Book Description
America's Queen of Suspense -- Mary Higgins Clark -- joins forces with her daughter Carol -- bestselling author of the Regan Reilly mysteries -- in this fast-paced novel set on a special holiday cruise that sets sail from Miami the day after Christmas.
Alvirah Meehan, the lottery winner turned amateur sleuth; her husband, Willy; recently hitched private detective Regan Reilly and her groom, Jack, head of the NYPD Major Case Squad; and Regan's parents, Nora and Luke, are guests on the Royal Mermaid's maiden voyage, the Santa Cruise. The cruise is Commodore Randolph Weed's gift to a select group of people who in the last year "made the world a better place." What he really wants is good publicity that will generate future bookings for his struggling new venture. He also plans to scatter his beloved mother's ashes at sea during this four-day odyssey in the Caribbean. What he doesn't know is that his ne'er-do-well nephew, Eric, has smuggled two escaping criminals on board.
Alvirah won the cruise at a charity auction and persuaded the Reillys to accompany her and Willy. Other passengers include members of the Oklahoma Readers and Writers group, who volunteer their time teaching people to read. The group is planning a mystery seminar dedicated to a Ghost of Honor, the late Left Hook Louie, a champion prizefighter turned bestselling author. There are also ten men on board who had donated their time playing Santa Claus during the holiday season as well as assorted other charitable folk, all planning on a restful post-Christmas vacation.
The hoped-for tranquility soon vanishes. A terrified mystery fan swears she has spotted the Ghost of Honor in the ship's chapel. Two Santa suits disappear from a locked supply room. A storm develops, and in the infirmary an attempt is made on the life of a seemingly feeble passenger. Back in Miami, a TV reporter is turning the cruise into a public-relations nightmare, thanks to her spies on the ship.
As the Royal Mermaid sails through troubled waters, Alvirah, Regan, and Jack are uncovering the clues that lead them to dangerous criminals who were not on the original guest list!
Filled with suspense and humor, Santa Cruise is a holiday mystery you won't want to miss. Join the Clarks as they bring this unpredictable voyage to a hair-raising and heartwarming conclusion and ring in the New Year.
Customer Reviews:
Weak.......2007-07-24
This has to be one of the worst books I have ever read. I have nothing good to say about it. Very weak.
Absurd!.......2007-07-05
I've been a fan of Mary Higgins Clark for decades, and there is no way she could have had anything to do with the writing of this book. Too many characters (many of whom are unlikeable), too many names to remember, phrases like, "She opened the door with infinite care," awkward transitions. Painful reading at best.
Much better than other reviews make it out to be.......2007-06-30
I'm glad I read this book despite the poor reviews it received here because I enjoyed it immensely. Perhaps it appealed to the cruise ship enthusiast in me! It was full of zany action, appealing characters and it was lots of fun to read. Now I feel inspired to read the rest of these author's Christmas mysteries!!!
Pass on this one !!!!.......2007-05-13
How many chapters? Fifty? Every five minutes you are interupted with the announcement of a new chapter. By the end of the first CD I was thinking, "Would I be able to make it through the next four?" Don't waste your money, I'll give you mine.
1 star was the worst I could give...........2007-03-28
...or I'd given it a 0 star. I have loved Mary Higgins Clark's books, but like many popular writers, once they start churning out the books to fulfill a contract, the quality goes way down. Years ago I read one of Carol's books (that horrible series where every title ends in -ed), and thought it was the worst writing I'd ever seen. I never read another. This book was given to me as a gift at Christmas and I felt the only polite thing to do was to (finally) read it. It's so bad I can't finish it. Her writing style is juvenile and the stories are plain stupid. Don't waste your time on this book!
Amazon.com
Filippo Brunelleschi's design for the dome of the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence remains one of the most towering achievements of Renaissance architecture. Completed in 1436, the dome remains a remarkable feat of design and engineering. Its span of more than 140 feet exceeds St Paul's in London and St Peter's in Rome, and even outdoes the Capitol in Washington, D.C., making it the largest dome ever constructed using bricks and mortar. The story of its creation and its brilliant but "hot-tempered" creator is told in Ross King's delightful Brunelleschi's Dome.
Both dome and architect offer King plenty of rich material. The story of the dome goes back to 1296, when work began on the cathedral, but it was only in 1420, when Brunelleschi won a competition over his bitter rival Lorenzo Ghiberti to design the daunting cupola, that work began in earnest. King weaves an engrossing tale from the political intrigue, personal jealousies, dramatic setbacks, and sheer inventive brilliance that led to the paranoid Filippo, "who was so proud of his inventions and so fearful of plagiarism," finally seeing his dome completed only months before his death. King argues that it was Brunelleschi's improvised brilliance in solving the problem of suspending the enormous cupola in bricks and mortar (painstakingly detailed with precise illustrations) that led him to "succeed in performing an engineering feat whose structural daring was without parallel." He tells a compelling, informed story, ranging from discussions of the construction of the bricks, mortar, and marble that made up the dome, to its subsequent use as a scientific instrument by the Florentine astronomer Paolo Toscanelli. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk
Book Description
Ross King has a knack for explaining complicated processes in a manner that is not only lucid but downright intriguing. . . . Fascinating." (Los Angeles Times)
By all accounts, Filippo Brunelleschi, goldsmith and clockmaker, was an unkempt, cantankerous, and suspicious man-even by the generous standards according to which artists were judged in fifteenth-century Florence. He also designed and erected a dome over the cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore-a feat of architectural daring that we continue to marvel at today-thus securing himself a place among the most formidable geniuses of the Renaissance. At first denounced as a madman, Brunelleschi literally reinvented the field of architecture amid plagues, wars, and political feuds to raise seventy million pounds of metal, wood, and marble hundreds of feet in the air. Ross King's captivating narrative brings to life the personalities and intrigue surrounding the twenty-eight-year-long construction of the dome, opening a window onto Florentine life during one of history's most fascinating eras.
Customer Reviews:
Just what I needed on the Dome in Florence.......2007-08-27
This slim volume contains a lot of detailed information - both on the construction of the dome, and on the politics and rivalries behind the scenes. It is well presented and makes for an absorbing read.
The drawings of the unique hoisting equipment developed by Brunelleschi showed that he was as much an engineer as an architect.
I'll be visiting the dome this fall and now have a wealth of information to make my tour more meaningfull.
A Thinker's Book.......2007-07-23
Some books are for cruising,easy reading with the mind in overdrive, even serious books like King's Judgement of Paris, the reading of which brought me to this book. Yes I know it should have been the other way around. I had picked this text up a few times in my bookstore strolls, but always was tempted elsewhere. Then I read that fine work on the birth of Impressionism and its Hercules like incunabula strangulation of the python of Beaux Arts . It was a wowser!! and I wanted a bit more of this author's breezy erudition. Kind of like a great graduate class with that perfect professor; so I went back and bought the "Dome." Well, it was no smoothie. Yes this earlier book has the artists achieving grand feats, there is the rivalry of big egos, there is even the conflict(inevitable) of creative minds mostly in agreement. But it does not have all the same zip as Paris. Maybe because with the passage of time the bits and pieces of these rivalries have been obscured , darkened like Michaelangelo's chapel by all the years smudges and wisps of smoke until when we clean them up, they no longer are what we have come to treasure. The physical difficulty, the inventiveness, the sheer bravado of construction at great height are a big part of this book. To me the tools are so many large ratchets and socket wrenches. Then too, there is the amor loci of architecture. How many copies of the Parthenon have we seen, and yet they are just not the Acropolis. So the Duomo. It is difficult to envision the redtiled Florentine skyline elsewhere. But the objects of Manet, Degas, Cezanne are transportable and have become loved items. Certainly the physical achievement of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Flowers far surpasses that of The Alba Madonna, but Raphael is after all with us and as has been said the near dear drives off the distant beloved. So I guess the subject cannot carry all the discussion of the mechanical wow. I am glad I took the course, learned a lot, but would be cautious in whom I would tell to just go ahead, you'll love it.
Can culture be thrilling?.......2007-06-27
I find books about engineering, art and architecture more interesting when they are written as cliff-hangers. 'Brunelleschi's Dome' by Ross King is one of them. As are his 'Michelangelo and the Pope's ceiling' and King's latest 'The Judgement of Paris'.
Superbly documented and written with great speed, they kept me reading instead of looking at the real thing. Coming back to the real things I find myself looking through different eyes!
If you like this type of reading, be sure to look for 'The Lighthouse Stevensons' by Bella Bathurst (HarperCollins, 1999) and 'St Peter's' by Keith Miller (Profile Books, 2007)!
great read.......2007-05-14
a well researched and very readable account of a staggering masterpiece, which at the time was considered impossible to build and of its creation and creator.
Read this book before you go to Firenze!.......2007-05-13
I often give a copy of this book to friends planning a trip to Italy... A quick read and a marvelous story about the intrigue...everything about renaissance Italy was an intrigue!... and history surrounding the building of the dome for il Duomo...I could almost feel Brunellschi climbing the stairs to the top dome with me...
This, and "Michaelangelo, The Popes Ceiling" also by Ross King, ought to be required reading for any student of history or anyone going to Italia... they breath life into Italian history.
Product Description
in this new addition to feehan's outstanding dark series we get to meet old friends,some new characters,a wonderfully funny idea from prince mikhail and some yummy recipes from around the world!another bestseller!
Customer Reviews:
Third verse same as the first!.......2007-09-28
I can't believe in like, 3 pages of reviews, I'm the only one who gets frustrated with this series.
Uck. Here's the deal. This author, while her stories have potential, is a one-trick pony. These read like Lifetime Original movies. Which, is such a shame because she has really nice moments. Shea and Jacque's meeting and "courtship" was pretty f-ing awesome. But, she REPEATS herself constantly.
Example. In Celebration, and I kid you not, an exchange just like this happens:
Male: You worked so hard on this. The kids really look like they had a great time.
Female: I know. The kids had such a good time, and they really worked hard on this.
And I swear, if I read someone saying "I am so going to..." one more time...She really dates herself when she includes idiom and coloquiolism.
And all the women are either battered, orphaned, or battered and orphaned and taking care of younger siblings or other battered orphans.
The men always refer to them as "little one" and whenever anyone refers to anyone having an emotional moment, it's either "baby" or "honey". I'm sorry. I cannot reconcile these men (who are from Hungary where English is supposedly their second language) referring to their wives as "baby" in the same breath as "little one". It totally takes me out of the story.
Simply put, Feehan gets in her own way a lot. If she would just let the conversations happen, then, perhaps things would flow more. But I find myself skipping more dialogue because it's all rehashing old storylines and unnecessary exposition.
I'll keep reading though. Because the stories are good enough that with some skimming, they keep me interested.
Great update on the Dark Series!.......2007-09-20
I adore Feehan's whole Dark series and was excited to get this new book as it came out. It was great to catch up on all the couples, and gives a way to segue into the South American family. Definitely should read series in order before you read this book, though, or you won't really understand it.
Hooray for Carpathian Reunions!! May there be more!.......2007-09-06
I really enjoyed all my favorites being together again for a clan gathering. I know it must have been hard to incorporate everyone into the story. My favorites were there, though some featured much less than others. The real suspense and meat of the story featured future bindings and future lifemates-to-come. But that was OK, it's typical Feehan.
Best part: Syndil being an earth healer!! That is awesome news.
Worst part: all too-brief episodic nature of our poor Prince's visits to each lifemate pair. And worrying that Gary is bad because Mrs. Sandler growled at him!
I was disappointed that Francesca wasn't featured more, she is one of my all-time favorite "dark series" heroines!
In my gut I agree with the reviewer who wrote, "This author, while her stories have potential, is a one-trick pony". But I keep coming back for more of the repetition and go-nowhere nonsense. Maybe Feehan needs a ghostwriter to help with plot.
Wonderful Book.......2007-08-17
I loved this book I enjoyed the interaction of all the Carpathians and see how they have grown in their relationships. Its filled with laughter and romance, suspense, and danger.
reviewing dark celebration.......2007-07-09
I am a long time reader of christine feehans dark series, in fact I absolutely love the series with the only exception being dark secret. I felt dark celebration was great because it gave long time readers of the series a chance to see some of there favorite character again and to find out what they are up to. It was also a great way for feehan to progress the entire series. Dark celebration was very erotic, very funny, and it was a hard book to put down, in fact I read it in less than two days. Christine feehan is the best when it comes to parnormal romance and she seems to be getting better with dark celebration and dark demon. s.m.j
Average customer rating:
- A good story although bland for thriller fans
- Very Unsatisfying
- A woman takes off with the money
- Wayward Wife
- Great suspense - easy read
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Short Straw
Stuart Woods
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Woods, Stuart
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ASIN: 0399153683
Release Date: 2006-10-09 |
Book Description
Short Straw reintroduces Santa Fe lawyer Ed Eagle, who first appeared in Stuart Woods's 1992 thriller, Santa Fe Rules. In his first adventure, Ed fell in love with the seductive Barbara Kennerly, and married her-against his better judgment.
Turns out that Ed should have listened to his intuition. Ed Eagle awakens the morning after his fortieth birthday to find that Barbara has vanished, and Ed's money-from his business, his bank, and his brokerage accounts-has been wired to the Cayman Islands. Barbara, it appears, had drugged his birthday wine, neatly cleaned him out and then fled to Mexico, from where she can't be extradited. And as if that weren't bad enough, when Ed arrives at work that morning he discovers that he's been assigned a new client who looks like nothing but trouble-Joe Big Bear, a part-time mechanic charged with a triple homicide. Ed hires two slightly shady investigators to search for his wife. But when they track Barbara down in Puerto Vallarta, they discover that Joe Big Bear may also be embroiled in Barbara's plot. Ed soon finds himself caught in a scheme that is much more far reaching-and deadly-than anyone would have expected.
Customer Reviews:
A good story although bland for thriller fans.......2007-07-25
This review is for the Signet paperback, May 2007, 375 pages. SHORT STRAW was on the USA Today's Top 150 Best-Selling books list for eight weeks reaching the peak position of 43. Stuart Woods has 26 novels on this best-seller list.
Ed Eagle, a successful lawyer, wakes up uncharacteristically late with a hangover on the very day he is hosting an inauguration party for his new offices. By the time he sorts things out, he realizes his wife, Barbara, had drugged him to assure he slept late so she could escape to Mexico with over a million dollars of his money. Ed acts fast. With just minutes to spare, he prevents Barbara from cleaning out his brokerage accounts too.
Ed sends a private detective to Mexico to find his wife, which he does quickly, but Barbara shoots him. So Ed sends another PI to rescue the first and find his wife. The plot continues with the two private detectives chasing Barbara around Mexico. Meanwhile, Ed discovers Barbara has a contract out on him so she can get all his assets and collect on his life insurance.
Although SHORT STRAW is listed as an action thriller, it is not the over-the-top, nail-biting, super-hero type. The plot is believable, the characters plausible and everyone makes mistakes. Although many scenes happen in Mexico, the settings are either imaginary or unremarkable. It's a good story, but bland for thriller fans.
Very Unsatisfying.......2007-07-14
I've read 8 or 9 books now by Stuart Woods. This one ranks at the very bottom. Woods is real hit and miss. "Chiefs" was great. "Under the Lake" was unusual. "Prince of Beverly Hills" was nostalgic. This one was really just a waste of time.
The first book in this particular series was called Santa Fe Rules and introduced us to protagonist Ed Eagle, a Santa Fe attorney. It was a reasonably fun read, even though completely implausible.
This one picks up about two years after the conclusion of "Santa Fe Rules" with Eagle awakening on the day he is to celebrate the grand opening of his new offices. Within the hour he learns that his bank accounts have been cleaned out and his wife has fled the country. But yet, he manages to put on his game face and carry on as though life is grand. It is just the first in a long string of impossibilities in terms of how humans actually behave outside the pages of fiction. The only glimpse Woods ever seems to give us into the inner turmoil of his characters in any of his books is that they throw up. Literally - woof their cookies. Doesn't matter whether they have been shot at, robbed, seen a ghost, whatever. They throw up and continue on their merry way as though they just had a touch of food poisoning and now have it out of their system.
The book has no twists at all. There's really no mystery here either. Wife runs off with money. Husband gives chase through a series of private investigators. Husband catches wife. The end.
It is exactly what it seems. For no apparent reason, Barbara -- Eagle's wife of two years who we first meet in the pages of Santa Fe Rules -- has just up and left him and Woods proceeds to take the next 300 pages making her out to be a world-class b**ch. It really is quite senseless. We're never given any motive. There isn't another lover. There isn't a secret life. There isn't unhappiness at home. And it isn't really for want of money as Barbara lives a life of luxury under Eagle's roof with a man who treats her well and is faithful.
As I said, there are no plot twists. It just plods along with Barbara always half a step in front of Eagle, but with him finally catching up to her at the end. And instead of delivering a "she reaped what she sowed" ending that would have been a little bit satisfying to make up for absence of plot and motive, we get something that feels like one of those insufferable TV cop shows where the scummiest criminals never meet the violent end they really deserve, but instead a taxpayer-funded waltz through the American justice system where you know a parole awaits them all-too-prematurely. And the cops who moralize that if they rough the guy up or dispense their own brand of Clint Eastwood style justice, they've "sunk to the level of the criminal."
"Prince of Beverly Hills" was far more satisfying in this respect.
Maybe Woods was trying to leave the door open for a sequel with this book's ending. But my advice? Don't bother, Mr. Woods. You've milked the antagonist in this story for all she is worth, which wasn't enough for even a single book - let alone two. This book was truly pulp fiction. It wasted a perfectly good tree. I perservered to the end, only to find it wasn't worth waiting for.
A woman takes off with the money.......2007-06-15
This is entertaining light reading with a somewhat unlikely, but interesting, cast of characters. Ed Eagle, attorney in Sante Fe, wakes up one morning and finds his wife gone along with all the money in their personal bank account and the business bank account (things like that do happen in real life). Ed seems mainly interested in getting the money back and getting a divorce. His love for the woman is lost very quickly, and he just as quickly finds a new woman. It's hard to have much sympathy for any of the characters in the novel, but the plot moves along as you read on to see what happens next.
Wayward Wife.......2007-06-11
Stuart Woods, "Short Straws" resurrects Ed Eagle from "Santa Fe Rules," whose wife does not want a divorce, but a permanent separation with winner take all. Ed must hired an Apache tracker, Vittorio and Cupie Dalton, a retired LAPD detective to trace both his wife, Barbara and his money to Mexico. Getting a divorce when the "lady" is out to kill him is rough, but not so much that Ed doesn't find solace in the arms of Susannah Wilde, an actress from Delano, GA.
This vintage Woods has more twists and turns than a mountain road with enough betrayals, bullets, and beddings to keep the plot moving.
Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors 2007."
Great suspense - easy read.......2007-06-08
This is my first read of this author. Plot grabs you from the first page and holds you until the last. I'll look for other of his works.
Book Description
The Spanish-style architecture of Southern California's seaside estates, canyon villas, and courtyard bungalows is central to its romantic image, one that has traditionally evoked a Mediterranean paradise. The details of this inexhaustively rich style-- ornate wrought iron and wood balconies, colorful tiles, graceful arches, and palm-dotted gardens-- reflect the region's Spanish, Mexican, and southwestern history and culture as well as its popular outdoor lifestyle.
This book showcases Southern California's most historically significant and beautifully preserved Spanish-revival houses of this century. Twenty-one private homes built between 1922 and 1991 are featured in stunning color photography that captures exterior and interior architectural details, Spanish and Mexican antique furnishings and folk art, and lush landscaping and tiled fountains. Among these are the Adamson House in Malibu, with its extraordinary collection of custom tile from Malibu Potteries; the contemporary Greenberg House in Brentwood, by Ricardo Legorreta; The Andalusia Courtyard Apartments in Hollywood; and Casa Pacifica, the former home of Richard Nixon, overlooking the ocean in San Clemente. Brief narratives highlight the history of each building and its design influences on the Spanish-revival movement in California.
The Spanish revival grew in popularity around the turn of the century when many young American architects traveled to Spain, Italy, and Mexico, bringing back sketches and, as the foreword notes, romantic memories of "graceful foliage...small Indian towns...tiled dome and rococo towers." Hundreds of Spanish-style houses, apartments, and bungalows were built throughout Southern California in the following decades, many of them commissioned for movie stars such as Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino.
The Spanish revival is marked by two main phases: the mission revival, which incorporates the white stucco, cloistered patios, tile roofs, and exposed-beam ceilings typical of eighteenth-century California missions; and the more elaborate Mediterranean revival, influenced by Spanish and Italian Renaissance sources, eighteenth-century Spanish plateresque and churrigueresque forms, and Moorish-Andalusian styles.
Customer Reviews:
Casa California evaluation.......2007-09-11
This book is a very useful handbook for any Architectural or interior designer, it contains a lot of ideas a lot of which (in my openion) are easy to be implemented and does not cost so much.
Best Regards
Tareq Azzam
Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente.......2007-03-09
Ideal for learning about the architecture and decortating styles of Spanish style homes. The photgraphs are beautiful. I will rely on this book when I design my new home.
Wonderful Book!.......2006-08-12
Great book! The minute I opened it I knew it was going to be a thrilling trip to another time in California history. Beautiful pictures of grand homes, grounds, and other structures built with Spanish and Mexican influence. If you want just one book covering this subject, this would be the one to buy. Highly recommend.
Images of California Style.......2006-06-09
CSAS CALIFORNIA is one of the coffee table books bound to please not only those who live in California and are eager to study examples of California architecture termed Spanish Revival, but also a fine gift for those out of state friends who wonder if California has any history before 1950!
After an informative foreword by art historian David Gebhard and a tasty introduction by former Architectural Digest editor Elizabeth Jean McMillian the pages of this beautifully designed and elegantly captioned book survey some twenty-one homes built between 1922 and 1991 from Santa Barbara to San Clemente. Not only are the homes photographed formally by photographer Melba Levick, but they also show details of tiles, arches, columns, floors, fixtures and other aspects of design. Each home is then shown with images from the gardens surrounding it as well as the vistas from every vantage. And of special note are comments from the architects (the homes all date from between 1922 and 1991) as well as anecdotes about the current and previous owners.
This book, though published in 1996, remains the most complete examination of the combined Hispanic mission and Mediterranean revival styles now termed Spanish Revival. This is a fine book for those with the California Dream, and for those living it! Grady Harp, June 06
Not that special.......2006-04-18
I didn't glean anything more from this book that I couldn't have gathered on a Sunday drive. Most of the pictures are of exteriors and amazingly enough, none of them really inspires appretiation of this architechtural style. I'm an absolute sucker for Spanish Colonial. There's almost nothing built during the classic era of the 1920's and '30's that I don't swoon over. This book, however, compiled some of the least attractive examples of that style and ends up being thoroughly disappointing. Definitely look elsewhere if your objective is designing interior details that honor the classics.
Book Description
Grayson is Lynne Cox’s first book since Swimming to Antarctica (“Riveting”—Sports Illustrated; “Pitch-perfect”—Outside). In it she tells the story of a miraculous ocean encounter that happened to her when she was seventeen and in training for a big swim (she had already swum the English Channel, twice, and the Catalina Channel).
It was the dark of early morning; Lynne was in 55-degree water as smooth as black ice, two hundred yards offshore, outside the wave break. She was swimming her last half-mile back to the pier before heading home for breakfast when she became aware that something was swimming with her. The ocean was charged with energy as if a squall was moving in; thousands of baby anchovy darted through the water like lit sparklers, trying to evade something larger. Whatever it was, it felt large enough to be a white shark coursing beneath her body.
It wasn’t a shark. It became clear that it was a baby gray whale—following alongside Lynne for a mile or so. Lynne had been swimming for more than an hour; she needed to get out of the water to rest, but she realized that if she did, the young calf would follow her onto shore and die from collapsed lungs.
The baby whale—eighteen feet long!—was migrating on a three-month trek to its feeding grounds in the Bering Sea, an eight-thousand-mile journey. It would have to be carried on its mother’s back for much of that distance, and was dependent on its mother’s milk for food—baby whales drink up to fifty gallons of milk a day. If Lynne didn’t find the mother whale, the baby would suffer from dehydration and starve to death.
Something so enormous—the mother whale was fifty feet long—suddenly seemed very small in the vast Pacific Ocean. How could Lynne possibly find her?
This is the story—part mystery, part magical tale—of what happened . . .
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful story.......2007-09-28
This is a great story, I love the book and have given it to many friends
More self-absorbed than interesting.......2007-08-30
From the black, inky black, so very black ocean at the start to her misunderstanding of gray whales and sonar at the end, Grayson romps along but never quite gets there. I found myself repeatedly flipping to the author biography on the jacket flap, wondering how on earth Lynne Cox ever got published in The New Yorker...and how she could have apparently spent so much time in the ocean without learning very much about its inhabitants.
From the reviews, I was prepared to read about a singular connection between a human being and a gray whale made one lonely morning...instead I found a self-absorbed "true" story about a young woman's encounter with a young whale that wandered off course for several hours, then met up with its mother again. Despite Lynne's self-proclaimed connection with the ocean, she doesn't even realize the young whale is swimming near her until pointed out by her friend on the pier. And then suddenly she feels she is the one totally responsible for the whale, even swimming insanely out to an oil derrick offshore to stay with Grayson. Although she places herself front and center, this event involved many people, including dockside workers, lifeguard patrols, fishing boats, and even the ship Queen Mary. This comes as a slight shock to the reader, as her emphasis on the singularity of her swim with the whale initially has us believing the book is about her interaction with the whale, rather than a multi-pronged rescue effort. It would have read better as a simple narration of what happened, instead of her projections of what the whales were thinking, complete with dopey imaginings of telepathic whale-human connection.
I think there is a nice little story in here somewhere, but Lynne Cox desperately needs better editing, and would have done better to have written it as "based on a true story", which would have allowed the plethora of animal description and interaction without causing readers familiar with marine fauna to suffer from eyeroll strain.
Good read aloud.......2007-08-20
Because of the music of the prose here and the subject matter, this is a great little book to read aloud to kids. It's a charming little story, with a bit of oceanography thrown in.
For an afternoon on the sun porch..........2007-07-31
Greyson is a tale by Lynne Cox in which she has a close encounter with a large ocean dweller. Having taken place in her teens, this story is her "coming of age" in a few short hours. This book probably won't change your life, but it might just shift your perspective a little - and that is a good thing.
A bit of a disappointment.......2007-05-22
This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. I was hoping for a story about a whale, but got the reminicenses (sp) of a woman remembering...well, herself rather than the whale. She prattles on about her open-minded thinking and brash individualism. Whatever. I wanted to hear about the whale and the ocean. I suppose this could be taken as a motivational speech; but, again, I was hoping the whale would take center stage. I also wish she had written this as a younger woman so that we might have experienced some of her wonder and awe (at the creature -- not herself).
Book Description
This user-friendly and highly discerning Field Guide focuses on the Golden States most popular and newsworthy wine regionsfrom Napa Valley to the Central Coast to fast-growing Baja. This full-flavored guide will please the palates and temperaments of beginning and experienced wine enthusiasts alike, with all the breadth and expertise readers expect from Sunset. Based on rigorous in-the-field research by two of Sunset magazines most respected staffers, the recommendations are intentionally selective, rather than comprehensive, directing readers only to Californias best wineries and wine-country travel experiences. California Wine Country has all the bells and whistles of a classic travel guide: compact size, gorgeous maps, concise itineraries, and colorful illustrations. Plus easy-to-follow listings for everything from cant-miss wineries to must-see, off-the-path discoveries. And, of course, all the essentials for planning an exceptional trip: information on lodging, restaurants, routes, destinations, and activities.
Customer Reviews:
A pick for any California visitor or resident who loves wine and travel........2007-06-18
There are plenty of wine travel books on the market, but what makes CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY special is several attributes. First, a coat-pocket-sized appearance with a hard cover lends to take-along tote and easy consultation, especially the numerous maps and charts with display the latest wine country wineries, hotels, restaurants and more. Review of hundreds of wineries from 11 top regions throughout the state also lend to travelers who plan on going beyond the usual Napa/Sonoma Northern California regions. From suggested touring routes to winery web pages, phones, descriptions of wines and more, CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY is a top field guide not to be missed: a pick for any California visitor or resident who loves wine and travel.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
California Wine Country: A Sunset Field Guide.......2007-05-14
Ordered this book as a gift and received it just before we were heading for visit to California. We decided to keep it and use it for ourselves. We visited areas "off the beaten path" and were delighted to visit some of the wineries highlighted and to find others on our own. Would have liked maps to have given greater detail, but that would be our only quibble.
Average customer rating:
- Not exactly what I expected, but nice
- Weak. Great idea, lacks substance
- Beautiful Photo Essay
- An Absolute Beauty! A must read.
- Santa Barbara Style is a must have...
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Santa Barbara Style
Kathryn Masson
Manufacturer: Rizzoli International Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente
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Pure California: 35 Inspiring Houses in the New California Tradition
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Tuscan & Andalusian Reflections
ASIN: 0847823741
Release Date: 2001-09-15 |
Book Description
Santa Barbara. For centuries this temperate, inviting locale has glowed with subtle but unmistakable light-- a beacon of warmth beside the profound blue of the Pacific. From the Chumash, whose predecessors can be traced to 11,000 b.c.e., to the present-day resident, vacationer, and tourist, diverse and countless peoples have been enchanted and enraptured by Santa Barbara's spell.
In Santa Barbara Style, author Kathryn Masson and photographer James Chen, invoke this magic and invite us to walk with them through winding and abundant gardens, onto the grounds of grand estates, and into the great houses of this region. Here we find the work of such architectural luminaries as Addison Mizner, Bertram Goodhue, and Reginald D. Johnson. We wander from the historic adobe mansion Casa de la Guerra-- built in the early-nineteenth century by town patriarch Jose de la Guerra-- to the spectacular, and aptly named, Villa Lucia (House of the Light)-- built in 1989. We are given an intimate look at George Washington Smith's Spanish Colonial Revival masterpiece, Casa del Herrero; and a broad view of Lotusland, the thirty-seven acre horticultural paradise. With each turn of the page, we see the beauty, grace, and style of Santa Barbara.
Customer Reviews:
Not exactly what I expected, but nice.......2007-09-21
As an interior designer, several of my colleagues mentioned that this was the most requested style from their newer clients. I thought there would be more current interiors, referring to a new style. It was more of a historical chronicle of design in Santa Barbara, for exteriors and interiors. It is a nice book, but not exactly what I expected.
Weak. Great idea, lacks substance.......2007-08-24
Im building a santa barbara style house and I was disappointed. Not a lot of details. Sure some pics of some SB mansions but not enough photos or details to actually do anything with this book. I guess if you are into SB history it might be OK, otherwise save yourself the $. You will be done browsing it in about 10 minutes and never use it again.
Beautiful Photo Essay.......2007-05-13
This is an amazing photo essay about the Spanish Architecture of Santa Barbara. I own several books like this and this is my favorite.Casa California: Spanish-Style Houses From Santa Barbara to San Clemente
An Absolute Beauty! A must read........2006-05-26
Such a beautiful book, recommended by our architect and builder for obtaining ideas on building a real Spanish Colonial or Revival house. The landscape designs were fantastic as well. Another reader wanted to see "beach shacks" and was disappointed by this book. I lived in Santa Barbara for 6 years and I can tell you have never traveled there. No beach shacks in Santa Barbara. Try along the eastern seaboard coastline.
Santa Barbara Style is a must have..........2005-08-15
Santa Barbara Style is a must have for anyone who has ever had the opportunity to visit this gorgeous city. It is a wonderful reminder of the beauty and serenity that Santa Barbara has become famous for.
Sven Klein - Santa Barbara, CA
Book Description
Cafe Pasqual's, a small, bustling, and perpetually jammed restaurant in the heart of Santa Fe, draws on a wide range of Southwestern and Mexican culinary traditions to create an original menu based on fresh, authentic ingredients and emphatic flavors. This first collection of over 60 recipes from Cafe Pasqual's includes an enticing variety of easy-to-prepare dishes for every meal of the day, from simple breakfast quesadillas to all-out dinners. Illustrated with hand-tinted photographs and bright, kitschy Mexican calendar art, complete with a glossary of ingredients and a mail-order source guide, Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook celebrates the spirited flavors and irrepressible appeal of what is fast becoming the nation's most popular regional cuisine.
Customer Reviews:
So Far So Good.......2007-09-01
I have tried the green chili recipe and love it. Looking forward to trying many others. Fun book to read as well.
Cafe Pasqual's Cookbook.......2007-03-08
Excellent recipes and instructions with sources for ingredients identified for southwest dishes.
Can You Fall In Love With A Cookbook?.......2004-09-20
I saw Sandra Pinckney's review of the Sante Fe restaurant recently on her FOOD FINDS program. The restaurant was so adorable that I immediately went online to amazon.com to see if they had a cookbook. They did. I ordered it. When it arrived at my office I started reading it and couldn't put it down. From the front cover to the last page, the artwork is exceptional. Hand-tinted photographs along with photos and murals really make this a cookbook to keep and cherish and pass down to family. I can't wait to visit Cafe Pasqual in person and hopefully get the book autographed by Ms Kagel and Ms Simpson who was the photographer. The receipes are lovely, but the book is exquisite.
Great place, exuberant cookbook.......2003-04-06
Pasqual's is kitty-corner across Water Street from the St. Francis Hotel in Santa Fe; we time our trips to get into town late at night, but before the St. Francis' bar closes, so we can check in, grab a quick drink, and then roll out of bed the next morning and hit Pasqual's for breakfast. Tamal dolce, big mug of coffee, newspaper, see if the rocking horse is still in the second floor window of the store across the street (hasn't moved in four years, so far, and counting.) We love Pasqual's, its food, its Ann-Arbor-in-the-Southwest feeling ... and the cookbook is a nice souvenir thereof. The recipes? Well, plan on mail-ordering a lot of different kinds of chile powder unless you live in New Mexico. Great stuff, though, if you have the ingredients and the patience.
Yum.......2003-01-03
I make a point of visiting Cafe Pasqual's each time I am come to Santa Fe. This cookbook is excellent . The recipes are concise and delicious and the artwork in the book is beautiful. I only wish they had a second cookbook focusing strictly on the killer breakfast menu at the Cafe. Hmm...
Book Description
It's Christmas Eve and Little Bear can't wait to see Santa! "Santa will come just as soon as you go to sleep," Mommy Bear says. But Little Bear doesn't want to go to sleep. He wants to see Santa! Suddenly. . . glug, glug, glug, glug! What's that noise? Someone is downstairs! Will Little Bear really get to see Santa? Expertly capturing all of a child's anticipation and excitement on Christmas Eve night, David Bedford's cozy family tale is a joyful read-aloud for the holiday season.
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