Customer Reviews:
You just gotta love a cowboy's devilishly sexy smile, his swagger, and grab life by the horns.......2007-01-25
There's just something about a cowboy's devilishly sexy smile, his swagger, and grab life by the horns attitude that draws women to him. Or maybe it's just the way those chaps ride low on his hips and draw our attention to everything below the belt.
WILD RIDE by Vonna Harper
Jordan has been infatuated with half-breed bull rider Cougar since she was just a girl. One year ago, she was thrown when his Brahma, Rampage, displayed his bad attitude by running into her barrel-racing mare. Jordan is making an attempt at getting over the fear of bulls that she's developed and Cougar is ready, willing and able to help fulfill any and all her needs.
Vonna Harper does a brilliant job depicting the raw courage it takes Jordan to confront her fears. Cougar and Jordan's attraction is mutual but they've kept a tight rein on their emotions and never acted on them - until now.
COWBOY IN PARADISE by PJ Mellor
Tyler is tired of the hard living he's known on the rodeo circuit. He decides to return to Paradise Beach with his horse Jim. Only it's not the nice quiet community he remembers and he's relegated to riding Jim on the beach at night. It's on one of his moonlight rides that he encounters Meg. Instantly infatuated, Tyler is determined that this little filly belong to him - even if she is determined to keep him at an emotional distance.
Who can possibly resist a sexy cowboy on a moonlight beach? It's the perfect scene for love or at least an unforgettable seduction. Tyler's horse, Jim, had me smiling through this book with his antics. PJ Mellor uses the perfect blend of humor and romance to satisfy any reader.
SADDLE SORE by Nelissa Donovan
Horse rancher Dean McCabe takes his work very seriously and no one is going to get in his way of protecting his interests. Conversationalist Cassandra Darling has been brought in to investigate a series of attacks that are being blamed on the Mexican Gray Wolf. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Dean and Cassandra can't resist the lure of the animalistic desire that burns between them. Is there any hope for their tenuous relationship?
Nelissa Donovan brings to light the plight of relocated animals while drawing us into the relationship between Cassandra and Dean. I loved the passion that develops between the main characters while Cassandra tries to uncover the truth behind the animal attacks.
RODEO MAN by Nikki Alton
While on assignment in Wyoming for an L.A magazine, Anna Hartley is let go from her job because of downsizing, learns that her boyfriend is cheating on her, and then her rental car breaks down on a deserted road. Her luck changed for the better when rodeo rider Grant Olson takes a shortcut and gives her a ride to a ranger station. There's a definite connection between them but they're from completely different backgrounds. Is there any hope for a future between a big city girl and a rodeo cowboy?
Any city girl will really appreciate this gem by Nikki Alton. Who among us doesn't have a horrible day and long for a special man to rescue us? If he's a sexy-as-sin authentic rodeo cowboy, then you've got the perfect ending to a bad day.
THE COWBOY contains four novellas by well-known authors. Each story will tempt, tease, and leave readers drooling for a cowboy of their very own. The authors capture the persona that draw us to these men who work hard, play harder, and when they love, they make sure they stay in the saddle until everyone is fully satisfied. This is definitely a book I'll be adding to my keeper shelf.
Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)
The Cowboy.......2006-10-30
Wild Ride by Vonna Harper
Jordan Shore was knocked off her horse by a wild bull while competing in a rodeo a year ago. She suffered an extensive injury but the emotional scars run much deeper. Cougar Lighthorse is the bull's owner. Cougar and Jordan have known each other since they were kids, since Cougar's dad was the foreman on Jordan's father's ranch.
Cougar and Jordan meet up at Jordan's first big rodeo competition since her injury and the sparks fly. Although it was kept hidden, the simmering attraction they have always had between them flares into a raging inferno.
Cougar is there when Jordan needs him. Will she do the same when Cougar needs her?
There is nothing frilly or flowery about Jordan and Cougar is a tough, headstrong man. They take turns controlling each other's passions and in turn the loving is hard, explosive and almost spiritual for them. Although Wild Ride is intense and wild, it is also tender and meaningful.
Cowboy In Paradise by PJ Mellor
Tyler Last has recently retired from the rodeo. He heads to his grandmother's house in Paradise Cove for some much needed peace and tranquility. The beach house is far from peaceful though; construction is under way to make the beach public.
Meg Holder is protesting the construction in Paradise Beach. She has a lousy job and a non-existent love life. While sitting on the beach one night a magnificent cowboy riding his equally magnificent horse rode up close to her. After a brief exchange of words, Meg is wrapped in Tyler's embrace and kissing him passionately. Tyler takes off suddenly though and Meg is left a bit stunned.
Tyler is left fantasizing about the mystery woman on the beach, which is a first for him since he is a love `em and leave `em kind of guy.
As they continue to meet for uninhibited great sex, Tyler is falling fast and hard, but how will he feel when he finds out who Meg really is?
A Cowboy In Paradise is a red hot, steamy romance! Tyler could charm any woman out of her clothes, so it's no surprise that Meg falls for his seductive cowboy charm. I like Meg. She is funny and down to earth but the seductress is not a role she seems comfortable with. There are a few inconsistencies in the story and there is a scene involving some plastic wrap that is a bit over the top. I liked the storyline though; "bad boy finds the woman of his dreams and turns over a new leaf" is very romantic.
Saddle Sore by Nelissa Donovan
Cassandra Donovan is a US Fish and Wildlife agent. Cassie has come to the small town of Granite Hollow investigating the possibility of some wolves that were released in the area are attacking the local livestock. Dean McCabe is a rancher. It's lust at first sight for Dean and Cassie and very quickly they are wrapped in each other's arms, tangled in his sheets.
Before they can figure out where their relationship is headed though, they need to solve the mystery of what is attacking the animals in town.
There is a lot of "story" in Saddle Sore. It has mystery, danger, past issues, and Dean and Cassie have a new relationship to work through, which are all interesting. These elements could have been expressed in more detail if it were longer though. Dean and Cassie are a good match and the sex is hot!
Rodeo Man by Nikki Alton
Ana Hartley is on a business trip when she loses her job and her fiancé so instead of heading back home, she moves on. Along the way, Ana's car breaks down and she stops a truck for help.
Grant Olson is all too eager to pick up the beauty flagging him down. After taking her to get help he has to move on to get ready for his next rodeo competition though.
Ana attends a rodeo where she meets Grant again and before long they are heating up the night in each other's arms. Grant and Ana come from two different worlds; one of them thinks they have what it takes to make it work but the other isn't so sure. It's going to take some smooth and seductive convincing for them to give a relationship a shot.
I really like the way that Rodeo Man is written. It's very descriptive and I was totally drawn into the story. The sex between Ana and Grant is mind-blowing. They give new meaning to the expression "playing with your food" and it's amazing that they never get caught playing with it. These two are very compatible sexually. I felt a little wistful at the ending even though I know it's all, all right. Rodeo Man is an extremely erotic story and I really liked Ana and Grant a lot.
Four lucky ladies get to rope in their very own cowboy in The Cowboy. These women know what they want from a man and their cowboys know just how to fulfill their every desire. The Cowboy is not a sugary sweet romance. It is hot, hard, and raunchy. If you're looking for steaming hot fantasies, then The Cowboy is your book!
Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Hot cover. Good authors. .......2006-08-19
What a super hot cover. Va-voom. And four fine authors writing the erotic romance inside. They all have a light touch and good story-telling skills.
But I have to say that though this is erotica, and the book comes with a warning that the content sizzles, I still miss the parts that fall between the kiss and two people jumping between the sheets, or the horse blankets. Those parts aren't represented here. The couples say a few words face-to-face, then the guy has his hand on her ---- in the very next paragraph, if not the next sentence.
Maybe somebody thinks this is believable, but I find that I still want a little more paragrahical foreplay in order to get into the swing, "erotica" or not. And I think that all of these stories might have been even better if they had had real progressions of emotion, as much as a novella would allow, anyway.
4.5 Stars . . . My, My, My - The Cowboy Is Hot And Fun! .......2006-08-07
Book 1 - Vonna Harper: "Wild Ride." Grade: B+
Sub-genre: New Beginnings
In Jordan Shore's world, attraction and Cougar Lighthorse went hand in hand. Even though she known the man for most of her life, he could still overwhelm and intimidate her! Yet, Jordan had other problems - like facing her demons. They called her demon Rampage - an aggressive Brahma bull. One year ago, this Brahma bull tried to kill her and as luck would have it - Cougar Lighthorse owed him! Still, if she wanted to return to the competitive world of barrel-racing, now was her chance.
*** Comments:
With only 79 pages to tell her tale, Vonna Harper simply ran out of room for WILD RIDE to be completely satisfying! And yes, her heroine was, at times, a little crass and why? Nevertheless, Vonna Harper still held me by using some major descriptive and setting talent. I have been to rodeos and Vonna Harper nailed this setting!
Book 2 - P. J. Mellor: "Cowboy in Paradise." Grade: B-
Sub-Genre: Light Comedy
Tyler Last felt old and tired. He knew the time had come; the entire Rodeo scene was for youngsters. It was time for a rest and rest meant - Gramma's house. Meg Holder grew up in Paradise Beach and she loved the tranquil cove. But soon they would ruin her private paradise. Outrageously, an affluent gated community was scheduled! Well not if Meg Holder had anything to say about it! So who cares if her boss is the developer? And who cares if her boss's new partner is sweet old Hanna Garnder-Edwards - the lady who owns all the beachfront property. And who the devil cares if Mrs. Garnder-Edwards' grandson is a picturesque cowboy with a magnificent body?
*** Comments:
Two people meet on a moonlight beach have hot, heavy sex, and suddenly it's LOVE. Question: Is knowing someone's name a prerequisite for marriage? Nay! But I bet they will be on a first-name basis at their divorce trial? P.J. Mellor's writes a fantasy all right, but it is so...ooo humorously silly!
Book 3 - Nelissa Donovan: "Saddle Sore." Grade: A-
Sub-Genre: Romantic Suspense
Dean McCabe compared agent Cassandra Darling to a glorified cupie doll. The US Fish and Wildlife Service had sent him a well-stacked, pixie faced, cupie doll! Oh yea, the government always worked for its citizens' best interests! What a joke! Cassandra Darling loved her job even if it meant butting heads with the likes of rugged, sexy Dean McCabe - the owner of the Rocking T ranch. She was in Granite Hollow to investigate the Wolf Release program. Unfortunately, the evidence spoke volumes - the newly released wolves were hunting and killing the local livestock. And the citizens of Granite Hollow were angry. Angry enough to hunt down the pack . . . and Dean McCabe would lead the posse!
*** Comments:
After reading SADDLE SORE, Nelissa Donovan is now on my Check Out Author's Next Book list. This story is indeed hot, but remarkably the author moved beyond the bed sheets to give her reader some great entertainment. Although, Nelissa Donovan's tale ran out of room, she still managed a very good story!
Book 4 - Nikki Alton: "Rodeo Man." Grade: C
Sub-Genre: New Beginnings
Anna Hartley was having a lousy day! First, they fired her, then she found out her boyfriend was unfaithful, and now her rental car had an eight-hundred dollar repair bill attached to it! On the bright side, Wyoming cowboy Grant Olson stopped and offered her a ride into town. This rodeo star was incredibly attractive, with his curly blond hair, violet eyes and sashaying self-confidence. And boy, did Anna want him; she really wanted him! Grant had given up trying to play it cool. Anna Hartley was too hot for his usual playful, seductive games. Grant Olson lived his life under the slogan: live for the NOW and always for the next ride and Anna Hartley was more than accommodating!
*** Comments:
What started with so much promise, soon turned into so much disappointment. In RODEO MAN, Nikki Alton's characters and their sexual antics are too crude, too rough, and too raw!
MaryGrace Meloche.
*HOT FOR THE COWBOY*.......2006-08-03
This was a great book! Very erotic and HOT, HOT MEN! I only wish the stories were longer. I have also never met women that fast and easy but in a short story I guess you don't have time to chat. It was what I wanted, hot, quick romances I could read in one sitting. Lots of the Erotic! I recommend it.
Average customer rating:
- one of the worst books i have every read
- Not your typical, contrived, blah blah romance
- NOT ROMANCE!
- The Anti-Romance
- Dreadful Story
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Paradise Wild
Johanna Lindsey
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0380776510 |
Book Description
Paradise Wild
A well-born Boston beauty, Corinne Barrows has traveled halfway around the world in search of Jared Burkett -- a dashing rogue and a devil; a honey-tongued charmer who seduced and despoiled her. . .and then abandoned the impetuous lady after awakening a need that only he could satisfy.
She has found him on the lush and lovely island of Hawaii. And now Corinne will have the revenge she craves: the total ruin of the blackguard who brought shame and scandal into her life. But Jared still possesses the power to excite her as no man has ever done--even as his own reckless heart is taken captive in their blistering war of wits and will--igniting a fire that could consume them both unless they surrender to it with wild abandon in the heat of the tropic night.
Customer Reviews:
one of the worst books i have every read.......2007-03-23
ok - this was one of the worst books i have ever read in my life. if it was possible to give negative stars i would. the basic story line is that our 'hero' (and i use that term loosely) uses our heroine (once again i use that term loosely) to get revenge on her father for something he believes her father did to his mother. complicated enough for you?
the whole book is about the 'hero' - jared - plotting revenge on corrine - the heroine - and her father. after he has gotten his revenge through corrine, she decides to get her revenge on him. both characters were nothing more than spoiled children, and jared was an abusive one at that. and i don't just mean mentally, i mean hit you in the face hard enough to knock you over and go to hit you again, lock you in a room type abuse. neither character ever grew at all, and they both were selfish and abnoxious. i am must admit that i had a little sympathy for corrine for having to deal with him, but that was her choice - she should have taken her baby and run.
there isn't even any good supporting characters. jared's sister is almost a carbon copy of corrine - selfish and immature. the whole book is disappointing. i would strongly advise against reading this book, unless you like the seriously 80's books - as in abusive hero and stupid heroine. corrine's father is an idiot as well (in my opinion) and i never really did understand the point of jared's uncle - to me he was a wasted character.
if you want to read a good book by lindsey, try angel, that was a pretty good. but i would definately recommend skipping this book - don't even bother checking it out of the library.
Not your typical, contrived, blah blah romance.......2006-10-24
I read the reviews for this book after I read the actual book and was SHOCKED by the bad reviews. I LOVED this book. If you are looking for a mushy, can't live without you, run of the mill, contrived and predictable romance don't read this book. BUT...if you are looking for a firey, love/hate, emotional roller coaster, you may just like this book. I read a lot of romance novels and after a while, you can predict exactly where each subplot is going and what is going to happen next. This is NOT one of those books.
Yes, the charecters despise each other, but that is what makes this book so good. Even so, it is easy to see how the characters fall in love toward the middle and end of the book when both Corinne and Jared let their guard down for some real romance.
Out of all Johanna Lindsey's books, I thought these two characters were the most "real". Jared was a developer building a local hotel; he was not terribly rich, not some undefeated warrior and not royalty somewhere. Corinne could be thought of as "willful", but certainly didn't fit into the mold of any heroine I have ever read about (I love that she is a gambler). I really related to Corinne and felt her feelings and reactions were in line with exactly what mine would have been in the same situations. -- How many times have you read a book and thought about a character - "I can't believe she is crying now"? Sometimes I want to transport myself into a book and slap some of these "heroines" around. Not so with Corinne.
If you are looking for a lot of fluff and mush, choose another book. If you are looking for a novel to break the run of the mill romance mold, try this book out.
NOT ROMANCE!.......2005-10-24
THIS BOOK WAS SO FULL OF HATRED THAT I JUST WISH I THREW IT OUT SOONER. THE CHARACTERS ARE VERY SHALLOW AND JUST TOO HARD TO COMPREHEND. I CAN'T REALLY TELL IF THEY ARE IN LOVE OR NOT.
THE FACT THAT THE HERO ABUSE THE HEROINE IS JUST TOO MUCH. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT " TAKING A HAND TO YOUR BACKSIDE" BUT "A FULL HAND TO YOUR FACE AND KNOCKING YOU TO THE TABLE!" HE DIDN'T EVEN STOP AT THAT. HE WOULD HAVE HIT HER AGAIN IF SHE HADN'T BEG HIM TO STOP. I MEAN, WHAT KIND OF SELF-CONTROL IS THAT? THE MAN IS A MONSTER.
I DON'T FEEL VERY CERTAIN ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. IF A HERO CAN ABUSE HER NOW IT JUST MEANS HE CAN'T CONTROL HIMSELF. HE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
VERY DISSAPOINTING...
The Anti-Romance.......2004-07-19
Hands down, "Paradise Wild" is Lindsey's WORST novel. It shouldn't even qualify as a romance, it is so awful and boring.
The plot of "Paradise" revolves around two characters plotting revenge. Jared hates Corrinne's father and marries her as part of a plan to ruin her family financially. But Corrinne is so humiliated that she tracks Jared down to Hawaii to get her own revenge by ruining his reputation.
Both Corrinne and Jared are despicable as the heroine and hero. Corrinne is angry, unreasonable, catty, and money-hungry. She does have an interesting vice - she's a gambling addict - but even that bad habit (and its interesting results when she runs out of money) cannot make her sympathetic. She's just lame - and, in my opinion, gets what she deserves. Jared is also blah. After we are treated to a detailed love scene with his mistress (sure way to make the hero unlikable), we get to hear all the boring details of his business and his plans to ruin Corrinne's father through poor investments. After spiting and mistreating each other CONSTANTLY, these two somehow fall in love, though I'm not sure why. Jared refers to Corrinne's beauty enough times that I'm pretty sure it was her looks he loves, not her personality. Pretty shallow, all in all.
The only thing remotely interesting about "Paradise Wild" are the descriptions of Oahu, Hawaii. However, I've been to Oahu several times and had no problem following the tidbits Lindsey dropped about location, foods, and language. I'm not sure if a reader who has never been to Oahu would appreciate these details fully.
Over all, this book sucked. The plot was listless, the characters terrible, the romance nil. Even the writing was stiff as a board. "Paradise" is on par with "Captive Bride" and "A Pirate's Love" as seriously terrible Lindsey romances, though "Paradise" is the worst of the lot. I wouldn't waste time with it.
If you want to read a wonderful Lindsey romance, try "Savage Thunder," "A Heart So Wild," "Once a Princess," or "Hearts Aflame." These are REAL romances.
Dreadful Story.......2004-06-23
I won't describe the story since others have already outlined it and in fact I wish I read them before reading the book myself. I have been a Johanna Lindsey fan for years and have read almost ALL her books, including books with violent themes, but I can honestly say that this is the first book that I have finished and felt that hero will likely repeat his abuse. I know the characters aren't real, but I love to think characters in books move on to have beautiful lives together and this wasn't the feeling I had finishing Paradise Wild. The book should have a built in scary song chip that plays when you're reading the last chapter, because the thought of them sailing off to Hawaii together was not a happy ending.
Average customer rating:
- A Gem
- silence of the birds
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And No Birds Sing: A True Ecological Thriller Set in a Tropical Paradise
Mark Jaffe
Manufacturer: Barricade Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1569801096 |
Customer Reviews:
A Gem.......2001-02-18
This account of efforts to understand and deal with threatened exotic-caused extinctions on Guam is a gem. The paper back's blurbs focus on Jaffe's "ecological detective thriller." But it's the seamlessness of the book's widely-informed joined elements -- including biographical and political sketches of great pith, accessible population biology, and How Modern Science Works to try to save avian species -- that's most compelling. This deftness in weaving many individually fascinating threads recalled for me Neal Ascherson's astonishing "Black Sea."
The paperback's Index lists only passing references to DDT -- on pages 26, 27 and 72. Because the bad guy is not a chemical, not one of our products. No, he's one of us. And after the paucity and untimeliness of the legislative response to the Guamanian situation had sunk into my consciousness, it was ironic that in the end, an air force base on the island established the 50-acre "environmental reclamation experiment" Jaffe hopes could begin to turn it all around. Like the ending of William Golding's little masterpiece, with the navy warship rescuing the tribe of island-stranded boys from themselves.
silence of the birds.......1998-10-30
My God! You won't find any birds singing in this masterpiece! Rachel Carson has nothing on this guy! The DDT chapter broke my heart!!!
Book Description
The Mara-Serengeti is a vast tract of land lying astride the Kenya-Tanzania border in Africa. This book celebrates the diversity of life to be found in the Mara-Serengeti: the great predators, the wonders of the migration, the people. It is a book of personal memories and favorite photographs of animals that the authors have followed throughout their lives--the ultimate safari.
Jonathan and Angie achieve an intimacy with their subjects that is born of infinite patience and insatiable fascination with the lives of the animals and the people. This book is a tribute to their accomplishments and a lasting record of a land that is truly A Photographer's Paradise. For wildlife lovers, photography buffs, and those interested in Africa.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful Journey.......2003-09-27
This book was more than I had hoped for. The moments captured are extrordinary, some of the best photos of African Wildlife I have ever seen. I haven't read the text yet, but the captions by the photos are very informative and contain little interesting tidbits I didn't know. I have a lot of coffee table books and this is definitely a favorite.
The most beautiful book ever published.......2003-04-06
Having been to this area of Africa three times, twice in the Masi Mara and once to the Serengeti this book brings me back over and over again to this heaven on earth. The combination of drawings, photographs, and writing of Jonathan and Angela Scott are outstanding. This is my all time favorite book. The love these authors feel for this area and the animals and people who live there comes through on every page. For anyone who has the slightest interest in wild animals, ecology, photography, art, travel or Africa this book is a must have. Awesome!
Beyond the Photo Safari!.......2001-06-18
Mara-Serengeti captures the essence of living in the Mara-Serengeti region in a way that you would not experience in a dozen safaris to Africa. The images of predators, prey, wildlife migrations, and the Masai bring you close up during moments of blazing color in the sky and dramatic action in the grasslands. The images are improved by thoughtful essays that draw on the photographers' many years of experience with these subjects.
The animal photographs are mostly grouped by subject and include lions, leopards, zebras, wart hogs, impalas, cheetahs, wildebeest, hyenas, crocodiles, vultures, and wild dogs. The subjects are usually of animal families, migration, killing, and eating in often symbolic settings for these activities. The Masai images come at the book's end, sort of completing the evolutionary progression of the food chain.
You probably have heard of the Serengeti. It's a vast grassland in Tanzania, and is now protected as the Serengeti National Park there. The Masai Mara National Reserve is in neighboring Kenya, and the two lands are connected geographically, if not politically. A map in the book will display all of this for you. This site is the area where humans probably first walked the face of the Earth, and the dwindling of these remarkable spaces marks the potential for us to lose our ability to visualize our roots.
The name, Serengeti, in Masai means "land of endless space." The closest we have to this habitat in the United States that I have seen is the brief enclosure in the wild animal park that the San Diego zoo maintains near Escondido, California.
The action photographs impressed me the most. These show predators literally flying and spinning in the air just before they land while the terrorized prey wheels desperately away. The action is captured almost like a key play in a sporting event. That's pretty typical of the photography here. The images emphasize action and perspectives that you do not yet have, and this book will add wonderfully to your sense of the special nature of the grasslands of Africa.
After you have finished expanding your vision of natural selection, I suggest that you think about the ways that our lives are enhanced by understanding our origins and how our lives are not. How can we draw inspiration from nature and stand in our most meaningful role?
Look for what few have seen . . . always! Truth will emerge from your trial.
Amazon.com
Natural Landscaping is an intelligent and quietly compelling guide for naturalizing the garden. Country Living Gardener editor Sally Roth relies on decades of organic gardening experience, personal anecdotes, and a belief in working in concert with Mother Nature to restore native ecosystems. In the tradition of gardening manuals, she offers best-of lists for everything from grasses for prairie gardens to flowers for a night garden to plants to soften a pool's edge, always stressing the overarching importance of flora-fauna harmony. She also includes helpful tips and sidebars on bird-nest materials, unique ground covers, building dry streambeds, and making homemade sap for butterflies. There's a solid chapter on wall and path design and welcome field-guide information on water wildlife, birds, and butterflies. Roth's tone is warm throughout, and she further personalizes the book by including sidebars about other gardeners and their gardens. Grassland, woodland, and freshwater-area ecosystems are covered, although information on coastal or arid areas is absent. For readers in the Southwest, Desert Landscaping would be a better choice.
The real shine of Natural Landscaping is in the details on creating a natural habitat that is self-contained and self-perpetuating. For instance, one can plant a butterfly bush to attract butterflies, but what perennial will butterflies lay their eggs in for next year? Instead of fighting a never-ending battle of trapping and killing moles, let these insect-eating creatures tunnel their homes and aerate your soil. Your first impulse may be to tidily clear away fallen wood, but why not position it ornamentally and nourish the soil at the same time? The book is full of this kind of sensible wisdom. It's clear Roth has taken her lessons from Mother Nature seriously. --Karen Karleski
Book Description
Whether you yearn for a colorful meadow garden splashed with asters and black-eyed Susans, a shady garden filled with graceful woodland wildflowers and feathery ferns, or a poolside planting lush with Japanese iris and astilbes, Natural Landscaping can help you make your gardening dreams a landscape reality. Page after page of this stunning book shows you the beauties and benefits of a natural garden. And a garden that takes its inspiration from nature is a beacon to birds, butterflies, toads, and other wild creatures. Author Sally Roth has a lifetime's experience creating natural landscapes. In this beautifully designed, lavishly illustrated book, she tells you everything you need to know about creating a natural landscape. You'll find:* Chapters on meadow and prairie gardens, woodland and shade gardens, water and bog gardens, gardens for songbirds and hummingbirds, and gardens to attract butterflies and moths.* Step-by-step projects for building special garden features. The easy-to-follow instructions and illustrations take you through the basics of creating such exciting garden additions as a waterfall and a bluebird nest box. You'll learn how to install garden lighting to add a glow to walkways, create a bubbling spring for birds, build a rustic bench, and more.* Garden plans for such varied gardens as a moonlight garden, a birdseed garden, and a hummingbird garden. You'll find nine beautifully illustrated plans that show you exactly how to create special natural gardens. You can follow the plans exactly or adapt them for your own needs.* Effective gardening techniques, each explained with step-by-step illustrations. You'll learn the easiest way to strip sod for a new garden, how to saw through a limb without damaging the tree, an effortless way to propagate your plants, and how to control problems organically. With these simple instructions, every gardener-- even a beginner-- can create and maintain a lush natural landscape.* Profiles of delightful natural landscapes created by gardeners across the country. Each profile features a different kind of natural landscape, from a prairie planting to a butterfly garden to a yard designed just for the birds. The gardeners talk about their inspirations and share valuable tips on how to create your own version.* Scores of quick-reference charts show you the best plants for every type of natural landscape. No matter where you live, you'll find a selection of the best plants for your area-- whether you're looking for flowers to attract hummingbirds, grasses for a prairie garden, shrubs for your woodland garden, plants to soften a pool's edge, flowers for a night garden, or wildflowers for your sunny meadow garden. You'll find helpful charts of the best plants for each garden style, conveniently located at the end of each chapter.With lively, authoritative text and more than 250 gorgeous color photos and illustrations, Natural Landscaping is an indispensable guide to a lush, inviting garden that's full of the beauty of nature.
Customer Reviews:
One of my favorites.......2005-03-07
This was my first gardening book, and I feel so very lucky, because the author's sensibility matches my own, and her emphasis on planting for wildlife makes her a kindred spirit. Here I first learned the definition of a meadow garden, a woodland garden, and even the names of birds and butterflies. I first became aware of Joe Pye Weed and Spicebush, Bee Balm, Milkweed and New England Aster.
Reading this book is like having a wise and non-judgmental master gardener take you under her wing. Sally Roth's passion for the natural world shines from every page. She touches on a wide range of topics, such as: laying out a path; building a bluebird nest box; starting a meadow garden; planting a flowering fence; avoiding the "Elvis look"; monthly calendar for meadow care ; creating a streambed; how to saw through a limb; starting plants from seed; -- all techniques are clearly described and easily understood. There are charts such as "Best Shrubs for Woodland Gardens" and "Best Trees for Songbirds." The book is beautifully laid out, and the color pictures are pure inspiration, especially during the blizzardy days of winter.
The negative comments from the previous reviewer seem overly severe and curmudgeonly. I haven't spotted an invasive species in the suggested plants lists yet, though the author does suggest some cultivated hybrids that I don't choose to use. Of course, there are many more technical, rigorous tomes out there that can and should be added to one's gardening library, (and a hard slog of a read they may be, too!)
I highly recommend this book as a general introduction to natural gardening, one that will inspire curiosity, guide discovery, generate ideas and projects, and make the adventure loads of fun.
too muddled to be useful or recommended.......2001-10-26
I speak on the subject of natural landscaping frequently - I've been doing this for years.
I always search out useful references so audiences can go home and apply what we've discussed. I would not recommend this book. This book muddles the concept of "natural" and "native" to the point that an inexperienced gardener is likely to plant invasive, non-native plants and never realize they have created a disaster where they hoped to create environemental harmony in their yard. Awhile after the fact they may realize what has happened - I speak to disappointed homeowners often.
Diekelman's book of the same title is much better, especially for folks in the Midwest.
It is somewhat techincial, so may be a little dense for beginners, but at least it won't cause mistakes, disappointment and regret.
Good ideas.......2000-03-26
This book offers some basic ideas in landscpaing your property in order to maintain a natural look. It offers beautiful uses for wet areas instead of trying to correct it.
a must for your gardening library.......1999-01-04
I originally bought this book ONLY because Ms. Roth is a local writer and I had enjoyed her newspaper columns and also went to a few lectures that featured her. As I have matured as a gardener I am very cautious about spending my garden dollars. I assumed that this book would be one of the "fluffy" books similar to my first garden book purchases. I was surprised at the depth of information and wealth of ideas. In talking to other gardeners or anyone else interested in nature, I always recommend this book as a must for their gardening library. I have probably reread the book 3 times since I purchased it and always pick up something new.
Excellent all-around source on the new natural approach.......1998-10-28
There are a number of books out on natural landscaping - a fast-growing field - but this is the first one I found which included useful information on the whole spectrum of related issues: style, philosophy, horticulture, and wildlife habitat and feeding. Chapters on woodland and prairie gardens are excellent. There are good lists of native plant nurseries; sound information on water features; and inspirational but not too idiosyncratic commentary by the author - just about everything someone needs to get started. And as someone who has already worked with this style for some time, I can also say it's useful for the experienced gardener. Besides, I like the author's style - she is a serious garden writer who can relate to those of us who don't go about designing in the traditional way with grids, etc. Highly recommended. The only reason I didn't give it four stars was that in a couple of cases, I had questions about the execution of certain plans which were not answered in the text or drawings. Still, that sort of detail can be gotten around given the clear principles outlined in the various projects. If you can just have one book on the subject, this would serve you well.
Book Description
The Caucasus--a region of supreme natural beauty and fiercely proud warriors--has throughout history been characterized by violence and turmoil. During the Great Caucasus War of 1834-1859, the warring mountain tribes of Daghestan and Chechnya united under the charismatic leadership of the Muslim chieftain Imam Shamyl, the "Lion of Daghestan", and held at bay the invading Russian army for nearly 25 years. Lesley Blanch vividly recounts the epic story of their heroic and bloody struggle for freedom and the life of a man still legendary in the Caucasus.
Customer Reviews:
a good book .......2006-05-14
it is good book for everyone interested in the history of Caucasus, in the history of the struggle of the Caucasian people (Avars, Chechens, Cherkess and so on) against Russia's intervention. By the way contrary to a common opinion in the West, Imam Shamil was not a Chechen he was an Avar.
good read indeed, but full of mistakes. .......2005-05-27
Have to say, it reads fast and pleasant. You will not regret getting this book if you decide to do so. I withheld two stars because book claims to be historical, while there are quite a few inaccuracies.
I respect the admiration author has for Caucasian mountaineers (being descendent of such it is especially pleasant), but she definitely overromanticizes her hero(s). Shamyl is great enough figure and Chechens are brave enough people to be in need of overglorification.
Book tells a lot of legends and passes them as facts. Some most naïve, even silly XIX c stereotypes are restated without questioning - i.e. Khevsurs being descendents of Crusaders who passed through Caucasus in their due time!!! This lame assumption is based on the fact of cross being important symbol among Khevsurs (who in fact are Georgian mountaineers, just like Svans (Suanetians) who Blanch "mistakes" for Muslim North Caucasians (in fact they are Christian). Khevsur cross is pre-Christian symbol (sufficient archeological evidence for anyone who cares to check).
Blanch also retells number of legends told by Alexander Dumas in his "Adventures in the Caucasus" (without referring to the source!) And names some of those legends (I remember two: Shete, child-tongue cutter; and a father who cut up his son's dead body into 70 pieces and sent to his relatives as a request for revenge...) as "Chechen stories", while Dumas tells them as Tushetian ones (another Georgian Christian tribe).
Either she is mistaken, or she purposefully mislocates the origin of characters in order to draw a portrait of Chechens the way she wants. It is OK to be mistaken and I hope it is just a mistake, because I really don't like when writer misleads the reader...
There is not much research done and there are very few books written about Caucasian history in any language. Despite what I said above, this one is probably the best among English books I have come across. So, I recommend it to everyone, especially if you are not a history buff, but a sucker for good romantic story about bravery and glory and freedom, etc. We may say, story is "based on true story". Enjoy it!
Shades of Arrakis.......2002-04-29
This book is not only a very pleasant read about the Russian conquest of the Caucasus, and thus good background for understanding the current problems there. It's also a source from which Frank Herbert drew heavily when writing his science fiction novel *Dune*. Such terms as chakobsa, kanly and kindjal are not unique to Blanch's book, but they certainly resonate with Herbert's fans.
Highly recommended and very readable.
Lion of Dhagestan.......2001-12-15
The reviews I've read so far fail to emphasize that this book, while it certainly covers much of the history of the Caucuses in the latter half of the 19th century, is in no small part a biography of Imam Shamyl, "The Lion of Dhagestan", and his role as the leader of what was referred to as "The Mureed Wars". Shamyl was a legendary, charismatic leader who, through the power of his Islamic faith, and with the added dimension of being son-in-law of one of the great Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Sufi order (Jamaluddin Ghumuqi), united the various tribes and peoples of this region to fight off the great Russian Bear for nearly 25 years. It is an epic tale of heroism and tragedy on a personal and cultural level, and will grip the reader as they follow the exploits and the battles that are still to this day legendary in the Caucuses.
The Lion of Dhagestan.......2001-12-15
The reviews I've read so far fail to emphasize that this book, while it certainly covers much of the history of the Caucuses in the latter half of the 19th century, is in no small part a biography of Imam Shamyl, "The Lion of Dhagestan", and his role as the leader of what was referred to as "The Mureed Wars". Shamyl was a legendary, charismatic leader who, through the power of his Islamic faith, and with the added dimension of being son-in-law of one of the great Shaykhs of the Naqshbandi Sufi order (Jamaluddin Ghumuqi), united the various tribes and peoples of this region to fight off the great Russian Bear for nearly 25 years. It is an epic tale of heroism and tragedy on a personal and cultural level, and will grip the reader as they follow the exploits and the battles that are still to this day legendary in the Caucuses.
Average customer rating:
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And No Birds Sing: The Story of an Ecological Disaster in a Tropical Paradise
Mark Jaffe
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
Rain Forests | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
Ornithology | Zoology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Endangered Species | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Birdwatching | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Tropical | Ecosystems | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0671751077 |
Customer Reviews:
TROUBLE IN PARADISE.......2003-08-13
This account of efforts to understand and deal with threatened bird extinctions on Guam is a gem of a book. The paperback's blurbs focused on Jaffe's "ecological detective thriller." But I found most compelling the seamlessness of the book's widely-informed joined elements -- including biographical and political sketches of great pith, accessible population biology, and a good-scientists-versus-stupid-and-finally-thwarted-others story.
The ecological culprit was not some natural substance, and not even one of homo sapiens' products (the book's index lists only three references to DDT). Nor was he us. But he was (and is) one of our fellows -- a little predator incredibly well adapted to feeding on birds' eggs.
After the paucity and untimeliness of the governmental response to the Guamanian situation had sunk into my consciousness, it seemed ironic that the book ends with the United States Air Force establishing a 50-acre "environmental reclamation experiment" on Guam which Jaffe hopes will provide the setting for much more effective research on the culprit. Like The Lord of the Flies ends with her majesty's warship rescuing from themselves the band of island-stranded, warring boys.
Average customer rating:
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Wild Paradise
Patricia Coughlin
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Regency | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0446345253 |
Average customer rating:
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Paradise Wild- Johanna Lindsey
Johanna Lindsey
Manufacturer: Avon Historical
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Lindsey, Johanna | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Lindsey, Johanna | ( L ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:
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Fires of Winter
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Defy Not The Heart
ASIN: B000NTNDG6 |
Product Description
Paradise WildA well-born Boston beauty, Corinne Barrows has traveled halfway around the world in search of Jared Burkett -- a dashing rogue and a devil; a honey-tongued charmer who seduced and despoiled her. . .and then abandoned the impetuous lady after awakening a need that only he could satisfy.She has found him on the lush and lovely island of Hawaii. And now Corinne will have the revenge she craves: the total ruin of the blackguard who brought shame and scandal into her life. But Jared still possesses the power to excite her as no man has ever done--even as his own reckless heart is taken captive in their blistering war of wits and will--igniting a fire that could consume them both unless they surrender to it with wild abandon in the heat of the tropic night.
Books:
- The Devil Who Tamed Her
- The Edge Effect: Achieve Total Health and Longevity with the Balanced Brain Advantage
- The Honorable Imposter/The Captive Bride/The Indentured Heart/The Gentle Rebel/The Saintly Buccaneer (The House of Winslow 1-5)
- The Impact Zone: Mastering Golf's Moment of Truth
- The Laws of Thinking: 20 Secrets to Using the Divine Power of Your Mind to Manifest Prosperity
- The Lost Gospel of Mary: The Mother of Jesus in Three Ancient Texts
- The Man of Her Dreams The Woman of His!
- The One that Got Away: My SAS Mission behind Enemy Lines
- The Power of One (Young Reader's Edition)
- The Pursuit of Marriage
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Origins and Destinies: Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in America
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- The Chemistry of Radical Polymerization, Second Edition
- A Blood-Dimmed Tide
- Basic Stained Glass Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started
- Fish Nutrition
- Breast Fitness: An Optimal Exercise and Health Plan for Reducing Your Risk of Breast Cancer
- African Rock Art: Paintings and Engravings on Stone
- Walton Ford: Tigers of Wrath, Horses of Instruction
- A Chindit story
The Cop
Hot In Here (Aphrodisia)
Pleasure Beach (Aphrodisia)
Dangerous Games (Tempting SEALs, Book 2)
The Firefighter (Club Fantasy)
