Collectibles Books

Nine months ago Natalie Hastings came to Oakland, California seeking anonymity and safety. A long time boyfriend turned stalker betrayed her ability to trust or enter into intimate relationships. Despite her determination to remain aloof, however, Natalie cannot resist entertaining very erotic fantasies concerning Noah Sommers, a regular patron of the restaurant where she waitresses. Nevertheless, she dare not yield to her beckoning need for a wild, reckless adventure with this hottie.

Repeated rebuffs cannot discourage Noah's interest in Natalie. One night he finally persuades Natalie to allow him to walk her to her car -- a fortunately decision when Natalie recognizes her dreaded stalker nearby. To Noah's surprise, Natalie flings herself at him, giving him an incredible kiss. When she tears herself away and flees, Noah follows Natalie, but he cannot prevent her from running out in front of a car. After her transportation to the hospital, Noah pretends to be her fiancé so he can remain close. He never expected the situation to escalate and for Natalie to indeed believe them to be engaged!

Fans will recognize Noah Sommers from Janelle Denison's previous two "Seduction" books and be pleased that he has at last earned his own story - and what a terrific tale THE ULTIMATE SEDUCTION is! Noah's aura of seduction and sin deserves the equally tempting Natalie. The selective use of amnesia as a plot devise allows an unexpected advantage: Natalie forgets her fears and allows her passionate nature to dazzle Noah. Further, does not belabor the amnesia issue, allowing it reach a graceful resolution with her surprising reactions. As a result, Denison once again demonstrates her consummate skill for remarkable characterizations and a delightful plot, in addition to a marvelous blend of romance and erotica. THE ULTIMATE SEDUCTION comes very highly recommended.

Sensual romance doesn't get any better than this. Harlequin veteran Janelle Denison concludes her Seduction series with her latest focused on the romance between P.I Noah Sommers and love-interest Natalie Hastings. Noah frequents the bar Natalie waitresses and is intrigued by her persistence to stay uninvolved. This is stemmed from a disastrous relationship to an ex-turned stalker who makes her naturally wary of men. Yet all is changed when she is hit by a car after she panicked from the return of her ex and suffers a retrograde amnesia. Noah steps in as her 'fiance' to protect her and root out the culprit to her nightmares. No longer remembering with only trust in Noah, Natalie bares her sensual side and tempts Noah to a full-blown sexual interlude and a chance at love without realizing that their relationship was a pretense with good intentions. Janelle Denison's Seduction series sparkles with erotic abandon and this entry is no different - except being her most indulgent and sophisticated effort in weaving a superb romance with a cavalcade of hot smoldering passion that will leave you breathless. The intimacy of their passion is a reckless and wild guilty pleasure, a blaze from start to finish.

P.I. Noah Summers has finally met his match. He wants sexy Natalie Hastings so badly, he'll do anything to have her... including taking her in after a car accident leaves her with short-term memory loss. And protecting her when he learns she's acquired a stalker. And harder still, keeping his hands off of her until she can remember. Only, he hadn't counted on Natalie making his job to difficult. * Natalie's world has been turned upside down. Her only constant is her sexy "fiance" Noah. And she wants him.. constantly. Only, all of a sudden, he's acting noble. But not for long. Because Natalie's planning a seduction he'll never forget! Before long, Natalie has Noah where she wants him- in her bed and her heart. If only Noah was the man Natalie thought he was..

A great couple and a great story. I've always thought that contemporary romances were thin and lightweight compared to historical romances (which I still prefer), but authors like Janelle Denison, Julie Ortolon and Rachel Gibson might just make me re-think that opinion.

Noah Sommers, hunky, sexy PI and all around nice guy, has been quietly, doggedly pursuing waitress/student Natalie Hastings for seven long months. Unfortunately, Natalie's response continues to be an annoyingly familiar "No". She steadfastly refuses all Noah's attempts to take her out, though he thinks he sees suppressed interest in her eyes. What's her story and why won't she go out with him? He's about to find out when she finally agrees to let him walk her to her car one night.

Natalie Hastings is living a solitary, lonely life out of habit as well as necessity. Her early life in foster care prepared her well to survive on her own, but Noah Sommers personifies everything she longs for. He's handsome, sexy, sweet, considerate and protective and much as she'd love to have him in her life, she can't. It would endanger herself as well as him, for she is being stalked. She moved to Oakland from Reno to escape the guy, but fears she will never be safe. And as Noah walks her out, she sees her stalker following them, panics and runs - into the path of an oncoming car.

In order to stay near her at the hospital, Noah tells the staff he's her fiance - a lie that will domino into so many more when it is revealed that Natalie has suffered retrograde amnesia! While Noah hates the lies he feels compelled to tell, he's doing it all in order to keep her safe. And while Natalie may not be sure of much else in her mixed-up mind, she knows for certain that being with Noah is right and where she belongs. But Noah dreads the day when her memory returns - will she hate him for his deception? And can he catch her stalker before he can hurt Natalie again?

A terrific, fast-paced, sexy love story that I'm sure I'll read again! I'm going to check out the stories about Noah's brother Cole and sister Joelle as well. Recommended!

I loved this book. It changed the way i think about stamps. In fact my grades went up becuase of it and it made be able to read more mature and complicated books.

When will the next book of this stamp book series come out? The first one is terrific!!!!

I love this book because it is a very organized look at United States stamps. It follows stamps one by one from the first postmaster provisonal issues to the first commemorative. Please hurry and write volume two1

I am a collector of United States stamps. I was confused by all the different terms and types of stamps. I have all the standard stamp catalogs including that of Scott's but I wanted more information in just one source. I took a chance and bought this book, hoping to learn more about stamps. It really was just I was looking for. It is full of useful information. The tables are wonderful but even better are the text and pictures. The author makes the stamps come alive by his style of writing and even his humor. You can read the book cover to cover to understand the story and evolution of stamps from the very beginning. Or you can use it as a reference book to look something up on a particular stamp. I now understand all those confusing varieties of what appear to be the same stamp. I only wish the pictures were color. That is about the only drawback. I can't wait for the next volume in the series so I can learn more about the stamps I collect.

Readers can read and enjoy this beautiful book with confidence that they are hearing from a true source of knowledge. Sheldon Barr is a widely recognized expert in this and several other fields of fine art, and his opinions are sought by the world's great museums. Fortunately for readers, he combines this knowledge with a felicitous pen, so that the beauty of this art can be even better appreciated. This is a bargain.

Venetian Glass: The Magnificent Mosaics 1860-1917

Anyone who is interested in antique Venetian glass needs this book. Sheldon Barr has researched the subject thoroughly and provides information in a concise, direct manner. It has taken years of work to put together this reference book, and it could only be accomplished by someone who truly loves and appreciates the subject matter, and it shows. I look forward to Mr. Barr's next book.

Sheldon Barr is increasingly skilled in both writing and visual presentation in this addition to his impressive shelf of books and articles. He expands from his previous book on Venetian blown glass to the glass mosaic productions emanating from that city. He has told his story in parallel tracks of the technique and artistry of the medium, and the maneuvering and machinations of the people involved. The combination is lively, entertaining, and informative. As a relative newcomer to this field, I now feel significantly better educated for having read this book.

This is a lovely book. The pictures are superb and it covers very clearly the history of glass-making in Venice during the late 19th and early 20th century. Major names and companies (Salviati, Seguso, Barovier, Toso, but not Venini) and the main styles of glass are discussed. A must for anyone wanting to know more about the Italian glass of this period. I would have liked to see in index, though. It has the feel of a much more expensive book.

What a wonderful reference book to have! It is well thought out and researched and the text is illustrated perfectly with beautiful period photographs. So much detail about period costume is included and organized, decade by decade, that this is a must have reference for any collector of antique clothing. Both the novice and experienced collector will find new information here!

This is a great book for anyone who collects victorian clothing. It is the one I refer to when trying to find the date of a particular piece. It goes into the detail of what was fashionable for the bodice, skirt, sleeve, etc. broken down into approximately two-six year periods. The pictures are of old CDV's so you can see how the dresses were actually worn (most originating from California). There are no pictures of period garments up close as some other books have. Still, the best book at mentioning fashions in detail for dating and illustrates tricky terms such as basque and cuirass bodices.

This relatively inexpensive book still features crisp, beautifully reproduced illustrations. A real strength is the frequent inclusion of the full photographer's mount instead of cropping to the image. Setnik also finds it important to record where an image is taken, showing that she is aware that there were geographically specific fashion trends. The author attempts to combine her knowledge of costume with the history of photography. (These topics are often published separately.) The result is helpful. A major weakness is the lack of strong, dated examples. The author instead has written the history, and then found pictures to illustrate it. Consequently, the book is really the history of costume of the middle to upper class. Lower income groups, trades and ethnicity are not the subjects of this book. In my opinion, Setnick also over-generalizes when it comes to "poses" and "backgrounds". It is very difficult to rely on either for dating.

Victorian Costume For Ladies 1860-1900 is a photographic compendium of 350 nineteenth century images capturing yesteryear ladies' fashions worn in America. Author Linda Setnik thoroughly explores the fluctuations in Victorian fashions including undergarments, casual wear, sports clothes, common dress, evening attire, hairstyles, and jewelry -- and tracing the impact of fashion on the mental, physical, and social lives of Victorian ladies. Comprehensive, reader friendly, Victorian Costume For Ladies 1960-1900 is a welcome and impressive contribution that will be greatly appreciated by theatrical costumers, fashion historians, students of Victorian culture, and photography buffs.

During her nearly sixty-four-year reign Queen Victoria produced a cultural and fashion following particularly notable in the jewelry world, where English and European Jewelers produced less expensive pieces mimicking the queen's, which were worn by the middle class of her times. These pieces were long ignored because of their low value and cheap materials - but today are prized for their workmanship, which VICTORIAN JEWELRY: UNEXPLORED TREASURES reveals in chapters of history following designs, materials, and lovely secondary pieces. Styles presented here have been selected from collections around the world and are displayed through specially commissioned color photos just for this book.

This quite a different take on jewelry than most books, and accordingly very worthwhile. I got this book out of the library, read it cover-to-cover, and I am still buying a copy. The pictures are absolutely gorgeous and wonderfully detailed.

These are the common, cheaper, but still beautiful pieces that are normally overlooked. I think that people who like Art Nouveau, which concentrated more on design than the expense of the materials, would find them particularly interesting. In addition, Dawes take us through the various fads of the time period. The text explains many of the peculiarities behind the rise of such styles (e.g.: aluminum was once rare; aristocrats wore iron jewelry to show that they had supposedly patriotically donated their real jewels to the government, etc.)

A very worthwhile addition to a jewelry book collection.

This book is a must for anyone that collects or deals in Victorian Jewelry! Good information with exquisite photos of the finest examples of Victorian Jewelry.

Victorian jewelry is one of my passions and I both collect and sell it. This book has fabulous illustrations, great information, and a bit of a different slant than other books on Victorian jewelry. I am so glad I did not miss this one, and bought copies for both my home and shop libraries. Worth twice the price!

This is a great book. It's a definitive reference on the somewhat obscure subject of Victorian Trade Cards, but for those of us who love them, it's a feast. It is crammed with illustrations, broken into categories, and contains history and collecting tips. The pricing information is somewhat out of date, due to the impact that online auctions have had on these collectables (some are more expensive, some less, as auctions make them more available.) If you're at all a fan of this genre, don't hesitate to buy this book!

Vastly illustrated and very informative. Although the majority of this book is pictures (very nice ones at that), there are some very interesting facts and historical information about the victorian card craze. Because there are in excess of 100,000 different cards in existance, don't expect to find every card in here or the current market price. It is just a matter of time before a more extensive guide is published, (I would still recommend because of the great illustrations!) The only problem I have with this book is the layout which can be annoying if you are trying to find info on one of your cards. You have to search through several sections of the book. (e.g. Jackson's chewing tobbaco card in the "Exploration and Travel" chapter instead of the "Tobbaco" chapter). More expensive cards are usually only discussed in the chapter rather than illustrated, which I find kind of strange(Maybe he didn't own any of those to get the photo?).

The beautiful 224 page, 8 1/2 x 11" softbound book contains more than 500 full color, sharp, large photos. '98 values. There are 70 topics ranging from angels, baseball, dolls, expositions to Uncle Sam, women, wringers and washing. There's plenty of background information on each topic. A useful glossary of terms is provided. A must for tradecard collectors. Fascinating to read and refer to.

If you find this book lying on someone's coffee table, don't pick it up--you'll be hooked! I am not an aficionado of trade cards, but I found this book to be endlessly fascinating. Cheadle wisely keeps his writing to a minimum, letting the illustrations speak for themselves-- page after page. I know of no book that is more intriguing just to page through. Henry Kort (kort@ainet.com)

Great service book is in excellent condition.
Thanks so much.

Another excellent identification book by Ellen T. Schroy. It is well organized and the beautiful color pictures are clear for pattern identification. She identifies the maker, the colors which were produce, the known forms, the identifying characteristics, and the prices at the time the book was written. There is a section showing and describing the colors of carnival glass, and an explanation of how to determine the color of carnival glass. Also included in the book is a time line and information about each glass company during the Carnival Glass era. This book is one of the best for identifying pieces of carnival glass. I use it more than any of my other books. It is my favorite! I highly recommend it to every beginning collector!

Beautiful colorful photos. Very easy to read and identify patterns. SO MUCH TO LOOK AT!!!

Hundreds of classic and popular glass patterns, more than 5,000 prices, and headline production pieces pack Warman's Carnival Glass: an identification and price guide key to understanding Warman colors, forms, identifying characteristics, and values. Each piece receives a color photo paired with information on common reproductions, making for an excellent and solid reference work collectors will find easy to consult.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I highly recommend this guide to everyone who collects or sells pez. It is well-organized and easy to follow with full color pictures and detailed descriptions. I can't believe how much information is packed into this pocket-sized book!

This book is a must have for true pez seeking people, the colored illustrations and information is a useful tool, and continues to be at my side always, to look up and review pez's that I am interested in.

Great book for the pez collector. It lists the American pez releases with some of the variations and a possible value. They are in alphabetical order. Shows some from private collections that you will never see or have...lol...
Has an index for easy look up and a list of terms used in the pez world for the non-pezheads. It IS indeed small enough to put in your purse or backpack to take along on those trips to antique stores, swapmeets, or garage sales. No matter how many times i look at this book i still cannot remember the values so i have to look them up constantly.

This does not have foreign pez in it, but is still an excellent guide. The best of its type on the market i believe.

While I am not one to criticize any comment regarding my books, good or bad I do take isssue on the comment- "This does not have foreign pez in it" - much to the contrary. There are a large number of foreign Pez in this book. Everything that had been produced up to the publish date is included in this guide, domestic AND foreign release . This guide does not get into the mini Japanese dispensers, those are licensed by Pez for Bandai not an actual Pez produced item but a licensed item. There are LOTS of foreign Pez in this guide. -Shawn Peterson

This book is thorough. This book covers the topic of wheel and pinion cutting very well. I would like to have seen a chapter on CNC.

Grins

This book was a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law who is a machinist who repairs clocks, vintage Victrolas, etc. The book is full of machines that he has never seen before. A true winner!!

One of the best books on gear cutting written so an average machinist can understand it.

Fanatastic book, and a bargain at the price. This book should be of interest to all clock makers, model makers, and home shop machinist. Anyone interested in the history of machine tools and clock making will also find this work of real interest. The first section covers the history of wheel cutting and the later part deals with all aspects of gear making in detail. Covers a wide range of gear cutting equipment, how to make cutters, and related watch and clock making operations. Absolutely the best book on the subject!!

WHEN YOU WISH
KRISTIN HARMEL


Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Star Beck seems to have it all; fame, money, a fabulous life. But behind all the make up and P.R. there's one thing Star has always longed for-her father who left her and her mom when she was a little girl.

When given the proof that her father is still out there, thinking about her, something her mother's denied for years, Star decides to go after the one thing she's always wanted. Knowing her overprotective mom/manager would never allow her to go off and meet him, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. And that's where things really get interesting. One self-hair-cut later, she's out the door and on her way to Florida and the address on the envelope, hoping to reunite with the father she doesn't know.

I loved Star's story, so much in fact that I stayed up till three in the morning reading it straight through. Star's a great character, an extremely likeable girl who just happens to be famous. There was so much about this book I loved, especially when Star reaches Florida. On her own for the first time in her life, she's struggling to adapt to her newfound independence and I loved the scene when she checks into the motel and realizes just how far the money she `borrowed' from her mother is going to get her.

Through the course of the story, Star finds out that maybe the illusions she's had about her father are just that-illusions, nothing more, nothing less. And maybe, her mom knew best after all, at least about keeping him out of her life. Star's journey opens her eyes to what's really been going on in her life and what matters most.

WHEN YOU WISH is Ms. Harmel's first young adult novel. Ms. Harmel is also a reporter for PEOPLE magazine. You can visit her online at www.kristinharmel.com


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008

Star Becks has everything in the world- hit songs, platinum albums, a successful TV show, and huge amounts of fame. What she doesn't have is a father or a sense of normalcy- both of which are things Star's mom does not want to discuss at all. When Star finds out that her mom has been keeping a huge secret from her, she goes on a quest to find out what it's like be normal, and then ends up finding what it really means to be herself in the process.

Aside from my usual fascination with celebrity, which already made me love this book from the get-go, Harmel writes a very captivating novel. Star is not your typical teenage pop star; there is so much more going on in her head and it makes her a more realistic, relatable character. The story itself is hilariously funny and just chock-full of wonderful, fun to read about characters (especially the cute boy that makes an appearance in Star's normal life, hehe!). I definitely recommend this book, as well as Harmel's adult chicklit novels.

Review Kristin Harmel- When You Wish.
It is always a daunting effort to review a book written by a good friend. I take my reviewing job seriously and have to tell what I really think. I have been so lucky because all the books written by my friends have been brilliant! When You Wish, by my friend Kristin Harmel, is a wonderful read.
It is different YA book- it is intense- it is captivating- it is riveting (not that other YA books aren't like that- this is just different.). It was a pleasure to escape all my school work and become engrossed in a good book. Kristin has a bouncy funny sense of humor that permeates the pages of all of her writing- even her e-mails, hehe. It might be difficult for some readers to relate to a rock star who has a controlling horrible mother. I'm not a rock-star but I sure could relate to the horrible mother. The controlling, the lying, the selfishness, the sell outs- I won't tell you more except the ending was satisfying - if incomprehensible to me. Well, after all, Star's mother was a controlling selfish woman who, mis-handled her finances and social life but was not trying to actually kill or sell her.
There are so many different stories in Star's life. I loved how she tried to integrate into the working world as a young teen. Her work at a restaurant was so true to life. Waitressing is a hard job. There were some surprises that I will never divulge but they actually make sense.
This is an edgy novel about a completely impossible life situation that becomes real. The concept that a girl, who was incredibly wealthy and famous, looked for a boy who would like her for only herself and not her wealth and notoriety- is really satisfying and real to me.
Star could be a friend. I recommend this book as a good read.
AnnaR Haze

Most people have the preconceived notion that celebrities have it easy. If you think that, you should go out and get a copy of this book.

Star Beck is famous. She's worshiped by millions of fans, gets an extremely high paycheck, and lives in five-star hotels. But a lot of people seem to think that her life is luxurious, and that she doesn't have a care in the world. While Star's life may have its benefits, it's certainly not easy. She's shuffled from place to place, hardly getting any time to rest. She has to practice her dance moves, watch her calorie intake, and be perfect practically 24/7. She can forget doing anything normal like going to the movies with her friends.

And she's getting sick of the pop star life. So she cuts off and dies her hair, puts on a pair of glasses, and sets off to live a normal life. She actually starts to make real friends and eat fatty foods. She's living a life she never thought would be possible. But, can she keep up her disguise forever, or will someone eventually find out who she really is?

This book was just plain fun. I was hooked as soon as I read the first sentence. Practically everyone's fantasized about living a celebrity life and all the benefits it would entail, but this book was pretty eye-opening on that issue. The celebrity life is a lot harder than it seems on TV!

There are a lot of books about celebrities and people becoming famous, but this one sticks out. Star - despite her name - is just an average, everyday, normal teenager, which makes her quite likable.

Kristin Harmel did an amazing job on her characters, as well as the plot. She never let the book get dull - I was so into the story I didn't realize how fast it was going by. I'm actually pretty sad it's over. Definitely a must read.

Reviewed by: Chelsea Swiggett