Browning Books

Day Quinlan dazzles talk show audiences for eight years until she announced she was not renewing her contract during a live broadcast. When she slips into the limo waiting in front of the studio for the last time, Day Quinlan ceases to exist. In her place is the pregnant Dana Cantrell, now living in a remote cabin in Cougar Creek, Arizona. There Dana attempts to recover from betrayal, rediscovering an identity far apart from the sparkling world she once inhabited.

Three months after moving to Cougar Creek, Dana is out hiking when she finds a wounded hawk. She gets too close and receives a vicious peck before master falconer Connor McTavish can warn her away. Dana and Connor have much in common. They both are wounded, having walked away from careers that once meant everything. But they keep their pasts carefully concealed, even as circumstances draw them together. Unfortunately, those pasts will prove quite divisive when they come to light.

Hawks become a symbol of freedom and choice in Pamela Browning's PREGNANT AND INCOGNITO. As their mutual love for hawks draws Connor and Dana together, they are each faced with their own challenges that hold them captive. Although Connor at times appears too overbearing in the early part of the book, he softens considerably as he rediscovers forgotten social skills and as the relationship between himself and Dana grows. Dana is a wonderfully convincing character, especially when illness strips her of her proper social veneer and she becomes a typical out of control hormonal woman. Connor's reactions to her hormonal tirade are likewise typically male until he gets a grip on them - providing delightful entertainment for the reader. Indeed, much of the plot in the early part of the book feels a bit predictable, but the second half presents some delightful and unexpected plot twists. Highly recommended.

Although I have been around sustainable construction projects for seven years, I only just got around to buying this book. It does a very good job of consolidating most of the "green built" topics in an easy to read format. I am now realizing that I should have read this at the start of my interest in the green built environment!

There was a point at which some critics contended that "Prometheus Bound" was not actually written by Aeschylus, arguing that someone else, perhaps his son Euphorion, who was also a dramatist, The argument hinged on the portrait of Zeus in the play, which is highly critical of the king of the Gods and at odds with the wise and just Zeus of the "Orestia." Since we have only a half-dozen complete plays of the ninety Aeschylus is believed to have written, it is difficult to make a judgment regarding his entire body of work. However, we do have fragments from the other plays in the trilogy, "Prometheus Unbound" and "Prometheus the Fire-Carrier," which suggest that what happens in this first play sets the stage for an evolving Zeus, who eventually finds his better nature when he achieves a reconciliation with the rebel Titan. Given the dramatic scope of the "Orestia," with its evolving notion of justice, it seems to me reasonable enough that Aeschylus was attempting something similar with this trilogy.

"Prometheus Bound" finds the titan, who defied Zeus and gave humanity the saving gift of fire (among other sins), bound on a remote mountain peak with iron spikes driven through his flesh by the unwilling Hephaestus and his assistants Might and Violence, allegorical figures who define the source of Zeus's power. The scenes of the play consist of a series of dialogues between Prometheus and the ancient god Oceanus (the chorus consists of the daughters of Oceanus), Io, a woman turned into a cow because of Zeus's attentions, and Hermes, who wants to know the secret held by Prometheus that threatens the power of Zeus. Prometheus (whose name means "foresight") refuses and is then cast into the underworld to be punished further. At the heart of the play is the conflict between the immovable will of Prometheus and the irresistible force of the power of Zeus.

Clearly this tragedy speaks to an archetypal human condition, wherein physical power seeks to break the mind of an individual to its will. The audience is caught in a dilemma, for on one side is the king of the gods and on the other is the savior of humanity, for without the gift of fire early man was doomed. Indeed, that was clearly the intent of Zeus. Consequently, like Prometheus, the audience is caught between their own rock and a hard place. Fortunately, by the end of the trilogy Aeschylus gives his audience an out, for the Zeus who is represented in this play is transformed into a more acceptable deity in the end. Even without those plays and knowing the innovative brilliance of Aeschylus as a tragic dramatist, we can certainly appreciate the overall story arc that begins with this play. For teachers who do not want to contend with the entire "Orestia" or have to contend with editing it down for students, "Prometheus Bound" represents a single work by Aeschylus that is equally as pivotal to our understanding of classical mythology.

This particular translation of "Prometheus Bound" is by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, the most respected female poet of the Victorian age. At the age of 14 Browning published her first collection of verse, "The Battle of Marathon," and her translation of "Prometheus Bound" and other poems was published annonymously thirteen years later in 1833 to high praise (her greatest work, "Sonnets from the Portugueses" would be published in 1850). Consequently, while this particular translation is gettng nearer to being two centuries old, it does have the quality of being done by someone who was a great poet in their own right.

This book is great if you are a beginner. Has melt and pour recipes, candle recipes, and easy bath recipes. If you are looking to experiment with making cold processed/hot processed soap, this is NOT the book for you! If you are into arts & crafts and looking for a hobby, this book was made for you...You'll love the bright photos, and the recipes are easy understand.

This is a work of romantic historical fiction about the spice island of Banda in the then Dutch East Indies and the Dutch spice princes who, having enslaved its native population, inhabited it, making a fortune from nutmeg. This is the story of one such spice prince, Evert Haan, a handsome and single-minded man, who rose from his obscure, impoverished Dutch origins, to become master of all he surveyed and incredibly rich. Living like an eastern potentate, all he lacked was a suitable and beautiful Dutch bride to grace his home, his table, and his bed.

When his half-brother, Piet Odshoorn, a ship's captain having business on Banda, regales Evert with the story of how a fine Dutch family of Evert's childhood, the van Goens, has become impoverished, Evert is all ears. It appears that the van Goens' patriarch, having committed suicide after an unfortunate business venture, has left his family to fend for itself. When Piet remarks upon the beauty of one of its daughters, Annabet, Evan quickly decides that she is to be his bride and entrusts Piet with the unenviable task of arranging a glove marriage.

When Piet returns to his native Holland, he reluctantly goes to pay his respects to the van Goens and execute his mission. To his immense surprise, Piet later finds the proposal accepted on behalf of Annabet by Mevrouw van Goens, the matriarch of the family. On the day that the proposal is accepted, he meets Annabet and discovers why the proposal had been accepted with such alacrity. It seems that Annabet's looks have been fearfully ravaged by illness. There is simply nothing left of her beauty.

When Annabet arrives in Banda, she finds herself immediately rejected by the astonished Evert. In fact, Evert immediately sets out to rid himself of her by any means necessary, consulting with the wily Shal Ahmi. Leaving his problem in the hands of Shal Ahmi, Evert leaves Banda, planning to return after what he believes will be Annabet's murder. Instead, upon his return, he finds a beautiful, newly restored Annabet and promptly falls in love. Yet, Annabet, in the interim, has managed to give her heart to a dashing young Irishman, Christy Ayrton, a man with whom her husband conducts some illicit business.

Still, Annabet tries to be a good wife to Evert, who senses that, while he may have possession of her body, he does not have her heart, causing him be become wild with jealousy. In the meantime, the Island of Banda abounds with intrigue, as conflicts arise between the English and the Dutch over the precious nutmeg. This results in heightened hostilities that ultimately lead to battle and a conflagration and native uprising that threaten to consume the Island. Annabet finds herself at a cross-road, caught in the cross-hairs of Shal Ahmi. Not even he, however, could divine what the fates had in store.

This is an intriguing work of romantic historical fiction by renowned author, Norah Lofts. Those who enjoy the romantic historical fiction genre will like this book. This is a book fans of Ms. Lofts will enjoy. It will also appeal to whose who like books by authors Victoria Holt and Anya Seton, as there is a certain amount of suspense intrinsic to this book. All in all, this is a well-written work of romantic historical fiction with a somewhat unexpected ending.

Jewelry designer Chloe Timberlake agrees to look after the Frangipani Inn while her cousin Gwynne, the owner, completes her Masters. When she arrives in Sanluca, Florida near the Everglades, she is shocked to see how run down the once magnificent B&B has become. Even more stunning is to see former Sea Search Inc. diver Ben Derrick lurking about. When she was a teen who spent a summer here she had a crush on him that he ignored.

Chloe and Ben agree that he can stay rent free in return for doing needed repairs. As they reside in the inn, Chloe can see how despondent Ben is and how much she still wants him. She tries to help him heal the mental anguish of a diving tragedy even while they fall in love, but he resists coming out of his mental self harangue even for love.

The lead couple seems real and because they do they are able to keep this delightful contemporary romance from falling into a soap opera. Chloe is terrific as she enables the miserable Ben a second chance at life if he finds the courage to go for it. Pamela Browning provides a deep character study of a man whose tragic past has left him a shell of a man. Only the patience and nurturing of love can bring the opportunity to heal to his tormented soul.

Harriet Klausner

Description from the book back cover:

Brace Ridgeway: Okay, I was dumped. No big deal. I'm not too upset at being single again, but the reason I got jilted was pretty embarassing. So I escaped to North Carolina's Outer Banks to be alone, and what do I get? A woman who wants to know my business ...

Frances Jones: What's a gal to do when she gets a scrumptious-looking sexy man for company, and he's not much of a talker? I know he's been through something, but I also know that underneath that hard, muscled chest I can't keep my eyes off is a soft heart I want to make mine forever!

No one knew Cornwall as well as Daphne DuMaurier, and in this nonfiction work she paints a loving portrait of the region and especially its dramatic coastline. Deftly recounting its history and folklore, describing its people and their customs, and visiting its most outstanding physical features, she laments the loss of what was and celebrates the beauty that persists. Vanishing Cornwall is not so much a travelogue as a tribute. Recommended for anyone with an interest in this beautiful land.

This book stands as a valuable resource for studies on Shakespeare as well as Eliot, Swinburne, Browning and Dickens. Sawyer's examples of how these authors borrowed from and used Shakespeare provides a new versatility of Shakespeare's works that has largely gone unnoticed. Many strong assertions are made and each one is supported by a firm foundation of research and knowledge. It is necessary, however, to have an understanding of each of these authors. Without this familiarity, the book tends to be a difficult read.

Dinah Reynolds has returned to Midnight, Texas to run the family newspaper. Over the course of several weeks she must deal with the break-up of her marriage, the battles between her son and daughter-in-law, her neurotic mother, her aging but dynamite grandmother, as well as kidnapped house cats, her first love, and a plane crash in a field of Swiss chard. Hilarious at times, poignant at others, the story moves swiftly, never failing to maintain interest. The narrator's wry sense of humor and keen eye for detail bring the sights, sounds, smells and, of course, people of small-town Texas to life. Dinah might not do everything right, but she honestly wants to and that's what will make you pull for her.