't match any of my experiences or recollections. That doesn't mean they're not true, of course; seldom is real-life entertaining enough to warrant a totally factual retelling. It was interesting to read something by someone I know about people I've known, but frankly, the book seems more like a therapeutic device for the author rather than an interesting, informative, or entertaining piece of literature. I'm glad I read it to get her perspective and to make me think about the possibilities of the things going on in our small town, but it's not something I would recommend to any one who doesn't know any of the background. I just don't think they would find it interesting.

very speedy delivery and item was in perfect shape, thanks!
Thanks, my item came earlier than stated in my order. Item was in great shape upon arrival. ... Read more

Product Description
It's the most wonderful time of year and all Angel Parker wants to do is hide. Her co-workers think she's a Scrooge and the only man she wants can't even get her name right. All signs point to another lonely Christmas, until Angel finds herself doing the unthinkable-propositioning her boss at the company holiday party. For the last six months, all Brian Maxwell can think about is getting his sexy assistant, Angel in bed with him. He's tried the secretary/boss scenario before with disastrous results, but when she offers him the opportunity to spend twelve days with her, he jumps at the chance. He wants to give her the Christmas of her life, but isn't sure he's the man to do it. If he wasn't enough to keep his ex-wife interested, what makes him think he's enough for Angel? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An author to add to your autobuy list!
I love reading Christmas stories, especially in July. There is something magical about them...anytime of the year. I couldn't have been more pleased with this story from Ms. Robinson. She has done a truly magical job with this classic romance read. Brian and Angel are very strong characters. I fell in love with them instantly and wanted nothing more than to see them find their happily-every-after.

The story is very realistic for the readers. The struggles, the happiness, the passion, the romance and the love are something we all can relate too. Brian has to overcome his past, his life with his ex-wife. He doesn't believe he can make Angel happy because he couldn't keep his ex happy. And Angel is facing another Christmas alone, but when Brian agrees to jump at the opportunity to spend 12 days with her, things change for them both.

Monica Robinson is a new author for me and I'm so pleased that I discovered her and her writings. I cannot wait for more from her, I'm sure she's going to be providing us with great reads for many years to come. This is a book I recommend to any lover of Christmas and a classic romance. Monica Robinson is also an author you must add to your list. She truly has a great writing style!

[...]

What a fun filled read!
This book was a welcome gift.In all its guises.It was a holiday gift.It was a gift to read.I had a great time reading it.I was entertained and transported.What more can you ask for?I can't wait to read more by Monica Robinson.Thanks Ms. Robinson for this great holiday treat! ... Read more

Product Description
Apple cider, applesauce, apple muffins, cakes, and pies! Annie is a very busy apple farmer. She bakes yummy treats with the apples she picks and saves her best apples to sell at the market. Follow Annie through her apple-filled day of picking, counting, sorting, baking, and selling, and then try making some of her simple apple recipes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Most requested book
I don't know what it is about this book, but my daughter LOVES it. She's 23 months and we took this out of the library. It is her favorite and she asks for it by name every morning and night. The pictures are great and there's lots to explore in each one. Highly recommend

Good, solid edition to your library
It's not the best, most wonderful book ever, but it's not bad.

It has simple text and simple artwork, and is well-suited for toddlers, preschoolers, and young school-aged children.

I especially like the recipes in the back. I *always* like recipes in the back :)

Fun read
I chose this book from the library to compliment an apple unit I'm doing with my daughter (24 months).Of the stack of nine apple books I found, this is by far her favorite.

Each page spread has about 10-15 words (two sentences) in large type.The pictures are colorful and bold.They are simple yet provide enough detail and variety that there are many opportunities for volcabulary growth and side discussions.

There are three recipes included in the back of the book.They look delicious, but we haven't tried them (we will stick to healthier versions).

The story line and illustrations are fairly realistic (no talking animals, etc.).My only complaint along these lines is that the entire story seems to take place in one day (harvesting, cooking, driving to town, selling at the market, and coming home), which is more than a bit ambitious.:)

We have read this book aloud many, many times over the past week.Both of us are still enjoying it, and I have even found my daughter "reading" this book to her dolls.

Another great book
My 3 year old adores all the Monica Wellington books.We started with this one.The colors in the illustrations are wonderful, and the text is simple but easy to follow.Even the parents got a good lesson in apple varieties.Being a paperback, it suffered a lot of wear and tear so we had to replace it, but that's not the book's fault.We recommend any and all of Monica Wellington's fanciful books.

delightful read; excellent message
This is a delightful book and sends an excellent message to young readers as well.I in fact do not think a children's book is required to have a message; it just needs to delight.But the message here is that hard work and being good at something is rewarding, and that's a pretty good message for a young reader to receive.Parents of both girls and boys will appreciate the main character's savvy, entrepreneurial qualities.The illustrations are lovely and bright without being too busy, and the tasty recipes at the end are and added treat.My now four year-old son has gone through two apple picking seasons with this book, and refers to "Apple Farmer Annie" as though she were one of his best pals.I highly recommend this book.Caveat:if you read it to your child in a season other than fall, or if you live someplace where apples don't grow, be prepared to handle the request to visit an orchard! ... Read more

Product Description
Born in New Delhi, raised in the Middle East, and living in Washington, D.C., acclaimed food writer Monica Bhide is the perfect representative of the new generation of Indian American cooks who have taken traditional dishes, painstakingly prepared by their Indian mothers and grandmothers, and updated them for modern American lifestyles and tastes. Respectful of the techniques and history of Indian cuisine but eager to experiment, Bhide has written simple but deeply flavorful recipes. Modern Spice takes the vibrant tastes of India into the twenty-first century with a cookbook that is young, fun, sassy, and bold.

Dishes like Pomegranate Shrimp, Paneer and Fig Pizza, and Coriander-and-Fennel-Crusted Lamb Chops are contemporary and creative. Bhide pours Guava Bellinis and Tamaritas for her guests, and serves Chile Pea Puffs and Indian Chicken Wings; instead of Chicken Tikka Masala, she serves Chicken with Mint and Ginger Rub. Make-ahead condiments such as Pineapple Lentil Relish and Kumquat and Mango Chutney with Onion Seeds add a piquant accent to the simplest dish. There are plenty of options for everyday meals, including Butternut Squash Stew with Jaggery, Indian-Style Chili in Bread Bowls, and Crabby Vermicelli, along with plentiful recipes for elegant dishes like Tamarind-Glazed Honey Shrimp and Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Paneer. For an original and effortless finish, spoon Raspberry and Fig Jam Topping over tart frozen yogurt or a store-bought pound cake, or if you have more time, tempt guests with exotic sweets such as Saffron-Cardamom Macaroons or Rice Pudding and Mango Parfait.

As Mark Bittman says in his foreword, "there is not a cuisine that uses spices with more grace and craft than that of India," and Bhide's recipes do so, but without long and daunting lists of exotic ingredients. In keeping with its local approach to global flavors, Modern Spice includes a guide to the modern Indian pantry and Monica's thoughtful, charming essays on food, culture, and family. Eight pages of gorgeous color photographs showcase the recipes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great cook's companion
The beauty of this book, aside from the recipes, is the voice of the author on every page--it's like having a friend in the kitchen. This book is not only about recipes. It's about the connections that food and its preparation and enjoyment of it help up make with each other. I've given this book as a gift, exactly for that reason.

Modern Spice - for novices and the experienced cook
First and foremost, this book is appropriate for any level of competency in the kitchen.And it's a fabulous addition for both lovers of Indian flavours and those wanting to experiment and learn.As both an experienced cook and lover of Indian flavours this has become my go to inspiration when I'm not sure what I'm craving.This is not a cookbook that requires huge amounts of prep time, or unusual ingredients.It's a modern take on Indian flavours, suitable for any kitchen.Indian dishes tend to be take away meals in our home, but I find myself turning to this book for new ideas, inspiration and shortcuts on weeknights when I don't have hours to get dinner on the table.As an addition Bhide's stories and memories are added throughout the book and make for lovely reading with a glass of wine.Highly recommend this, and I will definitely be picking up Bhide's other books.

Heart Healthy Indian
When your doctor tells you that you better switch to a "heart healthy" diet, that is little or no saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium, you have a problem. Your food will taste terrible! You must throw many of your favorite recipes out of the window and you have to learn cooking all over again. A solution lies in the Indian Cuisine which uses little fat or the recipes are very easy to modify. An important added advantage is that because of of the liberal use of spices you will not miss the salt so much (or can do with substantially less).

"Modern Spice" is a very attractive and practical introduction to Indian cooking. The recipes taste very good, are apparently adequately tested and are practical. You don't need to spend the entire day in the kitchen, many recipes require very little time.

Delightful!
I really enjoyed reading this cookbook and learned a lot from it.Monica Bhide is a delightful writer who shares many personal stories throughout the book, which I enjoyed as much as the recipes.I would love to meet her and cook with her!!

She simplifies and demystifies Indian cooking and is not afraid to suggest using off-the-shelf ingredients to save time.The recipes are very doable and helped me to better understand HOW to use some of the spices -- like putting them in the hot oil to cook and release their flavors before adding the main ingredients.To me, this book serves as a very sound and educational primer in learning to cook Indian food.I feel my confidence level has increased tremendously as success with these recipes is so attainable.Plus, once you get the hang of how this works, you can learn to create your own combinations and recipes very easily.Monica encourages this over and over throughout the book which I think illustrates her creative, open and adventuresome style.She wants the reader to be successful and offers the tools to allow it to happen.

My only complaint about this book is the lack of pictures (there are a few)!While I loved reading each recipe, I longed to see them made up and ready to serve.Pictures are so meaningful and helpful, especially when learning to cook a cuisine so different than my own American.

Another great Asian cookbook I read recently is "The Spice Merchant's Daughter," which is also a jewel to check out if you are interested in learning to cook in this style.

Are you afraid to try cooking Indian food? Don't be.
First, I must admit that the author is a friend, and that I worked with her on this book. But please don't let that make you think that any praise I give the book is unearned. Believe me, if this book had fallen out of the sky into my kitchen I would also love it.

Why?

Reason #1: The recipes WORK. I'm lucky enough to know that Monica tests her recipes, and has people with all different levels of cooking skill test them, too. And she won't let a recipe go until everyone can make it. So even if you are a novice cook, you *can* make these dishes. And if you are already skilled in Indian cooking, you just might find a simpler way to make something you love. Case in point: the recipe for Cream of Wheat and Paneer Pancakes (page 200). When I read it, I recognized it immediately as idli. But where is grinding the grains for it? Where is letting the batter sit overnight (or longer) to ferment? Gone! But what you get is a delicious pancake that works as a side, as a bread, as the basis for a meal.

Reason #2: She is there to guide you through things that might be new to you. It might be a bit much to call this a "Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking," but there is very helpful information about ingredients and techniques that might be unfamiliar. And again, even if you think you know all about them, you just might learn something.

Reason #3: This really is a book for *modern* cooks. Who has time to grind spices, and make complicated multi-day recipes? Very few of us. But even the simplest, quickest recipes are so full of flavor, you'll almost feel guilty at how easy they are. There is no such thing as a recipe that is too simple, as far as I'm concerned, not if the people I serve it to eat up every last bit! When I told the wife of one of my cousins about this -- she's an engineer who was born in the United States to parents from India who live now in North Carolina -- she exclaimed, "I would love that. And my mom would LOVE it, too!"

Reason #4: This is more than "just" a cookbook. Monica writes beautiful essays that may touch your soul, or remind you to call a friend you haven't spoken to in too long, or make you forgive your spouse for a silly argument, or let you marvel at how wonderful simple cooking can be. Even if you never cook anything from this -- although I can't imagine not wanting to -- you can sit with it and have a glass of wine or a cup of tea and lose yourself in her writing. ... Read more

Product Description
For more than a quarter century, the Santa Monica Farmers' Market has inspired both renowned chefs and home cooks, making it a regional market with national presence. One of the largest markets in the state, it stands at the forefront of a national trend toward cooking with local and seasonal ingredients. For more than twenty years, Amelia Saltsman has shopped its stands, talked with its farmers, and cooked its magnificent produce for family and friends. The result is The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, a celebration of the market s excellence and its hardworking farmers. What s the difference between white and green zucchini? What are amaranth, sapote, and ramps? With Amelia as your guide, you ll learn the answers to these questions and more. You'll also find advice on how to select and store produce, stories about farmers and their crops, chef and farmer cooking tips, and more than 100 of Amelia's simple, tempting recipes including:-- Fava Bean and Pea Shoot Salad-- Classic Tomato Soup with a Goat Cheese Swirl-- Black Cod with Green Tomatoes-- Roast Leg of Lamb with Oil-Cured Black Olives and Herbs-- Seared White Nectarines with Burnt Honey--Meyer Lemon Sundaes with Cara Cara Oranges and TangelosWith a foreword by acclaimed cookbook author Deborah Madison, a design by Ph.D and photos by Anne Fishbein. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook
Food Lovers everywhere here is a book for us all and at this price I'll be sending them as Christmas gifts to relatives back Eastjust to prove you don't have to live in Santa Monica to love this book.If you've ever shopped (or wanted to shop) a Farmers Mrkt this is the book for you. But perhaps specially if you have not - appreciating good food is enough to make this reading experience richly rewarding and the recipes are all truly delicious.

From the beautiful color photos of the produce and their Growers comes the unfolding of their story. Then helpful topics like How to Shop - Useful Plant Terms - Handy Pantry Items and Helpful Kitchen Tools.

Newly enlightened and freshly stocked ready for the lovingly researched recipes which truly utilize a variety of vegetables and fruits that many of us would not have dared - but now with QUALITY and EASE we can be ready to serve our loved ones andwith a new sense of confidence and community - all that and more from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook.

I'm thrilled with my purchase and can't wait to share its' bounty.

Great Seasonal Inspiration
I bought this on impulse, and it has become well worn in just a couple of seasons. I notice that she assumes some experience and her instructions could appear vague in places if you don't have any.However, for anyone who does cook, this is a wonderful and creative book. I've cooked twenty or more recipes, and all of them have been worth repeating.They've also inspired other dinners I've created from the hip. It lacks photos, but the titles are enough to get your taste buds inspired - such as the cherry and almond salad.

A favorite cookbook among many
I'm sure that many Amazon customers have many books and bookcases. I am no exception. I have 3 rows of cookbooks stretching several feet, but The Santa Monica Farmers Cookbook is only neatly shouldered among them occasionally. It is usually in closer proximity to the kitchen.

The emphasis is as you can guess, on the ingredients. For me (and the author) the local farmers market brings the best Southern California has to offer, which is saying a lot. She also offers suggestions for those that have to use store bought produce as well. The theme of the recipes is simplicity, letting the fresh, natural taste of the ingredients speak for themselves. For instance, the Bruschetta recipe is about as simple as you get, but the tomatoes really stand out and the flavor is amazing.This is a common occurrence with these recipes.

Not only have I made the recipes, but I have eaten them at a restaurant that hosted a book signing for the author and served her recipes. I have been able to consistently turn dishes that were as good as what I ate at the restaurant.

Not only are the recipes amazing, but the organization of the book is fantastic too. There are sections from starters to deserts and there is a section for vegetarians too. There is an index where recipes are broken down by season, as well as the crops. Other helpful sections list cooking items you might need, techniques, how to buy produce. She writes a good amount about the people that grow the various produce, which I found very interesting. So very well done.

This is a great cookbook for fresh dishes and it would also make a great cookbook to give as a gift.

A Wonderful Ode to Farmers' Market Cooking
Saltsman does a fabulous job of putting the Santa Monica Farmers' Market in the golden light those of us who have lived with its fruits (and veg and milk and meat and bread and fish and good vibes) know it deserves. She does it in a way that makes the book relevant to people living with any market. I frequently refer to the book for inspiration to cook what is coming up in my local market in NYC.

A beautiful (and very useful!) book. Thank you for it.

Go bravely forth! (but take this with you!)
Plainly and simply, this book is a treasure! I use it as much for the delicious recipes as I do for the tips and tricks - which are all nestled nicely in between beautiful photographs of the farmers of the Santa Monica Market.

Amelia sheds light on those wonderful farmers' market items that you always want to cook, but aren't quite sure how to easily prepare.I use it often as a quick guide to remind me how to cook seasonal items I don't necessarily cook year round.What do I do with wax beans again?What can I do with green garlic? Spring greens? Beet tops? Amelia keeps my birdbrain in order and reminds me how to trim this, preserve that, boil, bake, reduce and roast year round. If I have a general question on how to prepare an item, I generally find that Amelia has the answer!

It's a comprehensive cookbook that teaches you to be fearless in your produce selection, adventurous in your ability to actually use the items you buy, and gives you a wonderful context for the heart and community of the Santa Monica Market.
... Read more

Product Description
Imagine that you are twenty-four years old and have beenconfiding in one of your closest friends about your on-again, off-againrelationship with a married man twice your age.Then imagine your name isMonica Lewinsky, the man's name is Bill Clinton, and your friend's name isLinda Tripp--who has secretly tape-recorded your confidences and passed thetapes along to Kenneth Starr.Suddenly you find yourself surrounded bygovernment agents who threaten you with twenty-seven years in jail if you donot tell them every detail of your private life and cooperate fully in theirinvestigation of the President.

In the summer of 1995, Monica Lewinsky, then twenty-one years old and freshout of college, went to work as an unpaid intern at the White House.Whathappened next, as a vivacious young woman's "crush" on her boss led to herpublic humiliation and the impeachment of the President of the UnitedStates, has been documented in shocking detail.

But have we heard the true story?Betrayed by Linda Tripp, Monica foundherself a pawn in the power struggle between President Clinton and theOffice of the Independent Counsel.As she waited to face the grand juryinvestigating the President, the media conducted its own trial of Monica,while her legal predicament prevented her from telling the world what reallyhappened.

Monica's Story at last sets the record straight.Drawing on hisexclusive conversations with Monica, her family, and her friends,bestselling biographer Andrew Morton paints a complex and compellingportrait of a generous-hearted but troubled young woman whose dreams ofromance had unimaginable consequences.

Monica was compelled to answer the grand jury's questions, but it was to AndrewMorton that she unfolded the whole story of her experiences before, during,and after the White House scandal.The result is a candid, intimatebiography of a young woman whose life holds some surprising secrets--andwhose public image is very different from the private truths revealed inthese pages.Amazon.com Review
Though it's a legal document, the Starr Report,published in late 1998, reads like a racy novel about the mostpowerful man in the world, President Bill Clinton, and a young intern,Monica Lewinsky, who's portrayed as a spoiled Beverly Hills bratperforming oral sex on the president while he talked to colleagues onthe telephone.

Andrew Morton, the author of Diana: Her TrueStory, spent several months interviewing Lewinsky after thescandal broke; the result is Monica's Story, which asserts thatthe picture the Starr Report paints of Lewinsky is totallyincorrect. Morton believes she and the president had an emotional,mutually satisfying relationship, which, if circumstances had beendifferent, would probably have remained secret. Although he coversmuch of the same territory as the Starr Report, he adds detailsof conversations Lewinsky and Clinton had in an attempt to show thedepth of the relationship. In chapters with titles like "Grunge,Granola, and Andy" and "Terror in Room 1012," he paints a portrait ofa "child-woman" who is sexually liberated but also intelligent,loving, and well mannered. "[She] could be anybody's sister," heinsists, "anybody's daughter."

The book is most interesting, however, in its descriptions of thepolitical intrigue, lies, and deception resulting from Kenneth Starr'sinvestigation. Leading the evil band is Linda Tripp, described as ablack-hearted, shameless manipulator who betrayed Lewinsky and spurredthe scandal for her own personal gain (she was planning to write abook about Clinton). He also examines the media's hatred forLewinsky--particularly that of women writers who became obsessed withher weight and body shape. "Just as the O.J. Simpson trial exposed theracial fault line running through American society," he argues, "sothe Monica Lewinsky saga has spotlighted the underlying misogyny thatstill permeates American life." Monica's Story is grippingstuff--porn, fantasy, farce, political commentary, and tragedy allrolled into one. --Dale Kneen, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (77)

Right is Right and wrong is wrong...
Interesting take from the perspective of her (Monica's) past and how as a result of that this adult did not get that we are responsible for what we do. For that matter this is also applicable to the past President of the United States: Bill Clinton and the prosecuter Kenneth Star. It seems to me they all need to grow up and assume responsibility for their actions. I would never have paid the $25.00 asking price for this book at the time of its release but picked it up used for $ 2.00. It is interesting the workings of the White House and how our tax dollars are used (??) also all of this story is still a shameless finger pointer for us the U.S. citizen regarding the world view of us as players in world events. At issue during this time was Bosnia and the killing of our citizens and for the President to feel bad about this and then get satisfaction or comfort from Monica kind of sucks. (no pun intended)Perhaps it is a good thing that we do not have all the details of what really does go on behind the walls of the White House ... the peoples house. The issue of depression, mental instability, insecurity are all mentioned regarding poor Monica. It seems to me you get what you give and if you are cheating with a married man then expect to get shafted. Two wrongs do not make a right and on that note ... what gives with the President and his flirtatious BS ... what gives that these people elected by the public to care for the public end up being such loosers? Now, we have Hillary out and about representing this country and heaven only knows what Bill is up to or with whom. What's with Marcia, Monica's mother, does not anyone in that family know what is right and what is wrong ... if a man is married he is off limits; especially if he is the President of one of the greatest nations in the free world. This book is a very light read an interpretation at the behest of Andrew Morton of dysfuction at its best. I did not mention Linda Tripp, my heavens another dingdong her and her tell all book ... just plain garbage. It, this book is as close to a waste of good time as is out there very disappointing in regard to good people and respect for the United States and its property. If you do decide to read this book do not spend any kind of money on it ... it is not worth the paper it is printed on.

A must read for anyone interested in Bill Clinton
I initially purchased this book because I have been following Bill Clinton's presidency and career for many years. I expected to discover new things about him and to maybe get an insight about this affair. I think Monica would have done a better job writing this book in her own voice and explaining the emotions, thoughts and reason which led her to this affair. As for Clinton, he came out of this thing better than I thought. I wasn't at all surprised by the conversations and relationship experiences that I read. The only thing I was amazed at was how he managed to keep functioning in the midst of this stormy relationship and the all afterward in which he tried to help her find a job. I think in the end I felt sorry for both of them for not thinking twice before they jumped into a whirlwind affair that would inflict so many wounds on both of them, especially her.

good book
good book it kept my attention, was looking for more detail but all in all it was a good book...

Her Camps Point of View (POV)
Monica Samille Lewinsky appears to be either incredibly naive or incredibly childish.This book is not a page turner.If you are interested in her camps' POV... then you may like this book.The author says her "disorderly routine and her neurotic behavior over weight perfectly explain why she never cleaned the notorious blue Gap dress that was stained with the President's semen" (page 11).

She is characterized as very naive.She documented every little detail as if it was major, which appears that she had a motive for the future use of this information.It gave me thoughts that she was contemplating possible blackmail, book deals, and/or movie deals.

Yet again... she was either incredibly smart, naive, or silly.

Puritanical virtues alive and well, but the economy?
This book was quite dumb, and all that it does is emphasize how dumb people can be. If you're a Republican right-winger who's more interested in a president's, a man's, sexcapades than what he does with the economy, then read on by all means. This mindless book was made for you. ... Read more

Product Description
Though Juniper enjoys the easy life of a medieval princess, she chooses to learn about herbs, healing, and the magic within nature from her strange and difficult godmother. As her training comes to an end, Juniper discovers that her power-hungry aunt is using black magic to seize the throne. Juniper must use her as-yet-untested powers to stop her—before the kingdom is destroyed!


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (51)

alot thrown together into the cauldron of a magical read
As one who enjoys fantasy, I found Juniper a fairly satisfying and magical read. I thought the beginning third of the book was very strong. The characters were well developed, the plot had all the traditional elements of good vs. evil and the magic of the dorans is well laid out.
As the book progressed, I found myself being somewhat critical over certain aspects of the story, in particular the characters. They just started to seem two dimensional to me, a bit stereotypical. For example, the evil sorceress Meroot was rather predicable in her actions. Actually, many of the characters were very predicable a la fairy tales of their behaviors.
As one who has read many magical fantasies, the initiation scene with Juniper and Trewyn in the hut naked breathing in green wood smoke just didn't work for me. Then suddenly they could move things all over the room. It seemed "over the top" regarding believability, even in a fantasy. At times, it seemed that the author, who clearly did her research especially in the art of spinning and weaving, threw many different elements of fantasy into the cauldron. Some of it worked;other aspects just seemed as if they were put in just because. There were many loose ends that either came together far too easily and conveniently, or conversely were left up in the air.
Although I enjoyed the first half of the book, the ending was disappointing to me. I am looking forward to reading Wise Child.

Timeless
This is book is at the top of my all time favorite books as a child(I'm 21 now). I read this book a million times over and if I could find it I'ddo it again. This novel definately molded my reading as a child and I can't be more thankful of it. Interesting and difficult to pull away from this book draws you in. I think I might go and re-buy both this book and Wise Child to read just for summer fun!

A jouney of self-discovery. Not as good as Wise Child, but well-written and still wonderful. Recommend, especially as a sequel
The prequel to Wise Child, Juniper is the story of Ninnoc, know as Juniper, a medieval princess sent to apprentice under her godmother. Juniper leaves her friends, family, and the comforts of her father's small palace to live with Euny, her grandmother, in a small cold shack on the edge of the kingdom. Under Euny's care she toils throughout the day, eats little, and sleeps poorly, all with the promise that, in time, Euny will teach her the knowledge and ways of a doran, the women of the world who live alongside the rhythms of nature and use their skills and magic to help others. While Juniper spends a year and a day at Euny's shack, her father's castle comes under attack by her aunt, and evil sorceress who wants the kingdom for herself. Juniper's first task as a doran will be to use her powers and what Euny has taught her to defeat her aunt and save her father's kingdom. While I prefer Wise Child, Juniper is also an engrossing, worthwhile read. Many of the same themes are present, especially the concept that nothing worthwhile comes without a price. Juniper's story is darker than Wise Child's: Euny is a tough task master and Juniper's aunt is a more immediate and threatening foe. In exchange, the elements of magic are larger and more visible. While perhaps not as enjoyable or as skillfully crafted as Wise Child, Juniper provides interesting backstory and continues to examine the path of a doran--how they learn, what their purpose is, and what trails they must face. I recommend this text, especially as a prequel to Wise Child.

Despite the similar storyline, Juniper is very different from its sequel, Wise Child. Both stories are about young women who live with a doran, working hard and suffering in order to learn from her and train to be dorans themselves. However, Juniper deviates from Wise Child's focus on the nature of love and family: unlike Wise Child, Juniper comes from a stable and loving home. Rather, Juniper's story is about assessing one's own skills and finding one's own path, even if that path takes you far away from the comfort and desires of your youth. This theme of self-discovery is worthwhile and interesting to readers of all age groups: it's instructive and comforting to the young, and reminds older readers that the sacrifice and reward of self-discovery is never really over.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Wise Child and Juniper is the role of magic in the books. In Juniper, magic plays a much more visible role and doesn't fit into the world as we know it quite as well as it does in Wise Child. Talking animals, transforming sorcerers, and magical items all transform the visibility and role of magic. While not as extreme as it could be (there are no dragons here), magic is more obvious and harder to explain in this book. As a result, the story is a little more distant and harder to identify with than Wise Child, making for a less sucessful book. Juniper's story is more exciting, with a more physical and exciting climax, but on the whole it isn't as successful or as enjoyable as Wise Child.

Nonetheless, Furlong writes in a clear, readable style, her characters are realistic and easy to identify with, an the lessons contained within the book are worthwhile and personal. It is a fitting companion to Wise Child and contains many of the concepts and themes that make that book so wonderful. As a prequel, this book successfully provides backstory and characterization that should interest anyone that has read Wise Child. I do recommend this text, primarily but not only as a sequel, and I like to come back to it every couple of years.

the story of juniper.
After reading Wise Child I was very happy to discover Juniper. It is the story of Juniper andhow she became a doran after enduring her teaching from Euny. The story is well written like Wise Child. I recommend reading this book especially if you enjoyed Wise Child.

Definately read this...
If you have read Wise Child...(I don't know, I read Wise Child first--I don't know if that's out of order or not)...anyway, this is a great book to go along with Wise Child. The books are imaginative and fun to read, and I'm not even a kid anymore...she just makes them fun for all ages to read...I highly recommend this book...

I hope this helped you... ... Read more

Product Description
“Crossing the globe, from Australia to Manhattan to Dublin, McInerney’s bewitching multigenerational saga lavishly and lovingly explores the resiliency and fragility of family bonds.”–Booklist

"Vivid characterizations and sharply honed dialogue . . . McInerney brings humor and insight to issues of sibling rivalry, family secrecy, and romantic betrayal."--The Boston Globe, on The Alphabet Sisters

"A book to treasure . . . clever, amusing, and heart-warmingly touching."--Woman's Day (Australia), on Family Baggage

From internationally bestselling author Monica McInerney comes a captivating and charming new novel of family secrets, the loyalty of sisters, and the power of redemption.

As a child, Maggie Faraday grew up in a lively, unconventional household with her young mother, four very different aunts, and eccentric grandfather. With her mother often away, her aunts took turns looking after her–until, just weeks before Maggie’s sixth birthday, a shocking event changed everything.

Twenty years later, Maggie is living alone in New York City when she receives a surprise visit from her grandfather Leo, who brings a revelation and a proposition: He’s preparing a special gift for his daughters and needs Maggie’s help. When the Faradays gather from all parts of the world to celebrate Christmas in July–a longstanding tradition–Maggie uncovers unexpected family history and learns that the women she thought she knew so intimately all have something to hide.

Written in McInerney’s trademark warm, heartfelt prose, The Faraday Girls is a sweeping and affecting family saga. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

couldn't stop reading
I found this book absolutely gripping...stayed up till 4 a.m. to finish it! The author takes an unflinching look at the bonds of five sisters and the rifts that occur over the years. It was honest, poignant, fascinating and at times heartbreaking...what you think you feel about one character morphs into something completely different. Kudos to the author for creating such fascinating, layered, intriguing characters! I'll remember this book for years.

heartfelt family saga...
Not since the summer days when I lazed around by the side of the swimming pool, reading romances and mysteries as a teenager, have I so very thoroughly enjoyed a summer read.

The Faraday girls: Juliet, Miranda, Eliza, Sadie, and Clementine survive the loss of their mother for nine years under the shadow of her memory, living amongst the melancholy memories of their father, Leo. The opening chapter reveals that 16-year-old Clementine will be a mother of her own accord in just a few months. Family traditions and paradigms, unchanged for years, soon give way to the unraveling of the very fabric of what they know as truth.

Baby Maggie's arrival at once brings the sisters together and defines their identities. The family remains intact for a while, and then the Faraday paradigms shift.

Juliet, having played mother to her four sisters for years, realizes the longings of her own heart as she forms a partnership in love and business with a young man who arrives in her life unexpectedly. Miranda, fiercely independent, adores the little niece but steps out on her own to live a life of travel and adventure. Eliza, the seemingly spinster aunt, lives a double life as a sports trainer; and Sadie devotedly dotes on her "pseudo-sibling", raising her beloved Maggie while Clementine pursues her studies in natural science.

The dynamic of the relationship between Sadie, Clementine and Maggie would dominate the tale had not McInerney masterfully woven the character of Tess in and out of the threads of the family, immortalized by the interminably grief-stricken Leo. Tess has a say in whatever plans develop --weighed by Leo in regards to what Tess would have done, said, or thought. Despite his devotion to his long-lost bride, Leo has no incentive to properly care for his family, spending most of his time in his "shop" out back, inventing things that will someday create a fortune in gold for his girls.

Sadie's fierce affection for Maggie is matched only by her obsession to know the truth about her mother, hidden away in the diaries that she remembers her mother keeping up with a passion - to the very day she died. Sadie's obsession leads to a dramatic turn of events that affect the family forever when she takes Maggie to the seaside in the summer of Maggie's tenth year.

McInerney deftly reveals surprising truths about Tess, her marriage to Leo,
altering the firmly entrenched traditions after the disappearance of one of the sisters.

One of the long-standing Faraday Family Tradition culminates the novel while neatly wrapping up the many loose ends of Leo, his daughters, and Maggie, allowing them to at last move out of the lengthy shadows of Tess, her life and death, and into the sunshine of their very own lives.


Julia Brantley, A Score of Intervals
A Score of Intervals: Sharps & Flats on Brusca

Another fun read by a great author!
I really enjoyed reading this book. It had an interesting premise and lively and strong characters. The ending took me by surprise... I would have expected something different... but, in the end I was quite satisfied. It made me giggle, as well as tear up. I think she is a wonderful writer and I will continue to look out for her books!

The Faraday Girls
I really wanted to like this book.I loved this author's book Upside Down, Inside Out.However, this book just went on and on.It was entirely too long.By the time I got more than 300 pages into it, it suddenly became boring to me and I just tired of the story line and didn't feel a connection with the characters.I think it could have been condensed down and been a great book at 325-350 pages. Not the worst book I've read but was disappointing.

A saga of sisters
Widowed Leo Faraday raises his five daughters alone after the death of his adored wife Tessa, to whom he constantly refers as a paragon of womanhood. The girls have completely different personalities but Leo battles to keep them united as a family. When Clementine, the youngest girl has a baby daughter at the age of 16, the other sisters all play their part in raising their niece, Maggie, surrounding her with love and encouraging her obvious talent with mathematics. The story continues until Maggie is in her twenties when long hidden family secrets are unveiled and threaten to destroy them, taking Leo and his girls around the world in their quest for family unity. ... Read more

Product Description
After surviving a near-fatal accident, thirty-year-old Lizzy Mitchell faces a long road to recovery. She remembers little about the days she spent in and out of consciousness, save for one thing: She saw her beloved deceased uncle, Father Mike, the man who raised her in the rectory of his Maine church until she was nine, at which time she was abruptly sent away to boarding school. Was Father Mike an angel, a messenger from the beyond, or something more corporeal? Though her troubled marriage and her broken body need tending, Lizzy knows she must uncover the details of her accident–and delve deep into events of twenty years before, when whispers and accusations forced a good man to give up the only family he had. With deft insight into the snares of the human heart, Monica Wood has written an intimate and emotionally expansive novel full of understanding and hope. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Don't want it to end
I am about 3/4 through this book and I find myself putting it down after reading another page or two.I don't want it to end.I don't want to finish this book because I know it will be awhile before I find another which is so well written. Page after page of engrossing, beautiful writing...

Lovely and Amazing
I absolutely devoured this book. The language is so beautiful you could eat it with a spoon. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I cannot say enough good things about it. And unlike The Secret Life of Bees which it was (oddly) compared to by Glamour magazine; I loved it. I read The Secret Life of Bees andwasn't that impressed by it. Not so with this. I am now off to find more and more Monica Wood. I too am amazed that this book has not attracted more attention. It is a rare gem. I swear, you could pair it with a medium-bodied merlot. Delicious!

Compelling without overdoing it
Wood gives an amazingly realistic portrayal of an adult's memory of early childhood. The relationship of a young girl to her caretaker that emerges is the most poignant I've ever read. Her attention to the details of childhood is such that it reminded me of things I hadn't thought about in decades. The main character's experience of being ripped from her caretaker amid false allegations is truly heart-wrenching without being maudlin - a difficult feat.

However, Wood's handling of the relationships of husbands and wives isn't nearly as compelling. In her defense, marital relations vary much more in detail than do parental relationships, yet I still found myself unmoved for the most part by the main marriage presented.

Overall though, Wood's handling and depiction of relationships and of complicated emotions - passion, grief, love, hate - is compelling. And as an added bonus, the book is quite a page turner.

Great characters, engaging prose - READ IT!
I don't usually take the time to write reviews, but I really wanted to write one for this book. It is simultaneously a great page-turner and a thought-provoking commentary on faith, family, love, and society. Primarily I want to dispel any notion that this is a Catholic priest/child abuse story--some other review summaries may inadvertently lead you to think that.It is NOT that kind of story; the love between Lizzy and her uncle, Father Mike, is completely innocent and genuine. If you are a parent, you will relate to Father Mike's feelings and insecurities and actions.Monica Wood captures all of that so well.She also shows us how quickly people can draw totally erroneous conclusions with incomplete information, yet truly believe that their judgment is sound.

Plus, this book has so many other layers, angles, and plot developments that labeling it as only one kind of story would be a shame.

The only reason I gave this book four instead of five stars is that I felt the ending was slightly rushed. Only slightly, though! I wanted to know more about the trajectory that some characters had been on, both physically and emotionally.I can't say more than that without giving anything away.

The bottom line is that Any Bitter Thing is a wonderful story filled with multi-dimensional characters and a haunting message. Highly recommended.

Absolutely Wonderful!
I loved this book! Its plot held surprising twists and turns, the characters were just beautifully drawn... It was an excellent book! I really loved reading it. It was so very beautiful. I really am looking forward to reading other books by her, and will certainly be loaning my copy out to my mother. ... Read more

Product Description
Betsy Devonshire has been having some very vivid nightmares. And when she dreams of a murder before it happens, she really isn't going to get any rest until she untangles the crime.

Praise for the Needlecraft Mysteries:
Entertaining...Fans of Jessica Fletcher will devour this book. (Rendezvous) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Unraveled Sleeve
I haven't read it as of yet, but it arrived in very good condition.I can't wait to start on it.
Karen

an enjoyable light read
The perfect book to curl up with when you are tired.You will not have to think much when you read this book, the author's habit of spelling everything out for you, makes this a nice light read.

The Best Yet
I love the gothic elements of this entry in the Needlecraft Mysteries. Betsy and Jill head off for a "restful" vacation at a remote lodge, only to fall right into a mystery. Or is it just a product of Betsy's overactive imagination? The duo must rely on their wits and Betsy's unerring talent for ferreting out the truth to figure out what's going on.

I like how Ferris continues to add new dimensions to her characters. Betsy struggles with her pull to solve mysteries while also dealing with the emotional aspects of solving crimes. Will she fight her nature to find peace of mind, or continue to help others find out the truth?

One thing that bugs me is in the last few books, everyone (particularly Jill) seems to be too solicitous of Betsy. In the early books, this made sense, because her sister had just died. But now, c'mon! She's a grown woman and doesn't need someone "tucking her in" and telling her she looks tired and needs to rest every 15 pages. Let Betsy stand on her own two feet -- she (and the series) will be stronger for it!

Wonderful entertainment
Kept me awake to the wee hours--thank God I am retired !1 I want more mysteries like this.

When Vacations Go Bad
Betsy Devonshire owner of Crewel World, a needlecraft shop in Excelsior, Minnesota is tired.She's been having nightmares for awhile and wants to get away for a rest.

What better way to rest then to go with her friend, deputy Jill Cross to a "stitch-in" at Naniboujou Lodge.Or at least it started out peaceful, as Betsy, working on a project in the lounge falls asleep and wakes up to find another woman sitting in the room with her.

Sharon Kaye Owen's, a famous needle crafter tells her she's there to try and reconcile with her husband.They had broken up after Sharon developed allergies which prevented her from participating in almost any thing.

Betsy is horrified when she later goes up to her room and finds the body of Sharon Kaye Owen's stretched across her bed.But it's not as bad, as when she gets Jill and the Lodge owner to go back with her, only to find the body has disappeared.

Was Betsy dreaming?Having another of her nightmares.Sharon Owens wasn't scheduled to even be at the lodge and she hadn't checked in and no one else had seen her.

But Betsy is sure of what she saw and decides to investigate, to prove not only that she had found a body and that Sharon was dead, but to uncover who the killer might be among the other guests.

There doesn't seem a shortage of people, including Sharon's family, her ex-husband Frank and their two kids, Liddy & Doogie. Most of the otherneedlecrafters at the stitch-in were excited to have Sharon Owens come, but they didn't like her personally.

With the help of Jill and local Sheriff Goodman, Betsy uncovers clues which lead to a solution to an almost perfect crime.

Highlights:

The friendship that has developed between Betsy and Jill.There is a big age difference, I assume Jill is in her thirty's and Betsy is 55, but they have a lot in common and Jill is just the type of friend everyone needs, especially when getting over a bad divorce and the murder of your only family. "Betsy's sister Margot, who left her Crewel World."

Godwin, being left in charge of the shop while she's gone and encounters a major disaster.This guy is one of the best characters in the book, he is always very funny.

The mystery is very good in this one.I didn't guess either the killer or the reason for the murder.

Lowlights:

I like the needlecraft information but in this books with so many experts gathered together, it was very confusing, because except for cross-stitching and knitting, a lot of the other needlecraft projects they were working on and talking about, I didn't have a clue as to what they were.This made some of the sections hard to follow.

Because this story took place far away from Excelsior, most of the regulars were missing and they usually add quite a bit to each story, so I missed them. .

Overall a very good read. ... Read more

Product Description
Monica Crowley was a 21-year-old graduate student when, having answered an advertisement, she became Richard Nixon's research assistant in 1990. Gradually she evolved into a confidante who remained with him until his death four years later. In this book she records Nixon's assessments of world events and world leaders, both as he sat brooding over his papers and draft memoirs, and during his almost manic peregrinations around the world. Ultimately the shadow of Watergate hung over his every moment, leading to revelations which startled the young Crowley. This portrait of an enigmatic and reviled former US President reveals him discussing international affairs at length; he is also seen as an aged widower cooking spaghetti for himself, reflecting on scandal, ageing and dying, and craving the company of the young researcher to whom he can pontificate and with whom he can keep his faculties alive.Amazon.com Review
Monica Crowley served as a personal assistant to formerpresident Richard M. Nixon from July 1990 until his death in April1994. During that period, she maintained a private journal in whichshe recorded his utterances with transcriptive clarity (a trait sheattributes to having written down each conversation immediately afterit was concluded). In Nixon Off theRecord, she presented his views on political leadership andhis opinions of specific leaders. In this sequel, she concentrates onNixon's vision for America's foreign policy, which formed the basis ofhis attempts to influence the foreign policy of his successors, andhis increasing awareness and acceptance of his own mortality.

Although Nixon in Winter is almost assuredly intended toportray Nixon's final years as a strong, ideologically committedstatesman in semiexile, what often comes through is the image of alonely old man suffering from frustration over his unintended legacyand reputation. Dismissing even those biographies which depict himpositively, he worries, "I haven't written enough. Look atChurchill. He wrote volumes. Maybe I should write more." There'sa certain wistfulness to Nixon waking Crowley up with a phone call at7:15 A.M. or cooking chili out of the can for the two of them, servingit with grapefruit juice ("I find that it cuts the taste of thechili"). Nixon in Winter rounds out the public image ofone of the 20th century's most controversial leaders with an unusuallypersonal perspective. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Nixon, the philosopher king
The greatest compliment, I think, that you can bestow on an author is that you hoped the story never ended...and THIS book deserves such an accolade!

Like Tess D'Urberville or Holden Caulfield, you WANT to see every aspect of Nixon's life---alas, our 37th President was not a fictional character whose life the author could manipulate for the readers, like Harry Potter.

I was ten when Nixon went into the White House, and thought he was more than a crook...thought he was EVIL...but even though I was a kid i realised that his wage-price freeze was something that was not only REVOLUTIONARY---but it saved this country from bankruptcy.And it wasn't lost on me that HE lessened the nuclear threat from Russia, opened up the road to China, AND sent the first man to the moon!

Watergate didn't really mean much to ME, but Nixon DID help create the CHASM with his "Silent Majority," who i took for granted as being the cross-burning klansmen Dixiecrats who would later become Reagan "Republicans," and having listened to author Monica Crowley on New York's WABC talk radio intermittenly for the past decade, this book is a sad reminder of how Crowley USED TO BE a *real* conservative until she became an Ann Coulter Lite wannabe.

Too bad Nixon is no longer here, because i'm sure HE would show Obama how to make *his* healthcare plan WORK

The Real Nixon Speaks
Excellent book ! Crowley got Nixon to open up and say what he really thought. Insightful, masterful, and a wonderful book all round.

Plagarism is not nice
A lot of this book is plagarized. Crowley regularly "borrows" whole paragraphs from other authors. She just did this again on her radio show. I wouldn't waste my time on this book.

Crowley Does It Again
Oh man, Monica has done it again. Clearly there's not enough material here for more than a 2-page pamphlet, but Ms. Crowley doesn't let that stop her from filling out this delightful expose of Nixon as he looks back on his life. Many times thorughout this book you'll find yourself smacking your lips and thinking, "how much did I pay for this?" But the real payoff is when your realize that Nixon probably saw this young, uber-attractive, curvy-figured, author and saw it as one last chance to show her the microphone he used to make his recordings in the 70s -- can't say as I blame him. Crowley is delicious! I give it five stars out of 100.

Nixon's "Post-Mortem" Campaign
When I read that MSNBC was going to have Monica Crowley co-host a show with Ronald Reagan several months ago, I did a Google search and was pleased (and surprised) to see that she had actually wrote a follow-up to her first (and brief) book about her experiences as an aid to Richard Nixon in the years leading up to his death.This book is rather lengthy but in a good way since it offers a generous, nuanced look at our 37th President.

My guess is that Nixon would not have approved of all that Ms. Crowley writes about although Ms. Crowley rationalizes that Nixon must have known that she would write about her experiences with him.

Crowley's Nixon seems obsessed with justifying most of the decisions and actions that he took in his political career, especially the Presidential years.While we will never know for sure, Ms. Crowley does seem very successful in capturing the parts of Nixon that we never saw in public especially his "obsession" with improving his presidential legacy.

What I found particularly interesting--and worth the read alone--is Nixon's continued belief, right up until he died,that he was absolutely right to continue U.S. involvement in Vietnamfor the first four years of his presidency.Nixon shows continued contempt (even in the 1990s) for those who chose not to serve in this cause (with special hostility for President Bill Clinton, whose victory over the first George Bush personally affronts him).Nixon also had plenty of contempt for the Congress for not allowing President Ford to "save" the cause in 1975 when North Vietnam would finally prevail.

I'm not sure that even Ms. Crowley is aware of how successful she is in putting the reader through long bouts of pain for those of us who lived through the sixties and early seventies with her vivid description of Nixon's reflections of how he wanted to prevail over the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong in South Vietnam in spite of the fact that this longest war in our history was tearing much of our country apart.

In fact, Ms. Crowley suggests that Mr. Nixon--even with hindsight--would unfortunately fight the Vietnam War in exactly the same way even though almost 20,000 more men died in a losing cause under "his watch"--most of whom were draftees.

So, if your politics need a passion fix--or if the old Nixon hostility has left you and you think you want it back--consider reading this old chestnut of a book and I promise you that you will get your political currents rejuvenated and approach today's current events with much more vigor and perception. ... Read more

Product Description
Monica Ali's gorgeous first novel is the deeply moving story of one woman, Nazneen, born in a Bangladeshi village and transported to London at age eighteen to enter into an arranged marriage. Already hailed by the London Observer as "one of the most significant British novelists of her generation," Ali has written a stunningly accomplished debut about one outsider's quest to find her voice.

What could not be changed must be borne. And since nothing could be changed, everything had to be borne. This principle ruled her life. It was mantra, fettle, and challenge.

Nazneen's inauspicious entry into the world, an apparent stillbirth on the hard mud floor of a village hut, imbues in her a sense of fatalism that she carries across continents when she is married off to Chanu, a man old enough to be her father. Nazneen moves to London and, for years, keeps house, cares for her husband, and bears children, just as a girl from the village is supposed to do. But gradually she is transformed by her experience, and begins to question whether fate controls her or whether she has a hand in her own destiny.

Motherhood is a catalyst -- Nazneen's daughters chafe against their father's traditions and pride -- and to her own amazement, Nazneen falls in love with a young man in the community. She discovers both the complexity that comes with free choice and the depth of her attachment to her husband, her daughters, and her new world.

While Nazneen journeys along her path of self-realization, her sister, Hasina, rushes headlong at her life, first making a "love marriage," then fleeing her violent husband. Woven through the novel, Hasina's letters from Dhaka recount a world of overwhelming adversity. Shaped, yet not bound, by their landscapes and memories, both sisters struggle to dream -- and live -- beyond the rules prescribed for them.

Vivid, profoundly humane, and beautifully rendered, Brick Lane captures a world at once unimaginable and achingly familiar. And it establishes Monica Ali as a thrilling new voice in fiction. As Kirkus Reviews said, "She is one of those dangerous writers who see everything."Amazon.com Review
Wildly embraced by critics, readers, and contest judges (who put it on theshort-list for the 2003 Man Booker Prize), Brick Lane is indeed a rare find: abook that lives up to its hype. Monica Ali's debut novel chronicles the lifeof Nazneen, a Bangladeshi girl so sickly at birth that the midwife at firstdeclares her stillborn. At 18 her parents arrange a marriage toChanu, a Bengali immigrant living in England. Although Chanu--who's twice Nazneen's age--turns out to be a foolish blowhard who "had a face like a frog," Nazneen accepts her fate, which seems to be the main life lesson taught by the women in her family. "If God wanted us to ask questions," her mother tells her, "he would have made us men." Over the next decade-and-a-half Nazneen grows into a strong, confident woman who doesn't defy fate so much as bend it to her will. The great delight to be had in Brick Lane lies with Ali's characters, from Chanu the kindly fool to Mrs. Islam the elderly loan shark to Karim the political rabblerouser, all livingin a hothouse of Bengali immigrants. Brick Lane combines the widescope of a social novel about the struggles of Islamic immigrants in pre-and post-9/11 England with the intimate story of Nazneen, one of the morememorable heroines to come along in a long time. If Dickens or Trollope wereloosed upon contemporary London, this is exactly the sort of novel they wouldcook up. --Claire Dederer ... Read more

Customer Reviews (159)

I wish I had those hours back
I forced myself to read this book as it is going to be discussed at my next book club.The best word I can use to describe this book is tedious.The dialogue especially was uninspired.I really could not care less what happened to any of the characters, and the ending was just as boring as the rest of the book.I was very disappointed in the entire story.

Good book and good seller
Fascinating book. As for the seller, the book came on time and in good condition. The price was reasonable.

I love this book!
I loved this book and have read it more than once.I think it shows an outsider possibly what it is like not only for Bangladeshi immigrant women living in London, but also for the women in Bagladesh.

It really makes you appreciate your own life and situation too.I can't belive this is her first book!For all of those harsh critics out there; can you do better?If so, do it!From my experience some of the critics are the least expert on the things they critique (as in they could hardly do it themselves, but find it easier to judge the work of others)...just saying.

Review from Mrs. Magoo Reads
Title: Brick Lane
Author: Monica Ali
Grade: A
Ideal Audience: Boys & Girls, 14+

Summary: Nazneen was raised in Bangladesh, but at a young age was sent to London to marry a man she had never before met. Her husband, Chanu, may be fat and boring, spending too much time baffling over his books and fruitlessly planning for a promotion, but as the years pass by Nazneen develops a fondness for him.

After the death of a baby son, Nazneen undergoes a mental change. Before, she would try to fog her mind. She would say her prayers, clean the house, simply wait for the life that comes after death. But now there is a stirring inside of her, a growing restlessness. Perhaps it started the first time she saw ice skating on the television, and then made itself clear after the tragedy.

Time passes, and Nazneen and Chanu now have two daughters. The eldest, Shahana, is rebellious, while the younger, Bibi, tentatively tries to please her father. But there is now disquiet in their lives. Chanu owes money to Mrs. Islam, who ruthlessly squeezes every penny out of them. Nazneen suspects that the son of her friend, Razia, has taken up heroin, but is unsure of how to point this out to Razia.

Nazneen has taken up sewing as a job, and the middleman, Karim, is broadening her view of the world. He speaks of politics, of injustice. He makes Nazneen feel important, treats everything she says as a new revelation. Before she knows it, she is in the middle of a damning affair. Meanwhile, we read letters from her sister, Hasina, who along with Chanu's speculations and Karim's accounts, gives us a view of Bangladesh.

My thoughts: The most interesting quote in the book, I thought, was one spoken by Dr. Azad, Chanu's friend. Although he speaks of himself, it explains the background of Nazneen's relationships with Chanu and Karim:

" 'What I did not know- I was a young man- is that there are two kinds of love. The kind that starts off big and slowly wears away, that seems you can never use it up and then one day is finished. And the kind that you don't notice at first, but which adds a little bit to itself every day, like an oyster makes a pearl, grain by grain, a jewel from the sand.' "

Thought provoking and imaginative, Brick Lane is highly recommended.

A Satisfying Ending
The ending is superb and deeply satisfies the reader. All of the narration comes together to leave an accomplishment... but had I not persevered through the book my initial lack of interest (which spanned for 3/4 of the book) would have won out. Brick Lane takes too long to go anywhere and seems to spend too much time explaining the plot rather than living it. Nazneen's seclusion from the world did not work to the favor of this book and her emotions seem stifled. Hasina's letters seem to be a bit odd in place as Nazneen only seems to be casually interested in them. However, if you can wait out for the last few chapters of the book you will find that it is a quiet gem of a read... though you may not read it twice. ... Read more

Product Description
Privileged debutante Alex Kincaid is sent to her uncle's ranch after receiving her third DUI in eighteen months. She doesn't know the first thing about cooking, but when it comes to the Bar K's sexy-as-sin cook, Brett, she's willing to learn.Having served his six years as an inmate at the prison ranch, Brett Hartman can almost taste his freedom. When the warden's niece arrives, his world is turned upside down. Alex argues with him at every turn and makes his already chaotic life a living hell. Fraternization will send him back to jail, away from the Bar K. So why is he willing to throw away everything he's worked for to have one night with her in his bed? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Ms Robinson's best
This is my third Monica Robinson book, and I think her best. The characters are all well thought out and when you finish the book you feel like you are saying good bye to good friends.The story is well written and different in a very good way.I highly recommend this read. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Sexy and suspenseful
Constance Athelston is a widow with a young son. She also has a gift that she dare not reveal - she can see the dead. After a night of shared passion, she is determined to win the heart of Lucien Blakemore, the Earl of Lyndham. Lucien, however, believes he is cursed - which means that falling in love is too dangerous. But he can't get Constance out of his mind, or his heart. Will these two be able to set aside the obstacles and take hold of true love? Constance struggles because of her gift. She sees visions and can talk to the dead and most people shun her if they find out. Lucien doesn't believe in anything supernatural, which makes a relationship between the two of them difficult to say the least. I thought Constance's ability to love Lucien in the face of almost overwhelming odds was amazing. She is strong and independent, but also has a heart for others.
Lucien is the kind of hero that gets your blood racing. He's a bad boy on the outside, but inside wanting to love and be loved. From the moment he first appeared, to the last scene, I was hooked!
Ms. Burns has an amazing talent. She is able to write an edge-of-your-seat suspense tale that is also an erotic, emotional love story. The love scenes were sensual and passionate with a little bit of naughty mixed in. I loved the secondary characters. Constance's son Jamie, the earl's grandmother, his niece Imogene. And the villain was scary, so evil, yet able to mask his true nature. Dangerous is a passionate tale of love and intrigue, with supernatural elements. You won't want to miss this one!

Dangerous
Constance Athelson doesn't flaunt the fact she can talk to spirits. Left a widow after her husband died on an expedition in Egypt, she allows her friend to talk her into attending the Black Widow's Ball dressed as Isis, the Egyptian goddess. There she has a passionate encounter with a masked man. The vision she has afterward, though, frightens her and she runs from her lover, despite the fact she feels drawn to him.

Lucien Blakemore, Earl of Lyndham, has searched high and low for Isis. When he can't find her he decides to retreat to his home to talk with the man he recently hired to catalogue his Egyptian artifacts. When he arrives he finds his new employee is not a man, but a woman. And she's also his Isis.

Despite the attraction, though, Lucien battles against something permanent. The curse on the Blakemore men means his attraction to Constance can only end in tragedy. Can Constance's love save him from his eventual spiral into madness that has caused death in the last generations of Blakemores, or will Constance help Lucien to get to the bottom of the curse, so they can be together forever?

Hot and erotic, Dangerous pulls at the reader's heartstrings. I fell in love with Constance and Lucien from their first encounter. Both of them face demons of their own, and are strong-willed. The way they battled them, and came to the eventual conclusion, kept me turning the pages and rooting for their happily ever after.

Dangerous is full of interesting side characters who added to the mix. I enjoyed the way Ms. Burns kept me guessing right until the end. I adore things with Egyptian mythology, and a good ghost story always pulls me in. Dangerous has both of those elements, and is sure to charm readers.


Amelia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Love story with absorbing plot.
This is a story which contains elements of romance, suspence and well rounded realistic characters, making thebook hard to put down. It is also refreshing as it deals with a different storyline from most romance books which cannot escape from the common cliches.

Constance Athelson has a gift which allows her to communicate with the dead and see into the future. Relying on her intuition she attends The Black Widow's Ball dressed as Isis in the hope of meeting Lucien Blackmore, Earl of Blackmore.She wants to be employed by him in cataloguing his collection of egyptian art and antiquities.Constance has had vast experience in this area having worked with her husband prior to his death.She is aware that being a woman will not work in her favour so her application will most likely be rejected due to her gender.

On arriving at the ball however, she begins to regret her decision as this is no place for a widowed viscountess,and neither will her revealing outfitpersuade her prospective employer of her suitability for the position of 'Antiquities Cataloguer'. Concealed behind her mask, she flees to the safety of a room only to find herself in the arms of a stranger who believes she is the goddess Isis incarnate.They share passionate, consuming sex but Constance escapes without revealing her identity to her lover and without seeing the man she hoped would employ her.

Constance succeds in getting employed by cleverly avoiding to reveal her sex in her application and without signing her full name.When she arrives at Lyndham's Keep her boss is conveniently away so she has a few weeks to work before he becomes aware of her trickery.She hopes that her thorough work will persuade the earl to overlook her gender.Imagine her surprise when the Earl turns out to be none other than the man at the ball!He , in turn, is infuriated by her presence but cannot avoid the strong sexual attraction he feels for her.He recognises her as the woman he has been searching for since that fateful encounter, but there is a family curse that has been haunting the family for two generations.The males in the family murder the women they love and then they suicide.Can Lucien take a risk with the woman he loves to destraction?Can he trust her and believe that she communicates with the dead?

Well, itdefinitely kept meengrossed though I did find Lucien's mistrust of Constance frustrating and aggravating to the point where I would have loved to give him a slap across the face for being so short sighted and stubborn. Great read with a difference.

Love, love, LOVE this Author!
Constance Athelson, Viscountess Westbury has both an obsession and a secret. Her obsession is to be taken seriously as an Egyptian art cataloger and secure the open position to catalog the extensive and priceless collection of the Earl of Lyndham.Masked as the Egyptian goddess Isis Constance had heard the earl would be attending this evening's Black Widow masquerade ball otherwise, she never would be attending.Her secret was a visionary gift that allowed her to both see and communicate with spirits, including visions of upcoming events.

Lucien Blakemore, Earl of Lyndham couldn't believe his good fortune, or his intense reaction to the masked goddess that slipped into the room he was occupying.In a surreal moment it seemed as if destiny had delivered Isis into his arms, but the fervor of their passion was real until she fled into the night without him discovering who she was. Like a dying man in the desert he knew he could never love a woman but the sensual eroticism he'd experienced with this mysterious lady was something he longed to repeat.

*** Monica Burns has an extraordinary talent in writing sensual historical tales that will singe you from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. Not only has she succeeded in making this story boil over with steamy and beautifully orchestrated sexual encounters, but she imparts a fabulous paranormal element and mystery with Constance's gift of visions and ability to communicate with ghosts.

Lucien is fleshed out as an arrogantly and masterful lover who believes that because of the Blakemore Curse, love is an impossible and dangerous dream. The frequency of physical sex as Lucien tries to believe his passion for Constance is lust rather than love gets increasingly intense and plays out perfectly along with mystery and ghostly encounters.

The fast pace, as the plot and mystery thickens surrounding thirty years of bloody murder and suicides, is supported and enhanced by a superb cast of secondary characters which culminated into a surprise ending this reviewer never saw coming.

Bottom line: This is a powerful sensually driven historical paranormal that is a testament to Ms. Burns gift of keeping her readers spell-bound.Highly Recommended Reading!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.paranormalromance.org
... Read more

Product Description
Company town. Blighted community. Beloved home. Nestled on the banks of the Rio Grande, at the heart of a railroad, mining, and smelting empire, Smeltertown--La Esmelda, as its residents called it--was home to generations of ethnic Mexicans who labored at the American Smelting and Refining Company in El Paso, Texas.

Using newspapers, personal archives, photographs, employee records, parish newsletters, and interviews with former residents, including her own relatives, Monica Perales unearths the history of this forgotten community. Spanning almost a century, Smeltertown traces the birth, growth, and ultimate demise of a working class community in the largest U.S. city on the Mexican border and places ethnic Mexicans at the center of transnational capitalism and the making of the urban West. Perales shows that Smeltertown was composed of multiple real and imagined social worlds created by the company, the church, the schools, and the residents themselves. Within these dynamic social worlds, residents forged permanence and meaning in the shadow of the smelter's giant smokestacks. Smeltertown provides insight into how people and places invent and reinvent themselves and illuminates a vibrant community grappling with its own sense of itself and its place in history and collective memory. ... Read more

Product Description
Famed portrait photographer Monica Rich Kosann has spent a career helping people add a final layer of personality to their home once the interior designer’s work is done. Monica’s clients—celebrities, designers, socialites—want to find ways to add warmth and love to rooms, celebrating what they cherished most—be it family, pets, jewelry, books, or travel. Having helped countless families artfully present their family photography, heirlooms, and collectibles, she now divulges the secrets to her skill in this book. Living with What You Love shows you how to integrate your treasured objects with your home’s décor.

With inventive ideas as simple as arranging a vignette of vacation souvenirs, and as complex as covering an entire wall with family photographs and memorabilia, Living with What You Love offers the skilled guidance of Monica’s trained eye. There’s inspiration for everyone, and for every type of space, whether small or grand. Anything can be a stage for display: a coffee table can be arranged with collectibles; kitchen shelves a showcase for heirloom stoneware, while walls are a canvas to be covered with happy times.

Full of stunning photographs of the homes of real families, those of well-known interior designers, and Monica’s own, Living with What You Love is a gorgeous and helpful guide that will help you bring your most cherished possessions into your everyday life.
 
MONICA RICH KOSANN is a nationally recognized fine-art portrait photographer, who has worked with many prestigious families and celebrities, as well as a designer of jewelry and home accessories.  Her work has been profiled extensively in national print, such as Town & Country and Elle Décor, and television media, including NBC’s Today Show and Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style. Her collections are sold in fine jewelry stores and gift shops nationwide, as well as at Barneys, Neiman Marcus, and her own shop within Bergdorf Goodman.  Visit her web site at www.thefineartoffamily.com.  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Boring, boring, boring.


I wish I had looked at this book before purchasing as I would not have bought it. Nothing new here.Given the title I thought it would be more broad and varied but I found it to be quite narrow in its content. Mostly about displaying photos.It was difficult to relate to the content, it appeared that most of the homes belong to people who seem to be quite wealthy and I found no common ground. I will say the author is quite great at self-promotion.Anyway I have to say I really dislike this book and it is off to become a donation to my local library.

A fine survey, this will find its place in any general lending library
Living With What You Love: Decorating With Family Photos, Cherished Heirlooms, and Collectibles comes from a portrait photographer who has spent her career helping people add personality to their homes. Her clients want to find ways to celebrate their interests within their home decor - and here she tells how to meld family photos, heirlooms and collectibles into the home. A fine survey, this will find its place in any general lending library.

photolove
A lovely book with beautifull photos in different settings to inspire you to do the same.

a Jewel...More than a Coffee Table Book
"Living with What You Love" is a jewel, and certainly more than a coffee table book.It does a terrific job of taking everyday things hidden in cabinets and drawers, and helps you put together those items in incredibly creative ways.Its a terrific way to make your home look arty and wonderful, but at the same time gives you great feelings as you pass by these treasures.Its also a great way to "decorate" your home in a low cost way, which is always exciting.All the best with continued success in this series!

Design Freedom!
"Living with what you love" is creative and design freedom.Reading this book inspired me with confidence to attack my home.It is not about expensive pieces, interior decorators or what is right.It is all right, it is all real and it is all me.The tips throughout - and the amazing images - just start the ideas flowing.It's also a great reminder to get off your laptop and into the real world where real memories can be created. ... Read more

Product Description
USA Today bestselling Needlecraft mystery series--with pattern included.

Part-time sleuth and full-time owner of the needlework shop Crewel World, Betsy Devonshire prepares for a chilling holiday season filled with mistletoe--and murder. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

a different perspective
I usually really like Monica Ferris' books so I couldn't give it less than a 4 rating. I was frustrated through the book for 2 reasons. First, most of the book consisted of dialogue of different scenarios of how the victim fell/was pushed over a rail to her death. Very little about the craft and virtually nothing until the end to make it a Christmas mystery. I think you need to have some kind of story line going on to keep people interested. There was way too much time spent on the scenario part of the book. The death occurred at a needlecraft convention that Betsy and Godwin attended.Jill was also in town for a police related convention. All were snowed in, including Jill at the needlepoint convention, and Jill and Betsy do the sleuthing to find the killer.

My favorite of the series
I love the Needlecraft Mystery series.This is my favorite in the series so far.The setting of suspects and investigators trapped in a snowbound hotel along with a cast of others reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel.While this mystery is not as good as an Agatha Christie, it is still very entertaining.

Okay for what it was.
For a genre mystery this book was okay, but only just. The mystery was way too easy to solve near the beginning of the book which was a great disappointment because the characters were interesting and fun. The settings were well depicted and the needlework trivia handled well. I did not find the Nashville characters very believable, but I'm picky about that. YMMV. It was a way to pass the time, but there are better books out there of this ilk.

Justice When Mercy Would Have Been Better
(Contains possible spoilers) This book, in part because it took place among people marooned in a storm didn't offend by misunderstanding its location, but it was ultimately not satisfying. The victim was so unsympathetic, and the suspects so sympathetic, that it was difficult to anticipate the final unveiling or, I suppose, unraveling. I kept thinking that the author was going to pull off a surprise ending by showing that someone else was responsible for deeds attributed to the victim or by coming up with totally unexpected villain, but no luck.

A Crafty Christmas Caper
I'm a sucker for any mystery that's craft-related and set at Christmas time -- this book by Monica Ferris fits the bill. While I found the writing approach (different points of view, flashing forward and back in time) to be quite confusing, the writng itself was clear and entertaining. And though I'm not a needleworker, the descriptions of the patterns and samplers were so compelling that I feel the urge to pick up a needle and some floss!
Not a bad book, but not particularly memorable, either. ... Read more

Product Description

Aphrodite explores the many myths and meanings of the Greek goddess of love, sex and beauty. One of the most widely worshipped and popular deities in Greek antiquity, Aphrodite emerges from the imaginations of the ancient Greek writers and artists as a multifaceted, powerful and charismatic figure. This volume explores the importance of Aphrodite for the ancient Greeks, as well as her enduring influence as a symbol of beauty, adornment, love and sexuality in contemporary culture. In a wide-ranging investigation of the universality of Aphrodite’s power and significance, this volume illuminates the numerous intricate levels of divinity embodied by the alluring figure of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite offers new insights into the ancient texts and artistic representations of the goddess, as well as a comprehensive survey of the current scholarship about the origins and interpretations of Aphrodite, whilst also highlighting her eternal popular appeal across cultures and generations. A goddess of love who is not afraid to enter the battlefield; a goddess of bodily adornment who is the first to appear totally nude; a goddess born of the sea who emerges into the open sky: Aphrodite is a polyvalent deity, plural in nature, function and significance.

Product Description
Using extensive excerpts from the writings of St. Augustine, notably from his Confessions, Giovanni Falbo sheds new light on Monica s patience, sweetness, and unwavering determination. This mother never yielded in her efforts to see her beloved son find comfort and peace in God, and she endured countless sacrifices and health risks in her quest to help Augustine embrace the faith. Monica s quiet wisdom and courage, coupled with her earnest tears and prayers to God, bore fruit she could only have dreamed of. Author: Giovanni FalboFormat: 142 pages, Paperback Publisher: Pauline Books Media (March 2007) ISBN: 978-0819870995 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Patron Saint of Christian Mothers
I was delighted to find this book about St. Monica.What little I know about St. Monica I have learned by reading about St. Augustine, her son.Their lives were so closely united that you cannot read about one without the other being mentioned.

St. Monica's life was not easy but her patience and her persistence is an example for all us.Her arranged marriage to Patricius,a pagan was certainly not ideal.He had a violent temper and was a womanizer.Yet through her patience and prayers, he was converted.

The woman of her town often sought her out for advice because they respected her.Monica never repeated anything she may have heard one of her friends say against another, aware that when the spirit is disturbed because of injured pride, anger, or evny, one often gives vent to exxagerated and rash words.She shared with the person in question only what might encourage reconciliation.

Her son, Augustine had accepted the Manichean heresy and was living a very immoral life and yet Monica never ceased praying for him for many years.He, of course, was converted and became a great saint and church leader.

A great many of our women saints are virgins and/or nuns.One thing I love about St. Monica is that she was married and had children, and I believe (after 38 years of marriage) that this is the more challenging of lives. I recommend this book to all mothers as an inspiration.God could not resist Monica's prayers and tears, and He will not resist ours.Never cease praying for your spouse,children, and grandchildren.

St. Monica: The Power of a Mother's Love
This is a well written "life of a Saint".It gives an historical background that is not "weird".Saint Monica is portrayed as a women who truly lived a life that anyone from a "dysfunctional" marriage can relate to.She worked and prayed for her husband in a manner that is difficult but not impossible with God's grace.She suffered for the souls of her children, not by whining or nagging but by truly working with God for their salvation.This book gives great hope.
As the mother of five adult children, I will now pray to St. Monica for the grace to followher example of prayer and sacrifice and hope so that they may seek God's will in their lives. ... Read more