My women's book group read this over year ago, this story about a woman very unlike any of us, and yet we still refer to it in many discussions. Why? Because Carrie is, after all, very much like us in her motherhood and in her loss that most of us can only talk about if we preface it with "God forbid it should happen to any of us". The absolute sincerity of both her passions and her numbness are irresistible and her ultimate incremental steps toward recovery feel like a triumph for the reader as well.

Come & Go is a marvelous novel of superb writing that captures the rhythms of the music and the world in which it is played with great capability. The characters are endearing and imaginable, and despite the tragedy that stands at the center of the story, the novel never loses the beautiful tone that draws the reader into the characters' lives. While the heroine's final situation and her relationships are completely appropriate, Taylor-Hall's choice of how to arrive there may not have been so wise, as it delves completely into a magical world, leaving behind the realism that makes the rest of the novel so credible. Also, the symbolism of Ruth as the woman who journeys to the Promised Land seems somewhat unresolved. Otherwise, this novel is a wonderful work by a promising author.

Mary Ann Taylor-Hall lives down the road from my aunt's farm in Kentucky. I have never met her, but I feel like I know her already. This novel, her first, is one of the best works of literature that I have ever read. Ever since I received my first copy of the book, one autographed to my grandmother, I have never let it slip out of my mind.

The reader cannot help but journey into the very core of Carrie. When she holds her fiddle, it is as if the wooden masterpiece is also extending from your hands. The drones omitted from the pages go directly to the reader's ears, never ceasing to convey the sorrow and utter hopelessness that she feels.

This book is amazing, and I recommend it to anyone who has a heart beating inside of their chest. You will read it and beg for more -- at least I did.

This book was enjoyable. I was able to relate to the stories, characters, and places. This book is a fast read for anyone who enjoys good literature.

Mary Ann Taylor-Hall has written an exquisite book.Her stories are filled with characters that capture our interest from the moment we meet them.There is an abundence of emotion in her writing,from humor to sadness and the characters become real from the moment we meet them.In the title story Undella captures our imagination from the first description of her standing in a crowd wearing a pith helmet!What a woman.At first glance,the tone and language of the book is delightful and easy to read,on a deeper level it explores issues of both culture and gender that are extremely thought provoking. I enjoyed everything about this book.Not just the writing but the cover photograph,the graphics and embossed pages made this book very memorable.I highly recommend it.

The problem with this book is not with the author's prose. She does a marvelous job of telling about her excursions all over the globe, but her details of the birds are at best sketchy and novice. As a avid birdwatcher of anyone wanting to know about true experiences with birds, read a book by Pete Dunne, Roger Tory Peterson, Kenn Kaufman, and others that know their field of expertise. This light hearted affair is easy to read, and it has many interesting travel stories, but that's just it--its a light fare travel journal.

Anyone who has paused to watch a bird in flight or resting on a branch can understand the spiritual significance birds had to ancient Indian tribes. Their presence seems eternal, and the mere mortal in us hopes that by observing them, we will learn the secrets to our existence. What else could explain the liberal references to birds in literature from Chaucer to Heaney?

Now, in her book of essays, Watching Birds: Reflections on the Wing, Ann Taylor captures some of those literary references and puts them into modern day perspective for the ordinary mortal venturing into the new millennium. Ann Taylor's book of essays, recalling birds in literature, does, in true De Montaigne style, attempt to explain why birds capture our imagination and compel us to observe them with reverence and awe. ----Marie Coady, columnist, Daily Times Chronicle

This differs from most of the bird books I have reviewed in that it provides literary views of birds and their world. Prof Taylor admits having been fooled by a fake owl, being unable to draw birds, and never mastering the recognition of bird songs. Yet, she takes great pleasure in both real and literary birds, sharing that enthusiasm with her students. I found her essays on foreign travel especially interesting because she keenly observed birds, birdwatchers, and customs in England, Italy, Kenya, and India. If you enjoy clearly written essays unified by a love of birds, you should read "Watching Birds" by Ann Taylor.

‘Straight Forward Riding’ by Lesley Ann Taylor and Carol Brett, is the biggest [dissapointment] in a book I have ever purchased in my life. Literally. The book is nothing more than a slick and shiny and repetitious rant against methods of horsemanship that the authors disagree with, and all of the useful information included in the book could just about fit on one page...

Lesley Taylor and Carol Brett guide you on a wonderful journey of correct, classical riding without force or harshness. Straight Forward Riding has allowed me to develop a natural, correct way to work with my horse as partner. This book is written in very clear and simple terms, providing the reader/rider guidance on what is natural and beautiful no matter what level of their riding. The concepts apply to lower level as well as grand prix riders. The notion that what is natural, and beautiful can also be correct is a notion that has been lost on many riders and authors. Lesley and Carol bring us back to the notion that what is correct, is also natural and beautiful. Straight Forward Riding outlines the keys necessary to work with your horse, and allow your horse to provide you the feedback necessary for natural riding and horsemanship. My suggestion? Let the journey begin!!!

As a beginning scrapbooker I found this book great for getting page ideas, but other than that it was a little hard to follow technique. Every technique referenced back to other pages so I found myself flipping pages to try and follow the techniques. The book was a little out of date, with so many new products being developed since this book. All in all, it was great for ideas and did offer a lot of basic information for the first time scrapbooker.