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Also to see first-hand the areas where the RAF bravely held off the Nazi air attacks, and the civilian wardens watched the skies and the shores, it made me very thankful for our friends across the Atlantic.
The Rough Guide was a critical part of this memorable vacation.
It is frank and factual, but also upbeat. You will save money, and time, reading it. but you'll also be prepared to savor the history of the place, and meet the helpful and friendly people who live there. We took our Rough Guide everywhere. It was like a trusted, and good-spirited English friend. And it will sit on the top of our day packs during our next trip there.
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This, the Restored and Annotated version of 20,000 leagues, is a VAST improvement over previous English editions. The translation is very well done, and the annotations explain what has been changed and what previous translations accomplished.
Highly recommended!
Rebecca York begins the set with "Tyler." An undercover federal agent is surprised when his latest case brings him into the life of the sister of his boyhood friend. Tyler feels he let her brother down. When killers chase them into the bayou, can he do right by her? York doesn't have much room to tell her story, since she has to provide the prologue that sets up the trilogy and the events that lead into the next two tales. Eighty pages isn't much to tell a whole story. As a result, there isn't much to "Tyler," a straightforward couple-on-the-run tale with few surprises but good suspense and a high level of sensuality. There aren't many twists and some may have trouble believing these two could fall in love in such a short period of time. Good atmosphere and page-turning suspense do compensate. Fans of constant action and steamy love scenes will find them here. Four Stars.
Surprisingly, the best story in the set doesn't come from an Intrigue author but from Metsy Hingle. In "Nick," a man returns to his hometown for his brother's wedding to the only woman he's ever loved. When his brother is murdered, Nick becomes the prime suspect. Can he find the truth and reclaim the only woman for him? Hingle's story is the best because she manages to combine all the elements of a full-length Intrigue into her eighty pages. Both characters have interesting and involved histories that make them seem more three-dimensional. Hingle keeps her characters in constant danger, but she also spaces her story over several days. It is fast-paced but doesn't feel rushed. This is the only story where I really felt like the characters had a chance to talk about their relationship. By the end I was convinced they would last as a couple. A good mystery, dangerous situations and enjoyable antagonists make this a joy to read. It's not easy to pull off in eighty pages (some writers can't do it in 250). Hingle does it with ease. Five stars.
Joanna Wayne finishes the set with "Jules." A murder brings Jules close to the truth of the man out to get him and his friends. It also reunites him with his first love. Can Jules protect her when her involvement with him puts her in danger? Wayne's story is a solid follow-up to the second one. It has some good character development and twists along the way. The climax is somewhat weak. The dangerous situation the characters find themselves in is so contrived I couldn't understand how this could be happening to intelligent people. Wayne does offer some chilling scenes and confrontations with a truly evil villain to keep readers turning the pages and the romance is solid. Four Stars.
The Louisiana bayou country is a setting that has mostly been forgotten in Intrigues (out of the last 100 Intrigues, only one full novel and one novella were set in Louisiana, both in New Orleans). It's a shame these stories couldn't have been offered as three separate books to allow readers to spend more time in this setting and the authors more time to build their stories. The idea was strong enough to support a trilogy. For what it is though, readers looking for fast reads will enjoy "Bayou Blood Brothers," so much they'll probably wish there was more of it.
winner of the 2001 Golden Leaf Award for Novellas by the
New Jersey Romance Writers.
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Verne makes clear how the respective sides view the situation; the West seeks to remake nature to its advantage, while the East has adapted to their surroundings. The West wants to change the land, failing to realize that the desert
is home to the tribes of Bedouins. Flooding the land and changing its fundamental purpose becomes the ultimate form of imperialism. While recognizing its political shortcomings, Verne still valorizes the heroic aspect of the human attempt to
harness nature.
The first half of the book establishes the region and the dimensions of the conflict, comparing the different cultures of the Arabs and the Europeans. During the last half, Verne foreshadows the final outcome as nature asserts its own primacy over human plans. A monstrous earthquake shifts the land, allowing the sea to flood the Sahara, overwhelming even the designs of the French. The characters in The Invasion of the Sea are men (and an Arab woman) in action--bandits, French soldiers and an engineers--but the novel is not as exciting as the general reader might hope.
The translation by Edward Baxter is ideal; he fluently transfers Verne's French into readable, contemporary English. All of the 43 engravings and photographs from the original French edition are included, bringing to life the scenery and action of the story in the context of their time. For years it has seemed that this novel could not be more timely, considering confrontations between Arabs and the West, yet its appearance in English comes at a historical moment whose aptness could not be exceeded. While scarcely a lost masterpiece, The Invasion of the Sea is a worthy and important addition to the Verne canon and science fiction literature.
Internal Affairs officer Judith Hunt believes Sully's dad is guilty and plans to prove it even if she has to rip Sully's image in the process. She admits to herself that she finds Sully quite attractive while he reciprocates her deep feelingsbut both hide it from the other. As Sully wants someone to love, he desperately tosses a bottle with a note inside into the Hudson. Judith finds the note and a mail box relationship starts with neither knowing the identity of the other. Even if they did and love blossoms into full bloom, nothing can come of this because his dad remains between them.
Though Sully's mom hiding her Lotto winnings just to get her sons married when her husband is in deep legal trouble seems strange to this reviewer, fans will enjoy this police procedural romance. The story line hooks the audience early on two levels. First readers feel the tension between the lead characters and second fans observe the investigation as it unfolds and causes havoc and misunderstanding between Judith and Sully. Jule McBride provides a strong tale entry that ties up the Sullivan threads yet entertainingly can stand-alone.
Harriet Klausner
The first story, "Goddess in Waiting" by Anne Stuart is the best. Marike is a larger than life woman who runs a maternity shop/shelter for pregnant teenagers. When William arrives one day in his Gucci suit looking to have a maternity wardrobe made for his sister, it's clear that these two couldn't be more complete opposites. But William finds the funky and compassionate Marike irresistible, though she's far from his usual type. Now he just has to convince Marike that they're right for each other! This story was fresh and original, and I thought it was great!
Next is Tara Taylor Quinn's "Gabe's Special Delivery". This is the story of two very different people who fall in love and rush into marriage, only to have it fall apart because of a misunderstanding. However, a beautiful baby girl helps them find their way back to each other. Bailey and Gabe are both very likeable characters. This was an enjoyable read.
Finally, Julie McBride's "My Man Valentine" is a sweet story about friends becoming lovers. Eloise has lived next door to C.D. Valentine for two years, and has been fantasizing about him since the day they met. Her plans to profess her feelings for him on Valentine's Day are interrupted when she suddenly finds herself babysitting for a very unhappy little girl. C.D., however, comes to help out, and he and Eloise finally admit that their feelings run deeper than friendship. This is a lovely romance and is sure to please readers.
Overall, this anthology is great for light reading and a few hours of relaxation. Each story is fun and romantic, so pick this book up and enjoy!
There are few writers who can construct this short form so very well, so make this your introduction to Anne Stuart if you've never read her before. A collection like this is a perfect sampler. I confess that I got this book for her story alone, and I haven't even bothered to read the other two yet. But one Anne Stuart gives you more than your money's worth.
It is worthy of praise for its excellent coverage of the immolation of Gary Hart and Joe Biden. It also does an outstanding job giving the history of Republican and Democratic parties in elections since 1960.
The weakness comes from the obvious liberal bias that Germond has. They get angry with George Bush and the campaign he ran - although when they get back around to covering the 1992 election, they don't mention the dirt that Bill Clinton threw without any network complaints.
They book also demonstrates that the liberal elite just don't get it. In the final analysis, there's a complaint about the GOP hanging Vietnam around the necks of Democrats as being "unpatriotic," and imply Bush merely continued that. But Bush actually succeeded in playing the kind of superficial game that Democrats usually play at the polls - and their only anger is because he won.
For example, it is common for the Democratic Party to say that the GOP will "cut" Social Security. I have debates on tape going back to 1960, and this argument has been made by every Democrat since 1976 (at least). But they know full well this is mere demagoguery. In fact, G/W do not bring out enough the fact that Dukakis was demagoguing that very issue - or the fact that he said he was a "card carrying member of the ACLU" in the primary but considered it "negative campaigning" when Bush hung the ACLU around his neck. The only problem the journalists have is NOT with the superficiality of elections, but the fact their chosen guy got beat.
However, if one looks past the usual liberal jargon, it does read very well. They also have an excellent chapter on the Michigan caucus (GOP side) that Pat Robertson exploited. Their hatred for Robertson is evident in the book, too.
When the media-orchestrated campaign of Roger Ailes, known as "the mudmeister," along with cohort Lee Atwater, who had been trained by none other than Richard Nixon, reached fever pitch, and a "news event" consisted of Republican nominee, Vice-President George H.W. Bush, visiting a flag factory, Dan Rather and his CBS news cohorts refused to cover the event. CBS explained to the Republicans that if they wanted serious coverage then the campaign needed to get serious and talk about substantive policy matters rather than hide behind the flag and expect to receive prime time attention. Voters in other states envied the Nevada prerogative of voters, which permitted the alternative of the truly turned off, a vote for "None of the above," which turned out to be a popular category.
Germond and Witcover present a detailed account of a campaign where glossy imagery and mud slinging obscured the real issues, beginning with rising American debt, which would continue to burgeon after Bush's victory over Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis. A highlight of the Republican's campaign was his promise at his party's New Orleans convention of, "Read my lips! No new taxes!" This was an irresponsible promise in view of the pervasive reality that economic circumstances vary and policies need to reflect those current circumstances.
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