Learning more about collectible costume jewelry has been sort of a hobby of mine for years. Unfortunately, I don’t get enough opportunities to collect or buy the better pieces out there. Often, I must make do with books on collecting costume jewelry. This can become an expensive hobby too, …

Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula is actually seriously cute. The front part of the book isn’t very useful to me because it’s just an explanation of the terms and the symbols, which are standard to all crochet books.
However, the patterns are all very cute and appealing …

Astrid & Veronica is a gripping novel written by Linda Olsson. The story is a rare blend of friendship and also thrilling events in the past that affect the present. The author is successful in what is intended and I became a fan of this author by just reading …

I have recently tried to branch out a bit in my reading into genres and authors that I have not previously shown all that much interest in. Elizabeth Ferrars’ 1972 detective mystery, “Breath of Suspicion”, is a book that I knew absolutely nothing about before I picked it up …

The novel “To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee relies on heavily on symbolism for communicating a purpose. In this novel one must recognize the importance of this symbolism to properly understand the author’s intent. Although there
Are many symbolic references to consider; I have chosen to discuss the …

I stumbled across this book (published by Da Capo Press), when it was mentioned in a newspaper article by someone who had gone to live in a remote part of France, far away from neighbours and chance intruders. “Party of One” was referenced as a kind of gospel …

The Essential Ken Wilber is a collection of books, and I believe also essays, by Ken Wilber, an author who focuses on psychology, philosophy, and religion. I was first introduced to Ken Wilber by reading his book called No Boundary where he focuses on psychological boundaries which humans set …

David Copperfield, or The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (which he never meant to publish on any account), is one of Dickens most famous novels. It is also the one which is most autobiographical. It tells the story of David …

This book, Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett is the first book with the City Watch of Ankh Morpork. It’s really fun to have read, because then you get to know how Carrot joined the Watch - which is pretty funny, being that he thinks he’s a dwarf. Ankh Morpork, …

Freckle Juice by Judy Blume is a great kids’ book for kids aged 7 - 9 (or even 10 year olds might find it funny). I had almost forgotten about it until a student handed it to me a couple of weeks ago. Even though it was written many …

Martin Chuzzlewit, or The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit , is the novel Dickens himself considered to be his best work. It didn’t get the same popularity as his earlier works, so while he worked on it, he changed the story and sent his characters to America. This …

Dombey and Son was published under the full title Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son: Wholesale, Retail and for Exportation. It tells the story of Dombey, a rich owner of a shipping company. He’s main dream is to have a son that continue the trade. He already …

I recall being fascinated by the Panama Canal in grade school when I first learned a little about its construction. I remember being told that it almost wasn’t built in Panama but in other countries, which seemed odd because Panama is where the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans come closest …

Retired police captain, Marshall Frank, has written another excellent read in his most up-to-date work, Call Me Mommy. Mr. Marshall happens to be a prolific writer – he has authored several books as well as countless short stories as well as essays to date.
I would classify Call Me Mommy …

I have enjoyed reading all of Sue Grafton’s alphabet titled books. This newest one, U is for Undertow stood up to her other books. It was an interesting plot that kept the reader interested.
The plot of this book centers around the main character, Kinsey Millhone …

I have the standard Better Homes and Gardens red and white checked cookbook - the one that seems like everyone I know owns…but because I am busy I have been using my slowcooker a lot more. I received the Better homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Recipes for 2, 4 …

I received this book as a gift and to be honest I didn’t give it much of a chance. I use beads pretty much exclusively for making jewelry. I don’t have an idea that I want to attach them to a quilt or make textile art with them. Also, …

I’ve read a few novels by Nicholas Sparks, and while I find them to be a bit predictable - you always know how the book is going to end - and they’re often sad endings, it’s still always an enjoyable read. The characters, setting, and story always mesh well, …

Dictionaries themselves are of course ten a penny these days, whether in paper or electronic form, However, The Visual Dictionary by the Canadian author Jean-Claude Corbeil, is something that in my experience at least is just about unique, to the extent that I am really rather surprised not to …

The Book On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are is the first Alan Watts book that I’ve been privileged enough to read and in this book Watts presents some very interesting views. The book is primarily just a philosophical work where Watts presents …

The Perishers Dotty Dictionary is one of those books (and for the most part a fairly representative example of the genre) in which a list of mildly difficult - for children, anyway - words is given new and sillier meanings. However, I do think that this one is a …

The Old Curiosity Shop is the story of a young London girl called Nell Trent, who lives with her grandfather in his shop. He loves her, but she has only one friend on her own age and lives a quite lonely life. She’s very good and virtuous, almost boringly …

Nicholas Nickleby is Charles Dickens third novel. It is the tale of Nicholas Nickleby and his sister, who are left penniless when their father dies. The main antagonist is their uncle Ralph, who is a mean old man and doesn’t try to make life easier for his niece and …

The novel Barnaby Rudge isn’t set in Dickens own time, but begins in 1775 in a small village in Epping Forest. It ends 5 years later in London with the no-popery or Gordon riots. The main character of the book, Barnaby Rudge, is the village idiot and is being …

The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year in, is as short novel by Charles Dickens. It was written the year after the more famous A Christmas Carol, and is the second in a series of Christmas books. …

A Christmas Carol is one of Dickens most famous works. It has been made into films, TV series, shows and cartoons. It tells the story of an old business man called Scrooge. His business partner has been dead for seven years, so Scrooge runs his own business as he …

Wheels Of Life, a book focused around the primary chakra by Anodea Judith, is a wonderful guide of explanations and exercises involving the seven primary chakras in the human body: root, sacra, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and crown. For those of you …

No Boundary, one of Ken Wilber’s earlier books, and also my first introduction to this very interesting writer is a nice blend of psychology and religion to present Wilber’s views on the human condition and also ways to improve the condition. Some books manage …

The Great Gatsby, a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald focuses on a man named Jay Gatsby who tries to win back a past lover, Daisy Buchanan. I will admit that on first read, I absolutely hated reading this book and I thought it was …

The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is that famous story of teenager Holden Caulfield as he leaves his school and goes on a journey throughout New York. Although I did not really expect to enjoy this book all that much, I was …

Valiant by Holly Black is a fantasy novel written for older teens. It’s plot revolves around Val, a runaway from new Jersey who hooks up with and lives with Dave, his brother Luis, and Lolli in a hidden alcove in the subways of New York City. What …

1965 - Madison County - Iowa.
Francesca Johnson, a woman who devoted her life to her farm house, her husband and her two children.
Robert Kincaid, a photographer working for the National Geographic; a citizen of the world, with no roots, no family, no particular emotional ties.
The book leads the reader …

This is a short fictional novel that is, although it has a futuristic scientific thematics, an easy afternoon read. Beware there might be a few spoilers in this review (not many though).
The novel takes us to the future introducing us with a new order of society, well not exactly …

Simplify and Create Abundance is an inspirational book written by Bo Sanchez, a Filipino Catholic best-selling author and preacher. I learned so many things from reading this book, important lessons about life and feelings and my personal relationship with God.
This non-fiction book talks about man’s personal struggle in a …

I don’t read many romance books, most of the time they are mostly about sex and I feel pretty sleazy reading them. It’s like, I don’t care to hear about anything ‘throbbing’. But from time to time I do enjoy a good historical romance. Well written ones have …

I read Angels and Demons after having watched the movie. I am very glad that I watched the movie first because I would have been very dissapointed if I had read the book first. The book is very different from the movie. I don’t know …

666 (by Jay Anson)
So many negative meanings have been attached to the numerics of 666 –death, murders, evil and primarily the devil. In this book, 666 referred to a house which had survived through the years. It had a history of unhappy events, and after …

Le Mot Juste, edited not by a single person but by an editorial panel of no fewer than six people, is subtitled “A Dictionary of Classical & Foreign Words & Phrases”, which in all honesty I think is likely to prove a more immediately understandable description to most people of what the …

The Secret Knowledge of Grown-Ups is a fun book for kids aged 7 - 10 by David Wisnuewski. Children are told the real, secret reasons for things parents say. This book has been around for awhile, but the examples of things parents say are still applicable: eat your vegetables! …

I loved this book. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and hearing that someone had finally released a book based on the life of Nefertiti.
What was nice about this book was that the story was being told by a fresh perspective. It was through the …

I am a Nicholas Sparks fan, but I think “The Last Song” left a lot to be desired. Most of Sparks’ books put me under a spell that makes me feel as if I am part of every word written. However, this one left me in the …

As I purchased this book, the thought did cross my mind… “this is going to be a historic bore”. However, I am glad to say that I was wrong, very wrong. This novel, which is set in the early 1900s, tells a tale of sex, scandal, love, …

Metamorphosis was one of my favorite literary pieces as a voracious reader. I’m quite hard to please when it comes to books, I tend to find more pleasure in reading classic novels and short stories than the bulk of contemporary titles which do very little to flatter my …

Marked by PC and Kristen Cast is the first volume in the House of Night Series about a vampire finishing school. This book is juvenile fiction. Although I am far from Juvenile, I enjoyed this book. I do not consider myself to be one of those …

Mammals of Britain & Europe is an entry in the generally excellent Collins Field Guide series, and I am very pleased to be able to say that David Macdonald and Priscilla Barrett have, with perhaps one exception, maintained the previous high standards of the series while adding some very useful …

I am usually not a very big fan of erotic novels, as many of my young female friends have been since they were in their early teens. In the one or two times I’ve read them, I’ve found that they’ve made me slightly embarrassed especially if other people found …

You would imagine a book with such a decisive title as “Twentieth Century Children’s Writers” to be a fairly definitive work, and such this book mostly is. I don’t think it is by any means perfect, especially in some of the decisions made about which authors to cover, but …

Anyone who owns a horse, will know the up-keep of these animals can be expensive. Along with the everyday costs of stabling, feeding etc, vet bills can run up quickly when a horse becomes sick.
I have owned horses for many years, and have learned an amass of knowledge over …

I updated to Windows Vista around 18 months ago, but even after that amount of time, I was still having problems with certain areas such as screensavers, wallpapers and other bizaar Vista issues.
I’m fairly certain anyone who is not a techno geek, will have had problems with the Vista …

I bought this book out of curiosity because it had a lot of rave reviews on the salespage and everywhere else. It was a book about fat loss, apparently. I had high expectations when I started reading the book, and thankfully, it did not fail me. The first chapter …