Games Books

Very nicely done system. Taking D&D to the stars in a fairly hard science way. I really have been impressed with what they came up with, but DAMN they need the next book shipped printed...

An actual working ranger class! I just about had a heart attack at this one. The races and equipment are cool as well. The new classes are great, I like the mecyhanist best. All in all hte only truely negative thing is that there are no description of the spell ware, but regaurdless, it is a good book.

An interesting, if brief set of rules for running DnD in outer space with futuristic weapons and vehicles. Now, I realize that Fantasy Flight Games is probably a smaller company with limited resources, but please, GET SOME REAL ARTWORK. The sketch of the soul mech looks like a cross between a bi Mr. Rogers and some reject from the band REM. The pictures consistently look something I might draw on my notebook out of boredom during class. Also, they could have included more pictures of the vehicles. More and better artwork may cost more, but I know I am glad to pay extra for it.

This product, along with The Witchfire Trilogy from Privateer press, are tied for the best D20 products by third-parties on the market - and may well come out on top of ANY D20 product, barring the core rules.

Dragonstar is a game that takes D&D to the stars. Unlike spelljammer, it isnt magic that drives the starfaring races, but hard sci fi - but magic is there, still, and often integrates with technology seamlessly.

The setting is very compelling; with the rise of technology, Dragons formed a great empire and conquer the rest of the galaxy. Each Dragon clan, good and evil, rules for 1,000 years. The first 5,000 saw the rule of the 5 good dragon clans. Now, it is mere decades into the first rule of the first of the evil dragons, Mezzebone the Red. He has formed a Secret Police Force of Drow, and the galaxy groans under their lash.

The rules are excellent, the setting is incredible. As with any product, there are a couple of weak points. For instance, the lack of Spellware, and the lack of variant gravity rules, both of which are referenced in the book. They will be included in the upcoming Galaxy Guide, as magic items were in the DMG, so this is understandable, but a tad frustrating. Nevertheless, if you like the D20 system, and if you like the Sci Fi genre, you cannot go wrong with this product.

The artwork does leave a little to be desired, but I don't buy products for their artwork - I buy them for the content, and this product has that, in spades.

well, maybe not totally as SJ relied more heavily on magic than hard core science and Dragonstar reverses this trend, but it still fits to some degree. In someways this is SpellJammer advanced in timeframe to the era of Star Wars or Star Trek. The people at Fantasy Flight Games continue to push for their Thug NPC class, which could just as well be served by the generic Warrior NPC class but I digress. The ranger has been altered from a mellee to a missile specialist and fighting with two guns has been relegated to a seperate feat away from two weapon fighting. Wizards now have the option of trading in their spellbooks for a datapad. New stuff is in abundance in this book and in this settings. New skills, new classes, new races and new feats, including one that for many classes is a freebie feat that serves as a gateway into the new toys away from the traditional sword and sorcery fare. Fans of Brent Spiner's role in the ST series he starred in with Levar Burton, Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, Merina Sertis and Michael Dorn, will be pleased to note the offering of a new type of construct, the SoulMech which in many ways is science fantasy version of the android. The two new core classes are the Pilot and Mechanist both of which are pumped up Experts but offer a unique flavor to the game and to any party that includes them. All in all a wonderful setting that offers a real alternative to the tried and true formula of the D20 genre. If you prefer the future to the past and don't mind a bit of whimsy Dragonstar is a good setting to explore however a word of caution: Much of the setting is designed as a dark and scary place so if you are turned off by that sort of thing you can still work with it, although alterations may be necessary.

As a home school parent, I am always looking for resources to improve my childs education. I found this book to have many great ideas for a wide age range of children. They were well organized and listed the ages for which the activities were geared to. I am looking forward to using this book for years to come!

Polly's activities are easy to use. They teach the 'higher lessons' so desperately needed in our society and world today; cooperation, being considerate, using self-discipline and they are fun! Janice Moore, Third Grade Teacher

"Drama in the Classroom" has been an invaluable source of ideas for sparking the curriculum. My students and I have used lessons from this book to plan special programs. Throughout the year, in Social Studies and English, I have turned to it to guide students as they shape skits and oral presentations. The structure the lessons provide helps keep students focused as they plan and work but does not stifle their creativity. Celima Smith, 6th grade teacher, Mill Valley Middle School, Cal.

Though not an educator by profession, I have had extensive experience working with youth groups and have seen Polly Erion's teachings put to practical use. Results have been everything she claims and more. Obviously, her lessons were derived from many years of teaching experience.

Polly Erion presents a drama program that is rich, varied, and in synch with the children. Drama in the Classroom is invaluable for suitable, stimulating ideas. Helen Morris, Kindergarten Teacher Tam Valley School, California

This wonderful book is much more than a collection of hunting and fishing stories. The author has the rare ability to take his readers with him on both his physical adventures and his philisophical journeys. These journeys delve into the heart and soul of a particular location.

The stories told here take us from familiar ground to the far corners of the planet. Each account includes well-researched observations on the local natural and cultural histories. McIntyre's interpretations of wilderness values and hunting ethics are thought-provoking and profound.

I highly recommend this book to everyone, even those who have no interest in hunting or fishing. If you enjoy visiting truly wild places, or are simply grateful that such wild places and wild beasts still exist, this book will provide much satisfaction.

Tom McIntyre is one of the last great storytellers. His gift with a pen places the reader right in the middle of all the action. The subject matter within the pages of this book is broad. It ranges from an account of a fantastic woodcock hunt in Ireland to the pursuit of the most dangerous African cape buffalo but never once will you loose interest. Be it his candid views of the cultures surrounding the hunt or the excitement of the actual hunt, you will leave each chapter with a better understanding and respect for both the hunter and his prey.

"Dreaming The Lion" is far from the traditional "hook and bullet" prose found in most of today's hunting publications. Rather it is perhaps more of a modern day Hemmingway approach. It is factual, adventurous and all with just the right touch of humor. All of which I found quite refreshing.

If you are a hunter "Dreaming The Lion" belongs in your library.

Ed Noonan
Member of the Outdoor Writers Assn. of American and
New York State Outdoor Writers Assn.

Tom McIntyre is a writer with a distinctive voice and an exceptional talent. His style has pith and elegance -and humor and intelligence. For a couple of decades now (maybe a little more) he has written some of the best prose we have on hunting. "Dreaming The Lion" is a treasury of his finest work, and will prove a delight for every literate hunter.

This is by no means a somber book, but it is a thoughtful one. Reflecting on the prospect of hunting in his native California, McIntyre writes, "The best thing would be to hunt the country you were born into, to make it even more your home. But what if your native country is not only a place, but a time, and what if that time is past?" Not exactly the kind of bang-and- brag drivel so common to lesser hunting writers, and to an unfortunately increasing number of "sporting" publications.

"Dreaming The Lion" is a collection of choice pieces, (mostly about hunting, especially but not exclusively about big game,) connected by one-page, inter-chapter selections from an ongoing African diary. In this safari narrative McIntrye appears more as protagonist than hero; he screws up sometimes, misses badly on occasion, has his ups and downs just like we, the readers, probably would. The book's final section, the title essay in three parts, recounts another African adventure and by any fair standard must be judged one of the finest pieces of hunting writing in our time. Comparisons to Hemingway and Ruark and Capstick or anyone else are as unnecessary as they are trite. McIntyre is his own writer, speaking with his own voice in his own (for a hunting writer, not entirely fortunate) time. Enjoy him.

When a writer conveys an experience he conveys something of himself. Thirty years after reading him, when I think of Robert Ruark in Africa, I remember his honesty in writing about fear and booze and his struggle to live up to his own image of what he wanted to be, as much as his insightful observations of a safari. When I think of Hemingway, the exquisite craftsmanship of "The Green Hills of Africa" is overshadowed by his chest-thumping competitiveness and dishonest self-aggrandisement.

In "Dreaming the Lion," Tom McIntyre brings all the unabashed, unapologetic masculinity you would expect in a book about hunting, but he tempers it with the thoughtful intelligence of someone who thinks about his actions and their consequences, who thinks about the world around him and his place in it. And more: he brings a refreshing mastery of the English language and a wit as quick and sharp as a skinning knife. This is a book about ideas as much as actions, written by a man who doesn't suffer fools gladly, and who sees the world he loves slowly and irrevocably vanishing. Read it and dream of Africa.

In a just world, Thomas McIntyre's Dreaming the Lion would be considered a classic. While it is definitely a "hunting book" it is also literature in every sense, and superior to such curiosities as Hemingway's True at First Light.

McIntyre has hunted everywhere from the Rockies to the Arctic to Africa, not to mention his native California, whose degradation he describes movingly in the essay "Blade Hunter": "...no matter how Californian the armature of my soul may be, in the end it is insufficiently rigid to keep me here until it's all barricaded away and I am reduced to stalking Norway rats in the storm drains with the broken-off shaft of a nine-iron tipped witha fluted point knapped from a glass insulator, til all that's fit to live here is cockroaches and Keith Richards."

McIntyre's essays range from the dark to the humorous to the moving, though always free of the easy sentimentality common to lesser "hook and bullet" writers. He has not only been just about everywhere; he has read just about everything, from novels to history to biology, and thought long and hard about it all. He would never scorn the meat or trophies produced by his hunts, but his real quest is for meaning, experience , and the wild within and without.

If you are a hunter who has not read him, you will find things here that you will find nowhere else. If you are a nonhunter or even an anti-hunter who wants to understand the soul of the hunter, start here. As McIntyre says, "Welcome to the wild."

Duane Barnharts Cartooning Basics has just been so much fun for my kids ages 12, 10, and 7. Using the Books step-by-step guidelines to cartooning they have created some of the most fabulous characters and cartoon strips. Not only is it great from a drawing perspective, but it also has some fun and interesting facts about the history of cartooning. Love this book!!!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

Great how-to book, lots of practice exercises. The most helpful, how-to book I've read so far, and I've got a ton of them. Wish I'd found this one sooner!

'Cartooning Basics' is a wonderful tool for young aspiring cartoonists. No. 2 illustrates how to create friendly, familiar characters from simple shapes, which every child can relate to (ie circles, ovals, squares, triangles, etc.). Art teachers can gain lesson ideas that are effective and easy to implement. This is a great buy and a must read for any aspiring cartoonist, art teacher and student alike. Duane and Angie have created a fun, creative, well-illustrated tool in 'Cartooning Basics'.

This book has helped me learn to cartoon, and now, I teach it to my 2nd grade class!

Stephen J. Bodio's Eagle Dreams is one of the best books I've ever read. By turns lyrically poetic, hilariously funny, dramatic, touching, and inspiring, this book is travel writing at its very best. Most authors cannot approach Bodio in terms of talent, in the way his masterful prose brings scenes and people (in this case, the wilds of Mongolia and the tribesmen who hunt with golden eagles) to life and puts the reader in the middle of the action. Fascinating, exotic story, beautifully told. Buy this book!

I was a junior in college when my dad sent me a copy of a new magazine he had started receiving at home called Gray's Sporting Journal. An English student and avid sportsman, I turned immediately to the book review section. Typically, I did not expect much from a sporting magazine's book review; seldom did these reviews actually convey much critical information.

This was the first time I read Steve Bodio's by-line. I read his review column, then went back and read it again, and again. In three pages, I knew this was a writer that deserved my attention. In fact, I had never read anyone who so passionately loved books and the sporting life, and who also wrote about those passions so beautifully. As Bodio himself once wrote about another writer: "He's THAT good."

Steve Bodio is a cult writer, a characterization I once heard Bodio himself acknowledge. Those of us who make up this cult cannot figure out why he isn't better known. Quite possibly it is because he is a naturalist who remains an unapologetic hunter, a hunter who would rather discuss natural history than the latest camouflage pattern, and a writer who ignores current fashions and writes about subjects like falconry, pigeons, catfish and wild freedom.

This latest book, on Mongolia, is a wonderful travel book that one hopes will introduce Bodio to a new and expanded readership. "Eagle Dreams" traces Bodio's fascination with the eagle hunters of Mongolia to the realization of the dream during the course of two trips.

Calling "Eagle Dreams" a travel book is perhaps unfair; it is not easily placed into a neat category. It is a travel book, a sporting book, a nature book, a "sense of place" book-but none of those categories convey its real spirit.

Bodio has a naturalist's keen curiosity, conveyed through vivid descriptions of everything from eagles to malaria. He has a fascination with even the more common creatures, writing of the magpies and pigeons he finds with a delight that seems as if he is seeing these creatures for the first time. He captures Mongolia's interesting history, its nomadic culture and the difficulties of travel in a way that is humane, engaging, and, at times, laugh-out-loud funny.

Of course, there is a lot of falconry here, with fascinating writing about the eagle hunters of Mongolia, their methods, their birds and their lives.

Bodio does not take his travels for granted, in stark contrast to the writers of many modern travel books. His travels to Mongolia are the realization of a dream, and he conveys just what it is like for a lover of words and ideas to finally stand in a place one has imagined deeply. I suspect many of us who grew up dreaming of travel that seemed so beyond our means can relate to this; I have never read any writer who conveys this feeling better. His observations on the "sountrack" of such experiences are worth the price of the book.

This book is a good introduction to Steve Bodio, capturing his love of animals and wild places, his opinionated (and true) observations on our society's maddening political correctness and Puritanism, his embodiment of a well-lived life (again, to paraphrase him on another subject, I'm not sure that he is making much of a living but what a life!), his literary musings that lead one to believe he has read EVERYTHING, and a writing style that is just a joy to read.

Ultimately, this book seems to be saying, that, even in an increasingly tamed and conformist world, there is still quarry to hunt, books to read, birds to watch, adventures to live. It's not a message you'll find in many travel-to-unusual places books. If for that reason alone, read this book.

I just finished Steve Bodio's great book, Eagle Dreams. I was swept away by his vivid word imagery to a "time" and a place that is all too hard to find in the modern world. Bodio instinctively understands the people, the culture, and the animals without the sanitized pap that is all too prevalent in adventure books. The similarities between present-day Mongolian Eagle Hunters and the Plains Indians of the l800s are remarkable. In both cultures, the Eagle has an important spiritual significance.

Jack Kerouac wrote "Sometimes it is necessary to put up with dust and rattlesnakes for the sake of pure freedom." Bodio's book oozes freedom. "Eagle Dreams" should be required reading for all undergraduate anthropology majors. If you only buy one adventure book this year, this should be it.

This book came in with others on Mongolia I had ordered a month ago and so I thought it was just another aspect of this fascinating country I am presently dedicating my attention to. Instead, as usual, generalization is not for human sprit. Opening the book I found out this naturalist grew up in New England as I did, he has italian chromosomes and is a novel Federick II. Immediate simpathy arised. So I dived into this unknown ornitological world (by the way I am scared of birds and I live with terror of an annoying pidgeon that once in a while comes into my kitchen).
First, a notation on the language which is fantastic. I am amazed that such a talented writer writes only about nature and birds and is not better known, but I will surely get my hands on some other books of his.
Second, the cultural milieu that brings the reader to the opening scene (of the eagle actually killing its prey) builds up during the narration and is one of the main subjects of the book. We get an excursus through Marco Polo's travels, Vadim Gorbatov's art work, Andrew's dinosaur discoveries, David Edwards beautiful fotographic images (by the way visit his site and enjoy the eagle and horseman pictures), practically into the author's mind. His references become our references and his dreams ours. One of the fascinanting aspects of this book is the closeness even layman can achieve to the eagle hunting subject.
Third, the book is travelogue or explornography (as the author puts it) and so a get along tale, that as always has the power of getting you to the last page with the curiousity of what is coming up next.
This work is enjoyable, mind and heart raising, didactic and cultural. Truely it can be offered as a gift to curious and encyclopedic friends.

I don't hunt or fish or tramp around in the wilderness but, despite that, I was entranced by this book - couldn't put it down. To me, it's a story of how one person, in this case a brilliant and engaging writer, managed to achieve a dream he'd held since childhood. Bodio is such a fine (and funny!) storyteller that he makes one of the world's most exotic places accessible without making it a bit less exotic. Hunting with eagles in Mongolia doesn't have to be your dream for this book to be one you'll treasure, just like you didn't have to fish for trout to love "A River Runs Through It." I highly recommend this book.

This is touted as a book for young people. I was 50 years old when I read it. By that time I had been reading Sci-Fi for 40 years. This is one of the top sci-fi stories of all time. Even if you are too old for it.

This is a great book for youth and adults, and for families that enjoy reading together. Intense, surprising, disturbing, raising questions of ethics and projecting our imaginations into a future that is not so far away. It is also a book about leadership, power, family, and understanding differences.

my son is 14, he does not like reading and at first he sat reluctantly with me to read this book. by the 2nd chapter he was asking me to read 2 or 3 times a day and now he's reading without my help " the voice of de dead". He was not the only one that enjoyed the book, I'm waiting for him to finish the 2nd of the series to read it.

Not only is this one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time, it is also a primer on leadership, its concepts, and application. This gift version is beautifully executed and worth the 12 and change it costs on Amazon. A worthy addition to any library, home, corporate, or otherwise.

Simply put, this is one of the very best fiction stories I have ever read.

This hardcover edition is nicely bound and the print is the best of all of the editions available. It does cost more than the others, but is worth it if it will be read more than once - which is very likely.

You are never let down by any book in the Fern Michaels "Sisterhood" or resulting series. I hope she keeps writing more. If you are just picking up this book and have not read the others, even though this is a good read on its own, you would enjoy it much more if you read the earlier books in the series first. Excellent.

I love all Fern Michaels books.
Once I start one I cant put it down.
Fast Track is a great book that I enjoyed so much.

Good book! Love the Sisterhood series.
I like getting my books from Amazon.

THIS BOOK WAS ANOTHER GREAT HIT FOR THE SISTERHOOD SERIES. ONCE I STARTED READING IT I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN. IF YOU LIKE THE REST OF HER BOOKS. YOU WILL LOVE THIS ONE.

I am very pleased that this series is going to continue. I was a little disappointed that the 2nd book came first and had a horrible time not reading before the 1st one got here. I think Fern Michaels is a fantastic author and I read everything she writes.

A very sweet and very simple book. Nice to see a family of color in a book for a change.... so my daughter gets a nice variety. My daughter's teacher requested books for the classroom as her Christmas Gift this year... so that should be a selling point! So sweet that the teacher wanted it! :)

My son actually pick this book out by himself in a bookstore when he was 18 months old. He fell in LOVE with it. We had to read it every morning. We loss it transit and I finally remember to get it from Amazon this summer. At 2 1/2 it is still his favorite book. He loves the counting and the actvities reminds him of when "Granny-Gran" comes to visit. Thank you so much for this book.

A sweet 1-10 counting book that has a nice rhyme scheme and builds its story by counting to ten, not once, but twice. The art designs feature a black extended family, however, this is not central to the story. What is emphasized is the feeling of family warmth and cooperation throughout as everyone pitches in to create the feast for ten. Children can also count the items in each picture that correspond to the poem. Well done.

This book has been around for a long time, but it continues to be a favorite in my classroom. It's one of those simple books that sparks so many different curriculum paths! Counting, number groupings, nutrition, cooperation, family activities, word choices, story writing, and more. It has also initiated collage art projects, quilt making, and paper mache vegetables! FEAST FOR 10 is a goldmine. I see that it's coming out in a board book soon, too. We have both the hardcover and several paperbacks in my class.

This is a wonderful book. I have been using it for years in special education and preschool settings. Children always respond to the excellent illustrations and simple text. The pages easily correspond with the text making it a very satisfying counting and retelling experience.

I enjoyed the book "Flounder Fundamentals" very much. My son and I learned a new facts concerning flounder fishing that we did not know.

The book was written in a easy to read style! Good luck to the author and hope he writes a few more fishing books.

Ive been young and now I'm old. This was the best book I have ever read. I hope Mr. Moore can write for many years to come. There is no doubt in my mind, thousands of people young and old that enjoy flounder fishing will learn from this book. Buy this book if you love fishing.

I ordered the book after reading about it on a message board somewhere on the web. I really loved the artifiical lure chapter because the author goes into great detail about lure selection for different times of the year. I'm not a big reader, but found this easy to digest and the information was easy to retain. I reccommend it.

Chester knows his flounder! If you want to catch more of this elusive and selective fish you need to buy this book. It is very well written and you will learn the little things that make a huge difference catching more flatfish.

Excellent reading! The book is informative, entertaining and easily readable. I enjoyed the author's style. He gives you a feeling that he not only knows a lot about flounder fishing, but that he really enjoys what he does!

With only one volume to go, things are rapidly coming to a head. At least one of Godai's problems seems to be solved as Coach Mitaka debates proposing to Asuna under the assumption that he made her pregnant while in the midst of a drunken stupor. He also begins to realize that he might just care for her. But Godai still has problems of his own as his teaching exams are rapidly approaching and he's on the skids with Kyoko. She's angry at him for not exerting any self-discipline to get ahead in life. She's also mad because he always gets into compromising situations with women because of his wishy-washy nature. Because of this, Kozue comes around again after she gets proposed to by a guy she's been dating. She tells Godai she doesn't know what to answer because she wants to be with him! With all the mess going on at Maison Ikkoku, Godai decides to move out and live at the Bunny Club until his exams are over. Of course, all of the residents don't think he's going to be able to stay away, much less pass his tests! But if he doesn't pass, he won't be able to ask Kyoko to marry him.

Finally, after 13 volumes, we're coming to the end and getting to see how this love triangle works out. That's not to say Maison Ikkoku wasn't an enjoyable series. It's a classic. I'm just looking forward to seeing what happens in the last volume. There's a point in this volume where Godai says that if only him and Kyoko would just talk and listen to each other, they could have avoided a lot of misunderstandings and pain. Misunderstandings are what comedy is made of though, and a large part of our daily lives. While keeping the comedy level high throughout its run, Rumiko Takahashi has also put in a layer of complexity dealing with the striving to be accepted by the one you love and the acceptance that there isn't just one love in your life. You can begin again.

The second last book in this outstanding series. Plot lines start coming to an end in this book. We finally get to see our hereo in a few kisses and embraces (ok the cover kind of gives it away). The end will simply have you begging for the next book.

Having read Ranma 1/2 and parts of Urusei Yatsura I was amazed by the maturity level of this series. The humour elements are certaintly their but it's raw human emotion that carries this series. At 14 volumes the plot is kept pretty tight (though i found the addition of the new tenant to Ikkoku extremely pointless) and doesn't have that drag on feeling like Ranma 1/2 does. Also the ending of this series will have more of an impact then the one Ranma 1/2 did.

There is alot of stuff that happen sin this book. The main point being that Shun Mitaka is put out of the contention for Kyoko's affections. He does end up marrying Asuna, but the interesting part is how he ends up marrying Asuna. Also Kozue finally confronts Godai about the prospect of marriage because she has been proposed to by another man. Godai tries to tell herr that he is in love with someone else, but everything as usual ends up becoming a big misunderstanding. Kozue even kisses Godai, and of course Kyoko sees it, which fuels yet another jealous rage. Also Godai has to help out Akemi by paying the bill at a love hotel, but Kozue sees them coming out, and runs off and later tells Kyoko. Kyoko and Godai get in a huge fight in this book and it looks like everything could come to an end for their relationship. good stuff

Godai gets slapped...Godai runs away...Godai tangles with another girl...nosy tenants hound Godai...Kyoko lands on top of a man...Kyoko runs away...Godai gets slapped again...nosy tenants hound Kyoko...Godai gets in trouble with another girl...nosy tenants hound Godai again...Kyoko VERY NEARLY gets slapped...Kyoko runs away again...blah, blah! With all that mean-spirited gremlin-like timing in Ms. Takahashi's romantic slapstick comedy, perhaps both Godai and Kyoko would be much better off if they just forgot about each other altogether.

But - in the very last book right before the grand finale yet to come up, we personally witness the true maturing of the young Godai from a drooling girl-crazy kid into a solemn-faced, long-suffering hero with tenderness for small children and a grim determination to succeed at everything, no matter what - to win the affections of the pretty young Kyoko. But - on the other hand, however, Kyoko herself, though a seemingly perfect, self-contained young woman on the outside, she actually turns out to be a spitting hellcat when it comes to sexual jealousy. All in all, it's a very engrossing trip that will surely hold you fast until the very conclusion of the whole series finally comes right off the press!

Maison Ikkoku has been an consistently charming and witty read, more so than the better-known "Ranma 1/2" series (which isn't bad, either!). "Game Set Match" shows about 3/4's of what we voyeurs into the lives of these bumbling Tokoyo-ites have been waiting for since probably the vicinity of Vol. 3.

Unfortunately (and on purpose), it's not the most important stuff that we're shown. We're given resolutions to the Mitaka and Kozue issues but left with an incredibly unfair cliff-hanger...what will happen to Kyoko and Yusaku? Of course, it had to be arranged thusly...but it still annoys the heck outta ya to be left dangling like that.

At the time of this writing, the final issue (in trade comic form) has been in stores for a few months now. I hope that before summer hits, we'll be given a chance to sit down with a loved one and finish out this incredibly engrossing series.

(One final question...will we *ever* know exactly what it is that Yotsuya does for a living?)