Birthdays Books

Somehow, I expected introspection, character, and depth. I truly do not know why I did. Sylvia Plath was brilliant, but this is not about her genius. Her former husband, Ted, came along for the ride, representing a millstone about her neck, and found publication simply by association. Were it not for her, we would know nothing of this man and his jaunty verse.

Nothing about his poetry flows as Sylvia's did, and one would think he would have gleaned something from her, yet he failed. Is strange how one can live and love a person, yet not be influenced or inspired. In his case, it is as if she never existed.

While this is not a pity-missive about Sylvia, I would find it impossible not to be shaped by the opportunity to have known someone so utterly in touch with themselves and their art form. How he can remain unaffected in his work is beyond me.

In having read the memoir of Jillian Becker, "Giving Up, The Last Days of Sylvia Plath," there is noticeable resent and hatred on the part of Ted Hughes when he arrives at Sylvia's funeral. It seems obvious he felt more "polished" in his art than his wife, yet her pain spilled like liquid on paper and reached thousands of people. One can study language theory eternally, as Ted did, but if native talent is not present, nothing worthy can come about.

Ted Hughes is a jumble of meaningless words strung together. Sylvia Plath exposes her very soul and resonates, still, with the darkest days we have all experienced in our lives.

Sylvia Plath IS poetry, and, no, it need not rhyme.

Ted Hughes is not worth the paper he is printed upon.

British poet laureate Ted Hughes (1930-1998) was married to American poet, author, and feminist icon Sylvia Plath, who committed suicide in 1963.

On one hand suicide is shabby and unfair because the people left behind are made to suffer unjustly. On the other hand, who can judge when someone has reached their limit, when enough is enough and life has lost all its meaning and flavor? These birthday letters are by someone left behind.

Much to his credit, Ted Hughes does not judge his wife's act. He never asks her why she did it, he simply accepts without remonstration that she chose to end her days. He stands accused by many of Plath's fans has having driven her to this, and his poems show he does accept a share of the blame for the suffering he caused her. The collection shows his suffering, and Hughes' perception of hers.

For her suicide to have caused such pain in him, the bond between Plath and Hughes must have been strong and true. We find many intimate stories in these letters as well, as when Hughes describes his American trips in Yellowstone Park or on some beach picking up a horseshoe crab.

The poems are written in the first and second person, with all save two addressed to Plath. They are all in Hughes' own voice, resonating like an internal monologue, but with no one to answer his words. Hughes is talking to a ghost.

Vincent Poirier, Dublin

Ted Hughes' tribute to his first wife, Sylvia Plath, is encased in poetic richness, exposing their marriage and affection in a way that an interview never could. In Mr. Hughes' native tongue, poetry, he details their relationship and it's demise, with references to his infamous mistress Assia Weevil and shows a man deeply affected by the suicides of two women he loved. Yet, more so, it reveals the haunting effect Sylvia left behind, the same intrigue that continues to etch her mark on the literary world. In a moving and shockingly personal manner, he reveals a rare look into the other half of the pendulum swing that was the marriage of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes.

I have grown up reading Sylvia Plath, recently read the biography of Assia Wevill (the mistress), and have vilified Ted Hughes mentally for years... But now I have read these poems, and I can see now that there are realms of the heart that the eye never sees, and we will never be able to judge the past of two other souls. These poems are wonderful, and it is pleasing to see that I enjoy Hughe's poetry as much or more than Plath's. Read these and Hughe's other works before you rush to judgement, they are truly works to be recognized.

I have to admit that morbid curiosity drove me to buy this book. I was fascinated with learning more about a man who lost two wives to suicide. And, being an English major in the US, I read A LOT of Plath but was never exposed to Hughes' work. I think there is a prejudice against him, especially by female poets/scholars.

But, this quickly became my favorite collection of poetry. Hughes uses Plath's own mythology to eulogize her--her father obsession, her suicide attempts. But he also weaves the familiar into it--her attempt at making rag rugs and at domesticity in general. Any married person can understand his imagery and his heartbreak. Of course, my favorite is Dreamers, when Ted realizes he loves another woman. She seems as exotic to him as his marriage seems dull.

I enjoyed the book, I'm not real big on long drawn out reads, however I had a hard time putting it down. Rocky used true-life stories told with a good sense of humor and compassion as well as relating to larger life issues. The book gave me a bit of the feel of Alaska and how wild it can be.

I also spent a week up at Rocky's Lodge in July with my Dad, 3 Brothers, and all the sons and nephews 13 in all. We caught many fish (released most of them) along with some great fun with Rocky's family guides and staff. The accommodations of the lodge and the food were incredible.

Can't wait for the next book!

I picked up this book at the recommendation of a friend. I could not put it down. It tells one hair raising, exciting, interesting, and amusing Alaskan adventure story after another. I especially loved the story of President Bush tweaking the big Austrians and their star fishing guide with one amazing catch after another.
This book is much more than a collection of hunting and fishing stories though --it is the story of a passionate man, with the support of a long suffering, loving wife pursuing his calling with everything God has given him. This book captures the pure fun of living life to the fullest and bringing others along to share in the experience. It is obvious that the great delight of the author is to have others experience the joys of the Alaskan wilderness with him. This book is written in a way that allows many of us to vicariously share in the fun at a safe distance from grizzly bears and near fatal plane wrecks and boat crashes.

I must say, from the perspective of someone who has never experienced the Alaskan wilderness firsthand Wild Men Wild Alaska does an amazing job of painting the beauty and nostalgia for it's readers. This is definitely one of those books that you just can't put down, highly recommended!

I purchased this book with high hopes that I had come across something really good. However, upon reading it, I unfortunately became quite disappointed with the man and his book. My main complaint is that he seems to exercise poor judgment in many of his expeditions. He makes many careless mistakes in the wilderness which needlessly jeopardize himself and his clients. One example is where he does not take his rifle with him to the creek knowing there are bears in the area. That is a careless mistake. Any guide worth his weight always carries his gun with him, always. He cited stories of sleeping in blood-stained clothes. That is another careless mistake. He cites examples of harrowing rescues, but most of which occurred due to his poor planning and recklessness with regard to his environment. Most of his scary situations probably could have been avoided if he had shown better judgment and had planned better. I also found his analogies to the faith rather forced. I paraphrase: "Alaska is really tough, so is the Christian walk." Or another example, paraphrasing once again, "There are some nasty people in life who want to get you, just like some mean animals in Alaska." Another criticism is that the book seems to have been written by a 4th grade student. The vocabulary is too basic; sentences are very poorly written throughout the book, i.e., his syntax and morphology. He uses exclamation points and italics almost in every other sentence, which is a substitute for poor writing. I really wanted to like this book, but it was almost insulting that a Christian book is so poorly written. I am wondering how this book made it past the editors in it's published condition. Furthermore, he doesn't seem to have much respect for the beauty of the land and the creatures he is killing. It never seems to enter his mind that he is a steward of God's creation and Alaska is place of unsurpassed rugged beauty. I am not opposed to hunting, but he rarely speaks of conservation or stewardship. I don't want to just disparage the book without offering some solutions. If you want to read a book about real adventure in Alaska, not unnecessary adventure due to carelessness, please read "Alaska's Wolf Man" which is the story of Frank Glaser. You will gain a perspective on Alaskan adventure that you will not get from "Wild Men, Wild Alaska." I am sure Rocky is a great guy, but he is a careless guide. Most of his mistakes are careless mistakes that someone with a fair amount of rugged wilderness experience would never make. If you want real adventure, head off to Sweden for moose hunting or to Norway for reindeer hunting with a Laplander. Wild at Heart was a good, not great, book on the idea of men discovering their passion, but this one is exploitative of this new genre.

I found this book to be refreshing, honest, creative, vulnerable and challenging. Even if you're not an outdoorsman par excellance like the author, his style draws you into the great adventures of Alaska. I not only appreciated the raw realities of hunting expeditions, but also the tender realities that were revealed in the partnership Rocky has with his wife, Sharon. Here's a good read. Enjoy!!!

Leap Day is a book about a a girl named Josie who is turning 16 years old, but she has her birthday on February 29th which is "Leap Day",but her official birthday only comes only once every four years so she tell people that its her fourth birthday. In the book she has friends all around the world that she talks to that also has a birthday on leap day, and every year they give each over weird gifts to each other.Also Josieloves to act so she is trying out for her school play "Romeo and Juliet" and goes and trys for her driving test to get her license.And she also has has her three best friends Megan, Zoey and Katy and they throw her a 16th birthday at the lake.
My favorite part of the book Leap Day is when her and her friends go on a scavenger hunt. I like this part of the book the best because I thoght it was the most intresting and I could't put the book down because i wanted to see what happended next and see if they are going to win. Also when they have to get a teachers clothing i thought its was pretty funny when Katy goes upstairs and steals there teachers clothing in there house.Thats why I think it is the best part of the book, when they all go on the scavenger hunt.
This book is one of my favorite books i've read i read the book twice because I liked it so much and I will probably read it again too.So yes, I do recommend this book to others because I like how after each chapter they show he other thoughts and opinoins.I liked the book how it was set up lke that i think other books should be like that because then you will no what others really are thinking and how you would not think that they are really thinking that.So that is why I recommend this book to others.

Leap Day, a follow-up to Wendy Mass' A Mango-Shaped Place, is equally as fun and unique as its predecessor. Leap Day follows Josie on her 16th birthdy, but since she was born on 2/29, it's only the fourth time she has celebrated her birthday on the actual day she was born. This book's unique format is such a cool idea - Josie narrates through her day for one chapter, and after that, the chapter rewinds and goes again, this time from the perspective of all the other characters in the chapter. It's so interesting to see who Josie understands and who she doesn't, and how many assumptions everyone makes of everyone else. Josie is a prism, viewed by different people from a different side, and then we also get her own perspective on herself as she goes through her day at school, takes her driver's license test, goes on a scavenger hunt, and undergoes the secret rites of all 16 year old Orlando teens at a mysterious lake. This book is so fun and different from any other YA novel I've read, and is easily appropriate for middle school and up but will still keep their attention. Wendy Mass is a sure bet.

In the book leap day by Wendy Mass the main character is Josie Taylor. Leap day the title, goes along with the book because Josie is born on leap day, February 29. So it is only her forth birthday when she is actually turning 16 years old. In this book there are many conflicts that arise in this book one of the conflicts is Josie and taking her driver licenses test. Another conflict is she is trying out for the play the role is Juliet and her crush is trying out for the same play. She has three close friends Katy, Zoey, Megan. She thinks that her friend Megan is hiding some big secret from her. Meanwhile all this is happening Josie's friends are planning a sweet sixteen party for her at the lake.
I really enjoyed reading this book! This book is very interesting to read because it gives all the view points on the characters not just Josie's view point. At some parts of the book it is kind of boring but most of the story it pull's you into the story and made you think and read more of it. I recommended the book leap day to everyone I just think it is a fabulous book and everyone should read it!

In the book leap day by Wendy Mass the main character is Josie Taylor. Leap day the title, goes along with the book because Josie is born on leap day, February 29. So it is only her forth birthday when she is actually turning 16 years old. In this book there are many conflicts that arise in this book one of the conflicts is Josie and taking her driver licenses test. Another conflict is she is trying out for the play the role is Juliet and her crush is trying out for the same play. She has three close friends Katy, Zoey, Megan. She thinks that her friend Megan is hiding some big secret from her. Meanwhile all this is happening Josie's friends are planning a sweet sixteen party for her at the lake.
I really enjoyed reading this book! This book is very interesting to read because it gives all the view points on the characters not just Josie's view point. At some parts of the book it is kind of boring but most of the story it pull's you into the story and made you think and read more of it. I recommended the book leap day to everyone I just think it is a fabulous book and everyone should read it!

If you like books about real life situations, this would be a great book for you to read. Leap Day, by Wendy Mass, is about a teenager named Josie Taylor. On Josie's fourth birthday, she is turning sixteen years old. It might seem strange, but her birthday is on February 29, leap day. One of the problems Josie faces is getting her drivers license, since she is turning sixteen. She is trying out for the school play, Romeo and Juliet. She has a huge crush on an older guy named Grant, and he is trying out for the same play as Josie. She thinks one of her friends, Megan, has an eating disorder, and has a big secret that she wont tell Josie, or anyone else. Also her friend Zoey has an accident with self tanner. Then a group of her friends, Megan, Zoey and Katy, are all doing the sophomore scavenger hunt. Josie's friends are also planning a birthday party, or sweet sixteen initiation at the lake. Josie also has to deal with her brothers girlfriend breaking up with him, and a girl at school getting pregnant. I really liked how this book can relate to your life.

The author of Leap Day, Wendy Mass, writes this book in a really different way. After saying what is going on in Josie's life, she tells the different view points of the other characters. I thought it was very interesting to hear the other characters views other than Josie's, on the same subjects. After telling the other view points, sometimes she tells what is going to happen to them in the future. I would recommend reading this if you are looking for a great book to read.

This is another great book by Colette Peters. She is extremely creative. If you have some good cake decorating experience under your belt, some of her cakes are very doable! Awesome photos! This book is very inspirational and chalk full of new projects to try! keep the great ideas coming, Colette!

Some amazing pictures, Mind blowing cakes, alot of fun just to look at, And some great tips to get started making these beautiful cakes

There are so many whimsical cake designs that it's hard to choose one. I had the pleasure of taking a class at Colette's shop in New York and got to see some of the designs in person. The attention to detail is amazing, and the colors are so vibrant. I absolute love the fish cake on the cover but the purse cake is my favorite.

This book has lots of great ideas. Its just not what I expected. I love colette's newer work and i think shes incredibly talented BUT this book lacks INTEREST.The best cake was the one on the cover.. Also the cakes seem extremely time consuming using tons of Fondant. I hate to sound so negative because there are good ideas but i dont think i'll be making many of these cakes. But i will use some of the techniques she uses.

This book gives me something to work up to. Initially it is a little intimidating to the novice decorator (such as myself), but Colette Peters does a great job of breaking down the instructions so that it seems easier than it looks. Even if you are not crazy about every design in this book, it is sure to inspire.

This one of my all time favorite books. It is well written and very creative. My son would always ask for this book. He now reads it to his little brother. Great book.

Pretty cute book for 18months and up. Our 18 month old is obsessed with moons so he loves it.

This is the best book ever... My mother used to read this book to me at bedtime every night and I loved it so much. It was also one of the first books I learned to read on my own. It is great that I could find it on here. I gave the one I had when I was little to my nephew. I am going to purchase this one for myself and for the friends of mine who already have children...This will definitely be on my childrens' shelves when I plan to start a family. A Great and simple read that teaches children to appreciate the little things..
Thanks for reading...

(on behalf of my 6 year old son). I like this book because nothing went wrong except one thing, and it was when bear said, "Hello" but it echoed. I recommend this book because it is a pretty good beginner book.

My three year old loves this. Easy, quick bedtime book.

My gramma got me this book for Thanksgiving and I love this book because the little baby bug is so cute. I read it to my gramma all by myself. She said she used to rock me when I was a baby. It makes me happy when I read it.

I agree with the review of J. Arena that this book is a wonderful, warm introduction into the world of books. It has an uplifting family message featuring colorful and cute artwork that holds my children's attention. It's among many of the books my children ask me to read to them. I'm also happy to know that it's helping the food bank.

This is a great picture book. It's a fun book to read to your kids.

My daughter that just turned 3 loves this book. She loves looking at the pictures and when she sees a ladybug outside, she says "Look, it's ladybug baby bug". I know it's a bedtime story, but I read it to her at breakfast. It's a nice family book.

This book is so cute. My kids love ladybugs and this book. It also is helping the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. Whimsical illustrations hold your children's attention. A very sweet story. Highly recommended.

This book is the best one I've ever seen of this type of publication. The pictures of these glorious cakes and petit fours are fabulous and you feel inspired just by viewing. I can't wait to attempt some of the featured desserts. I'm delighted by this book and so is everyone else who sees it. A great purchase!

Wow what an inspirational book - so pretty, girlie and divine. I already have had success with one of the recipes.

Beautiful ideas here. Has some nice designs that would work for a variety of events. She organizes her books in sections, cookies, minicakes, and large cakes. Her ideas are very fresh and pretty and also within reach for most people with a little experience decorating cookies and cakes. There are even a few designs that are more masculine, which can be hard to find.

This is another of those step-by-step cake guides that was very well worth the money. This particular book kept selling out at Michaels so I had to go online and purchase. Definitely not disappointed

This book is small, but mighty! It is amazingly simplistic yet provides a wealth of inspiration for you creative ideas. The photography is breathtakking.

I think that with practice you can master the cookies, marzipan, gumpaste and fondant decorations in this book. Piping royal icing flowers is a bit more daunting. I would suggest a class or video for royal and butter cream icing flowers, Wilton How to Make Icing Flowers DVD because they can be a bit tricky (at least for me.)

This book provides six basic recipes for cookies, cakes and frostings. My hope is that you are purchasing the book for decorating ideas and instruction, not for the recipes. The author's decorating syle is clean, but very elegant. The book provides a strong decorating foundation -- you can use this as a springboard for your imagination.

This is the perfect book if you want to make your first decorated cookies or petit fours. If you are making your first tiered cake this book will provide inspiration, but you may need to supplement it with other sources for complete instruction.

I saw this book, and am interested in buying it for a Christmas gift. However, on the cover it said nothing about the book being romantic relationship exclusive, and I thought it would be something my mother would adore. It doesn't seem like anyone else has written it for anyone other than their significant other! There's no way for me to look at all of the questions (except maybe hopping over to the book store), but so far they all seem okay for mom-daughter love! For those of you who have seen and/or filled out the book, am I wrong? Are their passages that would rule out non-romantic relationships??

Thank you so much!
I'm sorry this isn't an actual "review", but perhaps the answer will help someone else looking for the same info. :)

This is an adorable "fill in the blank" book - where you can record the memories that are in your heart when it is the fullest! A must have for any bride!

This was a fun little work book. I used it as a wedding gift to my husband. He has really enjoyed reading through it--and all of my little comments. Basically, its a series of fun, serious, and quirky questions about how you feel towards your significant other. It makes a fun gift...but it isn't anything that would qualify as a marriage fixer or relationship rescue.

My husband is deploying to Iraq soon for 12 months and while he's away I'm going to complete this and ship it to him at the half-way mark. It will remind him that while he's gone things haven't changed about how I love him, and will make him feel a little closer to home at the same time. It will be the little things like this that will help us out.

I got this to give to my boyfriend and filling it out was so much fun. There are still many pages to go but, I let him read it. He said it was a very touching gift and he was so greatful that I thought enough of him to do something like this book.

Finally, a way to see beyond power of "attraction" and recover a sense of perspective whenever "sex appeal" clouds better judgment. Maybe that's just one end of the spectrum of benefits I see from this wonderful resource. (And maybe "attraction" is all tat matters for some people!) In any case I like knowing where the "compatibility" level is at in virtually all my relations and this is the only reference I know of that clearly charts that out for every "Love Card" in "the deck". It is such a relief to know that there really are people who are more compatible with me than others and that I can choose to build relations where the compatibility can be had! There is so much more to what this book has to offer in the way of insights to every birthday/birth card that I am certain will help bring understanding to anyone seeking to know themselves and others better!

I was quite impressed with the accuracy of this book. I have the book in my car, and when I go to a friend's house, we will literally "do research" on ourselves or other people we know. It seems to answer the question "why do I do the things I do?" It's not negative in any way,and it's not judgemental. It's quite involved with the planets, and signs, etc. I am just learning about them, (in relation to myself). But the author takes you through this step by step.

This is a great, quick and dirty way to get an understanding of the people in your life. It's a good way to open discussion and get women talking. If you're single and dating different people, this book definitely comes in handy.

I bought this book several years ago and was pretty impressed with it's accuracy. About a year ago I met someone and felt this amazing chemistry, syncronicity, emotional and mental bond with. But when I referred to this book it didn't give me much hope and I began to think it was all bogus, or atleast only relevant SOMETIMES. I recently learned that I had the gentleman's birthdate wrong! When I looked up the right birthdate for him this book was 100% right on. It confirmed everything I had felt all along, stating that the connections we shared were so powerful that it often resulted in love at first sight (true), that there is a powerful chemistry between us and that we are like magnets to one another and cannot keep away (true), that we had past life connections (I actually felt that but thought I was crazy!) and that this man is one of the most compatible matches I could ever hope to meet. WOW.

It also accuratley described a relationship between my cousin and myself. All of our lives he has told me, "I don't know why. I just want to take care of you. I have a feeling I NEED to take care of you." According to the book he has a karmic debt to pay me from a past life. After reading this book we both understood better our connection.

If you aren't inclined to believe in this stuff anyway, this book probably won't convince you of anything, but if you are open minded and intuitive about the people you meet and your hunches about them this book will confirm those intuitions with an uncanny accuracy!

Furthermore, my personality card is a 5 of Hearts. It nailed me dead on and explained my fear of committment and my desire for freedom and adventure. YES! All of my life I have felt I am here on this planet to gobble up experiences and thus, I don't want to be tied down or held back. It has been a problem for me. This book also explains why when I am in love I am such a pushover. In love I become the Queen of Hearts. The most giving and romantic card. So true.

It won't only explain love and chemisty but also talks about Saturn connections where you feel opressed or critizised by the other. Watch out if you and your boss have these connections. Mars connections indicate sexual attraction, but can also indicate bickering. Pluto connections affect us deeply and can transform us totally, which can be painful.

There is also an excellent chapter in the back of the book on spiritual relationships that I found very enlightening and very true.

This book is a wonder and I will have it for years to come.

I studied this as a form of personal analysis & found that I could use it to predict some human behavior with it like in Astrology as well. There seems to be an agreement on birthdays having some predictible force on a person's choices in life. Interestingly enough I found a book that really handled that later, (...)
Science of survival. BUt this book was a useful step along the way to discovering my personal truth and what I was looking for.

This book is fun and everyone will pick it up just to "see if it fits me." Wonderful and entertaining. The perfect conversation starter and coffee table book.

Love it !!
Very clear and precise, not at all vague or general.
Highly recommend.

Although I truly believe in astrology and don't mean to belittle it, I find this a fun book to whip out at parties where there are unbelievers. It blows there minds to see how accurate the description is concerning themselves and their birthdates... I've found it to be around 95% accurate for the nearly 50 people whom I've read it to.

This book is a good place to start. I have had this book for a while but have not commented on how awesome it is! It gets deep into astrology, beyond the surface level. This is not about the general compatibility, this is about your birthday, the stars and the numbers! I found lots of people to love but only 8 soulmate potentials...now I know why soulmates are truly not the easiest to find. I feel optimistic though because now at least I have somewhere to start: people who have the birthdays with soulmate potential. Very accurate book! Five worthwhile stars!

I bought this book several years ago and still consult it from time to time. It has personality profiles for every birthday of the year and is an easy read with a lot of information. That being said, I don't find it nearly as accurate or fascinating as the "Secret Language of..." series. The "Secret Language of Birthdays" is set up on the same premise: astrological/personality profiles for every day of the year, but it is so much more accurate and with less information. This book is a bit wordy, but still a good read and worth adding to a collection. Please don't leave out the Secret Language series, though... if you're a true astrology fan you would be missing out if you don't have this trilogy of books.