Block

This is a very unusual book- even for Francesca Lia Block. It is fantasy novel with magic, but it is also a "civilization collapsed" kind of book. Some themes you'll find: environmentalism, antimaterialism, magic, acceptance of aging, anti-drugs, guilt over being gay etc.
Meaty, unless you're familiar with her other books, which consist of the exact same themes.

It is lyrical, sometimes too wordy (yes I know that most people love her for that very reason).

Lots of different plots, but ,sorry to say, not a very strong plot over all. Love, magic.

I would recomend getting it at the library before splurging. It's interesting and unusual, but not excellent. Primavera is better, so is I was a teenage faery.

this book is incredible,unbelievable. highly, highly recommended.

This was possibly the most difficult book I ever tried to find. But I doubt I could have picked one more worth the trouble! As a huge Francesca Lia Block fan for years now, I've always heard of these 2 impossible to find books, Ecstasia & Primavera. Finally I located them this past December.

Block has always crafted her words into beautiful modern day fairy tales of love and music but never has it created such a enchanting result as with this novel. I think part of the reason is because she completely creates a new world... one of carnivals, music, love, and youth. But there is also a scary flip side to this world. One that the 4 lead characters are struggling to accept.

If you are a Block fan and have yet to read these 2 novels you should really, look into them. I think they are essential reading of the authors.

This book is a collection of monthly columns that Block had written for a writing magazine. They fit perfectly together to make a book that is easy to recommend to anyone who treasures books, especially fiction.

I loved this book, even though I am more of a reader than a writer. You will learn techniques that an actual writer uses when devising plots, character names, and even titles. Don't expect a cookie-cutter approach to producing a story. Block instead gives you many chapters that are filled with actual examples of work written not only by himself but by other writers. The discussions that accompany these examples are both educational, easily read, and highly entertaining.

I believe the book has made me a much better reader. I can now often sit back and understand just why I didn't like a particular book.

Larry Block's treatises on writing are every bit the page turners that his mysteries are. He demystifies the writing process and walks you through the basics.

There are two books on writing that I always keep on hand: this one and Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. I can always depend on them to inspire me to write more when my momentum has flagged for whatever reason, usually insecurity.

I really like Block's conversational style. I know this is cliche, but I often feel as if he could be speaking directly to me and addressing my own problems. I find this, among other things, to be very comforting, thus allowing me to let go and just write.

He presents simple solutions to common problems, also inspiring me to go try them out, having never approached the problem in that way before.

I find this book to be very useful in my quest to be a writer, as he seems to have had the same problems I do. This sends the positive message that these problems are universal, and all you have to do is work your way through them, because ALL writers have the same issues to deal with. Also very comforting.

I would recommend this book to anyone struggling with the need to write but not finding the nerve to just settle down and do it; and also for anyone else just needing a little boost.

This light-hearted venture into the world of Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar extraordinaire and bookstore owner contains much of the sharp, witty dialogue of the previous books in the series only sharper and wittier. The discussion between Bernie and Carolyn over the sexual preference of Sue Grafton's Kinsey Milhone is priceless. This is a sometimes-confusing mystery involving a series of events that sees Bernie burgle an apartment, return the booty and then re-enter the place to plant evidence after finding a corpse in the bathroom. Bernie sets out to work out who committed the murder, plus who committed a burglary that he's been mistakenly charged with. This is a most entertaining mystery that continues to keep you thinking, while providing plenty of smiles along the way.

Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams is the sixth book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet, The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza, The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, and The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Thought He Was Bogart comes next in the series.

As this book opens, Bernie has been going straight . . . for almost a year. Barnegat Books, a used hard cover book store he owns and operates, has been providing his living rather than burglary. Then, he receives a double shock. His new landlord is Bordon Stoppelgard, and with his 30 year lease at an end, Mr. Stoppelgard announces that the new lease will be for $10,500 a month rather than $875. How can Bernie afford that? He can't. Then, Stoppelgard comes into Barnegat Books to buy a first edition of Sue Grafton's "B" Is for Burglar for $80 plus tax. Bernie tries to refuse him the sale, but Stoppelgard insists, slapping a hundred-dollar bill on the counter. Then he laughs at Bernie for selling a five-hundred-dollar book for so little.

But Bernie's sorely tempted to burgle again . . . both for the money and the thrills he gets from burglary. That temptation is particularly great just now because Bernie knows that the wealthy Martin Gilmartins will be out for the evening. Bernie does his best to avoid temptation . . . and succeeds. His only slip is to call Mr. Gilmartin from Carolyn Kaiser's apartment to ask him how he liked the show . . . a call that can be traced by the police when Mr. Gilmartin discovers a burglary has been committed and valuable baseball cards are missing. Bernie's alibi isn't very good because he decides to go out after leaving Carolyn. Someone might think he was visiting a fence to sell the baseball cards. What to do?

Most people will find The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams to be the very best book in the series. The plot is deliciously complicated and unusual. There are mysteries galore to solve, and it's not clear until near the end who did what to whom. The satirical references to mystery novels and novelists are priceless (these include wickedly twisted misstatements of Sue Grafton titles and stories, and a hilarious sequence about cats solving mysteries referring to the Lillian Jackson Braun books). The book also introduces Raffles, Bernie?s new mouse-exterminating-assistant cat who is always on the paper chase, and Carolyn's offbeat theories about women and cats. The baseball card trivia about the Chalmers Mustard Ted Williams set will delight any collector or fan. The comic sequences had me laughing out loud as Bernie finds unexpected surprises as he employs his burglary talents. Bernie also discovers a new source of income which most readers would not have anticipated. Some of the new characters will also amuse or delight you, even though they are only in this book. In essence, there's enough good material in this book for four excellent novels. And it's all nicely pulled together.

How will Bernie save the store? Who took the baseball cards? How will Bernie solve the other puzzles in the book? You are making a big mistake if you don't read this book!

The theme of this book is whether honesty or dishonesty pays better . . . and why. Where do you see dishonest people doing better than honest ones now? Will that continue? Why or why not?

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Given the Splendid Splinter's recent death, I couldn't resist this title, and in the process, I discovered that Lawrence Block is one of the more clever authors of this day. Our hero is a used book seller and a part time burglar, who tends to use his skills for good rather than evil. One minor complaint is we are often led down a path, only to be filled in later by Bernie the burglar of a fact he had been withholding the reader for a few chapters. But all in all, this light hearted book is fun, and easily readable. I plan to try out more of Mr Block's works.

There are lots of blocks here, and this book is a good source of inspiration. There is, however, a double-edged sword. All the block patterns included are 9-inch, which is in some sense good -- it makes it easy to put them all together, but is from another perspective bad -- it makes for some weird measurements on certain blocks (i.e. anything on a 4- or 16-patch grid rather than a 9-patch grid). So if you're only interested in using those latter types of blocks, it might be nice to do an 8- or 12-inch variation, but you have to re-draft the block yourself.

I have many quilting books but keep returning to Marsha McCloskey's Block Party. Not only does it have beautifully colored illustrations, but several options in using the same pattern. The instructions are easy to follow and what a variety! I have made several quilts from this book and must say it is my all time favorite.

There are so many things I love about this book! First of all, the blocks range from simple to more complicated, from familiar to rarely-seen. Second, Marsha has so much good advice about all aspects of quilt making. Third, in the section of sample quilts she includes using various ones of the blocks is something for everyone, from beginner to experienced quilter. I have made three table runners and one wall hanging already and have plans to make several of the others. I couldn't recommend this book more highly!

I recently ordered and received Lawrence Block's book, 'Writing the Novel From Plot to Print.' IF you are very serious about writing a novel, this small book provides some thoughtful, though verbose information on tips and tricks and should and shouldn't's.
In the same order package, I purchased 'Telling Lies for Fun and Profit -- A Manuel for Fiction Writers.' I was very dissapointed to find that the second book was an almost verbatim version of the 'Writing the Novel...' book.
Keeping that in mind, if/when you order either of the books, go for the cheapest used version you can get of either because Mr. Block tells the same anecdotes, the same thoughts, and information in both books--almost verbatim.
I just wish that on either of the books information, either in Amazon or Printer's Editorial/Description, it would have been noted that the first book was a rewrite of the second (or vice versa).
As to the value of the information that is provided in either book--it's OK, but nothing earthshattering that will help you write a blockbuster novel. The text itself reads easily, as if you were having a conversation with Mr. Block in the same room. Very friendly and easy to understand--nothing you would need a college degree to comprehend.

Some overlap with the material in Larry Block's "Telling Lies for Fun and Profit," but I'm still not sorry I got both. He will have you in stitches.

To be honest, I'm not sure if this is the book,, but I'm more sure than not. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys writing, and has wondered if he or she is qualified to write a novel. Most people CAN write a noval. They just lack someone tellng them they can. No-this is not a step by step book. But if you understand where the original ideas come from, there are plenty of books, classes, internet sources, etc. to help you along. After I read Block's book, I was angered that we the public have been duped so long into thinking that the fiction writer's craft is mysterious. It does take work, but it is doeable. The thing that amazes me, is that the public allows itsself to pay someone else to entertain it, when if it would just try some of the stuff we learned at school, and at college, we would ALL be amazed at how much better and fresher the fiction would be that's available. If this is the guy that told us how we got "psycho" this is the book.After I read the book, I was shocked at how easy the ideas can flow. I loaned it to someone. I'm buying another copy!

This book is a treasure chest full of great and exiting ways to unleash creativity and make great scripts. This book has helped me in many ways and has had a strong impact on how I look at writing. I do object, however, to the examples of other films used to back up what is being taught. These examples leave a bad tast in my mouth because they deal with many ungodly, immoral issues that should not be mentioned at all. The film industry is a powerful force in our nation. By filling it with immoral acts what do you think will be the result? These films should never be used for examples, be wary! This book has a great lesson but I do think the examples could have been different.

Hi, I'm a screenwriter, story consultant, and former studio executive and I have found Script Magic helpful and entertaining. I'm at a place in my writing where I need lots of creative stimulus and the exercises and the breezy writing style were right for me. Sometimes you have to trick yourself into avoiding cliches or into opening up the deeper, truer sources of good work, and the book was good at giving some concrete ways to do that. This will become a classic for screenwriters but the creative way of thinking about writing will be useful for any form of storytelling. There's also a lot of practical info about the business end and some common sense about how you integrate writing into your life. It's worth reading just to shake yourself up!

"Script Magic" is an amazingly fun and easy way to let your creativity run free. After reading and trying Marisa D'Vari's techniques you'll be chomping at the bit to put pen to paper or fingers on keys. I recently sold a screenplay and became a member of the Writers Guild. I wish I had this book a year ago, I'd have probably sold three by now. You'll never think about writing the same way again.

Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling is the third book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza comes next in the series.

The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling introduces two major changes into the series, both of them favorable. Bernie is now the proprietor of Barnegat Books in Greenwich Village, which features used hard cover books, some of which are collectibles. After one of his big heists, he has enough to buy the store, which he used to patronize. The former owner heads off to Florida, leaving Bernie with something to do with his spare time. In this book, Bernie mainly spends his time in the store reading. He's not quite sure whether he makes any money or not, but he likes being around the books . . . and he hopes to meet interesting women. With this change, the series shifts to having a bookish angle that I find delightful.

The second major change is that Bernie now has a friend, Carolyn Kaiser, who provides an offbeat offset to Bernie's burglaries. She runs The Poodle Factory, where she grooms dogs for a living (while preferring cats in her private life). She and Bernie share lunches, dinners, drinks and good times together. But it's not boy and girl. Carolyn's romantic interests don't run toward men. As a result, you get a sort of Nick and Nora Charles element without the sexual element affecting the couple. It works really well. Mr. Block successfully experimented with having a female sidekick for Bernie in The Burglar in the Closet, but the romantic development showed that it would be hard to sustain in subsequent books so he wisely ended that relationship. This one, on the other hand, can be easily sustained based on mutual interests and friendship.

As the book opens, Bernie's trying to convince everyone that he's gone straight, including his crooked cop friend, Ray Kirschmann, who wants to hire Bernie to lift a mink coat for his wife. Then Bernie gets an invitation to lunch at an exclusive club and learns about a rare and obscure work of Rudyard Kipling's with an anti-Semitic slant that someone wants stolen. Bernie can't resist, and the fun begins! Although the burglary is difficult enough, the aftermath soon has Bernie on the run. Carolyn's pressed into helping him, and the misunderstandings and confusion quickly mount. The puzzle's a deliciously complex one, and you'll enjoy seeing unraveled by Bernie (with a little help from his burglar's tools). You'll find the puzzle to be a nice step up from the ones in the first two books in the series. This is definitely a five-star effort and promises many good things to come.

This book's theme comes down to things not always being as they seem. I came away starting to question a lot more of my assumptions about whether appearances are honest representations of reality.

Look hard for the Potemkin village, wherever you are or whatever you are doing!

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

I love the wit and witicism of Lawrence Block, as spoken and acted by his character, Bernie the Burglar (or is it bookseller?). This book was so good, I read it in one day. Block does mar the character of Rudyard Kipling, tying him to one of the most notorious people of the 20th century, but I'm willing to forgive him. Bernie and his best friend/sidekick go through a well planned sting operation to uncover the real killer, hiding behind street corners with a Polaroid. By all means, you must try the burglar series, and be prepared for the most original writing in modern American literature.

Lawrence Block is a delightful story teller and Bernie is a grand creation. "The Burglar Who" series mix humor with a good old fashioned murder mystery. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to laugh out loud while reading. I've read all the "Bernie" books and laughed out loud at each one. It seems Bernie only gets better with age. Mr. Block is wonderful - if he is anywhere near your town, go see him. It is an evening well spent.

To what extent a person loses his individual identity is the major focus of this long-winded but rewarding novel. While not the author's best work it nonetheless illustrates what types of people exist in the world, and what people, in moments of thoughtlessness, can do to each other.

In search of a challenging read, and intrigued by the Italian locale of much of the story, I picked up this 500+ page book at the library one day during lunch. Styron's vocabulary is immense, and his prose is quite enjoyable to read. The 1st part of the book is pretty absorbing, but the middle part is so slow and drawn out that it makes getting to the fairly interesting end rather tedious. The main problem I had was the inordinate focus on Cass' recollections. His recollections of North Carolina and the South I liked, but Cass' actions are not particulary considerate towards his family, and he is not an especially sympathetic character (esp. given his own self-destructive tendencies). I did not view Mason as some kind of evil incarnate, and ultimately the character of Leverett is not developed and fades into the background. Finally, given the book came out in 1960, some of the cultural differences and clashes brought out in the book (e.g. Mason talking about the Beats) seem a little dated. Nevertheless, the European setting and exquisite writing style compelled me to see the book to its (largely satisfactory) ending. If you have the time, and patience, this book may well be worth your while.

In a small Italian village, shortly after World War II, three Americans converge. One is a Southern lawyer, the other is a rough-edged artist with a strong penchant for alcohol and the third one is a delightful aristocrat who is the closest thing possible to wickedness. Out of this reunion, William Styron has crafted a fabulous novel of rape, murder, suicide and deception with an insight of the dreadful persuasiveness of evil. The qualities of this novel are many, ranging from the sense of the striking scene, the fine art of the dialogue, the sharp depiction of cities, Italian scenery and interiors. William Styron is certainly one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. This is my favourite book by this author.

I have to admit that prior to reading the first Strange New Worlds novel I was a little reticent about fan fiction. That being said, the Strange New Worlds I & II novels more than removed that reticence, they turned me into a huge fan of these fan fiction novels, leaving me very much looking forward to the third one. Strange New Worlds III is an even more impressive collection than its predecessors. I highly recommend this novel to any and all fans of Star Trek, for in each and every story lays the principles, ethics and overall atmosphere that Star Trek fans have come to love about Gene Roddenberry's universe.

Star Trek

If I Lose Thee (First Prize) by Sarah A. Hoyt & Rebecca Lickiss - It is extremely easy to see why this particularly great story involving Uhura and the Guardian of Forever won first prize and these two fine authors are now professional writers!

The Aliens Are Coming! By Dayton Ward - As with the two authors above, it is quite easy to see why Dayton Ward is now a professional author as well considering his fluid writing style and his talent for plot development. This particular story draws from the events in DS9's "Little Green Men" and TOS's "Tomorrow is Yesterday," weaving a wonderful tale as to what happened to Captain Christopher after the Enterprise left.

Family Matters by Susan Ross Moore - Another well written and thoughtful story! This extraordinarily interesting tale is about a younger Spock meeting his Aunt on Earth and helping with his cousin.

Star Trek The Next Generation

Whatever You Do, Don't Read This Story (Third Prize) by Robert T. Jeschonek - I must admit that at first, I was wondering why this story made third prize, needless to say though, the story plays out extraordinarily well and this author deserves high praise for such an inventive and original story.

A Private Victory by Tonya D. Price - This is a very well done story about Lieutenant Hawk during the events depicted in Star Trek First Contact. I look forward to this author's future endeavors.

The Fourth Toast by Kelly Cairo - Nods to this author for bringing this exceptional story to print that is one of those follow up stories that "needed" to be told. Following the events of STNG's "Yesterday's Enterprise," we're taken into Richard Castillo's world after the loss of the Enterprise NCC-1701-C. Great story!

One of Forty-seven by E. Catherine Tobler - This story is an exceptionally well done and quite poignant short story!

A Q to Swear By by Shane Zeranski - I look very much forward to any future stories written by this author as he has with this story written some exceptional Star Trek, tying in events from TNG and a certain, troubled character we saw in Star Trek Voyager.

The Change of Seasons by Logan Page - This is another fine short story that quite poignantly tells one of the small, between the scenes, tales within the frame of Star Trek Generations. Quite touching!

Out of the Box, Thinking by Jerry M. Wolfe - Nods to this author as well as he has written an intriguing and quite humorous story bringing back one of STNG's most interesting and endearing characters, Professor Moriarty.

Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Ninety-three Hours (Second Prize) by Kim Sheard - I'm not sure I can properly express how truly well written this story is and how much praise the author deserves for having written it. Had this author been published previously, this superb story about Ezri Tigan (Dax) would've surely made it between the covers of "The Lives of Dax" anthology!

Dorian's Diary by G. Wood - This is another well written DS9 tale detailing what Ensign Dorian Collins went through after the DS9 episode centered around the USS Valiant and the cadets who were forced to captain her. The author deftly weaves into the tale a couple of the better guest characters from TOS and TNG.

The Bottom Line by Andrew (Drew) Morby - This is another strong DS9 tale that is both highly entertaining and enlightening especially for those who might've been wondering how Cadet Nog was getting along at Starfleet Academy!

The Best Defense... by John Takis - This exceptional tale brings into light what Bashir and O'Brien were doing in the holodeck that the series didn't often have time to elaborate upon. This story was a true joy to read.

An Errant Breeze by Gordon Gross - This is an amazingly well told "short" story that quite poignantly tells the tale of Damar's family near the end of the war.

Star Trek Voyager

The Ones Left Behind by Mary Wiecek - This beautifully well written and quite poignant story told from the perspective of Lieutenant Joe Carey's wife, Anne is made even more poignant by the death of the character late in the seventh season, not long before they made it home.

The Second Star by Diana Kornfeld - This intriguing and well written story plays out quite well, telling the story of a young girl living in a pre-warp society who meets a star man named Chakotay.

The Monster Hunter by Ann Nagy - This story is quite an interesting and well told story involving Paris, Kim and little Naomi Wildman's "monster."

Gift of the Mourners by Jackie Crowell - This is a well told story bringing to light one of the more interesting aspects of Voyager's trip home through the delta quadrant and the myriad of species that they could've encountered.

If Klingons Wrote Star Trek - jubHa' by Dr. Lawrence Schoen - While not being a SNW submission, it was quite interesting to see an entire short story written in Klingon. Many thanks to Chapulina R, a fellow reviewer and highly knowledgeable klinfan, for the translation. {ssintrepid}

This is the third installment of the on going series that the fans of TREK submit stories for publication. Strange New Worlds III is a good look into the talent of some of the fans and what their preception of the STAR TREK universe to be.

This volume contains 20 short stories and one is written in Klingon. The stories vary as to genre and are well written. As with other short stories, these help fill in some of the gaps to the story lines in films and televison series. And I must say that some are very inventive to say the least.

All in all, this collection of short stories is well worth your time in reading, as they are engaging, entertaining, and insightful. The fans know what they like to read and some talented fans know what to write. It is heart-warming to see new talent continue the dream of Gene Roddenberry. As long as there is fan involvement the dream will continue to grow and flurish.

Read this anthology and see the future writers of TREK evolve as they direct the course of TREK to new paths and fill in the gaps along the way. What an interesting future evolving on these pages, not only the storylines, but the grow to the authors themselves.

They say you should never judge a book by its cover and, boy is that the truth with this book. I had bought this book so I could learn the rules of the writing contest but for six months I never bothered to read it. It looked, on the outside, very campy and silly. I didn't want to admit to anyone that I would read such a book. Recently, however, I was home alone and bored. I had nothing new to read, so I took a look.

This book was great! A lot of credit must be given the editors who went through, they say, 10,000 submissions to come up with this book, the best of the lot. Star Trek III, Strange New Worlds, is broken into four parts to reflect the four different shows. From Star Trek to Voyager, we are treated to stories featuring all of our favorite characters.

I was most surprised by how consistently good the stories were. While there were one or two flops, most of the tales here are very interesting. About half of them were insights into stories we have already seen. So, for example, in the movie "First Contact" Lt. Hawk died after becoming a Borg. What really happened to him? Now we know. The other stories were totally originally.

My favorite stories were found in the Generations and Deep Space Nine Section. I especially liked the return of Mr. Barclay and Mr. Moriarty. My only real complaint, a small one, was my strong disagreement with the stories awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. The second place winner was great. The other two were not as good or original as many of the great finds in this book. Still, since most of the stories were so good, I can see how the editors could have made this mistake. "Strange New Worlds," misnamed since it is really about returning old familiar ones, is a fun read.

Unfortunately, I purchased both "Block Magic" and "Block Magic, Too" over the internet. Had I seen the books ahead of time, I would not have purchased them at all.

First off, most of these blocks are more suited to foundation (or paper) piecing, particulary for the small 6" blocks. Many of the blocks require very small pieces of fabric, and if you are like me, these are not easy to work with and get accurate.

Secondly, there are duplicates between the books. For example, the "Pinwheel Flowers" (book I, page 21) and the Fancy Petunias (book II, page 34) are the same flower, with the stems/leaves adjusted so that in one version, the flowers are on the same level and in the 2nd version, they are on different levels.

Third, there isn't enough variety. I grouped all the blocks by how I would most likely use them, and found, to my dismay, most of them were Christmas/Winter oriented:

(note some elements are suitable for more than one category)

Angels (2)

Noah's Ark (1) and 5 animals/birds which might be used, though not the usual animals expected
Birds/houses (5)
Birthday (2)
Car/Truck (2)
Christmas (20)
City/Town (6)
Easter (2)
Fall/Autumn/Halloween (7)
Farm (13)
Flowers/Baskets/Watering Can (9)
Aviation (3)
Fruit (5)
Hearts (3)
Insects/Bugs (3)
Kitchen (8)
Ocean/Sea (9)
Patriotic (6)
Pets (6): Cats (4), Dogs (2)
School (10)
Stars (2)
Toys (9)
Train (1) engine only
Woods (5)

Fortunately for me, I find I'm able to convert them to foundation blocks using EQ5 -- but it's going to take me a long time.

The idea behind this book is superb. Ms Johnson-Srebro is a gifted technician but unfortunately some of the designs lose in the colour inspiration category & I think that detracts from her original and very inspired ideas.
The premise of the book is simple. Use rectangles and squares to make a block which can then be used for pillows, oven mitts, tree ornaments, wall hangings or part of a large quilt. To this end Ms J-S gives different sizes for the finished quilt (6-15 inches are typical) so you don't have to worry about making the alterations.
At the end are Quilt Maps where Ms J-S shows you how to use the blocks as part of a larger quilt. Here, outside of the teacup and pot quilt the book is rather plebian and typical. There really isn't much variation of using the different blocks into a full pictograph. That's the pity but for a willing worker it could be done.
Also, some of the blocks, like the cat and teapot, have blocks too large & ungainly. They could easily broken up to get more colour shading and variation in though this too would be easy to modify because of her technique by simply using strips instead of a large block.
All in all the execution does not live up to the idea but it could be a great springboard for further development. A superb intro to piecework for all ages and allot of easy fun.

I was sorry to see some of the low ratings on this book. It came in handy for me when I needed ideas for blocks in a quilting swap on the internet. Several of us swapped 12" Halloween Blocks and Christmas blocks this year and both themes made wonderful quilts. I am a beginner quilter and the book shows clearly how to construct blocks. The larger size blocks are easy to work with and for more of a challenge you can try smaller sizes. I guess all quilt books cannot be all things for all quilters, but this book is a good addition to any quilting library. JMHO