Spider Books

Bugs. Honestly, I don't particularly care for them. They seem to like munching on me, even though I'm pretty sure I'm not the type who is made of sugar and spice. I also suffer from arachnophobia; I absolutely, positively despise spiders. Those hairy bodies, those spiny legs, those googly eyes. Spiders truly freak me out. So, I guess I should start by thanking Mr. Carter for not making the bug in his story a spider. On the other hand, he made the bug in his story this ginormous, otherworldly red mosquito who managed to give me nightmares. I guess that means his story was effective; it also means I'm suffering from hallucinatory mosquito bites just from reading THE HAND OF THE DEVIL.

Ashley Reeves is twenty-one, a bright guy who works as an investigative journalist for the magazine Missing Link. Where they once centered around inexplicable stories based on alien sightings and the like, they now focus on freak of nature stories that deal with facts and scientific proof. Ashley still finds himself dealing with a lot of hoaxes, so when he receives a letter from one Mr. Reginald C. Mather, he's undeniably excited. Mr. Mather has asked for Ashley to join him at his home on Aries Island to view the Ganges Red, a very unique mosquito that he claims to have in his possession. Curiosity piqued, Ashely sets off to visit Mr. Mather and his mosquito in the middle of Lake Languor.

It turns out that Reginald Mather was telling the truth. He does, in fact, own the Ganges Red, also known as The Lady or The Devil's Hand. Reginald delights in telling Ashley stories about his very unique, and slightly frightening, bug friend. Some of the stories seem outrageously fantastic, such as the fable that The Lady is the reincarnation of a woman from a Vietnamese tale. Or that the Ganges Red has been alive for hundreds of years, killing and destroying numerous humans on its voyage.

As Ashley finds himself trapped on Aries Island during a storm, he realizes that although The Lady seems to be more than just a simple insect, the danger he's finding himself in might actually be coming from Mather himself. It seems the former doctor, now turned recluse and devoted keeper of the Ganges Red, is hiding a murderous secret of his own, and it's just Ashley's luck to have stumbled upon it. As Ashley fights for his life from the wicked Mr. Mather, he will have to suspend everything he's ever thought to be true to understand the true nature of The Devil's Hand and her hold over Mr. Mather.

If you're looking for a book that will unnerve you, mess with your mind, and play on all of the fears you've ever had, then THE HAND OF THE DEVIL is definitely the book for you. Unable to stop reading even while I was scratching at my faux mosquito bites, this is one story that will stay with you long after you've finished it--whether you want it to or not.

You'll picture yourself in a serene meadow. The dewy grass will still feel wet beneath your bare feet. The sweet smell of pollen will tickle your nose, and the rising sun will set a backdrop of beautiful pinks and purples in the sky. This is how you will feel while reading this classic book.
Pyle's Handbook for Butterfly Watchers is a captivating, leisurely read that will inspire you to go out and experience nature in a way that you never have before. His writing style is beautiful and poetic. He places you in a world where butterflies flitter about without a care in the world. His love of lepidoptera is evident through the book. His organization is masterful, ranging from scientific butterfly knowledge to rearing your own butterflies to conserving butterflies. He also shares his experiences and offers his expert insight to the best spots in North America, and around the world.
His book starts with a simple question that I am sure he proposed to himself before writing the book. "Why watch butterflies?" Why would anyone be interested in this activity? Moreover, why would anyone be interested enough to buy the book? Pyle claims "those who miss butterflies miss one of the greatest spectacles of all, in sheer wonder and beauty if not in size"(1). This natural history book has other fun chapters entitled "How to Find Butterflies" and "Moths: Learning to Love Them". The book will give you a plethora of knowledge about butterflies with the less scientific approach that all will enjoy. I would strongly recommend this book both to a avid reader, and any person looking to discover a new outdoor hobby.
The book is enjoyable, understandable, and readable to all adults in all fields. The themes of the book were well represented but sometimes I felt as if the author went too deeply into personal experiences from the his own past. I also thought that the title was somewhat misleading. At first glance, although it is not explicitly stated, I thought this book was a field guide, rather than a natural history book. His writing style is absolutely astonishing in a sense of lyrical beauty, however, it does not offer as much scientific information as a field guide. Perhaps this is why it is named a "handbook" rather than a field guide. For instance, he writes: "On a hot, crystalline morning I started up a steep slope, bound for a moor purple with heather and overlooking the Irish Sea, buoyant with hope and exhilaration."(3). The text talks about why he watches butterflies but why should the reader watch butterflies? The obvious reasons why Pyle wrote this book was to share his love for butterflies with the world. This is a well written book about the natural history of butterflies and I thought he conveyed that message very well. His descriptions were idealistic and imaginative. The text seems accurate for the time it was written. One thing I noticed that seemed outdated was in the "Records and Field Notes" section, he talks of a time before global positioning systems (GPS). He claims that the only way to record where you found a butterfly was to refer to a nearby landmark and estimate how far away you were and in what direction. "The situation has improved but many naturalists still give only the nearest town or road. This is not only imprecise and perhaps miles off course, but it can also be confusing" (88). This to me seems outdated as many collectors (including college students such as ourselves) use GPS now to identify an exact location where the specimen was found.
Since the author used eighteen sources for the "About Butterflies" section which was the largest science-based section of the book, and thirty sources in the "Names and Identification" section which was very scientific also, I generally assumed that the author has a immense appreciation for butterflies but didn't necessarily have a technical education in insects. I later discovered that the author did write the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies. This proves that Pyle does have a scientific love for butterflies also. After further research I learned that Pyle has a B.S. in Nature Perception and Protection (1969) and an M.S. in Nature Interpretation (1973). He also got his Ph. D. from Yale from the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Pyle clearly has devoted his life to conservation and protection of nature, especially his beloved butterflies.
The book was enjoyable but to a serious collector I would suggest his Field Guide. Although beautifully written, I would recommend this book more as a leisurely read rather then a scientific database of knowledge.

My child has a reading disability. I was given this book to review before allowing my child to have it. My first concern is would the book be morally O.K., fun, entertaining, and would she like it. I have to find ways to encourage her reading, and a book that reads like shakespear discourages my daughter from reading. However, once I read the first three sentences, I was hooked. The way the words flow, wonderful. The illustrations are capturing to the eye, wherein you can look at the pictures and it tells its own story. The story line full of fun,with a tale that dreams come true as long as you continue to do, instead of not doing, no matter how tall, how small; no matter how smart or not so smart. Its rare I find a kid's book I enjoy -- especially the illustrations, coloring, 3-D image, the details are great. My daughter enjoyed it and wants more "Hombeez" books.

Marie Vinje's Hanna's Butterfly tells a simple, elegant story about a brief relationship between a young girl and a wandering butterfly. Hannah finds a butterfly in the park and, noticing its beauty, brings it home. Her mother suggests that it may be tired or hurt and in need of rest. Perhaps it is travelling to warmer climes before Winter sets in. Hannah provides the butterfly an attractive temporary home in a jar. She looks up migration routes in a butterfly book and, that night, thinks about how much the butterfly needs to continue on its way. The next morning Hannah returns to the park and frees the butterfly, waving goodbye.

The watercolor illustrations by Gail Suess add a lot of beauty and charm to the story of Hannah. They show a pensive, thoughtful Hannah surrounded by the brilliant colors of her natural environment. A variety of visual perspectives are shown, now the butterfly's viewpoint, now Hannah's. The soft pictures and the gentle words work together nicely to give us a story of childhood innocence and compassion. I highly recommend this book.

A remarkable, informative and insightful read into a myriad number of biological aspects regarding this often overlooked group (Opiliones). This important work will become the standard reference on Opiliones for years to come. A must read and must have for any arachnological reference collection.

If you're starting a collection of books on tattooing, you have to get this book. It gives a brief introduction on tattooing, as told by Spider Webb, one of the most controversial tattoo artists of all time. It also contains some great vintage photos of heavily tattooed men and woman. If you like vintage tattoo art this is a great book .

My two year old daughter loves this book. The pictures and simple story really hold her attention.

I love this book, and I like to read it to my 5 year old son who loves it as well.

What makes this book stand out is all the awesome textures of the illustration, which is build from recycled magazine cutouts.. It's beautiful.

Jay and Laura O'Callahan makes for a fine team, I would love to see more published material from the duo.

Max Lucado's Hermie the Common Caterpillar series is quickly becoming a favorite in our house. This sturdy board book is perfectly sized for my daughters, ages 4 and 2. Hermie's questions quickly engage young minds as he himself introduces and concludes the story of a mean ol' frog who bullies some chicken-hearted ants. Illustrations are colorful and lifelike. Based on the story of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17), Lucado reminds us that "the real hero is God." I also recommend the recently released Rock, Roll, and Run by the same author.

Saw an advanced copy and loved it. My 6 year old loved it more. Poetry about BUGS. That makes it very cool.