Virginia Books

This is a fantastic book. Lots of great recipes with new adaptions to ones that have been around for awhile. Using a different spice or combining of various ingredients gives news twists to old standbys and favorites. I am an avid reader of cookbooks and don't have that much time to cook now that my family is grown and left the nest, but with this book, I am very anxious to get back in the kitchen and create some new and exciting things. Cookbooks by Jr. Leagues always have some of the very best recipes and this one is certainly no exception. Highly recommend whether just for reading, or looking for something new and different.

I love cookbooks and own a lot of them. I bought this book two years ago and have given many copies as gifts to peple who like to cook. My family loves the recipes. We made some of the recipes for my niece's wedding brunch in Denver last year and the guests raved about the food. The recipes and instructions are well-written and the results are great.

Of all the regional cookbooks I own, this is one of my favorites! This cookbook has great suggestions for things to take to different gatherings from Gold Cup Horse Races to Neighborhood Picnics. I especially love the tips and suggestions at the bottom of the recipes. So far, I have tried about 20 recipes and all of them have been fabulous! The recipes are clear and easy to follow. This book is a necessity for delicious homemade treats to impress your friends. It also makes a great bridal shower and teacher gift.

This is truely a wonderful work for young folk. The illustrations are absolutely great. The depiction of each species of bird and animal is actually quite accurate, even dressed in the human clothing provided by the illustrator. This is a collection of 19th century African American folk tales, quite similar to the famous Brer Rabbit tales. These stories have been reworded so that 19th century dialect can be understood and be ralated to by children of today. Each story has a wonderful teaching and the text throughout the book matches the illustrations perfectly. In addition, there is a nice section at the back of the book which tells the source of these stories which is quite interesting standing alone. Recommend this one highly.

You couldn't ask for more in a children's book. I tripped across this book at our local library, picked it up and started reading it to my two sons, ages 8 and 10. It's a book that is meant for out-loud reading. Hamilton's prose is written in a very conversational tone, which mimics the way in which these southern tales were originally passed along: orally. Each story is about 3-4 pages long, with a lesson learned at the end of each one. Birds and bats engage in ridiculous actions and we -- the humans -- can learn from them. The book is as much fun to look at as it is to read, due to the beautiful artwork of the illustrator, Barry Moser.

These stories were meant for telling. Virginia Hamilton adds a voice that is full. It is deep and loving. Most of the stories have a bit of verse or song. Each tale ends with the teller speaking the moral plainly to the children listening. For example, "How Bruh Sparrow and Sis Wren Lost Out" ends, "So, children, here's a leaf from the book of birds: Pick on your own size. For it's no use squabbling over what's too big for you to handle." I think these tales would be perfect for the mid to upper elementary audience as well as for adults.

There is a table of contents, but the stories are in no apparent order and are not grouped. Barry Moser's vibrant watercolor illustrations are not necessary for the storytelling. However, having seen them, it is hard to imagine the story without them.

Source Notes: The Afterword helps readers and tellers know the history and origins of these Southern, African-American tales. The stories in When Birds Could Talk & Bats Could Sing were originally written down by Martha Young who wrote them in the so-called black dialect of the plantation era. It is impossible to tell now which stories she heard from African American's and which she wrote herself. These stories are written in the prose style called cante fable. They include verse or song and end with a moral for children.

There is an entire page detailing and crediting the book designers and artists who helped put this book together.
Karen Woodworth-Roman

The title of this book is from Meister Eckhart: "Where clinging to things ends, there God begins to be." What I love about Karper's book is the way God's presence glimmers in and through ALL things: mud, collapsing sheds, grasping multiflora, escaped cats, untimely bills, you name it, Sr. Karen seems to have to struggle with it! So, while the book beautifully explores a life of solitude in a quiet hermitage in West Virginia, it's totally applicable to any life, anywhere, even the busiest. Because we all need to stop clinging to things and allow God to begin to be present, don't we?

While the book is just over 116 pages long, it is a gem and if you can find a copy GRAB IT. The Author Karen Karper was a member of the Poor Clares often associated as the female branch of what St Francis of Assisi started the Franciscans. In 1989 she opted to take a leave from the monastery to attempt a life of solitary and frugality. With a ten year old Bronco and a small amount of money she set out. She had no idea where she was going. At the request of two Nuns who lived in an Appalachian Valley area called Colt Run holler (Spencer W Virginia) she accepted their invitation to visit. This would be her welcome to what would become a way of life. Learning to live amongst people who did not know many Catholics, not to mention learning to use an outhouse, pump water and deal with everything from ankle deep mud to snakes (copperheads)in the wood pile. She writes about getting enough money to drill a new well, since the old one was unhealthy. To learning to literally do everything herself, be it repairing tin roofs, or trying to grow a garden. Learning that there is solitude and then there is solitude. That living as a woman alone on a remote area would test ones faith in God as far as protection and wisdom goes. Any woman who wants to see that being over the age of 40 or 50 doesn't need to stop you from testing yourself will love this book. It has a nice Thomas Merton Zen feel and a Mother Earth News feel that I especially appreciated.

And this is a book that I read and re-read on a rainy or sunny day and a book that changes my life everytime I read it.

This book is wonderful for anyone who seeks a short period of quiet in the midst of their busy day-to-day life. As a writer and someone who loves nature, I found amazing connections in Sister Karper's story, despite the fact that our lives are obviously very different. This book took me to the mountains of Appalachia, and made me want to stay there forever--with plumbing, however!

Virginia Woolf, born to Leslie and Julie Stephen in 1862, came into a world that was stacked against her chances of emotional success. Both her parents and close family members had emotional problems she could not avoid. This background formed a vital part in preventing Virginia from forming a close bond with her mother. The result of this was that she suffered from unresolved emotional problems for the rest of her life.

All of her life, Virginia found herself immersed in the world of art and literature. Her father was considered by many to be her mentor in nurturing her talent at an early age. Leonard, her husband, protected her against outside pressure that most writers face from critics, editors and the like. Her lover, Vita Sackville - West, she was the conduit to allow Virginia's genius to reach its peak. Woolf always needed the help of others to survive.

Virginia ran into problems at the two most important stages of a child's emotional development. They are known as Symbiosis and the Rapprochement stages. If the infant experiences any breakdown in these processes, the consequences can be severe and last a lifetime.

Symbiosis occurs between the first to fifth month of a child's existence. It is the stage of sociobiological interdependence between mother and child. Rapprochment occurs around the age of two, where the child seeks to be reunited with the mother, after finding the outside world too hard to cope with. When Virginia wanted to be reunited with her mother, her mother was not available to her. This inability to be as one with her mother affected Virginia all of her life. It led her to be constantly plagued by alternating states of mania and depression.

The Stephen and Woolf family members had a repetitive behavior pattern. They only gave to others a little of themselves, to ensure they would not lose part of themselves. It did not occur to them that by allowing a part of themselves to be consumed by another being, in a caring and sharing relationship, that this would not destroy their self. Indeed it would strengthen their belief in themselves and make them a more emotionally robust person, to take on and conquer what the world might throw at them.

Virginia Woolf wrote: "Every secret of a writer's soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written in his works."

Doctor Alma Bond believes that this is indeed true of the works of Virginia Woolf. The writer's internal anguish about what problems were confronting her at various stages of her life flowed through into her novels. This characteristic of Woolf, allowed the author to utilize her professional skills to present to the world the tormented soul of a very talented person.

This is the most interesting book I have read in a long while. I thoroughly recommend it to those who wish to be entertained and gain a better understanding of themselves as well.

When I taught a graduate seminar on Virginia Woolf at Iowa State University, I told my students to read this book if they wanted, as students always do, to understand the multitude of reasons for Woolf's suicide.

Most biographies skirt the responsibilities of the other people in Woolf's life -- the exact topic that Alma Bond takes on so thoroughly. This book had to be written exactly because other writers have not been willing to examine all dimensions of Woolf's death. Hurray for Alma Bond for applying her psychoanalist's expertise on this literary/historical subject!

After seeing "The Hours" I knew I had to read more on Ms Woolf. What a great woman she was. What a great tragedy when the world lost her.

This book is definitely a must for anyone wanting to know Virginia Woolf.

A great story. Kept me reading.

Since my husband and I are fans of P.D. James and other murder mystery novels, the book was "right up our alley" so to speak. Whether Tim would succeed or the fraternity would silence him permanently was well written and the suspense kept us glued to the book until it the end. The Civil War story line was thought provoking.

This book really hit me, maybe more so because I live near West Virginia. It hits on two time periods and connects them with a pretty involving mystery, plus it has some classic action elements. Overall, it's one of the coolest historical novels out there. It might not be Hemmingway, but it got me through fall break.

I am Patrick A. Gainer, whose name my late father, Dr. Patrick W. Gainer gave me so I would not be called "Junior". Any review I might give would be biased by my love and respect for him and his scholarship. All I can say is that I doubt any one who reads this book will disagree with me.

This collection is a rare treat. The information contained in its 177 pages is a goldmine for writers, folklorists, and storytellers. Want to know how to cure a wart, stop a bleeding nose, or to tell when rain is coming? It's all here. Ghost stories, tales of witches, weather and nature lore, tradtional mountain social activities and folk remedies combine for a great read.

I LOVE this book. It's chocked full of surprising and interesting West Virginia folklore such as superstitions, home remedies, ghost stories, appalachian dialect and more. It's highly reminiscent and entertaining. This book is a real treat. Availability is increasingly limited. I am from the same town as the author (now deceased) & had to order my copy from FL. Even his family didn't have a copy to spare.

This book is visually beautiful and very informative. It tells the story of several endangered ethnic groups around the world. It is simple, understandable and moving.

This book is visually beautiful and very informative. It tells the story of several endangered ethnic groups around the world. It is simple, understandable and moving.

This book is visually beautiful and very informative. It tells the story of several endangered ethnic groups around the world. It is simple, understandable and moving.

With Paintbrush and Shovel is certainly a unique book. The beautiful paintings of wild flowers - 238 in all- really look more like high quality photography, they are so exquisitely detailed. The story that goes with the paintings tells an unknown story about work done by WPA women during the depression. One of the projects fostered by Roosevelt, the WPA gave work to unskilled African-American women and it was these women that cleaned up this willderness and brought the wild-flowers to Bessie Marshall to be reproduced in watercolor. The book is well-worth owning.

The wildflower paintings in this book are absolutely unbelievably beautifully detailed. When you see them you will not believe the artist could so accurately paint the tiny delicate features of each flower and could so accurately recreate the wonderful colors. If you like, forget about the wonderful story documenting the WPA project in the 1930s to create a wildflower park and document the flowers with paintings. But, if you are an artist or a wildflower lover or both you must check this out just for the wonderful paintings.

Additionally, the printers spared no expense. They used high quality paper and achieved exquisite reproduction of the paintings. I'm sure they were fearful they would be totally out classed if they did not.

This book provides a rare glimpes into the WPA projects especially designed by women. The book also illustrates the history of the park and chronicles the work of a diverse group of women who established a botanical preserve in a City Park during the 30's. The project, of national significance, was part of the WPA that provided work for African Americans and White Women during the depression. How intersting to read that the park provided an income for these deprived women, who created a wildflower/bird preserve for a small city. The beautiful botanical illustrations by B. Marshall are exquisite and the story to follow only enhances the charm of this well documented history.

Found the author's book while searching for relatives of Beppie Leslie Culin Roskruge, who is likely the great aunt of Virginia Culin Roberts - because I found and am attempting to return what may be a sentimental heirloom of Beppie's to a living relative.

Good book, good author - just like her famous great aunt was.

I found the book well written, with Ms Roberts' delivering a colorful portrayal of western history. As a resident of the Nogales - Patagonia - Sonoita area I found her work verifiable and acurate, providing myself and by family a valuable source of information on our local history.

A side note: The Pennington family homestead was recently rediscovered and preservation efforts will hopefully save the remaining structure.

This book was extremely excellent, and life-like. Ms. Virginia Culin Roberts did an excellent job writing this book. Way to go Virginia!

Jim and Alan have told the story of a little known piece of World war II history. A nice feature is telling the story from the enemy side of the coin. Also we get a nice view of how joint military operations worked in the early years of the war.

Attacks by German submarines on Atlantic coastline targets during World War II were a very real possibility and one to be guarded against by the American Navy and Coast Guard. In Wolf At The Door: The World War II Antisubmarine Battle For Hampton Roads, Virginia, James Powell builds upon original scholarship and research (an in collaboration academician Alan B. Flanders who is an expert in naval history and a prolific author of maritime history books) to reveal the story of the U.S. Fifth Naval District's defeat of German U-boats in the struggle for Hampton Roads, Virginian -- including perspectives of naval officers and captains from both sides of the conflict, and in the process also informs the interested reader in the overall development of the U.S. Antisubmarine Warfare Program. Wolf At The Door is a unique and invaluable addition to the growing library of World War II Military Histories.

This is a great title for the professional historian or amateur history buff. The interviews with and comments by German U-boat captains is compelling and teaches much about the actual experiences during WWII. What I like most about this study is that it presents more than one perspective, not only the perspective of the authors but the truth as told by men who were actually there. Highly recommended!