The two best biographies on Marie Antoinette are 'Queen of France' by Caselot and 'Fatal Friendship' by Loomis. Fatal Friendship focuses mostly on the friendship between the Queen and Count Axel Fersen, the breathtaking escape attempt and their deaths. Loomis leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not the two were actual physical lovers, but with the evidence presented, not only do I believe they were, but that Louis XVI knew, and didn't care.

The highlight of the book is the escape attempt though. As you read on and on at a harrowing pace, you almost believe they'll make it. But the stupid mistakes, lack of judgement, and time wasted sealed the fate of the royal family.

As we all know Marie Antoinette died on the guillotine, but do you know the violent death that Axel Fersen faced? Or the legend of the ring that was given to him by Marie?

An excellent, well written, and easy to follow book that made me fall in love with the Queen and see her not as a monster, but as a woman and a mother who despite trying her best, just couldn't make anything work out.

Once again Stanley Loomis takes us there- to the time of the Great French Revolution, and before, but this time to the side of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI. Loomis, by pouring through old documents and by meticulous research, has an uncanny way of recreating the past in all its subtle details. This book shows how Marie Antoinette was vilified by her friends, some family members, and by her host country (France), and more significantly, how her spririt became more courageous and fortified as she endured extreme hardships unto her execution. Loomis retraces all the details of her and the deposed king's attempted escapes, from the flight to Varennes under the plan of Count Ferson, to the foiled plot to sneak the queen and her child out of prison. Loomis exposes the truth behind the queen's sequestered love affair with Count Ferson, and her own Austrian family's betrayal of her. Loomis does a fantastic job in showing us King Louis XVI as well- his kind nature in the face of his adversarys (which up to the end he refused to see as his enemies, but maintained that he "would not cause a drop of blood to spill from my subjects"), and his ultimate martyrdom by those he sought to understand. King Louis XVI should be given the accolades befitting a Saint. Loomis' creative command of vocabulary instills his writing with top-notch character descriptions and sometimes with more philosophical questions and ideas. But this book is not pedantic or just for the bookmarmish French history types, it is exceptionally entertaining and highly recommended. For another excellent book by Loomis, please read "Paris In the Terror"! You will not be disappointed with either of these!

Friends, do yourselves a favor and get this book if you're interested in an unbiased, accurate account of the relationship between the last queen of France and the handsome, (and rather conceited), Swedish count. Recently author Evelyn Farr has taken up the subject, under a title that leads one to believe she has uncovered new and startling information regarding the "star-crossed lovers": "Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen, the Untold Love Story". Spare yourselves the 40 odd bucks that this tissue of fantasy and conjecture will set you back. I have posted a review of Farr's book accordingly, which you may consult for further details. Suffice it to say, Loomis does the job expected of a fine historian...he writes with a passion for his subject without sacrificing accuracy. Loomis has no problems sharing his personal opinions regarding the subject matter, but he has the decency to claim them solely as his own. For an intimate sketch of the Terror and its effects on leading figures of the Revolution, you may also want to check out his "Paris in the Terror". A delight to read...but then, I expect nothing less of Loomis.

There is not, and to my knowledge has never been, a playwright like Wallace Shawn. His plays are not the least bit entertaining, nor were they intended to be. They are the intellectual equivalent of dining on razor blades.

This collection is a nice balance of his early, sexually and emotionally explicit plays -- imagine "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" meets "Oh, Calcutta" -- along with his two great works of political and moral philosophy, "Aunt Dan and Lemon" and "The Fever".

It's hard to describe the latter works, hard to convey their brilliance, difficulty, and, finally, their tremendous ability to disturb. "The Fever" is a monologue and "Aunt Dan and Lemon" relies as much on monologue as dialogue, so neither has ever been much of a hit with audiences used to soundbites and smash cuts. Both could also be said to be assaults on the audience, for you cannot sit through productions of them or read them without having some fundamental beliefs questioned and, if you've really paid attention, upset. At their heart, these works seek to undermine a simple belief which most of us take for granted: that we live a relatively moral, decent life and that we are, at heart, a good person.

There are very few writers who I think are truly necessary, writers without whose voices I would feel absolutely bereft, even less human. Wallace Shawn is one of those writers.

Wally Shawn is truly a genius, unsung, who has influenced a number of important playwrights and writers. Peremptorily odd plays and not for everyone, but artful, articulate, risky and amazing...he'll be appreciated postmortem, but read him now, and pray that he gets produced more often in the US.

Wallace Shawn doesn't get produced much in America; in fact several of his earlier plays were never produced and are now impossible to find. This must be because they're so unnervingly original. They take on subjects other playwrights fear (such as whether writing a play is worthwhile), and they include monologues which any actor would drool over. They also radicalize form, enabling a much wider range of topics and possibilities within a single play than I've ever seen elsewhere. I'm very excited that this book has reprinted one of Shawn's long-lost early plays (too ugly for the NEA!) along with his newer, starker work. I also strongly recommend his newest play "The Designated Mourner".

I tried this at the library first, and after a few recipes I knew I had to purchase it. The recipes are truly fast - most take under 30 minutes, although some take up to 45 minutes. They are also easy and delicious.

When I have some perishable food on hand that I want to use up while still fresh I scan this book for ideas. It will often have a recipe that only involves a few other ingredients that I can use. I also use it when my cupboard is a little bare, because there are recipes in here that use only staples that I usually have on hand.

I haven't tried every recipe in this book, but eventually I will try most of them. So far two of my absolute favorites are the Stir-Fried Chicken, Green Beans and Walnuts and the Carmelized Banana with Rich Chocolate Fudge Sauce. It was the easiest fudge sauce recipe I've even seen, and it was one of the most delicious.

I will probably be purchasing this book as a gifts for others, because I think most people could find enough recipes in here that they would work into their cooking on a regular basis.

I love to cook, have many, many cookbooks, but this is, by far, the one I turn to over and over. My whole family loves everything in it. Creative vegetable dishes, wonderful ideas for fish, new takes on pastas and salads. And, everything is fresh, no processed, packaged food. Hooray!

I bought this book when it first came out, and two years later, I still use it constantly! Marie Simmons makes me wish I had an Italian mother, too. Not only do I have favorite stand-bys in this book, but it continues to give me fresh inspiration. I love it!

As a Christian who struggled with legalistic Christianity, the Lord used this book to open my eyes up to His saving G R A C E. I realized through this book that I can't do anything on my own and that even Christians try to live the Christian life without Christ. The Lord used this book to help me see that I don't need to live the Christian life by rules, laws, and regulations. Just by His grace. And when I come under His grace, everything else follows.

I don't think there is a woman alive who would not be touched by this book. Rose Marie's struggles resonate with most women. We have given this book to many of our friends and they all have been encouraged.

This book is absolutely amazing. God truly speaks through her writing! If you are a woman who struggles with feeling like she doesn't "measure up," hates being "out of control," read this book! There is GRACE for God's children and there is acceptance in HIM! He loves us and is with us at ALL times!

A must read if you want to change your life. I first read this work nearly 10 years ago, and was surprised to learn that it was originally published in 1959. We tend to think that self-help wisdom is a recent discovery, but the truth is really timeless. With beautiful simplicity, this book explains how we got where we are in life and how we can get anywhere else we want to be. The authors just sit you down by the seat of your pants and say, "Here's how it works!" It is very reminiscent of "Key To Youself" by Venice Bloodworth - simple, direct, and dramatically effective.

I just wanted to say that I found this book very enlightening. I've always heard or read about how our consciousness affects us. I've read a few of Dr. John Sarno's books but this book took it much further. I've read it twice and picked up even more the second time through. I found myself making a lot of notes on the side. I'm glad to see that we ARE destined to live life to its fullest and I plan to take the action given in this book to do this. It all makes sense now.

Providence must be involved with my reading this wonderful book. This is the first text I read that really discusses the mechanics of why we have certain experiences and how we can upgrade them tangibly in all areas. Thanks to this book, I now understand that I really do have much more control over my life than I previously thought. Life is not just a series of chance events in a disconnected, unfriendly universe. I am fascinated to read how we have all inherited mental genetic traits or patterns that in large measure cause positive/or negative life experiences and that we can change the ones we don't like to produce much better results. How our understanding, combined with what we think, what we say plus how we act, affects our present and future. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to upgrade his or her experiences. A truly revolutionary and profound volume for all mankind.

This is one of the best books I've read in recent years. The characters are so well-delveloped and they are memorable, warm, and real. The relationships among the friends in this story curled the tips of my toes. It is suspenseful, humorous in the right places, heartbreaking, heartwarming, and totally worth the read from page one all the way to the last sentence on the last page. I found myself thinking about these characters as if they were real, even weeks after I finished the book. My only regret was that the story had to end. I highly recommend this book if you want an excellent read that makes you feel warm way down deep inside.

This was an exciting, heartwarming mystery that kept my attention throughout the book. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I kept reading with anticipation until the end. It was a nice mixture of the love and friendship between characters.

The Ghosts of Old Bay Road is a very heartwarming mystery that I found hard to put down. The author captures your interest in the character of Shayna McDuffy from current day back through her past to develop the mystery of her life. There were just enough characters involved in the story so as not to confuse or bore you. I couldn't wait to get to the end of the story to find out the mystery but when I did finish I was disappointed it was over. I wanted it to go on and on. Very easy and enjoyable reading. Highly recommended.

The Home follows Molly as she adjusts to life in the home of Joseph (Honey) and Mary (Mother Mary) Bonsall. Her trials are funny and all cat owners/lovers can relate to her antics, and those of the other cats in the Home. Great reading for children and adults.

After reading both Molly and The Home, I've been waiting eagerly to pounce on the next in the series, Outside. Why do we have to wait soooo long when we know it will be sooo good! In this era of violence, horror, and graphic representations of real life, Joseph Bonsall's writing ensures us that there are still people in this world who will write quality, loving, touching literature for us to read to our children (and our cats)! My niece loves the illustrations, and we both found ourselves saying, "Don't go out that door!" These books are a must for any pet lover, especially those who love cats, their mischieviousness, and the love they show humans. When I read these books, my cat is in my lap, purring away . . . now if only Outside would come inside to my bookstore before October . . .

All of what I stated in my review of the first book continues to hold true for this one. It maintains its appeal while not only challenging but also has included a moral. This is all done with an unique writing style that holds the interest of any age and also touches its audience at many different levels. Each time I share this something new surfaces! I am axiously awaiting the 3rd in the series titled the OUTSIDE. Do yourself and those you care for a favor and don't miss a single one of the books in this series.

Do you ever pray and say something like, "Why, God, does this still hurt????" or "I try to believe but it looks like things are really going to Hell"??? And then you wait for the answer but it's not very clear? Well, evidently, Marie Shropshire has had those moments too because what she has done with this book is to answer these questions for us in the voice of God.

The book is set up as a series of short letters on various subjects. At the top of each page is our voice, asking, for example, on page 12, under the title of Deeply Hurt, "Lord, I didn't know a person could hurt as deeply as I do and still live. How can I go on?" And, then, beneath, the rest of the page is God's answer to us. In this example, He begins, "My child, I know your heart is broken, but trust me, one day at a time. Put your hand in mine. I will lead you through this dark valley."

The book is broken down into two sections. First, there's He Leads Through The Valleys, (my example came from that section), which offers help during the hard times, and then, Into His Glorious Light!, which encourages praise and thanksgiving in the good times. My only gripe is that there's no table of contents or index list so you have to leaf through the book to find the topic you're seeking. However, this is a book I'm willing to leaf through.

This book is going directly to my bedside table and it will probably become a permanent fixture there with my favorite Bibles. It will be tear-stained and dog-eared in no time. God bless Ms. Shropshire for writing this book.

Everytime I open this book, I find the exact words to speak to my heart and soul on the page my fingers find. Without fail.

I am taken aback at this precision, and I thank God for the many times that I have found peace meditating on the words of this book.

As titled, In Touch with God, truly speaks to a prayerful heart.

I cary this book with me everywhere I go. I just bought 2 extra copies to give as christmas gifts. When you are hurting, scared, angry, crying or lonely this book is like a dear friend---comforting you with God's words. Thank you Marie for writing this book for me. Joni Ridgell

Lisa Marie did it once again! She has inspired many of us through this beautiful book. I loved reading this book. In this book Lisa Marie has creatively explained every word in three simple sentences organized in nine short chapters.In these nine chapters Lisa Marie leads us to the spiritual journey by wisdom full examples and exercises. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants inspiration to learn to lead a meaningful life.

Getting There With Grace is truly a map that guides one through the perils and pleasures of life. It helps us accept the things we have done wrong and cannot change, and to look forward to a confident and serene future, regardless of your age.

If you want to get more out of each and every day by focusing on one thought at a time, then this book is for you! Lisa Marie Coffey can take you on a journey and by the end of the book you will be richer for it. This book is a must for all of us who want richer lives. "Getting There with Grace" is full of beautiful quotations and wisdom....... showing us that life is full of joy for us to experience!

I own more than 350 cookbooks and this is one of the best! Most times I glance through pictures and recipes, but not this one - I read this book from cover to cover. It's that good.

The recipes are easy to follow and simply terrific. The instructions for making hard-cooked egg is so simple and fail-proof and learning this method alone made me wonder why this was never presented in all other books and magazines that I own.

This book is highly recommended!

I really like this book. I have three other cookbooks by marie simmons and they are all terrific. I have made 3 quiches and 1 egg salad and 1 strata recipe and they were all easy and delicious.

Easy-to-follow recipes and useful information in a format that's a pleasure to read. In addition to the egg basics, this book contains several unusual ideas, including over a dozen pasta with egg recipes. Helpful hints such as how to rescue a broken hollandaise sauce, and "formulas" for many egg basics make this a book I will refer to often. The recipes include different ethnic variations, including, Indian, Mexican, Italian and Chinese, and cover virtually every meal category. I recommend this book to everyone who loves eggs.