Being a vegetarian for over ten years I have many cookbooks on the subject and this is definately one of the best. What a wonderfully well written book, easy to follow and every one of the dishes I have tried have been delicious. This is not only great for veggies but also make wonderful meals for those carnivores in the family. Some of the recipes take a little time to prepare, but the end results absolutely make the effort worthwhile.

I own both the High Fit - Low Fat cookbooks (regular and vegetarian). The books are good for both novice and experienced chefs. Using these cookbooks, I have learned how to eat incredibly healthy while serving really tasty meals! The Eggplant Parmesan recipe is now a requirement for potlucks I attend. I love it because it is so easy to make. The cookbooks make great gifts too, I bought 10 as gifts for family members. Although I own many cookbooks, I do the majority of my cooking from the High Fit - Low Fat recipes.

I own both of the High Fit - Low Fat cookbooks (regular and vegetarian). The books are good for both novice and experienced chefs. Using these cookbooks, I have learned how to eat incredibly healthy while serving really tasty meals! The eggplant parmesan recipe (Vegetarian cookbook) is now a requirement for potlucks I attend. I love it because it is so easy to make. The cookbooks make great gifts too (I bought 10 as gifts for family members)! Although I own many cookbooks, I do the majority of my cooking from the High Fit - Low Fat recipes.

Flying over a sea
she thinks of him.
How it's between her and God,
this man who empties her
mid-air.
He's everything, isn't he?
The distant?
Those gone?
The subdued island of people she doesn't know.
When she eats it's his food.
When she disappears, she loses his things,
his clothes.
She's done it now
coming here alone
without her passport
to live the life of a woman
he'd love.

Katherine McCord was a 1999 "Discovery"/The Nation Poetry Contest semifinalist. Among many journals, her work has been included in the Chester H. Jones Foundation's 1996 volume of national poetry competition winners. She has an MFA from Warren Wilson College and an MA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing/Poetry from New Mexico State University. As an undergraduate, she won the Homer Pittard Creative Writing Scholarship. She teaches Creative Writing/Poetry at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and lives with her partner, the physicist Tom Ruekgauer, and their two daughters in Socorro, New Mexico.

"[Katherine McCord] is a remarkable poet whose work is certain and hesitant at once, compressed and expansive. She wants silence to speak as carefully as her words. She sees poetry in the purest sense, working toward pieces where important things aren't merely described or reported but transformed. Katherine McCord is an artist, through and through, taking aspects of ordinary life and finding fear and wonder in them."

- Marianne Boruch

"The pared inscription, as well as the delicacy and discretion, of Katherine McCord's debut collection, Island, are always deeply compelling and often breathtaking. The honorable simplicity of this work rewards us time and time again with both wisdom and delight. Quietly elegant, and as intimate as a whisper, this is a book to hold close in the silence of night."

- David St. John

I first heard of this book in a 1927 review of it by Dorothy Parker (available in the 1944 edition of The Portable Dorothy Parker, as well as subsequent editions I believe, including the 1973 one). Parker's review is beautifully apt. She says, "I think that the Journal of Katherine Mansfield is the saddest book I have ever read. Here, set down in exquisite fragments, is the record of six lonely and tormented years, the life's-end of a desperately ill woman. So private is it that one feels forever guilty of prying for having read it." Mansfield suffered from a heart condition and later tuberculosis which kept her in a constant state of physical misery for years. Even worse for her was the constant torment of never being able to achieve enough as a writer to satisfy herself. Parker is completely right: I can't think of who could capture that constant, acute sorrow better than Katherine Mansfield. As Parker said, "She was not of the little breed of the discontented; she was of the high few fated to be ever unsatisfied."

If you've never read her short stories (she never wrote anything else), please do, and I would advise you to read them before you read her journal.

The book itself seems like it could be published as a stream-of-consciousness novel (it's impossible to follow at times but no worse for it. It seems to make perfect sense - even the numerous cryptic little notes). It's full of little pieces of stories never finished. Mansfield's body of work was so small (something that upset her deeply) that these little fragments would be enough to make any fan of hers need to read this journal.

She is most often compared to Chekhov, and it's not difficult to see why. I truly believe that Mansfield innovated and practically invented the English (language) short story. Besides Chekhov (whom she often mentions in her journal) I've never read anything quite like her, particularly not anything that predates her.

What else you need to know:
1. Mansfield was born in New Zealand, the influence of which can be seen in short stories like "At the Bay".
2. Her husband, J. Middleton Murry, published her journals, causing some to accuse him of taking advantage of her.
3. You must read this book.

I first heard of this book in a 1927 review of it by Dorothy Parker (available in the 1944 edition of The Portable Dorothy Parker, as well as subsequent editions I believe, including the 1973 one). Parker's review is beautifully apt. She says, "I think that the Journal of Katherine Mansfield is the saddest book I have ever read. Here, set down in exquisite fragments, is the record of six lonely and tormented years, the life's-end of a desperately ill woman. So private is it that one feels forever guilty of prying for having read it." Mansfield suffered from a heart condition and later tuberculosis which kept her in a constant state of physical misery for years. Even worse for her was the constant torment of never being able to achieve enough as a writer to satisfy herself. Parker is completely right: I can't think of who could capture that constant, acute sorrow better than Katherine Mansfield. As Parker said, "She was not of the little breed of the discontented; she was of the high few fated to be ever unsatisfied."

If you've never read her short stories (she never wrote anything else), please do, and I would advise you to read them before you read her journal.

The book itself seems like it could be published as a stream-of-consciousness novel (it's impossible to follow at times but no worse for it. It seems to make perfect sense - even the numerous cryptic little notes). It's full of little pieces of stories never finished. Mansfield's body of work was so small (something that upset her deeply) that these little fragments would be enough to make any fan of hers need to read this journal.

She is most often compared to Chekhov, and it's not difficult to see why. I truly believe that Mansfield innovated and practically invented the English (language) short story. Besides Chekhov (whom she often mentions in her journal) I've never read anything quite like her, particularly not anything that predates her.

What else you need to know:
1. Mansfield was born in New Zealand, the influence of which can be seen in short stories like "At the Bay".
2. Her husband, J. Middleton Murry, published her journals, causing some to accuse him of taking advantage of her.
3. You must read this book.

Both Katherine and her work are like a flower that has grown within the weeds that make up life.

This was a cool book just like "June Dreams" & "August Magic" but I like the other two just a little more,because there was more stuff on the other two books but it still was cool.

The book is really a god onetha tlets you know whatis going on........

I read the first one and then I read this one, now I have to read the third one because I want to find out what happens

Another one of those great books in the series. I loved the book but it made me mad in the end. You just want to jump in and tell kate she's wrong in every decision she made through out the book. It's just one of those books you want to throw against the wall a few times, and hope you've changed the outcome. It's definatly a worth while book and series, you don't want to put it down!

This series is amazing! Im 16 and am always looking for a new book that is a little different from the traditional teen romance books.One day I saw the cover of the first book and got it and since then cant wait for the next book to get out.This book is the Best in the series yet.so much happened in it .I couldnt put it down from start to finish!

This is the old Ocean City series that I loved in high school. I am now 24 years old and I still check to see if there are anymore sequels. For the next generation, read them!! Read all of them! These books will make you laugh and make you mad. I threw a few of them against the wall, but of course I picked them up again and again and again.

The story of a 17th century Portuguese nun hardly sounds like inspiring material for a gripping historical novel. Yet Katherine Vaz overpowers the reader with the richness and humour of her writing.

I defy anyone not to fall in love with Sister Mariana de Alcoforado, an aristocratic girl sent to the convent at Beja in Southern Portugal because her elder sister married first. Mariana is still famous in Portugal - as she was throughout Europe in the seventeenth century - for the beautiful, astonishingly frank love letters she sent the French officer who abandoned her after a brief but all-consuming affair. While the letters, in a new translation by Vaz, appear at the centre of the novel and the effects of the affair resonate throughout Mariana's life, the book and Mariana are much grander and more powerful than a simple love story. The book deftly sets the true story of a nun's passion into the richly imagined details of the rest of her life, all against the background of Portugal's desperate struggle to free itself from Spanish rule.

Vaz's imagination and the extraordinary mixture of believable reality and wild spirituality match the best of Isabel Allende. Like Allende she leads us tenderly but mercilessly from scenes of delicious humour - the resurrection of drunken plucked geese, to wrenching courage - the old nun who goes blind playing her beloved organ all night during the plague. Throughout, the character of Mariana is indomitable, grabbing at joy, pain and love with arms wide open, as she inspires and enriches the lives of all those who come into contact with her, including this reader.

I found a copy of this book in a small bookstore in the Middle East. Little did I know that it was out of print and that it would become such a treasured find. I bought it because I couldn't forget the haunting words on the back cover of the book that said "...this nun with that ardent soul whose fiery mark is left for us in her letters." Once I started reading the book, I found I couldn't put it down. It's so easy to relate to Marianna, as a woman, as a seeker of love, of God, of what we all want....complete unity. This is much more than a love story, much more than love letters sent, only to be rejected. It is a story about finding our divinity in life. If you are at all interested in these subjects, you will not only love this book, you will cherish it as a gift. ( For anyone who is interested in related items to this subject, there is a movie available on DVD called, Anchoress. It's all done in black and white and has haunting poetry in its imagery. )

A truly remarkable and well-crafted book. The novel is based on actual love letters that were written by the nun Mariana Alcofardo. Katherine Vaz is an academic but writes pure poetry painting a vivid picture of life in Portugal during the 17th century. I learned about the food , customs,life as women and daughters of wealthy landowners and above all an intimate insight into life in a convent. As the story is set during the prolonged war with Spain the love affair itself is fascinating between Mariana( a Nun) and her french soldier. The love affair is more about Mariana's desperate and all-consuming passion, she is rightly described as the Nun who loved too much. A beautiful, beautiful story well worth reading. Something to sweep you off your feet.

Short&Shivery

The Short&Shivery is a book with different stories. My favorite story is The Dead Mother. The main characters are the baby, the husband, and the dead mother. The Dead Mother is about mom who died while having her baby. The mother spirit would come back every night to visit her baby.

I liked some of the stories in Short&Shiverys such as the story called The Dead Mother because the author described the characters very well. The author showed a lot of detail on how the house looked, and how the baby acted when it was crying. The other stories didn't have as much detail as the book The Dead Mother.

I purchased this book after reading my copy of the first Short and Shivery to tatters when I was young enough to go away to summer camp. This sequel continues the creepy tradition started by Mr. San Souci in the first book. Taking stories from around the world and re-telling them in a kid friendly format (with just enough scare factor to raise the hackles on any kid at camp) this sequel is just as good as the first book. Stand out stories in this volume are:

Windigo Island

The Rolling Head

The Croglin Grange Vampire

"Me, Myself"

The Accursed House

and

The Thing in the Woods

Another fine jaunt into introductory folklore for kids.

The selection and telling of the stories is just as good as the original Short and Shivery. This series does not make the mistake of many other short story collections, which is that you see the same stories published over and over. This is a sophisticated telling of creepy tales you probably haven't heard already. Great for reading aloud to your kids, and the accompanying sketches are wonderful to look at.

"My Private Room" is an inspirational collection of poetry which makes the reader appreciative of the fact that the author let you in. Once in, the reader will not only know the author but will, no doubt, run into self along the way.

"My Private Room" is a must "add" to any serious reader's library.

Kudos to Ms. Cheryl Katherine Wash!

Cheryl Katherine-Wash has managed to celebrate relationships void of color or gender. Everything she says is magic because it's so easy to relate to her pearls of words. She inspires from a place we often keep to ourselves and lock in our own "Private Rooms". What she has done is unlocked the door and shows everyone, were more alike then we think. Everyone who reads My Private Room will embrace it and love it. You'll find one piece or several that you'll have to share. My favorites are: The Rocker, and The Neighborhood. GREAT BOOK!

This is an excellent book of poetry!!! One must add it to their poetry collection !!! These poems are exquisitely detailed ,bright full of bright hues , vivid waterfalls of words...Reading these poems reminds one that love exists in the world .There are many excellent pieces but my personal favorite is "The Wonderful You",I feel the romance of the poem speaking to my heart . There is an infinite supply of positive energy within these poems...I love it!!! and you will love it too !!!!

This book is amazing. I could not put it down. I think this is the best book of the trilogy from Katherine Kingsley.

Ali is trully an amazing woman with great spirit. Her love for Andre is really touching. Sometimes I just wanted to smack Andre's head when he was rude to Ali and could not see other love when it's within his reach. His love for his childhood sweetheart is touching, but sometimes it's at the point of annoying for he hurt so many people because of it. But I love it when he finally come to his senses and returned Ali's love

For those who want to read this book, I suggest to read No Greater Love and No Sweeter Heaven in order first before reading this book.

No Brighter Dream was superb. I applaud Katherine's writing ability it is simply magical. I'm an avid romance reader and I was just not expecting the kind of depth that I felt in this novel. When you read the back it's interesting enough but once you get into it you just won't want to tear yourself away. The ending I might add brought tears to my eyes. Bravo Katherine you're one of a kind.

For readers of Kingsley's No Sweeter Heaven, No Greater Love, this book is a must...if only to find out what happens to all the characters you meet from the first two books! Ali is a young girl with an innate belief that everything that happens has a good reason. Her optimism and faith in God are sharply parallel with Andre, who has lost his faith due to tragedy in his past. It was a treat to watch Ali grow from a quixotic child to a young woman but retaining her sense of humor and optimism.

Just a warning: I only read Christine Feehan's story in this book. This is the only thing I am reviewing.

This story was obviously rushed by Ms. Feehan and the publishers. Ms. Feehan's preferred genre is the novel, not the short story and it shows. This story was choppy and not well organized. It is clear that a lot was missing from the story and it could have been told better in a novel on its own. I'm a visual person and as I read, the story unfolds like a movie. With this story, I felt like I was trying to view it through a lot of snow and horizontal lines on my TV. Ms. Feehan's publisher should provide a good editor with a stong background in short stories to assist Ms. Feehan on her next story. I have no doubt that an author with Ms. Feehan's talents can conquer the short story, if given the proper tools.

That said, what saved this story for me was Ms. Feehan's ability in character development. It is clear in all of her books, that Ms. Feehan has a true gift of capturing her characters so the reader is instantly enthralled. We care about these characters; they become one of the family. I will continue to read Christine Feehan. I just wish the publisher would accommodate her strengths and help her get over her weaknesses.

My least favorite form of reading is anthologies! I will buy them because my favorite author has 1/4, and hope that the other 3/4 is at least enjoyable. This time, 2 of the 4 met my expectations, at least in part.

Christine Feehan's "Magic in the Wind" is really toooooo much of a setup for a new series. She crams too much information about the 7 sisters into this one short novelella. Readers can definitely see a new series of books coming - and it appears to be like the series Norah Roberts did recently. She could have possibly made it more interesting by having Sarah handle the situation only with Damon's assistance. Then he could be amazed by the fact that there are 7, yes 7 of them and that one of the 7 will have seven daughters. Will it be Sarah and Damon? No suspense there, we've already been told which sister will have the 7 daughters. Yes, it is enjoyable but not up to her 5 star standards. I would give it 4 stars; but 4 stars from Feehan is still better than a lot of 5 stars from others. Give me Carpathians! I love those Carpathians!

Katharine Sutcliffe's "Hot August Moon" pullls an FBI profiler back to her hometown to work on a case with an old lover. We learn the details of the killings, we know all about the old lover but NOTHING is solved in the book. It is a complete setup for another novel. Yeah, FBI profiler books are big right now but.... I would give it 2 stars for being a complete tease.

Fiona Brand's "After Midnight" is really about two old want-to-be-lovers who were star-crossed because they had been married to others. We are told there has been a murder/rape and that Michael is a suspect. We learn that Jane is being stalked by the bad guy, who interestingly enough picks the night Michael is in bed with Jane to come after her. Dumb, huh? I would give it 2 stars only because of the steamy sex.

Eileen Wilks "Only Human" gets four stars from me. Investigating a series of murders, a beautiful detective of Chinese ancestry meets the "prince" of the local werewolf clan. Their different backgrounds and their possible conflict of interest in the case complicate matters. Ms. Wilks offers an interesting difference to the usual werewolf offerings. If it had been longer and more fleshed out, I would have given it 5 stars. If this is a "tease" for a book, I'll definitely buy that book. In fact, I am looking forward to seeing it in the stores.

I'm sure many people will be purchasing this book because Christine Feehan is on the cover. Her part of this book is excellent. Finally, we are beginning the story of the sisters, which she has been hinting at for over two years. This is the story of Sarah, the eldest sister, and finding her "chosen one." Like all of Christine's books, there is family, humor, and an upcoming sibling book that I can't wait for (Hannah!!).

As far as the other three stories, I was disappointed.

Katherine Sutcliffe's "Hot August Moon" is a story with obvious beginnings elsewhere, and no end. Anna and Jerry have a past, but it is not truly explored. We know that they were once engaged, the engagement ended so Anna could pursue her career, and she finally returns. The romantic interaction between these two character is small, as the story is focused on a serial killer. Since there is no end to their story, I'm assuming there will be a new book that continues the tale. However, I'm not that interested in the tale of Anna and Jerry to find out.

Fiona Brand's "After Midnight" is better than Sutcliffe's section however the tale of Jane and Michael was very quick. Basically, they've had the hots for each other for years, and due to circumstances, they have been unable to get together. Finally, they get together and solve a rape at the same time.

Finally, there is Eileen Wilks "Only Human." By this time in the book, I must admit, I had really lost interest in the new authors, but I decided that I had gone this far. I did not make it past the third chapter in this book. The heroine is solving a case with a werewolf. The plot and love story both bored me to tears!!

There is an extra treat, however, for Feehan fans. There is a section of the upcoming "Shadow Game." This, plus her contribution to the book, is the only reason I purchased this book. It was also the only good part of the whole book. For Feehan fans, don't miss Sarah's story. For the rest, just skip them.