Clubs Books

I have a number of baking books but this one offers something new. The baker's stories are interesting and the idea of forming a bakers club is great. I have used three of the recipes in this book in the last week and they have all turned out wonderfully. I do not always have such good luck with bread recipes and feel that the ones in this book have truly been used with sucess by real people who bake on a regular basis and have lots of experience with these particular recipes.

Not only covers different types of bread recipes but also gives some background on the bakers. Have already used one of the recipes, intend to try more soon.

A fun book to read even if you don't bake. The recipes are well written and an enjoyable experience to bake. The only book you will need to get started or to expand your knowledge.

Easy to follow recipes.. I have not been disappointed with any of them. The bio of each baker is interesting. Highly recommended.

Highly detailed and at the same time very concise; a true encyclopedia in every sense.

Full of interesting tidbits.

The Ball Clubs is an excellent book. It provides extremely informative backgrounds on ALL major league franchises. I do, however, have two rather nagging criticisms of this book. The first is that the authors seem to be excessively "anti-owner": they seem to take every opportunity to point out every flaw in anybody who ever owned or operated a major league baseball franchise, while rarely (if ever) complimenting these individuals. The second criticism, which in my opinion is much more serious, is their quite STUPID decision to separate "franchises" into separate "teams" (such as the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers). This practice reaches a ridiculous point when a continuous franchise which has played in two different leagues (such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, in the AA from 1882-1886 and the NL from 1887-present) is given two different entries - for the SAME FRANCHISE!!! (Does that mean that there will be yet ANOTHER entry for the Milwaukee Brewers, since they are transferring to the NL in 1998?)

If you had to buy just one book on baseball then "The Ball Clubs" should be the one you choose. It presents an in-depth look at every professional baseball club in the history of "America's pastime". Everyone knows of The Dodgers, The Yankees, The Braves et al, but how many have heard of The New York Mutuals or Altoona Mountain Citys, who also played a role (however brief) in the formation and history of Major League Baseball as we know it today. Well researched and written, this book should become a standard among baseball literature and will hopefully be updated on a regular basis. The writers demonstrate their love and knowledge of the game and this comes across in the book which not only includes bare facts but amusing side stories as well. This book is an enjoyable read and should form the foundation of any baseball book collection

Whoecver heard of the Chicago Whales? While Chicago would be the last place one would go to find a whale (outside captivity), there was a team by that name at the turn of the century. I enjoyed this book as both a baseball fan and a historian. One fault that I do find, however, is the absence of the Negro Leagues. Maybe this oversight can be corrected in a future edition or even in a separate compendium. Also, while mention is made of the original Milwaukee Brewers AL franchise in 1903 in the St. Louis Browns entry, there is no separate entry listed for that particular franchise. The 1903 Brewers had as colorful a year as the 1969 Seattle Pilots (which themselves became the modern day Milwaukee Brewers).

This book was very interesting. Not only did it have plenty of photos, the text was actually useful and have a great message. Reading Galen's work is just as great as looking at it. I had never even heard of or seen most of the places in the book until I got the book. Now, I'm walking some of the same trails I discovered in the book.

An incredible photographic argument that nature is ever-present, fecund, and indomitable! Rowell and Sewell capture the majesty of one the world's most beautiful urban areas to describe nature's ability to adapt and thrive next to mankind. A surprising array of wild animals are photographed within the ex-urban landscape and combine with dramatic Bay Area landscapes to make a compelling story of the beauty that surrounds us--if only we can take time out from our busy lives to see it! This is a great gift to bring back East for the holidays.

Galen Rowell is showing here surely the nicest landscape shots I have ever seen. The Bay Area, that I didn't know, is here in spades, and if you know a little bit of tech, you see several uses of Galen special shooting way (flash, A2 Nikon filtering, s.o.)

Galen Rowell and Michael Sewell have compiled their photography of the San Franisco Bay Area's remaining natural areas into an excellent book. The photography in Bay Area Wild illustrates the Bay Area's vast greenbelts and natural areas. For someone who has only been involved in still photography for eleven years, Sewell is an amazing wildlife photographer. The text is extremely interesting and informative--Rowell reminds those of us who live in the Bay Area how lucky we are to have such a wonderful backyard abundant with a great diversity of flora and fauna. However, conservation of our wild places didn't come easy. Rowell discusses the many struggles involved in preserving these places. This is a book I've been waiting for!!!

It is always interesting when a story is based on the experiences and knowledge of the author and Mr. Paloma has done an outstanding job in
using his to bring his storyline to life.
There is a sexual predator loose in their fair California city and the swing shift, known as "The Beach Club" is heading the investigation. The city is afraid, the Mayor is up at arms and they are being hindered by a Lt. Alex Santos, an administrator who is pursuing his own interests in future promotions and plans to find this predator and take all the credit, no matter how he has to do it.

The story takes you into the heart and minds of several of the officers; it shows the inner turmoil that often plagues them in their personal life and also in their line of duty, giving you an inside look into the workings of the department, the unity and disunity of the officers, and the stress that is put on their families. It also allows you to take a seldom glimpse into their minds and helps you realize the part they play in helping us live in security. Thank you!

I enjoyed this work, not only for the informative value, but also for the great mystery storyline that it has. It held my attention and I was surprised at who the culprit was. The ending was excellent, heart thumping and moving at the same time. All in all a great read and I recommend it.
Shirley Johnson/Reviewer

The Beach Club, Richard Poloma's first book, reminds me of Joesph Wambaugh's early police novels.

The swing shift at the Eden Valley police department, while actually highly functional, is at the mercy of a back-stabbing lieutenant, Alex Santos. The Beach Club is the nickname given to the swing shift, and refers to disciplinary time off given from Santo's, and spent cooling their heels on the beach.

The story begins with an attack by a serial rapist with a changing M.O. As the story begins to flow, Richard has developed a cast of characters with excellent results.

There is the usual dysfunction within the police department, and the lives of the characters. No story would be complete without the local after-hours hangout, the womanizing, and tension between staff officers and detectives, and the police management.

Richard has spent over fifteen years in law enforcement in San Francisco and the San Joaquin Valley. If you're a fan of Wambaugh, you would probably like this book.

Richard's website is http://www.richpaloma.com
Published by Helm Publishing

Excellent reading, Mr. Paloma's book grabs from the begining and keeps you until the end. Very informative on the conflicts and camaraderie of fellow officers. You feel like you are actually "there" Very tastefully done.

In the style of Joseph Wambaugh's classic novel, "The Choirboys," comes "The Beach Club" by Richard Paloma. As a member of the local Writers Group, I was thrilled with the opportunity to review an advanced reading copy.

Paloma's novel is an intriguing police ride-a-long through the fictional East Bay city of Eden Valley, California newly plagued by a serial rapist. More than a look at department politics and procedures, readers are invited into the investigations, antics and lives of the swing shift officers, affectionately dubbed "the Beach Club."

Officer Vincent Patrone, Detective Ray Depietro, and fellow swing shift officers are endangered not only by the perils of the street, but by departmental politics and their choices for on and off-duty activities. Personality and depth are displayed as they clash with "The Regime" of aspiring chief of police, Lt. Alex Santos and his henchmen while searching for an elusive sexual predator.

Throughout the book, Officer Patrone has to contend with his personal demons; sympathy for victims after the attacks, feelings of helplessness after responding to a suicide attempt, an escalating affair with a woman he met on-duty, and the of guilt of adultery. Navigating this rocky terrain and looking to understand his feelings, Patrone, befriends Father Tony, a local priest.

Lightening the harsh realities of being on the job with slightly twisted humor, the shift finds amusement at the mishaps of a canine unit, the hilarious drug testing of a suspicious substance, a miscommunication of international proportions at a ball game, and a final prank on arch nemesis, Santos. Yet the "Beach Club" officers tackle incidents of fleeing felons, auto theft, arson and the vexing pursuit of the rapist like a championship team.

Powerful action scenes combine with strong displays of police wit and humor. Paloma effectively ties in anectdones and subplots leading to a fast paced and surprising conclusion.

It's a quick and enjoyable read.

By the way, a sneek peek at a chapter of his next book promises another page turner.

The BFF sisters are a really great bunch. My daughter loved this book. She related to Jennah and her friends right away. We cannot wait for the next book!

The BFF sisters are a really great bunch. My daughter loved this book. She related to Jennah and her friends right away. We cannot wait for the next book!

WOW!! I must say that I was very impressed with this children's book. I originally bought this book for my nine year-old daughter on a tip from a friend. However, once I began reading it, I couldn't stop. This comedic, yet touching, portrayal of a young Muslim girl's life in the US is precisely what we need in our changing world today. The language, situations, and issues which the protagonist encounters gives an inside look into a culture that is often misunderstood. I was happy to find a new kind of literature to share with my daughter. I highly recommend this book, and all the future titles in this series, to both young and old readers. What a great find!

As a mother of two children I recommend this book for both Muslims and non-Muslims. The book is great for entertainment as well as learning basic knowledge about Islam and cultural diversity. It teaches essential qualities such as listening to elders and respecting others of different nationalities. I would even suggest this book as an entertaining read-aloud piece. I can't wait to buy the next book in the series.

One does not need to be a fan of either Dark Shadows or All My Children, the two shows graced by the talents of Louis Edmonds to be entertained by this well writen biography. It is a lively account of an actor whose talents were sadly ignored by the powers to be, to the benefit of the aforementioned soap operas, perhaps, but to the loss of more mainstream television and movies. A New Yorker by inclination, Louis Edmonds' life provides a window into life in New York City during the 1950s into the 1980s, always a delight for a social historian. And as a study of a gay male actor, this book provides insight as well as compassion. Perhaps no one will ever accuse Craig Hamrick of being a scholarly scribe but then who wants to wade through reams of dry prose, no, indeed, Hamrick is an easy to read scribe whose style is comforting & fun, a delightful read.

This is a loving, lovely tribute to the late soap opera star Louis Edmonds(Dark Shadows, All My Children)Craig Hamrick, who knew Edmonds during the last 8 years of the actor's life, is clearly in love(platonically) with his subject. He tells the story of Edmonds' life in a highly readable, no holds barred manner.Edmonds was a brilliant actor whose ego might have prevented his career from progressing as far as it could have. He was also a great wit, a passionate lover who had two long term relationships, and a deeply loyal friend. Hamrick writes openly and honestly about all of this, the good, the bad and the ugly, never losing sight of his own deep affection for the man.This book will stand as a lasting tribute to Louis Edmonds' life and career. He might have been forgotten, as so many soap actors are. Thanks to Craig Hamrick, this wonderful actor will be remembered for many years to come.

Louis Edmonds' death in early 2001 robbed Dark Shadows fandom of its elder statesmen. Of all the Dark Shadows cast, Louis Edmonds at times managed, perplexingly, to simultaneously be the most ubiquitous and elusive. On one level, Louis the showman remained a distinct and vibrant personality, very much admired by fans, yet one that at times seems difficult to extracate from the vestiges of Roger Collins and a handful of humourous anecdotes. To many Dark Shadows fans, this persona is arguably as familiar as any of the characters Louis portrayed on the show.

Author Craig Hamrick does much to redress the balance with the new edition of his biography Big Lou: The Life and Career of Louis Edmonds. With a respectable period having elapsed since Louis' death, the book is able to take a more rounded look at its subject, and the results are frequently illuminating.

Unlike the first book, which took a more formal approach, the new edition is told very much through its author's eyes, and arguably as much Craig Hamrick's story at times, as it is Louis'. From the pair's initial meeting, to Louis' funeral nearly a decade later, the reader is given a very honest appraisal which doesn't attempt to reconcile the contradictions it throws up, and indeed is all the more enjoyable for doing so. Louis' faults are lain bare and the author isn't afraid to note these - for example, his recounting of Louis' pre-occupation with money and occasions of professional arrogance go a long way to explaining why he perhaps never attained the widespread success his talented deserved.

Louis himself emerges as a somewhat melancholy soul in the process, battling the twin demons of alcohol and depression. Noting a suicide attempt along the way, it adds a certain grim undertone to the exuberant public personality so many of us knew. Yet, for all the sadness depicted, there's still plenty of humour and warmth, and perhaps this is Louis' most admirable quality. Louis' final years are perhaps the saddest, yet it is during these that he hearteningly seems to find a sense of peace that had eluded him so badly in the past. Particularly poignant are his indulgement predictions of his own self-dramatised demise, which seem all the sadder when juxtaposed with the quiet exit he eventually makes.

Throughout the book are sprinkled little novelized vignettes of key moments in Louis' life, which work with mixed results. At best, they succeed in painting out Louis' journey in broad strokes, and the passage where Louis reflects on the drastic effects of his cancer surgery in particular, is particularly moving and tragic. An undoubtedly cinematic device, at times they seem forced, yet one feels it is an indulgence of which Edmonds himself would have heartily approved.

As a biography, this is an excellent work of reference and research, but on a broader level, it is a wonderful personal account of a unique performer and individual that manages to strike that rare balance between pragmatism and celebration.

This hard-to-put down biography which is loaded with many before unknown facts about bigger-than-life performer/actor Louis Edmonds, most widely known as Roger Collins from the gothic serial Dark Shadows, is funny,touching and tenderly told by author Craig Hamrick, who became known as a friend to the actor in the latter years of his life. Yet, do not dismiss this as sugar coated fantasy, for it is told, with Louis' permission, in a forthright , no-holds-barred, bare bones manner that should earn its own praise. Hamrick has a way with laying down facts, yet not in stilted encyclopedic fashion but in a way that you actually get to know Mr. Edmonds in a more intimate light, and I for one, am deeply saddened by the fact I never had gotten the opportunity to meet this great man while he was still alive. Craig Hamrick has earned my respect as a biographer and I eagerly anticipate his next venture "Barnabas & Co" due later this summer, as well as any other literary undertaking this author may take. Kudos to him for taking me into the heart and home of one of my favorite Dark Shadows actors and making me feel as if I'd met him myself! The book is a triumph and a must for all Dark Shadows, Louis Edmonds or All My Children fans! Put this on your list for summer reading. I read it cover to cover in less than two days!

This is a simple, no-frills book, but is great for reading aloud to pre-schoolers. The active dialogue between the frog and the various animals, is ideal for young children, with their typically short-attention spans. The book also introduces rather unusual animals to children, such as the possum and the emu. In short, a hilarious book, with an interesting twist at the end, and great value for money.

The book that I read was a fiction book. It is called The Big Wide Mouthed Frog. This book was by Ana Martin Larranaga. The main character is the crocodile and the frog.
When i read this book I found that the main event was about the frog and him going to different animals and saying who are you and what do you eat? Also when I was reading I found that when you read the end you will get scared. I promise.
Last but not least I would recommend this book to Alexandra because she likes frogs and she also likes to read funny stories.

This book is a book that will make the whole family laugh histerically! My husband is not a book reader and HE read the book outloud and we laughed and laughed. We read the book 10 times before we got to our destination and we laughed with tears streaming down our faces! The illustrations and how you read the book also make the book a hoot! I want more books like this one!

My son is 21 months and he also loved the easy rhymes and fun words in this book. It's good for many giggles. I read it out loud to him 100 times and we both enjoy it.

However, the binding on this particular paperback fell apart within two days. Our day care has a copy that is from a different publisher (perhaps a previous edition) and it hasn't fallen apart. I was very disappointed because a book for toddlers needs to have some strength. A board book would be excellent.

This is the only book that I have read about Parker. So I can't compare it to other works. BUT it is a very enjoyable read. As the cover states there are extensive interviews with people who knew him best, including various ex-wives. Various incidents that are in the movie are described here, so I assume Eastwood, or whoever wrote the script, probably consulted this book. But, what is interesting is that the Book states that Chan and 'Bird' were never legally married. Don't think that fact was in the Movie.

This book shows the life of Parker through the eyes of many of his collegues, friends, and family. Robert Riesner should be commmended for his work on this material because it's informitive and gives views of Parker through people that were in his life. This book is a must read for all "true" Bird fans.

This book is less acclaimed than Ross Russell's book, but is far better than the latter. Reisner knew Bird well and he interviewed most of his associates. It's Bird in the words of those who knew him. A great piece of work!

this book was about an epic struggle of a jazz musician in a New York city life.Im 16 and i play a lot of jazz and parker was a geat influence on me and my playin i worship him as a mucican and a jazz ico

I actually hate to read, and I am extremely picky about which books I like to reread, but after reading this for the first time I am sure that there will be a second, as well as a third and fourth. Ricardo is a masterful storyteller, and the world he creates is so vivid and well-conceived that it is easy to lose yourself in his stories. The only fault I can find is with me, for not reading it sooner. --

I'm not much of a fantasy book reader, but a friend of mine who is a fantasy book guru suggested I read "The Blood of Kings" by Ricardo Flores. So I ordered a copy, and when I received it started scanning through the first several pages, and immediately got hooked. "The Blood of Kings" is a very creative tale which captivates the reader from the first chapter. The urge to find out "what happens" compels one to read without pause; indeed, I completed my reading within just a few sittings, and am now wondering how soon to expect the next installment from Mr. Flores. I heartily recommend this book, both to fantasy connoiseurs, and to "first-timers", such as myself.

Ricardo Flores is truly a gifted story teller. I first heard of him when I read some of his short stories on the Internet. I enjoyed them so much I had to buy his novel. It is a wonderfully crafted fantasy story. I highly recommend it!

Ricardo - Keep up the good work!

A refreshingly imaginative fantasy work. The Blood of Kings gets back to basics in the high fantasy genre. I recommend it to anyone who craves fantasy with a literary twist.

I have read heaps of these type of books and wasn't expecting much but this is a CLASSIC. Very funny. Unique concept, original. Very cleverly written. can be chauvanistic in parts and is definitely NOT politically correct. One for the boys.

Go Sammy Slapperelli!!!

Well done Mr Blue, whoever you are.
Lock up your daughters. This is huge. The cover is pretty average but don't judge the book by it! This is pure gold. It is like a funny Kama Sutra
Website is good too

http://www.blueridersclub.com

What a classic!!!

They should make this into a movie. So much better than all those other pick up guides out there. There is nothing like this one. Some of the best lines I have ever read - Tarantino should make the movie. The best description of fellatio and cunnilingus I have seen

Awesome!

When I bought this book I expected it to be a straight how to pick up women guide. It is soooo funny! There are heaps of how to tips, but it is very cleverly done. Lots of references to famous people. And get a load of some of the characters. Sammy Slapperelli is my fave. He has "Super Sleaze Clinics"
There is also a lesbian character. And watch out for the old master Frankie Cabana. Probably one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is based on a true story.