Wisconsin Books

This small book is glorious. It is beautiful and poetic. It contains much self analysis on the part of Manrique, and has many intimate details on the men featured therein. It is extremely inspiring and should be read by anyone with even the slightest interest. I will read his other works now. Bravo Jaime!!

Jaime Manrique writes clearly and with precision about himself and the three authors he joins with himself as "eminent maricones." I found this book to be very enjoyable and educational. I was familiar with all of these authors, and now feel closer to each of them. I hope that this book will be read by Latin Americans who like to read; by North Americans interested in Hispanic-American culture; by gay activists interested in our history and the coming-out process.

Simply stated, I learned plenty about these great literary heroes. Manrique does not pretend to know everything, but he has much to share in this touching memoir about his encounters with Lorca, Puig and Arenas. I commend Manrique for showing us how human--vulnerable and flawed--these men were. Grounded in a prose that is unpretentious and generous with glimpses of writers at their best and at their worst, this is a must for any collector of Lorca, Puig or Arenas scholarship.

Emminent Maricones is a treasure. It is rare that a writer of Manrique's skill takes the time to lovingly explore the very human side of the lives and literary contributions of fellow writers. This is not a an irreverant comparison of whether or not Puig, Lorca, and Arenas were able to write well BECAUSE they were gay but how perhaps their perception and world view was more acute because of their sexuality. I found it irresistable and read through this little jewel of a book twice in one sitting, the next logical step being to return to the recommended books Manrique thoughtfully suggests!

"Eminent Maricones: Arenas, Lorca, Puig, and Me" is an extraordinary achievement by author Jaime Manrique. The book combines autobiographical material by the Colombian-born Manrique with chapters about three other gay male Hispanic writers: Cuba's Reinaldo Arenas, Spain's Federico Garcia Lorca, and Argentina's Manuel Puig. The book thus constitutes an exploration of a sort of pan-Hispanic gay male identity, as well as a moving meditation on the place of the literary artist in the modern world. Portions of the book have been previously published in both Spanish and English.

Manrique's autobiographical writing is fascinating. He describes his childhood in Colombia, his emigration to the United States, and his "births" as both a writer and a gay man. Particularly powerful is his memoir of learning how to read; for him, awakening to the power of literacy was a life-changing revelation: "I felt as Balboa must have felt when he first glimpsed the Pacific."

Manrique knew both Arenas and Puig personally, and he writes with tenderness and insight of the last days of these two great writers. In his chapter on Lorca, he "reconstructs" a portrait of the man and the artist through second-hand accounts and through readings of Lorca's own fascinating writings.

Manrique describes Arenas, Lorca, and Puig as "the great triumvirate of openly homosexual writers who have written in Spanish." Reading his reclamation of these three writers as his literary forbears, I was reminded of the work done by African-American writer Alice Walker to recover Zora Neale Hurston as a black literary foremother. Like Walker, Manrique honors those whose revolutionary literature continues to inspire new generations of writers.

Ultimately, Manrique expresses solidarity with and compassion for all who have suffered dispossession or persecution due to the prejudice of an entrenched status quo. I recommend "Eminent Maricones" to those interested in Latin American and pan-Hispanic studies, gay literature, and contemporary autobiography.

Hurray for the re-issue of this beautiful book! Paging through this hand-painted, calligraphied book any day of the year is like an escape into the Garden of Paradise! Hundreds of small, engaging watercolors of the garden and whimsical little garden people, harmonized with beautiful calligraphy. Besides being filled with the author/illustrator's charming observations, it is a veritable treasure trove of garden lore, with many quotes from authors old and new and advice from classic, old treatises on gardening and horticulture. Also many enchanting, anonymous garden sayings and quaint herbal folk remedies. The history of fruits and vegetables as a part of our culture. I bought two copies of this book--one to just periodically carry around with me! It's one of my favorite gift books, too. You won't be able to stop dreaming over it. You'll adore it!

What an enchantingly beautiful book! This is one of my favorite books, and I love giving it as a gift to gentle souls. If you like gardens, watercolor paintings, and calligraphy, you will love this beautifully bound book that is filled with Sara Midda's exquisite watercolors. Each page is a miniature painting of breathtaking intricacy and delicacy celebrating the myriad forms of gardens, flowers, vegetables, and herbs in which we delight. The book is filled with boundless garden wisdom, recipes, and poems, all charmingly set forth in Sara Midda's beautiful calligraphy. You have to see this book to know how beautiful and inspirational a gem it is!

This book is so much fun. As a watercolorist, I am enchanted by her use of objects and her interpretation of the human form. Colors are wonderful. Hooray for Sara Midda and I hope she keeps publishing her books.
Janice Lawson - Montana

I purchased this book when I was in Art college over ten years ago. Sara abilility to capture her interest with her illustrative talent is amazing . It is definately the most interesting book I ever read without seeing typesetting, but with her beautifully hand painted type.

I've gone through this book again and again. I think whoever like calligraphy, water color painting and gardening would love this book. Although it's quite difficult to concentrate on the attennuated of water color written content. But it strongly inspires me to grasp by brushes and calligrpahy pens again. It becomes one of my possessive books and always added in my bag wherever I go since then.

As a teacher, this book is delightful. We never outgrow good picture books. These photographs are marvelous and the story tells us how funny black bears can be. The "bear facts" at the end make it an educational book for all ages to enjoy. One to be read again and again.

Petunia: The True Story of a Naughty Pigeon-Toed Boone Hollow Bear
What a terrific book for all adults and youngsters, whether they read it themselves or have it read to them.

PeTunia takes us along on her adventures and mishaps as she heads for Boone Hollow. She narrates or thinks aloud in a most endearing, humorous way. She is thoroughly entertaining and bound to put a big smile on the reader's face. And wait until you see the spectacular photographs of her on every page! I doubt you'll find a comparable book. There are educational "bear facts" at the end of the story, which is a very nice plus. I'd highly recommend this book, but beware, you will fall in love!

M. Bowen

Petunia: The True Story of a Naughty Pigeon-Toed Boone Hollow Bear
What a terrific book for all adults and youngsters, whether they read it themselves or have it read to them.

PeTunia takes us along on her adventures and mishaps as she heads for Boone Hollow. She narrates or thinks aloud in a most endearing, humorous way. She is thoroughly entertaining and bound to put a big smile on the reader's face. And wait until you see the spectacular photographs of her on every page! I doubt you'll find a comparable book. There are educational "bear facts at the end of the story, which is a very nice plus. I'd highly recommend this book, but beware, you will fall in love!

M. Bowen

This is truly delightful reading that will bring smiles to kids of all ages. The photographs in this book are exceptional, and they capture this "naughty" bear in such endearing poses. The author's love of and respect for animals clearly show through on each and every page of this fun, educational book. I love PeTunia!

PeTunia is an enchanting book. The photographer/author uses her skills well. It's almost like PeTunia knew this book would be made as her body language and facial expressions couldn't fit the text better. This book will have the reader, child or adult, smiling from start to finish while they share an afternoon in Boone Hollow with PeTunia, a young bear doing what comes naturally. Trish Kirk shares with us in such a delightful way just what a wild and free young bear does. I'd recommend this book for any age group. It's perfect for sharing with a youngster or for a teacher to share with a class. The bear facts at the end of the book are also accompanied perfectly by photos of bears in the wild.

I was in the room as my adult daughter read this book and there was audible giggling as she went from page to page and saw these real, yet often comical, poses and read the captions. A book for "kids" of all ages it seems!

One year ago in Plover, Wisconsin, Maddie Christopher had been attacked by a serial killer known as the "Sweet Dreams Killer". People believed his name to be Natas Sivel. He killed mainly women. His victims' bodies were crushed, the heart drained of blood, and not a single outside wound. He almost had Maddie. But her father, Cassidy, saved her in time. While Natas was too weak from the battle, the police imprisoned him...away from the other prisoners. Now, one year later, the killer escaped!

Natas Sivel was really a demon. He was kept buried, asleep, under an oak tree called The Protector, in a music box. But someone hated Cassidy Christopher enough to dig it up and release the demon held within. The demon's sole purpose was to destroy Cassidy, the property owner, by destroying the women he loved.

Maddie and Cassidy had a psychic connection. Cassidy's friend, Officer Kevin Sheridan (who had been first on the scene with Maddie a year ago) called it "hocus pocus stuff". The only other person with a connection to the Christophers was Maddie's best friend, Robyn Warren. When the demon went after Maddie again, she called Robyn. Robyn got Cassidy to go to his daughter while she jumped on a plane and flew toward them.

The demon saw the attraction between Robyn and Cassidy. He saw them fall in love. So the demon wanted Robyn, as well as, Maddie. Only their love could save them and put the demon back inside the music box, to sleep.

**** WOW! Here is a dark romance book. If not for the romance, I'd label it Horror! It sent chills up my spine the entire time! Fantastic reading! ****

"SWEET DREAMS is a tale brimming with thrills, chills, suspense and love. Cass is a man who cares deeply about those around him and will do anything to keep them safe. Robyn is loyal and wants nothing more than to help her friend and her true love. The two work well together against the forces of evil threatening their existence. SWEET DREAMS is extremely well written. The characters are likeable right from the start and come across as very real. The plot was new and refreshing to me and the demon very believable. "SWEET DREAMS is an exciting thrill ride that will keep you up to the wee hours. I highly recommend SWEET DREAMS for everyone who loves non-stop action!" -Carol Durfee for Romance Reviews Today http://www.romrevtoday.com

"Superb! Karen Wiesner's SWEET DREAMS is a roller coaster ride of breath-catching romance and plunging terror. The book kept me up until dawn and not just because it was an excellent read, but because I was too frightened to close my eyes! This paranormal is both haunting and memorable. Definitely a must read!" -Angelica Hart author of THE GATHERING

"The evil presence in Sweet Dreams is tangible from page one. The main characters are instantly sympathetic, and we don't need to get inside the head of the bad guy to "get" his motivation. Shades of The Witching Hour--seduction and terror--kept me up for hours so I could get to the end. Karen Wiesner structures an intricately woven tale that leaves one panting for more." -author Natalie Damschroder

"What a wonderfully ironic title for a wonderfully put together book. The characters won me over right away. Their pain and their longing is so real, their bravery is almost heartbreaking. I appreciated the way [they were layered]with so many levels of devotion and fear to make them intensely human. The plot is compelling as well. As the demon circles in on Cass and Robyn, the suspense builds until it's nearly unbearable, then explodes into a climax that had me gripping the edge of the laptop and hitting the 'next' key so fast I nearly broke it. I just couldn't wait an extra second to find out how it would work out. And I wasn't disappointed. The ending is entirely satisfying." -Karen McCullough, author of PRISM and Rising Star Award-Winning Fantasy, The Rainbow Bridge,

I have read this aloud over the phone to friends thousands of miles away. I've read it aloud at dinner parties. I've purchased it for friends. This is a remarkable collection of poems, a treasure. I don't want to sound so precious about it, but I can't help it. I found Hoagland's writing when I was 20, and I'm sure I'll still be coming back to the same poems when I'm an old lady. Amazing!

for about a year i have been struggling with my good intentions to try and fall in love with poems. now, i may be turning the corner. this is the 2nd book of poetry in a row that i have really, really enjoyed. last week i finished al purdy's "rooms for rent in the outer planets," and now i just got done with tony hoagland's "sweet ruin." both fantastic. hoagland's book had me turning pages with joy, rather than with the sense of a chore being gotten through. i highly recomend this book.

One of the most important books of poetry to ever cross my path. I return to this constantly. Earnest, real, vivid -- none of these words suffice to how incredible this book is. Get on it.

From the beginning of poetry, from the beginnings of Greek and Roman poems, poetry has striven to be both dulce et utile---pleasant and useful. Tony Hoagland is a poet who captures both of those aspects of poetry, and effortlessly so. Not a single word goes to waste, as he describes situations familiar to almost any audience, while making them sound extraordinary and worth reading about. The wishes of mankind are encapsulated in this poetry: "I should walk up the stairs right now/ and make slow love to the woman I live with." These are poems which are provoking and well-thought out, to the point of being accessible: "It wasn't easy, inventing the wheel..."
Reading Hoagland's poetry, a sense of life is gained, while in his poetry, life moves on: observed, undisturbed, and intact for the next reader.

Nothing I can say will do justice to this book. It is practically perfect. I wish I had found him sooner in life. I just caught him at a reading a couple weeks ago, and found his new poems a little more playful than Sweet Ruin, but equally brilliant. The other reviewers are right. This book is hard to find because no one wants to give it up. If you take poetry seriously, you can't afford not to indulge in Hoagland's brilliance. I don't want to break his work down line by line and get pedagogical. Every line is so good, I wouldn't know which ones to pick for discussion. Steal this book if you have to.

I'm a UW grad and a big Badger fan. This book had some great stories about things that happened when I was a student that let me relive those college years all over again. I really enjoyed it!

I have long been a fan of Mr. Doherty's work. His latest collaboration does not disappoint. Justin never seizes to amaze. Nine out of 10 dentists agree, "Tales from the Wisconsin Badgers" is a must-read.

This book is a must have for Badger fans. It is a fantastic way to relive Badger football memories - well written and entertaining!

I've been a lifelong Wisconsin football fan and so has everyone in my family. This book is interesting because of the different stories it tells about Badger football. It's a pretty easy read and you can open to any point in the book to find something good.

Tales From The Wisconsin Badgers by Justin Doherty (Director of Athletic communications, University of Wisconsin) is a compilation of anecdotes, personal recollections, and original research that provides the reader with glimpses of what makes Wisconsin Badgers football both unique and inherently interesting. Doherty surveys the entire history of the Badger football program from its humble beginnings through the glory years of head coach Barry Alvarez. Along the way readers are treated to the bizarre tale of "Kangaroo Kicker" Pat O'Dea, the mysterious discovery of a long-forgotten trophy of one of college football's longest rivalries in a Camp Randall storeroom nearly 50 years after its disappearance, a 23-game winless streak finally broken with a victory over archrival Iowa in 1969, and dozens of other humorous, poignant, and memorable stories about the Wisconsin Badgers. Drawing upon personal interviews with more than two dozen players, coaches, and staff members, Tales From The Wisconsin Badgers is a "must read" sports team history for all Badger fans and an essential acquisition for Wisconsin's community libraries for future generations of Badger football enthusiasts!

Once again I found your characters most delightful, Doc and Ray are charmers! Lew continues on the path of justice and I like the introduction of the lawyer (lady lawyer that is).

Please continue to keep us contacted to Loon Lake's adventures.

I HAVE READ ALL OF THE BOOKS IN THE LOON LAKE SERIES.EACH NEW INSTALLMENT GIVES MORE DEPTH TO THE CHARACTERS. THE PLOT ALSO HAS DEVELOPED IN EACH BOOK. WHILE NOT OVERLY COMPLICATED THERE IS PLENTY GOING ON TO RETAIN MY INTEREST.AS AN AVID FISHERMAN I LOOK FORWARD TO THESE BOOKS IN MUCH THE SAME WAY AS GOING OUT ONTO THE WATER.

Paul "Doc" Osborne should have remembered that no good deed goes unpunished. So when he agrees to help his friend Ray Pradt lead a "Fishing for Girls" fishing seminar Doc should have expected the worse. When one of the student's mother, a famous syndicated advice columnist, is found murdered, Doc is once again deputized and asked by the Loon Lake Chief of Police to help out with his forensic dental skills. Ray complicates matters as he begins to fall for one of his very married students who has a tragic past of her own, and soon Doc is up to his neck in murder and family secrets. Chief Ferris herself has her hands full with her run for Lake County Sheriff, a counterfeit money scam, and a cold case murder. Readers will be taken along as events roll along quickly to a very tidy and satisfying end.

This continues to be a strong series with no hint of letting up. Houston has created characters who continue to grow and readers will be thrilled with the evolution of Doc's romance with the lovely sheriff. Dead Jitterbug is an extremely entertaining mystery full of humor, fishing lore, wit, and suspense.

Like all the rest of Victoria Houston's books in the "Dead" series, I really enjoyed Dead Jitterbug. But I missed the light-heartedness tone that preceded it in the others, and, there seemed to be a little less fishing. But all-in-all, it's great, and I'm still awaiting the next! Keep 'em coming!

Ray Pradt is a fishing guide in Loon Lake, Wisconsin. Ray's newest idea is a two-day seminar called "Fishing for Girls". He manages to rope Doc Osborne, his neighbor, into helping him with the excursion for the girls on a new pontoon Ray is trying to sell. Doc agrees to help out but is soon pulled away from this project to help Police Chief Lewellyn Ferris. Doc Osborne's many years as a dentist and resident of Loon Lake has been a big help to Chief Lewellyn in various investigations and Chief Ferris is not slow to call on Doc for help. They are also fishing buddies and sometimes lovers.

Hope McDonald, mother of one of Ray's "seminar girls", and the author of a syndicated advice column, is found dead in her home in Loon Lake. Then it is discovered by Doc and Lew that another of Ray's "seminar girls" Molly O'Brien formerly Molly McBride whose parents resided in Loon Lake and were brutally murdered. Molly was left alone in the home with the bodies of her parents when she was only two and a half. Now twenty-seven years later Molly is back in Loon Lake and married. Lillie Wright, local attorney, is now asking Chief Ferris to try to dig up the old files and renew the investigation for the murder since Lillie believes the person convicted was framed and the murderer is still in town and Molly is beginning to believe it too.

As if all of this isn't enough to keep Chief Ferris busy she is also asked to help locate a couple who have been robbing banks. The Chief is also in the midst of a campaign for Sheriff and Doc Osborne's daughter is her campaign manager.

Victoria Houston's vivid descriptions of the area and the residents love of fishing adds much to the story. This is the sixth Loon Lake mystery and each one gets better. Be sure and read them all.

There is humor and self-deprecation in The Gardener's Year...This is a book that will appeal to the gardener, the philospher, and the Zen deotee, the reader of self-help books, as well as the humorist. Here are quotes: "After his death, the gardener does not become a butterfly but ... a garden worm tasting all the dark, nitrogenous and spicey delights of the soil." "I find a real gardener is not a man who cultivates flowers; he is a man who cultivates the soil". "The life of a gardener is active and full of will." There are easy references to German philosophers, campanula alpina, Tolstoy, the perfume of manure. All this is presented with humor but there are no fools in this book. It could easily be subtitled "Zen and the Pleasant Art of Gardening." It didn't change my life, but it made it better. For Godsake, by this book!

I don't know much about Czech literature, so I don't know if the Prague Spring had anything to do with the writing of Karel Capek, but I would not be surprised to discover a connection. "Leaves wither because spring is already beginning, because new buds are being made, as tiny percussion caps out of which the spring will crack....if we could only see that secret swarming of the future within us, we should say that our melancholy and distrust is silly and absurd and that the best thing of all is to be..living.."

Karel Capek wrote those words in 1929 when he was 39 years old. By 1938, the year the Nazis invaded Prague, he was dead. His brother Josef died a few years later in Bergan-Belsen. But this book is not about those sad events. This book is about a year in the life of a good gardener, how ever extraordinary a writer he might have been.

During his lifetime, Capek realized that humans were becoming enslaved by fascism and run-amuck technology. The ancient and cyclical daily practices of humans were dying before his eyes --the beet farmers stacking their fall harvests at the railroad stations; the wagon loads of manure that could be delivered for garden beds; the nursury men who understood plants giving way to "market garden centers" staffed by those who regularly misidentify plants and stocked with items that "move" (produce a high volume of sales).

THE GARDENER'S YEAR is a reflective book. You don't have to garden to appreciate it, but if you garden, you will probably laugh on more than one occasion. Where is the gardener who has not struggled with a hose; Who has not looked with greed on a bald spot and attempted to squeeze six more phlox plants in, only to discover a dormant sping plant; And, where is the gardener who has not wandered about the yard with a plant in each hand trying to find just one more place for a perennial. Capek understood the gardener's soul. We are a greedy lot, obsessed with dirt, happy in a wagon load of s___, and hostile to many-legged life forms, but, we are also the best sort of human beings who understand the meaning and importance of life.

Capek's writing reminds me of that of Henry Mitchell who wrote two columns (one on gardening the other on "everyday" philosophy) for the Washington Post. Like Mitchell Capek had the gift of converting his own gardening experiences into tales that inform, enlighten, and illustrate the best and the worst of human nature. "I tell you there is no death, not even sleep. We only pass from one season to another. We must be patient with life, for it is eternal."

I brought this as one of those suggested sells, you know the "people who brought blah blah blah also brought this book" . . . so I did. And boy am I glad I did! Karel Capek is a wonderful author who struck a resounding chord in the heart and soul of this gardener. It was not only wonderfully clever but inspired me to tend to my little rooted, green outdoor children and give them bushels of attention, care and compost ASAP!!! Loved it!

I bought this book for a friend, as a gift upon her achieving Master Gardener certification. I expected something a bit different, a bit more practical, perhaps, but after leafing through the pages, I read the entire book before I gave it to her. Written by the man known to most of us as a European author of the early 20th century on more weighty subjects, this man's witty description of himself as the sometimes manic master of his small domestic garden both amuses and somehow comforts those of us who share his enthusiasm. I laughed long and loudly at Capek's description of what ensued from his planting of the seeds from just one packet, at the many dozens of little plants in little pots, all of which became bigger and bigger, and had to be taken outdoors, finally, to find places in a tiny garden patch. This is a short book, with short chapters, just right for picking up in odd moments during the winter months when we are only dreaming about the coming of gardening season once again.

This is the best book about gardeners I know of. With grace and humor, this book delightfully explores the glories and foibles of serious amateur gardeners. Any garden nut who reads this book without laughing and almost crying over this inciteful outing of the gardener's soul is a callous person indeed.

if you do not read this series by Mary Logue. Wonderful, full of suspense and mystery. Start at the beginning though, and you will enjoy the ride. I highly recommend this book.

A drunk in a pickup truck, thin ice, and an accusation of murder in the face of an affair: these are all scenarios Claire must deal with as she sets out to defend Buck from charges of abuse and possible murder. To top it all off, a bad storm may change all lives in this riveting mystery.

I grew up in Durand and for many years my mother lived across the street from the county office building that houses the Pepin County sheriffs department. I am amazed at how well the author portrays the town. She has merged the old ways that I remember with the new ways that I only know a little about. The coulees really set the Durand portion of the county off from the Lake Pepin part of the county, but it is well merged together in these books.
I am not normally a mystery book reader, but I thought that the author did a good job of keeping the mystery going until the end.

It all started with an early morning phone call from a sobbing woman, "I can't...What he did to me...", and then with a click the call was disconnected. Deputy Sherrif, Claire Watkins, tried to find out the identity of the distraught caller, but it was an untraceable local call, and there were no reports of domestic abuse when she checked at the station. So she was shocked and unsettled a few days later to see her neighbor, Stephanie Klaus, an obviously bruised and battered woman, at the post office. Stephanie wasn't interested in any help from Claire. She made her feeble excuses and left as quickly as she could get away. But when Stephanie's boyfriend, Buck, is murdered, and Stephanie's beaten again within an inch of her life, Claire digs in her heels, and decides to get to the truth, and find this monster, with or without Stephanie's help..... Mary Logue has written a compelling page turner set in picturesque western Wisconsin, that's full of atmosphere, vivid scenes, and a strong and empathetic heroine. Her main story line is tense and intriguing, and her writing, strong and eloquent. Unfortunately, the novel gets bogged down, at times, and loses some of its momentum with the varied subplots about Claire's boyfriend, his mother, and her daughter's teacher troubles. But even these distractions don't take too much away from the suspenseful plot. With a powerful ending that ties up all the loose ends, Glare Ice is a fast read, easily finished in one sitting, and the third installment of a strong and entertaining series.

She worked as a Minneapolis police officer until all the murders and other violent crimes ripped her soul apart so Claire Watkins accepted a job in Fort St. Antoine. She and her daughter Meg quickly fall in love with the small town atmosphere and Claire enjoys her work as head of felonious crimes.

Currently, Claire is more concerned over hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner than making any arrests as the mother of her boyfriend is the guest and this is their first meeting. At the post office, Claire notices a badly battered woman, but the individual refuses to provide any information to Claire. Next the woman's boyfriend is murdered in a particularly grisly manner and the woman is beaten up so badly this time she enters the hospital. In between Thanksgiving chores, Claire does her best to uncover the identity of the killer.

GLARE ICE is an exciting mystery that centers on who is Stephanie's attacker and why does she protect the culprit fiercer than a mother protecting her children. Overall Claire seems so genuine because she is contented with her life yet frustrated with dinner duty and the lack of cooperation on the case. The who-done-it is superb as Mary Logue showcases her storytelling abilities with this enjoyable tale.

Harriet Klausner

It's getting that "very used" look - wonderful information. Always in our travel secion or 'on the road' with us!

This guidebook exceeded my expectations. Appropriate detail, lots of history, wonderful dining and lodging suggestions. I can definitely credit this book with contributing to making our recent Door County vacation a hit. We stayed in an amazing bed and breakfast and every meal we had was delicious, which is not an easy feat considering we had never been in Door County before. I only disagree with a few of the suggestions.

Moon Handbooks: Wisconsin is a 570 page travel guide to the Badger state and designed specifically for the adventurous traveler seeking to sample its wealth of diverse cultural and ethnic festivities, events, communities, and cuisines. Now in a completely updated and expanded second edition, Moon Handbooks: Wisconsin is packed with invaluable, descriptive information ideal for planning everything from a simple daytrip to an elaborate and extended vacation itinerary. If you are traveling in Wisconsin, don't leave home without your very own copy of Moon Handbooks: Wisconsin!

This book is packed with history, geography, politics, art, and more. It will suprise and delight any native. Meticulously edited, all contact info. I used is up-to-date. After a few months, you find yourself laughing with Huhti, fighting with him, and agreeing with him; but most of all, you are awed by this native's depth of knowledge. He does use some obscure vocabulary. It's inconvienent, as most travelers I know don't carry a dictionary. More than a travel guide, it's an achievement.

If you are coming to Wisconsin bring this book with you and if you are a resident keep it in your glovebox. It covers all the obvious attractions as well as a wonderful selection of off the beaten path destinations. Huhti also give us heaps of interesting historical background and his love of the Badger State shines clearly through all 570 pages.