A Canyon Trilogy: Life Before, During and After the Cedar Fire Review

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(More customer reviews)No matter who you are or what your favorite genre, this simple, well told story of a family that survives the Cedar Fire will be a pleasure to read. It moves at a brisk pace, but also provides a rich background that allows the author to weave the events into a meaningful and beautiful tapestry.
The story is a memoir, but reads like a novel. Ms. Varnado has found a way to make the unvarnished truth into a fabulously interesting tale. There is an art to storytelling, and A Canyon Trilogy is a masterpiece. It has wide appeal, and would satisfy anyone on your gift list.


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The October 2003 Southern California wildfires destroyed nearly eight hundred thousand acres, 3,657 homes, and killed twenty-two people. In San Diego County, the Cedar Fire ravaged vast areas becoming the largest fire on the record in state history. Out of this federal disaster Chi Varnado and her family escaped with their lives from their canyon nestled in San Diego's back country. She worked as owner-builder on a log cabin and was among the minority who managed to rebuild in a little over a year. She writes first-hand what life is like in a year of loss: first her mother and then their home in the canyon.

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It Knows You By No Other Name Review

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(More customer reviews)A well-written and first-rate mystery story. However, those interested in a transgender connection may be left feeling a sense of false advertising. Although perhaps 5% of the book contains a transgender element, it could have taken on more of a Hardy Boy becomes Nancy Drew flair, but greatly disappoints in this area. Because of mislabeling of category, I can only rate it three stars.

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The summer Jake turned 12, his mother's lover returned, his beloved grandmother died and he saved the lives of his mother and grandfather. And he learned that there are parts of us that are inescapable.

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Riven Review

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(More customer reviews)Let me admit up front that Riven by Jerry B. Jenkins is the first Christian fiction book I've read. I read it because, as a public library director, I felt the need to sample a genre that so many of my patrons want us to buy books to support. I must say that, though I wouldn't want a steady diet of Christian fiction, (who wants a steady diet of any fiction genre?) I did find much to enjoy in Riven.
First I thought the characters were realistic and believable. Thomas Carey, a man called to the pulpit but frustrated by having to deal with members of a congregation who want to control the church rather than use it for the purpose it was intended. Dealing with small and petty people drives Thomas away from that which he loves. Thomas eventually becomes a prison chaplain and in doing so finds his true calling. Then there is Brady Wayne Darby, a man that after one bad decision after another ends up on death row placed there for a murder that didn't have to happen. It is the juxtaposition and interaction of these two characters that supply the real meat of Riven.
Second, the pace of the story, while slow, allows the characters and their situations to develop without one plot gimmick or twist. Jenkins reminds me of fiction the way it used to be written; without the literary equivalent of special effects and without the over use of formulaic writing.


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Cowboys & Buckaroos: Trade Secrets of a North American Icon Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is fun and easy to read. Answers any question you can think up. It's going on my "keeper" shelf.

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Unborn Destiny: God's Will Denied Review

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(More customer reviews)It is my opinion that Mr. Smith has no idea of what a women goes through when trying to deal with an unplanned crisis pregnancy. i have spent a few years in volunteer work with women who did not chose life, but who have worked through the regret and managed to find healing. Real world lives after the choice do not coincide with this fictional pie-in-the-sky outlook. Pieces and parts of the book would give hope to it being useful in the field, but i was very disappointed by the ending. i am not happy about spending money on this book.

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Frommer's Best RV and Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A. (Frommer's Best RV & Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A.) Review

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(More customer reviews)I'm getting ready to retire. I wanted a listing of those out of the way places that I always had to pass up on my travels. They ain't in this book!
I was sorely disappointed in what I found here. They list a lot of campgrounds but they only review about 1 in 10 or 1 in 15. I wanted listings of campgrounds in West Texas. While the maps gave their designation for an RV park...not one of them was reviewed. No names, contact numbers or anything that would really help.
On the other hand, if you want to stay in a state park or BLM site, this books for you. It really does cover those in great detail. In the few private parks they reviewed, the work again was detailed.
The advertisement for this book did not elaborate on what was there...it just led you to believe it was a complete listing...which it was not.
If you are looking for a more thorough listing, Trailer Life or Woodalls provides much more comprehensive cover of ALL the campgrounds they list private or not.

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Covers campgrounds in every state except Hawaii
One out of every ten vehicle-owning households in the U.S. owns an RV, and 150 million Americans enjoy camping
Reviews nearly 5,000 campgrounds that accommodate RVers and families traveling by car
Includes "Campground Awards" for privacy, cleanliness, security, facilities, and best setting
Formerly titled The Unofficial Guide to the Best RV and Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A.

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The Week of the Horse Review

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(More customer reviews)The Week Of The Horse by author Jocelyn Reekie is a young adult novel, telling the story of a twelve-year-old girld who loves horses yet cannot afford one. So she volunteers at a local stable, where she can ride her favorite horse... until the stable closes down and her beloved Duke is sent away, to be sold at auction to a butcher. She has less than a week to save Duke, with help from her grandmother. A tender and compassionate novel, captivating and sure to strike a chord in young animal lovers, The Week Of The Horse is especially recommended for both school and community library fiction collections for young readers.


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Ultimate Boat Maintenance Projects (Motorbooks Workshop) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a nice introduction to boat maintenance.
If you are new to boating, this book will give you a general idea of what maintaining a boat is all about.
The first chapters of the book deal on the subject of exterior maintenance ( the paint and gel coat ). This is the good part with useful information. The chapters there after cover the engine and the (stern)drive. These chapters can not be used to actually do the maintenance. You will need the engine manual or a substitute from the likes of Seloc. These chapters however give a newbie a good idea of what boat maintenance is all about. Another good thing about this book are the pictures.
This book is a nice overview of boat maintenance, don't buy it as a step by step guide to actually do the boat maintenance.

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Boat owners, perhaps more so than other motoring enthusiasts, want to spend their time playing, not maintaining, their toys. Unfortunately, due to their higher exposure to damaging elements, their longer periods of non-use, and the remote locations to which they transport their users, it could be argued that boats also require more care than cars or motorcycles. This guide breaks down by system the routine maintenance procedures every boat owner should know, presenting in more digestible chunks the upkeep of any modern boat, whether it's 16 or 60 feet, inboard or outboard, open-hulled or cabin-equipped. Much of the information included is even applicable to sailboats, as well as runabouts and cabin cruisers. - A one-stop, all-color resource for owners of a variety of modern fiberglass and metal-hulled boats- All color, unlike most books on subject- Can be published in time for Spring 2004 pre-boating season releaseAbout the AuthorScott Smith is a boating enthusiast, private pilot, and author of MBI's How to Buy a Single-Engine Airplane. He lives in Ankeny, Iowa.Scott Sky Smith grew up in a family-owned drydock marina that sold and manufactured boats. He has a bachelor of science degree in industrial arts from Iowa State University. Mr. Smith has been educating consumers as a columnist and a public speaker for years and is the author of How to Buy Single Engine Airplane, published by MBI Publishing. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including the Ankeny Press Citizen, Welcome Home Magazine, The Des Moines Register, Private Pilot, Custom Planes, Cessna Owners Magazine, Piper Owners Magazine, US Aviator, Sport Aerobatics, and Aero Trader.

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Hermits Rest Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of my favorite books because it's about the Grand Canyon and also about that happened in the state of Arizona in the United States. The Grand Canyon is an awesome naturla wonder and this book provides lots of information about what to do and see at the Grand Canyon. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

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I met a wonderful girl named Jessi when I lived at the Grand Canyon. I don't know how we drifted apart but I think it's like a lot of things in life where you don't know what's going on or why things are happening until it's all over. Now I can look back and see what events led me to the Grand Canyon and what reasons there were that made me want to leave. I sure wish I could go back in time because I would certainly do some things differently.

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Waiting for April Review

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(More customer reviews)This striking, confident novel features a mysterious stranger, an unsolved murder, and a hilarious and moving love-trangle that gently parodies Faulkner by way of Vladimir Nabokov. The hero, Roy, is a charmed golden boy who harbors a life-long crush on his gloriously irresistible aunt, the April of the title. Roy's also star half-back on the local high-school football team and a serious fishing enthusiast. He narrates his story in a voice that is both firm and liltingly elegant, a mode that suits this aborbing story of brutal violence and gossamer tenderness. Lots of funny bits, too. Highly recommended.

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CHALLENGE OF CHOICE (Heather) Review

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(More customer reviews)The concluding title in the "Heather" trilogy by Betty Briggs, Challenge Of Choice is a thoroughly entertaining novel for young adults about Heather Chambers, an eighteen-year-old young woman who must choose between boyfriends, and between which jumping horses to bring to a an important show. As Heather's life grows more complex with conflicting paths, she has to learn the difficult task of keeping a balance as she makes the difficult transition to true adulthood. Challenge Of Choice is enthusiastically commended as an unusually thoughtful and involving novel. Also very highly recommended are the first two books in the "Heather" trilogy, Quality Concealed ...

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A current boyfriend and a former boyfriend, two jumping horses toshow, a missing racehorse, a newborn filly with a questionablepedigree, a human body dredged up from the bottom of FlatheadLake--just a normal summer for Heather Chambers in Challenge ofChoice, the final book (following Quality Concealed and Image ofDeception) in the "Heather" trilogy. Leaving David Cane behind inUtah, Heather travels to Montana to promote her Thoroughbred jumper,Royal Image, or so she thinks. Although her stepfather, Kevin, claimshe "never interferes," he decides Heather should see Tyler Taggertagain before telling David she will marry him. Okay. She can go alongwith that. No problem. No problem, that is until David shows up at theTaggert horse farm on the shores of Flathead Lake, hauling Possum,Heather's backup mount. "Now you have both boyfriends together. Youcan compare," Kevin tells a distraught Heather. If all this isn'tenough to complicate the 18-year-old girl's life, add Ty's gorgeousriding student, Allie; and Katie, his matchmaking sister, in memorableperformances both off and on the Bigfork Summer Theater stage. And,ohyes--is there really a Flathead monster?

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The Eastpointer: Life In A Sleepy, Little Fishing Village Review

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(More customer reviews)The Eastpointer
Book Review
By Richard E. Noble
This book doesn't owe me a nickel. I was paid to write all the stories in this book by a local newspaper in my adopted hometown of Eastpoint, Fl. I was also awarded a first place for humor from the Florida Press Association with regards to this column and these stories in 2007.
The publisher/editor of the paper wrote in his departure that my column the "Eastpointer" was the most popular and most read column in the paper. I tried to make people laugh or at least smile at themselves ... or at me and my local friends.

I published this first volume because of the advice of a friend. He said that I should publish these stories over my protest that they were of a local nature and not of much interest to "outsiders." My friend felt otherwise. I re-read my stories with a different perspective and agreed with my buddy. Most of the stories in this series have a universal quality that folks either from the big city or a small town can associate with. After all, they are stories about living in a small town that are written by a guy from the big city. They are all "Americana" and should be fun entertainment for anybody.

The majority of the stories are witty or humorous and I would like to think may even contain small bits of wisdom here and there.
I would also like to emphasize that these are "stories" and not so much newspaper columns. Each story has a beginning, middle and end. They are not about the "news" they are about the town and its people.
This is a fun book about a "different" type community and the people who live there. I will be publishing a second volume in this series in the coming year (2011).
Books written by Richard Noble - The Hobo Philosopher:
"Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.."
"A Summer with Charlie" Salisbury Beach, Lawrence YMCA
"A Little Something: Poetry and Prose
"Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" Novel - Lawrence, Ma.
"The Eastpointer" Selections from award winning column.
"Noble Notes on Famous Folks" Humor - satire - facts.
"America on Strike" American Labor - History
"A Baker's Dozen" Short Stories


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My column "The Eastpointer" appears each week in the "Franklin Chronicle." In 2007 I won the first place award for humor from the Florida Press Association.Eastpoint is in the Florida Panhandle.In a way this is a history book because the Eastpoint and Franklin County that existed when we arrived are gone. Franklin County has been, traditionally, a seafood community and Eastpoint is the oyster capital of Florida. This volume contains a selection of columns that create a portrait of life in the "sleepy, little fishing village" of Eastpoint, Florida.The book presents an entertaining variety of columns that paint a picture of what Franklin County has been to me and my wife Carol. Most of these columns are light spirited, a few are serious and hopefully some are downright funny. My goal is that they all contain bits of wit and a trace of wisdom.

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YourSpace 2: Interviews with MySpace Musicians, Filmmakers, Models and Friends Review

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(More customer reviews)A lot of fluff, a waste of time. No real substance to this book, just a bunch of quotes meant to fill it up. It's clear the author put little effort into compiling the quotes and quickly assembling this book. Stay away!

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YourSpace 2 interviews MySpace royalty and how they became successful. Other books show you how they think it should be done, this book takes it straight from the celebrities themselves



'Because of Myspace my personal website www.Number1hater.com gets over 4 Million Plays a Day. I've also been published in blender magazine where I was labeled the biggest unsigned act of MySpace. I've also been in beat for MySpace popularity. I have gained like 80 percent of my fan base due to MySpace' - Number 1 Hater

Musicians: Brooke Hogan , Five Times August, Jessie Baylin, Number 1 Hater, Shane Alexander, and then I turned seven, Corey, Jay Nash, Laura Jansen, Rob Giles, William Fitzsimmons, California FX, Latisha Diamonds, OUTLETT, Adam and Andrew.

Filmmakers from Movies such as: Clown Short of Destiny, Deadwing, Patient J, The Suicide, Teen Truth and Now You See Me, Now You Don't.

Models: Janice Prishwalko, Tian Kitchen, Rebecca Bernstein, Kimberly Fisher, Erika Jordan, Molinee Green, Toni Leigh, Aurelie Malish and Suzee Rocks. Need to setup up a MySpace Page? Try YourSpace: A Friends Guide to MySpace.com this book is a step by step picture guide that will walk you through to make your myspace page an envy of your friends. Become the big fish in the small pond.

Accompanying website www.yourspaceandmyspace.com. About author at www.stevemonas.com

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Chaplin in the Movies: A Pictorial Tribute to the Little Tramp Review

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(More customer reviews)A loving tribute. Contains 80 photos, never-before-published, in all from nearly 40 films and movie trailers, spanning 22 years. The tribute begins with Chaplin's screen debut in Keystone's 1914 comedy, "Making a Living," and ends with "Modern Times" (1936). "Chaplin in the Movies" is more than a pictorial tribute. It's a documentation of Chaplin's evolution into one of the greatest silent comedians of all time.

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"Chaplin: A Pictorial Tribute to the Little Tramp," is a treasury of nearly 80 photos, never-before-published, which have been taken from nearly 40 films and movie trailers of the great silent movie clown, Charlie Chaplin. This loving tribute, spanning 22 years, begins with Chaplin's screen debut as a lady-charming swindler in Keystone's 1914 comedy, "Making a Living," followed by his first appearance as the Little Tramp in "Kid Auto Races in Venice," released the same year. The tribute then follows his film work for Keystone, Essanay, Mutual, First National and United Artists, including Tillie's Punctured Romance," the first comedy feature, and ending with "Modern Times,", which marked the final screen appearance of the Little Tramp in 1936. "Chaplin: A Pictorial Tribute to the Little Tramp" is a fitting salute to a comic geniuis whose character's endearing charm has won audience's hearts forever.

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Wild Ride Review

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(More customer reviews)I think this is going to be it for me as far as buying JC's books go, and I hate to say that because I've read and enjoyed her romances for years. I wanted to get into this book, because I like the author and paranormal books, but I automatically approach her works as romances, and this one (like Agnes & The Hitman) doesn't work that way. If you can read Wild Ride as a paranormal work rather than a paranormal romance, you may enjoy it. I had to keep fighting against my romance expectations too much to really enjoy the book, and there were a few other issues.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Mab felt recycled to me because she felt too much like two different female leads that JC had used in earlier works (Cinderella Deal and Faking It, if memory serves me correctly), and had written best in Faking It. If I had met her fresh, I'm still not sure that I would have liked the Mab version of that character type. I much preferred the male lead, Ethan; I kept thinking how much stronger the book would have been (at least to me) if the main characters had been Ethan and Weaver, instead of dividing the storyline up with Mab's half of the tale.
I didn't like the way that Mab spent most of the book sleeping with a guy that you knew was a red herring, while her real romantic partner had barely there scenes. I didn't like the cliche secret siblings plot twist or the equally cliche got knocked up twist. The knocked up thing felt particularly last minute tossed in. Two cliches in one book seemed a bit much. Cliche twists can work well if the writer does something interesting or takes it somewhere different, but this didn't go anywhere unexpected. It was very Rosemary's Baby meets Star Wars.
Mab, "Joe", and her romantic lead (can't even remember what the guy's name was), felt flat and dull, while the secondary characters like Weaver, Cindy, and the inquisitors felt real. I think I would have gotten in Mab's real romantic lead if I'd gotten to know him better and he had more scene time. I'd love to see more of Ethan and Weaver, Cindy and her dragons, but Mab and the demon spawn...meh. The main demons weren't nearly as interesting as the minion demons. I liked the amusement parking setting; it had a lot of promise.
If you enjoy paranormal works, and couldn't care less about romance, you might this one. If you loved JC's romances and want more of the same, this isn't the book for you. If you love JC's writing and don't care what she writes about, you would probably like this book.

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Good Horsekeeping: A Comprehensive Guide to All Things Equine Review

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(More customer reviews)As it says on the cover, this book is truly a comprehensive guide to all things equine. And, although it has all the information you could ever want, it's not one of those big unwieldy books. Divided into short chapters with lots of subsections, it's an easy reference book as well as a great read. The photography is suberb, and the writing is clear and concise. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in horses.

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Horses are intelligent, powerful, extraordinary animals, often admired for their captivating mix of gentility and strength. These majesticcreatures have faithfully served as trained working and companion animals for centuries, yet still maintain their wild spirit. Indulging a love of horses with riding lessons, competitions, or purchasing an equine can be both exciting and daunting, but with the right information, anyone can become an expert.With detailed advice on everything from buying a horse and selecting appropriate equipment to taking lessons, riding, and competing, this beautifully illustrated book will educate any equestrain---novice, expereinced, or anywhere in between---on all aspects of becoming involved with horses. Learn to understand how horses function both physically and mentally and how to best utilize their unique traits when training, competing, or simply riding.

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Intimate Falls Review

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(More customer reviews)This mystery suspense novel is a page-turning delight from the very opening pages. With the invasion of the peace and quiet of computer-upgrade-day by a ditzy pregnant sister (Julia Hobbs) of an old college buddy, our hero (information agent Brandon Drake)is plunged into just the kind of contract he has carefully tried to avoid since getting out of the Private Eye business. The plot rips into high gear and just keeps going through all four hundred pages.
The Yosemite rock-climbing disappearance of Julia's husband, we learn early in the novel, wasn't an accident after all. And Drake's involvement with the investigation sends the case spinning through a deep and wicked web of high-tech start-ups and sleazy East LA strip bars.
The sensual themes heat up from the get-go, too, as the novel's cover art suggests. [The U.S. National Park Trust is said to have banned display of that cover in Yosemite bookstores and galleries, in spite of the fact that at least 50% of my male friends (and only about 10%of the women) didn't even recognize the female profile on the cover until it was pointed out to them by someone who DID recognize it ---- sort of a cover art Rohrschach test!]
The plot weaving is fascinating and relentless, full of great dialogue throughout, and some very touching exchanges between the main characters as they work their way through what becomes a horrendous ordeal of survival in order to sort out what really happened up on the mountain, and why.
Climbers will love it, mystery readers will love it, and with its very lovely romantic moments, just about everyone should find something special about this book. Great for a week's worth of bath tub soaking, or a weekend retreat. It is great entertainment: what I call "a fun read".
For its genre, I have to give it my highest recommendation!

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