Blue Books

Five Star First Edition Mystery - Dying For A Blue Plate Special (Five Star First Edition...

Product Review
"Kalikoff puts the City of Destiny front and center as the setting of a quirky detective story."

"Kalikoff?s protagonist, Jewel Feynmann, is a New Jersey transplant to Tacoma, trying to make a fresh start with her business, Blue Plate Catering. When Jewel caters a dinner for a bunch of big-shot academics at Commencement Bay University in Tacoma, she?s certain the high-profile event at the prestigious liberal arts college will prove her meal ticket to a prosperous future."
--The News Tribune (Tacoma, WA), July 2005 (Doody Enterprises 20050601)

"Seattle writer Beth Kalikoff, who teaches at the University of Washington's Tacoma campus, has produced that rarity: a mystery set in our much-maligned neighbor to the south, [Kalikoff] is warmly affectionate toward the City of Destiny and its residents."

"Struggling caterer Jewel Feynmann has finally scored a great gig: feeding a big dinner at (fictional) Commencement Bay University. Alas, the school's president dies during the dinner -- poisoned, in fact. Needless to say, this isn't the best piece of news a struggling caterer could get. To keep her business from drowning in rumors, Jewel has to find out whodunnit and why. As it turns out, the president was a nasty piece of work, and a variety of whacked-out academics had plenty of motive and ample opportunity."
--The Seattle Times, June 2005 (Doody Enterprises )

"In Tacoma, Jewel Feynmann worries that her business Blue Plate Catering is failing; if she goes bankrupt she does not want to go back to the Jewish epicenter of metropolitan New York where her family awaits the return of the prodigal childHelene Moore, who met Jewel over fried ice cream, offers the caterer work at Commencement Bay University better known as Zoo U. Because of an accidental death in the kitchen, the school needs an outside caterer. Jewel accepts the job because she needs the money. However, everything goes wrong when the Zoo U Dean Matthew Mulcahy dies from food poisoning served by Blue Plate. As Homicide Detective Ben Hartsock investigates the murder, he also tries to date Jewel, who wonders if there might be a non-kosher conflict of interest even if his kisses are tasty. Still with her company in jeopardy Jewel conducts her own investigation into the murder,DYING FOR A BLUE PLATE SPECIAL is a delightful amateur sleuth police procedural who-done-it starring a likable Jersey transplantFans will enjoy this fine Washington State blending."
--Harriet Klausner, June 2005 (harrietklausner.wwwi.com )

Product Description
New Jersey expatriate Jewel Feynmann finds herself up to her kugel in aggro when her fledgling business, Blue Plate Catering, does dinner for Commencement Bay University, aka Zoo U. Keeping dreamy employee Del Troutman and runaway student waiters in line is hard enough. Then Zoo U Dean Matthew Mulcahy dies of poison at Blue Plate's dinner while hundreds of poorly dressed academics watch in horror. Chocolate-eyed homicide detective Ben Hartsock works the case in a quiet, capable, good-looking way-damn good-looking, not that Jewel cares-but too methodically for her East coast taste. Everyone from the Brown and Hailey candy factory to the Museum of Glass will think Blue Plate killed Mulcahy unless Jewel finds out who did. And yesterday. Jewel dives in among the college people, including foul-mouthed playwright Leo Wallinsky; puppy-like Ace Birney, fraternity boy; and watchful Helena Moore, in charge of student grievances and a lot more. Del pitches in. Together, they find out enough about Mulcahy and his women students to gag a mule. Ben's-no, Detective Hartsock's-official investigation gets close enough to lift Jewel's pulse to code red. Surely it's unethical for a cop to have sex with a suspect? When Jewel's e-mail box fills with death threats and Courtney Mitznick cancels her son's Bar Mitzvah buffet supper, Jewel really gets mad. Hair flying, she finally finds the answer with the murderer in Blue Plate's deserted kitchen, late at night. Maybe too late.

Beth Kalikoff grew up in New Jersey and Connecticut. Her poetry and nonfiction have won national awards. Currently, she teaches writing at the University of Washington's Tacoma campus. (20050612)

Flea Market Decorating: Creating Style with Vintage Finds (Better Homes and Gardens Books)

From Booklist
This is an excellent introduction to the hunting of old objects and the incorporation of those discoveries into a home. It is not, as the editors are quick to point out, a guide to cashing in on the next hot collectible; instead, it is filled with information about the how-tos of antiquing, eight examples of decor, room-by-room ideas, and notes about restoration. Pictures tell the stories well; an architect-collector talks about repurposing objects, exemplifying his philosophy by transforming antique faucet handles into towel holders. Every scrap of data is valuable, whether it's almost the technique of paste wax application to decorations or about purchasing old objects. Great for the just plain curious and the novice; a good refresher for the initiated. Barbara Jacobs

Product Description
Do-it-yourself decorators will discover creative inspiration in this book, along with smart shopping tips and easy-to-follow guidelines for giving a room unique character and personality with vintage finds.

Practical flea-market shopping advice.

Hundreds of illustrated ideas for decorating with vintage finds, room by room.

275 inspiring color photos of homes and rooms featuring creative decorating ideas.

Easy how-to for evaluating, salvaging, and refurbishing finds.

Favorite flea markets and antique fairs around the country.

Internet antiques-shopping tips, including the best sites for auctions, on-line antique malls, and state-by-state flea market guides.

Floral Birthday Book

Product Description
This reproduction of a Victorian birthday reminder book entwines flowers and their emblems with great poetry. 365 color engravings grace this little book, which is perfect for keeping track of birthdays or anniversaries. Each day of the year is beautifully illustrated with a flower and a quote from a poem.

Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2)

Locus
A fun new occult mystery series.

BookBrowser
Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton and Tanya Huff will love this new fantasy series.

Fool's Errand (Tawny Man, Book 1)

Product Review
This first volume of a new trilogy from one of fantasy's most popular and skilled authors will delight longtime Hobb fans as well as first-time readers of her work.

FitzChivalry, the hero of The Farseer trilogy, now lives an isolated and quiet life with his foster son Hap and his Wit partner wolf, Nighteyes, until he is sought out by his old mentor Chade and the enigmatic, charming Fool. Once again, duty calls: Fitz must find a missing prince and prevent political chaos in the Six Duchies. The mission will test his conflicting loyalty to country and family, his uneasy compromise with his own magic, and all the relationships he values most.

If you're a fantasy fan who hasn't yet explored the Farseer world, this is a fine place to start: Hobb deftly provides new readers with all the needed information. The finely detailed world building and intensive character development rarely slow down the action of the story. Fool's Errand is a complex, beautifully written and sometimes heart-rending examination of the consequences of duty and love. --Roz Genessee --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly
In this hard-to-put-down follow-up to the Farseer Trilogy, Hobb maintains the high standards of her earlier fantasy series. The Fool and FitzChivalry Farseer band together once more to ride against the foes of the Farseer royal family in the kingdom of the Six Duchies. Last seen in Assassin's Quest, FitzChivalry (aka Tom Badgerlock due to the shock of white in his dark hair) has matured beyond the youth blindly following orders. For the past 15 years, Fitz has quietly led the life of a semi-recluse, trying his hardest to disappear. Believing that his glory days are over, he's surprised when fate (in the form of the Fool) pulls him back into the political intrigues that plague the Six Duchies. Endowed with both royal Skill magic and beast magic, Fitz assumes the task of returning the wayward heir to the throne, Prince Dutiful, to his home before his betrothal ceremony something that should be an easy task. In the event, the easy task proves extremely difficult, both physically and mentally for Fitz. The first half of the novel mostly focuses on Fitz's angst-ridden past. The heart-thumping, sword-clashing action that Hobb is known for emerges only during the second half, bringing Fitz fully to life. This is not to say that the first half is by any means dull. It's not. But the full range of Fitz's capabilities doesn't come to the forefront until later. When the action sequences finally kick in, they're non-stop. What starts as a very good read shifts into a stay-up-until-2:00 a.m.-to-finish type of book. (Jan. 9)Forecast: Stephen Youll's quiet jacket art gives no hint of the novel's intensity, but Hobb fans will know better and not be deterred.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Foreseeable Future

From Publishers Weekly
The three masterfully written long stories in Price's latest book (after Tongues of Angels ) have some elements in common: each protagonist is a man at a spiritual crossroads; each has a child who speaks and acts with good manners, respect and trust; and, as might be expected of Price, each story teems with references to God, angels, "the Spirit," and with images of heavenly luminosity, as the characters grapple with issues of existential crisis. In the title story, set in May, 1945, Whit Wade is newly returned from the Normandy invasion, where he was brought back from death by resuscitation. Still dazed and numb, he is unable to re-embrace life. During the course of one week he undergoes an odyssey of renewal, experiencing a series of adventures, mishaps and encounters that result in healing, hope and peace. "Fare to the Moon" concerns Kayes Paschal, who enlists in the army after a liaison with a black woman that has left her in perilous circumstances and has crushed his wife and teenage son. Dean Walker, in "Back Before Day,"is a violently jealous husband near despair at having "turned out less than average," who learns to count his blessings on a night when two young men die. As always, Price's musically cadenced prose whispers with poetry, in such images as "water so cold it hurt every tooth by name as it passed." And as in all of Price's work, these stories affirm life experienced with faith and courage.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Whit Wade, the central character in the title story of this new collection, returns home after a near-death experience at Normandy and tries to renew his old life. In a moment of near despair, he bemoans "this pitiful world of people all thinking they prop each other, when everybody's separately hung by the neck, touching nobody nowhere." In his eloquent and distinctive voice, Price reveals in each of these stories how love and memory, loss and redemption, and essential human goodness "prop" us up and allow us to move forward into an uncertain future. These themes are highlighted in "Fare to Moon," when Keyes Paschal leaves new-found love and fulfillment to face the risks of World War II but finds that old, unfinished relationships hang on. "Back Before Day," set in our present troubled times, finds Dean Walker confronting issues from his past that keep him from making choices about his family's future. Price's storytelling abilities have not diminished. His characters and their struggle to connect with life and loved ones rings true. Recommended for fiction collections where Price is popular.
- Jacqueline Adams, Carroll Cty. P.L., Uniontown, Md.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Getting Started in Tax Savvy Investing (A Marketplace Book)

Product Description
Comprehensive Coverage
Completely Up-To-Date!

MINIMIZE YOUR TAXES
MAXIMIZE YOUR SAVINGS

Getting Started in Tax-Savvy Investing

The financial future looks bright for those coming of investment age in the new millennium. The only catch is that Americans are paying higher taxes than ever before. Yet, thanks to our lawmakers in Washington, the U.S. tax code is filled with tax deductions, tax exemptions, and tax credits. Until now, most of these lucrative loopholes have been the privileged information of those wealthy enough to hire personal accountants and lawyers. Getting Started in Tax-Savvy Investing breaks the code of silence to reveal these closely held, wealth-building secrets. Learn how to:
* Get started with stocks
* Find the best bond bargains
* Win the tax deferral game
* Invest for the truly long term
* Invest through insurance
* Take advantage of annuities
* Minimize the cruelest tax in America


. . . and much more. Regardless of your profession or income level, now you can make the U.S. tax codes work for you!

Book Info
Provides instruction on how to get started with stocks, find the best bond bargains, win the tax deferral game, invest for truly long term, invest through insurance, and take advantage of annuities. Softcover. DLC: Investments--Taxation--U.S.

Ghost Road Blues

From Publishers Weekly
Maberry supplies plenty of chills, both Earth-bound and otherworldly, in this atmospheric horror novel, the first of a trilogy. Thirty years after the citizens of Pine Deep, Pa., killed the serial killer known as the Reaper, the town enjoys a quiet idyll and a tourist-friendly reputation as "the most haunted town in America." But gearing up for its annual Halloween celebration, the town is unprepared for the real haunts stirring in their corn fields, seeking to finish what the Reaper started. Switching among a large cast of characters, Maberry builds suspense by degrees, in the process exploring the community of Pine Deep. Showing his smalltown Americans at their worst—through domestic abuse, religious fanaticism and cowardice—Maberry proves how everyday, evening –news–grade sadism can dovetail neatly with capital-E Evil and the supernatural big guns that carry it out. This is horror on a grand scale, reminiscent of Stephen King's heftier works (The Stand, Needful Things) and just as dense with detail; though it simmers a bit too long, and the payoff doesn't quite measure up, Maberry can be forgiven—as long as he fulfills his grisly promises in the sequel. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Book Description
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel

From a new master of horror comes an apocalyptic showdown between the residents of a secluded, rural town and the deadly evil that confronts them wherever they turn . . .



Evil Doesn't Die

The cozy little town of Pine Deep buried the horrors of its past a long time ago. Thirty years have gone by since the darkness descended and the Black Harvest began, a time when a serial killer sheared a bloody swath through the quiet Pennsylvania village. The evil that once coursed through Pine Deep has been replaced by cheerful tourists getting ready to enjoy the country's largest Halloween celebration in what is now called "The Spookiest Town in America."



It Just Grows Stronger

But then--a month before Halloween--it begins. Unspeakably desecrated bodies. Inexplicable insanity. And an ancient evil walking the streets, drawing in those who would fall to their own demons and seeking to shred the very soul of this rapidly fracturing community. Yes, the residents of Pine Deep have drawn together and faced a killer before. But this time, evil has many faces--and the lust and will to rule the earth. This struggle will be epic.

Go Figure!: A Totally Cool Book About Numbers (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award...

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–A dynamic book filled with puzzles and problems to solve. Blocks of color, diagrams, and photo collages contribute to the exciting layout. Four sections (Where do numbers come from? Magic numbers, Shaping up, and The world of math) cover the history of counting, zero, number theory, Pi, chance, logic, fractals, and much more. The contributions of mathematical greats, from Ahmose to Albert Einstein, are described in brief. Many of the examples and questions are popular culture items; answers are provided in the back of the book. There is an error; the book attributes selecting animals to take on the ark to Moses rather than Noah. Not all sources are attributed (such as the chance of dying from various causes), although all images are. This title is well indexed and has a detailed table of contents. A fun romp for number and puzzle lovers.–Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. Ball aims straight at kids' natural enthusiasm for puzzles and nifty phenomena in this wide-angle view of math. Readers will find the usual number history, finger-counting tricks, and magic squares here, but Ball extends his purview well beyond typical classroom subjects to touch upon topology, chaos theory, and fractals. Some discussions and exercises will challenge even grown-up brainiacs ("It's possible to make a hole in a postcard-sized piece of paper that a person can step through. Can you work out the pattern?"), but many others (making an icosahedron; performing probability-based card tricks) are spot-on for inquisitive kids who like to fiddle and ponder. Perhaps the only real drawback is the book's design. Fragments of text appear beside distractingly scattered photos, and the jacket's cheerful primary colors seem to target a younger audience than will be capable of absorbing the concepts. Try this on kids who ask for books on Sudoku number squares, and give it to teachers at many levels, who will want to borrow from Ball's pedagogical toolbox. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

God Went to Beauty School (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-A collection of innovative, thought-provoking, and insightful poems. What would happen if God got a desk job? Or bought a couch at Pottery Barn? Or found some fudge in his mailbox? These are just a few of the mundane happenings Rylant places at the deity's feet. Through everyday events (like showers) to athletics (He falls 20 times while Rollerblading) to more shocking revelations (He gets arrested in a bar fight), God finds out what it is like to live like the rest of us. And guess what? He is just like one of us. He wants juice and comic books when He's sick. And through it all, God is surprised by these revelations. These short poems are visceral in their insight, and they shouldn't be considered blasphemous jokes as much as clever "what if?" ponderings. Has God just been "winging it" His whole life? Rylant has a carefully crafted response. Christian or private schools may find this collection inappropriate to their teachings, but read with an open mind and vivid imagination, it should speak to young people. A triumphant achievement.
Sharon Korbeck, Waupaca Area Public Library, WI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist
Gr. 4-8. A recent hit song asked what if God was one of us? Here, the question is, what if He is just a Guy (or possibly a Girl) who plays poker and watches movies and sometimes catches a cold and needs Mother Teresa to come over and take care of him? Such is the premise of Rylant's slim volume of poems, which is classified as fiction. In the title poem, God goes to beauty school because He likes hands and wants to do nails for a living. (He calls His shop "Nails by Jim" because He worries that if He called it "Nails by God," people would think Him sacrilegious and not tip). From there, God is caught up in all sorts of worldly craziness, from getting arrested to writing a fan letter to a country music singer. The poems aren't particularly meaty, and a few of them may be deemed offensive by some readers. They are frequently funny, however, and they play on Christian tradition without disrespect, ultimately celebrating God's kindness and love. John Green
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Goldmine Standard Catalog of Rhythm and Blues Records (Goldmine Price Guide to Collectible...

Book Description
The record collecting community has been clamoring for a book such as this for more than two decades, and at last, its here. The most comprehensive collectors guide to post-World War II rhythm & blues records ever.

Focusing on classic R&B from 1946-71, the Goldmine™ Standard Catalog of® Rhythm & Blues Records contains more than 40,000 entries in all record formats78s, 45s, extended plays, albums, and 12-inch singles. More recent releases are also featured. Pricing is included for each listing in up to three grades of condition. More than 100 photos of rarely seen and popular R&B records adorn the pages of this groundbreaking volume.

Author and record expert Tim Neely is a regular contributor to Goldmine™ magazine. This is his 17th record price guide.

First readily available price guide to R&B records in more than 20 years

The most comprehensive price guide to post-World War II R&B and related musical forms ever

Written by record expert Tim Neely, author of the best-selling Goldmine™ Standard Catalog of® American Records series

Gordon's Print Price Annual 2004 (Gordon's Print Price Annual)