New Jersey Books

In a compelling story, told poetically, Melnyczuk, takes us on a gripping journey. Along the way, he illuminates the path of Ukrainian families, post WWII, coming to America to begin again. The minefields of history, stuggles with being "other", ghosts of those who never made the trip and rigid standards enforced within a community of immigrants will be familiar to many from other places, other devasations who attempted to start new lives in the USA.
Beautifully told, this is the tale of a young man coming to terms with a tragedy worthy of the Greeks, playied out in a run down New Jersey apartment that is his best friend's home. While suffering to find a place for himself in the New World, the narrator, Ned Blud, must make sense of the lives intertwined with his own-lives both complex and mundane but etched in the chaos of loss.
We are asked to pomder the place of the past in forging a future, the obligation of children to the grief of parents, the sacrificess, as well as, the benefits of assimilation and the strength of the individual within and without community. Finally, however, the question that Melyyczuk demands we answer is what role memory plays in being human.

The narrator of Askold Melnyczuk's masterful novel, a successful physician, thinks that to a large extent he has escaped the past - the troubled lives of his Ukranian immigrant friends - and become successfully assimilated into the American dream of upward mobility. In the course of the novel he learns that the past is not like the pages of a photo album that you can leaf through when the spirit moves you; rather, it lives within you, influences and molds you, whether you want it to or not, and can spring out at you, like a tiger crouching in the bushes outside your sunny suburban home. A difficult theme, and Melnyczuk handles it well.

The narrator of Askold Melnyczuk's masterful novel, a successful physician, thinks that to a large extent he has escaped the past - the troubled lives of his Ukranian immigrant friends - and become successfully assimilated into the American dream of upward mobility. In the course of the novel he learns that the past is not like the pages of a photo album that you can leaf through when the spirit moves you; rather, it lives within you, influences and molds you, whether you want it to or not, and can spring out at you, like a tiger crouching in the bushes outside your sunny suburban home. A difficult theme, and Melnyczuk handles it well.

We are each a storehouse of the accumulative pain that we have experienced, handed down to us by our parents and other significants -- how we recognize, view and process that pain draws the boundaries of the way in which we live our lives. Some people have a tougher time dealing with their past than others -- and when, as in the case of Nick Blud, the narrator of Askold Melnyczuk's dark, rich and extremely moving novel, that pain is multiplied by the suffering endured by his parents and grandparents, it's an almost insurmountable task. To make matters even more difficult for him, his parents -- Ukranian immigrants who have made a new life in America -- are reluctant to give many details about what they experienced in WWII in their homeland. This novel chronicles Nick's journey inward and backward to fill in the gaps in his family's past and come to terms with them. There are several characters in the novel who are making this journey -- and, indeed, aren't we all, to varying degrees? Each of them has their own discoveries to make, their own ghosts to exorcize, their own truths to define. Some of them are up to the challenge -- and some of them fail in devastating ways.

The mood of Melnyczuk's novel is dark -- but the writing is very rich, expressing the desperation and hope, the pain and joy, the terror and exultation in which his characters are awash. The emotions here run strong and deep, and they are honestly -- at times brutally so -- portrayed. A premise is expressed toward the end of the novel -- and this isn't a spoiling revelation, don't worry -- about the nature of darkness and light in our lives: 'Death, a writer once observed, is the dark backing a mirror needs if we are to see anything'. We need one in order to know and appreciate the other.

I found the novel to be modrately compelling for the first 100 pages -- then it picked up steam and held me unrelentingly in its grip for the duration of the story. The characterizations are full, developed vivdly, and memorable. This is one of the more unusual tales I've come across in the last year or so -- very entertaining on one level, and very instructive on another. I'll have to check out the author's earlier novel, WHAT IS TOLD -- I'm extremely impressed with the skills and style he has shown in this book.

I read this book several weeks ago but have not tried to comment until now. The book is well written, however the story is grim, it is like listening to one musical note that does not change. The theme is a familiar story of once wealthy people who upon emigrating find themselves living a life that is less satisfying than they could have imagined. One individual, who did break out and move onward and upward, is drawn back by a vague summons regarding some crisis, and this is what the body of the book explores.

The summons that returns Dr. Blud to his boyhood haunts in New Jersey must be vague to bring him back. There is nothing that justifies why this man would ever return to this neighborhood, so a mystery is needed to spark his curiosity and the return. The summons comes from Adriana the mother of his best childhood friend. Upon his arrival the past is explored and it is unremittingly grim, sometimes tragic, often brutally intentioned. And this is where I lost the thread. The immigrant tale of misery has been written about so many times and so well, that entering the genre takes more than desire. Much of the book is a distraction, which is contrived by Adriana to allow time to make a claim.

When the book reaches its close the author has used a somewhat clever device that explains why the reader has been forced, together with the Dr., by Adriana to endure the recitation of so much history. For this reader it was somewhat of a consolation for an otherwise bland read. It did not suddenly make clear and necessary all that the reader was put through, however it did provide some interest.

Perhaps I missed something with this work. I would suggest the book to others who have a gap in their reading time they need to fill; I would not make reading the book a priority.

Cutting the Cheese reminds me of a good old fashioned stage play, very fast paced and irresistibly witty. Vivid characters take the stage, and in the middle of all the fussing and commotion there is Luke, his life coming to a complete stand still when he sets eyes on this complete stranger. Or should I say the stranger sets eyes on him ?
Great fun !

Every character in this twisted little comedy may seem like a stereotype, but stereotypes exist for a reason. I have personally met people in my life who are exactly like these characters. I have no trouble envisioning them acting in just this way.
This is one nail-biting, back-stabbing, hair-pulling thrill of a ride. With the sweetest of love stories set right in the middle.
I laughed so hard, I felt guilty, because I felt like I was laughing at myself and some of my closest friends.
Cheese and wine will never be the same again.
I give this naughty little treat two over-the-head snaps!

This brief, funny book packs a lot of sharp observations on what we do for love or for money as played out at an evening meeting/party at the home of Sugar Daddy Roy Otterson. To paraphrase the song, Patterson looks at all kinds of love: fresh and still unspoiled, love/lust that is slightly soiled with meretricious desire, the mellow love of middle age. The author manages to cover this gamut without being judgmental, though the characters, with wildy disparate agendas, (the Lesbians' agenda, to their frustration, is mainly that of the meeting), are often bitchy and downright hostile. Patterson, as omniscient narrator, understands that our lives and our relationships are full of agendas, often hidden, somtimes greedy, and he refuses to favor one character over another, even the newbie. A fun book (each chapter is named with a different kind of cheese) that belongs on every shelf, though it could use some editing (a problem we indies are known for).

Being straight, this book provided a whole new insight for me into the gay and lesbian world. Someone close to me, I suspect is gay. I realize that it is scary coming out, and taking those first steps into a new world. I really felt for the newbie, not knowing who to trust, who would be a reliable friends, and who was foe. For me, it was hard to keep track of so many characters, but that is probably my own problem. Also, being a proof reader at work, the many typos and spelling errors were distracting, but that will hopefully be fixed after Libby's comments. :)
All in all, a fun read, with interesting characters, and definitely a broadening of my horizons since this is not usually my type of book. But I believe in supporting the indie author, and I hope many others will too!

A casual afternoon spent with your nearest and dearest 'activist' friends discussing the best way to go about expanding your group's influence on the wider community, while supping over wine and cheese. What could be simpler or more civil? Unfortunately almost every character in this convoluted clash of cross purposes and hidden agendas seems to be the reincarnated souls of some of the most vilest, back stabbing, boot licking neophytes to ever grace a royal court. Into the center of this snake pit wanders poor befuddled Luke. Idealistically romantic Luke. In over his head and sinking fast, will the bewildered and beguiling young newbie ever find his knight in shining armor?
The characters are vivid; (I'm certain I know one or two personally), the setting is masterfully detailed; (I could easily see it as a movie, or better yet... a theatrical production) and the pace; frantic and fevered. Hold on tight, because this trip through the lavender 'newbie shredder' is not for the faint of heart.
Wickedly Funny!!!

I think Jim did a great job explaining tactics and habits but I would have like to have seen more detailed maps and charts on when the fish were running and where.

This is a MUST book for Surf fishermen in New Jersey. He makes it so easy to move up and down the coastline and know locations and local spots to get started. It is an indispensible reference book. Unlike so many fishing books that tell you to go to this lake or this town, he takes you there and helps you get started with specific spots and descriptions and seasonal timelines for different species. I've bought more than one to put in my car and surf bags. I never want travel the state surf fishing and exploring new spots without Jims expert book.

I recently read the book "Fishing the New Jersey Coast" by author Jim Freda. Jim does a great job at explaining some of the best places to find striped bass, bluefish, weakfish, and other coastal species. I found the book to be very helpful in my pursuit of better fishing. If you are interested in learning more about fishing and how to catch the big ones, I strongly recommend you buy this book.

I started reading this book to see what the author had to say about the area where I fish most. However, when I finished that chapter I promptly went to page one and read it from cover to cover. Lots of great info throughout!!! Anyone who fishes NJ should read this book! I will be refering to this book for many years to come.

Fishing The New Jersey Coast by professional saltwater fishing guide Jim Freda is a quality reference specifically tailored to help novice and experienced fishermen alike find the best places along the new Jersey coastline to bring in a fresh, tasty catch. Aside from a brief introduction to the art of fly fishing, the majority of Fishing the New Jersey Coast is devoted to very specific sections of New Jersey coastline fishing areas, from Upper Raritan Bay to Cape May Point. With its friendly, easy-to-understand advice and highly detailed layout, Fishing The New Jersey Coast is a "must" for any serious New Jersey area bound angler!

The book as a whole was pretty good, but I do have one major problem with this book. There were some instances where the book stated that Kenneth Taylor had probably faced some kind of sexual abuse in his past, and then at the very end of the book it quotes his mother as saying that she had heard that some mothers performed fellatio on their infant children to ease teething pain.
To me this made it seem like the author was trying to imply that perhaps Kenneth's mother had been the one to sexually abuse him. Maybe I am just super-sensitive, but that's the way I took it and I was somewhat offended by it.

I've re-read this book many times - which means it is well-written and fascinating. Peter Maas obtained as much information as he could so that readers would be able to understand the background of the characters in this true crime story. Although it leaves you wanting to know more about Ken's parents, especially his mother (how did she turn out so differently than her own mother, Jean?), he does the best he can...apparently in this case, a psychopath was born, not made. Some of the people involved (Marilyn), you just want to smack upside the head...I also wondered why and how could Therese stay with Ken knowing that he beat her so badly on their honeymoon that she almost died. Why did she refuse to see the truth? She paid for it with her life.

Peter Maas is a good, solid writer. This is the book that was the basis of the TV movie starring Valerie Bertinelli. However, there is much more detail in the book. For example, there is more of the background of the victim and the dentist/murderer. It also seems that the victim did use cocaine, although Maas does strees that it was only "recreational." (???--what is recreational?) Also, he admits that he beat her up in Mexico. It's a page burner.

Entralling from the first page to the last. If you've seen the movie, DEFINATELY read the book. Michael Ontkean's portrayal of Ken Taylor is terrific. Being from Indina, I was especially interested due to the custody battle that came as a result of Taylor bludgeoning his wife to death. The fact that this story is true is what makes it so horrible. My heart ached, not only for the child, but for Teresa's family members who were put through not only having to deal with her murder, but the idea of her child being in the custody of Ken Taylor's parents. Louise Fletcher, who plays Ken Taylor's mother gives a chilling reference to a mother turning a ridiculously blind eye to the fact that her son was a manipulative cold blooded murderer with very strange sexual appetites (records indicated that calls were made from the scene of the murder to 900-sex lines while Teresa lay dead on the floor). A chilling account.

I saw the 1991 miniseries of "In A Child's Name" before I had ever read the book, and I must say that, in both cases, I was saddened and angered at the murder of a beautiful, innocent mother and also by the manipulation of an innocent child, who was ultimately the real victim, along with his mother. Ultimately, however, I was moved by the family's coming together to raise the baby boy left by his loving mother and cold-hearted father. The book does go deeper into the horror of what happened after the young mother's murder than the miniseries. However, both tell the tragic but ultimately uplifting story about abuse, murder, cold-hearted manipulation, and ultimate strength and love.

I brought Jen Miller's guide to Wildwood last week for our annual family trip with my in-laws. Everybody, including the kids, found something new and interesting in it, even though we've been vacationing in Wildwood Crest for years now. Even if you think you know all there is to see and do down the shore, pick this gem up and take it to the beach with you.

This book really didn't offer anything new; I was hoping for something a bit like the Weird U.S.A. series that gives the reader more obscure things to see and do.

I've spent my life at the Jersey shore. As a kid, I marveled at the Diving Horse on Steel Pier. I grew up with Mr. Peanut. When I had kids of my own, I took them to Wildwood and Ocean City and Sea Isle. Then, without the crowd, I discovered the peace and beauty of Cape May.

This is what Jen Miller's book captures so well. Every shore is different. Every shore has its personality and purpose. You can't tell one from another without a really good scorecard. That's what this book is. Miller does an excellent job of capturing the psyche of each resort. The fact that she also turns this into a really good guidebook is a pure bonus.

It's one of those books you'll highlight, scribble in, tear out and send to friends. I'm buying copies for a lot of folks I know. Maybe even Mr. Peanut.

Like many who purchase this book, I'm not new to shore vacationing but have been spending short summer trips there since I was a little girl. Now grown and married, we've been toying with the idea of packing up and moving there. I share this to let you know what I was looking for in a guidebook. I wanted a feel for what it might be like to live there, head to the other towns, see what cultural events are availible in the off-season, etc. In essence, to go beyond the boardwalk but yet still get a feel for the best of what there is to see and do at the shore. I've purchased SEVERAL books on the topic but this book is by far the best and the one I continually refer back to. It might not have the pretty, coffee table feel that other books on the shore possess, (though it does have SEVERAL, fun black/white photos). What it lacks in esthetics, it more than makes up for in information. To start, the author fills you in on little fascinating details and sidebars that relate to the location's culture, history or both. The room/dining descriptions have a friendly feel, as if a local herself were describing the establishments to you in person, detailing thier pros, cons, and points of interest. Definitally not the feel of traditional stuffy guidebooks I have read in the past. This is a book I look forward to reading. It's a little bit culture, a whole lot of "what-to-do", a dash of history, and a healty dose of love for the shore. Thank you for this wonderful, insightful book! Give us more!

This is a great guide to the South Jersey Shore- a place where I had the pleasure to live for six years. Many of my summer days were spent traveling down the Parkway and back up again, visiting many of the places Jen Miller highlights and also made me wonder how I missed some other spots she mentions (How did I never visit the Alpaca farm?). On that note, she has a lot of information here that even locals can appreciate:

I had no idea Cape May is the third largest place in the US for weddings or that the Wildwood Boardwalk has more rides than Walt Disney World.

Her descriptions of each beach town give a first-time vacationer a good feel which beach would be appropriate for them (except I don't think Avalon and Stone Harbor cater to visitors of "all economic stripes" . . . it's basically the Ritz of the South Jersey Shore). It also can help a regular visitor discover new things - Miller's encyclopedia-like listing of eateries could see you making a checklist out of the chapters.

Particularly helpful are the pricing guides and notes about in-season and off-season hours.

However, the true highlight of the book are the shaded areas within every chapter where Miller gives helpful hints - like how to prepare for running at the beach (watch out for the wind), provides back histories - like the story of Wawa and shines the spotlight on those out-of-the-way spots - (Where the hell is Strathmere?)

Overall this is a great guide to the shore, though I would have appreciated more detailed descriptions of Somers Point, downbeach Absecon Island and Diamond Beach the same way Strathmere gets written up.

This book is a great guide for shoobies (the nickname locals give to tourists) and also something that can get native South Shore people interested in their immediate environs. It will more than likely be updated in many future editions to stay current and it would be good to have handy on your next trip to the South Jersey Shore.

The Pulaski Skyway was Americas first super highway. It has been in the Sopranos and many other movies. What is not nearly as well known is the politics behind building the skyway. "The Last Three Miles" is a fascinating read of both the bridge and the politics of Jersey City at the time of the building. The book is about the building of the Pulaski Skyway, but it is actually about the times and politics, corruption and murder during the building of the bridge. It is also about the failures of the bridge when it was built. The bridge was about getting trucks and cars off the local roads and it failed miserably at the truck objective. The explanation of why still haunt the Northern New Jersey area to this day.

Frank Hague is truly one of Americas most memorable mayors in America. He ran Jersey City with an iron fist for more than thirty years. Hague was so powerful that Franklin Delano Roosevelt left Hague alone. This is important to keep in mind when reading the book.

This book reads like good novel. It is well written and gives the life and times of this period true life. As in all things, Stephen Hart writes about the good and the bad of those times. Hart writes about the matter of fact corruption and yet the bridge is built as well as hospitals and other institutions that ended serving the community. This book should not be missed. Highly recommended.

Fascinating topic, but seems more focused on union-labor relations and politics than the highway itself. Lacks maps to back up descriptions of local geography, and the conclusion was extremely weak.

Some other books about New Jersey history and geography that I found a better read are Robert Sullivan's excellent Meadowlands, Looking for America on the New Jersey Turnpike by Gillespie and Rockland, and for the true hardcore transportation geeks and wonks out there: Doig's Empire on the Hudson.

Let me start by saying that I was born in Jersey City in 1940 and lived there until 1956. My father had his business there and after I finished school, I wound up in the family business. Because my dad was always interested and somewhat involved in politics, I still retain some knowledge and awareness of that one of a kind era.

I can vividly remember going to Journal Square and passing over the manmade cuts that looked like canyons to a young boy. And when I attended Dickinson High School, looking down on the approaching traffic to the Holland Tunnel.

This is a book that I've been looking for someone to write for many years. If you are from Jersey City or Hudson County and were born before 1950, so many memories will return. If you have any interest in machine politics, union labor or history in general, this is a great find. I couldn't put the book down and was very disappointed when I was finished.

Mister Hart could do us all a favor by supplementing his research and writing a complete history of Jersey City (Hudson County).

The Last Three Miles has as its most specific focus the construction of what is now known as the Pulaski Skyway. Serving as macrocosm are the machinations of politicos and union men and corporations before and during the construction of America's first viaduct/superhighway. The cast of characters is nigh Shakespearean, and Steven Hart is particularly good at breathing life into the major players. Foremost is Frank Hague, Irish tough and one of America's great political bosses. Serving as foil is Teddy Brandle, the thuggish union boss who becomes rich and powerful by playing ball with Hague, and whose dispute with his patron over the construction of a hospital leads to the climactic labor struggle which serves as climax in Hart's narrative. Also making an appearance is railroad engineer, intrepid world-traveler and lothario Fred Lavis. There are many others.

In less deft hands, the book could easily have exceeded 500 pages, and been rendered unreadable to anyone not a historian by the inclusion of tedious minutiae. Hart's great gift is whittling down the story to its most concise threads, threads that pull the reader happily along. He tells his tale with wit and vigour, somehow managing not to skimp on essential context, situating his New Jersey narrative within the larger framework of labor woes and Tammany Hall-style 'democracy' and federal intervention in local public works. It's a great read. I laughed out loud at several points, most heartily during a catalog of the salaries and 'duties' of several well-paid Hague henchmen. Hart even manages to take the reader on a harrowing ride along the Skyway's hazardous route.

Hart treats his subjects fairly and allows their flaws largely to speak for themselves, which is refreshing. It's easy to condemn guys like Hague and Brandle for their paranoia and brutish excesses, ignoring their often astonishing achievements. The Last Three Miles documents both in an entertaining and enlightening manner, reminding us that this was how things got done for much of our history.

The Last Three Miles is not merely a story of the hopes, woes, and struggles behind the completion of a public works engineering feat that failed to live up to intended purposes. It's a story of a nation evolving from humble roots to industrial and economic supremacy, often in a ham-fisted, blundering fashion.

I'll nestle it on the bookcase between Plunkitt of Tammany Hall and The Death and Life of Great American Cities.

There's something repulsive, yet strangely compelling, about the Pulaski Skyway, the grimy eyesore that the author aptly describes as "a uniquely efficient generator of traffic accidents." Deride it you must, but the Skyway is a fitting landmark for the squalid industrial wasteland it straddles. You'll want to buy and read this book in a hurry, before the inevitable collapse of the rusty hulk -- which even today, after some 75 years of service, plays a vital role spewing traffic in and out of New York City. It can't be too long before the monstrosity falls down, as anyone can attest who regularly drives the wretched span linking the Holland Tunnel and points west.

This well-researched little book tells the complete story of the Skyway's ill-starred design and construction. But by way of context, it necessarily tackles a much bigger story: the life and times of the notoriously corrupt Frank Hague, long-serving mayor/dictator of Jersey City, and the bloody battles waged by trade unions locked out of the Skyway project -- a forgotten, sad chapter in America's history.

As a teacher of a 6th Grade class in a New York City public school, it is very rare to find a Principal who cares about the children in their school. There are other school administrators who allow students to literally " Run the school ". Disruptions of any kind in the school setting are not to be tolarated. In many instances, it is the Principal of a school who " Lays Down the Law ". Those in the education profession that take on the mindset of Principal Clark will have model school and classroom settings to be proud of. Principal Clark's demeanor is definately needed in the urban school environmment to bring about positive results.

Feel good I have a Dream speeches are not going to reform urban schools in America, tough love and discipline will. Obviously the above reviewer went to a nice middle class school, because these urban ones, like Chicago Public, are a nightmare and quite dangerous. One feels like their in a correctional facilty instead of a learning center. Gang members and drugdealers are not in need of saving by teachers. Thats not their job. They are their to teach. Youth who have decided to be urban terrorists need to be kicked out and let the correctional facilities handle them if their parents can't. 2700 shouldn't suffer because bleeding hearts want to stuff 300 miscreants and thugs in with them. Those 300 need to be in a boot camp. Gangs should be zero intolerable, not tolerated. But who cares if poor urban youth are terrorized by gangs in their school? While the ehite kids get a nice safe education.

If you enjoyed the movie "Lean on Me" you will love this novel written by the main character, Principal Joe Clark. As a teacher myself, this is a must read for anyone interested in the importance of education in a multicultural diverse or poverty stricken environment. I love this book and give it my highest recommendation!

The previous reviewer, as a teacher, should know that a nonfiction work such as this one, which is part-autobiography, part-pitch plan, is not a "novel." What people like Joe Clark -- and the zillions who were regrettably wooed by Morgan Freeman's bat-wielding rendition of him in the schmaltzy, tearjerking movie "Lean on Me" -- is that what America's urban schoolchildren need most urgently is not a beating near the home-stretch of a losing race but a fair chance from the get-go. We American have always believed starts with quality equal education for alll. A proposal like this doesn't make for a feel-good movie because it involves heady-sounding things like funding redistribution, rezoning and real attempts at racial and socioeconomic integration. But it would go a lot further toward making meaningful and lasting change than Clark's "boot 'em if they fail" and "beat the failure out of them" mentality. By the way, two-thirds of the 300 students Clark expelled from East Side High in Paterson, New Jersey now occupy cells in the Passaic County Jail. This costs the county and the state of New Jersey a great deal. How much less would it have cost if we had provided them with a real, functional education from childhood on?

I strongly recommend reading this book. As an a young administrator in a public school, it is nice to see someone with the desire and drive to do what is right for kids. The story of Eastside and what Mr. Clark did there is truly inspirational. One of the reviews about this book criticized Mr. Clark because a large majority of the 300 students he expelled from Eastside are now in prison. At some point, you must sacrifice the few for the good of the many. Imagine how many more would be in prison if he had not done what he did. I think that anyone that cares about the state of public education right now needs to read this book.

I bought a used copy from Amazon.[com.] Several times I have wondered about a specific plant and found exactly the answer I was looking for in this book.
It has roses, shrubs bulbs trees vines grass and ground covers. It even had Beach Plum.
It doesnt seem to cover any vegetables. For vegetables my favorite book is Rodales Garden Answers. Just vegetables in depth yet easy and enjoyable to read.

Beginning with a 17-page introduction that breezes through the basics of garden planning, planting and maintenance, the bulk of this book is made up of two-page plant profiles divided into fourteen sections: shade trees, evergreen trees, small flowering trees, shrubs, plants for winter interest, plants for down the shore, vines, lawns, ornamental grasses, groundcovers, roses, perennials, bulbs corms and tubers, and annuals.

While there are color photos they do not appear on every page. Instead, in field guide format, they are thumbnailed into one color section.

The best reference tool in the book is the zoned New Jersey maps that detail average frost dates, rainfalls and temperatures.

While the New Jersey Gardener's Guide is a worthwhile look for the long-time gardener, its real strength is as a gift for a new resident or a new gardener.

... Several times I have wondered about a specific plant and found exactly the answer I was looking for in this book.
It has roses, shrubs bulbs trees vines grass and ground covers. It even had Beach Plum.
It doesnt seem to cover any vegetables. For vegetables my favorite book is Rodales Garden Answers. Just vegetables in depth yet easy and enjoyable to read.

Quite possibly the best gardening book I have ever read

Overall a very good reference.

However, I was amazed that the Butterfly Bush: Buddleia was not included. This does very well in my area. Perhaps the omission was due to space available in book.

Garner Quinn, a best-selling true-crime author, goes on a search for her childhood best friends father, who killed his family apparently without reason and subsequently disappeared.

Her interest in the case is initially rekindled when a fellow author asks to meet her and subsequently reveals that he knows where the killer is, although won't identify him.

Days later he is dead in suspicious circumstances and Quinn is left with the puzzle of discovering who he is and where to find him.

Overall, the book is an enjoyable read, with sufficient interest being maintained in the characters and plot to keep the reader reading, though people looking for a fast-paced, blood-and-guts story should look elsewhere.

Like many similar stories, the main character has the financial and occupational freedom to pursue their quest, also a degree of independence. However, whether deliberate or not, there is no real empathy built between Quinn and the reader. When she reaches a dead-end, you don't feel sorry for her, more apathetic.

This is very much a mystery story - how did this man manage to disappear for so many years. Unfortunately, this question is not answered to this readers satisfaction.

I enjoyed the characters and story of this book. The story line could easily have been based upon a true crime and, in fact, did remind me of a couple of similar crimes that I have read about. I didn't like Waterhouse's Graven Images, so I'm glad that I decided to try this one by her. Now I'm looking forward to reading her next novel.

This novel was chilling and unforgettable. Jane Waterhouse writes in an intelligent, interesting manner and I would recommend all her novels in this series.

The aspect I enjoyed most about this book was the way Waterhouse developed the mood and eerie darkness that ran through most of the work. The anti-climatic climax caught me a little off guard and I felt it detracted a little from the way the story developed. In balance, this is a good work and I would recommend it to anyone who likes strong, tenacious female characters.

True crime writer Garner Quinn is tired of all the dirt and horror she digs up while on a case. She is seriously thinking that it is time to retire at 37. Some addictions go todeep to just give up like that. Sometimes friendships are too important to ignore even if one of the parties is dead. Quinn and Lara Spangler never thought that their early teen vow of eternal friendship would last only five whole days. On the sixth day, Lara's father killed her and the rest of their family before disappearing into the night.

Garner is shaken out of her apathy when a down on his luck journalist, T.J. Sterling informs her that he has sighted Gordon Spangler. He wants Garner to help him open doors to the power people in publishing. T.J. promises to allow Garner the opportunity to talk with Gordon before the whistle is blown on the escaped convict. Quinn agrees to the deal, though she has grave misgivings. Her eerie inner warning system proves to be at full operational strength when the headlines state that T.J. committed suicide. Though everyone else thinks the man took his own life, Garner believes that he is the latest victim of Gordon. Garner decides it is time to bring the killer down even if it means risking her own life in the process.

Jane Waterhouse is a brilliant writer whose stylish story is memorably lyrical and populated with unique characters. SHADOW WALK is a walk into dark side of the human existence, a place where psychopaths reign supreme and Mr. Hyde is a Sunday school teacher. The protagonist is a very human and passionate person, torn between leaving a world that taunts her with its depravity yet leaves her yearning to explore it. Like Garner, readers will find the story compelling but a very uncomfortable reminder of what is out there in the real world.

Harriet Klausner

Where have all the good times gone...I felt like I was reliving my childhood when I read this book. The author made me feel like I was one of the characters in his book. I could really identify with this as I grew up during the same time in a similar environment. Its nice to read a book that makes you smile and relax without any violence or disturbing thoughts.

Charming, funny, thoughtful and emotionally gripping! Finished the book in just one sitting.

Nolstagic,witty, and very entertaining.Reminded me of my own childhood.This book would make a great citcom for television with its downhome and eccentric characters.

Thouroughly enjoyed this book as it enabled me to step back in time, if only briefly, for a truly enjoyable journey through my own "growing up" time. Am looking forward to this author's next work!

Some tennis lessons and sessions with Dr. Ruth would have helped Mr. Howard as a youngster.....