Young Adult Books

Like many others, I too stumbled across this book almost 30 years ago as an 8 or 9 year old and have never forgotten it. It strikes the perfect mix of imagination and word fun. I'm ordering a copy now in hopes my six year old daughter will enjoy it as much as I did.

The Witch Family is nice, non-scary magical tale with more heft than contemporary "Color Fairies"-type books. It's a sweet, old-fashioned book -- but heavy emphasis on the sweet. It's the sort of book where things get called by kiddie mis-pronounced names like "noo-doos" for noodles, over and over again. When you're reading to yourself, or reading aloud, that can be part of the charm. But when your kids are listening to 5 hours of audio book on a long car trip, you have to hope that the narrator doesn't lay it on too thick.

As it happens, this narrator lays it on triple-thick: syrup on top of honey on top of sugar. Every single sentence, happy or not, is pronounced with a huge, honey-dripping smile...for 5 hours straight. I grudgingly gave it 4 stars because my girls did enjoy it, and they're the target audience in the end. But as an adult, it was flat-out excruciating.

I too stumbled upon this book as a child and was completely enchanted by the story and characters. I hadn't read it for more than 30 years, but recently bought a copy to read to my children (girl 9, boy 7, girl 4) It hasn't lost any of its magic - I'm enjoying it as much as they are. It includes so many of their favorite things, magic, witches, mermaids, babies - and it blends real and imaginary worlds in the same way that they are blended in the minds of children.

One of my favorite childhood books. I bought this for my niece. I'm sure she will love it as much as I did. A perfect book for young girls with big imaginations!

The Witch Family is about two girls who while drawing witches pretend to banish the head witch, also known as Old Witch, to a glass hill because she is very wicked. If you multiply the "Old" with one million, you get some idea of how old she was! The girls also let Old Witch do her abracadabra so that she can have a witch girl named Hannah and a witch baby. Old Witch gets to be wicked only on Halloween. At the end, the two girls take pity on Old Witch and turn the glass hill into a real hill with grass. After that, Old Witch is not wicked anymore except on Halloween. I think this is a good book to read on Halloween.

Well, I know my Presidents now, that's for sure! I had great fun learning them, too, sitting on the couch with my husband one afternoon. The two of us went through the book, working through it and giggling at the references all the while. It was a lot of fun and we learned every president during the read. I planned to buy it, learn them, and then relist the item. But, I decided to instead hold onto it for when my nieces come over. I am always hunting for new ways to entertain them and this will keep them busy for sure! :) Lots of fun for all ages.
I highly recommend that you buy it and have as much fun as we did, and learn a little something, too! 5 stars!

This book was ordered for my son, who is a teacher, for Christmas and it came in plenty of time. Thanks so much.

This book is the best and most fun ways to learn about the American Presidents that I have ever seen. For each president from Washington through Clinton, there is a brief caption regarding his life and accomplishments. There is also a drawing taken from a photo or portrait, a cartoon style drawing and associated play on words to aid in remembering the name and whom they succeeded. For example, the cartoon for Dwight Eisenhower shows the Eiffel Tower with eyes on it being held by a tree with eyes. The caption is "The tree-man is crawling up the side of a huge tower that has eyes on it. It must be the eyes-on-tower!" The cartoon for Harry Truman, who preceded Eisenhower, shows the tree-man.
One of the best books for learning history and social studies, I strongly recommend this book. If my children were of a suitable age, I would buy it for them.

After one night, I knew all 43 presidents of the United States in order without looking. This book is AWESOME!!! :D

I had to memorize the presidents in the fourth grade. I'm in college now and I can still remember everything from this book. Not only does it work, but it's fun to look at the pictures and learn the presidents. People of all ages can learn from this book.

A twenty something, I was relieved and discover I am not the only one who worries about the future- career, family, love, etc. Hassler's book offers compelling personal stories that not only comfort and reassure, but offer perspective on the many facets of change happening in twenty-something lives. In addition, Hassler combines the twenty something stories with suggestions and work plans for navigating change and guiding the uncertainty! I also really enjoyed reading the guy's perspectives on being a twenty-something. Thank you Christine for such a wonderfully empowering book that motivates me to keep learning and growing!

If you're a twenty something looking for that one book that will cover it all - from expectations to love to money to career - this book is definitely it! Christine covers it all and leaves absolutely nothing to be wanted in 20 Something Manifesto!

And I was particularly impressed with the Manifesto's "Work and Career" chapter which says a lot considering I've worked with hundreds of twenty somethings on work-life issues. In her heartfelt work-career advice, Christine not only addresses how to create job satisfaction in both good and bad situations, but also covers how to overcome the fear of quitting a bad job and even outlines how to start a business for those of you wannabe entrepreneurs! And these issues are definitely something that every twenty something should read. I feel so strongly about this that I'm not only going to make 20 Something Manifesto highly recommended reading for all of my clients, but also make reading the "Work and Career" chapter absolutely mandatory!

Christine does an amazing job of explaining the twenty something experience. It's like hearing advice from a big sister who has been through it all already.

It's advice that I am definitely taking to heart and it's a book that I will continually review as my twenties proceed.

They are many things. The Millennials. The Entitlement Generation. The Boomerang Generation. Whatever label you use, the twenty somethings have entered the work force and are now facing the trial and tribulations of growing up and becoming an adult.

I am a mother with a bunch of twenty somethings. From my perspective, I see a world of possibilities for my children. Given their many talents, interests, and amazing potential, I have troubles understanding why they are so afraid of the future. I can't fathom why they are afraid to leave home, sacrifice, work hard, and build a good life for themselves.

I'm glad that I read 20 Something Manifesto. I think I understand a bit more about this generation now. I remember being young and feeling the pressure of finding the right job, the right relationship, and the right home. For these adults, the choices are wide open which only makes the process that much more difficult. Becoming paralyzed with indecision or finding themselves stuck while they try to catch their bearings is a very real possibility.

I intend to leave this book lying around in hopes that my twenty somethings pick it up. I think this book will give them comfort while presenting them with some important tools.

In 20 Something Manifesto, Hassler takes on the big issues -- self-identity, career, love relationships, money, friends and so forth -- the whole caboodle. These are lifelong issues. You certainly confront them in your twenties decade. If you solve some in your twenties, great. If not, you'll revisit them throughout life until you solve them. And, some need to be addressed more than once because circumstances change -- e.g., considering the divorce rate, some of us will face the issues of dating and finding a spouse more than once. Moreover, some are continuing processes throughout all your decades, such as the task of making relationships work.

The author offers realistic, compelling descriptions and in-depth analyses of the issues as seen in the many forms in which they appear in actual life.

What makes Hasslers book fresh, readable and very useable is the method she employs: she publishes the experiences of scores of 20-somethings, in their own words, from their own perspectives, colored by their own values. Even better, she has them write declarations at the beginning of their stories -- that is, you can see the moral of the story up front.

She also speaks to each of the issues exemplified by the stories from her own experience and her own training. Then she offers some advice and/or techniques for dealing with the issues yourself. All that makes it easy to scan through the book to pick and choose the issues most relevant to you. You can read the book in the order that works best for you.

Note that not all of the contributors have solved their issues. But those that dont have possible solutions to offer you have developed insights that may well lead them, and perhaps you, to those solutions. Or if there is no solution, the insights may lead to a viable way of accepting and living with the circumstances.

The authors use of contributors stories gives an impression of a lively dialog going on in the book. It moves and flows like a live participative seminar, making it easy to read and giving impetus to your using the various techniques and exercises immediately.

The author started the book in her own late twenties, so her experience is with the issues as they relate to current 20-somethings. Nevertheless, since the issues are timeless, many folks in other decade ages can learn to resolve some of the issues that they couldnt handle in their twenties. Parents of 20-somethings can learn much about how their adult children think and feel and what are their concerns. Employers of 20-somethings can gain insight into their employees behavior and motivation. Therapists and coaches will find it a valuable reference. Everyone will find it a good read.

Alice McKinley's sick and tired of being in-between. At 13, she feels she's not really a woman, but hardly a child, either. One of her best friends, Pamela, suddenly seems too grown up and sexy, while their other friend, Elizabeth, seems to be regressing into childhood. Alice knows things will change over time, but who wants to wait?

Then, as a birthday surprise, Alice's Aunt Sally invites her, Pamela and Elizabeth to visit in Chicago. The trio is thrilled at the idea of traveling all the way from Washington D.C. on an overnight train, exploring a new city and spending time with Alice's cool older cousin Carol.

Of course, as is typical for Alice, nothing ever goes as planned. Pamela, determined to act older than she really is, flirts with trouble when she meets an older man on the train. Then, when the girls return, Alice's happiness is burst with sudden sad news about a favorite teacher.

As always, Naylor's Alice is a true-to-life heroine, funny and self-conscious in equal measure, sure to be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Like all my life i have been seaching for a certain series of books about a girl and real life. When i found the alice books my search was done i love the alice books they are books i can read time and time agin.I just wanted you to know how much I LOVE THE ALICE BOOK SERIES
Love always
*~*Shawna clark*~*
p.s. me and my friends read these books togetherthey r that great
p.s.s. my e-mail address is tbird09692@aol.com

this book is really great. it's about alice turning 13 and she, Pamela, and Elizabeth going to Chicago over the summer for a week. To visit Aunt Sally because that was her b-day present to Alice.
At the end of the year, a teacher retires and Miss Summers gives everyone an assignment about poetry that is true. I like this book because the author indicates about friendships, going through changes when you're 13, and learning about sad things that had happened back in the past.
Like the fact Alice had accidentally memorized her wrong poem in class. The poem she had said was about her mother. It was sentimental and really sad.
So on the train to Chicago, Pamela meets a guy who is disrepectful. So read it for yourself. It explains about REAL teenage life and friendships. And Pamela gets gum in her hair and getting it cut really short.
Elizabeth tells Alice and Pamela about God. Like refusing to forgive someone is an unforgiveable sin and what God looks like in her opinion.
Alice's dad and Miss Summers go at a music conference together in Michigan when Alice gets back. So for the second time, read this if you're curious with REAL teenage life as 13.

I must say this is the best mistake I ever read....I mean that as a compliment because this story rox! This is a very funny and fun crazy unique story that will make you laugh when you turn to the first page..IM TELLING YOU, READ THIS, WHETHER YOU BUY IT, BORROW IT FROM THE LIBRARY, STEAL IT, i dont care, this is the best book ever and its about three friends on a 'road trip' on a train. P.S. Something very shocking happens to pamela on the train!

Sorry, that was me freaking out at how good this book was! I found it even more realistic and even more popping! I now feel I am one of the characters in this book. I also think that the part of the story where Pamela dressed up to be nineteen, got a date with a guy, flirted with him all night, kissed him, went into her compartment, the guy followed her in and if it hadn't been for Alice and Elizabeth throwing themselves at the door and screaming, she would've been raped very cautionary! Take this story to heart, no grain of salt needed and you may be surprised at how feel when this story is over.

Blessed be!!

Pip is a 15 year old boy that drinks and does drugs that you can usually either find at a cemetary or smoking behind a deli. Life at home isn't to great for him, his father is an alcoholic that is usually angry and his mother pops pills. His little brother looks up to him, even though Pip does not want him to, his little brother doesn't understand what really goes on. Pip has to keep good watch of him because he is exposed to alcohol and drugs and doesnt want his brother to get into those kinds of things even though he doesnt get a hold of them. In the book Pip has to death with trying to not get kicked out of school, family issues, forced counseling, drugs and alcohol addictions. This book is excelant because it talks about problems most teen-agers have and are trying to deal with.
-By Kayla

All parents of teenage boys should read this book. It is a remarkable porthole into their minds. Although written by a woman, both my son and I agree that it taps into this young man's psychy. Very good story, well written, informative.

When you get into High School, there is a lot of pressure. Sometimes people ask you to do things you don't want to do, like drinking and doing drugs, but you go and do them because you think it's cool. If you decide to go along with it, you may regret it when you look back. In Bottled Up, the main character, Pip, is stuck in a place where he thinks everything's okay, doing drugs and drinking underage is fine. When he finally gets hit by reality, his principal finds out and threatens him by saying if he goes to counseling and his classes, he won't tell his father, Pip has to make a huge decision. His father is the kind of dad that likes to drink a lot and hits his children. Pip figures that if his father finds out, it might be the last thing that ever happens to him. He agrees to go to the 'stupid' counseling and tries to find out who he really is. A good reason to read Bottled Up is that it captures you attention, where the reader could get through this book in a matter of hours without putting it down. It makes the person reading the book feel as though they are really there, right with Pip every time something dramatic happens. Another good reason to read Bottled up is that no matter if the reader is a teen or an adult, this book can still be related to their life. If they are an adult, the reader might being seeing things from a different view, being a parent. The best reason to read Bottled Up is whether the reader is a male or female, the book is still fitting. Even though Pip is a guy, girls still go through the things he does. Whatever age and sex the reader is, the book can still be related to. In conclusion, this is a great book for all teenagers in High School and parents. It focuses in on the trouble of being a teen when you start heading the wrong way. This book shows that no matter how far you go down the wrong path, you can always turn back.


-Sarah Burd
Block 3

Pip is desperate to leave behind his life, and all of his problems. He does this by getting high, drinking and cutting classes. He feels his family, including an alcoholic dad, a doormat mom, and a needy little brother, dont understand. Hes busted by his principal and is given the choice to either take counciling, or be expelled. Pip must turn his life around for the sake of himself, and his brother.

Bottled Up is a great, relatable book for any average teenager. Pip struggles with his alcoholic father at home and overbearing teachers at school. He is responsible for his little brother as well as keeping his grades up and making sure his drugs and alcohol use under the radar.
It's a good read.

I am 24 years old and I still love Fear Street. I read this saga over 10 years ago and I started thinking about it a few months ago for some reason. I looked in book stores but it was order only, so I didn't bother. Finally my husband told me to go on Amazon and order it. After all, we would be going to the beach for Labor Day weekend and I don't like going into the water, so reading material is a must.

I'm almost done with the first book, and I love it. I feel like a teen again.

The Burning is one of the sagas set in days of old explaining the curse that possesses Fear Street.it is an interesting read but it involves much death and is not a cheery book by any means.So I am wondering if it is really worth it.There isn't really a positive aspect or moral to it.Except, perhaps, that the Fear family's own evil is what eventually destroyed them.

I was reading The Burning by R.L. Stine. This book was a pretty good book; out of ten I would give this book a high eight. I liked this book because of all mystery and horror combined.

In this book it is told by Nora Goode, who is married to one of the Fears. In this book it is about how this guy Simon Fear goes to this party and falls in love with Angelica Goode. But Angelica has two guys that are really wealthy and smart and handsome. So Simon kills both of them and marries Angelica. Then bad luck comes back to Simon. He kills his own daughter. Now Daniel has to go for Simon's birthday.
and mystery. They would like this because it is all mystery and horror. So read this book
A person who would like this is a person who likes horror

I didn't like the ending because it could have been a better, but if he did a different ending then there wouldn't be any Fear Street books. I did like it from the beginning up to the end. I only liked the beginning because it had the mystery to it and I didn't want to put it down. I like it when I can't put it down because then it keeps me hooked. When I'm hooked the book doesn't get boring that easily
The story is about a boy named Simon who tried to forget about and stop the family curse. But then, it finally caught up to him. It is about Simon's grandson named Daniel. Daniel didn't know about his family curse until he got to his grandparents. He fell in love with Nora Goode before he knew about the curse and he thought that if they got married it would end the curse. Will the marriage and their true love end the curse? What will happen to them in the end?
If you didn't read The Betrayal and The Secret then you will not understand the book that well. If you like mystery, love, and not wanting to put the book down then you may like this book most of it or all of it. This book will help you understand why bad things happen to people who live on Fear Street in the Fear Street books. There is dying in this book and if you like that in a book then you may just like this book.

This is the 3rd book in the series. It's about a girl name Nora & a boy name Daniel want to stop the curse of the family. They think that the only way to end it forever is to get married. This book actually need 10 stars because it was better than the other 2.

Just what I wanted, the only problem I encountered, wasn't with the book but with the delivery of the item. I ordered it on the 7th and it arrived on the 24th. Amazon was very helpful in solving my problem. I will continue to place orders with them. Thanks again , my granddaughter loves her book.

I grew up in New Orleans and my dad would read this to me every year. After many years and many moves, we lost our original. I was thrilled to find this on Amazon and I purchased it for my dad as a Christmas gift. What a wonderful sight to see him reading it to my two sons this Christmas Eve!

This book has been a Christmas tradition in my family for many years. We are Cajuns and love this story. The illustrations are well drawn and bring this story to life for people of all ages.

My husband and I saw this book when we toured New Orleans a couple of years ago, but I couldn't justify the price they were asking for it in the stores there in New Orleans. However, when I saw the price through Amazon, I had to have this book. It is definitely a lighthearted story that old and young would enjoy.

I purchased this book for my two grandsons, ages 7 and 4. I was born and raised in Louisiana as was my daughter and the Cajun history is part of my grandsons' legacy though they were not born there. The grandsons were reduced to laughter and delight at grandma reading the book to them in the Cajun "accent". The 7 year old has tried his hand at reading as well and thoroughly entertains his younger brother. This will definitely become part of our Christmas traditions here in Illinois. The best part of all, it keeps my grandsons inspired to read!

What a great read. Couldn't ask for a story with any more adventure and just really great, twisted, clean fun. Took me for a ride and a real escape to land of great characters and mystery. Looking forward to the opportunity to see Camp Creepy Time on the big screen and hoping to see more Einstein P. Fleet adventures!

The kids in my son's fifth grade class were all raving about this book, which was a miracle in itself, so I decided to read it for myself. I have to admit, I've been a big fan of Gina Gershon for a long time and it's hard to imagine her writing a kid's book. What a pleasant surprise! The book is well written, the story is clever, and the dialog is hysterical. The main character, Einstein P. Fleet, is a computer geek turned reluctant hero who faces the challenges of a monster theme camp run by aliens with a great sense of purpose and humor. My son has turned me on to a lot of new experiences --- reading Camp Creepy Time was one of them. Looking forward to the sequel.

I got this book as a present and really had fun reading it. So much so, I ran out and bought 3 books, one for each of my nieces and nephews, ages 8-13. They loved it! We all had fun talking about the adventures of Einstein and his cohort. My 11-year-old niece really loved Roxie and has decided she wants to be an alien spy. I would recommend this book for anyone. We are all looking forward to the movie version to come out.

Every once in a while you come across a book that makes you laugh out loud. Camp Creepy Time is one of them. The main character, Einstein P. Fleet, is a lovable thirteen year old computer geek. You know, the kind of kid that rarely sees the light of day. His parents send him packing off to a monster theme camp smack dab in the middle of the Mojave Desert for the summer ---- which turns out to be merely a stop over on the way to being abducted and sold to an intergalactic monster zoo in another galaxy. The story mixes all types of elements from the science fiction genre and somehow manages to glue them into a cohesive, original plot. It's also funny and very well written, especially for a pair of first time authors. The book ends leaving the door open for a sequel, which I can't wait to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone with a sense of humor. You will be pleasantly surprised.

You simply can't go wrong with this wacky zany summer send-up. Einstein P. Fleet, a loner-nerd trapped at a hellish summer camp in the Mojave Desert, leads us through a wild storyline of escape, with monster costumes, vampires, werewolves and aliens all in the mix.

This fast-paced, well-written farce is a quick, irreverent, hilarious read for kids and adult-kids. Highly recommended. It's no surprise that Dreamworks has this story in script development....Can't wait for the movie!

In this "Cat who" installment, LJB does a terrific job of introducing and maintaining tension. It starts out with a sunny premise -- Qwill decides he and the cats need some quiet time to reflect, so that's how he ends up in the bucolic Potato Mountains. The trip begins with Qwill getting lost on the mountain's long and winding roads. The house is bigger and more foreboding than he expected or wanted, and it turns out to be the site of a murder. It rains all the time, often accompanied by power outages. You get the idea. The mystery is intriguing and the story is filled with new, eccentric characters. Best of all, I thought I knew early on "whodunnit," and I was wrong.

James Qwilleran stayed the compulsory five years in Pickax to complete the requirements placed on his inheritance. He is now officially a billionaire. Now it is time to decide what to do with the rest of his life. He intends to go somewhere--a quiet island with a beach or a mountain hideaway--someplace where he can have seclusion and quiet to sort out his options and make plans.

Qwill (as his friends call him) decides on a whim to spend three months in Spudsboro, a small town in the Potato Mountains. It was recommended highly by some friends who camped there recently. Finding a house to rent is always difficult with two Siamese cats as roommates. The only thing he can find is a huge house on the very top of Big Potato Mountain. It was originally built as an exclusive lodge for well-to-do tourists. More recently it was the home of the area's most influential businessman--owner of the local newspaper. It didn't take long for Qwill to discover the house he rented had been the scene of a ghastly murder a year earlier.

I do admire Jim Qwilleran's ability to converse with everyone he meets. He is well practiced, of course, since he made his living for years as an investigative reporter for various newspapers. He knows just how to steer the conversation and just the right questions to ask. He makes people so comfortable that they usually tell him anything he wants to know. Of course, he has an uncanny ability to read people and know when he is being lied to. Within two days of arriving in town, he is sure that the wrong man is in prison for the murder.

The author does an amazing job of making us empathize with Qwill's frustration with the situation he has gotten himself into. He came to the mountains for solitude and a time of reflection. He had no desire to get mixed up in the politics of the region--environmentalists vs. developers. He really had no desire to get mixed up in the mystery surrounding the murder. But...being a reporter for so many years (and truly caring about the innocent man in prison), he just could not resist finding the truth. It doesn't take long. Qwill has learned to trust his instincts--and the instincts of his cat Koko. Together they follow the clues and confront the real murder.

I highly recommend that you get acquainted with Jim Qwilleran through the "Cat Who..." mystery series. You will like him.

This is a great book about a man and his to crime finding clue cat Koko and YumYum. There is a mystery on potatoe mountain on a death of a local well known man. Was the wrong person framed. This book is fantastic except kind of has a dissapointing end. But i loved it anyway. I hope you enjoy this book and look for my other reviews

If you love cats and the mountains, you will love this episode in, "The Cat Who..." books.

Qwill has lived in Pickax County the required five years to make his inheritance official. He doesn't know what to do next. Does he want to move? Does he want to take a job or start a business? He knows he has a lot of thinking to do so he decides to take a journey. He decides he wants to spend the summer on top of a mountain. So he and the cats rent a mountain house for three months.

While on the mountain he learns of a murder exactly one year before. He and Koko solve the murder and make new friends along the way.

I loved this book! You will too!

In "'The Cat Who Moved a Mountain', Jim Qwilleran took a vacation to the Potato Mountains to have a much-needed rest away from it all. It was here he found he had rented a hotel that had been the site of a year old murder. The locals tell him that the man is now in jail. But Qwill finds out that they have the wrong guy! Then, with the help of Koko, he finds the real murderer and lures him into addmitting it was him. Then Qwill has a near-fatal run-in with the murderer. What will happen? I'll let you see for yourself! Enjoy the book!

Jim Qwilleran wakes up in the hospital and can't remember much. He keeps thinking he has forgotten to do something. It is a nagging thought in the back of his mind. He knew it was something important. He longtime friend Arch Riker shows up and fast forwards Qwill through his life. Luckily he remembers...the cats!

As it turns out the bike wreck that landed him in the hospial was no accident. His investigation (led by Koko) of a former housekeeper of the mansion, who vanished mysteriously five years before, leads to much mystery and intrigue.

I loved this edition of "The Cat Who..." books, especially where Koko played piano. A piano playing cat is a rare find. This book will not disappoint you.

These are great stories Lillian Jackson Braun does a wonderful job of writing. I hope to one day have all the Audio Tapes in the series. Amazon.com is a great company to do bussiness with.

This is number six in Lilian Braun's long running 'The Cat Who' series and marks the beginning of Jim Qwilleran's transplantation to the far northern town of Pickaxe. Qwilleran has managed to become the heir of the community's wealthiest resident and must stay in Pickaxe for five years in order to inherit. As we all know now, he lasted a lot more than five years, and may still be north of everywhere enjoying the foibles and gossip that play such an important part of the world's coziest cozies.

Qwill has just moved into the Klingenshoen mansion with his two Siamese cats - Yum Yum the delectable and arch-detective Koko. Koko, through various manipulations of his owner's behavior, manages to arouse Qwill's curiosity about the disappearance of a housemaid a few years previously. In the process of investigating, the newspaperman introduces us to many of Pickaxes residents for the very first time. When he isn't being his by trucks, that is. It is interesting in retrospect to meet these characters again, who often started out one way and then became something else as Braun added layer after layer to her confection of characters and mysteries (and cats).

I can only read so many of these in rapid succession before I have to stop. Lilian Braun has a tendency to let her characters run in a groove with very little development over a number of volumes. She makes up for this by using Qwilleran to create witty dialogue, but there are only so many Pickaxe witticisms that one can read before feeling a desire for something with a bit more meat to it. This volume is a change of pace (if you've been reading in sequence). There's a bit less sarcasm and a bit more story and that makes this one of the best of her early books.

Don't look for a complicated mystery here. Braun's villains tend to be obvious, and more often than not the means are just as visible. You read these tales for lightweight enjoyment and the zany characters that chitchat their way through the pages. And, of course, you read them because you can't resist Qwill's owners, the Siamese masterminds.

At first when I started to hear the tapes, I was thinking that the narrator's voice was not dynamic enough. But by the middle of the first tape, I was ok with it. I've just gotten so tired of listening to Los Angeles radio stations in the car (we sit in traffic a lot out here) that I thought it would be nice to be entertained by something I really love. I was glad I did. Even if you've read the books in the past, it's fun to let the narrator do the reading for you. AND... something I thought was neat and that made me laugh was... when the narrator would be talking about Koko and Yumyum and a noise they were making, he would sound EXACTLY like my own Siamese cat. So it made it funny, because I knew exactly the "language" he was referring to. (He must have studied Siamese cats before attempting this narration!)

Anyway, I will probably buy more "Cat Who" books on tape. I don't anticipate L.A. traffic to be letting up anytime soon. And for some strange reason, listening to it in the car makes me feel like my own cat is in there with me. I say if you live in a city with heavy traffic... buy the tapes!

In the 6th book in The Cat Who...series, James Qwilleran aka "Qwill", is just settling in to his new life as a millionaire in Pickaxe City (400 miles north of everywhere). He has moved his two beautiful Siamese cats (KoKo and Yum Yum) into the old Klingenschoen mansion and is settling in for a five year stay to fulfill the requirements of Aunt Fanny's will.

As the book begins, Qwill is lying in a hospital bed, suffering from amnesia caused by a bicycle accident. His old friend, Arch Riker, flies into town to assist Qwill in regaining his memory, and succeeds in bringing Qwill out of his fog. While beginning to heal, Qwill starts to have vivid dreams of the moments leading up to the mishap, and eventually remembers that it was no accident...a truck had purposefully run him off the road! While trying to piece together who may have meant to harm him, Qwill begins some renovations to his new home. During his explorations of the mansion, Qwill stumbles across the room of a former employee, Daisy. Her room was completely painted with a graffiti style mural of daisies, and it arouses Qwill's keen curiosity. He begins to ask questions about the former employee of Fanny, and finds that Daisy disappeared rather abruptly. And when everyone that Qwilleran speaks to about her begins to have "accidents", he becomes suspicious that someone will kill to keep Daisy hidden forever.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series! I had read all of the books in the past, and wanted to read them again for a second time. This time around, I have chosen to listen to them on CD, as I love the voice of George Guidall. I am happily rediscovering how Qwill became a resident of Moose County, and how many of the series regulars join him from "down below". In this installment, Qwill hires Iris Cobb as his house manager. She cooks for him (and the cats), and is in charge of cataloging all of the antiques in the old mansion. For those that have not read the series, I do recommend reading the first several first. Many others can be intermixed, but this book offers good insight as to how Qwill became associated with Moose County. This is a great series by my favorite author!

The first book in the series is called "The Cat who Could Read Backwards". Enjoy!