Maine Books

i loved this book i grew up there but later on i think that my mother is the helen in the book she remembers all these guys at salisbury rewnting a house when here nad her girlfriends rented a house and one had leukiamia she loved it also

Spouse and I both left a stack of bestsellers to gather dust while we devoured "A Summer with Charlie." We laughed. We cried. We were deeply moved. We recommended it to all our reader friends. You can't ask for better from a book than that.

I enjoyed the book very much because it brought back memories of my own younger years. It was written with sensitivity and wit, and showed the effect Charlie had on friends and family in a life cut too short. A very entertaining read.

Delightful! The correspondence of 19 years between White and Lawrence is insightful, informative and elegant! Their letterse (far more elegant than e-mail) give us glimpses into life in the 60's and 70's and beyond. This book, which is expertly edited by Emily Herring Wilson has inspired a perennial garden at our Wisconsin home and a renewed interest in the writings of E.B. White, not to mention the writings of Katharine White and Elizabeth Lawrence. These two career women and ladie were supportive and encouraging of one another for 19 years!

As the editor of TWO GARDENERS/KATHARINE S. WHITE AND ELIZABETH LAWRENCE, I welcome hearing from readers. I am now writing the biography of Elizabeth Lawrence and would benefit from hearing others' understanding of her, both in these letters and in her books. Emily Herring Wilson

The TWO GARDENERS in question are Katherine White of New Yorker fame and Elizabeth Lawrence who wrote a garden column for years for the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. White's columns on gardening written for the New Yorker magazine were compiled by her husband E. B. White (CHARLOTTE'S WEB, STUART LITTLE) and published after her death in 1977 in the book entitled ONWARD AND UPWARD IN THE GARDEN. Lawrence wrote a number of books, including THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE and THE LITTLE BULBS. Her book THE MARKET BULLETINS was completed by the New Jersey gardener Alan Lacy. The market bulletins were wonderful publications farm women in the South used to communicate information about seeds, plants, animals, receipts (what they called recipes), and other items they for sale or being sought. Elizabeth shared a good deal of information about the market bulletins which were not published north of Virginia with Katherine whose one interests lay with garden catalogues when their friendship began.

Lawrence and White corresponded for several decades. The two women discussed their gardens, their columns, their books, and their lives. In the early part of their correspondence, they often wrote each other by return mail. Toward the end of Katherine's life, the letters were few and far between as illness began to affect her movement and ability to see. In spite of their suffering, they continued to observe the world around them and relay how things were going in the garden-the latest blooms, the ravenous mice, the unexpected cold snap, the new greenhouse. Their words remind me of the hope and comfort women have long experienced when a letter from a loved one arrives. As my 87-year old aunt with whom I still correspond says, it doesn't matter what you write, the smallest thing matters.

The editor of this collection of letters Emily Wilson, quotes a librarian who remarked after having read the letters Elizabeth and Katherine wrote to each other, "I got a feeling of moral interdependence on a creative level. Somehow I had viewed the creativity of successful people as a strong force that perhaps needed channeling but not encouragement. Now, on this new-to-me-plane, I see again that no man is an island."

I love this book. The recipes are easy and I remember some of them from years ago. A definite stocking stuffer for my family.

I purchased this book at L.L. Bean in the early 1990s and it is one of my favorites. The 'Gingerbread II' recipe is one of my staples; it makes the house smell great while it's cooking and it is a very hearty dessert -- a real crowd-pleaser! I also love the 'Lemon-Ginger Chicken Salad' recipe which includes green seedless grapes and is served in half a cantaloupe. I've taken the recipe to many pot-luck dinners and it always receives favorable comments. The zucchini-orange bread and banana bread recipes are also part of my list of "old stand-bys".

The pictures of Moody's through the decades are great, too. You won't go wrong with this cookbook!

I grew up in Waldoboro, ME, the home of Moody's Diner. Now, 30 years later, when I go back to Waldoboro, I always stop in for a meal at Moody's. The food is wonderful diner fare, the prices are very reasonable.The atmosphere never changes. It is a step back to another era.

Rather than having to question, "What does that mean?" as is typical in many poems, the first read is substantial and satisfying yet it demands "one more time." Then a second read engages another depth. Each time I read these poems I obtain new visions. "Whispers" gives insight into the many cultures in Spain and the stories intrigue. There's something for everyone from passion to pathos. I find this a way to visit Andalucia many times with many perceptions. It surely brings poetry to a different audience.

"Whispers" launches the reader on a journey to Spain missed by most travelers. The artful poetry engages the life experiences of war, love, sorrow, longing, mystery and notions of children. The photographs beckon to the poems and become additional voices of the land's magic. Any first time traveler to Spain should use this book as an introduction to feel the sensitivities of the many people who inhabited the land.

WHISPERS FROM THE LAND presents a measure of distinction untouched by books of poetry, with a "tapestry of connections that craves for more. Penny finds meaning in the ordinary and extraordinary in Spain's evocative architecture and culture, through all five senses. She crystallizes the concrete from the abstract with a deep treasure chest for the curious mind. Her poetry paints on a mental canvas with Mike Wilkes's photographs as synergy and delivers ambrosia for readers. Penny's pen captures the nuances and spirit of each photograph, and human moment, with metaphors that vibrate from the passion in her work to relate to your experiences. Her words glow with freedom and pulse with Nature. The collection encompasses the contempory and the Don Quixote in all of us. Our emotions sway from the "Ole!" for the torero to fear for the bulls, from invasion and war to a toast with tinto vino to the children of tomorrow. My annotations were placed on a separate pad since the photographs could be framed. This work fulfills the four human needs: to live, love, learn and give. Penny's poetry has that alluring charm that draws you in for a repeated glimpse of Nature, yours and the ambience of Spain.

Wintering Well is a really good book to read. It talks about a boy named Will and his sister Cassie. Will gets his leg cut off and him and his sister Cassie move into town with their sister to look and start a new life, Will getsa new leg and a job for.....Read it to find out! I LOVED IT!
-Oreo-From Clinton,MO.

Wintering Well is a terrific book. The characters are wonderful, and the author does a great job of approaching a very difficult subject-physical disability-in a way that is moving and engaging. It's clear that the author did a lot of historical research, but the research never gets in the way of the writing or the story. It's seamless and reads beautifully. Reading Wintering Well, you feel like you have stepped right into the early 19th century. Highly recommended.

Will has an accident and loses his leg, but WINTERING WELL is not gross or sad ... it is about how he copes, and how his sister Cassie helps him ... and they both learn that challenges can bring exciting rewards. I couldn't put it down, and I'm older than 13. Really good and exciting and feels real..One of my favorite books now!

A great book that explores a childhood fantasy of being on your own and getting by in the wilderness - no parents allowed! I recently reread this book that I enjoyed as a kid and it is still pretty great. It would make a fun movie.

Anne Lindbergh shines! A great book

This is a great book to read when you're on vacation or at the beach. It's the story of 3 sisters Alice, Allegra, and Edith (aka Minnow) who are reluctant to leave their summer house when their parents vacation plans are suddenly changed. Rather than spend a week with their boring and strict aunt, they concoct a plan which will allow them to stay behind without their parents. As Allegra puts it "We'll be on the island and we won't have a worry in the world!" But their plan goes awry and they find themselves facing dilemma after dilemma: sprained ankles, sunburns, murdering thieves (not really) and NO food. Some parents may worry about the ideas sent by of three young girls living for a week without adult supervision. Not to mention there's a lot of skinny dipping. But if you're going to oppose the book on those grounds, you may as well tell people to burn copies of "Pippi Longstocking". The book is well written with a definitively humorous tone. The characters are very real and well portrayed. Overall the story is charming and witty and exciting. If you like it you may want to read Lindbergh's 'Pinapple Place' books, though I think this book outshines them.

Alan Nyiri's notes accompanying the images caused me to see them differently than I expected to upon sitting down and opening Acadia Panorama. One gets the faintest notion that his use of panoramic equipment puts Nyiri self-consciously outside the norm, as if he were requiring us to use a GAF Viewmaster or employing some contrivance to interpret the scenes. Reading the notes increased my curiosity and intensified my inspection, corner to corner, edge to edge, over and over. Somewhere along the way there was a spark of recognition. I had been there once before, not to Mt. Desert, but to that place where you can tell yourself you have nothing better to do than to wait and watch, gather in a bunch of seemingly wasted moments till you apprehend THE moment. I wanted to be there again, so I slowly turned page after page, imagining the ascent to the vantage point, thinking how brisk the air must be, how my beard must be getting a bit straggly after several days, how little I am missing revving engines and ringing phones. Thank you my dear friend Mr. Nyiri, for taking me to that place again.

Alan Nyiri combines a sensitivity of light, a keen sense of place and obvious love of nature to produce this marvelous collection of images. In this book the artist explores and expands the panoramic format in the exquisite setting of one of the most beautiful parks in all the world. If you're a fan of panoramic photography, a fan of Mount Desert Island, or are considering a visit to that enchanted island, you'll want this book.

Full disclosure; I'm a friend of Alan's and an admirer of his work.

I became aware of this book by seeing Jack Perkins interviewed on Maine Public Television about it. It was a wonderful interview and he read some of his poems and explained how the book came to be. It has always been a secret hope of mine that I might bump into Jack some place in Maine, but it has not happened yet. The next best thing is to own his book, and then he can talk to you and share his vision of this unique area of our lovely state. His talent is not limited to his high profile experiences in television journalisim for NBC. He is an accomplished photographer and poet and he has a wonderful heart.

Poetry has gone out of fashion in our obsession with things that take no work and require no thought. Recently my wife and I hosted a dinner in Washington at which Jack spoke. He read from and commented on his poems. For an old broadcast journalist to attempt something like this before an audience of other, mostly cynical journalists was very brave, indeed. But Jack brought it off in a way that had people listening respectfully and then responding enthusiastically. Many promised to immediately purchase their own copies. Whatever relationship you may or may not have with Maine, "Acadia" will do something for your heart that few other contemporary books can do. I highly recommend it as a gift, or for your own consumption and enjoyment. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

This book was the greatest book I've ever read, and I recommend it to everyone. Its about two cousins, Molly and Caleb. They consider themselves "double first cousins" because Mollys mom and Calebs dad were brother and sister, and Calebs mom and Molly's dad were brother and sister. They find they are attracted to each other, but know that their love can never be. The also are haunted by a ghoast named Evaline Bloodsworth, whoose story is similiar to their own.

I read this book and it was phenomenal. I loved it! The tradgedy of loving someone so much, yet knowing that it could never be. The story was great, but it was like two stories in one book. I loved it, along with another book by the Author, Summer endings

This is a fine beginners guide to identifying the tracks you might find while hiking in New England, whether you're in an urban area or on a wilderness hike. While not comprehensive, you will find the more common animals from your environment -- 34 mammals (including mice, squirrels, rabbits, snakes, skunks, frogs and toads, fox, coyote, porcupine, raccoon, deer, moose and bear) and 9 birds (including grouse, crow, duck, owl, heron and eagle).

The book begins with a preface of enouragement followed by an introduction on how to use the book and where/how to look for tracks, continues with 2-page species entries, and concludes with a short suggested reading list and an index.

Entries are ordered roughly by size, and a 5-inch ruler is printed on the back cover. Each entry has a couple of descriptive paragraphs on the lefthand page and b&w line drawings of typical tracks on the right.

This little book is surprisingly informative and quite compact -- a perfect introductory book for kids or adults who are interested in the wildlife around them.

I use this book everytime I go hikin