Vacations Books

We rent our second home as a vacation rental, and I was hoping this book would have more practical information on this topic. Although the book does contain a lot of good information on other topics, it does not contain much anything of use for someone looking for help managing their vacation rental.

I find that the author has a genuine interest in his Reader's understanding the Real Estate area in general terms as well as provoking them to analyze whether they can afford to invest in property whether vacation, retirement or investment properties.

I felt that the goal of the author was to help Readers make better choices in Real Estate investments from a personal and business perspective. The Second Homeowners Handbook provided step by step guidelines and references on identifying property to invest, choosing the right location, analyzing the market, and goal setting.

While there are many Real Estate investment books on the market, you can not find a book that provide actual details on how to maximize property values by eliminating clutter or steps to improve basic appearance of the property to ultimately generate quick profits. This is a book that you can not resist and is a good buy for those interested in second homeownership.

If you're thinking of building a retirement nest egg on real estate, then Jeff Haden's THE SECOND HOMEOWNER'S HANDBOOK: A COMPLETE GUIDE FOR VACATION, RETIREMENT, AND INVESTMENT is for you. Here's a set of keys on how to use a second home to fuel both present vacations and future retirement, whether you've bought for resell, rent, or personal use. Chapters tell what to look for, how to rent, how to handle income taxes and financing, and more.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book outlines smart financial moves to make even if you are not planning on buying a second home. The tips covered are useful for buying or selling a first home also - items such as how to analyze property or loans, and how to increase the resale value of a home are important in any real estate transaction. For those who are interested in buying a second home, the purchase, financing, and maintenance of residence, rental, and rehab properties is covered in detail. There are clearly written guides which relate the procedures required to hold a second home for monthly income or increase long term wealth.
The writing is well organized and easy to understand, with excellent descriptions and testimonials from those who are already experienced in the business of real estate. An extensive glossary at the end is helpful for readers who are unfamiliar with real estate terms and phrases.

The Second Homeowner's Handbook: A Complete Guide for Vacation, Retirement, and Investment by Jeff Haden, published by Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.

Rating: 5 stars out of five.

The Second Homeowner's Handbook is a great resource of 288 pages for the more than 30% of homebuyers who acquire second homes each year. This handbook explains how to invest in a vacation and/or future retirement home. It covers what kinds of homes to purchase, how to rent the home tax-free, and how to negotiate sales and obtain financing. It also covers warranties, insurance, moving plans, walk-throughs, contracts, mortgages, and closings, to name but a few topics. It is a wonderful resource for home buying!

The author of The Second Homeowner's Handbook, Jeff Haden, writes from extensive, personal experience. He states, "Real estate is one of the most stable investments you will find." He is absolutely right and the handbook gives you the knowledge and tools you need to make wise and profitable investments in real estate. I highly recommend The Second Homeowner's Handbook to anyone considering purchasing a home - to live in or invest in!

This is a very cute book about how the presidency works in the United States. It is easy to understand and kids can enjoy what can be a dry subject. I highly recommend it and used it with my middle school ESOL students.

I have purchased the entire series. They are wonderful. My students better understand and have clarity in the government. The author puts this series in a very kid friendly way! Awesome

Karen

I bought his book for my daughter who really loved it. It is a very didactic book, with a very interesting subject and also, very nice drawings for every age.

The artwork in this book is fairly unsophisticated (in fact, in some places, it's pretty amateurish), but the clever story and cute mice make up for it.

It's intriguing to watch how the authors manage to describe the president's constitutional duties in easy-to-follow rhyming verses. Against long odds, they do it. E.g, "The president is required to study each "bill" / That Congress delivers from Capitol Hill / If he signs it, a bill becomes law -- it's approved / If he gives it a "veto," it's rejected, removed."

My kids love to find their favorite mice, which sometimes are slightly hidden on the page. I like the thought that they are learning -- even just a little bit.

Woodrow, the White House Mouse and the whole series are fantastic. Illustrator, Cheryl Shaw Barnes does an amazing job of bringing the White House to life with her beautiful watercolor and ink drawings. The rhyming text in each of the books is hilarious and instructive. These books will stay in our family library forever - treasures all!

This book is not just for the 4 to 6 group. My daughter is almost two and has loved it and learned from it since the first time it was read to her. Lots to look at and learn from in each wonderful illustration. It must have been originated from some wonderful childhood memories of Maggie Smith's.

This is a counting book with a progressive story about one family's trip to Maine (they pack one baby, two dogs, three bicycles, pass four smokestacks, etc.). The pictures are great. My three year old doesn't remember having been to Maine, and asks for this over and over because of the story about the family (there is a dropped ice cream cone, sand castles, etc.).

I have 2 children, almost 5 and just 3. We've been reading this book for a year now. They absolutely love it. It never gets old, because it's cute (illustrations) and silly/whimsical (writing). My kids love to point out all of the funny things that happen in the book -- the doggies getting in to the fresh-baked pies and eating their own ice cream cones, slimy smelly slugs on the front porch steps, the baby filling a shoe with blueberries, the brother throwing seaweed at the sister and more! It has helped my children recognize numbers in a really fun way -- by taking a summer vacation with the family/pets in the book! This book is especially meaningful to us as we have a speical connection to Maine -- we visit relatives (grandparents, aunts/uncles and first cousins) on the shore in Maine a few times per year, including a 2-week trip every summer. This book reminds us of the best of Maine while we read it all year long. Enjoy!

Every time I read this book to my children (which is often), I feel an overwhelming urge to call a travel agent and book a vacation in Maine. With delightful pictures and remarkably few words, Maggie Smith does an incredible job of capturing the joys and adventures of a family trip. Far more appealing than most other "counting" books, this one will leave you with dreams of fireflies, and a yen for blueberry pie.

My family and I are preparing to move to Maine in two weeks. I happened to see this wonderful book by chance while at the library. It has gotten our 3 year old very excited about our upcoming move and where we will be living! I love the illustrations! We plan to order a bunch of them to give to friend's children as a momento of their visit to Maine.

I'm "ghost-writing" this review for my 9 year old daughter:
"I LOVED this book and I think its really funny when Geronimo misses four good vacations (the beach, the mountains, an adventure, and Egypt) and when he got stuck in a half a cheese slice hotel! I read all the Geronimo Stilton books in my school and local library I can find and I have to say I can't choose a favorite because they are all so good!!"

My daughter is 9 going on 10 and is tearing through all the Stiltons, including this one. We love them.

This was a Christmas gift for my niece. I read another book in this series and enjoyed it.

The big G Geronimo has done it again with a great adventure story, Attack of the Bandit Cats. The illustrator of Attack of the Bandit Cats is Matt Wolf. Can't imagine it? Well believe it the writer of a book with a mouse had a guy with wolf in his name illustrate. Also captured by cats was probably Geronimo, Thea, Trap, and Benjamin's the five main mice worst nightmare.

Thea, Benjamin, and Trap convince Geronimo Stilton to go with them to Silver Island,but instead they get captured by cat bandits. The bandit cats want to cook Geronimo and his friends so they can eat them for dinner. They manage to set a fire and scare the cats so bad that they forget that the ship was made of metal and they still jump off their ship. Geronimo, Thea, Benjamin, and Trap discover the treasure room were they find the first quarter to mouse kind. Then they become famous, but they don't keep all the money.

This book is great and I can't believe this book wasn't out already when I was born. It has great illustration with fancy words. Incredible gold or even platinum sentence fluency.[She sounded as if her tail was stuck in slobbertooths high speed blender!]This book is out of this world and can't be beat,five star not three or four five!

It all started when Trap invited Geronimo to solve a mystery on Pirate Island. So they used this hot air balloon. Before long, they realize that they are being shot by...CATS!

Knowing where this island is and most of the people mentioned in the book, I have discovered that there is a lot to learn about the place I call home myself.
The book is very easy to read and is so true to life out here in the West Indies. I really hope the author and his wife enjoy their paradise!

A delectable read. Robert and Sara, will you be there when we get there? I hope so.

On busy days filled with interruptions and stress, I often fantasize about escaping to an island paradise. Which is precisely what author Robert Benson and his wife have customarily done each year on their anniversary. Over the decades, they have polished this yearly trip into a fine art. Benson takes us along in Home By Another Way.

Having raised children, attended church, and built careers, Benson and his wife holiday on the islands and bring home with them a piece of paradise. "Not only is our calendar a little skewed," Benson wrote, "we do not even operate on what others would call a normal workday schedule, either. In the first place, we both work at home, and our workday does not begin with a traffic report. My commute is about thirty-five steps to my studio in the back garden. Sara does not even leave the house; her office is in the little parlor at the end of the hall." Back home in Tennessee, the Bensons have learned to live on island time.

An incurable romantic, Benson helps readers find the holy in the ordinary. Home By Another Way celebrates the simple things in life including family heirloom furniture, appreciation for our personal preferences, and the comfortable conversation traditions between people who have spent a lifetime getting to know each other. In between the picturesque descriptions of beach, sunset, and birds are the witty observations and gallant humor of the all-grown-up son of beloved writer and speaker, the late Bob Benson and self-proclaimed nester and winsome speaker, Peggy Benson. - PeggySue Wells, Christian Book Previews.com

This has to be one of the most romantic books I've ever read--and I'm a huge Jane Austen fan! I love how the writer sees the world. And the love that shines through on each page--love for this island AND love fo his wife. What a wonderful book that I will read again and again.

Robert Benson is my favorite author, and he has done it again! This time, I don't need to pack to go on vacation. Instead, I get to relax and slow down on a beautiful island with people I love. As always, Robert Benson causes my soul to remember what is really important in and about life. Don't miss this opportunity to kick-back and enter into a simpler more reflective world. Perfect for a day on the beach or a night on the couch. You'll love it!

Informative while being fun at the same time. Gives great insite to the island

This book was incredibly useful during my trip to Kaua'i. I thought the reviews were spot on and I was thankful to have a book I was confident would lead me in the right direction - especially since meals are so expensive in Kaua'i. I thought the organization could have been better. Restaurants are listed alphabetically rather than by region. There is a list of restaurants by region in the back but I think it would be better organized by region initially. Nevertheless, this is a must have for your trip.

This guide came in very handy when my family (mom, dad, sons 7 & 11) went to Kauai this summer. We found a number of good places to eat that we never would have found on our own. It would help if the authors noted if the restaurants had children's menus - that is a deciding factor for us when dining out, especially in an expensive location like Hawaii. I would definitely recommend this guide.

My husband and I were in Kauai in 1988. We have been back MANY times to the other islands but not Kauai. I enjoyed reading this book because it told of a few restaurants that were still around and informed us of a few we would like to try on one of our next visits. I found this book to be "top notch" and very thoroughly researched.....it sure makes our decisions alot easier. The authors are to be highly commended. This book is as good as their others!

I think its time for Bob and Cindy Carpenter to broaden their horizons and set out across the world to create more restaurant guide series!
This little treasure, Kauai Restaurants and Dining is a pocket book that is a must for anyone traveling to or thinking of traveling the Hawaiian Islands and or to Kauai. Packed with information such as: Diverse Island Cuisines, Regional Dining, Watering Holes, Hawaii Food & Culture Glossary the guide is as easy to read as it is helpful. Looking for the beachfront bistro, excellent views, leisurely dining or Island Icon, its all in this little gem of a foodie guide.
If you think Hawaiian Cusine is just about bananas, coconuts and the Luaus think again. First, Cindy and Bob educate the reader about the rich diverse ethnic cusines that make the island of Kauai a "food lovers" destination. Next in a brilliant and easy format the restaurant collection includes everything from hours, style, dress, phone numbers, prices and more to a menu sampler and their own impressions.
When in Rome do as the Romans do...when in Kauai check out the wonderful diverse ethnic cuisines with the help of this Restaurant Guide book.

Living Dead Girl is the best novel I've read all year. It's just about a perfect mystery and an interesting study of emotions. Fantastic writing and a dark mood pervades this troubling tome. Buy it and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Can't stop thinking about this book. If you have children, it will make you think over and over again about what you would do in a similar situation. One of the best books of the year, I think.

A stunning example of what happens when a writer of literary fiction pulls parts of several genres into one compelling piece. Living Dead Girl is such a poetic and heartbreaking book -- equal parts mystery novel, character piece, literary novel and unreliable narration exercise -- and Goldberg was well deserving of his recent nomination for the LA Times Book Prize. Unlike his previous book, Fake Liar Cheat, which was a funny noirish romp through LA aimed at the MTV generation, Living Dead Girl is a serious look into the human condition and what happens when love dies. This is one of those books that should have been a bestseller -- maybe it will be in paperback.

This book, the LA Times Book Prize Finalist, written by Tod Goldberg, is an emotional rollercoaster of a murder mystery, based on crumbling relationships, and centering on the main character's haunting past.

Paul Luden, a 32-year-old anthropologist, and his girlfriend, a 19-year-old student called Ginny, hear that Paul's ex-wife is missing, and travel to her home on a scenic lake, to try and piece together what happened to her. It becomes obvious during the novel that Molly, his ex-wife, was his only real love interest, and this has a harrowing effect of Paul when he tries to come to terms with his marriage break up, and the death of his 2-year-old daughter, Katrina. The path of Paul trying to decipher and rember his past is, sometimes, confusing, but articulately written.

At times, the way he underestimates Ginny becomes irritating, and Paul's character (namely his obsession with relating his job to life) does take away the beauty of the storyline. The way Paul is tied to his wife is heartbreaking, making this book one you just can't put down.

This is Holden Caulfield, if he were in a muder mystery.

8/10

I read this book on a sunny Saturday at the beach. I am sunburned now because I couldn�t stop reading long enough to walk to my car before I finished.

There are some very haunting images floating through my mind and yet the biggest thing I have taken away with me from �Living Dead Girl� is love. The images and emotions that are portrayed in this book are amazingly beautiful sometimes in the most morbid of ways. We want what we touch for a moment to last for a lifetime and yet that moment that we know love is a reality is a moment that becomes a lifetime. I have always believed that there is one person in the world that each of us is meant to love. And while many never find that person and settle for the person that finds them�.it is so apparent in this book that Ginny loves Paul faults and all and yet for him that one person is Molly, a paradox that plays out throughout the entire book.

The powerful forces that love can cause and create are amazing. And this novel is nothing like a mystery (like I�ve read all over the internet that it is�..society needs to pigeonhole every damn thing until they make a square peg fit a round hole�!!!) unless you consider the mystery of that which is love. And of course the disappearance of Molly is an ongoing source of questioning.

There were passages of this book that simply brought tears to my eyes. Mostly during Paul�s explanations of the good times that he and Molly shared.

I know that I will read this book again because there was one story happening in the forefront and another story happening in the background. I think it was amazing how the author manages to make the characters so real that they become people that you care about. Mr. Goldberg managed to make the character of Katrina be someone that I the reader felt myself mourning. The notion that had she just not gotten ill, that somehow Paul and Molly and Katrina would have gone on happily. I suppose that�s not the stuff of good novels though. The trite and happy endings usually follow up a book that totally [stinks]. I think what makes a good novel is one that makes you want to crawl into the book with a giant eraser and say �NO NO�mr. Writer man�.we will just not have this�..� as we erase with fury and will and an evil grin. But we can�t and so we�re drug through mental hell like a bloody body behind a car. We are already in motion but it�s causing one hell of a brush burn during the ride.

These characters will be in my head for a long time to come.

It�s a fast paced ride, you�ll never find yourself wondering why you chucked out cash to be this entertained. And you won�t soon forget it.

I bought this for my nephew for his tenth birthday. He hasn't been able to put it down. Great for any kid older than 8!

My 10 year old son has been addicted to the Nicholas books ever since he read the first one a few yrs ago. He couldn't wait for this newest one to be released and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I purchased this book to read aloud with my 8 year old son. We had previously read Nicholas and really enjoyed it. A wonderful book written with a childs point of view, candid and funny, without the crude humor of many 7-10 year old books. I would highly recommend the entire Nicholas series to any parent with primary school age children.

I grew up in France reading these books, and I'm so glad there are available in English for my kids to enjoy.

I bought he first in the series for my own son, Nicholas. He loved it! He read the Nicholas Again, as well as Nicholas On Vacation. He says he cannot wait for the next one!!

I recently visited the Big Island and brought the usual guidebooks including this new restaurant guide. This volume is well-researched and provides visitors with an unbiased, and well-written guide to many Island restaurants. There are reviews on every type of restaurant from high cuisine (Merriman's in Waimea) to local diners with huge portions (Hawaiian Style Cafe with real people and friendly service ). I agreed with each review of all the places visited and feel that the authors have done an excellent job of helping sort out too many dining choices. Tako Taco is an obscure place in Waimea but has some of the best Mexican style food anywhere in the Islands, and this guide does an honest evaluation of a place that should not be missed.
I look forward to using the authors' other books when visiting Kauai and other islands next year.
I found other guidebooks with restaurant sections to be too generalized and not as comprehensive.

Wow! Another great book from the Carpenters! I have received 2 of their VERY interesting books so far and I am lookig forward to reading more, by them, in the future. They are very straight-forward and full of very useful information. I highly recommend their books for the tourists as well as the locals. They have done the research for me.....WELL DONE!!!

"Big Island Of Hawaii Restaurants and Dining" became a Bible, of a sort, for eating on a recent trip. Without it, selecting restaurants from the multitude of choices on the island would have been hit or miss. Every one of the places where we ate were listed in the book and fit their revues perfectly.

Being a frequent traveler in Asia and Eastern Europe I have come to rely on culinary guides like the Hawaii Restaurant Guide Series. My enjoyment of diverse culinary experiences is enhanced when I have good understanding of what I will partake in. The Carpenters are very knowledgeable and straight forward in presenting the cultures, cuisines and preparations involved in a wide variety of dining experiences. This latest offering, "Big Island of Hawaii" is an education in the dining practice and an invaluable guide to individuals with a taste for adventure and a discerning pallet. I highly recommend this guide.

This book is an excellent guide for delectable dining on the Big Island. We were fortunate enough to visit both sides of the island and dine at several of the recommended establishments. After dining on excellent scampi at an Italian bistro in Hilo, we sampled dessert with the locals followed the next day by innovative pizza overlooking the bay. It all proved quite satisfying.

If you're very image-oriented, you won't like this. But to read it is absolute fun. I should have chosen something with less text and more images as a gift for my young nephews, but now their Dad is reading it for them and they're enjoying it very much. That Nicolas is something!

My French teacher gave me one of the "Petit Nicholas" then I'm so hooked to it. "The GREATEST book ever!" is all I can describe. You'll find Goscinny + Sempe are made for each other and createsd such a GREAT & SUCESSFUL Nicolas series. Just so so so so so...... much fun reading it! Smiles from bottom of heart!

This is the second Petit Nicolas book I've read. I love him. I think the book is at a 5th or 6th grade level in French. I love them because I don't need a dictionary to read it and the stories are cute and entertaining. Also, I've memorized this statement, "Je me suis mis a pleurer...", because if he's disappointed, he always begins crying! No wonder his mom and dad sent him to summer camp this summer.

This book is by far the best book in the "Le Petit Nicolas" series. It humorously captures all of the little (and big) things that make travelling with children such a tiring and hilarious adventure. The funniest chapter is called "La Plage, c'est chouette" and I have never laughed so hard as when I read the chapter. The vocab wasn't too tricky and I would recommend this book to anyone learning French or anyone who knows French. C'est tres interessant, et moi, je l'aime. Et je pense que vous allez aimer "Les vacances du Petit Nicolas"! Achetez-le aujourd'hui! Buy it today!

If you know some French, even just a little bit, then you should not miss this book! The stories are from the perspective of a mischievious young French boy, and his observations and ideas will make you roll with laughter. The stories themselves are excellent, but in my opinion it is the way they are told that makes the book a real gem of comedy. The Petit Nicolas books are helpful for those learning or brushing up on French. I'd say that anyone who has completed a French class in high school or college should have enough knowledge of the language to appreciate this book. If you're one of those like me who has forgotten a lot of French, then I recommend reading it with a French dictionary handy...it is worth the effort! Recommended highly for those who like to laugh and have at least a basic reading knowledge of French.