Travis Books

Laurien Berenson's latest entry in her Melanie Travis series shows the problems that arise in a series -- too many characters, too much back story to keep moving, not enough attention to the mystery. I've been an eager follower of this series from the start [A Pedigree to Die For]. The series is strongest when it focuses on Melanie, her aunt Peg, her son Davey, and their assorted, gorgeous, and well-trained poodles. It also needs a strong mystery, serious contenders for the "guilty" title, and a whiff of danger.

Her previous entry, Hounded to Death, was a tighter book, with suspects coming in and out of focus and a strong sideline with Aunt Peg and her rescue dog. That book benefited from taking Melanie, Aunt Peg, and Bertie out of their homes and into the confined area of a resort -- so there weren't so many extraneous characters and plot lines to keep moving. [Her ex-neighbors unseen husband? Really!] Here, the strongest suspense comes with Davey's venture into Junior dog handling. And while Melanie figures out the victim's fatal flaw that got him murdered, the killer announces him/herself rather than being tracked down by her.

Stronger entries show that the author can do much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the next entry.

The 15th in the Melanie Travis series, this outing finds new mom Melanie blissfully happy in her role as a stay-at-home Mom to new baby Kevin and son Davey, with the help of her husband Sam, who runs his software business out of their home.

Her friend Alice however, is going back to work as her children are both in school, and she needs to find a place to keep Berkley, her large, rambunctious dog, happy while she is gone during the day. She talks Melanie into checking out the Pine Ridge Canine Care Center, run by Steve and Candy Pine.

Melanie is impressed, the staff seems to really care about the dogs, the owners seem friendly and competent, and the setting is idyllic for a dog. When she goes back for a second visit, to check on details like on-call vets and food, she hears Candy scream from a back hallway, and they find Steve shot dead in his office.

Alice implores her to investigate, and Melanie does, simply because she feels sorry for Candy. Steve had been in charge of the books and business; Candy was in charge of the dogs. Melanie's cover is that she is hanging around asking questions because she is going to re-do the web site. She finds out about an angry neighbor who blames the Center for his neighborhood going commercial, some angry ex-girlfriends, a disgruntled former employee, and then she finds out about the silent partner, who seems on the surface to be happy with the set up.

Melanie's big question is: Why is handsome Cole Demarkian continually delivering supplies from Byram Pet Supply, if the memberships are down, and the storage closets are full? Melanie decides to search Steve's files after closing one night, but while she is alone in the office....

You will enjoy Melanie and her family and friends, and also the dogs. Melanie and Sam have five standard poodles. And you will enjoy the mystery-there are lot of suspects, an inventive setting, and a convincing bad guy. What more could you ask for?

Armchair Interviews says: Another fun cozy in the Melanie Travis series.

Even though she moved out of her neighborhood after she married Sam, Melanie Travis remains in touch with her good friend Alice Brickman, who is returning to work after being a stay at home mom for years. Worried about her Golden Retriever being alone in an empty nest, Alice asks Melanie to investigate the Pine Ridge Canine Care Center to see if it would be a good place for her to leave her beloved dog Berkley while she works.

When Melanie goes to inspect the doggie day care center, she is taken aback to see the canines enjoying a luxurious lifestyle watching TV while sitting on couches and chairs and playing with toys. When she and Alice go to sign up Berkley, they find the co-owner of the facility Steve Pine shot to death. Melanie learns that Steve's partner his sister Candy inherits the doggie day care center. She also learns an irate neighbor Adam Busch loathes the Pine siblings blaming them for ruining their neighborhood. Finally the victim was a womanizer who hit on his female clients and Lila Bennington who is suing the facility. Suspects are everywhere.

Although Melanie's plate is full with her Aunt Peg and her newborn Kevin, and with a dog show coming up she cannot resist investigating the homicide; why she does so beyond the Nancy Drew obsession syndrome is an unanswered question. The number of suspects is enormous, which in turn makes this a great entry in the caper canine series. Fans will enjoy this fine cozy while wishing their lives went to the dogs, at least those pampered at Pine Ridge.

Harriet Klausner

The newest, eagerly awaited, Melanie Travis mystery is as engrossing and enjoyable as expected. This book shows that a lot has changed in the Melanie's life lately....new house, new baby, new job status and a still-in-the-honeymoon-phase new husband. As I have said in a previous review, one of the best aspects of this series is that the characters are continually growing and developing. The changes in Melanie's life are realistic and interesting and the characters so likeable, that you will find yourself cheering them on. The setting of the doggie day care center is perfect for providing a diverse and often hilarious cast of characters/suspects. Melanie's interaction with the bratty receptionist is priceless. The mystery was unexpected with such a wide cast of suspects and I enjoyed the involvement of Alice Brickman, Melanie's best friend and the mother of Davey's best friend. It reminded me of Faith/Pix friendship in the Katherine Hall Page books and was a nice development in the series.

In general, this series avoids a number of pitfalls that drive me crazy in other series in this genre.....the angry, overprotective husband/boyfriend who doesn't want the heroine to investigate, the unrealistic, cheesy love life (usually a love triangle and/or the unlucky in love), the non-passage of time, etc. The tone and progression of this series is pitch perfect. The only thing I am kind of missing is the dog show backdrop, there is just so much atmosphere to enjoy at a dog show that the books that primarily take place at dog shows are my favorites. I do, however, understand that it would be pretty silly if someone dropped dead everytime Melanie went to a show. Also, I am ready for Aunt Peg to have another boyfriend :) All in all, another pick of the litter.

At the beginning of 2006, Java 6 is looming on the horizon, so this book could be considered obsolete, were it not for the fact that most veteran java programmers have remained lazily barricated in the previous ( and now enciant ) java versions. In another case of the disciple surpassing the master, java grows form the simple, crystal clear laguage it was at his birth to a way more intimidating beast than C++, and if you happen to be one the programmers who have been left behind this text is a good and now cheap chance to absorb the features added in the 1.4 realease: NIO, assertions, regexp. NOte that this is not a java tutorial, it has been written for programmers already fluent in java, but needing a tutorial on the 1.4 extensions.
The presentation style is really clear, but I do have some issues with the code examples which in some case are a bit contrived and in a couple of cases are flawed.

Don't judge a book by it's title. I had hoped that the book would be a good primer on not only the newest version of Java but of Java itself. As a novice I was disappointed. It did provide some nice insights into where Java wanted to go and how the changes would get it there. But I had hoped for more. When I get more experience with programming I look forward to coming back to this book and more fully appreciating what it offers.

This book explains for an experienced Java developer the new features introduced in JDK1.4. Particularly the sections on assestions and Collections are very lucid and I found them very helpful. All the examples in the book are presented in a detailed and clear manner and on going through them, it is easy for a reader to understand how to use the APIs.

Novice programmers may not find this book helpful as it seems to be targeted for those developers who are already using some flavour of Java 2 platform.

I found this book to be a good tutorial when upgrading to Java 1.4. Afterwards it was also useful as a reference book.

The book clearly explains the new concepts and features in Java 1.4 and has many examples. It doesn't waste time explaining how to program in Java instead sticking to the new features. It is good to have a book that focuses mainly on new features instead of being filled up with information that is already known.

It is a good book for finding out the new features of Java 1.4.

While I enjoyed the book overall, I have to say that I was a bit offended by some things I read. I am a groomer, and in the story, the heroine makes it clear that she does not think highly of groomers. She visits a grooming salon, and much was made of the fact that the groomers were unprofessional, slovenly, and dumb. It was mentioned at least twice that groomers do not know how to "really" groom any show Poodle, and that all they do is "tie some bows on the ears and send them home." She doubts that groomers can do quality work on any show dog, especially since her Aunt Peg, a show dog handler, spent several hours doing a show trim on her Poodle.

Well, pardon ME. When a show dog handler can trim an entire poodle by hand, with no pieces sticking out, and scissor a perfect top knot, THEN you can tell me that the show dog handler has true grooming skills. As far as I am concerned, the extent of the grooming *they* do consists of mostly brushing and fluffing. I don't think it is necessary to snidely comment on the so-called "non-skills" of pet groomers just because the majority of dogs we groom do not end up in the show ring. Talk about snobbery.

Yes, I know this book is fiction, but apparently the author's opinion of groomers is not. This 'groomer-bashing' occurred in another of her books, and I just cannot ignore it anymore. I will be the first to admit that there ARE many slovenly, unprofessional groomers out there. But the things I read in this book offended ME, and I happen to be the consummate professional groomer. I work pretty darn hard, and I don't need some author constantly belittling my industry. It's certainly not fun to read.

The fact that I gave the book 3 stars despite this gripe? I guess I was feeling generous. Who would've thought a groomer had ANY redeeming qualities, right?

LIKE ALL HER BOOKS THIS ONE IS JUST SUPER , IT KEEPS YOU TO END ON YOUR CHAIR , YOU NEVER KNOW WHO DID IT OR WHY ! PLUS ON TOP YOU GET ALL THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE DOGWORLD , WHICH SHE IS PERFECT REVIALING TO YOU ! IF YOU LIKE DOGS AND A GOOD MYSTERY THIS IS A BOOK FOR YOU !!

I was so delighted when I found this series. I don't normally pick mysteries, but am an avid dog-lover.
I do not agree that Melanie "...wear(s) on your nerves because she is so obstinate about EVERYTHING." She's tough; she's had to be, as most single parents do. She's also had a lot of change in her life just in the year that's taken place in the books.
This series, and author, are on my favorites list.

All of Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis mysteries are entertaining and I've read most of them. My only objection is that Melanie Travis begins to wear on your nerves because she is so obstinate about EVERYTHING. There isn't just a few things she is hard headed about but everytime she comes up against something, she braces her feet. She is stubborn about her dog, her son, her job, her ex, Sam, her aunts and the list goes on. This becomes not only predictable but very boring. Melanie needs to become somewhat flexible and leave some of the pig headedness behind to make these books not only entertaining but more believable. Ms Berenson does an excellent job of transporting you to the dog show world, it's just that sometimes I wish she'd leave Melanie at home to grow up!

We loved this book for Kids, and any other books that Debbie Travis has on the market. Her ideas are fantastic, and she will get your creativity juices going to start other projects. The grandkids loved their room now.

I've looked through several different books for decorating kids' rooms and if I could only keep one this would be it. This book shows you how to create a beautiful room for your children by just using paint...painting the walls, ceiling furniture, floor, rug, headboard, shelves, decorating accessories or whatever. I am not an artist or interior decorator but I felt like I could do every project described. Most decorating books just show you a finished room and a few comments about different unique characteristics of the room. This book gives detailed instructions for how to create the entire theme yourself. Some of the themes described are castle, safari adventure, carribbean, fairy tale, circus and many more. If you want to transform your child's room into a creative haven all on your own then you MUST have this book.

This book had some cute project ideas, but not many that truly inspired me. Many of the projects just didn't tie together into themed rooms. To me, the rooms were not that creative nor ones that I would want to use. This book really wasn't what I was looking for for children's room ideas. If you are just looking to make a few projects (i.e. decorated lamp, storage box, or bulletin board) this book may be what you are looking for. However, if you want to totally redo your child's room another book may provide more inspiration.

There might not be any substantive proof that Edgar Rice Burroughs read "Gullivar of Mars" before he started writing his own classic Barsoom series, but if you have read "A Princess of Mars" and "The Gods of Mars" then you would have to conclude ERB did read this 1905 Edwin L. Arnold novel. Of course, Arnold owes a debt to H. G. Wells and "The Time Machine" as well, not to mention Jonathan Swift, but it is the connection with ERB that has managed to keep this book in print, and deservedly so as far as I am concerned.

The basic story of "Gullivar of Mars" is that Lt. Gullivar Jones magically ends up on Mars and travels around the Red Planet trying to rescue the beautiful Princess Heru. The villain is the evil Ar-Hap, who is trying to conquer Seth, the city of the beautiful Hither folk. Originally published in 1905 as "Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation," at the time the comparisons to Swift's satire would have been clear, while from our vantage point the parallels to Burroughs are glaringly obvious. However, Gullivar Jones is nowhere near being a hero in the mold of John Carter. He certainly tries a lot, but like the original Gullivar he does not have much luck.

Keep in mind that this novel was written in 1905 and that Arnold would have been quite familiar with the utopian tradition represented by not only Swift, but Samuel Butler's "Erewhon," Edward Bellamy's "Looking Backward: 2000-1887," and other late 19th-century works where a traveler to a distant place (or time) experiences a strange new world. There are more adventure elements in Arnold's story, to be sure, but there is also a stronger sense of satire than you would find in most Burroughs pulp fiction yarns (with a few notable exceptions mostly to be found in his Venus series). With the Hither folk as lazy but sensual people, who have forgotten the knowledge and the slaves that built their advances socieites, Arnold certainly seems to be making a political point. The Hither seem like nice folk, but this is not a good society. Meanwhile, the "bad" guys, the Thither people, exhibit much more human compassion towards the strange visitor from another planet. Then there is Gulliver, who has no doubts about his superiority to both races and who actually claims part of Mars for the U.S.

Still, this novel will also remind you of a serial, where the hero has a series of adventures, one after another. Of those it is the idea of the River of Death that really stands out (the dead are floated down the river, which has some interesting effects the more up river Gullivar travels). This would be a fairly interesting science fiction adventure on its own terms, but the obvious connections with the Burroughs novels makes this the most interesting non-ERB novel ERB fans could read. This edition in the Bison Frontiers of Imagination Series offers a introduction by Richard Lupoff and an afterword by Gary Hoppenstand, which put "Gullivar of Mars" in its appropriate literary contexts with regards to both the genre and the times.

Gullivar of Mars (1905) by Edwin Lester Arnold - 193 pages - rating: 8.0/10

More than just a swashbuckling adventure, although much adventure there is, Gullivar of Mars is an intelligent blend of high fantasy, gothic horror and epic romantic voyage.

The writing style is classic English which does require a few pages to become accustomed to, but only a few. Once done the reader will find its unique flare to be particularly engaging and enjoyable rather than a burden.

Many suggest that Gullivar of Mars, which was written some 8 years prior to Edgar Rice Burrough's A Princess of Mars (1913), had a significant influence on the popular Burroughs novel, but you will find little similarity in style or plot. The two novels are entirely different with the exception perhaps of the location of events. I must quickly admit that A Princess of Mars remains one of my favorites of all time.

Gullivar of Mars is an excellent novel that flows smoothly and will surprise and delight you in ways you will not expect.

Claus Kellermann
2006 February 20
Sci_Fi_Researcher@yahoo.com

This is an early science fiction novel that was originally published in 1905. It is about an American Naval Lieutenant, Gullivar Jones, who takes a magic carpet to Mars. It is somewhat reminiscent of the works of H.G. Wells, specifically The Time Machine. That is to say, in both books the protagonist encounters two seperate races, one peaceful and one violent. Anyway, this is a pretty entertaining book. It features an intriguing blend of science fiction, quest fantasy and gothic horror. There is also a fair amount of humor in it. Fans of early science fiction should give it a read.

Europeans love blacks who play jazz. Dorothy Donegan born in Chicago in 1922 said, "They want us to do jazz, blues, and boogie-woogie. They are crazy about musicians like Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters, and B. B. King. They prefer them to Billy Eckstine and Johnny Hartmann." She tells of befriending a washroom attendant named Ruth Jones who later became the singer Dinah Washington. She also knew Erroll Garner who had a good version of "Play Misty For Me."

Studs Terkel wrote in the Introduction: "The bandstand at the Harlem Cotton Club" was a replica of a Southern mansion with large white columns and a backdrop painted with weeping willows and slave quarters. The orchestra performed in front of the large double doors to the mansion. Down four steps was the dance floor, which was also used for floor shows. The waiters were dressed in red tuxedos, like butlers in a Southern mansion. The entire scene created a 'Gone With the Wind' amosphere that made every male feel like Rhett Butler and every woman Scarlet O'Hara. Since the waiters were paid only one dollar a night, they had to hustle like Rochester and hope that Rhett Butler would leave a big tip." I was waiting for a bus at the mall a few months ago when I overheard a conversation of a couple and the male had just been hired to be a waiter at a fancy restaurant there. He pointed at me and said, "I'll get big tips from people like her." I had a friend for many years, Vivian Sims, who regaled me with her personal experiences at the Cotton Club near where her mother owned some apartments. She had a ball there during her twenties, she said, before coming South to the black Harvard, Fisk University, where one of my sons taught for five years.

Today I went to see a movie I expected to showcase some jazz as it was touted as being a musical about the probition period. It was anything but jazz. About a piano-playing mortician who hauled around bootleg liquor in shiny wood caskets and Ace who dressed in overalls. All of their meetings were in that club where the dancing was amateurish and the music bad. There was language we don't normally hear and some nudity in the acts. It was so upsetting that I had to get up and leave. Not since 'Better Luck Tomorrow' in 2003 have I had such revulsion to what I was seeing on the screen.

The author was a Deejay in Chicago who knew and had his picture taken with all the jazz performers who came to the Windy City. He admired some of the men like Joe Williams, Cab Calloway, and Erskine Hawkins, but he especially like the ladies Nancy Wilson, Pearl Bailey and Sarah Vaughan. He had memorable meetings at the Vendome Theater and the Regal which had a hugh neon sign on top of the large speakeasy palace there in Chicago.

I am a voracious lover of music hstory and this book has it. Chicago was the recording center during the 1920s, home to King Joe Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Paul Whiteman, Bix Biederbeck, Benny Goodman, the Austin High Gang, plenty of refugees from New Orleans.
Dempsey Travis was a child in Chicago during this golden age, growing up in the mean Southside and skipping school to go to the theaters that featured the great bands. A pianist, he was fronting his own orchestra before he was old enough to be a union member.
The biographers of the jazz age are generally people looking from the outside in. Not Travis, a successful businessman and survivor of every era of music. His memories include rubbing shoulders with Nat Cole, before he became a king, Nancy Wilson's growth years in the 1960s, Gene Ammons, Riley Blues Boy King and the tens of thousands of players who made the show business game with the tough audiences on the Southside.
His rememberances of the owners of the clubs and theaters are as colorful as the entertainers. This book will hit you deep in your soul. I have read all the classic jazz history biographies and this one put me closer to the action that anything else.
Travis also has a biography on Red Foxx which didn't move me near as much as An Autobiography of Black Jazz. Two thumbs up.

I thought this was a vey good book and one that policy readers should read. Different topics are addressed such as healthcare, education, crime, the economy and welfare.

Some progressive activists say the privileged only help the oppressed when it benefits them. Thus, choice advocates let men know that if abortion is illegal, then they may have to spend 18 years paying for children they didn't want. Supporters of affirmative action tell whites that their children benefit when they learn to feel comfortable in a rapidly diversifying country. The author here takes the same route: he says all prisoners come home and thus the problems of ex-convicts outside of the prison are the problems of all Americans. He gives a great example: if prisoners get medicines in prison but not when they are released, they may develop stronger strains of diseases and may cause more crimes if they are off of their medications. This book may offer a lot of information for many.

That being said, this book also felt about 100 pages too long. The author said he spent five years talking to experts and reading reports. His work can be seen as thorough, but it also feels like everything and the kitchen sink was added. At times, it's repetitive, truth be told.

Furthermore, all prisoners don't come home. Someone dear to me is in prison and he said a whole bunch of guys there are in for life and won't be coming out. As a progressive, I agree that we must do more to help former inmates. Still, I'm not sure I needed to read approximately 400 pages on the topic. People may appreciate Joan Petersilia's book on the topic more.

This book contains excellent information, but calling it a workbook is misleading. I bought it for my grandchildren as a companion to "Constitution Translated for Kids," assuming that it would give them a hands-on opportunity to answer questions, use worksheets and other supplementary materials about the Constitution. Instead, it appears to be a key for teachers or parents, giving them questions and answers to give the kids. It should perhaps be called or described as a study guide or teacher's manual, rather than a workbook.

This is not a workbook in any sense, but a guide for instructors with suggested questions and answers. I will be reading reviews before buying anything else based on the product description!

I really enjoyed this book. I think anyone who enjoys reading should read this. ^.^

This is Travis Gill, author of this book. I hope that you have enjoyed reading this book. To aid those who wish to learn more about the characters, the story's roots, and other things, I have a webpage for you. This is also good for people who really have no idea about medieval times, and want to get a grasp on what the book is trying to show.

It is located at http://www.astanax.com and I hope you find it worthwhile. And sorry for those who think this book is a 5 star, I'm being modest and don't want to boast, so I'm giving myself a 3, in between 1 and 5.

This is the first book that I have read in the Sheila Travis series and I absolutely could not put it down! I have become very fond of other "Southern" mystery series a la Laura Childs and Tamar Myers, and this series definitely does not disappoint.

I found the characters to be very believable and the detail in which Sprinkle describes the nuances of Southern mannerism provides a good lesson in the sociology of the region.

The only challenge that I faced when reading the book was keeping track of so many characters. Each added a colorful element to the story, but I think the author also ended up having to jump around very quickly, and some of the characters may not have been as thoroughly developed as they could have been.

All in all, though, I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading other books in the Sheila Travis series.

This was a pleasant read, well plotted and satisfyingly suspenseful. The characters were, mostly, believable in the role they played, with one exception: I found it difficult to believe that the murderer was able to commit the crimes in the manner described. The motives were convincing, just not the method.

Other than that everything fell together satisfactorily. With each successive installment in this series Shiela Travis's character becomes more fully "fleshed out," more real, and I find myself looking forward with a delicious sense of anticipation to the next episode in her life.