5 comments about The Lighthouse Handbook: New England: The Original Lighthouse Field Guide.

1. This is the very best handbook to lighthouses in New England. It is also a beautiful package, well priced and written by "the" expert on lighthouses in this part of the world. The photographs are great, the design is wonderful, and the helpful travel/driving directions are a blessings as many of the New England lighthouses are in remote locations.



2. The Lighthouse Handbook: New England: The Original Lighthouse Field Guide
   This title doesn't begin to tell the story. The Author has somehow put together a totally complete article on every existing lighthouse from way Down East Maine to cosmopolitan western Connecticut. History, both old and new photos, anecdotes and directions.
   Hundreds of books have been put together on this subject but D'Entremont has somehow outdone them all. This is the ultimate New England Lighthouse directory.



3. This handbook is a must have for those interested in touring, photographing, visiting, or even just learning about New England lighthouses. The author is a lighthouse expert. He is the vice president and historian of the American Lighthouse Foundation, as well as co-chairman of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor. This complete guide also features beautiful, full color photographs of every lighthouse.
   
   My favorite aspect of this book are the little side-trips that are featured with many of the lighthouses. It was so helpful to know that there was an aquarium or another point of interest worth checking out after a visit to a lighthouse!
   
   I recommend this book to all!



4. This is without a doubt the most informative and beautiful lighthouse handbook on the lighthouses in New England. From what I can tell, this covers every lighthouse in New England -- in color -- even those that are on private property or built privately. It's part travel guide, part history book, and also a beautiful coffee table book that can fit in your glove compartment! We used it for a trip through Cape Cod this summer and really enjoyed the knowledge that the publisher and the author have packed into this book. If you are interested in learning about or visiting these wonderful and historic landmarks, then this book is A MUST!



5. An extremely well done tome which covers all the lighthouses in New England in a thorough manner. Very detailed and precise, but written in a casual format which enables the reader to absorb all the info easily. A must field guide for anyone with an interest in reading about or better yet, visiting the many fabulous lighthouses on the shores and islands of New England. Highly recommended!

No comments about Australia: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar.

1 comments about Food Lovers' Guide to Connecticut, 2nd: Best Local Specialties, Markets, Recipes, Restaurants, Events, and More (Food Lovers' Series).

1. This book is chock full of great information for any foodie living in Connecticut. Not only are there great tips on restaurants, but also tips on artisan food producers, farms, farmers markets, gourmet shops, recipes, etc, etc. I have been a fan of Patricia Brooks restaurant reviews but this volume exceeded my expectations. It's also written in a chatty personal style that's fun to read. A real treasure!

1 comments about City Walks: Boston: 50 Adventures on Foot (City Walks).

1. I bought this item for a early fall trip to Boston and found that these cards were better suited for more serious walker/hikers than a casual tourist looking for cool spots in the city.

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.

5 comments about The New England Cookbook: 350 Recipies from Town and Country, Land and Sea, Hearth and Home.

1. This book is by far the most stained and used in my collection. Its spine is broken, its pages spotted with grease and cheese, its margins filled with notes.

   Every special meal in our home has something from this book - on Thanksgiving, our table was graced by "Whipped Winter Squash with Cranberries," "Crumbly Cider Cornbread Stuffing," and "Shaker Cornmeal Pumpkin Bread." Included in this collection are glorious recipes for a traditional tuna casserole, (tuna casserole glorious, you balk? try for yourself and see!), banana nut bread, clams casino, pizzas and sandwiches, veggies and pasta, fin-fish and shellfish.

   There is truly something for every occasion, from the fancy holiday table to the casual backyard lunch. If you are from New England, you'll feel right at home among these pages, whether you hail from the coast of Maine or inland Massachusetts. If you are from another region, you'll be inspired by the folklore and mystery of America's most frugally creative cooks. Fire up your stove and enjoy!




2. I bought this book after my trip to New England, and I was not disappointed. I love to cook, and I prefer cookbooks written by professionals who know the difference between restaurant cooking and home cooking, know history of cuisine they present, and share personal stories. All of the above I found in the Brooke Dojny's book. I have tried 15 recipes over the past 6 weeks, and all of the results came out terrific and tasting very much like what I ate in Connecticut, Maine, and Massachusetts. I also find the recipes that I have tried to be very easy to follow. Following the recipe for Italian veal piccata, I produced the dish that tastes better than in most Italian restaurants in California and other parts of the States. The recipe for meat loaf is simply the best available! I also appreciate all the forewords and notes for recipes.
   
   Many recipes are quite versatile. For example, the sauce for crab cakes is excellent for many fish or poultry dishes. Even if you serve it with boiled chicken or beef that you used for making broth, the dish becomes excellent instead of being something rather bland and eaten out of frugality and necessity :). This sauce can last in a refrigerator, too.
   
   This book appears to be very helpful when planning a dinner, whether it is a special occasion dinner or just a middle of a week meal. All recipes have specifications as up to which step a cook can prepare a dish in advance. I recently made a sea food feast for my husband's birthday in a middle of a week, and I used this book's recipes only. The feast was spectacular and original, and I was able to do all the shopping and preparations ahead on a previous evening. On the actual celebration day I just spent an hour after work for making four dishes. All in all, they constituted a lovely original coherent special dinner.
   
   After this book, I will gladly buy all books authored by Brooke Dojny.



3. Let me start off by saying that I returned the book and never tried a recipe. I was stunned by how mundane and unsophisticated the recipes are. The cookbook reminded me of one of those fundraising cookbooks put together by schools and churches where everyone contributes one recipe. The reviews were so good I was expecting something exciting and innovative but instead it was filled with dishes that are as common as dirt. If you own Fanny Farmer you already have everything in this cookbook. I grew up on Buzzard's Bay in Massachusetts and I was looking forward to some real New England favorites. The clam chowder recipe was not as good as one I already posses and the author advocates corn meal on her fried clams. No thanks.
   
   If you are looking for easy recipes that may or may not be authentically New England this may be a good cookbook for you. If you are a gourmet cook looking for sophisticated regional fare I say keep looking.



4. Just wanted you to know that I have had trouble ordering "The New England Cookbook". Amazon took my order but kept delaying their shipment of it, saying that they were out of stock (and kept pushing the date forward). I waited patiently for 2 months, then decided that they did not have the item they claimed was in stock.
   
   This was not the first time I have had problems with Amazon. If they have the product they ship immediately, but if they don't.....
   
   Sue in Illinois



5. I adore this cookbook for fall flavors. I also really disagree with one of the reviewers who seems to think sophisticated flavor has to involve complicated recipes. Being a student at the Culinary Institute of American in NY taught me that excellent food does not have to always be complicated. I love the Cranberry Walnut bread, Maple-Lacquered Game Hens and the Polish wild mushroom soup. While I would not make every single recipe here, the recipes that highlight products of New England are excellent.

2 comments about Good Newes from New England.

1. I have read William Bradford's book about Plymouth a few times, but I only recently became aware of this work. One in Six Americans can (could) trace their roots back to the Mayflower and the Pilgrims at Plymouth. This books provides another primary source for understanding the life and times of the Pilgrims.



2. A very nice little book about advertising people to come to the New World from a person who lived at Plimoth Colony - Edward Winslow. The book was actually written by several people.

5 comments about Orlando: A Biography.

1. I read Orlando because someone told me that a central theme was Knole, the massive great house of the Sackvilles in Sevenoaks, in Kent south west of London. (I also liked Mrs Dalloway--See my Amazon review.) When we lived in London my family and I spent a day at Knole. It is supposedly the largest private house in England. Much of it now belongs to the National Trust. Knole beggars description--it is a vast mansion, brooding, and dark, but also eminent; it is a castle, a factory, mills, breweries, a village, and menagerie. I remember the deer as being especially numerous and friendly. Orlando the novel is dedicated to Vita Sackville-West who sadly was unable to inherit Knole although she grew up there. Only males could inherit.
   
   The novel Orlando is a tour through English history from the mid-15 hundreds to 1928 always from odd perspectives. It is also a subtle and searching exploration of gender roles, social roles, and artistic and creative efforts. Themes interweave with lightning speed. It's crazy, funny, satirical, wild, and moody. I found parts to be incoherent, post-modern stream-of-consciousness, but most is entertaining and illuminating.
   
   But this novel always comes back to Knole just as Orlando does. He/she (there is a sex change mid-novel) tours her house, thinks about it, ponders it, worries about it, and is always focused on it. Orlando lives for hundreds of years, but somehow I think he/she is a metaphor for the great house. Knole is not mentioned by name in the novel, but that's it. Knole is also the setting for The Edwardians by Vita Sackville-West. Knole is very worth a visit if you get to London or Kent. On the web at the National Trust website.
   
   A visit in person however would help bring the novel Orlando to life. The novel is titled Orlando: A Biography. I think it is the biography of Knole.
   
   One other odd feature: My edition (Signet Classics) has in index. This is the first novel I've read with an index. This suggests to me that Orlando is more than a novel, it is also a history of sorts.



2. I like to think myself a very well-rounded reader (I have my degree in English), but I don't know if the genius of Virginia Woolf was just beyond me in Orlando. I enjoyed the story and the various historical characters that made appearances throughout, but something about it went a bit over my head. It was a strange tale of adventure and romance, with Orlando seeking the beauties of life and poetry throughout the centuries.



3. Written in 1928, this book clearly sought to shock the reading public. For every repression delivered by Victorian authorities which surely hampered Woolf's freedoms, this book delivers a defiant rebuke to the same.
   
   Orlando - it states in the beginning - is a man for whom "there can be no doubt of his sex." He is rich, handsome and lives a life even Hugh Hefner may be jealous of. But, scandals lead him to isolation, to public ridicule or upbraiding, which led him to sequester himself to his 200-bedroom hermitage-castle. In his hermit's existence, he does not pass time philandering, but instead pulls books off the library's shelves and romanticizes with fiction.
   
   Eventually tedium compels Orlando to ask his friendly king to deliver him overseas where he can perform the duties of ambassador. He ends up in then Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey. While living there, he ends one exhaustingly long night of debauchery and partying with a seven day sleep - and awakes a woman.
   
   This was a "good thing." As a man, he could not appreciate Tennyson, Shakespeare, Byron and the like. As a woman, their written word touched her greatly. She could be red eyed, she could be lachrymose. As a man, he never loved. Wollf says, ". . . love - as the male novelists define it . . . has nothing whatever to do with kindness, fidelity, generosity or poetry. . ." Orlando the man had no love? Maybe, with Sasha (a Russian seductress) - but maybe Sasha ruined him so that he could never love again.
   
   As a woman, Orlando knows love. Wolff explains, "Love is slipping off one's petticoat and - "
   Can you imagine the Victorians reading that?!
   
   Orlando's life continues not for decades, but centuries. And, some other characters do as well. "The true length of a person's life . . . is always a matter of dispute. Indeed, it is a difficult business - this time-keeping thing. . . " Indeed, it was for Wolff who quite intentionally delivers this novel as a time-challenged writer.
   
   More obscurities arise - androgynous lovers, angels' visits, children born from or for Orlando - and splendor with these very biologically-defying events.
   
   This is not written in the weaving masterful language which Woolf delivers in "To the Lighthouse" or "Mrs.Dalloway." Instead, here the schizophrenia lies with the main character, not the writing style. Probably, a better story than "Lighthouse" or "Dalloway", but I am partial to the writing style of those masterpieces.
   
   In any event, anyone wondering just how throttled Woolf felt in the stifling moral norms of her country, read this book. If anyone wants a bizarre tale about a bizarre man/woman, this is a must read.



4. This `roman à clés' is very original. The hero continues to live in different historical periods and undergoes a sex change.
   However, it is written in an emotional, sentimental, superlative style: `society in the reign of Queen Anne was of unparalleled brilliance. The graces were supreme.'
   Except for the first period, there are no conflicts, only rather superficial descriptions of the mood and spirits of the times. For V. Woolf, `to give a truthful account of society ... only those who have little need of the truth, and no respect for it - the poets and novelists - can be trusted to do it, for this is one of the causes where the truth does not exist.'
   `Orlando' is a perfect flight from reality: `But let other pens treat of sex and sexuality; we quit such odious subjects as soon as we can.' `Whigs and Tories, Liberal party and Labour party ... should be left to the historian.'
   
   This book is a clean, introvert, aristocratic, long ode to pure Beauty.
   Only for Virginia Woolf fans.



5. The story begins with Orlando as a passionate young nobleman in Queen Elizabeth's court. By the end, Orlando is a 36-year-old woman three centuries later. Orlando witnesses the making of history from its edge. A close examination of the nature of sexuality and the changing climate of the passing centuries. Very novel and engaging if a bit loose-ended at times.

5 comments about Cooking Down East.

1. Though Ms. Standish's emphasis is on the great state of Maine, cooks from all over New England will recognize the regional recipes in this book as their own. To me, "Cooking Down East" is more than just a cookbook; it is, in written form, how I learned to cook from my mother and grandmother.



2. My first edition of this book was given to me by my husband 26 years ago. I have many fond memories of family dinners, deserts and favourite recipes from this book. To me it is a touch of home. Gloria Legere Mainiac in Exile in Washington State.



3. When my grandmother died, I was the lucky recipient of "her "secret recipes."(Cooking Down East : Favorite Maine Recipes and Keep Cooking the Maine Way).

   Everytime I make the Melt in Your Mouth Blueberry Cake, the Fish Chowder or the Lobster Newburg (the fancy one--of course!), I am momentarily returned to my childhood.

   The Red Flannel Hash is pretty terrific, too.

   At last count, I had 273 cookbooks in my private collection, but these two are the ones I most often return to when I wish a taste of home. Unlike many others, they seem to spend a majority of the time on my kitchen counter, permanently dusted with flour, stained forever with tiny Maine blueberries.

   If you are looking for nothing fancy-schmancy, only exemplary "home-style cooking," then these are the best you will ever find.

   Thanks Nanny (and thanks Ms. Standish)




4. I'm a native Mainer, and these recipes result in the delicious dinner standards I grew up with. Every time I want to serve a great meal, I turn to this book first. The recipes are well-explained, the ingredients are easy to find, and the anecdotes are great- be sure to read the funny forward to the excellent Anadama Bread.



5. This cookbook is a classic in Maine. This is the fourth edition that I have owned. I keep giving my copies away because this is a must have cookbook. I have cooked almost every recipe in the book and love them all. These are good basics cooked everywhere in Maine and New England. The ingredients are simple and easy to find. I learned to cook as a teenager from this book.

5 comments about Dan Eldon: The Art of Life.

1. It's a shame Kathy(his mother) never wrote this book.
   By far the most imtimate and well written part of this book was the last chapter that Kathy Eldon wrote.
   Obviously Jennifer New loves Dan's life like we all do but unfortuneatly she never met him and that glaringly stands out in the biography. There is way too much creative license here,the fact he is raised to almost sainthood can be squeemish at times.Jennifer's writing leaves a lot to be desired, but through the clumsy writing you can't helped but be inspired by the life of Dan Eldon.
   Dan is amazing!! His photos say more about him than any bunch of words can. 'The Journey is the destination" is a must have book!!
   Flip through that and I guarentee your life will be changed forever!



2. I purchased both The Journey is the Destination and The Art of Life on the same day. Over the next two days, I rotated the books as I couldn't decide on which one to read first. Jennifer obviously dove deeply into Dan's life. The stories that are told from memories collected from Dan's closest friends and his family are engaging. There is no doubt that Dan left a mark on everyone he met. Even more incredible is that he continues to leave his mark on the lives of those who meet him through these books. His death may have been premature but he certainly didn't waste the short amount of time that he was given. He certainly deserves to be known as one of the twentieth centuries heroes.



3. I love this book. The story of Dan Eldon is one everyone should read. It will change your perception of the world and how you live your life.



4. This is a very moving and powerful book from someone who was so young. It documents a movement of change and how Dan Eldon could find beauty in the simplest of things. The imagery will stay with you long after you've put the book down.



5. A more artistic interpretation of the traditionally print-driven journal, Dan Eldon's records are colorful and compelling.