Non-fiction Books

When Lexy Connor gets a call for help from Tally Richard, she's very willing to help. Adopted as a child, Tally had been delving into her birth-parents and received a mysterious telephone calling regarding them. But before Tally could find out much, the informant was murdered. Now Tally is fleeing the killer who is seeking to protect a family secret by ending her inquiry -- and her life! Chandler's Daughter is a Lexy Connor mystery and continues to document Truly Donovan as a skilled and consistently entertaining storyteller who plays fair with the reader in an action thriller that grips the attention from first page to last.

This book was a great light hearted mystery. If a book dosnt keep my intrest in the first couple of chapters then I dont read it, but Chandler's Daughter kept my intrest, and befor I knew it I was done with the book. I really recommead it!

Truly Donovan's debut mystery CHANDLER'S DAUGHTER is the beginning of a wonderful cozy mystery series.

As I read, I found myself taken with Ms. Donovan's single, plus-size, middle-aged, amateur sleuth Lexy Connor. She is witty, intelligent and delightful!

Lexy lives in Gunbarrel, Colorado, where she runs her own software consulting company. She loves to eat out with friends and owns a lovable, well-mannered Westie named Molly. Those of us who can't live without our mysteries, Internet or email, will find a comrade in Lexy as she is blessed with the same passions.

In her debut mystery, Lexy finds her quiet Colorado world shaken when her friend Tally calls for help. Tally offers to pay Lexy her usual software consultation fee, if she will solve the mystery of a dead stranger Tally was supposed to meet. This mystery has Lexy traveling the country (a trip you don't want to miss) in an attempt to find the murderer who is also hunting for her friend.

Good little mystery. Nothing earth shattering but a good first book. Few minor details wrong such as "Rotties thumped their tails". I know you're a Westie lover, Truly, but you should know Rotties don't have tails.

I read a library copy of "Donovan's Daughter" and so thoroughly enjoyed it, that I now have a copy on order. I want to own this series from the very beginning.

Lexy Connor is a great heroine. She is well past the first blush of youth, but is smart, vital and ready to do anything for a friend.

She searches for the true parentage of Tally, a young woman who is being threatened even though she knows nothing of her true background. Her parents have been dead for years. She comes to Lexy because Lexy knew her adoptive parents.

With few clues to go on, Lexy (along with her delightful dog) goes across country to solve a mystery that puts her and some of her friends in grave danger.

Don't miss this exciting and humorous first mystery with an unforgettable heroine.

I don't know what age this book was written for but let me say I am well over 40. I ordered this book because of its cover and knew nothing about the author or the story. When it arrived I noticed it was the second in a series so I ordered the first book (Ratha's Creature)and put this one aside. I have been hooked for several years on the Warrior serices by Erin Hunter, and this is equal to it with a lot less neames to remember. It is just a great story that keeps you turning the pages until you are finished. I have the next two books already and have pre-ordered the fifth one. I just hope the author keeps them coming like the Warrior series.

I read this book when I was a kid, but had almost forgotten it. When I saw it was going to be re-released I was very excited. It's a great book for all ages.

"Ratha's Creature" is a marvelous piece of genre writing. It certainly was wonderful to find that author Clare Bell keeps the saga flowing so smoothly with the follow-up publication of "Clan Ground." I find CG to be as engrossing, exciting, and as well-written as the original. I couldn't wait to crack the 3rd book in 'Tne Named' series after reading "Clan Ground."

Clan Ground is the second book in Clare Bell's Named series. It is a fantastic sequel to Ratha's Creature. At the time this series was written, I had never read anything of its like. Since then, I've noticed some other series in the Young Adult section that seem to have the same sort of premise, but Clare Bell did if first and she did it best!

I highly recommend this series, as it tops my list of best Young Adult books ever written. Luckily for potential new readers, they are now back in print!

'Clan Ground' is the second book in a series by author Clare Bell, coming after 'Ratha's Creature'. The clan has now settled back into life under Ratha's rule as clan leader and all looks well. And then a stranger from the outside wishes to join the clan. 'Clan Ground' is very difficult to put down once you've started reading! The plot, the setting and the characters are all wonderfully detailed and unique and the emotion draws you right in. Very highly suggested!

Comstock Lode is classic Louis L'amour. This book is extremely enjoyable and fast-paced. If you are just starting out on Louis, this book will not steer you wrong, it is a perfect example of his genius.

I just finished reading Comstock last week, when I happened to be up in the California gold country myself. I'm a garden writer, author of 5 published books, and I was in Placer County, speaking to the Auburn Garden Club. The town of Auburn, which sits in the middle of the gold rush's richest territory, is a neat place, one to visit if you get the chance. I noticed too that there is still a very busy mining supply store right on one of Auburn's main streets. There's still gold and silver being found up there!
But I digress: All of us who read Louis L'Amour's Westerns have probably noticed that while all of them are fun to read, some are certainly better than others. I thought that Comstock was darn good, and certainly one of the best of his books set in California. If you enjoy a fast-paced, action packed Western, I expect you'll like Comstock. I recommend it!

"Comstock Lode" is just fantastic! This book was written by the famous Western writer, Louis L'Amour. Louis L'Amour has written over a hundred books, including the famous Sackett novels. The setting of this story is in the mid-1800's, during the gold rush in America. The story is told in Virginia City, Nevada.

The main character is Val Trevallion, a young man of twenty-four with a harsh past. Both of his parents were killed when he was young and he has taken it upon himself to have revenge on the killers. He is a quiet man but very strong because of his work in mines. Though he has not had the best education, he is very smart. Grita Redaway is Val's friend from his past. Her parents were also killed by the same people who killed Val's parents. She is a very beautiful and an intelligent actress. She is independent though with a streak of stubbornness in her. Al Hesketh is the villain of the story. He is a cruel and wicked man, only thinking of himself and how he can become rich.

The story begins in Cornwall, England in the year 1859. Val is fourteen-years-old when his father and mother decide to move to America. His father wants to work his own mine in California. He saves enough money so they go to America by boat. When they reached Gunwalloe, the Trevallions decide to travel to California with another family, the Redaways. The Redaways have only one daughter, Grita, who is eight-years-old. A few days before they leave, Val's father goes to buy supplies a few miles away. Suddenly, drunken rustlers attack the wagons in which Val and Grita's mothers are in. The drifters kill the mothers then beat up Mr. Redaway. During the whole time, Val and Grita are hidden nearby; Val protecting Grita and shielding her from the sight. After they leave, killing Mr. Redaway, Val and Grita go find Mr. Trevallion. After the dead are buried, Mr. Trevallion, though heartbroken, decides to carry on to California with Val while Grita goes to live with her aunt. But on the way to California, Val's father is killed by the same men who had killed his mother. Val swears to have revenge on the murderers. Ten years go by, during which Val shoots two of the people who were involved in the murders. Val then realizes that he has wasted his life and decides to settle down and have his own mine in Virginia City, Nevada, where the Comstock Lode is. He gets good land and finds some silver in his mines. But trouble seems to follow him everywhere. He finds out that Grita is in big trouble, in which the remaining men who murdered his parents are involved.

Love this book, and is one of my favorite L'Amour books. Louis L'Amour is the type of writer that, whatever he writes, you'll know before-hand that you'll love them. "Comstock Lode" is no exception. Some other of my favorite L'Amour books are:

*North to the Rails*
*Sackett Series*
*Matagorda*
*Crossfire Trail*

...and this list can go on and on and on!

Louis L'Amour's Comstock Lode is a brilliant, fictional novel based on real events that will suck you in as soon as you start reading. I'm not one for westerns at ALL, but I was recommended this book and told myself, Why not? It sounds alright, nothing really better to read as of right now. I'll admit, the first few chapters started off a little dull, but then, you get deeper and deeper into the story and you can't put the book down. I recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure novels or Louis L'Amour in general.
Val Trevallion was a son of Tom Trevallion and his wife Mary, who lived in England until finding a large amount of gold and, moves to the States. While in Louisiana, Val's mother and the mother of another girl named Grita Redaway are brutally murdered by a group of shadowy characters, one of which Val will never forget the eyes of. Val and his father set out for the Wild West, but on the way there, his father gets murdered as well. A name on a gun gives Val a clue as to the identity of one man from the group of men that murdered his father and possibly his mother. Val goes to the Comstock where he is known as the toughest, most feared man around. While there, he will remeet Grita, a beautiful, budding actress and the memories come rushing back. His main mission: to kill those who killed his parents. But not everyone seems to be who they are, and Val has to come face-to-face with the man whose eyes haunted him years earlier in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.

This is my all-time favorite L'Amour book. I read it for the first time several years ago and have since read it many times over. Each time I have read it, I find something new that only adds to the story.

I have read many L'Amour novels and this one stands out because of its detail of the charactures. L'Amour explains why his charactures act as they do while still containing all of the typical content of most of his novels. If you read one L'Amour novel, read this one!!

As I look back, I still find it hard to believe that this was a debut novel. It holds up a lot better than romantic suspense by some of the veterans of the genre.

The plot moves along at a fast pace. There are a few coincidences, but not so many that they spoil the read. The characters also fit the story well. As an added attraction, the Key West scenes are great.

My own quibble is that the villains are off stage so much of the time. That's unavoidable with this type of plot, but it's usually not my cup of tea. (I prefer stories about villains hidden within a close circle of family or friends.) If you don't mind off-stage villains, you'll like this even more than I did.

This book deserved its Golden Heart award. I gave it a B at All About Romance.

Wow! What an amazing debut novel! I read Dangerous Curves in one evening and hated to see the story end. This is one of the best Silhouette Intimate Moments I've read in a long time. If you like romantic suspense, you will love Dangerous Curves! It's a must read for the summer!

What an exceptional debut novel. The layers of experiences from senses to complex characters brings a level of writing more common in the seasoned author.

For those looking for a summer read, I recommend this Florida adventure that will have you on the edge of your beach towel!

Remember sun screen. It's hot!

If I had seen this in the bookstore, I probably would not have picked it up based on the cover and the title. I would have thought it was kind of cheesy. But I read the reviews and I have always agreed with Kristina Wright when I've read the reviews that she has written so I gave it a try. I am glad that I did. It was hard to put down. I will definitely look for more of her books in the future.

I am not a fan of romance, so I was more than pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. I sat down to read the first few pages one night, and ended up reading it to the end. I never came to that part where, late at night, you tell yourself you're going to close the light after this next chapter. My desire to find out what happened next, was greater than my desire to sleep. It grabs you from the first page, and never seems to let you go, even as I knew morning would come very early. It grabs you on the first page and never lets you go. I enjoyed the easy way Kristina writes, and her ability to make you feel each of the main characters. She mixes suspense and emotion very well, giving you just enough at just the right time. It's hard to believe this is her first. I'd like to say this is a great first novel, but this would make a great tenth novel.It's polished and very well written. I have no doubt we will be seeing more of Kristina Wright in the future. I know I hope to.

I have read all of the Dearest Dorothy series and they are wonderful. It feels so good to read about small towns and people who care about each other!! Takes your mind off all the awful "wordly" things...

I was very pleased with the promptness of my order. I will not hesitate to order from them again.

Let me see if I can remember what I wrote about another one of these Partonville novels. They are simply wonderful; humorous, entertaining and inspirational. They cheer me up and make me feel as if I'm returning to a charming hometown each time. I hope Charlene finds time to pen many, many more sequels of these lovely families!!!

I've read all the books in the Dearest Dorothy series and have to say, I found this one to be one of the most enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I've loved them all but this one really just had an extra special something. Charlene does an excellent job in character development and great story lines. I am hoping that there will be another book out soon and that Dorothy is a bit more prominant in the next. As always, a great read and a book to make you think about life and all there is to appreciate about it!

Having read each and every book in the series, I had a pretty good idea what to expect -- enjoyable, pleasant and worth the time. What I got was a surprise; it was terrific !!! While the book continues to have the small-town flavor which makes the series so appealing, it added new characters and twists to the plot that made it a bit more "current" and fast-paced.

The characters are well-developed and the story enchanting. If you have read the other books in the series, make sure you read this one. If you are just picking it up for the first time, enjoy and appreciate.

My husband remembered loving this series as a kid and was delighted to be able to get them for our son. At age 7 our son would read the Enchanted Wood and the Faraway Tree over and over. Enid Blyton connects perfectly with the magical imagination of kids this age.

I remember reading this book as a little girl. Enid Blyton is in my opinion the best children's writers. Now that I'm a mom I'm getting this book and other Blyton favourites for my kids.

The enchanted wood is a fab book its about three children Joe,Beth and Frannie. They live in the contry side and they find a magic tree and up the tree they make loads of friends but at the top of the tree there are lands some lands are good and some lands are bad. If you liked the sound of that you will have to get the book!!!!!!!!!!!

I remember reading this book when I was little. I recently came across it again at my parent's house and found it to be just as delightful now at 32 as I did when I was 7! It is filled with magical wonder and fantasy. A great recommendation for children of all ages!

Any child that reads this book will enter into a magical world......I am now 34 yrs old....I read this book as a child and still remember liking the stories.......I am originally from Guyana formally British Guiana......I grew up on all Enid Blyton books....they are a delight to read.......this is one book I suggest you get for you children.

Julie Williams has written an exceptional first novel. This insightful story in poems takes the reader on a journey in a young girl's life as she experiences the heartache of loss, struggles to understand those around her, discovers first love, and the boundries of friendship, and through it all learns how to become her own person. Allie Benton is a hero we can all cheer on!

A wonderful book, although I wouldn't call it poetry; more like a diary. I met the author and she is a wonderfully funny person. The story is one that holds your attention. Read it all in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. Even my husband likes it and he doesn't do much reading for pleasure.

I am a 55 year old male man who didn't want to read "a story in poem" about anything. I was given this book and resisted reading it for a very long time. One night I started reading and I could not put it down. It was powerful and moving. It's about a 14 year old girl learning to live in this life. It's a poem. I cried like a baby! I am currently buying up every copy I can. I give this book to anyone I care about.

If you, or maybe your very close friend, had a difficult childhood. This book is for you. Poem and all! Poem just means all the unneeded words are missing. Read this book! (...)

My daughter and I each have a copy of this book and had the same experience reading it: we couldn't put it down. My daughter said that she carried such an ache around in her heart for this young girl. She said she felt as if she truly knew her and loved her. This is a powerful story told in the spare, searing language of penetrating poetry. As a teacher, I have been pondering ways I might bring this book into my classroom. It cries out to be heard as well as read. I have already recommended it to my colleagues.

I enjoyed this book immensely, as did (all!) the members of my book club. The descriptions are lovely, the characters real, the story poignant, the end satisfying.

In spare language, the author shows us through a heartwarming main character what it is like to lose a twin and a father. I felt her anguish about having an unstable mother, and going to a new school without the right clothes to fit in. I felt the heartbreak of her Native American friends who, in the sixties when the novel is set, are scorned by most of the townspeople. It's awesome how much insight and information was conveyed, and how much I was made to care, in such a short book.

This survey of the literature surrounding birdwatching gathers together some of the most intriguing writings under one cover, exploring the literary side of the observations of Muir, Audubon, and others. These take the form of paragraphs of information which explore sightings and bird ecology.

At last we see the aesthetic side of birdwatching presented with a sensitivity so often lacking in nature writing. Whereas many birding volumes revert to more and more pedantic description, this is a work which, as its title suggests, invites us to experience a little of the ecstacy of flight itself. We study birds because we are inspired by them, but too many birding books concentrate on the study and not the inspiration. In this work the writings of a wide variety of knowledgeable writers--both well-known and obscure--present in often touching prose their first-hand observations of and experiences with a passtime they love. The careful organization makes this a useful reference work, akin to Bartlett's, for those in search of just the right inspirational quote. These are transcendent moments which otherwise might be lost in mouldering libraries, and I have been personally touched by many of the seemingly inconsequential but thoroughly delightful scenes recorded here. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to lift themselves or their friends above what can often be the drudgery of daily life, who would like to remember that birds fly, they are beautiful, and there is something magnificent in that.

The "romantic" birder will enjoy the many written excerpts that Hill includes in her book. The "analytical" birder may prefer something more prosaic. Not sure if you are a romantic birder or an analytical birder?...Read ths book and find out.

This book is awesome. I read it while jammin' on the crete at the Ithaca board park. Love it man. No school, birds rule!

This book offers a wonderful look at the historical roots of bird watching. How refreshing to read truly emotional responses to the experience of learning about birds through observation. The wonderful blend of writings underscores the universality and agelessness of the sport.

This book is perfect for short reads -- great to pick up for a moment, either to refresh oneself or to share with a friend. It is a perfect gift for any bird lover -- I have purchased 6 copies to date!

It's a great book to read to toddlers. My brother and I loved "Are You My Mother" and the "Dog" books when we were little so I thought I'd give this book to my niece. I showed it to my brother before I wrapped it, and we both laughed at the story. Two 30+ year old men laughing at a children's book. That's good comedy! PD Eastman showed such personality and story in the illustrations, they add depth to the simple words. And the premise is cute.

this was a fun book for my child to read, and I recommend it highly. The animation is fun, and makes the reading come easier for the child.

This book has a very cute story line.
My daughter was especially intrigued by this book because we often talk about birds and have even watched a few build their nests outside.
It also has a good story about what birds eat....to help children envision what birds feed to their young.
Very well written and great for beginner readers.

Boy, is this ever cute! when a little boy puts an alligator egg in the Birds' nest, they take care of it as if it was their own. They sit on it until it hatches then when he does, they feed it constantly! It's funny watching an alligator eating all that "bird food" and still grows huge. The end is particularly nice. They decide it's time for "Junior" to learn to fly but instead, he learns to swim. Sure is a cute story - especially on caring for others. Highly recommend!

This is a favorite of my daycare kids. When Mr. and Mrs. Bird discover a strange egg in their nest they try to hatch it. Mr. Bird is a delight to read. He says through the whole book it doesn't matter if it's not their egg, they still take care of it, it doesn't matter if baby alligator doesn't look like them, they still need to feed it. It doesn't matter if the baby alligator can't fly because he's happy in the water. I can't praise the book more. It's a fun easy read.

Excellent book with truly dramatic descriptions of WW1 flying and ground wars and their impacts on British class structure.

Like most others I know of who have read Derek Robinson's novels of British fliers in WWI and WWII, I think him far and away the best writer on the subject. With relentless humor and realism he gets us to imagine what it was like to be pretty certain you were going to die there, just unsure when.

And he is unsparing of staff leadership that didn't have a clue. In Robinson's war, you fly to kill people--neither more nor less--or die yourself.

I like this novel of the 1918 campaigns a bit less well than the hard-to-find Hornet's Sting about the early war, 1915, in which the humor, suitable to the absurd reality really works. But I like it better than his best known and very good WWII book about the RAF in the Battle of Britain stripped of myth, A Piece of Cake. It is a shame that his books aren't more easily available.

It is still the same today...and probably always will be.
Retired USAF Pilot (220 combat missions per war)

I thought maybe I was alone in thinking about the indelible image that this book leaves.
Back in the summer of 1973 when at the age of 15 I read this book it captivated me in such a way that I immediately read it again upon finishing it.
I remember thinking ah! here we have something like the truth behind the glorious legends of WW1 air fighting.
Air warfare was always in our house with my father being a WW2 pilot and indeed his father serving in WW1, but something never felt right about the stories and I began to realise the sheer terror that tinged every anecdote which always came out after a few drinks at family gatherings.

Read this book and consider the world of Major Woolley.

It's closer to the truth than you might think. Cheers! Mines a Guinness.

This book tell the air war in WWI as it really was. Ruthless, brutal, terrifying and a sheer waste of human life. You hear many stories - mainly propoganda about the dashingness, chivalry and adventurous life of the "Knights in the air". This novel puts it all to shame through the leader of Goshawk Squadron Major Woolley. Wolley although only 23 is already a hardened vetran and realist about fighting and tries to drill his rookies into "winning" not "surviving" - he even bans the use of words like fair, luck and chivalry. One of the trainees in the novel sums him up - "Richards suddenly understood. Richards saw that Woolley was trying to do more than train them, and lead them, and pass on the lessons of experience: he was also struggling to turn each of them into the kind of person that he himself had become: When Wolley instructed them in shooting the enemy in the back he was not being melodramatic, he really meant it, because Wolley was a professional. The amateurs played at fighting: they kept their scores and rejoiced in their adventures, and they were brave, good-humoured warriors. But Wolley took it seriously. He had asked the ultimate question - what was it for? - and got the obvious, the only answer. You flew to destroy the enemy. You did not fly to fight, but to kill. It was neither fun nor adventure nor sport. It was business".

Woolley was not your typical "la-de-dah" flying officer of the "Jolly Good Show old chaps" - he was rough, brash and hated all that pompousness. A highly amuzing part of the story is when the new HQ Commander a Colonel call Hawthorn comes down to visit the airfield and lecutres Woolley on his requisition of supplies of alcohol and silk scarves. Woolley shoots the mans briefcase and the cap off his head and threatens to kill him unless he delivers the supplies - Alcohol is needed to stop the pilot from getting the runs becuase of the stink of the engines and to stop them thinking what they do all day, and they need the scarves to go round the neck to "lubricate" as the head turns all the time. As Woolley tell the stunned Colonel "They need the booze to stop them thinking what they do all day. And you, you po-faced runt, you've no idea what they do".

Read this book and your thoughts on the WWI air aces will never be the same again, but you'll love it.