Connecticut Books

Although I read a number of books, I do not typically submit book reviews; but this book was so poorly written that I felt compelled to comment. There is no need to repeat all of the negative comments from other reviewers, but they all are very accurate. The characters are poorly developed--not "real" people. Could Tom and Bernie possibly have had the same conversation several times a day every day for the past 23 years? Each character was on the brink of emotional meltdown at all times throughout the entire book; and the metaphors used to describe their emotional state were overworked in the extreme. This was my first Luanne Rice book, and it will, without question, be the last.

enjoyable characters.Luanne realy knows how to write strong characters.I loved the relationship of the family and kept turning the pages in hopes that everything would tuen out good.Spellbinding and captivating you will not be dissapointed

Very slow, boring. I couldn't get into it at all and quit reading it after a few chapters. I gave it to a friend and she did the same.

I just didn't love this book. I was so bored. The story seemed drawn out and so predictable. I pretty much knew what was going to happen before the end of the first few chapters.

I have read hundreds of books and a few of them have been authored by Luanne Rice. Sandcastles has a good plot but it didn't grab my interest like many of the books I have read. At one point in the beginning of the book, I almost put it down not to finish. This is very unlike me. Even if I don't particularly like a book, I will finish it. This book did not have me wondering what will happen next until 3/4 of the way through the book. When a book grabs me, I can't wait to carve out time in my day to find out what is happening next in the story. Sandcastles didn't do that for me. The story didn't flow nicely and got too caught up in the mundane. When I finish a book, I have a sense of loss because the characters exist no longer in that story. I did not get that from Sancastles. Although it had a good plot, it really could have been so much more. It seemed like the book was thrown together. It will be a while before I read one of Luanne's books again. I will definitely pay more attention to individual's reviews for the next Luanne Rice book I choose to read.

Sheila Weller provided a fair portrayal of Alex Kelly, his town, and his crimes. She provided the details with objectivity and still provided the reader with an enjoyable read. I do not believe Darien, the town Alex Kelly grew up in, was unfairly represented. The town and the environment played a key role in Kelly's development and although it is not responsible for its actions, it is one of the more important aspects to his crimes.

Having seen a brother grow up and go to school in Stamford Connecticut and heard all about what goes on there, with drugs, bullying and hazing, etc., the priveliged kids' scene, this book really brought it home to me. I could see it before my very eyes, better than any movie could ever show. Weller provided the results of not only thorough investigation, but also with a writing style that keeps the attention. She effectively gave us a good glimpse into the mind of one of the most evil persons who has ever lived. She illustrated not only how much parential denial there was, but also what a flawed and biased legal system exists in this country.

It's nice for a change to read true crime which is more than just a rehash of reporting picked up from the local newspapers of the time. Weller actually thinks about and analyzes the material while moving the story along nicely. What is the moral of the Alex Kelly story? Monsters breed monsters. How could it be otherwise? The real criminals here are Kelly's parents, with the affluent, and hypocritical town, and the schools right along with them. I feel sorry for Alex Kelly but he is absolutely and exactly where he belongs.

I remember taking a high school writing class where we loaded our stories with big beautiful words that were clearly above the average 9th grade reading level (good or bad, most people read at this level). After all, we were shooting for the big grade, trying to impress the teacher, and of course meeting our minimum word requirement. However, that type of writing leaves the reader reading the same sentence over and over again to try to figure out what the writer is trying to say - such is the case with this particular book (and possibly with this particular writer). This is frustrating to the reader; it just makes you want to scream . . ."Please, just get to the point!". It was strange to me that the writing in the Prologue was just the opposite - to the point, not glossed over with fancy (and boring) wording; in fact it basically tells the whole story.

She may do everything else right in the steps to writing a good book, but she needs to step away from the high school level writing style; she needs to write as if she's have a personal conversation with her readers...quality comes from that.

"Saint of Circumstance: The Untold Story..." is a book for the kind of people who like analytical true crime books. If you want a fast-paced, can't put down book, Sheila Weller is not the author you are looking for. Weller is a highly analytical woman, whose observations are witty, truthful and highly intelligent. The book is at times serious and journalistic as well as fun and gossipy, however, Weller fails to make the story of Alex Kelly come alive. I have read other books by Weller, notably "Amy Fisher: My Story", and her style towards book writing is researching the community that created the person and somehow try to explain how the tragedy that she chronicles comes about. They are good, quality books, but they are not thrillers or don't implant in the reader a desire to keep reading. The style is pretty narrative, and she is not one to recreate scenes. Although her descriptions of the place are pretty good, most of the story is told through quotes from other people. Don't get me wrong, as a soon-to-be published author I can tell you I do this too, but she doesn't make the story come alive. She tells rather than describing the book in scenes so the reader can feel they were there. They are there. If you want a summary of the investigation of Kelly, a profile of Alex himself, his family and the coddled, rich, affluent town (which Weller, in one of her more insightful observations terms "one of the country's last enclaves of genteel elitism") in which he grew up, you'll love the book. If you end up loving the book, you will also like Doug Most's "Always in Our Hearts", about the Amy Grossberg/Brian Peterson case because of it's social analysis. Also, check out the landmark Lefkowitz book, "Our Guys".

I read this book and had a really hard time getting as far as I could into it (I finished two other novels before getting back to this book). I was two or three chapters away from finishing it and I just could not bring myself to wasting my precious time reading something this awful. It has to do with a fat spoiled rotten lady who really has nothing better to do in life but THINK there is something in the basement. The characters were done okay, needed some improvement. Plot sucked, story sucked. I do not recommened this to anyone.

Wow - I got this book years ago and just recently picked it up to give it a read. It started out okay ... really ... but after the first 100 pages the plot really begins to unravel. The plot, horrible, no connection for how you got from the beginning to the end. It gets 2 stars from me because I enjoyed the writing style, as a matter of fact, the writing and charcter development was the ONLY thing that got me to the end! My recommendation is to wait for the movie!

"The Basement" is one of those books that when you finish reading it, you're not quite sure what happened. Ms. Wood has a very good sense of the vernacular and creating flesh and blood characters with believable eccentricities and hang-ups.

The eight friends in this book have been friends for years; they are all rich and seem to have little in life to worry about. The main character, Myra Ludens, has had an unhealthy fear of her basement for years and decides the best thing to do is to renovate it, and hopefully banish all her fears. Even her friends who come over for bridge every week don't like the basement---even after the $30,000 renovation job!

Myra's sleuthing reveals that the body of a woman hanged as a witch in the late 1600's is buried right underneath Myra's basement. The renovator admits later that they even found the woman's bones but didn't want to tell anyone in fear of losing business. (I'm not sure about that one?).

At any rate, Myra is then "possessed" by the witch's spirit or has gone mad, or perhaps even has her own paranormal talents. This is something Ms. Wood never fully reveals, thus leaving the reader unsure of the real reason behind the deaths seemingly caused by Myra's "wishes."

It's got some good points---excellent characterizations, some real suspenseful scenes and a few original twists---but overall, "The Basement" is a novel in search of a better ending.

This novel had a very good plot and the character's and the events were very realistic. But at the end it seems as though the author gave up and just ended any kind of way. The story hyped you up to the max. Goody Redman, the event with the Pastori's and the bees, the assult, eveything. But when you got to the end it seems as though the author said, "SIKE!" and just left you hanging. I believe the author is very creative and I'm sure other works are worth reading, but The Basement should stay in the basement.

Even a $30,000 renovation doesn't stop the chill along the back of the neck and an overwhelming need to escape the basement. The basement was a joke among the bridge club members; they called it the black hole. Even the woman who designed the renovation summed everyone's reaction in a simple word: vile. So Myra Ludens must summons the courage to do something about it. Meanwhile, Myra also attempts to summon the courage to deal with the rest of her life. The neighbors have a noisy, yippy, obnoxious dog that never stops barking from early morning until after dark. The first time Myra attempts to ask her neighbor to do something about the dog, the Pastoris' rude behavior sends her scurrying back across the road. The second time, she finds herself uttering an ominous warning. Shortly thereafter, the man and his dog are dead. As other unnatural deathsfollow, they only have one thing in common; that is, every victim offended Myra. As Mrya researches her house, she learns that the woman named Goody Redman was hanged for witchcraft and buried on her land. Convinced that the spirit of the witch haunts her basement, Myra determines to do something about it. With the friends she grew up with, the other seven members of the bridge club, she attempts to banish the spirit that haunts the basement. The Basement is an addictive read that kept me up in the wee hours of the morning with the need to finish it. The quick pace and curiously detailed characterizations along with a marvelous authorial voice combine to create a tale of horror that both fascinates and repels. While I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending, The Basement is a fascinating read.

Cindy Penn Reviewer

I used this book and found a few great resources through it. I was disconcerted by the lack of research done by the staff, however. One Brooklyn photographer had never shot a wedding before but said she was put in the book because she had done good editorial work that one of the researchers knew about. I used an ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING videographer, Maria Quiroga, whose name I got from the book. Quiroga's prices were TOTALLY OFF in the book, however, and Quiroga had never been contacted by the authors. She was surprised to see her name listed. The book also listed the Chemist's Club, which is a pretty little place, but too small for all but the smallest weddings. Meanwhile, the Yale Club, which is near to it, larger and cheaper was left out. Emphasis is also on high end wedding vendors who are easy enough to find on own's own.

this book was a tremendous disappointment in that it listed fairly standard sites and venues, and was not at all comprehensive. there is nothing here that you won't with a cursory look through one of ny edition bridal magazines.

All marriages should be founded on a wedding by these authors. Funny, funky, to-the-point but stylish, this book is a must-have for the hippest and haughtiest couples to tie the knot in the Tri-State area. And I should know. I've been married three times in all three states! Hopefully, Number Four will be the winner, thanks to Proulx and Hamburg!

Elise & Joan: I bought this book for a friend of mine in NYC and you saved her marriage. It's a long journey from engaged to married and you've put together a thorough "road-map" of NYC wedding resources that eased a lot of stress, saved a lot of time, and reminded people that this is supposed to be fun. Brava!

I thought this book was a complete waste of money! This book mentioned very few reception sites in each state. The reception sites that were mentioned were sites that anyone from the New York area would be aware of. If you're from the NY Metro area you probably won't benefit from this book. I did give "Everything You Need to Know to Have a Wedding in N. Y., N. J., CT" 2 stars because I'm sure it would help someone who is NOT from New York plan a New York wedding.

From the author of a Separate Peace follows a little tale of Yale, New Haven, and romance, with classic scenes including polo horses in dorm rooms. A must read for anyone who has an interest in Yale or John Knowles, but perhaps a little too light for serious novel-goers.

Its a solid story that makes you want to keep reading. One problem is that it has some chronology problems. HIppy beatnicks in the wrong era. But if you want something to read, pick it up.

It is fairly obvious that John Knowles tried to capture the same success of "A Separate Peace" with this novel: New England, war time conditions,adolescent boys, maturity, and school life. But "The Paragon" falls far short of "A Separate Peace." The same emotion is never quite there. Instead, I felt like I was reading the script to a Sunday night made for TV movie. The thoughts of the main character,Lou Colfax,are overstretched and unintentionally humerous. I almost felt sorry for Knowles at one point in the book. He describes a character as being a worn out writer who only had one successful work attributed to his name. I'll give you a little pity John--2 stars.

John Knowles does a good job of developing Lou Colfax' character, only to waste it with a rushed, so-so resolution of this man's troubles in the end. He does present good insights about war, life in New England, and early 20's angst. The various characters around Lou are also very interesting. It was only at the end that I felt let down.

The Paragon is an in-depth look at the life of Yale student Lou Colfax as he travels throuh his sophomore year. Lou is a complex young man who is battling with love and his desire to make chanes in the world. You will become more -tune to the human character and you'll find yourself pondering the ideas of Lou -- most of which ou've probably never considered before! The book also provides valuable insights into the life and times of fifties North Eastern USA.

I am a ghosthunter and can appreciate what Eno has accomplished in his long career. Psychology is the main weapon in fighting parasite cases and negative type hauntings. The multiverse theory is fascinating.

But why was this book so short?

The face in the window on the cover of the book was very interesting.

James Kelly

I have a pretty good idea of what "Spine Tingling" means and it is most definately not "Faces in the Window".It was hard to even keep interested while reading.
Come on now, time to tell the truth so here goes... Do not buy this book not even if it is on sale !!! I'm a person with a pretty vivid imagination and though I looked pretty hard at the cover picture and I guess one could see a nose kind of, sort of. Even in the pictures of scenery it was hard to see anything resembling anything except what I was looking at.. Well, this is my first review and sorry it is a negative one but really , is this person promoting himself or what?

I've been reading ghost stories for maybe 40 years or so, and have experienced a whole lot of paranormal phenomena personally. I don't think I'm that hard to please as a reader, either; if it's a good story, I'll probably enjoy it. And yes, some of the five stories were good. The "pick of the lot" so to speak was definitely the Bridgeport Poltergeist incident. Fascinating account, well documented.

But here's the thing. First of all, the entire book comprises reprinted stories. There's nothing new! OK, if they were all great accounts, then it would be worth it, but at least in my opinion a couple of the accounts were very cursorily covered. The account of Connecticut's Village of Voices for example, didn't impress me at all as solid research. If the photos reprinted are as high quality as the originals I have to say that the "faces" and "dagger" Eno points out are dubious at best. Old stories, not many of them, and some are less than substantial. Here's the thing that really gets me, though. On top of everything else, the total page count is 100, and that's including what I feel to be "padding"; an index, a section on "disappearing ships of New England" (sorry, ships hit by rogue waves aren't ghosts, and even reading the author's review of the occurrences, only one of the disappearances even seemed that mysterious), and a two-page "glossary" containing a grand total of ten words. You get less than 78 pages of actual ghost stories!

Not to be overly denigrating, but I have a very strong feeling I just bought something the author threw together from old research to get a little more publicity and another "book" under his belt. Seriously, there's a reason why larger publishers won't touch a manuscript under 80,000 words, and this has to be barely half that. I'm really not at all happy with this book, and I'd recommend you pass on this one. There are a ton of great books out there on the subject, keep looking.

What a wonderful book, Paul Eno sure knows how to tell a story, He starts off his stories with a slow tapping and follows up with a big bang, I have not forgotten one story in this book, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read First hand accounts of Paranormal phenomena, From poltergeist's to Vampires its all here... A must have for the paranormal genre collector... This is the real thing.... No fiction here...

The book would be great if the author had really experienced the place written about. I've lived here all my life, and spent most of my advanced years visiting and supporting these various tourist sights. I was very disappointed that the author left out so many of the wonderful places available to mom's and their young. Of course these places are available to interested fathers also. Take the time to be with your kids ( forget the kitchen, it will be there when you get back)and enjoy Connecticut. But, go to a visitor center for a listing of the Hot Spots for Kids! This book is an entry level look at Connecticut from a busy mom's rushed experiences. Not bad. Just not the authors best work.

If you live with kids anywhere within travel distance of this beautiful state, this book should be in regular use in your home. You can't beat the honest, personal and informative way this book will make your trips a pleasant memory.

Doe Boyle's Fun with the Family in Connecticut is exceptional. The text is enjoyable to read as well as informative. It is clear she personally visited many of the sites. It is rare that a family travel guide is written so well. I've found tons of things to do with my family after reading her book. The book is so well done I read it cover to cover simply for pleasure. Family adventure guide is simply fabulous.

I happily read many of the descriptions in this book and was excited to take my three children to some of the wonderful places described. However, the descriptions are not realistic - time after time I ended a day with disappointed children, feeling frustrated myself. The book is well written, but the descriptions are often exaggerated and result in disappointed children and frustrated parents. The author does not seem to understand what it is children like to do. My recommendation would be for families visiting CT to try a different guide.

I read the earlier version of this book, "Katie.com." The book starts off slowly and I was getting bored with it for a while. I just couldn't relate to this teenage girl from an upper middle class family. In my opinion, she was too obsessed with designer clothes and with her swimming team. The book eventually gained my interest when she started talking to a guy that she met online who was going by the name of Mark. Their relationship and the legal case that followed are the only things that piqued my interest. I'm glad that I read the entire story, but I'm very glad that I spent so little to buy it. This book is well worth the few bucks that I payed for it. I found it to be very mild. I do recommend it--even for other teens.

The story, at times, drags on but you want to keep reading it just incase something happens. Its a book yous should read if you have alot of time on your hands.

I do not recomend this book to a preteen. There are parts in this book that are explicit ie: talking about oral sex (but not using the term oral sex!) along with other things that a preteen doesn't need to be subjected too at such a young age. The less prude person may say parts of this book boarder on soft porn. If you want to read about a girl getting mixed up with a 41 year old man, than read this book. I hope that this book does not end up in libraries at our schools.

I loved this book and think that every parent, preteen and teenage person online should read it. It was well written and gives you insight into what she was thinking and feeling in her world around her. Highly recommended and well written.

I enjoyed the book but had hoped that it would have more of an American perspective on the Gurkha soldiers, with whom I am familiar. Instead, the book presents an interesting narrative of the way in which an American became an officer in the Indian Army, with a Gurkha regiment. (An American officer with Gurkhas was a significant surprise for me, as I'd not assumed it had ever happened.) Additionally, there is a significant portion of the book written on parts of the Burma campaign against the Japanese.

While I had hoped there would be more reflection on the Gurkhas as soldiers and people, and perhaps a different view than that of the typical British officer, I do recommend the book for any with an interest in the India/Burma components of WWII. I'm sure I'd enjoy sharing a cup of coffee and some tales with the author.

In all the books that have been written on the Burma theatre of operations, this is one is perhaps not so stark and vivid as John Master's, "The Road Past Mandalay" or George Macdonald Fraser's "Quartered Safe Out Here."

It is noteable in two respects: It details the training involved in making one an officer in the Ghurkas and it also gives a good account of some of later fighting around Arakan and final push against the Japanese in Burma. It is a vital memoir but it pales in comparison to, Michael Calvert's "Days of Hope" or Bernard Fergusson's "Beyond the Chindwin."

I very much enjoyed reading this very well written, interesting, and compelling war memoir!

I initially purchased the book to read about the author's experiences with the American Field Service in North Africa. Manned by mostly-well educated individuals from almost every state in the nation, the AFS consisted of young volunteer ambulance drivers who served with the British Eighth Army in North Africa before the United States entered World War II.

Those volunteers not only drove ambulances but also carried stretchers and served as medics for wounded British, Commonwealth and French soldiers fighting the Germans in North Africa. A few of them, such as Scott Gilmore, the author of the book, volunteered to join the British Army after their one year contract tour with the AFS had ended.

Gilmore went on to fight the Japanese in Burma with the 8th Gurkha Rifles. The author faithfully recorded his impressions of every aspect of military life and especially Great Britain's loyal Gurkha soldiers. The result is an excellent World War II memoir.

This book is recommended for anyone interested in the roles of the British and Indian armies in Burma during World War II and Gurkha troops and formations.

I have'nt read the book but what I have read in the summary I know I will not read it because it is not the truth. First of all the mans name they claimed to be the head of the white hats was not Al Ross IT IS ALLEN MOSS... He was not Mayor of Cairo at that time and was not a NEO-NAZI Yes he was a white hat they were a group of people who were only trying to protect our white neighbors. Yours truly. The one who lived through it.

I don't remember how I heard about this book, but I remember reading it--several years ago soon after the paperback edition was published. It is a model of how to write about changes and crises in a particular place. I am a book author and editor, journalism professor, newsletter editor, and former newspaper editor and publisher, who usually does not read books like this one. The best and only connection I have to this book is that I am interested in historic preservation of "main streets." Yet I read this book carefully and thoroughly, enjoying nearly all of it. The section on Cairo, Illinois was better than the section on Connecticut, but that's no real complaint. Highly recommended.