Sof itibaren Oteley, Ellesmere, Shropshire SY12, İngiltere itibaren Oteley, Ellesmere, Shropshire SY12, İngiltere

I haven't read this since college, but I remember being blown away by the writing and wanting to read everything Baldwin has ever written. He can write the saddest, most beautifully heartbreaking lines: "I was thinking, no doubt, of our nights in bed, of the peculiar innocence and confidence, which will never come again, which had made those nights so delightful, so unrelated to past, present, or anything to come, so unrelated, finally, to my life since it was not necessary for me to take any but the most mechanical responsibility for them. And these nights were being acted out under a foreign sky, with no one to watch, no penalties attached -- it was this last fact which was our undoing, for nothing is more unbearable, once one has it, than freedom."

Crossroads at Isca is a wonderful journey, both for the reader and the characters. Roman Britain opens up before us and draws us in. This is a real experience for historians. If I didn't know better I would swear this was a first hand account. Laurel Lamperd's understanding of the stuggle to survive in a Britain invaded in Roman times brings to life this engaging story of two your women and the men who admire them. Faine and Marella are cousins but quite opposite in their dispositions. It is easy to care about both of them. Some of the scences made me feel uncomfortable since they touched on my personal taboos but were honest in keeping with the times. I found Crossroads at Isca to be well written, entertaining and enlightening. I recommend it to adult readers.

Twelve-year-old Shelby spends the summer at her family's cabin on the Oregon coast. Her cousin, Kirsten, who's thirteen seems to have grown up over the past year, and Shelby struggles with whether she wants to grow up and be pretty and have a boyfriend, or whether she wants everything to just stay the same. Also, a slick guy who's 'in real estate' and his daughter, Tanya, build a big house nearby and try to block off a road so he can build condos. A very realistic book about the 'awkward stage' with three young girls who are at different points in the stage. Their mothers add an interesting perspective, as well. Recommended for ages 8-13.