Ohio Books

I was amazed at the honesty of the author's words. As a parent of a daughter with CF , this book helped me understand my issues with my daughter. I was pleased to see that it was a book about real people, not all a perfect fairy tale. It made me think about things from a patient's perspective, and made me feel understood as a parent that has my days of suffering along with my daughter when she is ill. There is alot of religion in the book but I found it to be uplifting when I was given the example oof how Peg's extraordinary faith helped get her through. I wish I knew her but I thank her mother for this gift of her daughter for us all.

I have read this book a hundred times. As a mother of a daughter with CF I found in this book another who understood better than I did some of my feelings in helping my child battle this disease. Meg Woodard so understands her daughter it is amazing. She also lets us get to know Peggy in a very intimate manner and I felt as if they were both friends by the end of the book. Meg does not brush over some of her very real feelings and make her child a saint, and by not fictionalizing Peggy we are allowed a very raw portrayal of a mother /daughter relationship. I will always be greatful for this writers bravery and how her honesty helped me so much in my life.

I wish I had read this book much sooner in my life. My husband died of cystic fibrosis and so much of this book hit home. Meg writes with beautiful, honest, readable style. It is a shame this book is now out-of-print because it is an important book for all who deal with chronic illness from a patient or caregiver standpoint. It does not gloss over the difficult times or questions but very clearly offers hope in the midst of tragedy. We need more books like this to help us navigate the murky waters of "living in the shadow of death." Bravo, Meg Woodson. I can't wait to read your other books.

This book was a good narrative of the final six weeks in the life of a young adult with CF. The account gives an unblinking look at the realities of caring for a loved one with a terminal illness in its last stage. Meg Woodson shares her feelings with each development, both the frustration/anger and the joy. She does not gloss over anything, yet the story is one of victory rather than defeat. Meg and her daughter know she is dying, yet she does so looking forward to entering God's Kingdom where she will see her brother who died of CF 9 years previously. As someone who has walked a similar walk with a cardiac patient in the family, I recognized many of the issues and feelings Meg so artfully covers. It's an excellent read for anyone walking through serious illness or who has a loved one who is.

I LOVED IT! Since this is a true story, I thought it was more valid than a work of fiction. As a CFer myself, I could completely relate to Peggy. Peggy's character is so real, I felt like I knew her. She helped de-mystify so many of my random idiosyncracies. Her doctor in the book is my doctor in real life. I've stayed in that hospital room. It really helped me understand myself and CF much better!

Across the Wide River is a work of fiction, but based on a real family, the Rankin Family, living in a time of slavery and abolition. The story, with its rich descriptions, draws you into the struggle for freedom so much so that you feel the anquish and intense longing of those desiring freedom and those who work so valiantly to secure that goal.

Stephanie Reed introduces us to Lowry Rankin, nothing but a boy in the beginning of the book, who must face constant danger and moral dilemmas when confronted with the reality of the 'family business.' Will he become a preacher and abolitionist like his father? Or will his shyness overtake his desire to help the slaves and preach the Word of God?

This is a story of courage and compassion with even a pinch of romance, but most of all - a story that won't be forgotten. Join Lowry in his adventures, and journey Across the Wide River.

I have to be honest, I'm not always a big fan of historical fiction. But I picked up this book after a friend recommended it. What a wonderful surprise! Ms. Reed does a fabulous job of bringing the Underground Railroad to life and putting it into historical context. But it was Lowry's own struggle to find his calling, to do what he felt was right and stand up for his beliefs - in the face of strong opposition - that really moved me. It's something we can all relate to and I felt a real connection to Lowry. I know I will never forget him or his family. I've already pre-ordered Ms. Reed's next book!

This is a novel for all ages, and once I began reading it, I couldn't put it down. The story, set in the early 1800s, is based on a real family and real events. It is the era of slavery, slave traders, and the beginning of the Abolitionist Movement and Underground Railroad. It is more than a story about the struggle between northern and southern beliefs, it is a story of human cruelty and also a story of human compassion and courage. I will never forget the main character, young Lowry Rankin, whose internal struggles with personal insecurity and his beliefs are just as powerful and poignant as his external struggles against slavery and discrimination. The moral principles depicted are timeless, and it is an era in our country's history that should never be forgotten. Highly Recommended!

The awe-inspiring story of country-boy, Lowry Rankin, an ordinary youth intent on taking a stand against slavery. With the Bible as his guide, and a preacher for a father, Lowry learns early on, the value of human life no matter what the color of one's skin. Follow Lowry from his awkward grade school days to his action-packed adolescent years as he transports slaves to the next safe house en route to freedom. Throughout the story, Lowry continually questions whether he's really making a difference...the clandestine transportation of slaves under the cover of nightfall is one thing, but will he be able to publicly speak out against slavery?

Across the Wide River is a must-read for young and old alike. The selfless, servant-attitude and godly character found in Lowry Rankin is truly refreshing. The storyline flows logically and the sense of adventure makes it hard to put down! The descriptive adjectives peppered throughout the book make for very interesting reading. Hopefully, a sequel will follow!

I had to read this book slowly, one story at a sitting, to give myself time to fully absorb all of the layers of experience presented in each piece. These are small, complex, multi-faceted gems of writing. The stories drew me in, devasted me, transported me, enlivened me, spit me out. I highly recommend Katherine Arnoldi's work!

"All Things Are Labor" kept me up at night. It's a truly haunting book...the difficult stories are told with an exacting delicacy...like a ballerina who has learned to dance on burning coals. From a renegade mother tracking down deadbeat dads to a woman who allows herself to be abused in order to live in the suburbs, Manhattan to Arkansas...the strength of Arnoldi's disparate voices draw you inside their indelible worlds. She's a Joyce Carol Oates with street cred.; she knows firsthand what it is to be poor, what it is to be alone, what it is to be struggling, surviving, persisting. If you like Dorothy Allison or Sapphire, please read Arnoldi.

The narrator's voice, confident in its vulnerability, is the portal to the reader's intimacy with the related experiences. These are stories that stay with the reader for a long time.

This is a collection of beautifully written short stories. Moving, sometimes humorous--always deeply honest and unpretentious. She gives voice to many who are forgotten or invisible in our society, revealing their strength (and hers and ours); revealing the poignancy of life itself. Its a book to keep and enjoy more than once.

I saw this book years ago and missed the opportunity to buy it. Thankfully, I found it on Amazon and bought copies for my friend and my daughter also.
It is a great book, we love the tea section and have done it several times.
I am so grateful I was able to find this again.

With menus provided in each section comprising this culinary sequel to the Junior League of Columbus' America Discovers Columbus cookbook, America Celebrates Columbus is a superb compendium of "bountiful harvest" recipes that are as easy-to-prepare and kitchen friendly as they are nutritious and delicious. Of special note is that portion of this outstanding cookbook dedicated to teatime at the Kelton House. From Miniature Lavender Cheesecakes; Black-Eyed Pea Salsa; Green Salad with Jiacama and Orange Poppy Seed Dressing; and Kelton House Chicken Divan; to Salmon Tetrazzini; Barbecued Green Beans; Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Pancakes; Chili Pecan Biscuits; and Red Velvet Cake with Mock Whipped Frosting, American Celebrates Columbus will prove a seminal favorite for any family or community library cookbook collection.

In the new Columbus Junior League cookbook I found easy to follow recipes, ingredients for the most part you will have in your frig or pantry,beautiful artwork from Columbus landmarks and menus for dinners or teas already put together for you ( not literally but put together as a complete menu shall we say) Great going girls- I would suggest cookbook collectors and cooks who like easy menus with great results buy this book.

Just as my original Junior League of Columbus (Ohio) cookbook had started to fall apart, a new and improved version appears!! The new version is sturdy, atractive, and very professional. As with all Junior League cookbooks, the recipes are great tasting and easy to prepare. I have already shipped copies to my family around the country and am hearing rave reviews!! Thanks Junior League-you did it again!!

I found this book after I went to a appraisal in Dallas Texas where author Debby DuBay was speaking on antique Limoges porcelain. I purchased DuBay's book Antique Limoges at Home and then purchased American Limoges by Ms. Limoges to help me with my American Limoges pottery. I found out by reading these reference books every thing I needed to know about my grandmothers "Limoges" Thank you to two wonderful authors who have published two very useful and valuable reference guides on the subject.

Do not purchase any Limoges China, (american) without this book. It is a priceless resource to be carried with you as you explore antique shops. I wish that I had it with me before I gave away my American Limoges China, thinking that it was worthless. Raymonde Limoges has done a great job in assembling this book.

I found American Limoges after reading Debby Dubay's "Antique Limoges at Home". If you want to know the difference between antique Limoges and American Limoges I highly recommend Antique Limoges at Home! For more info on American Limoges recommend this book.

Full-color photos on every page and current price values for each item are the pluses in this book. Many items are not actually identified, however, and names given to the pieces have been coined by the author. Even so, this one serves as a handy reference and guide to those wishing more information on American Limoges, the history and major pieces. I wish there'd been more examples of Viktor Schreckengost's connection to the company and designs made by him for American Limoges but that is a personal preference.

I bought this one because I am from Ohio, but don't live there anymore. My kids enjoy it and have seen several of the things illustrated in the book, so they really like it.

B Is For Buckeye is another book in the Discover America State By State series, and Marcia Schonberg does Ohio geography a favor in her selections of places, events, and people. Bruce Langton illustrates this book with artwork that mimics a photograph in style.

There is even a "X is for Xenia" (pronounced "ZEEN-yah"), that southwestern city of hospitality, bike lanes, and... tornadoes!

Written for reading level 3rd grade and above.

This book is enjoyable on all levels, especially if you are a born and raised Ohioan like myself, and my family. My mother, "Grandma" enjoys reading it to all her granchildren; who live in various cities within Ohio. Each page is an Ohio History lesson and enjoyable prose wrapped into one. It is essential for everyone's personal library. Our family loves it!

Beautiful illustrations with varied reading levels. Each letter depicts a different aspect of Ohio history. For example, "W is for Wright Brothers." With so little written about Ohio history, it is nice to find one not only done but done well.

This book tells how to confront the harasser. If the harassment continues, the legal steps are covered. For an employer, it provides information on policies, complaint procedures, training sessions and monitoring to prevent harassment.
NOLO Press is noted for making legal information accessible to ordinary people. This topic is something that every supervisor and employer needs to be briefed on.

As an employment attorney and human resource consultant who trains organizations on harassment policy, I use this book as a great reference material. I often suggest it to supervisors who want to know more about how to deal with this complex and difficult problem....

I found the book to be pretty straightforward and easy to read. It gives all the pertinent information on the subject from the law to how to stop sexual harassment to your legal remedies. One of the best features is that provides an array of case studies that clear up a lot of the gray areas. I used the book to help me develop a training on the subject, I recommend it to anyone who needs more info on the subject.

Every business with employees that does not have a sexual harassment policy in place needs to buy this book now.

Actions the authors say employers need to implement regarding sexual harassment include: Do whatever it takes to understand the law, the issues, and keep current; put in place a zero tolerance sexual harassment prevention policy that prohibits specific behaviors of verbal harassment, non-verbal tactics, and physical harassment; take action to stop sexual harassment that does occur and prevent reoccurrence and reprisals.

This is an excellent Civil War book from a narrative standpoint. It is one of the best and most compelling I have read. It digs out great story nuggets about Ohioans in the Civil War, and admirably presents the thesis that the war was first one in the West. Recommended to anyone.

I have at least four ancestors who fought in Ohio regiments, so I was excited to pick up this book. It provides a wonderful overview of the people (military, civilian, politician) and places that became important before, during, and after the Civil War. The book covers a lot of ground so there are no in-depth descriptions, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It has many citatations from newspapers, diaries, first-person accounts, and other original sources. I appreciate the Web page references that end chapters. It has lots of illustrations and an easy-reading style. It's 600 pages but the text is large and widely-spaced.

It suffers problems that I'll attribute to lackluster editing from the small publisher. I found some page numbers missing... not the text, just the page numbers (page 90 has no number, and there are no pages marked 91 and 92). An island in the Mississippi is called "Island Number Tenth" and then later "Island Number Ten," and isn't listed in the index at all. The brief phrases used to tag various people are often repeated, sometimes in separate chapters and sometimes on the next page. For example, page 347, "with Meade only nominally in charge..." and page 348, "Meade would remain head--nominally--of the army..."

In spite of these issues, I'm enjoying this book and I'm glad to have it.

I'm not much of a Civil War buff, but I got a copy of this book as a gift right before Thanksgiving and it was a quick, wonderful experience. General Sherman was right . . . WAR IS HELL! The details on how bloody this Civil War was and what led up to this dramatic cross-roads in our nation's history makes it very valuable reading. Ohioans and those from the midwest (called the West then) played the pivotal roles in this war. Being the "smartest" wasn't always the best when it came to picking the right Generals and planning a good strategy. Sounds like some recent history in America! Lincoln had his struggles in this war. There are lots of good details on the personalities and styles to make things very interesting as well as informative. Suggest it highly if you like American history.

This is a superb, work -- in league with the best historical writers of our day in both substance and style. Bissland has done his homework in crafting a spell-binding glimpse of Ohio's significant role in the Civil War.

I found his character descriptions to be most insightful and colorful. The depictions of Grant, Steedman, Rosecrans, and John Brown were especially riveting. His short bios of the main players were rich with detail and fresh anecdotes. They were never dry and plain -- always juicy and enticing. I loved the alliterative description of Brown as " an avenging angel on assignment from God. I didn't wanting to stop reading in the midst of any new character description.

The author is almost poetic in his economical painting of snippets, often catching the reader off guard, e.g., "small conflicts flickered on the horizon like heat lightening" and my favorite: depicting Foote's gunboats as "enormous Hostess Twinkies with quills."

The work is well-researched and appropriately documented, using an array of fascinating primary sources, including many diaries and early newpaper accounts. While the book subtitle suggests a narrow geographic view, I highly recommend this book to those beyond the midwest.

Vare's BUCKEYE: A STUDY OF COACH WOODY HAYES AND THE OSU FOOTBALL MACHINE is an inside look at Woody Hayes and the 1973 season. Wonderfully written in the style of the New Journalism, Vare brings to light the genius/madness of Hayes. Hayes is Patton, a man out of place in modern times. A workaholic who curses like a drunken sailor, Hayes also loved literature and learning. He refused pay raises and spent much of his free time visiting hospitals. Vares realizes what an enignma Hayes is and what a great story he has on his hands. Hillarious is the transcript of the Woody Hayes football show where Woody interviews his players. For any OSU fan, meloncholy for Hayes stubborness during the UM game in refusing to listen to his assistants pleading with his to pass the ball. The team itself realized that Hayes had lost the national championship for them with his play calling. But,as Vares make clear, without Hayes' ability to recruit and lead, OSU wouldn't have been in that position in the first place.

This is a must read for any Ohio State fan. Especially for those old enough to be a part of the Woody Hayes regime. This is when it was the game plan that we are Ohio State and we are tough and try to stop us man to man with the offensive scheme being simple...three yards and a cloud of dust! This is the timeframe when Lombardi dies and Woody took overthe moniker as the hard nosed extreme disciplinarian in the spot light. Many hated him but with 5 National titles, 13 Big Ten titles to his credit he got results! Unfortunately today he probably would not have prospered as much as the time period back then due to so many restrictions and sensitivity to too much attention being placed on football. The other side is he himself (Woody) made about $29,000 a year and never asked for a raise or took more money so how many coaches today would do that? The author shows Woody's compassionate side and loyalty in this book where he helped athletes by giving them money for food and bought hats and gloves out of his own measly $29,000 salary but when he mentioned it to a Sports Illustrated reporter he was put on probation by the NCAA. Like others have said I could not put it down and it is a fine addition to any Buckeye fan's collection!

This book illustrates truly how bad Coach Hayes wanted to win. In-depth coverage of the preparation for the "Big Game" show how hard Coach Hayes wanted to win it. "Buckeye" takes you through all the blowouts of the 1973 season and the heartbreak of the 10-10 tie with "the team up north". I think that Robert Vare did a great job in proving that Columbus is a Buckeye Football city. Every Buckeye fan should read this book to really appreciate who Woody Hayes was and how he took Ohio State Football from the bottom of the Big 10 in 1951 to the top of the nation in the 1970's.

I found myself unable to put this book down the second I started reading it. The detail in which it desrcibes the Ohio State Football program under Coach Woody Hayes is remarkable. This book is a must for any and all Ohio State Buckeye fans.

This book is amazing! It really does have it all. Murder, mystery, and damn funny as well! The story is very original and keeps you guessing throughout the entire book. It also has an amazing cast of characters. One of which is probably the craziest, and funniest character in any book i have ever read. This book is completely great, and everyone should read it!

Keith Gandal is a teacher,and a friend, but most importantly, a fresh, new, and exciting contemporary voice that has emerged from the events of the tail-end of the 20th century. The natural disasters, the unfinished, seemingly unconnected, human tendencies that we all share, and the need to communicate with someone, anyone: these are all themes that one will find in Keith's novel, Cleveland Anonymous.

When I finished reading this novel I thought it was great, but I knew there was more to it; there was a substance below the surface that hadn't hit me yet, which is why I waited a couple weeks to write this review. I wanted it to be from a non-biased POV; and it is. I don't really know what to say, so I will try my best. I thought that by denying a genre, by concentrating on story, not a literary mindframe, which there is way too much of in contemporary fiction, that Gandal approached real life as closely as one can possibly achieve in fiction. The characters were amazing; the dialogue was real; the scenes were perfectly drawn out, perfectly realized, completely truthful; and the prose was dream-like, even magical. The atmosphere that Gandal's has created in this novel is fantastic. When I read a novel I look for something different, something real. I look at a book as an experience; I look at it as a piece of culture that can not and should not be detached from it's place in the world. And when I finished reading Cleveland Anonymous I had a sense of closeness and sense of story and literary attachment to the characters that I have not experienced in any other contemporary novel that I have ever read.

This novel is a wonderful accomplishment, an amazing piece of art, or literary achievement. If a good novel is supposed to give the reader an experience that utilizes all the senses and makes them care about the characters, then Gandal has written one heck of a good book! His fictive world is original and inspiring from not only a writers perspective, but from a human perspective.

I don't want to tell you anything about the plot (I think reviews should deal more with other, more 'inputish' type things, you'll know the plot when you read it!), but I can say that this book moves!! It moves with speed, with grace, with purpose, so fear not. It is a concise piece of fiction, a collection of people that all seem to exist in this modern world of ours without the slightest hint or notion that the bigger things that they experience shape them and make them who they are. But this is special. Too often an author will tell you what you need to know, but Gandal lets you figure it out; he writes a book filled with people, realistic people who think, act, and react like you and I do. If nothing else, read this book for a good, fast story, but if you, like me, like to see a writer experiment with the lives we take for granted everyday, then there is something here for you too.

The list of people who may have inspired this book must be immense, but here are some ideas: Thomas Pynchon (same sense of magical realism [though that is more Gabriel Garcia], the same witty sense of humor), Flannery O'Conner (short, sweet, but emotion filled sentences), Cormac McCarthy (the use of imagery), amongst many others.

Please read this novel. It is a magnificent story, and I hope that this review has inspired someone to pick up Keith Gandal's first (but hopefully not only) novel, but if you don't read it, at least I can say (when this thing hits big) that I told you so!!! Happy reading!

Let's face it: If you're from Cleveland, you don't get no respect. No respect at all. And it mostly stems from the Cuyahoga (pronounced "Cuya-HOG-uh" you out-of-towner) River catching fire. (Well, *that* and our...sports teams.) It's the ultimate absurdity--a body of water catching fire--and therefore a good jumping off point for a stridently absurdist novel.

Gandal's novel delivers. It's the great absurdist Cleveland novel that I've been waiting to read for more years than I can count.

The best moment in the novel, for me anyway, takes place in New York. One of the Cleveland Anonymous members has been discovered with a one-way ticket back to Cleveland in his possession. The Clockwork Orange-esque method used to keep him from going back is an absolute scream.

...

The setting of this book shifts back and forth in place and time -- between Cleveland, Ohio in the 1960's and New York City in the late 1980's. It helps if you know something about one or both of those cities, otherwise you'll miss some of the inside jokes. But ultimately this book is not about Cleveland or New York (and I say that as a compliment). Ultimately this book is a love story, a relationship that actually doesn't even begin -- or resume? -- until the book is almost over. It's a mix of romance and friendship between a man who's not quite sure who he is or what he's about, and a woman who's essentially just the opposite -- or maybe she isn't. You'll have fun trying to figure it out. An amazing, original, and haunting love story.

It's also a murder mystery. And a suspense thriller. But if you're looking for something that reads like John Grisham, look elsewhere. Gandal is speaking to a more thoughtful, more profound audience. If I had to describe this book in one sentence, it would be: "This book is a cross between Fight Club (the book, not the movie) and the poems of Emily Dickinson."

If that's hard to imagine, then you'll just have to read the book. Cleveland Anonymous has the intensity, the directness, and the muscle of Fight Club (the book, not the movie). But Gandal's book also has an extraordinarily light touch with language. Over and over again Gandal taps you on the shoulder -- or gooses you in the rear -- with the precisely-right word, the perfect phrase. Like an Emily Dickinson poem.

This is the best novel I've read since . . . well, since Fight Club (the book, not the movie).

Don't miss it.