my family porch

2012-02-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

Vigilante by Stephen J. Cannell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vigilante is the eleventh book in the Shane Scully series about an LAPD Homicide detective.

I found it entertaining and hard to put down, and I read it in three days.

I recommend it to fans of Stephen J. Cannell's work.

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2012-02-02T21:35:00.001-05:00

Darke by Angie Sage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the most recent book of the Septimus Heap series.

Great adventures are in store for Septimus Heap who may start his Darke Week at the Dark of the Moon on The Longest Night. It is also his 14th birthday and the 14th birthday of Princess Jenna. A birthday celebration for both of them is planned at the Castle by Sarah Heap. The Darke power of a former villian has grown so that he can establish a Darke Domaine and get his revenge on all he feels have hurt him. It is also an opportunity for the redemption of Simon Heap.

I recommend this book for fans of the series. There is a weight of finality to the book as we readers see these characters come of age at fourteen.

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2012-01-30T11:32:00.001-05:00

Denmark by Monika Witkowska

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This guide has the port I will visit, it fits into the pocket of cargo pants or other clothing with deep pockets, it has lots of pictures and it provides websites for the recommended sights to see.

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2012-01-29T20:08:00.001-05:00

Lonely Planet Discover France by Lonely Planet Publications

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have used a lot of Lonely Planet Guidebooks but I won't be using this one.

Neither Le Havre nor Cherbourg are listed in the index. Those are the two ports I'll be visiting this year. The book gives some recommendations for the Brittany & Normandy areas so the information about the D-Day Beaches and Mont Saint-Michel was useful for my planning.

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2012-01-29T11:53:00.001-05:00

Syren by Angie Sage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Septimus Heap series, and I have enjoyed all of them.

These entertaining fantasy books have great adventures that are different enough to keep readers of all ages turning pages and continuing into the next chapter. These chapter books can be read to children or nine-year olds may be able to read them by themselves. These adventures are often about problem-solving and protecting yourself and others from danger without the limits imposed by authority figures. Familiar characters return, new allies are met and new dangerous villians are introduced.

I encourage readers to start with Magyk, the first book in the series, for the protagonists age during the series and continue to use what they learn.

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2012-01-24T09:50:00.001-05:00

Stuck in the Middle: A Novel by Virginia Smith

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this book as a Free Friday selection, and it was still free from Nook store when I posted this review.
Sometimes the protagonists in chick lit books are too whiney for my taste, and Joan Sanderson is one of those. She is 25 years old, still living at home without paying rent, and still hurt a former boyfriend married somebody else. She feels stuck between two sisters and stuck between her mother and grandmother; and oh yes, just why doesn't she have a better relationship with God? I was disappointed at some of the judgemental comments made by the characters in the book such as some people just should not have children, and the assumption newspaper coverage of their Christian charity will spread the Word.
I don't think a spoiler alert is necessary to let you know that everything turns out alright at the end because that is a reason people read from the genre of chick lit, Christian fiction.

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2012-01-22T15:23:00.001-05:00

Burn by Nevada Barr

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I"m read this book for I like the writing by Nevada Barr and the stories about Anna Pigeon. Anna has been on leave from National Park Service since the traumatic events in Winter Study and she is visiting an old friend who works as a singer at the New Orleans Jazz National Historic Park.

I found myself being so scared for Anna and the people who need her help that I had to skip to the end of the book for some reassurance. Barr's writing and storytelling continue to improve as she tackles the tough subjects of those who profit from illegal immigration, white slavery/prostitution of children, and corruption of some law enforcement officers. It leaves us with some questions about whether Anna will be prosecuted, or be fired from the National Park Service, or have her marriage end for going outside the law to do what is morally right.

I rate this 3 stars for I can not recommend this book to the readers enjoy the entertainment of the early books of the series.

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2012-01-19T17:16:00.001-05:00

Millie's Fling by Jill Mansell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a Free Friday selection from Barnes and Noble,and it is no longer free.

Millie's Fling is entertaining and fun. The characters are well-defined so that it is easy to care what happens to Orla, Millie, Hester, Nat, Hugh, and Con. Because it is easy to care about them, reading about how others get their comeuppance is fun.

I recommend the book to women who enjoy playful books for the entertainment.

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2012-01-17T10:57:00.000-05:00

Excuses Begone! How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits by Wayne W. Dyer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What better time to listen to an audio book titled Excuses Begone! How to change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits than in early January for it just might help me keep my resolutions. When I was worked on the resolution to put the wish list of library materials into my to-read shelf at goodreads.com, I requested it from the library.

One thing I do not like about Dyer's books is his use of quotations from many men of wisdom to prove his point. This does not provide substance to his analysis; it adds an opinion,however wise that opinion is.

There are 18 basic excuses we humans have used until we start to believe the excuses are human nature. Dyer suggests 7 questions to answer that will help invalidate the excuse. The awareness of an invalid excuse provides an opening for a new behavior that can become a better habit.

If your resolutions have already begun to falter, read or listen to this book for some encouragement that change is possible when excuses are gone.

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2012-01-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

Queste by Angie Sage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm working my way through the six-book series, and Queste is the fourth book.

This book does not disappoint as it continues the adventures of Septimus Heap and Princess Jenna. Favorite characters are back and need help from Septimus' friend Beetle and his friend Ephaniah Grebe. An adversary, Merrin, returns and asks for help from the new villian, Tertius Fume in order to Darkenen the Destiny of Septimus Heap.

The book is a Young Adult for readers age 9 and older. The series is entertaining for other fantasy readers.

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2012-01-15T14:21:00.003-05:00

Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future by Robert B. Reich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this book for an explanation about The Great Recession of 2008-2012 because I do not believe it is over. I live in a county where the unemployment rate rose past 13%, and two houses on my street went into foreclosure. I did not understand why a publicly traded company, Lehman Brothers, went from publicly traded on Friday and shareholders unable to trade on Monday because all its assets were cheaply taken over by other companies in secret negotiations sanctioned by the Federal Reserve and Treasury Secretary. Why was the TARP agreements not fully disclosed to the public until after they were made?

I learned a great deal from the analysis by Reich, who had been on the Clinton staff. I had to read it slowly because the simple facts are enough to provoke feelings of anger. I do not agree with all of Reich's solutions that he thinks will help the middle class have enough buying power to strengthen the economy:

a reverse income tax that expands the Earned Income tax Credit;
a carbon tax;
a reemployment system rather than an unemployment system;
school vouchers based on family income;
college loans linked to subsequent earnings;
Medicare for all;
Public Goods;
and money out of politics.

The ones with which I disagree the most are a carbon tax and school vouchers based on family income for I think those would harm rural communities.

I encourage all voters to read the book in order to have some backghround for your discussions with elected officials, political candidates and friends.

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2012-01-08T08:19:00.002-05:00

Septimus Heap: The Magykal Papers by Angie Sage

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
The Magykal Papers rates two stars for it adds nothing to the adventures of Septimus Heap and Princess Jenna. The book purports to be a compilation of pamphlets, journals, restaurant reviews, maps, historical information, and other never-before published papers from the world of the apprentice wizard Septimus Heap. Imaginative readers of the series do not need this information but it gives the child about something to whine she wants to complete a collection.

The good thing about this book are the illustrations of Mark Zug with additional contributions by Janelle Bender and Max Zatzuma. The work of Mark Zug gets an opportunity to expand beyond the drawings at the beginning of chapters.

I do not recommend this commercial for the website.

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2012-01-07T20:01:00.002-05:00

Rick Steves' Ireland 2010 by Rick Steves

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rick Steves gives good advice so that you can set priorities for what to see whether you have a two-day itinerary in Dublin or three-weeks to see more of Ireland. He gives a primer on pub etiquette.

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2012-01-06T09:24:00.000-05:00

Fodor's Ireland 2011 by Robert I.C. Fisher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There are lots of maps for walking in Dublin. I consider buying this so that I can rip out the sections I might need for the day I will be in Dublin.

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2012-01-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

Physik by Angie Sage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third book of the Septimus Heap series, and I enjoyed it.

A new villian is the Substantial Spirit Queen Etheldredda. Favorite characters return and new characters, such as Snorri and Ullrr, are introduced. The adventures are different. Septimus wants to learn about Physik and his mentor discourages him from learning about it as long as he is the apprentice to the Extra-Ordinary Wizard, Marcia. It is a good lesson for students of any age who want to learn more than an imposed curriculm.

The series is directed for readers over the age of 9. Parents and children can enjoy it together.

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2012-01-02T17:30:00.001-05:00

Trickle up Poverty by Michael Savage

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I selected this book for its title and subtitle: Stopping Obama's Attacks on Our Borders, Economy and Security. There are also chapters about education, NASA, and healthcare. I was unfamiliar with its author who is a radio show host with an internet presence.

I expected a politically conservative viewpoint, and this is politically conservative with encouragement for the reader to find a platform from which to raise questions about the policies Savage discusses.

What I don't like about this book is the same thing Savage accuses "The Obama administration in pursuing the same strategy--assertion rather than argument, bullying rather than persuading--..."(p.238). This book could be half its size if he removed the insulting names he calls Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Janet Napolitano, and so on. Too often his assertions become rants rather than arguments for discussion. I understand that his target market audience may find this behavior entertaining; but I consider it to be uncivil. Uncivil behavior is just too easy for me to turn off the podcast or shut the book.

Savage makes the point "we need a conservative revolution at the ballot box; but I can't recommend this book because he bullies with name-calling and rants.

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2011-12-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

Flyte by Angie Sage

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Septimus Heap series, and I found it as enjoyable as the first book, Magyk.

I enjoy these books for Sage creates a believable fantasy world with believable characters. She tells a story with just enough suspense to keep the story moving without creating fear and worry for a child. This book has a nasty older brother Simon, and a mother and teacher who do not believe Simon can be as nasty as Septimus tells them he is. Septimus has to rely on another brother and friends to help him set things right.

Parents can read this with younger children. Middle readers can enjoy it by themselves.

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2011-12-28T07:33:00.001-05:00

Reader's Digest Scenic Wonders of America by Reader's Digest Association

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is still a good reference book for the scenic wonders of America, and that is why it gets 5 stars even if this edition is 30 years old.

The book describes 50 regions in the United States with excellent text and beautiful pictures. A feature of this book I like is "Within a Day's Drive". After approximately 8 pages about the scenic wonder, there is a map and nutshell descriptions of many other scenic areas that may be paid attractions, state parks, or federal lands. Museums in the area are often listed. At the end of the book are campground listings. This book gives you enough information for the reader to do internet searches to continue vacation planning.

I will continue to keep this book for reference and armchair travel.

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2011-12-27T09:38:00.002-05:00

From Dictatorship to Democracy by Gene Sharp

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had trouble with the download of this book showing up in my first edition Nook. A call to customer service helped me put it on my Nook for PC so that I could read what I purchased. They said it was a formatting problem. The problem must be fixed, for several days later after I updated my library again, the book appeared on my Nook.

I watched a documentary on Current TV about the work of Gene Sharp, and I wanted to read this book of his because it seemed to have influence the news of April Arab uprisings in 2011. He suggests the best stategy to go from dictatorship to democracy is the removal of power from the dictatorship through nonviolent resistance and political defiance. Armed conflict often destoys the infrastructure that the people will need. There has to be a grand strategy so that a democratic government is ready to make its transition so that another dictatorship does not come to power during the struggle.

I recommend this book to all for it reminds us that we must continue to participate in our own democratic institutions in our local, state and federal levels to keep them open and strong due to the participation of many. I recommend this book to students of history.

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2011-12-24T10:04:00.002-05:00

The Apothecary's Daughter by Julie Klassen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was introduced to this book and author by BN.com's Free Fridays. This ebook is no longer free. I enjoyed the book enough that I will look for others this author wrote.

It is a well-researched historical fiction, and I know this for pharmacy was my former career. The author uses her knowledge to create a setting and to move the story along the plot line. I did not feel she imposed any amazing fact upon her reader that was not necessary. This book may be shelved in a Christian fiction category, and yet it does not preach to the reader. This book is an entertaining romance set around 1810-1815 England.

I recommend this book to readers of romance, historical fiction or Christian fiction as an entertaining selection.

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2011-12-21T11:11:00.001-05:00

Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I requested this book from the library, my ebook request was 60th in line and the hardback request was 355th in line. Evanovich has the readers who eagerly anticipate the releases of her Stephanie Plum mysteries.

The book continues to entertain the fans of the series because we readers want to know what funerals Grandma has been going to and what outfits Lulu is wearing. It is not the best of the series and it is not the worst.

Your friends are going to ask if you have read it yet, so you might as well read it.

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2011-12-21T10:31:00.001-05:00

Wilderness Empire by Allan W. Eckert

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I rate this book with 5 stars for the work that Eckert has done in writing his series, "The Winning of America." He takes historical facts and builds a narrative so that I may understand the people and their choices that explains the French, the English and the Indians from July 23, 1715-July 11, 1774. In addition to the narrative, Eckert provides his Principal Sources, Chapter Notes, List of Indian Characters, and an Index.

The main character is the Irishman William Johnson who came to America for a job as the agent of his uncle and who was adopted into the Mohawk tribe as a full member and a member of the Iroquois League. The setting is the land west of the Hudson River and along the Great Lakes. These lands will become what we know as New York, western Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan.

I rate this book V for Violence for Eckert describes what happens to captives taken during raids and battles. He describes the battle injuries which maimed and killed officers and chiefs. It can also have a U rating for Unhealthy for there were many fevers and dysentery. It is not a book to be read while you eat your lunch.

This is an excellent book for adult students of history.

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2011-12-20T09:35:00.003-05:00

You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls by Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I looked for this book for I watched an interview with a sister of the author on Veria TV. The two sisters saw this book through publishing after the death of the author on United Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.

I liked the idea of using this book as a catalog of 59 merit badges as a starting point to accomplish something new with a mentor and enough small steps in order to feel as if you had a good introduction to a new activity. Even in those areas in which I already earned a merit badge, this book provided some new information. I learned new ways to remove a stuck wine label from its bottle. There are some new website resources to checkout. If you don't find a badge for a area that resonates with you, you can Make-Your-Own in six steps:

1. Envision it.
2.Write down the payoffs.
3.Find your mentor.
4.Interview your mentor.
5.Do your homework, and research your badge.
6.Plan your steps to create your badge.

Now Do It.

I recommend this book for women who are looking for a new area of adventure or for a way to prove their accomplishments with a tangible merit badge.

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2011-12-17T09:42:00.002-05:00

Death on a Platter by Elaine Viets

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Death on a Platter is the seventh book in the Jose Marcus, Mystery Shopper, and I eagerly anticipated its release. This is an entertaining series with believable supporting characters and with fun shopping tips.

Of course there is a mystery to be solved and Viets writes that skillfully. I learn that St. Louis pizza uses Provel cheese, a processed cheese that fuses provolone, Swiss and cheddar. There is a dessert treat called a Gooey Louie cake which comes in fourteen flavors. This particular book combines my preferences for a cozy nmystery and armchair food travel.

I recommend it to fans of the series. It can also be a mystery that stands by itself.

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2011-12-14T07:50:00.001-05:00

The Official Unofficial Guide to Using Legacy Family Tree by Geoffrey D. Rasmussen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought this .pdf ebook which can be read on my laptop computer, and I don't recommend trying to move this ebook to your Nook for it seemed to mess up my Nook for PC when I tried to move and open it there. Reading it on your computer is a better idea. Read it in a split screen with Legacy FamilyTree software open on the other screen and follow step-by-step instructions to use the software in new-to-me ways. I rate this book 5 stars for I will continue to refer to this book.

This book is a compilation of Geoff Rasmussen's columns on his Legacy blog and from Legacy's newsletter. He discusses the features of the genealogy software and he offers work-around solutions to the questions of the "If it can do that, can it also do this?" variety. I read many of these columns before, so why did I need to spend money on a compilation? For the simple reason that it is indexed and has bookmarks so that I can easily find the information when my research and skill level is ready to use it.

A small problem with this book is not all of the URL links mentioned are still available. It would have been nice if he could have included comments from the readers of his columns. I continue to learn from the suggestions made by other readers.

I recommend this book to users of Legacy FamilyTree software. It can be purchased through their online store.

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2011-12-09T08:25:00.000-05:00

Magyk by Angie Sage

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I downloaded this book as a Free Friday selection, and it is no longer free. This was an opportunity to read the first book of a fantasy series by an author that was unknown to me.

I enjoyed the world the author creates in which there are Ordinary Wizards, Extra-Ordinary Wizards, ghosts, witches, a boggart, and many other things. The villians are suitably evil in their world. The story is well-plotted to keep the suspense over the chapter endings until the book can be picked up and read again.

I recommend this book to readers of all ages who enjoy fantasy. It could be read to imaginative youngsters and read by young adult readers.

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2011-12-04T09:57:00.001-05:00

Daughter of Joy by Kathleen Morgan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I received this book as a Free Friday selection from BN.com and its publisher, and it is no longer free. Christian fiction is a genre from which I don't often make my reading selections.

I enjoyed the western-romance story of a widow who becomes the housekeeper to the ranch owner and his belligerent daughter, and the characters are well-drawn in the beginning. My rating dropped from three stars to two stars when the discussions of faith and behavior went from a conversational, character-specific tone to a tone better suited to a sermon delivered from a pulpit. It was as if Abby, Ella and Sally were all reading from the same script. Another small item that brought me out of the fictive dream occurred when Abby poured the biscuit batter into a tin, and I thought to myself,"That's not how I would make biscuits." I would either make drop biscuits or I would roll out the dough and cut them into circles with a jelly glass.

I recommend this book to a reader who enjoys the genre of Christian fiction.

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2011-12-01T12:01:00.002-05:00

Deadly Sanctuary by Sylvia Nobel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was my Nook Free Friday selection for Dec 31, 2010, and it is no longer free. This is the first book in the Kendall O'Dell series. This Free Friday selection introduced me to a new author and new series in the mystery genre which I enjoy.

The stoy moved fast and was plotted well so that it held my attention. Kendall is hired as an investigative reporter; but her editor wants to keep her investigations secret so that she does not arouse antagonism from the local sheriff who no longer considers the disappearance of a former reporter to be worth investigating. Kendall accepts the job for reasons that have more to do with her health. She is soon curious enough to investigate her own stories, and new information keeps coming back to the investigation by the former reporter. Supporting characters have stories of their own. There is enough romance that this book could fit into a romance genre too.

I recommend it to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries or to readers who like mystery with a romance. I enjoyed it enough to look for other books written by this author at my local library.

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2011-11-29T09:20:00.001-05:00

Crush by Alan Jacobson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This book was offered as a Free Friday Nook selection from BN, and it is no longer free. I expected to enjoy it as I often like series books from this genre, and this free book was placed to entice me to read the first book of the series and the next book. I was disappointed, and I am unlikely to read any more by this author.

My biggest disappointment is an ending that does not resolve some major questions. The author blatantly tells you to buy his next book to find out what happens next. This reader just does not care.

I don't recommend this book for there are better books in this genre.

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2011-11-25T08:07:00.001-05:00

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberbøl

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think this was recommended in a newsletter from goodreads.com because I raved about Three Seconds by Roslund and Hellstrom, and that recommendation was right on the money for me. The prologue is exciting and then the action slows down a bit because it introduces new characters, and I have to write down the character's names because I am unfamiliar with the names and locations in this part of the world.

Soon the universal emotions start the action and I am caught up in the stories of a woman who wants to protect a child, a woman who seeks her child, and the men who would use that child.

I recommend it to readers who enjoy thrillers and crime novels.

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2011-11-20T10:28:00.001-05:00

The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you Aunt Carolyn for recommending this book. Now I understand why you suggested I read it. It has many well-drawn characters who live in The Tower of London, and these are characters you want other people to know so that you can use them in conversations with specific metaphorical meaning.

I recommend this book for people who enjoy British novels about people in a community. Masterpiece Theater should take notice of this book.

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2011-11-19T09:57:00.001-05:00

The Compass of Pleasure: How Our Brains Make Fatty Foods, Orgasm, Exercise, Marijuana, Generosity, Vodka, Learning, and Gambling Feel So Good by David J. Linden

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The title of this book is a synopsis of itself. Linden interprets recent findings from neuroscience research papers for the rest of us. Yet, I don't recommend this for a general audience because he is still specific about neuro transmitters, substrates,receptors, and the research done by others that some readers may lose interest. I appreciate that he read these papers on my behalf and offers his conclusions. He does not overreach with solutions for us humans when he suggests that we would be healthier if we avoided highly processed food engineered to make us crave it for only 40 days of rats eating tested diet is necessary for them to need three times more to get the same level of pleasure from eating. Forty days is about the time from our Thanksgiving feast through out New Year's celebrations.

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2011-11-12T08:56:00.000-05:00

Discovering the Cathars, English Edition by Lucien Bely

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bought this book as a souvenir while traveling for I wanted more information about why the Aude department of France brands itself to tourists as Cathar Country. The Cathars were condemned by the Catholic Church as heretics. In the early 13th century, a Crusade was called against these people and the Catholics who protected and tolerated them. Battles and sieges took place at these pog-topped fortifications. The author states, "When History is silent, myth takes over. And myths, are also an art form of the collective memory." The myth that wants retold draws its conflict between the ideals of Faith and Liberty.

The photographs by Jacques Jolfre are well-woth my tourist Euros. I could not visit all of the forty-seven sites, and now I have photographs of them. The text fell short of my expectations, and I don't know if the fault is with the author, Lucien Bely, or the translator, Angela Caldwell. I recommend, The Perfect Heresy: The Revolutionary Life and Death of Medieval Cathars by Stephen O'Shea for readers of English for a more academic approach to this subject, but that book has none of these photographs to capture your imagination.

I recommend this book to armchair travelers, vacation planners and keepers of souvenirs.

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2011-11-11T21:49:00.000-05:00

Chinatown Beat by Henry Chang

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a Free Friday selection in 2010, and it introduced me to the noir writing of Henry Chang. I did have some trouble in the beginning as I was confused between Johnny and Jack for the beginning, short scenes jump quickly. Once, I got the characters firmly in mind, the story is concerned with how can this police officer bring criminals to justice in Chinatown.

This book is no longer free from Barnes and Noble. It is entertaining for readers of noir detective novels.

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2011-11-07T10:21:00.001-05:00

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As soon as I learned there would be another Flavia de Luce mystery, I requested it from my library. I am thoroughly entertained by this eleven-year-old girl who uses the chemistry lab to mix up birdlime to trap Father Christmas. If you are a reader of the series, you quickly find characters who inhabit her world. It is plausible that her father agrees a movie crew can film at their estate to supply money that is is needed, and this provides more people for for Flavia to be curious about. A murder occurs during a blizzard that traps many townspeople at the estate too, and the story becomes a country estate murder story that will keep you reading and guessing.

I recommend it to fans of the series, and suggest new readers start with the first,The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.

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2011-11-04T09:43:00.000-04:00

The Affair by Lee Child

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I eagerly anticipated reading the 16th Jack Reacher novel by Lee Child, and I was not disappointed with this prequel which takes us back to 1997 when Reacher is on undercover assignment for the Army.

I enjoyed the suspense which kept me turning the pages and moving from one chapter to the next. I enjoyed the introduction of characters that I recognize from books which are from a later chronological date.

I recommend it to fans of the series. It can also be a good introduction for readers who enjoy action-adventure and mystery.

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2011-11-03T10:24:00.000-04:00

Golden: the Cathar Castles - Towering Citadels by Collective

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is an excellent souvenir for it has many beautiful photographs and well-written text that explains the history of these castles. In addition to Carcassonne and Peyrepertuse which I saw for myself, fifteen more castles are photographed and explained. This book could be used for planning a trip to this area.

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2011-11-01T12:28:00.000-04:00

On Secret Service by John Jakes

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

On Secret Service has been in my home library on the Civil War historical fiction shelf for nearly eleven years. I bought it because I like historical fiction and because I respect the work John Jakes did with his Kent Family Chronicles and the North and South Trilogy.

Remembering these series as I did probably kept this book on the shelf this long. I remember a weakness of Mr. Jakes was the similarity of the plot on which he built his story that is supported by historical facts. Too often he used rape as a plot point, and he did not use it this time. Still, the generic characters often have similar experiences from book to book: female characters are often assaulted by leering bad guys; male protagonists impulsively kiss and are overcome by passion; and villains have visible scars.

This book is recommended for readers who overlook (or enjoy) formulaic plots as long as the story keeps moving.

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2011-10-29T19:25:00.001-04:00

Heat Rises by Richard Castle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I eagerly anticipated the release of the third novel by the fictional Richard Castle, and I was not disappointed. It kept me guessing, and kept throwing in the odd sock so that I had to guess again. I gave it five stars because I think this mystery could go beyond entertaining fans of the series; it can be enjoyed by any reader of the genre.

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2011-10-25T13:59:00.000-04:00

Cite de Carcassonne by De Lannoy François

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I buy books for souvenirs of the places I have been. I like books that have lots of pictures and long captions with additional text to explain what I saw and to what I listened to on the audioguides. It gets a four out of five stars because there was less information in this book than the information in the tour's movie and audioguides. It is a nice souvenir from a World Heritage Site and France's third most popular tourist destination.

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2011-10-20T11:03:00.000-04:00

Child of the Northern Spring by Persia Woolley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I might not have heard of this book if it were not for Free Fridays from Barnes and Noble.

I read it because I enjoy historical fiction, and this book is the first of a trilogy from Guinevere's story. This first novel is the story of her wedding procession from Rheged to where she will wed the High King Arthur. Her early childhood is told in flashbacks. The facts are well-researched. The narrative holds the reader's interest.

I recommend it to readers who enjoy historical fiction or Arthurian tales.

This book and its sequels are no longer free from Barnes and Noble.

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14 Oct. 2011 Chateau de Peyrepertuse

2011-10-15T18:09:00.005-04:00

Today we are on the road to the Chateau de Peyrepertuse.
It is in a mountainous region with many switchbacks as the road goes around the mountains, down through canyons, and back up again.

Peyrepertuse has been occupied since Roman times from the start of the first century B.C. The first mention of the castle is in 1070. It was important for defense in the Crusades against the Albigineons. The Albigineons lost and Guillaume de Peyperpertuse was excommunicated in 1224. It became a French possession in 1240. It was important for defense of the border with Aragon and Spain from 1258-1659 , and it had dungeons there.

The Chateau is laid out upon a limestone ridge at a height of 800 meters (2,624 feet) above the scrubland ecosystem of this area. We drive up this mountain until we reach the parking area for the ticket office. With our admission fee, we receive the map and audio-guide to use while we continue on foot.

Visits are forbidden during storms and high wind conditions. Steps are slippery, even on the best days. Climbing was an adventure.
I think this is my favorite place for I love the panoramic views of this area. Peyrepertuse is a place of history that is told by troubadors and heard by the imagination of we who experience its vision.

13 Oct. 2011 St. Hilaire Abbey and Views of Carcassonne from the road

2011-10-14T15:20:00.011-04:00

This navigator has more problems understanding the Google maps directions. I’m looking for a street named Rampe de l”Eglise and in the town of Leuc I see a sign that indicates the Eglise is up the hill. I suggest we stop at the town parking lot. We eat a picnic lunch while we overlook a river. We walk back to the sign. We find a church but not an abbey. We return to the car and start to follow some signs. We think someone in this town may have a good laugh at the tourists who try to follow their abbey signs for they direct us through the narrow streets with blind turns and across the narrowest bridge to L'Eglise (which just means Church). This bridge would remind you of the bridge between the fields on Grandpa Taylor Dunn’s farm. When we came back across the bridge, Patrick noticed a weathered sign that directed us to St. Hilaire 8 Km away. We finally find the correct place.

At Abbaye de Saint Hilaire, monks no longer live here and it does not have its own priest. Only once every two months are services held here. The tour was self-directed with the audio guides in English. We took pictures of the cloister,
the church interiors,
and the abbot’s room with its ceiling paintings of naughty pictures.

The young man who works for the patrimoine (heritage site) has as many questions for us as we do. He speaks excellent English but I do not have many answers for him because they were questions I never thought about before. He is concerned with the illegality in France of asking people about their religion where they have three: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim; and yet we can freely discuss religion in America.
Why do Americans separate Church and State, and yet we have “In God We Trust” on our money?
Perhaps our cultural situation is different because USA has not had a State religion, as the Catholic Church has been in this region from time to time. Thank you, Thomas Jefferson.
Another explanation of a cultural difference may be there has not been a Crusade on our soil that destroyed all Cathars. If you want to leave a church you are free to start one of your own and have two or three Baptist churches in your village.
I can answer how many churches there are in my community and what denominations they are with a Facebook post when I return home. I also send a link to Don’s Flicker photos to this Abbey, and several French people comment on his pictures.

Monks first learned to make sparking white wine that predates champagne at L'Abbaye de Saint Hilaire. Blanquette de Limoux is no longer made by monks here; but it is still made and sold at a business down the road. Their wine is sold by the bottle as we expect. What we did not expect to see were customers who bring in their jugs for refills from vats with a hose and nozzle for the wines they prefer for their table wines. Yes, that was another cultural shock and I had to take a picture.

On the drive home we are suprised by a view of Carcassonne from the highway. Don found a place to stop for some more photos.
One of my pictures has an airborne helicopter in the frame with this ancient city.

Patrick and Don grilled our supper in the patio area of our villa.

12 Oct 2011 Carcassonne

2011-10-13T15:13:00.001-04:00

Carcassone was the first place we knew we wanted to visit on this trip. It is a World Heritage Site and it is the third-most-visited tourist destination in France. We are lucky to be there off-season so we do not feel crushed by tourists. La Cite de Carcassonne forms the largest group of ancient and medieval urban fortifications preserved in Europe. We watch the introductory movie, the English-speaking audio guides impress me for they are wirelessly synched to the movie so no matter when you enter the movie the audio matches the movie’s audio. We tour the Chateau de Comtal. Don is not allowed to use his tripod when he takes his pictures inside the Chateau de Comtal. There are two enclosures of rampart walls over an area of 7 hectares (17.3 acres.)
There are 48 towers, 4 barbicans (outer defense work at a gate or bridge) and 2 bartizans (projected lookout areas.) This walled city encloses a castle and two basilicas.
There are also more than 100 businesses to take your tourist Euros.
We are too busy being amazed at what we see to do much shopping.

We eat lunch at Le Trouvere where I have real French onion soup,
cassoulet (the regional cuisine made with white beans, duck and sausage)
and choice of dessert -chocolate ice cream or creme brulée. Wine was Vin de Pays des Cotes de Prouilhe Chardonnay 2010.

In the afternoon, we walk the length of the north ramparts
and then we walk between the inner and outer walls for a distance of about 2 miles.

As dusk approached, we walk to Pont Vieux (Old Bridge) across the Aude River for a view of La Cite lit up in the night sky.
A full moon provides additional light.

11 Oct. 2011 La Muraillasse and Fontfroide Abbey

2011-10-12T16:24:00.003-04:00

Outside the present-day village of Armissan is La Muraillasse, which was part of a wall built in 899 and 1110 for the church and Chateau of Saint Pierre du Lac. The church and chateau were destroyed by fire in 1355 during the Hundred Years War by Edward Price of Wales (eldest son of Edward II and called "The Black Prince.") La Muraillasse is the sole remnant, and it borders the road to Armissan.

We stop for gazole at a place with one clerk in a payment booth and gates for entry and exit. After fueling, cars must line up to pay the clerk in the booth and exit through a barred gate. The movement of the line of vehicles stalls. We look to the booth and recognize the universal frustrated behavior of a clerk who is on the telephone with tech support and still unable to get a machine to do what it is supposed to do. When one customer drives off through the entry without paying, she sprints to block the entry until this problem is resolved. The exit bar finally raises so the first car can pull off to the side, and allow cash paying customers exit. Between the three of us, we have the exact change. She is gracious to us; we imagine we could have learned the French phrase for, "They don't pay me enough to put up with this sh*t."

We are still unable to find a bank in Narbonne that will exchange dollars for euros. One bank teller says they only do it for their existing customers. Another teller suggests we try a bank at the train station. We find the train tracks when the road goes over them. We never find the road’s exit to the train station.

We enter Autoroute 9 farther south than we want to be for our Google Map to direct us to the abbey we want to visit today. The next exit for a turnaround is 35 kilometers away. We stop at a travel center with an ATM where we can use the Travel Visa debit cards to withdraw Euros and again be the Chesnut bank to exchange some Euros for dollars for Pat.

When we arrive at the correct exit, we continue to have difficulties finding and staying on the local roads to the Fontfroide Abbey because the Google Map directions confuse us. The Michelin map helps us outside Narbonne. We stay on same road at roundabouts unless we spot a sign that changes our direction. This abbey is not easy to spot from the road. It may be a large structure halfway up a mountainside but it is nestled in a valley.

L’Abbaye de Fontfroide is well preserved for the same Fayet family has owned it for the past 100 year after the last monks left. It is a splendid example of private initiative helping to preserve a national treasure that otherwise might simply have crumbled away. Even though we have the English audio guides, we must be part of a French-speaking guided tour through the abbey. While we wait for the next tour, we walk on the nature trail but we don’t have the time to climb to the top where an Iron Cross is visible for miles.

Because the guide talks longer and gestures to more things than our audio-guides discuss, we feel as though we are not as well-informed as the rest of the group.

The beautiful stained glass is not original to the abbey. The commissioned artist commissioned has used found shards of stained glass shattered by bombings from WWII to make new windows.

The beautiful rose garden has more than 2000 rose plants. This garden is over the former burial grounds of monks and abbots who died here.

Tonight we eat at a restaurant in Narbonne-Plage. It is open to serve wine before its dinner hours. Patrick asks if we can be served food from the dinner menu even though we were early, and they agree. (It looks as if they are glad for business today, now that the tourist season is over.) They have an English menu where we can order by pointing at the numbers! I had a #18 salad composée (similar to a garden salad) and #27 marguerite pizza. Don ordered #41 salmon with frites and Patrick had steak with mushroom sauce. We shared dessert: chocolate fondant and creme brulée. Patrick has a red wine and we have white.

10 Oct. 2011, Pont du Gard and Nimes

2011-10-11T16:07:00.004-04:00

Yes, it is a bit of a culture shock to find the open-hole toilet at the rest area; enough of a culture shock that I return to the car for my camera. It is a good thing hiking in the woods gave me some practice to keep my clothes out of the way!

Pont du Gard is outstanding and impressive. The construction of this Roman aqueduct, which took water to Nimes, began in the year 50. Its height of 48,77 meters (160 feet) makes it the highest Roman aqueduct.
The foundations of the pillars are pointed in shape, like the tip of the prow of a ship to face the current without resistance. The first and second levels feature six and eleven superimposed arches whose span varies from 15.5 meters to 24.5 meters (50-80 feet). The third level has 35 arches with a span of 4.8 meters (15 feet.)

I take panoramic shots in my attempts to convey the grandeur of this bridge built with large blocks with dry joints.
I take some pictures with Patrick at the base for human scale.
Plus, I’m always looking for the small things nearby, like the Nautilus shell and wildflowers.
There is a nice museum, gift shops, snack food cafeteria, and toilets that were familiar enough I did not have to take pictures of them.

We drive to Nimes to see more Roman ruins but modern-day city traffic confounds us. We get stuck in lanes while Don stays with traffic flow. Traffic has us going in circles in the roundabouts until we find our safe exits to Les Arenes. Street parking is too tight, and sometimes we are not sure what is a public parking spot. We find an underground parking lot whose spaces are tight enough that opening the doors are difficult. Don backs out and finds a spot to which our car is better suited.

I do not know the name of the fountain but it is pretty and it is outside the parking garage in a park area.

We stop at an outdoor cafe to settle our post-driving-in-Nimes-nerves

with a glass of wine for each and a quatre fromage pizza to share. I eat the pieces with the weird-looking cheese on top.
We look around for a street sign to get our bearings. Don notices Les Arenes is across the intersection on the western corner of the street. Patrick buys our admission and rents the English-speaking audio guides. Les Arenes is the best preserved in the Roman Empire.
We have the time to tour it completely and to take as many photos as we like. We miss the staged fighting of the gladiators. We see four actors train to use the trident and net.

We did not have time to go to additional museums or sites for they closed by 6PM.

The payment process is different from the parking garages in Ohio. We take the entry ticket with us When we are ready to leave, a vending-style machine is located at the bottom of the stairway. Place the entry ticket in the appropriate slot of this machine and the fee (9 Euros) is displayed. Deposit currency; and a receipt pops out. When our car is ready to exit the multiple- floor garage, the receipt is entered into a gate machine and the bar raises to allow our exit. We make our way back to Autoroute 9. The drive on Autoroute 9 takes us back to the town of Narbonne for the Carrefour supermarket.

Shopping at the Carrefour is stressful for me. While it has the appearance of being similar to Walmart or Kroger superstores there are many things different than the language of the signs. We know we have to bring our own basket to hold our purchases.
Produce is weighed in the department on a scale with a touch-screen, which shows a variety of items with unit prices in Euros/kilogramme.
Seafood is displayed in an area similar to produce with its own touch-screen scales and a pronounced fishy odor.
In the meat case, we see large cuts of cheval (horse.)
We search for the French version of Stouffer’s frozen entrees to microwave for our supper, and we did not find them. In a refrigerated case, we find some sealed packages that look like those old-style Boil-in-a Bag entrees, and there might be micro-wave cooking instructions on the package. Don almost selected one that I encouraged him not to take, for I know that lapin translates as rabbit. He buys osco bocco avec veau; that is veal. Patrick gets lasagna ala Bolognese, and I have shells with ricotta and espinard (spinach). The bakery special displays make the selection of strawberry tarts for desserts easier.
Checkout is easy for my Visa Travel card works like a credit card here. I just have to sign the receipt instead of using my PIN code.

I have a bone to pick with the phrase guides I chose to bring. Not only do they not have diesel=gazole, they don’t have all the words in the cooking instructions on these packages. Do we remove the entrée from the plastic before micro-cooking? If we leave the plastic overleaf on it, do we pierce it to vent it? We guess and the food is good.

2011-10-11T07:04:00.000-04:00

The Pont Du Gard: The Site and the Large Exhibition by Roselyne Moreaux

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an excellent souvenir with many photographs and pictures of the site. The text explains the history and has the facts about the dimensions.

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9 Oct. 2011 Tautavel, Caune de l’Arago, Gorges des Gouleyrous, Narbonne-Plage

2011-10-10T13:03:00.018-04:00

Today is a learning day that begins with how to take a shower in this villa. Instructions for the shower come with villa’s guide, and understanding how to use the extra hand-held shower tube still requires a learning curve.

We learn the grocery supermarkets are not opened on Sunday, not even the Carrefours which would be similar to a Walmart superstore. In the village of Armissan, the butcher, baker, and a sundry store are open for only a few hours. We buy a rotisserie-roasted chicken (le poulet), which will be more than enough for two meals. The croissants from the baker are as delicious as you might expect, especially the chocolate chip ones for breakfast. At the sundry store we buy tomatoes and apples. We look for the milk in the refrigerated case and can’t find it. The owner shows its location is in a 6-pack under the shelf on the floor. The milk is sterilized. We refrigerated it before we drank it.

The other thing we learn to buy is diesel fuel for our transport, the Volvo V60. The instruction book for our car is in Spanish since we rented it in Barcelona, and in Espana diesel looks like diesel with accent marks. My French phrase books use the word l’essence which translates as gasoline. In France, the diesel fuel we need is on those three nozzle pumps similar to the ones in USA, and the word is gazole. Gazole costs 1.47 Euros per liter, which is about $8.32/gallon, and premium gasoline costs even more.

We have a lovely countryside drive to the Museum of Prehistory in Tautavel where we can see the skull of a 450,000-year-old human, known as Tautavel Man.

The museum has audio guides which translate the information into English. We enjoy the displays of fossils and the dioramas that spark our imagination.

Tautavel man had some crude tools made from stone; but he did not yet have fire. In this area, there had been elephants, rhinoceros, and giant bears for this was before an Ice Age. During the Ice Age, some of the elephants evolved into woolly mammoths and there were reindeer. A camera was linked to the excavation sites to show the scientists at work in a cave where different layers of sediment show many different periods of human habitation.

After the museum we drive out of town to the parking area of the Caune De L'Arago and Gorges des Gouleyrous which is beside a graveled road in a vineyard field. We enjoy a walk along the beach area of the river.
We did not find trailheads for hikes to higher elevations. A pictograph looked as if rock climbing were allowed. Again my phrasebooks failed me for there was no translation for “grimpe.”
We enjoy today's scenery. My camera can’t do justice to the depth of the walls of the gorge for so much of it is in shadow even this early in the afternoon.

We eat supper at the villa. We return to the beach at Narbonne-Plage for pictures of the moonrise over the Mediterranean Sea. I try to capture the reflection of the moon in the waves and water on the beach.

8 Oct. 2011 Armissan and Grussian, France

2011-10-09T13:33:00.009-04:00

We arrive in Barcelona at 7:30 AM local time, which is 1:30 AM back in Ohio. Entry through immigration is easy once we walk through all the long corridors to get there. My passport is stamped!
We pass a currency exchange place where Patrick can exchange dollars for Euros; and later regret we did not stop here and wait in line for the transaction.
Don and I worry more about finding and communicating in Spanish for the rental car. The Spanish I learned while watching cowboy movies and Dora the Explorer. Our focus is on finding the rental car location and completing that transaction. Alamo/Naciones has an English-speaking clerk and the information for our reservation. We decline to add more drivers for an additional 60 Euros/day/driver. We relax a bit because we do not have to take a shuttle; the car is on the bottom floor of the airport parking garage.

We find the correct car, a black Volvo V60 with a diesel engine. Don adjusts the seats and mirrors. The ignition system is different from the LeSabre and Grand Prix we drive. The key is inserted in one place, the start button is separate, and the brake must be engaged before the engine starts. We needed some help from the attendant with the process; but then, we go through this adjustment period no matter from what airport we pick up our newer model and different make rental car.

We hit the road with our Google map directions, and we soon learn those directions are inadequate. I sometimes have trouble with the Google directions in new cities in US when the road I’m on remains the same and Google starts calling it something else. The street names may be correct but the signs are marked differently. I also have trouble interpreting signs that carry too much information for me to process as fast as I need to do.
We follow the signs to Barcelona, and then, with luck, start to follow the Ronda del Litoral because this highway keeps the port and Mediterranean Sea within view on our right side.
Finally, we follow signs to the A-7 to Girona. We figure out the AP7 is the same highway with toll plazas. We can easily follow the continuation of our route out of Spain past Figueres, La Jonquera, and into France where the AP7 becomes the A-9.
We were surprised that we did not have to stop at the French border and show our passports; for once in our travels, we were stopped at the California border and had to declare we had no agricultural items before entering.
These toll roads use more of my Euros than the 17 Euros still in my possession from our last European trip. I am glad Don and I got Euros and the Visa Travel Debit card from AAA before we left home.

The scenery was beautiful on the drive; but we did not see any places to pull off the highway for scenic views and photo opportunities. Later in France, we realize the signs that direct us to Aires de “different location names” are similar to what we would call rest stops. At some others, there are fuel, restaurants, and gift shops. We stop only for the WC as we want to arrive at our villa destination as soon as possible.

We arrive at the villa more than 24 hours after we left Lewisburg. I am exhausted, the kind of exhaustion that makes me feel sick to my stomach and unable to function if I don’t get some sleep immediately. As soon as I claim our bedroom from the five available, I lie down for some sleep while Patrick and Don head to the butcher and bakery shops for the first time. I just need a nap to feel refreshed.

I want to take a walk in the opposite direction from the two shops. The street name is Rue de Terrain des Sportes, and the satellite view from Google maps shows a field that looks like a soccer field. I hope this field might be as busy with games as Lewisburg’s soccer fields on Saturday afternoon in the autumn. We did not see any games being played there. A few children ride their bikes past us. Here are vineyards across the street from the village's sports field and playground, rather like the way Lewisburg's park is across the street from the cornfield.

We walk back toward the shops and turn into a different narrow street that is also paved from building to building. We feel a bit uncomfortable because we are not sure if we are on a street or a private property. Some young boys kick a soccer ball around a fountain with potable water. At a picnic table, a group of adults were eating and drinking. We do not know if this table was for a café or some private gathering.

We are hungry at 4:30 PM, which is before the butcher and baker have their evening hours (5-7 PM, 1700-1900) so we drive to the closest seaside towns, Gruissan and Narbonne-Plage, to look for restaurants. We find closed restaurants. Many restaurants shuttered their businesses at the end of tourist season. The others will be open for their dinner service at 1930, 7:30 PM.

We return to Armissan to buy our evening meal from the butcher and baker. We buy roast pork slices to make sandwiches and pizza slices from his deli section. From the baker we buy slices of lemon-crème filled cake for our dessert.
There is internet access at the villa so we can use Don’s computer, which he brought to upload his photographs, to check our emails for messages. I sent an international text and received a stateside reply, just to make sure my Mobal phone worked.

Then we sleep until the windstorm wakes some of us. We shutter the windows that were making the most noise. I wake again at midnight after 3 hours of good sleep, and I feel good. The moon is full, and its light makes a beautiful landscape, even with a lot of wind. I write for three hours until I am ready to return to bed.

Click Armissan and Grussian, France for more photos of this day.

2011-10-09T10:25:00.000-04:00

Hunt at the Well of Eternity by Gabriel Hunt

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is for fun and entertainment for readers who like adventure stories. It can be recommended to a YA reader or for any reader who prefers PG-rated stories. It was fun to read on a long airplane ride.

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Vacation in France 7 Oct. 2011 Travel Day

2011-10-08T13:20:00.001-04:00

Don and I are awake by 6:15 A.M. to be ready to leave for Camden with enough time to talk to Mom and Dad before we leave at 8 A.M. with Patrick for CVG. We park at Fast Park between rows 13 and 14. Thirteen is our lucky number 13, so even if I forget to write it on the ticket I might still remember in nine days where we parked. Check-in procedures go smoother than Don expects. Yesterday, he was frustrated by American Airlines website in his attempts to print the boarding passes. The agent had to do one extra step: swipe the information strip for Don’s passport. The boarding passes print correctly. We are ready for boarding before 10AM, and departure time is 12:30PM.

During a two-hour wait, I would prefer to listen to an audio-book while I people watch. Patrick wants to talk so we listen.

When we arrive at JFK, we have enough time for a good meal. I eat a portabella vegetarian sandwich with a side salad, and drink a glass of Reisling wine. Don and Patrick eat well-made cheeseburgers and fries. They wait until we are on the plane to drink wine.

Patrick needs to be on one-side of the 3-seat middle and me on the other. I cross to the same aisle. Next time I’ll go the opposite way of Patrick’s choice and loading won’t be so difficult for the three of us. For the first time in a long time, this airline offered Don and me their vegan meal option we requested through the Expedia booking. We ate chick peas in a spicy curry with rice and broccoli, salad and honeydew melon slices while everybody else had a choice of chicken or pasta entrée. Ours looked more colorful and fresh. I read most of Hunt at the Well of Eternity, and I sleep when I can. During our 7-hour plus going through 6 time zones flight the in-flight movies have no audio. The second movie is True Grit, and the cinematography conveys much of the story and mood without the dialogue.

2011-10-06T08:21:00.000-04:00

Naughty in Nice by Rhys Bowen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an entertaining book that fans of the series will enjoy. It does not get the fifth star for I won't re-read it. It gets the fourth star for a new reader might find this entertaining enough to start the series here.

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2011-10-04T08:57:00.000-04:00

America's Majestic Canyons by National Geographic Staff

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The text is as enjoyable as the photographs.

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2011-10-01T00:18:00.000-04:00

The Race by Clive Cussler

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Race is entertaining. This is the fourth book in the Isaac Bell series, and new readers should start with The Chase and work your way to this book because there is little information given for recurring supporting characters. Parts of the story were bogged down by the details about the flying machines, the guns and the geography of the US. Sometimes I like this information (because I feel as if I learn something while being entertained), and sometimes too much information broke the fictive dream. The Race is for fans of the series.

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2011-09-26T06:34:00.000-04:00

America's Wild and Scenic Rivers by Donald J. Crump

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Contributing authors are Louis de la Haba, Toni Eugene, Lawrence F. Mosher, and Jennifer C. Urquhart. Contributing photographers are Matt Bradley, Richard A. Cooke III,Bill Curtsinger, and Steve Wall.

This book was published in 1983, and it makes me wonder how many of the proposed federal dam projects went into place during those 28 years. Has the wild and scenic designation protected the rivers or has it taken control away from the landowners whose property adjoined the rivers?

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2011-09-26T06:33:00.000-04:00

Dracula by Bram Stoker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars for it is a classic. It held my interest and pulled me into the story, even though I had a good idea of how it would end. The endnotes section and for further reading section provided footnotes that helped define terms and locations that are not easily understood by a current reader.

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2011-09-20T14:04:00.001-04:00

One of Our Thursdays Is Missing by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you have not started to read the adventures of Thursday Next, this is not the book with which to begin for there would be too much explaining to do. If you are a fan who has read the books in order, you may have hoped, as I did, for this book to pick up where the last left off with the promise of a killer who wanted to put an end to serials; and it is not. This book is about written Thursday Next who is trying to find the outlander Thursday Next. I could believe that there might be a snooze button in a book that puts its reader to sleep for I did not find this book to be as fast-paced or as interesting as the first three books.

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2011-09-20T08:59:00.001-04:00

America's Wild Woodlands by William Howarth

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When you cannot hike in the woods, this book can transport your mind there. The text is evocative and the photographs trigger daydreams that can start the vacation planning. The contributing authors are William Howarth, Jane R. McCauley, H. Robert Morrison, Jennifer C. Urquhart, and Merrill Windsor. Contributing photographers are Paul Chesley, Mike Clemmer, Steven C. Kaufman, and Tim Thompson. Illustrations are by Alan Singer.

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2011-09-14T11:57:00.001-04:00

Exploring America's Valleys - From the Shenandoah to the Rio Grande by Toni Eugene

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I often hurried through valleys on vacations to get to the mountains, and this book tells me I missed a lot of geology, of history, and of the people who still live there. The contributing authors of this book are Toni Eugene, Christine Eskstrom Lee, Jane R. McCauley, H. Robert Morrison and Gene S. Stuart. The contributing photographers are Richard A. Cooke III, Lowell Georgia, Mark Godfrey, David Hiser, and Tim Thompson.

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2011-09-09T21:22:00.001-04:00

Nature's World of Wonders by Donald J. (editor) Crump

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The contributing authors are Ron Fisher, William R. Gray, Loren McIntyre, Thomas O'Neill, and Cynthia Russ Ramsay. The contributing photographers are David Austen, Paul Chesley, Georg Gerster, Loren McIntyre, and George F. Mobley. Africa; Europe; Asia; Australia and the Pacific Islands; Antartica; North America; and South America are the chapters.

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2011-09-08T18:11:00.001-04:00

The Alien Factor by Stan Lee

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was entertaining. I was disappointed by the weak characterizations in this novel. For example, I did not have enough distinction between the Allied commander and his staff and Allied commando leader and members of his squad to help me keep them distinguished while reading.

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2011-09-04T16:44:00.001-04:00

Mother Goose is Dead by Kirk Dougal

Patricia Schiml's "Ruble's Second Chance" is included in this anthology.

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2011-09-03T18:25:00.000-04:00

The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens

This was a free book I received for uploading Kindle for my PC when I was trying to decide which reader to get. I enjoyed reading the characters Dicken wrote. This book was incomplete at the time of Dickens death.

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2011-09-03T15:15:00.001-04:00

First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I recommend this for fans of the series Fforde has been building this outland and Book World for the past four books and assumes you understand his speculative world. His commentary reflects on our own world and I second his comments with, "Ain't that the truth!" The stupidity surplus has climbed to a dangerously high level--"there are lots of idiots in this world and they deserve representation as much as the next man". ReaderRate has been dropping, and our heroine must again make the world safe for fiction and its readers.

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2011-09-03T09:02:00.001-04:00

Wild Lands for Wildlife : America's National Refuges by Noel Grove

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I read the text by Noel Grove about our national refuges, I decided to explore a state refuge that was close to my home. While it provides a place for wildlife, it is also a place for public hunting, trapping and fishing. I hiked there two days before the start of squirrel season and I won't be back until the end of Spring turkey season. I could see evidence of some of the management techniques mentioned in this book. such as a strip of sunflowers provided food for songbirds I watched that day.

I enjoyed the photographs by Bates Littlehales.

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Rush Run area in Preble County

2011-08-31T08:46:00.002-04:00

We visited Rush Run wildlife area before squirrel season starts on September 1. We enjoyed a short hike through an open field and in wooded area, and another hike near the lake.
Click Rush Run area in Preble County to see more photos.
Click map and description

2011-08-29T12:37:00.000-04:00

Secret Corners of the World by National Geographic Society

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Even 29 years after publication, this book brings enthusiasm for exploration to its readers with the text of Mary Ann Harrell, Victor Englebert, James R. McCauley, Leslie Allen, James Billipp, Tor Eigeland, and Noel Grove and photographs by Victor Englebert, Roland Michaud, Sabrina Michaud, Sam Abell, James Billipp, Tor Eigeland, and James A. Sugar. The text and photographs bring the reader a sense of this is what it was like at this moment. The secret corners are The Marquesas, Northern Afghanistan, Tierra del Fuego, The Santa Martas, The Alpujarras, and The Ruwenzori. I wonder how much about these places have changed. The text about Northern Afghanistan is a second-person account for the area was at war with USSR when this was written. I'm sure there have been changes since that war and now our war.

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2011-08-24T12:07:00.000-04:00

Second Son (Short Story): A Reacher Story by Lee Child

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What was Reacher like when he was thirteen? Observant, logical, ready to finish any fight, and a force to be reckoned with. The story is an entertaining read, even if you must suspend some belief about what thirteen-year old boys are like.

There is a bonus chapter of the next book, The Affair, and I'm 15th in the request line at my library.

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2011-08-24T12:05:00.000-04:00

Frommer's France 2011 by Danforth Prince

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This will be an excellent resource for my travels in France.

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2011-08-24T12:04:00.000-04:00

Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Something Rotten is the fourth book of a series I enjoy for its creativity and playfulness. This is not the book to start reading if you are new to the series.

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Aug 18-21 Attactions on the Road Trip on Rt 52

2011-08-21T18:47:00.002-04:00

Click on Aug 18-21 Attactions on the Road Trip on Rt 52 for more pictures.

2011-08-21T14:59:00.000-04:00

1936... On the Continent by Eugene Fodor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Free Friday 5-6-2011 to celebrate its 75th anniversary

I will keep this for a reference book about places to where I plan to travel in 2012. The section about France did not have information about the area to which I will travel this year.

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2011-08-19T14:26:00.000-04:00

Stupid History: Tales of Stupidity, Strangeness, and Mythconceptions Throughout the Ages by Leland Gregory

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Free Friday selection for Nook, June 10, 2011.

This was a fun read for a road trip: read it instead of criticizing how close the driver follows other cars; the topics are short enough you can look around frequently to see the scenery; and you can share the information to keep some conversation flowing.

There is no bibliography or no sources for the information.

This ebook needed a better copy editor for I too frequently found misspelled words, wrong words and words mistranslated from another font.

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2011-08-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

Breakthrough! by Jon Queijo

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Free Friday from B&N 3-4-11

I like the topic of 10 medical breakthroughs, and this book may help some student with enough information for a report for a class in health or science.
I give it only two stars for I did not enjoy the writing style of the author for it was too repetitive. I think this book could have benefitted from a better editor for his epilogue copied too much from the introduction and body of the book, and this ebook could have benefitted from a better copy editor for I noticed some misspelled homonyms or a word mistranslated from a different font.

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2011-08-10T14:57:00.001-04:00

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this better than #14 and #15 in the series. It seemed to have a good story along with the right amounts of Lula and Grandma.

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2011-08-10T13:06:00.001-04:00

Retirementology by Gregory Salsbury

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I gave it two stars because I don't like non-fiction authors who make up words to get their point across. He does have a glossary for those words; but using those words would only hamper your communication with financial planners and family members who have not read the book.

He introduces some information from the new area of study known as behavioral finance to tell us why we are often our own worst enemy. Procrastination is the most common problem. Start saving early and save as much as you can for we will need a lot more money than we think we will. Taxes and healthcare costs will become bigger parts of your retirement, big enough to cause number numbness.

If you have not read any books about saving for retirement, this may be a good place to start. If you have read others, this is not the place to find suggestions for how to get that 5% return on bonds and 12% return on equities in order to withdraw 4% of your portfolio which is a template so many planners used for calculations.

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Clifton Gorge and Clifton Mill, 30 Jul 2011

2011-08-08T13:35:00.001-04:00

Click on Clifton Gorge and Clifton Mill, 30 Jul 2011for more pictures.

2011-08-07T12:59:00.001-04:00

The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third novel of the series, and the series continues to be creative and inventive.

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2011-08-01T13:24:00.002-04:00

Your Digital Afterlife: When Facebook, Flickr and Twitter Are Your Estate, What's Your Legacy? by Evan Carroll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book gets 5 stars for encouraging consideration to topics I never thought about before. Just how many more devices do I have with passwords, and how much more do I now store on the internet when I previously made my will and directed my legacy. I never gave any thought how much online banking has changed what information an executor might need to access the accounts, and how to pass on that information without it becoming part of the public record.

How much has changed about the artifacts that we might hope to become heirlooms? Will my survivors be comforted by archives of emails when there are no longer bundles of saved letters? Who would make such an archive? Who gets the digital pictures?

I never gave a thought that I might need a digital executor named in a legal document as a co-executor who might need access to subscription sites which makes withdrawals for payments. I had given some thought to whom I granted administrator access for a family blog site but never specified who pays the bill to maintain the site when I can't. I still have some questions that I will have to research for the answers. Who can inherit the ebooks I have been collecting? Will they have to read it on my devices that might still be linked to an account I set up?

The website for this book has a link for a spreadsheet for you to start making an inventory. You can order the eBook there too. www.yourdigitalafterlife.com/resources

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2011-07-26T13:07:00.001-04:00

Crystal Clear by Cathy Corn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Crystal Clear entertains with a story that balances the suspense of a mystery with the suspense of romance. Its tag as a paranormal mystery helps prepare a reader for Suzanne Westin's familiarity with crystals and scrying efforts. There is enough character development for Suzanne that that she is interesting for even a more skeptical reader who is curious about the outcome.

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2011-07-25T14:43:00.000-04:00

Possession by A.S. Byatt

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finally watched the movie so if I never finished the book, Iwould be alright with that for it has set on my shelf much too long.

This is an award-winning book that is beautifully written, and I did not enjoy it enough to give it more than two stars. I was often reminded of Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman with the back and forth from current day to Victorian era. When the author slowed the pace of the narrative, I had difficulty reading more than four pages a day.

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2011-07-24T13:32:00.001-04:00

On the Brink of Tomorrow: Frontiers of Science by Derek DeSolla Price

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was published 29 years before I read it so I expected some things to be commonplace. Many of the predicted benefits in the chapter about medical science have been used successfully to diagnose and treat heart and cardiovascular diseases for my parents. There are still other areas that need more exploration.

The contributing authors are Derek deSolla Price, Donald D. Clayton, Bradford A. Smith, J. Tuzo Wilson, Richard F. Thompson, Anthony Cerami, and Solomon H. Snyder. Some of the writing was uneven enough my reading attention strayed.

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2011-07-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Now I understand why Goodreads.com encouraged so many of us to read this book in June-July 2011. Yes, I want to encourage my friends to read it and tell me they found it creative and innovative in the variety of ways Egan gave distinct voices to such a wide variety of characters. I have never read a chapter where a back story was revealed with such immediacy by having Sasha discuss events with her psychiatrist, Cuz. I have never had the chapter's narrator tell me the story of her family in graphic slides. I have never had so much conversation in T. This book surprised me, and I was glad I read it.

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2011-07-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

America's Seashore Wonderlands by Tom Melham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The contributing phtographers are Matt Bradley, Stephen Frink, Stephen J. Krasemann, and Tim Thompson. The contributing authors are Tom Melham, H. Robert Morrison, Wheeler J. North, Cynthia Russ Ramsay, and Suzanne Venino.

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2011-07-07T15:24:00.000-04:00

Writer Mama by Christina Katz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I bookmarked twelve items to return to for more study. If you are in her target market, young mothers who want to explore freelance markets which pay, you may find even more items of interest. I was especially interested in the difference between a book concept and a book proposal.

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2011-07-07T13:47:00.001-04:00

America's Spectacular Northwest by Rowe Findley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Five stars to the photography by Robert W. Madden. The contributing authors of Rowe Findley, Robert W. Madden, Mark Miller, Cynthia Russ Ramsay, and Bill Richards get 5 stars too.
The back section includes suggestions for additional readings, and this may be a good place to begin further research even though this was written in 1981. There are eight maps and more than 140 photographs. More than forty of those photographs extend past a page to give the feeling of the expanse of the scenery.

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2011-07-07T09:33:00.000-04:00

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoy the pace, the imaginative thinking, and the wit I find in this speculative fiction world. A favorite invention of Mycroft's is the Lego filter for vacuum cleaners that can sort by size and color when sweeping. I'm more aware just how handy such an invention would be now those are favorite toys of my grandson.

This is the second book in the Thursday Next series.

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2011-07-01T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is thought-provoking and a great reminder to get our life in order. If you don't take the time to read the book, take the time to watch his Last Lecture video on YouTube.

For those reviewers who criticized his suggestion to always carry $200 in cash, I think this lesson is one of his "head fake" lessons, and it is about always feeling an abundance and a symbol of confidence in your resources. These resources don't have to be financial only; the money is a symbol of a resource. I remember wearing first dimes, then quarters in my "penny" loafers so that I would always have enough money to use the pay phone. (Good luck finding a pay phone these days.) Anyway, he is not the first writer to suggest something similar. I have read other writers who suggest keeping the equivalent of your take-home pay as your checking account balance so that you have visual proof that you are not living paycheck-to-paycheck. I guess I don't understand why this lesson attracts more criticsm than his lesson about winning large stuffed animals at carnivals.

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2011-06-28T09:59:00.001-04:00

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This classic is worth re-reading and enjoying the craftsmanship of its author.

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2011-06-22T17:11:00.000-04:00

Canada's Wilderness Lands by Donald J. Crump

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For the purpose of this book, Canada's wilderness lands are divided into five sections and five teams provide coverage by text and photographs. Yva Momatiuk and John Eastcott provided both text and and photographs. Louis de la Haba, James Conaway, Thomas O'Neill and Ron Fischer wrote text and Richard A. Cooke III, Stephen J. Krasemann, Paul von Balch, and Sam Abell provide the photos.

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2011-06-17T16:12:00.001-04:00

The Perfect Heresy : The Revolutionary Life and Death of the Medieval Cathars by Stephen O'Shea

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book contains the notes, selected biography and index that reflect the amount of scholarship that went into the writing of this book. The narrative is compelling enough to read all of the book. If you are only interested in why Languedoc-Rossillon tourisme says, Bienvenue en Pays Cathare, then reading the introduction and epilogue may be sufficient to separate history from souvenir-vendor hype.

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2011-06-11T10:36:00.000-04:00

For Richer, For Danger by Lisa Bork

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I recommend it only to fans of the series. I was a bit frustrated with the heroine worry-warting about her husband, her sister, and her friend Corey instead of just talking to them directly for I am more interested in the mystery than I am about the relationships. Of course, another reader may prefer the emotional drama.

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2011-06-10T06:54:00.000-04:00

Languedoc-Roussillon by Lonely Planet Publications

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was enjoyable as armchair-travel reading. It was excellent for planning. It is worth the fifth star for it is the guidebook I shall carry with me on my travels in this region. It mentions the city sites as do other guides; and what makes it special to me is the mention of the wild areas and the outdoor, adventurous activities such as hiking, bicycle riding, wind-surfing, canoeing and more.

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2011-06-01T16:38:00.001-04:00

Southern France: An Oxford Archaeological Guide by Henry Cleere

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The introduction explained the chronology of the archaeology of this region, and it will help me appreciate what I see when I visit the Languedoc-Roussillon region.

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2011-06-01T16:32:00.001-04:00

Sh*t My Dad Says by Justin Halpern

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After reading quotes from this book in other reviews, I set myself up to expect too much from it.

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2011-05-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

A Drop of the Hard Stuff by Lawrence Block

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A reason I enjoyed this novel so much is the author skillfully reveals much of the character of the protagonist, Matthew Scudder, through conversations and Matt's inner monologue while advancing the story so the mystery gets solved by Matt before this reader did. The reader can empathize and get involved in this fictive dream.

The novel is set-up with Matt telling a story about his past to a saloonkeeper, Mick Ballou, and that way the story has a certain timelessness to this narrative so that it can be enjoyed by fans of the sixteen Matthew Scudder novels or by a first time reader. You don't even have to be a fan of the mystery genre because this is well-written fiction.

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2011-05-26T18:35:00.002-04:00

For Better, For Murder by Lisa Bork

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a new-to-me author of a mystery with a female protagonist. The author has written a second one so I'll check that out too.

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2011-05-26T10:45:00.001-04:00

Ten Who Dared by Desmond Wilcox

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The eleven profiled subjects are Christopher Columbus, Francisco Pizarro, James Cook, Alexander von Humboldt, Jedediah Smith, Robert Burke and William Wills, Henry Morton Stanley, Charles M. Doughty, Mary Kingsley, and Roald Amundsen. Robert Burke and William Wills were in the same expedition to travel through the middle of Australia from south to north. A Chronology of Exploration and Bibliography may lead you to more information.

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2011-05-22T09:45:00.000-04:00

Pumped for Murder by Elaine Viets

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pumped for Murder is the tenth book in the Dead-End Job Mystery series, and I enjoyed this one as much as any of the others. The Library Journal classifies this series as humorous mysteries with clever premises.

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2011-05-20T13:21:00.001-04:00

A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the third Flavia de Luce mystery as much as I enjoyed the first two.

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