Bonds Books

The 'Illustrated' 007 is faithful to the Fleming book series, which is fine by this reader, since Fleming's portrayal of 007 was the original and best. John McLusky's image of James Bond bears an amazing resemblance to Sean Connery - and this was drawn before he took the role of 007 in 1962!

This reader's disappointment is only that the complete set of Illustrated 007 episodes for all of Fleming's novels aren't available.

This book contains comic book adaptations of three of Ian Fleming's popular James Bond novels: Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Diamonds are forever. These stories are faithful adaptations of the original novels, with minor variations in the plot. Richly illustrated by John Mcluskey, these strips appeared in the Daily Express newspaper in London as well as many other newspapers all over the world. The plot of these stories are well known to most people in the world due to the enormous popularity of James Bond, and these comic strips present a whole new way of experiencing these stories again. Highly recommended.

This collection of three of the best known adventures of 007, is a well read collection, but many (especially women) might find them a bit "politically incorrect" (i.e., for the treatment of women and so on [but hey, it was the "swinging '60's", so you have to put this in context, historically speaking]). I'm not sure if Ian Fleming wrote that famous line in Goldfinger, which is perhaps why it's omitted in this adaption, in the exchange between Bond and him, "Do you expect me to talk, Goldfinger?"
"No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!". (Perhaps, I need to check the text-as I have a print equivalent to both audio sets, or another reader could verify this.) In any case, these are some rousing adventures. Get both volumes, and if you can find them, their print equivalents. I look forward to listening to set two soon.

From Russian with Love narrated by an extremely talented voice is well worth the purchase alone. Dr. No didn't quite hold my interest when I tried to listen and I didn't even attempt to listen to Goldfinger but again I highly recommend this for the one tape alone, the Narration is incredible.

FOR BOND FANS, THIS IS MUST. BUT DON'T EXPECT THE MODERN SLAM-BAM. BASED ON A SHORT FLEMMING STORY, NOTHING LIKE THE MOVIE. SET IN 1961 BERLIN, TYPICAL BOND OF THAT ERA. SHORT (I.E. - 1 CASSETTE STORY - BUT AT THIS PRICE, WHY NOT)? TITLE PROVES TO BE A FUN SUPRISE AT THE END....

One of Ian Fleming's best James Bond stories!!! With this short story, Fleming gives us an interesting view of Bond and his opinions on his cold, lonely profession. While many of the typical 007 trappings are missing, Fleming conceives a perfectly written story that keeps the reader's (or listener's) attention throughout. One of the best elements is that Fleming dispenses with the fantasy and makes the premise very beleivable. The story is very moody and the narrative paints vivid portraits of the action in Cold War Berlin (The Perfect Location for a Perfect Spy Story) and the man that is James Bond. Fleming's descriptions of Bond's feeling about his chief "distraction" from duty are masterful. This particular audio book perfectly captures the spirit of the story. Anthony Valentine's narration is very soothing and helps the listener to visualize the action as it develops. Valentine's clear voice and well-timed inflections make this interpretation the best of all of the audio book versions of Bond novels currently available in the U.S.

This book had me laughing out loud. This author has a gift for humor and emotion, a powerful combination for a romance writer. The sequel, Wife Is A Four-Letter Word, is just as funny.

I love this book. Thought that it had a funny premise. A good read.

I just finished "Love of My Life", and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an unusual Regency romance in many ways - all of them good. For one, it has an atypical, fascinating setting (19th century English society in Calcutta) that seems to be meticulously researched by the author, who sprinkles in a few words and even a couple of sentences in the local language. But the most important differences from the typical frothy Regency are the complex, well-realized story, and two lead characters who are three-dimensional, flawed yet heroic in the end, and thus remain with you even after the book is read.

Julian Ritchie, the hero, begins the book as an outsider - a man of mixed English and Indian descent, shunned by the haughty Calcutta society he aspires to despite his stunning looks and social graces. Embittered, he decides to exact revenge on his chief nemesis, by making her nnocent yet impulsive daughter, Cassandra Renwick, fall in love with him - and then rejecting her. The problem, of course, is that Julian falls in love with her - just as she finds out about his deception.

Without giving the rest of the story away (sorry if I've already written too much!), the story takes quite a few twists and turns - taking us from India to England, and from intense passion to warm romance, and then to heartbreak, and finally to satisfying redemption. Along the way the author tosses in a couple of cute, funny scenes as well as a few that create a lump in your throat - and an absolutely adorable 10-year-old secondary character. As Bond points out in an afterword, this is the third (though chronologically the first) in her quartet about four friends - I look forward to reading the other ones.

After having moaned and whined about how about how many Regecy-era romance novel seems to possess the same oft-used plot-line, I was almost giddy with glee to discover that Meredith Bond's "Love of My Life" not only possessed a storyline that was a little out ordinary, but that she had also (somehow) managed to give it all the hallmarks of a traditional Regency-era romance novel.

When Miss Cassandra Renwick is cruelly made a laughingstock by the "gentleman" she had fallen in love while making her debut into London society, she decides to pack her bags and leave for India where her parents reside. India, or rather Calcutta, where her father works for the Governor-General acts like a balm to Cassandra's bruised soul, and she's soon happily drinking in the sights, sounds and culture of a country so different from her own. Only two things grate: her mother's snobbish attitude towards the Indians and her insistence at throwing every eligible young man at Cassandra. For a young lady who has decided to have nothing to do with any man, her mother's propensity to harp on her need to marry at once and advantageously at that, is almost too much to bear. Especially when this young lady is quite fascinated by another young man, one that her mother deems totally ineligible, the Eurasian, Julian Ritchie...

I had found Meredith Bond's previous two novels to be pleasantly average reads. So that I was really quite blown over to discover that "Love of My Life" was really something rather special. The main plot device that "Love of My Life" hinges on is the revenge plot, but the splendidly vivid and colourful manner with which the author paints life and culture in India, even as she baldly exposes the many prejudices that the English had and the injustices they practiced was not only very well done but also added a much appreciated tone and texture to the novel, lifting the novel above the fare we usually get from this genre. The truly important factor about this novel, however, and what makes it rather special, is the author's portrayal of the heroine of the piece, Cassandra Renwick. Though young, Cassandra possesses a maturity and kindliness of spirit that almost belies her youth (especially when this is contrasted with her mother's snobbish and pushing ways), and I liked that Cassandra's desire to learn more about India and her people had little to do with the attraction she felt for Julian. Julian, on the other hand, was a little bit more difficult to take to in spite of the fact that one really does feel for the man for all the prejudices and slights he has suffered because of his plans of revenge that involve the warm hearted Cassandra.

A fast read that was evenly paced, "Love of My Life" managed to remain a "light" read in spite of its heavy matter. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it to any Regency-era romance fan who's looking for a good read that is a little different.

Dr Bond has done it again. She has taken her life's experiences and analytical training along with her zest for life and thirst for knowledge into yet another realm with very successful results.

I love her sensitivity towards those in mourning, & her love of the children, both little boys. And I particularly like the way she talks about the importance of the sensitivity of the lost men, Alan & Scott, & their abilities to cry & to be in touch with their emotions. This is indeed a rare thing and to be admired.

And I love the way she deals with her character's desire for the policeman, a relationship that is fulfilling and joyful.

Dr Bond has shown time and again that she is indeed a wonderful writer. She is like the spider weaving her tales with great beauty and precision born of the sheer joy of the story and the process.

Rebeccasreads recommends MURDER ON THE STREETCAR as the second in the Dr. Wells & Lt. Franklin series.

This time the romantic couple are at a New York opening night of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE in which one of the doctor's patients is starring, when a gun shot echoes through the theater during a rowdy scene.

All in the audience think it's part of the play, until the curtain is suddenly drawn & the stage manager comes out to utter the proverbial question: "Is there a doctor in the house?"

Life imitates art as the leading man, a womanizer & domineering cad, gets his just desserts at the business end of a pistol. & when, the next day, a nosey stage hand is found hanging from a rope backstage, Lt. Franklin & Dr. Wells ramp up their investigation.

MURDER ON THE STREETCAR is another satisfying mystery, with a different pace & language from the dime-a-dozen ones on the shelves. It offers far more in the way of thinking things through.

Dr. Bond infuses this mystery with as many fascinating insights into the minds of the suspects & their motives, as she did in THE DEADLY JIGSAW PUZZLE.

our kids have all the paddington books and this is a great one, beautifully illustrated as ever. there is so much in it all delivered humorously: the cheat who gets his comeuppance, paddington solving the insolvable, the magic, the quiet love of an adult friend, all these are so nourishing to a child's spirit. long live paddington; may his marmalade jar ever stay full!

What could be more fun than a Carnival? Paddington decides to enter the Busy bee Adventure Trail Contest, trying to find the most objects that start with the letter "B." Children will not only be able to help read this story, but search the illustrations to find the "B" words that Paddington Bear does. This book is great to encourage children to think of their own words. Buy this one today and you will not be sorry.

When Mr. and Mrs. Brown give a resourceful little bear named Paddington a bit of land on which to cultivate his own garden, the adventure begins.

Jonathan and Judy had great luck with their garden plots, but Paddington soon grew tired of digging. How a building site, a jar of marmalade, and some workmen help Paddington create a garden that is uniquely his own are all part of this delightful story.

With his inquiring mind, adventuresome spirit, bright blue coat and red hat Paddington is an unforgettable little bear.

Fred Banbery's illustrations make Paddington's Garden a treat! The original hardback edition has a warm lemon yellow cover showing Paddington's garden! The adventures that Paddington has making his garden are true to his unique personality. The illustrations bring to life the atmosphere of the Brown family home and their love for the little bear who lives with them!

The Sacrifice: How Scientific Experiments Transform Animals and People is a scholarly examination of the sociological aspect to animal experimentation. Historical material, media reports, professional debates, interviews with scientists and animal technicians, ethnographic data from laboratory settings, and more comprise the raw source material from which The Sacrifice distills its analytical observations. Chapters discuss the dynamics of political animal rights activism, the animal model as applied in modern-day scientific practice, the division of emotional labor in the laboratory, and much more. "In becoming part of the research community, scientists must learn to take many things for granted. As part of the wider culture, they have inherited a highly complex but also highly ambivalent set of attitudes and beliefs about animals that tell them that they should respect animals and at the same time be able to use them." An excellent, unbiased and impartial contribution to college library and sociological studies shelves.

Outside observers of the animal experimentation industry sometimes speculate about the motivation and self-image of those working in the labs. Just who are these people who work in secret facilities hurting and killing animals day in and day out?

Public relations departments and pro-animal experimentation organizations work hard to persuade the public that those who experiment on animals are heroes pursuing noble goals. Seeing behind this veil of propaganda is very difficult. Vivisectors and their support staff are reluctant to share the details of their work and sometimes even hide the fact that they work in an animal lab for fear of public distain or ostracism by their neighbors.

Through interviews with animal lab staff, retrospective analysis of scientists' published papers and industry's advertisements for animals in various journals, the authors of The Sacrifice have tried with some success to provide readers with insight into the self-perception and self-justification of those who experiment on animals.

The authors examine a number mechanisms used by the actors and the industry to protect themselves from public criticism and even self-doubt or self-criticism. They explore the academic trajectory of students from their first dissection to becoming a principal investigator who may never actually view the animals they use. Students following this trajectory are increasingly in contact with animals being used in increasingly invasive procedures. Those who endure and remain in the industry must find ways to explain their wide deviation from the societal norm to themselves and to others who happen to question them.

The authors present an interesting discussion of the flexible meaning of `animal' in the labs. The animal care staff tends to see animals more as individuals whose interests they protect due to their self-view as the real animal experts, while the scientists may see them and speak of animals more as research tools or parts of a scientific apparatus, yet simultaneously present themselves to the public (when needed) as compassionate animal lovers.

The authors do a good job of examining the industry's characterization of its critics as scientific illiterates, quasi-Luddites, complete liars, or terrorists. Based on these characterizations, the industry claims that there is no point in discussion or debate with opponents, and that only those who believe that experimenting on animals is necessary are qualified to have a voice in the public debate.

Readers from both sides of the debate will find much of interest in The Sacrifice, but the text is not without faults. In discussing the justifications used by vivisectors and animal care staff, they indulge in interpretations of statements made during interviews that are psychoanalytic; maybe their guesses about the meaning of what the researchers say are correct, but maybe not. In the section on the meaning conveyed by the way animals are presented in advertisements for animals, they rely on a survey of journals that was conducted in the early to mid 1990s. Their observations are outdated; the images in today's journals are differently presented than those discussed in the text.

The authors fall into the trap of equating animal experimentation with science. They use the terms interchangeably throughout the text and (perhaps unintentionally) repeat a ploy used by the animal lab public relations departments to imply that those who oppose animal experimentation must also oppose medicine, geology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, botany, ethology and every other branch of science.

All in all, The Sacrifice would be a worthwhile text for use in a classroom or study group. The biography alone makes the book a worthwhile addition to a personal library. Members of the general public interested in the controversies surrounding animal experimentation will find many interesting insights into the mental gymnastics employed by those whose work would be deemed criminal if conducted outside the legal protections offered by a licensed laboratory.

The Savage
by Parris Afton Bonds

Reviewed by Pamela Ackerson

One hundred willing maids for marriage
Out of the frying pan and into the fire. This adventurous story brings you to Colonial Virginia where Modesty finds herself choosing between being married to a wild man, named Mad Dog, or being burned as a witch. A clash of two willful, stubborn and feisty personalities keeps you turning the pages to find out what they will get themselves into next. A tale worth reading.

[This book is THE SAVAGE by Parris Afton Bonds - whoops! what happened?]

Quote - "The Virginia Company of London seeks one hundred willing maids for marriage to bachelor planters of James Cittie Colony. Maids must be young, handsome, and honestly educated."

Well at 26, Modesty wasn't young and if an hourglass figure and fair features were considered handsome she didn't qualify. But education maybe a valid point.

Modesty's talent very soon got her into trouble and she was soon fleeing London on the boat to the New World.

Jack Holloway, her scurvy boss, soon met up with Modesty just before she was declared a witch by Richard Ratcliff, who objected to her acting as a marriage broker for some of the women.

There was humor in reading her insights into some of the bachelors who came to purchase the bride contracts and how she skillfully manuevered certain couples together.

Modesty figured she would be able to buy her own contract so that she would not have to wed. She soon found herself offering marriage to Mad Dog Jones, who had saved her friend Jack Holloway from certain death. Jack now being an indentured servant.

Mad Dog's consummation of the marriage seemed a bit ruthless but then he had no trust of Modesty or of her shenanigens. He kept a constant eye on her and Jack.

He soon came to understand her need to hide her insecurities and soon developed a passion for her in his bed and in his life.

Modesty learned much of Mad Dogs' gentleness and reclusiveness and came to appreciated what he did for others. But all she wanted was someone who would love her.

Great story of how they live through the Indian visits and raids and how Modesty does finally save Mad Dog's life with her fairy magic.

Great story of Colonial times and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED - Wonderful characters and how they blend into each others lives. Surpriseing match-ups and great ending.