Browning Books

Summum Bonum

All the breath and the bloom of the year
in the bag of one bee
All the wonder and wealth of the mine
in the heart of one gem
In the core of one pearl all the shade
and the shine of the sea
Breath and bloom, shade and shine, wonder, wealth,
and how far above them
Truth that's brighter than gem
Trust that's purer than pearl,
Brightest truth, purest trust in the universe
all were for me
In the kiss of one girl.

--Robert Browning

This one is different at first, with a sophisticated twist I really liked. It's still vintage Dixie, though, and at her best, she's darn hard to beat! Loved the political scandals and how they play into this kind of story. Makes it seem so up-close-and-personal.

Intensely personal, theoretically sophisticated, and written in absolutely gorgeous prose, SAMBA explores the intersections of spirituality, human embodiment, and politics through an extended meditation on the author's coming to know Brazilian Samba.

account of the early european visitors to San Francisco Bay, focusing on the area that became Yerba Buena, then San Francisco. The book ends with the discovery of gold in California, which signified the end of the villiage known as Yerba Buena. Imagine the green valleys of San Francisco, oak glens and cool creeks, a few barns and homes. Then imagine an influx of sailors, "Americans, Yankees, Spanish, French, Italians, Portuguese, English, Canadians, Irish, Scotch, Russians, Germans, Chinese, &c. Not a man was to be seen without a pistol and knife in his belt."

I have had this book for a couple of years now, and have used every pattern in the book. The patterns are really easy to use, and their is something in there for the beginner all the way to the expert. A slab of wood, tracing paper, and the pattern and you are ready to go. I highly recommend it for anyone that wants to make high quality works on a scroll saw.

My children and I loved Selena and the Magical Tower!! It is a magical book that kept the childrens attention throughout. It reads like a modern Cinderella. Hopefully there will be more books by this imaginative author. A must buy for all little girls.

This book with it's poem called "Stepchild" and short story called the "The Girl" was one of the defining books of my youth. I found it at a book sale in the cheap bin and it was really a hidden treasure. While not all the stories are great the ones that are make an impression that lasts a lifetime.

Any questions I had were answered in this wonderful 32 page well illustrated, easy to understand book. I had access to a ton of ideas for embossed soaps, rock crystal soaps, melt and pour recipes and techniques, and a glossary of terms helped. Wonderful illustrations throughout. I couldn't ask for a more eclectic assortment of soap-making ideas and techniques. I'd never tried this but with this book I found it easy. A great gift for fund-raising friends and a must for natural soap users. A perfect complement of items for that fund-raising table at any flea market or holiday bazaar.

What more can be said about Elizabeth Barrett Browning's wonderful little collection of love poems?
I would only add that these little volumes from Peter Pauper Press, that used to sell in airport shops for $1 each, are absolutely delightful to the touch and to the eye, with their woodcut-style illustrations.
I first bought "The Little Pun Book," in 1964 and moved on to more serious pieces of the collection.
If you already own the same title but can buy a Peter Pauper edition, do it! They are a treasure.
I recently introduced the concept of a "sonnet" to my seventh grade literature class. Of course most of them were bored, but one girl asked if she could look at some more sonnets. I loaned her this edition, and before long, she slipped away from the after-school homework room to knock on my door and tell me how much she was enjoying it. She said, "they're all about love, aren't they?" I told her to go on enjoying them, think about not only what they say, but how they sound, and soon I could help her write some sonnets too!

Libraries strong in California history will welcome SPLENDID MOUNTAINS a survey of the mountains to the north and east of Paradise Valley, which uses first-person observation to reveal early explorations, observations, and adventures in their exploration. It's an excellent survey for any library strong in California's pioneer history and provides a host of first-person experiences under one cover, essential for any who regularly seek California history source materials.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch