price：$1.50
Dreamspinner Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『After his boyfriend breaks up with him, fashion photographer Caleb Moss finds himself alone in Los Angeles looking for work and friends. He finds both in a group of aspiring musicians, who offer help through their connections. But while building a strong friendship with Scott and Chris, a startling sexual tension flares to life among the three men, and Caleb is afraid the new friendships will fall apart. It won't be easy for Caleb, trying to find his way when Scott and Chris invite him into their relationship. They face criticism from their friends, but they'll struggle to stay together because they have discovered a three-fold love.』
price：$4.80
Penguin (Non-Classics)
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Disappointment) 『This is Arenas' autobiography. Let me say, first, that I have read his works of fiction and have found them to be excellent, and in some cases, hilarious. Second, I really found his graphic descriptions of his homosexual activities to be revolting. Third, this writer was about to be relegated to oblivion because of his frank anti-Communism and the film that was made with this title rescued his writings from oblivion, yet, it is pathetic that he is now being read by the English speaking world not because of his literary talent but because he became a famously persecuted homosexual writer. Again, let me urge the reader to read his other works, because they are good. I have read them in the original Spanish and don't know how well they've translated into other languages, so if you can read them in the original Spanish, do so.』
(This book has been AMAZON RANKED) 『If you found this actual paperback, good for you. Amazon has recently removed sales ranks from several titles it considers "mature," meaning that this result is buried under everything else even remotely related to the title (did you notice that the old edition with no image available came up first, as did out of print editions?). Other titles with gay, lesbian, and transgendered themes are being similarly treated, as are classics such as "Lady Chatterly's Lover."
Put the sales ranks back, Amazon!』
(Cuban misery revealed in one gay man's memoirs...) 『'Before Night Falls' is certainly an eye-opening read. Sure, everyone has heard about life in Cuba in Castro being tough. But for one novelist and poet, a gay one no less, life was unbelievable horrific. Such oppression, including incarceration, for little purpose other than to suppress free speech.
Yet the book isn't all doom and gloom. The author often sees the lighter side of misery and had seemingly remained optimistic through it all. Yet I had difficulty with the author's delight in describing his rampant homosexual trysts; he admits to having sex with about 5,000 men by the time he was 25. Obviously having sex and lots of it was important to him. But honestly, after a while all the names, places and details of his sexcapades grew boring. I am not sure why the author felt the need to share such information with the readers.
Bottom line: certainly an educational and oftentimes moving read. Recommended.』
(Beutiful, Glorious) 『My review will be quite simple, this book is... marvelous, magnificent, beautiful, brilliant, painful, poetic, and glorious. Read it!!!!!!!!』
(Cuba Libre!) 『Anyone can put the their life on paper, but few such endeavors are worth reading. A fine memoir must come alive, must breathe, must sweat, must bleed, must become flesh and blood and acquire a `life` beyond that of its creator. A memoir worth reading (more than once) must become a Frankenstein. Reinaldo Arenas` supremely moving and magical autobiographical journey has become just that, a freakish, terrifying and stunningly gorgeous creation that will carry the memory of its creator well into the future. If Arenas had never written anything else, `Before Night Falls` would have been enough to rocket its author into the pantheon of literary greats.
When I first devoured this book more than ten years ago, it gripped me like some nagging fever. I just couldn`t put it down, nor put its collection of macabre images and revealing epiphanies out of mind. Coming back to it once again, I was amazed that its power and pathos can still hold the reader spellbound. And what exactly is the secret of its magic? The answer lays with Arenas`s unflinching desire to lay himself bare before the reader, completely shorn of the disingenuous veils through which we all like to see ourselves and be seen by others. Arenas makes no such attempt to airbrush his forty-seven years of life into a pretty portrait for posterity. Instead, he gives us what was and nothing more.
But was, was truly a life lived to the full. As full as possible within the Island prison of Fidel Castro. When the first page begins with little Reinaldo expelling a painful and ferocious stomach worm (the result of too much dirt eating!), the die is cast. Page after page, Arenas documents his impoverished upbringing within the wilds of Eastern Cuba. With his stark and matter-of-fact diction, Arenas shades nothing. Yet, through the very simplicity of his language, the images of his magical youth do achieve something of that overused phenomenon within Latin American letters, `magical realism.` Whether describing his lonely and forsaken mother, superstitous grandmother or lecherous grandfather, Arenas` tiny familial world comes alive like that of a Marquez novel. And everpresent throughout are the forces of nature, the rich, luxurious island fauna, the extremes of rain and sun and especially, the powerful and mysterious Caribbean. Throughout his life, the sea remained a mythic and revered instrument of freedom for Arenas, always enticing and prodding him to abandon his island prison, which he eventually did in 1980 with the Mariel exodus.
And in a book where the forces of nature play a central role, sexuality is omnipresent. Arenas` homosexuality was central to who he was as a man and as a writer, and he lived a life many would deem promiscuous at the very least. With seering intensity and unmatched candor, Arenas catalogues his sexual history like few have done before. From the group encounters with his childhood playmates (even a few animals) to the legions of encounters and partners in adulthood, Arenas leaves no stone unturned in documenting the importance of sex in his life. Yet, Arenas` lusty descriptions of his extraordinary erotic life are neither strictly prurient nor solely for voyeuristic thrill. Instead, one feels the palpable, if albeit transitory, joy that the erotic held for Arenas. While some parts of the book will be hard going for the puritan, the arm-chair psychotherapist will have a field day constructing theories as to the source of Arenas` grandiose appetites. Yet, Arenas` makes no excuses nor explanations for his behavior, rather he documents what was, without blinders, without shame.
Like in Kundera`s Czechoslovakia, Arenas` Cuba was/is a place of profound spiritual, emotional and physical suffering. A place where the `state` forced its way into every perimeter of human existence. Sexual expression, along with artistic expression, was the only way of asserting any individual autonomy. But even this was/is controlled and oppressed by the all-compassing arms of Castro`s revolutionary state. Arenas suffered persecution and torture for both his uncompromising sexual autonomy and for his individual artistic voice. Branded a `degenerate` and `counter-revolutionary,` Arenas paid a heavy price for his refusal to conform. Some of `Before Night Falls` most endearing and moving passages involve Arenas` internment in the infamous `El Morro` concentration camp.
While the constant references to the Cuban literary milieu and its inhabitants can confuse the reader (who informed on who!), they never wholly detract from the fluidity of the narrative nor from the power of the voice locked within. `Before Night Falls` is like a boulder rolling down a steep cliff. With each page, it only gains in intensity and ferocity.
With Arenas`decision to end his richly lived and endured years, `Before Night Falls` comes to an abrupt stop. But not end, for this is truly an unfinished work. Arenas` spirit stays with the reader long after the last word is digested, feverishly waiting for his country to catch up with him.
Arenas` last words say it best, `Cuba will be free. I already am.`
』 『This shocking personal and political memoir from one of the most visionary writers to emerge from Castro's Cuba recounts Arenas' stunning odyssey--from his poverty-stricken childhood through his suppression as a writer and imprisonment as a homosexual to his flight to America and subsequent life and death in New York. A New York Times Best Book of 1993.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (An honest opinion) 『This book leans a lot toward the gay and lesbian agenda and it's not what I was initially looking for. However, it certainly shows a different perspective on homosexuality.』
(Good if you want a pro gay perspective) 『This book was recomended to me by my pastor, but not as an acceptable point of view. It has good advice as far as how your gay child sees the world, and how to start a dialog if you have lost communication with them, but is is not written from a Christian Theological viewpoint. The theme of this book is "it's ok to be gay". I believe that we need to love gay people just like we love others with sexual perversions. I don't hate someone who is addicted to porn, but I do tell them that it is wrong in God's eyes and bad for them. I get the feeling that this author would say "support your friend, join a porno support group, and tell them it's ok to like porn even if it's not what you like." I would not agree with this. I don't think it's ok to be gay, but I do love my child. There are much better books to help you help your gay child. Read anything by Joe Dallas.』
(Understanding and accepting your gay child) 『The 30th anniversary of PFLAG is a fitting time for this updated edition. Former national vice president of PFLAG, Robert Bernstein has chronicled not only his own journey to acceptance and support of his lesbian daughter, but also the founding and continuing growth of PFLAG. Moving stories of the founders and leaders of PFLAG blend with Bernstein's story. These tales underline the ability of loving parents to work together toward acceptance of their children's differences. Following their initial shock, guilt, and grief, all these parents have found their way to acceptance and respect for their special children. Their realization that this is still the child they love is the first great step. Most have gone on from this stage to help and support other parents through their early traumas and into the light and joy of truly sharing their children's lives. PFLAG plays a major role in all their lives. Many have become staunch advocates for equality and acceptance of their own and all other such children into the larger community. Straight Parents, Gay Children includes stories of celebrities, politicians (even the Vice President of the US), and religious leaders of many faiths who have faced and accepted homosexuality for themselves or within their families. These highly visible community and national leaders stand in strong contrast to the homophobia and hatred so apparent in the public proclamations of other church and political leaders. A new chapter in this edition is devoted to these celebrities and other leaders. Toward the end of the book is a "Survival Guide." It debunks the concept of guilt - that the parents "did something wrong" to make their child homosexual. This chapter presents arguments to overcome the shame and anger that usually erupt shortly after your child's announcement "Mom, Dad, I'm gay." You are led toward understanding and respect for your courageous child. And, if you are willing, you are led to publicly support not only your own child, but all who are subjected to marginalization due to their sexual or gender diversity. Another new chapter in this edition, "Family Values," discusses gay and lesbian parenting. In "The Unreliability of Stereotypes," Bernstein discusses common stereotypes of policing, professional sports, and politics - where they are "...unmasked as, well, fairy tales." As author Bernstein points out, "If you have a gay child, you are in the very best of company." 』
(Great for parents who want enlightenment) 『And that's the problem with this book, if it's not read within its parameters. Robert A. Bernstein, inspired to write his book after his teenage daughter came out as a lesbian, has some wonderful examples of parental support of gay, lesbian, bi and transgendered children, and support for parents is the reason for the book. And the history of the parental group (P-FLAG) of such children is intriguing and informative. Certainly, just as gay and lesbian children need the support of their families, so their parents need their unique support systems. Unfortunately, parents who reject not only their childrens' "alternate" lifestyles but their children in whole, aren't likely to read Bernstein's book simply because they probably don't want to understand what they disdain for whatever reason. The real-life parent-child relationships posited here are wonderful, and it would be truly magnificent if all parent-child relationships could be as they are here. Additionally, the children in this book are older, not necessarily pre- and teenagers, thus exluding the parents of these age-specific issues. Further, many of the children cited here are usually on track toward personal and professional fulfillment, quite likely partly because of their parents' support. Unfortunately, a great many others, if not more, have either been fully abandoned by their parents and family or, if they haven't, don't have what could qualify as anything nearing a healthy relationship with their parents. By its title, Bernstein's novel is directed toward parents, and certainly they need support just as much as their children. But to conclude that all gay and lesbian children have their families' unconditional love and support would be a tragic mistake. Unfortunately, all too many parents, presumably affected by the fears and prejudices of homophobia, will likely never accept their childrens' alternative choices and will never have a need for a book like this. But for those parents who do, Bernstein's work is a wonderful beginning toward understanding.』
(Good for parents!) 『I just finishing reading this book. It was a good read but it is more or less for parents to read. Don't get me wrong, I learned some things: what parents go through, some things on society, history of p-flag, and such but it was not all that I hoped this book would be. The author uses lots of high profile people as examples in this book so it was hard for someone like me to figure out just where I stand in life. As it will probably be for parents to place their child among these people who are exampled.
Most of the themes in this book are more adult rather than young teens to young adult. It is a good attempt to give an overview of the "gay" world but it was not what I expected.
I would recomend this book for parents of gay children who want to learn more about the life style, history, p-flag, ect. But not to learn about their children. The only way to do that is to ask them yourself.』
『A personal account by a father who discovered that his life was enriched by his daughter's homosexuality reveals his experiences with P-FLAG, an organization that helps parents understand human diversity and speak out on their children's behalf. Tour.IP.』 『The courageous and levelheadedStraight Parents, Gay Children, Armistead Maupin comments, "shows the parents of gay children how to stop merely tolerating their kids and start being their heroes." Robert A. Bernstein made this essential move to "heroism" himself after his daughter Bobbi came out to him and her stepmother in the mid-1980s, when she was 19. Soon after, they attended a meeting of P-FLAG (Parents, Friends and Family of Lesbians and Gays) at a nearby church, and Bernstein realized that he had joined a small but powerful group of people unable to support the continued oppression of their gay loved ones. Bernstein brings together stirring quotes (even from such unlikely sources as the late Senator Barry Goldwater) and inspiring stories, like those of Jane Spahr, the first openly gay minister to be called as a pastor of the Presbyterian church (and later denied the post) and of Dr. Roscoe Thorne, a former lumberjack and weightlifter who spoke to a packed room at a military hearing set up to discharge his son from the navy despite his brilliant career as a "Top Gun" pilot. A useful book for therapists, clergy, and educators, and an essential resource for parents of gay and bisexual children.--Regina Marler』
price：$6.06
University of Minnesota Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Classic Literary Memoir) 『I've just finished reading Christopher Isherwood's beautiful little memoir of the years 1929 to 1939, Christopher and His Kind. The personalities that Isherwood surrounded himself with, both little and well-known, provide much of the book's content. Isherwood, with wonderful candor, discusses his meetings and relationships with such luminaries as E.M. Forster, Stephen Spender, W.H. Auden and Rosamond Lehmann. The lesser-known figures, such as the dazzling aesthete Brian Howard, and Gerald Hamilton, a sort of shady internationalist and editor, are just as fascinating. Possessing a gift for anecdote and a deeply sympathetic personality, Isherwood's renderings of his contemporaries are a joy to read and always ring true. The book has occasionally dark themes, especially those surrounding the political milieu of the time and the rising tensions in Europe. As we relive Isherwood's life during these years, we share his sense of impending doom. Isherwood's lover, Heinz, is actually arrested and imprisoned by the Gestapo and was later forced to fight on the Russian front (an experience which he miraculously survived). Isherwood's treatment of homosexuality is matter-of-fact; he never seems to have felt guilt or pain over it, but rather early on in his life felt that it was sort of a personal game for he and his friends. During the course of the book, however, he is forced to develop an increasing consciousness of being a member of an unwieldy 'tribe' of gays that extends far beyond his small personal world. At first, it seems like Isherwood is going to write in the third person, but he continually lapses back and forth between the first and the third, an effect which is slightly bewildering but doesn't really effect the book negatively. Christopher and His Kind provides a near perfect picture of literary and gay life of the Europe of the thirties.』
(How kind of Isherwood) 『To reveal a more candid portrait of his life between 1929 and 1939.
Christopher and His Kind explores the real story behind his travels back and forth from England to Germany, and the people and events that influenced his life during this decade of time.
Having first read 'Down there on a Visit', which draws experiences and people from this time in his life as it's foundation, it was amusing to read the 'real' story behind certain characters and situations described in the former novel.
Isherwood is far more frank about his homosexuality, and his encounters with other males, in this book, which can also be attributed to the time period in which this was written, being the 1970's, which definitely saw a more liberal attitude emerging than in the 50's, and 60's. But at the same time, he never seems 'graphic' or overindulgent in his descriptiveness. A sense of propriety and discretion carries throughout.
The only off-putting aspect of this novel to me, which lists many of Isherwoods contemporaries and friends, including Wystan Auden, E.M. Forster, Virginia Woolf, Aldous Huxley, and more, is that Isherwood in many, many instances refers to himself in the third person, as Christopher, and then immediately switches to first person, 'me'....which is a bit confusing. It reminded me of another book by an 'autobiographical' author, Edmund White (The Married Man) in which White switches from his usual first-person narrative to a third person narrative, leaving me with the impression that he found himself unable to record the events described as anything but an outsider, or observer. I wonder if perhaps the same is true with Isherwood?
Regardless, this book delves deep into his travels, and interactions with his friends and family. Also described are his days with a long-term love and travel companion, and the lengths Isherwood went to for this young man. The book hints at much more to come with the ending words, which is by far my favorite 'line' out of the four Isherwood works I have read...knowing what he is refering to....but I won't give it away.
An excellent read, and entertaining to any fan of this gifted author, to know more about his life and times.
』
(One of a Kind) 『This book is one of a kind....brilliant, great, adventurous, a classic. Words do not describe it. Isherwood lays evertything on the table. He shows all his cards. This is one of the most exciting books I've ever read. I'm a college student and I skipped all of the ten thousand other books I have to read in order to read this one. It was not a waste of time. Once you get into this book it's a blast. The best part is following Isherwood across Europe. If you want the definitive feeling about the Modern Era read this book. You will get to know such characters as EM Forster, W.H. Auden, and Virginia Woolfe.....Gee, ever heard of them? This is the last great classic Isherwood wrote. I was so entranced by the words that I stayed up all night to finnish it. It's defintiely on my all time favorite list.』
(Interesting Read- rewarding for the patient) 『I will admit to being slightly put off by the text when I first started reading it. However, once past the unique construction of grammar and syntax, it was an enjoyable experience. I found the filter of the English class system, homosexuality and 1920's mores an interesting perspective. I would recommend reading some of Isherwood's other texts before undertaking this one as many of the stories and characters are freely referenced and revealed in a truer light. The descriptions of Germany are unique to his age and thoroughly fascinating. The story of the man he tries to save from the Nazi's is interesting, but I particularly liked the end of the novel where he broaches the future and seeking love, and true companionship. Overall I fine read.』
(Isherwood discovers Berlin and boys) 『Christopher Isherwood makes it clear in his introduction that this book will be candid about his homosexuality. It begins with his move to Berlin and covers the time up to his move to America. There are fascinating anecdotes: the character of Sally Bowles (later made famous by "Cabaret") was named after the then unknown but handsome American Paul Bowles. Isherwood read E.M. Forster's "Maurice" in manuscript, decades before it was published. These are just a few. And note: his "Diaries: Volume 1" begins just *after* this book (the earlier diaries were destroyed)』 『Originally published in 1976, Christopher and His Kind covers the most memorable ten years in the writer's life-from 1929, when Isherwood left England to spend a week in Berlin and decided to stay there indefinitely, to 1939, when he arrived in America. His friends and colleagues during this time included W. H. Auden, Stephen Spender, and E. M. Forster, as well as colorful figures he met in Germany and later fictionalized in his two Berlin novels-who appeared again, fictionalized to an even greater degree, in I Am a Camera and Cabaret.
What most impressed the first readers of this memoir, however, was the candor with which he describes his life in gay Berlin of the 1930s and his struggles to save his companion, a German man named Heinz, from the Nazis. An engrossing and dramatic story and a fascinating glimpse into a little-known world, Christopher and His Kind remains one of Isherwood's greatest achievements.
A major figure in twentieth-century fiction and the gay rights movement, Christopher Isherwood (1904-1986) is the author of Down There on a Visit, Lions and Shadows, A Meeting by the River, The Memorial, Prater Violet, A Single Man, and The World in the Evening, all available from the University of Minnesota Press.』
price：$3.73
Seal Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (It's just OK) 『On one hand, this book was a very boring read in the sense that it just dragged on and on. On the other hand, it seemed pretty informative about alot of issues that arise from the choice to be a crossdresser or trannie. It does seem, however that the author touches on a very important ellement: HOW to be supportive of your spouse, whether you are the wife or the CDing husband. She manages to point out that there are many other much worse things in life to be upset over than this type of lifestyle. Once was enough for me to read but I'm glad I did.』
(not what I expected) 『I thought this book would be a memoir of a woman having suspisions and then finding out about her husband's crossdressing. Followed by how their relationship changed and how she finally learned to accept. It is not like that at all. The book reads like a psychology textbook on crossdressing. The problems it causes the men and woman etc. the stages they go through, society's views etc. It does have some interveiws but mostly the reading is very dry.』
(Interesting but nothing much) 『Being a Crossdresser, I purchased this book for my Wife to understand the concept of TG/Crossdressing and their life in General.
She read a few pages and looked unimpressed.I mean there was nothing special than what she already knew or I told her about.
When I tried to read through, I could success only for few more pages than her..
So.. loan it or rent it... its not a collectible for sure.』
(My Husband Betty) 『In her book "My Husband Betty" Helen Boyd clears up a lot of misconceptions that crossdressing men have of themselves and their way of relating to women. It also clears up a lot of misconceptions that their female partners have of their man's crossdressing behaviour and their wishes. It also pulls no punches in revealing the depth of betrayal that a woman feels when she finds out about her husband's crossdressing later on in their relationship, when her husband should have been honest with her from the very beginning of their relationship. A brilliant book worth reading more than once.』
(Insight into male-to-female cross-dressing) 『For those looking for an insight into male-to-female crossdressing, this is an excellent choice. While it is written from the basis of a wife's point of view, it encompasses far more information than a single person's viewpoint. Helen Boyd is founder of CDOD, an on-line meeting and discussion place for couples. In her position as moderator, she has thoroughly researched crossdressers, crossdressing, and their effect on marriages and families. While she is in a committed, monogamous, legally married relationship with her CD husband, Betty, she is also very aware of the stresses crossdressing can bring to a relationship. Helen's in-depth study of wives and girlfriends reactions to their CD partners is both interesting and surprising. Interesting, in that they vary so greatly. Surprising, in the degree of acceptance - and yes, pleasure - many find in their relationships. Helen stresses that keeping crossdressing a secret from ones own partner violates the trust required for a successful relationship. Where honest disclosure occurs early in the relationship, trust is strengthened. The potential partner can then enter the relationship with her eyes and heart open and the knowledge that her partner trusts her enough to disclose this "secret." Helen's book does not simply paint a pretty picture. Many wives, especially where their partner's crossdressing has been kept secret for years, lose their trust in him. What else has he been hiding? Does he really want to transition fully and become a woman? Some try to restrict or eliminate their husband's crossdressing, with the result that the relationship is severely damaged anyway. Some struggle with keeping this situation a secret from their friends and families, damaging those relationships as well. Many wonder if being attracted to a crossdresser makes them lesbian - still unacceptable in our generally homophobic society. The book includes sections on why men crossdress, why they can't stop, who their girlfriends and wives are, and how they cope. There are segments on how to make these relationships work which, like most relationships, require some accommodation from both parties and a lot of honest communication. One segment deals with the crossdresser's wife's greatest fear - that her husband may realize he is transsexual and needs to transition to a woman. Sexuality in crossdressing relationships earns its own chapter, as does a discussion of gender politics. Public awareness of the transsexual community is gaining ground as more and more TS come out and demand their civil rights. Acceptance is growing. Meanwhile, the crossdressers largely remain in the closet. The absence of "out" crossdressing leadership and political organization makes CD's acceptance unlikely. Crossdressers must be "Out, Loud, and Proud" to change hearts and minds. I found this book fascinating. As father to a male-to-female transsexual and an activist in the GLBT community, I have learned a great deal about transsexuals - but very little about crossdressers. "My Husband Betty" gave me a much broader base for understanding and supporting this segment of the transgender community. 』 『Author Helen Boyd is a happily married woman whose husband enjoys sharing her wardrobe—and she has written the first book on transgendered men to focus on their relationships and their female partners. Traditionally known as cross-dressers, transvestites, or drag queens, men like Helen’s husband are diverse and don’t always conform to stereotype. Many of the older transvestitesare socially conservative, deeply closeted, and devout churchgoers. Helen addresses every imaginable question concerning the reasons for behavior that still baffles not only "mental health professionals" but the practitioners themselves; the taxonomy of the transgendered and the distinct but overlapping societies of each group; coming out; bisexuality; and homophobia. The book features interviews with some very interesting people, all of whom struggle and love: dominatrix and her cross-dressing husband; a crossdressing Reiki master and his son; a woman who after dating one cross-dresser wanted to date others and met—and fell in love with—a transsexual instead; a woman whose husband promised her he was only a cross-dresser and later realized that he was transsexual. This is a book about relationships that will engage the reader, and Helen’s narrative is a powerful lens with which to examine our own notions of gender and equality.』
price：$5.74
Quest
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Couldn't put it down) 『This is an excellent summer read. I found myself picking this book up every minute I had. Reed is an excellent story teller. It was so nice to find a gay suspense thriller. This book will keep you wanting to read on. Really interesting how Reed jumps back and forth with the characters and time sequence. I was sorry to see the book end.』
(Addictive, tremendous...an absolute page turner.) 『I ran across this book on Amazon by accident...and ordered it because of the subject material. Gay chatlines gone wrong? Murderous people chatting you up and you inviting them over? It's very realistic, at least it is to me...I could easily see the events in this book actually happening.
I'm not gonna recap the plot, the other reviews do that, as does the description. I will say that this book was almost impossible to put down. I wouldn't have had it not been for real life events such as alarm clocks and a desk job :) The ending of every chapter literally left me hanging, just wanting to see what happened next. I found myself sneaking and reading when I should have been working or doing other things...and staying up way past my bedtime to read a few more pages...which ended up being a mistake because the book is super creepy and when you're alone in a house late at night the last thing I probably should have been doing was reading about this book!
The villain here is just great. Creepy, sometimes terrifying...realistic...and absolutely vicious. The murders in the book are pretty gory, which I can appreciate as a hardcore fan of horror and gore. The sex scenes were pretty graphic which, again, was a change since most other books are so tame. What I can say about Rick Reed is he "goes there"...the place you wish other authors would go more often...or at least I do :)
I am so glad I got this book and discovered Rick Reed. I can't wait to read another of his books soon!』
(Review of IM) 『Review of IM Copyright 2009, Jim Penny Word count: 566
IM, written by Rick R. Reed, was published by Quest in 2007. It is available in paperback (256 pages) at Amazon for $17.95. The Kindle version will set you back $4.79, and you'll have it in a single minute instead of waiting a week.
Trust me, you do not want to wait for this one.
However, be judicious regarding when you plan to start reading this title. You want to be sure you have no substantial responsibilities for the time it'll take you to read those 256 pages. That is because you are unlikely to put it down until you finish, and let me warn you now, the last 30 pages will leave you breathless with tears streaming. Have the tissues handy.
IM is the story of a serial killer in Chicago who specializes in the brutal murder of gay men who use a particular web site to arrange hook-ups. That is all I'm going to tell you about the story because it's a whodunit, and the more I tell you, the more I take from you the thrill of riding this roller coaster. Besides, there is no way I'm going to do Reed justice in my retelling of his tale. Do yourself a favor and hear it from the horse's mouth.
Although the story in and of itself is worth the price of admission, and it's telling is a study in how to do tell a story, neither was my real take-away from this compelling read. No, the story and it's telling were just the icing on the cake. The cake was the underlying analysis of the dysfunctionality in the gay community that makes it difficult to establish, and damned near impossible to maintain, loving relationships.
Mind you, I'm not sure this theme would be visible to the straight reader.
In particular, we have what I call the filters, which are the requirements one man places on the other men to exclude them from social contact. Too hairy. Too smooth. Too tall. Too fat. Not enough time in gay church, aka the gym. Style of clothing not quite on target. Check the M4M side of Craig's List, while it lasts, and see it for yourself. The list is freakin' endless, and it drives me ber-T-zerk! We pile on requirements for particular physical attributes until if there is an man who meets specifications, he's probably time zones away and unlikely to ever cross your shadow.
Is there any wonder we spend so much of our lives alone?
While presenting all this nonsense, and yes, he does snortle at it all, Reed asks the important question, doing so in a manner that left me processing the question in the background as I continued to race through his prose. And he knows the answer, just as I know the answer, just as every thinking gay man knows the answer, but he leaves it for you to find, which is the real genius lurking just under this delightful and rending story. You can miss it, and you'll still have your excellent read. You can catch it, and now you have your story, and you also have your take-away.
Why are we so screwed up, and how do we get over it? That's another question for another day, but IM and Reed are all over it. 』
(Another great book from Rick R Reed) 『No doubt about it, Rick R. Reed has a magic touch with suspense and horror, and his novel "IM" is a perfect example. This story will grab you by the throat and draw you in to this world of madness and bloodshed from the first sentence. It will then hold you spellbound and fascinated page by page, until the final climax comes crashing down around you, and you wake up and realize that the story is over.
Mr. Reed has written this story from several different viewpoints, allowing the reader to experience the unfolding drama from the eyes of many different people involved - Ed Comparetto, his lover, Timothy Bright, Timothy's aunt, the victims - and giving insight into each one. This makes us understand, although not necessarily sympathize with, the motivation behind their actions. The way the story jumps from viewpoint to viewpoint, sometimes in the present and sometimes back in time, builds the suspense and stretches the tension tight until it quivers on a breaking point. And there it hangs as we watch in horrified fascination as the climax of the story approaches.
The main characters in "IM" are well developed and feel very real in a horrible kind of way. Ed Comparetto and Timothy Bright share the limelight, and while Ed may be considered the "hero" of the story, Timothy is in my opinion the main character. We are given Ed's back story, experience his emotional turmoil, and root for him to flush the malefactor out, but we also seem to witness this all from a couple of steps back. Timothy, on the other hand, we get "down and dirty" with. We delve into his mind, read his aunt's journal entries, and experience his crimes and his rage in the first person. As we look into this killer's psyche, we even may have brief flashes of sympathy for him, but then we pull back and see him for the monster he is. Mr. Reed's description of Timothy as an "evil elf" is very visual and quite effective. It brings to mind horror movies and thoughts of Freddie Krueger and Chucky the homicidal doll.
I found it very difficult to choose a "sensuality level" for this novel. The sexual acts that occur in the story are not especially detailed - this is certainly not a romance or erotica. However, the antagonist's recounting of his own past sexual experiences and tendencies is pretty graphic. I'm giving it a 3 in an attempt at an average, with the caveat that the reader understand how I got there. In this case, the 3 means that it might be a little graphic for younger readers, not that it's sexy. Because it's not sexy...it's frightening. And purposely so.
In all, "IM" is a very well-executed and wonderfully horrifying novel. If you enjoy suspense and horror, there is little doubt that you will enjoy this as much as I did. 』
(Couldn't put it down) 『This book slammed me into the story right at the beginning and then swept me through to the end. I couldn't stop reading once I started. A wild ride through the world of gay hook ups, insanity and terror. Loved it!』 『The Internet Is the New Meat Market for Gay Men Now a Killer Is Turning the Meat Market into a Meat Wagon.
One by one, he's killing them. Lurking in the digital underworld of Men4HookUpNow.com, he lures, seduces, charms, reaching out through instant messages to the unwary. He's just another guy.
They invite him over. He's just another trick. Harmless. They're dead wrong.
When the first bloody body surfaces, openly gay Chicago Police Department detective Ed Comparetto is called in to investigate. Sickened by the butchered mess of one of his brothers left on display in a bathtub, he seeks relief outside where the young man who discovered the body waits to tell him the story of how he found his friend. But who is this witness...and did he play a bigger part in the murder than he's letting on?
For Comparetto, this encounter with a witness is the beginning of a nightmare. Because this witness did more than just show up at the scene of the crime; he set the scene. And maybe, he's more than just a killer...maybe he's dead himself.
Comparetto is on a journey to discover the truth, a truth that he needs to discover before he loses his career, his boyfriend, his sanity...his life. Because in this killer's world, IM doesn't stand for instant message...it stands for instant murder.』
price：$2.79
Torquere Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Love the series) 『I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's well written and kept me interested throughout. The characters are very endearing, and the story is romantic, exciting, funny and thrilling. Hope there are more of these books to come.』
(Breaks the tension) 『Warning, slight spoiler alert!
In book 2 the sexual tension between Liall and Scarlet finally breaks, and believe me, it is worth the wait. In fact, it wouldn't have been nearly as hot if it had happened immediately in the first book. This way, by the time it actually happens, the characters are more real to you, they have actual personalities and a plot that you have gotten wrapped up in. And the plot is so much fun, by the way! An adventurous pedler meets a bandit leader, and they run away together, and then you discover the bandit is really a prince, and they're headed into major court intrigue and badder villains! Doesn't get much better than that. Oh, and you will actually LIKE the two main characters. I could have fallen in love with either of them...or both, which is what I think I did. If you are a fan of gay fantasy, read this series!』
(Kirby Crow is the BEST author of (gay) fantasy/romance.) 『I could go on forever about this series... If you've been craving fantasy with a romantic spin, and with characters that "happen to be gay" (as opposed to yet another gay novel where the fantasy and relationships take a back seat to sex and self-loathing), this series is for you. The best part is that, by the time you get to anything sexy, you care so much about the characters that you feel the connection between them, not just the steaminess of the scene. LOVE THESE BOOKS.』
(More Kirby!) 『I love this entire series by Kirby Crow, and quickly grabbed up all three books as soon as they were released in print-book format. I read the ebook versions first, and decided then and there that I had to have the set if they were ever released. Kirby Crow has created a wonderful "man-love" series using fantasy, drama, action, comedy and everything in between. The relationship between Liall and Scarlet has finally progressed, with the two men sharing, almost, everything. Scarlet still thinks that Liall is holding part of himself back and keeping secrets from him, while Liall continues to fall deeper and deeper in love with the fiercely independent young peddlar. In the final volume, Liall and Scarlet have arrived at the wintery kingdom that is Liall's homeland. I don't want to give too much away, but if you are looking for hot, hot man love, you might want to skip the first volume of this series and go to volume 2. However, if you want to get a wonderfully engrossing read with two romantic male leads, try the series. I think you'll enjoy this one!』 『In this second book of the Scarlet and the White Wolf trilogy, Scarlet the pedlar and Liall the bandit find themselves among hostile company aboard a Rshani brigantine headed north through icy waters. Liall has been summoned home to Rshan na Ostre by way of a cryptic message. Scarlet, after a near-fatal encounter with bounty-hunters seeking Liall's head, recklessly follows Liall into danger. Now the unlikely pair -a slight, honorable Hilurin and a giant northern rogue- are relentlessly pursued over rough seas on a perilous journey for Liall to reclaim his past, but what new dangers will await them in the fabled Land of Night?』
price：$4.47
Bold Strokes Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (quick, steamy read) 『short on plot and character development, but loaded with plenty of hot scenes between the two main characters. once you start, you won't want to put the book down. you might not want to read this one in public.』
(Sexy...sexy...sexy!) 『I could not put this book down. Your imagination will run wild. I'm still thinking about it and it's been weeks since i read it!』
(Nice!) 『Though erotic, this book actually gets you thinking about people interaction, being judgmental, and values in relationships. The characters are genuine and you find yourself caring about them both and hoping for the relationship that develops to work out. Never judge a book by its cover is the lesson here, look deeper into a person than just what you see on the outside.
Very well done.』
(Poor porn story for you to read) 『If you want silly smut then this is the type of story for you. If you want a read that promotes the value of women and their relationships and problems in being who they really are then save your money for something better. After finishing this story I was sorry that the lift did not combust with both women in it! Why is sex the be-all-and-end-all of a story? Perhaps because the writer can't think of anything else to write about. Imagine this fantasy: lesbians get good quality fiction to read that treats women as important people and not sexual objects. Meghan O'Brien writes a crumby story that is little else that porn in this novel. This first part is the women trapped in the lift and the second part is a realisation of the women's sexual fantasies. O.K. they end up happy-ever-after but the reality is that we gwt to know nothing about them and their real life and the complexities of two women trying to live within a world, especially a corporate world that is still very slow to accept women as valued workers. I want something much better to read that this. Trash goes out once a week but a story like this makes trash of the troubles gay women have living in hostile environments and finding true relationships based on issues that are meaningful.』
(Porn Book) 『Where is the story?? This is basically a porn book. 98% of this book is sex. I skimmed almost half of the book because there was no interest. It's only about two lesbians meeting each other and having the sex of their life--it's a pretty dirty book. There is no "romance" in there, just lust. They tell each other their fantasies and act on it...they use dirty talk...everything just revolves around sex.
I bought this book on June 15th of 2008, and after the first few chapters I decided to stop reading. Now, one year and a month later, I decided to TRY to finish it. I ended up flipping the pages and skimming.
I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone...unless you want to have a porn book. I didn't know a software developer (the author) can have such a dirty mind.』 『Can you fall in love in thirteen hours?
It's her birthday but lonely workaholic Dana Watts is at the office late, drafting a proposal. The very last interruption she expects comes in the form of the most beautiful breasts she has ever seen. These belong to an incredibly hot woman, who is standing in front of her, stripping to music.
Laurel Stanley performs strip-o-grams to pay her way through school. She has never encountered a more ungrateful recipient than Dana. The uptight project manager makes it clear that she is furious to be distracted from her work by the "gift" a colleague sent and equally appalled by Laurel's occupation.
After Dana is rude and insulting, and insists on escorting Laurel from the building, the two women take an elevator ride that changes everything. Stuck with each other for thirteen long hours after the elevator breaks down, they discover how wrong first impressions can be and how right two strangers can feel together.
Can everything change in less than a day? Dana and Laurel set out to discover if their passionate elevator encounter can mean more in this fast-paced, erotic story of lust, loneliness, fantasy, and desire.』
price：$7.66
Duke University Press
Usually ships in 24 hours 『Hold On to Your Dreamsis the first biography of the musician and composer Arthur Russell, one of the most important but least known contributors to the downtown New York music scene during the 1970s and 1980s. With the exception of a few dance recordings, including "Is It All Over My Face?" and "Go Bang! #5," Russell's pioneering music was largely forgotten until the issue of two albums in 2004 triggered a revival of interest, which gained momentum with the release of additional albums and the documentary filmWild Combination. Based on interviews with more than seventy of his collaborators, family members, and friends,Hold On to Your Dreamsprovides vital new information about this singular, eccentric musician and his role in the boundary-breaking downtown music scene.
Tim Lawrence traces Russell's odyssey from his hometown of Oskaloosa, Iowa, to countercultural San Francisco, and eventually to New York, where he lived from 1973 until his death from AIDS-related complications in 1992. Refusing definition while dreaming of commercial success, Russell wrote and performed new wave and disco as well as quirky rock, twisted folk, voice-cello dub, and hip-hop inflected pop. "He was way ahead of other people in understanding that the walls between concert music and popular music and avant-garde music were illusory," comments the composer Philip Glass. "He lived in a world in which those walls weren't there." Lawrence follows Russell across musical genres and through such vital downtown music spaces as the Kitchen, the Loft, the Gallery, the Paradise Garage, and the Experimental Intermedia Foundation. Along the way, he captures Russell's openness to sound, his commitment to collaboration, and his uncompromising idealism.』
price：$7.66
Alyson Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A SPLENDID COLLECTION) 『Once again, Bram hits the mark. A wonderful journey into the head and heart of one of today's best writers.His immersion and observations prove to be a true odyssey through the gay culture of the last thirty years. Highly recommended.』
(Poetic Essays by a Literary Master) 『Christopher Bram is such a gifted story teller that it would stand to reason that his ramblings about his own life and about such varied topics as Henry James, adolescent problems of deciding sexuality, the effect of AIDS on literature, gossip novels, etc. would be rich in anecdotes and humor and philosophy. But even appreciation of his depth of literary skills does not provide the reader of MAPPING THE TERRITORY with an adequate clue as to just how fine Bram writes essays such as these.
Much of the book falls into the autobiographical zone: 'Slow Learners' is an extended 'novella' of Bram's highschool, college, and grad school days as they molded his preference for friends in general and life partners in particular - an at times hilarious tale and at times tender and supportive guide to figuring out life as a young man. He also offers a rich essay on the books that influenced his own writing, books he reviews for the reader in a way that few other reviewers can. He shares his views of life in the Village in New York, revisits Larry Kramer's notorious novel 'Faggots', and delves into Oscar Wilde with a penchant for wit and concrete criticism.
Woven throughout this endlessly entertaining book is Christopher Bram's elegant use of the English language. Reading this collection adds to his stature as one of America's finest writers. And he seems like a guy you'd like to have over to dinner! Communication, elucidation, and warmth suffuse these pages as only Christopher Bram could write. Grady Harp, October 09』
(A Collection) 『Bram, Christopher. "Mapping the Territory: Selected Nonfiction", Alyson Books, 2009.
A Collection
Amos Lassen
Christopher Bram is primarily known as a novelist and an excellent one at that. You may known him as the man who wrote "Gods and Monsters" and "Exiles in America" among others. In this book, however, we see Bram as an essayist and when taken all together we get a look at Bram, the person. Here he writes about topics such as coming out, his friends, film, gay literature and Henry James. He tells us why he and his partner will not get married and he gives great insight into Christopher Bram, the man. He also takes us to the gay ghetto of Greenwich Village and gives us a good look at gay life from the inside. His writing is stylish and graceful and I found myself pulled in immediately. As a literary person I was quite interested in the books he read and how they influenced him and his being a literary person, he wrote just about that. We are lucky to have an author like him writing for us. 』 『
Novelist Christopher Bram has been writing essays for twenty-five years.Mapping the Territory, his first collection of nonfiction, ranges through such topics as the power of gay fiction, coming out in the 1970s in Virginia, low-budget filmmaking with friends in New York, and the sexual imagination of Henry James. He describes the heady experience of seeing his novelGods and Monstersmade into an Oscar-winning movie starring Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, and Lynn Redgrave; and he discusses why he and his partner of thirty years don't want to get married. Bram looks both into and out of himself in these essays. He revisits the titles he read while finding himself as a gay man, and he also shows us Greenwich Village as seen from his front stoop. The book is not simply a collection of short pieces—it's an autobiography of ideas from one of today’s most lively and popular novelists.
Christopher Bramis the author of nine novels, includingThe Notorious Dr. August,Lives of the Circus Animals, andExiles in America. His fifth novel,Gods and Monsters, was made into the Oscar-winning movie. He grew up in Virginia where he was a paperboy and Eagle Scout and attended the College of William and Mary. He was a Guggenheim Fellow and winner of the Bill Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement. He lives in New York.
The scallop of large satisfactory ! northern countries and - [ of how much ] botan shrimp are ! tightly.
getting to know the technique of motorbike expensive sale -- Ta -- if -- -
>
