Block

The first was Ruby McKim's.
I made a lot of single blocks out of this book, I think friends still have denim--lots of variations on indigo--pillows made at the time.

I learned how to analyze a block, draft the pattern.
This book won't help you with the nuts and bolts of sewing.

It won't help you visualize a whole quilt. But I expect that this book still holds up as a block book. Everyone needs at least one. After I worked with it for a while I forever lost my shyness about drafting patterns in almost any size, three inches to 25.

This is a book for the beginner as well as the advanced quilter. It's a wonderful reference book on quilt blocks. Use it as a springboard for designing a contemporary quilt or for creating your own heirloom.

It is snowing in Syracuse and it just won't stop. Noah's Ark, Robin Light's business, is hurting for customers so she takes on a job for an ex-lover. It seems so simple: find the runaway wife of a seedy (is there any other kind?) lawyer.

And it is simple, until she locates the wife then finds the husband dead. Missing money, mobsters, kidnappings, and betrayal fill out the rest of the story.

While it lacks some of the grit and conflict of the earlier books, there is still plenty of action. Robin is not a lead that sits in her drawing room and solves the crime. By the end, her determination and loyalty are tested and she comes through. She isn't an easy person to have for a friend (we see this in the beginning of the story), but she's the one that you want watching your back.

It's been snowing in Syracuse for over three weeks, which means people are only going out to work and doing necessary shopping. Robin Light, the owner of the pet store Noah's Ark, is not taking in much cash which means she must find another way of paying her bills. Paul Santini, ex-cop turned private detective, knows that Robin moonlights as an unofficial sleuth. Buried with a large workload he offers Robin a case involving a missing person, which she gladly accepts.

Walter Wilcox wants Robin to track down his missing wife Janet and to notify him when she does. It isn't hard to find Janet who is staying at a friend's house in NYC but when she tries to contact her client, he doesn't pick up the phone. She returns to Syracuse to find Walter dead, tortured by someone who obviously knows how to extract information from a person. When she calls Paul, he confesses that Walter stole $250,000 from the Russian Mafia and if they want to live a long and safe life they better find it before a similar fate befalls them.

The heroine, an unlicensed private detective, does a better job tracking down missing persons and similar things than the pros and she does it in a way that makes it totally believable. Robin Light is the female equivalent of Spenser while this tough woman also allows the audience a glimpse into her heart.

Harriet Klausner

"Some Days You Get the Bear," is one of Lawrence Blocks short story collections. It's the third of four. Collections such as these are difficult to tae 1-5 because each of them in the collection is different from the others. I enjoyed some more than others; and there was one or two I didn't enjoy at all.

Characters we are familiar with from Blocks novels are here in the collection. Here we find Bernie Rhodenbarr, burglar and bookseller from the series of books that feature the person by that name. This time Bernie is hired to break into Graceland and hunt down the Elvis.

Martin Ehrengraf, a lawyer who never loses a case is here, too. Ehrengraf does not have a series of his own but is featured in Blocks fourth collection of short stories.

Matthew Scudder, Block's award winning detective is in at least two short stories. Scudder, as Block fans will recall, has is own series of more than a dozen novels.

Hit Man Keller, the assassin for hire has an entry here ass well.

All in all "Some Days You Get the Bear," is good reading and a must for Block enthusiasts.

I bought "Some Days You Get the Bear" for the Bernie Rhodenbarr story, "The Buglar Who Dropped in On Elvis". It completed my collection of Bernie stories, and a whole lot more. There's something for everyone here... Three Matt Scudder stories, the first installment in Hit Man, two Martin Ehrengraf stories, and the brilliant "Cleaveland in My Dreams". I expected to read the Burglar story and shelve the title, but I ended up reading the whole book.

For my money, Stephen King is the best short story writer of the last thirty years. I've never read a short story anthology by any other author to match his "Night Shift," or "Skelton Crew" collections. But Lawrence Block comes close with "Sometimes They Bite." Block may be a crime writer, but some of his stories, like the excellent title story, read similar to King's horror work, especially his non-supernatural horror work. Private Detective Matthew Scudder makes one fine appearance in this collection, as does Bernie Rhodenbarr of Block's "Burglar" series. The rest are a hodgepodge of stories told from the point of view of victims, perpetrators and cops. Some work better than others, of course, but there isn't a dud in the lot.

Fans of Lawrence Block should check out this book for a different view of an author who normally produces great novels.

Stephen King has the knack of turning common occurances intospine chilling stories. However, years before King's storieswere published, Lawrence Block proved his ability to do the same. How diverse to go from a story about two guys fishing peacefully (which results in spine-tingling murder) to an unscruplous lawyer to a burglar to an unwitting hit man finding a new occupation! You'd think Block lived each of these experiences by the way they are described in such vivid detail. No one has led that interesting a life so I'd have to credit these stories to Block's vivid imagination. This book is a must read for all Lawrence Block Fans. If you like this one, you'll also enjoy "Like A Lamb To Slaughter" as well as "Some Days You Get The Bear," both excellent short story collections in their own right.

This book has 18 short stories dealing with theme about lust. It is first book of seven that will deal with the seven deadly sins. There are several well known writers who has written a story for this collection, (Joan Hess, Clive Barker, Joyce Carol Oates). Most of the stories have rather predictable ending, but they are enjoyable stories. My top three stories in this book are the Lawrence Block's story(Speaking Of Lust), Clive Barker's story (The Age of Desire), and Robert Weinberg's story (Ro Erg). If you like any of these writers you want to check this book out.

Now here's some reading material to get really excited about.

Lawrence Block, best known for his mystery series, especially the ones revolving around private investigator Matthew Scudder and thief Bernie Rhodenbarr, also is the editor of the June 2001 compilation of short stories entitled "Speaking of Lust."

What really makes you stand at attention is the fact that "Lust" is the first in a series of short story collections that focuses on the seven deadly sins - greed, sloth, pride, envy, wrath and gluttony are the others, for those who skipped "Seven."

Do you realize what this means? At some point, there's going to be a collection of short stories devoted to fat people! And another about those lazy bones that simply refuse to get out of bed. Sigh ... at last, my kind of people get their time in the spotlight.

Seriously, I don't know why this type of thing hasn't been done before. Kudos go to Block and whomever is helping him in this infinitely clever maneuver for making lust, everyone's favorite deadly sin, the focus of the first book, which is smart for two reasons. One, because everyone likes lust, it'll be sure to grab the most readers. And now they've got their work cut out for them in finding clever stories that will give the other six the same kind of attention.

If "Lust" is any indication, we're in for a treat when the presumably-titled "Speaking of Gluttony" and "Speaking of Wrath" come out. It offers a fabulous array of stories that range from delightfully sinful to shockingly sexy.

Among the best offerings:

• James W. Hall's "Crack," about a man who discovers a crack in the wall that peeks into the neighbor's bathroom and allows him to spy on their 15-year-old daughter.

• "Ro Erg," by Robert Weinberg, about a man who uses a credit card error to create a whole new persona for himself.

•Ed Gorman's "The End of It All," in which a once hideous monstrosity gets made over into the handsomest man on earth, and prepares to seduce his high school crush ... and her daughter ...

• "The Girls in Villa Costas," by Simon Brett, about a machinating womanizer who finds himself torn between a beautiful woman and her less-attractive-but-stands-to-inherit-the-family-fortune sister.

Aside from introducing and editing the book, Block also writes the title novella. It is here that another reading delight emerges, and in his introduction Block promises that subsequent tales using the same characters will follow in the future books.

Most likely using Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" as a model (Did anyone else enjoy reading this classic in high school? After all, those stories about white whales, scarlet letters and tales about two cities, this classic had farting and people having sex in orange trees! Finally, some decent reading material!), Block's story is really just several people - a priest, a policeman, a doctor, a soldier and an old guy - sitting around playing cards and talking about the ways lust has affected their occupations and lives. Lively discussion and debates ensue.

It's an ingenious way to go about telling the story, and the stories within the story will have the reading audience on the edge of their seats (pay close attention to the priest's tale).

Best of all, the stories are relatively short, so even if there comes the rare offering that doesn't quite tickle your funnybone, you can skip it guilt free and go on to the next treasure.

Reading about sin probably wasn't meant to be this much fun. But, oh, how sweet it is.

Frans Masereel's book "The Sun" is subtitled "A Novel Told in 63 Woodcuts." It's a a dreamlike tale (or a tale-like dream?) that is told entirely in visual images. The story concerns a man who is literally in pursuit of the sun. His quest takes him across urban landscapes and through the worlds of book-learning, religion, sex, nature, and industry.

The intriguing woodcuts of "The Sun" have a strangely iconic feel to them, almost like the illustrations from a set of tarot cards (I could imagine an entrepeneur creating a similar tool from Masereel's work). The artistic style reminds me somewhat of Art Spiegelman's "Maus" books.

In the end, what does "The Sun" mean? I'll leave it to each reader to answer that. But the book is certainly a distinctive work of art.

If a novel told entirely in woodcuts seems somehow simple, Franz Masreel's work will set you on the right track. Each cut holds endless stories while still allowing a single story to be told.

One must see Masreel's work to appreciate it but consider this: if, as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, then this is a 63,000 word novel - and you can read in 15 minutes! After which you can read it again and get a slightly different story. And again.

This book (and The Idea set) is a great gift for that literate, hard-to-surprise someone.

I enjoyed this book just for the pictures and explainations of paper piecing. It gave excellent examples and I look forward to using these patterns in the near future.

This is a beautiful book featuring page after page of full color photos of quilt block designs.
The blocks are pieced using foundation piecing methods. The first chapter guides you through the process of doing foundation piecing with illustrated step-by-step instructions. Helpful hints are provided by piecers from all over. The fabrics used look modern-not Victorian.
A must-have book for quilters!

I started reading this book on a lark, 10 pages in I was hooked. This is a story that you will read over and over because of the message. A great 'gift' book for those looking to spread a bit of inspiration. After reading 'The Way Home' you will never look at another person in the same way. The only negative I can say about the book is, I wish it was longer.

The Way Home is a wonderful book that takes a serious subject - why we are here - and makes it fun to read. It reminds us of important life lessons we often lose sight of in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I also enjoyed the cover art, and the pictures that begin each chapter. This book is inspiring, and I plan to give it as a gift to those close to me.

This book is extremely informative and convenient for the aspiring journalist who desires to break in the competitive industry of tv news. The material is comprehensive and effective. Students and professionals can benefit from the demanding exercises this amazing text offers.

This is a great book for anyone interested in becoming a better news writer. It's easy to read, easy to understand, and even funny at times. You learn all the basics and the rules not to break when writing news stories. I work at a news/talk radio station in upstate NY. I'm not on the air yet but I write news stories for the anchors every day. The news director was shocked and suprised at the quality of my writing since I had no previous experience in radio news. Writing news can be hard but it's simple if you follow the rules taught in this book.

I picked up a copy of Violet & Claire at Barnes & Noble and as I was reading the back of the book, I thought, "Hmmm, this book sounds like it might be cool." It was my first Francesca Lia Block book and as I read it, I couldn't help but love her writing style. Everything is in so much detail and it makes the whole book seem a little like poetry. However, as much as I liked her writing, the book left me a little disappointed by the end.

I started reading the book, and really began to like it; about Violet and her movies, and then meeting Claire with her tinkerbell shirt and wings. Everything throughout the book describing Violet & Claire and their friendship was great, but I think all the other crazy things going on in between it were a little too confusing for me to follow sometimes.

Don't get me wrong, if you are a FLB fan, definatley read this. You will probably like it. But, don't buy it if you haven't tried any of Block's other books. I am thinking of getting the Dangerous Angels books b/c I hear that is her best work. I won't let my opinion of this book affect my opinion of FLB though, because she is a really good writer, and everyone should read something by her.

I read 'Violet and Claire' immediately after finishing 'I Was a Teenage Fairy' and 'Dangerous Angels', two of my favorite Francesca Lia Block books. Although I did find the screenplay style of Violet's chapter and the poetic feeling of Claire's chapter to be very interesting, the two characters did not hold my attention as much as Mab, Weetzie, and Witch Baby had. The relationship between the two girls didn't seem as genuine and relatable as others Block has written about. Extremely disappointed, I moved onto other of Block's books and didn't pick 'Violet and Claire' up again until a few years later. Maybe I wasn't expecting that much, but I enjoyed this book so much more during the second read. Although the characters (especially Violet) are different from Block's usual, out-there dreamy people, that makes them all the more interesting. There is a reality in this book that is sometimes lacking on Block's other works (that lack of reality isn't necessarily a bad thing; it's just interesting to see her stray from her usual style). My favorite will always be 'Dangerous Angels', but eventually I came to enjoy 'Violet and Claire' as well.

Violet: loner and goth

Claire: Loner and faery wanna be

come together in this story. They become true friends. They want to do everything together, especially make a movie due to Violets obsession with classic cinema. Life gets more complicated when people come inside the world of violet and claire, can they make it through the ups and downs of life? Go get it, its a wonderful, uplifting story about friendship.