Customer Reviews:
Big Six Wow.......2005-05-16
This is my first randy wayne white novel and I thought it was a compelling read. Tomlinson was a bit unbeliveable in his sarong at age 60 at least-- if he was a hippy of the "60s. And I suppose the story didn't make too much sense. A stalker-bomber???? And all the cavats about Indonesia should have been researched away. Its creepy to accuse countries of false crimes. But the characters rang true and the nuggets of information were good and the chapters were incredibly well thought out and Ford is pretty damn cute. It was so sad that Big Six had to die: I figured that out early on. How else could the novel end with Ford free to love again? I am looking forward to reading more White.
the best yet.......2004-08-17
CAPTIVA is the 4th novel in the Doc Ford series and the first which is told in the first person. We're inside the orderly but active mind of the marine biologist-amateur sleuth as he gets caught up in a battle between sport fisherman and commercial fisherman over the use of nets.
The novel begins with a very frightening scene involving a bombing at the Marina where Ford lives. The man who gets killed is the husband of Hannah Smith, who will become Ford's lover and the most compelling female figure in the series to date. Hannah is slightly idealized but still great fun, and gives the novel a lot of spark, especially in the absence of Ford's sidekick Tomlinson.
I highly recommend CAPTIVA and this entire series, starting with SANIBEL FLATS. Doc Ford is the closest thing going to McDonald's Travis McGee
Poor Follow-up to White's First Three Doc Ford Adventures.......2003-09-11
I have to agree with another reviewer that Captiva is also my least favorite Doc Ford novel in the series so far. The plot is interesting and the mood is still compelling, but switching to the "first person voice" just ruins it for me. I suppose the reason for doing so might have been to soften Doc Ford's character, but this method comes off clumsy at times and makes Doc seem phony. Doc didn't need any fluffing up anyway. This is a complete and terrible switch from the masterful "third-person" storytelling in the previous book, "The Man Who Invented Florida". I hope Randy returns to his earlier writing style in the next Doc Ford novel.
I think John McDonald would approve.......2001-05-19
Having been a John McDonald/Travis Magee fan for a long time I have always been sad at John's passing. His Travis Magee novels are always good reading. I was pleased to read a review of Mr White and his comparision to McDonald. Our hero lives in Captiva, is a retired government agent named Doc Ford who talents these days are turned to marine biology. His side kick is a "way out" cat from the 60's named Tomlinson. This story takes place in a marina in Florida where more than Doc's biology projects seem to be blowing up. In fact half the marina is now charcoal. It could turn into all out war between the netters and the sportfishermen over the netting ban, with Doc caught in the middle. Ford trys to keep a middle of the road lifestyle, but it turns personnel when somebody puts Tomlinson in the hospital near death. Doc is looking for payback - for a lot things. The book has a real good ending and leaves the reader trying to get inside of Doc's head to figure out how and why he does things. Story is a little slow in the beginning but picks up to an international ending. I look forward to reading more of Doc Ford from Randy Wayne White.
"What a Book".......2001-04-12
I have read all but a couple of Randy Wayne Whites books and think that Captiva is a great book,The best so far. I just got done reading Sanibel Flats and The Heat Islands and thought they they were very exiciting also, but Captiva left you on on the edge of your seat, wondering what is going to happen next. I really enjoy reading about Florida/Key West mysteries. I find them very satisfying.
Book Description
Sanibel & Captiva: A Guide to the Islands, written by Sanibel residents, is a handbook to all the islands have to offer. It's packed with useful, down-to-earth information on Sanibel and Captiva's beaches, shelling, wildlife, fishing, biking, hiking, boating, shopping, restaurants and accommodations, and includes hundreds of tips on how to have fun. The full-color, 304-page book is an invaluable resource for visitors wanting a few days of real-Florida fun and sun on these legendary, unique islands.
There's a full chapter on local shells, another on wildlife, still another on the J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife refuge. The Restaurants chapter reviews 64 places to eat, from snack shacks to gourmet bistros.
Authors Julie and Mike Neal share their secrets about exploring the islands and viewing wildlife, revealing their favorite locations to spot dolphins, manatees, birds, reptiles and other creatures. Readers discover hidden bike paths and long-forgotten hiking trails, and even learn how to spot alligator tracks.
Best of all, Sanibel & Captiva: A Guide to the Islands is filled with over 350 color photos, most never before published.
Customer Reviews:
Well worth the money!.......2006-02-28
Wow! This is a really great book. We're going to Sanibel Island for the first time and couldn't find any travel books that would give us the lowdown on where to go and what to do - until this book! It gives you a "must do" intinerary if you are planning on staying 3 days, 4 days, etc. It also includes tips for shelling: when to go, where to go and a comprehensive guide to help you identify what you find. I really enjoyed this book and it's now packed in my suitcase ready for the trip.
All the Info You Will Need!.......2006-01-15
We had the best vacation EVER thanks to this book! Even when our flight was postponed, this book gave us a few options of activities in Fort Myers on the way to the airport. Who would have thought Sanibel/Captiva had so much to offer. The authors share ever bit of important info and more. Have Fun!
A must for new Sanibel visitors.......2005-09-01
I thought I was fairly familiar with the Sanibel Island area, but this book definitely gave me new insight. The author definitely "knows her stuff" and has written a very informative and interesting guide. Anyone visiting Sanibel (especially first-timers) should definitely get a copy before they go.
The most personable guidebook ever........2004-07-27
We visited Sanibel and Captiva islands for the first time in June 2004. It was everything we hoped it would be thanks to this book. I must have read the book 15 times front to back before we left. I loved the given itinerary- it made organizing our time in order to experience everything so easy and we never felt rushed.
I am a huge fan of Frommer's guidebooks. Since they offer little information regarding the islands, I purchased this book instead which came highly recommended. It was really neat to get an actual islander's point of view but I did occasionally miss the to-the-point opinions of Frommer's guidebooks. The book is occasionally generic when recommending dining options.
However, I have to say that you should NEVER visit these islands without first purchasing this book. It taught us how to appreciate island life and we had a wonderful relaxing vacation. There are descriptions of each shell found on the island as well as each bird, turtle, etc. It was fun to open up the book at the end of the day and find the names of both the shells we had collected and the birds we had seen. Have a great time in Sanibel!!
Sanibel and Captive: A guide to the Islands by Julie Neal.......2004-06-01
I have been to Sanibel and Captiva many time and found the book informative. There are suggestions that the average vacationer would not know to do. I thought it captured the essence of this wonderful area. It is good for the first time visitor to the area, or the experienced vacationer. It was easy to read and use.
Book Description
The natural scenery and wildlife of southern Florida, which includes the only tropical wilderness in the mainland United States as well as nature preserves, unspoiled beaches and parks, is pictured here by photographers whose sensitivity and curious eyes have captured what is unattainable to most people. Sanibel and Captiva are storybook islands, mystical when viewed in this series of stunning photographs. Let the camera's eye take you on a trip to the magical tropics through Sanibel and Captiva Islands: A Photographic Portrait.
Average customer rating:
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Sanibel and Captiva, enchanting islands
Richard N Campen
Manufacturer: West Summit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 096013560X |
Customer Reviews:
A Good Pocket Birding Guide to Southern Florida.......2003-06-06
This is a recent book of 144 pages in length, illustrating over 250 species of birds in 335 full color photographs one might likely see in South Florida . This area is defined by the authors as an area "extending south of route 70, broadly from a line drawn from Fort Pierce to Sarasota, and also includes the Keys and the Dry Tortugas". This book is a handy compendium meant to aid birders, and especially visiting birders, who may not want to carry several field guides or larger tomes while traveling, for use in bird identification.
As a "pocket book" (4" by 7.5"), the authors state that this book is not a complete guide and that other works are needed to compliment it. They proffer other more well known field guides such as the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, (3rd edition) and the ABA/Lane Guide: A Birder's Guide to Florida by Bill Pranty as supplemental reading. Further, the authors realize the limitations of a single photograph of a single species for the use of bird identification. (Cf. the pictures of Northern Rough-winged Swallow or Chimney Swift as examples!) Given the fact that the authors are not resident Florida birders, I feel that they did a very good job of organizing the material as well as making it available in an easy-to-read format. The latter is accomplished through the use of colored corner tabs representing the various avian families. Noted East Coast Florida birder Wally George is credited as having supplied the range and distributional data for the birds of Southern Florida.
Chapters of the book include: Introduction, How to use this book, Birding habitats in southern Florida, Key to corner tabs, Where to find birds in southern Florida, Species descriptions, Glossary, Further reading, Useful addresses and Index. The most useful aspect of this book, in my opinion, is the chapter on birding habitats and the species one may encounter in them. Knowing what can be expected to be seen in a given habitat makes it easier for the birder to maximize one's time birding and the species to be seen, especially in unfamiliar locations.
Another useful aspect of this book is the photographs of several of the "exotics" including psittiscids and mynas one might encounter in South Florida. Rose-ringed Parakeet, Budgerigar and Yellow-headed Parrot are illustrated as well as Common and Hill Mynas. My only wish would be for more psitticid photos such as White-winged and Yellow-chevroned Parakeet, as well as Black-hooded Parakeet and perhaps Monk. Still, some photosof exotics are better than nothing.
The glossary is another useful section of this book, but one can understand its limitations given the books size.
In short, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to add to their library of local bird books covering our area of South Florida. In the field, it is an easy book to put in one's shirt pocket when carrying other larger books is impractical. I would also recommend it to visiting and casual birders with the admonition to supplement it with a more thorough avian treatment such as National Audubon's The Sibley Guide to Birds.
Average customer rating:
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The unknown story of Sanibel and Captiva (Ybel y Cautivo)
Florence Irene Fritz
Manufacturer: Printed by McClain Print. Co.; [distributed by L. Cunningham, Fort Myers, Fla
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: 0870121650 |
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After Captiva
Charles House
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1411638085 |
Product Description
This is the story of two separate odysseys in a single vessel on a sailboat cruise to Key West. Laura is unsure whether she is running from, or to, her demons. Homer thinks he can come to grips with his own only by helping Laura with hers. But by the time they are on the boat together he questions his ability in the wake of a series of revelations that can doom, or save, the relationship.
The story begins as Laura, frustrated by her husband's failure to live up to his artistic promise, leaves their backwater home in the Florida panhandle. Homer is in the Midwest acting as a PR flack for their scruffy town. When he learns she has left, he begins a search for her that takes him from the mountains of Kentucky and down the Gulf Coast before they meet up as the result of a literally explosive event.
The brooding beauty of the Kentucky mountains co-stars with the loveliness of the Gulf Coast for primacy in the story.
Product Description
Hardcover with comb binding. Restaurants on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and their favorite recipes. From the Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce.
Average customer rating:
- A classic
- Dark, elegaic thriller
- Haunting and powerful story...
- incredibly bad book--so much potential
- Reason I love Cook
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Breakheart Hill
Thomas H. Cook
Manufacturer: Crimeline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Red Leaves (Otto Penzler Book)
ASIN: 0553571923
Release Date: 1996-07-01 |
Book Description
From the author hailed as "an important talent, a storytelling writer of poetic narrative power" (Los Angeles Times Book Review) comes a dazzling novel of psychological suspense. "This is the darkest story I've ever heard." With these haunting words, Thomas H. Cook begins a tale of love and its aftermath, of a town sent reeling from a moment of passionate betrayal. At its center was Kelli Troy and the town of Choctaw, Alabama. And on one hazy summer afternoon decades ago, a searing burst of violence engulfed Breakheart Hill. For one man who knows the truth about those shattering events, it is a memory that would become his awful secret.
Customer Reviews:
A classic.......2007-03-09
This marvelous book should be taught as literature. Beautifully written and plotted with believable characters' trauma and responses developed over half a lifetime.
Dark, elegaic thriller.......2006-06-03
Town doctor Ben Wade narrates the sad history of Kelly Troy, a bright, intelligent girl who moves into a small Southern community, both shocking it with her outspoken views on segregation and charming it with her natural vivacity before she is tragically attacked on top of Breakheart Hill. Ben falls deeply in love with her, and author Thomas H. Cook is very good at depicting the black mood he falls into when his love is not returned. The narrative moves back and forth in time, skillfully manipulating our expectations. I thought I knew what had happened, became increasingly sure of it as the novel progressed, then had to revise my beliefs when I came to the final devastating pages. This is a excellent suspense novel.
Haunting and powerful story..........2005-09-14
I'm not much into the Suspense/Mystery genre, but this book literally had me on the edge of my seat. I've read several other Thomas H. Cook books and none of them are able to stack up to this one.
This is the haunting story of Kelli Troy told in a series of flashbacks by the town doctor, Ben Wade. It is about the people that were changed forever, after a violent incident involving Kelli that occurred on Breakheart Hill. The climax will leave you reeling! It was completely unexpected and I was left in shock for several days after finishing the book. I even had to go back and re-read some of the passages and chapters to understand just exactly what happened.
This is a powerful story about betrayal, violence, and ultimately, about the power of love.
incredibly bad book--so much potential.......2004-06-13
I was enthraled by this book. This was the first of this author that I had read. I could hardly put it down, the writing was incredible.
And then the ending came and it was as if all the air went out of the balloon. Lame, weak, stupid, words fail me.
This guy writes well but someone needs to supply him with a plot that works. What a sad waste of time to read this book.
Reason I love Cook.......2004-05-20
This book is another reason I love Thomas H. Cook. He has a way of telling a story that keeps you on edge. You are dying to know how it ends, but the journey is long and often dark. When I first started reading this book, I wanted to rush to the end, but his story kept me hooked. He is not like most authors that write the same story with a different character everytime. For someone like me that reads lots of mysteries, it is nice to be challenged in a book. His writing style makes you slow down and enjoy the ride making it a great read.
Average customer rating:
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Breakheart Hill
Thomas H. Cook
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000O3RRIQ |
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Breakheart Hill
Thomas H. Cook
Manufacturer: Recorded Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788704249 |
Product Description
Breakheart Hill. C 1995 Thomas H. Cook. P 1995 Recorded Books, Inc. 94616 (7 cassettes/9.75 hours). Unabridged. Narrated by George Guidall. ISBN 0-7887-0424-9. (from cover case)
Average customer rating:
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Regreso a Breakheart Hill
Thomas H. Cook , and
Cristina Pages
Manufacturer: Ediciones Urano
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 8495618273 |
Average customer rating:
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Breakheart Hill
Thomas H. Cook
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000JC5TJG |
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful!.......2002-02-04
_Harp_ is lovely, enchanting, sad, and very well-written. While surely not at humorous as Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, it has very good dialog and characterization. I liked it largely because I am a harpist myself (the hero is a minstrel), so if you like music I'm sure you'll like this book. I read it twice without pause between :)
Lacking Magic.......2001-11-11
While "Harp" wasn't hard to read, it wasn't a breathtaking book, either. I've read Wrede's Enchanted Forest series, so I was looking for that same humor and lighthearted fun. Maybe it's impossible to achieve that in an adult's fantasy novel? Nontheless, the commonplaceness of the book was a dissapointment to me.
Wonderful idea, but not pulled off.......2001-08-13
This is the sort of fantasy story I adore -- the magical harp, the conflicting desires of the people who play it or wish to, a world with a varied population of races, castles, forests, secrets.... But it isn't quite pulled off. This is the first book I've read by Wrede -- could it be the first she wrote in her imagined world of Lyra? The book seems eager to squeeze the history of vast eras into capsule backstory here and there where, if the author had already been mid-series, it might have been better to leave a bit of mystery and work it out in the next book. Also, the suggestion that the human culture has been static for a couple thousand years is troubling, since everyone we see in this story is lively, full of ideas and ambitions. (For example, in 2000 civilized years, no one has ever thought of establishing a regular postal service? With this many little realms either actually or potentially at war over the years, no one's alchemist is busy figuring out gunpowder?) And the author's voice does not yet seem comfortably settled in this world -- or I should say, voices. It drove me nuts how some characters behave and speak as if they were Arthurian, some as if they were contemporary Americans, and a couple others as if they were 18th century British or French nobility. (And it made me particularly nuts that the story's Duke of Minathlan was lifted -- lock, stock, and elegant sneer -- from Georgette Heyer's Duke of Avon. There are even parts of Heyer's lines in his speeches.) On the whole, the world of Lyra as it appears in this book is interesting enough for me to want to make a return visit, but the book itself sort of annoyed me as much as it pleased me. A magical white harp that may be death or life to play! A music on which turns the fate of kingdoms! That's the stuff of a fantasy classic, but this book isn't it.
very interesting and well written, but lacking humor.......2000-04-02
This book was very interesting and well-written, but it lacked any humor whatsoever, which is usually Wrede's forte. However, the plot was very creative, suspenseful, etc. I liked this book and recomend it to all fantasy lovers, that is if you can read anything without a lot of good jokes.
A wonderful (sad) story!.......1999-07-10
I love the Lyra novels and especially this one. The Harp of Imach Thyssel is really great, but sometimes I got confused keeping track of all the people who trying to get the harp. I also wish they had told more about the history of the harp, and not just the its current situation. I got really attached to the three main characters by the end of the book. If only all the rest of the Lyra books weren't out of print! I'm dying to read Caught in Crystal but I can't find it anywhere!
Book Description
When cardio alone just doesn't cut it...
Give yoga a try! This targeted program combines traditional hatha poses with short bursts of aerobic exercise, specially designed to melt off extra pounds and boost muscle tone. Step-by-step illustrated instructions guide you through powerful asanas specifically selected to:
- Burn calories and lose weight
- Strengthen and sculpt your abs
- Boost metabolism and banish cellulite
- Tone your body from head to toe
- Improve cardiovascular fitness and flexibility
So grab this book and head to the gym, the park, or even your living room. You'll start feeling slimmer and stronger before you know it. Namaste!
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful.......2005-08-21
Great book to take along on trips. Easy to follow- good poses.Would highly recommend it.
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- Carnal Innocence
- Carry Me Across the Water: A Novel
- Citizen Vince: A Novel
- CivilWarLand in Bad Decline
- Come Away My Beloved
- Cruel and Unusual: A Kay Scarpetta Novel (Kay Scarpetta Mysteries)
- Deadly Double
- Death of an Englishman: A Marshal Guarnaccia Investigation
- Deathbringer
- Deep Fire Rising
Books Index
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The Heat Islands: A Doc Ford Novel (Doc Ford Novels)
North of Havana
Sanibel Flats (A Doc Ford Novel)
The Man Who Invented Florida (A Doc Ford Novel)
Ten Thousand Islands
