Manhattan Books

This one was a really delightful page-turner! I must confess that I originally bought it because the author and I are both named Elise. But I really got into it right from the get-go and stayed up late several nights reading it. VERY ENJOYABLE!!

If you're looking for a fun book to read, this one's for you! This book grabbed my attention from the very first page, and I never wanted to put it down. A perfect blend of fantasy and the real world...makes you realize that maybe the real world is pretty great after all.

Reviewed by Katherine Darnell, Small Spiral Notebook

Star Craving Mad, a first novel from Elise Abrams Miller is a charming read. While it hews close to the conventions of so-called "chick lit," the novel finds a pace and style all its own through the witty protagonist Maddy Braverman, an acerbic New York City first-grade teacher. Maddy is entranced with celebrities and she hungrily reads "Celeb File Weekly" for all the glamorous updates on her favorite stars. The novel gets its start when Lola Seabolt, the child of Hollywood's biggest couple, walks in to Maddy's classroom on the first day of a new school year. In short order Maddy becomes tangled up in the Seabolt's world and she launches a wild flirtation with the magnetic Mr. Seabolt. It doesn't take long before it is revealed that everything inside the Seabolt marriage is not as sunny as Maddy's treasured tabloid would have her believe.

What distinguishes this novel from the rest of the chick lit pack is an above-average wit and bawdy sense of impropriety. A hilarious and candid appreciation for sex gives Star Craving Mad a tenor all its own. There's no delicate, romantic fade-out's in the bedroom and Elise Abrams Miller isn't afraid to humorously discuss the fluctuating heat levels of Maddy's pants. There is a glorious level of tongue-in-cheek wit operating at all times. Maddy has a vigorous aptitude for good-natured and boozy trouble, and she has never met a hot celebrity that she wouldn't like to bed. Somewhat predictably, Mr. Seabolt's charms prove too enticing to resist; even with Maddy's moral qualms about his being the father of her student, as well as his being married to the uber-shrew Mrs. Seabolt, Maddy finds herself in compromising situations with the hot movie star. The novel focuses on Maddy trying to balance a responsibility to herself, to the children's novel that she's recently started writing, the emerging feelings that her cute assistant teacher evokes, and the unreal, gilded way that Mr. Seabolt makes her feel.

Miller is an apt writer, capable of weaving her narrative with wry moments of humor, which utilize gentle, knowing sarcasm. Clear moments of insight punctuate the narrative, like when Nick Seabolt comes to the school to retrieve his daughter, who has just broken her arm, and Maddy notes, "Although his expression is genuine, it strikes me as strange, because I've seen him exactly like this before - in Bluebell, the epic film, where his mistress dies giving birth to their secret love child." Miller also possesses a strong visually descriptive eye, giving even her minor characters vivid traits. Mrs. Seabolt's sinister healer, Dr. Kiki Joypain, is described succinctly as looking like a Modigliani painting, "as if she were made of taffy and had been stretched into an unwieldy rope. The turquoise beads around her neck are the size of giant gum balls and look excruciatingly heavy, as if at any moment their weight alone could slice her head clean off her pashmina-clad shoulders."

Miller has dreamed up characters that are memorable and earnest, and even if the outcome feels a bit inevitable, the ride is still fun. Because these characters are flawed in ways that feel more real and compelling than Bridget Jones' measly ten extra pounds - Miller's characters in Star Craving Mad are a little slutty and a little grungy and authentically broke and embarrassed and earnest - it quickly becomes hard to put the book down. Even if you know that celeb-obsessed Maddy Braverman will indeed find her happily ever after, you'll find yourself wishing hard for it, reading on as the pages fly by, anxious to get to the part where her battles are won and she can finally fall into the arms of her true prince charming, winning redemption and becoming her own kind of star.

If this is what Chit Lit is all about then NO Thanks! I'll stick with regualr romance where the characters are more sympathetic rather than pathetic, thanks very much.

The best chick lit twist I have ever read. It wasn't predictable! Fast paced and the plot is so nice I kept on hugging the book when I finished reading. You'll never get bored!

I taught this book during the summer of 2005 as the anchor text of a content-based ESL curriculum at CUNY entitled "Stories of the City, Stories of the Sea" - it was sort of an examination of how water shapes New York Cit, literally and figuratively. First off, I should say that this is not an ideal ESL text - the narrative is too digressive, the sentences are too complex, and his style could never be translated into 5-paragraph-essay format (which, truth be told, is all most of the student want to learn in order to pass the CUNY entrance exams).

That said, it's a highly entertaining, well-researched work organized around Lopate's own walking journey around the periphery of Manhattan island. He fills tales of his own adventures with historical and literary anecdotes, giving the entire waterfront a mythic grandeur. I know much of the area he's transversed, but many of them felt new to me from his takes. Some, like his descriptions of the Fulton Fish Market, are sadly already history as the market was moved to the Bronx at the end of 2005 to make downtown area more tourist-friendly. (One of my students that summer, an Israeli named Kobi, spent the entire summer going to the market at night once he heard it was to be closed; he said it was one of the last great things about New York)

You can tell he's the brother of an NPR commentator (Leonard Lopate), but he has enough spunk and a few breaks from standard liberal party-line analysis to make for a dynamic read. For example, he has a chapter entitled "Robert Moses: A Revisionist Take" where he reassesses New Yorkers' and his own ingrained hostility toward the much-reviled Moses, shaped mostly by his attachment to Jane Jacobs' pedestrian utopian ideals and his reading of The Power Broker. It didn't change my mind about Moses, but it made for some interesting reading.

Move between the two rivers and one comes to Central Park in mid-Manhattan. Inside the Park, The Ramble, a maze of paths on which one can easily, but not hopelessly, get lost amidst the plants, trees and wildlife of the park. It's fine if you've got a couple hours to kill on a gorgeous day, not so fine if you stumble into it expecting to find your way quickly from the East Side to the West Side. So too with Waterfront. Much of it is informative and interesting as Lopate explores both the waterfront along the East and Hudson Rivers and diverges into tales of people and places from NYC's past.

The work is somewhat dulled, for me, by its detours into Lopate's personal past and his occasional churlish, ungracious, and inaccurate comments. For example, even if it were true -- and it's not--, who cares if the parking lots at the Fairway where I shop near 125th Street on the Hudson are filled with daytrippers with New Jersey license plates stocking up on food?

Lopate gets very right, however, the point of how hard it is for New Yorkers to get down to the water almost anywhere along the two rivers. Physically and spiritually, only rarely do the city and the water join and that is disappointing. Lopate also has a judicious and balanced reading of Robert Moses and his impact on the city. That type of insight makes Waterfront a book I'll always keep on my shelves and occasionally take with me as I do my own rambles along the rivers. That more than overcomes its annoyances.

I love this book. Everyone who lives in, works in, or even visits Manhattan should read this book and take a walk to the waterfront. Incredibly well written and researched. My favorite NY book since E.B. White's Here is New York.

The editorial and customer reviews on Amazon describe this book well, including its strengths and weaknesses. Despite its weaknesses, this book will greatly enhance a hike or bike ride around the island.

I've hiked around the island six times over the past 30 years. The Manhattan Waterfront Greenway project has greatly enhanced the experience. You can find up-to-date information at the New York City website and search on Greenway.

"The New York Times" reported in 2005: "Though there are still gaps in the waterfront loop that require use of about nine miles [of 32 miles] of city streets, large swaths of both the West and East Sides already have separate bike and walking paths. Recently completed sections include the nearly two-mile Harlem River Speedway at the northeast end of Manhattan and the Hudson River Park along the West Side, with five miles of bike and pedestrian paths."

I've hiked the route in between nine and ten hours, depending on how much dawdling and eating I've enjoyed along the way. Suggestion: start at the George Washington Bridge around 6:00 am and hike north [clockwise] around the island. The sunlight effects on the Palisaides in New Jersey in the morning, and on Queens and Brooklyn in the afternoon, are quite splendid. You also avoid looking into the sun much of the time.

Robert C. Ross 2008

Part New York City history and part autobiography, this book has a lot to offer for anyone interested in New York City and its waterfront. Living on Manhattan is not the same experience as living on most other islands, for, as Lopate points out early on, New Yorkers have always sought to live and develop inland for much of the island's history. Unlike other historic world cities on the ocean or great rivers, a visit to Manhattan easily makes one forget he or she is so near to the water. Access to the water from Manhattan has been restricted in many locations and only recently has new development made some New Yorkers anxious to again flirt with the rivers and harbor that line their shores.

Having walked much of Manhattan's waterfront south of 86th Street, I was eager to learn more about its glorious and not so glorious past, long before the recent wave of development had changed vast portions of the Hudson shoreline. This book made me want to explore northern Manhattan, around Inwood and Highbridge Park as well as the multiple public housing projects on the East River. This is an interesting book that the author has dedicated hours to research for. It is full of insight and well written. This book is a fine piece in the genre of walking memoirs.

I picked up this book because I sensed an edgy humor to use cartoons on the cover for a novel about stalking. What I got was a very smooth, rolling tale so deadpan that the steps into one woman's surreal New York life almost happen without notice.

One minute you're reading up on a successful gallery owner who is quietly wistful, the next you're an easy page later, stopping suddenly to laugh at how the slick irony has hit you square between a jaw-drop and a cringe. Language this dead-on funny is a true art. It's a beautifully shocking, constant bravery out of an author highly misidentified as "just" chick-lit.

This is also one of those fortunate reads that just gets better as it rolls you along, so well schemed that the obvious points are looked forward to with relish, only to hit a cork screw just before while she cuts your brakes.

Pack your wicked humor and check your presumptions about normal behavior and true love at the first chapter, because there's no room after that. It's not only stalking and weird romance this read undresses but a surprisingly soft and deep respect for how we are all slipped on the scale from idolatry to rejection, and how to swim back to shore again once it's happened to us.

If I ever gave five stars, this book would have it. But as tasty as this novel is, I'm holding out for her next one. They just seem to get better.

In short: hilarious, unconventional and smartly written. Love Creeps is an eccentric tale of obsession and the need to find personal fulfillment. Lynn Gallagher is frightened that she no longer desires anything. So instead of being frightened by the man stalking her she becomes inspired. Jealous of her stalker's possession of a desire, Lynn decides to emmulate him and finds her own stalkee. The three lives become hilariously entwined and the narrative of this story flies by instead of creeping.

Lynn Gallagher, a successful Manhattan gallery owner, was depressed that she had lost her desire for anything. She was jealous of everyone else who wanted something, so much so that she decided to copy her stalker, Alan Morton, who wanted her very badly. Lynn started to stalk Roland Dupont, who had some strange behavior of his own.

Alan was perturbed by the fact that Lynn was now a stalker, so he befriended Roland to find out why Lynn preferred Roland to him. Alan then proposed a plan: if Roland agreed to spend a weekend with Lynn, she, in turn, would spend a weekend with Alan. Roland reluctantly complied, but none of them expected what consequences their actions would bring.

All the while, Ray, the ex-psychologist-but-now-homeless guy in the neighborhood, was observing and analyzing the development of the relationship among the three. Eventually, he, too, was drawn into the dynamic, fluid and unpredictable relationship only very psychologically unbalanced people could have.

Before I even got past chapter one, I was already thinking: Where do these people come from? Isn't there anyone normal around here? (And I found out as I read on that the answer to the second question is No). I felt as if I was sucked into a Seinfeld episode where everyone who was dysfunctional somehow found a gathering place and became part of each other's life. These were probably amongst the weirdest characters I have ever encountered; but as strange and unrealistic their stories were, they sure made me laugh.

Love Creeps was probably one of the most whimsical novels I have ever read, but the story was definitely original and entertaining. The plot was full of twists and turns, with some pretty outrageous segments and witty dialogues.

Armchair Interviews says: If you are in need of a good laugh, this is the book for you. Love Creeps is a hoot!

I have read all of Amanda Filipacchi's books and just reread "Nude Men", thought they were all good. "Love Creeps" being the best, it is wickedly funny and insightful.

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I picked up this book. This is my first and last read from Filipacch; definitely not for the faint of hearts. Love Creeps is a dark story of 3 strangers, a gallery owner, lawyer, & accountant who get caught up in a perverted love triangle. There is nothing likeable or intriguing about any of these dispicable, undeserving, soul-less creatures. I followed along hoping these freaks would somehow all drown together. Unfortunately they don't but the bizarre love triangle does end they somehow become friends along with a psychologist turned bum turned matchmaker. After the madness, the original threesome later finds their "soulmates".....but don't expect a fairytale ending.

I do have to admit, Filipacchi is a great writer with a unique, unusual style of writing. She has a way of conjuring up oddball images and somehow it makes sense. But dark "comedies" (this is actually comedy for some) just aren't for me. I'll stick to my usual light, fluffy read.

I am *not* a cook, never bought a cookbook before. But I've been to the restaurant a couple of times and always have had wonderful meals there, so I thought I'd give it a try. It did not disappoint--I tried out a few recipes and food was delicious! By the way, I am NOT a family member--just someone who likes fish, and spends way too much money/time online...

Several years ago I was lucky enough to visit the Manhattan Ocean Club Restaurant when I was in New York. I have thought of the wonderful treats that I enjoyed there and wished I could experience them again without going back to New York. Now I have the pleasure of Chef Parker's delights right in my own kitchen!

Wonderful read, attractively presented, but most of all, wonderful recipes!

I love Seafood. And I love to cook. Over the years, I had bought a number of Cookbooks and used 'em. Mr. Parker's Cookbook is undoubtedly the best of 'em all. Easy to follow recipes, parctical guidelines and gorgeous photographs made this Cookbook an exceptional one. Seafood lovers like myself would love this book.

Someone once said, "Great books have great opening lines." One sea story begins, "Call me Ishmael." Another great book about the sea begins, "I was destined to become a chef." And from one whose name could be shortened to Jona, he might almost have been specific and said a seafood chef. The book of course is Jonathan Parker's, "The Manhattan Ocean Club Seafood Cookbook." It comes with all the trappings of today's great culinary tomes: imaginative photography, menus (for those who need help getting it all together) and wine suggestions. The layout is enormously helpful. All the ingredients are listed in one place along the side of the page as is the equipment needed to prepare the recipes. Instructions are clearly written, so you don't have to be Cordon Bleu to prepare the dishes Parker describes. I especially liked two things. One is that Parker has a nice genial writing style, so the book is fun to read, even if you don't want to cook seafood. But to miss the food would truly be to miss the best part of the book. Parker's work is always both tasteful and tasty. He has apprenticed with the best and learned his lessons well. In short, it's a whale of a book.

The author has put together a wonderful collection of places in New York where famous movie scenes were filmed. The photos and other graphics are terrific, the writing is witty and to the point, and there are enough reminders about the scenes to jog your memory. This reviewer also appreciated the travel guide size of the book; easy to carry with you as you work your way from one movie memory to another.

The author has put together a wonderful collection of places in New York where famous movie scenes were filmed. The photos and other graphics are terrific, the writing is witty and to the point, and there are enough reminders about the scenes to jog your memory. This reviewer also appreciated the travel guide size of the book; easy to carry with you as you work your way from one movie memory to another.

Chuck Katz's Walking Tours is an enchanting way to see New York. It's fun, light and humorous. I was charmed and delighted with my tour. A past resident and current occasional visitor to New York, I relived some of my favorite movie scenes and felt a part of them at the same time. If you're a New Yorker, you'll never see the places you visit on the tour without feeling a little nostalgia. If you're a visitor, each time you see a New York movie scene, you'll relive your New York visit. It's really great fun! I highly recommend this clever, witty, well written, and entertaining book.

Manhattan on Film is a collection of thirteen walking tours that take you to New York City locations and sites used in some of Hollywood's most popular films. Each tour is set up by neighborhood and designed to take no more than two hours. Each section starts with a brief neighborhood description, has an easy-to-follow map, has clear transportation instructions to get you to your starting point, and includes concise directions that take you to each location. You can also take a quick peek at the movie index to find out where your favorite film has been shot.

Katz's book hits on all levels. General walking tour enthusiasts will find this guide a refreshing and excellent alternative to the standard, traditional guides. Tourists and visitors (Katz says that Israeli cabinet members are big fans of his book) to the city will get the feeling that they've tapped into a secret side of the city, somehow escaping the same old tourist itineraries. At the same time, ardent film fans will appreciate the trivia factoids and the concise capsules describing famous scenes that easily evoke an, "Oh yeah, I remember that!"

A wonderful find for any film fan, resident New Yorker, or visitor to the city.

Whenever acquaintances from outside the New York City area come in for a visit, they usually tell me: "Show me New York, but not the tourist traps." I tell them, "With pleasure." This book provides my people with an interesting activity which they heartily enjoy. "Manhattan on Film: Walking Tours of Hollywood's Fabled Front Lot" by Chuck Katz is a great concept and, for the most part, represents a wide range of films. I understand there will be omissions, and many of the sets have long since been demolished, but there is still plenty to choose from. And for us New Yorkers, takes a little bit of the tourism off our shoulders.

This excellent coffee-table book has two things going for it -- great pictures and great writing. The skyscrapers of New York City are beautifully presented, in chronological order, by both the photographer and the author. The revised and expanded edition that I purchased also had an excellent tribute to the past and future versions of the World Trade Center towers that went down in September, 2001.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is, like myself, a tall-building enthusiast -- and even more so for those who are fans of the 'big apple.' I give the book 5 stars for being everything it claims to be and more.

Although a Brit, my wife and I lived in Manhattan for quite a long time. We remember ground breaking for The World Trade twin towers, the day the first tower became taller than the Empire State building, and seeing the
dreadful dust cloud, days after 9/11 as we over flew to Newark Int'l. Everything is here in this book, the 19th century, beautifully detailed buildings to the latest, breathtaking architecture, and finally an impression of Freedom Tower. This is a coffee table book par excellance, the superb pictures using parallax corrected cameras, and the associated text is detailed enough to be understood by non-technical folk like me. For anyone with a love for Manhattan and all it's architectural idiosyncronies, this is the one to ownManhattan Skyscrapers: Revised and Expanded Edition

My nephew just completed his masters degree in architecture and is now working in New York City. He loved receiving this book as a gift from us. The photographs and text are very well done.

Excellent photos but too much emphasis on the newest boxy glass cubes.

The city of New York hosts some of the most memorable skyscrapers in the world: for those unable to personally visit, Manhattan Skyscrapers provides a newly revised, expanded edition to present over eighty of the best of Manhattan's skyscrapers. Though full-page color portraits of each are packed into each feature, equally striking is the blend of historical background, architectural insight and details Nash provides in each accompanying description. A 'then and now' feel is created by the color contemporary photo facing a page of vintage or black and white illustration. Highly recommended for any fan of Manhattan or urban architectural style.

This story line was fun for a while but it's getting tired

The "Buddies" series of Ethan Mordden is composed by five delicious books narrating with humour, zany wit and profound sensibility the life of some gay friend in Manhattan:Bud, the narrator , his closest friend Dennis Savage, Dennis' lover Little Kiwi (aka Virgil Brown aka J.), the "elf-child" trickster Cosgrove and the gentle hunk Carlo, and their friends, parents and acquaintances."Some men are Lookers" shows the growing independence of Little Kiwi,little no more, whilst Cosgrove is in full bloom and gives his best (or his worst) in "What a difference Miss Faye Made", when he invites a shameless drag-queen at a dinner for Peter Keene, prospective Dennis Savage's editor. Another great story is "Exorcis", a funny/tragic story, Little Kiwi/Virgil and Cosgrove offer to their friends the vision of a movie "The lost boys", wayward boys turning into vampires. Among the one-liners, arrives the last call of an old Dennis Savage's acquaintance,but Dennis wouldn't listen. He will learn a sour lesson by his ever more independent Virgil,who will become (to their friends dismay) gradually ever more "mature" and estranged.
I have grown fond of these characters, of their disputes, growing pains and various adventures, punctuated by a sparkling dialogue and, at times, poignant sentimental moments. Something of a family, as Bud calls it. It's an exquisite read for gays and non-homophobic straights alike, because this little microcosm's tales tell us something about tolerance, the meaning of love, the endurance against discrimination and hatred, that has universal value. I counsel you all to read them! They're really funny and inspiring.But the spooky, the tragic and the hysterically funny intertwine magnificently in these stories, worthy of Saki, O'Henry and Oscar Wilde.

I love this book! I love this series and it absolutely pains me to think that this may be the last (I say maybe because originally Buddies was supposed to be the last). It is such a difficult book to pick up and read because every emotion invested in the previous three books is tested. My love for Dennis Savage's irony becomes sorrow at the hope that he will lose face and stay with Little Kiwi. My love for Little Kiwi's innocence becomes concern for his actions. It's like watching your child make questionable decisions and knowing that no matter what the result, the choices that they make are theirs, and there's nothing you can do about it, but let them be chosen. It's hard letting Little Kiwi grow up and become Virgil Brown. I imagine it's the same way with a child, but at least then you get to see what happens! Mind you, the book like the other three is a comic genius with subtle, feeling humor that has you laughing one minute and crying the next. But just like "Just Above My Head" by James Baldwin (which I highly recommend), I have been unable to pick up this book and read it again. It simply leaves me realing with so many feelings, yet I would not trade the experience reading it with anything. How does one mix merriment with malaise so well? Read the book and find out.

This book, the final of the four-volume Buddies series, is by far the best in that series. It is gripping; when I finished the book, I was emotionally drained and somewhat in shock -- the story ended and I was not exactly certain what had just happened to me, somewhat akin to viewing an accident or something else traumatic. Having read the other three volumes in short succession, I raced through the book, shocked at points, dismayed by some characters' actions, and developed a whole new appreciation and affection for Cosgrove (helped by the fact that he and I are about the same age). As I read the book, I hoped it would never end, as I wanted to continue to live the lives of these characters, but when I reached the unbelievably emotional and heavy end of the book, I realized one key element to all of Mordden's writing in this series: this series is a sort of gay male "Ring" cycle. This book, the final one, entails the destruction of the entire world that was so carefully constructed throughout the first three books: like Ragnarok, it brings about the end of the old and the creation of a new world from its ashes. I wished to see what came of these characters, to see if Little Kiwi/Virgil/J. would be redeemed, and how Cosgrove and Bud fared in this brave new world of the late 1980s: but then I realized, slowly, that it could not be seen as it was a whole different line of thought and not capable of being part of this series. Heartbroken by this, but exhilarated at the same time, I commend this series, the author who wrote it, and highly recommend the series as a "must read" for all who appreciate contemporary gay fiction. Absolutely astounding and by far the best of the series.

I love the work of Ethan Mordden, and have read, years go, BUDDIES, EVERYONE LOVE YOU, and I'VE A FEELING WERE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE. They were wonderful, chummy, literate, and thought provoking. The same can be said for SOME MEN ARE LOOKERS. I bought this book probably in 1998 when it first came out, and it became lost among the other books I bought at the same time. Not until just last week, (September, 2005) did I dig the book out to read. I knew I had to read it in order to be able to read the last of the CYCLE, that I had ordered via Amazon a month ago.

Mordden had me hooked with the first book in the cycle, and the 4th installment is equally engaging. The story looks at the somewhat complicated and established lives of Bud, Daniel Savage, Little Kiwi, (Virgil), Cosgrove (don't ask), and Carlo. The intimacy of their relationships, as well as the alienations that develop in the relationships, is the crux of the story. Humor, pathos, anger, resentment, reflection, ageism, lust, passion, hurt, desolation, depression, frustration, resignation...all these human emotions and more are presented to the reader in this wonderful simple story of a rather eclectic "family". As with his other "Buddies Books", in feasted on the story and drama, and eagerly awaited each plot twist and turn.

Honestly, when I finished the book, I felt unfulfilled, but, I knew that the next and last of the Cycle, HOW'S YOUR ROMANCE?, would allay all of my concerns and provide me with some closure. Read the entire series...you will be enthralled.

This novel is an incredible work of storytelling. The reader will quickly find him/herself laughing at the utter insanity of this story's events. The best part about this is that you'll never want to put it down. However, while the narrator/main character can be easily likable for some, he can be just as easily loathesome for others. Either way, everyone will get a good laugh. While some may find Manhattan Loverboy to be simply entertaining though, I find it to be a little bit more. The conflict of this tale is both hilarious as well as mysterious; it is left up to the reader to choose which or welcome both. Arthur Nersesian is definitely an excellent writer who picks at the foibles of us all; pick this one up and enjoy a good read.

arthur nersesian's manhattan loverboy is a quick, intoxicating read, shows you how messed up people can be, and digs into the roots of human nature on an evil spree. If you are a nersesian fan, or want to read a book that will send you to the flipside, a true head trip, pick up mlb today.

I thouroughly despised this book. I bought it based purely on the five-star reviews here on amazon. Coming to the last page was the one pleasure this work of fiction delivered.

The main character, Joseph Aeiou, was so depraved and disgusting I could barely keep going. My negative opinion of this book solidified somewhere around page 30 where Joseph is found sitting in his filthy living room with his pants down eating a brick of cream cheese.

This novel was like a joke that is supposed to be funny but just doesn't work. Or it was sad but I disliked the main character so much i just didn't care what kind of problems he submerged himself in.

Neresian has the talent to create tales which are easy to swallow in a few sittings but are surprisingly loaded with character depth and strange twists and turns. This novel, like his previous works, does the same: by taking an under achiever-below avegerage character and putting them into extraordinary circumstances. It's very hard to even explore these stories without giving away some of the plot devices which make them so addictive.

From start to finish this book is a wild ride. Arthur Nersesian breaks all the rules and comes out a winner. His characters in Manhattan Loverboy are far from perfect, almost warped even, yet the reader is so intrigued it's nearly impossible to put the book down. By the end of this book, I couldn't believe the twists it had taken!

I'd recommend Nersesian's books to anyone who is looking for something a little different and a lot of great reading.

Bruce Bauman accomplishes a rare feat in today's book culture--he not only writes a compelling and masterful novel, but he makes you think long after you've finished the book. The prose is incisive and satirical which complements the emotional journeys of his vivid characters. When everything is working this well, I don't want the book to end. But what was even more powerful for me was that it made me think about questions I have asked myself, questions I should be asking myself and that sometimes not having an answer to these questions is the only answer. This book lingers in the best way possible. I have given this as a gift to many people and I look forward to Mr. Bauman's next novel.

The following review is based on a thorough reading of upto half the book and a flipped-through-the-rest coz me was yawning.

The cover is very telling - with the woman and her big bindi signifying the Indian motif. Well, she sure does not feel like Holika - the almost main character - who is an upper-class Delhi urbanite. Neil Downs, a doc, comes to Delhi, seeking refuge from his past made up of exactly one murdered son and one unfaithful wife, who he still loves. Of course, the author reveals this throughout the book, running breathlessly between Delhi and NY; throwing in some good old holocaust writing in-between. Why bring in the Nazis ? Aren't there enough books on holocaust to feed the voyeur in all of us ? The feeble connections that Downs is Jewish and his son was a target of anti-Jew sentiment does not warrant chapters devoted to concentration camps and tortures. I guess Bauman was not satisfied with doling out misery from the past, when he decides to introduce some typical issues that will depress the already depressed reader. The usual masala of sexual exploitation, child molestation, women's rights. For god's sake is this a foray into world pathos !

I would have loved to wallow in sorrow if the plot was any good. It is difficult to understand the sudden compassion between Holika and Downs, although we see later that they share similar losses; Holika's socialist agenda; Downs' wife Sarah's problems (her infidelity was built on some real weak ground) etc.

Bottomline: You can safely bypass this one.

Every reader will find a novel written for her or himself in "And the Word Was."

I picked up an advance uncorrected copy of "And the Word Was" at a local bookstore and was captured. When I dived into the book I found myself walking in my mother's shoes, yet through the eyes of a different body and a different faith. While other readers will never know the full story of my mother's pain in a Communist concentration camp, it should be remembered that many people outside the Jewish religion and race suffered horribly during WWII.

How simple it might have been for my mother, a young Catholic girl, cruelly imprisoned by America's decision to abandon Czechoslovakia in the last days of WWII, to give up her God and her beliefs as Levi did, and lay blame at His feet for her immense loss. She did not. Stalin, however, took full advantage of the situation.

Levi's dispensation of his god was, ultimately, complete. He found a way to crush the serpent of his long-forgotten god in his final act and, I am certain, stirred the coals of the fires down below.

Stalin truly WAS an idiot. Bauman proves it in "And the Word Was."

Readers, you will likely find that your own story has been beautifully captured in the book. Follow it, devour it and hold it tight as it closes in on you.

Bauman has proved himself a master of the mountain of literacy.

I like books that grapple with the big, unanswerable questions. Bruce Bauman's And the Word Was (Other Press) asks this: "How much must you love god to accept Auschwitz? Or whatever happened to you? To accept that god exists after that?"

Neil Downs, an ER doctor living in NYC loses his only child in a Columbine-like school shooting. Unable to save his son in his own ER, he waits hours for his wife to arrive, learning then that she had spent the day with another man. In a tailspin against which his Judaism seems useless, he flees to India, not to set off on a spiritual quest so much as to become lost in a place as different and far way as he can imagine.

Downs seeks out one person there: his favorite author, the controversial Levi Furstenblum. A Holocaust survivor who lost his wife and child in Auschwitz, Furstenblum later penned (among other works quoted within this novel) the chilling and satirical novella, "Chamber of Commerce" --a story about Hitler's winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Downs hopes to learn from the cranky and reclusive Furstenblum how to persevere in what seems to be a cruel, meaningless world. Instead, his mentor teaches him a powerful lesson about the anguish of victims mirroring the hate of their oppressors. Downs faces a number of other challenges as the story progresses: a dogged media, a lawsuit filed against him by the parents of one of the gun-wielding students, an affair with an activist named Holika, and a surprising revelation from his grieving wife whom he'd hoped to stop loving. The triumph of this book is its ultimate hopefulness without any pat answers. Downs' spirituality remains elusive but life continues to engage him, and he has not lost his ability to love. He's retained enough, at least, to manage the pain and uncertainty of life.

If you're looking for an intiguing story written with skill and sophistication, this is it. A wonderful first novel, filled with unexpected delights, both in story and in style. Try it, you'll like it.

Hear an interview with Frogs & French Kisses author Sarah Mlynowski on The Book of Life podcast's July 2007 episode "Magic & Mystery," at www.bookoflifepodcast.com!

This is the sequel to Bras and Broomsticks, and I have to say that it holds the same place in my mind as the first book. Fantastic, but not wonderful, but still the type of book where I absolutely can't wait to read the next one. It held my interest throughout, probably more so than the first one, and the ending is so open-ended and I am looking forward to Spells and Sleeping Bags.

So, I would probably-most-definitely recommend this series. Maybe not for someone looking for deep, insightful reading, but someone who wants light and fluffy.

This author is very gifted at writing for the middle- younger high school age group. She does a great job of recalling and describing thoughts and feelings at that age.

The magic continues in the fun and sassy second installment of the Bras and Broomsticks Trilogy. This is a fun, light-hearted book with a Jewish protagonist named Rachel, who is a bit jealous that her sister Miri, and her mother are witches with magical powers. The novel begins on a nighttime flight during spring break in the dark, country sky. When Miri finds some soon-to-be slaughtered cows, she sends them to safety--in this case--Rachel's high school gym. Damages are high and the upcoming prom threatened.
But the prom problem is just the beginning. Mom and Miri start acting more like witches gone wild than their usual level headed selves. Mom creates a new wardrobe, complete with cleavage. Dating fills her calendar, with no time left for family. Miri's quest to save the world make her studies suffer. And of course, that all-important love spell goes predictably wrong. It's up to Rachel to impose some limits. She learns that nothing important ever comes easily.
Although Miri's "Save the World List" makes a great magical tikkun olam list, references to Judaism remain strictly sidebar, limited to flashbacks. The first-person narrative is fast-paced and smart. Subplots are predictable, but the surprise ending will make readers wish they could wiggle their noses to conjure up the forthcoming conclusion.
For ages 12 and up.
Reviewed by Sarah Aronson

In Bras & Broomsticks, readers met Rachel, a high schooler who led a pretty average life - until she learned that her mother and her little sister Miri are witches and she is not.

Though Rachel has finally been permitted to hang out while Miri trains - as long as she wears a (very unfashionable helmet) when they go flying - she tends to be more of a hinderance than a help. It seems that wherever Rachel goes, trouble follows. Nevertheless, she sticks out her chin, grins, and tries again. And again. She might not be a witch, but she has a power all her own: determination.

If Bras & Broomsticks was funny, then Frogs & French Kisses is hilarious. Stir together the silliness of Bewitched and the hijinks of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, add the sassiness of a modern-day New Yorker and a sprinkling of sibling rivalry, and you've got a magical series.