New York Books

Real Stories, Untold Truths reads like a detective novel. Though it is introspective, it is also fast-paced, detailed, and full of mystery. I was eager to turn the pages, to learn what would happen to J.C., the author's homeless friend. How did a seventy-something-year-old, former math teacher and father, end up homeless in New York City? Why was it sometimes hard for him to accept help when it arrived?
After reading the first book in this series, Have a Great One!, in 2001, I wondered if it would be difficult for me to get back inside the story since several years had passed. The transition felt effortless. It's not easy for an author to involve a reader so quickly. Laurie Anthony holds degrees in special education and social work, yet she also has a gift for storytelling. Her style is straightforward. Tightly packed scenes, unique characters, detailed settings, and seamless dialogue reeled me in.
In all friendships, the more you learn each other's secrets, the more you become aware that you can never fully understand another human being. In any meaningful relationship, our values and preconceptions are tested and that's how we grow as individuals. We humans are multi-faceted--a product of our genes, our environment, and our choices. These complexities are addressed in the book so well, I wish more background had been given about the racial strife J.C. must have faced living in the south before The Civil Rights Movement. Why do some people, like J.C.'s brother thrive after enduring great hardships, and others, like J.C., make so many unhealthy decisions? I wonder if that could be another volume in the making--the history of these two men.
The author approaches many sensitive issues with an open mind. Homelessness, mental illness, poverty, the sexual tension that may happen between men and women who become friends. She tells us how it feels to be manipulated, what it's like trying to trust someone who can be selfish, withholding, who sometimes suffers from distorted thinking and is often verbally abusive. The author's sense of self is plumbed each time a new revelation about her friend, J.C., occurs. She shares her journal with us, the letters she writes to him and sometimes does not send. We feel her angst, her hope, her disappointments and her headaches.
Though Laurie Anthony has returned to Ohio, where she teaches the fifth grade, she still visits J.C. in New York not only to work on the book, but to help him in times of need. She's strolled down the streets of Harlem, visited J.C.'s new living quarters, acted as a go-between with him and his relatives, lawyers, and old friends. She has kept in touch with his family and has journeyed to his home town.
I admire the author's tenacity, and also her inner strength. It is a challenge to nurture such a difficult friendship. Many of us would lose our patience after one of J.C.'s insults. On the other hand, I feel J.C. is to be commended for opening up to a woman who came from such a different world than he did. It isn't easy confiding in someone, let alone telling them your past mistakes. As a writer, I'm in awe of the amount of research and time these two books must have taken to complete in the midst of so many setbacks and frustrations. It's fun to imagine them marketing their book together after so many ups and downs in their relationship.
I did not approach either of these books as a technical treatise on the homeless. To me, it is an example of journaling at its best. This book in particular was not only about finding the meaning of compassion and friendship, but also about our accountability to ourselves and to each other, and knowing when to set boundaries. When does helping become enabling? How long can we continue to help someone in need if they do not try to help themselves? The book was about asking all the big questions: who, when, what, where, how, and why? And being OK with the realization that there are rarely easy answers to all of those questions. True stories do not always have the happiest or the clearest of endings.
If you are looking for a quick fix to societal problems, pat remedies for the human condition, a to-do list of "how to stop being that way" you won't find those here. This is a woman's honest, troubled account of trying to understand a complicated problem that needs to be addressed, while struggling with her own confusion in the process. She is on a path of rediscovering what friendship means to her. She meets, then befriends one man and tells his story in an effort to help him out of a life-threatening situation: living without a roof over his head. She does not look the other way, or adapt a holier than thou attitude toward J.C.. You witness her unhappiness over many of J.C.'s choices and behaviours, but you never feel she will abandon the friendship once the book is done.
I recommend both books to educators and readers. It's bound to provoke many questions and could lead to discussions on drug abuse, homelessness, racism, mental health, and what it means to be a friend.
Copyright (c) by Catherine Tudor 2004
One Woman's Writing Retreat ...

Who is J.C.? What is hidden behind the amiable facade of an unusually engaging and intelligent homeless? How did he go from evident riches and expensive education to rags and worse? In a page turner of a book, Laurie Anthony describes her quest for answers to this baffling riddle - a mission that ultimately proves to be a path of painful self-discovery as well.

The book is an inter-racial and inter-gender odyssey, shuttling back and forth between serene Ohio and a multi-faceted Manhattan, between the 1950s and the present, between the author's own family and J.C.'s. One step forward - J.C. finds an apartment and buys a car - is invariably and dishearteningly followed by (at least) two steps back - J.C. again estranged from his children, whom he hasn't seen in decades.

Gradually, the dark secrets, the black holes at the core of the J.C. galaxy of contradictory behaviors and traits - emerge. As they unfold, this riveting book rivals any thriller I have read. It is also an excellent primer to the inner world of the narcissistic psychopath. A must!

Sam Vaknin, author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited"

We learned about J.C. Simmons, a homeless man, in Laurie Anthony's first book, Have a Great One! A Homeless Man's Story. This book tells the rest of the story -- the secrets J.C. has hidden, and how Laurie responds. I was very impressed with how she pulled it all together at the end of the book.

Although J.C. is not typical of most homeless persons (says Laurie Anthony), reading Real Stories, Untold Truths set my mind thinking. Why don't homeless individuals take advantage of all the help that is available? J.C. was mentally ill, but is that a reason for him to take advantage of others? I rate this book high because of Laurie's honesty, and her ability to even question herself.

Laurie Anthony's story poses the question, "Who are the homeless and can we judge them?" In an excellent, thought-provoking sequel to her first book, "Have a Great One! A Homeless Man's Story," Anthony struggles with the situation she has found herself in -- helping a homeless man who has grown dependent on her, and selectively shares secrets of his past with her. She becomes cautious and uncomfortable, yet her message rings clear, helping all of us decide for ourselves where we stand on the issue of homelessness.

You gotta read this classic if you invest on your own. There are so many lessons to be learned from it. Add it to your library and read it!

As I read this book I wondered if it was written recently, as most books written in the last couple decades seem to have the same info, including the 'newly discovered' psychology of trading. Save a ton of money and buy this book first. Then you may not want any of the others. It's well written, though the author's whole intent is to prove no one can 'beat' the market, which is a little discouraging. I mean, after all, I think I will. Everyone interested in trading should read this early in their career, if not first.

As useful in the mad 1920's and 30's as it is today! Every trader should read it... at least twice. If you're into Hedge funds, Private Equity or Asset Management, you should probably read it not less than 3 times - in between the lines!

If you believe Market Analysis,you ought to choose Jesse Livermore.If you believe Company Analysis,you ought to choose Warren Buffett.If you believe Country Analysis,you ought to choose Jim Rogers.Good lucky!

Reminiscences of Stock Operator is a classical works that testifies that the psychological and technical aspects that moves the market has not changed even to this present day... The beauty of the fictional story based on the greatest of minds that traded in the market and made millions and lost fortunes speaks very vividly to us today from their wisdom and experience... I have found the book to be full of wisdom, education and guidance that the financial markets is not a game to be played on the hopes of getting rich for nothing...To be successful requires the greatest discipline on our ourselves..And in the game of speculation this book let us know that the financial markets owes us nothing and that we can't force our hands...

For nearly 30 years I have carried this book with me virtually everywhere. No, it's not "an easy read" - but it is worth buying (owning)and treasuring - if only for the FOURTH LETTER (to a German Friend)- it is the most moving argument/declaration for humanity and choosing it that I have ever seen anywhere.

Some (like Sartre?) might call it a "rationalization". But even those who have resigned themselves to the religions of cynicism and despair - could find a remnant of fight and even "goodness" (yikes!) inside themselves. Camus' words remind us that resignation and the inevitable indifference and inhumanity that follow are the ultimate betrayals of life.

While there is nothing "cheerful" or even optimistic about these writings - you'd have to be cold-blooded, heartless and completely beyond repair or redemption not to be inspired by the wistful aspirations that Camus exudes from his admittedly battered heart and soul.

I disagree with the reviewer (who did praise this precious book) Sartre is smart - but so is Camus - and Camus exudes the humanity that Sartre can't even see or imagine.

Sartre would tell us that we always have the freedom to at least rattle our chains (at least theoretically) - but Camus has the power to inspire us to want to.

"I step onto the podium only when forced to by the pressure of circumstances and by my conception of my function as a writer." (p. 132) From the circumstances of Fascist Spain and Nazi occupied France, to the circumstances of the Hungarian and Algerian struggles for freedom, Camus' essays demand involvement, require action in the face of hopelessness. He never offers a moment's peace for couch-potato complacency. "Freedom is not made up principally of privileges; it is made up especially of duties." (p. 96)

To read these essays is to step into the world of a man who said to Christians "I share with you the same revulsion from evil. But I do not share your hope, and I continue to struggle against this universe in which children suffer and die." (p. 71) And "Perhaps we cannot prevent this world from being a world in which children are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children." (p. 73)

Camus is recalled to the podium, in a day when children are tortured and die in Chiapas while most turn a blind eye and complain that sitcoms just aren't what they used to be. These essays, possibly his most accessible work, demand an active response from the modern reader. Our struggle today, although not against Nazi minions, still must echo his "There are means that cannot be excused. I should like to be able to love my country and still love justice." (p. 5) [See Jamal's Live from Death Row and Peltier's Prison Writings, elsewhere on Amazon.]

Camus is outspoken about capital punishment, too. "It is obviously no less repulsive than the crime, and this new murder, far from making amends for the harm done to the social body, adds a new blot to the first one." (p. 176) His "Reflections on the Guillotine" is the longest essay in book. He views capital punishment, even in "free" societies, as an act of totalitarianism.

Camus proclaims the call to justice and the struggle for freedom found in the Old Testament, especially in the minor prophets. But he does so in a modern context, where God is silent and man is the maker of his own destiny. Although he sees no messianic age, he proclims the hope that by continuous effort evil can be diminished and freedom and justice may become more prevalent.

Five stars for courage, five stars for clarity, five stars for consistency. After the abortion of democracy on December 9, 2000, every freedom and justice seeking American needs to read this book.

(If you would like to respond to this review, click on the "about me" link above & send me email. Thanks!)

This collection of essays is the most brilliant one of Camus' diverse smaller non-fiction writings. The bulk of this book concerns his journalistic writings on the Algerian Revolution, Soviet Union etc. Through these essays, you understand the pain of Camus. Camus' ethics doesn't agree to mindless violence for the sake of power. He makes an impassioned plea for tolerance and humanitarian solutions to the problems of war and peace.

Camus is not necessarily logical or politically correct. His stand on the issue of independence of Algeria is a compromised position between French imperialism and Algerian aspirations for freedom during that period. However, in his passion for diagnozing the problems of his time and addressing them, he hits upon a lot of interesting insights and arguments.

Particularly brilliant for both its analysis and its conclusion is Camus' landmark long essay 'Reflections on the Guillotine' which occupies a fair part of the book. In this essay, Camus systematically demolishes all legal or quasi-moral justifications for capital punishment and answers the third aspect of the question - Whether human life is worth taking?

In his 'The Myth of Sisyphus', he had argued against self-murder. In 'The Rebel', he argued against murder and genocide. In this essay, he argues against legalized murder. But unlike his earlier works where he offered weak arguments after a brilliant analysis, here he hits the mark by demolishing the justifications for capital punishment, totally. This particular essay deserves to be considered a classic in the philosophy of law and justice.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It has provided me with the strongest, most clear-headed confidence in the face of unrelenting hypocrisy and struggle. Camus was on the side of the angels for all of the conflicts of his time, a time that saw the darkest face of humanity. His arguments for compassion and justice are utterly transfixing and revelatory, and written with a clarity and insight that are simply breath-taking.

I challenge anyone that supports the death penalty to read "Reflections on the Guillotine" and walk away with their arguments intact. In this piece Camus utterly demolishes every argument for state-sanctioned murder while defending the right to live with dignity, a right that can easily encompass the self-defense by combat necessitated by circumstance.

Camus was a moral, intellectual, and physical hero, and reading these essays one is almost overcome by his sense of humilty, justice, and compassion. His writing is so crystalline, it's almost jolting. This is a powerful tonic for all those that despair of creating a place for the best qualities of the human race in times of utter darkness. A must-read.

Camus' essays are obviously more difficult to read than hisstories, and quite possibly more difficult to read than his philosophical investigations as well. Should they be read? Of course. In them, he speaks of similar topics (i.e. what to do in the face of absurditiy, human moral dilemmas, etc.) as he does in the other books, though in a more precise, more direct fashion. His views on the death penalty shaped my own almost completely.

What you get in this book are coherent arguments by a coherent, nuainced thinker. Is Sartre smarter than Camus? Camus knew enough to fear most -isms and -ologies where Sartre did not... (not that I recommend ignoring Sartre either! )

I just started reading BARK magazine and saw this advertised and had to order it as I read ANYTHING about dogs I can find....I loved it...It is hysterically funny and I finished it in about 2 days I enjoyed it so much! If you have a shelter dog or a rescue dog you should definitely read it as you will relate to so much....The baby talk we all start to use upon getting a dog-especially a fearful one was really funny.(I do it too)!!! Highly recommended!

I just finished reading this book and I loved it! I've read Rex and the City stories in The Bark mag and I've always enjoyed them so when I read in The Bark that Lee Harrington had a book coming out based on the same stories I couldn't wait to read it. If you're a dog lover you will certainly enjoy this book! I saw my self, my husband and my dogs in this story and laughed through out the book. My husband is reading it now!!

I have two rescued dobermans and went through a h*ll of a time trying to help them get used to their new homes.
This book had me in tears, both becuase i was laughing so hard at how funny her descriptions are, but also I cried sometimes, because what she says about dogs, and about people with dogs, is so true and real. Rescuing dogs sure can be hard. But this is a great story!! Just wait and see what a terrific dog "rex" turns into, and how the author turns into a terrific person as well. I am giving copies to all my dog-loving friends. and i hear there is a Volume II coming out, i can't wait for that one.

I haven't finished this book yet, but I've read the Rex and they City column in Bark magazine, so I know something about the story line.

Anyway, I found the following part amusing (these two people have just gotten a dog and right away they are doubting what they've done):

-----
"Can we do it?" I said to Ted. "Can we take him back?"
"I think we're going to have to," he said.
[...]
"I just wish there were a sign," I said. "Some sign, some guarantee that it's not always going to be like this. If he'll love us some day. That there'll be some reward."
Rex was lying on the floor as I said this, and he had begun to lick his privates in a loud and rather lewd way. Rex glanced at me suspiciously and belched. Then he went back to licking himself.
"There's your sign," Ted said.
----

Heh. I don't think I have ever heard a dog burp. If I had asked for a sign and my dog burped at that exact moment, I'm pretty sure I would have taken him back.

They don't take the dog back, though. I guess that's because he burped in chapter 2 and the book wasn't finished. Smart dog not to burp in a later chapter.

Not everyone likes this kind of humor, but if you do you might like this book.

Rex and the City is the best dog memoir I have ever read!!! And it seems to me that the reviewer above missed an important point. Ms. Harrington has written an honest, poignant book about her experiences rescuing a shelter dog. The author admits, from the very first chapter, that before she got the dog she was rather misguided and self-absorbed-and this is the very thing that the viewer above is criticizing her for. But I think the author was very brave to admit her shortcomings-she discusses her fears and insecurities and poor judgment she felt as a woman in her thirties. She discusses her insecurities about feeling she is not a good enough person to take care of her dog. And because she is so honest, Harrington subjects herself to the very sort of criticism the reviewer above subjected her to. (the reviewer calls her "uninteresting" and a "fool"). But who hasn't been a fool in life? To admit this, and to write a memoir about it, is very brave indeed. And very real. The best thing about REX AND THE CITY is that the author overcomes a lot of her shortcomings, all because she rehabilitated this dog. In rescuing Rex, she ultimately rescued herself. And that, in my mind, is an inspiring story- for dog lovers and insecure women alike. The dog showed Ms. Harrington what it feels like to receive unconditional love. And we could all use more of that. A lot of people believe, erroneously, that we can find happiness through material things. And it is a big epiphany to realize only love can buy happiness. I recommend this book highly.

I picked up this novel because my family was planning a visit to Saratoga, NY. I am not a child, I am 40+, but I did not see many novels out there for my age. I recommend this book for young adults and for older readers.

I enjoyed reading this book. The characters and story were well written. It is a story about a 16 year old girl named Amity that lives with her family in Saratoga, NY. Her brother recently died and she lives with her parents and a baby brother that is ill. Her father joins the war. She has many other neighbors that sons have joined the war. The story tells how some people in the area were for the American side and some sympathized with the British. The author speaks about General John Burgoyne who was the general for the British and also about General Benedict Arnold and how he was a hero during the battle of Saratoga, but did not get the proper credit for assistance in winning this battle.

Amity, the main character does some brave things during the story, but I won't give out too much since you need to read the story especially if you plan a trip to the Saratoga area. It truly is a beautiful area to visit. There is a Saratoga National Historical Park that shows important areas during the battle that were written in this book.

WOW! This was a way good book with a way good story line. Now we all like to rave on about our favorites and how much we love em and all, but I'm going to give you a little background. Amity Spencer is your average sixteen year old farm girl. She milks the cow, does the gardening, and all the other chores too. She also is in love with the humble peddler, Cheppa John Chapman. Well, often, this peddler brings news about the war. When he dissappears (after Father goes off to war), she begins to wonder. Well, anyways, Amity comes upon a secret message that will determine how the rest of the war goes on. She takes it upon herself to get this letter to General Arnold in Stillwater, to inform him of the surprise attack that will take place on Oct 7. Can Amity get him the letter in time to prepare? Can she ever get there? Does she ever work out her feelings with Cheppa John? Well, READ THIS BOOK - READ THIS BOOK - READ THIS BOOK and see!

Amity Spencer,a 16-year-old girl shows courage, loyalty, ingenuity,patriotism, and even love,all in just 24 chapters,how does she do it!?!? She is a good influence towards young girls today. She shows that anybody can be their own hero, if they have the heart!Also that anyone can get the respect they diserve!And also that anybody,no matter what race or skin color can be a patriot,even in disguise! GOD BLESS AMERICA!

I just finished reading it last night. It's a fine example of historical fiction. Amity is a sixteen-year-old girl, barely grown, and thinks the war is nowhere near. She must endure her father joining the war and all her neighbors fleeing. When her friend Matt comes looking for them they discover a secret letter in a canteen a dying enemy soldier gave him. Amity hides the letter in her dress buttons and travels to Stillwater to give it to Benedict Arnold. She helps them win the war

This book is by far one of the best I have read in a long time. This is one book I couldn't put down! The first paragraph caught me up in the story. You realy have to read this book. It's great for a book report. Enjoy the book!

I have to say that chick lit mystery is a new genre for me. Actually, if anyone had voiced such a genre even a few months ago to me, I would have been hard-pressed to think of one book that fits the bill. With SEX, A MYSTERY, however, Ms. Quirina has hit the nail on the head. A delightful blend of humor, wisecracks, mystery, and an adorable amateur sleuth as a heroine-this book just plain works.

Lydia Quess is a Harvard graduate who believes she's found her niche as a corporate bigwig for a huge food conglomerate. That is, until she opens her mouth to blow the whistle on the company's baby food formula, which is less than nutritious and healthy for the babies. Now unemployed and unqualified for any job other than international marketing, Lydia finds herself on the wrong side of Manhattan's lifestyle chain.

Her good friend Dr. Sylvie Kahn, a renowned sex therapist, harbors the idea of Lydia becoming a "sex surrogate"-or, to Lydia's way of thinking-a courtesan of sorts. All is progressing quite well, with Lydia able to keep her Fifth Avenue duplex, stylish clothes on her back, and fashionable shoes on her feet, until one Michael Peabody Linscott III is found murdered-in Lydia's bed.

Suddenly, the former executive with the MBA turned surrogate sex professional is the prime suspect in a murder. What's a single woman at her peak to do? Turn in her therapeutic badge for one as a detective.

SEX, A MYSTERY is a real treat. Lydia's escapades are hilarious, the dialogue is funny and refreshing, and her quest to find out who murdered Michael Linscott is a hoot. Ms. Quirina has found a niche with this chick lit mystery, and I personally can't wait to see what she comes up with.

the only problem with reading mysteries is once you learn who did it, you have no other incentive to keep reading...fortunately, the lead character was fascinating enough to hold my attention...i look forward to the next one...

Lydia Guess has a degree from Barnard, and an MBA from Harvard. She had been a vice president in a corporation until her ethics caused her to blow the whistle on corporate wrongdoing. So, using her business training, she goes into a different line of work and becomes a high priced courtesan. As she puts it, "Just lucky I guess." She gets her referrals from a sex therapist - someone she knew in school who has a mail order psychology degree from India and a thriving business improving people's libidos, an equal opportunity business using both courtesans and gigolos.

Things are going well until a client ends up naked and very dead, with an icepick in his back lying face down on Lydia's bed. That leads to some interesting conversations with the investigating police about the nature of her business. It also involves Lydia in the investigation as she tries to prove that she did not commit the crime.

Lydia discovers things she did not know about some of the people in her life, and meets various interesting people along the way. Characters introduced in the story are her celibate roommate Paddy Riordin, a priest who administers to the needs of the moles living under Grand Central Station with some financial help from Lydia; Paddy's assistant Manuel, who lives in a dumpster as a matter of choice; Dr. Sylvia Kahn, the sex therapist friend; Angelica Linscott, the wife of the dead client (who does not seem to be overly crushed by his death); Captain Amy Liu of the police, who has some marital problems of her own (women should learn that primitive hunks are for weekend entertainment, not for marrying - there comes a point when you have to talk to them); and Danny Bloomster, a self centered gigolo who had been servicing Angelica and others for a price.

The case has its twists and turns as Lydia tries to identify the killer, and puts herself in some danger in the process. She declines to make herself an instant millionaire by cashing in on a secret Swiss bank account she discovers in the process (probably the same ethics that got her fired from the Corporation). The mystery is finally solved, but Lydia ends up unemployed again, or so it seems. The novel has a 2005 copyright, so possibly the author has a sequel in mind.

I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a mystery! By her own definition, Lydia Quess is an MBA turned Whistleblower turned Courtesan turned Private Detective. (Her scathingly humorous analysis of Corporate America really hit home for me, a similarly shipwrecked survivor of 2, count 'em 2, international corporations that went under due to outrageously blatant executive malfeasance.) It was a champagne treat watching Lydia, my more elegant spiritual sister, navigate through the high society sharks infesting Manhattan to pull together the clues needed to solve the murder of her client and friend. Highly recommended, and I eagerly await a sequel.

Hurray, Fiona, and thanks. Pure delight all the way through, and written by a master of the genre. I read it on a flight from Tokyo to Newark, wonderful story.

Shadow Cats was such an exciting story-and I am not even a cat lover. A dog person like me would never have guessed that rescuing kittens on the streets and back alleys of New York City could be so fraught with drama. J. Jensen took me places I never knew existed and I've lived here for 20 years. Her sensitive descriptions of felines made me want to own one. She proves that nature provides us with adventure no matter where we live. I've read stories about safaris in Africa that weren't half this enthralling.

This book is a combination of suspenseful drama, personal journey, and expose of inner city feral cats and those who love them. I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know what happened next to these feral cats with names and personalities, living on the edge of living or dying. Janet Jensen's writing was suspenseful and personal, making me care for these otherwise unwanted and unnoticed creatures of the night. I became acutely aware of an underground of cat lovers who take many risks in order to care for these unwanted orphans. Although it reads like a novel, the book is also full of useful and fascinating information.

Janet Jensen is a one of kind feral friend. She not only helps the feral cats in NYC, she understands their nature & needs. I have read many books on feral cats. Most approach them as wild, separate unapproachable animals. Janet challenges that conception. She shows how respect & love for our fellow creatures through understanding & care can cut through red tape, help mobilize caring people and keep a watchful, loving eye on animals that both need us & need their space. A must read for any feral activist.

I just loved this book. I was recommended it by my dogwalker of all people (http://www.petaholics.com). It is a very interesting book, don't miss it.

Heartwarming look at cats not quite so lucky as those who share our laps and hearts. It also is a facinating portrayal of people who go the extra mile for cats who cross their paths. You do not have to be a cat lover to appreciate this book but by the end of the book you may be one

Rebecca Stowe is a wow of a writer and very funny. Her chief character, born at the end of the baby boom, is approaching middle age, the time when gray overcomes women.

Ginger Moore was required to call her mother by her first name, Virginia. She has no children and likes the dead better than the living since they are complete. She is a biographer. She finds women who for some reason cannot act, do, Freud's hysterics and Dostoyevsky's screamers.

The unproductive women who want their lives written about by Ginger are her neighbor, her friend, and her mother--all alcoholics. It is a sort of chicken and egg problem. Ginger's friend Michael call her a necrophiliac, feeding off the dead. He is a comic. She call her lawyer father, Poppy. Her brother decided to be a bum, she thinks, rather than a lawyer. He also seems stuck at age thirteen.

The book has the form of semi-autobiography. It is a saga of an unhappy family, mother, father, son age forty one, and daughter age thirty eight, with alcoholism playing a large part. It is well-done and filled with humor. The family is trying to enact Christmas. There is a tradition family members follow of watching PSYCHO on Christmas Eve.

The heroine ponders that the hallmark of a coward is regret and she wonders why women are so afraid. At another instance she thinks that perhaps people get stuck at that point in their lives where they think they are at their best. She believes the personalities of her mother and brother died at the same time, a period when a third child choked on a lego piece.

Ginger discovers her friend Melanie has been on the wagon for ten months and is married to her ex-husband. She is a bagger at the supermarket, an ego-smashing undertaking. Ginger learns something from her brother that seems to make his life make sense. Almost too late she discerns some of the features of her mother's life, too. This is a wonderful book.

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This is the story of a young intellectual woman's return home from her happy, productive - if low key - life as an academic and biographer in New York City, to her colorfully dysfunctional family in a small town on the Canadian border, for Christmas holidays. The strength of the book is the author's unfailing ability to observe and report even the smallest of events, with an honesty and insight which is clarity itself.

By turns laugh-out-loud funny, touching, and often thought provoking, it is an exploration of family, especially of the relationship between mothers and daughters; of establishing oneself in the world, and the ghosts we do - and do not - leave behind at home, to do it; of being a woman, succeeding at it, and perceiving oneself to be succeeding at it.

This would be an excellent gift for the daughter of an alcoholic mother, or anyone who has dealt with family alcoholism. It's not a lighthearted read, but worth the time for the insights, and for the well turned phrases. One of the very few books I've finished and then immediately re-read.

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As the book jacket says, 'closely observed.'

This is the story of a young intellectual woman's return home from her happy, productive - if low key - life as an academic and biographer in New York City, to her colorfully dysfunctional family in a small town on the Canadian border, for Christmas holidays. The strength of the book is the author's unfailing ability to observe and report even the smallest of events, with an honesty and insight which is clarity itself.

By turns laugh-out-loud funny, touching, and often thought provoking, it is an exploration of family, especially of the relationship between mothers and daughters; of establishing oneself in the world, and the ghosts we do - and do not - leave behind at home, to do it; of being a woman, succeeding at it, and perceiving oneself to be succeeding at it.

This would be an excellent gift ............ It's not a lighthearted read, but worth the time for the insights, and for the well turned phrases. One of the very few books I've finished and then immediately re-read.

This is a wry and understated book whose emotional power sneaks up on you. Stowe's prose is clean as a whistle, with not one false note. I love her sense of humor -- bone-dry, slightly twisted, wicked but never mean. She feels for her characters and makes you care just as much as she makes you laugh. If your family drives you insane (and whose doesn't?) this book is for you.

I'm really hoping to recommend this book to my Women's Book Group. Upon reading the synopsis, one might infer that this is just another dysfunctional family novel. The actual story-line is somewhat sparse and the "family mystery" unfolds slowly. I was _most_ impressed by Ms. Stowe's use of language...her descriptions and the carefully crafted introspections of the narrator make this book a very enjoyable and thoughtful read.

I truly enjoyed this book. Even though I'm not Italian, I could appreciate the sense of sisterhood between the sisters. Read this book, you'll enjoy it!

The Sisters Mallone is simply one of the finest novels to appear in the last few years.

It is the story of three sisters and their grandmother as they deploy all their cleverness, determination, loyalty and love to find their way in the harsh and complicated world of New York of the 30's-50's. Their lives are woven into a tapestry of old Italian and Irish neighborhoods, glamorous nightclubs, gangland politics, the Catholic Church, easy money and hard labor.

The characters, their milieu and their stories are all rendered with great economy, wit and insight. Ermelio's prose sparkles and the books moves without any misstep. It is, as they say, impossible to put down.

The Sisters Mallone is wonderful in every way and certainly transcends any genre niche.

This takes care of Christmas presents this year.

What a wonderful and engrossing story. I could not put it down. The characters were so interesting and so well drawn. I really wish I knew them. Highly recommended.

This is a book about the ties of sisterhood. Mary, Helen and Gracie are completely different yet are bound together as sisters. They are tough and clever. When Gracie's husband is found to be a real loser, Mary and Helen put their heads together to teach him a lesson. I love these characters. The book is well written....I felt like I could have been one of the Mallone sisters.

What a wonderful book. The characters are so finely drawn and so interesting I wish I knew them. I literally couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.

THE SKI MASK WAY BY RANDY THOMPSON WAS A EXCELLENT READ. ISIAH "SKI" THOMPSON LOVES BASKETBALL BUT HE LOVES HIS FAMILY MORE. SKI GOES TO COLLEGE ON A SCHOLARSHIP BUT HE SOON HAS TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL. WITH HIM BEING BROKE HE DECIDES TO JUMP IN THE GAME TO MAKE SO MONEY SO THAT HE CAN GET HIS FAMILY OUT THE HOOD. WHEN THE DRUG DEALING BUSINESS TURNS SOUR HE TURNS TO ROBBING. WITH HIM AND HIS CREW ON TOP WILL THEY PREVAIL OR WILL THEY BE TAKING DOWN.

I RECOMMEND THIS BOOKS BECAUSE FROM THE FIRST PAGE YOU CAN NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. RANDY THOMPSON DID NOT DISAPPOINT WITH HIS FIRST NOVELS. THIS NOVEL MAKES YOU LAUGH AND MAD AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES A EXCELLENT NOVEL. I FELT LIKE I WAS THERE THE WORDS SO VIVID. I GIVE IT A 5 STAR REVIEW.

5 STAR REVIEW BY MISTIC AKA RASHEEMAH

SKI MASK WAY tells the tale of a young man trying to forge a new life, a life of crime. Isaiah "Ski" Thompson's goal has always been to be a basketball player. With good grades and basketball skills it seemed as if he was on the fast track of doing just that. That is until tragedy strikes and what used to be important to Ski no longer is. Finally giving into peer pressure Ski chooses a new direction in life - drug dealing and stealing.

There is plenty in Randy Thompson's debut to sate the appetites of readers starved for a good read. The tone ranges from carefree and fun to murder and mayhem. Undoubtedly, readers will find themselves fully absorbed in SKI MASK WAY. Thompson's descriptions of the sights, sounds and emotions bring the story to life with all of its horrors and satisfactions. Job well done.

Intrigued, I look forward to SKI MASK WAY II.

Reviewed by: Tracy

Randy Thompson aka Ski had two options while growing up poor in Long Island New York, ball or be a baller. Randy had the skills neccessary to leave his hood behind and pursue his basketball dreams but sometimes even the most seemingly attainable goals can slip away. When's Randy's opportunity slipped away he still had to provide for his family and being a small time drug dealer just wasn't gonna cut it. Randy was gonna have to do things the Ski Mask Way and with his clique of childhood friends that wouldn't be hard at all.

From Long Island to upstate NY nowhere was safe from the wrath of Ski and his crew. Jewelry Stores, Drug Dealers and Department Stores all got touched but would Ski's clique remained untouched? Or would Ski find out that becoming a baller by amassing ill gotten wealth would be even harder than going to school to pursue his NBA career. Especially when you have to overcome more than just the police but jealousy within his own clique. Read the Ski-Mask Way and find out what's harder balling or becoming a baller!

Randy Thompson aka "Ski" comes out hitting hard with this debut novel.. "SKI MASK WAY". In this story Isaiah "Ski" Thompson is a young man who is destined for great things. As he goes off to college to play basketball things take a turn and leaves him out of school and trying to make money, the ski mask way. The Go-Hard Crew, consisting of his childhood friends, rob anything, no business and no person is safe from this crew, because they definitely go hard for theirs.

I have to be honest with you this book had me from the first page. My mouth literally dropped on some parts and I had to laugh at a few. Randy came out banging with this book, if you haven't copped this book I suggest that you do, because in my opinion this is THE BEST book that I have read in "2008". So he gets my vote for best new author and best book in "2008". Randy I will definitely support your future titles!

Young Isaiah "Ski" Thompson eats, breathes and lives basketball. It's his ticket to happily ever after. Despites the hustling lifestyle of his friends around him, Ski is steadfast in his pursuit of the NBA. However, life-altering circumstances soon snap Ski wide awake from his hoop dreams and find him going hard on the streets instead of the court. Can he be MVP or will he foul out?

"Ski Mask Way" leaps from the pages with subplots and flashbacks, giving us Ski's adventures as a member of The Go-Hard Crew and his struggles with his hoop dreams versus his street reality.

Thompson proves deft in his delivery of drama, action, comedy and grit and grime. As much as this book centers on Ski, however, readers will be charmed and tickled by his colorful friends. They can tell jokes, turn on the charm and keep it gutter. I felt like I was riding shotgun in the get away car. And as wrong as they were, I found myself hoping they'd get away. Was so into the book I almost missed an editing issue - book temporarily flipped from first person to third. But even with that flaw, " Ski Mask Way " is an adrenaline and emotionally-fueled story, with strong elements all around that I recommend.

Readers will enjoy this well-told tale and leave many wondering: How much of Thompson's story might be closer to fact than fiction?

4.5 stars