Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell née Stevenson (1810–1865), often referred to simply as Mrs. Gaskell, was an English novelist and short story writer during the Victorian era. She is perhaps best known for her biography of Charlotte Brontë. Her novels offer a detailed portrait of the lives of many strata of society, including the very poor, and as such are of interest to social historians as well as lovers of literature. She married William Gaskell, the minister at Cross Street Unitarian Chapel in Manchester. They settled in Manchester, where the industrial surroundings would offer inspiration for her novels. Her first novel, Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life, was published anonymously in 1848. The best known of her remaining novels are Cranford (1853), North and South (1855), and Wives and Daughters (1866). She became popular for her writing, especially her ghost story writing, aided by her friend Charles Dickens, who published her work in his magazine Household Words. Her other works include The Grey Woman (1865), Lois the Witch (1861) and The Old Nurse's Story (1852). Views: 28
In the twenty-third Heidi Heckelbeck adventure, Heidi discovers a snoopy spy in her house!Heidi's little brother, Henry, has turned into a snoopy, little spy and it is driving her crazy! He spies when her friends are over at their house. He spies on the school bus. He even spies on the playground! But when he almost tells one of Heidi's secrets to Melanie Maplethorpe, it's time to catch a spy! Will Heidi cast the perfect spell to stop her bothersome brother, or will her magic spill the biggest, Heidi secret ever? With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter books are perfect for beginning readers. Views: 28
On the Media lauds Darby Conley as "the most successful cartoonist of the new generation." —National Public RadioAs Darby Conley's fourth treasury, this title presents strips from I'm Ready for My Movie Contract and Take Our Cat, Please!Named Best Comic Strip of the Year in 2002 by the National Cartoonists Society, Darby Conley's Get Fuzzy takes a keen and witty look at the dynamics of interspecies cohabitation.Beleaguered ad exec Rob Wilco is the mild-mannered guardian to Bucky, a sharp-fanged, self-absorbed house cat with a penchant for scheming and screenwriting, and Satchel, a gentle laid-back Shar-pei-Lab who frequently finds himself on the receiving end of Bucky's mischief.Inside this fourth treasury, Get Fuzzy fans will follow Bucky's vainglorious pursuit of fame while Rob holds a magazine... Views: 28
Elisabeth Page is the daughter of Ben Page, yes, that's right, THE world famous novelist. And yes, she's also the sister of Rascal Page, world famous novelist in his own right. So what does Elisabeth do? Much to her family's disappointment, Elisabeth is a pastry chef. And a pretty damn good one, at Beverly, the hottest restaurant in LA. The last relationship Elisabeth had was with Will, a man she grew up with and whose family ran in the same social circles as her family. But Will's constant jaunts around the world have left her lonely and brokenhearted in L.A. That is until Daniel Sullivan bids on one of Elisabeth's pastry tutorials at a charity auction. Daniel is everything her family is not: a basketball coach, a non-intellectual, his family doesn't summer on Martha's Vineyard, and the only metaphors he uses are about passing the ball and being a team player. But somehow they fit. Between her family, Will, and the new cooking show that Elisabeth is recruited to star in, Elisabeth's life is suddenly incredibly new and different--the question is, can she embrace being happy or has her family conditioned her to think she's just not good enough? Liza Palmer expertly depicts a woman trying to come to terms with professional success, personal success, and finally dealing with a family that might love her from the bottom of their heart but doesn't necessarily have her best interest always at heart. Views: 28
Soon to be a major motion picture! Kill the Messenger tells the story of the tragic death of Gary Webb, the controversial newspaper reporter who committed suicide in December 2004. Webb is the former San Jose Mercury News reporter whose 1996 "Dark Alliance" series on the so-called CIA-crack cocaine connection created a firestorm of controversy and led to his resignation from the paper amid escalating attacks on his work by the mainstream media. Author and investigative journalist Nick Schou published numerous articles on the controversy and was the only reporter to significantly advance Webb's stories. Drawing on exhaustive research and highly personal interviews with Webb's family, colleagues, supporters and critics, this book argues convincingly that Webb's editors betrayed him, despite mounting evidence that his stories were correct. Kill the Messenger examines the "Dark Alliance" controversy, what it says about the current state of journalism in... Views: 28
When a rich Santa Barbara collector acquires a newly discovered Abraham Lincoln document, he asks detective Greg Evarts and UCLA professor Patricia Baldwin to authenticate it. Their research launches them into a dangerous struggle with a secret society formed during Reconstruction. Before they can solve the mystery surrounding the Lincoln manuscript, a shocking murder forces them to run for their lives. As they race across the country, they discover a Civil War secret that could upset the balance of power in North America. Now Evarts and Baldwin must unravel the 150-year-old conspiracy before it's too late . . . and before they are silenced for good.ReviewI first picked out this book, because it has a cool title and Lincoln on the front cover. I expected it to be historical fiction and maybe a little dry. What it is, instead, is a thriller/detective story centered around preinaugural papers of President Abraham Lincoln. The author has done an excellent job of building the story. I wanted to know more about the secret societies, more about the Sherman family, and more about the resolution. The ending is abrupt and, to me, not very satisfying. It is a good, quick read with some exciting historical teasers. Commander Greg Evarts of the Santa Barbara Police Department is drawn into a strange cat and mouse game by his friend and collector of Lincoln documents. Professor Patricia Balwdin, an expert on Lincoln documents, is similarly recruited. It appears that anyone with knowledge of certain papers is being bumped off. The unknown enemy has the power to frame Evarts and demolish his career. Evarts and Baldwin are on the run, trying to find out any information that can be used as leverage. Professor Baldwin knows more than she lets on and may not be trustworthy. Evarts has family connections of which he was unaware. The conspiracy is far reaching and more complex than just a coverup of the Lincoln documents. The document they were shown gives no indication of the conspiracy or why they are being hunted. They need to learn what the Shut Mouth Society protects before they can know whose side they are on. There is some discussion about Lincoln - his yokel facade and other aspects of his image, his intentions concerning the Civil War and slavery, and his mastery of communication and politics. --bookadvice.net, July 6, 2009 book AdviceOne of the bad guys -- and there are plenty -- in James D. Best's "The Shut Mouth Society" sneeringly calls Greg Evarts a "city policeman," making it clear that he thinks the Santa Barbara, CA police detective is an easily handled lightweight. What a mistake! Evarts is a veteran of a top secret army unit, an expert in decoding ciphers and a good friend of multimillionaire Abraham Douglass, a descendant of black anti-slavery pioneer Frederick Douglass. Abraham Douglass is a collector of Lincoln and Civil War documents and wants Evarts and UCLA Lincoln expert Professor Patricia Baldwin to authenticate an Abraham Lincoln document in his possession. At stake is nothing less than the balance of power in present-day North America. After a murder, Greg and Patricia travel the country, driving to New York City, Boston, Des Moines, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska where more violence reveals the impact of the Shut Mouth Society on present-day events. The plot reminds me of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code," which has a similar pairing of an academic -- a male in Brown's novel -- and a female French police officer. The secret society in Brown's novel is matched by one that's even more brutal in "The Shut Mouth Society." "The Shut Mouth Society" is a fast-moving, well-written novel that is of particular interest in this bicentennial year of Abe Lincoln's birth. --By David M. Kinchen Huntingtonnews.net Book Critic About the AuthorJames D. Best is the author of The Shopkeeper, Leadville, and Murder at Thumb Butte in the Steve Dancy Western series. His other books include Tempest at Dawn, Principled Action, The Shut Mouth Society, and The Digital Organization. Tempest at Dawn is a dramatization of the 1787 Constitutional Convention and Principled Action is a non-fiction companion book. James has written monthly columns for two magazine and numerous journal articles. He lives with his wife, Diane, in Paradise Valley, Arizona.You can learn more about James and his books at jamesdbest.blogspot.com Views: 28
Bobbie Faye Sumrall takes on a mysery involving diamonds and her cousin, Francesca. Views: 28
Author of the influential Relational Aesthetics examines the dynamics of ideology Leading theorist and art curator Nicolas Bourriaud tackles the excluded, the disposable and the nature of waste by looking to the future of art—the exform. He argues that the great theoretical battles to come will be fought in the realms of ideology, psychoanalysis and art. A "realist" theory and practice must begin by uncovering the mechanisms that create the distinctions between the productive and unproductive, product and waste, and the included and excluded. To do this we must go back to the towering theorist of ideology Louis Althusser and examine how ideology conditions political discourse in ways that normalize cultural, racial and economic practices of exclusion.From the Trade Paperback edition. Views: 28
'But Lavinia, I don't want people staying here'" said the Earl. 'After the last two house parties, we agreed no more.''This is quite different. These people are family, not spies and jewel thieves and blackmailers and film stars. And when one occupies an historic house such as Alderley, one cannot shut its doors, because of a few unfortunate incidents.'Lord Burford's misgivings were understandable. After all, the "unfortunate incidents" had been murders. But these people were travelling a long way for the funeral of an elderly relative. There was nowhere else for them to stay, so the Earl really had to offer them accommodation at Alderley, the Burfords' Carolean mansion. Things started to go wrong when one of guests claimed she had knowledge that would ruin the others' reputations. But nobody took that seriously.Until, that is, she was found murdered...Lord Burford had never been so relieved as when Chief Inspector Wilkins arrived. Again! Views: 28
