I discovered this book because I always read the RWA RITA Award finalists, and I can't remember the last time a novel touched me so deeply. If you're looking for a book that will bring tears to your eyes and joy to your heart, buy TWELVE DAYS. Buy it right now.

Ms. Hill gifts us with everything we could ask for and more: lyrical writing, powerful emotion, tender romance and the kind of freshness and originality we rarely see in the genre these days. She also writes some of the best dialogue this side of Nora Roberts. Her characters are marvelously human, vulnerable, real people and their story will linger in your heart long after you turn the last page.

In my humble opinion, TWELVE DAYS should have won the RITA and Teresa Hill deserves a place on the hardcover bestseller lists. If you enjoy women's fiction by authors like Barbara Delinsky, Kristin Hannah and Anna Quindlen, you will love Teresa Hill.

Sam and Rachel's marriage has been going downhill for years, neither of them wanting to admit it. Despite the fact that Sam has taken to sleeping in another room, Rachel is stunned when she overhears Sam's phone conversation revealing he is moving out after Christmas.

While their problems are deep, they seemed to come to the surface after the foster child (Will) they were caring for had to be returned to his biological mother. Now neither of them are willing to care that much for a child again. Sam and Rachel have struggled with infertility ever since the death of their premature daughter twelve years previously. They gave their heart to young Will only to have it shattered.

Twelve days before Christmas Rachel's aunt, a social worker, shows up on their doorstep with three young children in tow. It seems they have been abandoned in a local motel by a mother who promised she'd return. Rachel and Sam are still on the list of approved foster homes and despite the fact that neither of them feel they want to risk their heart again, they have no option but to keep the children -- at least through the Holidays.

This is an emotional story, reminiscent of Kristin Hannah's "family dramas." I love it when you have a couple who has had some sort of problem to work through which leads to them almost parting -- or sometimes actually separating/divorcing. The characters of Sam and Rachel as well as that of the three children, Emma, Zach, and Grace are ones that will stay with the reader long after the last page is turned. There were no easy answers for Sam or Rachel here. Their problems are realistically portrayed. If you enjoyed books such as ANGEL FALLS by Kristin Hannah, COAST ROAD by Barbara Delinsky or MOMENTS IN TIME by Mariah Stewart, chances are you will enjoy TWELVE DAYS as well. The book is simply unforgettable and I can assure you it will be going on my keeper shelf for re-reading every Christmas season

Sam and Rachel have drifted apart, neither understanding at the beginning of the story just how far. When she overhears him on the phone making plans to leave her right after Christmas, she is devestated,and realizes she has only twelve days to change his mind. In Sam and Rachel's tradition, the twelve days before Christmas (not following) are very special, and the magic of caring for unexpected foster children may help revive their love. But they've loved and lost children before, and the three who show up on their doorstep desparately needing a warm Christmas, have the power to tear the couple apart, or put them back together. This is an emotional story and I recommend a box of tissues and a big chunk of time to read uninterrupted.

Anyone who is interested in old Hollywood must read this book.It is not only filled with pictures andrecipes, but nostalgia and history ofbygone days.Robert Cobb, not only owned the BrownDerby, but also owned a baseball team.The Hollywood Stars of the Pacific Coast League was in existence from 1939to 1957. The Los Angeles Dodgers cameWest in 1958 and the Stars were gone.The book was co-written by Sally Cobb,widow of the owner. Her personal thoughts and love are written throughout this book. I personally ama collector of old menu's and a historian regarding the Pacific CoastLeague. I certainly was fascinated andwrapped up in the book.

A priceless photo collection of Hollywood Stars that have never been released or seen since the 1940's and 1950's. The photos are from the late Sally and Bob Cobb's personal photo collection and some photos were taken by Geroge Hurrell. The stories are captivating, heart warming and a part of Hollywood history that is a must for movie buffs and the novice a like. Clark Gable and Bob Cobb spent many years together, hunting and fishing. One night after the kitchen at the Durby was closed, Bob mixed a salad together made mostly from left overs. Since that night the famous salad has been referred to as the "Cobb Salad". The story that best describes the Cobbs is the one story about the WWII soldier..very touching! A great gift or a nice coffee table conversation item!

You don't have to be a fan of "old" Hollywood to enjoy this wonderful book about a famous restaurant and its even more famous clientele. Fascinating stories accompanied by wonderful pictures. This is only enhanced by the actual recipes of this great restaurant. A wonderful coffee table book that will start conversations about movies, movie stars and great food.

So far I've mainly made the pizza recipes in this book, but they alone are worth the price. The crust recipe is heavenly and quite easy to make. The dough balls are so light and fluffy after rising that they practically float off the board. They hardly need any working and cook in 6-7 minutes on a baking stone into a uniquely thin, light, crunchy and tasty crust.

One thing to watch out for, however, is that English specifies fresh yeast for the pizza dough. I had trouble finding that, so I used the active dry yeast commonly found in supermarkets, and after one try it worked perfectly. The equivalent measure for the two teaspoons of fresh yeast is one generous teaspoon of active dry. Also, dissolve the dry yeast in the water/oil liquid (at 115 degrees F) just prior to mixing, rather than putting it in with the dry ingredients as specified for the fresh yeast. If there's a fault to the book, it's that English doesn't help you much with substitutions like this that vary from his ideal.

The pizza toppings are imaginative and yummy, and can inspire you to create your own. English tends to be a bit minimalist, however, so we sometimes increase the cheese and some other topping ingredients.

I've also made the white-chocolate challah pudding, which lives up to its billing as "sex on a spoon". Be sure you have plenty of people to share it, however, or you'll wind up with a big pan of incredibly delicious but super-rich pudding calling to you from the fridge for days.

It's a uniquely great cookbook. I look forward to working through the other recipes.

Todd English provides simple, relatively easy to prepare recipes that will delight your taste buds. The pizza ideas are simple to prepare, and will inspire you to try combinations you didn't think possible. The rissoto recipes can make either a quick family meal or provide a wonderful accompaniment for a more formal meal with friends. There are also some excellent recipes for chicken or other main courses that can be prepared in less than an hour and will absolutely amaze you.

English is quite creative, and these recipes are mostly quick and easy. A great cook book.

The book was really fun to read and filled with many interesting tips for anyone who is beginning to cook. The variety of recipes are wonderful. I've tried some of the recipes and they were exceptional. The roasted beet and walnut gorgonzola salad, ymmm! The portobello burger and Aioli sauces were incredible. The book gives advice to newer cooks and is a real find for those who love to try new and innovative recipes. Any family member or guest would love eating food prepared from this cookbook, it is a treasure and I already know what I will make next from the cookbook: Olivia's Crunchy Chicken and Gingersnaps. I enjoyed the variety of foods offered: simple to fancy but always unique. I haven't been to Boston in 30 years and plan a trip soon and FIGS will be the first restaurant our family visits.

Although GREAT GARDEN COMPANIONS appears to be about what to plant with what, Sally Cunningham's book is about much more. Cunningham is a 'Master Gardener' associated with the Cornell Cooperative Extension in upstate New York (growing zone 6) and has spent many hours practicing what she preaches in her nearby garden. Her garden (as shown in diagrams and photographs) reminds me somewhat of those shown on National Public Television's long-running Victory Gardens (raised beds, yummy soil), but Cunningham's advice and ideas are 100 percent organic.

While many people understand organic gardening involves the use of raised beds, mulch, compost, and cover plants that enhance soil friability, retain moisture, and restore soil, few books discuss the ecosystem within which gardens exist. Cunningham works a large garden at the edge of fallow farmland (where the glaciers left very nice black soil), however, many of her ideas will work in a smaller and/or less fertile places.

Some of the more interesting sections of Cunningham's book cover "old-time" notions such as how to build row hedges that attract birds and act as wind breaks; how to identify insect friends and foes and cultivate the former while repelling the latter; why toads, moles, birds, dogs, cats and horses can be great garden companions. For example, Cunningham says moles have been given a bum rap and dogs and cats can actually help you ward off the bunny rabbits and other critters who might make a meal of your lettuce. Horses are a fabulous source of organic fertilizer-should you be so lucky to own one.

Cunningham uses virtually everything that is biodegradable to make compost. She stops by the side of the road to sweep up leaves and pine needles discarded by others. She rips newspapers into long strips and mixes them into compost piles. She buries composted material directly in the garden under straw and other coverings to decompose over the winter. These practices work. I have buried half-digested material next to my roses in fall and by spring produced fabulous flowers on 3/4 canes ordinarily measuring a third of an inch.

Regarding companion planting, Cunningham suggests mixing the members of "families (i.e. tomatoes, eggplants, peppers) in the same bed along with companion herbs and perennials. She suggests members of the same family have similar growing requirements and by combining like with like you will save work. This might be so, but many garden writers suggest the opposist--combining plants from different families as companions. These writers believe the pests and diseases that attack one member of a family are likely to attack another member of the same family and by separating them you confuse the enemy. In addition, authors like Riotte (CARROTS LOVE TOMATOES) suggest certain combinations produce synergistic results. I tend to agree with Riotte, but like much else in life, you will have to experiment with various combinations to find the answer for your garden.

As a beginner gardner, this book is helping me to, hopefully, put my garden in order. 'Great Garden Companions' is written in a conversational style and is nicely organized. Ms. Cunningham's experience in gardening shines through with helpful hints and sound advice based on years of working with her companion system. She outlines which vegetables, herbs and flowers work best together to repel pests naturally, covers many basic gardening skills (which I need to develop), and her enthusiasm is evident on every page. I think this book would be an excellent choice for any new gardner or for someone interested in gardening organically.

I bought several books on this topic, and this book is my absolute favorite. Well written, easy to understand, fun to read.

Whether you're a birder or a gardener, or like me, a little of both, you'll love this book! I'm a novice birder and I bought this book hoping to find ideas about feeding and gardening for birds. I found what I was looking for and then some. This book has refreshing ideas, is user-friendly, humorous and practical. You'll learn interesting facts about some of our most common birds, identifying them, attracting them and how to landscape to keep them coming back. This is truly one of the most delightful books I've read this year. In fact, I've purchased additional copies as gifts for family members. It's definitely a book to keep in your library to refer to over-and-over again. It's A-to-Z reference and color illustrations are extremely helpful. Ms. Roth has done a superb job.

This book is loaded with practical info. about the most prevalent back-yard birds, including the type of food they like, nesting preferences etc., as well as key elements of their behavior. There are many wonderful suggestions for attracting birds and detailed instructions for implementing them, including wonderful & fun recipes. This is what the Audabon Backyard Bird Garden book should have been but isn't--so buy this one instead--useful, fun to read as well as to implement, wonderfully organized, and visually very attractive--a real winner!!!

This book is extremely reader friendly. I find myself looking it through it frequently and finding something new and useful each time. It's set up in such a way to make finding what you're looking for very easy. Great projects for birdfeeding. I love this book!

I have the pleasure to be taking professor Nise's control systems engineering class at Cal Poly Pomona. I have to say that this is an excellent book for control systems. there is a lot of material that is covered by this book. the examples are well presented and they really help you when working on the problems at the end of each chapter. Another plus is the powerpoint slides and the matlab supplementary material included in the CD-ROM. there are nice tutorials on MATLAB and Simulink. this is a definite must have. Highly recommended

This book is excellent!!. It is well presented and easy to understand. It did not assume that the reader knows the basic and explains the essence that is needed to follow through the subject. Control System is a subject that I had problem grasping while doing my undergraduates because I was thrown with all the mathematical formulas and left to make sense out of them. In short I did not learn much from school. Control system was a dark side for me until I discovered this book. Now I understand more than before and I am read it like a story book. This book made me helped so much that I am compelled to write this review. I wish I had this book earlier. This is the kind of book that I have been searching for all this while

This is the best book explaining Matlab in control engineering. With this book and "The Student Edition of Simulink" you can do any simulations in control engineering. A must.

If you are looking for a comprehensive collection of Flannery O'Connor's works search no further. This excellent volume contains all of the best of O'Connor's writings in addition to her letters. You couldn't ask for a better resource for those who are O'Connor fans and for those who are teaching any courses about Flannery O'Connor.

The major criticism that I have of this book is not content but the way it is put together. Ordinarily you would have an index in the front of the book. In this case the index is at the end and the stories are not in a systematic order to make it easier for the reader to find. I am surprised that there is not at least a one page introduction about the author to help put her work in historical perspective and introduce her to new readers. Those are the "major" technical flaws that I find with the book otherwise it is a must have volume to have in your personal library.

The cover blurbs on my old O'Connor paperbacks always refer to the "humor" of her stories. Well, if this is humor, then the reviewers have pretty sick minds.

What you get nearly every time with Flannery is a story that drags you over broken glass and down red-clay roads and introduces you to some people with severe religious issues and sado-masochistic channels for expressing them.

Much is made of Flannery's Catholicism, mostly by ignorant secular reviewers who wouldn't even notice the discrepancy of a crucifix standing behind a black Baptist choir in a Madonna video. But in her fiction, O'Connor's Christianity is a bizarre, doctrineless ooze that characters absorb or battle with, but not in a way that most writers on religion would recognize. Flannery is too clever for that, combining scary medieval flagellent self-denigration with Bible-belt paranoia.

You can't even start talking about American literature until you've read Flannery.

Move over Hemingway, Steinbeck, Fitzgerald, Stein, Wolfe and, yes, even William Faulkner. Flannery O'connor is the greatest American literary mind that the 20th Century ever produced. Upon completing this magisterial collection of her work, superbly edited and finely bound by the American Library, the reader will no doubt fall under the spell of Flannery O'Connor just as I did when I first read "Parker's back" upon a whim after browsing listlessly through a bookstore. It took me about a 1/2 hour with a cup of coffee by my side to leaf through the story, and from that time forward I was forever captivated by everything to do with Flannery. The only other reading experience I've had that can even come close to Flannery's bludgeoning me between the eyes with her descriptive pen-hammer was when I first read "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville. And when your a writer who's style and vision lends itself to the bizarre and the grotesque, while all the while maintaining a thoroughly moral underpinning to your work, there is no better company to be in than this greatest of 19th century American writers. Read this woman! You will not go away empty-minded. After being thoroughly entertained, you will only go away much wiser and completely satisfied. I guarantee it.

Flannery O'Connor shares opinions about (mainly) writing in this collection of previously unpublished transcripts of lectures. At times the text seems unwieldy, perhaps because the editors faced the dual duties of fidelity to the original work, and a need to prune over 50 transcripts into a non-repetitious form. There is also a clever editorial sleight of hand, with the inclusion of the first essay on the peacocks and pea hens - I was confused by it at first, then half way through the book realised it set the mood, the tone of how to read the book. That after reading 'King of the Birds', we have an impression of Flannery O'Connor - that she is a stickler for detail - which informs the rest of our reading. It is an experiential understanding of what she means when she says that a story should not be dissected but read as a whole, stands as a whole, and the whole informs whatever understanding we get out of it.

Lots of delicious gems in here for anyone who wants to see the other side of Flannery O'Connor's work. In a way it is a contradiction that this book was published at all, as the author felt that the obsessions writers have about how other writers work, what other writers think about writing, was pointless. She believed that all was contained in the stories themselves. Are we going to take her advice?

This book is rich with humor, insight, courage, practical tips on the writing life. It includes the reader as an honored guest and sends the reader back out into the world satisfied and eager. In an age that mocks simple faith and profits by the downfall of belief even as it piously and hypocritically scolds those who have been misguided, this book is good news. It is a heartening guide back to the world where faith is fresh and plenteous and the faithful are not confounded for their beliefs but are encouraged by the warmth the book generates. The heart is ignited and a good journey is begun with the author as a companion. This book contains a wealth that promises to stay around for all time.

As an engineering student, I lean towards thinking of mystery as something temporary and, well, bad. The whole goal behind scientific research is to expel mystery - at least in the immediate context. Flannery O'Connor's timeless writings opened my eyes to the world beyond certainty, and I had to nod in agreement at her insightful appreciations of human quirkiness or critiques on deviatory literature teaching methods. (Of course science know uncertainty at the atomic/subatomic level, but we call that statistics.) In the end, I marvel at the little gems in this book, thoughtfully crafted by a master artist, laced with earthy truth and nitty-gritty humanness, and don't hesitate to recommend at least a library peek to anyone.

Great pictures and recipes that can be used in many different ways. It is a real book for real cooks

I bought this book last year,at first I did not want to try any yet because i don't see the pic how it should come out! Until couple months later, I try with the banana cake recipe which I saw the picture. And that's it, it is simple to follow the explaination and after finish---taste great. I have to try another even I don't see picture but I believe now that it will come out fine.

Desserts that come from one of the best restraunteers around. Unbelieveably delicious and satisfying.