Warner Books

I am an avid fan of Stuart Kaminsky, John D. MacDonald, Cornell Woolrich, and Jim Thompson. Ed McBain fits in incredibly nicely with this amazing authors. I had read Ed McBain before - "Cop Hater" and his incredibly delightful retelling of the Christmas Story with the officers of the 87th precinct. As Evan Hunter, Ed McBain soars as the author of "The Blackboard Jungle." If you haven't seen the movie, you should. Anyway, I will digress... my point is that Ed McBain is a wonderful writer and not to be missed.
This book features Matthew Hope, a Florida attorney, who is hired by Sarah Whittaker to get her out of an institution for the insane. The novel goes back and forth with Matthew believing that she is sane and perfectly normal, not to mention incredibly attractive, and utterly crazy. He tends to go toward the idea that she is normal, probably because she not only seems to know what is going on, but also because he would love to be involved romantically with her. Did I mention that she's due to inherit over a billion dollars?
The plot twists and turns over the delusions that Sarah is supposed to possess and the discovery of a decomposing body in the swampy areas of the Florida coast. It seems for a long time that the two plots have nothing to do with one another. Or do they? Well, I won't spoil any plot points, but I do want to say that the final explanation is a wonderfully brilliant stream of consciousness (in my opinion, delivered in a much better way than Virginia Wolf) that was so eloquent that it will stay with me for years to come.
I read somewhere that Evan Hunter didn't want to use his real name when writing mysteries because he didn't think the genre was "serious" enough, thus coming up with the pseudonymn Ed McBain. Well, he had nothing to be ashamed of... Matthew Hope is a hero for the ages, all the while maintaining the appeal of Travis McGee and Toby Peters-- real men characters.

This is a pretty short novel featuring Matthew Hope as a lawyer who often ends up playing detective (also an older book... 1985). In this story, there are two plot lines going on. In the first, Hope is retained by a young lady who's been involuntarily committed to a mental institution. She seems very sane, and blames the situation on her mother who is trying to control a chunk of money she's inherited. In the other plot line (that seems totally unrelated), a pair of detectives find the body of a young lady in a swamp. She was shot in the throat and her tongue was cut out, and she's been there for six to nine months. As the two plots unfold, they start moving towards each other with a twist at the end... Good read.

Probably the best of the Matthew Hope novels. Excellent plotting and characterizations. The cops, Bloom and Rawles, are wonderful, full dimensional characters. I love Matthew Hope's naivete, he's an unreliable narrator who has a "hope"ful view of humanity, unlike McBain himself, or whatever his name is. This one's great!

If you love a mystery that's exciting, suspencful, and humorous, then you will love this book right away. This fantastic novel is about how four young children, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny, survive in an old abandoned boxcar after their parents had just died. They go about life in secrecy from their grandfather who they have always thought of as terrible, even though they have never met him before. Living on berries, bread, milk and trash from a nearby dump they make the best out of their suroundings to enjoy life. Together, they create a pool, refrigerator, and many more luxerious appliances.
Later they find a stray dog and name him Watch, for his uncanny watchdog skill. He plays a important part in the story in warning the children of danger and harm. Even as an adult you will love this book because of it's whimsical, entertaining charm!

If you love snow, this book is for you. I'll leave the mystery up to you. Anyways, they visit a cabin. Then, after Tom Nelson finds his recipie for his father's secret buns he names it after Benny. Benny's Buns. The recipie is in the book.

The Snow Boun Mystery is actually my favorite Boxcar Children Book, I'm not kidding either! Once when I ran out of books to read and my Mother refused to take me to the librarie I read the whole book twice. Since I've been reading other childrens mysteries the book is harder for me to remember.Ifeel like reading it right now! some things I remember are that the Aldens Grandfather ,James Alden, has a friend who allows the Alden children his log cabin for some time. Also I remember a grocery store about a mile away and a nice family in which lives there , On the way to bring food to the Aldens one person gets stuck th others get to the Aldens and they get they get that person safe and sound where the family stays untll the storm wore off.There is also apart about finding letters in the attick, apart about Viiolet disapearing, and a part abouta closet near the fire place. I don't want to give all of it away but, it's just hard not to do.Thankyou for your time to read all about this fabulous book!

Witty and entertaining in that delightfully gentle British style. Songs like the Hippopotamus and Gnu as well as An Ill Wind and Madiera still amuse people of all ages who hear them for the first time. A book for the lovers of clever humour.

Through their musical revues and recordings, Flanders and Swann made these songs popular during the late 1950s and through the 1960s. The songs are inoffensive and gentle but very witty. Although some of the people mentioned may have passed into history, their satirical humour still hits home. A fan will be pleased with the extensive list of titles found here - all of my favorites were included. Swann did not write down what he played but the arrangements here are very playable and will please anyone who has heard their recordings or saw them perform on stage or on television. I don't see the paperback binding holding up too long with hard use at the keyboard so I plan to spiral bind mine.
I was thrilled to find the book back in print and available in the United States and I am very pleased to own it.

Their last hat dropped in 1968 and 9 years passed before the words and music of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann were finally published. Donald had never written down the music and played the shows extemporaneously from the lyrics; Michael thought the songs "wouldn't sound like much anyhow" taken out of the show's context, so the collection wasn't completed until two years after his death. It went out of print in the mid 1980's and was finally re-released in 1996. Forty years after the premier of "At the Drop of A Hat", the best comic songs of the 20th century are back in print.

In his forward, Donald claims some music is written exactly as he played it ("Misalliance," "The Armadillo," "The Sloth," and "The Whale"); some had "adaptations to make them easier"; and some are made "as accessible as possible for the clever-but-casual pianist . . . enabling even a learner pianist to have a go." However, even when simplified, Donald's harmonies, progressions, and key changes are still fresh and new, and pianists of all skill levels will be delighted.

Flanders and Swann fans will doubtless turn directly to "The Hippopotamus." As a piano player, I'm only a duffer with no formal training, and I suspect "The Hippopotamus" is one of those "made as accessible as possible." I was able to get a performance-ready version of it in a couple of hours. "Ill Wind" was also simplified, so the most technically difficult in the collection are probably "Misalliance" and "The Armadillo," both in the key of e-major (four sharps). For this "clever-but-casual pianist," they will take quite a while.

There are 41 songs in the book. All the songs from the Hats are here except "Je Suis Les Tenebreux," "Satellite Moon," "A Happy Song," "Kokoraki," "Too Many Cookers," "The Youth of the Heart," "Sounding Brass," "In the Desert," "First and Second Law," "Horoscope," "Friendly Duet," and "Sea Fever." Also, most of the Bestiary is included except the "Seahorse," "The Chameleon," "Dead Ducks," "The Duck Billed Platypus," "the Humming Bird," and "The Portuguese Man o' War."

Most of the songs are in the flat keys, but a surprising number are in the sharp keys including "The Gas Man Cometh," "Bedstead Men," "Madeira, M'dear," "The Wompom," and "The Hippopotamus." All songs are in the major except "The Spider" in c-minor.

The binding of the book will not hold up to heavy use on the music desk - the sheets will separate.

This review is for the entire series. I first read the Circle of Light series about 20 years ago. I thoroughly enjoyed it then as I did now. Of course the second reading did not have the same impact as I was already familiar with the story line. The story was original and simple to read. No complex plots or sub stories going on. But complexity does not necessarily mean a better tale.

Normally I do not give reviews, but I'm so tired of always reading `this is just another copy of Lord of the Rings'. It is not. It seems every story ever written is a copy of Lord of the Rings to some people. I've heard Star Wars is the Lord of the Rings in outer space. Some would say the chest is the same as the ring and the chest bearer is the same as the ring bearer. But most stories have some item of power that has to be carried, destroyed or used as a central theme. Remember the Black Cauldron? I guess that is a version of Lord of the Rings too. Maybe Tolkien invented the words `elf', `dwarf', `dragon' and `wizard' since any story with those terms tend to be compared to the Ring too.

I have read the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit and enjoyed them. I read them before I read the Circle of Light and never thought they were the same. I don't believe there were any intelligent animal characters in any of the Tolkien books. So read the Circle of Light as they are and enjoy them. Don't look for similarities to any other story. Let it stand on its own merits whether you like it or dislike it, not because it's not the Lord of the Rings.

"Squaring the Circle" is set in a climatic atmosphere and brings together many of the characters and events from the first three books in "The Circle of Light" series together in the ultimate confrontation between the Forces of Light and the Darkness of Queen Dorini. Bear, Dwarf, and Otter must make their final stand against Dorini themselves with the fate of Atlanton Earth in the balance. Though, they won't face her alone, because they've found allies among Elves, Dwarves, Animals, and powerful wizards like Greyfax Grimwald and Faragon Fairingay, willing to help them defeat the destructive Dorini once and for all. The final battles and encounters are enchanting and full of magic and mystery. Many friends are reunited and many enemies are brought to justice as well. The conclusion is awesome, though a little sad in my opinion, but it's expected at the end of a such a great series. Please read these as well as the whole series, because even if it's not your favorite series, it will be very hard to forget!

Volume four takes the heroes through more fights and battles to a final showdown with the villains and a resolution of what they've been fighting for. A worthy conclusion to a great philosophic adventure.

Pure science fiction books are few and far between. The "Starwolves" is the best real "science" fiction book I've read since "Andromeda Strain". The "science fiction" is well developed and explained considering it is fiction. The characters are also well developed. If you like "science" in your science fiction book you need to get the Starwolves Series of books.

I HAVE READ ALL THREE STARWOLVES NOVELS. I CAN RECOMMEND THEM AS BEING ORIGINAL IN CONCEPT,FAST PACED,PLENTY OF ACTION,AND JUST PLAIN FUN.IF YOUR LOOKING FOR SOMETHING WITH A MESSAGE ,OR SOME DEEP PHILOSOPHICAL OUTLOOK,THIS ISN'T IT. READ AND ENJOY.

In this book the starwolves face the best that the humans can come up with. for a antagonist we have a millary commander trained for birth to fight the starwolves( same commander apprears in "Starwolves") and also a brillant engineer. he has constructed his best and last line of defence again the starwolves. On the protagganist side we have Commander Valmerran and his AI controlled carrier. Valmerren is the first and truely outstanding step forward this race has taken in its 10,000 years of existence. Valmerran starts to explore his psionic powers in this book, some of which are strait out of AD&D. To sum it up , we have a very likeable main character, and entertaining story that keeps you interested. if you are looking for some good light reading, and enjoy sci-fi fantacy, I definetly reccomend it. If you prefer reality based or " Hard Sci-Fi" stay away, the psionic powers of Valmerran are kind of hard to swollow.

Although arguably the greatest painter of horses to date, British artist George Stubbs (1724 - 1806) would never imagine the prices his canvases would some day command. Some 40 years ago the late Paul Mellon added to his collection of Stubbs's work with a check for tens of thousands of dollars, today anyone lucky enough to come across an available Stubbs had better have a million to spare. London's National Gallery paid 11 million pounds for a life-sized painting of the thoroughbred "Whistlejacket," a monumental work breathtaking in majesty and beauty.

Those fortunate enough to visit the Fort Worth's Kimbell Art Museum though early February of this year will be able to see not only this incredible piece but the finest works of Stubbs in the first major collection to fully capture his genius as a painter of horses.

Almost as good as being at the Kimbell is leafing through "Stubbs & The Horse," an exquisite 256 page volume holding 200 illustrations. Authors Malcolm Warner and Robin Blake present a comprehensive portrait of Stubbs, as Warner discusses the low regard in which the British held horses in Stubbs's time, the surprising connection the artist's horse-and-lion compositions, and the evolution of the English thoroughbred. Offering a different perspective Blake tells us of the Whig nobles who were Stubbs's initial patrons and offers insights into the inclusion of the grooms, jockeys, trainers and other figures in the artist's paintings.

As Warner notes in his Preface, "The horse was at once the mainstay of Stubbs's success and a problem for his reputation. In his lifetime he attracted much praise for his abilities as a painter of horses.......But this won him little prestige in his profession." In fact. During Stubbs's time British artistic tastes ran to paintings of historical events, myths, the Bible, and allegory. A painter of horses was rather low in popular opinion.

Nonetheless, Stubbs persisted in his study of equine anatomy eventually rendering remarkable ink drawings which presaged his later paintings. He would later take these anatomical drawings to London where they were well received, and resulted in several commissions. Eventually he acquired an enviable reputation as an equestrian painter and earned a comfortable living from equine enthusiasts.

Stubbs lived to the age of 81, and died in 1806. Throughout his life many considered his incredibly beautiful lifelike work to be second class. History has deemed it quite differently.

- Gail Cooke

This book is outstanding. The plates are all in color and large enough to see easily. Stubbs anatomical drawings are very detailed. I had been having trouble understanding how horses moved before I saw those drawings. Seeing the skeleton and muscles helped considerably. When I took it to class and showed my professor, she got online and bought one for herself. She draws/paints horses beautifully and owns horses herself.

Reading the background information about George Stubbs and the symbolism used in his paintings was very interesting and educational.

Excellent purchase. I saw this book in the National Gallery, London having just viewed Whistle Jacket. I wanted it because my own passion lies in painting Horses. The book is full of fascinating information on Stubbs himself, his love of horses and has his excellent illustrations / studies of equine anatomy. A useful and beautiful book filled with his striking paintings.

A wonderful hands on, metacognative tool to help kids become better students. My kids love it.

My daughter was really frightened about entering middle school, so one day while we were buying summer reading books at Barnes & Noble, I saw this book and bought it. My daughter loved the colors, excitedly took all the inventories, and really learned a lot about how to be a successful student. I think everyone could benefit - students and parents - from this very interactive book.

I bought the book and have used it with my son who hated help with his school work. The suggestions and surveys put into perspective the middle school years and have improved his grades and our relationship greatly. Everyone who has school-aged children should own this book.

Much like a previous parent, I had studied piano as a teenager and although I fully remember note reading and the basics of playing, lack of practice (nothing for 20 years) has minimized my abilities greatly. Of course I can read, but playing anything past a Level 1 Songbook is more of a struggle. I wanted to start my 3 year old daughter in piano but didn't have the financial ability to register her for class (so expensive). I bought the Suzuki Level 1 and accompanying CD along with the Handbook and we are making marvelous progress. The Handbook has been extremely helpful and is an excellent guide on progressing the student. Far exceeded my expectations AND deals with every piece you come across in Suzuki individually. Highly recommended!!!

After looking into the closest Suzuki school for my 5-year old autistic daughter, the 45 minute drive and $3000 annual tuition was just not possible. My daughter(as well as her sisters) have shown a lot of interest in our piano in the dining room, and were already trying to "play by ear" songs like "Twinkle" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb". I minored in music in college(though I still can't play with two hands), but I figured I knew enough to start my kids out with this method. This book is a great value, and it's easy to get started. I especially liked that it stressed hand position and technique. The best thing is I can teach my daughter when SHE takes in interest in learning and stop when she loses interest, rather than force her to sit for a 30-minute lesson. (And isnt' that something that Suzuki believed in ?) Who knows, when the time comes, maybe we'll both learn how to play with two hands!

This is a wonderful comprehensive instuction manual for teaching a child the art of piano playing.

my daughter was 7 when she started to read the emma books. They are great books for girls. She liked them alot She has read the whole series. Great book for girls to read. Deals with issues that kids face every day.

I read this book with my 8 year old, though she eaisily could have read it by herself. I enjoyed the story along with her! I appreciate the author creating a character who faces situations any real child would face, without using silly language and mispronunciations (Junie B. Jones). Emma is just a girl who has a regular, working mom and has to solve problems any of our kids might have to solve. We have read the whole Emma series together and love each one. I recommend them all!

My daughter (age 7) and I loved this book. Even though the main character is older than my own child, there were a lot of things in the book we could relate to. The author is very talented with creating "real life" characters in "real life" situations. We have read almost all of the Emma series and can't wait to read the last one we have - Only Emma. I highly recommend this series to any young reader and their parents.

I have read this book for the second time. What a profound notion to know that God loves us without reason and without cause. I would love to purchase this for every person struggling to know God. Since I can't let me say this, God does love you and this book will touch parts of your heart that will tell you without a doubt. God is love, and HE LOVES YOU!

I am a frequent reader of Joyce Meyer's books and I find, Tell Them I Love Them, a wonderful book to give to someone who is not a Christian. It is a very good tool to explain the unconditional love of God and how His Son, Jesus Christ, represents that love. It is a very easy reading book and it clearly addresses may of the issues that a new believer needs to understand.

I also firmly recommend this book to anyone who is having a difficult time accepting God's love. In this book, Joyce guides you through the Scriptures that express how deeply we are loved by God, and she teaches you how to receive His abundant love. I have given this book to countless people and it has dramatically changed their lives.

This book is wonderful! I have been a Christian for many years, but always doubted God's love for me. I always thought He couldn't be bothered...I've screwed up too many times. Therefore, I've never been able to grow much as a Christian. Well, this book was a real eye opener!! It really opened my eyes to just how much God loves me! I'm such a big fan of Joyce and she never ceases to amaze me w/her spiritual guidance!

If you're a new Christian or a struggling Christian, or just need to know how much God loves you, this book is for you!!!