Massachusetts Books

Those were crazy, foundation-shifting days in the 1970's when all manner of people, ideas and lifestyles were breaking free of closets and shadows and Amy Hoffman was searching to find shelter with a community of like-minded souls. And find that community she did! And bring it back to life she does. In a humorous, irony-tinged portrait of the people and flotsam that floated through and around the waters of the Gay Community News in Boston in the 1970's. This is an enjoyable memoir written by a woman who sees beyond the facade of things, and who can report on them with a sharp-tongued memory. I recommend it for non-gays as well as gays, men as well as women, and for anyone interested in taking a front row seat at a parade of change that will never pass this way again.

What an amazing book! Amy Hoffman's book is hilarious, deep, and smarter than a six-foot shelf of queer theory in its understanding of friendship, squabbling, and community. It's rare that a book this funny is also crucial reading, but it is, for anyone who wants to know more about the 1970s feminist and/or lesbian/gay movement and its passions and commitments, not to mention anyone who has ever sat through a political meeting or worked in a collective.

I loved this book. Amy Hoffman captures an incredibly exciting time for lesbians, gays, and women in general. She's funny, moving, and insightful. I was in Cambridge during that time, (have just finished writing a novel about it, a matter of fact) and the book evoked it beautifully for me. I recommend it for all women, gay straight and in between, who never stop trying to figure out who they are, no matter what their age.

This book is the best LGBT read of 2007. Hoffman is informative and wonderfully self-depracating. Her rich history of working in Boston for a gay newspaper is full of amazing tales, making the book easy to read a bit by bit or straight through. As a younger reader, Hoffman's book helped me to appreciate all of the hard work gay rights activists put in to ensure the freedoms we celebrate today, especially here in Massachusetts.
Thanks Amy for your enlightening book!

I almost couldn't put the book down. Finished it in three nights. Anyhow, the writing style is fantastic and the story is compelling. Lots of ups and downs. The best part is that the book is about real people. Definately read this book.

This book juxtaposes basketball and real life. In doing so Swidey provides a multiple perspectives.

Sometimes the reader is present almost as a fellow team member during very private times in the coaches and player's lives; both on and off the court. You know what music they are listening to - the complex dynamics that are playing out under the surface - what they are thinking during emotionally charged situations. The author has an uncanny ability to bring the reader into these young adult's lives.

Other times Swidey provides a 360 helicopter vantage point that allows the reader to see all character's points of view at the same time; and an ability to see how relatively small events in the present; have big consequences as events unfold.

From either point of view the story is compelling. While based around a basketball coach and his team's on and off court struggles - it is more accurately about a good but flawed man's attempt to help good but flawed kids navigate their urban maze.

This is not just a book about basketball. Ask anyone who ever played a sport, and they can probably tell you how much their coach influenced their life. At a time in life when boys are becoming men, a positive male role model, whether it be a parent, coach or a teacher, can make all the difference. Neil Swidey's insider's view of the lives of the players, their families and Coach O'Brien was both heartwarming and disturbing. But this is not unique to Boston. All over the country, we continue to spend money building more jails instead of improving our schools, after school programs and parks. This is a good read for young or old. And not just men.

I am not usually a reader, but I had a hard time putting this book down. Swidey does an excellent job capturing what has been an incredible story in Boston over the past few years. It's about basketball but, it is also about so much more. He describes how the aftermath of school desgregation in Boston has left the public schools in crisis, and how having someone who cares can make such a huge diffrence.

I love everything about "At Home in Nantucket" - the pictures were beautiful, it was easy to read and the recipes were delicious! I have never been to Nantucket but would love to check it out now!

I love this book!! I purchased a copy for myself first, and then numerous for friends and colleagues of mine who regularly summer in Nantucket, and some who have only been once, and others who haven't been yet (great way to encourage them!) - the photos are gorgeous and anyone with a bit of home decor interest would be interested in this.

Loved this book - some gorgeous homes that really gave me a lot of inspiration as I love that seaside/cottage look. Not all of the homes are decorated in an expected Nantucket style, however, which kept the pages interesting. It has beautiful photographs and some nice recipes too! If you love Nantucket or that casual, cottage/beachy design style, this is a great book for you.

The book is written in a style that warms the reader to life on Nantucket. The photographs come to life with the descriptive prose that the author uses to provide detail. A true sense of life on the island is conveyed in the book which made me want to rush to Nantucket for some R&R!

The beautiful Berkshire hills are filled with great ghost stories . Ashley Rooney's Berkshire Ghosts: Legends & Lore," includes tales of ghosts and apparitions in houses, tunnels, and lakes in Massachusetts' Berkshire hills. Many of the tales are based in local lore, but Rooney has delved into the profusion of phenomena located in these enigmatic hills. She even worked with a member of the Berkshire Paranormal Group in her imaginative retelling of regional stories and local folklore. Sometimes the hackles rose on the back of my neck; other times I found myself nodding my head in agreement -- . I found myself so fascinated that we even hiked to Bash Bish Falls to see if I could hear the voices of the two drowned women in the waterfall's gurgling. Next time I think I might look for the Old Coot on Mount Greylock or visit the haunted inn.

If you were brought up in Berkshire County Massachusetts or just love these old hills then this is the book for you. The stories written by Ashley Ronney are written very well and with accuracy. I enjoyed the stories of the Hoosic Tunnel where I spent alot of my time Investigating and the Houghton Mansion. This book was a joy.

Some of us believe in ghosts and some don't. But most everybody likes the telling of a well-written good tale that leads us to explore the possibilities of the supernatural. Rooney has accomplished this in Berkshire Ghosts, Legends & Lore. Her story about the servants' love triangle was great fun -- A Desperate Housewives from the Gilded Age. I really liked her retelling of the Old Coot; she made the wife's grief so real. And her original story of the Tanglewood ghost reminded me of my mother's need to constantly move upward in the world. Her ghosts just don't bump in the night. They have personalities and a story to tell.

Finally, someone has brought together all those marvelous Berkshire legends and ghost stories in a graceful assured manner. With great attention to period detail and a delightful imagination, Rooney has retold these stories and local folk stories. The profusion of personalities and phenomena located in those enigmatic hills -- that were a major playground during the Gilded Age - are engrossing. Her book goes from the maids of the mansions to the maids of the forest, from the well-meaning minister to the careless painter.
Who knew that at one time in our country's history the Berkshires played a major role in the American Revolution? Or that that many Tory or Native American legends existed out there? Or even that Tanglewood itself was haunted? This book makes the Berkshires come alive!

This author and this book are great for those who are not Boston fans as well as those who are. I have read this book now 5 times and would never part with it.

The inside information and perspective is amazing. It's like you're along side Seth Mnookin in the Fenway offices and clubhouse talking to players and executives. You get the honest feelings and reactions of the best players and higher ups as well as the opinions of the middle and lower tier players about what they thought was really going on. You get the ultimate Red Sox experience at multiple levels.

"Who was the greatest Boston athlete ever? Russell, Bird or Brady?"

That's one question posed on the back cover of the book by Jim Caple and the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley.

I can't be the only hockey fan to wonder, "What about Bobby?"

Skeptical, I opened the book to scan the table of contents. I would skip non-hockey questions like "Was Freezing Ted Williams All That Crazy? (Number 17), "Boston: Football Town or Baseball Town?" (Number 55), and "Which Celtics Player Had the Most Unique Career After Hangin' `Em Up?"(Number 57)--all intriguing--and focus on more important questions.

For example, "Boston's Greatest Hockey Myth" (Number 18) isn't technically a question but it did compel me to investigate. So did "What Was the Greatest Non-Game Moment in Bruins History?" (Number 22), and "Who Was the Greatest Clutch Performer in Bruins History?" (Number 34).

Baseball and football questions dominated the book, but the material I read was insightful and entertaining, and even uplifting (I won't spoil the discovery for you). I didn't agree with all the "answers," but I learned a lot and laughed a lot. Plus, each section was no longer than three pages. And I got over the Bobby Orr slight on the back cover because Number 4ORR gets his due.

This book is very much in the same vein as the sports arguement books written by WFAN's Mike & the Mad Dog, but with a different author and centered on the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and New England Patriots. So here you get the best and worst of players, coaches, owners, games, even venues. All of the "discussions" (OK, arguement-starters!) here are great fun to read. Such as;

"What Boston athlete could you never get used to seeing in another teams' uniform?" (The answer will surprise you)
"Who was the best/worst manager of the Red Sox?"
"Who was the most despised opposing player in Patriots history?"
"Should Roger Clemens go in the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox or a Yankee?"
"Which was better, the Red Sox beating the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS or winning the World Series?"
"Which record is better, Dimaggio's 56 game hitting streak or Ted Williams hitting .406?"
"Who would've had the better carrear as a Celtic, Len Bias or Reggie Lewis?"
"How good would Ted Williams have been if he hadn't been away from baseball for 5 years due to military service?"
"What was Bobby Orr's greatest goal?" (Surprise! It's NOT his famous leap that won the Stanley Cup for the Bruins)

My favorite is the legendary rumor that longtime Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey, in a drunken stupor, supposedly contacted the Yankees about trading Ted Williams for Joe Dimaggio. Of course it never happened but what if it did? Who would've gotten the better deal?

I'd love to see a similar book for Chicago sports buffs. This is a fun read if you're a member of Red Sox nation, as I am, or even part of the "Evil Empire" in New York.

P.S. New York fans, there's a similar book for you too. Unfortunately it doesn't have pictures and the words have more than one syllable!

I am an avid fan of crime story related books, this one rates up there with the best of them. The authors ability to set up a crime, from the background, to the crime itself and then to the afterfall is fantastic. I enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it in a heartbeat.

While I'm not an avid reader of Boston crime narratives, I am a fan of this particular writer. His ability to capture the quotidian details of the city's d.a. office and make them compelling to me is a rare mark of intelligence and good writing.

In speaking to another reviewer's point, I don't believe the goal of this book was to present a biography of Ralph Martin. I also don't believe it does a disservice to the d.a.'s office of Boston. I believe, instead, that it sheds light on many of the most important cases and issues faced by the city's law enforcement officials. The writing manages to make the kind of grisly details we see on the nightly news interesting and informative without being pedantic.

I think the book rises to the top of its genre with a bullet, although I'm not sure that the distinction of bullets is really the point.

I've been waiting for a book from this author for years. His work in magazines and newspapers is unparalleled, and his writing leaps off the page. If you want a good read, just look for Sean Flynn's by-line. I highly recommend BOSTON DA. I can't wait for his next book.

I have lived in Boston all my life and this book gave me new insights and insider information on some of the most well publicized crimes in the city over the past 10 years.It reads like a thriller and reminds me somewhat of an Ann Rule book. Flynn does a good job in his characterization of Ralph Martin, a popular DA, and possible mayoral candidate in the future. Mr. Martin is a black Republican who has managed to thrive in a white, Democratic City. this is a must read for anybody interested in the psychological, sociological, political and criminal interactions in a major urban area.

Having attended Brandeis University, this book is very accurate. It tells of the good, the bad, and the ugly. The college prowler series is great and I would strongly recommend it to anyone looking at a four year school.

Everyone looks at different things while searching for colleges. Some want rural, others want suburban, but really everyone just wants to find a place that feels like home to them. This information cannot be found using statistics alone. What high school students need is to hear about other people's experiences at college, and that is exactly what these guide books give. I am confident that Brandeis University is the school for me after reading this guide, and I recommend this product to anyone who is in the process of searching for their own college that would feel like home to them.

If you're having a hard time figuring out what college to go to, there's no better resourse than the College Prowler books. In most college guide books you get 3 pages about a college and most of the information is so generic, you can look it up on the school's website. College Prowler gives you about 150 pages of the purist information out there: information that comes right from the students. If you can't make up your mind about which college to go to, definitely check out these books. I think shelling out a couple of dollars to decide the next 4 years of your life is definitely worth it. And there's no better value than the College Prowler. Check it out for yourself.

The book explains it all....no one could possibly give this a bad review! YMMMDI !

Entertaining, informative, indispensible for exploring one of America's most fascinating destinations, City Smart: Boston belongs in your carry-on bag. Veteran travel writer Lisa Matte, a Boston-area native, is as smart as the city itself, and she brings to the book a real insider's expertise, with anecdotes and stories that perfectly illustrate Boston's quaint, colorful and sometimes quirky history. Abundant photos and maps quickly acclimate readers unfamiliar with Boston. If you're planning a trip to Beantown, get familiar with this book.

Entertaining, informative, indispensible for exploring one of America's most fascinating destinations, City Smart: Boston belongs in your carry-on bag. Veteran travel writer Lisa Matte, a Boston-area native, is as smart as the city itself, and she brings to the book a real insider's expertise, with anecdotes and stories that perfectly illustrate Boston's quaint, colorful and sometimes quirky history. Abundant photos and maps quickly acclimate readers unfamiliar with Boston. If you're planning a trip to Beantown, get familiar with this book.

DON'T visit Boston without consulting this informative and easy to read guide book. Local residents to international travelers will find this guidebook the key to planning visits that memories are made of. The best guidebook I have ever read.

The best guidebook makes you feel like you've got a good friend in town, one ready to share the out-of-the-way finds and to keep you clear of the tourist traps. City Smart Boston is one of those guides. Author and Boston resident Lisa Matte offers up suggestions on her hometown that range from accommodations to dining, from shopping to cultural activities, all designed to help you make the most of your visit.

We especially appreciated the accommodations section, covering properties that range from five-star to bed-and-breakfasts. Details important to romantics, from terry cloth bathrobes to on-site gourmet dining facilities, are included in the hotel writeups. Along the way, readers find a sprinkling of fascinating trivia (hey, bet you don't know which Boston hotel called John Wilkes Booth a guest just a week before he shot and killed President Lincoln!)

Romantic travelers also find plenty of sizzling nightlife activity covered in this guide, including where to see the Boston Pops and the hottest places to dance the night away. A special section takes a look at Boston's best Irish pubs.

Corner of the Dead is an engrossing read. Artfully constructed and referencing the Latin American literature in its poetic language, the novel brings the reader face to face with the inhumanity faced by Chilean Andean villages during the time of the Shining Path. With remarkable clarity the narrative voice captures the shaking terror of both the witnessing and later, in New York, in the remembering. The evocative symbolism in the book stikes with spare and direct emotive blows. Corner of the Dead is a haunting triumph of a novel, I recommend it.

The Corner of the Dead is a deeply intense and emotional read. From the start, the story grabs you and won't let go. You feel the pain and sorrow throughout the novel and brings you right into this dark world. You will not put this book down and then will read it again to make sure you got all of the details. Very good read.

A beautifully written book. A portrait of a woman's pain. Through her eyes, her camera, and her memory, sometimes through gauze and other times without a filter, we visit the sources of Lisette's pain and the effect on her and those around her. She is at the same time resilient and fragile.

I loved this book, but I found being an observer sometimes frustrating. I wanted to know the characters - what they were thinking, where they came from - what they survived - their childhoods, their customs, their loves, their stories. In particular, I wondered about Enrique's wife, Amparo.

Lurie's writing is moving and heartfelt. Her story is one of survival - one woman's struggle to process life, death and love. Her writing on the disturbing subject of the disregard for human life encourages you to think about why people do what they do. It's a book that stays with you even when you have finished it. A must read!

Great guide to all the inlets in Narragansett Bay and surrounding areas. The book has all the place we know of and we agree totally and we can't wait to try out the places we didn't know about.
Thank you for a great book.

Being very familiar with boating on Buzzards Bay i was drawn to expand my sea ventures. This book gave a great dipiction of the waters along the south coast of Mass and RI. I have already traveled to many of the destinations the book discussed. what a great service the author has done for the boating community

I always wondered what those old ruins were hidden on overgrown islands, the history of secluded anchorages.... Great naturalist, along the shore information. Excellent cruising guide!

I lived and sailed Narragansett Bay all my life and never knew the history behind all I was looking at. Excellent book and great fishing section!