I've just finished this, and I have to agree with a critic who reviewed "About John Ford" for the Times of London: 'One of the best books published by a filmmaker on a filmmaker'. It certainly is. The author, Lindsay Anderson, was himself a distinguished director("O Lucky Man!"; "If"), a longtime admirer of the films of John Ford-and a damn fine writer on the subject. Anderson uses clear and thoughtful prose and a great, copious selection of stills to illustrate his take on many Ford movies-from his classics such as "The Searchers" to less often discussed titles("They Were Expendable"; the silents). Not a dull page in the book(not always the case with film studies!). Lots of humor. Great frankness. And best of all, several chapters detailing interviews and encounters Anderson had with "the old man"-priceless stories that give the reader a real flavor of Ford-for better or worse. Reading this book produces two tremendous urges: first, to watch all the films discussed again; and second-to make movies. A classic.

You probably already know that C.S. Lewis wrote seven "Chronicles of Narnia"; while it's hard(and really not necessary)to choose a "best" in the series, this may be it. "The Horse and his Boy"(wonderful title)is a rollicking, breathlessly fast-paced adventure, with each character-both villains and heroes-completely believable and multi-faceted-especially Bree, the talking war-horse. And if you're new to C.S. Lewis' work, rest assured his fantasies are as far from "cute" as you can get; his protagonists always have quite a lot of tough adventures they have to endure, sometimes in the form of violent battles(though they never got too violent for an 11 year old at her first reading). Wonderful language, incredible imagination, characters who become friends-what more could you want? I defy any reader to be disappointed.

I had my qualms about this film before I saw it( the unfortunately lame title didn't help!)-and how surprised and relieved I was to find myself enjoying it much, more than I expected. It's unjustly a "sleeper", as it's easily the best written, performed and mounted fantasy in quite some time. There isn't a false note in the entire film-which is based on true events of almost a hundred years ago, involving two young girls(very charming and real performances by the young actresses)who apparently managed to take some candid photographs of...fairies. Famous then as now as the creator of Sherlock Holmes, and an avowed spiritualist, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle involves himself with the girls(Peter O'Toole is wonderful, even if he looks nothing like the real Sir Arthur), and tries to discover the truth of their story,as well as the photographs. You're never quite sure just where the film is going next, and that's a plus, as it creates such a lovely mood getting there. Although the budget can't have been large, it looks perfect-one of the few period films of recent years to seem convincing. And there's a special treat in the performance of none other than Harvey Keitel-as Houdini! In a movie full of great performances, Keitel(believe it or not!)is a standout-he IS Harry Houdini-a character the actor had always wanted to play-and he's worked into the plot perfectly. Lastly, I would add that this is by no means a "kids only" film-any thoughtful, literate adult would be sure to enjoy it as well. A treasure.

This was one of the first books I purchased for my riding library five years ago; at age 33 I was a rank beginner just starting lessons, and I wanted to supplement the physical experience with some off-the-horse studying. Today it's pretty dog-eared, which reflects how often I've gone back to it. It covers just about every aspect of riding one can think of(the aids, body awareness, feel, creative imagery to help position, psychology-even proper attire and tack!), and is written clearly and concisely, never getting dull or overly technical(wish I could say the same for some of the others I've shelled out for). It is also very reasonably priced-a good "value for money", as the british say, which is why I've rated it so highly. I would give it as a gift to any novice, adult or otherwise.

Directed by Mitchell Leisen(unjustly forgotten helmer of many wonderful "golden age" films-and former designer for DeMille),written by Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett at their wittiest, and starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, Mary Astor and an incomparable John Barrymore-well, it's even better than it sounds. Beautifully polished and mounted production. Definitely a very adult "screwball" comedy with loads of innuendo, brilliantly played. I've seen this both on TV and in a theatre, and judging from audience reaction, every one of them loved it. This is one of those titles you can show to people who've usually little interest in "old" movies-and convert them!

I checked this out of the library, renewed it-and now I am going to actually buy it-it really is that good. Scott Edelstein covers every aspect of the writing life and publishing game that you'd want to know about, and he does it in a clear and witty fashion. No patronizing here: he treats the reader as an equal( a refreshing quality)and as a confidant, turning a sometimes harsh light on many aspects of working as an author while also offering many nuggets of help and support. I don't think you could be better armed to write and publish than to read this book-unless you already have a number of professional authors as friends.

"How Green Was My Valley" is an exceptionally beautiful film-arguably it is the very best example of "golden age" studio craftsmanship that exists-and the importance of its score can't be overestimated. This CD presents the original tracks recorded for the film, and although 60 years old, they sound superb. it's not difficult to relive the film while listening to the soundtrack-there's tremendous lyricism, emotion, tension-everything from the smallest to the biggest moments from the film are illustrated by the brilliant composer Alfred Newman. If you love the movie, you simply must get the soundtrack. If you haven't seen it-listening to the music will make you want to.

Elizabeth Enright(what a great name for an author!)wrote quite a few wonderful books which have been mostly out of print until recently-so if you're looking for great, real, imaginative stories, I'd suggest buying all of them. "The Four Story Mistake", as other reviewers have noted, is just a wonderful slice of life, with the Melendy children growing up, adjusting to life in "the country". When I read it 30 years ago, it made me desperate to live in a ramshackle victorian house(great escapism for urban kids)! Although the story is set almost 50 years ago, it really doesn't "date" at all. Read it and see!

This is one of those that stays with you, well, forever! Written in 1951, it's really a timeless, gentle, and quite funny story. Garth Williams' illustrations of the "huge" kitten and his mouse family are loaded with personality, atmosphere, and great charm. Believe me, your kids will thank you for reading this one to them-now, and when they're all grown up.

I 've purchased three different "Learn French On Tape" sets in the last few years, and "Learn In Your Car" is by far the best. I've just started taking "real", in-person lessons at Berlitz, so I've been able to put these to the test-and they've given me a great head start. Humble though the level one tapes are, their virtue is that they are VERY simple, and believe it or not, the french DOES sink in, a little at a time, as you're driving around or on your daily commute. The thing about language tapes or CDs, of course, is that you take quite a chance when you buy them-you can't know if they'll be any good until they're unreturnable! Hence my review-and my heartiest recommendation to try this particular series. Bon chance!