Full Books

Gram, Addie (13) and Owen (8) share Abingdon, Virginia's Plumb Alley Day Festival. The history is good, the characters are great fun! The illustrations, line drawings by DeAnna Gobble, and b&w photos by the author would make the book worth the price for visitors or Abingdon natives, but the story -- the mysterious spector of a wolf that seems to haunt Addie, and the characters they meet along the way increase the fun.

A Pocket Full Of Gold is a novel about Jack, a recovering alcoholic with a tragic past who becomes drawn into a plot to uncover ancient pirate treasure. When a drug dealer obsessed with revenge also learns of the treasure, he enacts a ruthless plan to exterminate Jack and his friends. Kidnapping, a common destiny, and the need to think quickly intertwine in this saga of adventure, love, deception, and the yearning to heal past wounds.

What a great book on the little-known aspects of gardening!
Gardeners and non-gardeners will love her book.

This book is a record of the nursery rhymes the way I learned them as a child growing up in the sixties. The illustrations are unique and seem to have a Norman Rockwell influence. Many publications have changed these treasured nursery rhymes to be polically correct. If you want them the way they were originally written, this is the book to own. A family keepsake to hand down for generations.

The pocketfull books are a wonderful collection; it's a shame they are out of print. Each one describes God in a way that is easy for young children to understand, but is biblical. "God is like a shepherd, He takes care of me." These books explain the character of God the Father very well to a young child. Illustrations are well done, not distorted cartoons, and effectively convey the text. I have given this collection of books to several babies as baptism or birth gifts. They are a rare find for a board book.

I immensely enjoyed this audiobook. I bought it in the cassette version, and it performed perfectly. My daughter also enjoyed it. Full of Dame Agatha's interesting characters, and in classic Christie style, it kept me guessing 'who done it' right up to the end. Miss Marple was the initial Christie character that got me interested in her mysteries; not the performances of Joan Hixson(I have never seen any of her work) but some short stories that were given to me as a gift. The idea of such a genteel little old lady (who reminded me of my own English grandmother)with an unerring gift for unravelling murder, was quite captivating.

Dr. Brent Bradshaw creates a whirlwind arriving at Elaina McIvor's home with a baby. In the two weeks Elaina's lived there, her next door neighbor's two sons have disturbed her illustrations for a new children's book unceasingly. This new disturbance is quite disconcerting as he informs her that he's from Mercy Hospital, where his patient Margo Lawrence lies terribly ill. Margo had inexplicably requested that Elaina care for her eleven-month old daughter Betsy. Since Elaina's never met Margo and Betsy, the news stuns her. In fact, the only thing that can match her response to becoming an unexpected mother for an unspecified amount of time, is her profound reaction to Dr. Bradshaw who prefers to be called Brad.

Elaina hasn't a clue how to care for a small child. Potted plants, bath water and food become major challenges as she struggles with the beautiful baby. Brad, on the other hand, is marvelous with the child, and soon pitches in with his assistance. He's deeply affected by the remarkable children's book artist, and finds her amazingly supportive when he bends her ears regarding the tragedies that cross his path daily in the emergency room. From the beginning he warns her that he's divorced, and Elaina deserves more than he can give. Despite his warning, he also teaches her a valuable lesson. His mother always told him to keep his hands out of his pockets, because that's where you keep joy. If you keep your hands in your pockets, you block joy.

Once again author Judy Gill presents a touching romance in POCKETS FULL OF JOY. A pocket full of joy becomes a marvelous metaphor for getting out of the way so we can receive and enjoying life's gifts. Even temporary gifts are to be treasured as much as the permanent as this heroine learns the parenting lesson of letting go. Originally published as part of the Loveswept Line, and now reissued as an eBook from AweStruck, HENNESSEY'S HEAVEN would have been a regretful loss if relegated to oblivion rather republished. A lively, light romance that brings a tear to the eye, POCKETS FULL OF JOY comes very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (1/06)

By looking at the title and the cover of the book, you would think that this book is to be read while sitting o. the potty. And, in truth, it is. "Poetry for the Potty" is a collection of short, sometimes humors, sometimes sad, and sometimes leaving you questioning "what did it say?" book of poems. All the poetry rhymes, a knack that David MacLennan certainly has and used to entertain the reader.

I couldn't help but smile every time I picked up "Poetry for the Potty" and read a poem or two. I often wondered how much fun MacLennan had while writing the poems, if he had any struggles or if it came naturally to him. I would assume the latter.

"A symphony of strings in my head,
On this morning most mellow,
And to linger longer in bed,
With violin and cello.

How many times have we thought about saying in bed just a little longer? I'm sure we all have, but reading the above verse by MacLennan puts a different perspective on wanting to stay in bed a little longer - not to deter ourselves from going to work or starting a chore, but to immerse ourselves in a symphony in our own minds created by instruments of choice.

Do I recommend this book? Yes, I do. MacLennan put his own creativity into "Poetry for the Potty" giving us an opportunity to escape, whether it's on the potty or not.

Borodin's list of musical works was very short but his brilliant works like "Polovtsian Dances" and "In the Steppes of Central Asia" shown in this study score more than make up for it. I keep both pieces close to my heart. They are some of the most colorful and beautiful music ever made, never straying from their ethnic and Russian roots. By reading and studying Dover's wonderful release of the original score I can further appreciate the mastery of his works. The only small gripe is that the Polovtsian Dances score left off a small introduction piece that was included in the recording of it I had. Regardless, this score is essential for any serious classical music lover.

I can't believe someone would buy this as a genuine children's activity, but it makes for great fun at the company Christmas party.