1 comments about Lonely Planet Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard (Lonely Planet Travel Guides).

1. I spotted this Lonely Planet guide for the Cape at the library. Using it during a long weekend at the Cape made me realize I needed to own it. It contains a wealth of useful, interesting information about what to see and do--and every restaurant evaluation from it was accurate. This guidebook is worth every penny for a family or a couple traveling alone.

5 comments about Finding Amy: A True Story of Murder in Maine.

1. Amy St. Laurent had everything including a loving family, friends, a job that she loved, and a community behind her. One night while entertaining a male friend, Rubright, from Florida which she tried to explain that she wasn't interested in him as more than a friend at a bar where it all when went wrong. She chose the Jeffrey Russell Gorman, a ticking time bomb who was known to drug and rape his female victims. While the people concluded that Rubright's story that night was a bit preposterous but true, they came across Gorman who was truly the threat to poor sweet Amy. Her death was brutal and horrifying enough and she fought back. While I admire the police's detective work including driving down to Alabama from Maine when they could have flown and got there quicker, Amy's disappearance and murder occurred only weeks after the events of September 11, 2001 where flying airplanes became a common fear even for veteran police officers here. I recall the events of September 11, 2001 like everybody else and how that might have overshadowed the horrible crimes that occurred elsewhere than ground zero and pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I had trouble with this book because I felt that two people writing about the same thing at the same time made me rush through it. I felt a lot of stuff was rehashed repeatedly. In the end, I read that a portion of the book's proceeds benefits a foundation in Amy's memory and if you ever travel to Cape Elizabeth, Maine, check out the lighthouse and the granite bench with her name on it.



2. This book has no depth, no characters , and is poorly written. I was so tired of reading about the "whinning" police officers. We are tired, we have not slept, our families miss us, ect. We know that, we appreciate you and this book is about Amy St. Laurent. When writing a true crime novel stick with the facts it makes a much better read.



3. FINDING AMY, written by Deputy Chief Joseph Laughlin and mystery writer Kate Clark Flora, is the absorbing true-life story of the disappearance of Amy St. Laurent, a 25-year-old Pratt and Whitney employee who vanished while at a bar, The Pavilion, in the Old Port area of Portland. She accepted a ride home from another customer at the bar, and then disappeared, never to be seen again, until she was found buried in a shallow grave in the woods over six weeks later.
   
   The book tells the story of the investigation, and it is especially effective because it intersperses journal entries by Chief Loughlin (then Lieutenant), in which he describes police procedure and how the detectives are focusing their search and why. The character development of these hard-working law-enforcement personnel is absorbing, because it shows how seriously they do take their work, and how personally it affects them.
   
   This book should be read by all young women who think they "know it all". Frequently, they don't, and take chances which can be deadly. This was certainly the case for Amy St. Laurent. The book is a cautionary tale about how someone who looks perfectly innocent and seems to want to be helpful can have very deadly hidden qualities that emerge later on. It is well written and the organization is excellent as well.
   
   You will definitely enjoy FINDING AMY if you are interested in the effects of true crime on both the family members and friends and the law-enforcement personnel who work these cases.



4. I work in law enforcment in a western state. I read a lot of true crime and am always intrigued by a book written about a case by its investigators. I was quite impressed with Finding Amy. Not only was the book well-written, but the case was truly an investigative miracle. I wish more investigations were run like this one was. It is so obvious that a higher authority had a hand in things and I found it refreshing that those involved recognized that. Where I am, we don't have a big problem with territorial agencies, thankfully. But, it is great that where it would it normally was a problem, those involved with the investigation were able to overcome that.
   
   One question I was left with was what happened to Amy's stepfather? He stops being mentioned toward the end of the book and wasn't listed as one of the relatives at the trial or sentencing.



5. I am a fan of true crime and pretty much won't read anything but. This book was one of the best I've ever read. And I have read tons by some of the best authors. Extremely well written and very easy to follow. You can feel the sincerity, passion and pain of the police, prosecutors, friends and family. Great insite into how police really do their job.

3 comments about The Best of Britain's Countryside: Northern England and Scotland : A Driving and Walking Itinerary (The Two-Week Traveler Series).

1. Thanksgiving time several years ago, my husband, two friends, our 12-month old son and I used this book to guide us on a walking trip in Northern England. We started in the Harrogate area, had a fabulous time on the walks. B&B recommendations were first rate. Bill and Gwen should update the book, if that's the impediment to keeping it in print!



2. I own all three book covering England - they are an excellent resource. I have many books on this topic but these are really the best. I'm very disappointed they are out of print - would love an updated version. The authors really do provide reliable recommendations for the best places/sites/hikes. Wish they would write about other countries - Italy, France and Switzerland.



3. The third book in a series (Northern England & Scotland & Southern England the other two) that allows you to get off the beaten track to see the countryside and quaint remote areas of England.

   Laid out in sixteen chapters, with each chapter a separate day itinerary,makes this an easy-to-use book for those who want to avoid the tour buses and tourist traps. The Best of Britain's Countryside helps you find good food and lodging, while giving the reader tidbits on custom. Language and architecture.

   Good maps are generous in this book, however to make The Best of Britain's Countryside an excellent book the weak b&w photos need to be replaced, as well as a better, more readable page layout that uses bullets and/or boxes that highlight the explanation of a various places would really help.

   If you want to see another side, especially the countryside of England and you like to venture out on your own I have not found a better guide book to recommend than this.

2 comments about Waterway Guide Northern 2007: Jersey Shore, New York, Hudson- Erie, Long Island Sound and New England Waters to Canada (Waterway Guide Northern Edition) ... Edition) (Waterway Guide Northern Edition).

1. Dozier's has done a great job compiling extensive data about harbors and presenting it in an easy-to-read format with pictures and charts. This Guide provides an overall perspective on a harbor's surroundings before delving into navigation, dockage and anchoring specifics. At the top of the page, nearby marinas are listed detailing phone numbers, slip and floating dock accommodations, which VHF channels are monitored, approach/dockside depths, fuel, repairs, electrical service, lifts and cranes, laundry/pool/showers, pump-out stations, and whether or not there are nearby grocery stores, motels, and restaurants. All this information about the marinas is presented in a chart-like form, taking up very little room on the page yet making it easily readable at a glance. This, in turn, leaves the rest of the page to be filled with helpful hints including a history of the area and what you can find if you go ashore.
   
   Aerial photographs are in abundance with digitally-added dashed lines to show the channel routes. There are, of course, numerous advertisements throughout the Guide, and they only add to the helpful information already presented. I am very impressed by the details on dockage and anchoring - it tells you where you can and cannot anchor and what to expect once you are there.
   
   An often-overlooked yet extremely handy feature is that this 492-page book is spiral-bound, making it easy to read on a flat table. There is still much, much more to this Guide, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to plan some overnight cruises to area harbors.



2. My wife and I live on the Chesapeake Bay and cruise the ICW (north and south) so we purchased both editions the waterway guide. The information they contain is accurate and up-to-date. The airial pictures of the harbors which accompany the charts are useful visuals to orient people (such as my wife) who are relatively new to maritime navigation. The "going ashore" sections provide a wealth of information on things to do for planning a trip (we enjoy playing golf and nearby courses are listed).
   
   I highly reccomend this guide to anyone who is interested in "exploring" the ICW and it's tributaries.

2 comments about Haunted Inns of New England.

1. Being from a town in New England with a large number of the featured haunted inns, I was excited to read this book. I was even married at one and my grandmother worked at another in the 1930s. I did learn a few things about the history of the inns, which was great. Unfortunately, the writing was... off. I laughed out loud at several bits (one innkeeper had a "never-ending seven year dispute" with a zoning board) and cringed at others, especially the parts that seemed to kowtow to every inns' staff. It read like a school project rather than an actual professional finished glossy product. The book really could have done with an editing overhaul to make the stories more easily appreciated.



2. If you enjoy New England history and like a good bone-chilling fright in the dark, you will enjoy this book. Mark invites you along on his journey of open-minded discovery, and his detailed descriptions of the locations will make you feel as though you are walking through the front door along with him.
   
   The stories highlight the history and hauntings of many New England Inns, most not widely known and off the beaten path (although the well-worn Lizzie Borden surfaces yet again; perhaps interesting to those not from New England). The first-hand interviews are with contemporary people at real locations, and in almost all cases the Inn's name, town, and telephone number are included. Many photographs are included as well.
   
   I picked this up while staying at the Daniel Webster Inn, not knowing what to expect, and was pleasantly surprised. I believe you will find this an easy, delightful read. Mark's prose is a bit sugary, but to his credit the stories are told totally without embellishment, allowing the readers to judge the validity of the stories for themselves.
   
   Be sure to read this one on a dark, stormy night, curled up in front of a roaring fire!

1 comments about Dead and Buried in New England: Respectful Visits to the Tombstones and Monuments of 306 Noteworthy Yankees (A Yankee Books Travel Guide).

1. Divided into state, region, city and then cemetery, with directions to each, this illustrated resource covers the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. Over 300 interees listed in over 130 cemeteries, a few paragraphs are dedicated to each.

   A wealth of information.

5 comments about Finding Martha's Vineyard: African Americans at Home on an Island.

1. This is a book for all people who love Martha's Vineyard. Tears, smiles, nods of head in recognition and, for non African-Americans, an eye opener to a view of an island we share geographically but not always in other spheres. Thank you, Ms. Nelson.



2. As a white person, who am I to write a review on this book which accurately portrays what Martha's Vineyard has represented to African Americans for generations? However, I read the book because I love the Vineyard and I enjoy reading about experiences of different cultures. From this perspective, the book is written with much respect and reverence and love for what the Vineyard has meant to African Americans for generations. The Vineyard has been a sort of utopia for African Americans where they can bring their kids up and enjoy the beauty of the island in an atmosphere of freedom from the usual society which tends to separate us all. The sense I get is that this island of ours in Massachusetts is a beacon for how things could and should be in the world. A place where people of color can go and not be "on guard" as they must be everywhere outside of the Vineyard. If we could all see one another as richly unique individuals who are all created equal (as the Constitution states) then we could have the sense of the Vineyard everywhere. We wouldn't have the ocean views, the energy of Circuit Ave., the beauty of riding down Middle Road, or the countless other wonderful experiences of the Vineyard, but we would have a better society. But, since that is not going to happen too soon, then, if you want to get a sense of what the Vineyard signifies to many wonderful people of color on the Vineyard, then read this enriching book and step briefly into the lives of many people who you would feel honored and grateful to have in your life.



3. Finding Martha's Vinyard is entertaining. The accounts of the residents were repitious, but it reveals that all were motivated to spend summers there by the same reasons. It is good that the present residents have found their slice of paradise and peace. Although I had heard of the Vinyard, I knew nothing about it. So, this book falls under the heading of pleasant education.



4. Travel is an aspect of life which many people enjoy even if it is vicariously. I love to read travel stories and to travel. Jill Nelson has written a wonderful travel history of an island which is enchanting and real. The personal interviews of inhabitants, the pros and cons of those visiting or living on the island, the recipes, and the historical overview of the island make it come to life as one turns each page. The needs and accomplishments of each generation are very interesting. I highly recommend this book for all ages, history buffs, and travelers. A great book to take along on the trip for relaxation and enjoyment is "A Trilogy of Poetry, Prose and Thoughts for the Mind, Body and Soul."



5. In my bedroom,located on my white wicker nightstand lies my copy of Finding Martha's Vineyard. This book is beautifully written and the photographs bring back bitter sweet memories of my own childhood beach visits. The author Jill Nelson did a fantastic job of introducing her audience to a different kind of summer for many Black Americans during a time when "we just wanted to be us". Thank you Ms. Nelson for a wonderful book.

No comments about Away for the Weekend: New York: Revised and Updated Edition (Away for the Weekend(R)).

4 comments about Discover America Diaries. 50 States, 50 States of Mind. Volume 1: East Coast to West Coast. New England, New York, and the Great Northern States.

1. Back in the 1980s, there was an Albert Brooks movie about a couple of Yuppies who ditched the high-paced rat race, cashed in their nest egg, bought an RV and decided to discover America and themselves through a year-long road trip. They got as far as Las Vegas where the wife gambled away all their money. Later on, they ended up in some boring town with low-grade jobs. Nobody liked the ending.
   
   A much happier ending has befallen Priscilla Rhodes and her husband Ken. Having quit their jobs in 1998 they bought a red truck and an attached trailer and set out for a few years of nomadic existence to discover the country. The result was a website devoted to postcards from the road called www.postcardsfrom.com which later led to this book. The couple actually sent e-mail postcards to people on their subscription list. The postcards became popular, as did the thumbnail sketches of the places they visited. After USA Today and The Christian Science Monitor lauded the website, their subscription base skyrocketed. Eventually this book evolved from their first trip: one that covered the northern route.
   
   The diaries switch back and forth between personal accounts of their life on the road (and before), musings about society and deft descriptions of the monuments, towns, events and byways they encounter. Luckily for the reader, most of the personal accounts are very funny, and the descriptions are right on the money. Priscilla writes the diaries and the postcards while Ken takes the photographs and designs and emails the cards.
   
   It seems Priscilla has the perfect husband. Not only can he handle a truck with a trailer weaving behind it (I personally avoid those things like the plague when I see them on the highway) he can also photograph,create a website, do professional book layout and fashion a very handsome book without benefit of high-price book designers.
   
   So whether they are shivering in the cold, waiting for the sun to rise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, baking in the heat when caught in Chicago traffic in their truck (which apparently is not air-conditioned) or climbing over buffalo dung in the Badlands, you will enjoy their journey and learn a lot about America, trailer parks, state capitols and various monuments. A very enjoyable read.



2. I'm in awe of Priscilla Rhodes's ability to describe not only the sights, sounds and adventures she and husband Ken experienced as they traveled America, but also the refreshing spontaneity and honesty of her emotions and reactions to each place and person along the path. Her accounting of sidetrips and highlights is delightful: From museums, landmark buildings and historical state capitols to deep dark fir forests, spectacularly colored mesas, sparkling, snowy mountains and brilliant sunsets. Who can forget the candy-colored lady in the laundry room or the seven-year-old boy who survived an accidental trip over Horsehoe Falls? The book is a joy ride with moments of surprise and even heart-gripping suspense (such as that at the Gates of the Mountains at Helena). Reading the Discover America Diaries is like happily stealing away in Priscilla's pocket for the entire length of the journey, through all its hills and valleys. Thank you, Priscill Rhodes, for an unexpectedly delightful trip.



3. 
   Hop in the passenger seat and bounce along the open road with Priscilla and Ken as they cover 15 states in a 30-foot RV. This personal journal proves to be a descriptive, easy-to-read travelogue that takes the reader across America from sea to shining sea. If you live in one of the states, have visited these states or long to see the beauty of the American countryside this is sure to inspire a sense of wanderlust. The authors venture off the tourist trap route and focus more on the obscure claims to fame of each of the states they visit. A unique look at each of the state capitals also makes this a great classroom supplement for U.S. Geography or History classes. For anyone who loves road trips, this travel essay is sure to bring about stories of "remember when." Review by JoAnna Carey, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life



4. I'm guessing that there are many Americans who would enjoy and long for a trip to every state. Most of us will never do it in which case, it's fun to read about another's adventure. Priscilla Rhodes' book, Discover America Diaries, Vol. 1, is an armchair traveler's delight. Not only is the book fun to read, but it provides a real education about what this country holds. It is a uniquely personal account, as it should be, but it also mirrors the ups and downs of all our lives and especially I would think, the lives of anyone who takes to the road in search of education, adventure and themselves. If you do decide to hit the road, read this book first. It will give you hope that you can have a great time even if, like Priscilla and her husband, you know absolutely nothing about what you are about to do.

No comments about Hikes & Walks in the Berkshire Hills, Third Edition (A Berkshire Outdoors Series Guide).