Appearance
Higgins: Adventures in Glass
A "Must Have" for any serious Higgins collector. There is an almost overwhelming amount of information presented in a most organized manner. So many wonderful color photographs that I went into sensory overload. Loads of great, historical information and imagery. The only down side of the book is that the price guide is not representative of current market values but if looked at properly will still give you a good idea of how one pattern will relate to another in value. I wish other collectable genres had reference guides of this caliber.
Higgins: Adventures in Glass
This is truly a masterpiece of editing. The author has truly done an outstanding job. This is a MUST book for any serious Higgins collector as well as anyone who enjoys beautiful glass. The author is certainly to be commended for this one of a kind work.
Higgins: Adventures in Glass
I PURCHASED THIS BOOK AS A GIFT FOR SOMEONE THAT IS A COLLECTOR OF HIGGINS GLASS AND THEY WERE JUST THRILLED TO RECEIVE IT.
Higgins: Adventures in Glass
this book starts to do justice to the wonderful inventive genius of michael and francis higgins, craftsmen and artistis, and the developers of advanced fused glass techniques. The book is steep at $60, but it's worth it for the great number of color plates. . . and if you know higgins glass, you'll know that a great many photographs were needed!the only downside might be that the authors focussed too much on the dearborn years of mass-produced fused glass goods. This neglects somewhat the great variety and depth of studio work done by the higgins. But perhaps this is an apt subject for "adventures in glass, volume II".
Hot Gimmick, Vol. 10 (v. 10)
It's the weekend of Ryoki's practice exams and the furthest thing from his mind are his test score. All in the complex are on edge, especially Hatsumi and her family. Now that Shinogu has announced that he is severing ties with the Narita family it has caused all sorts of unrest within Hatsumi's troubled heart. She decides to go to him to demand that he return to the family but decides to stop and see Ryoki for support. He, being the most dense person on the face of the planet, mistakes her reasons for visiting him and naturally jumps to the assumption that she just wants to be with him, not that she might actually need some TLC.On an impulse he decides to run away with her and takes her to his father's suite in Izu. This causes all sorts of grief within the apartment complex as Mrs. Tachibana goes on a tirade to Hatsumi's family, insisting that it is Hatsumi that is corrupting the morals of her angelic son. An argument ensues but is brought to a crashing halt when none other than Mr. Tachibana shows up in the chaotic midst. When he admits to his part of the "affair" between Mr. Narita and Mrs. Odagiri all hell breaks loose, and Shinogu decides he must go and retrieve Ryoki and Hatsumi... but arrives too late... see, Ryoki has also told Hatsumi about the truth of the sordid "affair", and the news proves too much for her to take, so much so that in her anguish she breaks up with Ryoki (who was demanding that she choose between him and her family, perhaps this was not the best time to be offering such ultimatums, but hey, nobody said the boy was a genius... oh wait...)Grrr, the most annoying thing about this manga is that it takes too long to arrive in the stores! Now I get lucky because I work in a book store as the store's manga person, so I get access to books before they get out on the shelves, but it's not soon enough. This storyline is simply wonderful, the drama still leaves me enrapt, and the pathos that poor Hatsumi has to endure simply because she has a difficult time standing up for herself and making up her mind is nothing short of gut wrenching. I can't wait for the next volume to find it's way to my shelves... I just hope it gets released soon, I am dying to see what happened, especially since the end of this one winds up on a pretty high note between Shinogu and Hatsumi... but I give away too much, you'll have to read it for yourself.
Hot Gimmick, Vol. 10 (v. 10)
First of all, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Hot Gimmick! It's been a solid shoujo series & I love that Miki Aihara is always keeping readers on their toes. Although not much really happened in volume 10, the complaint I have here is not with the story, but with VIZ.Let me say that I dislike VIZ in general. Their quality of work is inconcisistent with regard to both manga & anime and I would prefer not to buy anything from them if possible. Unfortunately they are they people translating this series! I was so excited to read volume 10 - I even waited to receive it as an X-mas gift (it was very tempting to buy it when it came out!). So imagine my dissapointment when I opened it up to read the THE WORST DIALOGUE IN HISTORY.Not only has VIZ decided to pump up the slang, but they have also taken the volume too far in terms of Americanization by doing so. The word "like" (as a filler word) appears at least a dozen times. And with phrases like "I am so sure!" and "omigod", the characters end up sounding more like Valley girls than the young Japanese they are supposed to be. What's worse is the ridiculous treatment of Shibnobu's friend who they've "urbanized". Example: "..'course I'm fairly BUSTIN' with all kindsa questions..." "Hey dude, take this. Be good to have some wheels."I understand that publishers must change the language somewhat so Western audiences can relate to it, but I think they must also strike a balance between relatability and preserving the integrity of the author's work. Whatever slang is in the original Japanese text should be translated faithfully in a way we can understand. It really turns me off (as an older reader) when manga & anime companies try too hard to fit the work into a particular mold. If they want to keep readers older than their teens, then they must stay away from language that is TOO Americanized.