Collins Books

I read this book under the title of Traveling Shoes. Was wonderful.

I read this book a while ago and am trying to convince my parents to buy it for me. It is a really compelling and dear and sweet story about a violinist, and his brother and sisters, who are all tired of traveling. One doesnothing at all but is just lovely and a perfect housekeeper, one is an actress andd composes and the youngest dances. I won't spoil the ending for you, so read and figure out whether or not they end up living happily at Appl Bough . . . or whether their parents will misunderstand them forever and make them tour the worlduntil they are old and gray!

This is one of the earlier Dalziel/Pascoe books and is devoted largely to Andy Dalziel's exploits while he is "on holiday" at the same time Peter and Ellie Pascoe are on their honeymoon. Reginald Hill's series does an excellent job both in plotting and in character development, and if you are intrigued by Fat Andy, then you really need to read this to see a side of his character you may not have seen before.

This book is a little different than most in this series because it focuses on Andy Dalziel on his own. It also shows a side of Andy that we have never seen before. We see him at his most vulnerable - in the middle of a love affair with a widow. It is also a story set in an old crumbling country house (a la Agatha Christie). But there the similarity ends. This book has more twists in it than a small English country road. It is filled with wonderful eccentric characters and Dalziel knows that at least one of them is a murderer. He sets out to find out, hoping that his paramour is not the one. The book is also very funny. This is a must-read for any Dalziel and Pascoe fans. It gives the best picture of Andy Dalziel that you'll find in any of these books. Hill is a master storyteller, and he has used his considerable skills to pen a nice country manor mystery that isn't like any English country manor mystery that you'll find anywhere else.

Many good chuckles for any technically oriented reader (Geek, Nerd, etc.) A few were stretches, but to get the ten cubed count it's not surprising.

Nerds are everywhere! They just don't own up to it. Here's your chance to prove once and for all where on the nerd spectrum you lie.

A lot of the question here are amusing that they would even be asked (i.e. You've read a dictionary for pleasure 1 point). The questions are categorized so you can pinpoint just how nerdy you are in various aspects of your life (and you can laugh at those nerdier than you).

It's not foolproof though; I received 0 points for being in my high school and college chess clubs. And I only rate as geek (as opposed to übergeek, nerd, or the feared nerdmeister general). But still highly amusing.

Question I'm most ashamed I had to admit to:
You can count in hexadecimal. A points

I am in the middle of reading this fascinating book and it just occurred to me that, aside from Alison Saar, I had never heard of any of the artists mentioned in the book before. The solutions that these artists have found to answer many of the problems in image-making as it pertains to the black female body are intriguing and profound. Sadly, I am a black woman and I graduated from a BFA program a few years ago without being taught any of this. It should be on the course syllabus for any comprehensive survey of art history.

I read this book in two sittings. Lisa Gail Collins does a beautiful job of opening up a world I did not yet fully understand. I am a southern, white, visual artist and photographer, with complicated ties to a black culture that has contributed very much to the way I think, and work, and live. Certainly my art history courses in college taught me none of this. This book illuminates the work of Renee Stout, Carrie Mae Weems, and more, and lays out the background of negative image making in the history of women of color, particularly, which, she argues is reason for the avoidance of the visual in black studies in the United States. She illuminates the value of the visual arts of black women and I came away, after reading this, with a stronger common bond to women's experience in general, and with a deeper desire to illuminate the truth in my own art.

Anyone who has not read the mysteries of Roderic Jeffries is in for a real treat. In An Artful Death, the main character, Inspector Alvarez, is presented as a loveable, humane, and underrated detective.He loves his food and his cognac and solving intricate murders. The descriptions of the island of Mallorca are charming, as is the dialogue replete with local idioms. The reader will especially enjoy the phone conversations between Alvarez and his superior, Salas, who treats him as an idiot. Justice comes in and unusual way in this novel.One must read it to see if he or she agrees with it. One thing is sure. Inspector Alvarez comes out smelling like a rose.

Mallorcan Inspector Alvarez is a laid-back policeman, one might even say lazy. He likes a peaceful life, well lubricated with good food and drink. But when arrogant foreigners treat him with undue disrespect, Alvarez becomes tenacious, even stubborn.

In his 23rd Alvarez novel, Jeffries, who lives on the Spanish Island of Mallorca, gives us a couple of English villains. Keith Vickers, a womanizing playboy with a string of shady business deals to his name, one day disappears off his yacht. Alvarez, though assuming an accidental drowning, notes several anomalies in his dicussions with servants, ex-wives and girlfriends and is chagrined but unsurprised when the body turns up murdered. His chief suspect is the obnoxious British politician George Lovell, who refuses to admit to an angry argument with Vickers and complains to Alvarez' snobbish superior in an attempt to have him fired or at least taken off the case.

Intuitive and thorough in his meandering way, Alvarez resists the browbeating as he eats and drinks his way through a list of suspects, unearthing numerous unsavory nuggets from Vickers' life. While the inspector comfortably navigates the gulf between ex-pats and natives on his beautiful island, few others do, preferring to remain mystified (Mallorcans) or ignorant (British). Good-natured irony, a clever mystery, and a gorgeous setting make this another enjoyable and witty outing for the much put-upon Inspector Alvarez.

This is a poor translation, unfortunately, of a great essay. I would suggest finding a copy of "A Man and His Dog" which is contained in most popular collections of Mann's short stories. e.g. "Death in Venice (and seven other stories)" Translated of course by someone else.

With its great love and warmth, this book is a very special gift to readers: a great writer turning his attention to something commonplace--the relationship between a pet and its owner--resulting in a story that is not sentimental, hackneyed, or sweet, but a moving exploration of the love between animals and humans. Just reading Mann's simple description of how he speaks his dog's name, Bashan, and the electricity that name sends through his pet, is worth every penny.

Sit back and enjoy the ride. From start to finish, this is a fascinating and at times horrfying book.

The Beast In Man was first published in 1890 and is remarkable for its depiction of a world of harsh brutality and the startling frankness of its descriptions of sexual passion.

If ever a book could be described as being ahead of its time, then this is it. Hard-hitting, fast paced, tragic, brutal, erotic and tear jerking, this book has it all.

The plot is exceptional with characters that leap off the page and allow you, the reader, to fully experience their traumatic lives in 19th century France.

All-in-all a fantastic book, written by a true genius who has undoubtedly influenced many of today's most successful scribes.

One of Zola's best and most famous works. There is something strangely fascinating about a murder where the killer escapes detection and punishment only to receive terminal treatment from another, totally unexpected source. When this happens twice in the same book, along with some tales of child abuse, a high-level cover-up, a sabotage attempt on a train in which virtually everyone is killed in the carnage except the persons targeted, a suicide, plus some assorted couplings outside of the marshalling yards, things get really interesting. What makes people commit such crimes? Here Zola really shows his skill in explaining his characters' motives and the dark, primeval forces that drive them. A pulsating, chilling story from beginning to end, full of unexpected twists, starting with the creation of a previously unknown member of the Macquart family as the novel's main character. Highly recommended for long train or air journeys.

This is a great perhaps one of the best books for sunflower lovers. It is very comprehensive and contains loads of information about almost everything you can imagine relating to sunflowers.
Chris
SunflowerOcity

I liked this book very much. I thought that it was excellently illustrated. Lots of information on growing and using sunflowers.

If you're looking for an inspiring and uplifting book then "Bertha Size Your Life" by Jane Carroll is a book for you!

It's a delightful story about you and me;encouraging us to listen to our inner-voices to follow our dreams and live our best life now. If you have a difficult time with negative thoughts that may defeat your purpose in life, Bertha helps you conquer that too!

I give it 5 stars, a MUST read!
Leslie Freude

Santa Clarita, CA

If I used one word to describe this book it would be, F-U-N. But then again, there's another; "revelations." And yet another; "perspective." My list goes on and on. I enjoyed this read so much that I finished in two days.

Jane Carroll opens her story with the "Empty Nest" blues as her last child leaves via the altar, but she quickly turns the theme around into a wonderful adventure of enlightenment, encouragement, and self-love. One that helps the reader in sorting out the past, the present, and the next fifty years. She shows us how to really live. That's life...with a capital "L."

As the story begins, she's jogging in the park and meets a woman named Bertha. After friendly exchanges, the two decide the role of room-mates fits them well. As soon as Bertha moves in, life changes and might I say, all for the better. It truly gives new meaning to the phrase, "When the student is ready, ..." Bertha's lifestyle is all about taking time to smell the roses, literally on some days. She's offers how life is meant to be embraced, cherish, lived in the "now," and how drifting is not an option. There's no room for "woe is me" in this book.

Each day (and Chapter) begins with a new adventure, and a flashy new wardrobe, I might add, by the simple question being asked, "Bertha, what are you doing?" I quickly learned that once these lines were read, Bertha would emerge; sometimes climbing on her soapbox and delivering "aha" moments, and other times using life-altering analogies coated with wisdom that couldn't be denied, no matter how far one's head is buried in the sand.

While each Bertha-sized adventure was fun, this book gives the reader much more than chuckles. In the end, you fully understand. It's like Bertha says, nothing is more important than feeling good about me, and it's okay to ask for help when you need it. Bertha helps you to connect with your inner child AND spirit, once again. She teaches us that letting go of some impossible situations, or people, is okay, and that fitting everyone into your life is not mandatory. Even complete acceptance of some situations can be a form of letting go. Another lesson; it's okay to distance yourself from concerns to gain a better perspective, even if this involves taking a day off work, wearing a silly hat and hitting the beach. Entitlement; it's a good thing.

Just who is this Bertha? She's you, me, and every other woman you've known who needs to "listen" to her own voice and make the world be quiet.

Her mantra? Be as nice to yourself as you are to others.

In my opinion, a great place to start would be by reading, Bertha-size Your Life!

This was my all time favorite book growing up. I absolutelty loved all the activities and craft projects that were included in the book. If you have a creative kid, buy this book. Even though it was published in 1977, kids today will still love it.

this book is full of things to do; from building a town to making a costume for halloween, one can never go bored with this book on hand. pages to color, cars to build, and dozens of other things to make. this book will keep kids of all ages busy for hours