IPhone 3G used's review (Cockey progressing as a writer, and it shows) 『OK, maybe I wasn't as alert this time, but he hit me with a huge plot twist in the last 15 pages that I was not at all expecting. This is the second of his three mysteries so far
1 - The Hearse You Came in On (Hitchcock Sewell Mysteries) 2 - this book 3 - The Hearse Case Scenario
and having read the last first I can see the clear progression of his talent.
No pretensions for classic literature, just good fun.』
(Hearse Me) 『Another great book by Tim Cockey. I'm really looking forward to finishing the series. The characters are so much fun, and Hitch has the ultimate dry wit. A true fun mystery!
』
(Solid Opening Novel) 『I picked this up as a pre-pub back when I was working at a bookstore chain. Therefore it was still filled with those annoyingly obvious spelling and type errors. Even so, this book was quick to engage, and was one of the best books I read that summer. I'm sure it doesn't hurt that I was born and live in Baltimore, and I've spent alot of time in the Fells Point area, but I've also talked to other book fans who aren't from this area at all who like it.
Hitchcock Sewell is a pretty interesting character, though I do kind of find it odd that he seems to be able to attract, and obtain, every single attractive female he comes across. Hopefully Cockey will have Hitch strike out some more, simply to add some realism. Otherwise, a undertaker/very amateur detective makes for some very fun writing. I also enjoyed the very amateur theatre troupe, and am waiting for Cockey to bring them back (since Hitch said he has done productions with them before). I've been in similarly doomed productions, and Cockey's portrayal is not very far off.
Overall, very enjoyable, and I've been looking forward to each subsequent novel.』
(JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST HEARSE!) 『Hitchcock (Hitch) Sewell, Baltimore's most eligible undertaker and murder mystery mortician, is back for another totally enjoyable adventure. This time around, someone has left a potential client (body) on the front steps of Sewell and Sons Family Funeral Home in the middle of a wake for a prestigious heart surgeon and a pre-Christmas snowstorm.
In case you missed the first book in this series (The Hearse You Came In On), there are no sons at Sewell and Sons, just Hitch and his Aunt Billie. And the body on the doorstep is that of an ordinary (though formerly beautiful) waitress from a low-end airport pickup bar and grill. Since the police are involved with a series of "shot in the foot" murders, Hitch (being Hitch) decides he will find out who killed the women, especially after he meets her sister.
As you'll discover, there is this mutual attraction between Hitch and women. In this book alone, there's his ex-wife Julia; Bonnie, his weather-girl girlfriend; Vickie, the victim's sister; clients' widows plus a few B-girls and strippers thrown in for good measure. In all, it's a totally enjoyable mix.
Anyway, the plot really starts getting complicated and it becomes more than a case of who killed the waitress and why. And just when you think you've got the whole thing figured out Cockey throws you another twist. In other words, you'll love this one. Now I've just got one more book in the series to read before the new one (fourth) is published in February.』
(I might have been bored...but I was too busy laughing) 『To be honest, I can't say I was that "into" this, the second of Cockey's Hitchcock Sewell mysteries. I thought the first book "The Hearse You Came In On" was fresh, witty, fast and fun. Now, to a certain degree, the bloom is off the rose. I didn't really care who killed Helen, the dead waitress Sewell finds on his doorstep, nor was I particularly interested in her gorgeous sister and sleazy ex-boyfriend. But everytime I was bored enough to put this book down, Cockey would pull me back in with some of the funniest dialogue I've read in years. In fact, the humour in "Hearse of a Different Color" is its blessing, even it is is a bit arch at times (just like Hitch's girlfriend accuses him of being).』 『Hitchcock Sewell, Baltimore's hippest undertaker and civilian sleuth, is back in a second sly, original mystery.
One of the most charming and offbeat amateur detectives to come around in years, Hitchcock Sewell does for the undertaking profession what Marilyn Monroe did for the ukulele gives it a touch of class. In this rollicking follow-up to Tim Cockey's "witty, punchy, snappy, well-written, and dang funny debut" (Harlan Coben, author of The Final Detail), a surprise blizzard dumps more than snow on the steps of Sewell&Sons funeral home it leaves behind the corpse of a murdered waitress as well. Hitch's television meteorologist girlfriend sees the crime as an opportunity to move into hard news. Her unctuous mentor wants to beat Hitch to the punch. Hitch's snooping takes him from low-life strip joints to high-tone mansions, proving yet again that undertakers and their clue-happy cohorts can be a pretty lively bunch.』
『Tim Cockey's debut novel,The Hearse You Came In On, introduced readers to Hitchcock Sewell, the undertaker-turned-reluctant-sleuth, whose mordant irony and blissfully skewed perspective on the humdrum brought a remarkable vigor to a profession not usually known for its liveliness. The good news for Hitch fans is that Cockey's follow-up effort dishes up another heaping helping of sardonic wit:
The planet was one big marble of wretchedness. And I wasn't exactly being lifted aloft by bluebirds either. I was wheeling down the Baltimore- Washington Parkway in my unexciting car on the fourth record-breaking freezing cold day in a row, tuning in to what seemed to be the preexisting fact that I was going to be tracking down a cold-blooded murderer.
Said murderer has deposited a corpse on Hitch's doorstep--in the middle of a wake, no less. The unscheduled body is one Helen Waggoner, a single mother with a double life as a waitress and porn star. Hitch's girlfriend sees the unceremonious delivery as a scoop in the making. Bonnie Nash is a less-than- accurate TV weather woman who's got a bad case of occupational shame ("I'm a pair of breasts that tells you what the weather is going to be tomorrow.Maybe."). She figures that solving a murder ought to earn her a network promotion. But it's not that easy. When Helen's sister also turns to Hitch for some moral and investigative support, the undertaker finds himself digging through the family closets and unearthing some distinctly unsavory skeletons. It turns out that a taste for the (ahem) silver screen is a Waggoner tradition, and that the sisters have a long--and not particularly affectionate--history. It's up to Hitch to put the pieces of the puzzle together before a hired killer with a peculiar signature takeshimapart.
Cockey has a rare gift for sending up the hallowed conventions of mystery fiction with effortlessly wry turns of phrases: "I looked about to assess the scene. I'm six-three, so I have a decent vantage point for assessing." His plot skills have sharpened since his last outing, and the narrative moves along briskly to a conclusion both tidy and ironic. Appropriately enough, though, in thisHearse, the ride is even more fun than the destination.--Kelly Flynn』
IPhone 3G used's review (This is FANTASTIC!) 『Me and my small children love immersing ourselves in the wonderful coloured worlds of Jane Cabrera. We have them all and can hardly wait for the next one.
I would recommend them for all parents of young children.』
(More fun story than color teaching tool) 『"What is Cat's favorite color?" This simple question forms the premise of this simple yet cheerful color identification book. Each two-page spread features another color as the background, and uses examples from the cat's life to illustrate it.
Cabrera's style uses bold brush strokes and thickly applied acrylic paint. Her animals are painted as if done by a child, and there are clever little compositional features that are delightful to discover. On one page, a cow in the background mimics the pose of the cat. In another, fluffy white clouds take the shape of familiar objects to a cat--a fish and a mouse.
One unfortunate byproduct of the graphic style however, is that the colors aren't really mixed too well. The purple comes off a little lilac and the red and orange are indistinguishable from each other. But if you use this book as a fun story to share, and not primarily as a color teaching tool, you should be safe.』
(Unique illustrations make this book attractive to children.) 『Little cat asks you to guess his favorite color. As you turn the page, you will be surprised by the color choices and illustrations on each page. The backround colors are bright and vibrant, and each color is as rich as the last. Also, every color has a new animal associated with it. I use this book with my 7 month old daughter and my 10 year old ESL students.』
(this book is super) 『My daughter loves this book. she is 10 months old and loves the colors and the happy face of the cat. I fully recommend it.』
(cute book to teach toddlers colors) 『A short, boldly illustrated book about a cat's favorite color. Good for toddlers and preschoolers.』 『What is Cat's favorite color? Is it green, like the grass Where he likes to walk, or yellow, like the sand on a sunny beach? Children who are learning new colors can join in Cat's fun as he explores the colors all around him.』
IPhone 3G used's review (High quality stuff; if you don't have full version of Photoshop, you will be somewhat limited) 『If you don't have a "full" version of Photoshop you will have to work around some issues. The work contained in here is first-rate and superior to another competing title. Beautiful results and techniques; obviously very talented and professional and experienced people put this together. I haven't seen the new version, but the first edition is very well done. Recommended』
(Anime Style for Coloring) 『This is the book to have if you want your comic to have the ANIME style of coloring for your work. Go to pages 74-85 to learn how to apply this style. The KEY is learning how to deselect from your lasso tool selections from the darker shades or flat colors that you use within your work.』
(HOW TO COLOR FOR COMICS) 『I got it for my son he's into drawing&painting. He's using his computer to digital color. He thanked me for this book. He said there is amazing information in the book. So I recommend it.』
(NOT BAD...) 『I recieved this book over the Labour Day weekend and went through it with a fine toothed comb; THEN I read the reviews.
The book CAN be tough to get through; BUT the authors DO emphasize a beginner's knowledge of PhotoShop:
1. The lessons are NOT bad; if you do them in small chunks. 2. Go to a section that interests you first; then backtrack. 3. DO THE WORK IN THE BOOK!!! You REALLY need to..PRACTICE!!
My ONLY complaint is that the "LEVELS" video file DID NOT work!! I tried on my I-Mac and my HP laptop!! The files, swatches, etc seemed to work fine.
BOTTOM LINE: Use this book along with "The DC Guide to Coloring&Lettering Comics" and BlueLine Pro's " Digital Coloring for Comics" and you will be fine...!!!』
(Fundamentals are there) 『This is the first book I have looked at on the subject. It is not well organized if one is looking for step by step lessons. It is photoshop specific but not version specific. The authors therefore try not to get too menu oriented. Which is fine by me. I use Corel Painter and I haven't had any trouble using their techniques in Painter.
The reason being, the fundamentals are presented and reinforced in every example. The fundamentals are what is important. So no matter what software you are using, you will learn how these artists use layers, paint brush, airbrush, burn, dodge, color balance, and smudge to create some very nice art work.』 『This is it - the premiere guide to coloring comics by some of the hottest talent in the industry. This guide will take you through all the steps necessary to take your work from line art to full, raging color. You also get step-by step instructions in coloring special effects, creating works in the cel-anime style, digital painting, and many, many other techniques. This guide is invaluable to both novices and professionals alike. Any artist interested in learning to color or improving their coloring skills can benefit from the knowledge of Guru eFX.』
Kakaku：1995 saved$19.95
Gladstone Pub Ltd
Usually ships in 24 hours 『This is one of the seven numbered collections of Walt Disney comic albums published by Gladstone. Each volume represents from two to four albums that were part of Gladstone Publishing's regular and giant monthlies that came out during the years 1988-1990. This volume contains the 3 albms; Uncle Scrooge and Donald Duck: The Sunken City, Mickey Mouse: Sheriff of Nugget Gulch, and Donald Duck: The Duck in the Iron Pants.』
Kakaku：9995 saved$99.95
lynda.com, Inc
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Photoshop CS3 Color Correctionis all about color: from customizing Photoshop color settings to accessing color correction tools with keyboard shortcuts to understanding the intricacies of histograms. Color correction expert Taz Tally explains each step of the process, including how to evaluate an image, determine what steps are required, adjust image dimensions, linear resolution, and mode, identify and correct shadows, remove screens and noise, retouch flaws, use curves and the color sampler, and much more. Exercise files accompany the tutorials.Topics Include
Kakaku：795 saved$7.95
Houghton Mifflin
Usually ships in 24 hours IPhone 3G used's review (Watch the birdies) 『Ya gotta love Amazon. All these reviews, and all for a different book.
The book on this page, with a photograph pasted up above, is from the Young Readers Library, from 1967, a hardback with shiny covers, 125 pp, no dustjacket. Wonderful two-color and full color illustrations and photos on every page really illustrate what birding is all about! Drawings like this, almost botanical illustrations, are rarely seen in books nowadays, because they are so costly. Vintage and loving it.
Chapters for the young people: biological history, migration, language, relationship to man (which should be updated, of course.) Highly recommended, and now scarce.』
(Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Birds, Large Format Edition) 『Altho listed as used, the book is in perfect condition. Great reference asset for the bird watcher or wood carver.』
(Big Bird Book a Hit) 『Got this book for my Mom. She had the original, but now with the large pictures and print she's able to once again enjoy and utilize this great guide.』
(A Field Guide to the Birds: A Completely New Guide to All the Birds of Eastern and Central North America) 『This is a tried and true reference book author for a newby or pro enthusiast.I have worn out two copies of the Tory Peterson books over my lifetime. Every so often, the colors used in the illustrations are slightly off. But since they are illustrations, not photographs, that is unavoidable. It's a great, great book that every person who loves birds should have in their library.』
(Peterson Field Guides: Eastern Bird, Large Format Edition) 『This easy on the eyes large format edition is a great book for all ages and levels of bird watching. The soft cover makes it light to handle or take with you in the field. The large format makes identifying birds much easier and quicker. Well layed out and practical.』 『From the brilliant blue of an Indigo Bunting to the scarlet red of a Summer Tanager, coloring your own field guide is the most enjoyable way to learn about birds. Each drawing is accompanied by a brief description that educates as it entertains. Place the new color stickers next to the drawings for a visual reference while coloring. Coloring the drawings helps reinforce the color, image, and shape of each bird, improving your memory and perception while offering a pleasant and easy way to learn. Fun for adults as well as children, beginning and experienced naturalists alike.』 『Roger Tory Peterson, one of America's pre-eminent artist-naturalists and arguably the inventor of the field guide, made people love birds like no one since John James Audubon.A Field Guide to the Birds, first published in 1934, remains his most famous and wonderful work. The manual stood instantly apart from the dichotomous keys zoologists used to identify species, since Peterson grouped paintings of related species together and used arrows to, as he explained, "pinpoint the key field marks." This way, watchers could spot birds from a distance and avoid, as he archly put it, "the bird-in-hand characters that the early collectors relied on." Birders could use the guide where they needed it most--outdoors--on living birds flitting quickly by. In addition to detailed illustrations, Peterson offers charming (and useful) descriptions of each avian citizen's appearance, behavior, voice, and range. There is also priceless anecdotal information, based on decades of field experience, as in this description of the common house sparrow (Passer domesticus): "Familiar to everyone. Sooty city birds often bear little resemblance to clean country males with the black throat, white cheeks, chestnut nape." His transliterations of song are just as quietly marvelous. For instance,Pluvialis squatarola, or the black-bellied plover, makes things clear with "a plaintive slurred whistle,tlee-oo-eeeorwhee-er-ee(middle note lower)."
Peterson's original handbook covered birds of Eastern North America, and has since been followed by guides to Western birds, animal tracks, butterflies, and many other natural wonders. He and his team updated "The Birders' Bible" as new species were discovered and classifications modified. Generations of enthusiastic watchers owe Peterson a debt of gratitude for making ornithology accessible. But equally important, he showed scientists that finding beauty in living animals, and not just cataloging the measurements of dead ones, was crucial. Roger Tory Peterson died in 1996. He will be remembered as a passionate naturalist, a keen observer of living things, and a gifted artist and teacher.--Therese Littleton』
Kakaku：395 saved$3.95
Sterling/Pinwheel
Usually ships in 6 to 10 days IPhone 3G used's review (A magical experience, perfect for the toddler set!) 『There is indeed something magical about the mini magic color books - whenever each tab is pulled, it changes from a black and white image to one in vibrant color. My toddler is always fascinated to see this transformation, and loves to pull the tabs. A great teaching tool for color identification. I would recommend this and others in the series!』
(A must have for teaching animals and colors) 『Ignore the reading age description of 9-12 year olds--this book is for toddlers. I snatched up Baby Animals, Jungle Animals and Farm Animals in an airport store as soon as I flipped through one book. These are great for 1-3 year olds. My son still hasn't tired of the pull out animals which appear black and white on the page, but come to life in vivid colors once you pull out the tab. The animal set teaches toddlers to recognize different animals and learn about colors at the same time. A great gift for baby showers, although the babies probably won't really learn to interact with them until they are at least 1 years old.』
(Great book) 『The pullout tab is cleverly designed. All of my friends take at least 3-5 minutes (sometimes longer) to figure out how the black&white animals transform into color graphics when pulled out.
It's a board book so it's sturdy, but the tabs may be completely removed if kids pull hard and you'll have to tape the edge to keep the tab in.
Apart from the main characters (cow, pig, horse, rooster, carrot/corn), there are also other things to talk about in the book, e.g. apples, tree, butterfly, bird, house, sun.
A great buy for the price』
(My son loves this book!) 『I got this book from my Pastor's wife, my son is 1 year old, so he's a little small for it's recommended reading age of 4-8 years. However my son just LOVES pulling the animals out to see them in their colors. He has worn this book out, it's not really meant for his age so it won't hold up to the abuse that a 1 year old can dish out. I am buying one as a backup for when he gets older.』
(Adorable interactive book!) 『I decided to try this book even though I had never heard anything about it. However my daughter (19 months old) loves it. It is very interactive and kids love that you can pull out the animal and the colors appear. I since have purchased the other mini magic color books. I took the book to nursery with children 18 months to 3 years old and all of the children loved it! I highly recommend it! It is a great price also!』 『
The book is mini—but the magic is still BIG. Just like their larger counterpart, the Mini Magic Color board books feature tabs that turn the world on the page bright and beautiful. And on this pleasant trip down to the farm, young children can become familiar with both colors and animal names, all while enjoyingevery delightful moment. They’ll see Pig, first in black and white, and then in her real pretty pink shade. Rooster changes into beautiful brown, red, and green, and Horse transforms into soft gray. Every pull of the tab will delight toddlers.
大満足！北国のホタテ・いくら・ボタンエビがぎっしり！
