California Books

I found this book extremely helpful, covering every aspect of the rides,food, accomodation & recommendations.

Even if you have been to Disneyland before, this book is fun, informative and entertaining. I started buying these guides in 1997 and have bought one every year since. We are planning a big multi-family vacation and I recently bought each family their own copy!

This is a really useful book, tons of tips, saved me a lot $$ and time. The most valuable thing I learn is to rent a multi-family vacation house with my friends, 16 people for $199 a day. We all enjoy the stay at a luxury emerald island resort. check this out: http://www.cyberrentals.com/index.cfm/property/126687

I never plan any "Disney" trip without this book. They keep it as up to date as possible (always call before going). And have wonderful "tips" that others don't know about.

Our family are Walt Disney World veterans who are now thinking about heading to California to see what Disneyland has to offer. We really enjoy the Birnbaum's Official Guide to Walt Disney World and when we began to research Disneyland, I knew that along with the Unoffical Guide, The Disneyland version was a guidebook I had to have. The photos are great, the information is complete, and it does not have an "official" slant feeling. The extra section detailing the 50th Anniversary Celebration is a great bonus, as well as the information on things to do in the general Disneyland area. We do plan to head west before the celebration is complete and this guidebook has given us a real feel for what to expect. I highly recommend it.

I read this book a while back. I was looking for another book by the same author and I noticed that Blood Father only had 4 reviews. You've got to be kidding! This was a great book! It was very different from what I usually read, but so well done that I want to read another one by the same author. Something different. Something good. Go for it!

John Link is an ex Hells Angel, his mission in life is to find his runaway daughter and reconnect, keep his life simple and stay clean. One phone call from that runaway daughter, Lydia, and his life is changed forever. Go on the run with Lydia and Link as Link accomplishes what must be done to keep Lydia alive while she is being chased and hunted by a drug cartels thugs. Throughout this wild drama Lydia is finding out for herself just what kind of mess she has gotten herself into and the realization that Link has always wanted to be there for her and how far he is willing to forsake himself. This book was awesome and in some ways hit close to home to the point it was scary. I look forward to going back in time with Craig's previous titles and to whatever he has planned next.

Set on the streets of LA among the violent gangs who mete out their own unforgiving brand of vengeance, this is a story of survival, regret, fear and hatred. Blood Father plunges fully into the twisted psyche of a twisted part of today's society, visiting with the seemingly hopeless plight of the drug addicted kids caught up in the LA street gangs. Peter Craig has given us an absorbing story featuring an estranged father / daughter relationship that has been brought back together in a grim fight for survival.

I found Blood Father to be a particularly moving story that is a modern day tragedy about a former Hell's Angel who is just putting his life back together after a long stretch in prison and his daughter, a wild child rebel whose addiction to drugs and danger have thrown her into trouble way above her head.

This character-based story is dominated by Link and Lydia Jane, the father and daughter who have to learn and accept each other as they also try to evade an array of pursuers.

Link was a member of the Hell's Angels, a biker who lived life on the absolute edge, often through a haze of drugs and alcohol. There can be no doubt, he was a loser on a one way ride to self-destruction and his imprisonment for manslaughter was not only inevitable but also partly his salvation. The other part came before he went to jail when his girlfriend gave birth to a baby girl. She was born very premature and it seemed unlikely that she would survive her first week. She did and Link named her Lydia Jane. Although Link loved her, he and her mother moved apart and he fell into trouble and a long prison stretch.

Through a series of marriages, Lydia's mother turned herself into a high society woman, part of the rich set leaving her days as a biker's woman well and truly behind her. Lydia however was a rebellious girl who was occasionally abused by her stepfathers and she turned to drugs at a young age. Gradually, she moved in with a smooth talking dealer, unaware just how dangerous he was until she made one mistake too many and had to run.

When Lydia joins Link they head for open country with the initial fear that the police were after them and then later, the cold realisation hits that someone with a grudge against Lydia was also on their trail. But this seems so much more than a simple grudge, her pursuers leaving behind a frightening trail of devastation leading Link to wonder what she had left behind her and how he was going to protect her.

Blood Father is a grim story oozing with hopelessness with both father and daughter in desperate need of support with one either picking up the pieces of his life and the other strung out on drugs. They are a couple who are simultaneously fighting their own demons, learning to love and respect each other while distracted by the terrible danger that seems to be a mere step behind them.

Although the second half of the book steams ahead with the frantic thrill of the chase, the pace is a lot more leisurely at the start with a great deal of groundwork put in place regarding the character backgrounds. I appreciated the background detail finding it gave a greater feeling of depth and understanding for Link and Lydia, not to mention stark insight into the type of people who would be coming after them later.

Peter Craig has done an outstanding job of creating an extreme situation with a strong leaning towards tremendous violence and has made it seem entirely plausible. He has written a powerful story, filled it with flawed heroes and then has made us care about them. It gets into the dirty cracks of society prising out the greedy, the needy and the vicious who thrive on the blooming drug culture. The focus for us is whether two people will be able to escape from that life unscathed.

Well-written and provocative, this is an excellent modern noir thriller with relevant themes that are portrayed all too realistically. Because happy endings are never assured in real life, nothing can be taken for granted her either other than the certainty that this book will move you.

Peter Craig's Blood Father follows on the heels of his hugely entertaining literary crime thriller Hot Plastic. And while his prior work drifted closer to Thompson's noir territory, this book finds him in an Ellroy sort of mood, reveling in the criminal underground seething through the streets of LA and the baked nowhere deserts of Nevada. You can check out the plot synopsis above, so I won't recap it here, but it is a fairly traditional setup. The difference in Blood Father is the way Craig carefully crafts each character so that they transcend their thriller archetypes and become living, breathing people whose interactions drive the plot as much as the fast-paced machinations of the setup. And Craig's research into the dynamics of prison life, early Hell's Angels crank-trade, and the workings of the AFO and Mexican Mafia are all fascinating.

The elements for a classic thriller are here. Fully realized characters (including intensely brutal bad guys)- Check. Unexpected twists which redefine your perception of the depth of the story- Check. Awesome insights into prison life and aspects of the criminal underground- Check. Hard-boiled dialogue- Check. Gonzo pace, rich setting, and a hugely satisfying resolution- Three more checks.

There are moments in the book where it feels like it was being written for eventual film adaptation (i.e. cutesy quips during intense action scenes, or action scenes that occasionally defy physics for the sake of "something really cool happening"), but the pace of the book and the overall quality of the writing make these elements negligible. I can only hope that the eventual film of Blood Father will convey the richness of the prose and the wonderful relationship between Lydia and Link.

I'm not alone in hoping that Craig will soon craft a crime novel of epic proportions. He's clearly proven his ability with character-based road thrillers (and, really, the intense drama of familial relationships). Now I'm looking forward to an American Tabloid or Traffic-type sprawl. If any new crime author is up to it, it's Craig. Meanwhile, Blood Father comes very highly recommended.

Lydia Carson, on the run from her boyfriend Jonas' gang, calls her long estranged father for help. Her dad, Link, is an ex-con and ex-Hell's Angel. Lydia doesn't know it, but Link has been trying to find her for years, ever since he went to prison and she disappeared with her mother. Link jumps at the chance to help Lydia, and thus begins a wild adventure across the southern California desert. Link must use all of his wits to keep himself and his daughter alive.

Peter Craig's third novel builds on the themes he explored in the previous two--particularly, the adult child's relationship with the father. Although his work is primarily character-driven he has achieved a new level of storytelling with Blood Father. His navigation through back story is particularly skillful, he has the knack of writing flashbacks which do not distract and give emotional depth to the characters. The language in this novel is beautiful, and bestows a quality of grace to these characters who the reader comes to care about deeply.

Awsome story with just enough horse to make it good. I am usually very critical of any equine errors but found none in this book. Really enjoyed.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Not only were the plot and characters well-written and entertaining, the factual information regarding the horse show industry was pretty accurate. This is fairly rare in a novel.

I enjoyed the main characters, Sandy and Tom, and felt that both were fleshed out well. Their relationship faced ordinary obstacles -- jealousy, mistrust, uncertainty -- amongst unusual circumstances.

The support characters were consistent, which is often difficult for authors to achieve.

Additionally, there were enough hazy references to the first book in the series (which I have not yet read) to pique my interest. I look forward to picking it up soon.

This is a well paced story with unexpected twists and turns that had me guessing up until the surprising conclusion. Sandra and Tom are shown to be more than just detectives, they are individuals that are complex and compelling. Like Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn of the Tony Hillerman novels, I want to see them at work, because I want to know the characters better.

Wonderful book! I am rarely surprised at who the murderer is. But in both Blood Reins and an animated murder in Burbank I was pleasantly surprised. Mr. Joens is an excellent author and I highly recommend all of his books.

"Blood Reins" is the follow-up in the Detective Sandra Cameron series from the starting novel, "An Animated Death in Burbank," and once again, it reflects one of the authors' passions and something he knows a great deal about. The first story featured a murder mystery within the animation industry (Michael Joens has past week in the animation field.) and in this novel, the plot revolves around people involved in horse-racing and breeding.

Our heroine, Sandra Cameron is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder from the events of the past story. She's having nightmares as well as breakdowns and although her relationship with Tom Rigby, as well the kitten Sylvie he gave to her, have helped, she's still pretty messed up. Things only seem to go from bad to worse when the murder case in this novel, of horse trainer Chet Gundry, ends up involving both her and her father as potential suspects.

As the story unfolds, there are more deaths and more potential suspects as well. The web grows quite complicated and the strain takes its toll on both Sandra and Tom. It'll keep you guessing right up to the end.


I didn't enjoy "Blood Reins" quite as much as "An Animated Death in Burbank," but overall it was still a great story. It's probably just because I have an interest in animation, but don't really care much about horses. Still, if you enjoyed the first book in the series, you'll probably like this one. And I'm definitely looking forward to the next installment in the series.

On a par with Francine Rivers, Ms. Noble takes my breath away with this wonderfully written novel. Once I started the first page, I literally couldn't put it down. The story of Quaid, Emmeline and Merci and they're walks with God were so moving, I found myself on the verge of tears many times. Especially with Merci's story. To watch her go from tragedy to redemption was awe inspiring. Ms. Noble knows how to touch the heart with a deepness that leaves me truly touched. Not overly preachy, any non-christian will find this book very entertaining and won't help but be touched by it. Superbly written.

Diane Noble delivers a beautiful escape that takes us from Washington D.C. to sunny and wild Southern California. The characters are real. They have the same problems we all have. I saw myself in each of the three main characters...Merci with her struggle with who she really is, Emmeline with her determination and struggle with her place in life, and even Quaid with his struggle with his own desires and the desires of others. Ms. Noble weaves a tale that is sure to thrill the heart of every reader. Number three cannot come out soon enough.

Emmeline Amity Callahan has always been an outcast. Not pretty and vivacious like her half sisters, she is also socially inept and ill-at-ease with the Washington, D.C. social scene that is part of her world as the stepdaughter of Senator James Dearbourne, who readers will remember from WHEN THE FAR HILLS BLOOM (1999).

When her step-grandmother Sara Dearbourne, offers to give her the family rancho, she jumps at the chance. Sara's offer is only good if Emmeline can show a profit she does some research and plans an orange grove on the land.

She arrives in California after having gone to Brazil where she obtained Bahia orange seedlings. Meeting her train is Quaid Dearbourne, the son of her stepfather's brother, Spence and his wife, the former Aislin Byrne whose family owns the land adjacent to the Dearbourne's. His grandmother Byrne has just made a similar proposition to Quaid, she will give him the Rancho de Paloma land if he can show he is able to make it profitable. His cousin, Merci Byrne, daughter of his mother's sister Brighid, is disappointed when she isn't the one to inherit the rancho. However, Merci has a far more serious problem to deal with when she discovers the secret to her heritage - that her birth was the result of her mother's rape. Thinking of herself as being unworthy since she is the product of evil, Merci flees the rancho to go to Los Angeles.

In her quest to find work and to be independent of the Byrne family, Merci puts her life in danger. When she is forced into prostitution, she accepts her fate as a daughter of evil. She believes herself to be unworthy of anyone's love, including God's.

Meanwhile, Quaid and Emmeline are involved in a battle of wills. Eager to find a way to provide needed water for her orange grove, Emmeline discovers what may appears to have been someone falsifying water rights maps. Quaid, who has the most to gain from this, is the prime suspect. Emmeline whose feelings for Quaid has evolved from friendship to love, is devastated.

Merci, in the meantime, has fled from the control of the man who had her working as a prostitute and has found refuge in a central California mission and although she now feels somewhat safe, she still cannot accept the fact that she is unclean. Her mother and her Indian friend search for her but when they get close, are told by a wise friend that perhaps Merci needs to find her own way and come back on her own terms. Reluctantly, they return to the rancho. Fortunately for Merci, she finds an ally in another former prostitute who has found shelter at an abandoned mission. And, although Merci still doesn't accept that she is a child of God, she does agree to stay at the mission for a while.

Quaid has always cared for Merci, as their respective parents' only children, they have always been as close as sister and brother instead of cousins. Knowing the danger Merci still faces, Quaid decides it is up to him to find her and bring her home. Merci, though, feels hopeless. Will Quaid find her before it's too late?

THE BLOSSOM AND THE NETTLE is a complex tale, beautifully told as only someone of Diane Noble's talent can. As with WHEN THE FAR HILLS BLOOM, Noble's love of her native California is readily apparent. Readers will not be able to put this book down once they begin. Those who are looking for a compelling, inspirational read need look no further. Ms. Noble is able to skillfully integrate details of life in 1880s California with the story in such a way as to make the reader feel a part of Emmeline, Merci, and Quaid's world.

Readers will anxiously await the third book in the California Chroncles, trilogy, AT PLAY IN THE PROMISED LAND, the story of Emmeline and Quaid's daughter, Juliet Rose Dearbourne.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Ms. Noble is exceptionally adept at interweaving two opposite story lines- a touching love story involving Emmeline and Quaid, and Merci's heart-wrenching spiritual journey. Not only was I entertained by her intriguing plot and wonderful writing, I was spiritually uplifted as well. I can't wait until Book 3!

Reading The Blossom and the Nettle is like sinking your teeth into a freshly-picked California orange--delicious and sweet, full of juicy surprises, yet good for you as well! I totally identified with Emmeline, whose self-confidence was often undone when she looked in the mirror. Quaid was the perfect Golden State hero--rugged yet not so macho he couldn't see the soft side of our headstrong Miss Callahan. And Merci broke my heart in two with her prodigal daughter journey toward hope. Three unique, memorable characters, breathtaking scenery, a message of genuine faith, and true love--it doesn't get any better than that!

Techniques I & II are absolute Must Haves in EVERY Library of those even contemplating Bonsai. John Naka was a Brilliant Man, and I am happy to say I learned much from Him, about Bonsai and about Life. Two things He taught me .....

The Master is One who learns from every source, especially from his Student.

Everyone knows when the Student is ready, the Teacher will appear, but few reMember ..... when the Teacher is ready, the Student will appear.

Hai!

Buyer beware. I would just like to point out that the prices are way out of the ball park. I purchased the same book for half price from an online bonsai store.....

I've seen on here that that promote the book as collectable because he signed the book. He signed every book. Don't fall for it.

This is the second of two great books by John Y. Naka. This book breaks the tree down, and goes into greater detail about each section of the tree. Then it gets into pots and how to display your bonsai. Both these books are worth the price, and if your into bonsai you need both his book.

A must have. This book along with Bonsai techniques I by John Yoshio Naka is one that will always be reference by the beginner or advance Bonsai enthusiast

If you want the mystery taken out of Bonsai; YOU NEED THESE BOOKS!! Both of his books are known worldwide as the "Bible" for Bonsai. Just to let you know that NOT ALL HIS BOOKS ARE SIGNED!!!
A lot are though. I have two sets myself; one signed, and one not signed. I read and reference out of the ones not signed. I have been creating and selling Bonsai for 8 years, and this book still blows my mind when I read it EVERY WINTER and reference it several times a month!! Great stuff!!!

To get a glimpse of Shunru through this text is very gratifying. He deftly communicates the paradoxical aspects of ji-the apparent-and ri-the unseen. The text takes the reader through subtle aspects of zen thinking mind, but without being overly analytical. When he hears himself getting too conceptual, he pulls away with humor and a very special humanness that communicates beyond words, which is actually the context of the Sandokai! I enjoy picking up Branching Streams and reading it for clarity and inspiration every day, and you will too.

I have no doubt that Shunryu Suzuki will be a great influence on American Buddhism for many years to come. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (though not "written" by Suzuki-roshi--it's edited from lectures) has been a work that I have turned to again and again through-out my years of practice, finding new levels of insight each time. Branching Streams is a deserving continuation to the publication of Suzuki-roshi's teaching (it is, of course, also based on lectures, coming almost thirty years after his death). But it is a little more slow-going than Zen Mind and probably won't be as accessible to those without some experience of Zen. But, like Zen Mind, there are some beautiful, even poetic moments in the text. If you are just getting started in Zen and haven't read Zen Mind, you should definitely start with that before moving on to this. But if you have read ZM, BM and couldn't get enough, you will enjoy revisiting the Master.

This is Shunryu Suzuki's commentary on the Sandokai. The Sandokai is a poem by Zen master Sekito Kisen on the inseparability of the relative and the absolute.

You will find this poem in many Zen and Buddhism books. I checked out 10 or 11 books from the library, and this poem was in... I think it was 4 of them. So it wouldnt be very hard to compare the different translations of the peom if one wished. They differ quite a bit. Although the core meaning is always the same.

This poem was written in response to the disagreement between the northern (more hinayana/gradual) and southern (more mahayana/instant) schools that started to distance themselve in the 7th century. Actually it started long before that and continues to this day. Also, the one school, by very nature contains the "other school." So while more and more people were sticking to one side or the other, the absolute teachings of Zen were suffering from this ignorance. Thats where the illuminating rays of Sekito Kisen's wisdom--in the form of the Sandokai--illuminate and expose a dualistic view that so easily creeps into Zen practice and jeopardizes it. Sekito shines his wisdom upon not just the troubles of the northern and southern schools, but on the perils of sticking to dualistic views in and of themselves.

While the actual poem is only a couple pages. It is powerful and very important to all of Buddhism. Suzuki gives a valuable commentary that takes the poem line for line. Each chapter takes 4, 5 or 6 lines of the poem. Suzuki explains and adds his own words of wisdom, experiences and views wich brings out the profound nature of these verses that might otherwise be to deep for most people. You cand read a line and think "yeah I see the meaning of that." Then Suzuki hits it from many angles and tells you not to stick to any point-of-view. Leaving you exposed to the futility of your quick tendency to grasp at things. You can tell Suzuki's understanding of this teaching comes from living experience.

While this book is full of valuable teachings, it suffers at times from being takin from lectures. I know Zen Mind, and Not Always So are also takin from lectures. But this being a commentary on a single poem and not just various lectures put together make it all the more noticeable.

Without the true voice (Suzuki Roshi) of this book around to help, the editors had to take the lectures and prune and shape them into this piece of literature. Editing plays a major role in making all the chapters cohesive. Resulting in a feeling at times of maybe losing some meaning and/or accent. But this isnt a major issue. Just worth noting. Otherwise this is a well presented book. The wisdom found here will be appreciated regardless of any difficulties inherent in a project of this nature.

The Sandokai has meaning far beyond the words used to write it. Suzuki Roshi gives us some very valuable commentary on this meaning "behind the words." If you are intersted in Zen, the Sandokai, or Suzuki Roshi you should read this book. If not, read it anyway.

This book is largely a well-executed editing effort of a number of talks that Suzuki Roshi gave of the Sandokai, a poem written in the early zen years. The poem, written by the Eighth Ancestor in China, Sekito Kisen, was intended to bridge a perceived (and I am hesitant to say) 'philisophical' gap between two zen schools of the time. One appealed to the 'clever', and the other appealed to the 'dull'. The Sandokai reveals that Buddha-nature transcends all such interpretations.

Each talk addresses a different section of the poem. Each chapter begins with the section of the poem that will be discussed. At the end of each talk there is discussion, consisting of questions from the students followed by the Roshi's response.

While superficially, bridging the gap between the "northern school" and the "southern school" was the impetus, we learn from the Roshi the poem's many deeper meanings. By reading the talks one begins to realize the great import of this poem as a primary and essential work.

Anyone who has read Suzuki's first book can attest to the Roshi's keen ability to impart the most complex subjects on a simple and understandable level. He does so in a way that also recognizes the limitations of such talks.

While this text was clearly not intended to be an introduction to practice, those who regularly practice will find it an invaluable work, and those, such as I, who have worn out the covers of 'Zen Mind Beginner's Mind' over many, many years won't be disappointed. The Sandokai is addressed by the Master in a most refreshing, sometimes humorous, and most enlightening way.

I look forward to wearing out this book as much as the first.

This is an excellent little book. It is based on the a series of talks that were given by Shunryu Suzuki in a sesshin lead by him, as it happened near the end of his life. The book in my view would be suited to a more advanced practitioner rather than a beginner. However all would benefit by reading it.

The book gives a line by line explanation of the "The Identity of Absolute and Relative" sutra. This sutra along with the "Heart Sutra" are the two main sutras chanted in Zen Buddhist services.

As practitioners we hear this sutra over and over again and it is easy to think of it as just a simple and poetic piece(even dare I say it, tune out to some extent with our own familarity), which it is. Suzuki's explanation of the sutra shows that considerably more can be gleaned from studying/meditating on this important zen work.

Ms. Freudenheim has provided us with a very well-written book about how new and developing architectureal styles happen, using the SF Bay Area and the development of the Arts and Crafts style as a perfect example. Ms. Freudenheim's excellant research and engaging style shows, in words and photos, how a web of people and buildings continually interact and thus result in a new style. In this greatly expanded edition of a now hard-to-find great original book, we learn about these people, their interactions, and how this resulted in a new archtectural style. This book will be enjoyed by anyone interested in the Arts and Crafts style, either as a home owner, collector, scholar, or as a total observer of the Arts and Crafts movement and it's recent resurgence. Enjoy!

Leslie Freudenheim has captured an era that has given great beauty to our lives. With grace and wisdom she has presented the San Francisco Bay Area as a landscape filled with the richness of the architectural geniuses who gave the area their distinctive creations. The beauty of the arts and crafts buildings complements nature, and bonds our living spaces into it. The author has, with a great deal of style, significantly enriched our experience of this fine period in our history.

Building With Nature, when first published in 1974, brought attention to Bay Region Architecture as a tradition, as the progenitor of simple homes, grounded on the philosophy of Bernard Maybeck and Charles Keeler among others, and as an influence on residential architecture of subsequent generations. In this new and significantly expanded book, Leslie Freudenheim broadens the inquiry toward a wider appreciation of indigenous forms of California architecture, and an understanding of the relation of natural building and environmental sensitivity to the international Arts and Crafts Movement. The book is a must for any Arts and Crafts devotee and architectural history, personal, or professional library.
Robert M. Craig [author, Bernard Maybeck at Principia College The Art and Craft of Building]

This is a very important reexamination of the American origins of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the major contibutions of a small group of Bay Area designers. The central role is occupied by the Reverend Joseph Worcester who created one of the true landmarks of the movement with the Church of the New Jerusalem in San Francisco. The author provides new context and a great amount of new reseach. This book is a major accomplishment.

This is the first book to truly explore the origins of the American Arts & Crafts Movement. A group in San Francisco began constructing simpler buildings and furnishing them with what eventually was called Mission furniture. This lead to the nationwide popularization of Craftsman homes and furniture by Stickley and others. If you have an interest in Architecture or the "Arts & Crafts" you should read this book.

This is a book full of plot twists and turns. I love the style of the narration. The narration is mostly third person, but every so often, the narrator offers an explitive that seems to come right from the gut of the main character, Art.

Schow includes a good deal of wit and attention to detail in the plot. Art's dog, Blitz is a german shepherd, who flunked out of police K-9 school, and now serves as Art's main companion. Schow's description of everyday dog behavior, intimating at the dog's underlying motives, is something any dog owner will instantly recognize and laugh along with.

But the real thrill in this book is in trying to unravel Art's story. Art is a recluse, living in a custom designed home on the northern California coast. The loss of Art's spouse figures prominently into Art's near total detatchment from the outside world. Art has vitually no human contact. Schow considers the possiblity that human contact for many is limited to a trip to the mall.

The book is a fairly quick read. Schow seems to have threaded the needle of keeping a fast-paced plot moving, while at times describing places and events in exquisite detail. He captures the vertigo feeling of drunken, drugged, and schizophrenic confusion in few words, yet the reader completely "gets it."

Like a drive along the northern coastal California roads near where the story occurs, you should buckle up, pay attention, and hang on--this book is a heck of a ride.

I seem to fall into this trap a lot: I pick up a book expecting one thing, and get another. Usually, I knock off at least one star when this happens, because the "preview" on the back of a book, coupled with the first chapter or two is (in my opinion) a promise to deliver something. Often, it does NOT deliver. The only reason I expected gore and such in Bullets of Rain is simply because I've read Black Leather Required, also by Schow. However, Bullets of Rain does not promise to include such, and so: my bad. Let me just say that Bullets of Rain is one of the most exciting novels I've read in a long time. It has great character development, and you THINK that you know the characters. But as you soon will find, nothing is always what it seems. I will not spoil the book, and thus, will take it no further than that. Something that the previews do advertise is suspense. And let me tell you this; this book has some serious suspense. It's very complex, yet very easy to read. Confused? It isn't easy trying to articulate what this book is all about without giving away too much. You like gore? You won't find it here. You like extremely talented writing with suspense that will keep you up way past your bedtime? Do yourself a favor and pick this book up at the first chance you get. You won't regret it.

Every now and then I'll let myself be led to a writer by way of another writer's reviews. I had seen David Schow's name several times before, mostly in horror anthologies, but I had never read any of his works. Schow is billed as the father of splatterpunk, but don't let that deceive you. He may be the father of that sub-genre, but let me tell ya, he's a lot better--and a lot smarter--than any of that. I last encountered Schow's name in S.T. Joshi's "The Evolution of the Weird Tale," where Joshi (another of my favorite authors) wrote admiringly of Schow's work. So, based on Joshi's recommendation, I went looking for Schow's works. The only book of Schow's that I could find in the local used/new bookstore was Bullets of Rain, so this became my introduction to him. Bullets of Rain is billed as suspense, and that it is. Schow kept me locked in with his highly charged, action-packed story line. There's more here than meets the eye, though; much of the book is slam bang, but there's more going on beneath the surface. For one thing, the characters have some very interesting and poignant things to say about human relationships--so much so, in fact, that I took out my notebook and wrote down a few key phrases. What more can I say? Schow is a very bright light in what is often a dim field of literature. Check him out.

First off, David is a major talent with a vicious intelligence. With that in mind, do yourself a favor and pick up Bullets of Rain. The expanse of this novel is mindblowing, whether it be the complexities and intimacies of his characters, the atomic action, or the jaw dropping denouement. Imagine a literary Palahniuk, a violent and depraved Delillo...California's answer to Harry Crews. Drugs, guns, sex, and storms! And that's only the beginning of this face-punching novel. David's the real deal, the original Bad Guy Hat. So lock the doors, crack the seal on that fifth of whiskey, put on some Slayer, and jump into Bullets of Rain.

As a selective reader of dark fiction, I was looking forward to Schow's return to the full length novel. I normally nurse his prose, absorb the characters, and take the time to speculate where this dark path goes. I've never been disappointed, and rejoice in his logical twists.

With BULLETS OF RAIN, I was captivated by the rich detail, character complexity, and storyline. Adding yet another facet to the scope of his expertise (a suspense novel), Schow skillfully transcends his genre reputation and hopefully will attract a broader audience with this offering.

I found myself reading this novel at a frantic pace.Unfortunately, the one break I took was to see if any reviews were posted on Amazon.

Lo and behold, the sole review (Elliott Swanson/Booklist), blew the twist while summing it up as a trite attempt only to be possibly appreciated by Schow's loyal following. I call it RETARD STRENGTH from a reviewer who just wants to drop something into a little slot, with the obligatory cross reference. Perhaps he should consider pitching sit-coms, or maybe he was frightened at a young age by an original idea.

Read the book, not the review.

An outstanding resource for the home chef. Every recipe receives raves from the diners. A must on your shelf.

It is extremely easy to offer guests ( or yourself) a magnificent meal that looks like you are a great chef with very little work. Easy techniques and ingredients allow you to enjoy cooking. You will reach for this book repeatedly!

What a great cookbook! I use it frequently, particularly for the roast chicken (my family's personal favorite), shrimp salsa, the marinades and salad dressings, the chocolate truffle brownies, and an UNBELIEVABLY sinful chocolate cake! The format is attractive, the recipes are easy to follow, and the results have been uniformly consistent. If you enjoy flavorful, creative cuisine, this is for you!

I have many cookbooks, but this is one of my favorites. Every recipe that I made from this book has turned out well, which is, I think, a sign of a good cookbook. I particularly like the notes at the bottom of the recipe that tell you how far ahead and through what step you can make the dish. This is a big plus when entertaining. All of the dishes that I have made from this book have been crowd pleasers.

From salsa to chicken to rack of lamb to corn cakes to lasanga -- these recipes are fantastic. The flavors will remind you of dining out at a gourmet restaurant, although many of the dishes have a laid-back flair. One thing to remember, especially if you are a beginner cook, most of these recipes take some time to put together. If you start at 6, you may be sitting down to eat at 10! The time is well worth it -- you tastebuds, and your dinner companions, will thank you! The author also makes excellent wine suggestions.

A beautiful book. This book is fairly thin; about a half-inch, but not at all skimpy. It includes a very nice range of gorgeous cottage style homes against a sunny California theme. The homes are a nice range of styles from near-log cabin to rustic stone. Landscaping is also shown to good effect. The California title suggests a bit of Disneyland, but much of the architecture and terrain reminded me more of northern California around say, Big Sur country. A very nice book.

I never thought a design book would become one of my all-time favorites...but this book is the exception. If you're ready to curl up with a warm cup of tea, a lap blanket and an exceptionally good book, filled with wonderful photographs of charming cottages...this is your ticket. I could not put it down until well past midnight, when I had read it cover-to-cover. Even now I go back to it once a week for enjoyment and inspiration. It makes you really think about the kind of home you want to live in with the people you love most and the kind of home you want your children to remember their childhood in. [Warning: It will make the big, boxy, look-alike, "I've finally made it!", homes you see now even uglier!]

Nine different California communities of well-loved cottages through photographs are accompanied by text to reflect a time, a place, and a need for shelter, as well as available building materials, traditions and collective memories of their builders and owners in this charming 144 page book. You can understand the duel forces of the charm and challenges of cottage living from brilliant photography and text with intense vibrant historic detail.

Great coverage on all of the cottage styles.

Superb descriptive writing, delicate exposure of photography, this book is a must for those articulately inbued with historic archectural dignity. Nine prominent California style cottages are revealed with discriminating taste.