Book Description
Fans of the Cat Who... series get an intimate look at the private lives of those extraordinary Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum--the most unlikely, most unusual, most delightful team in detective fiction.
In this charming collection of feline antics, readers will discover why Qwill considers Koko a veritable clone of T.S. Eliot's Rum Tum Tugger, how Yum Yum was rescued from a burglar who is not above a spot of catnapping, and many more fascinating cat facts.
Customer Reviews:
You don't have to be a cat lover..........2007-04-16
I have enjoyed several titles by this author. They are always a quick and easy read - very enjoyable!
Here Kitty,Kitty.......2007-01-29
This is a short wet your appetite journal, begs for more stories, it's a good old fashion detective story that makes you think, and make you feel you are part of the plots, if you like cats and you like good clean story lines Lilian Jackson Braun books are for you.
A Rare Foul Ball from Mrs. Braun.......2005-09-19
Being a great fan of Koko and Yum Yum I was absolutely delighted when I saw this book. I figured that this would be a compendium of cute cat stories that were never mentioned in the actual mystery series but alas, I was wrong. Most all of the anecdotes related in this book come directly from the pages of previously published books and what little new material there is, is not very well thought out or written. I really can't imagine that Mrs. Braun actually wrote this book because it is really not up to her talent level.
Worse yet, several of the little stories give away the ending of the other books and if I had not already read most of the ones mentioned I would be quite upset. The worst thing about this book is that the idea behind it had so much promise. The lives of these two lovable cats are obviously not completely covered in the series proper for there are times when James Qwilleran, the cat's human companion, is not solving mysteries. A look at what these two felines are up to during these down times would be great fun and with a little effort and imagination this could have been a delightful book. Unfortunately, there appears to have been far to little effort and absolutely no imagination applied to this project and whoever came up with this mess should be ashamed of themselves.
The only redeeming qualities of this book are the adorable picture of the two Siamese cats on the back cover and the frequent references to T.S. Eliot's cat Rum Tum Tugger. A little class never hurts.
Blank Pages and Redundant Material.......2004-10-20
I received this book as a gift, and I am so glad I did not buy it. It is a 137 page book, of which over 50 pages (FIFTY PAGES) are blank, or have bad line-art of a siamese cat. The remaining pages are large type, double spaced, half of which are just rehashes of previous books. I figure there are probably 30 pages of original material. It's obvious that Ms. Braun (or the publishers using a ghostwriter) are just trying to milk the fan base for more money. Avoid this book, even if you are a Cat Who completist.
Astounding Performance That Brings us Into the Cats' Lives.......2004-03-14
"The Private Life of the Cat Who..." is a light, fun read that brings us a bit closer to our favorite mystery cats. With this audiobook performance, George Guidall brings us even closer. Guidall is a master at narrating Qwilleran's style, adopting the many voices of the series and providing the sound for the many noises made by Koko and Yum Yum. Read the book and then delight in Guidall's narration of each entry, bringing the story to life. Thrill to sayings of "Kool Koko," delight in the tale of Yum Yum's thimble and just have a good time.
Note: This audiobook can be found in both cassette form and on a CD.
Book Description
Koko is a remarkable male Siamese who happens to have sixty whiskers instead of the usual forty-eight. Yum Yum is an adorable female who will steal anything-including hearts. James Qwilleran is a columnist for The Moose County Something who had recorded his cats' exploits in his personal journal since the day each arrived in his life. And Lilian Jackson Braun is the beloved creator of them all! This delightful collection of feline antics will warm the hearts of cat lovers everywhere.
Download Description
Koko is a remarkable male Siamese who happens to have sixty whiskers instead of the usual forty-eight. Yum Yum is an adorable female who will steal anything-including hearts. James Qwilleran is a columnist for The Moose County Something who had recorded his cats' exploits in his personal journal since the day each arrived in his life. And Lilian Jackson Braun is the beloved creator of them all! This delightful collection of feline antics will warm the hearts of cat lovers everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
A Complete Waste of Time and Space.......2007-05-31
Who wrote this book and why? I have read and loved all the Cat Who books, but this one didn't seem to make any sense. It rambled on and on about 100 different subjects - disjointed and with no rhyme nor reason. (in spite of all the little rhymes Braun included) Some reviewers find it a delightful compilation of snips from previous books, but I find it boring and meaningless. It read like the notes for a REAL book. Don't bother.
Koko and Yum Yum Ho Ho!.......2007-01-04
Snippets of feline life from a favorite author provide light reading and an evening's worth of amusement. Find tales from the past and little insights to the duo's delightful designs on Qwilleran's definition of normal as well as bits recalling characters from the past. This is a good "popcorn" book for a long and blustery winter's night.
If you have read the books you have already read THIS!.......2004-02-27
If you are looking for something new from Moose County read The Cat Who talked Turkey,if you have read all the others. If you are new to the series start at the beginning. But this book is nothing but excerpts and if you are a die hard fan you have already read all this. Avoid it!
Too short.......2004-01-06
An avid fan of the Cat Who series, I was dissappointed in "The Private Life of the Cat Who..." book. I had expected (and hoped) for detailed insight & feelings from Qwill's observations and day to day interaction with his feline companions. Instead, I got just a few brief notes on events I had already read about. If you're looking to get into the Cat Who series, pick up any of Lilian Jackson Brauns' books, just dont start with this one.
An Adorable Little Gift Book!.......2003-11-25
I agree that in order to really enjoy this book the reader must be an avid cat fancier and/or a fan of Ms. Braun's Cat Who series. Someone without one of these traits would just look at this book in astonishment and wonder why it was written, and they probably wouldn't take the time to read it. But for those of us who love Koko and Yum Yum, this book is a real treasure. It's heartwarming and wonderful! Ms. Braun is the piece de resistance in the cozy genre and she proves it with this little anthology of rhymes, stories and anecdotes about those fabulous felines of Qwill's. The book is very short and only takes a little time to read, so I recommend that you do so.
Book Description
At last--after decades--one of the most famous heroes in literature is back! Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, returns with a vengeance in this brand-new, action-packed adventure by Philip José Farmer, Hugo Award-winning author of the incredible Riverworld saga.
Tarzan's beloved mate, Jane, has been kidnapped, and the furious ape-man will let nothing stand in the way of rescuing her--not even a sinister safari whose target is Tarzan himself. With fierce Masai trackers leading the chase, a trio of white hunters are hellbent on capturing the Jungle Lord. But as the pursuers, and their uncanny half-human tracker, close in from behind, Tarzan races toward even greater danger ahead.
For the trail leads to a bizarre, long-forgotten land boasting a multitude of strange and terrifying mysteries: the City Built by God, the Hideous Hunter, the One to Avoid, and most shocking of all, the Crystal Tree of Time--whose seductive powers could ultimately spell Tarzan's doom . . .
Philip José Farmer, a descendant of the actual Greystoke family, is famous for his adventure novels starring Tarzan characters. Now, for the first time, he lends his vast imagination to the authorized legend of the Lord of the Apes himself!
Customer Reviews:
Misguided, Badly Written Mess.......2007-07-21
Avoid this confused, poorly paced, ineptly plotted mess. The characters are wooden and one-dimensional (even their names are largely silly and unbelievable), and the "action" is as dull as can be. Farmer misses the boat by such a wide margin that you'd think that he never read one of Burroughs' books himself. A read through this dreck certainly reinforces the respect and admiration for Burroughs and the characters and worlds that he created.
Another great Tarzan-inspired book by Farmer.......2007-07-02
Farmer's sanctioned Tarzan novel "Dark Heart of Time" appeared decades after its ideal publishing time, during the Krenkel-inspired revival of Burroughs novels. This adventure story fits into what is probably the best of the Tarzan saga, when Tarzan returns to the jungles of Africa and pursues WWI-era German villains. This story is one of Farmer's better novels, packed with action and unique characters (including some cardboard stereotypes). It's a shame that this and "Nothing Burns in Hell" do not appear to have grown Farmer's present fan base, because these two novels are quality examples of Farmer style, pacing and imagination. Fans of Farmer probably know that his Tarzan pastiches represented some of his best work, and "Dark Heart of Time" does not disappoint.
The author clearly has approached this episode as the only Tarzan novel he would ever write, and packs an entire lost world inside the pages. A series of improbable but well-described escape sequences and cast of bizarre jungle tribes make up the meat of the book, with Tarzan's quest to find Jane pushed to the background.
Fatalism is a pervasive theme, as Tarzan meets what he calls a ben-go-utor, one of the very last of its kind who is resigned to an end without a legacy. The creature shares a tremendous will to live, however, a product of many centuries of evolution in a wild and harsh environment. There is also a tribal musician who battles his cowardice in hopes of rescuing his wife - Tarzan, the ben-go-utor and the musician all are trying to rescue their captured and probably dead mates - in a choice of plotting one can assume Farmer uses to divorce the reader from the usual faux-logic of adventure novels. The Burroughsian and Farmerian laws are in effect, and its plausible here that such (seeming) coincidences happen in a setting evocative of Riverworld or Joseph Conrad. The villains are not surprising to those familiar with Farmer's work: greedy, ambitious and very capable. They are villains because they choose to pursue immortality and deny Death, a fundamental law of the jungle - they will be punished, as is Tarzan, for overstaying their welcome.
"The Dark Heart of Time" ranks with "Lord Tyger" and "Tarzan Alive" as the best of his Tarzan-inspired work. It deserves to be as least as familiar as the Disney-fied version of Tarzan.
This is not a Farmer novel.......2005-09-08
Consider this statement as you would consider the "Ceci n'est pas un pipe" on the famous Magritte painting. Farmer might have written the text, but this is not a Farmer's novel, this is a Tarzan novel that got gold of Farmer's mind and pencil.
The fact that, despite not being able to use the name, Farmer has already written many novels and stories with Tarzan as the main character, in one shape or another, and he could not repeat what he had done previously on these novels, be they literary pastiches or just trasfigurations of the original myth/paramyth.
Instead he chose to move one step down, use the oroiginal character, which forced him to leave off some of his usual with, and instead apply in placing Tarzan in the highiest number of dangeours/extreme situations he could while not leaving the strict boundaries of "decency". As a master, he forced his slave (Tarzan) to be bound, wounded, beaten, even humiliated; and as a good master he delighted in it.
King of inconvenience, he succeeded once again in dissacrating his own myths while still humbly bowing to them: after all, if he is a willing master they are still willing slaves of hiw whims. Odd homages of the great metanarrator of popular literature. Off your hats, and who gives a damn if his writing is sloppy at times (at least in this nove he didn't lose track of any characters!).
Tarzan Dies!.......2004-02-17
As a long-standing fan of Philip José Farmer, I was extremely disappointed with The Dark Heart of Time. Without question, it is the worst-written, most poorly-concieved book Mr. Farmer has ever produced. The plot is silly and contrived, the action mundane, and the writing sloppy. Throughout the book, Tarzan is determined to save the love of his life, Jane. This is his all-consuming passion, but this book is not about Tarzan trying to save Jane. She doesn't appear anywhere in these pages! Instead Tarzan is dragged into a peripheral "adventure" (and I use the word loosely, because adventures are supposed to be exciting). So, Tarzan's whole raison-d'etre, to save Jane, is pre-empted by a weak, rambling plot filled with empty characters and one-dimensional villains. Why on Earth did Farmer keep harping about Jane if he didn't intend Tarzan to save her?! At least then there would have been some dramatic tension (something which is noticeably absent from The Dark Heart). If you want to read Farmer, I suggest To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Flesh, or Dare. But please, stay away from this drivel.
An interesting failure.......2000-11-30
Having grown up in the Tarzan revival of the late sixties and early seventies, I had read all of the novels as a boy. Looking back now, I am still made uncomfortable by the level of racism in much of Burroughs' work (said statement may cause many to be angry with this review, but the evidence is overwhelming). I also came to Philip Jose Farmer's pastiches of Tarzan as an adolescent, and fell in love with his Tarzan even more than the original (especially when he connected them with Doc Savage, another revival my preadolescent mind had devoured). A few years ago, Farmer wrote a brand new "Doc Savage" novel, and it, like this new Tarzan novel, also fell curiously flat when compared to the originals. In both cases, they started off with a bang, and I felt like I'd found my way back to those worlds. But Farmer, I have to suspect, has grown too mature, and too sophisticated, to write what are essentially pulp novels meant for young boys. He twists this Tarzan novel into a bad science fiction cliche, and it just doesn't work well. While it is left open for a sequel, that opening only made the novel that less enjoyable. What I really wanted to see is Farmer wrap up the war, and reunite Tarzan with Jane, and give us a proper end to the original series. Unfortunately, whether due to the profit motive (which is possible, given the way Farmer milked the Riverworld books to death), or due to the desire to keep coming back to the well for personal reasons, we got a very truncated visit to the jungle. In Farmer's defense, he very deftly avoids much of the racism of the original novels (though not so completely as the Disney movie, which solved the problem by leaving out Africans completely -- which may be even more racist when you think about it: a movie set in Africa populated entirely by apes and white people!), and for the first half of the book, he keeps the tension taut. It just reads like he ran out of steam halfway through. Having said that, I'm glad I read it, if only because it sent me back to the originals for another look. And it is obvious that this master of speculative fiction is enjoying himself immensely -- and that alone is worth the price. Just don't expect perfection, and you'll enjoy this novel.
Book Description
From Stephen Baxter, one of today's most acclaimed writers of science fiction and fantasy, comes this unforgettable saga of life and loss in the grand tradition of Watership Down.
For fifty thousand springs, Silverhair and her kind, the last of the woolly mammoths, have lived in a remote tundra, rimmed by ice and sea and mountain. Soon to be a mother, Silverhair looks to the future with hope. But even as her life begins, the world she loves is ending. A new menace, more vicious than any enemy, is descending upon the snowlands -- a two-legged creature that kills for joy. Desperate to save their kind, Silverhair and the matriarch, Owlheart, must travel across the glacial torrents, beyond the saw-toothed mountains. There they will seek help from the distant cousins who found their destiny in the sea, and from an enemy -- an ice-faced menace known as...the Lost.
Customer Reviews:
Mammoths alive and kicking.......2007-08-07
A small group of mammoths is alive and well in remote Siberia in our times. Stephen Baxter tells us how they live in a world that's changing from what they know in their sagas and legends. Their enemy is, of course, the Lost Ones, as the mammoths call us humans.
Baxter's written better books, and this is no Watership Down (or Empire of the Ants, which is my favourite animal book). It's not bad, though, and the mammoths seem pretty well researched, at least they're somewhat inhuman. They have their own culture, quite different from us humans.
Since the book was so fast and easy to read, I'm going to continue to the next part of the trilogy - after all, the book gets some pretty strange ideas in the end. In any case, I can't really recommend Silverhair unless you're really into mammoths or books starring animals in general. However, there's lots of violence and cruelty towards animals in this book, so the most sensitive animal lovers, stay away! (Review based on the Finnish translation.)
Disturbing to Normal Human Beings.......2005-09-16
I was drawn to this book because I wanted to read a good story about mammoths. After reading this book, I am still waiting to read a GOOD story about mammoths.
This was book should be declared an "unimaginable atrocity" by the UN for its disgusting and pointless portrayal of animal abuse. Where is the ASPCA? Any plot was completely drowned out by the awful violence. I can't recommend this book to anyone!
A tough read.......2005-05-14
Interminable story about a group of sentient, Woolly Mammoths, who, having survived the ages on an island off the Siberian coast, must now deal with the encroachment of the Lost Ones (man), and their own dwindling numbers as nature takes it's toll.
I like to think I have a great ability to suspend reality and accept many things, but the idea of furry elephants living in synchronicity with the vibes of our planet and having a mythological based heredity that they pass down from generation to generation was just WAY beyond me. Factor in the fact that author didn't imbue any of these beings with even a modicum of an interesting personality, and it was a tough read.
Okay, but sort of depressing........2002-04-22
This was an okay book, but the whole auora of the story was a little depressing. The whole book your there watching these mammoths who are the last of there kind and don't know it. It doesn't feel good to watch almost every single charecter in the story die. There was just something wrong with this book, the fact that there is no happiness in it. But, it was interesting to see the world from the point of view of a mammoth with the IQ of a chicken. This book had something wrong with it, i dont know what but this book needs some work.
Well I liked it, at least........2001-10-16
Graphic violence, torure, death, hardship - well, maybe, but still well written and exciting and pacey throughout.
Average customer rating:
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Silverhair the Wanderer
Diana L. Paxson
Manufacturer: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Fantasy
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| Arthurian
| Contemporary
| Epic
| General
| Historical
| History & Criticism
| Magic & Wizards
| Series
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Adventure
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| General
| Graphic Novels
| High Tech
| History & Criticism
| Series
| Short Stories
| Space Opera
ASIN: 0450520919 |
Product Description
Sci Fi Paperbacks
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Silverhair
Stephen Baxter
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NW7DIW |
Average customer rating:
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Silverhair
Stephen Baxter
Manufacturer: Harper Prism
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OR7MNW |
Average customer rating:
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Silverhair the Wanderer
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GS5LQY |
Book Description
From a passionate and talented chef who also happens to be an Episcopalian priest comes this surprising and thought-provoking treatise on everything from prayer to poetry to puff pastry. In
The Supper of the Lamb, Capon talks about festal and ferial cooking, emerging as an inspirational voice extolling the benefits and wonders of old-fashioned home cooking in a world of fast food and prepackaged cuisine. This edition includes the original recipes and a new Introduction by Deborah Madison, the founder of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco and author of several cookbooks.
Customer Reviews:
Full-throttle joy of living.......2006-09-06
This is one of the most exceptional books I've read. Bold, funny, grumpy, and wise, it is a beautifully-written cookbook and dazzling radiance of commentary.
To read this fine book is like sitting on a stool in Capon's kitchen, listening to this old-school master talk (as he slow-cooks) on subjects as diverse as onions, knives, wine, love, dinner parties, and baking soda ("the Most Extraordinary Ordinary Thing in the World").
The thing I most appreciate about this book is its unapologetic, hurricane-force, declaration of JOY with life and life's Creator. "Supper of the Lamb" is almost operatic in its celebration of God, real foods, the earth, and wine. The book is a zero-tolerance zone for synthetic foods, ideas or people.
BE WARNED: "Supper of the Lamb" was first published 37 years ago. The language flow is so beautifully full that it's a little like eating lamb after decades of consuming malted milk balls and pork rinds.
Meditations on Food.......2003-12-31
Food writing is a difficult task. It's much easier to jot down a few (or many) recipes that describe the feelings, emotion and psychology of the food experience. One advantage that food writing has over, say car writing or sports writing, is the multitude of functionality. One can raise, prepare, buy, eat and savor food. It is used for romance, for celebration, for friendship, bereavement or religious fulfillment. In fact, to some it is almost a religious experience.
This is especially true of the author, Robert Capon, a priest in the Episcopal church. He can be deep, funny, poignant or edifying. These various essays touch on many subjects, all of them related one way or another to food. His comments like, "God may be simple but simplicity makes a bad god." are par for the course.
His strong likes (natural food, discipline, earnest preparation and freinds) and dislikes (fancy stoves, kitchen gadgets, easy recipes, strong cologne, arriving late) are fully detailed. A compendium of recipes follow the essays.
Joy to the World!.......2003-09-22
I came across The Supper of the Lamb at a particularly deep and prolonged nadir in my life, and not being particularly religious, I was sceptical. O what joy! What love! What exuberance, richness, fertility and fancy! What unbounded wonder! Father Capon shows us the wonder in ordinary things, and shows us how to look, really look, at humble, quotidian things to see the glory in them -- the chapter on a simple brown onion is worth the entire book. So is the chapter on wine. Again and again, I've stretched out my hand and the right book was there. Thank you Father Capon for showing me the way back to laughter, love and celebration! L'chaim!
A classic to return to again and again.......2002-10-29
This book was my first taste of Robert Farrar Capon's writings. One of those underground treasures which makes its way by word of mouth, The Supper of the Lamb was a seminal book in my spiritual and literary development, along with his book, The Parables of the Kingdom. It may include recipes, but The Supper of the Lamb is a cookbook for life.
Each chapter offers lyrical insight on what it means to be human. Read about cutting an onion in "The First Session" and you'll never take an onion for granted again. "Wave Breast and Heave Shoulder" is one of the most beautiful and biblical passages in the entire book. I have read the final pages of "The Burning Heart" many, many times and never fail to be moved. Some sections of the book are reminiscent of Annie Dillard's descriptive style in Pilgrim at Tinker Creek or some of the best of M.F.K. Fisher's writings. Capon's salty observations balance the high spirituality, creating a complex blend of philosophy and kitchen craft.
As Capon himself says, "We were given appetites, not to consume the world and forget it, but to taste its goodness and hunger to make it great." This book continues to inspire my writing, my cooking, and my spirituality. If you want a flavorful literary feast, buy The Supper of the Lamb. I highly recommend Robert Farrar Capon's other books as well. Each one is a treasure.
Eating with Bob Capon.......2002-09-02
I grew up around Bob Capon. My father is also an Episcopal priest, and our families often got together to break bread. The kitchen was the place to be. This book, which I hadn't read for many years, brought back lots of memories. Capon was one of the first "crazy" people I ever met. (I was around 9 years old.) I am a better person for it. Food and God. God and Food. They go together especially well in this book.
Books:
- The Shifting Tide: A William Monk Novel (William Monk Novels)
- The Skull Beneath the Skin
- The Twelfth Card (A Lincoln Rhyme Novel)
- The Venus Throw: A Mystery of Ancient Rome (Novels of Ancient Rome)
- Tombstone Courage: A Joanna Brady Mystery
- Tool & Die: A Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery (Home Repair Is Homicide Mysteries)
- Touching Evil
- Tough Cookie
- Trio for Blunt Instruments (Nero Wolfe Mysteries)
- Under the Lake
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
- Getting Our Groove Back: How to Energize American Jewry
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- For a Future to Be Possible: Buddhist Ethics for Everyday Life
- High Five
- Hallowe'en Party
- The Renovated Home: Redesigning, Reorganizing, Redecorating
- Contemporary Asian Living Rooms
- The Mammoth Book of Tales from the Road: Tales of Life on the Move
The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell (Cat Who...)
The Cat Who Went Bananas
Short & Tall Tales: Moose County Legends Collected by James Mackintosh Qwilleran
Two Cats, Three Tales
The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers
