Sky Information

The Year Round Messier Marathon Field Guide With Complete Maps Charts and Tips to Guide You to Enjoying the Most Famous List of Deep Sky Objects

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Worth Every Penny
Probably the best book to guide the new observer through the Messier objects. Invaluable “at the scope.”

5 Stars A must-have for serious Messier searchers.
This is an extremely helpful book. I rate it among the very best for helping in your Messier Object search: At the April 2000 Messier marathon, I found 75 objects, and was on schedule to find 105, but I grew too tired to continue. On a recent star party in September, 2000, I found 45 objects before midnight, thanks largely to this book. Buy it while you still can!

5 Stars Should become a classic!!!
Using this book for over two years, I’ve found all the Messiers and learnt a whole lot from this book. The book starts off with briefly introducing the pre-requisites to stargazing, and the geometric estimation method for locating the deep-sky using a Telrad. The book also tells the story of Charles Messier, and the origins of the Messier Marathon. He then takes the reader on a tour of all the Messier objects. Since this book has its focus on the Messier Marathon, the sequence of the objects is based on his observing sequence during the Marathon. However, as Harvard points out, this book does not necessarily have to be used during a Marathon and can be used any time to locate any of the Messier objects. The finder charts proved to be extremely useful, and I found this book becoming the book I refer to the most. The advantage is, I don’t have to flip through other star maps looking for the Messier objects I’d like to observe. Its all included in this book. Therefore, I used this book more than my star atlas while observing the Messier objects. There is a little bit of inaccuracy with some of the charts. For example, in the chart for finding M75, I found I had to extend a little further than the distance from the mouth of the teapot to the lower corner of its handle away from tau Sag. to get to M75. Perhaps it was my problem of not using a powered finder (only the Telrad), but I had to try 5 times before I was compelled to move my scope little further east and north when the dim glow of M75 slid into view. This situation is actually clearly demonstrated in any star atlas, M75 is definitely a little further than the estimate.(I did very careful measurements on a printout of a few star chart program and Harvard’s estimation method got to 0.6 to 1 degree from M75 depending on the angle deviation from the gamma Sag. – tau Sag. line, so I’m guessing some people may have troubles) Nevertheless, this is a VERY minor complaint for Harvard’s method is based on estimation. Getting as near to the object as possible with the simplest method is what matters. My suggestion to any similar situation is to use a star atlas beside this book too to help with objects that don’t seem to show up on first or second attempt. Furthermore, if the object is not in view, do scan around a little (which Harvard did mention). In a real Messier Marathon, don’t panic (as I did =) and keep in mind that the less detailed charts are mainly for estimation. Overall, an exceptional book, beautifully written and educating. A book that deserves to be on the bookshelves of all amateur astronomers!

5 Stars Good Starter Book
I bought this book to help me find things in the sky. It does its job very well. I particularly like the finder and telescope sketches rather than the photographs as the sketch gives me a better idea of what I will see.

This book is well worth the purchase for a newbie like me. It is intended to get you through a Messier Marathon but does just as good helping you find and learn about Messier objects without the pressure of a marathon.

5 Stars The Bible of the Marathon
The defacto standard for the Messier Marathon. It’s also great the rest of the year for knowing what M objects are up for any given time of year, allowing you to do mini marathons with good pictures and descriptions of what you will see in the eyepiece.

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Blue Skies

Commander Berkley Levine is content with her life as a Top Gun instructor in Fallon, Nevada, flying F-18s for the Navy and trying to get over the death of her sister. A change of government and a new equality initiative places Captain Aidan Sullivan at the helm of the Navy’s newest carrier, the USS Jefferson. Her first mission could have serious international consequences if she fails. Aidan’s orders are to destroy two sites housing the nuclear program of an unfriendly nation, and she can think of only one person she trusts enough to get the job done: her old lover Berkley.

Blue Skies will take you from Fallon, Nevada, to the Sea of Japan and beyond, as Berkley leads an elite group of pilots over enemy territory. As they embark on this adventure, Berkley and Aidan try to rediscover what they gave up for family, duty, and country.

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars Top Gun meets Cagney and Lacy
Lets get the bad over with first so we can get to the great stuff. This story was fun to read but complete fiction. None of the military protocol or procedure is correct in any way. The chain of command in both the military and government is way off. Yes women serve as pilots and commanding officers…that much is right. Yes we are having military and foreign policy problems with North Korea. Other than that the story holds no water in reality. Being a navy veteran I like believable military fiction. Even though this story did not fit my criteria I still gave it a good read. The story grew on me. Ms. Vali is obviously setting us up for a sequel in the end with all the conspiracy and terrorists plots left hanging. My suggestion to Ali is find a military veteran or service member to advise on protocol. It would make it more believable.

Her characters were well rounded and extremely likable. They were easy to picture and follow. Berkley was strong and conflicted but not cold. Her nursing that broken heart is what made me like her most. She is exactly the fearless and fun type that fly jets. Aidan reminded me of so many women I worked with in the navy…and one that I fell in love with as well. There really are kick ass and take names later types that leave no room for relationships. This book took me down memory lane a few times and for that I gave it four stars. If you are not a military vet and can ignore the inaccuracies this will be a flawless enjoyable read. I still recommend it highly as one of the better women in the military fictions I have read.

3 Stars Would have gone with 4 stars but….
I own all of Ms. Vali’s books and have loved her style of writing from the depth of characters to her description of surroundings, especially when she writes about New Orleans….this book plot was definitely different then her others in a good way – bringing in current events in politics (I wonder after this book if the FBI or CIA may not start a file on Ms. Vali..smile), taking us overseas on the adventure, strong characters, good detail to sub-characters (love the parents on both sides). Now to why 3 and not 4 stars, the text mistakes with typos were just not like Ms. Vali’s other books (those seem to have more careful proofreading?). I don’t know if Bold Strokes hired new folks or if Ms. Vali changed proofreaders with this one, but go back-this book was just loaded with mistakes in text and it just throws you when you read a story (at least it does me). I know mistakes can happen and I see it in other books, but this one was unordinary high with text mistakes. I still will always buy Ms. Vali’s books and am really looking forward to her next Cain series one….just next time (and the way this booked seemed to end there will be a next time and I will plan to buy it) go with someone else on the proofreading!

4 Stars Ali Vali Has A Timely Winner
This is the first Ali Vali book I’ve ever read and the first review I’ve written. Keep in mind that I am not a purist but I found this book to be a quick enjoyable read. I’m sure there are people who’ll nitpick the terms or procedures and all that. I just read the story of two women in non traditional jobs, who are more than competent, who get the assigned jobs done.

Having an old romance rekindled, dealing with DADT(Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell), parents, fighter jets, sex, co-workers, naval carriers and espionage make it interesting to say the least. Current events are intertwined seamlessly into the story making it even more interesting.

Commander Berkley Levine and Captain Aidan Sullivan make fine role models. Not perfect, but very human with love, integrity and determination. I think people 17+ would enjoy this non-traditional, action romance story. That the main characters are lesbian just adds a dash of reality. A dash of this and a dash of that just proves variety is the spice of life.

2 Stars what was she thinking?
blue skies is a disappointing work from an author who has written several books that i absolutely love. while vali’s previous novels had me craving more, blue skies was a miserable, painful read. the entire book is littered with grammatical errors and typos that made reading it more like trying to solve a puzzle with no solution.

i could hardly get through the entire book, and admit to skipping ahead when the textual errors had utterly flabbergasted me. i hope that this was a one time mistake, but i cringe to see what ali vali has in store for her readers next.

5 Stars Great Read
I have always been a big fan of Ali Vali and anxiously await publication of her new books. `Blue Skies’ certainly did not disappoint.

Take two women in love, split them up due to a huge misunderstanding (read… lack of communication), then throw them back together years later and see what happens. Pilot Berkley Levine is the best in the Navy. Her former lover, Aidan Sullivan, has been assigned to lead a dangerous mission to North Korea. Wanting to corral the best team available, Aidan chooses Berkley to join her on the mission.

Reunion is difficult for Berkley because she has never moved on since Aidan. She believes the career-oriented Aidan is happy, but discovers soon that one should never assume anything. Even with Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, both of their fathers – career military men – directly and indirectly play a pivotal role in rectifying their rift. All of this goes on while they are trying to save the world.

Certainly not surprising that she could pull it off, Vali delivers a real winner here. It’s a complex story with well-defined, likable protagonists and a colorful supporting cast. What more could a reader want?

Bottom Line – Get a copy as soon as you can so you can enjoy it today.

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Shouting at the Sky Troubled teens and the promise of the wild

Award-winning nature writer Gary Ferguson is again bound for the backcountry, this time to spend a season at one of the country’s most remarkable programs for troubled teens. Along these trails can be found insights into how young lives can go so terribly wrong. And in the end, a quiet understanding of how many of our fondest hopes for tomorrow are teetering on the brink, waiting for us to find the courage to build more genuine connections to our kids.

Distributed by Farcountry Press. For more information, visit FarcountryPress.com.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Shouting at the Sky
For parents who are thinking about sending their teen to a wilderness camp, this book is a must. Not only did it convince me that it was the right program for our son, it truly answered most of my questions and eased some of my anxiety. Gary Ferguson was able to illustrate this experience not only through his eyes, but the eyes of each of the teens he spent eight weeks with. Each day the teens seemed to make a new discovery about themselves, sometimes positive, sometimes, not so positive, but in the end, it was evident that all the teens benefited. I can see how the lessons the teens learned in the wild would help them the rest of their lives. Highly recommend it.

5 Stars Shouting at the Sky
Five weeks ago my grandson required an intervention exactly as called out in the book. He was sent to Aspen Wilderness Academy but not before his family did extensive research on their program. However, no matter how much research or how many people we talked to whose child went there it still was frightening that strangers were in control of our loved one.

Reading Mr. Ferguson’s book was a cathartic happening for both me and my husband. The program as portrayed in the book was exactly what we were told it would be . . . and Ferguson told it in such a heartwarming, sincere manor that he could have been one of the staff personnel himself.

Mr. Ferguson, thank you for having written this book that has brought a frightened grandmother to the realization that my only grandson is in good, caring hands. Great book . . . great program-!!

4 Stars Shouting at the Sky

Excellent reference for description of wilderness therapy for troubled teens. Logs and daily activities of actual participants.

5 Stars Wild for this book about wilderness programs
I have a son who went to a wilderness program, and no matter how much research I did, it was impossible to really understand exactly how being in the wild held the hope of changing a kid for the better. This book gave me the insight I needed to be able to put myself in my son’s place. It is very well-written and sometimes even lyrical as it describes the inner (and outer) journeys of these variously troubled teens. The author hikes, camps, and lives with a boys’ group and a girls’ group in turn, contributing his particular skill of storytelling to the mix of talents the twenty-something staff members bring to the job. I learned about the specific, empowering skills the kids learn, like fire-making using a bow drill. He is able to describe in natural prose the drama of recovery and self-discovery these teens undergo, including attempted escape, meltdowns, breakthroughs, and difficult and sometimes cathartic reunions with family at the end of the program. He also provides a broad perspective and history of the wilderness program movement, which has only grown since this book was first published.

3 Stars Interesting but lacked depth
With a daughter in a program similar to the one depicted in the book I read it with great interest. It did give me a lot of information about why these programs are successful, and what my daughter might be doing daily in the program. However it did lack depth and continuity. The style of writing is also not to my particular liking, although others may enjoy this flowery style.

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Harolds Trip to the Sky

With his magic purple crayon, Harold draws himself into a rocket voyage to Mars, then safely back to earth just in time for breakfast.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Another favorite from Crockett Johnson
Our son loves Harold and the Purple Crayon, so we ordered this Trip to the Sky story. At first I didn’t find it as clever, but the more we read it, the more our son enjoys it. We love the imaginative exploration, Harold’s ingenuity, and the simple yet unique drawings. The move from night to day is wonderfully sudden, and the play with words once again delightful. The dated paranoia about u.f.o.s is amusing to us, and it’s the perfect kind of “scary” for a not-quite three-year-old.

5 Stars Welcome Harold into Your Child’s World
Harold and his majic crayon will take you and your child on majic adventures. As your child’s imagination grows you will find the secret behind the majic crayon that will change your life forever. Harold has many books that take you on many trips and many adventures but never without his majic crayon. What is his secret? It is your resposibility to interduce your child to Harold and the Purple Cryon.

5 Stars Our favorite Harold Book
This is our favorite Harold book. When my son asks for Harold, this story is usually the one he’s thinking of. And there’s some humor for the parent as well, which I appreciate.

5 Stars Awesome creative book that pleases the youngest viewers
My toddler and I love these books. The originals by Crocket Johnson are more imaginative than the newer full color ones. That is why I give this all five stars. Brilliant!

1 Star Not as clever
We just bought this for our son and he’s a bit too young to understand this so the review is for adults, really. I found that this story didn’t capture the imagination and seemed to try too hard to be clever. It seems to play too much on the winning aspects of “Harold and the Purple Crayon” and wasn’t so innovative on its own. As a parent, I couldn’t stand to read this more than once to our son. Such a disappointment.

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Beneath a Marble Sky A Love Story

Journey to dazzling seventeenth-century Hindustan, where the reigning emperor, consumed with grief over the tragic death of his beloved wife, commissions the building of the Taj Mahal as a testament to the marvel of their love. Princess Jahanara, their courageous daughter, recounts their mesmerizing tale, while sharing her own parallel tale of forbidden love with the celebrated architect of the Taj Mahal. This impressive novel sweeps readers away to a historical Hindustan brimming with action and intrigue in an era when, alongside the brutalities of war and oppression, architecture and the art of love and passion reached a pinnacle of perfection.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars An unforgettable classic
I thought this was an amazing novel. I’ve never been to the Taj Mahal, but after reading Beneath a Marble Sky, I want to go. This novel is beautifully written, it’s characters vivid, the story original and compelling. It’s easy for me to imagine this novel making it to the big screen. It’s an epic, sweeping sort of tale. I enjoyed it so much.

3 Stars not historically accurate
I understand this book is listed as historical fiction, but when an author chooses to write about people whose lives can be fact checked that author probably shouldn’t write things that are totally inaccurate. For example, the protagonist of this novel, Jahanara, was a Mughal princess living at a time when such princesses were not permitted to marry (Akbar, an earlier Mughal emperor, imposed this prohibition). Yet the novel has her married off to a lecherous drunken lout and much of the novel is spent discussing her miserable marriage. There are of course many other inaccuracies (for instance, Jahanara was severely burned in real life but the novel makes no mention of this) but the marriage one to me is the worse since it is such a huge plot device. Overall the writing is tolerable, even if most of the characters seem like they are reading poetry while conversing.

1 Star not historical fiction!
When one thinks of an historical fiction novel, they consider the book to have a fair amount of accurate history, intermixed with some fictional facts in lieu of actual coroborated events that make the story more exciting. What makes historical fiction different from a fantasy novel is the fact that the events COULD have happened the way they are depicted. This book fails miserably at doing that. With the exception of the names,there is nothing in this book that is true. Mughal princesses weren’t allowed to marry, how then can we conclude that Jahanara would be allowed to marry a noble, which is the central them of the book? Meanwhile, her relationship with the antagonist, Aurengzeb, was very cordial in real life, while in the book he has her dragged in chains naked in front of him. Jahanara begum was the Queen of India after her mother’s death, yet this fact is omitted from the book, with her character being relegated to the role of a married princess with no official title.

In conclusion, had the author subsituted the names of the Mughals in the book with fictitious names, it would be just as historically accurate as it is currently. The time period on which this is written (17th century), was an exciting time in the history of India, and a novel based on partial facts would make a great read. Why then change the story line so much that it is completely fictional?

4 Stars I liked reading “Beneath a Marble Sky. “
I enjoyed reading this book although it was difficult to get into the story at first. After almost half way through I began to look forward to resume reading. I was eager to see how the story worked out the many problems. When It ended I was sorry to leave the characters behind. I wanted to know the rest of the story about their life. It was well written. It contained a lot of information about how the Taj Mahal was built.

5 Stars Beneath the Marble Sky – A Love Story (AMAZING!!!)
Truly most amazing story I have ever read. A major page-turner…..was actually sad when I finished it!

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