Female Books

When a family member was recently diagnosed with endometrial cancer, a dear friend sent immediate help by giving us a copy of this book. I can't say enough about how helpful it is to have the information this book provides. It has diagrams, easy explanations, is comprehensive in the information it presents about types of cancers, and treatments. We were comforted by having so many questions answered, and better prepared by light years to converse with and understand what the doctors and surgeons were saying.
I am a pastor, and I have purchased my own copy of this book, because it is such an excellent resource and one I can use as I walk with people who are diagnosed with cancer.

The collaborative effort of diverse experts in the Mayo Clinic Women's Cancer Program, Mayo Clinic Guide To Women's Cancers is a thorough, in-depth reference for the lay reader who needs to know the latest information about female-specific types of cancer. Sections cover breast cancer, including the latest discoveries of genetic research, other gynecological cancers including those of the ovaries, cervix, vagina, vulva, and other parts of the female reproductive system, practical advice for living with the day-to-day physical and emotional stresses of cancer and its treatment, and much more. The text is highly accessible to the lay reader, presenting medical concepts in plain terms and offering readily followed advice. Highly recommended.

Katie Walker was a pioneer in her own way. I know you are saying "who is she?" I had never heard of her.

Katie Walker was thrown into the role of lighthouse keeper out of necessity. Her son, Jacob, had to row Katie's husband, John, to Staten Island for medical treatment from their lighthouse at Robins Reef Lightstation, New York City. John's last words of "mind the light, Katie" are the title of a fascinating book about lighthouses, their importance, and some of the women who became official lighthouse keepers -- not a very feminine position and not a high-paying job, either.

Women Who Kept the Lights: An Illustrated History of Female Lighthouse Keepers is a very popular book for adults to read. MIND THE LIGHT, KATIE offers a smaller version and easier to read account of 33 women who held this non-traditional position. Many of these women fought incredible odds to gain official recognition as a keeper of the light. Sometime the daughters of lighthouse keepers would find their husbands by assisting men in keeping the lights burning bright. They may at times have married sons of lighthouse keepers or men who were old enough to be their own fathers.

I think girls ages 12 and up would love to read about women who fought for equality and success in doing "men's work." I have always liked seeing different lighthouses and like learning about the "olden days." I don't think I could have been like any of these women, since they must have gotten terribly lonely working by themselves 365 days a year.

Anything men can do, women can do better, or at least as well as, in lighthouse keeping!

Reviewed by: Bri P.

Mind The Light, Katie: The History Of Thirty-Three Female Lighthouse Keepers by Mary Louise Clifford and J. Candace Clifford is an informative and intrinsically interesting collection of the stories and lives of thirty-three of the one-hundred and fourteen officially appointed female lighthouse keepers between the years 1830 and 1947. Engaging the reader with inspirational stories from Kate Walker and her faithful service to the Robbins Reef Lighthouse, to Josephine Freeman at Blackstone Island Light Station in Maryland, Mind The Light, Katie is enhanced with period photographs and in-depth biographies of each of its featured women. Mind The Light, Katie is very highly recommended for Women's Studies and American History reference collections in general, and the supplemental reading lists of lighthouse enthusiasts in particular!

When Marysia, a naive 15 year old girl from rural Poland moves with her family to a housing project in the city to be closer to her father's work,all seems well(at first). She makes a friend,the very eccentric(but oddly likeable)Kasia,who dreams of becoming a great composer. Then Kasia's behavior becomes more and more odd; She claims to be possessed by a demon who is both her muse and her enemy,and even acts the part,growling, yelling for no reason then forgeting her actions the next day. When Kasia's moods become too much Marysia takes up with Eva, a "bad girl" type from a very wealthy family. Marysia happily imitates Eva's rebellious actions and they both dare each other to do things like steal things,call people names, then move on to death threats and eventually develop a Lesbian-type relationship. Marysia both scared and attracted to Eva ,even wants to follow her to college,rather than a trade school which her family can't afford. Then Kasia calls to apoligize. Marysia,now utterly under Eva's control wants to go to her but she (Eva) forbids it,even threatening sucide. What happens next is both fascinating and heart-breaking. This is a book that holds you from the first page. A searing look at teenage girls that is universal.

I love this novel, I love the main character Marysia. I feel very close to her feelings and reactions and every little High School girl can feel this in the same way, because many of Marysia`s problems are so general that fifty percent of the world can feel with her. On the other hand it is a story about Poland today, a post-communistic place with all the stuff that is related to that. But the main story is about friendship - girl's friendship, truth and lies in that and what imagination can do. IT IS MY FAVOURITE NOVEL AND ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER READ.

In Russell County, Oregon, forty-two years old grandma Jane Serrano lived a fairy tale life until her beloved spouse of over twenty years died. Her three daughters worry about Jane, but the older two reside out of state and the nineteen year old youngest Bianca has frustrated Jane who studies the book Making Peace with Your Adult Child. Jane works at Thornton Books and hosts the Murder of the Month Book Club.

Bianca, a club member, insists that Russell County DA Gil Fortune killed his wife Vanessa though the police insist it was an unfortunate accident when she fell into the Crooked River Gorge. Bianca bases her belief on her Wendell, a club member who is a dog more interested in the food than the books. He barked at Gil just like that classic mystery novel Prove It, Puppy!. The teen sells the idea to the other members (Minnie the senior citizen, Ty the teen and Alex the female cynic) that they need to investigate the crime while Jane ponders how to escape from these lunatics. As the amateur sleuths make inquiries the culprit plans to kill anyone who learns the truth.

MURDER OF THE MONTH is a terrific amateur sleuth that lightly satirizes the sub-genre and animal detective tales. The story line blends the right amount of serious family conflict with an engaging investigation by a group who follow the book (albeit a puppy detective fiction). Jane is the wonderful center that keeps the main plot together as she considers murdering her youngest offspring and trying to stop the club members from behaving stupidly. Hopefully the audience will have more inquiries by this snoop of the month club.

Harriet Klausner

Murder of the Month is the kind of book you think about at work and then can't wait to get home so that you can read just a little bit more. (Or maybe you've tucked it into your purse hoping for heavy traffic on the way home..prime reading time).

The book's protagonist, Jane, unravels the clues of a crime while at the same time sharing her everyday life frustrations regarding the colorful characters in her mystery book group. Each character in the book group is well-developed enough for us as readers to get exasperated with them, as Jane does. But our preconceived notions about each character are challenged right along with Jane's as the plot unfolds piece by piece.

Elizabeth Main writes in a warm and inviting style. Her undeniable wit and excellent writing ability clearly come through the pages of this book; she somehow manages to write in a way and combines humor, suspense, and a sense of irony (dogs that solve crimes in their spare time???) while allowing the reader to completely sympathize with her main character. The premise is so clever (a book group that solves a mystery, each with their own favorite type of mystery novel) is so clever that it begs for more...a series perhaps??? Yes please!!!

This is a must-read, but be forewarned. If you are the kind of reader who reads the last few minutes of your day before going to sleep, this one will keep you up....maybe just a few more pages....

On her fortieth birthday, Dinah Dewberry received a surprised present that no one should get. Inside her husband's pants is a sexy 42-double-D bra; Dinah knows she does not quite fill a B. Feeling betrayed and angry, Dinah is forced to stop in mid rage when her estranged pregnant sister Dottie shows up to ask a favor. Once she gives birth, Dottie wants Dinah to raise her child.

Instead of tossing Dottie on her butt to the curb as she normally would have, she feels a bit of camaraderie for the first time in years and tells her sibling about her lingerie discovery. The sisters commiserate with one another and soon agree to track down the owner of the 42 D to confront her. Dottie's avant-garde lifestyle proves to be a boom to the amateur sleuths who know that the lingerie's owner can be found in a club that they had not in their wildest fantasy suspected.

MY PERFECTLY IMPERFECT LIFE is a deep emotional family drama starring two sisters who turn to one another for needed mental support though they spent most of their lives detesting one another. Readers learn much of what disturbs Dinah besides her philandering spouse as she is unable to conceive and the zaniness of Dottie hiding her fears of rejection especially by her sibling. There is a lot of humor in this tale especially when the sleuth sisters are on the hunt like felines chasing a mouse. This adds to a wonderful affecting character study.

Harriet Klausner

I've been curious about Harlequin's new "Next" line for a while and finally had a chance to sample one of these books. My Perfectly Imperfect Life is by Jennifer Archer, who is something of a flag bearer for this line--this is her 3rd! Next title (the line only started in July '05) and another of her Next books was among the first batch published. So I figured "Perfectly Imperfect" was a good place to start.

And I really enjoyed it! One thing with Harlequins (and Silhouettes)--they can range from the utterly mediocre and formulaic (and sometimes just bad) to packing a cast of fully developed characters and a genuinely nuanced story into the same genre and page-length restrictions. I admire the really good books even more when they manage to pull off a memorable story working inside fairly strict guidelines.

In this case the guidelines point toward some melange of so-called "women's fiction" (generally women of a certain age having to start over, come to terms with their pasts or get over a midlife trauma) and/or "chick lit" for the slightly graying set who may be more Samantha than Carrie at this stage in the game. "Perfectly Imperfect" plants its roots firmly on the women's fiction side of the continuum, as heroine Dinah faces a series of traumas on her 40th birthday: she has not conceived after years of struggle, her marriage may be shakier than she thought (she just found a bra in her husband's jacket pocket), and the sister she hasn't seen in 17 years shows up on her doorstep, pregnant and offering the baby to Dinah to adopt.

While this starting point could have led to either a totally light and fizzy book (especially with a cast featuring more than its share of "zany" characters, including sister Dottie and tea-leaf-reading Aunt Maeve) or a completely somber one, Archer strikes a nice balance with characters just a little over the top who react realistically and with a range of emotions to the various curveballs in the plot. And one of the storylines (I won't say which one) takes a very unexpected turn that I didn't see coming and was pleasantly surprised by.

The traditional Harlequin Superromance line has always frustrated me by having a longer page length and a wider range of plot possibilities than many of the other lines, and yet all too frequently delivering some of the most vanilla, undistinguished and formula romance novels of any of the category lines--but every once in a while pulling out a stunningly wonderful, deeply emotional book that eclipses almost every other category romance out there. This book reminded me of the occasional buried Superromance treasure, and I look forward to sampling more of the Next books to see how they compare.

In the meantime, the several hours (I read this in one sitting) I spent in Dinah's perfectly imperfect life were highly enjoyable and I definitely recommend checking this one out. I plan to look for more of Jennifer Archer's Next books!

Detailed and vastly documented study of gender differences throughout American history. Impossible to ignore.

The "Mysteries of Sex" is a fascinating and enlightening book, not a sex manual as you might suppose, but an analysis of the relationships between men and women through four centuries of American history, from the American Indians to the present day. Mary Ryan explores the way in which gender differences, and the political response to them, has shaped, and is shaping, our history. I was impressed, not only by the scholarship, but especially by the prose style: a heavy subject, but an easy read!Mysteries of Sex: Tracing Women and Men through American History

I picked up this book at the bookstore knowing nothing about it. I was pleasantly surprised to find a campy mystery with compelling characters. I hope Ms. Wilbon will write more. I loved it!

I had gotten a copy of this book back in September and didn't pick it up til this past Saturday. I could not put it down!!!

I am an avid reader of mystery both main stream and lesbian....I usually order five or six books at a time and read em all one after the other, some taking a mere few hours....

I think we have a winner here folks...I believe this is the authors first attempt at writing mystery, if so, it should be the first of many more to come, hopefully a series with these two incredible main characters..

This book should be on any reader of mystery, gay and straights, wish list and even more so for those who are familiar with the theatre. The author paints a vivid picture with every word she types. There are a host of characters in this book and the author has done a phenominal job at making the reader have the ability to see them basically come to life.

I absolutely love both main characters!

LisaD

I bought this book in '83 and have recently referred back to it. The gender paradigm of the male "macho warrior" and female "earth mother" as ideals are dissected and ultimately, debunked. He lays out an alternative way of relating, based not on ego/gender defensiveness, but on comfort in one another's company and a shared playfulness. If you have a few hours, and an open mind to explore and learn, this book may be the one that proves that the world is round, even in a time when common wisdom says it's flat

I found Dr. Golberg's message to be refreshingly honest. It was tough to take; however, it is refreshing to find advice that holds men and women entirely responsible not just for their behavior but for their motivation. This book has helped me confront just how much I wish to be mothered, how covert I am in my purpose, and how the best solution is self-acceptance and a conscious push to change fear-motivated behavior. This title was published in 1983, and I read it in 2001. It applies now. For those who wish for no excuses and want to be open, clear, honest, and expressive without hurting their partners---this book offers sound advice and thoughtful content.

Very good, concise,amenable,good boxes, very useful to prepare USMLE I and II, updated and adressed to students, Clinicians (General or Familiar Practicioners),and even sometimes could be helpful to G and Obs.

A comprehensive review of OB/GYN for the USMLE 2 and 3. This is a must read for the medical student and the intern. As it is the style of these series, this book is written in a clear, well categorized subject matter with key concepts in bold letters. This makes the book an easy reading for the amount of information it is attempting to cover. It has many tables and graphs that make the matterial easier to understand. Each chapter is followed with a short but thorough Q&A section on the key concepts. The book ends with a comprehensive examination containing 100 questions.

I am resident doctor training in Canada.
Based on interactions with my colleagues, I would easily say that the most frightening thing abour residency is being on call and hence being forced into terrifying unfamiliar territory/situations which you are expected to be able to handle alone. During the day, the entire team of residents and the attending can provide you with the back-up you need... not so useful when on call though.

This was my principle motive for purchasing this book and I wasn't disappointed. This book provides you with everything you need to deal with issues that arise when on-call. It's written in an easy to read format and walks you through ward and emergency issues as if you were encountering them for the first time. It will even direct you through the basics such as directing you to start an IV or a Foley (which may not be so basic when you are sleep deprived). It also explains simple concepts that you may have missed in medical school such as the volume of one unit of Fresh Frozen Plasma, and the degree to which each unit of platelets will raise the platelet count. What I particularly like is the ease by which you can get through this book. I read through the entire thing in about a week allowing me to cover alot of ground before starting my Obstetrics Rotation.

If you are looking for a comprehensive book that describes epidemiology, a complete list of risk factors, and a whole lot of impractical fluff, then this is not the book for you. It will however help you make it through the night.

I only wish I had discovered this book in medical school.

I've been an OBS/GYN nurse for 12 years. Best triage book I've come across. It was recommended by an OB doc (and he was a smart one too!)