John Hannah Books

I met the authors. They are nice people...and they know what they are talking about. They went out of their way to answer my questions. This book answers every question you could possible have about planning for your future. It rocks.

This is a book I found helpful in planning with my parents and in-laws. Financial, assisted living, long term care insurance and a host of other topics I have wanted to explore.

Old Talk: New Conversations is a truly "user friendly" planning guide for seniors and their families coming to grips with regard to making decisions stemming from the facts of aging upon the issues of medical care, finances, legal issues, and lifestyle matters. Five professionals present insightful and practical information and commentary that include chapters on Planning for a Financially Comfortable Retirement; Estate and Tax Planning; Long-Term Care Insurance: The New Financial Necessity; Getting the Care You Need When You Live at Home; and Choosing Your New Home: Retirement/Senior Housing. Old Talk: New Conversations is an invaluable, very highly recommended guide which ought to be a part of every community library, senior citizen center, and geriatric social services agency reference collection.

I found this book extremely helpful, especially the chapter on in-home services and the chapter on fianancial planning. I recommend it for the sandwich generation which is now helping their parents and still have responsbility for children.

This is one of the best books I've seen in a long time. It's a very practical book that's written so anyone can understand it. It's a great way to introduce the subject of planning for the future with a parent (or an adult child).

Hannah West is an amazing character. This author brought Hanna alive for me with her description; Hanna has some great highlights in her hair and loves the color purple. While Hannah does have some of the typical traits of a 12-year-old, she also has individuality and a unique perspective on life. How could she not with a mother who has three jobs, yet still makes plenty of time for Hannah.

Hannah is an artist in progress and also a sleuth and she uses her art to capture clues and work out her theories. Homeless is not a word she likes to use to describe herself, however, with no real roots, Hannah is still grounded enough to follow her own path. She and her mother "house-sit" for rent and they find themselves in some posh digs in Seattle. The theft of some paintings is right up Hannah's art ally and she uses her sketch book, her best friend and a borrowed terrier to solve the crime.

Linda Johns has created a wonderful series and I plan to add a few more of her titles to my bookshelf.

I loved HANNAH WEST IN THE BELLTOWN TOWERS and so did my twelve-year-old daughter. I love that Hannah's mom has a non-traditional job as a house-sitter and Hannah is truly an original character. BELLTOWN TOWERS is a fast-paced well-plotted mystery, sure to please any mystery readers.

I've only been to Seattle once, but I enjoyed the Seattle setting and look forward to reading the rest of the the series

Twelve-year-old Hannah West thought that everything in her life was going smoothly. That is, until her mother lost her job at a big dot com company, and they ended up broke. Now, Hannah and her adoptive mother are on the move (literally), for Hannah's mother has taken up a new position: as a house-sitter. While it's loads of fun to take up residence in other people's digs on a regular basis, however, Hannah finds it to be quite a trying ordeal. However, when she ends up in the illustrious high-rise known as the Belltown Towers in downtown Seattle, Hannah feels as if she's hit the big-time. Sure, her fear of heights has finally hit the surface, but living on the eleventh floor also has its perks. Case in point, having a view to see just about everything that goes on around the bustling city. So when Hannah's new neighbor, Dorothy, discovers that the coveted painting by Mimi Hansen (one of Seattle's hottest new artists) she's been waiting for to arrive is nothing more than a blank canvas, and Hannah learns that more of the budding star's work has been stolen from various local museums, Hannah puts herself, and her Miss Marple loving pal, Lily, on the case of the thefts. Now, however, Hannah realizes that this case may be tougher to crack than she'd ever expected, especially now that a group of purple-clad bike messengers have hopped on the bandwagon, proving to be quite a nuisance for someone trying to solve a mystery. Now, the two girls must join forces in an attempt to nail the thief before more priceless paintings disappear without a trace, otherwise the HONCHO charity that they're supposed to be auctioned off at will be ruined.

It seems that nowadays girl detectives are hitting the scene left and right, yet not all are as endearing as Hannah West. The budding artist is an unforgettable character, whose trusty sketchbook, street smarts, and eye for detective work keep the reader on their toes; while the sensible, yet sometimes out there, Lily, is a wonderful contrasting personality, whose love of old-fashioned mysteries and Chinese food are prevalent from the get-go. Together these girls create an unstoppable detective team, playing off one another in the same manner as Starsky & Hutch, The Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew and Bess, and countless others. With HANNAH WEST IN THE BELLTOWN TOWERS, Linda Johns has proven that her character has the staying power to last in a series, as well as to rival her pastime amateur sleuth sisters Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew. High-rise fun with a pint-size detective that will leave readers craving more of Hannah.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I know the book is targeted towards young girls, but this 46 year old woman loved the story! I chuckled more than a few times when I read the book. Hannah is a smart, curious and energetic girl - a real heroine! It was fun to read about all the local Seattle spots and even more fun to try to solve the `whodunit' with Hannah. I can't wait to read the next mystery Hannah stumbles upon!

Hannah West in the Belltown Towers is fantastic! I bought it for my step-niece and she loved it. It features a realistic heroine, a well-crafted mystery, and fun Seattle details that only a local would know.

I've been taking a class on Church History at our local church we attend and the charts presented in this book really help to visualize what/whom took place durung this time period of church history.

This is an outstanding series on Christianity. Subjects are presented in tables and charts to summarize the massive amount of information and give one an overview. This is the place to start. Well done.

"Charts of Reformation and Enlightenment Church History" contains simple graphical representations of the major thought and church movements between approximately 1500 and 1800 A.D. The book includes charts on the major schisms of the church in the first sixteen centuries, differences in church government, the Lutheran Reformation, Calvinist Reformation, Anabaptist Reformation, English Reformation, Roman Catholic Reformation, the Rise of Religious Rationalism and the Enlightenment, the Colonial Period of American Religious History, Congregationalism, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Quakers, Lutherans, and the Great Awakening, among many others.

A great resource and teaching tool by itself, it also includes all the charts on CD in PowerPoint format so they can easily be used for group study or other presentations. The CD even contains a PowerPoint viewer program if you don't have PowerPoint. "Charts of Reformation and Enlightenment Church History" is a highly recommended purchase for anyone interested in a basic understanding of the events of this time period.

Genealogy is a big interest in todays world. People love to find out about their ancestors. How They Found Christ in Their Own Words gives readers a wonderful chance to trace their Christian "family" ancestry. Ranging from Augustine through Madame Guyon to Andrew Murray and Watchman Nee, the autobiographies found in this book make absorbing reading. Using their own writings with a little touch of modern wording, the editor Bill Freeman gives us a glimpse into the intimate lives of 17 of the famous saints of Christianity. I enjoyed reading this book - no theology, no long words, just heart-born reminiscences leading to friendship and learning.

This book has a great collection of personal stories of how men and women came to know Jesus Christ. Spurgeon's "Look and Live!" is one of my favorites. I highly recommend this book!

Extracts of autobiographical writings by notable Christians, with a focus on the moment of conversion in their lives. One would have to spend quite alot of money to assemble the original literature from which this was culled. An excellent digest, recommended for devout Christians and seekers.

Burch and Joyner have produced a wonderful example of what historical research can teach us. Mr. Wilson's story is heartbreaking but treated with respect and a gentle touch by this authors. The horrors experienced by this man speak for themselves and artfully told by these researchers and writers. This is a book that will appeal to many for many different reasons and leave all shaken. Perhaps it will also inspire others to help make the future brighter for others. I can think of no better use of historical facts than to improve the future.

i happpened to move to wilmington, n.c just when this story was coming to light in the press. i was gripped by the story and read every article that came out in follow up. when this book came out i had to have it.
to find out a deaf man was treated this way for a crime he did not commit is just.....well uspeakable.
the begining starts with a nice history of area and people. a lot of the begining is spectulaion and dead on at that. no one will ever know what junius' thoughts were in those early years. the story becomes more gripping when the facts start to arrive, via medical reports and staff and friends. it is truly a heartbreaking read. it still haunts me.
i recommend to everyone. the book is a nice piece of historical racial record. schools should add this to their curriculum.

It's a Southern horror story, and a courtroom drama, and an exploration of language and isolation, and a biography of an ordinary man caught in a senseless system. And it's all true. And it's frightening, and it's fascinating. It's the twentieth century US, through one man's story.

Hannah, a middle schooler living in Seattle with her mother, a professional house sitter, is a dog walker, plant waterer, and a detective. Hannah and her mom are apartment sitting in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, known as The Center of the Universe. Hannah discovers that dogs are coming up missing and begins to do her magic at being a detective.
Hannah is an irrepresible young lady who uses her intellect to find the answers to the mystery. This would be a great book to read for those living in Seattle, those planning a visit, or those who enjoy mysteries with interesting locales. There are more in the series and each are well worth reading.

Twelve-year-old Hannah West - artist to be, amateur sleuth, dog lover, and all-around errand girl - doesn't think of her living situation as being homeless - she thinks more along the lines of moving, quite frequently, to various hip spots throughout Seattle, Washington; and having the opportunity to meet many new friends - both four-legged and two. This time, Hannah and her house-sitter mother are waving goodbye to houseboat living, and heading to Fremont, a funky area known to Seattle residents as none other than the Center of the Universe. Hannah is thrilled to have the chance to reside in such a happening area in a cooler-than-life apartment for two whole months. Plopping her goldfish, Pollock and Vincent into their new home, she instantly sets out to see the sights. Luckily, she has Elvis - the Basset Hound - she'll be dog-sitting for the next eight weeks by her side. Elvis is a known fellow in Fremont, and, with his assistance, Hannah begins to meet many cool new people who are sure to make her stay in Fremont even more awesome than she originally expected. However, in-between meeting dog lovers of all shapes and sizes, Hannah learns that, as a newcomer to Fremont, and an individual who just happens to be running her very own dog-walking business - which is quickly gaining popularity and notoriety - she has been fingered as one of the prime suspects in a handful of local dog-nappings that began to take place almost immediately after her arrival in Fremont. Hannah is outraged by the accusation. As an animal shelter volunteer, and all-around dog aficionado, Hannah knows better than anyone that she would never do anything to harm a slobbering pup. And she would certainly never steal dogs and hold them from their beloved owners for ransom. Unfortunately, Hannah's new Fremont acquaintances are completely clueless about Hannah's devotion to dogs, and are under the impression that she's simply trying to boost her dog-walking business by dognapping. Hannah, along with her adoptive mother, and best friend Lily can't believe that people who seemed so friendly could turn into nasty, know-it-alls in a matter of moments, and set-out to clear Hannah's name. But Hannah believes that clearing her own name isn't enough. She's determined to find the person who has been stealing people's dogs right out from under their noses, and won't rest until justice has been served. With Elvis' super snout, Hannah believes that she'll be able to do just that. But first she'll have to enlist the help of a Fremont local named Benito "Ben," and his darling dog Scooter, to assist her in getting the inside scoop on all things Fremont. With only two months until moving day, Hannah is determined to get a move on in her quest for accomplishment. But before she can even name a suspect, another dog has been kidnapped, and she realizes that solving the case is more important than ever.

Aside from Carolyn Keene's NANCY DREW, Bennett Madison's LULU DARK, and Jennifer Allison's GILDA JOYCE series, there are few books geared towards middle readers that revolve around an amateur sleuth. Luckily, Linda Johns appears to have taken this into consideration, and released the HANNAH WEST series. I found that the first two novels in the series were wonderful; however, as an animal lover, I must say that HANNAH WEST IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE took the cake, hands down. Hannah, is, once again, an unbeatable character, who lays her knowledge of dogs out like a deck of cards, giving the reader the chance to learn a little more about various dog breeds; while, at the same time, work alongside Hannah to solve the case. It's wonderful to see a character who is passionate about animals, and does what she can to assist them - from volunteering at an animal shelter, to attempting to locate dogs that have been kidnapped by creating flyers, and searching for clues and suspects. The fact that Hannah is an accomplished, and determined entrepreneur also adds a little extra to her character, as it displays how hardworking she is. While Hannah's dramatic best friend, Lily, isn't as prevalent a character within HANNAH WEST IN THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE, each time she does pop up she leaves dramatic entrances and exits in her wake. Benito "Ben" was an interesting new acquaintance who seems to be covered in a shroud of mystery that you'll have to get to the bottom of; while the illustrious senior citizen, Mick, takes on the persona of a phantom as he appears and disappears at the most unexpected moments, his bowler hat always in tow. Linda Johns has added a wonderful addition to the HANNAH WEST series that makes it impossible to stop reading until the last page is turned, and leaves the reader contemplating what's in store for Hannah, her mother, and Vincent and Pollock next. A howling good read!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

In the Seattle area, we have an author, Judy Jance, who writes mysteries that take place in the city, and she uses real locations, locations you can drive by if you wish. (If a death occurred there, she'll mess up the address to not upset the residents, but it's fun to visit the locations that are accurate.)

Linda Johns has done a similar thing with her Hannah West series. Kids (and adults) who live in Seattle will know the places where Hannah practices her sluthing. Kids who live other places will enjoy the mystery and get a flavor of this Northwest city.

Ms. Johns is an excellent writer, has captured the character of Hannah very well, and besides, this series is a fun read.

Twelve-year-old budding artist, amateur sleuth, dog lover, and all-around errand girl may not have a home to call her own, but she and her adoptive mother have had the opportunity to reside in a slew of delightful locations as house-sitters. But none of their temporary abodes, however, has been as lavish, luxurious, or as full of mystery and secrets as Millionaire's Row.

When Hannah lands her mother a new house-sitting gig on Millionaire's Row - due in large part to her very personal connection to a dog next-door named Izzie - the two are thrilled to have the chance to live in the lap of luxury - even if it's just temporary. Millionaire's Row is full of unbelievable mansions containing antiques galore, three stories or more, and extremely friendly neighbors who watch out for one another - no matter what. Hannah feels instantly at home. And, even though she's in charge of watching five different cats, all named after country-western singers, as opposed to a dog, she can't help feeling that this new job is the cat's meow. The fact that her favorite pup, Izzie, from the animal shelter where she volunteers, is her new next-door-neighbor doesn't hurt matters much either. But the serene Millionaire's Row environment quickly takes a turn for the scary when people begin reporting break-ins. The strange thing, however, is that the burglars aren't actually stealing anything. Instead, they're rearranging furniture, and adding rocks with kanji characters to each house that they visit. With a little research, Hannah realizes that the houses are being feng shui-ed. Someone is putting things in order, and doing what they can to provide the owner's of the homes with a little peace of mind. Unfortunately, it's doing nothing more than freaking people out. The police are no help, thinking that the break-ins are some sort of joke. After all, without stealing anything, no harm, no foul. Hannah thinks otherwise. She knows that she's on to her latest case, and will stop at nothing to catch the culprit. But before she has a chance to narrow down her list of suspects, antiques begin disappearing from the homes. Hannah believes that the thefts have something to do with the reality television show ANTIQUES CARAVAN being in town. But she won't be able to announce her thoughts to her new friends and neighbors until she has complete and total proof - which, of course, she plans to get...pronto!

Since the release of HANNAH WEST IN THE BELLTOWN TOWERS, I have grown more and more fond of young Hannah with each new release. None of the previous books, however, have captivated me as much as HANNAH WEST ON MILLIONAIRE'S ROW. Perhaps it's the added element of the rich and fabulous added in for good measure, but HANNAH WEST ON MILLIONAIRE'S ROW has truly left the greatest impression on me. As always, Hannah is her intelligent, kind, caring self. The friendliness she extends towards each and every one of her new neighbors makes her seem more mature, and quite older than her twelve-years; while her determination to set the mind's of the people on Millionaire's Row at ease, by solving the case is admirable. While Hannah's best friend, and resident drama queen, Lily, isn't as prevalent a character in this particular installment; she is well-replaced by a precocious preschooler named Rachel, who is absolutely irresistible. My only qualm about HANNAH WEST ON MILLIONAIRE'S ROW is the sense of finality the ending possessed, making me think that this could, quite possibly, be the last book in the series. A reality I truly can't stand to face. The best of Hannah West!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

Hannah Duston is captured by marauding Indians in Massachusetts along with several children and nanny. She ultimately escapes and kills her captors, scalping them as proof of her story. She finds her way back home and receives 50 pounds from the government as reward for killing the Indians. Early Massachusetts was settled by Puritans. They forbade any "modern romance pulp fiction" stories, but stories concerning Indian capture was allowed and widely read. This narrative was particularly famous and commanded separate writings by 4 famous writers including Cotton Mather and HD Thoreau. The Narrative is most enjoyable as each writer has a different set of facts and writing style. My favorite is by Thoreau, but then I am a big fan of Walden and Civil Disobedience.

John Hannah is a member of the Texas Fly Fishers and has been editor of its monthly newsletter. He now writes a "Books" column for that publication. He is also a member of the lively sub-club The Rat-Faced MacDougalls (see Chapter XIX). His writing has been published in Fly Fisherman, The Flyfisher, and Flyfishing, which all sound like the same magazine -- but they're not.

This book is a 185-page, glossy masterpiece, and an object for the hand as well as the eye. The book-as-object is something book designers, publishers, bookbinders and craftspeople know well, but most of the rest of the world experience it only fleetingly upon the purchase or receipt of a particularly prized edition. The book as an object, a work of art itself, has seldom been so conspicuously made manifest as with this volume, and it is appropriate that Gary Spinosa: Philosopher's Stone is the Bruce Gallery Press's inaugural publication. Having as its subject the work of a tactile artist, the volume is in itself a kind of interactive, kinetic, meta-Spinosa sculpture that allows the reader to touch and linger over Spinosa's multifaceted shapes, intricate details, complex textures and colorations. And, clearly, the creators understood this would be the case from the beginning. Entire pages are given to textured close-ups so tight it becomes nearly impossible to tell which artwork they are details of. Sculptures are photographed repeatedly from different angles, approximating one's turning the object in the hand. Page after page of luminous images by photographers Jeff Willis and Dan Fox open to reveal the kind of deep meditation you'd give only if you had these works in your home and contemplated them over time, as the mood caught you, revealing new insights. Gary Spinosa: Philosopher's Stone is far too overwhelming to be appreciated in any one sitting, and the book fulfills the real definition of a book one needs to own: It will be repeatedly referred to over a lifetime, and give increasing joy.
The volume is divided into two sections. The first, printed on a heavy, matte, ivory stock, presents a lucid insightful introduction by John Bavaro and an astute, learned essay by professor of art history Charlotte H. Wellman. These pages are illustrated with a combination of images from Spinosa's sculpture, paintings and drawings, photographs from previous exhibits, sketches from his notebooks, and assorted photographs from his home and studio, along with various images that parallel, in a casual manner, the creative impulses of Spinosa's art: Cambodian temples, painted Indian elephants, ancient ruins, and aboriginal carvings. These images are not attributed nor annotated, and readers are left to make what connections we will. It's a daring move in a bold book.
The main section follows. Printed on heavy gloss stock, photographs of work from the exhibit are laid out in a perceptive aesthetic approach that allows Spinosa's work to radiate from the page so naturally that it is a work of hard imagination to realize that in lesser hands a different organizational strategy could easily have diminished the power of the artwork the book presents. Moving from full views to details to intense close-ups, often with an eye to nothing other than the sheer visual power of color and form, each page reinforces what comes before and sets us up for what comes next, and this can be proven by randomly skimming through in the pages. The eye can glide and land anywhere in the book and strike gold. None of this is cluttered with notation. All the attributions are left to concise endnotes. It's a brilliant performance.
Again, the power of Gary Spinosa: Philosopher's Stone is that it is more than a record of an exhibit. It is a work of art in its own right. It is Spinosa's artwork in fact, brought forth through the multiple lenses of Bavaro, Willis, Fox, Art Director Shelle Barron, and Designers Sara Bressler, Karthryn Budner, Jamie Schricker, and Jessica Shoemaker, each consciousness comprehending the vibrant energy of Spinosa's work, and finding a way to amplify it through their independent artistic vision. And as the book rests weightily in the hand, this may be as close as many of us will get to owning the un-ownable. To possess, and scrutinize, and meditate upon, and bask in a unique art form at our leisure, and as long as we please, and whenever we want.