For those who wish to get into the habit of saying grace at mealtimes, this is the perfect book. Although I was raised saying grace, it is easy to forget to do it now that I am an adult. My husband and I picked up this book, and it has been a pleasure skimming through it at each meal to find the perfect sentiment.

I have been reading graces from this book with my family and friends for 4 years now. Every time someone new joins our dinner and we bring out the book, they want one! I have given several to friends and family. It's a wonderful tradition to pass along.

At first, Sarah Grace McCandless book 'Grosse Pointe Girl' sounds like tripe; one expects to find girlish babbling smattered with the recounting of adolescent misadventures amid the socially elite. However, beyond the borders that separate Grosse Pointe (GP) from Detroit, lying past the white picked fences of perfection instituted in an ivy-covered village, comes the refreshingly candid tale of a teen caught between being the in-crowd and an outsider.

The 8 brief emotive chapters recount growing up on the fringes of the elite, as an impressionable and vulnerable high school girl secretly harboring self-doubt while trying to fit in with her perennial friends. Chapters of 'Grosse Pointe Girl,' such as 'The Lochmoor Moms,' or 'The One That Wasn't,' ring with the simple teenage truths that can be found only at the mall, a high school dance, or swimming by a lake. These emotional truths found in each chapter are framed with vivid imagery that forces the scene upon the reader, such as the narrators' description of her "always casual" suitors and their "tan lean bodies" that resembled "stretched pieces of caramel," or GP wives sneaking away from their husbands to smoke "white menthol sticks...caked with fuschia rose lipstick." Each chapter is perfectly self-contained like an island onto itself, punctuated by a vague timelessness like fog rolling in or a cinematic fade to black.

Engaging and thoughtful, even emotionally overwhelming at times, Grosse Pointe Girl is a rich and delightful narrative of self discovery that stands apart from other Grosse Pointe based literature. Appropriately, the final chapter of 'Grosse Pointe Girl,' 'Reunion,' finds the narrator attending her 10-year reunion; a circumstance where memories tend to resurface sugarcoated, freeze-dried, and sentimental. However, in 'Grosse Pointe Girl' the reunion is recounted with a quiet and unexpected truthfulness that will surprise.

Grosse Pointe Girl by Sarah Grace McCandless is not a typical diary from the well-to-do in this northern suburb of Detroit. It is instead almost an understated peek at the angst of the adolescence of one of its residents. It is not a whine, and like fine wine, the flavor is subtle yet rich. It truly sneaks up on you. Each chapter is well written with a vivid imagery, but "The Lochmoor Moms" is truly the apex. In one final sentence, Ms. McCandless captures the sense of a generation in suburbia.

As stated, this is a handbook, therefore the format is easy to read and gives you the basic information. If something then strikes your fancy you can then do further research based upon this excellent starting reference point. If you have very little religious background this will help you understand Christianity in Art. Even Christians will find the book informative and full of things that they did not know. For example, did you know that the number 1000 represents eternity? The handbook is layed out alphabetically, beginning with angels and ending with zodiac, all for your convenience. My only complaint is that the art depicted is small, in black and white and therefore does not show the details of the pieces of art. A good book for anyone interested in art, specifically Christian Art. The explanations of the symbolism is very good, it tells you just enough.

This book is very informative and interesting. It is laid out in an easy to read way and is a great reference book for anyone who loves art. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone who has ever looked at Christian art and wondered what exactly does it mean.

This book contains a gem collection of inspiring quotes from various black historical figures. This book is recommended for anyone who wants to take a look into what some of the greatest black figures in history have said about certain topics. A must-have book for quote-lovers.

HEART FULL OF GRACE is an excellent collection of famous quotations by people of color accumulated throughout the years. It serves up sixty-two various topics ranging from achievement to dreams,from love to victory and many more, yet the prevailing feeling I received from this book was an overall sense of history. It touched upon excerpts from various time periods reaching past the days of slavery and coming up to present day. HEART FULL OF GRACE borrows its name from a famous saying from the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., however, this book contains tid bits from well-known figures such as Benjamin E. Mays, Malcolm X, Duke Ellington, and Gwendolyn Brooks, just to name a few! It also borrows from traditional songs and sayings, and even heard the voices of unnamed slaves and folklore.

Due to its diverse range, I think this book has the ability to reach anyone, anywhere.

Nedine Hunter
The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A good book but a reality check that we do grow old but are still beautiful. That is how Grace Kelly was. She was still a beautiful person through her looks and her charity work.

Although the book is old (20 years now, you can smell it)I like it very very much. It is in good shape and has a lot of pictures I had never seen before. It is written just after her death, so the story is very sad, but the photo's are really beautiful and this book is a jewel to my collection. And this time I received it in only a couple of weeks!

...in the middle of Narragansett Bay, is a way of life almost forgotten in this day and age. Josie and Grace have captured the flavor of life on the island, in a very real and personal way. Although it helps to be from Rhode Island to fully understand all the references in the book, anyone can appreciate the trials, tribulations, and joys of living on an island.

My grandfather, Horace M. Barrett, was the illustrator of this amazing book about life on a small Island in the Narragansett Bay. My Granddad died in January, as did Josie Avery. They are both greatly missed but their lives live on through their book and through the people of Prudence Island. RIP, Granddad and Josie! And, Grace, thank you for your part in this book! I will treasure it forever.

Nigel Tranter was the author who first captured me with Scottish history in "The Story of Scotland." This was the next of his works that I purchased, and it has definitely kept my interest. By reading personal drama in such great historical context, I have learned about about key players in Scottish history without even trying! The castles and palaces we will visit this summer have come alive, and I can picture the important events that happened within them. Even though James V is not one of my favorite figures in Scottish history, there are important historical events, follies, and patterns to be discovered in his times.

The one negative criticism I can offer of this trilogy is the incredible number of names that are dropped in the story. Leaders of most every family (as well as their sons, nephews, etc) in Scotland are mentioned, sometimes all in the same scene, and the reading can quickly become tedious. But if you can get through the names and focus on the main characters of the story, it is well worth the effort. I also purchased the Bruce and Edward trilogies based on this one.

Nigel Tranter really brings the people, history, and land of Scotland to life. It has a real "you are there" feeling throughout. A great way to enjoy Scots history and have a great read at the same time!

This book is incredibly inspiring, especially if you're considering writing your own life story. Each of these 26 short pieces takes a unique approach to the task: honoring a distant ancestor/poet, a Christmas Eve that holds the last perfect moment for a family soon torn apart, a funeral procession through the streets of Chicago that rekindles boyhood memories. We see a piece of ourselves in each tale and are stimulated by the different solutions to the puzzle of autobiography: where to start, how to proceed.

The Life Writing Class is also lovingly illustrated with black and white photographs of paintings held in the collection of The Huntington Museum of Art. Clearly reproduced, achingly beautiful, they are the perfect visual metaphor for a book of autobiographical prose: not the light itself, but a reflection of the light. The Life Writing Class is a class act in content, design, and impact. It makes you want to write.

"The Life Writing Class" is a must read for anyone passionate about personal histories and autobiographies. It would be particularly helpful for someone looking for a jump-start in writing a retrospective of their own. Edited by a masterful writing coach, the book left me feeling as though I'd made 20 new friends.

In 1932 in Voorburg-on-Hudson siblings Lily and Robert Brewster recover from their sudden fall from wealth by turning the mansion they can live in for life (according to their late uncle's will) into a bed and breakfast. When an obviously masqueraded stranger leases a room for the outrageous price of $500, Lily hesitantly agrees though she suspects the worst from this individual and his cronies coming for the weekend.

However, Lily misread what the worst is when someone stabs and subsequently drowns radio preacher Brother Mark Luke Goodheart in one of the B&B bathtubs. While Police Chief Walker investigates the homicide, Lily and Robert begin work as a substitute teacher temporarily replacing Millicent Langston who seems to have vanished. Meanwhile someone abducts young Joey while his mom waits for news whether her husband died while working on the Hoover Dam project. Lily being Lily cannot resist making inquiries into the murder, the misplaced teacher, and the kidnapped child.

Though this is a Grace and Favor mystery, the suspense elements take a back seat to the Depression Era ambiance of the story line. Readers can feel the mood at least near the Hudson River of the change in presidential administrations from Hoover to the New York Governor Roosevelt. The intrigues tie together, but never really hook the reader as deeply as the historical perspective as LOVE FOR SALE is more a strong 1930s fiction that contains mystery subplots.

Harriet Klausner

I have been a big fan of hers since her very first novel. I was really looking for this new Grace & Favor Mystery... and it was a great book. I learned a lot about the US history from this book too (I just moved to the US recently). I started to do some research about Hoover dam myself. A great book to read for your summer vacation.

Marigold was well worth reading, and a glimpse of "simpler" times when "Heck" was cursing and a dress with a low-cut back was risque. I did enjoy the story, and it had several interesting and unexpected plot twists.

While the relationship between Marigold and Laurie was very clearly written the development of the relationship between Ethan and Marigold was not. More focus on this area would have bumped this story to a 5.

GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL, AUTHOR-EMERITUS OF GREAT CHRISTIAN FICTION HAS WRITTEN, "MARIGOLD", A TIMELESS STORY OF MISPLACED LOVE AND DEVOTION. MARIGOLD BROOKES DISCOVERS THAT THE LOVE SHE SHARES WITH LAURENCE TRESCOTT IS PALE IN COMPARISON TO THE SACRIFICIAL LOVE SHE DISCOVERS IN ETHAN BEVAN. ARMED WITH HER REKINDLED DEVOTION TO HER LORD SHE MUST CONFRONT HER PAST MISTAKES AND LOOK FORWARD TO A BRIGHT FUTURE. ANOTHER EXCELLENT NOVEL BY GRACE LIVINGSTON HILL.