Ware Books

Received this book in wonderful condition....great delivery time....love love this book.....Debby Ware are excellent patterns to work with and this book is loaded with excellent knitting projects....will continue to purchase her work.....

I have always loved Debbie Ware kits, and make them frequently for baby shower gifts. Now, I don't have to get the kit, because there is a whole slew of fabulous patters in this hard to find book! Easy to follow, bright colors and funky designs, these are gifts that everyone remembers and loves. I couldn't be happier with this book. Debbie Ware has great customer service as well - if you don't understand something, email them and they will get right back to you.

The photographs of the items in this book are like looking at the beautiful cakes and pastries in a bakery... but without the calories. The outfits, beanies, and booties are toooooo adorable. However, what really makes this book worth every cent I paid are the straightforward instructions and the tips that accompany each project. I am tempted to make some of the four pointed beanies for myself. They are beautiful and festive... I can't say enough about this book. I just hope Mrs. Ware comes up with another publication as beautiful and creative as this. Enjoy!

The designs in this book are really adorable, but the title is misleading. There are only 3 patterns in the whole book that are actually in toddler sizes (3T-4T is the largest). The rest stop at 24 months, and some don't even go that high. There's a section on hats in size newborn-6 months, and a section on booties for 3-6 months. While they're all really cute, I have no use for them since my daughter is already 2 1/2 and in a 3T/4T.

This book is wonderful! I have made the booties and hats and want to make the sweater on the front for my daughter (and enter it in the fair this summer before she wears it this fall!). Instructions are very good but if a beginner was to look at these they might toss the book across the room. I have been knitting for 20+ years and found the designs of the clothing a little on the advanced side (color changes, techniques, etc.), but the hats and booties were basic. Ms. Ware likes to use expensive yarn too ($5-$7/hank/skein) but the projects do turn out beautifully with her recommended yarn brand. Great book! Would recommend to any intermediate or above knitter. I will be purchasing more books from this designer in the future!

This book is really big. I have to fold it in half to store it.

It's a pity that the first review is one which slights what is simply a continuation of one of the greatest canons of art and literature of the past century.

It bristles me to see it be referred to as heavy-handed. This is much like saying some synphonic music is "too loud" or "too quiet."

Personal tastes aside, there are other errors in that review which cannot benefit anyone. . . comparing Rusty Brown to Jimmy Corrigan because they are both "comic book geeks" is ridiculous. The Jimmy Corrigan serial spanned generations in the same way, but the similarities end there.

How was J. Corrigan a comic book geek? The only thing in that surreal tale which related to a comic book was a bizarre version of a super man. Having read the entirety of C. Ware's work, I can assure you as an unfamiliar reader, that the characters have little or nothing in common.

So, as you should be able to gather on your own, anyone purporting "who needs this" and "its heavy handed" is just displaying their own tastes on their sleeve.

This book is fabulous. The larger format is always better and welcomed. Just that alone puts it way above most "drawn big and reduced" comics, as you are seeing it nearly 1 to 1.

The drawings are perfection. The stories are sentimental and endearing, no matter the protagonist.

The baffling aspect of the first review (o how painful to see such a review of chaff up front) is that it then says "if you'd like to see 'better' go to Dan Clowes' Eightball." Not only is it juvenile, as though there is a magical pyramid somewhere where all comic book writers compete to be the best and to adhere to someone's rather sketchily undefined tastes, but it detracts from one to serve another.

I am aping the first review by stating:
"If you like good things, you'll like this!"

But I will one up it by stating that if you are a fan of the series this is essential because it draws from every character, and if you're not it's a great primer because of the variety.

the reviewer who said he didn't "get" chris wares illustrations is obviously a no-talent hack who wouldn't know real art if it was staring him in the face. maybe you should just stick to thomas kincade paintings of pretty streams and rainbows.

If your only exposure to Chris Ware is the collected "Jimmy Corrigan" graphic novel, you owe it to yourself to experience his work in its original, serial form. However, this most recent issue of The Acme Novelty Library is a less than ideal introduction to the book. While the issue features typically superior artwork and, in its best moments, achieves breathtaking sadness, by and large there is nothing here that Ware hasn't already tackled in "Jimmy Corrigan." The Quimby Mouse stips are able to relate a precise and poignant element of misery, as does the excellent strip on the inside cover. However, most of the issue does not match these highlights. The Jimmy Corrigan strip included here is merely redundant, simply reiterating plot points already made in the serial. The "Tales of Tomorrow" are, for the most part, heavy-handed and overly austere. And the introduction of "Rusty Brown" is a big disappointment. Do we really need another story about a pathetic comic book geek? Rusty is like Jimmy Corrigan, except that is he is more repugnant than pathetic. If you loved "Jimmy Corrigan," you will *like* Acme Novelty Library #15. For a more adept handling of similarly cynical attitudes, check out Daniel Clowes's newly-published Eightball #22.

People praise Ware's graphic design skills. This I understand. He is flat-out great, though a little repetitive and uninspired. People praise Ware's drawing style. Now, they start to lose me. I have done professional illustration work for years; I would consider myself an about average pen-and-ink artist. I'm certainly better than Chris Ware, but that's not saying much. His drawings are technically okay, not great; but they are the most dull, lifeless, art-school looking things imaginable, to my eye. That's okay--people have different tastes. Maybe I'm missing something. Probably not, but maybe. But it's when people call this guy a writer that they lose me completely. These "stories" are nothing but a pointless stream of nostalgic whining about the author's evident neurosis, hiding behind cardboard characters and situations. Graphic designers, take note of Chris Ware's brilliant if unoriginal style. All else, find some entertainment elsewhere.

Chris Ware's work represents a real achievement in the world of comic publishing since he puts out not just a comic but a work of art.

If you enjoy his work, be sure to pick up the Krazy Kat and Gasoline Alley collections also available at www.amazon.com

This book is near of the "Jimmy Corrigan..." style and mood.
Visually clear and precise in order to benefit the narrative success.

There are two things that I specially enjoyed:
- The Chris Ware's cameo and his dissertation about depression
- the paralell sequence at the bottom of the page that intersect with the main story in one point of the book.

Chris Ware is a master. No doubt about it.

Great job.

The new Acme is finally here, and, lest I allow my excitement over its mere existence color my review, I let it sit for a little while after I bought it and then reread it. It is still amazing. The slow pace is the sign of someone who is not afraid of giving the story room to breathe. Any faster and this story would not have the same emotional impact that it already does after one all-too-brief installment. Ware's lines are wonderfully clear and his palette subdued and balanced, though the lower story does tend to strain the eyes somewhat with its nearly microscopic detail. Possibly his strongest work yet, although it seems a bit hasty to say, seeing as I'll be of retirement age by the time the damn thing's finished. But still, I am grateful that Mr. Ware is out there writing his pathetically beautiful comics.

Much more emotional than the previous issue of ANL, this gorgeously-printed book collects installments of "Rusty Brown" and "Building Stories". The former has improved vastly since it's earlier installments---by going back to Rusty and Chalky's childhood (albeit in a sort of weird alternate universe, but then, continuity is overrated), Ware gets back to the sorrow&pity that characterized Jimmy Corrigan, rather than the snideness of previous Rusty Brown installments.

I am a huge fan of Chris Ware's work, one of the few who discovered Acme Novelty way back around issue #4. This was the beginning of the Jimmy Corrigan saga, where the protaganist's perspective slides between hallucinations (the metal man), with "themes" repeated in the background (the peach!). The story telling was incredible, and the books deserved repeated readings.

As Ware has acheived the acclaim of which he is worthy, the quality of the narrative has gone down. First, there were a few boring issues of Acme with very linear storylines (ex: J.C. in the hospital getting his leg bandaged). Then, there was the repackaging of older strips in hardcover, most recently the red covered Acme Novelty Library collection. It was old stuff, padded with little gags like Dick Public and longer but unfocused stories, like the title-less "God" story.

Acme Novelty #16 falls between Ware's best and worst work. It's mostly one story (Rusty Brown and Chalky White as children), told in parallel narratives (one from each perspective). There's some interesting bits with characters we haven't seen before, namely Rusty's father and Chalky's sister. Plus there's a "cameo" of Ware himself, who prods a character in his most miserable state. (I was reminded of Kurt Vonnegut's appearance in "Breakfast of Champions".) There is beautiful art of a midwestern, middle class world in the snow, with Ware's trademark simplicity with detail and consistency and the feeling of isolation.

There at least one very interesting sequence where the view zooms out, turns, and zooms in to another part of the same building.

It's also interesting to see more about Rusty Brown's background, and actually feel a little simpathy for the poor kid, before he turns into a Big Jerk later in life!

What's missing is a story arc; the story is flat, starting and ending at arbitrary points.

The book ends with two shorter stories, one apparently autobiographical, with a happy tone (?!?!?) that counterbalances the bleak isolation and loneliness in the rest of the book.

The final story develops the one legged girl character who appears in the New York Times magazine. This is told in those diagrams where you have to follow the paths all over the page. (Ware fans know what I'm talking about.) (A chunk of this bit of A.N.L.#16 also appeared, minus color, in the recent "Masters of American Comics" book)

Overall, for Ware fans, Acme Novelty Library #16 is something you need to buy. Those who have never seen his work, however, would do better to start with the book Jimmy Corrigan. ANL#16 is not his best, but it is worth the price, and I'll certainly give it a few readings. And that's more than I can say about most graphic novels.

This is probably the best book on Franciscan dinnerware around. It gives a lot of information on the company, it's history etc. I would have liked to see more information and photos on the handpainted items, namely the Apple and Desert Rose varieties. There are only a few pages devoted exclusively to them. There is a price guide included that covers most of the items, although it doesn't show photos of each piece. I think it's a pretty good book though and I'm glad I bought it.

My Father was the last Dinnerware Plant Manager for Franciscan China while it was still made in California. This book included alot of Franciscan China that is usually left out. I recommeded this book to my Father, who bought it and loved it too.

Great resource. If you're a collector, BUY THIS BOOK. The pricing guide is an amazing reference for rare and uncommon pieces.

Excellent material, but I wish the colors were more vivid and true to the real colors of the pottery. I recommend the book because it has a wealth of information for anyone who enjoys learning about all the patterns and their history. It would be a wonderful addition to the library of a collector or anyone interested in California pottery.

The book is well written and I've learned quite a bit. However, I don't like that there isn't a photo of every piece (like the child's plate) or how to tell the difference between a casserole and a covered vegetable. I also didn't like that the price guide doesn't break down the year the item was made, just prices of American made, and made in England. Is one made in 1941 worth more than one in 1980??? The book and the guide doesn't say. I also felt as though it was CLEARLY written from a SALES perspective, complete with a photo of The Replacements headquarters on the back cover!

This is a good book, particularly because when it came out, it was the first, and these authors are committed to advancing heucheras in the garden. I am biased, as I crave anything on the subject. I would have given it a higher star, but will wait until I have read the other book on the subject. It has nice photos of heuchera at their very best, and good descriptions of the varieties, and great tips on propagation--which I have used successfully! Buy the book and propagate your heuchs in the spring. I hope this is helpful, but if you like heucheras, you'll buy the book irrespective of what I've shared.

I was very pleased with this book as it arrived with a new book cover which made it look brand new. Very nice indeed.

Only downside to this book is that most do not specify location i.e. sun / shade. And their is no zone reference.

Cool book has some color photos of types. some ways to propigate them and who cultivated certain ones. fun book to sit and read.

Dan Heims and Grahame Ware's Heucheras and Heucherellas is a superior gardening book for sophisticated and professional gardeners alike. Why? Because in this 208 page book everything you want to know about these two genera are described in great detail. The book grabs you right off by showing over 55 pages of superior colored photographs in alphabetical order. How clever. Usually colored photographs are in the middle of a book. But not here. With the result that you want to dash out to your nearest nursery and find all of the plants depicted. This is followed by a series of chapters on Heucheras in the wild and the citations found in old publications, a list of all the species and their descriptions, how to hybridize this intriguing genus and very practical advise on how to use the new cultivars in the landscape. What is not to like about this book. Try finding a comprehensive list of all species and cvs on the Web. Good luck. This book has it all. It appeals to the professional horticulturist and the avid amateur, who often is as informed as the professional. For those gardeners who are beginners, I say read this book and enrich yourself with horticultural knowlegde. Soon botanic names, mentionings of hybrids, tetraploids, and other botanical lingo will seem as familiar to you as how to make a bechamel sauce recipe in a cookbook. My one criticism would be the chapter on the discovery of the genera. The language seemed very stiff in contrast with the informal tone of the rest of the book. It was almost like foot notes of someone's thesis. So take the time to Google some of the plant hunters mentioned and you will be very much intrigued by the incredible hardships many of them endured. A small criticism as the book does not deal with that subject matter. Since the publication of this book new cvs have been introduced to the trade. But that should not stop you from treasuring this book. It has all the fundamentals in place and the name of another cv you can always add to the index in the back of the book. So 5 stars it is.

We are going through this book and it is truely a essential tool for transformation. I use it in conjunction with Louise Hays, You Can Heal your Body. The Young Living Oils have been helping my clients, family & friends heal from simple headaches, to depression, Anger and many other symptoms.
Thank you for providing this most excellent tool,
Mariah Denniston

I've been using essential oils for years. This is one of the most comprehensive and easy to use book. There's very little blabla, just a lot of great information and how to use it.
My copy is earmarked, beat up, written on, has traveled with me through France and Spain and the US. If there is a book to have the subject of EO and releasing emotions, this book is the one to have.
It is important to be familiar with Young Living Essential Oils to comprehend and benefit fully from this book.

In response to 'tina', who seems paranoid about "therapeutic grade" essential oils, I say DO YOUR HOMEWORK. It sounds as if you've used 'cheap' oils, or some from a health food store,and thats not good enough. Dr. Young has studied extensively in Europe to bring the highest quality essential oils to us using low heat and taking extra time, up to 2 hours in distillation chamber, not 15 min like many companies who want a fast buck. He cares about the oils and their effect on us as he uses them extensively on himself, his wife and their child. Why wouldn't you want to produce a product you're proud of, and constantly brings amazing testimonies from people who use them. The prices are very affordable considering it's impacting your health and very future. So many people wasting thousands of dollars on cigarettes every year, or drinking pop and eating junk food which is taking them down a very dark path in the end, here is someone who's put in the time and tremendous effort to bring a quality product, and like usual, you have someone with limited knowledge scaring others before they even get a chance to get their feet wet. There's nothing wrong whatsoever with NEAT application, I'm a nurse, and please, don't even begin to compare the horrors of vaccines in this country with Gods gift of essential oils that HEAL!!!!!!! And I'll say it again, yes, there are a few oils that should be diluted, but if you read, and study the subject, you'll know which ones they are. After all, do you just go get your Drivers License when you're 16 without ever studying for the test, without ever getting behind the wheel with a teacher first? I don't think so, and so it is with the oils. The Young Living Essential Oil Company is the one you WANT to deal with, they speak the truth. Thanks

In many ways this is a very helpful book. But also in many ways it is a very confusing book. I'm not sure where she gets her information. Is it channelled or "researched observation"? Where is the scientific data?

She has "identified 25 distinct body types," and their "quadrants," but I could not relate to any of them and I know my body pretty well and have lived long enough to see the effects of my actions on it. Put another way, I could relate to too many of them, which was not useful. Many of them sounded too similar. I also wondered why "abandonment" was listed as afflicting so many organs or body types, nine in all.

This may not be a book for the average person. Sometimes the explanations are lacking and you don't quite understand what she is saying, but wish she had written more. She offers many, many suggestions for which essential oils will help what condition. However, she refers to them in code. I've never heard of the essential oil called, "Magnify Your Purpose," or "Live With Passion." This puzzled me. And then, aha! on one of the very last pages, she deciphers these oils for the reader. Otherwise, one would have to buy them only from Young Living who uses these trade names. Be forewarned, many of these recipes are huge.
"Harmony" alone contains 17 types of oils.

If you buy this intriguing book you will not read it casually. It has too much information in it. Make up your mind that you will have to delve deeply into this subject, but rest assured the information presented will be for the most part, fully and satisfyingly helpful. For those who want to make a career out of this healing modality, this is the book for you.

The oil sensitivity and photosensitivity issues are both addressed on page 47 of this book. Directions for dilution of oils or just smelling the oil instead of applying it are also discussed on the same page.
I found this book very valuable and helpful both on procedure and specific emotional healings as well as on progressions of healing other emotions related to emotional core issues and suggestions for writing and other clearing methods.
The author is very clear about her high regard for both Gary Young and the oils his Young Living company produces and sells.

This book is my constant companion, it is a joy to read, I have read this book several times and everytime I open it up, I still learn something new. This book contains very important facts for identifing and dating a variety of bar ware. Beautifully written and illustrated. Stephen Visakay has really brought great recognition and a wonderful insight to cocktail shakers and collectors of bar ware. He is a true pioneer in the field. What better source to get your information from? Our favorite book!Still haven't figured out how he managed to get so much information and so many items all in one book! Wonderful!

from Antiques & Collectibles Trader:"With out a doubt, this book is the bible in the field. Carefully researched, beautifully written, nicely designed, well photographed. original patent drawings and information, as well as many photographs of original advertisments and catalogue material. PLAYBOY MAGAZINE..JAN 1998 "You don't have to be James Bond to enjoy Vintage Bar Ware...loaded with historical tidbits" THE WINE ENTHUSIAST..."Indispensable guide for the collector, fun & engaginb book that everyone will enjoy"

This is book is considered a staple to the barware collector. The book reads into his enthusiam for collecting barware as well as his extensive knowledge and research on the subject. No other book can compare. There are just as many georgeous pictures as interesting text. After reading this book cover to cover you will use it frequently as a reference guide so keep this one within easy reach.

Mr. Visakay's book combines characterics unfound in other pricing and information guides: it provides insight into the author in a charming way while providing highly accurate information. Although I am a knowledable collector, I read the book cover to cover. Stephen Visakay is clearly the definitive source. I am an international collector buying in the US, London and Paris. Without a doubt this book has saved me a fortunue. Given that so few cocktail shakers were ever marked, a visual guide as presented in the book is critical. Understanding the rarity a item is the key to successful collecting. Thank you Stephen!

Stephen Visakay is the most knowledgeable bar ware expert on the planet. He has distilled his knowledge, shaken it, and served it up in this delightful volume for our imbibing pleasure. He offers an overview of the golden age of cocktail shakers and other classic bar accoutrements. There is something here for everyone, from the novice to the advanced collector. The only thing missing is the olive... cheers!

I've always been a huge fan of Chris Ware, and this latest Acme installment doesn't disappoint. His themes don't often vary, but his richness of style makes up for his monotony of topic. He is also the only comic author and one of the few authors of any type that makes reading about stifling depression and loneliness anything but boring.

A must-read for Ware fans. It's a compelling narrative with the same quality artwork we've come to expect and is reasonably priced for such a beautifully-designed hardcover.

That said, it's a valid criticism that Ware treads too much familiar territory, here and in all his post-Jimmy Corrigan work. Yes, he experiments in this book, but it's in the style he had already carved out by 1995. We see Ware experimenting with different artistic styles in his notebooks, so why never in his comics? Ware's layouts, lettering and unconventional use of panels in this issue are interesting as always, but it's hard to say his style has evolved or grown in the almost fifteen years he's been doing Acme. Artistically, we've seen this all from Ware before.

Thankfully, Ware *is* evolving as a storyteller. Jimmy Corrigan, although inventive, was a bit too much about being Chris Ware, and it's nice that here, in issue #18, Ware is exploring the world of a female protagonist. Certain scenes, particularly the sex scenes, have never been portrayed with this level of damning honesty and accuracy in any other medium. Ever.

Some people decry Ware's perennial exploration of loneliness and depression. The great comic book writer Grant Morrison once said, "I love Chris Ware's work and consider him a formal genius, but... I sometimes feel like slapping him upside the head and telling him to stop moaning about everything. Sorry, but I live in one of the poorest cities in Europe, and when I see privileged Americans whining about how awful everything is in their sunlit world, I have to gag into my porridge. Kill yourself or get over it, buddy." It's hard to disagree, but perhaps we can appreciate Ware as the best and most determined artist exploring a certain type of American... not outcast, exactly, but people with lower social status or perceived value: the chubby girl, the cripple, the socially awkward guy, the uncool kids... People who are rarely represented in the media and who our American culture, which celebrates the beautiful and confident, looks down upon. Ware is their patron saint, of sorts, but presents them with flaws just like the rest of us.

I'd personally like to see Ware loosen up, artistically and thematically, but whatev. This issue is a powerful read.

Dolorous and melancholy, Chris Ware's work has always drawn me like a moth to flame. I can't recall a work from a female perspective before, and this one is a quiet, soft, lovely work about a sad and lonely woman who has had a very intense life. The work of deciphering his labyrinthine panel constructions or reading all the fine print has always paid off and this work is no different, but this one sticks out for me a little for being even more intimate than his other more clinical studies of his characters. And his draftsmanship is without peer, as always.

The artwork is quite wonderful, to say the least, as is the narrative. BUT the theme however...how many graphic novels/comic books out there depict this same alienation/loneliness/depressed theme over and over and over again to a point where these stories blur into one big whine. I mean, I get that not all stories can be like Maus or Persepolis and the like, but give me a break.

I bought this for the artwork though. The 3 stars go to that.

With his latest "comic book" offering, Chris Ware has again demonstrated a mastery of the medium uniquely his own. His design sense and technical skill as an illustrator long unquestioned, his writing routinely (and especially here) deserves the same consideration.

Underneath the story's typically apparent theme of alienation (with new characters in the Acme Library, if I'm not mistaken), there is much more at work. Amazingly, over just 56 pages, Ware's finely crafted drawings along with well considered dialogue and occasional stream-of-consciousness narration provide the reader an awful lot to ponder (a good prose writer would need hundreds if not thousands of pages and could still not fully convey the beauty in this slim volume). However, the mind is further boggled when Ware concludes his details-laden enterprise with one very... simple... tiny... wordless... panel. The effect is instant having read it, and I recommend all experience it.

The author describes this as part of an ongoing story, and that may well be. However like all good comics, this story is complete as is. Indeed within the book, certain single page, two page, and especially a few multi-page spreads also constitute complete satisfying stories. Should the reader approach the work with even some of the imagination Ware himself must employ, every single panel is itself can be a complete story. As an illustrator in the truest sense, that may be Ware's intent.

So the "Stunning Masterpiece" title given this review is not to indicate one should ever be surprised when Ware tops even his own earlier triumphs, but rather because the reader may actually be left stunned at the story's conclusion, fair warning given.

There are always great expectations placed on Mr. F.C. Ware, who here delivers devastating inspiration (inspired devastation?) in the calm and measured manner of a master at work. Wow.

This is a good book for mature audiences. I would not allow my younger children to read it, as some of the analogies are disturbing, such as "God is like a lover, not a rapist."

I enjoyed this book (although it disappointed me in some ways). FOLLOWING ASLAN by Kenneth McIntosh is a very similar book, except his is written for young children. Both authors do a good job of tying Narnia, the Bible, and our everyday lives together in a way that makes us realize that there are no lines between the spiritual, the ordinary, and the world of the imagination. Both books make excellent daily devotionals for families. A family with young children could use Bruner's book without too much effort--and although McIntosh's book is written for young children, as an adult, I found spiritual truths there that challenged me. In Bruner's book, I was just hoping he would lead me a little "further up and further in" than he did!

I love this book! I know those Narnia books better than I know my own, so I was skeptical that the book would tell me anything new. But I've gotten a LOT out of the parallels the authors outline. I never considered the spiritual meaning of Father Christmas breaking through the White Witch's winter. Or the Pevensies being "drawn into" Narnia by Queen Susan's horn in PRINCE CASPIAN. The authors don't simply cite Biblical parallels - they outline spiritual truths exemplified in some of my favorite passages, and they use many of Lewis' other writings to support their points. I highly recommend this for lovers of Narnia looking for a great devotional book.

Finding God in the Land of Narnia is by the same authors who gave us Finding God in Lord of the Rings. An interesting duo of books as C.S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein were Christian frinds who had a great influence on each other. Though Kurt Bruner is credited in the Amazon listing, he is again ably assited by Jim Ware and I wish we knew more about these two very excellent authors. They reveal an understanding of the use of fantasy to teach the basic tenets of Christianity. Though the emphasis today is on the first book due to the film, this is an excellent handbook to the series. There are many other good ones, however this book is concise and excellent to give one who has just seen the excellent Disney film on the first Narnian book. There are quotes by Lewis from other books which should encourage readers to get into all the great books this master of theology produced.

I found this book very good but not as nearly as insightful as other books on the subject. The chapters just seemed to end out of nowhere. The authors should have decided if they were writing a devotional or just a book on Narnia because I felt like they were trying to do both and it just didn't come together.

That being said it is a good book. A nice touch is the simple fact that it touches on all of the Chronicles. You get at least a tidbit from each and every book in the series.

I think I would have given this book a 4 star if so much did not happen to our heroine so quickly. I thought the writing was very well done. The characters both in the present and past had depth and interest to them that kept me reading. Both Daphne and Sim had their own emotional baggage that they had to work through, and did an admirable job in doing so. This is a story of a growing relationship, not your typical, h/h meet and fall instantly in love story (though there are elements of that too). Sometimes I thought they fell back on their preconceived ideas and previous habits too readily, but I suppose that is human nature and added some realism to the story. Both were at fault during these scenes and eventually talked through their problems.

Although this story stands pretty well on its own, it does help if you have read its predecessor Midnight on Julia Street (Daphne's brother's story). One of my smaller criticisms of the story is how dysfunctional this family is (as well as its ancestors). Between the self-centered mother, apathetic father, "interesting" aunt, and psychotic jilted ex, I thought things went a little too far. The only thing that brought it back to the credible and enjoyable for me was the tie-ins to the past. There were just enough of these to keep the story interesting, but not enough to bog the plot down. It is interesting how Ms. Ware does not have the present characters know the intricacies of their predecessors lives (which is what usually happens in these stories). We realize that everyone knows and is related to everyone else, but the true meaning of the previous generation's stories was lost. Some rumors came down through the families, but watching Daphne learn the true stories was interesting and well done. There are no assumptions made and then proven, Daphne slowly unravels the past story and its significance today.

Ms. Ware obviously has done her homework on the Miss-Lou area and it shines through in her writing. This a an enjoyable story to read, and I would not miss out on it, just be ready for a lot of going-ons. I will VERY rarely say this, but I thought there was too much going on.

I was trying to save Ciji Ware's new book, " A Light on the Veranda," as a fun read for my next vacation. However, I picked it up just to get a peek at what Daphne would be up to, since "Midnight on Julia Street" was one of my favorites last year. I subsequently found myself engrossed, reading "A Light on the Veranda" from cover to cover in one week. I was fascinated by the way the author wove the past and present in two story lines whose similarities were so intriguing that I couldn't wait to see how it all would get resolved. It was particularly interesting because I haven't spent much time in the South. Now I feel I know much more about plantations, local culture, etc. So much of this has to be real! I highly recommend it.

An ardant fan, having read Cottage By the Sea,Island of the Swans, and especially Midnight on Julia Street (set in New Orleans & our introduction to Daphne Duvallon), I am thrilled with Light on the Vernada! Ware's weaving of a comtemporary story along with history of a hundred year's past, and the accuracy and detail she brings into the story are fascinating. A chat line said her next book will be set in San Francisco. Please write faster, Ciji Ware!

Just got done reading A Light on the Veranda and found it a wonderful story full of details of life in the antebellum south, the life of both classical and jazz musicians in New York and New Orleans all tied up with a ribbon of a "modern" romance set in the historic City of Natchez, Mississippi. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

If you haven't read any of Ciji Ware's books, you are missing out on a "good" read. I can't wait for her next book to be published!!!

If you enjoy historical romance fiction, A LIGHT ON THE VERANDA is a must read! Even if you've never been to Natchez, you'll feel like you are there as you read about the main character, Daphne Duvallon as she abruptly changes her life style and occupation. The story has many twists and turns, even a ghost or two.....Just as you think you know what is going to happen,another obstacle stands in the way of future happiness for Daphne. You will love the rich history of Natchez, the story and the characters in this book.