New York Books

This is the greatest book I've ever read and that includes the classics. And, for all of you cynics out there, I'm not just saying this because I'm the senior editor (P.S. The 2004 guide is hitting stores this week).

Shecky's makes it easy to pick a watering hole. All the reviews are funny, hip, and, most importantly, true. Whether you live in New York or are just visiting, this book will help you find refreshment.

The funniest New York guide book i've ever read! The description s are right on and the jokes are awesome!!!

Shecky's is by far one of the most useful recreational/night spot resources I own. While I do not always agree with the reviews, the comments are definitely worth taking into consideration and are usually rather amusing (especially the review of the Gemini Lounge). At the very least, this guide can help you eliminate the frat boy bars from consideration!

Sheckys is by far the best guide to all that New York's nightlife has to offer. Its to the point reviews are both entertaining and right on the mark. Sheckys is a great way to avoid a bad night.

Trigaboff has indeed done it again!! A terrific read.

Joe Trigoboff explored both the emotions and driving motives of his complicated characters and the outer world of crime and punishment, to create an almost mythic saga. The story lingers long after the book is closed.

excellent sequel to the bone orchard

Trigoboff tells a very good story. He's got a way of describing the streets, the monumental setting of New York City, and the criminal underbelly that learks beneath the survice. In the Shooting Gallery, he conveys a very compelling story. Along with the criminal action and the description of big city corruption, Trigoboff weaves a large amount of biting and incisive social commentary into the story. The book is also rich in black humor, with some very amusing scenes.

NYPD Alvin Yablonsky returns in this book. He is faced with the political murder of a reporter, one who has crusaded against powerful interests for years, in the employ of a liberal paper. The cities limosine liberal establishment is outraged, and storm clouds soon surround the investigation. Yablonsky is faced with a political administration that doesn't exactly want the case solved, a shadowy force willing to kill anyone close to the case, and a group of liberals that don't trust the police at all. All together, it makes for great modern urban noir.

The only reason I didn't give it the full 5 stars is because I found the actual mystery fairly obvious, and I figured it out almost right away. Still, it was a very entertaining read.

Alvin Yablonsky is a New York detective assigned to investigate the murder of a Skinny McPherson, a reporter for "The Village Guardian", a left-wing newspaper with strong connections to the Big Apple's elite of among the literary set and their judicial allies. Yablonsky runs afoul of the corrupt "powers that be" in the drug infested East Village neighbor. It takes a tough minded, quick thinking, street savvy cop like Yablonsky to go where he must go and do what needs to be done to identify and then bring the guilty to what justice can be done under the circumstances. The Shooting Gallery confirms Joseph Trigoboff's as a tightly disciplined mystery writer who plays hard but fair with his readers and his characters. Also highly recommended is Trigoboff's earlier Detective Alvin Yablonsky novel The Bone Orchard.

From LONDON FIELDS [1989] by Martin Amis: "Features include fool-the-eye dent-marks, a removable toupee of rust on the hood, and adhesive key-scratches all over the paintwork. An English strategy: envy-preemption."

From SHOW AND TELL [2001] by John Lahr: "In fact, [Wallace] Shawn, who admits he's actually 'a very arrogant and vain person', preempts envy by constantly spoiling any picture of his own distinction."

As a lifelong subscriber to The New Yorker, I have especially enjoyed reading Lahr's various "Profiles." Fifteen of his best are anthologized in this volume. The subjects are Woody Allen, David Mamet, Frank Sinatra, Arthur Miller, Liev Screiber, Roseanne, Irving Berlin, Wallace Shawn, Eddie Izzard, Neil Labute, Bob Hope, Ingmar Bergman, Mike Nichols, and the author's parents, Mildred and Bert Lahr. My personal favorites are those which discuss Sinatra, Miller, Roseanne, Hope, Bergman, and Nichols but I was pleased to re-read all of the others also. Lahr has a somewhat specialized form of genius for crafting what are indeed "profiles" rather than portraits, much less in-depth character analyses. Even when fondly discussing his own parents, he seems to have no limiting biases, "baggage" or predilections. It is high praise to note that the reader feels as if she or he is a "fly on the wall" during Lahr's conversations with his subjects...and at other times, as if the reader can hear him thinking aloud while alone and in reflection. Lahr's is a naturally casual style (so sophisticated that it seems effortless), perhaps most evident when discussing Bob Hope. According to Lahr, Hope's wife Dolores and the children were "extras" in his life. "It was hard for anyone in the family to get much of Bob Hope." Lahr shares this without judgment, suggesting implications without manipulating inferences.. With Hope as with each of the 14 others, Lahr's objective is to capture the essence of his subject, the esential qualities and characteristics which are revealed in "defining moments" of inimitable behavior or utterance. Lahr's reader (at least this one) is left to wonder what he would have to say about so many others such as Saul Bellow, Hillary Rodham-Clinton, Joe DiMaggio, Bob Fosse, Jackie Gleason, Sam Peckinpah, Jackson Pollock, Martha Stewart, and Oprah Winfrey.

In these days when performers are celebrated -- and demeaned -- for being famous, every little tidbit of information is up for grabs by the media. I say this as someone who was a journalist for nearly 20 years (and is now an entertainer). What's missing on the market: candid performers' profiles that still convey WHY great performers are GREAT performers and -- sometimes -- great people or great creeps. Show and Tell contains 15 of John Lahr's BEST New Yorker show biz profiles. The zest and verve of these creative folk and Lahr's excitement writing about them is all here. The subjects: Woody Allen, David Mamet, Frank Sinatra, Arthur Miller, Liev Schreiber, Roseanne, Irving Berlin, Wallace Shawn, Eddie Izzard, Neil Labute, Bob Hope, Ingmar Bergman, Mike Nichols, and his parents Bert and Mildred Lahr. You don't have to even know who these celebrities are (you'll enjoy this book if you're in your early 20s) to love these profiles: each chapter tells you how they got from point A (childhood) to point B (becoming great entertainers, playwrights etc) -- and about all the joys and obstacles along the way. Don't expect simplistic tabloid journalism but more detailed interviews. The Bob Hope profile was controversial when it was first published since it not only hinted at adultery but etched a portrait of a man who created a corporate comedy machine -- and even needed cue cards when performing at a private party. But there's tons of info amid these revelations. My other favorite profiles and tidbits include: Woody Allen (his casting method for movies sometimes boils down to him looking at someone for a few seconds), Bert Lahr (his frustration at not having made many movies, unlike some of his vaudeville colleagues), Roseanne (her rage-based comedy; how she wrested control of her t.v. show from what would have been sit-com mediocrity),Irving Berlin (the 20th century's most prolific and perhaps great composer adapting to all kinds of music from the century's beginning UNTIL rock...which finally did him in). There are many others but the point is: these are unlike any other profile's you'll read. They celebrate the joy, creative "juice" flow, toil, and heartbreak of show biz and performing arts creativity -- and you'll want to read them again and again.

Celebrities are fair game it seems for every hack, two bit journalist, and paparazzi. Their names are money and their pictures, weight loss, ageing, personal crises, and habits appear to be of endless fascination to the reading public or a fair proportion of it. What about Sinatra's links to the mob? What about Woody Allen's prediliction for young women? What about Mike Nichol's anger? What about Igmar Bergman's womanizing and tax evasion? Give me a break! There is much tosh, pap and babble written by those not fit enough to sharpen the pencils of the subjects of these profiles by Mr Lahr, but you will not find it in SHOW AND TELL. Mr Lahr is a writer worthy of these legends and that, dear reader, is indeed saying something. Revealing, interesting, incisive, entertaining and gripping, Mr Lahr and his editor at The New Yorker, have done a brilliant job. Perhaps the best short pieces I have ever read on the subjects contained therein. Brilliant.

The New Yorker is famous for its witty prose, "casuals," and most of all---its Profiles of famous and not-so-famous people. The New Yorker is also famous for unbelievably long pieces (sometimes taking up the entire magazine) and occasionally being so "in" that the readers are left "out."

John Lahr has all of the virtues: elegant, thoughtful writing, and he leaves you wishing for more. Mr. Lahr specializes in Entertainment Profiles, a difficult undertaking. He avoids the landmines of sound-bytes, scurrility, fawning and trivia. He delivers fifteen gleaming, sharp-edged Profiles on disparate personalities.

I feel the best are the ones that are not contemporaries and/or friends of the author with the exception of the lovely word portraits of his parents, father Bert, and mother Millie (who might or might not have had an affair with Joseph Cotton!) Mr. Lahr needs a certain amount of distance to do his best work. He is clearly an admirer of Woody Allen, and it shows. I felt we were seeing the brushed up and shiny side of this highly complex entertainer. Bob Hope is given the finest dispassionate treatment; Lahr steps back and allows Mr. Hope produce his own cause and effect. The reader can judge for himself. I was left thinking, as my grandmother would say, "this is NOT a very nice man." To me, Roseanne was frightening with her rage and skewed perspectives. It wasn't what Mr. Lahr said about her; it was Roseanne being herself. The Profile on Frank Sinatra left me with a emotion I would never, ever thought possible in conjunction with Ole Blue Eyes: pity.

I read this book straight through, almost at one sitting. I found it that fascinating. But it can be read at leisure. Just start anywhere; there's not a loser to be found!

This is a real page-turner, and absolutely fascinating. The author tells the stories of five immigrants to the U.S. and New York City around 1900, but what's amazing is the power of the voices here, plus the photos. The focus is on young people, but my adult book group read this and loved it. Everyone has seen photos of the crowded Lower East Side, but this book makes you think of the individuals and their families who lived there.

I finished this book in a spell. Hopkinson weaves the stories of young immigrants and the story of the growing city into a rich experience for the reader. Her choice of detail, her gift for story telling, and the wonderful and often poignant photographs make this (beautifully designed book) irresistible. In the end you believe-as Hopkinson clearly does-that the past has meaning because of the individuals that lived it, and that their stories must continue to reverberate. It isn't "just" the past; it's what we're made of.

If you've ever heard family stories about grandparents or greatparents who came through Ellis Island, this book is a must. Hopkinson follows the true stories of five young immigrants. She tells the story of life on the Lower East Side at the turn of the 20th century using excerpts from oral histories and memoirs. Somehow the stories of the young Russian Jewish and Italian immigrants tie in seamlessly with information on coming to America, what it was like to live in a tenement, work (including conditions in the sweatshops and the Triangle factory fire), going to school, and what the future held for these young men and women. The historic photos are so evocative and powerful. Highly recommended.

My son loves history and when he brought home this book I immediately got hooked on the photos. Then I began reading the stories of the immigrants and I couldn't put it down -- I couldn't wait to find out what happened to the five young people whose stories are recounted here. Somehow the combination of the photos, the quotes and the personal stories all works together to let us into a world gone by. A wonderful book!

I hope by the time you read this review that you will be able to "take a look inside" this book on this website. Then you could really appreciate how beautifully illustrated and crafted this outstanding book is. For the time being, you'll have to take my (and other reviewers') word for it.

There are many books geared toward young readers on the subject of the immigrant/tenement experience in New York City at the turn of the last century, and many of them are quite good. But Deborah Hopkinson's "Shutting Out the Sky: Life in the Tenements of New York, 1880-1924" is far and above the best in recent times. The photographs are exquisite and exquisitely moving. The text is engaging, and, unlike other books aimed for this age group, Ms. Hopkinson's book doesn't dumb things down toward her audience. This is an admirable book that I would recommend to parents and teachers!

Rocco Dormarunno, author of "The Five Points"

Tony Cavalucci is a cop for the NYPD, who used to live life hard and fast. After his new partner, Joe Fiore, introduces him to Christianity, Tony sees his life through new eyes and tries to get things back on track. Now engaged to a Christian woman with a son he loves, Tony is a new man and sees his job differently than he used to as he works to keep the streets safe for everybody--including the lowest inhabitants, the skells. Once treating them with distaste and disdain, he now attempts to be kind and help them solve their problems.

F. P. Lione, a husband and wife writing team, depicts the day-to-day real-life drama of police work realistically in this third offering in the Midtown Blue series, titled SKELLS. Murder and mayhem invade New York City, and this cop and his partner, Tony Cavalucci and Joe Fiore, are doing their best to make the streets a little less dangerous for everybody, including the homeless, the prostitutes, and the druggies--better known on the streets as `skells'.

The message of SKELLS is this: Everybody needs God, and God provides hope for everyone, even those people others consider hopeless. Climb in the back seat of Tony and Joe's cruiser and ride along with some of New York's finest; you just might learn a thing or two about hope and compassion yourself.

In their third installment of the Midtown Blue series and their best book to date, the husband and wife team of F. P. Lione (Frank and Pam) offer an absorbing look at the New York Police Department while continuing the story of Tony Cavalucci and his new walk of faith.

Cavalucci, a recovering alcoholic, is still on the wagon, although his dysfunctional family and the party-hard group of cops he works with make it difficult. He and his fiancée, Michele, are building a new house together and trying to work out the snags in their relationship before the wedding. Michele and Tony are waiting to have sex until they tie the knot, but Tony is impatient and turns on the pressure. However, Michele is a single mother who knows the price of impatience. Their relationship is well-developed by the Liones in this installment.

But most of the book is devoted to Tony's life on the job. His time with his partner, the scripture-quoting Joe Fiore, is slowly changing Tony for the better, and he's on a more even keel --- spiritually, emotionally and physically. (When he first met Joe, Tony had been "flirting with the idea of eating my gun.") But Cavalucci's hard-drinking Italian family sees Joe as a threat; he's the reason Tony is going to a different church, is marrying a woman they don't approve of (a single mom with a young son), and has quit drinking. His father's venomous second wife seems poised to wreak new havoc on the family, and Tony is concerned about his sister Denise dating a police officer Tony knows only too well.

As Tony tries to get along with his family and seeks to understand what his father's problems are, he discovers a secret from his father's past that helps him understand what has made him the difficult man he is today. He also battles his grandmother's superstitions, which the Liones flesh out with some nice details.

The "skells" of New York City --- the drug addicts, bag ladies, prostitutes, the homeless --- keep Tony and his department busy in this installment. Cavalucci used to look at them as the dregs of society, but recently "they just look lost and wounded to me." Part of this is Joe's influence; Joe tells him, "If you get down deeper into a person, you'll see there's a reason...Nobody wants to be a drunk or a crackhead --- they're struggling, just like you were struggling."

There are some memorable encounters, including a fairly violent rape scene and a domestic abuse situation, as well as some unusual offbeat calls that are by turns funny and sad. The Liones show how police officers are always just a step away from a lawsuit, even when they are only trying to come to the assistance of someone in trouble.

If you haven't read the first and second books in the series, THE DEUCE and THE CROSSROADS, you'll want to go back and read them in order. Although the first two are highly enjoyable, SKELLS is the Liones at their best. They've smoothed out some of the rough spots in the first two novels and strike just the right balance of faith and the gritty work of Manhattan's finest police officers. There's plenty of character development, mouth-watering food details, and interesting inside information on law enforcement to keep the pages turning. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby. Contact Cindy at phrelanzer@aol.com.

It wasn't too long ago that NYPD patrolman Tony Cavalucci was dumped by his girlfriend and spent his off duty hours drinking. If it was not for his fellow officer Joe Fiore, a born again Christian, he would have become an alcoholic. His life has settled down and he plans to marry Michele, a single mom whose son Tony adores.

His new outlook on life leads him to look at the skells, those people who live on the fringe, the homeless, the mentally impaired, and the alkies and druggies with compassion, not scorn. He is now a good neighbor who prevents someone from beating up their wife. His only problem is with his father who broke up their family to marry Marie and won't believe him that his new wife is stepping out on him. His sister has proof, but dad refuses to see it. Tony must learn to accept his father's love for a cheating spouse.

This is not a police procedural but a deep and fine tale that is a character study of a how a cop lives as he thrives to do his best on the job, in his personal relationships and with God. He knows that the Lord is with him every step of the way. Readers will like the protagonist who sees like much differently since he became sober leading to an enlightened tolerance of other people's peculiarities.

Harriet Klausner

"Skells" is the third book in the Midtown Blues series written by husband and wife team F.P. Lione. It continues the story of Tony Cavalucci, 11 year veteran of the NYPD and recent convert to Christ.

The title comes from the term NYPD cops use for the addicts, homeless, prostitutes and others who live on the streets and cause them problems. It's easy for Tony and the other officer's hearts to become hardened to them. But now Tony, through the example of his partner, Joe Fiore, is learning to see each person through the eyes of Christ as the lost and wounded souls they really are.

Tony and Joe run into some colorful characters, as well as tragic situations, during their patrols. But what makes the series so compelling is not the external conflict they face as police officers. Instead, it is the internal conflict Tony faces as a new believer in Christ. He is finding every belief he previously took for granted challenged by his new faith. Many writers might gloss over these challenges by using clichés or having Tony become an "instant" Christian, but not the Lione's. They have handled every aspect of Tony's walk of faith--from the path that led to his decision to follow Christ in "The Deuce" through the gradual changes God has made in Tony's thoughts and actions through "The Crossroads" and "Skells"--with authenticity and realism.

I am hoping there will be additional books in the Midtown Blues series. "Skells" ends in May 2001, just a few months before the tragic events of September 11. There seems to be some foreshadowing (such as rookie cop Nick Romano, whom Tony and Joe had befriended, transferring to the fire department) that suggests we might get to see how the events at the World Trade Center affect Tony and Joe. I, for one, certainly hope so.

Most NYPD cops think skells are the scum of the earth. They're the crackheads, homeless, prostitutes, and other lowlifes who can make an officer's job a nightmare. Eleven-year veteran Tony Cavalucci's midnight tour is full of skells. He used to consider them discarded trash worth no one's time. But lately the skells seem different to Tony--they look lost and wounded.

But the beat goes on. Trouble is always brewing in Midtown Manhattan, and Tony and his partner Joe Fiore confront it all. From the man who accidentally blows himself off the toilet (yes, you read that right), to the discovery of a loft packed with hundreds of marijuana plants, this ain't no nine-to-five desk job. Sure, there are days nothing happens. Those will be the days Tony's dysfunctional Italian family will provide enough drama to match what the streets throw his way. Has his family always been like this, or is he seeing them differently too? Tony's definitely changed in the last few months. He's stopped drinking, goes to church, and is engaged to a nice Christian girl.

There are some days Tony still longs to head on down to his old bar haunts and pound down a few cold ones. But he always stops short. What God thinks matters to him now. Yet whether on patrol or visiting his family, temptations abound. Is it really possible to be a good cop and a Christian?

Skells is not necessarily a plot-driven story. In many ways, reading it is more like reading the memoirs of a cop than reading a novel (think Blue Blood by Edward Conlon without all the family history). This speaks volumes for the realism Frank and Pam Lione (writing as F.P.) manage to convey through its pages. It's like you're tagging along in the backseat of Tony's cruiser. You can almost feel the dirt grinding under your shoes, the adrenaline pulsing through your veins. As Book #3 in the "Midtown Blue" series, Skells was preceded by The Deuce and The Crossroads. It isn't required to read them first, but they cover Tony's life consecutively and will bring a deeper understanding of the characters.

This isn't your grandma's Christian fiction (unless she happens to be an ex-cop). There's definitely some real-life grittiness here. People get drunk. People die. Tony and his partner stop a rape in progress. But through it all there's always hope. The Lione's don't drag you through the dirt of a cop's life without picking you up, dusting you off, and sharing the truth: Everyone needs God. The skells and the cops.

Fiction needs more of what F.P. Lione offers. Refreshingly honest, Skells is the raw portrayal of a NYPD cop's struggle to live out his faith through the good, the bad, and the ugly.

--Reviewed by C.J. Darlington for Infuze magazine

Ellen Pall is a wonderfully fluent writer. Her interiors are vivid, her dialogue is real and she has a sharp but warm eye for humans and their weaknesses. Juliet Bodine is an attractive, imperfect, urbane writer who heads off in search of a killer while being honest enough to explain some of the machinations of fiction writing, or not writing, as the case may be, and what it's really like to be single in the city. She would translate very well onto the screen. But in the meantime, cozy up with "Slightly Abridged." You'll find interwoven some old London history delightfully come back to life in New York, and a clever mystery unraveled.

Juliet Bodine is stuck, blocked in writing her latest regency romance, so she welcomes the appearance of a fan. Ada Caffney is an energetic 84-year old who has lived life to the fullest, and who has discovered a segment of manuscript that might, possibly, be worth thousands. Ada drops into Juliet's life like a bombshell dragging Juliet away from her writing to poetry slams, Broadway shows, and tours of the Empire State Building (anything to get away from writing that dreadful romance). When Ada is found dead, the manuscript missing, Juliet becomes a suspect. With the help of illusive love interest and police detective Murray Landis, Juliet sets out to investigate.

Author Ellen Pall has written a fun mystery interweaving Juliet's love interests, the painful plotting of Juliet's book (which starts out sounding like a stinker but begins to pick up when Juliet's attraction toward Murray takes on new fire), and the unveiling of more and more motives to see Ada dead all work to keep the reader glued to the novel. Pall uses author intrusion to set the stage for later developments and as chapter hooks, teasing the reader with promises of more to come. It's a little disconcerting at first, but Pall uses it lightly enough to make it an enjoyable style choice.

SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED did start a little slowly and the story really gathers steam when Ada goes missing, Murray comes back into the scene, and Juliet is able to escape her morose plotting and turn her energies toward detecting. You'll end up rooting for Juliet to dump the too-perfect book dealer, hook up with Murray, and overcome the killer that only a writer can find.

Very nice.

Juliet Bodine is stuck, blocked in writing her latest regency romance, so she welcomes the appearance of a fan. Ada Caffney is an energetic 84-year old who has lived life to the fullest, and who has discovered a segment of manuscript that might, possibly, be worth thousands. Ada drops into Juliet's life like a bombshell dragging Juliet away from her writing to poetry slams, Broadway shows, and tours of the Empire State Building (anything to get away from writing that dreadful romance). When Ada is found dead, the manuscript missing, Juliet becomes a suspect. With the help of illusive love interest and police detective Murray Landis, Juliet sets out to investigate.

Author Ellen Pall has written a fun mystery interweaving Juliet's love interests, the painful plotting of Juliet's book (which starts out sounding like a stinker but begins to pick up when Juliet's attraction toward Murray takes on new fire), and the unveiling of more and more motives to see Ada dead all work to keep the reader glued to the novel. Pall uses author intrusion to set the stage for later developments and as chapter hooks, teasing the reader with promises of more to come. It's a little disconcerting at first, but Pall uses it lightly enough to make it an enjoyable style choice.

SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED did start a little slowly and the story really gathers steam when Ada goes missing, Murray comes back into the scene, and Juliet is able to escape her morose plotting and turn her energies toward detecting. You'll end up rooting for Juliet to dump the too-perfect book dealer, hook up with Murray, and overcome the killer that only a writer can find.

Very nice.

Author Juliet Bodine writes Regency romances under the pseudonym Angelica Kestrel-Haven. Juliet is having trouble with her latest work because the hero is not the rake she usually uses. So when an octogenarian fan Ada Case Caffrey asks to meet over tea in Manhattan, Juliet, who normally says no, agrees as they have exchanged letters for several years. Ada has more energy that a teenager on a sugar high and gets Juliet and others to escort her all over the big city.

Ada also shows Juliet pieces of letters of the apparent memoirs of Harriette Wilson, perhaps the most infamous of the Regency courtesans. Juliet arranges for Ada to meet with Dennis Daigrault, owner of Rara Avis, a store that deals in antiques. However, Ada storms out feeling Dennis is short changing her, but also fails to return to her bed and breakfast while a blizzard socks the city. Not long after she is reported Ada missing, NYPD Detective Murray Landis has Juliet identify an elderly homicide victim who is Ada. Feeling guilty for failing as a host, Juliet begins making inquiries even as Murray searches for a killer and a lost manuscript.

This engaging Manhattan amateur sleuth story with some of police procedural elements adds realism to this fun tale due to Hurricane Ada. The key characters are a delightful grouping, but each feels the impact of Ada taking over the city and their lives even after she is murdered. SLIGHTLY ABRIDGED is a fine cozy that leaves the audience waiting for book three of the Muses mysteries.

Harriet Klausner

Ellen Pall's greatest asset as a writer is her edgy, witty prose - it's what makes this book a pleasure to read. The dialogue is sharp, the insights make you identify with Juliet, and the latent wit is always ready to surprise you.

Juliet is a writer of Regency romances and her difficulties with her current novel are overcome only when her own love-life sparks up. This love life is nicely handled with much left to the imagination and (Praise be!) the careful avoidance of a happy ending. How refreshing to not be landed with an existing amore in the next novel where the reader is stuck watching the relationship toil its way to the next level or, perhaps, fizzle out.

The writer really worked with this novel - she finds parallels to her plot in both the real Regency period and the imaginary Regency world of her novel. It's clever, but it's just a bit contrived. She divides her story between two contemporary settings - the semi-sophisticated of New York City and the truly unsophisticated of a tiny village in upstate New York. If I lived in upstate New York I'd be feeling a bit patronized.

But it's a good story, with the advent of the bright and beautifully-flawed Ada making mincemeat of the New Yorkers careful lives. As long as the writer maintains her sharp prose and dialogue, keeps the characters clearly focussed and doesn't try to get too clever with her Muses this will be a series worth reading.

I read Cloth of Heaven and Ashes and Lace when they first came out. Song of Erin combines the two into one great book. Since it's been so long since I've read them, it was even better the second time around! I can't wait for her next book. She makes historical events come to life. The whole time I'm reading any of her books, I worry about her characters' (many!) trials and tribulations with breathless hope that they will make it in the end! Great read!!

The other night I finished reading what is probably the best historical novel I've read yet this year. When I received the book, I thought it would take me some time to finish as it is two books in one, and I simply don't read that fast. I already knew I loved the author's previous work, so I anticipated a good read. I was unprepared for just how good this book would be!

Award-winning author B.J. Hoff wrote SONG OF ERIN as two separate books ten years ago under the titles CLOTH OF HEAVEN and ASHES AND LACE. SONG OF ERIN combines the two into one epic saga that spans the ocean from Ireland to America. As Mrs. Hoff's website states, "The mysteries of the past confront the secrets of the present in the magnificent SONG OF ERIN saga." Magnificent indeed!

"The story features two of the author's most memorable characters: Jack Kane, the charming but ruthless titan of New York's most powerful publishing empire, who battles the darkness of his soul while fighting to help his people. And Samantha Harte, the woman he loves, whose grace, light, and well-bred exterior conceals a past too shocking to reveal."

It honestly takes a lot for me to get this excited about a book, which may sound strange considering how many books I promote. And of course, we all have our favorite authors. I like to announce Christian fiction and make readers aware of what's out there. But like I said, I don't read that fast, so I can't possibly keep up with every book on the market. And I often enjoy what I read.

But it is a rare book that literally will not let me go, that makes it hard for me to turn off the light at night, that holds me captive turning pages so that I justify laying around reading for hours and hours a day! (I may want to do that sometimes, but I usually won't let myself give in to the pleasure.) Unless I am holding an amazing book!

SONG OF ERIN is that book!

Honestly, even if you don't think you like historical fiction or don't have a fascination with Ireland, you still need to read this book! It is fascinating! B.J. Hoff is a master of character development, and I promise you - you will know these characters well by the time you are finished.

I waited until I finished the book to comment because some books have disappointing endings. Not this time! I was wholly satisfied with the ending - I absolutely LOVED this story!

Whenever I read a B.J. Hoff book I am struck by the way her writing sings with elegance. Her character's are so well developed it's like meeting instant friends. They seem to step right off the page into the reader's heart. This is a panoramic story, finely tuned and complex, reaching from the back alleys of Galway to the streets of New York. A tightly woven tale of love and forgiveness, sorrow and joy, and a strong, unyielding faith in God. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Debra Gaynor for [...], 5/08
Song of Erin is two books for the price of one. Cloth of Heaven was originally published in 1997; the sequel, Ashes and Lace, followed in 1999. Song of Erin combines those two stories into one book. This brilliant account begins in the early 1800's. Erin's father and brother have migrated to America. They plan to make enough money to reunite their family in their adopted land. Hoff shares the poverty and hardships that faced the Irish in that era. Many migrated looking for a better life, but prejudice against Irish immigrants was widespread. Cloth of Heaven leaves the reader wanting to know more; Ashes and Lace ties up the loose threads.
Song of Erin is a beautiful saga. BJ Hoff never disappoints readers. The plot flows smoothly. The characters are well-defined with distinct voices. Song of Erin is a Christian romance with a message of redemption. Song of Erin is entertaining. I highly recommend Song of Erin.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3O9LN73HXHKML Absolutely EPIC, amazing historical romance. From the wild shores of Ireland to the dark streets of New York in the 1800s. This is a story of hope, heartbreak, and redemption that stays with you for a very long time.
And that Jack Kane character is just... dreamy!

Farris is the master of the subtle plot. He is also a master of genuine horror - horror that is not necessarily caused by supernatural monsters or aliens or bogeymen. It is the horror that is immanent in human nature - more or less trammeled by the civilization and the rules of society. When they come into the open it is either due to mental or social sickness. In this book you can study persons that when they have the feeling of being almighty may exercise their dehumanized urges on innocent people. Man is the only being that kills for pleasure and personal satisfaction. Farris shows this in a novel full of breathteaking suspense. The Trevellians may be exaggerated and slightly unreal as characters but they represent a tendency in humans to play God and to feel like God. Hubris is punished in the classical Greek tragedy. But is this mortal sin always punished in our modern times?

John Farris, master of psycho books, has amazed me once again. I have read all of his novels to date and this is by far his best work. After finishing the book, I have not been able to keep my mind off it...too bad there's no chance of a sequel.

You won't be able to put this one down; get ready for a VERY late night! "Soon She Will Be Gone", will have you breathless in anticipation of what will happen next! Just when I thought I had "figured it all out" I was surprised by another twist, another turn, all the way up to the unpredictable ending.You won't regret buying this book, it's one heck of a roller coaster ride!

Six beautiful women have mysteriously vanished over the past few years with the only common links besides their gender being they were physically impaired and that they were involved in some manner with visionary architect Dix Trevallian. Their absence might have gone unnoticed except that the last victim happened to be the sister of U.S. Deputy Attorney general Dane Coleman, who believes that the six females are all dead and Dix is the culprit. He plans to bring the wealthy architect down either by legal or other means. ..... Sharon Norbeth falls into Dane's clutches when she cops a plea bargain with him. She will abet him in his efforts to get at Dix if he drops all criminal charges filed against her. Sharon gains entrance into the rarefied Trevallian inner sanction through Dane's Machiavellian maneuvers and her own artistic talent. She quickly discovers that the entire Trevallian family is twisted in ways so horrible that it is difficult to accept. Anyone of them could have caused the disappearance of the women and Sharon plans to uncover who the culprit is before she becomes the next missing number. ..... John Farris has written his usual nail biting thriller that draws upon the beasts that reside inside every human. SOON SHE WILL BE GONE is an example of horror at its most horrible brilliance. The characters (both good and evil) are compelling and the story line rapidly moves forward, turning this book into a must read for fans who enjoy reading about the surfacing of the Jekyll in all of us. .....Harriet Klausner

A serial killer may be at large. Six talented women with various handicaps have disappeared without a trace. The only link between them seems to be the Trevellian family. Sharan Norbeth , a disfigured artist, goes undercover to discover the truth, but comes close to being victim number 7. Just when you think you have figured out who the villain is, the plot takes a twist and turn. The story keeps you on edge and is a very satisfying read for fans of mystery and psychosexual thrillers.

I bought this book for my daughter who is a Sound of Music affectionado. She loved the book and all the background materials provided.

The Sound of Music Companion by Laurence Malson, Andrew Lloyd Webber should be owned by all who enjoyed the movie.


Thanks

This is a wonderful book for THE SOUND OF MUSIC enthusiast. Lots of great background information and photographs. Thank you.

Lawrence Maslon should be thanked and congratulated for offering a concise and informative Sound of Music book. Although there have been a few Sound of Music books written in the past, this book is probably the first of its kind to tell the story in a concise manner. The Hirsch book on the film and the reissued Max Wilk book on the stage show were great books in their own right, but I think this book tops them all.

Although the numerous photos are the draw of this coffee-table book, a coffee-table book should offer much more than pretty photographs. For this it certainly delivers. His meticulously researched, well-written text tells us the whole Sound of Music story from Maria's birth to the first Austrian stage production in 2005. This book covers all important stops in the history of SOM up till now, and does not dwell too long on any one time period. An added treat is the inclusion of song lyrics and commentaries on the songs, explaining how they were written and what role they played in the musical. I admit there are a few typo errors in the text, but this well-researched book is jam-packed with facts of the musical. You could literally dip your teeth into it and come out a Sound of Music junkie. I do wish there were also lyrics and commentaries for I Have Confidence, So Long, Farewell and also The Lonely Goatherd.

In short, a really great Sound of Music book that makes a splendidd addition to any Sound of Music collection, except that the print tends to be a little too small for the size of the book. Otherwise, a really wonderful book from cover to cover, and a seminal work in the entire world of this well-loved musical. I think this is a book that deserves to be in print forever.

Wonderful! Very complete compilation of many sources regarding the Sound of Music. Covers not only the movie, but also the stageplay, the history behind the script and music, and the history of the Von Trapps themselves. The pictures are absolutely beatiful! There are stills from the movie, from the original Broadway cast, from many Broadway revivals, as well as many behind the scenes shots. This is a must have for anybody who loves the story of the Sound of Music.

As a former Lynvet, I attended many of the ganes highlighted in the book. Additionally I knew so many of the players mentioned who were a few years older than my friends and I. A few even were our coaches as we moved through the Lynvet organization. These flawed heroes modeled some risky behavior that many of us idolized. Consequently some of us followed in their troubled footsteps. And yet, the strength of character that they also modeled motivated recovery as well. The quasi-hero, Larry Kelly was responsible for many success stories including my own for which I could never repay him. I say a prayer of gratitude to him and all the fascinating old friends that the author recalls.
Jim Matthews, M.Ed. [...]

As an ex-Lynvet player and Annopolis grad, I thouroughly enjoyed "State of Grace." Mr. Timberg successfully brings you back to a much more difficult, but, in many ways, a simpler time. He provides vivid and colorful descriptions of his teamates and the challeges that they faced while entering adulthood.

"State of Grace" is a timeless book about young men living difficult lives, by today's standards, and through football and comraderie find their ways through life. I recommend this book to everyone, but especially to teenagers and their parents.

This memoir will never be dated. The son of a Ziegfield girl and an aspiring songwriter Timberg's book has you rooting for him from the beginning as challenge after challenge threaten to keep him down. He pulls himself into manhood and takes us with him in this superbly crafted work. His goal, Annapolis, is preceded by two years of trying to obtain an appointment. During this interregnum, he joins a sandlot football team made up of good, sometimes errant, boy/men wondering about destinies. A page turner.
S.D. Segalini
Falmouth MA

This book will appeal to anyone who grew up in the 50's/60's, especially in the New York area. The football aspect is a thread; the focus is on coming of age and the changes in society that took place in that era.

It was a personal bonus to me in that I knew the Stuyvesant High School folks mentioned in the book. They were a special breed, dealing with long commutes to school & practices while succeeding in one of the most academically challenging high schools in the U. S.

As I came to know the Lynvets in State of Grace, I found myself caring about each and every one of them while rooting for them to succeed in the games of football and life.

Robert Timberg comes across as an uncomplaining, grateful warm human being who appreciates the hardships of his life for the lessons they taught him, and the good things that happened to him and his buddies for the rewards they brought for trying. Unlike Frank McCourt , who, in "Angela's Ashes" and "Tis" constantly complains about his life growing up and shows very little appreciation for the good life that this country has given him. He should take a lesson from Timberg, whose book is equally as good, who loves his country and his fellow man.

It was wonderful to read about the bond between the Lynvets and the competitions that helped almost everyone to mature to his potential.

Despite a surface knowledge of football I thoroughly enjoyed "State of Grace", and the plays are so well described that it doesn't take much familiarty with the game to get involved and root for the Lynvets.

I highly recomment reading this book.

I. C. Lefferts - Litchfield, CT