Sofia is the unabashedly opportunistic member of a 16th century harem during the Ottoman empire. Her journey there and her craftiness soon after arriving make for really engaging reading. Perhaps more compelling is the story of her fellow Venetian captive, Giorgio, whose enslavement is all the more poignant since it involves a drastic and brutal transformation that comes out at the end of the novel. Overall, a very well-written novel that brings an exotic time period to life and will leave you enthralled.

I thought calf muscle stretching was all I needed to alleviate nighttime leg cramps, but I noticed within a week of getting this video that my leg cramps were completely cured, thanks to the calf-raises in the toning section. When had sinusitis for a week or so, and stopped exercising altogether, the cramps came back. After I started doing the video again, the cramps disappeared again. So for me, this video has helped me get a better night's sleep.

I love the aerobics (alot of arm work and you'll definitely break a light sweat), but as I get further along (almost 36weeks now) I find the fast-paced grapevine move and the 4-step across the room tougher to do. I thought rapid changes in direction were not advised in pregnancy? Also, the prego shuffle rap is so bad, embarassing, and useless that it's not worth a mention. Oh well...still an excellent video, includes women of many shapes and sizes, and a good choice for intermediate/advanced exercisers.

This video would have been much better if it wasn't interrupted several times by instructional interludes that you really only need to see once. So what are you supposed to do when you're watching the instruction for the 10th time? I usually try to continue the exercise move, but it's still very annoying. Nevertheless, I like the aerobics sections (too easy in the beginning of my pregnancy, but worthwhile now that I'm almost 36weeks along), and I like the arm and leg toning that's incorporated into the aerobics section.

A riveting story of a ruthless technology company head who discovers a wormhole to the past, then uses company employees and graduate students as guinea pigs in time travel. The story begins as a mystery,which is later explained by quantum physics, and results in a group of graduate students trying to fix a compnay's foray into the medieval town of Castelgard, France.

Suspense, science, and history all come together and make this an incredibly enjoyable read. Sure, some of the science is speculative, but that's why it's called science fiction. There wasn't anything I disliked about this novel.

'Fatal Majesty' follows the life of Mary, Queen of Scots from the time of her French husband King Francois's death and her resultant relocation to Scotalnd, until her death. Mary is surrounded by advisors and lords, who are untrustworthy and scheming despite seemingly close relationships with her. Her brother James and her closest advisor, Lethington, spend a great deal of time negotiating her marriage amongst European leaders, namely Queen Elizabeth of England. Her choice of husband ultimately leads to chaos, rebellion, scandal, and accusations of murder and adultery.

The novel is well-written and very concise, but weighed down by a flurry of lords, dukes, and royals that are really hard to keep track of. Take the web on the cover illustration as a big hint--it's not eay to grasp the relationships between characters, and new characters are being introduced even in the final chapters of the novel. The family tree at the start of the book doesn't help much.

Great novel for those who love to read historically-based novels, but a bit of a struggle unless you have a great attention span and alot of patience.

The black South of the 1930's is brought vividly to life by Hurston, who tells the story of a young woman struggling to find a life of her own and genuine love. Janie Crawford breaks away from a life pre-destined by her grandmother, then from a life pre-destined by an overbearing husband, to find her own definition of success--a simple life, but full of love and freedom. Aside from being a great story, the novel is also a course in the fundamentals of conveying dialect and language through literature. I loved it!

I haven't found a pregnancy video yet that makes me feel like I've had a good workout, but at least this one comes close. I can't say that I get my heart rate up, but I guess it's better than doing nothing. The salsa dance is easy to catch on to, accompanied by good music, but rather mild in intensity level. So it's advised that experienced exercisers do the yoga fat burn afterwards. The main benefit of this section is toning (thighs) and stretching (back and sides) but it moves really slowly. I don't mind all the repetition in the video since it makes it easier to learn the moves, but I wish it had a bit more oomph to it. I still do my usual exercise videos and even step aerobics (at almost 6 months) but I think I'll be using Fit Mama more and more as I get bigger.

This may not be an easy read (okay, sometimes it was torture) but it's well worth the effort and time. The expected medieval themes are there--jousting, knights in shining armour, princesses in need of rescue, and fortified castles. But it's the unexpected that catches your attention--the plight of a Jewish moneylender and his attractive daughter, the raging antisemitism, the cruelty of the Dark Ages, and the surprising amount of humor in the novel. It's clear that this type of writing formed the basis for subsequent heroic adventures and historical fiction.

Anthony Patch, undeserving heir to a multi-million dollar estate, grows increasingly annoying, petty, and selfish as this novel progresses. He is an admirable college student as the novel begins, seemingly trying to 'find himself' and live up to his grandfather's expectations. But as his financial security destabilizes, so does his moral character. It's an interesting progression, all the more fascinating because it gives us working class types an opportunity to despise the filthy rich. There are definitely some slow moments in the novel, alot of forced philosophical musings, but the prose and the soap-opera like ending make it worthwhile.

A video with the words 'fat burner' in the title really should rev up your engines, so I found this one to be a bit disappointing. It's just too easy, pulling segments from her 'Low Impact' and 'Stress Reduction' videos, which are low-intensity routines. But you won't be bored--the change of style, scenery, and music makes it fun and interesting. The moves are very easy to catch on to, even in the dancy 'Lean Routine' segment. Horrifying 80's fashion and scary electric blue leotards, but your eyes will soon adjust. Overall an easy workout for advanced exercisers, probably great for beginners.