price：$5.10
Co.
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A good start) 『In her Ar'n't I a Woman: Female Slaves in the Plantation South (1985), Deborah Gray White primarily challenges and corrects John W. Blassingame's singular focus on male slaves and masculinity, which was a product of the African-American males' Men's Rights Movement, so to speak. White is also adding to historiographical debates begun by Stanley Elkins, who says slavery made Africans into submissive, child-like individuals; Kenneth M. Stampp, who denies slaves had culture; and Eugene D. Genovese, who focuses on culture but uses the theory of paternalism focusing on slavery as a relationship based on consensus. Ultimately, however, all of these works serve as revisionist histories of U.B. Phillips's American Negro Slavery.
White's monograph is also the byproduct of the Civil Rights Movement and of the Women's Rights Movement. Although a precise date for the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement is impossible, it was clearly in progress with the Supreme Court's Brown vs. Board of Education decision in 1954. This movement awakened the attention of historians and the public to recognize and study the agency and equality of black Americans. Prior to the late 1960s and 1970s, all women, black or white, were generally excluded from the historian's scrutiny; therefore, it is not exceptional that it took until 1985 for enslaved African women to truly receive scholarly attention. Furthermore, whether consciously or unconsciously, these then contemporary events influenced White's choice of a topic, if only because of the new attention these minorities received. White was the first scholar to truly study enslaved black women.
Although their responsibilities were different, African-American women, like men, were slaves in the American South during the colonial and antebellum period. These women, like their male counterparts, were all individuals who were neither singularly submissive, caring, and/or sexual, nor superhuman as the "Jezebel" and "Mammy" stereotypes/archetypes disseminate. Female slaves did face a "double oppression" due to the combination of their race and sex (23). They also had dual responsibilities working for their masters and for their families. White primarily focuses on the antebellum period, but she also briefly covers emancipation and the re-enslavement of African-Americans after the Civil War. White argues on the assumption that female slaves experienced a different slavery than men and had different responsibilities.
"The Nature of Female Slavery" is White's most effective chapter because it truly addresses her concerns in writing this book. It recognizes women as individuals with agency. It specifically looks at women as slaves. This chapter focuses on disease, violence, resistance, and childbirth in the lives of slave women. In other chapters, information tends to be somewhat disorganized and redundant at times. Perhaps an organization by themes such as resistance, mothers, fields, etc. would help improve this. White's focus does not stay singularly on women and their experiences. Overall, White's monograph reads more like a series of articles.
White accomplishes a great deal in Ar'n't I a Woman, but she also leaves more than enough room for future historians to expand the scholarship of African-American female slavery. White concentrates on women who lived and worked on cotton plantations. Rice, indigo, tobacco, sugar, and hemp, for example, were also grown in the South by slaves. Foodstuffs such as rice have a prerequisite for gang labor and allow less free time, thus allowing male and female slaves less time to cultivate relationships, bare children, and transmit culture. By focusing on one type of plantation and generalizing that experience, White homogenizes the experience of women, probably often leading to a better picture than reality allows. In order to truly understand slavery the individual differences that comprise these individual women need recognition. Ar'n't I a Woman also neglects, like other works, to shed light on the true and multiple horrors of slavery. Readers are not left with an impression of slavery's brutality. Sexual exploitation by whites is discussed, but the complexity and consequences of it are not discussed. In some ways, White does not contribute completely new and original information as much as she re-conceptualizes and re-phrases the story of women found in earlier scholarship. Ar'n't I a Woman seems to have been written before the sources were readily available that would enable this to be a more unified, sophisticated, and comprehensive analysis. WPA interviews were heavily relied upon due to the lack of sources revealing the female slave experience. Ar'n't I a Woman is important and should continue to be read because it is a first in the field of slavery. 』
(Sojourner's Truth Goes Marching On) 『February Is Black History Month. March Is Women's History Month
I have mentioned more than once in this space, dedicated as it is to looking at material from American history and culture that may not be well-known or covered in the traditional canon, that the last couple of scholarly generations have done a great deal to enhance our knowledge of American micro-history. Nowhere is this more noticeable than in the study of American slavery and its effects on subsequent history for the society and for the former slaves. The book under review represents one such effort in bringing the previously muddled and incomplete story of the triply-oppressed black women (race, gender and class) to the surface.
As the author, Deborah Gray White, has pointed out in her introduction the general subject of the American slave trade, its place in the culture and the general effects of plantation life on the slave has been covered rather fully since the 1950's and 1960's. However, she set as her task filling the gap left by the mainly male historians (Elkins, Genovese, Apteker,et. al) who tended to treat the plantation slave population as an undifferentiated mass. Ms. Gray White undertook to correct that situation with this 1985 initial attempt to amplify the historical record. Although other, later researches have expanded this field (as a sub-set of women's history, at the very least) this is definitely the place to start. I might add that copious footnotes and bibliography give plenty of ammunition for any argument that the female slave has been under-appreciated, under-studied and misunderstood within the context of the historical dispute of the effects of slavery on the structure of the black family and black cultural life.
Ms. Gray White set up a five pronged attack on the then current (up to 1985) conceptions about the role of the female slave: the always `hot button' and continuing controversy over her role as sexual "Jezebel" or asexual "Mother Earth" nurturing Mammy: her central economic role in the upkeep of the plantation and of the slave quarters: her critical role as "breeder" of children in order to maintain the laboring population and slave-owners' profits; her relationship to other females on the plantation and the division of labor among them by age, child-bearing status and health; and, the myths or misconceptions about black families, marriage and culture.
As part of Ms. Gray White's argument she has addressed the thorny issue of the female slave as a sexual object (to both white and black men) on the one hand and her critical role of 'nurturer' to the next generation of slaves on the other. This is a tension that in many ways has not been resolved even in post-slavery times and so was worthy of her attention (and ours today, as well). Moreover, this ambivalence flows over into the kinds of work the female slave was expected to perform at various stages of her life as a "breeder" and the differential treatment she received by the slave-owners at various stages of that cycle. Ms. Gray White also has some interesting things to say about female social solidarity (and rivalries) in the workplace and in the cabins. The age old question of social hierarchy between "house" and "field" slaves also gets her close attention.
Additionally, Ms. Gray covers a then relatively new topic (brought about by male historian's conception of the female slave as dominating the family structure and therefore producing the stereotypical "Sapphire"). Although she has not provided any really new information about the economic and social structure of plantation life (which drove Southern society in the ante-bellum period in everything from national politics to "correct" racial attitudes among non-slave-owning whites) her great achievement is to give voice to the differences between male and female slaves that had not been previously appreciated.
Perhaps the most important scholarly achievement in this little book however is her challenge to the orthodoxy about the female dominance of black family life on the plantation and its effects on post-slavery life. This additional `hot-button' issue gets fully outlined here. To seek further insight in this issue today look at other sources to see how the arguments have continued not only as a question of historical importance but national social policy.
』
(Female Slaves) 『Deborah Gray White writes tellingly about the double evils faced by the Black woman of the old South: racism and sexism. Truly, they faced a lack of personhood at every turn.
The author weaves together quotes from enslaved Black women to tell her story. As other reviewers have noted, there does tend to be something of a feel of a feminist slant to the writing. I certainly would not argue against her basic premise of White male abuse of Black female slaves. However, having researched the White female slave owners, I would contend that women of the South were as guilty as the men of evil and condoning evil.
Reading firsthand accounts of these Black "sisters of the spirit" is the only way to truly gain a feel for what they endured and the larger cultural evils. Three examples include: "Behind the Scenes," "The House of Bondage," and "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl."
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Spiritual Friends, and Soul Physicians.』
(Ar'n't I A Woman?) 『In the book Ar'n't I a Woman?, by Deborah Gray White, the reader is challenged by the author to set previous notions regarding American slave women aside to understand the truth, which has long been elusive to the majority of Americans. Over the course of the work, White shocks and appalls the reader in an attempt to inform her readers about the horrors and injustices that slave women were forced to deal with on a regular basis. In doing so, the author makes her point abundantly clear and leaves little question as to the authenticity of her research and work.
White begins her work quite firmly. She discusses two of the great myths of female slavery: Jezebel and Mammy. The author promptly exposes the lie that slave women were promiscuous, dirty women with an unquenchable lust for white men. She asserts, "The choice put before many slave women was between miscegenation and the worst experiences that slavery had to offer. Not surprisingly, many chose the former" (34). As a result, the act of the slave woman giving in to the sexual advances of her white owner branded her as unchaste, a Jezebel. The second stereotype discussed is that of mammy, the nurturing black woman who cares for the white children. Both of these stereotypes are important to note, not only because of their historical significance and their supreme effect on Caucasian beliefs, but also because White ties these ideas through the rest of her work.
After successfully debunking the myths regarding female slaves in America in the first chapter, White goes into great depth regarding the actual lives and hardships that slave women faced daily. For example, White paints a portrait of the female slave that depicts her as just as hard working, if not moreso, than her male counterparts. However, though her work in the fields was important, her true value was placed in keeping the male slaves sexually satisfied and reproducing new generations of slaves. As a result, most female slaves had families, though more disconnected than those of the American whites. The main reason for slave marriages, according to the author, was "to add to the comfort, happiness, and health of those entering upon it" (99). Indeed, even the supposedly sacred act of marriage was not off limits to Caucasian exploitation. As a result, the female slave trade did not highlight the hard-working nature of the slave, but rather her physical attractiveness, for the benefit of both the male slave and the slave owner. While all slaves were considered products, female slaves in particular were, quite literally, viewed as little more than sexual objects. This stigma did not immediately escape the black woman at emancipation either. White states, "From emancipation through more than two-thirds of the twentieth century, no Southern white male was convicted of raping or attempting to rape a black woman. Yet the crime was widespread" (188). Due to these injustices, the American people are too often subjected to an inaccurate portrait of the female slave and her female descendants, and therefore miss out on a truly inspiring individual.
In her work, Deborah Gray White tears apart the common misconceptions of female slaves and depicts a person that is loving, family-oriented, and hard-working. However, the book, though relatively brief in length can be a tedious read at times. Though White validates her assertions with just a few sources and anecdotes, she relentlessly re-asserts with numerous additional examples which come across as both unnecessary and excessive. As a result, Ar'n't I a Woman at times seems distractingly repetitive for the majority of its pages. In addition, the book could also present itself as an overtly feminist text, which has the potential to turn off many of today's readers of both genders. Though White places some of the blame for conditions and roles of slave women on Caucasian females, she undoubtedly places the majority of the blame on white men. However, it perhaps would have been more accurate and beneficial for her to blame Southern, and American, society as a whole, as Caucasian men were just a product of a long-standing tradition. Despite these obstacles, however, White cannot be discredited for her tireless pursuit to uncover the truth and discredit the myths that have haunted African-American women for centuries. Indeed, if she has accomplished anything, it is the true emancipation of America's most discriminated class. 』
(My Review) 『I have not yet read this book. It looks exciting and I hope I enjoy it. I am reading this book for a report in JROTC.』 『Living with the dual burdens of racism and sexism, slave women in the plantation South assumed roles within the family and community that contrasted sharply with traditional female roles in the larger American society. This new edition of Ar'n't I a Woman? reviews and updates the scholarship on slave women and the slave family, exploring new ways of understanding the intersection of race and gender and comparing the myths that stereotyped female slaves with the realities of their lives. Above all, this groundbreaking study shows us how black women experienced freedom in the Reconstruction South-their heroic struggle to gain their rights, hold their families together, resist economic and sexual oppression, and maintain their sense of womanhood against all odds.』
price：$3.41
Theatre Communications Group
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Fine, save one scene.) 『Tony Kushner, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (Theatre Communications Group, 1993)
I thought Millennium Approaches was going along like a house on fire for the first two-thirds of its length. It's character-driven, it's funny despite its heartbreaking subject matter, it handles an historical figure in such a way as to make him larger than life. (I will admit up front that, despite my mother having suggested I do so for something like twenty years now, I have not read Citizen Cohn, her favorite Roy Cohn biography, and so I can't actually say how much of Kushner's portrayal of Cohn is accurate; it is, however, all kinds of fun.) And Kushner was getting his message across in just the right way--letting the story impart the message. Then comes Scene 2 of Act 3, where Louis and Belize are sitting in a bar talking. And Louis' logorrhea is message, message, message, message, message, and the whole thing just goes to hell in a handbasket. The funny thing is, Belize recognizes that it's all message, message, message, message, message and calls Louis on it repeatedly. Even Kushner's characters can't stand message drama! (That doesn't stop Louis from prattling on.) I've been seeing this more and more recently; authors trying to insert message drama (or fiction or poetry or...) by making the characters who have to put up with it slap the speaker into senselessness. (Unless it's internal, then they get nasty looks; think about the interminable message paragraphs that Kenzie suddenly comes up with in A Drink Before the War, for example.) Here's a tip, guys: it doesn't matter how you try to cache message-based writing into your work. It's still crap. It has always been crap (well, okay, 95% of the time), and it will always be crap. And here's the kicker, in Tony Kushner's case: if you're already treading on ground that activists have worked over hundreds of thousands of times, there's basically a guarantee that some political activist with a placard has already said everything you're trying to say. And probably said it better. In this case, it's been done hundreds, if not thousands of times. It's not only message crap, it's retreaded message crap.
Now that I've spent three hundred words on Louis and Belize's painful, conversation in Act Three, I'll say that the rest of the play is just plain awesome. The characters jump off the page, the pace is fast (despite there being almost no action), the dialogue is, in the main, witty and interesting. Take out that one scene, and this is great stuff. Unfortunately, no one thought to take out that one scene. *** 』
(You Have To Be Damned To Be Saved) 『This play has the secondary title "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes," but the "Gay" portion seems unnecessary. Reflecting the self-seeking, ambitious attitude that dominated the middle 1980s, Kushner uses jagged language, a clash of characters, and tension born from manipulating audience stereotypes to make us wonder if perhaps we've lost sight of our original national purpose.
Not for nothing does this play begin at an immigrant's funeral. This nation is a fusion of peoples drawn from elsewhere, a mix that cannot be made again. We know the officiating rabbi means it in the most literal sense when he says, "You do not live in America. No such place exists." This America is a created land, but created of all the anger, frustration, and venality of the assembled characters.
The lies these characters tell themselves are phenomenal. After the funeral, Louis, a relative of the deceased confesses that he didn't introduce his male lover to the family because "I get so closety at these family things." This is probably the most direct any of the characters are at any point in the play. Perhaps it's introduced very early to let us know that levels of dishonesty will be calibrated in every scene. And no dishonesty is more powerful than when the characters come to believe their own lies.
When Roy Cohn is diagnosed with AIDS at the end of the first act, before he does anything else, he revises his own prognosis to correspond to his own self-figuration. Not only does he tell himself that he has cancer, he bullies his doctor to ratify the diagnosis so that he can go out and tell everyone else the same thing. Even when his protégé, Joe Pitt, admits his own homosexuality, Cohn continues to hide from the world, and excoriate himself for hiding. Cohn's self-loathing is epic in scope, entirely consistent with the hatred Kushner implies he pushed out into the world with his militancy.
Though she is not as open with other characters as Louis, Harper Pitt has the most elaborate system of self-deception of the play. She invents friends to talk to, justifying her refusal to interact with the world. She manufactures an illusory pregnancy to get pity--but who from? Herself? It's hard to imagine who else she might elicit sympathy from, because she alienates her only ally, her husband Joe, as her world turns more inward upon itself. Her imaginary friend, Mr. Lies, gives away his identity with his very name. But even Mr. Lies won't participate unreservedly in the process. "You can be numb and safe here, that's what you came for," he tells her.
Perhaps because of the lies, all the characters seem to seek their own destruction. Faced with his lover's increasing illness, Louis flees to reckless sex with an anonymous partner--and, it is implied, more partners than we see. Likewise, Joe first admits his homosexuality by calling his mother, a judgmental Mormon unlikely to take kindly to such a revelation. On top of that, he calls her from a pay phone in the most dangerous part of New York's Central Park at the most dangerous time of night. He's asking to get killed, and perhaps he's asking for it because he wants to be punished.
Though it's not the end of the play, the summation of the themes takes place in the Act 3n Scene 2. Louis' garbled, self-justifying monologue tries to make sense of the way in which a gay man can face himself in the disapproving world that is Reagan's America. But what actually comes out of his mouth is an incomprehensible hash of American national mythology, half-remembered Nietzschean philosophy, a badly scrambled reading of race and cultural relations across borders, and more. As a court word processor, Louis has made his life out of comprehending the rhetoric and literature of justice. But he cannot remember how it actually goes.
This play, being actually half a play, culminates with the potential for redemption, in the final scene. Prior Walter, ravaged by AIDS-Related Complex, is the one character who cannot lie to himself. We watch, over the course of three acts, as each untruth and every easy self-deception is progressively expunged. At the end, devastated and alone, he is the only character fit to bear audience to the titular Angel.
But honest Prior Walter, and the lying characters all around him, do not yet have that redemption. They cannot have it, they cannot be saved, until they have reached the very bottom of their arcs. And that is what we see in this play. We see them being burned away, bit by bit. We see them being made ready for the possible salvation that comes in Part Two.』
(Like Plays of Old) 『This play is very accessible to the reader accustomed to reading prose. Contemporary situations are embellished to make this play a work of art. 』
(A Piece of Garbage) 『This book was assigned to me as college reading and all I can say is that I am offended with the language and feel verbally abused by the content. The author is abusing the audience. I have friends whom are gay and they never talk like the trash that represnt them in this book, they hold themselves to a higher level and have class. The author creates gay hatred instead of encouraging people to embrace the gay culture. This book makes you think gays have no sense and that they are wierd instead of just average people. I believe the author has hurt the gay community more then he has helped.』
(The 'Angels' have come!) 『This remarkable play writen by the best playwrite since Shakespeare has achived not only rocking your mind with it's beautiful prose, language, and story, but also has gained the title of the most wonderufl play in modern liturature (counting plays). Its star-stricken plot will not make you put it down! It is truly wonderful.』 『The most anticipated new American play of the decade, this brilliant work is an emotional, poetic, political epic in two parts: Millennium Approaches and Perestroika. Spanning the years of the Reagan administration, it weaves the lives of fictional and historical characters into a feverish web of social, political, and sexual revelations.』
price：$4.20
mlr press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Kindle Edition Replete With Typos!) 『A myriad of misspelled words and terrible spacing, on every page, make an otherwise fantastic novel a nightmare to read.』
(Bad reading...) 『It is bad, not because of the writing, but because it is full of typos and it is aggravating when one has to stop and reread a section to understand what the hell the author is talking about. Not the authors fault, I'm sure, but someone has to proof read these things. Wouldn't recommend buying this book until it is reissued.』
(Involving Murder Mystery concerned with Gay Marriage, Old Predjudices, Fantatics and Sexual Hijinks) 『Gay Marriage is legalized in Massachusetts and PI Don Strachey is called to the Berkshires to investigate the young man a friend of the client wants to marry. But Strachey ends up refusing the job when he discovers the client isn't a friend of the man at all. Then the client ends up murdered and the young man, mysteriously without a past, is implicated. Strachey feels his inquiries might have led to the young man being suspected of murder and accepts the young man's fiance as a client in order to see if he can clear him of the charge.
Hints of sexual extortion or perhaps just questionable lending practices surround the dead man and his partner. As does hints of the mob. Strachey is distracted by the hidden past of the young man, even though he believes in his innocence. Yet there doesn't seem to be any other clear suspects in the murder. The mystery is involved and twisting. The various elements are torn from recent headlines, making the mystery very timely. And there are strong elements of suspense and adventure. I thought it an intriguing, satisfying read. 』
(Good story - horrible proofing) 『The plot and storytelling are first rate as expected. The actual Kindle version is horrible - it's like the pages were scanned and not checked for mistakes. As people have pointed out: nonsense words, Bany for Barry, many for marry and it goes on and on. I'm reading it because I paid for it but am disappointed in the quality of the Kindle version. Spell checking on a computer would have caught a number of these problems - a decent proofreader would have caught many more. The author (along with Don&Timmy) deserve better.』
(Kindle Version Unreadable) 『I purchased the Kindle version of this book anticipating another good Donald Strachey book. However, the Kindle version of this book is virtually unreadable. One main character's name is Barry, however, more often than not, the name appears as "Bany". The word marry, appears as "many". I tried to read it, but could only get through less than 10% before I gave up.
Amazon informs me that this is the publisher's issue, but cannot provide any contact information for the publisher.
I hate to buy this book again in paperback, but that may be my only option. Since I bought the Kindle book more than 7 days ago, I can't even get a refund.』 『
Gay marriage in Massachusetts is a fine institution------except when it leads to murder, as it does in this taut, suspenseful Don Strachey private eye novel, the ninth in the classic series. Strachey and his loving foil, Timothy Callahan, are back in perfect form in this witty, ripped-from-the-headlines thriller.』
price：$16.95
Naiad Pr
Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item. Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Everything you could want from a novel) 『Carol/ The Price of Salt was originally published under the pseudonym Claire Morgan in 1952, before this reviewer was born, but it feels far more relevant than many novels I have read, lesbian or straight, because Patricia Highsmith is the kind of writer with the kind of almost creepy sense of detail that makes you feel like you are present and experiencing everything the protagonist is experiencing, from the sore feet from working too long hours at the department store to the moment she falls in love with a customer. "Her mouth was as wise as eyes, Therese thought, and her voice was like her coat, rich and supple, and somehow full of secrets." Therese is poor and young, dating a young man, and Carol is rich, beautiful, and ... married, with a young child and a husband who is very possesive, vindictive and cruel.
The novel turns into a love story, a thriller, and also into a young woman's journey into independence and her quest to do what she is meant to do; be who she is meant to be; love the woman she cannot stop loving, regardless of social norms, or differences in ages, and regardless of differences in social background, and despite all kinds of prejudice and threats.
The Price of Salt, or Carol, is one of my absolute favourite novels, all genres, all times, and also my favourite Patricia Highsmith novel.
L. Holm author』
(Best book I've ever read) 『I read this book for the first time a year ago, not knowing beforehand that it was written in the early 1950s. The subject matter is very daring and intense. I'm not even referring to the lesbian part; I'm talking about the age gap. Also (spoiler, sorta), over 50 years later, there is still an issue with single women losing their children in divorce because of their sexuality (end spoiler.)
The Price of Salt is beautifully written, classy, unique and timeless in many regards. I love reading it. I frequently wish that Patricia Highsmith had produced more books like this one, but I guess why do that if you got it right the first go round?』
(Awsome Book Ever!!!!) 『Once I started reading it, I cannot resist put down the book. Until I finished reading the book and felt relieve, because Therese finally able to live with Carol as what she wished the first time she met her at the Department Store. I recommend this book to whoever likes lesbian story.
』
(Good Novel, Strong Love Story) 『Unlike Terry Castle of "The New Republic", I'm not convinced that Nabokov used Carol and Therese's trip in "The Price of Salt" as a template for the extended "vacation" that Humbert Humbert and Dolores Haze took in "Lolita". If he did, he expanded it in richness and depth about a thousand-fold. "The Price of Salt", while no "Lolita", is an interesting (and unusual) work in its own right. Carol and Therese meet in the toy section of the department store where the latter works; they embark on a friendship, and fall in love. Carol happens to be married (separated, to be exact). She also happens to have a young daughter. (Even today, one should be able to sense certain ethical issues rearing their ugly heads. Having said that, noone behaves as badly as Harge, Carol's narcissistic, winner-take-all husband.) It takes the two women quite awhile to sleep together, so those in search of quick, cheap thrills will undoubtably be disappointed. And when they finally do, Highsmith's prose drifts into the nebulous vagaries of poetry, reminding us that this was, indeed, written in the 1950's. The novel is, first and foremost, a love story. It is not in any way, shape, or form, a sex manual. While "The Price of Salt" didn't seize and possess me the way Jane Rule's "Desert of the Heart" did--which isn't all bad--I felt it gradually trickle into the parched nooks and crannies of my aging yet inquisitive mind. (And what lesbian, repressed or not, could turn these strange, mystifying pages without wanting, at least a little, to take Therese's place one night in one of those not-so-anonymous hotel rooms?) The ending, I have to say, is rather abrupt. It left me with the exasperating "That's it!?" sensation--you know the feeling. All and all, though, "The Price of Salt" is a solid novel featuring a strong love story, made even more compelling because of the taboo nature of homosexuality at the time.』
(The Price was Worth It) 『I love Patricia Highsmith with her sadistic view of human nature. Her description of the character's boyfriend (his forehead reminding her of a whale and his hands looking like paws) was hilarious. She is an excellent writer who uses similes and metaphors well. Not to mention the unconventional story for that day and time!』 『Now recognized as a masterwork, the scandalous novel that anticipated Nabokov'sLolita.
"I have long had a theory that Nabokov knewThe Price of Saltand modeled the climactic cross-country car chase inLolitaon Therese and Carol's frenzied bid for freedom," writes Terry Castle inThe New Republicabout this novel, arguably Patricia Highsmith's finest, first published in 1952 under the pseudonym Clare Morgan. Soon to be a new film,The Price of Salttells the riveting story of Therese Belivet, a stage designer trapped in a department-store day job, whose salvation arrives one day in the form of Carol Aird, an alluring suburban housewife in the throes of a divorce. They fall in love and set out across the United States, pursued by a private investigator who eventually blackmails Carol into a choice between her daughter and her lover. With this reissue,The Price of Saltmay finally be recognized as a major twentieth-century American novel.』
price：$3.91
Harper Paperbacks
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Stellar) 『Other reviewers have already said all the wonderful things I would tell you about this book so I won't repeat them. I'll just add that I'm a big fan of well-written romances - particularly ones that make you laugh out loud - and this is one of the best ever.』
(OMG! Buy this Book!) 『This is a brilliant gem of a book! Possibly the most romantic love story I've ever read. Sweet, funny, realistic, characters share their story through a variety of mediums including e-mails, memos and passed notes. The blending of seemingly opposite enjoyments as baseball and Broadway is masterful. If you want to feel the feeling of falling in love, read this book.』
(Probably my favorite book ever!) 『Hilarious, touching, intelligent, and incredibly original - these are just a few adjectives that I can use to describe this book. It had me smiling the entire time I was reading it, with more laughing out loud funny parts than any book I've ever had the good fortune to read.』
(Unequivocally and joyfully recommended) 『This incredibly witty and warm story is the kind of book which makes the world a better place. Forget this being about gay guys. This is about love, and friendship, and relationships, and the people who support us through our tribulations. Also baseball, which was the bit I connected with least, but hey, you can't have everything. But it's mostly about Travis and Craig, and their wonderfully funny and loyal friends. Every character in this is a standout. Travis is OCD, and a real sweetheart - mad, brilliant, neurotic and determined, obsessed with baseball and history, and prone to extravagant methods of catching the attention of men he fancies. He drives people insane, and makes them fall in love with him forever. He's the one who never found happiness after Craig, never found the right man, the ideal boyfriend, and it's his realisation that he has to go back to where it started, that gets everything rolling - but we're a good way into the book before that even begins.
Craig is a mover and shaker, a lawyer committed to personal rights, in love with a decent, faithful and supportive man, apparently happily settled. His partner Clayton is steady, doesn't like change, and is deeply committed to his lover - he's the kind of man every mother would want their son or daughter to bring home. He and Craig are truly happy, as married as two gay men can be. Yet when Craig suspects Travis is about to re-enter his life, he can't help but be glad to have a chance to settle a chapter in his life, with the first man he ever fell in love with. That this coincides with conflict with Clayton and potential huge changes in this life, means Travis might just have a chance with him.
Their story is told in letters, memos, checklists, legal reports, assignments, newspaper clippings, diary entries and emails between them and their friends, students, acquaintances, business colleagues and to each other. It's laugh out loud funny without degenerating into silliness, though Travis manages to get himself into some farcical situations, and the humour is crisp and fast, kind of like John Cusack on crack. Craig's law partner and best friend, Charleen, adds a blunt, common-sense flavour to the novel, and a precocious boy from a broken home has some of the best lines.
There's too much going on in the plot to summarise, but it's not confusing or difficult to follow, even though it skips back and forth between Craig and Travis's teenage years, the recent past and the present, mirroring Travis's manic search for love and happiness, and his crazed approach to just about everything. The story also doesn't end how you think it will, and pulls off the difficult trick of squaring Craig and Clayton's real love for each other with Craig and Travis's lifelong devotion.
The writing is simply terrific - masterly, in fact - and I fell in love with Travis, Charleen and Noah. Craig, I had reservations about because I liked Clayton so much and didn't want to see him hurt. Fortunately, the author gives these lovely people the happy and dignified futures they deserve.
"Almost like being in love" is about second chances, and the intensity of your first real love, a memorable romance, and a remarkably humane piece of writing.』
(Amazing characters) 『The best type of book is the one that makes you want to sit down and get to know all the characters better. This book does all that and more. I've always loved books written in an epistolary style, and "Almost Like Being in Love" is a terrific example.
The main character is endearing, quirky, and is obliviously hilarious. The plot is good, but really, what matters is the way the author showcases each of his characters. It's the perfect read whenever you're feeling a little gloomy, just like The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure or Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)』 『
A high school jock and nerd fall in love senior year, only to part after an amazing summer of discovery to attend their respective colleges. They keep in touch at first, but then slowly drift apart.
Flash forward twenty years.
Travis and Craig both have great lives, careers, and loves. But something is missing .... Travis is the first to figure it out. He's still in love with Craig, and come what may, he's going after the boy who captured his heart, even if it means forsaking his job, making a fool of himself, and entering the great unknown. Told in narrative, letters, checklists, and more, this is the must-read novel for anyone who's wondered what ever happened to that first great love.
price：$2.09
Torquere Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (More romantic and less disturbing than the first book) 『Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 9/10
PROS: - The serious, heavy BDSM actions continue in this volume, but I didn't find them as disturbing/disquieting. (Maybe I'm just used to the ways in which Noah submits to Tobias after reading the first book.) There's one scene in which Noah goes very deep into his headspace and Tobias has to coax him out of it that I found fascinating. - The relationship has evolved so that it's no longer 100% D/s. There are some graphic D/s scenes, but far fewer than in Book 1. Other reviewers have said that they don't like how the later books in this series have fewer BDSM scenes and more vanilla sex, but I enjoyed the vanilla sex scenes in this book just as much as the kinkier ones. I see them as proof that Tobias and Noah's relationship is BASED ON domination and submission but isn't entirely ABOUT those roles. And the idea that occasionally the two can make love while looking into each other's eyes is romantic and wonderful and...sigh. - Hot sex scenes involving various kinks. There are some sweet, passionate vanilla scenes, some sweaty, thrilling BDSM scenes (one particularly sexy one involving voyeurism to an extreme degree), and even a ménage scene that gave me a bit of a hot flash. - I love how honest the characters are with each other and how much focus there is on conversation. Owen and Payne must either have experienced the lifestyle personally or have spoken in-depth with both Doms and subs, because the psychological needs and desires of both characters in these books are examined in detail. - The character of Phan makes me smile. He's a wonderful friend to Tobias--and becoming one to Noah as well. (see cons below also)
CONS: - Phan makes me want to cry too. He's not just a friend to Tobias; I get the feeling that he's still very much in love with his old master--and not just in the "we love each other but we aren't IN love" way. I think he's IN love with Tobias but is just so messed up that he can't be right for Tobias anymore nor can he move on and fall in love with anyone else. Maybe Noah and Tobias could let him be a part of their relationship...threeways work sometimes, right? - There are two momentous, unrelated scenes at the end of the book that have been hinted at all through the story, and both of them feel rushed or a bit smoothed over. I was expecting something really explosive from at least one of them, and each one seemed to be over rather quickly.
Overall comments: I really, really enjoyed this book because of the characters--all of them. Even the small, secondary characters make an impact. It's got some BDSM elements that will make squeamish people squirm a bit, but if you made it through the first volume in the series, this one's mostly a piece of cake. And if you're interested in the characters' relationships (rather than just the kinky sex scenes), I think you'll like this one better than the first.』
(True Domination) 『An excellent book. I enjoyed reading it. You should read the First book Submissions first although This book can stand alone. I got attached to the characters and want to read more. If you like domination or submission this is a good book and easy to read.』
(Delicious and fun!) 『Boy was it good to be back reading about Tobias and Noah. I have to say, since the last book, I missed them. I actually craved to read this second book of the Deviations series because I HAD to know what happens with them. It didn't disappoint. There was a lot of hot action, a lot of hot scenes, and a lot of romance. This book was definitely more romantic than the first, and emotional in a different way. In this second book, Tobias and Noah have to find balance between having a regular romantic relationship and having a relationship based on the exchange of power. In this one, Tobias examines his weaknesses as Noah comes to terms with his. Their dynamic and struggles show that not even the best Dom in the world is infallible; no matter how strong we are, we break down, we screw up. We're not perfect. I can't wait to read number 3.』
(Excellent Sequel) 『This is the sequel to Deviations: Submission. "Submission" left the reader as the two characters, Tobias and Noah, began to move beyond simple dominant and submissive--falling in love. That book explored the BDSM world with Noah, the submissive, as the focus. "Domination" switches the focus to Tobias. These two are developing a relationship, and they have issues to overcome just as any other couple does.
This series is excellent; well-written, fast paced, with fully realized characters (both supporting and main). Another book featuring some of the supporting cast as main characters would be more than welcome. I understand the third book in the series will be coming out April 07 and the fourth in Fall 07. Yeah!
I never expected a BDSM-themed book to have such a powerful love story, but there it is. Read these two books--now.』
(Fascinating M/M BDSM) 『This is an amazing continuation of deviations:submission. I do not know how much truth there is in the BDSM world potrayed here. And it is not easy to understand anyone getting high from whipping, pain and subjugation. But I do appreciate the needs of both Subs and Doms in the story. The plot here is fascinating and charged with emotions and the characters beautifully drawn out. I wish there is more from Tobias, Noah, Bradford and Phantom and I hope both Chris and Jodi will deliver. And yes, I also like to recommend another emotionally charged M/M BDSM "Golden Boy" and "Golden Man" by Claire Thompson , e-books available from Ellora's Cave.』 『In this sequel to Deviations: Submission, Dom Tobias and Sub Noah are back, learning more about each other and their relationship, testing the boundaries of what they can and cannot handle, both together and apart. Tobias works at becoming more comfortable and finding his balance as a full-time Master again. Meanwhile, his work brings out the true submissive in Noah, who faces some of his greatest fears, and his greatest secrets, confessing to Noah about a terrible time in his past. He's not the only one who has a rough time. Tobias breaks down and shows Noah he's not all dominance, too, which sends shockwaves through their romance, leaving them to wonder if they can keep it together. With a deep exploration of the BDSM scene, secondary characters who shine, and a romance that has the reader rooting for these men from the start, Deviations: Domination is one book you can't miss. Authors Chris Owen, writer of the popular Bareback, and Jodi Payne, writer of String of Pearls have done it again. Hard at work on a third book in the Deviations series, these authors have many more projects planned. Look for them to come from Torquere Press!』
price：$3.73
Schuster Children's Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (All I can say is WOW!) 『I first read this book when I was in 4th or 5th grade (one of the two) I then read it another dozen times! It's so good, full of excitment. I finished the book in two days! I really would suggest this book to ANYONE! It's a great book』
(Chelsea's review) 『In the book in the book I'm reading called another one of those hideous books where the mother dies. It about a girl who's about 14 years old and her name is ruby. She lives with her mother and has a very big hate for her dad. She has (what she calls) a gorgeous boyfriend and her best friend that she hangs out with all the time. She has an enemy who's name is Amber who is doing everything in her power to steel ruby's boyfriend. Then ruby finds out that her mom is sick and has two weeks to live. When her mom dies she has to move to California to live with her dad. I like the book because it tells people about how some teenage lives are about the challenges of a teenage life. I think what the story is mainly trying to tell the readers is to trust the people you love but still remember sometimes the people you love make mistakes to and sometimes it will hurt you. 』
(Series of award winning What My Mother Doesn't Know) 『Have you ever thought your long lost father is a popular movie star? Either did Ruby. Ruby is a 15 year old girl who tells her life from 1st person in a poem format. If you love chick-flix, you will love this novel; One Of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies written by award winning author Sonya Sones.
"I am not depressed, considering that this gigantic silver bullet with wings is blasting me away from my whole entire life." Ruby states this on page 1, while being very sarcastic as she is thoughout the whole book. Ruby has to leave her Aunt, best friend, boyfriend and her past to reunit with her father.
One Of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies is an amazing book that keeps your mind thinking. Ruby has many struggles as many teenagers do, but her main struggle is with er father. Ruby is moving to Los Angeles, California to live with her movie star dad that divorced her mother when she was a baby. Rubys mother died after her father left and was put in the hands of her aunt. Ruby has not seen her father for 15 years except on the movie screen. I think it would be very crazy to reunit with your movie star dad that you have not seen for 15 years. I also think it would be overwhelming with all the cameras around you all the time and not having any private time. It would also be very difficult to leave your past behind and start a new life with pretty much a stranger. Will Ruby pull it through, or go back home? Go through the adventure with Ruby, and see where it takes you.』
(One of those wonderful books you re-read many times) 『There have been very few books that I read more than once. Yesterday, I read One of those Hideous Books, etc. Today, I read it again. I don't expect that to be the last time.
What can I add to the positive reviews? Nothing, really. If you have an open heart, you will probably love this book.』
(Well-Versed Formula) 『Formula: Write your novel in verse on pages with lots of open, white space, so that your book reads quickly. Have an engaging, first-person point of view (15-year-old Ruby, let's call her). Give it a catchy title (makes up for its length). Spice it with themes of death (Mom) and divorce (Dad, whom Ruby must now live with). Clash east coast (Ruby, from Boston) with left coast (Dad, named "Whip" Logan, from LA). Add beautiful people (kids of Lakewood High School) and famous movie stars (all of Whip's neighbors and friends). For dessert, throw in a little "gotcha" surprise at the end.
What Sonya Sones has cooked up here (and, no doubt, in her other books) is a sure-fire winner for middle and high school-aged girls. If the girl is a reluctant reader, all the better, but avid readers will embrace it, too, as a sinfully delicious guilty pleasure. Ruby's voice is THAT winning. Ruby does her best to hold on to her Massachusetts best friend, Liz, as well as her old boyfriend, Ray, but you know how that goes. She also goes through the usual turmoil, anger, stubbornness, that awaits any kid foisted on the parent who left her long ago. Poor Whip will have to pay for his past transgressions, no matter HOW much money he has (oh, he's a famous movie star, too).
Slow to make friends with the weird stereotypes floating around La-La Land High, Ruby at least can identify with Whip's "personal trainer," Max, who befriends her and becomes a lifesaver as she goes through some choppy seas between getting to know Dad and trying to fit in at the new high school.
As for the style, well, most of the "verse" is just paragraphs redesigned into lines and stanzas but, credit where it's due, Sones DOES come up with some poetic language and surely knows her stuff when it comes to how a teenage girl thinks. Funny, quick, and even a little sad at times (like when Ruby e-mails her poor, dead mother for advice and succor), ONE OF THOSE HIDEOUS BOOKS WHERE THE MOTHER DIES scores a 4 with me but no doubt a 5 from its target audience (so the heck with me!) because this author knows of whom (and for whom) she writes. All young girls should check out a Sonya Sones book -- they might just end up checking out every Sonya Sones book they can find.』 『
My name is Ruby This book is about me.
It tells the deeply hideous story of what happens when my mother dies and I'm dragged three thousand miles away from my gorgeous boyfriend, Ray, to live in L.A. with my father, who I've never even met because he's such a scumbag that he divorced my mom before I was born.
The only way I've ever evenseenhim is in the movies, since he's this mega-famous actor who's been way too busy trying to win Oscars to even visit meoncein fifteen years.
Everyone loves my father. Everyone but me.』
『The sassy title tells readers right away that this book is NOT like one of those hideous books where the mother dies, even if fifteen-year-old Ruby's mom has recently succumbed to cancer. Sonya Sones has made a reputation for engrossing and emotionally valid verse novels with her two previous books,Stop Pretending: What Happened When My Big Sister Went CrazyandWhat My Mother Doesn't Know, and here she has the good sense to avoid the platitudes of the tearjerker, focusing not on the melodrama of death but on the grieving process of a feisty teen--sometimes even with humor.
Ruby has turned her grief into anger at her father: because he divorced her mother before she was born, because she has had to leave her best friend Lizzie and her boyfriend Ray to come to Los Angeles to live with him, and because he is Whip Logan, a very famous and rich movie star. She turns a cold shoulder to all his gentle and persistent attempts to relate to her, sneers at the glamour of his Beverly Hills mansion and famous friends, and spends most of her time writing desperate emails to Lizzie and Ray, and her dead mother, from her Dream Bedroom. The friendship of Max, Whip's live-in assistant/personal trainer, is some comfort, and Ruby has a harder and harder time keeping her sneer as Whip ups the ante, from rides in his classic vintage cars, to shopping trips for anything she wants, to weekends in Las Vegas and Catalina and a party where Eminem is the guest of honor. But an earthquake leads to a surprising revelation that changes everything for Ruby, in an enormously satisfying ending. (Ages 12 and older)--Patty Campbell』
price：$7.34
Yellow Rose Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Something is missing....a lot is) 『This is another episode in the continuing story of Dar and Kerry. For those fans that follow the series online, this is part of a story that was posted some time ago on Melissa Good's web site.
Dar and Kerry are attending a technology show, but Dar's heart just isn't in the business. She's felling restless and wondering if it's time for her to move on to another job and different challenges. Kerry is worried about her, but sure that Dar will pull out of her mood, so Kerry is determined to carry the company if she has to until that happens. At the show they discover that the new company that has been stealing some of their customers is headed by a former lover of Dar's and a former colleague. They are turning everything into a competition to prove that not only is their company better, but that they can specifically show up Dar. When all of them are approached by a cruise ship line to bid on a contract to wire all of the ships for the Internet, the confrontation is inevitable. Perhaps this is the challenge that Dar needs to put her back on a positive track.
This book suffers from the fact that it's only part of a story. Questions are raised and not answered. Story lines seem to pop up out of nowhere and have no relevance to what is going on in the book. The cruise line plot is not resolved and there is a reference to the US government being involved that doesn't pertain to anything that is going on. Those who read the stories when they're posted online will know that these are parts of the original story that were fully developed. This book reads like Good realized this book was getting too long, so she chopped it in half and plans on telling the rest of the story in a later book. That would explain the rather bizarre ending that seems to tie up nothing in this book. With a little more effort and editing, this could have been a good stand alone novel. As it is, Dar and Kerry fans will find it satisfies their need for a regular update on the characters, but people who are not familiar with the series should definitely not start with this book because there will be a lot that doesn't make sense or seems unfinished.
』
(Oh, yeah!!!) 『It's been far too long between Missy Good books, and "TC" delivers, albeit a bit incompletely. This book is the first half of the original online work. It's a great, long length, which is what you want with a Missy Good book. It begins with ILS battling for market share against up-and-coming Telegenics. Telegenics is run by two women who have a vested interest in seeing ILS, specifically Dar and Kerry, crash and burn. This book sets up Peter Quest's ship bid that will (hopefully) carry through in the next book in this series.
The end papers of "TC" stated that "Storm Surge" will come out in May, 2010. "SS" is the next story, not the continuation of this one. Here's hoping that the continuation of "TC" will come out soon so we all can finish this marvelous story of corporate intrigue, technology, family, and love.
So why four stars and not five?? I dinged a quarter star for the minor grammar errors, and three-quarters of a star for this being an incomplete story. I wish Ms. Good's publishers would publish her complete stories. This also happened with one of her previous stories (the story was divided between "Red Sky at Morning," and "Thicker Than Water"). She writes long stories, and these stories should be kept together and published together.』 『There's trouble on the horizon for ILS when a rival challenges them head on, and their best weapons, Dar and Kerry, are distracted by life instead of focusing on the business. Add to that an old flame, and an aggressive entreprenaur throwing down the gauntlet and Dar at least is ready to throw in the towel. Is Kerry ready to follow suit, or will she decide to step out from behind Dar's shadow and step up to the challenges they both face?』
price：$12.99
BookSurge Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Entertaining book of a young gay man coming of age) 『This was an entertaining book that had a few weaknesses. There should have been more development of the bad guy, his uncle. His villany was practically passed over, barely gone into at all. He was never the hovering darkness in the young man's life that he should have been. And the development of the manservent was weak in this book though it was gone into in depth in the sequel but more of how he lived and who he was should have been portrayed in this part of the story. He was pretty well glossed over too when he is really a major person in the young man's life. As well as a mystery of sorts, it was a coming of age for a young man who is gay and has to learn to live confidently with that.
The book was well written and enjoyable to read it just needs some bolstering up of certain characters who have an important part in his life and a better explanation of why he had no support from what was left of his family when he was growing up with a druggy mother. Why did it take so long for his aunt to reach out to help him?
I liked enough to buy the sequel.』
(Second Nolan Novel does not dissapoint!!) 『Once I devoured Nick Nolan's first book, Strings Attached, I knew I'd have to read anything else he'd written.
I was not disappointed. While I prefer the plot and details of the firs book, Double Bound still kept me up all night turning pages. The straight forward writing style is easy to devour, while not sounding too airy or superficial.
The characters are engaging and consistent in their actions and mannerisms The ending took me completely by surprise, which I always enjoy.
While I await Nolan's next novel with bated breath, or anticipatory trepidation, like child whose birthday just can't come soon enough - I'll have to read both these books again!』
(Double Bound by Nick Nolan) 『First of all, I'd like to point out that this book is a very easy read, meaning that the story flows smoothly and it maintains always an high pace. The first chapters are also very time consuming, trying to summarize 20 years of Arthur's life in few time. Arthur's past life is not the main focus of the book, but it shaped the man who he is now, and so it's essential to identify the character. Those first chapters allows also a first time reader to take in hand Double Bound without necessarily having read Strings Attached, like me, but then, at the end of the book, you will probably have the wish to read it, like me, since while this is the story of arthur, the other one is the story of Jeremy, the eighteen years old boy who plays an important role in Double Bound. And it would be probably interesting to see how the author manages a coming of age story, while Double Bond is almost a silver romance: Strings Attached was Nick Nolan first book, and it was a coming of age book... maybe the author grows with his writing? Or maybe it's only that Arthur was so compelling in Strings Attached that the author felt the need to give him his own story?
More than the story itself, that you can have summarized from the blurb, and that I would prefer not to develop more, I would like instead to talk about Arthur; the story has a lot of turn of events, and this contributes to the high pace said above. Enough to say that after all the high and down, Arthur's long and bumping life journey will end with him happy in bed with his lover, and I'm not spoiling anything, since the book starts like that, with Arthur satisfied in bed who goes down the memory lane.
Even if Arthur is a former marine, a former FBI agent and now a well-paid dogsbody who essentially has to protect Jeremy, he is not the hero type. All Arthur's grandeur gestures were made out of love or friendship, he has not a sacred fire inside for honor or patriotism. Arthur is a man who loves, and loved, too much, who can think to end his live when he is down, but that in the end never brings on the thought since he is able to love again. He loved Jeremy's father, Jonathan, and due to his betrayal he joined the Marine Corp; Arthur hoped to find in the Marine the family he hadn't and the comfort of being loved that he had with Jonathan. He did well and he opened his heart again, to Danny. But Danny died, that fathal September 11, and Arthur threw away his soldier life to commemorate Danny's love. And now Arthur is ready to love again, but at this point, it is real love, or only the memory of a lost love? or maybe the wish to finally have that family that he always searched and never found? In a case or the other, it's the proof that Arthur is able to love, and that despite all the time he was burned, he is always ready to love again.
Another thing I noticed in the story plot is that, despite being adventurous and fast paced, every events end in a "normal" way; there are not acts out of heroism, most of the time the decisive man is the one you will not expect, and even in the big action of the evil there is almost always a very small reason; and in the end, the novel closes with hope, and in a romantic way (remember Arthur in bed with his lover), but still in a very "pragmatic" way.』
(This Book Kept Me Up All Night) 『Having read " Strings Attached" I decided to Google Nick Nolan one day and discovered "Double Bound" I read the amazing first chapter on line then eagerly awaited receiving my copy.
I didn't realize it at first, but because I had read "Strings Attached" these characters had become like old friends to me and I was reluctant to travel on this dangerous journey with them. I feared for them. Wow characters so real that I feared for them.
Nolan's glorious discriptions of characters and locations have the ability to make the real world slip away, and put the reader right there with them. Glamour, adventure, hot sex ,intrigue its all there and more.
What I loved most of all, is that the main characters are not stereo-typical, especally Arthur who is almost heartbreakingly self-aware. I loved how he shows that childhood pain can be converted into greater love understanding and acceptance of others.』
(Don't miss this great read!) 『Having experienced the great pleasure of reading Nolan's first book, "Strings Attached", I eagerly anticipated "Double Bound". In this second offering, Nolan greatly exceeded my expectations and delivered a superb story that is even more lively and complex. It is delightful to see how quickly he has matured into a truly masterful storyteller. Expect to be captivated from the start, taken on a wild ride, and left at the end with a strong sense of satisfaction and much to ponder. Don't think twice about selecting this book for your next read. I assure you, you will not be disappointed! 』 『Named 2008 'Book of the Year' by both ForeWord Magazine and ReaderViews, this adaptation of Jack and the Beanstalk is a modern tale of passion, deception, and danger: Because of Katharine Tyler's investment in a Brazilian island resort, she sends her handsome young nephew Jeremy with his lover Carlo to assess its progress. And though hunky ex-Marine Arthur Blauefee serves as their bodyguard, the trio strives against a charming trickster, sensual temptation, a kidnapping, and an unexpected double-cross, where Aunt Katharine plays puppet-master before getting tangled in her own strings. Although DOUBLE BOUND features the central characters from 2006 Book of the Year winner STRINGS ATTACHED, this is Arthur's story: his heartbreaking youth, his precarious days as a gay US Marine, then his treacherous--and deliciously fulfilling--journey to Brazil, where he is challenged to heroism, while agonizing between his conscience, and his blistering desire for the one man he's forbidden to love.』
price：$1.50
MLR Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Excellent story, believable characters) 『What a delightful book! Very believable characters, funny scenes and enough angst to make it a truly excellent book. I hated to see it end. I look forward to reading more from this author. Her style reminds me of Laura Baumbach, another favorite author.』
(I liked it, but the angst made it hard to read) 『Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS. Disclaimer: I prefer romances that are more about feelings than sex. If a book has lots of lust-filled, dispassionate sex, I'm not impressed. If the sex is a manifestation of love, bring it on.
Rating: 6/10
Pros: - One especially tough (physically and emotionally) character I admired a lot. - Well-drawn, sympathetic secondary characters. Women in gay romances tend to be portrayed as one-dimensional bitches, but the women in this book felt real. - The last sex scene is beautiful. Heart-warming, tender, emotional. A lovely breath for me, as in the chapters leading up to the scene I felt like crying because I longed so (along with one of the characters) for things to turn out well. Bravo to Gardner for making me feel so deeply about one character.
Cons: - I couldn't quite see why the guy I really liked, Adam, fell so hard for the other one, Jim. True, Jim has some soaring, white knight moments that made me cheer internally, but Adam falls for Jim HARD. And it's a sad relationship for much of the book: even though the reader knows (because we're privy to both characters' thoughts as revealed through different scenes--well done POV, by the way) how each guy feels about the other, Adam always feels like he's nothing more than a throwaway sex toy because Jim can't admit his feelings. - The two men never really seem to be a couple on equal footing. Jim is 14 years older and wealthy, and although he states repeatedly that the money situation isn't an issue, some of his actions belie that. - Although I understood why Gardner ended it the way she did, I wasn't entirely satisfied with the ending. It's not bad; I'm just such a romantic at heart that I'm not "entirely satisfied" unless the two men are living together and set to be that way forever--you know, either married (if the book's set in Canada) or ready to get married as soon as it's legal in the States.
Overall comments: A good read. But if you're susceptible to the emotions of characters and find yourself really identifying with them and feeling what they feel (all of which is true of me), you're liable to find this book pretty difficult to read. I found much of it very painful. 』
(Phoenix Rising) 『On his thirty-sixth birthday, Jimmy Trent didn't expect his present to be a stripper his friend hired. Jimmy's instant attraction to Adam quickly had Adam in his bed and in his heart.
Adam Hyland expected to deliver his stripper gram and leave, kissing the birthday boy was not part of the plan. After that first kiss he only wanted more physically and emotionally. Jimmy and Adam are from different worlds, Jimmy was more privileged while Adam was currently living out of his car, Adam knew more emotionally is a wish that may never come true even though he was already falling hard for Jimmy.
Phoenix Rising is a terrific story. There's a strong connection and sexual chemistry between Jimmy and Adam that really made this story work. Both of them have emotional baggage and believe that they weren't good enough for each other, and because they are both so sweet it's heartbreaking that they didn't feel they were worthy of each other's love. Their sexual encounters were hot, loving and somewhat therapeutic. They talked and shared and showed each other their true feelings when they made love. Outside of the bedroom, I loved how Jimmy wanted to take care of Adam, but I also understood how Adam's pride would limit how much he would accept from Jimmy. Kimberly Gardner has a great writing style and awesome character development, but I was bothered how she would introduce terrific supporting characters but then they would disappear and building storylines would fizzle out. Other then that, and where Jimmy and Adam were concerned Phoenix Rising is a fantastic story, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Ley Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed』
(Captivating story of love and life.) 『Jimmy Trent was anticipating a rather quiet and depressing 36th birthday alone, until his co-worker Rene's present arrived: a "stripper gram" delivered by a 22 year old hottie named Adam Hyland. There was an instant chemistry between the two, but getting the relationship going would be quite a task, between Jimmy's shyness and being in the closet, as well as Adam's reluctance after his last relationship ended badly, plus his refusal to be anyone's "secret" boyfriend. Complicating the situation is the fact that Jimmy is part owner of a bar with women strippers (where Adam works, but where he also strips at their weekly "Ladies Night"), co-owned by his brother Laton, who doesn't know Jimmy is gay. As Jimmy and Adam try to be a bit more "out" in public, Jimmy's business becomes the target of homophobia, and it drives a wedge between him and his brother. Jimmy is also jealous of Adam's ex, who keeps contacting him, as well as a famous photographer who has made no secret of being infatuated with the young man. Adam and Jimmy love each other, but are wondering if their relationship is simply facing too many obstacles to succeed.
Ms. Gardner is a talented writer, who manages to create a simple but captivating story with realistic characters that drive the plot, even though the book is a bit on the long side. It is an erotic novel, but that content doesn't overwhelm the story, as it does in so many others. My one critique is one gratuitous "barebacking" scene toward the end of the book, which I consider irresponsible when dealing with non-monogamous characters, and having them say "I tested negative" doesn't excuse that. Otherwise, much recommended, 4 stars out of 5. 』
(RISING FROM THE ASHES) 『Phoenix Rising is very interesting from many perspectives, and perspective is what we get in spades. When Adam Hyland meets James T. Trent IV the differences in their lifestyles could not be more apparent. Jimmy is a successful 36 year old entrepreneur who has everything except a life. He has no love interest and lives deep in the closet because he's afraid of the negative impact on his family and business if his sexual orientation were to become public knowledge. Adam, on the other hand, at 22 years old knows what he wants and where he's going. His life would be great if only he can find a decent job that pays good money and his bad knee doesn't give out at the worst possible moments! Their first night together was a dream come true for both of them, but with the bright morning light reality raises its ugly head and Adam leaves for yet another job interview and Jimmy is left with a bad taste in his mouth.
The story is told from alternating points of view and I didn't find that at all confusing or distracting because it revealed the protags' thoughts and desires and moved the story along at a brisk pace. Adam was the more interesting personality in my opinion because of his vulnerability and the distance he had traveled in his very short life. He was warm and genuine but for such a young man he was quite jaded and you get more than just a glimpse of this very complex and likeable character that I wanted to cheer for as he encounters and overcomes the bumps on the road in his life. Jimmy and Adam badly want to have a meaningful relationship but they find out that with the love comes heartache and loss.
This book was quite long at 280 pages, but I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down, which for me doesn't happen often. The story was engrossing and many of the secondary characters particularly Jimmy's manipulative brother Laton and Adam's good friend Jason, were well developed and added a great deal of depth to the plot. But the main focus of the story did not shift from Jimmy and Adam who continue to deal with everything that life threw at them, from feelings of betrayal to separations, without ever getting maudlin.
The sex scenes in the book were some of the hottest and most sensuous that I have read in quite some time and Kimberly Gardner does what a lot of writers can't seem to be able to do - she does not let the sex overpower the story and knows instinctively that the story and the characters are what make a book stand out in this overcrowded genre. Not only can she write a great sex scene but she can write a terrific book!
Phoenix Rising is an impressive read and I urge you to buy this book.』 『Two dozen roses, one dozen balloons and a night with a sexy, young stripper. What a thirty-sixth birthday for Jimmy Trent. But the ultimate gift is yet to come as he finds himself falling in love with the beautiful dancer. Adam Hyland's life is in the dumps. Living in his car and stripping for his supper, he doesn't expect much when the birthday-boy invites him to stay for cake and champagne. Yet seeing the look in Jimmy's eyes, Adam dares to hope for more. Will their differences tear them apart? Or can their love take flight like a Phoenix Rising from the ashes?』
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