Simmons Books

As a lifelong Rhode Island native (25 years and counting), I found this book captured the unique arena that is the real Providence. The city itself is a character, yet it's presence is subtle enough to make this book easy to connect no matter where you hail from. The local shops, bars, restaurants and locations set the scene and show the Providence that I have come to love, yet they are portrayed ambiguously enough that they could pop up in any city.

The characters are identifiably unique and quirky, pouring out witty yet cynical dialogue all over the place, making for very memorable scenes. Even though they sometimes maintain a crass banter between one another, you can perceive a malleable bond between the protagonist, Victor, and his best friend, Wix. This twosome have invariably different views on life and most importantly faith, yet they share character traits that adhere them to one another during their rough an riotous ride through what they think may be the end of their lives as they know them. Along the way, they pick up an old schoolyard "acquaintance", Ralph T. Willbury, a bonafide oaf with a genuine friendliness, contradicted by his years of being labeled as a terminally anti-social buffoon. Although his presence may seem small, he starts to rub off on Victor and Wix, and ends up passing unto them a lesson in friendship. It's heartwarming how a ostracized, overweight and poverty raised kid can teach the closest of friends a thing or two about friendship; paralelled by his seemingly self imposed lack of friends in school.

The story, told through a letter written by our antisocial hero, Victor Meeks, is one that flows easily despite change in time and location. The characters are heavily built upon in flashbacks, memories and dreams, and they solidify themselves during their current escapades. The story takes place over the period of only about 24 to 36 hours, and this day is filled with content: sometimes seeming to be overfilled, but heh, these kids are on a mission! The writing is very intelligent, as is most of the dialogue, which may scare some away. But the imagery certainly makes the tale easy to descend into, so I think most readers should not have a hard time at all.

On the whole, this book was a heartwarming yarn with some loveable (yet self-loathing) characters, that give a very true glimpse into the real, uncompromised and most oft unseen Providence. I read this cover to cover in just a couple of days, not wanting to put it down and chance missing what happens next to the cynical friends. I thoroughly enjoyed the read, and surmise that most would also, even if they have never personally seen the sights of Rhode Island. I recommend picking it up; it is something you won't label a regret.

Not only can Alice Carpenter and her Aunt Twila see ghosts, they can talk with them. The duo helps the sprits stop whatever is holding them on this side of the veil including finding their killers if appropriate.

In small-town Mineral Springs, Texas in a dilapidated hotel about to be torn down, Alice notices the sexy ghost of Patrick before he vanishes. She convinces Aunt Twila that they must investigate the sighting. With Trucker the Rottweiler and Miss Muffy the Persian feline accompanying them, the two females arrive at the hotel to look around. They find the sliced up body of a man at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Alice demands they reunite her body, find her killer and locate the ghost of Patrick's beloved lover Consuelo before he moves on to the other side; Alice and Twila are warned that Consuelo's brother Antonio stands in the way. As the living females and their pets investigate, their troubles come from the mortal world as someone breathing wants their inquiry ended anyway necessary.

This exciting paranormal whodunit uses ghosts as support characters, which surprisingly seems real because of the interplay between the spirits and the brave living sleuths. Alice and Twila take the existence of ghosts in stride as if it is an everyday occurrence, which to them it is while Alice's ex Jack denies their existence. As with DEAD MAN TALKING, T.M. Simmons provides a delightfully charming leisurely flowing supernatural cozy.

Harriet Klausner

I was throughly delighted with The Devil's Lady. I'd only read a couple of Ms. Simmon's books from her De Burgh series. While waiting to get the rest of the books in that series, I decided to sit down and read this very hard to find book. I read the book in one day as I simply couldn't put it down.

I totally fell in love with the characters. Simmon's is a superb author and I am trying to add all her books to my collection. She is FAST becoming another one of my favorite authors.

My two-year-old dearly loved this book, but I think it would be appropriate for many ages. The pictures are beautiful and the text is fun to read and to hear read.

"Ebb & Flo and the New Friend" is a simply charming story about a girl and her dog. In this story, Ebb & Flo make a new friend --- but not at first.

A duck intrudes upon the friendship of these two. Ebb the dog does not like the duck at all. She tries to sleep with him and eats his food. But eventually he starts to come see things differently.

The illustrations in this are a wonderful soothing watercolor. They're quite something to look at. This series was recently turned into a series of shorts called "Zee's Bookshelf" airing on Noggin, and I couldn't think of a better series of books for it to happen to.

This an excellent book. The images inside it are very clear and say a lot about the written material. Although some pictures and topics are repetitive, this is mostly due to the proper nature of the NEC, which in several sections seems to repite what is mentioned before. Of course, as the NEC also does, it keeps mixing up the topics of grounding and bonding. I highly recommend it on this matter.

This textbook does an excellent job of clearing up often misunderstood or confusing grounding and bonding issues (even the difference between boning and grounding as well!). Article 250 of the NEC is explained with clarity and completeness I've found in few other texts. The author's inclusion of reasoning behind the rules, with excellent illustrations, really helped me arrive at a more complete understanding of the subject. It is an indispensible resource for electricians, electrical contractors, instructors, or engineers designing electrical systems.

Traditional ethnographies have generally focused on large scale aspects of a society's life. In a new approach, Hollan and Wellenkamp are innovating the field of psychological anthropology with ethnographies that focus on the commanalities as well as the differences found in individuals belonging to a particular culture, in this case the Toraja of Sulawesi, Indonesia. This methodology allows readers to understand what it is like to live in Tana Toraja as well as gain insight into the individual lives, not just the society as a whole. The components of the individuals' enculturation can be seen through larger cultural processes of socialization that affect everyone, but person-centered ethnography takes into account the uniqueness of people and that the same culture can lead to drastically different people with differing views on the same issue, despite being raised in the same cultural environment. Contentment and Suffering is well-organized and does not attack the reader with technical jargon. Yet its approach does not condescend to the reader. Its concise wording is direct yet never terse or curt.

"Hyperion" cycle is a quartet divided in two halves that shares the same universe.

"Endymion" starts the second part. Three hundred years had elapsed since the end of "The Fall of Hyperion" and new forces are playing the game.
Some characters of the first half, as A. Bettik, Martin Silenus and The Shrike reappear here.
The Catholic Church with her new resurrection "sacrament" is expanding everywhere. The "farcasters" are not working and space travel takes a toll in the form of time debt.
Simmons give a new turn of the screw to his story: the new main character is an anti-hero. He is not very brave or smart; he is loyal and devoted to Aenea. Usually M. Endymion just goes ahead pressed by the events that pop up, he strives to stay alive and protect Aenea. He is just an ordinary man subjected to extraordinary events.
The Pax forces leaded by Father Captain de Soya launch an all-out persecution thru the universe and this is its chronicle.
Simmons uses a subtle humor and cue the reader to enter the game. At the same time, in another level of the story, more complex issues are touched as predestination versus free will; religion and faith; ethical and unethical choices.

Before reading this book is advisable to read "Hyperion" and "The Fall of Hyperion", to fully understand what's going on. But you will not regret doing so; you'll get in touch with one of the best sci-fi sagas written in the `90s.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

"Hyperion" cycle is a quartet divided in two halves that share the same universe.

"Endymion" starts the second part. Three hundred years had elapsed since the end of The Fall of Hyperion and new forces are playing the game.
Some characters of the first half, as A. Bettik, Martin Silenus and The Shrike reappear here.
The Catholic Church with her new resurrection "sacrament" is expanding everywhere. The "farcasters" are not working and space travel takes a toll in the form of time debt.
Simmons give a new turn of the screw to his story: the new main character is an anti-hero. He is not very brave or smart; he is loyal and devoted to Aenea. Usually M. Endymion just goes ahead pressed by the events that pop up, he strives to stay alive and protect Aenea. He is just an ordinary man subjected to extraordinary events.
The Pax forces leaded by Father Captain de Soya launch an all-out persecution thru the universe and this is its chronicle.
Simmons uses a subtle humor and cue the reader to enter the game. At the same time, in another level of the story, more complex issues are touched as predestination versus free will; religion and faith; ethical and unethical choices.
Before reading this book is advisable to read Hyperion and "The Fall of Hyperion", to fully understand what's going on. But you will not regret doing so; you'll get in touch with one of the best sci-fi sagas written in the `90s.
Reviewed by Max Yofre.