5 comments about The Ex Files: A Novel.

1. In my opinion this book jumps around way too much and is a little confusing. It has dialogue for a couple of people, then another couple of people, and then another. I suggest you take notes to keep up with who everyone is and what is going on.



2. It wasn't what I expected. From the blurb at the back I didn't think there'd only be two exes each of the bride and groom (yes, this would have put more of a strain on the author, but I'd been envisioning a whole bunch of bemused exes). I'd blame the blurb though.
   
   The story I liked. I don't read a lot of chick-lit so perhaps that explained why I didn't find the book as predictable as some people described. (Nearly) each character had a bit of their own background explained, by way of the flashbacks, so we were able to learn about them before meeting them at the wedding; not that this really helped. My favourite character was Adam (I especially liked the first time he and Faye met), but then who doesn't like the typical fictional flamboyant gay? I thought Kate and Mark's relationship hadn't been portrayed well enough for me to understand Kate's feelings, or Mark's; Nat and McLaren were an interesting pair, though not given enough face time (and maybe it's better if they weren't); everyone else was mostly boring, including Mark himself.
   
   My biggest complaint was that everyone at the wedding was against Faye and Mark's marriage. It was a recurring perspective that everyone seemed to share, and reveal to the readers, one by one, to the point that it felt painfully repetitive. Mark's brother Tony's arguments especially seemed to untiringly (or tiringly, depending on how you look at it) touch on the topic. Couldn't this have been done better? Also, Mark's relationship with Faye wasn't detailed enough for me to sympathize with them in this predicament. Are they picking on you, dears? I'm sorry... but really I'm not.
   
   And yet I gave 4 stars. As I said, I liked the story, and have read it a few times already. The writing was funny, which helped. Perhaps not up to the standard of many, but a fun read.
   
   As my for my review, forgive me, I don't intend to be helpful. But this is how I saw the book. Now you may make your own decisions. =)



3. If you're looking for some fun chick-lit, this definitely falls into that category. There's an unexpected twist and even though (to me) the ending was a tad predictable, it was still a fun read with a couple of giggle-out-loud moments. I highly recommend it.



4. Girly book,fake drama. I read it 3 weeks ago and i can hardly remember it already. If you have nothing else to read go for it.



5. I was surprised to see some lower rated reviews because I thought this book was very, very funny! It's not a mind numbing chick lit story nor is it a mind boosting story, but it will make you laugh! This was the first book I picked up from this author and I am now reading another one and it is also a funny twist on a difficult situation. If you're looking for something to escape with and get a laugh, this is the book for you!

5 comments about To Marry an English Lord or, How Anglomania Really Got Started.

1. Every time I read this book it becomes more and more interesting. Meticulously researched, with great little anecdotes and etiquette tips.
   This book is a lot of fun! I especially liked the many photographs of the designer gowns (most by Worth, if you please!) that are liberally scattered throughout.
   If you're ananglophile you'll want to get this one!



2. Those few of us who have wondered why in the world a comfortable, cosseted American girl would want to marry an Englishman and live in a cold climate in an even colder stone castle will find answers here, even if the answers aren't satisfactory to the modern ear.

   Think of it: wealthy American society girls, products of generations of men and women who gave lives and fortunes to escape a Royalist society, thought it a worthy investment of their lives, loves and wealth to buy an English title in the form of a husband. It's understandable that men who have no money and are saddled with huge estates and titles with no way to support themselves "in the manner to which they have become accustomed" would search out these women. It's another matter to understand the women, especially if they were bright and energetic (like the fabled Jenny Jerome).

   Of course the first women to get involved in this weird method of social climbing didn't realize what was involved. (Though why American society decided that an English title was important in the United States, especially if it could be bought with money, still escapes me.) The problems included loveless husbands who paid little attention to their wives and carried on affairs; cold and drafty castles into which Papa sank tons of money to no avail as far as comfort was concerned; families who refused to accept them in spite (or because) of the fact that they provided the money to keep the lifestyle intact; servants who often were sulky and rebellious ("but we've ALWAYS done it that way"); children they handed over to nannies. The first brides must have kept the hardships and loneliness from the succeeding generation, for the rage for English titles prevailed from the mid-19th century almost through the mid-20th century.

   TO MARRY AN ENGLISH LORD is a fascinating and complete look at these women and the lives they led. Illustrations showing the homes and households of the times and how they operated, fashions, maps, photographs of the women and their friends, families and husbands all combine to present the core of that particular section of society in that particular age.

   The book is meticulously researched and includes a bibliography, a register of American heiresses, a suggested walking tour of the women's London and a very handy index. It's built around the stories of these women and the men who wooed and won them. Who they were, what they did and what the consequences were -- all adds up to an intriguing and fascinating read.




3. Who says that history is boring and stuffy? This well-researched book is chock full of anecdotes, pictures, and facts to make the period and the subject come to life.

   This book discusses the phenomenon of the "dollar princesses": American hieresses who married into titles abroad, particularly England. Amongst them were Winston Churchill's mother; a woman who was the second-highest ranking woman in the British empire (after only the queen); and maybe the most famous of all: Consuelo Vanderbuilt, who begrudgingly became the Duchess of Marlborough in a marriage aranged by her social-climbing mother.

   Written informally, with lots of pictures, this might be a great book to buy a teenager who is just transitioning into "grown-up" non-fiction, but finds most of it dry and uninteresting. It is also a must-read for anyone who plans on traveling to country-houses in England, as it gives a more accurate view of what it was like to actually have to live in one of those monstrosities! Anyone who is interested in the history of class in America, or of the British Aristocracy, would also be interested.




4. As the other reviewers have noted, this is a great romp through a part of American history you don't learn about in school. I read it through once and then re-read it just to savor all the little bits and pieces the authors have so generously loaded it with. If you ever wondered about all those Vanderbilts and all those Whitneys, here is your chance (from an American point of view!)to find out just how and why these ladies ended up in the postions they did- all for the love of Edward VII. I wish there were more reader-friendly books like this that make history so entertaining.



5. I read this book the first time when I checked it out of the public library. I loved it so much that I had to have my own copy. It is a fascinating account of how the nouvo riche in the U.S. basically bought acceptance to high society for their daughters. You can just pick it up and read sections - it's not necessary to start at the beginning and work through. Not a summer goes by that I don't pick it up!

5 comments about Wintering: A Novel of Sylvia Plath.

1. I had very high expectations for this book, but felt let down in many ways. The first thing that irked me was the writing style, pseudo-Plathian prose which, while dispersed with Plath's imagery from Ariel, came off as dry and dull. In the way that metaphors wake up Plath's The Bell Jar, Moses's misuse of Plath's words put her novel to sleep. Her dialogue seems well below the level of language that Plath, a prodigy and college educated woman, would use in daily conversation, and often seems more feigned and melodramatic than any person would use.
   
   The novel had its good points as well, ingeniously set up with chapters that paralleled the poems of Plath's version of Ariel. Moses depicted Hughes as a neutral to sympathetic character which was a nice break away from the "killer of Plath" image that accompanies many biographies of the Poetess. I most appreciated that the novel ended in December of 1962, two months before Plath's death and, hence, did not touch on Plath's justification of the event.
   
   I would recommend this novel only to someone who loves Plath and needs to read everything about her. Otherwise a biography (like Middlebrook's Her Husband) would relay more information about Plath and Hughes, skipping unrealistic dialogue and failing alterations of Plath's imagery.



2. I liked this book overall.. thought it was a good book to read about one of my favorite poets Sylvia Plath. Towards the last half of the book I did lose a bit of interest.. and just wanted the book to be over with.. But it was good.. if your a fan of Sylvia Plath or just interested and want to know more about her then give this book a try.
   
   Justin



3. "Wintering" by Kate Moses is a novelization of the very last days of the life of Sylvia Plath. I have read several biographies of Plath, and two novelizations, "Wintering" and "Sylvia and Ted" by Emma Tennant. Nobody is impartial about the life and death of Sylvia Plath: her varied biographers, people who knew Plath, readers and reviewers on Amazon. Many reviewers felt Moses' book was too emotional and presented in a florid, overly detailed writing style. The same criticism appeared in the reviews of "Sylvia and Ted". I found the writing style totally appropriate to the subject matter: Plath's life was filled with frenzy and drama. I would compare the writing style of both novels to "Blonde", a novelization of the life of Marilyn Monroe. Women of the 50s and 60s strove to have it all, success and recognition, love and marriage. Both Sylvia and Marilyn worked very hard to be good enough, yet no matter how much they achieved, they were always thwarted, their success snatched away and their fragile psyches battered over and over. In Sylvia's case, there were always lesser interlopers who claimed the prize she felt should be hers: her baby brother pushing her from the family spotlight, a situation made worse by the death of her father (by dying, he insured she could never please him), lesser academic rivals making it into a cherished writers' workshop when she did not, her husband Ted's strangely posessive sister, and snotty and snobbish Dido Merwyn, sitting in judgement on Sylvia, an insipid girl student at Smith, a sixteen year old babysitter, and finally and most punishingly, Assia Wevill. In "Wintering", Moses totally nailed the image of Assia eyeing Sylvia's life, accomplishments, and possessions and deciding to take them for herself. We can feel Sylvia's disgust and despair: how could Ted, who knew her soul, prefer the shallow and grasping Assia? But by spewing forth a litter of new, powerful and emotionally laden poems, then dramatically and mysteriously ending her own life, Sylvia did in a way finally manage to win. Sylvia's enemies were left with her leftovers: Ted and Assia were cursed (and weak enough) to remain in her cast-off homes, spending the money earned by her talent and labor, raising her children.



4. The reason why I brought this book was the first page. I was amazed at how beautiful the prose was. I've owned the book for over a year now, however, and have yet to finish it. The hook was the downfall. I defend flowery writing--to an extent. I love it in books on CERTAIN passages. But this book just never stops. Moreover, I got bored of hearing Silvia whine about her husband while cooking and cleaning and changing diapers. Yes she was a mother, and yes her husband cheated on her, but she was more interesting and did more than that, I'm sure.
   
   Still, I do like the book. I prefer to slowly nibble one chapter at a time (and god willing I'll actually finish it that way). I reach for its rich language when I'm feeling uninspired, and it is pretty heart-wrenching. Its a good try, and Im not at all sorry I bought it. I recommend it to people who also enjoy rich language.



5. Wintering was written with each chapter subject corresponding to the original order Sylvia Plath had in mind for her last work, Ariel. I found Moses' idea to link her novel about Plath with Ariel fascinating...such a genius idea. As others have mentioned, it definitely works best to read the poems in Ariel before and after reading the corresponding chapter in Wintering. That makes for quite a thought-provoking experience as a reader.
   
   There are some portions in this book that moved me to tears, particularly those with Freida and Nicholas Hughes as children. Such tender visions I had of Sylvia with her children during those scenes. But, make no mistake about it - Moses does not spare us the grim realities of Plath's life. The struggles she went through as a newly single mother trying to make a new life for herself and her children are painfully described.
   
   I only wish somehow I could have more insight into Plath's last month. Unfortunately Ted Hughes destroyed her journal entries from that time period. Gone forever. It does leave me with a feeling of being left hanging, but nonetheless I'm grateful for what insights we've been able to glean from her other works, including her poems, journals, and letters home to her mother.
   
   Kate Moses writes with fluidity and can capture a scene in one's imagination profoundly well. I only wish she was less wordy with her sentences, but hey, it gave me an opportunity to expand my vocabulary (I looked up a slew of words in the dictionary while reading). I definitely give Wintering a thumbs up!

No comments about Diners Of New England.

2 comments about When the Prisoners Ran Walpole: A True Story in the Movement for Prison Abolition.

1. America: less than 1/6 of the world's population - more than 25% of the world's prison population.
   
   The 1971 Attica massacre shocked the world into awareness of the pervasive violence perpetrated by state authorities in our prisons. In Massachusetts, voters pledged to prevent such slaughter from ever happening there, and the governor agreed. The reform initiative that resulted led to the prisoners at Walpole's Massachusetts Correctional Institute winning control of its day-to-day operations.
   The prisoners, working with 1530 civilian volunteers, won control of the operation of a maximum-security prison. The book, authored by a prison abolitionist, reveals what can happen when there is public will for change and trust that the incarcerated can achieve it. In the months before they took over running the maximum-security facility in 1973, prisoners and outside advocates created programs that sent more prisoners home for good, reducing recidivism 23 percent and decreasing Walpole's population by 15 percent.
   When guards protested the changes they saw as choking their livelihoods, finally refusing to run the prison, the prisoners stepped ably into the void--and all-out peace ensued. They shrank the prison murder rate from the highest in the country to zero. Even more significantly, they worked hard to bury racial antagonism and longstanding feuds so even "lifers" with no hope of going home could find ways to live together, learn, and grow--to regain, finally, the humanity that the system intended to squash.
   Critical to the work of prison abolitionists and transitional reformists alike, this groundbreaking history offers a real-life example of a prison solution many see only as theoretical. It not only reminds us why people seek to make prisons obsolete, but also recalls a time when we were much closer to these abolitionist goals.
   
   The history of Walpole, at its grittiest, shows that we do not need a police state to 'help' us live our lives, and that, in the final analysis, we'd be better of without the so-called 'security' measures provided by the state and the entities of enforcement which under the pretense of 'justice' enforce the inequities resulting from the disregard of human value which must be overcome if we are ever, ever to live peacefully in this world. A history and an argument which could not be more timely and appropo. Rather than trusting in the almighty dollar, or the strength of institutions, recognition of our fellow humanity seems like the best place to begin.



2. Is the current prison system in desperate need of reform? "When the Prisoners Ran Walpole: A True Story in the Movement For Prison Abolition" is a look at the concept of prisons and how a group of prisoners in 1973 managed to set forth change successfully, by keeping the peace within their ranks as their guards went on strike. An optimistic yet critical to both sides of the debate, "When the Prisoners Ran Walpole: A True Story in the Movement For Prison Abolition" is highly recommended for community library social issues collections and for any prison administrator.

2 comments about The Wampanoags (True Books).

1. My class really enjoyed this book, and I found the information and facts great for the primary level. Highly recommended!



2. If you are studying the New England Pilgrims and Native Americans, this is a great teaching tool for older Pre-K on up. I teach 4 and 5 year olds, and they really enjoy this book. I read a chapter a day of the fairly simple text, making modifications when necessary. The colorful photos are some of the best you can find on this tribe, giving the children a greater understanding of the Woodland Indians.

No comments about Backcountry Skiing Adventures: Maine and New Hampshire: Classic Ski and Snowboard Tours in Maine and New Hampshire.

3 comments about Best of the Best from New Mexico Cookbook: Selected Recipes from New Mexico's Favorite Cookbooks (Best of the Best Cookbook).

1. Part of the simply outstanding "Best of the Best" state related cookbook series from Quail Ridge Press, Best Of The Best From New Mexico Cookbook is a compilation of recipes drawn from a variety different cookbooks showcasing New Mexico's culinary traditions and treasures of this southwestern state. From Gazpacho (Cooking at the Natural Cafe in Santa Fe); Zuni Succotash (Southwest Indian Cookbook); Burgundy Venison Steak Tips (Sassy Southwest Cooking); and Chicken Tacos with Avocado (Beyond Loaves and Fishes); to Ruidoso Winner (Savoring the Southwest); Bavarian Apple Torte (Recipes from the Cotton Patch); Applesauce Cake (Billy the Kid Cook Book); and Berry-Pecan Flan (The Santa Fe School of Cooking Cookbook), each easy-to-prepare recipes has a complete list of readily acquired ingredients and step-by-step preparatory instructions. A kind of "sampler" cookbook, one of the best features is the section devoted to listing each cookbook represented in this culinary collection, including their respective publisher's contact information for obtaining the originating cookbook for any particular recipe that has proven to be an especial family favorite. Indeed, all dedicated kitchen cooks and fans of regional cuisines should visit the Qual Ridge Press website for a complete state-by-state listing of their "Best of" cookbooks.



2. I actually own ALL of this pair's terrific 'best of' series (or, me and the bank anyway)....and they are great at culling out the really local flavor from zillions of local cookbooks, to truly include THE BEST in each of their books. Well done ladies - wish I had thought of it myself!! I hope you don't have to BUY the hundreds of cookbooks from each state- what a great job to have them SENT to you....but everything I really wanted in the New Mexico book- a near neighbor to me, and one I have visited a few times- but not often enough!



3. I had high hopes for this Southwestern/Meican recipe book when I bought it. What could go wrong when you get recipes of the best supposedly from all over in this case New Mexico? Lots. The book looks nice but its what's inside that counts. I have not found one that has "wowwed" me yet. I just made a cheese tuna mexican casserole recipe (where I added black beans). It came out hot, bubbly and bland. The recipe did not specify the type of green chiles and while I tried some Smoked Jalapeno sauce on it to make it better and it was , I was still disappointed. My wife, whom I did not think would like it all, liked it though. However a recipe that I never would make again never rates a 9/10 or higher and in this case it was 8.5/10.I might try more. Wish the authors could have broken these recipes to hot, spicy, texmex, etc.

5 comments about New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide.

1. I found this book to be very helpful so far... I only visited a couple of the waterfalls in the book so far and the directions seemed to be right on. If you are seeking waterfalls in NE then this may be the book you are looking for.



2. This book was well worth the money. There was only 1 mistake in directions(p.136, Bement Br.,NH, should be west on NH103). We used it for bridges in Mass.,Me.,NH, and VT.



3. This is another book I bought as a Christmas present for my grandson when I learned of his interest in covered bridges. This is a good history of covered bridges in New England. I enjoyed this because of the excellent pictures and know my grandson will enjoy it too.



4. This book is very professionally done and is a great bargain at this price. It's a compact size which makes it convienent to carry with you on trips. Another thing I like is the GPS coordinates that they have recorded for each bridge. Anyone who enjoys seeking out old covered bridges should have this book. I highly recommend it! 5 STARS!
   
   Brian McKee, Editor of "The Bridge-Covered Quarterly"



5. This book has been like a bible to me as I set out to photograph covered bridges in New Hampshire and Vermont.
   
   I've used the book in conjunction with my laptop based GPS system to plan my trips and prioritize which bridges to look at. The book is very clearly written, gives interesting historical and structural information, and most importantly, directions for finding the bridges.
   
   The color photos are high quality, so you get a good idea what to expect when you get there. If you're into touring the covered bridges of New England, New England's Covered Bridges: A Complete Guide is a worthwhile investment.

No comments about Hagstrom New York City, 5 Borough: Digitized Edition (Hagstrom New York City Five Borough Atlas).