Big Books

This book is quite suspenseful and Artie Weatherby is a likeable protaganist. I read through the book quickly as it is a great mystery. It says it is the first in the series, but I just picked up another book by the name of "Weatherby" and it introduces Artie Weatherby for the first time so I guess this is actually the second about this private eye! I ordered a book titled "Weatherby, On A Dead Man's Chest" also about this guy, Artie, which I am looking forward to reading. ....

The little summary on the back of the book caught my attention and didn't lose it until I read the last page. It is obvious that the author put a lot of time and research into the subject. The book is a look into the reality of the New Age movement and how innocent it can tend to look until one delves into it. It is written in first person so the reader feels like the main character. The writer is knowledgable in many areas and in conveying that through the main character, Artie Weatherby, a private investigater. He is hired by a woman to investigate her murder and is handed a check written exactly ten years ago on the day she was murdered...

As one other reviewer stated the plot synopsis on the back of the book got my attention and never lost it. Clever, well researched mystery unravels into a serpentine plot involving L.A.'s elite and ultra-rich, East coast mobsters, a former hitman now operating a skid row mission, a woman who's griefing husband affirms she's dead - but has suddenly appeared and asked the novel's protagonist to solve her murder........and it all hinges on the members of a secret fraternity of a New Age cult.

This novel is very pointed about the nature of New Age cults and is definitely not sympathetic, pulling no punches about its subject matter. The only liability that I can note is that the author provides no foreword, afterword or even a summary about her research - even a footnote or two would've lent more credibility to the investigative documents and books her main character uses in solving the mystery. Still a very worthwhile book and far more compelling than most above average Mystery novels you are likely to consider reading.

I am a fan of mystery and suspense novels. This book fits both categories. It is well written with a likable protagonist in private investigator Artie Weatherby. He is asked to investigate a murder by the victim...
This book goes in depth behind the scenes concerning the New Age movement and its more sinister elements and beliefs. It is a real eye-opener and keeps your attention from start to finish. It is the third book in a series about Artie Weatherby; the others being "Weatherby" and "Weatherby: On A Dead Man's Chest". They are both good, but "The Big Lie" is the best of the three. Unfortunately, this author is deceased, so there will be no more books in this series. However, she did write some other fiction series under the name of Janice Miller. They are good as well (P.I. Alexis Albright).
I highly recomend this book to anyone who likes mysteries or suspense.

THIS BOOK ABOUT FRANK MAHOVLICH IS WELL WORTH READING. THE BIG M WAS ONE OF THE BEST AND CLASSIEST PLAYERS OF ALL TIME. HIS GRACE AND POWER ON THE ICE WERE A THINK TO BEHOLD. HIS SON TED, DOES A GREAT JOB TELLING HIS STORY AND HITS ON ALL 8 CYLINDERS. I ESPECIALLY ENJOYED THE PARTS CONCERNING PUNCH IMLACH AND HIS DICTATOR WAYS AND THE VARIOUS OTHER COACHES AND PLAYERS THAT THE BIG M PLAYED FOR AND AGAINST. A GREAT READ FOR ALL HOCKEY FANS.

This book has been very enjoyable. Ted Mahovlich has done an excellent job in telling us the interesting story about his father. He showed us the Punch Imlach lacked class and Frank Mahovlich had a lot of class and finally enjoyed his career when he joined the best organization in sports at the time the Montreal Canadiens. I would recommend this to any hockey fan or sports fan in general

Frank Mahovlich was one of THE great players in the history of hockey. This books gives a thoughtful and intelligent insight into the mind of the quiet giant who won four Stanley Cups with the Leafs and two more with the Canadiens.

Told alongside the biographical narrative of The Big M is the author's experience of going on the road with his father, in the touring team of NHL past masters. Not only does this expose the reader to some beautiful anecdotes about other former stars of the game, but also captures the bond between father and son in a most moving way.

Ted Mahovlich is a very accomplished writer, telling his father's story with compassion, respect and honesty in a fine style that makes the book hard to put down. A must for any fan of hockey and/or good writing.

This book is great, not your normal biography. Ted Mahovlich captures a seldom read about side of his father Frank, along with the exploits of his spectacular career. The author spent considerable time traveling and playing with the old-timer greats while interviewing them as wells as capturing moments the common fan is not privey to. If you are a hockey fan -- this books for you. (Yes I know I live in Texas, but I moved here)

One of my grandmother's died 15 years ago at age 75 and another just a year ago at age 97. There are recipes in this book almost identical to those they used during their cooking days. This book is wonderful because it actually contains the recipes that they never got around to writing down or had jotted down on a notecard and put in a bible. The recipes may have different names but they have the same rich flavor. I throw out the diet and delight my family with recipes from The Black Pot at every gathering. My dad loves it because it reminds him when...

Well, I know Charlene personally and lets just say that shes' working on a few nice recipies to be published. I think my favorite is her Praline Glaze Cheesecake... mmm... Anything she cooks is great, and what a crazy lady she is. Dont let her get around her chainsaw!

When my grandmother died she took her recipes to the grave with her. This book is the closest I've come to recreating her food. I've used recipes for birthday's, Christmas, and family reunions and I've never failed yet following the instructions. Big Mama is folklore, it's a family history and it's divine food.

I love this cookbook! The recipes are just like grandma and great-grandma used. Being from the south I could really relate to this. It's the best southern country cookbook I have found yet! Signed, Mississippi

I read all the Milly Molly Mandy books as a child as did my parents (I actually still have their old copies). I bought this book for my daughter as our old copies are now a bit too fragile to handle too much. I love the new illustrations. They are very true to the old ones but with more colour and detail. I am also pleased to see that these stories are still appealing to children today despite being set in much simpler times. We have also read some of the Enid Blyton stories, which although written a little later (1940's onwards), seem much more 'dated' than Milly Molly Mandy. The story about Milly Molly Mandy going to the village party is a particular favourite.

This book has been enjoyable for my daughter (3 1/2 years old) and me! Every night I read a chapter to my daughter at bedtime. The text is pleasant to read and the stories are about day to day happenings of a little girl. This version has big, colorful pictures and a ribbon bookmark to mark where you stopped reading. It is a great introduction to chapter books for the preschooler. It has also initiated wonderful conversations between me and my daughter about friends she meets, places she would like to go and worries about growing up.

My sister wrote a letter to "Father Christmas" back in the 1930's requesting a "Milly-Molly-Mandy story" (she is now 75!). I only recently discovered the book is back in circulation again and couldn't resist ordering a copy for my sister for Christmas 2006 - at least she has a new granddaughter to pass it on to.
I'm not sure how popular it will be with today's children.

This was a delightful story to read to our children. All four of them (ages 2-6) thoroughly enjoyed it and when asked what to read this was the title they requested. It was an enjoyable read for mom as well. The simplistic presentation of life, the joys of childhood and the sweet innocence of Milly-Molly-Mandy were so refreshing. Finding pleasure in simple things from playing dress up to sledding in the snow are values I want to instill in our children. The illustrations are pleasing too and for the child too young to read it is a good book just to look at.

Jack Getz is the male Evanovich. His Stephanie Plum is named Austin Carr and is an ethically-challenged cad of the highest order with an almost-fatal weakness for redheads. Getz writes in a style that's breezy and fun. If you like J.A. Konrath and Janet Evanovich, you're sure to like BIG MONEY and its predecessor, BIG NUMBERS.

For the main character in this book, we need a new genre: Bumbling Idiot. Boy, do bumbling idiots make for good storytelling.

I met stockbroker Austin Carr in Getze's first book, Big Numbers. Carr is perpetually a down-on-his-luck divorced dad of two. Somehow he is always in the midst of getting the stuffing beat out of him.

Author Getzke can really "turn a phrase," and I found myself writing down almost 20 of those great one liners. In talking about a beautiful woman he lusted after, Carr said, "She might be too drunk... even stockbrokers have some pride.

Austin Carr is managing a New Jersey stockbroker firm in the absence of the vacationing owner, Mr. Vick. And on top of that, Vick wants him to keep an eye on both his daughter, who is divorcing the former manager of this firm-and his mother, Mama Bones. (That name should tell you she isn't your typical mom!)

The firm is being investigated for some highly illegal "co-mingling of funds." Carr is caught between so many different people who want something (he isn't always sure what) and will hurt anyone who gets in their way-including his kids. The mob is all over this story-actually two different "families" are trying to hurt Carr. But why, and who can he trust?

Tough guys with guns and no consciences, and tough women with great bodies and "unique pasts," jump in and out of the story. The good guys/gals aren't always who they say they are, and this makes for some great guessing.

This is another of those books where I negotiate with myself for just 15 minutes more to read the next chapter. I just had to know... .

Getze is a writer to watch. Stories in New Jersey are rare. Stories with stockbrokers (at least fiction) are rare. His bumbling idiot hero Austin Carr always ends up on top of the heap, but he drags you along on his many trials and tribulations to get there.

Armchair Interviews says: Grab this book and get into your comfy armchair a good read.

Austin Carr gets into more trouble than Dennis the Menace, and Getze's latest novel has more twists than a pretzel factory. It all makes for one great read for those who like wise-cracking protagonists, a slew of beautiful and deadly women, and more bad guys at the Jersey shore than in Rahway Prison. Carr is left in charge of his investment firm. Immediately, he becomes the booby prize for a plethora of bad guys as they stake their claim to the firm hoping to be rewarded with financial rainbows. Getze has improved over the first Carr novel, "Big Numbers," with more cliff hangers than a 1930's serial while Austin escapes one tight situation after another with his gift of gab or famous grin. Getze gives us more of Jersey, more unique characters, and a bit more character depth. And he saves the best twist, like all classic mystery writers, for the very end of the story. Getze didn't pay me big money for this review, but I'll give him a big number for the novel. How about a 5.

Austin Carr returns in Jack Getze's second book, BIG MONEY. Our favorite stockbroker has lost his securities license, but this doesn't keep his boss, Vick Bonacelli, from leaving him in charge of the store while Vick takes a long vacation. Vick also makes Carr promise to watch over his adult daughter Carmela and his mother, Mama Bones. As soon as Vick's boat sails, Carmela's ex-husband shows up, Mama Bones is arrested, the regulatory audit turns up some potentially disastrous transactions in the company's books, and the local mob boss politely requests that Shore Securities launder some money for him. Well, perhaps not so politely...

Yes, it is a typical day in the life of Austin Carr. Carr is the everyman who lives his entire life caught between a rock and a hard place - and watching him try to wiggle out is a delight. A despised ex-husband but devoted father, Carr is motivated to protect his small ownership stake in the securities company so he can provide for his children. But Carr is out of his league when it comes to the machinations of the local mafia and has to rely on the more worldly assistance of his favorite bartender, Luis, and the surprising Mama Bones.

I love it when an author's second book surpasses a good debut, and Getze achieves this with BIG MONEY. Getze hits his stride in this book and tips us the wink on Carr's true character. For all his posturing, Carr is always the most naïve person in the room (even when his children are present) and you end up both laughing out loud at his view of the world and rolling your eyes at his sexual impulses, which he has as much control over as your average 14 year-old male of the species. But because he is obviously the innocent in the piece, you end up cheering for him, as well. BIG MONEY becomes a real page turner as you find yourself desperately hoping that everything will turn out all right for Austin Carr in the end.

Favorite character? The Creeper has some wonderful and bizarre appearances in this book, but I have to go with Austin Carr. Did I guess it? Some of it. Will I read another? Absolutely.

This one begins at the Drones Club, just like several of the Bertie Wooster stories, but these are not the Wooster characters. But with wonderful names like the Biscuit, Torquil, Kitchie, and Merwyn Flock, PGW does use some of his usual character types and plot lines: couples engaged to the wrong people, young men needing money. This is good vintage Wodehouse and a rather complex novel, not just a series of stories thrown together. And it was a lot of fun. But give me Bertie Wooster any day!

This 1931 novel has long been one of my favorites among Wodehouse's many novels. It's a mix of farce and romantic comedy; whereas in much of Wodehouse's later work, the love plots seem almost perfunctory, here the romance between English Berry Conway and American Ann Moon (Wodehouse loved to work in trans-continental romances for his American readers) takes up much of the novel and is given a sweetness and warmth not always apparent in Wodehouse's funny, but sometimes slightly mechanical, post-WWII work. Of course, there's plenty of farcical action too, including many inspired sequences set in Wodehouse's "Valley Fields" (a thinly disguised version of the London suburb Dulwich). The hilarious chapter in which Lord Hoddesdon visits Valley Fields - and runs into a menacing fellow with an admiration for Stalin - is alone worth the price of this wonderful book.

I enjoy all of P.G. Wodehouse's novels, and this one is just great. I really liked it. The story kept me interested. If you like a book that's funny and witty here's the book for you.

I LOVE Wodehouse. I have this system where I try to read really thick "smart" books. You know, like the kind you bring up when you're trying to impress people with your intellectual prowess ("Oh yes, I completely agree. In fact, in the 'Metaphysics of Morals', Kant says basically the same thing, albeit more obtusely.") When my brains slither out through my ears in protest, that's when I know that it is time to put down the philosophy and pick up a Wodehouse. They're insanely funny and impossibly witty, and it gives me time to collect the pieces of my gray matter and shove them back in my head for another go at snooty intellectualism.

The idea behind Cederick W. Tardy II's The Big Payback came while he was sitting in a court room building. He was in trouble and praying for a way out. He begin to write a letter to his mother, letting her know what he wished she'd done better when raising him. He began to realize what was wrong in his life wasn't all her fault. He flipped the paper over and started writing everything he wished he'd known back then that would have kept him out of trouble.

From those letters and notes, The Connection Series was born. "The Big Payback" is the first in this series, followed by "A Head Start". Next in this series will be "What Father's Should Be Telling Their Daughters!"

"The Big Payback" is targeting single African-American mothers, but offers sound parenting advice for all mothers. After Mr. Tardy's introduction, it's his mother who opens her heart unambiguously to readers.

Self-help buffs will find many useful points including goal setting, cultural influences, communicating and understanding your child. The book tackles issues such as juggling work and your child, priorities, how words can uplift as well as destroy, suicide, and other real life issues children face today from a Christian viewpoint.

Having read the Dr. Phil series as well as many of Dr. James Dobson's books, "The Big Payback" clearly stands out. Each of the twenty six chapters is filled with personal experience from a mother and her son.

It is my belief if you don't plan to succeed, then by not doing anything, what you've done is planned to fail. In other words, success isn't a fluke. It's a result of direct action. "The Big Payback" lays out a plan of positive action. Mr. Tardy sums this up best in book's conclusion:

"Everyone in this world has challenges. We have to decide whether to overcome those challenges or succumb to them. Aim high at all times! But aim with precision."

Originally posted on [...]

Review by Tavares S. Carney - "the Christian Page Turner"

In The Big Payback, author, Cederick Tardy draws upon his personal life experiences and advises from his own perspective, and probably many more young males, single mothers on what it is he thinks are the methods and strategies to raise a successful young man. Having had to deal with childhood emotions he so candidly shares in this work, he gives mothers who may not have an open line of communication with their son insight into what may be going through the minds of their young man. He turns the looking glass to all mothers, making us painfully examine what it is we could actually be doing better to rear our sons and areas whereby we can use a little or a lot of improvement. He gives pointers regarding the signs and symbols mothers should look for in order that they are conscious of other forms of communication from their son's besides verbal communication. The difference in what some are calling this "parenting manual" and a typical parenting manual from a seasoned psychologist, social worker or family counselor, is that it is advised from a youth perspective. While Cederick is quite appreciative of everything his mother thought she was doing right in providing for him, this work affords readers the true essence of what a son longs for from his mother, her time and attention, her ears and her heart. He teaches us all that material things come and go, but love and understanding surpasses all. A nurturing mother, with God's assistance, is the best cultivator of a successful, well-rooted young man. Cederick is proof positive that any situation can be made positive when a firm foundation is laid and communication is honest and open. Those of us that are mothers, single or not, will close the final page of this book having gained at least one thing we can take with us and apply it to our daily lives. Plain and simple, he discusses real topics and suggests real solutions.

Book Description

Cederick Tardy shows you how to build trust, develop courage to overcome, interpret actions and body language, improve communication skills, understand your son's thought processes, plan your son's future, understand his father's significance, win arguments without ruing relationships and much more. The Big Payback will open your eyes as a single mother and give you greater insight into what you should or shouldn't be doing as a parent to garner your son's success.

Let me start with the bottom line: Every single mother faced with the daunting task of raising a male child from boy to man should read this book. Cederick Tardy, writing from his own personal experiences as a son who brought a world of grief to his over-matched, though well intentioned mother, delivers an intimate, yet objective and authoritative, book of advice aimed at helping other women and their sons to anticipate and avoid negative outcomes in their relationships. Tardy is brutally honest about just how far out of hand he got, including self-destructive forays into substance abuse, drug dealing and violence (including a suicide attempt), even as his mother took steps after her divorce from Tardy's father aimed at improving their quality of life. Thankfully, by the grace of God, Tardy survived to tell the tale--but too many young men don't, winding up emotionally, spiritually and even physically destroyed. I, too, was raised by a divorced single mother, and while I never engaged in the delinquent behavior Tardy did, both my mother and I (and my brother) would have benefited greatly had she had access to the advice provided in "The Big Payback." If you are a single mother, buy and read this book. And if you know a single mother trying to raise a male child (or male children), you couldn't bless her (and her children) with a greater gift.

"Learn what you can from whoever is willing and capable to teach you" is a motto by which Cederick W. Tardy II lives. And though THE BIG PAYBACK is a subtitled 'guide on raising a young man as a single mother' this fine little book is as sound and valuable a tool for family counseling as any to come around in a long time! Tardy is obviously a very intelligent 23 year old lad whose life experiences and innate and learned intelligence make his an old soul despite his youth - a factor which makes this 'self improvement' resource all the more powerful in that it comes from the direct experience of a troubled youth from a broken home, a lad who 'clammed up' only to release his energies under the influence of drugs, crime, alcohol, and military misadventures.

Tardy addresses this informative, smart, very well written book to single mothers - a factor he freely emphasizes is a major problem especially in the African American community. And his ability to address symptoms and signs of character disintegration and isolation and how to intervene and correct them as a mother such as his own was able to sustain makes his story one of pertinent importance. No classroom lesson in this format, but instead Tardy warmly takes parents by the hand and from the immediacy of his own experience provides insights and danger flags and confrontational healing processes that are sound, immensely well-illustrated and analyzed, and open a window of light to parents (both single and coupled) who are attempting to cope with 'problem kids'.

This is not another 'reformed sinner confessional' but instead a manual with practical exercises that addresses real problems and offers viable solutions. If there is a recurring word in Tardy's message then that word is 'communication': the wonder of this little book is how powerful and trustworthy is the advice from this young lad's mind. This book belongs in the hands of all parents, a welcome addition to the role of achieving a successful family life. Grady Harp, November 07

I loved A. Whitney Brown during his time on Saturday Night Live, and "The Big Picture" delivers the same wit, insight, comedic timing and irrascableness that only Brown can dish out. If you like smart commentary on important political issues, this is the book to have - you'll laugh AND you'll think.

If you think A. Whitney Brown is funny on the Daily Show, you're in for a treat in this volume from his SNL days. Wry, insightful commentary from Brown's funnier years.

I don't think people take satire seriously enough. In Europe, satire used to be something reserved for the truly luminary authors/minds. Because it dwells in the less dignified realm of comedy, I think it's poorly understood by the average person just how much intelligence is required to do satire well. A Whitney Brown has to be one of the most brilliant minds in modern times. Not only does he parody politics (which maybe some people wouldn't relate to), but modern mores and values as well. Sadly, I often find that I AM the very person he is poking fun at. However, then I realize that it's really all of us, or the human condition in general, and the pathetic, contemporary ways that we respond to age-old problems, that he is ridiculing. I really wish we would hear more from him, especially in times like these! I believe he is or was on AirAmerica. I wish he would find his way into mainstream media again. This country can't afford to keep its great minds in obscurity. Write another book! America needs you!

Good stuff. Buy it or I'll shank you! (Though I may be a bit biased, being family and all...Oh well.)

The Big Punch is a stunning debut novel. It's not for the faint of heart, but if you like dark, surreal fiction and that you won't soon forget then you must read "The Big Punch". Louis Maistros is an author whom I think we'll all be hearing much more about in the future.

... well, it's Raymond Chandler meets William Burroughs. Sort of. Not your usual Stevie King clone, but a really twisted, gory (yet hilarious) surreal caper. If you dig the likes of Caitlin Kiernan and Poppy Brite (or the above mentioned authors), buy it now.

Louis Maistros' THE BIG PUNCH is stunning-a frenetic, darkly comic voyage through mindscapes of characters who, from page one, we instantly care about. It delivers train-driven wallops to the gut in atmosphere, pacing, mood, and style. The voice is original, fresh, unhurried-all marks of seasoned veterans. As a first novel, it stands head and shoulders above the crowd. But it doesn't just stand, it taunts. The sheer weight inherent in Maistros' noir fiction coupled with his deft cutting hand when using more horrific elements make for a smooth, technically flawless treatment of what dark fiction should be all about.

The writing is crisp, clean, and relentless; the characters deep and fully realized.

THE BIG PUNCH is a novel you will not soon forget.

Loved it! A page turner. Truly chilling, like taking a stroll through hell on earth. Loved the orange haired rat, Ida Mae and Becky, the blind man, Janice, of course the Black Delia, and naturally Jack. Great cast of characters, too many to actually mention all of them. And the voice was incredible, very distinct, humorous but not overly done that it took away from the horror yet enough that it didn't pull me too down into these awful happenings. Wonderful balance. Very unique story, an original I'd say. I've never read anything quite like this. The Horsemen was something I was not familiar with. The Big Punch itself, or theater, I had some inkling of a memory but was surprising pleased to have discovered that these underground theater shows was also called the Big Punch. And the main character Jack--what can I say about Jack--he's my hero, even if he is slightly flawed.

Loved it!!The book was brought for me as a present, unfortunatly I chose to read it on the train home from work and managed to disturb the whole carriage by laughing out loud all the way home!! The poems are great, and I could really relate to them, my favourite being 'The Hormone Patch'. Every woman needs a copy of this book, but they should read it in a private place to avoid embarrassment!!

This book is fantastically written with excellent pictures to perfectly suit the poems. It touches on different subjects such as love, children and family and even a girls best friend - chocolate. It had me in stiches with its witty one liners and I also shed a tear with the beautifully written poem "In a hundred years time" This book is well worth the money and I have told all my friends to get a copy! I just hope there will be more books to come!

I laughed so much at the poems in this book i gave myself the hiccups, one of the poems THE HORMONE PATCH i could imagine the hubby going to work with the patch on his bottom! The SPAMMOGRAM was so real life i cried with laughter at the bit were SHE ROLLED HER[SELF] UP LIKE 2 COCKTAIL SAUSAGES!!!! I really loved THE DANCING DENTURES , where the poor woman got her teeth flicked down the mans trousers!!!! it was so funny , my mom loves it and every woman i have let read it, all the poems i can relate to, and i read over and over again

A beautiful, witty book. I laughed so hard I cried. Amazing detail and insight into the every day life of women. It is the best book I have picked up in many years. These gals are incredible! Absolutely wonderful illustrations!