Non-fiction Books


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Non-fiction Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Non-fiction
IN THE FACE OF DANGER (The Orphan Train Quartet, No 3)
Published in Hardcover by Delacorte Books for Young Readers (1988-08-01)
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon
List price: $16.00
New price: $40.95
Used price: $0.75
Collectible price: $17.00

Average review score:

My Review
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-25
i like this book. it gave me a sense of suspence and eagerness to see what happens next.i like how each character had their own fears , likes, dislikes, and feeling. it also let the reader know what was inside the mind of the girl who was "cursed" by the gypsie and how it affected her.

Danger Puffs
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-23
THIS BOOK IS ABOUT A ORPHAN NAMED MEGEN. WHEN SHE WAS CURSED BY A GYSPY. SHE BLAMES HERSELF FOR HER FAMILYS MISFORTUNE.FIRST HER FATHER DIES. THEN HER BROTHER MIKE GOES TO JAIL. HER MOTHER MUST SEND THE CHILDREN TO AN ORPHAN TRAIN. A NICE YOUNG COUPLE BUYS MEGEN. WILL MEGEN'S NEW FAMILY HELP MEGEN UNDO THE GYPSY'S CURSE? READ THE BOOK TO SEE!

MAGDALENE

A Great Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2004-05-26
This was a great book because it told you about orphan kids getting new families and better lives. It was also interesting because you learned about the orphan train and how the little kids lived in that period of time.

The magnificent book
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-14
The book I read was mostly about a young girl who was put up for adoption with her brothers and sisters. Then she was adopted by the Browder family who was exspecting a baby.
She enjoyed her new family very much. Before the baby was born she got a new puppy. This book has a very good moral to it. I reccomend this book to people who enjoy old timey stories.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!A Great Book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-23
I thought that this was a great book. after I read A family apart (book #1 of the series) I decided to read them all I thought this one was the best of the 7 books.

Non-fiction
Invitation To The Butterfly Ball: A Counting Rhyme
Published in School & Library Binding by Tandem Library (1997-09-30)
Author: Jane Yolen
List price: $19.15
Used price: $29.99

Average review score:

It's the sweetest little book, and it's educational too!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-26
My boys have enjoyed this book. It's a fun way to illustrate counting. I would recommend it highly. We even do the voices of the cute animals!

wonderful illustrations
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-25
I am a 21 year old college student. My mom read this book to me when I was little. The illustrations were always my favorite part of the book. The mouse finds her way to the ball in a very magical way. I read that book so many times that I can still recite nearly half of it. In my opinion this book was more a visual experience than about counting. Any child should be lucky to own this wonderful piece of work.

An absolute classic...
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-27
I also am the proud owner of an original 1976 copy, and I cannot believe that it is still in one piece. This was my favorite book as a child and cannot wait to get a new copy for my two daughters!

Knock Knock! Who's come to call?
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-10-28
I'm 30 years old and I still remember reading this book as a child. Not only can I recite parts of it to this day, but so can my mother.
It is a fun way to learn to count. The illustrations are enchanting, as well as the entire story involving all sorts of animals preparing for The Butterfly Ball.

Still a wonderful book!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-13
I'm 27 and have a very worn copy of the 1976 publication of this book. As a child, I read it so often that I have pieces memorized to this day. It's still my favorite book, and I was afraid I'd never be able to replace it. How wonderful to see such an enchanting and educational book is still in print!

Non-fiction
Ivy and Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go (Book 2) (Ivy & Bean)
Published in Paperback by Chronicle Books (2007-03-01)
Authors: Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
List price: $5.95
New price: $2.65
Used price: $2.00

Average review score:

BUY THIS BOOK!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-18
Ivy and Bean find a ghost in the bathroom, YIKES! What can they do to get the ghost out of there? Sorry I cant tell you but if you buy it you can read this super book! Its non stop fun, but I'd recomend reading book1 first! If you like mystery and some good laughs this book will be perfect for you!

Magic, Spells and Being Sneaky
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-20
There is a ghost in the girl's bathroom. And Ivy and Bean try to stop it. The main characters are Ivy and Bean. The setting of this book is at school and at Ivy's house. The meaning is Adventure. What the author is saying is have fun and stick up for your friend. My favorite part of the book is when they make a potion to stop the ghost. It actually starts in a funny way. It starts like they are eating lunch and playing with their cheese (actually looking through the hole in their cheese. A person would like this book if they like to read about magic, spells and being sneaky.

by Isabelle

What a delight!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-24
This was my daughters very favorite book of the summer and the first series that she really devoured on her own without suggestion. She even insisted that I take her to the bookstore to check when the third book will be out. In her words "Annie Barrow is the Best Author Ever!"

"Nothing could make it better!"
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-11
My eight year old discovered Ivy & Bean over the summer as part of a summer reading program. It was a total struggle to get her to read. Once she read Ivy and Bean she was willing to read anything I put in front of her if the reward at the end was another Ivy and Bean book. We just purchased this volume and she read it all through dinner, even telling her sister she was too busy to play video games. According to her "It's really funny, and Ivy and Bean are super nice girls except they like to play tricks sometimes and do other things like my friends and I do and it's not mean or scary and I laughed a lot. Oh, and in this one they think there's a ghost but there probably isn't and sometimes I think there are ghosts places too, but then they aren't there, so I liked that."

Great follow up
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-27
A great follow up to the first book. Annie Barrows did it again. Finally, early chapter books that a kid can feel like a "big kid" reading and the parents can stomach. Well done.

Non-fiction
Jade Woman
Published in Paperback by Arrow (1990)
Author: Jonathan Gash
List price:
New price: $79.59
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Come Travel the world - Lovejoy Style!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-02-16
Travelling with Lovejoy is so very different than what anyone is used to. In this book we see him in Hong Kong as he's trying to escape some nasty characters back in East Anglia. He starts out OK with a plane ride, passport and money in his pocket, but he's not in Hong Kong for five minutes before everything he has is stolen. As he wanders around hungry for two days, we see Hong Kong through his eyes, and he, even with all his troubles, is fascinated by it. It's easy to see the author's experiences of Hong Kong in the wonderful descriptions that he paints in this book. Anyway, poor old Lovejoy finally finds himself a way to make a living (and what a way that is!), but he gets mixed up with a nasty lot too. His experiences with the Hong Kong triads is unforgettable (and actually quite funny too). We of course see another master fiddle done by the old faker (Lovejoy himself), and we also get more interesting info on some pretty nice antiques (Asian style). This book is captivating, as are all the others in this wonderful series.

Author's Hong Kong Experiences Enhance It
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-11-26
The English physician who writes under the name of Jonathan Gash lived in Hong Kong for several years; his knowledge of the weather, society, and people combine to make this one of the better Lovejoys. This is also a great choice for someone unfamiliar with Lovejoy as he is quickly yanked out of England and left penniless in Hong Kong. As with many of Gash's Lovejoy efforts, the action is fast and furious for the last 20 pages or so. Recommended.

One of the best in the series
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-10
This is one of the best in the series. Gash successfully brings together plot, pacing, setting and character. Often his plots are convoluted, but this one moves surely, and without sacrificing entertainment. As in the Gondola Scam (in Venice), Gash limits the region to explore to great effect. We lovingly follow Lovejoy through Hong Kong, meet up with the requisite number of baddies, but also the quirky and unusual characters that assist Lovejoy in his quest. A tightly and carefully constructed book, and a great introduction to the entire series.

Humor, adventure, excitement, murder, gangsters, Hong Kong
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1998-05-23
Dashing Lovejoy is at it again--this time in Hong Kong! Running from the law and some small time hood, he's off to the orient, loses everything, becomes mixed up in a huge antiques swindle, and is locked into serfdom. Jade Woman is one of my favorite Jonathan Gash books. Even when his life is on the line, Lovejoy never runs out of witty things to say. Murder, intrigue, antiques, and the spell of Hong Kong mix together to bring you a real page-turner.

Such a rogue
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-04
When the heavies in England force Lovejoy from his home and possessions and make his future seem less than pleasant, he takes advantage of an opportunity to leave England and to move to Hong Kong for the sake of his health and freedom. The extreme heat and humidity saps his strength so badly that he doesn't even make it out of the terminal of the airport, but collapses in a heap for a quick nap on the floor of the terminal. Big mistake...when he awakens to find his money and passport missing, he makes the long walk into the city and throws himself on the mercy of a man who had given him his card on the plane. The man rejects his plea for charity and walks away, only to be stabbed to death a few minutes later. After finding himself temporary shelter with a friendly expat, Lovejoy hawks his talents as an expert in antiques and antique reproductions, and is contacted by the Triads and forced into working for them. His room mate works as a gigolo, servicing travelling ladies with dinner, dancing and anything else they might require, and recruits Lovejoy into the profession. He is fascinated by Jade Woman, a beautiful and highly educated young woman, trained since childhood to be the face of the Triads. Lovejoy makes a deal with the gangs to forge pieces of art for them and soon finds himself in big trouble as usual. The lovable rogue struggles out of his predicaments with his usual flair and, by the end of the book, is heading for the US. I just hope that I can find this sequel.

Non-fiction
Jujitsu for Christ (Contemporary American Fiction)
Published in Paperback by Penguin (Non-Classics) (1988-02-02)
Author: Jack Butler
List price: $6.95
New price: $7.95
Used price: $0.60
Collectible price: $14.01

Average review score:

Finest kind of novel, kinda magnificent if you want to know
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-23
Well, shoot, I first read this novel 20 years ago and I fell for it as if I were a termite eaten trunk of any sort that stood in those piney woods. Finest kind, boy howdy. This novel is special, well, yes. It's special alright. But it's a whole lot more than that. This novel is not just a good read but uniquely so. So, get to it!

A Diamond in the Rough
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-23
This little book ranks with "To Kill A Mockingbird" or "In Cold Blood" as a truly American classic.

Told through a "secret" narrator (at least secret until the final pages of the book), "Jujitsu for Christ" takes place in early 60's Mississippi during the initial struggle of black men, women and children to be free of the legacy of slavery. Although the books feature character Roger Wing is a young white man living in a primarily black neighborhood in Mississippi; the real main character of the book is not a character at all. It is the weaving of all of the characters as author Jack Butler adroitly links the attitudes, mores, people and historical time into an entertaining and yet deeply truthful book.

"Jujitsu for Christ" is a wonderful piece of literature that leaves nothing to chance and is a clear demonstration of the laws of Karma.
If you have the chance to read this book you might find that it changes, however minutely, how you think about the world.

A True Classic
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-24
I can't believe it's out of print, either. This novel is one of the finest examples of contemporary American fiction of the past 20 years.

Near Perfection
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-14
I've kept copies of this book around for years just to pass out to friends. I've even taught this book in an English class. This slim little book is laugh-out-loud funny in places, heartbreaking in others. A simple description of the plot would not do this book justice. "Jujitsu for Christ" is about race relations, martial arts, comic books, super heroes, human heroes, born-again baptists, left-out losers, and the need we all have to connect with others and be included. The language of the book is sheer Southern poetry, flowing like sweet cherry wine from one word to the next, without ever being over-wrought or artificial. Displaying his mastery of language and cadence, Butler commits to paper in two pages of rhythmic, run-on sentences the most spot-on accurate description of summer in the deep South that's ever been written and goes on to pull off an astonishing narrative "trick" halfway through the book that impacts the novel's entire point of view. This is a beautiful book worth reading again and again. That it's out of print is a sad commentary on the state of publishing in America. Find it. Read it. Treasure it.

Bring this book back now.
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-20
Jack Butler, son of a preacher man, should be a national treasure. The man who brought us "Living in Little Rock With Miss Little Rock" and "Dreamer" first brought us this treasure of growing up in the south.

Complex race relations, uncertain zealotry, budding sexuality all mix well in this stew. Go to your local library (they probably have a copy) and give it a read. I finally found a good used copy and treasure it.

Non-fiction
Just Like Daddy
Published in Hardcover by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (1981-05-18)
Author: Asch
List price: $13.00
Used price: $3.22

Average review score:

Cute book to share with your little-one.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-06
This is a cute short story that is fun to share with your little boy. Mommy or Daddy can read about how father and son are similar. Simple, easy to follow theme that your little boy will love.

Surprise Ending
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-14
I won't give the ending away, but this story is sweet, simple and the art is old fashioned, which is always a treat! Whether Mom or Dad read this one, it always seems to bring a smile to the little one's face when the last page is read aloud.

Great Children's Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2005-10-20
This is a great book as a read aloud and read along. It's patterned text is very appealing and the surprise ending is great. I give this book as an extra baby gift, because it is so cute. I have probably purchased 10 of these already!!

What a Good Book!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-08
Frank Asch was on my entering kindergartners Summer Reading List (they simply stated "anything by this author") and to tell you the truth we were not familiar with his work.

Boy were we missing out. We love his stories. They are simple and sweet and really manage to spark a child's imagination.

The other reviewers' have done an excellent job outlining the story, so all I will add is that our household was captivated by this book. We go around finding things that we do "just like daddy".

Lots of fun and a good read.

**See also, www.frankasch.com for the author reading some of his stories. My kids just loved it!

Gentle Humor About Children Emulating Daddy
Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2001-05-31
This book will be most appealing to 2-4 year olds. Although it seems to portray a boy and his father, my younger daughter emulated me at those ages just as much as my sons did. This book describes her behavior just as well as it does the boys' emulations.

The book opens with images of big shoes that are not filled. The symbolism is obvious and rewarding.

The book features three bears, a Daddy and Mommy bear and a young bear. The book has a series of lines about what the young bear does, each of which ends with a refrain "Just like Daddy."

"When I got up this morning I yawned a big yawn . . . " "Just like Daddy."

"I washed my face, got doressed, and had a big breakfast . . ."

"Then I put on my coat and my boots . . ."

"I picked a flower and gave it to my mother . . ."

" . . . I put a big worm on my hook . . ."

Then the last line is:

"I caught a big fish . . ."

and you see a big fish being held by another hand on the side.

And the finish is: " . . . Just Like Mommy!" Mommy has caught a big fish, too, while Daddy has a minnow. In the final scene, each bear is cooking her or his own fish in a separate frying pan over a campfire.

The illustrations are unusually large, clear, and simple. This complements the book's simple humor. It is that combination that pegs this book for 2-4 year olds. The book can be a good basic reader, as well, for 3-5 year olds. On the other hand, if you child loves it at 6, that's great, too!

After you finish this story, think about how other people emulate you. What can you do to make that process easier and more successful for those doing the emulating?

Follow the best role model . . . always!

Non-fiction
King of Morning, Queen of Day
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Spectra (1991-05-01)
Author: Ian McDonald
List price: $4.99
Used price: $0.17
Collectible price: $10.00

Average review score:

Cheesy Cover, Good Read
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-13
Don't be deceived by the silly romance cover. This is a good sf/fantasy novel. McDonald has fun parodying Victorian and cyberpunk fiction in this story tracing three generations of Irish women's interaction with the "mygmus" (mythoconsciousness).

Just my imagination...once again
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-03
Katherine Kurtz calls McDonald 'a poet masquerading as a novelist'. She's right. McDonald has essentially written 2 novellas and a novel. Each is very different in terms of sense of time, and even place, although Ireland is the locale of all three tales. Inteconnected, yes; still, each stands well on its own.
'Craigdarragh' is an Irish manor estate at the cusp of World War 1, specifically 1913. Chiefly through diary entries, we meet Emily Desmond and her parents, Edward and Caroline. Emily, at 13, is a very imaginative girl on the verge of sexual awareness. Edward is an eccentic astronomer, confounde by his daughter, who risks family name and fortune to communicate with what he believes to be alien visitors fom the stars. Caroline is a respected poet with more than a slight acquaintance with her daughter's interest in the Otherworld.
Emily's explorations of Bridestone Wood, and its repercussions, form one story line. Edward's obsessin with alien visitors marks the second. Along the way we are introduced to a blind musician and his female companion, a dancer. There is Dr. Hannibal Rooke, a paranormal investigator. Finally, the poet William Butler Yeats. The musician, the dancer and the doctor will visit in the other tales.
'The Mythlines'- Jessica Caldwell is one of three sisters in Ireland during the 1930s. An artist, she has big dreams at 17 and 3/4. She also has an attitude problem. Tiresias and Gonzaga, a pair of 'itinerant journeymen,' are trying to find her, for Jessica is beginning to see the mythlines, borders between our world and Faery. She is seeing Dr. Rooke, who has an interest in helping Jessica confront her past. Then, there's Damian, her new boyfriend. member of the I.R.A.
'Shekinah' introduces us to Enye MacColl, a twenty-something in advertisement by day. By night she battles the phaguses of the Otherland, using Japanese swordfighting techniques. Enye, too, sees the mythlines; as a child she invented a complete world in her grandmother's garden.
Along the way, we meet Jaypee, Saul, Elliot, Mr. Antrobus, and the Midnight Children. All play an important part in Enye MacColl's journey.
Three women of Ireland. Each forced to confront great tragedy. Ian McDonald does an excellent job at telling their stories.
'In its contemporary form, the pookah has been demythologised by the centuries into another member of the pantheon of fairies major and minor- a rural Puck figure, generally good-natured, if prone to ocassional acts of minor domestic mischief. In its ancient manifestations, the pookah has been terrible and dangerous, the spirit of the forest itself, with its roots in the racial memory of the woolly mammoth of the periglacial fringelands, hunting with tusk and claw and sinew the sights of the Mesolithic settlers.'

Original and unusual
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-05
= Original and unusual
Reviewer: cont1nuity from Ipswich, Suffolk United Kingdom
King of Morning, Queen of Day is tracking the lives of three generations of women born to the ability to see and manipulate human mythoconsciousness. From the age of Yeats to a period not far past modern day, we travel with the women as they discover their powers and face the parallel world opened by their perceptions. Each has a unique take on what they are dealing with and each finds her own rite of passage, encountering those that help and those that hinder along the way. Characters are vividly described and the plotting becomes tighter and more accomplished as the novel progresses, with the last, science-fiction third standing out as most original and unusual.

My Favorite Book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-12-15
I first read this novel about ten years ago, and reread it faithfully every year. It's a lyrical exploration of the lives of three generations of Irish women entangled by a supernatural force that they don't understand but can't escape. Haunting and riveting, it remains in my thoughts even today.

A fairy tale of unforgettable power
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2005-06-03
I knew, just by reading the back cover blurb, that this book was right up my alley. Women with mystical powers? Check. Faeries? Check. Ireland? Check. In fact, I think the only reason I didn't discover this book earlier is that it was published in 1991, and I only started reading fantasy sometime in the late nineties.

The story begins with Emily, a bratty but endearing girl of fifteen, poised on the edge of adulthood in the early 20th century. Emily knows she is special, set apart-and when she sees the faeries in the wood by her family's home, she knows she will never be satisfied with ordinary life. Emily makes a colossal mess of things, as bratty fifteen-year-olds will do, and sets in motion events that will affect generations to come.

What follows is a fairy tale, but not precisely a tale of faeries; it's more of an exploration of the nature of reality and of myth, as seen through the eyes of Emily and two other women: Jessica, a glib-tongued teenager of the 1930s whose tall tales have an uncanny way of coming true; and Enye, a woman of the late 1980s, torn between everyday life and a battle with supernatural forces from the world beyond.

This is a stunning story and one that I'll probably reread over and over again. It doesn't suffer one bit from the ailment that afflicts so many multigenerational novels-the tendency for one or more of the intertwined stories to lack luster. All three of the women, and their lives and times, are vivid and passionate. And I must say, there are few male authors who can write such nuanced and three-dimensional female characters. Get your hands on a used copy of this. I wish they'd reprint it...

Non-fiction
Land Of Dreams (Harlequin Historical, No 265)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (1995-03-01)
Author: Cheryl St. John
List price: $4.50
New price: $0.34
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $11.99

Average review score:

Engaging!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-16
Nebraska, 1875

LAND OF DREAMS is an endearing tale of a self-believed plain spinster and a man with dreams of a serene life with his disabled orphaned niece, Zoë. Ex-military Major Booker Hays finds not only a loving and protective mother for young Zoë, but an alluring wife to soothe his soul. Thea Coulson discovers motherhood to be everything she dreams about and Booker Hays to be the man of those dreams.

A quick and easy read about an enjoyably sensitive story!

Will definately look for more stories by this author!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-12
This was the first book that I have read by this author...and I wasn't disappionted. Booker Hayes has come for his niece who Thea has been raising. Thea is considered too tall for any man to want and doesn't trust that Booker wants her for herself and not just as a mother for his niece. If you are looking for a story that leaves you with a happyending this is a book you want to read.

A marriage of convenience leads to passion
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1998-10-07
A marriage of convenience leads to passion between Booker Hayes and Thea Coulson.

Booker Hayes is the perfect romantic hero: passionate, hard-working, reliable, and a good, caring father. Thea is practical, industrious, and level-headed, with an underlying sensuality that Booker releases. Their love for a young girl brings them together, and the love they find for each other keeps them together. This is a great romance, with interesting supporting players and touching, even heart-wrenching scenes involving abused children. Definitely five stars.

ANOTHER KEEPER BY ST. JOHN
Helpful Votes: 7 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-14
This is the 4th book that I have read by C. St. John and every one is a keeper. I highly recommend that this one is added to your library.

Ex-Major Booker Hayes finds a jewel of the prairie in Thea Coulson when he is trying to locate his little niece. He is not looking for a wife but does not let opportunity pass him by.

Little Zoe needs a mama and someone to love her [and help plant her acorn] -- Thea needs some one to love her and banish her too-tall image and provide her with a family of her own.

Lucas needs both Thea and Booker to bring stability to his life and to teach him to trust adults. And of course, Booker's friend, Red Horse helps even though he remains in the back ground of their lives.

Finally a heroine who remains true to herself and waits for a husband to teach her the mysteries of love. [Real love and respect]. And does she tantilize him! [grin] - Truly a great story of basic need and love and sharing. She stands by her man.

There are not enough words to express the satisfaction and enjoyment ones gets from these truly human characters.

Realistic heroine
Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-04
Heroine:  very tall, statuesque

     Handsome ex-soldier Booker Hayes is on a desperate search for his niece: his only remaining relative since his sister and brother-in-law were taken by the Influenza. His trek leads him to the hell that is a 19th century New York city orphanage, but he comes away empty-handed when he discovers his young ward has been sent out west for adoption. 

Good-natured Thea Coulson is willing to help people to the point of letting them walk all over her. The townsfolk, assuming she'll do anything for charity since she's an old maid, ask her to organize a meal for some recently-arrived orphans and their prospective new families. Thea agrees and her tender heart, which goes out to anyone in need, now aches for unwanted six year old mute and crippled Zoe Galloway. The older woman bonds with the tow-headed child and offers to take her in, hoping against hope that somehow she'll be allowed to keep her.
 
Thea's dreams of motherhood are dashed when Zoe's uncle arrives at her Nebraska home and takes the child away to his own piece of land nearby. Realizing he can't build a house and business while watching over Zoe at the same time, Booker offers a compromise to Thea: be his housekeeper and take care of Zoe for him. Willing to do anything to be closer to Zoe and Booker, Thea takes on the job. But tongues start wagging, and Major Hayes decides to offer his lovely housekeeper marriage in order to save her reputation from the bitter town tabbies. Though she yearns for more, Thea accepts his proposal and becomes his wife-in-name-only.

Trouble begins to brew when Booker's friend and ex-army buddy, a Native American by the name of Red Horse, joins the Hayes family in a whites-only hotel dining parlor, which leads to a shooting at their homestead and threats of jail-time (or worse) for Booker from the bigoted Marshal and townsfolk. Will Booker and Thea survive the dangers of the western frontier long enough to be able to see past their marriage of convenience and realize the love they have for each other?  
     
What worked for me:

     Thea and Booker were an enjoyable couple and easy to feel sympathetic with. In addition to having such a warm and tender romance they managed to stir up some pretty good sparks between them in some rather steamy love scenes.  

Tall blonde Thea (think supermodel Emme) felt uncomfortable with her height at the beginning of the story but gradually overcame her feelings as she began to trust Booker.

What didn't work for me:

The plot was fairly predictable; you have a pretty good idea who the villain is and how (s)he will be unmasked. 

Overall:

    This was a very pleasant read. The story is well-written, features a large cast of interesting characters, and provides enough small details to give an authentic frontier flavor. Fans of Western Historicals should enjoy this one.

Non-fiction
Last Stand of the DNA Cowboys
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Del Rey (1989-08-13)
Author: Mick Farren
List price: $3.95
New price: $22.15
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

a MUST.even if you dont like sci-fi.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-01
i was about 18 when i read "the last stand" for the first time. it hooked me from the start. mick farrens descriptions of battle scenes,people and technology never give too much info and never go into small details-and yet, they manage to give a very clear picture of every scene in the book.
the charecters are not your typical heros.they are not good people nor bad,and thats what makes them so special-what makes it so easy to identify with the charecters.
every weapon and every scene are described by farren with such colourful language and descriptions,that you FEEL like you were actually standing there,fighting some of crystallights worst scum to save renata de-lux, reeve using his awesome figherpower,spinning his guns like a madman,the
minstral right behind him and billy backing you up.

i only found out through AMAZON that there were previous DNA cowboys books, but unfortunately they are very hard to come by.

this book is a must - if you can get one. they are getting hard to come by.

good luck.

Wicked-Slick
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-09-17
Where it is almost impossible to find an SF novel nowadays that doesn't spend infinite amounts of time with self psycho-analysis by its characters and an inevitable philisophical miasma, The Last Stand of the DNA Cowboys dispenses with the crap, and gets right down to some quality ass-kicking Sci-Fi. Despite the fact that the prose doesn't display the typical excessiveness of most modern SF, the characters are well rendered, the scenes and plot devices form clearly in one's imagination, and the plot actually makes its way to a solid conclusion. Imagine, a SF/Fantasy book that actually has an ending!

I read it when it first came out, lost my copy somewhere down the road, and expended no small effort to secure myself another copy even after it was out of print. For what it's worth, Amazon finally got it for me.

A must read!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-05-15
An excellent book! The only problem is you could never get the other DNA Cowboy books that preceeded it here in the US, only in the UK. Now that this one is out of print, chances of ever seeing those are slim. The good news is that this is a great stand alone novel, you don't need the others to enjoy this one! If you can get a copy, it is well worth it! Next to "Vickers" this is one of Farren's best works!

One of my favorites.
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1998-04-20
This book was alot of fun to read. The characters were well developed and interesting. The story was great. What more can I say.

A fitting Finale to the 70's classic sci-fi Trilogy
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-26
The Quest of the DNA Cowboys, a trilogy by Mick published inthe fabulous 70's, has been heralded as the 'lost' classic ofadventure/pulp sci-fi novels. A long, entertaining tale of the picaresque misadventures of the 'DNA cowboys' (is the Minstrel not Mick's semi-biographical persona?), the original trilogy, of which this book is the purported finale, is a literary LSD head-trip thru Mick's unique, hallucinatory fantasy-scape of kung-fu movies, sphaghetti westerns, high-tech magnificence and dazed drugged decadence. In short, a deliciously addictive mixture of 70's Americana pop culture. The original trilogy is now very very rare and fanatically sought after by fans. This new book is a delightful surprise when it first came out, for no one had expected Mick to retread the DNA Cowboy gambit. A few continuity problems asides (poor Mick did not seem to have re-read his earlier work before writing this 'sequel'!), this latest installment is no less entertaining than the earlier ones, and has clearly benefitted from Mick's experience as a writer since. A rewarding and highly amusing read, a must-BUY!
Visit Mick's webpage
http://www.thanatosoft.freeserve.co.uk/

Non-fiction
The Law And Miss Hardisson (Harlequin Historical)
Published in Paperback by Harlequin (2000-11-01)
Author: Lynna Banning
List price: $4.99
New price: $1.15
Used price: $0.01

Average review score:

Arrestingly Good Tale!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-26
THE LAW AND MISS HARDISSON is delightful and an easy read. This one will capture your heart!

REFRESHING
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-29
Thank you dear Lynna Banning for such a marvelous story ! An excellent book to spent a great afternoon with a smart Texas-Ranger and a lovely lawyer. I love it - even here in France, now, you've got a fan !

Writing to Die For
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-25
Lynna Banning proves that romance writing can and should be terrific WRITING. I'm in awe of her style and precision in the language. Did I also mention that she is a meticulous researcher and great storyteller?

KEEPS YOUR INTEREST
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2002-11-13
Clayton Black was sure intrigued by the hat with the cherries.
His one sure way of identifying Irene Hardisson.

Irene Hardisson was raised and practiced law in Philadelphia, she wasn't used to the barbaric way of handling the law in Crazy Creek, Oregon.

She didn't agree with the concept of bringing in a prisoner, dead or alive. But she did like the challenge of games and wondered why her father was against learning to play poker.

As luck would have it, Clayton was willing to teach her. He just wasn't sure who was winning and losing, her or him.

Irene was certainly invading his thoughts and almost making him forget why he was in Crazy Creek, him being a Texas Ranger.

Follow the fumbles and foibles of Irene and Clayton discovering an attraction that was leading them to the unthinkable emotion called Love. How could either expect the other to give up their way of life. He has a ranch in Texas and she has a life in Oregon.

Highly Recommended --M definitely worht reading.

A delightful story
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-03
Once again, Lynna Banning brings us a delightful story set in the Wild West of days gone by. This time, heroine is the spunky Irene Hardisson, a lady lawyer in an era when such women were unheard of. When an act of violence deposits the good-looking Texas Ranger Clayton Black on her doorstep, you just know the sparks are going to fly between these two hard-headed, passionate people. The female characters in Lynna Banning's stories are independent and know their own mind, while still managing to be feminine. The male heroes are gorgeous and kind, a great combination. I enjoyed this intriguing tale, and look forward to more wonderful stories from this talented author. - Sharon Galligar Chance


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