5 comments about Aunt Dimity: Vampire Hunter (Aunt Dimity).

1. As a confirmed Aunt Dimity and Lori Shephard fan, this one leaves me wishing for more. Any confirmed romantic will find this one the perfect blend of mystery and romance. Thanks Nancy Atherton for another winner
   Judi H



2. Shivers up my spine yet again. Such a fun book as were all the others. Can't wait for the next one!



3. Nancy Atherton is a wonderful author. I have read all of books! Sometimes I wish I could be with and help her solve the mysteries. You have to love a lady who loves her bunny and talks to a ghost, her "Aunt Dimity"! I always enjoy reading Ms. Atherton's books! More please!!!!



4. I have loved all the Aunt Dimity books. Somehow they just keep getting better and better. With some series the author tends to become static after several books, but Atherton never fails to draw the reader in and hold on until the final page.



5. Do you believe in vampires? Well, Lori's twins think they saw one up on the hill and now she's frantic to find out if it's true! She and her friend Kit investigate the history of some strange neighbors who just might be hiding someone up in their attic. As they get to know more about the past, they meet numerous people that all were involved in a mysterious event that occulted more that forty years ago. When the story of that day finally comes out, no one realizes how close to home someone will be affected.
   
   I really enjoyed this book. The story grabs you from the start and you know another good adventure is ahead for Lori. The author adds every day life events and mixes in some mystery, that makes you want to keep reading to the very end to solve it!
   
   Nancy Atherton has done it again with her thirteenth book in the `Aunt Dimity' series. I never get tired of this series about Lori Shephard and the situations she finds herself in. She always comes back to opening her blue book and waiting for Aunt Dimity to speak (or actually write to her from the other side), so she can talk to her about her adventures and get advice.
   
   I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants a good, easy and enjoyable adventure to read. Also, I would read the rest of the series too!
   This is one series that will bring a smile to your face and a good feeling after every book!

5 comments about Little Lady, Big Apple.

1. I loved the first book but only parts of the second. Jonathan doesn't want Melissa to be "Honey" at all--but as others have said, Honey was the reason why the first book was so fun. While Melissa/Honey has some escapades (none of which I can really remember, although I do remember a dog having a prominent role), there's always a tension with Jonathan about her work.
   
   To be honest, Jonathan just annoyed me throughout the whole book. He's pushy and selfish (at least I thought so)--in fact, I wanted Honey to end up with her client and was sad when she didn't. I'm hoping the third book will make Jonathan more likeable and win me over. The series is fun and light reading and I'm sure I'll read whatever Hester Browne writes.



2. I liked the book a lot. Not quite as good as the first, but if you liked the first you will certainly enjoy it.



3. This book is just like the 2nd "Shopaholic" book - London girl takes a dream trip to New York with her boyfriend, he gets too involved in work and hijinks ensue when she's left to fend for herself. That said I thought it was entertaining. There are some points where it's really obvious the author has no idea Americans don't speak like she writes them, but overall she's good at make the formulaic plots seem fresh, and she's fleshed out characters you're invested in. I'm looking forward to reading the 3rd book.



4. This series is just so wonderful and full of such funny moments. Also if you have friends from the UK and if you have been to the UK it just makes it all the more fun to read about Melissa, Jonathon and their circle of friends in the US and the UK. I highly recommend this series for the humor, the great wit and the great plots.



5. Quick and easy! A good follow up to the original. I read it in only a few days. It's a great summer read and I started the third book right away because I had to know what happened!

2 comments about Streetwise Boston Map - Laminated City Street Map of Boston, Massachusetts - with integrated trolley lines & MBTA subway map.

1. Admittedly, that's all these maps are supposed to be for, but still, given the importance of Cambridge to the greater Boston area, a bit more effort might have been made to squeeze in more of it - at least up to Harvard Square. That's a fairly minor quibble, though, and this map shows the usual Streetwise quality in all other respects. The colors of the MBTA subway lines on the map aren't quite right, but they're close enough for government work, and the street index is its usual indispensible self. If you're coming to Boston, snag one of these - they're much hardier than paper maps, and very clear.



2. The print on this map is just way too small for over-40 eyes! So if you're in that age group...forget this map.

5 comments about The Faithful Departed: The Collapse of Boston's Catholic Culture.

1. Very excellent. One of the best unbiased books on this subject. I rate this as a mature educated "cradle Catholic."



2. I almost hesitate to recommend this book, since reading it was like tearing open a psychic scab. Still, I think that anyone who cares about the Catholic Church should acquire and read this, what I can only characterize as a masterpiece.
   
   It is not simply a re-encapsulation of the scandal that broke in 2002-2003. Rather, it is an incisive history and analysis of the culture American Catholic Church entire, focused on the Arch Diocese of Boston as an archetypal case study.
   
   Lawler's essential thesis is that the pedophilia scandals that are now scourging the Church are only symptoms of a deeper malaise, one that is rooted in the "suburbanization" of Catholic culture, and it's loss of focus. Instead of of hewing to her ancient prophetic charism, her essential mission of evangelizing and sanctifying, the Church has lost its way. And this didn't happen suddenly in 1968 or 2002. The tepidity and mediocrity began seeping in long ago, back when the Irish, Italian, French and German immigrants first began arriving here, and began attempting to fit into the American milieu.
   
   It's now reached the point that most American Catholics - to include most of our bishops and priests - now conceive of the Church as primarily a political and civic association, rather than a mystical entity with radical and essential moral & spiritual claims on us all. There is a distinct lack of urgency, and a tendency to relativize and abdicate all accountability when it comes to any difficult aspect of the Faith. Most notoriously, that of course means any teachings involving sexuality or gender, but even issues related to violence and economics are fudged away. It's all go along to get along, and what many refer to as "cafeteria Catholicism" is now firmly ensconced as the order of the day.
   
   The recent scandals only rip the lid off the sepulcher. They only reveal who we, who our shepherds, have become. How compromised we all are. For even if only two thirds of our bishops have colluded to protect the 2 or 3% priests proven guilty of gross criminal sexual malfeasance (to the point of often engaging in what amounts to criminal conspiracy) they are only representative of most of the rest of us. Creatures of our culture of materialistic excess and sexual decadence.
   
   So the bishops cannot hold themselves accountable. But neither, apparently, can we.
   
   Re-reading Cardinal Law's correspondence with serial rapists such as Fathers Geoghan and Shanley is heart wrenching and soul numbing stuff. But nevertheless, I think it is salutary.
   
   The bishops may have indeed "gotten away with it." Many of the most derelict ones (such as Roger Cardinal Mahoney) still hold their positions. Despite their irresponsibility. Despite all the scandal and bankruptcy, moral and otherwise. Most of them have kept their jobs, while holding the vast majority of innocent priests and engaged laity "accountable" with all their invasive background checks and sex ed programs.
   
   With this book, Phil Lawler has given us a difficult, even brutal, yet profoundly needed self- examen. I say that if you care about the Church, you should buy and read this book.
   
   And wonder if we do not have the bishops we deserve.



3. I have read many publications attempting to highlight the cause(s) of the wide-spread sexual abuse of children and teens by the Catholic clergy, but this book is particularly interesting in that it is a long-range examination of this using the Boston Archdiocese as the epicenter. This book proposes there were numerous "fault lines" that gradually led to conditions that permitted this horror to continue and grow. It also dissects the reponse of the American Bishops to the scandal. I highly recommend this to all, but particularly to Bostonians, Bishops and Catholic clergy.



4. I was not familiar with the political flavor of Boston Catholicism described in this book, but now I understand the development of underlying culture of deceit that enabled the attitude of "keeping quiet." Americans for the most part are law abiding members of society, and what really disgusts me is that this trait of "protection of the bishop" is pandemic across the US in many Catholic diocese's.
   
   The most telling sentence of the book is on the back cover where a conservative bishop tells "the road to hell is paved with the skulls of bishops." That told by St. John of the Cross who had his own problems with bishops in his native Spain nearly a thousand years ago.
   
   In my own case, I grew up with a priest who was elevated to the episcopacy and now retired but is embroiled in a abuse case back in his home town. I personally don't think he did it, but then one has to ask, how many priests are guilty of abuse and are not fingered...and, how many are not-guilty of anything but are being charged anyway.
   
   Mr. Lawler doesn't make a distinction between guilty or not, but he does write a compelling expose' of the catholic church in the US. The real problem is that he thinks the problem is still among us with the bishops not learning from Cardinal Law's mistakes. In fact, he tells tales of other "princes of the church" who are still part of the problem. I believe that pressure has to come from the "pew Catholic" in this matter, according to the book, the Vatican is neither unable to or impotent in this problem. I suspect, the Vatican is afraid of loosing its most financial prosperous givers to the till.
   
   A great read and I wish more expose's would come forth.



5. Well written, well researched and carefully thought out book proposing the hypothesis that the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church was only the most visible manifestation of a general malaise in moral leadership among the hierarchy.
   I would have liked footnotes to many of the assertions in the book.

1 comments about Fodor's Maine Coast, 2nd Edition: With Acadia National Park (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. FODOR'S MAINE COAST, 2ND EDITION is a great guide to everything you need to know about coastal Maine, whether it's shopping at the Maine Mall in South Portland, great outdoors-y stuff such as beaches, hiking, and seal watches, or important historical sites such as the home of Neal Dow, father of Prohibition. The only problem with this book is its failure to mention Bull Moose Music or any radio stations, but that's a minor quibble, as THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO PORTLAND, MAINE and THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO THE MAINE COAST cover those areas more than ably.

5 comments about Frommer's New England's Best-Loved Driving Tours (Best Loved Driving Tours).

1. I found this book, quite by accident, in my local bookstore. I was in the process of planning a trip through Connecticut late this summer. This book proved invaluable. Not only are the directions clear and precise, but the recommendations as to what to see along the drive are first-rate. I would recommend this book to anyone planning such a trip. It certainly helped make my trip through Connecticut very memorable.



2. Very practical for people planning a trip to New England for the first time.



3. Our family used this guide on a recent vacation to New England, particularly at Lakes Squam and Winnipesaukee. The guide gave wonderful suggestions and directions. We stopped at some places that we would not otherwise had taken notice of and we were able to form a more complete 'picture' of the area. The maps and written description were accurate and we felt we could rely on the book. There are many more tours for us to take and we are looking forward to doing so!



4. We loved this book! It has a number of driving tours that take you to highlights in each state. It has a couple of really nice features. The first, although we didn't stick to it very much, is the time suggested for the trip. They did suggest 2 days for the Southern Vermont tour. We did it in one day but only because we didn't stop in all the little towns suggested by the book. The book does not have much detail on each place so I would suggest a second "guide book" for more details and hotel/restaurant suggestions but the driving tours and directions were accurate and had good 'stop here' suggestions.



5. Excellent book. Allows you to see the highlights whether you have five days or twelve. Great routes and wonderful descriptions.

5 comments about New England Soup Factory Cookbook: More Than 100 Recipes from the Nation's Best Purveyor of Fine Soup.

1. I love the recipes in this book...The clam chowder is fantistic with a different flavor of tarragon. I would recommend this book to anyone.



2. This was a great book, not for the waistline, but certainly for the tastebuds.



3. I haven't tried many of the recipes in the book yet, but so far so good! I picked the book based on all the other positive reviews, and from what I have seen so far they are very accurate. Almost all the recipes in the book look very appealing and I suspect the ones that don't appeal to me probably would to someone else (we all have our favorite or less then favorite ingredients!) The ones I have tried are delicious and I have a long list of other ones to try. I just finished making the spinach, feta cheese, and toasted pine nut soup. I was actually making it to have around the house for lunches this week but I tasted a bit when I finished and I'm just going to have to have it for dinner now! Yum! So far I have found everything very easy to make and the ingredients are easy to find with out a hassle at the grocery store. Its also been easy to make small changes to the recipes to make a few of them a little healthier. (I'm trying to do the Mediterranean diet thing, whole grains, lots of veggies, light on the meat, heavy creams, etc.) For example the soup I just made called for cream. I ended up just leaving it out because it was already a great texture and very tasty already. But I think the recipe would have been great with the cream or with half or whatever. Anyhow, if you like soup this one is worth buying!



4. Great reading and even better cooking. If you are an afcianado of cold soup's this is your cookbook. Interesting and inventive.



5. The New England Soup Factory cookbook is fantastic. I tried the Split Pea soup and it was so delicious - restaurant quality. I was so excited to serve it to my husband. He loved it! The recipes are easy to follow. I even resurrected my immersion blender. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays.

1. The charming drawings, accounts of Tasha Tudor's family fun on holidays, and its sweet and peaceful themes make this one of Tasha's finest books. A book to delight all ages.



2. Nice book, with wonderful illustrations. Evokes old-world charm and return to core idea of family in holiday spirit. Very charming.



3. I thought this favorite from my childhood would be great for our girls. But the illustrations are not the same at all. They are fuzzy, oddly colored and lacking in those sharp details I loved. How could I get the 1972 edition?



4. This is my favorite of all her books, bar none! It tells of their unique family celebrations throughout the year. Written and illustrated by Tasha, children of all ages will wish to join right in!



5. This is a treasure of a book... both for the eyes and the ears. Tasha Tudor's detailed paintings infuse life into her words, and draw the reader into the delightful ways to relish each month.

5 comments about A Writer's Reference: 2003 MLA Update.

1. This is the assigned text in the English composition courses I currently teach. I had used the Little, Brown Handbook in the past. I find Hacker's book to be useful, concise, and pleasant to read. Her explanations are clear, the organization of the book is logical, and the included sections on MLA, APA, and CMS documentation formats are essential. The comb binding (so it lays flat when you open it) and section tabs are also nice.
   
   The sixth edition continues the trend and is, if anything, even better than this fifth edition.



2. I regularly use this book in my work and have bought several copies for others -- it's easy to use (will lay flat due to spiral binding), well-organized and an easy read.



3. this is a must have in todays fast paced world of education and doing it right the first time.



4. Book did arrive on time and in good condition. I was very satisfied and will deal with this sellar again.



5. This book and the disc that come with it are an excellent resource for the high school and college student. The book covers several documenting (source citation) methods (MLA, APA and CMS) for writing essays and papers. This book has all the basics from writing a thesis to grammer. There is also a website that provides more help and practice problems. It comes with tabbed sections to make content very easy to locate quickly. Excellent, excellent book!

5 comments about The Old Farmer's Almanac 2008 (Old Farmer's Almanac).

1. I HAVE BOUGHT THIS FOR MANY MANY YEARS AND IT ALWAYS AMAZES ME AT HOW ACCURITE IT'S PRODICTIONS ARE PLUS ALL THE ARTICLES ARE GREAT!! I WILL KEEP BUYING FOR YEARS TO COME.



2. Plenty of good advice for the farm or the vegetable garden, and the weeds of advertising really proliferate in the 2008 issue. An older issue I had either had no advertising or very little advertising. The biggest advertising spread in the classifieds is for astrology. And I am told on page 228 not to sign contracts when mercury is retrograde. I'll try not to do that, but I can plant radishes,I hope.



3. I bought this Farmer's Almanac for my dad and he absolutely loved it. Even though he's not a farmer, he is having a great time learning fun and curious facts and even experimenting with pot planting.



4. There's so much fun and useful information in these little books. It's fun to look up dates for lunar/solar eclipses, etc. There are also tables to show when precipitation is misting, sprinkles, light rain, etc. Just lots and lots on interesting information.



5. It's a classic. Great for killing some time, reading on the train or plane, learning something new, and of course, on the "Throne."