Andersen and Grimm are supposed to be classics. While I like having the collection and while the illustrations are very nice - the pages themselves are much closer to newspaper-stock than what I'd expect from a durable, long-lasting book. Very thin, gritty, and easily tearable. It was kind of disappointing. This also applies to the Grimm book from the same editor.

This is a beautiful book with beautiful stories but I would move it up to the 20+ reading group. I am still baffled about their definition of "fully illustrated". Sixty sketched, black and white, illustrations in 803 pages does not constitute "fully".

If you remember Thumbelina, The Nightingale, The Ugly Duckling or The Princess and the Pea, they are all here in a wonderful collection of stories written by Hans Christian Anderson. Unlike the Brothers Grimm, who collected and recorded popular tales, Hans Christian Anderson wrote his own "folk" tales, which also contain Danish history and foreign literature.

Not all of his stories end well, yet this is a side of life children should learn about so they can be aware of it later in life. Your child might be horrified to learn that not everything ends up quite as magical as it would in a Disney movie. My favorite tale has always been "The Little Mermaid." She wanted to be something she was not meant to be and for me that is a lesson of how we should be who we really are. She actually ends up not marrying the prince. I quote:

The little mermaid lifted up glorified eyes towards the sun, and felt them, for the first time, filling with tears. On the ship, in which she had left the prince......she saw him and his beautiful bride searching for her; sorrowfully they gazed at the pearly foam, as if they knew she had thrown herself into the waves.

Some of the stories are very moralistic, yet he retains a mischievous sense of humor in some stories. His stories always reflect his fertile imagination. This particular collection was translated by Mrs. H. B. Paull, H. Oskar Sommer, Jean Hersholt and several other unknown translators. Six distinguished artists helped to illustrate this book. These are black and white illustrations and there are not really very many of them. To me a fully illustrated book should be fully illustrated. Nonetheless, this is not a book just for children. In fact, I see this more as a book which should be read to children by their parents. In this way parents and children can discuss items of interest. This book on its own would most likely not appeal to a child, due to the lack of pictures. It is meant to be read to them as far as I can tell. I also would recommend it to adults who remembered these stories as I did and want to read them again.

Perhaps I also remember the story about the tinder box very well. It is a magical story of a soldier who goes into a hollow tree and finds a passage with doors which lead to chambers. It sounds frightening at first but has a lovely happy ending.

Books can take us to another world and this one will take a child to many places they will never forget. And so the first story begins: "Far down in the forest, where the warm sun and the fresh air made a sweet resting place, grew a pretty little fir-tree; and yet it was not happy, it wished so much to be tall like its companions¯the pines and firs which grew around it. The sun shone, and the soft air fluttered its leaves, and......."

Lily and the Sword is a good read, albeit it is predictable.

Lily is a conquerored woman who in seeking shelter from the destruction of war. She inevitably falls right into the hands of her enemy, The King's Sword, Radulf.

Radulf is attracted to Lily, even though he knows that she is hiding something. He tries to resist her lure, but fails miserably.

When Lily's secret is revealed the the two commence battle. They don't trust each other and are weary of the other's motives. They eventually conqueror this distrust by way of a forced marriage and love saves the day.

This story has been replayed numerous times you don't even need to read the ending to figure it out.

Bennett does succeed in infusing a significant amount of emotion in to her characters in the beginning of the novel. It is just enough to make you continue to read on. Before the inevitable occured, I was in love with Radulf and his torment over his feelings for Lily. I also understood why Lily was doing what she was doing. Yet, Saxon maid and Norman conqueror has been played before. So about half way through the novel as things between Lily and Radulf began to detoriate, I was tempted to put it down. Yet, I stayed the course and it did turn out to be a pleasant read. Nothing spectacular but it will do to pass the time.

This is the first book by Sara Bennett I've read and I hope it won't be the last. I found her book an enjoyable way to pass an afternoon. She brings to life the characters with such care that you can hear them and feel their emotions.

The year is 1070 and England is still a country in uproar. The Normans have come and taken over but there are still those who oppose them, fighting. Lily is trapped between the two sides. She is a widow who is running for her very life. She is hunted by The King's Sword, Radulf. Lily flees to the safety of a old Saxon Church only to be discovered by Radulf. Radulf doesn't know the beatiful woman he has found is the one he was looking for. He is strongly attracted to her and desires to make her his.

Soon Lily's lie is uncovered and she must face not only the King but Radulf. She would sooner hurt herself than Radulf. But the rath of Radulf is not all she must face, there is a enemy who wishes to harm her and her love. Together Radul and Lily must fight to keep the peace, bring together a nation, and the love they share strong.

This story is definately a keeper and I will re-read this one again.

Lady Wilfreda, English noblewoman, grandaughter of Norse King Harold Haardrada is being hunted by the Normans - namely by Radulf known as "the King's Sword". Radulf's fierce and frightening reputation has preceded him into Northumbria and Lady Wilfreda has fled. It is Radulf's mission to find her and bring her before King William who will either marry her off to one of his nobles or kill her. Radulf has no sympathy for a treacherous woman - he's had one in his life already and has no intention of repeating his past mistake of trusting a woman.

The Lady Wilfreda, called Lily by those who love her, has been used by men. Her father was murdered and she was forced to wed his murderer - renegade Norman Vorgen. She endured a dreadful life with him full of abuse. Then when Vorgen was killed, her kinsman, Hew took up arms in her name. All Lily wants is peace and prosperity for her people - she's no rebel. But she knows that neither William nor his Sword will believe she is innocent. When Radulf encounters her she lies and tells him her name is Lily and that she is the daughter of a loyal vassal. Radulf is not sure he believes her, but takes her to his camp. He'll find out what's true eventually, but in the meantime, he is attracted to her in a way he has never felt before. And if he is not mistaken, she feels a similar pull toward him. And so begins a very passionate relationship founded on lies, fear and suspicion, but with the potential to be the real thing. For both want each other despite their doubts and wariness. Even finding out the truth about Lily does not dim his need to have her and so to save her from his king, her marries her. But there are still lots of obstacles to overcome and trust to be won on both sides.

I liked both Radulf's and Lily's characters and their romance was full of passion and longing. The story moved along well and had lots of action to augment the romance. But I do have a pet peeve: the cover is one of those gross Fabio-esque deals with the hero sporting long flowing hair. But to quote the book "His hair was very dark and cut short over his skull, shorter even than the Norman fashion". A little more accuracy and class in the cover would be welcome - sleeveless chain mail with nothing under it but heaving chest and bulging biceps - UGH!.

Provides a cursory look at a consultant's life and some of the companies one would normally consider, along with many smaller companies that many people wouldn't have access to. Better information is likely available elsewhere, including the Internet and other publications.

In my opinion there is more and better objective information on consulting careers in the Vault Career Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms and in the Vault Guide to Case Interviews, which have the added benefit of being able to be purchased on vault.com and downloaded immediately. Good luck.

This book asks each of the top consulting firms to answer a set of questions about what their firm is like. As expected, the answers are biased, but still helpful. For a more unbiased insider's view of each firm also try the Vault Guide to the Top 50 Consulting Firms, which also ranks the leading consulting firms based on a national reputation survey.

An English lady running a bed & breakfast in beautiful northern Italy sounded promising and could have been had the author played fair with the reader. Instead she created many subplots and by the last page had not tied up all the loose ends. There were many questions left unanswered and I wondered if perhaps the printer had deleted the last chapters by error. Surely, no author would leave everything up in the air the way Sarah Woodhouse did. What writer would have two murders committed and leave the reader not knowing who committed them?

Another major flaw in this novel is that none of the characters were well-defined or likeable. Only with Nan, the protagonist, did we get an inkling of why she was such a spineless, weak-willed person. How lovely it would have been if something had happened to let her begin to grow into a stronger person. But, no. Sorry to say, by book's end Nan had shown zero growth.

Many other characters played into numerous sub-plots, but none were well-defined enough to care about. Their stories were left hanging in mid-air and the reader was left with more questions than answers.

I would love to ask the author how she selected "Meeting Lily" as the title of her book. Who got to meet this woman who was alluded to on a few occasions? Certainly not any reader who shelled out money for this book or hung around for 277 pages.

If you're looking for an interesting story rich with the local color of Italy, look elsewhere. With the exception of a couple of Italian words, this one could have been set in Anytown, USA.

A nice story, which is easy to read if you are looking for something simple to amuse you. Since I am into "clean" reading, this is a good choice if you feel the same.

"Meeting Lilly" is one of my favorite books. Somehow I never get tired of reading it again. It is a charming story that takes you away to a quiet quaint Italian village. It is also a story of subtle awakenings. Reading "Meeting Lilly" is a bit like watching a foreign film. The style of the writing is unique and fairly abbreviated. Sarah Woodhouse doesn't waste alot of words. She tells her story with details. It is easy for me to see why Rosamunde Pilcher chose to add this book to her "bookshelf". If you enjoy Rosamunde Pilcher's books, I'd be amazed if you didn't also love this one. The story is simple and is more about the small goings on of life and interactions between people than it is about any major plot. Absolutely worth reading!!! (more than once)

Shortly after Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, he found that the Sturmabteilung (SA) which had helped bring him to power was becoming a catastrophic liability for him. It had failed to maintain internal discipline against corrupt practices, and many of its leaders were openly homosexual. Further, the SA wanted to merge with the army, and have its members granted equivalent ranks in the army (for which many were unqualified). The SS had its own axe to grind. Gallo's "The Night of Long Knives" explains how these problems all came together and culminated in the eradication of the hierarchy of the SA, and left Hitler as the uncontested Fuhrer.

Gallo gives a good discussion of the substantial, but often overlooked, socialist element within the early National Socialist movement, and its conflicts with the bourgeous forces Hitler ultimately allied himself with. Hitler's stance on economic policies is presented as being essentially one of political expediency, which is hard to reconcile with Hitler's extensive philosophical discussions in "Mein Kampf" about socialist economic experiments.

There is also a moderate amount of discussion of the early predecessors of the concentration camps, which were primarily small facilities housed in vacant basements and the like. (Read carefully, and notice that one of the camps has the same name as a well known record company.)

The book is of intermediate length, and has pictures of Roehm and his entourage (but nothing explicit). Its literary format is based on each chapter starting off with the events of a few hours of the several days of the "Night of Long Knives", and then spending the rest of the chapter discussing events leading up to the event over the previous year. This jumping back and forth is quite gimmicky, and detracts from the book.

By 1934, the new German President and Fuhrer of the Nazi party faced competition for power and control from a source that he had once relied upon to grease his way to control over the German state. This now unreliable source was the rowdy Sturmabteilung, the SA, the brown-shirted bully boys who had bashed in the heads of many an anti-Hitler opponent since the inception of the Nazi party in the early 1920s. They numbered in the millions, but from Hitler's point of view they were fast becoming a nuisance. They were wild, unpredictable, hooliganistic, and rumored to be rife with homosexual leaders. Somehow they had to go, and go they did. Max Gallo, in his NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES, details a sequence of events that had been building up for years since the 1920s, finally culminating in an orgy of the slaughter of the top leaders of the SA during the weekend of Saturday, June 30, 1934 to Monday, July 2.
Gallo begins 'in medias res' with the incarceration and execution of targeted SA officers:
Edmund Schmidt, Gruppenfuhrer, SA shot
Hans Joachim von Spreti-Weilbach, Standartenfuhrer, SA shot
Hans Peter von Hydebreck, Gruppenfuhrer, SA shot
Hans Heyn, Gruppenfuhrer, SA shot
August Schneidhuber, Obergruppenfuhrer, SA shot
The ranks listed above were all of high rank, mostly brigadier general or higher. The same day, the leader of the SA, Ernst Roehm, the most powerful man in Germany after Hitler, the commanding officer of a body of armed men many times larger than any other uniformed corps in Germany, was then begging for his life in a filthy jail cell. He was offered a pistol to kill himself. When he declined, one of the most vicious of sadists in the Schutzstaffel, the black-garbed SS, Theodore Eicke, blew a hole in Roehm's head with that same pistol.
Gallo describes the events of that weekend on a daily and near hourly basis. Each of his many chapters is a blueprint for the killing of those who should have kept their eyes and ears open to the clear signals that Hitler had been sending out. Adolf Hitler felt threatened by the demands of the masses of the SA who were complaining that now was the time for massive social upheavel in Germany. They shouted for jobs in the civilian sector, for posts of high rank in the regular army, and for a broom to sweep out from power those whom they deemed unreliable.
Gallo notes Hitler's inability to eliminate the SA until he had the backing of the Wehrmacht, which would act in concert with the one force upon which he could rely absolutely, the SS,under Heinrich Himmler. Hitler had to mollify Ernst Roehm until he was ready to use his long knives. Gallo documents a letter from Hitler to Roehm dated December 31, 1933, which concludes with, 'I must thank you, Ernst Roehm, for the inestimable services you have rendered to nationalism and the German people.' While writing this letter, Hitler was getting ready for the events of the June 30 weekend. Within the space of that time, hundreds of SA were rounded up and summarily shot. The newspaper headlines following that weekend blared out in huge headlines: TRAITORS OF SA SHOT! Hitler's grip on power was now secure.
THE NIGHT OF THE LONG KNIVES details what had been only before sketchily known, the day by day elimination of those who truly thought themselves to be in the front line of Hitler's best defense against Jews and godless communists. Almost to a last man, they thought that the order to kill had originated with someone other than Hitler. Most died shouting 'Heil Hitler' even as the bullet crashed through their thick skulls. Max Gallo's book serves as a minor seer for the next decade. If the Fuhrer could so easily eliminate those closest to him, then what about those in the SS who survived the purge? Their survival, as it turned out, was only temporary as they learned that a long sharp blade often cuts in both directions.

Not Either An Experimental Doll, edited by Shula Marks details the relationship between an Englishwoman, Dr. Mabel Palmer, and a young Xhosa girl, Lily Moya, who requests her help.

The story itself, told through letters between Lily and Mabel, show the complexities of racial relations in South Africa at the time. The question of paternalism and white sponsorship arises when assessing the character of Mabel Palmer, an older woman who advanced the cause of education for black South Africans. Mabel was being very altruistic in helping Lily, she went without a winter coat so she could help pay her school fees. However, the divide in culture and race plays prominently in Mabel's relationship with Lily. Lily, a young orphan desperately looking for a mother figure, reaches out to Mabel, but is rebuffed by a woman who is still very much governed by the dictates of racial relationships and propriety within South Africa.

However, one cannot condemn Mabel and laud Lily as Shula Marks does in the introduction of her book. Reading the letters themselves, will reveal a disturbed and anxious young girl who the reader will come to pity and at the same time want to strangle. Lily herself, is a set of contradictions. She appeals to the reader's sympathy while at the same time repulsing the reader with her lack of gratitude and her attempt to adjust to her new situations.

What comes from reading the letters between these two women, is an appreciation for the complexities, misunderstandings, and the divide in understanding between two women of very different cultures. And that is what I reccomend. Skip the introduction and read the letters between Lily and Mabel first. Shula Marks, while giving a general history of the letters, also forces her own opinions on the reader which causes one to enter the narrative with preconceived notions of who is good and who is bad within this relationship. Also, one will see that Marks gives a ridiculous amount of importance to the third woman, Sibusisiwe Makhanya, a social worker. Her inclusion in the introduction serves as more of a literary addition to develop the ideal of three separate worlds. However, one can see the minimal role she plays within the context of Lily's and Mabel's relationship.

Read the letters and then go back and read the introduction and the epilogue. One must remember in reading this book to let the voices of Mabel and Lily stand for themselves, and they are strong voices echoing the history of a particular time period. Unfortunately, Shula Marks in editing this book imposes views on the reader which does not allow for an unbiased reading of the letters between these two extraordinary women themselves.

This book is a testament to the emotional and political jumble of the time between blacks and whites in South Africa. The reader should allow the letters of the two women to speak about this time and draw their own conclusions as to the political, social and cultural climate within South Africa at that time.

What a wonderful book! The exchange of letters is nothing less than fascinating. By reading these letters not only does one get a sense of the racial and economic divisions between the writers, but a glimpse is gained into what would be a peculiar exchange of correspondence even now: a seventy-something woman of well-intentioned but often misguided motives and a teenaged girl perplexed with all the rampant emotions and self-absorbtions of her age.

I cannot stress how inportant I feel it is to read the introduction by Shula Marks AFTER reading the letter exchange. Anyone who has even a fundamental knowledge of South Africa during this time would do better not to read the intro first. It's better to get caught up in the flow of the letters--and let their story unfold unadulterated. There is an almost voyeuristic aspect to them as they come to their conclusion. I highly recommend this book, and not only to those with an interest in South Africa or Womens' History either.

The underlying theme in Susanna Jones's Waterlily seems to be that no matter how far you run, you cannot run from your true self. Ralph and Runa, the lead characters in the novel, are both in search of a new life.

Ralph has traveled from England to Japan in order to find a bride. He has lost the woman he brought home from Thailand and his loneliness and self-doubt lead to his wish for a new companion.

Because of their reputed docility and beauty, Ralph longs for another Eastern Blossom similar to his first bride. At first, his hopes are high, and he feels great affection for the women the Japanese agency introduces to him.

Unfortunately, the women do not feel the same affection in return, which leaves Ralph despondent. The saving grace is a picture of a woman he corresponded with in China, so he sets up a meeting with her and boards the boat that will take him to this new country.

Runa has ended up on the same boat, for different reasons. She began an illicit, and illegal, affair with one of her students. They are happy for many months, until someone discovers the affair and threatens to make the information known to those in the school and surrounding community.

In desperation, Runa devises a plan. She runs to her sister, steals her passport and heads to China. A friend of hers from school days lives there and will be able to get her a new identity.

On the boat from Japan to China, the characters of Ralph and Runa come together. They meet while unwittingly drawn into a fight by two other passengers, whom they end up somewhat befriending.

Ralph feels that Runa (using her sister's name and attempting to use her identity) could be the woman he is looking for and Runa believes that Ralph is a way out of her current situation. The reader wishes that each is the answer to the other's problems, but knows that in the end, these two characters coming together is not a good thing.

Susanna Jones does an excellent job in making these characters real and gets us to feel sympathy for what should be unlikable characters.

Despite Ralph's view of women, we want him to overcome his fears and find happiness. With Runa, we want her to realize that she is not trying to escape some unseen enemy, she is escaping herself. If only both characters could see into and beyond themselves, they would not set themselves up for the inevitable disastrous conclusion.

Jones is able to bring the reader into the story, and into her characters' minds, with a few well-chosen words. She weaves a spell for the reader, bringing them into the action and the story itself. Jones spent many years in Japan and now lives in Brighton.

Runa Wong is a Japanese woman in her mid-twenties who teaches in a private high school English to fifth year male students. She is having an affair with one of her pupils until she receives a letter threatening her with death and accompanied by a photograph showing her and the student leaving a love motel. Rather than face the consequences, Runa flees to Shanghai where she hopes to meet a friend.

Ralph is an Englishman who owns an art supply store, lives in Carlisle and owns a four-bedroom house. He once had a Thai wife but it didn't work out and she disappeared. However Ralph has not given up his quest for a docile Asian bride. He contacts an agency that specializes in fixing up Japanese women with English or American males but the females want nothing to do with him. He decides to see if an Internet woman in Shanghai would be acceptable to him as he takes the ferry over there. He meets Runa, fixates on her, and decides to marry her until she reveals her true colors. The explosive results turn tragic for both of them.

Susanna Jones gives readers an interesting insight into the cultural aspects of Japan as she displays her talent as a fine storyteller. However neither of her protagonists feels likable and consequently fails to engage reader's empathy. Readers will feel that Ralph and Runa live too much inside their head and do not interact enough with other characters including one another. The plot moves passively slow until the action occurs in the last few pages.

Harriet Klausner

If you like reading stories that have no begining no middle and no end...BUY THIS BOOK!

If you like sitting in a coffee bar and saying things like, "Have you read that book by Lily James? What do you mean, who the heck is that?" BUY THIS BOOK!

If you like pretending you're reading literature when you're really reading someone's journal that she wrote while she was on acid. BUY THIS BOOK!

The short stories composing James' THE GREAT TASTE OF STRAIGHT PEOPLE are very, very short. Some are amazing, and some are mediocre. All are challenging. This writer shows great talent and the gems in this book (including the opening story) make it worth while.

Lily James' style of writing surprises with its many hidden and funny implications that only strike you three sentences later. This book made me laugh out loud and will appeal to readers who love to know what makes other people think and behave the way they do. A fine new author.

Yes, the feel of the 1930's is here, what with the election of FDR on the horizon, and the influence of the building of Hoover Dam integral to the life of at least one citizen of Voorburg. But, really, this short read is boring and untypical of Jill Churchill's earlier entries in the Grace and Favor series. I am sorely disappointed. Where is the mystery? Lost in the midst of a wandering story line. The suspense? Minimal. My suggestion is: don't waste the money. And my hope is that Churchill's next novel in this line will be up to the level of her first two books. I read it, but I put it down many times, and found the conclusion to be quite anti-climatic! Don't bother!

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.