This third entry in the series is laugh-out-loud wonderful. I have never actually laughed while reading a book before. Yes, of course I've smiled, teared up, been disturbed etc., but I mean Ms. George can really make you laugh. Patricia Anne is a humorous, yet poignant voice. While signing on to review this book today, I couldn't help notice the AOL news about the latest horrible shooting in Atlanta. This made me think of Patricia Anne's simple true comment about the world "being too much with us." I found the book most hysterical when Mary Alice gives her fiction telling a try. Escape the world and the heat by spending some time with these sisters.

This is my first Southern Sisters novel and I thoroughly enjoyed every page. The sisters, Patricia Anne and Mary Alice are hilarious.

In this mystery, Mary Alice's daughter gets married and the wedding guests are varied and include Meg March Bryan, a very successful genealogist, and a guest from the groom's side of the family. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice become chummy with Meg and have a luncheon date with her. The luncheon goes well, until their guest hurries away without her two briefcases. Shortly after that the sisters learn that Meg has taken her life by jumping off the 9th floor of the building across the street. The sister detectives get involved with her death which they don't believe was a sucide.

What makes this book so charming are the sisters. Patricia Anne, a former English teacher, and married to Fred for over forty years, is a tiny and proper lady. Her sister,Mary Alice is almost her opposite in every way. She's big, beautiful and men seem to love all 250 pounds of her. She describes herself as being 5 foot 12 inches tall and she's looking for a fourth husband. The first three are all lying in the cemetery, side by side. Mary Alice calls Patricia Anne, Mouse and tells people that little Mouse is anorexic. I laughed out loud over the verbal exchanges between the sisters.

I read this very quickly, and I can't wait to read more books in this series.

Anne George has written a wonderful book. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice obviously love each other, but they still argue like other sibling do. They are hilarious. When murder comes up, expect Patricia Anne to put her nose into it and expect Mary Alice to follow after her. With a fast moving plot, this book can easily be read in one day.

I like Betty Doll because it is a true story and it has pictures of real people on stands. It is also good because Betty Doll stands out in color because she is the main character and also the people are black with some color for the clothes. This book is about this little girl who makes a doll with her grandmother. The little girl named her Betty Doll. The little girl grew up and had children she gave her little girl Betty Doll. When her little girl was about 10 her great grandmother got cancer and the little girl who grew up and had Betty Doll was really sad. They remembered all there memories about Betty Doll and also how they made her and what they did with her. I recommend that you read Betty Doll because it is a true story and it is also very good

Patricia Polacco has, once again, gone to her family for a story around which to hang her usual marvelous illustrations. "Betty Doll" doesn't disappoint. Polacco opens the book by telling the reader about her mother dying and about packing up her belongings and then finally going through them a year later. In some of the boxes Polacco packed up, she finds her mother's old, handmade cloth doll. Wrapped around it is the letter her mother wrote while dying of cancer.

Now before you decide that this is NOT a book for children, you should know that the book overall has a joyous, shimmering quality. The story concentrates on Betty Doll's travels and adventures, with Polacco deftly portraying Betty Doll in color while all else is in handsome but quiet black-and-white tones. This brings Betty's story to the fore visually, but as far as the story itself goes, she serves as a backdrop for different generations of Polacco's family.

The story is true, and it rings true. A little girl's love of her doll and the happiness she finds while playing with the doll come to the fore, as does the stability of Betty Doll throughout the changes of the little girl's life as she grows up, marries, and so on. This is a fine way to gently ease into discussing the cancer of a family member with any young child, but it is also an absorbing tale in its own right and stands ably on its own, aided by Polacco's usual impeccable illustrations.

I disagree with the other reviews that say this is not a story for children. My daughter will be four next month. This book is one that we both enjoy:I enjoy reading it and she enjoys listening. She understands this is the story of someones life. The book has made it easier for me to approach the subjects of growing old and death of a loved one. I believe we should never shy away from exposing our children to such beautiful literature, which has serious issues to share. It is great to read a book that all family members can enjoy. Rather than parents having to say, "not that one again."

This is the first of many Anne George books I hope to read! It was a humorous and clever mystery about the two southern sisters who are more different than alike. They take you on a fun, exciting, and dangerous vacation that will keep you guessing until the end! This is a wonderful book!

Another terrific Southern Sisters Mystery! Join Patricia Anne and 'Aunt Sister' at the beach.

Throw in a couple of dead bodies, a whole whack of turtles and a Florida vacation and you have another hilarious, enjoyable read from Anne George.

I was first attracted to Anne's stories by the title of her books, but now I keep coming back for the laughs, the who-done-its and the fact that these two sisters feel like part of MY family now.

Thanks Anne!

Murder Makes Waves was a truly enjoyable read! I stumbled onto this book in Denver, where I now live, after living for ten years about 20 miles from the Southern Sisters stomping grounds! It is truly a laugh-out-loud book and oh how I can relate to the dialogue! A truly wonderful southern writer. I have finished three of her books now and am waiting for more. Thanks Anne George for reminding me of home!

I found this book to be very interesting. So much information on the beginning of Mowtown. The struggles of stardom and the effect it had on the friendship of three young ladies. The nitpicking Mary does on Diana went a little overboard, but otherwise very entertaining.

I originally purchased a used copy of this book at a Goodwill store for the purpose of re-selling it in Amazon auctions. After browsing through a few chapters, I immediately revised my auction with a "too high" price so no one would bid on it and I could read the book before I sold it. Now, I'm not selling it. Why? Well, not because it was literay genius but mostly because I was a disc jockey during the "Supreme" years and could identify with much of the story line. However, there was SO much I didn't know about this group until I read the book.Who would have dreamt that these girls were at one time making $5.00 to $10.00 when the cut a record? Who could imagine the depth of dissension that built up between these young friends who had worked so hard to gain their careers? How did fame and success finally split the group beyond repair? The book not only covers the lives of the Supremes, but also details some of the artists and talents of other groups working for Motown. Her descriptions of "Hitsville" were colorfully accurate and I could easily picture her and the other talent crammed into small studios rehearsing and using the toilet as an echo chamber. All the Motown greats are mentioned in this book (as well as most of their romances). I also learned a great deal more about the racial tensions of that era and how things changed through the years for black performers. I could actually feel the conflicts because of Mary's astute descriptions.There were times when I thought the flow was somewhat choppy and I was disappointed that there wasn't a more detailed description of the group's first appearance at the Apollo theatre. After all the build up, only one paragraph about the show and that just dealt with the fact that they finally did play there.However, Mary Wilson's emotional descriptions of Diane (Diana), Flo, Cindy and herself were powerful enough to make me understand how friction developed between them and how their activities affected the group as a whole.This is probably one of the most worthwhile books I have ever read and would highly recommend it to anyone who has the least bit interest in the music industry as it was betwen 1960 and 1980.

As a child, I listened to the radio all the time and of course, in the '60s, the Supremes dominated much of the airwaves. I loved their music, but really knew little about them. This book educated me, and no, I do not think it was a "Diana Ross Bashing Book". I believe Mary told the truth. We were just outsiders looking in; Mary was there.

As a child of 8 or so, I read this book to myself. At first read, I thought it a rather strange book. It was only after three more reads later in my life that I finally understood the plot. This book is well worth the money simply because of the beautiful images that made me cry as an 8 year old, but save your dollars until your child is old enough to sort through the images to find the plot.

I loved RAINBOW GARDEN as a little girl. As an adult, I still re-read it every couple of years. In my opinion, this beautiful story should be considered a Christian classic. Both well-written and touching, RAINBOW GARDEN is a story about how a lonely little girl finds fulness of joy. Patricia M. St. John paints wonderful pictures of happy childhood and those little incidents that have such great meaning and excitement.

This is the story of a little girl who feels lost in the world, as her mother is too busy with her own life to care for her. Her father is dead and now her mother is taking a new job in a different country, requiring lots of travelling, without Elaine. Elaine must go live with a family of six children. Through the time she spends with them, she finds Jesus and learns to love others more than herself. An excellent protrayal of real life situations, not glossed over, but told with propiety. I read this story to my four children ages 3 to 9 and they loved it.

This is the second book in the "Southern Sisters" series -- which looks to be a series that's worth reading in order. (Murder on a Girl's Night Out is the first in the series.) Once again, being sixty-something and retired in Alabama is looking to be lots of fun and a little bit dangerous.

This time the sisters get involved in a death at an art gallery featuring "outsider" art (think quilts, primitive oils, etc.) The book is strong on humor, sisterly chat (and teasing), winter in Birmingham and teacher love. The mystery is pretty weak -- particularly the conclusion which both comes out of nowhere and is way too convenient.

Bottom line -- a fun, light read of the cozy kind. As another reviewer mentioned about Anne George, it's nice to find an author that you can recommend to your senior citizen mother.

I have always been a big fan of Southern writers; Conroy, Samms, Edgarton, Burns, and of course Mitchell to name a few. And now I have a new name to add to the list: Anne George. Her books are just precious and her characters are lovable! As I have previously stated, since I live in Alabama, I especially enjoy all the references to the Birmingham landmarks. When I read about highway 280, the Vulcan and the Galleria I feel that I am part of the story. Speaking of the story, I loved it. The writing is crisp, the dialogue forceful, and the plot is scrumptious! If you want a great book that will grasp you on the first page and is effortless to follow, get a copy of Murder on a Bad Hair Day: A Southern Sisters Mystery--you won't regret it!

I usually have 2 books going...a more serious read and a light one. Just discovered Anne George this week-end. What a hoot! Two sisters in their sixties who are total opposites (one petite and more mild-mannered and one large and out-spoken). Just imagine the large one playing Mrs. Claus at the local mall (Birmingham, Alabama) with a funky wig and a top with blinking lights. An opening at the local art gallery ends in death. Now the sisters are on a quest to find the murderer. The

dialogue is clever, the situations are rather unique, and the gallery owner has been deemosoed. Read it to find out. I LOVE Joan Hess. Her tales of Maggody have often made me laugh out loud. Now, after reading all of Hess's, I have a new Southern author to seek out. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice (the sisters) are my new "light read." Funny, I finished this one in 2 days while my "serious" book kept calling to me. I'm off to Border's to find more of Anne George.

While not the first reference book I would recommend for a general library, it is certainly one a library or chemist's office shouldn't be without.

This is an encyclopedia, with abstracts on zillions of chemicals. Is this the most authoritative book on the planet? No. If you want that, go read Chem Abstracts.

If you want an handy reference which will give you a pointer in the right direction for information on chemicals/drugs/biologics, then this is for you.

Got chloroform in your waste water and wondering how it might have inadvertently developed from miscellaneous stuff dumped down the drain? Wow - acetone + bleach powder catalyzed with sulfuric acid = chloroform, with citations.

Not always the most useful, but definately a good resource.

This edition of "The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals, Drugs, & Biologicals" shows remarkable improvement over its predecessor.
Boasting of diverse groups of chemicals and pharmaceuticals, it is a success in its own right. There are just plenty to be explored! The book brims with accurate up-to-date information. Pharmacists, Medics, Chemists, Biologists, Physicists, Agriculturists, and many other professionals who work with elements, compounds and mixtures will find this book very useful. It is revised, and is complemented with detailed descriptions, which include molecular formulae, molecular weights, as well as the percentage compositions of constituent chemicals in a compound or mixture.
It is a valuable reference tool.

This book must be the most organized reference book I have ever used. Its so fulfilling to be able to find exactly what you're looking for when you need it. Includes a common name index, chemical formula index, as well as registry numbers, therapeutic categories for drugs, useful tables, and organic chemical equations. highly recommended!

Hucksters of prophecies usually make their sales by scaring what wits their customers still have entirely out of them. So, this book stands out from the rest by stroking the terrified reader with reassurances that all is not so bad as it might seem. Of course, this is the usual thing with the Biblical and other religious crowds, who all hope to make it past the fiery Millenium, but freaked out New Agers may want to hear some good tidings, too.
A bonus is the book's inclusion of several, not just one, traditions of hocus-pocus. So several word-of-mouth and late-night-television groups may be drawn to this title.
I'd recommend it for the paranormal collection in high schools, public libraries or podunk colleges, where stuff like this gets checked out permanently or ripped off all the time and the staff need to keep something on the shelf.

Having never read any of Elizabeth's books before, and being relatively aware of St Germaine and his wondrous work on this planet, this book jumped out at me. Yes, I agree with the other reviewees, that it is a helpful book to enable us to 'relax' somewhat and know that all is indeed not doom and gloom. Power to the people could never be as important at this time that we are presently in. However, there is a group of chapters which I would have to whole heartedly disagree with and if I didn't know any better, they appear to have an agenda behind them.The Child's Perspective and a few of the following chapters from this one I personally found quite alarming in their content. There is no greater truth than your own, so take care when reading some of this, because at the end of the day it is only an opinion. Don't be afraid to feel and if all of her words ring true for you fantastic, but if they don't this is because this is Elizabeth's truth and not your own.

This is a very well-written and well-researched book, but most importantly, it gives us a very profound sense of hope by saying that prophecy is just a warning, it's not intended to panick people and make them buy tons of supply and just wait for the world to crumble down, but we actually can overcome it and make our destiny what we want it to be.

In its roughly 50 parts, all written by experienced cooks and cook book writers, HP Books' "The Book of ... Cooking" series takes you to the cuisines of various regions of the U.S. and around the world; all in easy to follow, well-explained recipes.

This installment, the Book of Preserves (Jams, Chutneys, Pickles, Jellies), starts with a brief introduction into the basics of preserving, including a glossary of ingredients and an explanation of the necessary equipment and utensils and all about setting, packing, sealing, packaging and labeling preserves. It then presents recipe suggestions for all major types of preserves, from jams and jellies to candied fruits. Special chapters are dedicated to marmalades, curds, butters, conserves, freezer jams, microwave preserves, pickles, chutneys, sauces and catsups, fruit in alcohol, liqueurs, syrups, flavored vinegars and mustards. The book closes with a short section on drying fruit. Classics such as candied apricots, blackcurrant jelly, black cherry jam, grape jelly, pickled dill cucumbers, dried apple rings, herb vinegar, mango chutney, spiced oranges, lemon curd, spiced prunes, rum pot, apple butter, cranberry sauce, strawberry jam and tomato sauce appear next to unique recipes such as dried apricot and pear jam, freezer nectarine jam, kiwifruit jam, lemon apples in wine, mushroom catsup, orange and apple jelly, peach and raspberry jam, pineapple harlequin, plum and cherry brandy jam and grape chutney.

From apple ginger chutney to walnut catsup, this collection of recipes is a great introduction to the endless possibilities of making preserves - and at a relative bargain price, to boot. Also recommended: this series' installments on chocolates and petits fours, ice creams and sorbets, cookies, and afternoon tea.

This book is full of easy to follow recipies that taste wonderful and look beautiful. Basic, easy to understand instructions on canning, labeling and gift wrapping are included on the first few pages. Most of the recipies are for slightly different than your adverage preserves (You won't be finding the Pineapple-Orange marmalade on your supermarket shelves!). Recipies for pickles, syrups, mustards and liquors are included along with jams, jellies, marmalades and other preserves.

Charles and Mary Lamb's classic book on Shakespeare retains too much of the archaic language of the actual works to interest grade school children. While the work might appeal to upper grades and high school students anxious to find an alternative to reading the actual plays, as an introduction to Shakespeare for young children, the book is a failure. It compares unfavorably with Ian Serralier's out-of-print classic THE TEMPEST AND OTHER TALES: STORIES FROM SHAKESPEARE, which uses modern language and glowing imagery to effectively communicate the universal appeal of Shakespeare to the very young. I can testify to this since it was Serralier's book, read in the third grade, that first interested me in the Bard. I stumbled upon Lamb's book later. If I had found Lamb's book first, I would have concluded that Shakespeare was something dry and dull for grownups, and it would have been forced down my throat in the upper grades. As things turned out, I have a lifelong love of the Bard thanks to Serralier's book. A publisher with any sense would reprint it

I love this book! I have always loved Shakespeare and wanted my children to enjoy the bard as well. I always read these stories to them before we watch a play on TV, video, or rarely, on stage. They are a step ahead in that they already know the plot and can then enjoy the language more fully. They are developing a love for Shakespeare, too!

I read this book as a child of eight (back in 1970). It was a gift from my scientist father (an avid Shakespeare fan) as an introduction to Shakespeare.

The book served its purpose very well and I have now given it to my sons aged 7 and 9 who have found it extremely enjoyable. The best part of this book is the way it weaves a rich tapestry in layman's language without the confusing and often ambiguous old English of the original transcripts.

Lamb's Tales makes an excellent primer for those going to see the plays in traditional old English. The book allows all the complex plot elements and characters to be understood and spotted in the live play. The prose format allows the reader to conjure up the images and situations more readily than if struggling with the poetry.

I heartily recommend this book to all ages.