I read this book for the first time after the birth of my first child, when I felt the romance and spontaneity slipping away from my marriage. Anne Mayer makes many lighthearted, yet helpful suggestions for getting it back and keeping it. It's been two months since I had my third child, and I pulled out this book for the third time to refresh my memory, and my husband's! An excellent book for any couple, whether you have small children, older children, or are just planning to have children

If your marriage has lost it's bliss, spontaneity,and just the overall fun..(that you used to have)..Then you need to check this book out and read it from cover to cover. Great ideas, and some provacative thoughts to get your LUST for each other back on track! Great book for parents and married couples without children also.

Anne Mayer offers the nuts and bolts of getting away together for an evening or weekend as well as ideas for keeping romance alive everyday, it was very informative for keeping love alive while being nuturing parents too, i definitely would recommend this book to all parents.

I just finished Anne Edwards' biography of Streisand- in one day, and I am not even a fan of the woman. However, viewing Streisand through Edwards' eyes makes the reader root for the insecure teenager, the "homely" girl from Brooklyn, who despite a disturbing lack of support which started with her own mother's criticism of her career choice- managed to blast into world superstardorm as a Broadway headliner, bestselling recording artist and director, producer and star of her own Hollywood movies. She was a little girl who bought into the fantasy of movies- and was placed in the unique position to create fantasy herself, thanks to what Edwards calls her "chuptzah"- a winning mixture of charm, impossibly high standards, and absolute artistic control over every venture she undertakes. Edwards paints Streisand in bold strokes-quite subtly, with her warts and all. The reader may feel unsatisfied though, because although we get a thorough profile of Streisand the performer and businesswoman, it is still Barbra-the-human-being that is elusive. More insight into her relationship with her son, Jason (who happens to be gay) would have been in order. Regardless of these shortcomings- Edwards' biography triumphs as a beautifully written portrait of a wonderfully multi dimensional woman.

In order to be fair I read this book twice. I adore Babs--I live my life to be like hers; I want my resonance to sympathize with her resonance. I want people to spend time with me and to think that they have really been in the company of Babs. Or at least AS IF they had been in her company--I want to leave a similar impression. I really really really do. I approached this book in much the same way. I wanted to think that this book was in Babs' library. Instead, if anything, Edwards' treatment locates this book not in her library but perhaps in her pantry--right between that canned vegatable that the previous owners left behind and the cantalope pie tin. Edwards' doesn't get Babs' main rhetorical mechanism--of putting the world on the defensive to protect her from her own defensiveness. Edward's BUYS INTO Babs' mechanisms rather than calling them out. In a sense, Edwards argues for the grandeur of the Emperor's new clothes. I give it 5 stars because, as the other reviews attest, her fans want to be duped. Hence, I celebrate 5-star stupidity.

I read Edwards' rendition of Streisand on a full stomach--indeed, had I eaten one more bite, I would have choked in a way that would have repulsed the most sea-tested sailor. Perhaps it was this context--a context at once full and barren--that allowed me to plunge into Streisand's persona with such plodding, cautious, phobic zeal. Would this book answer the main question: is Babs a hapless victim; is she an innocent child; or is she an immature hapless brat whose very own defensiveness results entirely in her tireless attempts to put others on the defensive in her presence? Once you are certain the world revolves around you, to put others on the defensive is your only resort when an unnamed discomfort disturbs your fragile psyche--when for a passing moment the reality that you are not as great as you think you are dares manifest itself; and you, with just slightly greater impetus, dare not see it for what it is really is: a truth that threatens the (necessary) house of cards that you --and your adoring lemmings--call reality. Edwards' treatment here sidesteps these questions by becoming a literary lemming. Her introduction and her conclusion are like two pies on a ledge of a house: screaming the warning "don't jump around or the pies may tip over and fall!" Edwards is a fan. That is why this book is so excellent. She loves Babs. I do. You do. Babs does. Andre does. Our president does. Buy the book and share it with your OWN Babs. Cross the line. To make a connection. A Streisand Connection.

I have long been an admirer of Ms Dano - from Another World, to Attitudes on Lifetime, to One Life to Live, to QVC. She has a wonderful style about her that makes one take notice without being overpowering or too over the top.

This book is a really helpful guide of finding your own style and building your own wardrobe. She helps you thru the difficult parts and shows you how to build - one piece at a time. She gives so many helpful hints on accessorizing to keep your look fresh rather than faddish. And the very best of all, it can be attained affordably!

I took her advice to heart and have the beginnings of a wonderful wardrobe that will help me to keep stylish for years.
Heck, it even helped me to win an award for personal style.

Thanks, Ms. Dano, for a much needed book for the average woman.

Although I found it a little frustrating that she took a one size fits all attitude to what a woman needs in her wardrobe, I still think the book is invaluable. She helps you build a core wardrobe in a timeless manner. I bought this book after having a baby and finding that my body shape had changed, I found great advice that helped me discover the most flattering styles for me, and stop wasting money on clothes that weren't quite right. She is a gem.

When I graduated from college, I realized that all I had in my closet were jeans and T-shirts. I didn't have anything appropriate to wear to a job interview. I also had very little money to spend on new clothes. I knew of Linda Dano from her work on Another World and her columns in Soap Opera Digest, so I took a chance on this book. This book is a fabulous fountain of information for building a wonderful wardrobe. By knowing the items of clothing that I would get the most use out of, I managed to build a wardrobe that is versatile and will last for years. Between Linda Dano's great advice and witty style, this book is a winner all the way.

I gave this book to a friend (25 yrs old at the time) and she loves it. We are both huge Anne Shirley fans and actually L.M. Montgomery fans too. This is a very sweet book that provides you with memories of some of Anne's memorable moments and adventures.

I bought this book for a friend, but before I gave it to her I poured over it. It is adorable and a great book for True Anne Lovers... and not just for kids! I made the raspberry cordial and it is simply delicous. This book brings back memories of Anne's adventures and important events in her life. You will enjoy this book if you are an Anne fan or if you are a cook... you will LOVE this book if you are an Anne fan AND a cook!

I bought this book to the ridicule of family and boyfriend but now they're the one's who can't wait for me to make the recipes included! The saucy chicken was a hit with my mum as was the caramel sauce with everyone. Other recipies include raspberry cordial, shortbread (came out yummy), icecream and chocolate caramels. I can't cook to save my life but these recipies are a doddle, even when I messed up the traditional lemonade it still tasted great.

i have a hard time giving an anne mccaffrey book such a low rating as two stars, as she is one of my all-time favorite writers, but this one just didn't do it for me. i loved the first two books of the trilogy, but something about this one was a bit too far-fetched. i know that sf is not necessarily supposed to coincide with reality, but it has to at least be believable, and the whole deal with killa miraculously recovering all her memories just didn't sit right with me - it was too pat and perfect. like i said, i loved the first two books of the trilogy, and the world of ballybran is fascinating (who wouldn't be intrigued by the idea of an entire mountain range singing harmonies at you? ), but my recommendation is to stop reading after the second book.

I was less than inspired by the first two Crystal Singer books. Killashandra was a fun heroine, but not too appealing, and her adventures were somewhat...silly. However, I hate leaving loose ends, so I started reading "Crystal Line"...and was quite pleasantly surprised! Oh, the adventures here are still rather irrelevant. Killa and Lars could have been doing anything, that's not really the point. The point is, in THIS book, the profession of Crystal Singing, the joys and triumphs it brings and the hazards of the job are finally explored, and it's...haunting. Lars is sweet, though he still doesn't do much for me. Killa, however, finally stops being the diva and faces the past she struggled for so long to suppress and has to find what her heart is searching for. Through the course of the book, several loose ends are tied up (it's recommended that the reader not wait too long between reading "Crystal Singer" and "Crystal Line"), and the ending is...perfect.

This is one of the most beautiful sci-fi trilogy, I've ever had the pleasure to read (and boy was it a pleasure!). As an avid reader of both sci-fi and fantasy books, it is always wonderful to come across a book which is both imagintive and thought provoking. It took me two days to finish all three, I just could not put them down. Yes, may- be the story has an all to perfect ending, but I'm finding more and more these days that a good perfect ending gives you the reprieve you need from modern day stresses, and this book differently gives you that.

Anne McCaffrey, has created a world of excitment, intrigue and love; a world that has the reader feeling and experiencing everything the characters go through and feel. I very much recommend this book to any one who is a fan of the genre and a good ending.

WOW it was hard to rate this as a whole because the tales are very different. This is a trade side reprints of stories that have been reprinted several times.
(the weakest of the three) JAK's The Waiting Game is not one of her best earlier works. Still a good read, but the female character is really stupid at times and it hurts the rest of the book. The male character more than makes up for the silly female, but he can only do so much. This has been reprinted several times by itself so I suggest you check you old series romance and recent JAK's before you buy this one.

Delinsky's Montana Man is one of her best early works. She shows a strong hand in male-female attraction and it was riveting.

Anne Stuart ( one of my favourite writers) gives us a touching story of second chances. And as usual, Stuart is the BEST at the bad boy being redeemed by love. Emerson Wyatt McVey was a ruthless corporate executive that destroyed hundreds, maybe thousands of lives by closing factories. On a Wintry holiday night, his car goes off the road and he dies, but he is given once chance to come back as another man and make right three lives he destroyed. Carrie Alexander is one of those he destroyed and it is through her love McVey will be redeemed or not. A beautiful holiday tale, with Fallen Angel being a special special Stuart tale.

It is very unusual in a collection of stories to enjoy all 3. I definetely enjoyed all three. TOo Wild to Wed by Jayne Ann Krentz was great! Montana Man by Barbara Delinsky was super as well, but I kept thinking that I had read it or a story just like it before. Falling Angel by Anne Stuart was also good - but not quite a believable.

Jayne Ann Krentz and Barbara Delinsky deliver their gifted tales of strong female characters who create their own dilemmas. Krentz's professor, Letty, and Delinsky's hitchhiker, Lily, both meet her own Mr. Wrong who worms his way into each heroine's heart by trying to rescue her from a risky situation to become her Mr. Right. I always enjoy both of these authors and have added Anne Stuart to my "must read" list. Anne Stuart brings Gabriel, a beautiful angel of slippery status, back to Angel Falls, Minnesota, with 30 days to right the wrongs he visited on 3 people before he died. His new visage enchants Carrie Alexander when he arrives at her door Thanksgiving day after his truck slides into a ditch during a blizzard. Gabriel's attraction to Carrie makes him wonder how he will correct his sins against her and two other unnamed people in time to make it back to heaven, when all he wants to do his stay with her at the risk of eternity in Hell. The ensuing interaction between Gabriel and the people he meets results in an entertaining love story.

Editor Keely has brought to gather a fine cadre of female religious educators who chronicle the lives and ministries of twelve of their ¡§foremothers,¡¨ fellow female educators of an earlier generation who have mentored the contributors. FAITH OF OUR FOREMOTHERS is a celebration of feminists who greatly influenced twentieth-century religious education. Keely states the purpose of the book as such:
"It is the purpose of this book to name a few of our foremothers, lift their voices, and describe their legacies to the field of religious education that weave part of the fabric that we, the feminist educators of younger generations, claim as ours" (1).

The twelve foremothers that are included are Sophia Fahs, Hulda Niebuhr, Nelle Morton, Rachel Henderlite, Iris Cully, Norma Thompson, Olivia Pearl Stokes, Sara Little, Dorothy Jean Furnish, Freda Gardner, Letty Russell, and Maria Harris. Each chapter follows a similar design with a biographical sketch, an examination of contributions made to religious education in terms of either thought or practice, feminist threads that appear in the woman¡¦s work, and the legacy that she has left. FAITH OF OUR FOREMOTHERS is intended to be more than a collection of biographies, though. It is clear that the authors and the editor intend to inspire modern educators towards communal and liberating practice in their own respective spheres of influence.

In documenting the heritage of these notable tutors, the authors have "identify[ed] the emerging patterns of feminist approaches woven into religious education" (9). The feminist "threads" that have been "woven" into religious education include:
- The integration of life and experience
- Education that happens in community
- Liberation
- Attention to power issues in emphasizing the collegiality of laity and clergy
- Boundaries that extend beyond the immediate context
- Integration of theory and practice
- Attention to inclusive language
- The partnership of teacher and student
While each foremother may not have exemplified each of these eight strands of feminist thought, each did epitomize many of them.

Community seems to be one theme that most all of the foremothers stressed. A comment from Henderlite illustrates this: ¡§At every age the child will be picking up theological concepts simply from living in the community of faith¡¨ (64). Others such as Olivia Pearl Stokes and Hulda Niebuhr sought more explicit ways of fostering an egalitarian and communal disposition in their preference for discussion as a pedagogical methodology. Nelle Morton stressed mutuality by "hearing one another into speech" - a quote and concept that also influenced many of her fellow foremothers.

It worth noting the difficulty in critiquing a work of this nature as it has so many different subjects and contributors. Our critical comments might only apply to one of the many authors. In spite of this challenge we can, however, note the work of the editor, Barbara Anne Keely. Keely has done what I have witnessed few other editors do, in bringing coherence to a diverse work. Even through she had many collaborators, Keely¡¦s influence can be seen in each chapter. Each biographical essay follows a similar format that moves from biography to contributions to feminists threads to the legacy that has been left. The reader is, therefore, not left with the frustration of having to constantly adapt to completely different writing styles. To attest to this lucid coherence is not to suggest the authors were given a template that stifled their creativity; ironically, this would violate the feminist trajectory of the book! Each writer is creative and unique within the given framework. Some choose a personal approach recalling their shared experiences with the foremother, while others adopt a more detached literary review style. Keely is to be commended for bring together such a balanced, consistent text. One can only hope that a second volume would follow.

Valor and Lace, edited by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn, is an anthology of eleven short histories of women that lived during the War Between the States and contributed to the side of the South during that conflict. Each of the anthologies is readable and most are well researched. As with any book containing material from several authors, there are some chapters that are better researched and written than others. However, in general the book is concise and presents various aspects of the Southern woman's life during the War. The title and subtitle (The Roles of Confederate Women 1861-1865) are somewhat misleading. The book does not present a comprehensive history of women in general during the war but rather presents the reader with eleven specific cases of extraordinary women who felt the need to commit themselves to the cause for which they believed, be it the Southern cause for independence or the moral cause to care for the wounded, regardless of their political affiliation. While it would be erroneous for the reader to assume this is a true picture of every Southern woman, it is an appropriate portrayal of certain aspects of life both at home and on or near the battlefield and the role that some women played during the Civil War. This reveiwer recommends the book to any student of the War as well as to those readers interested in the social roles of women during that period of American history.

I read "Ladder of Years" for a college english class. I initally viewed the book as just another assignment, but quickly found myself genuninely interested in the story as I continued reading. After completion of the novel, I reflected upon the various messages Anne Tyler was trying to convey in her novel. There are many different issues addressed in this novel. The one I found the most interesting is how the main character, Delia, uses fairy tales and imagination to convey her thoughts and feelings throughout the story. This process also helped to better understand Delia's actions in the novel. Another issue that was used in the novel was that of abandonment. Delia decided on the spur of the moment to leave her family and the novel shows how she alters her life as a result of her decision. The novel deals with a lot of powerful emotional and psychological issues. It is interesting to see how Delia uses her past and her imagination in her relationships with people in both her new life and her family back home. This is a novel was written with subtle messages included. The ending was somewhat disappointing to many readers, but it was a statisfactory one to me. It provided closure to one journey and as a result, opened Delia's eyes to what was really important to her in her life.

I loved Ladder of Years because it reflects my own, and many others, unspoken desire to walk away from their life. After an exciting career, a good marriage, or wonderful children, most people go through a time of reflection and possible regret about things they never did with their life. Delia experiences this, but does what most people would never dare. She simply walks away. Tyler develops the characters of Delia and her family thoroughly as she sets the plot, making it easy to sympathize with everyone in this situation. Without this character development, I don't believe I would have liked Delia very much for abandoning her family. Tyler is also brilliant in her portrayal of Delia as a nurturing person even after she leaves her family. Delia takes in strays, from cats to people, causing the reader to step away from judging her as a cold-hearted selfish person. The wonderful part of the story is that in the end, Delia finds her way back to her family, and the reader can imagine that the family survives and become closer after this separation. Delia has found herself, accepted herself and her life's path, and finds room in her heart for those she loves and those who need it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to readers looking for a little joy and hope.

Delia feels intensely the diametrically opposed emotions many of us have as we reach the midpoint of our lives. Middle age is a time of retrospection-we wonder if the choices we made were good ones. We question our choice of spouse, our choice of career, our future without children in the house, our achievements (or lack thereof), even our very purpose in life. Delia acts on her doubts-pushed along by a grossly inattentive husband and acrimonious children. Without her unpleasant home life, Delia might have stayed forever, never knowing the answers to her questions. Tyler provides all of us going through the pangs of middle age with an alter ego through whom we experience what we might never actually do ourselves. She demonstrates her great talent by creating a sympathetic character in Delia. We feel for Delia, even though, in leaving her family, she commits an act generally condemned by society. As other readers have expressed, at one time or another everyone with a spouse and children has felt like walking away. However, Delia doesn't abandon her family, she is emotionally shoved out the door.

Anthology series are indeed hit or miss and the stories in The Grand Hotel are a miss all the way around. Romance and humor was seriously lacking in this book. There was little to recommend or differentiate one story from the other. If I had to pick one story that was at least semi-enjoyable, I would choose Barbara Metzger's story as there was at least some attraction and humor between the love interests, though not as amusing as amusing as Ms. Metzger can usually be. Why does Carla Kelly always right such somber romances? For me, somber and romance are two adjectives that should not mix in a romance novel.

The Grand Hotel is an anthology based around a single setting: a hotel in London, where the various characters either work or are guests. It's an interesting concept, and one which should, in theory, make the stories appear less as unconnected vignettes and more as 'chapters' in one longer story. But in practice, The Grand Hotel didn't turn out that way. It's something which could have been achieved quite easily, had the authors been given a plot thread which would weave throughout the individual stories and be resolved in the final one. As it was, the stories were very much stand-alone, with only brief references to common characters.

Carla Kelly's The Background Man is probably the best of the bunch, which is hardly surprising. Charles Mortimer, the assistant manager, is rarely noticed, because of his ability to blend into the background. However, substituting for his superior, he comes to the notice of Miss Carrington, a somewhat unusual guest. He falls in love with her immediately, and barely dares to hope that she will return his feelings. She does... but she's hiding a secret from him. Will this destroy any chance for them? My problem with The Background Man was mainly that it was too short, a common problem with anthology stories. The relationship really didn't have enough time to develop, and I wanted to see more of Charles and Millie together.

In Elisabeth Fairchild's Love Will Find A Way, Lieutenant James Forrester is about to meet, for the first time, the widow of his late commanding officer. Yet he feels as if he's known Annabelle Grant all his life. (Incidentally, Annabelle is a widow. Why does Fairchild refer to her as 'Miss'?). James, we see, had to read all her letters to Archie, her late husbamd, and once Archie was too ill to respond on his own, James wrote to her. He fell in love with her from her letters. Now, he has a few days only to get to know her and persuade her to consider marrying him. This is an interesting idea, and a nice, gentle love story - but again rushed by the pressures of coming in at under 65 pages.

Anne Barbour's The Castaway is the most disappointing, given Barbour's undoubted talent. A woman called Martha Finch arrives at the hotel to keep an appointment with Lord Branford, acting on behalf of the Marquess of Canby, the man whose granddaughter she claims to be. The reader is shown very soon that Martha is lying about her claim, and Barbour does not give her particularly sympathetic motives. I was hoping throughout that she would be exposed and that Branford, the hero, would reject her. Her lie is, of course, found out, but a far too convenient solution then emerges. This is one heroine I did *not* want to see end up with the hero.

Next, we have Barbara Metzger's The Management Requests. Captain Arthur Hunter (who should, in fact, be Captain Viscount Huntingdon, if Metzger paid proper attention to protocol) needs a room on the ground floor because of an injury. None is available, so he persuades the manager to let him have the room behind the reception desk. Because of this, a guest - Hope Thurstfield - mistakes him for the manager, a misapprehension Arthur chooses not to correct. (Why?) The secondary characters in this vignette almost drove me crazy, and I didn't especially care for Hope. Another miss.

And finally, we have Allison Lane's Promises to Keep. Maggie Adams has arrived from America to try to make peace with her father's family, from whom he was estranged after eloping with her mother. She bumps into a Marcus Widner at the hotel, who just happens to be related to her mother's family and who offers to help her in her quest - but who warns her off making immediate contact with her father's family. Lane lives up to her usual standards here by inventing the usual crop of one-dimensional villains, completely unbelievable in their audacity and villainry. I liked Marcus, but that's about all I can say for this story.

All in all, not worth the new purchase price, unless you're desperate to complete a Carla Kelly collection. My copy is going to the next charity shop collection.

Although I'm not terribly found of anthologies because the brevity of the format inevitably results in shallow, partially-drawn characters, I found myself enjoying this one more than most. Why? Mostly because it included the romances of some ordinary people, not just those who are rich and titled. Also because it was (for the most part) the heroes who fell in love first and "loved from afar," instead of the women. And because some of the characters and events were intertwined in other stories and gave the impression of a single book instead of an anthology by five different authors. I'd like to see more anthologies like this one!