Massachusetts Books

Just when you thought it was safe to go back to college, Dr. Gregg shows you otherwise. The story is filled with all of the foibles of humanity and a few more reserved for college administrators. Things happen fast, once they are started. You won't want to put the book down. There is murder, drug dealing, gangs, mob activity, larceny, lust - another words, something for everyone.

This book helped me very much to prepare for the 8th grade MCAS. I did very well on the 8th grade MCAS by using this book. This book is an excellent book for students who are going to take the 8th grade MCAS.

Carol,

This paragraph from your book got my attention because it affirms that discovering one's life purpose is important, even affecting courtship. One of my favorite stories about Stretch and Joan is about how Stretch read his mission and vision statement for life to Joan early in their relationship, which she says helped her start falling in love with him. The "requisites" listed in the statement cited below also serve as inspiration for one's personal vision in a plan for life,which can help anyone with inspiration and guidance.

"The essential requisites in a companion that are necessary to insure happiness and a life of devotion are to be found in strength of character, a healthy body, a judicious head, a loving heart, all brought into attune with a high and holy life purpose." [Page 31, Keeping Hearth and Home in Old Alabama, by Dr. Carol Padgett citing wisdom published in 1872].

Thanks for your book, which provided inspirational Sunday morning reading.

David Dyson
Dyson Institute

A useful, practical guide to labor and employment laws in Massachusetts.

While researching handmade laces of the eighteenth century for a grad-school project, I came across a small reference to Ipswich laces in an article from the early part of the twentieth century. I was totally intrigued by the idea of there being a handmade lace industry in New England. I had previously believed everyone was too puritanical to make lace (in seventeenth-century Massachusetts, there was a prohibition on the wearing of laces.) Further research led me to this fascinating little book.
The author clearly has a passion for the subject, and she follows that up with some very good research on multiple aspects of the industry, the society at large, the women who made the laces, the women who wore them, as well as the identification and characteristics of the various types of laces made there. She includes primary source documents (a report on the industry in Alexander Hamilton's papers, as well as original receipts and account books) , visual sources (portraits), and lots of original artifacts ( pillows, prickings, bobbins, finished laces, and surviving garments on which they were used.)
Definitely worth reading by anyone interested in American history, textile and fashion history, and lace and lace-making enthusiasts.
Well done!

In Lady Lightkeeper, talented author Nikki Leigh has crafted another riveting tale that will yank at every string in your heart. Loss is an inextricable part of life for the people of Misty Cove and Lizbeth has experienced more than her fair share. We learned in Widow's Walk that Lizbeth will not let adversity steer her off course.

As Lady Lightkeeper opens she awaits her beloved William's return from the sea, unaware that she will be tested in ways she never dreamed possible. Now, with two young children, she must forge a new life. The ever-loyal and loving Sara is there to help and support them even after a rift develops that tests their affection. Lizbeth's independence has always been a source of both admiration and rebuke amongst the townspeople, but it becomes clear that her tenacity and determination make her the right person to be the next lightkeeper, rather than the more experienced southerner in their midst.

Intertwined with Lizbeth's story, is a colorful cast of characters. These include the secretive assistant lightkeeper and the acid-tongued Ida who seems to have a hidden agenda where Lizbeth is concerned. In Leigh's expert hands their secrets unravel logically and meaningfully, leaving the reader feeling rewarded for having spent time with Lizbeth and the people of Misty Cove.

Mr. Kattelle and Mr. Halprin take you back in time to where America remembers it's neighborhood resorts. Like the Catskills and Adirondacks of old, Images of America Lake Boon recalls a simpler time of leisure. Where being together in a magical place in a magical summer time is all we ever longed for. The images are wonderful. From the boat parades of 50 years ago, to ice fishermen and the oddest fun events that entertained folks of all ages. If your a "old times" buff, this book is for you. Lake Boon MA is a jewel just 30 miles from Boston.

A refreshing look at the Mayflower landing takes the shape of the voyage itself from the perspective of a sailor. The author was a sailor and describes the ship, the navigation and the voyage from the first sighting of land to the final anchoring in Massachusetts Bay. The book is very well researched.

Each turn of the page reveals another exceptional view. It's easy to take gorgeous landscape photos of New England in Autumn, but Richard Creek goes far beyond that. The lighting, cloud conditions, reflections, and seasonal conditions bring out the most in each photograph. I want to frame each one and hang it on my walls, or better still, visit each place and hope to see and capture a similar moment. I hope Mr. Creek follows up with a series of other states.

As a landlord in Massachusetts, I find this book absolutely invaluable. I refer to it often, and the standard forms included with the book alone are well worth the price of admission. An absolute must for anyone looking to own rental property in the Bay State.