Dragonfly, and something more?
580740
Dragonfly by Resa Nelson

The author, Resa Nelson, gifted this book to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book by Resa Nelson that I have read.  I enjoyed the story and the characters; both are well written, and thoughtful.  Although the book does not come right out say so, when I was reading it, I felt a strong Native American influence.  The descriptions of the Great Turtle Lands people and ideals seem to be rooted in the Native American practices such as being respectful of Brother Bear and Sister Hawk for their guidance and gifts.  Ive not read any stories with this theme, and I really enjoyed Dragonfly.

Although Margreet looks different than the people of the village, she was brought up as one of them.  She was even given a special name: Dragonfly.  Standing taller than almost everyone in the village, with silky white blond hair and crystal blue eyes, Dragonfly knows she looks different.  But her childhood love, Wapiti, had always talked with her about being married and having babies; he didn't care what she looked like.

After hearing her cousin and Wapiti making fun of her, Dragonfly runs to her father and auntie, only to be confronted with a truth she doesnt want to face.  And a shaman who wants to teach her to walk in Dreamtime, something Dragonfly isn't sure she wants to do.  What is waiting for her?  Who is waiting for her?

Im giving this book 5 stars because the story is interesting and not going in the direction I expected.  No spoilers, but we learn just why Dragonfly is so different from her father and auntie, and so much like her mother!

Independent Reviewer
Jackie Huntington
1442650
Beautiful watch!!  This is a very pretty watch...prettier than photo shows.  I love anything dragonfly....personal story, and when I saw this I had to have it.  Amazon price was great! I will wear it a lot and enjoy the beautiful dragonfly.
450687
I was a bit disappointed that there were no butterflies included as shown in the last product photo. The bugs seem well encased and should serve their purpose but without the butterflies the selection seems rather limited and a bit dull.
3185673
The dragonfly is beautifully done.  The fabric tie is not so nice.  I will put the dragonfly on something else.
125823
I have Toothless and Stormfly and they're so cute. If you want adorable How To Train Your Dragon decor for your room, these are a must
513344
A previous post mentioned the cult classic Firefly.  My thoughts exactly.  Loved this read!  Highly recommend if you're sci-fi fan.
4805586
I was raised in 3 LARGE cities, but also lived in tiny town, 3 blocks long(main street ) and almost 4 blocks wide. I spent time on my Uncles farm.  So I'm well aware of variations of extreme quiet and noise, plant, animal and insect life.
 Loc. 3118, pg 234: "Grant could hear the beat of the Dragonflies wings beating the air."  Unless Grant had 'bionic ears', or there was a hundred Dragonflies flapping they're little wings in unison, RIGHT next to his ear,  there is no way he heard the beating of a Dragonflies wings! Especially not,  if he was also hearing the drone of other insects, such as bees, etc.
Loc. 3118, of 234: the heavy, powdery scent of roses surrounded him. . . POWDERY?? Or was that suppose to be powerful?
Loc 2562 Pg. 191: he crushed his mouth over hers.  OUCH!
Loc 2564 Of. 191: he twisted his mouth harder over hers.  DOUBLE OUCH!
I REALLY liked Grant, but THAT, along with after finding her a virgin, the next time they have intercourse, he pushed in, not stopping until he was fully seated, though she was showing pain and wanted him to stop.  He's supposed to be the experienced and accomplished one, why the hell didn't he make sure she was wet enough, pull back a bit, redistribute some of her moisture, they had oils and lubricants of various kinds back then, or at least add some old fashioned spit.
Personally I'm thinking he was/is a bit sadistic. In real life, he will only get worse.
SO- NO - THANK - YOU!!!
Loc 3377 Pg. 254: Hooded premise??  In all the historical or other books I've read in my 75 years, I have never run across a 'cloak, coat, cape, etc' called a "premise", or anything even close to that word, though I do know I that word, but not as clothing.

I kno! Google it!
Loc 3397, pg 255 thru  3701 of 278: this is where she realised who she is and that she is in eminent DANGER, but she hugs some cabinet and takes a maudlin trip down memory lane thinking of her the cottage n village where she lived with her (now 2 years dead) father, and missing sister, wasting at least 5+ minutes, that if she'd reminisced while getting the Hell outta Dodge, she might have made it to her safe destination.  AND THIS is also where a normally level headed housekeeper, suddenly turns into an air headed idiot, both she and the housemaid would have/should have known to speak privately.
Loc 4108 pg 309  his mouth indescribably delicious as it gently ground over hers..
REALLY!  WHAT is with all these harsh/sadistic words. Ground=Grind=abrasion!
Gently moved over hers... OK!  Ground, NOT!
He also has dominating/controlling tendencies.
Loc 4122  oh 310.  Again, he's deliberately causing her pain at the start of intercourse,, Victoria she says she can't n tries to push him away, he holds her in position, "You'll take it for me," he whispered. "You'll take it for me, Victoria".  "Let me inside you Victoria".
*OH my yes, Master, let me get right to it n slide that pesky gate right out of your way, I really don't know why the darn thing is so dry n won't slide out of your way the second you show up demanding a DRY entrance.*
I'm so frustrated and angry because  this COULD/SHOULD have been a terrifically good story, if Grant had been written a bit differently.  He started out great. I LIKE strong, secure, take charge men that can also be/are thoughtful and caring about a woman's feelings and body, without turning into wimps or yes dear idiots.
I HALF HEARTEDLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK. ONLY 3 STARS, COULD of BEEN 5.
I sure as hell would NOT want him watching over me.
4499990
Or maybe "Dragonflight"?  It's really close, either way. This is a beautiful book!  Interesting, tragic, epic, romantic, beautiful, it's a nice breather from the escapades of F'lar and Lessa and really adds depth  to the whole series.  It's like an historical novel, in a sense. Moreta is  an awesome heroine.  Wow--a McCaffrey heroine who's blonde and is neither  drippy nor evil!  In just one novel, McCaffrey brings a lot of characters  to life.  Alessan, Moreta, Capiam, Leri, K'lon, (especially) B'lerion, and  the dragons themselves are very real, without being retreads of old  characters as McCaffrey has a tendency toward. A plague ravages Pern...an  interesting and unusual gimmick for a sci-fi.  At it's heart I think this  book is a sweet, poignant, tragic love story on several levels: between  Moreta and Lord Alessan, between a Weyrwoman and her dragon, between  readers and a fascinating and beautiful world and its denizens. Recommended  highly!!
3039116
Yes Ilove this book too.  I have always been attracted to dragonflies and did not know where the story that my grandmother had told me many years ago about them being snake doctors had come from till I read some of the information in these different books. Thank You
411381
This is really quite stunning. It's more sparkly than it looks in the photo, the blue is slightly deeper, and the opals have a ton of color (including the coveted "fire," or red), even though they look a bit washed out in the photo. It's really quite beautiful, and seems to move or sparkle with every tiny movement. the dragonfly is roughly 3/4" x 3/4"
274052
Gary gives some very specific technics , flies and setups to work with here.
I have not had a chance to try them yet but I have no dought that they work.
His flies are the best I have seen-  they make other flies look like fake toys.
See them here: [...].
Order some of them here: [...]
Gary LaFontaine -- IN MEMORIUM  May 12, 1945  January 4, 2002
454381
Edited by Dr. John C. Abbott of the University of Texas (Austin), this is the second volume of the most recent knowledge on Texas Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies). Not only does it contain the most recent and accurate knowledge on species distribution, but there are charts on flying season for each species of both dragonflies and damselflies. As well, there are informative articles written by enthusiasts and experts alike. This volume is the result of efforts by Abbott to include the input of dragonfly enthusiasts state-wide in the Odonata Survey of Texas (OST). It is a work of invaluable worth to the budding enthusiast and expert alike. I highly recommend this excellent survey.
4311366
Think of it like an alternate version of firefly, complete with ship mascot! Since it's book 5 in the series I don't have much of a convincing review to write(you should already be hooked). If you need a reason to pick it up, the mascot Kubu; a sentient dog like creature withthe intelligence of a toddler; is a pretty good character to get behind and giggle with. He's my favorite. There's a bit more wizardry in this one, lot's of scheming on how to rig a race/stealthe racer.

TL:dr - Firefly+Pod Racing+crime schemes=Awesome read!
2841652
This is one of the most visually appealing nature guides I've read, and it includes some really interesting information about the critters in the text section, but I found myself wanting a lot more information than I got.  Nevertheless this book is a must-have for butterfly enthusiasts and lovers  of fine nature photography, too.
84216
A great guide to learning about dragonflies and identifying the wide variety that are seen! Easily portable, too. The kids especially love the color and information in these nature guides.
1091910
Not happy that at least half the dragonflies no longer light up.  The rest do, just not most of them.  Didn't last long at all--a couple of months.
4620194
I read a lot of Natural History books and I'd have to rate this as one the best I've read.  This is not a book for the casual reader but if you have some science background and have an interest in dragon/damselflies you will appreciate this book.  This covers just about all aspects of the their ecology and natural history but not necessarily biology.  From how a dragonfly selects it's habitat, to thermoregulation, through energy budget, to foraging methods, and much more, you'll find it here.  After reading it I found myself wondering how much more there is to other insects, mammals, birds, etc., that I never really considered.  Highly recommended.