Games Books

This book is basically a series of tutorials (or "recipes"). The tutorials range from the very simple task of displaying an image on the screen to more complicated tasks such as terrain generation with HLSL.

The tutorials are organised well, with a contents section that allows you to quickly scan through and look up the feature you wish to implement in your code. Each tutorial has in depth code in the book itself as well as downloadable code from the author's web page.

This book makes a fantastic complement to the XNA documentation. Things that are explained abstractly or are hidden within the XNA documentation are explained in greater practical detail in this book; you'll save a lot of time and hassle. Highly recommended.

If your an average to expert c# programmer trying to get into XNA or have a little experience already, this book is great for code refrence and XNA class information. However, I dont recommend this book to entry level programmers as it requires basic c# knowledge.

This is the best book on XNA.

I like that the book is not focused on beginner topics but rather on intermediary concepts. This book will help you grow once you got the basics i.e. once you are able to create a simple 2D game or setup a basic 3D scene.

The author is very focused and the recipie approach works great.
I surely hope the author will publish other books on XNA.

I'd never written a review in Amazon. But I cannot do that for this book! It's simply AWESOME! It almost answers every piece of my question mark in mind after going over several XNA fundamental books. In a nutshell, The book is perfect for those who already has some basic knowlodge of XNA.

I wasn't convinced by the "recipe-based" approach before I ordered this book, but I enjoyed the author's online tutorials so thought I would give it a shot. I ended up buying and reading what is, pure and simple the best XNA book currently on the market.

Each "recipe" is direct and to the point with a minimum of fuss. Some are straightforward and can be skimmed over quickly, while others investigate the deepest corners of XNA and shine a light upon them. I've been writing games professionally for six years and there were recipes in this book that made me stop and say, "wow".

I'm not convinced it would be a great purchase for beginners - the direct and succinct writing style may not provide enough detail for those who aren't used to creating basic games already. However, there are a plethora of other XNA books targeted at beginners - this one says, "so you know a little bit about XNA? Now let me show you the good stuff."

If I had to pick up on anything, it would be that the book could have done with more diagrams. Sometimes the only way to actually see the results of a recipe, instead of just understanding it conceptually, is to copy out (or download) the example code. This is a minor quibble, because the explanations are clear and to the point, and more diagrams might have meant fewer recipes, which would have been a far bigger price to pay.

I'm an beginner/intermediate yo yo player, and I found this book incredible. The Quantum Yo theory is truly revolutionary, and changed the way I think about yo yo tricks. Just like advertised, it's not a recipe book, but a guide to the underlying theory of how to approach yo yo tricks. I loved the tone of the writing and the inclusion of totem animals, as it just added enjoyment to what could have been a very dry analysis.

Advanced players will be able to see the limitations of a strictly "Quantum Yo" approach, but it may also help them think outside of old routines and expand their freestyle yocabulary. I doubt they've even thought of yo-ing in exactly this way before.

Top notch book, and I've never seen anything else even remotely like it for yo yos.

Ultra-cool. There is no other trick book like the Yonomicon. A must read for every serious yo-yo player. Lucky Meisenheimer M.D. author of "Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos...History and Values"

This is a great book of pretty darn advanced yo-yo tricks. It breaks each trick down into it's parts and expalins it in a physics type manner. It's not that easy to follow, and it reads kind of like a text book, but if you can get through the complex explainations it's got some stuff you've never seen in a yo-yo book before.

If you want to get deeper into some complicated yo-yo tricks, this book is for you.

Do you get a kick out of operator spaces and wacky topology? If so, this is the yo-yo book for you. Coming just shy of an out-and-out mathematical analysis of the yo-yo, McBride lays down the laws of freestyle Yo, defining yo-yo play as a subset of the possible string/hand operations on the topology consisting of the yo, free hand and throw hand. This book will redefine the way you look at yo-yoing. If you have a refined mathematical background, this book could easily start you on the road towards a graduate thesis.

The Yonomicon is a great book, its like a math book full of equations to mix and make tricks. It leaves nothing unexplained, it just takes a littl while to learn to understand how McBride is explaining the tricks. It different, in a better way.

when i picked no#12 in my local libray i was sooo happy that fate drove me to it, cos since then i have made sure ive read all 28 of them but the thing i still{begging KA to write no#29up to a 1000} want more. if you dont go out much please pick this up,you don't know what you're missing. i have read all her books from making out, ocean city, making waves to animorphs.i love her work keep it up. making out deserves a million stars not just five.if their is a book lover like me thank God.

I think Katherine Applegate really made this book to the teenage level and our dialog. I really thought that maybe she was a teenage writer because she displayed the feelings of her characters so well!

It's Thanksgiving vacation on Chatham Island, Maine, time for families to come together and be thankful for their everyday blessings--well, in theory. Except this holiday, the Passmore and Geiger families will be tested on how strong their bonds are when they welcome a new sibling, a possible new boyfriend, and a father's new girlfriend to the table. Yes, let the drama begin. ;)

On the Passmore's side, Zoey's father invites his 19-year-old love child (Lara McAvoy) to dinner--and doesn't tell his wife or two kids she's coming until that day. When Lara does arrive (this is Zoey's first time meeting her), her parents ask her to move in for the time being since she's nearly homeless. Zoey is definitely against her parents' decision. From what she assessed of her new half-sister, Lara is a complete loser, mentally dulled by drugs and alcohol and a strong magnet for scuzzy men like her last convict boyfriend. However, there is one person who is absolutely thrilled about Lara's move: Jake McRoyan, Zoey's ex-boyfriend and possibly Lara's new boyfriend. (Has anyone else noticed how "incestuous" relationships are on this island? I guess there are so many boyfriends/girlfriends you can go through before you start dating each other's siblings.)

Meanwhile, Claire and Nina Geiger get to meet their father's new girlfriend (Sarah Mendel)--and her gorgeous 17-year-old son, Aaron. Needless to say, both girls are utterly transfixed by him (along with just about every other girl on the island), but Claire is more so than Nina, since Nina already has a terrific boyfriend (Benjamin Passmore). After that dinner, Claire is bound and determined to get Aaron, even though he's obviously not very interested in her but, instead, attracted to Zoey, although she, too, has a boyfriend (Lucas Cabral), who's a total slug next to Aaron. My guess: the slug eventually gets the boot--and good riddance!

"Zoey Plays Games" is the ninth book in the Making Out series. If you like teen drama/romance, then I highly recommend this series. It's not too cheesy for readers who aren't particularly prone to read such books either; in fact, this series is quite witty and humorous. And if you like Zoey's character, then don't miss any of the other Zoey-oriented books: Zoey Fools Around (#1), What Zoey Saw (#6), Don't Tell Zoey (#13), Zoey Speaks Out (#18), Always Loving Zoey (#22), Now Zoey's Alone (#24), Zoey's Broken Heart (#26), and Zoey Comes Home (#28).

In book 8,I felt that Zoey forgave Lucas a bit too quickly. I understand her confusion at seeing her parents together after all that confusion errupted on book 6. However, she is naive to think that she could just forgive and not deal with the issues.

I am not just talking about Lucas and Claire making out. I am referring to feeling so pressured to have sex. In her mind she may have just figured that it was a guy thing and that is how boys are. She has truly found someone that is her equal. I give two thumbs up for Aaron and Zoey.

Quietly I give two thumbs up for Jake and Lara. I think they can best understand each other and no one else can. I like how Jake denied that beer, even thought he was craving it. That took real courage.

Claire deserves to be by herself. The thing about Claire is that she knows that she doesn't have to be manipulative and underhanded to get what she wants, she just chooses to. Which in itself is bad, because the only thing she will have to look forward to is alone in antartica.

Zoey and Lucas(not to mention her parents) kissed and made up. But Aaron Mendel, the son of Claire and Ninas' father's girlfriend, comes to Chatham Island. Zoey and Claire both fall for his nice guy act. He threatens Zoey and Lucas' relationship. Jake starts to fall for Lara, with mixed results. Christopher may make a life-changing decision. Nina thinks that Benjamin is cheating on her(with Aisha, of all people). Benjamin may also make a life-changing decision. This book rocks! That's all I can say, except READ IT. Next- Nina Shapes Up.

How can I not put in a plug for this book? My 6 year old Kindergarten son has borrowed this book 3 weeks in a row from the school "media center." He has all but memorized it and loves reading it aloud, with or without an audience. It's fun for the adults too, with fun illustrations. It goes without saying that I am planning to buy this for our home library.

I think any Robert Munsch book is a winner! You can't go wrong with Munsch! I recommend all the Munschworks collections (each volume contains 5 stories) and anything else by Robert Munsch; he is so smart, clever, witty, entertaining, funny, creative and just plain amazing! This book is particularly popular in our family because my wife uses a motorized wheelchair. We all like to think that Lauretta (the girl in the story) is "mommy" as a little girl. "Mommy" still likes to go fast and the kids like it too!
Zoom! shows that a kid who uses a wheelchair is just like any kid who wants to have fun! Zoom! also shows that a book with a character using a wheelchair does not need to have a blatant message on disability. A great, fun story!

Recently, I learned that the character Lauretta in the story is based an actual girl named Lauretta Reid from Ontario. Lauretta uses crutches most of the time and a wheelchair for.long distances. Zoom! came from a combination of Lauretta's request for "a story about a little girl who walks with crutches and uses a wheelchair" and a story idea from a student named Grant; he wanted to be in story about a kid who got a new bicycle that was so fast he got a speeding ticket. Grant (now in his 20's) gladly gave up his role in the story and we have Zoom!

Unfortunately, Zoom! is currently out of print and the publisher (Scholastic) has given no information about when the book will be reprinted. There are a few used copies available online but they are pricey! And at this point, I will honestly admit that I am the one who bought all the reasonably priced copies I could find - and in my search for copies I learned the story behind Zoom! You can read the whole story and see pictures of the real Lauretta at www.robertmunsch.com . I hope in the near future new copies of Zoom! will be available. Feel free to visit the Scholastic website and write a comment requesting that Zoom! be reprinted - I did!

As with all the Robert Munsch books we own, my son frequently picks this one for reading. It is silly and always makes him laugh.

You might expect a book about a girl in a wheelchair to have some socially correct message -- something about how the "differently abled" are people, too, so we should all be nice to them. Or maybe how we should try to imagine life from their perpective, so we can count our blessings. Yada yada yada.

So it's refreshing that "Zoom!" doesn't try any of that. Rather, it simply uses a girl's need for a wheelchair as the basis for a fun story. The girl, Lauretta, wants a FAST wheelchair, and when she gets one, a series of fast-paced scenes ensue. More than most kids books, "Zoom!" has ACTION.

My kids, now 4 and 5, never ask, "Why is she in a wheelchair?" or anything like that, they just accept that she is. They love this story for its lively story and colorful, expressive, pictures. It's fun to read out loud, with "sound effects" built into the story like "Blam! Blam! Blam!" and "Zooooooooooooom!"

My daughter adores this book! She checked it out of the school library so many times the librarian asked me if she would consider reading something different. I decided to purchase her own copy to avoid conflicts. She reads it constantly. I adore the fact that Robert Munsch has the foresight to reflect real life children in his books. The star of this story is a little girl in a wheelchair. As soon as I see Robert Munsch as the author of a book, I know that we are in for a great story with good humor and the story will take us on a fun ride. My daughter knows this too. Keep up the great work!

This book, although in a small pocket sized format, is an excellent source of inspiration for things to do before high school is over and you ask yourself "Why did i never take a roadtrip with friends?" or "Why did i ever have that fundraiser for my local SPCA i promised myself i would organize?" As someone who is about to graduate high school, i feel this book covers all those things i still want to do and gives tips on how to do them. I determined my blood type, cooked a three course meal and even hosted my own film festival. These were just some of the suggestions from the book. I plan on giving this too all my friends!

Before I read this book, I though High-School was going to be a depressing four years full of Bullies and beer breath that I would just have to block out and bear. But now, thanks to this magnificent read, I have things to do, ways to connect with people--even conversation pieces if your desperate. This book takes everything that should be good about highschool and serves it to you with a side of onion rings. A must have for a bored teen.

97 things to do before you finish high school
By Cindy
This book provides eye opening information which shows you how to prepare your self for a personal development like. How to create a journal, how to look closely to a work of art this kind of things relate to you and teaches you how to improve or prepare your self for the future. These are things that most people don't think about in high school.
This book covers all the most significant things that you can relate, to and it is really interesting how things have there own way of teaching. Young people would really appreciate reading this book because everything would make sense and it will be way easier to try to do something when you have confidence.
Before I even read this book I never thought I would ever do something that could embarrassed me, like confess to a crush. Come on, a girl like me would never ask a guy out, but now that I have read that section in the book and learned me that every one should have confidence and trust them self's. You really don't loose anything and you'll get it over with. Buy this book! It is a great guide for teenagers.

As a teen myself, I know (especially during the summer) how hard it can be simply to find meanful activities to fill your days when all you ant to do is catch up on lost sleep. I really enjoyed 97 Things simply because the activites listed in it are realistic and hold great potential for a fun or meaningful experience, whether by yourself or with friends (trust me, I tried both). 97 Things's condensed form and pure practicality make it a great summer handbook or otherwise. Great companion for any middle through high-schooler!

I absolutely enjoyed this book. There were so many ideas about small things that make the high school experience more fulfilling that I haven't even thought about. Some of the things in this book I have already done and I have already recommended this book to a friend. It was a lot of fun to think about how meaningful a lot of the things that you do before you graduate high school really are. And the not doing of some of these things are the things that a lot of people regret not doing later in life.
Lisa Macklin , Age 16, Ny

It's been many years since I had played Dungeons and Dragons, so when I started playing again with my son using the 3.5v set of rules our discussions turned to how it used to be. I just had to get this when I found it on Amazon.com. Not only nostalgic for me, but it's still a great resource for our games. We love it!

for DMs in the game world, great book on monsters and their stats and purpose in life.

This book harkens back to the "good old days" when playing the paper and pencil D&D used to be new and fun. It is also the last of the original manuals we purchased to play the game. There have been several reincarnations of this manual and I've thumbed through them but they just don't hold a candle to the original, despite the fancier artwork and rule changes. There are lots of new monsters to supplement the original manual and they were all done in the same style as Monster Manual 1 with black and white line drawings. I am not at all happy with the direction TSR took after Mr. Gygax was booted out (or left, can't remember which) and one big loss was the original manuals. They are now up to version 3 something of the rules but I do not even know what they are because I just play computer games now. All I know about the new rules is that multi-class characters are easier to work with. It was an exciting time, a different era. I still have this manual and will always treasure it. If you can find one, pick it up just to see how things used to be done. Highly recommended.

This is the final piece of the 1st Edition AD&D monster puzzle. Despite its age, the book still offers up several monsters that never found their way into the 3rd Edition of the game. My favorites are the Modrons from the plane of Nirvana. They are some the silliest monsters ever created, but lend a lighthearted feel that 3rd edition lacks.

Back on the serious side, the Random Encounter Tables are terrific. The tables not only list the monsters in this book, but also those in the original MM and Fiend Folio. They even have note next to each monster that indicates which book it can be found in. Very nice.

This book has a lot of creatures that can be found no where else as well as a good look at demons and devils. While all the creatures in the first monster manual can be found in the newer versions this book is truely unique. If you ever get a chance to buy one, do so even if you already have the new monster manual.

Almost every boy wanted to grow up to be Superman, or some other impressive super hero. With this amazingly powerful resource, any Dad can look just like super hero to his children. All you need are a few materials, a little time to read, and some practice. The book has been written by a magician (Mr. Livera) and a teacher/entertainer (Mr. Preuss). Between them, they have created the best resource I have ever seen for family fun with the 2-6 year-old set.

"Do not reveal the source of your superpowers!" With that injunction, you ar encouraged to slip the book "in your dresser beneath a pile of socks." On the other hand, if you want to keep peace in the family, show Mom the book too. She'll want to use some of these magic tricks and entertainments also. You remember Wonder Woman, don't you?

The book is very versatile. I had images of only magic tricks when I picked it up. I was very pleased to see that magic tricks were only a small part of the repertoire. My favorite section involved very humorous games that can be played in the car. Now, in our family, we occasionally heard "how much longer 'til we get there?" and "I'm bored." If you ever have those problems, this book will turn those times into fascinating fun instead.

Here are the titles of some of the sections: Acrobat of Anatomy, Adventures, Captive Creativity, Chauffeur of Shenanigans, Amazing Dadini, Greatest Show on Earth, Most Valuable Pop, Maitre d' Mayham, and Mr. Mystery.

In addition to getting to be a very special Pop, this book will also fascinate you with its creativity. I also suspect that you will start some new family traditions that your children will carry on when they are parents.

After you have been using the book for a while, I suggest that you take some of the activities and change them into ones that are uniquely suited to the interests of your family. That will make you feel even more like The Amazing Dad!

Enjoy being amazing, and bring joy to all!

These days fathers need all the help they can get. My eight-year-old daughter used to think I was the coolest guy in the universe, but lately I've been getting hip-checked by the backstreet boys and n'sync. I've found myself competing for her attention; and I've been trying for the past few months to pull any fun rabbit out of the hat I can find (I got one of those "juggling for klutzes" kits and practiced in secret). A few weeks ago, a buddy of mine (also a dad- and familiar with my plight) told me he'd come across a really cool book called The Amazing Dad. I pounded the pavement till I found the lone remaining copy at a local bookstore; and I was blown away- on darn near every page there's a cool trick or fun activity that any spaz can do. Every one I've tried so far has left my children laughing, squealing, and begging for more. The diagramming makes everything an easy-to-duplicate, no-brainer. This book has become my "FUN BIBLE"- I keep it hidden so as not to reveal the source of my new-found coolness. Each time the kids ask me "Where'd you learn that?", I just give them a shrug and play it off like "Oh, I've got a million of 'em- you ain't seen nothin yet"- which means they better come out with volume two before I run out of rabbits. Seriously- a dynamite book.... big thanks to Preuss and Livera for making me a cool dad again. Maybe they can teach me to sing and dance.....

I purchased five copies of the book--two for expecting fathers, one for my brother, one for my boyfriend's brother, and one for my boyfriend and me. The book is an excellent way to give dad's and mom's ideas for creative ways to entertain and interact with their kids.

This book is a handy instruction book about how to liven up the time you spend with your kids. It could have been titled 'The Amazing Parent' since the activities described within are easy for a dad, a mom, a grandparent, even a babysitter or a teacher to perform and enjoy with kids. If you are always in a rush and know you need to spend more time having fun with your kids, this is the manual for you. Are you a single parent who wants to make the most out of your weekends with the kids? It is great for kids of all ages, but seems best for those under 12. It has great anecdotes throughout for dad inspiration. You don't need to read it cover to cover to gain some kind of message about parenting. Instead, open to any page and have fun instantly. I dare you!

If these fellas aren't Dads, and amazing ones, it could have fooled me. Their suggestions are broad and clever, and should be read by everyone, not just fathers, who spends time with children. The Amazing Dad should be on bookshelves in every home and child-care center in the country.

This is a great book if you are a huge American Idol fan and you want to know behind-the-scenes stuff. There's a lot of info. about each of the contestants as well, from their favorite color to their birthday. My favorite AI% was Jessica Sierra.

But, I have one question: Where's the Season 5 book? :)

WHEN you read this book it will let you know what happend
behind the scencs of american idol! and you will also learn
more about the top 12.MY favorite idols are CARRIE UNDERWOOD
and LINDSEY CARDINLE they are fantastic singers.IF only
lindsey wasnt voted off so quickly! BUY THIS BOOK its AWESOME!

This book is pretty good. There are some bad things like since it was published and released before Carrie Underwood won, they don't show the winner like screaming, crying, being happy, blah, blah, blah. I watch the show every night and never missed an episode. The top 12 finalists are Lindsey Cardinale, Mikalah Gordon, Jessica Sierra, Nikko Smith, Nadia Turner, Anwar Robinson best!, Constantine Maroulis, Scott Savol, Anthony Federov, Vonzell Soloman, Bo Bice, and Carrie Underwood. They are in order in which they were eliminated from AI. The best is Anwar Robinson because he just sings great, looks great, never nervous, and so on. I think he should have been voted off near the end. Overall this book is awesome.

This book is a great book to get to know the Top 12 a little better. It has quick facts, pictures, and a bio of each of them. Plus some behind the scences stuff, never- before seen pics, and them shopping, etc. When I met the Top Ten (but not Bo), I had them sign their page, and it worked out great. I love it!

I thought it was a good book, had lots of good quality pictures in there. The only complaint I have with it is it came out too early. It should have come out after the season was done so they could have the last final weeks in there and the winner showing her happiness. That's the only complaint I have is it should have been published after the season was over with. Otherwise it was a good book.

In 1985 I bought this at a book fair when I was 5 years old, and I still think that it is one of the best books on origami out there. The version that I have contains a few confusing instructions (which may have been corrected in later editions), but they can be worked around thanks to the well drawn pictures.

If you want some wonderful challenging and detailed animal origami to fold, you won't be disappointed with this book! It has quite a few of my favorite models. All the ones pictured on the cover are great...I particularly like the wonderful detail on the frog, with eyes and toes. The lobster is another personal favorite of mine.

I Remember When I Got The 3 Final Steps On The Lobster. I Got so Into Origami That I Started Making Lobsters, Crabs And Cranes During School! I Have Loved Origami ever Since I Was 9 Years Old. This Book Was A Little Easy For Me, But For People That Can Only Make Cranes, Tigers, Paper Cups and other Easy Things. This Book is A Little Over Your Head.

This is a great book, not quite for beginners, though. In this book, you work your way up through the angel fish (easiest) to the lobster (hardest). The book has great step-by-step intructions which helps you create a model with great detail. This is one of the best origami books I've ever gotten and I definatly recommend it if you're really into origami.

This is easily my favorite book on origami. All the diagrams are clear, the models are very detailed, and more importantly, all of them are an awful lot of fun to make, and very rewarding. While it has models from the whole range of difficulty levels, it focuses primarily on the advanced folder.

A little bit of history- my parents bought me this book about 15 years ago, I couldn't have been more than 8 at the time. I had dabbled a little bit in origami before then, but this is the book that got me hooked. I still have that copy, ragged at the edges, pages falling out, but still as fulfulling as it always was. I just can't stop singing the praises of this book- it's that good.

Toby Dillon only partially grew up. Yes, he's a lawyer. But he only does that part time. The other part of the time, he is the assistant tennis pro at the country club where he lives.

Toby has stumbled into the adoption business, helping couples navigate all the legal proceedings necessary to make their new child officially their own. It's a specialty he loves because it allows him to help people.

His latest clients are really special to him. They are Hollywood power couple Brogan Barlow and Rita MacGilroy. But to Toby, they are his best friends. The three grew up together in a tiny town in northern San Diego county. So, naturally, Toby is anxious to help them.

Things go well, and the news of the adoption leads off a whirlwind press tour that Toby becomes part of.

Then comes a phone call with a shocking revelation for Brogan and Rita. Naturally, they want to question the birth mother, but she has disappeared. What's really been going on?

Let's be clear, I loved this book. Between the humor and the twists, I couldn't put the book down.

The story starts a little slowly, with frequent pauses to give us some history on Toby. We do need to get to know him, but frequent flashbacks are a bit of a pet peeve. Still, that was the only flaw. Once the story gets going, I could not put the book down, staying up late a couple nights in a row to read just a little further. The plot twists and turns all over the place, yet I found every one of them logical and believable. And the characters were real. Toby, Brogan, and Rita felt like true friends by the end of the book. And as the book progresses, we are drawn into a darker and darker web.

Author Randall Hicks has created a new series that shows lots of promise. I can't wait to visit Toby and company again.

I love discovering new authors. He really writes mystery/suspense well, but his humor was what made me love the book. He is a 'hoot'. I do enjoy suspense, but if you can add humor - WOW! In my book, he's got it all. Oops, one more thing, he knows adoption, and that's the basis of this book, although this is fiction. What people and criminals will do for a baby! I'm waiting for his new book, Baby Crimes, which comes out in 2007.

Baby Game deserves a much higher placement among Amazon rankings! New author Hicks introduces a new kind of hero with Toby Dillon, a lawyer who's an adoption specialist. Toby brings an unusual background to his job: two years in the Peace Corps followed by law school courtesy of Uncle Charlie.

Toby's one of those tough athletic bachelor heroes with brains -- like Brady Coyne with a lot of rough edges. For a first outing, he helps his childhood friends adopt a much-loved child under bizarre but just plausible conditions.

Hicks cleverly introduces the hero and his past, although at times I had trouble keeping the dates straight. Law school - before or after Peace Corps? Must have been after. A few incidents were a little slapstick. Hicks has to remember that mystery readers tend to identify with upscale values. Robert Parker has this awareness dodwn to an art form in the Spenser series.

And I suspect we'll get gliimpses of the hero's Peace Corps life as the series goes on.

I don't usually like mysteries featuring characters who are supposed to be famous. And I find it hard to believe famous actors realy are so nice and humble and down to earth.

But I didn't feel at all tempted to stop reading or even look ahead, as I do with some authors who are far more established. I really wondered how all the pieces would come together. Hicks knows how to tell a story and I enjoyed getting an insider's view of adoption law along the way, even though I'll never adopt any creature that doesn't come equpped with fur, whiskers and paws.

Let's hope Hicks develops a following and gives us more adventures of his misguided hero.

Hicks has written a particularly engaging character in Toby. I also appreciated his making the celebrity couple real, grounded people. There was interesting legal information which didn't bog down the story, and some good twists along the way. But it was Toby's relationship with his grandfather was particularly touching. The book is a bit mystery light, but is an entertaining first book and a series I shall definitely follow.

The Baby Game is one of those rare books where the improbable works seamlessly. The serious parts make the hairs on the back of your neck tingle and the funny parts are laugh out loud hilarious. An ex Peace Corps, assistant tennis pro, home schooled California attorney, who drives a Ford falcon convertible with a wooden cigar store Indian permanently wedged in the passenger seat sounds like the loser of a Dumb and Dumber contest, but Toby Dillon turns out to be believable, lovable, and competent, in roughly that order. The plot is deliciously twisty and at the halfway point, I still had no idea who the bad guys were. Although there is real jeopardy, there is still some question at that point as to whether a crime had even been committed. Well, actually Toby was well along the way to the five felonies he commits in the course of the book, but otherwise...All is well that ends well and the ending of The Baby Game - "And then I kissed her." The best way to describe it, The Baby Game is similar to Lawrence Sanders' McNally series, only a whole lot better.