Product Description
Few teachers in the West possess both the spiritual training and the scholarship to lead us along the path to enlightenment. Robert Thurman is one such teacher. Now, in his first experiential course on the essentials of Tibetan Buddhism, adapted and expanded from a popular retreat he led, Thurman -- the first Westerner ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself -- shares the centuries-old wisdom of a highly valued method of insight used by the great Tibetan masters.

Tibetans think of their cherished tradition of Buddhism as a "wish-fulfilling jewel tree" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. Happiness, in fact, is the true goal of Tibetan spirituality, and the wish-fulfilling jewel tree will enable you to reach that goal. Using a revered, once-secret text of a seventeenth-century Tibetan master, with thorough explanations for contemporary Westerners, The Jewel Tree of Tibet immerses you fully in the mysteries of Tibetan spiritual wisdom. A retreat in book form as well as a spiritual and philosophical teaching, The Jewel Tree of Tibet offers a practical system of understanding yourself and the world, of developing your learning and thought processes, and of gaining deep, transforming insight.

One of the most explicit teachings of the steps on the path of enlightenment available, explained by a skilled Western teacher, The Jewel Tree of Tibet will enable you to honor the full subtlety and hidden depths of the Tibetan Buddhist path and realize at last its deeper rewards -- for yourself and others.Amazon.com Review
Robert Thurman is probably best know for his translation of the sacred text The Tibetan Book of the Dead, although he has published many works of both translation and exploration of Tibetan Buddhism. The Jewel Tree of Tibet is a significant addition to Thurman’s contribution to this field of spiritual scholarship. His deep knowledge and devotion are in evidence on every page. His style is straightforward and inviting. He also provides a short introduction to the history of Buddhism which is as clear and straightforward as possible for what can be an exceptionally complex and entangled topic.

In short, Thurman writes for real people with an interestin (perhaps longing for) a deeper understanding of themselves and their place in the world. In addition to a clear and inviting style and providing the reader with an accessible understanding of important spiritual matters, this book is exceptionally openhanded and openhearted. While Thurman wants us to share the dharma of the Jewel Tree he also wants the reader to know that they are already on their path- no matter what their faith or non-faith,political beliefs, no matter what manner of thinking may appear to divide, separate, or individualize us: Thurman presents a view of the self in which we can see that it is possible to overcome these limitations and alienations and to see ourselvesas inhabiting common ground with the suffering, the joy, and the seeking of others. His bias is ecumenical in the best and most generous sense of the word.

This is an excellent book for the person just awakening to their spiritual path and for the seeker of many years.--Julian Riepe ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

great overview and indepth of buddhism
I have been reading this indepth book an find it quite revealing
of buddhism, on a deeper level than i've encountered before.

Deep and profound, but a little hard to understand in places
Based on the Fourth Panchen Lama's text Mentor Devotion, Thurman uses Tibet's beautiful wish-fulfilling jewel-tree imagery to help the reader to generate bliss and enlightenment. The core of this book are the visualization exercises where you draw inspiration and compassion from a revered being and then extend their heartfelt loving kindness to others. Thurman says it's up to you who you perceive to be such a revered being. It could be the Buddha or the Dalai Lama, or Christ, Moses, your mother, etc. Thurman also discusses the history of Buddhism, its contrast to much of Western thought, and how the major tenants of Buddhism can work for people from the West.

"Through the great bliss state, I myself become the mentor deity. From my luminous body, Light rays shine all around, Massively blessing beings and things, Making the universe pure and fabulous, Perfection in its every quality."

I found this book to be deep and profound, but a little hard to understand in places. I especially liked the section where Thurman encourages us to meditate on the loving-kindness of our mothers.

a Jewel in visualization
Robert Thurman is a master, this is a hands on visual experience with great explanations of various things that are hard to understand. It puts you right into the field of merit.I was quite moved by the experience.I did not realize the close proximity of the Buddhas.

Stalled in the introduction/history
I will probably go back to it, but I stalled in the first pages (introduction/history). Mr. Thurman's use of English is a little off, making it awkward to follow some concepts and sentences, and some concepts themselves are a little "off".
He states that Buddha invented the monastic system ("ordained as a monk or nun so that the people would be supported by the collective to escape from the collective". I've read Buddha avoided the issue of allowing women for a long time and, historically, many cultures placed their priests and priestesses in separate compounds to learn and practice, supported by the community. He states that Buddha chose India for this "because India was the wealthiest place then", when of course, Gautama was in fact born in India. He states "this system caught on like wildfire in India", something I'd never read before. I'd always had the impression that Buddhist practice was small compared to historical practice and local Deities. "It was as if Buddha created holes in the cheese of societ-he Swiss-cheesed the society". And the holes were the Sangha, the community, the renunciate institution, where people could go for a lifelong free lunch", (page 19). "At first Buddha...didn't dictate to his fellow warrior kings..."you better stop doing this, and you better not do that". My understanding is that he never did and he had renounced being a "warrior king".
In his History the Indian people became so non violent, wise and pleasure loving, there was no harsh discipline in the schools or conflict in families or between families, they were no longer ruthless (and this is why they were invaded), as opposed to the west, "permeated with that violence, and our minds are permeated with the violence. Even our physical posture is permeated with that violence". In fact, "We are the most militaristic society history has ever seen." I imagine while he was involved on his personal quest (and became enamored of other cultures) he bypassed reading many history books.
I was even more concerned by his description of how, once one reaches the "bliss state", "nothing is wrong in that universe. It is perfect" Except that "others don't see it that way...You may automatically wish to free them, which could lead to frustration if, in your initial glimpse of this awakening, you lacked compassion".
I've been there a few times and, in seeing that nothing was wrong, nothing was wrong including others not seeing it and compassion seemed a complete part of the experience. I hope someday I'll be able to stay there for longer periods.
On page 4 he says, "I have grown older and become less sure about everything---and even confused and discouraged when my inherited negative personality traits reemerge in the heat of relationship."
I'm wondering if this is a teaching I want to follow through this book.

Great Introductory Overview of Tibetan Buddhism
This book is a modified retreat transcript, so it has the strengths of an experiential emphasis. But it also is intelligent and quite readable. Thurman covers the entire scope of the Buddhist path from a Tibetan perspective, and he does this in the order that one would learn and practice these teachings developmentally. The reader is invited regularly to participate in the meditations along the way and to adapt them to his or her own religious background. But the book is also a lively guided tour with a number of brief visits to important teachings.So it progressively maps and highlights a path that actually takes years to experience. This is a classic approach, called Lam-Rim in Tibetan, that Bob Thurman makes accessible, even for beginners. ... Read more

Product Description
Using her magic flute, Princess Emily shrinks herself to the size of her new fairy friend. Together they travel to the Fairy Kingdom and have many adventures--until Emily's shrinking spell wears off!. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

for parents.
i read these books when i was in fourth grade. they were my absoulute favorites because the had the girls as the heroes in a world full of magic. these books are great for young readers because the plots aren't to complicated but are advanced enough that they won't feel that it's too little kid.it does have a few complicated words so it will help with reading skills.

Adventurous and Exciting!
I loved Princess Emily's friend, Arabell, because she reminds me of my imaginary friend.I recommend this book because it is full of adventure and excitement.I liked when Arabell cured Sweet William.I read thisbook in one evening.

This is a great book!
This is a wonderful book.I like to read books inthe Jewel Kingdom series,this book is about the brave princess Emily and her new fairy friend, princess Arabell.My best friend loves Jewel Kingdom books aswell,in fact she is mad about them.I sugest you read The Ruby princess seesa ghost, its even better.

An interesting, wonderful, book, well worth looking at.
It shows what friendship is all about

The jewel princesses are great !
I really like the jewel kingdom books. My most favorite jewel princess is emily the emerald princess. I'm almost 11 and I know these are beginner books but I still like there adventures and there animal friends. ... Read more

Product Description
Atlanta, a mermaid from the Undersea, comes to stay with Sabrina. Atlanta tells a lot of stories. But can she be believed?. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

mermaid
Mermaid was truly troublemaker, she never need help because she is theif. Sapphire Princess never knew until she find the truth. yet she became mermaid friend.

Great book series
I would recommend these books to first graders that are excelled readers.For my daughters reading level, the chapter books at school seem to encourage children to talk back to teachers or parents, mock or play tricks on others and lie.The Jewel Princess series are wonderful fantasy tales with a good moral ending.Thank you Jahnna and Malcom!

Reminds everyone that you shouldn't lie or fib.
A good book showing what happens when you lie

Sabrina tells her friend Atlanta's secret.
This wonderful book is about Sabrina telling her friend, Atlanta, secret.Can their friendship be saved? This book is great for children who love adventure. ... Read more

Product Description

The legendary Jewels of Nabooti are missing! Stolen from a museum in Paris, the two diamonds and the two rubies have been a source of helpful power for the African Nabooti tribe in Senegal. Your assignment is to get them back and return them to the museum. But people - even members of your own family - have died in the attempt. Who can you trust? Will an irreversible curse fall upon you while you search for the jewels? Are they even worth the risk? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Warning: This is NOT the original version
Don't buy this book expecting a reprinting of the original 1982 Choose Your Own Adventure book. The text has been revised, though the revision is serviceable enough; but what's worse is that all of the illustrations have been replaced with really bad cartoons. The drawings in this book aren't quite as bad as those in some of the other rereleases (like Journey Under The Sea), but so many of them are amateurish and badly drawn that it's difficult to read the book without being distracted by them. (Many of them are also unrelated to the text. One page ends with you being eaten by a crocodile. The picture accompanying it is of a Moroccan man with a horribly out-of-proportion face.)

Buy a used copy of the original book, or choose something else to read. ... Read more

Product Description
After DarkKyAnn Waters Kayla March has never reached orgasm...not even with a vibrator. However, she has the feeling that could all change when she meets Alandro Blackwood at the club After Dark.Few vampires can breed. Alandro carries the unique recessive gene. His blood match, believed to have been killed by a vampire slayer, has been found. Unless her dormant vampire gene had already been awakened by a breeder, why would she go to After Dark, the feeding grounds? He d soon find out. From the SeaMaxie Cooper Kelli Rhodes is vacationing at a beachside cottage when a mysterious man emerges from the sea, offering erotic pleasures beyond her wildest fantasies. For the first time in her life, Kelli feels a connection with someone and his unbelievable story might explain the mystery behind Kelli s birth.There s no denying the sexual chemistry between them. But to claim this man, Kelli must overcome her greatest fear...and take a leap into an even greater unknown. Lady s ChoiceRebecca Airies Kyna has fought long and hard to establish herself as a dedicated, capable soldier in the Laurati army. Now she is determined to let nothing about her past tarnish her reputation as she works to advance among the Calazi militia. She d wanted to impress her commanders, but not like this.In the midst of a power outage on their base, Finn and Drace make their intentions toward Kyna crystal clear. Kyna is intrigued and aroused but wary of sleeping with a superior, let alone both of them. As the heat between them rises, however, she quickly realizes she needs to make a choice and not between the two men. SunriseNatasha Moore Caroline has been meeting Alan at sunset for months. The hot sex they ve been enjoying started out mindless and anonymous, just the way she wanted it. Little by little, they ve gotten to know and care for each other. Caroline fears the changes in their relationship she can t seem to prevent.Alan wants Caroline in his life. He sets out to seduce her with his voice, his hands, his body. He s no longer satisfied with sex in the shadows and wants more. Can he make Caroline feel the same? Surrender DorothyAnna J. Evans Sexy men, magic, and mayhem...oh my!Gelsey is grateful to land a gig as costume mistress for a theatre. She simply wants to hide from the dark forces that pursue her. She never plans on falling for the sexy, surly Tin Man, the character every Wizard of Oz fan knows has no heart.Stephen has finally found the woman destined to be his. Now only one night of danger, a little sex magic and Gelsey s stubborn refusal to admit she s his stand in his way. But Stephen won t give up. He ll have Gelsey, giving her such pleasure she ll have no choice but to surrender. The DebutanteSamantha Kane Dominic, Viscount Lethbridge, is struck by debutante Clarissa Welliston s voluptuous form and arresting, unusual features. In spite of her innocence, he wants her. But first he needs to discover if she can embrace his sexual appetites.Clarissa wants a man between her thighs, desperately. When Viscount Lethbridge pursues her, she finds the love and passion she s longed for in the dark, seductive pleasures he desires. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Jewels of the Nile
Earthly Pleasure by B.J. McCall

Renee is Aasi and as such, she offers sanctuary to wounded warriors. Saving Earth isn't their only mission, but it will be easier if most of the Earth's population is unaware of their existence. Renee finds herself falling for a warrior, but when she learns what Itan's real mission is, she might be singing a different tune come morning.

They say there are no new stories, just the same ones told in a new way. I found Earthly Pleasure to be an enjoyable tale that was different, and sweet. I found this a well rounded tale with sympathetic characters. Quick pacing, emotional turmoil, sexy characters, and a happy ending left me quite satisfied.

Erotic Sacrifice by Cynthia Rayne

Once a year, there is a carnal human sacrifice to appease the demons. Bronwyn is excited to be chosen as the carnal sacrifice even while she's nervous about what it entails. Bronwyn has seen the Dark Lord several times over the years and she is fascinated by him. Fascinated enough to agree to be a willing sacrifice.

The way Erotic Sacrifice began made me nervous. Part of me feared this was going to offend my religious sensibilities, but when I learned the Dark Lord didn't mean the devil, but the leader of the demons, I was oddly comforted. Erotic Sacrifice is a steamy tale of sex, trust, and learning about yourself. The heroine had no idea she would enjoy being submissive, but once she found out she did, she gave herself over to the pleasures of the ritual. This is a fun hot read, but I must warn you that there is bondage and multiple partners in this story.

Hot Under the Collar by Katie Blu

Ever since Reverend Eric Johns moved to town, female attendance at church has risen dramatically. Emma's been fascinated with the reverend and has begun attending the church services. Who knew all it would take to meet the man of her erotic daydreams would be the most embarrassing accident of her life?

Hot Under the Collar was a steamy read. Following right after Erotic Sacrifice I was almost shocked speechless. Then I read the rest of the story. I liked Emma and her relationship with John. I wished there was more between them than just the sexual chemistry. One part of the story that I didn't like was when John went to investigate a noise. Emma was not only unconcerned because she believed it was other employees, but she also went to sleep while he was downstairs investigating.

Incensed by Kate Hill

After Cori's sister visits a 'matchmaker' she dumps her fiancé for one who is not as well established or cute. Cori is upset because she's spent her life raising her sister and wants the best for her. Determined to prove the matchmaker is a fraud, she goes to his business and demands his attention. In order to prove he's legit, Cyril agrees to give her a free match.

While I enjoyed Incensed, I wished for more. I enjoyed the way the story flowed and how Cyril seemed to understand Cori better than she understood herself. I found her admittance of love to be to easy to believe. Cyril worked hard to show her what she really needed and wanted, but part of me wanted to see more emotional struggle on Cori's part.

Making the Madam by Delilah Devlin

Merry finds herself in the West, a widow with only an 'emporium' as a means of support. She coerces her reluctant lawyer to show her the establishment only to find out it is nothing she has any experience with. While unsure how to run it, she is determined to keep her brothel and keep it a success. With the help of Nathan Boone, she is sure things will work out.

While stories set in this time frame are not usually my cup of tea, I enjoyed reading Making the Madam. Merry's naiveté was refreshing. Despite his failure, I enjoyed the way Nathan tried to convince Merry to sell to him.

The Emissary by Jenna Reynolds

Shina is a Courtesan-in-training. She can't wait to lose her virginity so she no longer has to be a slave for her trainer. The catch? The male that wants her is an alien; one that no one has ever seen before because his kind remain hidden in large cloaks.

The Emissary was a thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved the idea of an alien purchasing a courtesan to get to know more about her race. I liked the rituals Shina carried out and the way her mysterious lover kept trying to break her.

Jewels of the Nile Volume 1 is an anthology packed with steaming hot stories. It was fun to read a group of novellas that, while not connected, were all enjoyable. From westerns to futuristics there is something for everyone in this anthology.

Erys
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Not great but an ok read
I originally decided to purchase this book due to Samantha Kane's 'The Debutante'. After reading the book it is easily my favorite story of the bunch. A close second would have to be Ann J. Evans 'Surrender Dorothy'. The stories were all good, passionate reads. Although, I know that I would have enjoyed them more if each story had a little more length. It was hard for me to get into a couple of the stories because I feel that some still had a bit more story to tell. Over all though a good read if you're a fan of short story anthologies.

5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies
AFTER DARK by KyAnn Waters
Kayla March is tired of not being able to find sexual gratification.She has a good feeling regarding a new club she's heard about and is hopeful that she'll meet a man there who will make her fantasies come true.What she doesn't realize is that AFTER DARK is a vampire feeding ground, but not to worry, the man destined for her will find her - and she'll learn a few truths about her own background that could shatter everything she's ever believed.

KyAnn Waters has proven herself to be a versatile writer and with this vampire tale she solidifies herself as an author to keep on the auto buy list.Kayla and Alandro will touch your heart and leave you hungry for more.


FROM THE SEA by Maxie Cooper
Kelli Rhodes loves the beach - the sights, the smells, the sounds - but she's terrified of the water.She'd rented the seaside cottage seeking peace and solace while she paints.Imagine her surprise when a gorgeous man walks from the water.She paints underwater seascapes, is it possible they're more than simply her imagination?

I've always admired seascapes and Maxie Cooper makes them even more magical by incorporating them into this storyline in a magical way.I found myself fascinated by Maxie and her love/hate relationship with the sea and loved learning the reason for her fear.


LADY'S CHOICE by Rebecca Airies
Kyna has worked hard to find acceptance as a Laurati soldier.She's learned to guard her heart because her own society has ostracized her because of her background.Now that she's amongst the Calazi she's finding temptation in the form of two superior officers, Commander Finn Tarn and Drace Amon.When the three are trapped in the kitchen area during a blackout things heat up but what will happen when the power returns and their rendezvous in the dark is over?

Rebecca Airies doesn't disappoint with this futuristic menage a trois story.I love how Kyna, Finn and Drace interact and agonized over how the men would react when she reveals her secret worry.


SUNRISE by Natasha Moore
Caroline isn't looking for a happily-ever-after.All she wants is smoldering hot sex with no demands and no expectations - well aside from breathtaking orgasms.She's been meeting Alan on the beach at sunset over the past several months and so far managed to keep all their encounters in the dark.Alan wants more than satisfying sex.He's ready for more of a commitment but can he persuade her to trust him with her heart?

Natasha Moore's SUNRISE takes readers into the mindset of a woman who's been burned by love once and has no intention of going through that again.Told entirely in 1st person this story is an emotional adventure that touches the heart.


SURRENDER DOROTHY by Anna J. Evans
Gelsey is fortunate to be working as a costume mistress at a local theatre.Her biggest problem is she's lusting over the Tin Man, a.k.a. Stephan and fraternizing amongst the staff is forbidden.Much to her surprise Stephan is definitely aware of her and certainly plans to make her his, but there are complications and it looks like the Wizard of Oz may resemble Gelsey's reality more than she could ever believe.

Anna J. Evans makes the Wizard of Oz seem tame compared to this tale.I love how Gelsey and Stephen appear to be perfectly normal but then their true natures come out and there's no doubt that they're perfect together.


THE DEBUTANTE by Samantha Kane
Dominic, Viscount Lethbridge, isn't interested in any of the lily white virginal simpering debutantes who are constantly being thrown his way.That doesn't stop him from taking interest in a particular debutante who may not be a raving beauty but she has the backbone and sensuality he finds desirable.Clarissa doesn't care about getting married but she does have an interest in the experiencing carnal desires - and Dominic is just the man to teach her all about passion - and then some.

Samantha Kane tells intensely unexpected historical stories and she certainly doesn't disappoint with this tale.I love that Clarissa isn't your typical debutante and there's no doubt that she's ready for everything Dominic has to offer.


ELLORA'S CAVEMEN: JEWELS OF THE NILE II is a prime example of what an anthology should be.Each story is full of impassioned characters who leave the reader in awe of the authors' talents.What I especially love about the Cavemen anthology is the mixture of genres.It's the perfect opportunity to try out a new genre or even an author you haven't tried before.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies) ... Read more

Product Description
From powerful and intense to subtle and sublime More Family Jewels explores and explains the ins and outs of male genitorture.The word genitorture might bring some frightening images to mind, but in reality it is not always about pain.It can incorporate a full range of sensations from sensual to painful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A good read
I also own the first of these books.
If you need more information on the topic this is an excellent place to get it. The fact that Hardy Haberman is a well respected member of the BDSM community also lends credibility to what's written inside. This man has TONS of experience with the subject matter. You're learning from one of the best when you buy this book! If you don't own the first Family Jewels book I'd highly recommend it also.

How-To with a Touch of Narrative
The first SM book I can recall that used fiction as a way to approach the question of how do conduct a scene was John Warren's "Safe, Sane, Consensual and Fun".Much like that book, Haberman here recalls some of his favorite CBT (cock & ball "torture") scenes.Instead of laying it the how-to as he did in his first book, he uses a narrative style to share his experience with the reader while focusing on the details of what he (and any co-top) technically did in the scene.It's a good read but don't think that just because you read it you will know how to do CBT or anything else kinky safely.I'm still a big believer in learning from doing under expert guidance but books can give you basic information and help you determine if it's something you want to try.

Playing with the lower brain.
Own up to it. You've seen the cover of this book or maybe flipped through a couple of the stories and you can barely contain the urge to get to the juicy stuff. Maybe you've already absorbed Hardy Haberman's original "The Family Jewels: A Guide to Male Genital Play and Torment" and were starving for more. But maybe you're not. Why, you may ask, do I want somebody to get anything remotely painful down there?!? I mean, they're a perfectly good set of testes and I happen to be quite attached to them, you say.

Good question. Perfectly reasonable, for that matter. After all, one does not want to go to the play party a baritone and come home a falsetto. Hardy once described himself to me as a "Pain Technician," and I can certainly vouch for the veracity of that claim. I have seen him in action, and he can definitely make you dance. I also know that everyone went home afterwards with big canary-eating grins on their faces, including Hardy. Keep that in mind as you start perusing these real-life narratives of balls that went bump in the night.

Think of all those sensitive, tingly nerve endings on a length of skin you can get your thumb and forefinger around. And up. And down. Lube, repeat, rinse. Because if you're reading this, you've probably given more than a passing fantasy over to the thrills of CBT. After all, how many TV shows and movies tantalize us with the exciting threat? Everyone from James Bond to Jack Bauer has hooked our viewing to scenes of men getting their privates worked over.

The great thing about CBT play is the simplicity of it all. Who needs Torquemada when you have Ace Hardware? For that matter, your local OnLine outlet? Go buy yourself some rubber bands (you'll see that in the "On Target" chapter) or even a bag of clothespins, and you've got an instant starter kit. As Hardy explains throughout this book, you don't have be a member of The Spanish Inquisition or earning a six figure income to get a good scene off the ground. CBT is one of many forms of SM easily done on a miniscule budget. It hardly even needs to be threatening. It's Erotica on Two Dollars a Day.

You've got "More Family Jewels" on your computer screen. You're now among friends. You're friends just happen to be kinky and have a fascination with tormented sex organs. If you've ever given thought to letting someone get their fingers across the folds of your scrotum (or vice-versa), you've come to the right place. Read on, no matter what your experience level. Take notes, experiment. That valuable spot between your ears is going to start dreaming up all sorts of excitement for the smaller valuable spot in a somewhat lower region. Click that button...you know you want it.. ... Read more

Product Description
The Jewel Ornament of Liberationis regarded by all Tibetan Buddhist schools as one of the most inspiring and comprehensive works of the tradition. Written by Gampopa (born 1079 CE), the main spiritual son of the great hermit Milarepa, this important text lays out the stages of the Buddhist path and explains how an enlightened attitude is strengthened by practicing the six perfections of generosity, discipline, patience, exertion, meditation, and knowledge.

For the first time, this sometimes difficult text is made accessible to Western readers in a clear and engaging commentary. Tibetan teacher Ringu Tulku explores this classic work of Buddhist practice and philosophy with the playful and fresh style that has made him so popular among students of Buddhism. Using folksy examples and anecdotes, he brings this text to life, discussing topics such as:


   •  seeing through the illusions that cause us to suffer
   • advice on acting with kindness, generosity, and patience
   • instructions on how to put others first
   • guidance for attaining peace and lasting compassion ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Path to Buddhahood, by Ringu Tulku
Path to Buddhahood, by Ringu Tulku, clearly illuminates the Buddhist view, path and fruition from both an intellectual and an experiential point of view. The book speaks to practitioners of any lineage or level of practice. I found that it wonderfully clarified many old misunderstandings and gaps in my understanding of Buddhist teachings and practice. Includes many illustrative stories. Beautifully written in layperson's language, with a light touch and gentle humour.

Meditation in Action Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior Ruling Your World: Ancient Strategies For Modern Life What Makes You Not a Buddhist When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times (Shambhala Library) Smile at Fear: Awakening the True Heart of Bravery

A Delightful Surprise
I was in two minds about buying this one, expecting a dry treatise on a difficult text. I am glad I took the risk.

Ringu Tulku puts the subtleties and pitfalls of meditation into clear language, although I suspect much of it may seem obscure to those inexperienced in meditation. For those new to meditation, I would recommend reading Chogyam Trungpa's "Cutting through Spiritual Materialism" first, and finding a good teacher.

For the more experienced, Ringu Tulku sheds some much needed light on the many subtle sources of self deception. He is not only very readable, and even jocular at times, but he has a real knack for getting straight to the heart of the issue.

I would heartily recommend this book for anyone interested in better understanding their meditation practice, and in getting a helping hand over the obstacles. ... Read more

Product Description
Thirteen-year-old Eleanor lives in a palace in Poitier, France, with her father, Count William of Aquitaine, and her younger sister, Petronilla. Mischievous and daring, Eleanor's daily exploits are a constant source of frustration to her grandmother and ladies-in-waiting, who are the girls' caretakers.Eleanor's life is turned upside-down, however, as her father goes off to fight in the invasion of Normandy, and her safety, as well as that of her sister's, is at risk from his enemies. Then, at age fifteen, Eleanor is forced into a new role when her father dies and she is betrothed to sixteen-year-old Prince Louis VII of France.When Louis' father, King Louis VI, dies suddenly, Louis VII becomes King - and young Eleanor is now Queen of France! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

Disappointing - I expected more.
Re-read in May, 2010

Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine feels like a front: a way to teach kids "history", presented in the point-of-view of one of their own.Yes, I realize that's the whole point of the Royal Diaries books, but I expected a little more creativity presented in the story than what I received.It shouldn't FEEL like a front when you read it. I perceived this even as a kid, which is probably why I forgot all about Eleanor until I stumbled across it on goodreads.com and was reminded of its existence.

Gregory is very careful to remain true to both the diary format and the ADD mindset of a fourteen-year-old girl. As a girl, I read all of the Royal Diaries books, and I honestly don't recall any of them being quite this scatter-brained. It made it hard for me as a reader to remain engaged with the story. I remember what it was like to be a fourteen-year-old; I KNOW how hard it is to stay focused. But really, Gregory, for the sake of the story KEEP IT TOGETHER.

I should have gleaned more of Eleanor's personality than I did, especially considering that it's written in her point-of-view. Eleanor seems to have been deeply religious, or at the very least, unusually pious for a young teen. Other than that, I learned nothing particularly unique about her as a person. She had few wants and worries aside from her father's safety, and was never truly rebellious - sneaking out of the castle from time to time hardly counts as rebellious behavior in my book, as I would've done the same and more. She had opinions and observations about the world around her, but they don't make for a decent read. As a result, I perceived Eleanor to be a generally uninteresting person.

This is odd, considering that in the historical note at the end of the book, it is stated "That she was headstrong and spoiled is undisputed." (p. 161) I didn't get that impression at all. In fact, both the epilogue and the historical note were more entertaining than the actual story. I learned more about Eleanor than I would have otherwise, and lo and behold, she's a fairly interesting historical character. Who would've thunk it? The only time Eleanor displays originality in her actions and thoughts is her rather unorthodox way of meeting her husband-to-be, Louis VII: she marches down to where the prince is camped, only to decide that she'd rather jump in the river instead. One guess on who pulls her out of the river.

This is the only memorable part of the story, folks. Here's the page numbers (p. 124-126) so you can jump right to it.

One could make the argument that "Oh, it's meant for kids and young teens, so it doesn't have to be quite so detailed as other historical fiction novels." To that I say, "Yes it does." I use Marie Antoinette: Princess of Versailles, another Royal Diaries book, as an example. It remains true to the diary format, and yet manages to be historically accurate AND engages the reader throughout the duration of the story.

It's also a kid's book. Imagine that.

I realize that Marie Antoinette and Eleanor are different people from very different eras. As a result, there's more information to go off of on Marie Antoinette than there is on Eleanor, simply because of the different times they lived in. I get all that, really, I do... but I expected more from Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine.

Medieval Beauty
Eleanor, Jewel of Aquitaine / 0-439-16484-2

Gregory redeems herself here of her lackluster Cleopatra with this latest installment of the Royal Diaries. Since my memorized history seems to gain larger gaps every year, I started this book with no real recollection of who, precisely, Eleanor was and I finally had to check the back of the book to find that - among other things - she was the mother of the famous Richard the Lionhearted and the infamous Prince John from the Robin Hood legends.

Eleanor does not, as a Royal Diary, disappoint. A princess with vast lands and holdings, she lives her life in relative leisure, craving romance and passion in her daily life. Longing to model her life after the King Arthur legends, she flirts gently with her chosen knight and begs the castle minstrel to compose songs to their chivalric (and chaste) "love". When her father dies unexpectedly, leaving no male heir, Eleanor and her sister are confined as much as possible to the inner castle, as the local lords and barons plot to kidnap the two girls and take them as unwilling wives, in order to claim their lands as their own. Eleanor dreams of a dashing prince who will arrive to save her from the fear of being kidnapped and from the monotony of being a lonely princess.

As far as the Royal Diaries go, this one is a quick, light read and very pleasant. The history here is interesting and provides a nice contrast to some of the later diaries - it is something of a shock to see the princesses living in relative isolation and danger after having read of the palatial estates of, say, Catherine the Great or Marie Antoinette. Parents of sensitive children should be aware that there is a brief incident with an ill child vomiting worms from his stomach, and Eleanor fears that worms will exit her eyes or stomach, but this fear passes quickly.

no title
The theme of this book, in my opinion, is to show what the life of Eleanor might have been like in 1136.Eleanor was a real person. This story is marked as fictional, but there are parts and facts in this book that are non-fictional.There are also pictures, and a family tree in the back of the book.
main characters name physical description and character analysis:
The main character's name is Eleanor. Eleanor is a non-fictional character. In 1137, when she was fifteen, she became Queen of France. At 32, she became Queen of England. She had ten children, two of whom became Kings of England. Their names are Richard the Lionheart and John.
There are multiple characters in this book, so I will only list the non-fictional characters.First, Anacletus, who was the antipope, Bernard Abbe, who was a monk who founded the Abbey of Clairvaux, and as I have already mentioned, the title character, Eleanor.Emma, who was engaged to Elanor's father, Geoffrey de Rancon, who was Lord of Taillebourg, Geoffrey du Loroux, who was archbishop of Bordeaux, Geoffrey Plantagenet of Anjou, who was the count who invited Duke William X to help him invade Normandy, Innocent II, who was pope from 1130 to 1143, King Louis Capet VI of France, Prince Louis Capet, who later became King Louis VII, was Eleanor's first husband.Also, there were, Marcabru, who was a famous troubadour, Petronilla, Eleanor's younger sister, Suger, who wasabbot of Saint-Dennis, William Aigret, Eleanor's younger brother, William of Leazay, who was baron and castellan of Talmont-by-the-Sea, William IX, Eleanor's grandfather, William X, Eleanor's father, and, fianally, William and Joscelin, who were Eleanor's half brothers.
The settings of this book include the following.This book is set, as the title states, in 1136. It is set in France. The political setting is that there are multiple wars in this book.
I think the major problem in this book is two things. First, she still misses her mother and her brother from when they died several years before, and, second, she misses her father after he dies in the course of this book.Resolution of these problems comes when,first, she gets older and has to concentrate on other things more.Secondly, when she gets married at the end of the book, she doesn't miss her father as much as earlier in the book.

Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine
THIS BOOK, in MY OPINION, was one of the best out of the "Royal Diaries" Series. Eleanor is not a princess, but a Duchess of Aquitaine (Southern France) in the 1100's. This book was well written and contained much information on Eleanor's teen years. Although the reading level is supossed to be ages 9-12, i am 13, almost 14, and enjoyed this book. I think it's good for all ages.

Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine has a difficult childhood. Her father, the duke, constantly gets in fights with the pope. As if that's not enough to deal with, her brother died and her father wants her to get married as a political arrangement.A beloved family member goes on a trip, never to return. And finally, she must marry Louis the Youngerwhen she'd much rather be playing with her sister and daydreaming.
This was one of the most exciting books in the Royal Diaries series! It has brave knights in battle,court intrigues,and betrayal... ... Read more

Product Description
A survey of the finest costume jewelry created by American and European designers and manufacturers in this century. Includes photographs of over 600 pieces--earrings, bracelets, necklaces, and more--designed by Coco Chanel, Christian Dior, Napier, Trefari, Monet, and others. With technical guide. 643 illustrations, including 500 in full color. ... Read more

Product Description
It's almost time for the big ballet show. The musicians are tuning up their instruments, and the ten little ballerinas--ths stars of the show--are ready to dance. But they all need some help. One ballerina has lost her crown, another can't decide which tutu to wear, and a lonely little ballerina wishes she could keep her teddy bear with her. Includes 25 full-color, jewel-like stickers in five different shapes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Delightful
My 4 year old niece just started dance lessons and loved this book.The jeweled stickers make it a lot of fun.

simple book with fun stickers
My 6 yr old daughter loves to have this book read to her.It is a very simple story with beautiful illustrations.The book includes some jewel stickers that the child is ask to place on different items on each page.There are also quite a few stickers left over for the child to use on other projects.

It's not earth shattering literature but it is worth the price if you have a ballerina princess in your life.

Stickers are a plus!
This story flows along nicely with rhyming text. On each page, the child is prompted to find something that one of the ballerinas is missing. Help find all 10 so that the recital can go on! Bonus: Jewel stickers will be especially loved by budding ballerinas.

Fun stuff--great for travel
This is a great book to reinforce some math and logic skills.Mostly it's fun for girly girls.The stickers are the shiny jewel kind and are not reusable.The ballerinas are cute.We buy sticker books for every car and plane trip we take and they make the trips so much more bearable. ... Read more

Product Description
It's almost time for the big ballet show. The musicians are tuning up their instruments, and the ten little ballerinas--ths stars of the show--are ready to dance. But they all need some help. One ballerina has lost her crown, another can't decide which tutu to wear, and a lonely little ballerina wishes she could keep her teddy bear with her. Includes 25 full-color, jewel-like stickers in five different shapes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Delightful
My 4 year old niece just started dance lessons and loved this book.The jeweled stickers make it a lot of fun.

simple book with fun stickers
My 6 yr old daughter loves to have this book read to her.It is a very simple story with beautiful illustrations.The book includes some jewel stickers that the child is ask to place on different items on each page.There are also quite a few stickers left over for the child to use on other projects.

It's not earth shattering literature but it is worth the price if you have a ballerina princess in your life.

Stickers are a plus!
This story flows along nicely with rhyming text. On each page, the child is prompted to find something that one of the ballerinas is missing. Help find all 10 so that the recital can go on! Bonus: Jewel stickers will be especially loved by budding ballerinas.

Fun stuff--great for travel
This is a great book to reinforce some math and logic skills.Mostly it's fun for girly girls.The stickers are the shiny jewel kind and are not reusable.The ballerinas are cute.We buy sticker books for every car and plane trip we take and they make the trips so much more bearable. ... Read more

Product Description
A compilation of 13 of her biggest hits, including: Foolish Games * Hands * Intuition * Who Will Save Your Soul * You Were Meant for Me * and more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Another Success!
Jewel succeeds in all her artistic pursuits and does not dissapoint here. Covers music for playing her songs. Fantastic! ... Read more

Product Description
Winner of the Hugo, Nebula and World Fantasy Life AchievementAwards

"One of the masters of modern science fiction."--TheWashington Post Book World

Eight-year-old Horty Bluett hasnever known love. His adoptive parents are violent; his classmates arecruel. So he runs away from home and joins a carnival. Performingalongside the fireaters, snakemen and "little people," Horty isaccepted. But he is not safe. For when he loses three fingers in anaccident and they grow back, it becomes clear that Horty is not likeother boys. And it is a difference some people might want touse.

But his difference risks not only his own life but thelives of the outcasts who provided for him, for so many years, with aplace to call home. In The Dreaming Jewels, Theodore Sturgeonrenders the multiple wounds of loneliness, fear, and persecution withuncanny precision. Vividly drawn, expertly plotted, The DreamingJewels is a Sturgeon masterpiece.

"An intensely writtennovel and very moving novel of love and retribution."--WashingtonStarAmazon.com Review
Eight-year-old Horty Bluett is mocked by his classmates and abused by his adoptive parents until the day his father severs three of his fingers. He runs away, taking only a gem-eyed doll he calls Junky, and joins a carnival. Finding acceptance at last, Horty never dreams that Junky is more than a toy, nor does he realize that a threat far greater than his cruel father inhabits the carnival and has been searching for Horty longer than he has been alive.

Though less well-known than Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, or Robert A. Heinlein, Theodore Sturgeon (1918-1985) is even more important to the development of literary and humanistic science fiction. He received the Hugo, Nebula, and International Fantasy Awards, and the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award. The Dreaming Jewels (1950) was his first novel. --Cynthia Ward ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Bugged Out Coolness
The Dreaming Jewel is a rare combination of surreal fantasy and page turning excitement. What makes it even cooler are the hip references Sturgeon makes to jazz and art. This is the first Sturgeon book that I have read and I look forward to more from him.

Mixed treasure: potent child's view, great idea, descent to pulp climax
A real mix this book. Some bits dated, other ones timeless. Some characters profound, others stereotype. Some plot elements original and striking, others almost TV episode predictable. I'm glad I read it though, and I'll keep an eye out for others by this guy.

I didn't really rate the motiveless villains in the book, much as Sturgeon made them quite ugly rather than just telling us they were nasty (particularly the odious judge). However Horty, especially as a child, is a powerful and touching character. This is particularly where he leaves, say, an Asimov behind.

Asimov's great strength, however, was his inspired ideas, and for much of the book the secret of the crystals is an intriguing background, a classically clever SF `What if'. However when the secret is finally revealed we get too many pages of straight exposition rather than having the idea integrated into the story. And much as where Sturgeon went with it showed the same sort of brave imagination Bear surprised me with in Blood Music, it still felt far too much like those nasty epic fantasy climaxes where the hero stumbles across his cataclysmic era saving powers with some random mumbo-jumbo that is supposed to make sense but could have gone any direction at all without reference to anything earlier in the book. This is lazy, and it further undermined the standard melodramatic action climax.

So in summary I really loved the first half of this book, but felt a bit let down as it forced itself into a less interesting conclusion. His child's view was a triumph, and the way the clever SF idea initially informed rather than overwhelmed the story really impressive. However the subtleties were eventually overrun by the idea and the Batman/Robert Jordan-Terry Goodkind conclusion.

juvenile style without complexity
I've only read one book by Sturgeon before and it was his collection of short stories in the book Starshine. I thought the 6 stories were "partly juvenile stories with no depth." My expectations of Dreaming Jewels were heightened due to some rather pleasant reviews. However, Dreaming Jewels followed the same juvenile ideas and/or writing style of the stories in Starshine. I'm not even sure if one could classify this into the genre of SF. If Sturgeon hadn't throw in some big science words, this book definitely would have been classed as fantasy. Carnies don't belong in sci-fi! Further, the plot twists are placed in predictable places in the story while the dialogue is simple and dry.

Life Is But A Dream
"The Dreaming Jewels" by Theodore Sturgeon is an interesting science-fiction novel which was first published in February of 1950 in "Fantastic Adventures".This was Sturgeon's first novel.It was nominated in 2001 for the Retro-Hugo award for novellas which were written in the year 1950.I am not sure why they re-categorized the story as a novella, as it is clearly of novel length.Unlike many stories from that era, this one does not suffer at all from age.That is probably due to it focusing not on technological advances, but rather ideas and character.

The story is centered on eight-year old Horton "Horty" Bluett who is sent home from school when he is caught eating ants.His adoptive parents punish him severely, his father, in particular, is so sever that he nearly severs three fingers from Horty's left hand.Horty also is very attached to a toy which he had from the orphanage.His attachment was so great that he nearly died when it was taken away.Horty runs away from home, and ends up meeting Havana, Bunny, and Zena who take him back to the Carnival where they work.

The early part of this story reads more like a fantasy or horror story than a science-fiction one, and indeed those who want hard science-fiction would do better of looking elsewhere.However, Sturgeon does an artful job of bringing the story back into the realm of science-fiction as it moves towards its conclusion.Sturgeon includes many interesting themes, such as communication, outcasts, and alien life forms, and creates a story which is largely unique.

Where is my Brother?
It's easy reading. Almost childlike. But the story is good. A very original concept. It's not a new book. And although the author is fairly well known, it's not a classic. There won't be a test (as far as I know, this book won't be a topic of conversation at a faculty luncheon). Still, I remember it fondly.

A boy, Horty, has problems with his parents. Horty gets caught "eating ants" (he's a geek). So, he runs away to join the circus. He takes his childhood toy with him: A jack in the box. "Jack" has only one eye, a glittering jewel. But Horty is in danger: The circus owner collects jewels. Why? The answer to that forms the foundation of the story (the jewels "dream").

I didn't analyse the story at the time. The cosmology suggested: Our parents are crystals?

This "myth" (along the line of Romulus and Remus) provides an icon (the twins) whose symbolic interpretation helps resolve the question (I assert) "Who is the king's father?".

This question is as puzzling, in its own way, as the question "Who created god". And although, if I remember correctly, Horty comes to terms with his own problems; still, I'm not sure if Theodore Sturgeon presents us with a king at the end of the story. He probably fails to establish a new icon. And, he surely fails to establish a new Greco Roman civilization. Too bad.

In the end, the story remains "just" a good story. Borrow it from the library or pick it up used. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

a different kind of romance
The Spare starts out as a fairly typical regency romance.A wounded naval officer sent home from the war, the heir to a title and great estate with the passing of his older brothers.A country house party during which he is to select his bride to be.The on-the-self spinster who catches his eye despite the prettier, younger girls in attendance.But The Spare soon leaves this familiar territory in the dust to draw the reader into a sumptuously, sometimes chillingly, gothic realm of visions, dreams, and, of course, unleashed passions, at the heart of which is a murder mystery to be solved.The plot is excellently constructed and the mystery beautifully explored.While Sebastian Alexander, now Lord Tiern-Cope, was away at sea, his brother and his brother's wife were murdered at their home.Olivia Willow was also there, and she was also attacked, but survived.Unfortunately, she doesn't remember anything about the event.Sebastian is an intriguing mix of stalwart war hero, stoic, arrogant lord, sexy seducer, and determined sleuth, for he's certain that the key to the murder mystery lies in Olivia's lost memories.He treats her (rather roughly) as a suspect at first, but his feelings for her, and his conception of the past alter and develop throughout the book as his inquiries unearth disturbing truths about his own family history and the way it has intersected with Olivia's.

As the book gradually unraveled the issues at its heart, I really liked the direction it took and how.Sebastian's estate, Pennhyll Castle, is reputed to be haunted, and as the reader gets drawn further and further into the mystery and the romance, things get very creepy and confusing - playing with the reader and the characters, tantalizing and inciting the imagination.The line between dreams and reality blurs fantastically.The prose is rich, evocative, and compelling.My only complaint would be that, though the characters are very well drawn, Olivia fades into the background after a while, and it becomes more and more about the hero, more from his perspective.But since he's such a fascinating character, I don't mind in the least.The Spare is a very different, original, and captivating romance.

Not My Favorite, But Ok
I liked this book, but some of it was confusing and I didn't understand why it was included in the story.

Sebastian was an interesting but frustrating character.I didn't understand why he was wounded in the story.It added nothing to the storyline except to make him wait to investigate until he was better, which (shockingly) aligns precisely with Olivia's visit.He was a rather cold, arrogant fellow.It took me a while to warm up to him.I also thought his turn around from standoffish to thinking nauseatingly sweet thoughts about Olivia was very sudden.

I didn't understand why Olivia felt that she had to play the nitwit for everyone.It seemed odd and I didn't see the point of it.I liked that she was willing to help Sebastian find out what happened and insisted on him trying to make her remember.I didn't understand why Sebastian didn't tell Olivia what he discovered about her missing days right away.I thought that was very wrong of him.Even if he didn't want her to be angry and embarrassed at him because he was the messenger he still should have sucked it up and told her.

Despite the problems I had with this book I still enjoyed it.I read it quickly and was entertained by it.I think that Carolyn Jewel has a skill with words and atmosphere.She succeeded very well in creating a very gothic setting.I did feel that large chunks of the story were skipped though.I would move to a new chapter and it felt like I missed something.I had to reread the end of the chapter and make sure I hadn't before I came to the conclusion that Jewel just has an abrupt way of transitioning at times.

Be aware that there is a paranormal aspect with a ghost.I wasn't expecting it and didn't really enjoy it, but others might.

Aromance mystery achievement.
This is a very enjoyable Regency era, Historical Romance novel. There is some blending/crossing of Genres: Mystery, Paranormal and Historical Romance.
The Mystery: Who murdered Captain Sebastian Alexander's brother, Lord Andrew and Andrew's wife, Guenevere. Who attacked Olivia and left her for dead? What happened to Olivia's inheritance? What was Olivia's relationship with Lord Andrew? Why was Lord Andrew intending to Divorce his wife, Guenevere. Does Olivia really suffer from amnesia regarding the murders?
The Paranormal: Visitations by the fourth earl, the murdered Black Earl, to Sebastian and Olivia. Intimate experiences shared by Sebastian and Olivia, are they dream or reality? Are Sebastian and Olivia seeing the past or dreaming of the future?
The Romance: Olivia has no money, has lost her teaching position and has an invalid, dependent mother. Her chances for employment are slim. Her Vicar suitor has married another woman. The eligible Lord Fitzalan is only interested in seducing her. Her cousin, Hew, offers her marriage but she finds him frightening and repugnant. Sebastian doesn't trust Olivia but finds himself attracted to her. Sebastian intends to marry a sensible, capable woman, one who will accept his return to the Royal Navy.
There are a lot of subplots and good characterizations. The hero and heroine grow to see the real persons behind their personas. The evil are punished and the good rewarded. The resolution of the murder mystery was obvious. But it all works out to the reader's satisfaction. Recommended.

Could the hero be any more unlikable????
I do love a great regency/historical book. That being said, I dislike more than I like. I guess I am particular. But one thing that has to be strong in any book is a desire to finish! And one needs to be interested in the characters. Sebastian Alexander is perhaps one of the most unlikable hero's (and I use that term loosely) I have ever read. Sure, handsome, but there was really not a facet of his personality that came across as likeable so unless our feisty spinster Olivia has a martyr complex, why be interested? And yes, Sebastian spent 12 years at sea but geeze, sorry, having zero manners does not make that much sense. I found him creepy is his coldness.And the murder mystery just did not hold my attention.

Unusual and Atmospheric Romance
This is a wonderfully atmospheric historical romance set in Cumbria in 1812.The hero of the story is the gothically handsome and forbidding Captain Sebastian Alexander, naval hero of the Napoleonic wars and younger son of the Earl of Tiern-Cope.Sebastian was born a third son or "spare" but finds himself inheriting following the deaths of his older brothers.At home recuperating from a war wound, he intends to "do his duty" to the earldom -- marry and set up his nursery prior to returning to the sea.His friend, James, arranges a houseparty at Pennhyll Castle to introduce Sebastian to likely young ladies--including James's half-sister, the beautiful and spoiled Diana.
Also included among the guests is the heroine, Miss Olivia Willow, an impoverished former governess who was present on the fateful night one year previously when Sebastian's brother and sister-in-law were murdered and Olivia herself gravely injured.Olivia claims to have no memory of the night, but Sebastian has his doubts about that and wants to question her himself.

Olivia is an excellent heroine--intelligent, honorable, hard-working and unaffected.Her poverty is dealt with in a very touching manner and her choices are brave and appropriate.I am not quite sure why she went to such pains to appear to be a silly flibbertigibbet at the beginning of the book (weren't most of the other houseguests local people and wouldn't they have known her already?), but once she set that act aside she proved to be a very appealing heroine.

Sebastian was an interesting and compelling hero.A naval officer who has been largely at sea for the past 12 years, he lacks social graces and makes no apologies to anyone.(The fact that he is handsome, titled and wealthy help everyone overlook his rough edges.)After coldly deciding that Diana would make a perfect countess, he finds himself perversely attracted to the flame-haired Olivia and drawn into the mystery of her past and her relationship with his older brother.Further complicating the picture is the castle ghost (the Black Earl)--visible only to Sebastian and Olivia--who seems to be pushing them together.

I *loved* the gothic and paranormal elements in this book--particularly the sequences where it was hard to know what was real and what was fantasy.The sexual tension was wonderfully done and the characters of the hero and heroine well developed.My major quibble with the story is that the murder mystery wrap-up was rather anti-climactic and the ending seemed to be a bit mundane compared to the very unusual and original middle section of the book.

In summary, this is a very well-written, unusual historical romance with lovely gothic touches and an appealing hero and heroine.

Highly recommended for historical romance lovers looking for something a little bit different! ... Read more

Product Description
Jewels of the Sun (Jill Sovis, engineer)

Determined to re-evaluate her life, Jude Murray flees America to take refuge in Faerie Hill Cottage, where she immerses herself in the study of Irish Folklore, and discovers hope for the future in the magic of the past.

Tears of the Moon (Melissa Coates, engineer)

A talented songwriter, Shawn Gallagher spends his days lost in reverie and wonder, oblivious to the wiles of women and the ways of the world. He claims that he's content with his life, but his music tells a different story - one of loneliness and desperate longing...

Heart of the Sea (Jill Sovis, engineer)

Darcy Gallagher has always believed in the pull of fate, the magic of legend . . . and the importance of money. She longs to find a rich man who will sweep her away - into a world filled with glamour and adventure, and the exotic life that is her destiny. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The audio books - Great way to RUIN a wonderful story!
I thought long and hard about what to write about this audio book series.I tried...REALLY tried to like it and I just can't.I thought...I'll listen to a few more minutes...surely it's got to get better.But it never did.

I LOVE the books and devoured them as each one came out and have read and re-read them so many times that my paperbacks have weak spines.When I saw them in audio format I was thrilled.I adore audio books.They help pass the time when traveling home to my parents, making a four hour drive fly by.They also are a great way to spend my daily traffic commute.So, needless to say, when I saw one of my favorite series, by one of my favorite authors available in audio format, I jumped at the chance and "to heck" with the cost!

My all-time favorite audio books are those that are done by a man and a woman; Anne McCaffrey's "Freedom" series is awesome.BUT, I seriously have no problems with a talented woman actor doing the reading; The Three Sisters trilogy read by Sandra Burr was excellent or The Key trilogy read by Susan Ericksen; equally awesome.I can only say, that Patricia Daniels, the "actress" who reads the Irish Trilogy must either be related to Ms. Roberts and Ms. Roberts was forced to use "cousin Pat" or she has to have some sort of blackmail hold on Ms. Roberts to ruin these wonderful books.It's worse than the worst "Reading Time" at the public library.Picture Mother Goose reading the Three Bears and you have some idea of the rhythm and finesse that has been utilized in these books.Patricia Daniels' acting (if it can be called that) is so juvenile and downright horrible as to be non-existent.Her Irish accent just plain stinks (if I heard "ting" for 'thing" or "tem" for 'them' one more time...I was going to throw the cd's from my car and I KNOW no jury would convict me of littering).Before she starts each phrase with the accent there's a lengthy breath and a pause; almost as if she's mentally saying, "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph" (an acting trick that gets you into the cadence).BUT starting each accented phrase vocally high and going low gets really old really fast.Believe me, I've done Irish accents and heard Irish accents and not every-single-freaking sentence starts high and goes low!It would be like saying an American accent is all monotone or an English accent is spoken through clinched teeth (which I would place money is how Ms. Daniels would interpret them).Also, the breaks in the sentence rhythm had me banging my fists on the steering wheel shouting to no one, "Just say the dang sentence!!"This woman's bio states, "...received her Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio."Obviously, to obtain her Master of Fine Arts degree involved no acting whatsoever.

Shame on whomever is responsible for casting this woman.Shame on the director for not pulling her aside and saying, "Okay...let's try something new with this next take...it's call a-c-t-i-n-g."

My advice?Stick to reading the books.You'll love them.They flow, they envelope you, and quickly pull you into the story and Ireland and all the wonderful characters come to life in beautiful, vivid color.Use the Audio Books as coasters for your drink as you read!

Good buy!
I appreciate when a product arrives as it was described. This one came quickly and in perfect condition. I was very pleased with the price, too. Thanks for making this product available. I love it when a plan comes together!!!

Nora Roberts, Irish Trilogy
This is a great trilogy, I enjoy listening to it to and from work. I have a long drive to and back home from work and the CD's keep me nice and calm in traffic jams.

Excellent!!
There is nothing this series does not hit on!! It really has everything needed to make the entire series a real page turner and the characters could be anyone of us, all you have to do is believe love can conquer all thru time and space, these books are a wonderfully enjoyable treasure!!

Wonderful trilogy!
This continues to be one of my favorite trilogies!It combines Irish Myths with a real working family.

Each story stands on it's own but at the same time the three together flow very well.

Note to other reviewer George.Call information and get the 1800 number and them talk to a real person.I have had to return a DVD player and they have the best service of anyone I have ever dealt with. ... Read more

Product Description
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. While staying at a London inn, the Aldens are puzzled by the peculiar behavior of two fellow guests, a mysterious stranger who follows them, and a misplaced antique brooch. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Mystery That Got Uncovered
I like my book The Mystery Of The Queen's Jewels by Gertrude Chandler Warner because it is a mystery. A mystery book is more exciting and you ever know what happens next. Also the endings will always surprise you. In this book they are in London and someone is following them. There are four children in the book who solves the mysterious and at least one person who is sneaky and makes the story instering. The children work together as a team and they never exclude each other. I think it is very interisting how the boxcar children don't fight because usually brothers and sisters fight.This book is very instring because it makes you feel like you're in the book so you will want to read more. This book will encourage young children to like reading. I would encourage young readers to read this series.

Not as exciting as others in the series
What I like about The Boxcar Children series is: 1)the kids arenot some angels,they are normal kids who have conflicts anddisagreements 2)these kids are kind,caring,helpful,and they spend time together (despite their age differences) and stand up for each other - and most important - they enjoy it! 3)the stories are usually interesting,often with unexpected endings 4) the stories are not violent,which is too often the case with books for any age . That said,I didn't like this particular book very much,since the story is not as exciting and the mystery feels like it's happening almost by the way.The ending also felt a little flat and boring.So while I highly recommend most of the other books in the series,I do not recommend this one too much. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

The Beauty of Fabric
I don't know about you but I LOVE fabric. Just something about it...I can go to the fabric store and buy yards and yards of fabric without any real plans for it...it's pretty and I know I'll use it SOME day! So I was super excited to find a book that incorporated fabric into jewelry...yay!

You don't have to get your fabric at the fabric store either, most of the projects use such a small amount of fabric that you could buy fabric scraps at garage and estate sales!

The book includes some basic sewing principals and stitches as well as the basics in beginning jewelry making. There are plenty of pictures to go along with the how-to's which is always nice!

The projects range from very basic and simple (with only a couple of steps) to the somewhat more elaborate. There is really nothing super complicated here and I would say that most beginners would have few problems with any of the projects.

As with any craft book you probably won't love every project in the book, but each of the projects gave me ideas for techniques that I could use on other projects.

Overall I really liked this book, 25 projects that include bracelets, earrings, necklaces and brooches.

Primitive to Prissy - It's All Here!
Marthe Le Van has created a great crafting book that is both surprisingly simple AND cunningly complex; from simple tools and basic techniques, Le Van shows how 19 designers stitched their inspiration into 23 fabric-based projects.

Some designs are rather primitive, such as earrings fashioned from tulle and a rather plain felt wristband, but maybe this is a challenge to the crafty reader to bling up their own creations a bit.Other projects, such as the "Sterling Stitches" earrings shown on the front cover, require a bit more care and talent.They LOOKED simple enough to me to make me buy this book, but they require threading fine silver wire THROUGH the fabric using PERFECTLY formed loops.I picture myself ruining many pieces of fabric before I can call this project a success.

Le Van has written a very strong and complete introduction that manages to encompass all 23 different projects.The instructions for each individual design are also quite adequate; some projects have 4 pages devoted to them, along with careful and exact material lists.Lots of gallery photos are also included.The only problem with them is that they are distributed among the different projects and do not really relate to the project being described.There is also a short bio for each designer at the end of the book, along with a very teeny index that is about 6-inches long.I rely on much better indices than this, but that is a minor point in an otherwise terrific book.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that all the projects lend themselves very well to reusing, repurposing, and reinventing various materials.For instance, ruffles from an old blouse morph into a "Jellyfish Pendant", and old clothing labels become fascinating little brooches.What a great way to memorialize an old favorite dress or a dear loved one's clothing. When I saw these brooches I thought it would be a neat way to display some of my favorite, more intricate selvedges from beloved bolts of fabric; now THAT is the mark of a good book when it inspires you to see beyond the page.

Le Van's writing is friendly and casual, straightforward and not too artsy.She has authored several books and this partnership with publisher Lark Books is a perfect addition to the bookshelves of people who love fabric, found objects, wire, beads, and lovely bits of things.


... Read more

Product Description
"Superbly clue-laden...A complex and satisfying puzzle."

THE BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE

The case seems so simple, Inspector Morse deemed it beneath his notice.A wealthy, elderly American tourist has a heart attack in her room at Oxford's luxurious RandolphHotel.Missing from the scene is the lady's handbag, which contained the Wolvercote Tongue, a priceless jewel that her late husband had bequeathed to the Ashmolean Museum just across the street.Morse proceeds to spend a great deal of time thinking--and drinking--in the hotel's bar, certain the solution is close at hand--until conflicting stories, suspicious doings, and a real murder convince him otherwise....

"It is a delight to watch this brilliant, quirky man [Morse] deduce."

MINNEAPOLIS STAR & TRIBUNE

... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Tour:The Opportunities Presented
John Ashenden is a tour guide.He has a group of Americans from the West Coast.Laura Stratton, one of the guests on this rather expensive tour, dies in an Oxford Hotel.Lewis and Morse are called.The tourists are told about the Wolvercote Buckle, a significant artifact displayed at the Ashmolean.It seems that the dead womancarried a costly jewel with her that belongs with the Wolvercote Tongue.The theft of that jewel is a severe disappointment to a scholar, Theodore Kemp.The remaining plot could have been devised by a Shortz.It is intricate.The format is simple, but exciting.

Inspector Morse to the Rescue
.
In this traditional British mystery a group of elderly American tourists are on a bus tour in Oxford. It turns out that the travelers have more than their share of secrets. When an accidental death and a murder occur, Inspector Morse suspects that events in the pasts of some of these tourists and their guides are playing a part in present events. (We don't learn Morse's first name until the final book in this fine series.)
Dexter's books have a sly, malicious sense of humor and much is said in a tongue in cheek fashion. Morse is a lot of fun for the reader. He's not a happy man, but he is a bright bachelor able to bounce back from adversity as long as he has his booze, his crossword puzzles, his classical music, and an infrequent roll in the hay. He is not willing to take any blame for swallowing all those red herrings put out for him and the reader.
The final unraveling of the plot is very complicated, defies common sense and is more ingenious than credible and leaves you wondering if you haven't been taken for a bus ride yourself.
As in the classic British mystery this book even has all the suspects gathered together in a meeting with the police inspector ticking off the facts of the case and pointing to the murderer. Readers will learn the title has two meanings. Inspector Morse is a brilliant detective whose bursts of insight sometimes send his investigations off in the wrong direction and sometimes lead to the arrests of innocents. Exculpatory evidence often turns up to prove that he's been too hasty. For these errors he is unapologetic and good at ignoring his mistakes. Sergeant Lewis in this Colin Dexter outing fawns over his boss a great deal and is all to ready to overlook his superior's miscues.
The book provides an interesting overview of Oxford and some of its oddities. With this mystery in hand, just hop aboard the bus, have fun, and go along for the ride. You'll have fun as long as you don't object to a supposedly logical man's logic going off track at times.

Colin Dexter's Fun if Convoluted Revision of the TelvisionMorse Episode"The Wolvercote Tongue"
This review serves the simple purpose of alerting fans of the television series on the significant changes made by the author in the novel to the plot as seen on television. I refuse to give any of these changes away, nor any of the story details, as I detest most Amazon mystery reviewers(not all) as blabbermouthed nincompoops, who call to mind the asinine rabbi on Seinfeld who can't keep a confidence, but insists on blurting out personal information to everyone he meets. A mystery just isn't your average novel - imagine someone describing the ending of the Orient Express in a review? I've actually seen just that! Yet even small touches at the beginning of a great mystery can be spoiled by a clumsy review. With mystery reviews "Less definitely is more!" And To quote Ninotchka, "There will be fewer but better Russians," - let the bodies pile up by themselves in their own good time. Respect not only the dead but the author's efforts at creating surprise! Let a reader enjoy discovering ALL the story.
The Jewel That Was Ours trots out a regular steeplechase of suspects, with more various and far more complex interactives than anything possible within the confines of the time constraints the tv show faced. I prefer this version of the story, and disagree with the Kirkus reviewer who seems to find this rather stale beer, as Morse would put it.
I also don't agree with complaints about lack of character development -there's certainly far more here when compared to the television version. Fans of highly complicated plots should have a field day here.
In sum: quite different and far more complicated than the television version titled "The Wolvercote Tongue" - so there's no worry of 'already knowing how it turns out.'
Note to author - as if he hasn't heard it a thousand times - The American battleship South Dakota was sold for scrap in 1962. Next time, Colin, consult Janes.

"It's this wretched love business."
Featuring a large assortment of characters, most of them Americans on a tour of England, the ninth Inspector Morse mystery is heavy on details and complications and more difficult to follow than most other mysteries in this series.Laura Stratton is on the trip to donate the priceless, bejeweled Wolvercote Tongue to the Ashmolean Museum, which already has the ancient Wolvercote Buckle to which it belongs.Laura's death in her bathroom, the theft of the treasure, the subsequent murder of museum curator Dr. Theodore Kemp, a suicide, and a pedestrian accident in which a woman on the tour is run down by a car provide more than enough turmoil and mystery to keep Inspector Morse, his trusty Sgt. Lewis, and the local police force busy, full-time.

Morse must decide whether these events are all related and, if they are, if one person is responsible for all the mayhem.Because of the large cast of characters, there is little opportunity for individual character development, making it more difficult than usual to keep track of the many characters.In addition, some of the tourists, tour agency employees, and Oxford lecturers are having relationships with each other, further complicating the stories.All the characters have alibis.Many will vouch for each other, and those who appear guilty of some parts of a crime could not possibly have committed other parts of the same crime.

As Morse becomes frustrated by the complexities, many readers will also become frustrated--with the undeveloped characters, the red herrings, and lack of linear progression in the cases.In the conclusion, Morse draws the tour group together and outlines his case, step by step, telling them (and the reader)about what has happened, instead of showing the action while it is happening.Though Morse solves the case(s), the author keeps the reader at arm's length and prevents him/her from being part of the excitement as the mysteries are solved.

Because the development of Morse's character and relationship with Lewis, usually a high point in these novels, is sacrificed to the complexities of the cases, readers new to the series will gain little understanding of these two men and how they work together and apart.One of the most complex novels in the Inspector Morse series, The Jewel That Was Ours is filled with a large number of seemingly interchangeable characters, all of whom have unlimited potential for evil in a plot overly filled with red herrings.n Mary Whipple

There's all kinds of death in this book, but only one murder
In this book we see a death by natural causes, a suicide, a death by a road accident, and one death by murder.Morse and his wonderful Lewis are left to solve the puzzle which also includes a theft of a very valuable piece of jewellery.I can't stress enough how wonderful this series is!Dexter is a very gifted writer, and the puzzles that he sets are masterpieces.He is a master storyteller who sets a perfect pace and he crafts wonderful characters.I really enjoy seeing these done on film with John Thaw as Morse, but reading the books is really the way to really appreciate the intricacies of each of these books.I'm only sorry that I have only four left to read until the end of the series. ... Read more

Product Description
This stunning new book showcases fantastic costume jewelry from 53 top designers of the 20th century. Examples from Christian Dior, Miriam Haskell, Kenneth Jay Lane, Elsa Schiaparelli, Stanley Hagler, Trifari, Vendome, and may others are shown in profusion. 360 luscious color photographs display exquisite examples of each designers' best work. Masterpieces abound, including many rare examples. The authors illustrate ways to enjoy these pieces today, with candid photography of friends adorned for casual occasions. Delightful stories are shared of memories associated with their passion for jewelry over the years. This remarkable exhibition displays costume jewelry as absolutely beautiful works of art. Sit back with this eye candy, relax with the fairytale spirit it projects, and enjoy the romance. Let the passion roll! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Nice photographs... but.....
I thoroughly enjoyed the photography of pieces in this book, although there are many pieces that I have seen numerous times. I was a bit taken back by a few things. There are a lot of punctuation errors in the edition that I have, some companies are listed with founders, some are not, that is very inconsistent. I was also VERY taken back with the misspelling of a designer's name. David Mandel is the designer and owner of "The Show Must Go On", not David Mendell.

jewels of pssion
Wonderful costume jelwelry - but to much linked to a private person I never heard of, not interesting outside her family/business. Costume jewlery should preferably be connected to stars like Maria Callas.
Best regards/ Ammie

ABSOLUTE MUST-HAVE FOR THE COSTUME JEWEL LOVER
This book not only highlights the magnificent variety of vintage to newer costume jewelry, it tells a wonderful tale of incorporating your love for it into everyday life. As the authors say, why own it if you can't enjoy it? And in doing so, you bring a lot of joy into others' lives as well, as proven by the reminiscences of the authors' friends and colleagues.
I love costume jewelry and always wonder whose arm or wrist, etc., it adorned and what the occasion was. Was it an only, treasured piece or part of a life-long collection? This lovely book helps to reveal at least some of its current history. I highly recommend it as a delightful read.

Identification Pertinent for Jewelry Designer & Manufacturer
The identity of the cover piece is a Hobe' creation. The handworkmanship should have notified the writer that this is the bracelet's identity. Only Hobe' created jewelry that was completely individually hand set into a bezzel created to the stone size.Interweaving by hand the scroll wire work are signature of this creator.
Not all maker's pieces have their name affixed & counterfeiting is prevalent by affixing so-called signature Id's.
The book is beautifully laid out & the photography is excellent-but the understanding of the traits of the manufacturer are essential & this is imperative for correct identification

Photo album or reference book?
Unfortunately, I was very disappointed when I received this new book
on Costume Jewelry.I was hoping that it would add new information
or at best, a new perspective on the history of Costume Jewelry.Instead, it resembles a personal photo album of pictures of the author wearing the jewelry.

... Read more