South Carolina Books

This book is not so very well written, apart from the fairy tales spaced throughout it. The story is forced, and the psychological development too shallowly described.

Reading a fairy tale within the pages of a novel just doesn't work for me. Also, the main character was not likeable.I didn't care about anyone in this book and although the author seemed to be using the fairy tale written by the main character's mother as a means to pull the reader in, for me, the method failed and the "mystery" was not very intriguing.

Benedick Hunter makes for a readable anti-hero in this novel which uses the fairy tale as a detective lens to look for the roots of suicide and madness. The subject matter Craig picks is ripe for overstatement so it is wonderful that she manages to get the tone just right. She stays tight and economical with her language and as a result the images that she does use are striking and well-crafted. The ending is a trifle precious and pat. I understood the point, but acknowledging the illness is only the first step to recovery. Aside from this minor quarrel, In a Dark Wood makes for a fine and moving read.

Benedick Hunter is having what at first appears to be a middle-aged crisis. He's an actor who hasn't had any steady work recently. His wife is divorcing him and he bickers constantly with his pompous father. He finds little joy from taking care of his imaginative, but demanding young children. Benedick lives off from the small amount of royalties from his mother's children's books. After rediscovering one of these collection of fairy tales he begins reading the stories for deeper personal meanings. He's compelled to follow a trail of his mother's old friends who are scattered over Britain and America like a trail of breadcrumbs. The mysteries contained in her subversive fables lead him to his mother's childhood home and the truth about his family that has been hidden from him. Gradually he learns that his alienation from society and erratic behaviour has its roots in a mental illness. But he has to descend into the darkest psychological depths in order to learn how to live with this disorder.

In this beautiful and moving novel, Craig manages to write very convincingly about a man's perspective of the world. Benedick's personal aspirations are clouded by despair in a way that prevents him from also appreciating all the loving people he has in his life. Unfortunately, he has also inherited a lot of pain and bitterness from his mother's life, many of the facts of which have been hidden from him. We are also given many funny details about the cultural differences between America and England. What the author also does so extraordinarily well is show a blend of light and dark in this central character's psychology. He does a number of detestable things. Yet we are given insight into them and understand they are acts of desperation brought about through a mental illness he can`t control. Craig pays tribute to the important and complex work of Angela Carter who was dubbed the Fairy Godmother of British fiction. She does this by insisting that fairy tales have a much deeper meaning than what appears on the surface. The raucous emotions and terrible violence they depict just may be a greater reflection of reality than we care to admit. The psychological demons which hound many people are indeed more terrifying than the creatures who lurk in the dark woods of fairy tales. By blending the story of Benedick's travels with a number of creative fairy tales, Craig gives us a lot of insight into this while producing an enthralling story.

Having suffered from clinical depression and known others with manic depression, I was hooked by the idea of a novel about it - and amazed to find it not only deeply sensitive to the condition but a great piece of fiction too. What nobody so far has mentioned is that it's very FUNNY. Craig has segued the idea of someone going on an Oedipal quest to discover the truth about himself with the confusion many men feel about their place in a world increasingly dominated by women. I laughed so much at Benedick's attempts to cope with his kids, his failing career as an actor, even his self-pity before being plunged into his heart of darkness. There are so many smart observations, but this is a deep book about our need for stories, and about finding sanity and hope in the midst of despair.

This is the first book I've read by Karen White. It was a wonderful story of the Carolina lowcountry with rich detailed characters and an intriguing storyline. Family secrets and sister's connections come to the surface after an accident that has forced one of them to come home. My only bone to pick was the multiple narrations. While I enjoyed the adult characters' perspectives, I found the young boy Gil's to be a bit out of place. It didn't 'ring true' for me. None the less, I'm passing this gem along because I know my friends will snap it up and love it for a fun summer read!

This is a wonderful book. The characters were believable and likeable. I would definitely read something else by this author.

I was entranced with this story. A family with a history of bipolarism, secrets and tragedies.
Mystery and supsense will keep you turning the pages. I found it disturbing but insightful. A mothers love with a fine line of insanity.

Gripping novel...
Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for ReviewYourBook.com
Sixteen years ago, Marnie's mother drowned. She could not remember everything that happened that fateful night, but she knew she had lost two things that day that she dearly loved, her passion for sailing and the love of her sister. She escaped to the dessert pledging never to go near the ocean again. A call for help brought her home again. Marnie was determined to help her nephew but had to work through her own problems to do so.
The Memory of Water by Karen White is not a fast read. This is one of those books that you want to savor every word. The plot is gripping. The characters are multifaceted. Diana and Marnie are sisters that at one time dearly loved each other. The Memory of Water explores the relationship of sisters and the dynamics of living with a person that is bi-polar. The sisters are forced to face ghosts from their past. Karen White draws readers in to her plot. She successfully moves from one narrator to another, each telling their part with a distinct voice, fitting together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. There are several twists that will keep the reader turning pages. I found this book to be captivating. If you enjoy high drama this is the book for you.

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What a pleasure to read a novel that has it all together - characters that are real and easy to see, a setting that draws you in and wants to keep you there, and a plot that keeps you wondering right up to the last minute. This was not a book I plowed through at breakneck speed. I was savoring it too much - it's one of those ones you really don't want to end. The surprising thing I learned when I completed the book was that Karen White doesn't live anywhere near the water - and she has never sailed! You will swear that she is sitting in an oceanfront cottage writing this story - with her sailboat tied to her dock. Bravo, Karen, for all your research. The rich detail of the characters, home, town and sailing experience, is perfection!

Karen has a wonderful facility for leaving a trail of information that eventually adds up to a plausible conclusion. I love those "Aha!" moments and the pleasant re-thinking one goes through as the pieces fall into place. This is my first Karen White book, so I now have the pleasure of looking forward to reading the others!

This book is so great. I had read "The Beach House" and was so happy to find there was a sequel. Now Id love a sequel to "Swimming lessons". The characters are so real and alive in this book, Id hate not to know what happens in their lives.

This absolutely wonderful sequel to "The Beach House" brings together all the "turtle ladies" whose mission it is to rescue endangered sea turtles who lumber up onto South Carolina's beaches once a year to lay their eggs in a timeless ritual. Civilization being what it is, the nests would be destroyed, purposely or not, if this dedicated band of women (and men) were not there each year to tirelessly make sure that doesn't happen.

Like "The Beach House," this book is based on fact; Monroe herself is a self-proclaimed turtle lady. The plot revolves around the characters we met in the first book: Single mother Toy now has her degree and a job at the aquarium, which is about to get much more prestigious. Her darling little girl Lovie, named after the matriarch who passed away in the last book, is a precocious, wonderful 6-year-old, a self-proclaimed "LITTLE turtle lady." Cara and Brett, who fell in love in the last book and married, are trying hard to have a baby. Irrascible Flo is getting older and too proud to ask for help. And in this book, the menacing father of Toy's child, Darryl, suddently reappears, wanting to connect with the daughter he abandoned before her birth.

All of this makes for a quick and interesting page-turner, but the backbone of the book is the conservation of the giant turtles, and for me, that's the grabber.

"Swmming Lessons" is the perfect summertime book, whether you're at the beach (how more perfect could it get?), around a pool, or just lazing on your front porch. I urge you to grab it and gobble it up!

Mary Alice Monroe does it again in exploring relationships and real life. As a fan for many years now I couldn't wait to read this new novel. I read "Swimming Lessons" with a thirst to be quenched and wasn't disappointed in any way!!! This author is fantastic!!! Having lived on the SE Georgia coast for almost 25 years now I could relate to the surroundings and the pictures painted with Monroe's words were music to my soul. I visited the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island a couple of weeks after finishing the work and found the exact turtle rehabilitation set-up that was described. As I went around the Center and then to the Nursery I had to tell everyone that they needed to read "Swimming Lessons." Bravo, Mary Alice!!! Please create us some more to read!!! You not only write well but you make a difference with your stories as well...definitely a book worth reading and life well lived...

Swimming Lessons is a wonderful sequel to The Beach House. It has such wonderful relationships among the characters themselves and with the loggerhead turtles and the coastal environment.

For several years, I've enjoyed the work of Mary Alice Monroe. And when I noted that Swimming Lessons was coming out, I knew I needed to catch up on my reading and start with the Beach House (the book that introduced us to the Swimming Lessons characters). As usual, the author didn't disappoint me and created a lovely book about mother/daughter relationships that I could easily relate to. But more than that, I became equally intrigued with Loggerhead Turtles. So the follow up book - Swimming Lessons, was an added bonus to keep involved with the characters. Again, wonderfully written, you form a deep attachment to the characters and get caught up with the lives of the turtles -- this time from a different perspective. I highly recommend Swimming Lessons, but also recommend you start with The Beach House.

A good read for those who want to know the true story of what happened!

Kibler brings back a slice of the Old South with detailed research and rich, descriptive narrative. Some may accuse him of romanticizing but recent scholarship places him much closer to reality. The Hardy's (the original family of the home Kibler himself restored) while atypical of the prosperity of the larger South are representative of their class. A good read & highly recommended.

This work by Dr. Kibler reveals the history of this family, their life style, the impact that the members of the family had on southern society during that time period, and the impact of that time period on the family.

As an ancestor of the Hardy family he so elequently describes, I thank Dr. Kibler for the efforts he relentlessly pursued in order to reveal the life of this southern family.

Additionally, I thank the reviewers - all of you, pro and con - that have taken the time to extend their personal thoughts and feelings about Dr. Kibler's work.

I assure each and everyone one of you that the ancestors of this proud Southern family are alive and well, and that the history of the Hardy family is a Southern history that ALL of us share that reside here in the deep south. It will always remain a vital part of this family, and of this culture, through all time.

My children are well aware of their heritage, and are filled with pride to be personally related to the family that lived and survived in this historical, colorful past. My brother and sister, both residents of South Carolina, are just as proud.

God bless all of you.

Allen Key Hardy

Dr.Kibler told me that the most common remark he heard when he was signing books for his first promotion of Our Father's Fields was "this is my family's story." I believe anyone from the South who has knowledge of their ancestral past can say the same thing after reading this book.It does have a common theme of settling,nurturing,and loving a land and the people who helped make that land what it was and to some extent,still is today.Painstaking research was done over many many hours as detailed in this book.Having visited this home twice I can tell you that you feel the history and people here. The only warning I would give you is do not buy this book if you are looking for the usual pablum issued forth by the New York Times best sellers about the South.However,if you want a healthy dose of truth about her and her people then you can't do better then Our Father's Fields.

James Kibler does a masterful job of relating the story of a South Carolina family and their home on the Tyger River. Not only does Kibler tell a compelling story, he conveys the uniquely Southern question of the property ownership. ýDo you own land or does the land own you?ý In the South, one does not just own property. He does not simply possess a piece of real estate. The land has prior claim and possesses its owner. In turn, the owner of record becomes its custodian and responsible for all that came before him.
In Massachusetts, when Bob Villa fixes up an old house, he is simply fixing up on old house. In Atlanta, (unlike the real South) they fix up an old house and call it ýproperty rehabilitation,ý just another investment. But outside the metro-monstrosity, to rescue an ancestral home is to rescue history itself. To work in its gardens and find an occasional arrowhead or musket ball is to experience a piece of life. To salvage the work of a long ago carpenter (even though you cannot immortalize him) is to save his efforts and art for the future to enjoy. Saving someoneýs refuge from history is to become a part of history yourself, yet another tale that must be rescued from the condos and strip malls.
Unlike the rest of Americaýs empire, the South remains conscious of its history. We cannot ignore what we tread on every day. We live our lives up to our necks in the results of history. In turn, there is no greater honor than to be a part of our history and its land. If Yankee legions could not destroy the land and its story, then modern corporations and termites havenýt got a prayer. Here we do not measure history with years; we measure history with lots, acres, family and true Christian friends.

The story of the Hunley and its mysterious disappearance has always intrigued me. This book, however, is largely the story of the sub's rediscovery and recovery. Well-written and illustrated, the book answers many questions related to the lost sub... as well as a few new mysteries.

Secrets of a Civil War Submarine was written as a book for young adults but is also a good introduction to the topic for someone who is just becoming interested in the subject. An easy read.

I bought this book for a Christmas gift, and it was well-received and well-read during the holidays.

Do you like a book with lots of excitement and adventure? Then Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is not for you. Secrets of a Civil War Submarine is an informational book about one of the first submarines, The Hunley, and it shows you how the ship works, all of the crew members, and all of the boring missions. Maybe it sounds interesting to you, but to me it is very boring. The only thing that won't keep you from falling asleep is the part where you figure out why the submarine sank. At the end it shows you what they think the crew looks like, and artifacts that were found, and the secrets that the captain kept. If this sounds like the book for you then read it. But I do not like this book, and I do not recommend it.

Out of all the books i read this book had to be on my top ten most favorite books.This book was the most entertaining for all ages.This book was about a confederate submarine that was built to destroy the union blockade which was stoping other ships from porting to trade goods and many other objects.So there was a man thats name was Horace Hunley he was the man behind the sub.The sub was named the hunley after horace built it.That was the beggining of a legend.

Excellant book. My son really enjoyed it.

This was a fabulouse read. A great beach or by the pool book. It keeps you engaged till the end. I can't wait to read the other two in the series! I found another new writer to add to my favorite's list!

If you have ever walked through divorce or have someone walking through divorce (as I do my oldest daughter), Stealing Home, will help you to experience the pains and problems that a person feels. Maddie is not prepared for her doctor husband to tell her he is leaving her and her three children because he has gotten his nurse pregnant. Maddie is torn because she thought her marriage was going fine and had no clues there was anything wrong. Bill, the doctor husband, reaps the chaos he has sown upon his family when the nurse realizes he does not love her and is still in love with his ex-wife or so she thinks.
But by then Maddie has moved on and regained her self-confidence. She has friends who stand by here through all the struggles she faces. She comes out a much stronger and better person.
Cal Maddox, coach of the baseball team, coaches Maddie's oldest son. When Ty is going through a hard time and about gives up the joy he loves in baseball it is the coach who helps him out of the slump.
Cal takes it slow getting to know Maddie.
But living in a small town (as I do) gossip is the biggest the problem. People stick their noses in where not needed and gossip and jealousy rage until the coach almost loses his job. But as in any small town, the outcome of a board meeting assures Cal that he still has his position as he declares his love for Maddie.
There is so much I could relate to living in a rural community and my daughter walking through divorce although my daughter relocated.
Sherryl Woods has a way of drawing you into all the feelings that people endure as they go through a divorce and try to rebuild their lives. This book is hard to put down.

when I picked up this book from the library of the recommendation of a friend, I had no idea I would like it so much. The witing is wonderful...it seems to give a very realistic picture of the turmoil that is caused among children of divorced families, and the adjustments they need to make. Most of all,the book didnt try to play nice...it potrays very clearly the insensitivity of the spouses who cause the divorce, in terms of expectations regarding the children ..and how they are expected to behave towards their n ew loves. The best part comes initially in the book when Maddie wants to "curse Dr. Phil" and all those therapists who dole out inane advise about the "best interests of the child". The writing is very fluid and humorous as well. I cant wait to read her other books.

I did like this book - but it would have felt much fresher if I hadn't read it right after reading Jennifer Crusie's TELL ME LIES, which tells a similar story of a cheating husband and a wife who finds a new flame. The Crusie book has more levels, plus a convoluted mystery, although it does not get into the head of the cheating husband as Woods does. I really liked the dialogue, especially for the teen-age and younger kids; it rang true. The small town atmosphere was also well-rendered, with just enough love of gossip and willingness to believe the worst to make it a less than idyllic place to live. The overall tone and the ending were cozy, even if several elements were rather sad. But, then again, divorce is sad no matter how happily some people end up.

1st novel of The Sweet Magnolias series. The local baseball (ex-professional) falls in love with his stars high school baseball player mother. The town is in up roar because she is not yet divorced and he is much younger than her.... Maddie's husband has left her with three children to live with is pregnant girlfriend. Her frieds the Sweet Magnolias talk her into opening a spa for women and to give love a chance... Check out the whole series A Slice of Heaven (2) and Feels Like Family (3).

David Detzer has written an extremely readable and well researched volume covering those fateful days marking the beginning of the Civil War. He covers many items and events either ignored or grossed over in other writings and he does it a manner that captures the reader's interest. I highly recommend this book and suggest following it up with Dissonance Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run and Donneybrook Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 by the same author.

A fast-paced look at the events that occured in Charleston, at Ft. Sumter and around the nation leading up to the Civil War (or the war of Northern Aggression as we call it in the South : )
A great study of the stalemate that made up the days preceding the conflict and an indepth look at Robert Anderson, the officer in charge of the Federal forces at Ft. Sumter.

The start of a war is always interesting; we cannot read to many books on Bunker Hill or Ft. Sumter. Mr. Detzer treats us to a very readable beginning of the American Civil War and the city that started it. 1861 Charleston is well drawn, very understandable and engaging as a city on the brink of war. Major Robert Anderson determined to do his duty with little guidance from above and constant criticism from below, takes center stage. Washington, distant and unsure is as much of a problem for him as the Rebel guns in the harbor. Presenting the position of the Confederate Government and the "fire eaters" in Charleston as they see events helps the reader understand the decisions made. While not agreeing or disagreeing, the author informs and guides the reader through this complex time.

This could have been a very dry report but it was fascinating. I never thought I'd find a description of the process of firing artillery so interesting! He really brings the politics and the human issues into focus.

Not usually the history buff, this book showed me an entirely new perspective on the actual events of not only Fort Sumter but the Civil War itself. David Detzer creates wonderful images and develops personalities so very well in print. For that reason, this book clearly defines the hardship and heartbreak of Charleston, Fort Sumter, and so many of the soldiers and their families. Obviously painstakingly researched, the author has shown us the facts without extolling or denouncing the beliefs of the times. Truly a great read.

Carolyn Hart writes a continuing series about the owner of a bookstore who also solves mysteries. This time she and her husband have a mystery cruise off the coast. There is a murder and our protagonist is off and running.

This book is a nice afternoon read, no surprises, nothing new under the sun. Carolyn Hart is a master at her craft and this book is well crafted.

This is the 15th book in the Death on Demand series featuring Annie and Max Darling, and they keep getting better and better. The mystery in this book is quite complex, and of course we have the wonderful quirky characters that we have come to love after reading Ms. Hart's wonderful series. In this book Annnie has planned a murder mystery cruise in the waters close to Broward's Rock where her and Max live. Everything is going along swimmingly until someone falls overboard. It turns out that it is one of Annie's friends that has been tossed, and Annie sets out to find out why Pamela was murdered. Even her friend, the acting Police Chief thinks it was an accident, but Annie knows better. And she discovers a paricularly cold-hearted killer that will stop at nothing to keep a secret. This cozy series is great, and I heartily recommend it.

I have read most all of Carolyn Hart's "Death on Demand" titles. This particular work was one of the better titles in this series. I liked the pace she set, and the storyline was interesting. No irritating characters, plausible surprises, and a different person to guess the mystery paintings at the end. I highly recommend this title to readers!

What do you get when you cross an apparent accident victim that nobody hates, an aged emaciated former model millionare's purported suicide, and an unidentified natty silver haired Lothario dressed in candy-striped flair found dead in an remote forest preserve? A confusing, cat-and-mouse game where our heros and heroines Annie, Max, Emma, Henny and friends spring into action to protect their friend, find a killer where the police are convinced there is none, and connect the dots to the mysterious stranger. Amidst grief, a daring escape, adolescent angst, and buried jealously, the plot spins and twists, concluding in a dangerous race against a killer, and heroism from an unlikely source. The killer is caught, and the party restored where the answers to the shortened mystery cruise are revealed, family peace is restored, and the happy crew of the Death on Demand crowd can pat themselves on the back for another mystery well solved.

Annie Darling likes a good mystery. She runs a bookstore that specializes in mystery books and has organized a "mystery cruise" to promote the store. The cruise involves a scripted play that will interact the guests in a mystery that they will then try to solve.

When guests start arriving for the cruise, Annie is surprised to see her friend Pamela Potts. Annie is even more surprised when Pamela thanks her for the free ticket, a ticket that Annie didn't give her. They would have to discuss this when things settled down.

Only the evening doesn't settle down - Pamela falls overboard!

Luckily Pamela is rescued. However she is unconscious. Annie thinks that foul play is involved, but the police write the occurance off as an accident. Soon after the accident, another guest commits suicide. Or was it suicide? It seems that the woman's children and secretary had a motive to murder her.

With a boat full of mystery fans and amateur detectives, soon the guests take over the investigation and try to figure out who is trying to kill off the party guests.

Oh boy, "Murder Walks the Plank" was such a fun book to read! I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. While there were clues given throughout, I was guessing until the very end. I would recommend this book highly. It's a great combination of intrugue and humor.

If you like to get out with your camera and take some excellent hikes and pictures this is a very well rounded book. Good directions, descriptions of the falls and even suggestions for the best way to photograph the falls. Most of these are not road side falls so if you are looking for that, you might be disapointed but that is not the fault of the author, the majority of the "good" falls are not on main highways!

I'm sure no one has written a book more extensively covering Waterfalls of North Carolina than this one. It remains an excellent guide to many of the wterfalls included. But one drawback at this point in time, as the author acknowledges on his own web site, is that the book needs updating now, as several trail accesses have changed. He says he's been wanting to update it for some time but the publishers have been slow to warm up to the idea. Hopefully, that will change. I have no comprehensive list of all the directions in the book that are now out of date, but here are a few hints: Unfortunately the Bob's Creek Pocket Wilderness as described in his Marion Hub seems to have been abolished and is no longer oper to the public. A company that formerly owned it allowed it to be a protected wilderness with what was even designated a National Recreation Trail. Many of us thought that designation would protect it forever. I'm afraid it turned out to be a short forever. I was fortunate to go there in the last years of its accessability. The waterfalls there were small and never the highlight, but it was a nice area now sorely missed. In his Saluda hub, the road providing access to Little Bradley Falls has recently been realigned, making the trail as described hard to find. I was with a group that did find the falls. But the change can leave you disoroented and with a very sttep roadbank looming and no obvious way to find a less steep descent in or climb out. On a more positive note, where his Hendersonville and Brevard hubs meet, there's a new thing called DuPont State Forest, providing new public views of at least four waterfalls. These include the modest Hooker Falls and the much larger Triple Falls and High Falls, and also another smaller one I've not yet seen, Wintergreen Falls (not to be confused with a falls of the same name farther west and covered in the book). At that farther west location, quite a bit of change has occurred in his Lake Toxaway hub. One thing is the new Gorges State Park, now encompassing about half of the land owned by Crescent Resources at the time the book indicates. It will preserve several waterfalls and presumably ultimately provide smoother trails to them, including the second mentioned Wintergreen Falls. But the park is now in early development stages and hasn't provided any new waterfall paths just yet. It does now provide the parking of choice for the Horsepasture River, just outside its western edge. The parking lot for the park, just off NC 281, less than a mile south of US 64, is now the place to park for the Horsepasture River. One then walks back to the road, turns left, and a short distance down the road picks up a 3/4 mile trail down to the Horsepasture River. Once there one turns right to hike to a view of Drift Falls, now form behind fences and no-traspassing signs, or turns left to views of the other falls on the Horsepasture River, the trail downriver from there not having changed much. The access to the Horsepasture as described in the book has now been made off-limits by no-parking signs along the road and no-trespassing signs where the book's directions called for scrambling down the bank. The old directions had the hike starting very close to Drift Falls, which was then said to be on Nantahala National Forest Land, but the present state of affairs seems to imply that it is just outside that public land. Although Drift Falls is visible from the road, at least in low-foliage seasons, the no-parking signs now make the prospect of parking there to see it forbidding. Best to hike from just downroad from the state park parking lot to see any of the Horsepasture's falls, which adds most of 3/4 mile to any of the distances given in the book. In the book's Waynesville hub little has changed, except the last steep part of the descent to Second Falls has been replaced by a wooden stairway, bypassing the steep part of the footpath, badly eroded by the HIGH volume of visitors to that falls. Nearby Yellowstone Falls is as hard to view as ever, and the overlook providing a limited view from the trail is made harder to find using the book's directions, due to a proliferation of campfire rings. The best safe view of that Falls is still from the Blue Ridge Parkway, a distant view where binoculars help. In the Hot Springs hub, I feel fairly certain that the hike to the falls on West Prong of Hickey Fork has been lengthened somewhat from the book's directions by a trail relocation that added switchbacks. That makes part of the hike less steep, but one needs allow extra time for the longer distance (maybe up to 50% longer) and carefully finding the trail where it doesn't quite match the book's directions. In the Burnsville hub, the falls on Big Creek is about as hard to find as any roadside falls can be. This seems in part because the junction of US 19, US 19E, and US 19W seems to have been slightly relocated, making the 17.5 miles from that junction in the directions a bit inaccurate. Instead look for the pull-off as about 1.8 miles beyond the little sign identifying the community of Sioux, or about 4.2 miles from the Tennessee line, if approaching from the opposite direction, and the only pulloff in that vicinity with guardrails coming right up to both ends of it. You cannot see the falls from your car; it is below road level and you must park and get out. Riding along and listening for the sound is little help, as there are numerous noisy rapids along that part of Big Creek. Finally in the Stone Mountain hub, the trails have not changed much, but the location of the picnic area has. Park officials can tell you where to find the old route from where the picnic area was. But actually you can hike from the new picnic area and it is closer that way to Stone Mountain Falls at least. You'd just feel disoriented if going only by the book's directions, because you'll reach the top of the falls rather than the bottom first, and then go right from the bottom of the stairs if you still wish to reach the smaller middle and lower falls, or go left there to the nearby base of the main falls.

There is no way for anyone to list all the waterfalls in North Carolina, but this book does give very complete information on the falls that are accessible to most people. The directions are clear and the ratings are very helpful. Even if you consider yourself to be an adequate photographer, this book gives specific hints for the different locations. I have used and enjoyed the public library copy so much I finally bought it!

When my photo trip to Yellowstone was cancelled, I was heartbroken. As I was browsing the net looking for an alternate place to vacation (a place closer to our FL home) I came across a site on NC Waterfalls. I then browsed [...] and found this book and liked what I read in the reviews. This book was a real vacation saver! It is extremely specific and it is quite obvious that the author when to an enormous amount of time, trouble and travel to write the perfect waterfall seekers book. Not only does he provide the waterfall locations, the trail lengths and difficulty ratings, but he also gives fantastic photo tips. He organizes the book in area locations so we found hotels in the areas that provided the falls that appealed to us and spent a day or two hiking each region. Out of the 51 falls we attempted to find, we located 49. The 2 we missed were remote and the trails were probably so overgrown that we couldn't find them. The author rates each fall according to a "beauty rating" taht he assigns, and in our opinion, he is dead on. When we were running out of vacation days, we stuck mostly to falls that had at least a 5 out of 10. Thanks to his ratings, we didn't waste precious time searching for waterfalls that would be a disappointment. All I have to say about this book is -- excellent job! During our vacation, we spent a few days in PA & NY and looked for a book similar to this one to outline the falls in those states. There was nothing! Once you've had the best, no other book compares.

When my photo trip to Yellowstone was cancelled, I was heartbroken. As I was browsing the net looking for an alternate place to vacation (a place closer to our FL home) I came across a site on NC Waterfalls. I then browsed Amazon.com and found this book and liked what I read in the reviews. This book was a real vacation saver! It is extremely specific and it is quite obvious that the author when to an enormous amount of time, trouble and travel to write the perfect waterfall seekers book. Not only does he provide the waterfall locations, the trail lengths and difficulty ratings, but he also gives fantastic photo tips. He organizes the book in area locations so we found hotels in the areas that provided the falls that appealed to us and spent a day or two hiking each region. Out of the 51 falls we attempted to find, we located 49. The 2 we missed were remote and the trails were probably so overgrown that we couldn't find them. The author rates each fall according to a "beauty rating" that he assigns, and in our opinion, he is dead on. When we were running out of vacation days, we stuck mostly to falls that had at least a 5 out of 10. Thanks to his ratings, we didn't waste precious time searching for waterfalls that would be a disappointment. All I have to say about this book is -- excellent job! During our vacation, we spent a few days in PA & NY and looked for a book similar to this one to outline the falls in those states. There was nothing! Once you've had the best, no other book compares.

Great Book. Hilarious read if you have an interest in renovation or old houses. One of my favorites.

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I LIVE NEAR AIKEN AND FOR MANY YEARS EACH TIME I WENT TO AIKEN I WOULD DRIVE BY THIS HOUSE BECAUSE I WAS SO IN LOVE WITH IT. THE STORY IS CHARMING. THE HOUSE IS WONDERFUL. I'M SO GLAD THEY RESTORED IT. I AM SORRY THAT THEY MISSED THE CLASSY PARTS OF THE SOUTH. IT IS NOT ALL COLLARDS, WHICH I HAVE NEVER TASTED UNTIL LAST YEAR AND I HAVE ALWAYS LIVED HERE.IM SURE THEY HAVE ANOTHER STORY TO TELL AT THIS POINT. I WILL BE THE FIRST TO BUY IT.

It was August, 1999. After a tough year of renovation my husband and I moved into our own 5,800 sf "Money Pit". We had spent a total of $ 600,000 getting ready for this day. It had been our dream ever since we had completed a renovation of our 1800 sf cottage 12 years before. We had battled bad heating guys, windows that had arrived to fit seemingly another house, workers who preferred smoking in our driveway to actually doing any work, painters who peed in my bathtub and nasty neighbors.

But now we had moved in. We had no countertops as the machinery to put an edge on them had broken. So we did dishes, washed up and brushed our teeth in the one working bathtub. Boxes covered the first floor. The cracks in the wood floors gave me all-world blisters. And the air conditioning STILL did not work.

My husband, after spending less than an hour at home stood and looked up at me up the grand staircase and told me in a calm voice, "I don't want to BE here anymore" and went back to his office. I looked over the house...a decade of work left to do and our life savings committed to it and could only bring myself to do a tiny job that felt achievable; sorting his socks. Even that was difficult as I burst into sight-busting tears.

At that very moment there was a knock at the door. An old friend from down the street handed me this book and gave me a hug. I went to bed with it and over the next week I worked at making the house more comfortable when I felt up to it and reading the book when I didn't. It saved my sanity that hot August.

Three years later I watched my neighbor...distraught and crying on the tailgate of his truck over home renovation issues of his own and passed this life-ring along.

Thanks so much to the authors!!

This is a really funny and very well-written book about two Manhattan queens who buy a mansion in the South and renovate it. Every remodeling horror you can imagine is described, but it all works out in the end! This book underscores the need for Cash, Cash, Cash! My girlfriend is reading it now and is finding it sweet and fun.

"On A Street Called Easy, in a Cottage called Joye" is an easy and entertaining read, with short chapters perfect for the ride on the subway, or a break between tasks. A close parallel to "A Year In Provence", which is referenced by the authors, the story is essentially a humorous take on the gentry's lament "you can't get good help these days", but the biggest difference is that while "A Year..." is heavily slanted towards food, "A Street..." is almost entirely about the travails of renovating a wreck. It is after all, set in the deep (if it ain't fried, it ain't cooked)south, this is NOT Provence.
The "true" story follows its two, pullitzer prize winning authors as they leave their dark, viewless, Manhattan condo and set out for Aiken, S.C., where they've bought(for quite a bit less than the original million+ asking price) a sixty room mansion built in 1897 by WC Whitney, as the gilded age began to flicker to a close. Through neglect, the house is an absolute mess. The crew hired to bring it back to its glory is pretty much a mess as well. From the holdover-joint-toking hippie that makes off with the only, working-order copper piping to sell for scrap, to the tile man who wants to be paid for time he'd requested to hang out (doing nothing)while the tile arrived, to the maid who spends all day dusting 3 rooms, only to be discovered sleeping whenever the bosses are away. You can't leave this crew a for a second, as they discover towards the end, in a scene that will leave wine lovers heart broken. The problem is, as with "A year in Provence", the owners seem to have a bottomless pocketbook, and always seem to have a check to write to cover whatever goes wrong. And EVERYTHING goes wrong. This eventually takes away from the believability, especially when combined with the patience of Job that the two men seem to display, endlessly, towards what are essentially ne'er do wells and lowlifes posing as contractors. Ah, well. You do learn a bit about the Whitneys, the house in its better days, Aiken in its better days, and the more recent days. All in all a worthwhile read.