Brown Books

I can't even put it into words. We enjoyed this tape so much when my son was a baby! I hear the music now and it brings tears to my eyes. I would sit for hours, rocking him to this music and the songs are so beautiful. Whenever I have to buy a gift for a baby shower, I always buy this cassette because it's loved by everyone who receives it. Go out and get this tape immediately, I promise, you won't be sorry!

I'm surprised we didn't wear out this tape! My son is now 12 and we played this, together with classical music, for the first several years of his life! Very sweet - easy to sing along with, catchy tunes. I really missed it when we misplaced it - and just bought another for his Christmas stocking! BTW - he now has a very good ear for music.

My kids are now in their teens and still like this collection of songs. I buy it for every new mother I know and they just love it as we do. It's a must have!! It is just so beautiful

I bought this tape and booklet in 1998 when I had my first child. I am purchasing another now for my second child, because we played the other one so many times we wore it out. All of the songs are very soothing and easy to listen to. I love to listen to the instrumental side and sing to my babies too. This is one of the best children's tape we own.

I know this will sound funny, but here goes anyway....

I have four sons, ages 17, 14, 13 and 6. I first got this as a cassette when my first son was born in 1987. I started playing it as I nursed him at bedtime. It became a routine to play the tape for him each night at bedtime, alternating sides. He always settled right in to bed, wherever he was he always felt at home, comforted.

For each of the teenage boys, I did the same... thankful my cassette managed to last (prior to internet days). Now I have my six year old, and believe it or not, all three of the older boys actually sing the songs to and with him, and sometimes linger in the hallways to catch their favorite song at bedtime! They fondly remember the day when I tucked them in an pressed play.... Was it the singing night? or the music night? is a common guessing game we play. You know that this is an awesome tape when it's instrumental night and your six year old sings each and every word on cue as he drifts off to sleep!!! He even sings when he has his buddies spend the night for a sleepover - no embarassment whatsoever.

We are so thankful to the person who gave it to us so many years ago. I'm now ordering it as a CD, knowing that someday not so far off, I'll be Grandma....with the lullabye disc!

I couldn't put the book down from beginning to end. I was stirred by the lack of awareness I had about the tensions between Polish people and those who were of Jewish descent. So much so that it made me think about the levels of anti-Semitism that still exist today. It raised the issue of how we need to continue educating our children to be mindful of what they've gained through the pains of our ancestors and that they still bear a responsibility to learn and keep watch while also (as seen through Ellen's and Marek's relationship) stay open to others' plights.
The second emotion I had was the impact of the loss of living European ancestors on our newer generation. How much of our strength and humor have provided us backbone from the immigrants, and their Yiddish, as seen through the translations of Rafael's and Friedl's words that are lost to our children of today.
Finally, the meaning of beshert is fully appreciated as these three generations are left to individually and silently confront their faith and relationship with G-d.
Thank you Ms. Rosenbaum for a wonderful book. I hope you write others and will look for them.

Rarely do I come upon a book that is readable, lyrical,charming, and an example of good literature. Rosenbaum's book is one. Her novel will not be a challenge for the average reader. Yet, the strong reader will be able to enjoy the lyrical language and the various levels of meaning the book offers. We meet Itzik the patriarch, Nathan, the very assimilated American born Jew, Ellen, Nathan's daughter, Friedl, a spirit who can find no rest, Rafael, the last Jew in Zokof, and Marek, Ellen's Klezmer playing Polish boyfriend. The story opens with Itzik fleeing from Zocof after breaking Friedl's tombstone and ends by an attempt to reconcile Poland's terrible history of anti-semitism and its Jewish heritage through art. The author uses techniques of magical realism, Jewish mysticism, character soul searching, Yiddish cadences, Yiddish phrases and romance to take the reader on a wild ride. Friedl's spirit cannot rest until she fulfills the prophecy inherited by all Jewish women. She must pass down Jewish traditions and history to the next generation. With the ghost as a literary device the author reveals the importance of passing on one's history and especially an ethnic history to the next generation. So many immigrants tried to abolish their ethnicities upon landing on these shores. So much history was lost as recent immigrants tried to become "real Americans." With this novel the author is telling us that our immigrant histories are part of the American experience. As such they should be treasured and revered. I did not want this book to end. It is both an immigrant story and a holocaust story. It is a tale both of scholarship and performance, of curse and redemption. To call it a ghost story is an oversimplification of the role played by Friedl's spirit.

I really loved the family story behind this book. Every character was beautifully developed and compelling. The book has its own momentum, taking the reader from generation to generation, leaving you wanting to know more at the end of each chapter. I didn't want it to end - how about a sequel?

Mazel Tov! to Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum. This novel is a wonderful, thoughtful, finely woven, well-researched, beautifully-written read.
The stories, the characters, generational connections and variances, the mystical and the struggles all resonated with me. I especially related to the questions asked by Nathan and Ellen in their wrestling and the wisdom offered them.
A neighbor, who had a copy for her book group, loaned it to me. Wanting a copy of my own, I bought one the day after completing it.
Nancy Smiler Levinson, Beverly Hills, CA

My mother recommended this book. Said she couldn't put it down, so I bought a copy. I struggled a bit with the first chapter, but once the story got going I really got pulled in and also found that I couldn't put it down.
Maybe it helps to say that my father's family came from northern Poland, that I am the president of a landsmanschaft (organization of Jews who came from that particular area) and an amateur Jewish genealogist, and also administer the cemeteries for my landsmanschaft, so this story struck many personal chords for me.
It is very well written for a first novel, well produced, richly imagined. At times the dialogue becomes heavily didactic, but not so much as to detract from the overall thrust of the story.

This would be a great book to use in a literature group of young women of high school age. It's not difficult to read, which would make it a good book to use in a classroom of readers that were not strong in their skills. It addresses themes common today in a setting that would lead into studies of Greek Mythology, or Bronze Age cultures.
Discussion points:
1)survival from sexual assault: several aspects such as rape, prostitution,
2)female empowerment,
3)belief in one's self,
4)trying to be something you are not: from both a human (Rain) point of view and animalistic (Usha the Bear)anthropomorphism.
5)war and change in society
6)same sex relationships

It would be interesting, but I don't know if it would be successful, to try this book in a mixed (male/female) setting. Although not all of the male characters are portrayed as enemies, this is definitely not a male-oriented novel. The only sympathetic male characters would be Melek and baby Anto, and possibly the smith.
It does show a Lesbian relationship as a healthy relationship. In fact, it makes it the only healthy sexual relationship in the book. It does obliquely address if sexual assault leads to lesbian relationships in the comparison of the Queen and Penthe as compared to Rain and Melek.
I would recommend this book to a leader or teacher who was able to try literature that addresses controversial societal issues.

A myth-like story about an ancient race of female warriors and one girl in particular who would be Queen, beautifully written. A fantastic YA novel for teens and adults. The best by Hoffman I have read so far.

One of Alice Hoffman's few YA books, this story of an Amazonian princess will capture you like no other read. The ways of the women warriors are brutally intense, and for the first time are questioned, by Rain, who vies for her mother's attention but still attempts to defy the ways of tradition. The characters are strong, each of them contributing to the choices made by Rain, for good or bad.

The Foretelling is a gripping book from beginning to end. Your care for the young princess grows as you learn more and more about her destiny, and her will to change the fate of her people to peace. Her strong connections with horses and bears seem spiritual, and make this story of pain and violence almost gentle and compassionate. I guarantee everyone will enjoy it.

In this intense yet complicated fantasy story, Rain attempts to gain her mother's notice and acceptance by being the best of warriors in their Amazonian tribe. The product of a rape when her mother, Alina, wasn't much more than a child herself, it is hard to gain the Queen's approval. Although Rain knows that she's been raised by Deborah, the wise priestess, to one day be Queen herself, she also pays attention to Deborah's promises of a much grander destiny.

Rain doesn't totally understand the Queen's desire to so thoroughly destroy her enemies, even though her own cousins, Astella and Asteria, are two of the fiercest warriors in the tribe. When Alina takes Penthe as her companion, and Penthe's daughter Io seeks to be Rain's sister, matters become even more complicated. Rain wants nothing more than to ride her horse, Sky, to garner her mother's approval, to earn the place as rightful Queen that will someday come upon her.

On her first journey alone, Rain comes upon a bear cub, which she takes back to camp. She names him Usha, and together with Io the two girls raise the cub as if he were a horse. Although Rain and Io soon discover the mistake of doing so, it's too late--Usha is killed in battle, and Rain still doesn't have the love and acceptance of her mother.

THE FORETELLING is a coming-of-age story set in a fantastical land of the Amazons. Rain is a compelling character who, although she tries so hard to be vicious and fierce like her fellow tribe-members, always leans more towards peace for all men and compassion towards her enemies.

Not to be missed by lovers of fantasy stories!

My name is Doug Hiser, author of the 2006 novel,The Honey Bee Girl. I have been reading and collecting Alice Hoffman books since I discovered Turtle Moon. I have read them all and The Fortelling is my favorite. I loved her narrative and moving story. In some ways it reminded me of Clan of the Cave Bear and also of mystical ancient cultures that we see only in dreams. Alice Hoffman's prose is the main reason I fell in love with her books. She is the magic realism of writing the way Michael Parks is of the dreamlike reality of art and Frank Frazetta is the master of fantasy painting. The Fortelling is a short work of literary genius accessible to everyone. She has deep intense knowledge of the emotions and feelings that most people can only guess about. Discover her writing through this compelling work and then find your way into her other books. You won't be disappointed. Doug Hiser

I was disappointed by this book. The subject is very interesting. I never knew about US citizens who had disappeared into the Gulag, so I picked up this book with enthusiasm. The early chapters are very good describing those Americans who went to the USSR with high hopes and beliefs. But then we lose sight of them, and the book becomes a rather moralizing history of the US diplomats and politicians who ignored their fate with long discourses on the evils of the Stalinist regime, which we know very well from better books, by Figes, Applebaum, etc.

Tzouliadis forces your eyes open, and relates a history most Americans never heard of. In some ways, it matches John McCain's terrible secrets about his actions as a POW, and his deliberate efforts to hide those still MIA. THOUSANDS of Americans, including WWII and Korea POWs were enslaved by Stalin, along with millions of Russians. Most died. Prior to 1941, the Russians themselves estimate that 8-15 MILLION perished. Having a US passport was no help. Through the 1950s, if an American sought help from our Embassy, they were ignored, and it would lead to his/her arrest. A terrible story, extremely well told. A must read. Tzouliadis' book has added a very important chapter to America's (& Russia's) history.

If you have not read any or much about the evil deeds that occurred in the USSR, especially in the days of Stalin, this would be a good book to purchase and read. Mr. Tzouliadis writes from a specific viewpoint and with understandable anger, while using the cases of Americans caught up in the Soviet experiment for the structure for his story.

For those who have already read a number of the many books on the Stalin era, this book may provide little additional information.

Those who think FDR was our greatest president need to come to terms with how he and some of his closest aides bent over backwards to be kindly to Joseph Stalin and his deadly regime.

A great piece of forgotten history of thousands of American fools going to Russia in the 1930s to help out Russia & the great 'communist experiment'. It applies to today as we have the same kinds of 'liberals' in the US that simply don't want to see anything wrong in the Communist countres of today. China is STILL full of gulags but our liberals just love China. This book sticks out because these were AMERICANS that bought the 'big lie' hook line and sinker.
A statement by the American miners in 1931:
"We the members of the fifth group of miners (from America) which have been exploited by the bosses of America, and thrown out of work for our services into the 13,000,000 army of the unemployed have decided to leave that capitalist country and help the Soviet Union..."
And out of 75 of these miners only a few ever survived the gulags that they were sent to and ended up escaping their 'workers paradise'. They became instant citizens of the USSR when they set foot in Russia. Their American passports were immediately confiscated and these very US passports were then used to smuggle Soviet spies back into the US> Pres. Roosevelt continued to ignore anything bad about the USSR.
This is amazing stuff that certainly applies to current events all over the world.
GREAT book about a forgotten history. We need to know this stuff!

I saw a review of this book in the Economist a few weeks ago, and it reminded me of a brief newspaper article I read in about 1996. It talked of thousands of US POWs who had disappeared after WW2, apparently kidnapped by the Russians. At the time I thought that was pretty big news given the uproar over the relatively small number of MIAs in Vietnam. It was just a cursory article, and when I asked around, no one seemed to know anything about it. When the Internet arrived I searched a bit, but didn't find anything much either. This review was the first time I'd seen the thing mentioned in 12 years, so I got the book immediately. It's really a brief (and in my opinion very well written) history of the gulags, with the American angle (both 30s emigrants and post-war pows) as a selling point, and as I didn't know much about the gulags either I found it fascinating from both ends. Moreover, as the reviewer from the Economist said, "the horrors of the Gulag ought to be as well known as Auschwitz, but they aren't". Hard to know if the scale of the atrocities or the general ignorance about them (notably with the Russian population now heading willingly back into a neo-Stalinist styled state) is more disturbing.

Prof Terry Brown was one of my tutors when I was a student and the book, like the man himself, is a wealth of information which I referred to constantly. He is an excellent tutor, and the book reflects this fact. It was an enormous help to me, as indeed Terry Brown himself was.

"...probably the most up-to-date textbook on molecular biology...a useful text...and reference..." (Annals of Pharmacotherapy, September 2003)

"...a second edition to incorporate new developments in genome science and to make the book more `user friendly'...the book substantially exceeds that modest objective; this is a text suitable for anyone who does not specialize in genome science." (Clinical Chemistry, Vol. 48, No. 12)

"...this didactic masterpiece...model of a modern university textbook deserves to be read and studied by...students worldwide." (Modern Pathology, Vol. 15, No. 9, 2002)

"...a marvelous text...plenty of definitions and excellent illustrations essential for an introductory textbook...the reader is...guided wonderfully through the text...this text is an essential cornerstone of information..." (Pharmaceutical Research, Vol. 19, No. 12, December 2002)

A Home For A Bunny was my son's all-time favorite book. We read it over and over again. Now my son is nearly 27, and I still have the same book and read it to his 5-year-old-daughter, whom I am raising. It was her very first book and she demanded it be read every single night. We had fun using different voices and she especially liked the happy ending. She decided that the bunnies were a "Mommy Bunny and a Daddy Bunny", and would kiss them goodnight each time.

I highly recommend this book! I buy one every chance I get, whenever I know someone is going to have a baby.

I purchased this book (my first "big" little golden book) and love the larger size and pictures. My two-year-old daughter loves this book and often picks it from her huge selection of books. A great sweet story to share. I'm now looking for more "big" little golden books to buy.

This book is such a sweet, cute book. I am 24 years old and still read it to my nieces every once in a while. I have grown up making my parents read me this book over and over again every night and day. My copy is worn out but it also shows how much I enjoyed it. I hope you decide to buy it and read it to your children they will love it!

I read this book 20+ years ago to my two children and it was their favorite and most requested Little Golden book. It is such a sweet and well illustrated book. My only regret is that I didn't keep it over the years because I now had to go on a search for another copy for my brand new grandchild. My new copy of "Home for a Bunny" will be extremely well used, I'm sure!

This is such a sweet little book! Probably not much past age 5, but the story has a bunny looking for a place to stay or a home of his own. He proceeds to ask everyone he meets if he can live with them and they all say no. However, when he meets a little white bunny, the bunny takes him in and they then live together. The last picture is just so sweet with the two bunnies snuggling together. The illustrations make you touch the page because the bunny looks so fuzzy! It is very much loved in our house and we highly recommend it!

Honor Due by D. H. Brown awarded the 2008 Silver Medal for Fiction by Military Writers Society of America (MWSA).

D.H. Brown's first book in his Citizen Warrior series is a non-stop thrill ride that I just couldn't put down. It's 35 years after the Vietnam war, and an ex-Special Forces operator is living a quiet life in the Pacific Northwest. However, his serenity is shattered when other Special Forces type suddenly arrive and attempt to kill him. Not only does the main character have to defend himself and his loved ones, he needs to find out WHY he has been targeted. Brown does an excellent job of both telling the story and developing the main characters, to the point where you share in their joy, sorrow and grief almost if you knew them personally. There's action, sorrow, sadness, suspense, a bit of sex, and a few smiles; something for everyone. Vets and fiction fans alike will enjoy this great read!

D.H. Brown's Honor Due is about a retired Army Special Operations Major, who is thrown back into the arena of warfare. "Once a special op's warrior always special op's warrior". You don't ever let your guard down. You learn things about people and their ways that you wish you never had. You always stay prepared.

The Major takes one look at the guy who entered his local watering hole and the warning bells of survival start to ring. He doesn't ignore these bells because they have served him well his whole adult life and kept him alive in some of the worse battles in Vietnam. Looking at this young man, the Major knows three things. One, someone wants him dead. Two, someone has made the ultimate mistake of bringing him back into the game of warfare. Three, he is going to have to kill this guy.

Finding his longtime friend from Vietnam tortured to death was a low blow and one someone would pay for. The Major is now set on a mission of revenge and he's back in a zone - predator vs. prey. There's a blood debt that must be paid and he won't stop until it is paid in full.

D.H. Brown has written a top-notch novel. The suspense that he has put in this book will keep you turning the pages or tossing and turning through the night if you dare put it down before reaching it's end. In his debut novel he shows the reader that he has mastered the art bringing the reader inside his world. You won't only read Brown's novel - you will feel his characters to your very core.

D.H. Brown has earned a space on my book shelf with this superb tale and I look forward to reading more of his work. This is just the beginning of the Citizen Warrior Series and I wait anxiously for the next. Excellent work and highly recommended! 5-Stars, Reviewed by Michael S. Timlin, Authors on the Rise Book Reviews.

"Honor Due" is a suspenseful, action-packed, entertaining thriller. A
novel that draws the reader into the Vietnam War, describing what D.H.
Brown had to face, and how he survived the horror. The author penned a
compelling story through the main character as Major, defining his haunting past, history during the Vietnam Era, and the bravery of one
hero who was determined to prove that life was still worth living. The
Major's mission was to find answers, and seek truth as to what happened
when South Vietnam was falling. Through his terrifying journey, he was
determined to seek vengeance for his fallen brother, and family. With
courage, one warrior manages to find healing as romance blooms, and he
is able to see light at the end of the tunnel. In comparison to reading
novels about the military, "Honor Due" stands out with pride in an
excellent performance that was written from the heart of a true warrior.
In many war stories, we only see the cold, bloody, and the angry
perspective of war. In this novel, through the fascinating character of
Major, we don't just see the ugly. The journey through "Honor Due" takes
the reader to the battlefield, then to the sunset where peace, and love
bloom like the flowers. Unlike most military novels, D.H. Brown has a
unique way to invite the reader into the Vietnam Era during traumatic,
uneasy times. The Major pours a fresh, brewed cup of coffee from across
the table as he tells the story of his military nightmare, without
decorating the violence. Most important, the story is told from the
genuine characteristics of the Major's realistic personality. The
protective, sensitive, loving man that he was before becoming the Vietnam
soldier, and his own battle to keep that self-respect. I applaud the author in his first book of "The Citizen Warrior Series." The Major was
appealing, the plot was superb, and the story was interesting from
beginning to end. I recommend "Honor Due" to teens, adults, and all
readers who enjoy thrillers with a blend of romance, and humor. This
novel was as chilling, and dramatic as "the Deer Hunter" with Robert
Deniro. The Major told his story with as much heartfelt emotion as
there was in "Armageddon." The true meaning of the word hero light up
the pages in "Honor Due" on the same scale as viewing "the Patriot"
with Mel Gibson.

Geraldine Ahearn A.I.O.M
CCRN/ Author of 6 books
Author Geri Ahearn, INC.
Fellow Member of the ABI Women's Review Board

Few Americans know about the American forces fighting with the Montagnards in the central highlands of Vietnam. A battlefield for some 30 years,"the `Yards" were one of the country's 54 major ethnic groups. Allied with the Americans, the Montagnards were horribly persecuted by the victorious North Vietnamese after the American forces left the country in 1975, with many emigrating to the United States.

Author D.H. Brown, a Vietnam vet who fought with the Montagnards, has written a fast-paced thriller based on the CIA-Special Forces-Montagnard relationships that continued after 1975.

With the hero patterned after a special forces vet living in the Pacific Northwest rainforest, Brown's story drags the hero, ex-Special Forces, back into the CIA- Spec Ops - Montagnard confusion of the late 1960's - early 1970's. His `yard' friend suddenly and brutally murdered after an attempt on his own life, Brown's hero finds himself falling in love with his friend's daughter as they chase and are chased by a renegade CIA hit team. The action is realistic and convincing as our two defend themselves before a thrilling and surprising conclusion.

"Honor Due" is D.H. Brown's first literary effort, and the first of a planned trilogy and is well worth reading.

I really think that everyone who wants to do an audition should get this book because the music is great and it is even better in the vocal book so yeah.

. . . I will be singing these songs. I grant you that the piano music requires a talented pianist (and even the vocal range is nothing to sneer at, particularly if you sing both a Jamie and Cathy song), but OH, the beauty! This is one of my favorite musicals of all time, and this songbook, though perhaps not Quite complete (I wish, I wish, I WISH it had See I'm Smiling. Still, it's more complete than the vast majority of musical's songbooks!), is incredible. If you love JRB, L5Y, or just are looking for a good audition piece, this is where your life begins!

The songs, lyrics, and rhythm beautifully portray the love/hate story of Jamie and Cathy. Jason Robert Brown's dreams and styling really show through. The arrangements are probabley best for intermediate-advanced piano players. It's wonderful!

Great piano/vocal arrangements! This sheet music is very true to the cast recording. The arrangements reflect varying degrees of complexity, with the piano score averaging moderate playing difficulty. Pianists/vocalists who enjoy "The Last Five Years" will find this to be a very satisfying sheet music purchase.

Jason Robert Brown has been among my favorite composers in the business for quite a while. His books are among the most played music in my collection, and for good reason. They cover a tremendous emotional range, and this book is well worth the money.

A few caveats: I'm a music major, having played piano for 15 years and sung for most of my life, and I still think this music is HARD! Be aware if you're a less experienced musician that you may find most of his work frustratingly difficult. Also, if you own the vocal selections books from his individual shows (I own all but Parade), you will find considerable overlap in these books. From each of the shows so far that such books are available, this book includes 3 songs that you may already have and one new song. It also includes, however, many songs that are not available anywhere else, and is still very much worthwhile for what is left.

Dr. Singleton's new book is wonderful. If you have suffered with Lyme like I have, you know how frustrating it can be to just not feel good and not know what to do to feel better. Plain and simple: if you read this book and really digest what's in it, it will change the way you think about treating your Lyme disease as well as just how to feel better and live better. I bought a copy for my library and for my family doctor. It is very thorough, easy to read, and well worth the investment, for sure!

I just read this book and it is the best book I've read so far on Lyme. Healing Lyme is another good book and this one is similar and very helpful in so many ways. The chapters are easily read. His understanding of how Lyme affects your immune system is brilliant and quite insightful. He also suggest certain herbs and supplements (similar to those in Healing Lyme Disease). Very well written. Very very helpful. If you have Lyme, it is a MUST READ.

I've had Lyme Disease for six months now and have found this book full of much wisdom and hope. You can tell it's written by a doctor because is full of medical terms and procedures but don't let that stop you from reading it. Dr. Singleton knows what it's like to suffer from Lyme Disease and how to find the cure. Plus he offers hope along the way until the cure comes.
I highly recommend this book to all sufferers of Lyme Disease and their families.

I bought this book as a prescription from a MD, who is treating my Daughter. After eight years of suffering fom a mystery disease, and being diagnosed with everything from Lupus to Fibromyalgia, to MS, Addisons or a thyroid tumor she has been diagnosed with Lyme and other related tick borne diseases
There were several medical practitioners who accused her of "Drug Seeking," and others who put her on pain patches that rendered her almost unconscious for most of the day.
All and all, whatever she had contracted, had stolen her life before she was forty.
I have found during my research on the internet that this is a common story for those who have contracted Lyme and related tick borne diseases.
The MD who prescribed this book has Lyme himself and applies the routine proposed in it to his own case. Although I have only skimmed the text, my Daughter has nearly memorized it. She has hope for the first time in many years that the program in the book will benefit her and others who suffer from Lyme

This is the "must have" book for everyone to include those physicians who need to know more about Lyme Disease. Dr. Singleton covers the Lyme disease from symptoms to the correct diet, the medication so that non-medical person can understand. A book that should be included as a must read in every medical sohool.

This book is almost as gnarly as Novs part in State your Name - Good writing - While I enjoyed the gritty style I think the ampersand was highly overused and became annoying after the first few chapters - the pseudo philisophical digressions seemed a little pretentions at times also - but all in all I give it 5 stars because this kid has a story that deserves to be told and he told it in a super charged raw style- I ordered his second book as soon as I was finished with this one -

This is a book that brings up questions and issue that teenagers and young adults are faced with in new york. Brilliant story teller, dumar brown puts you in place of a young rebellious graffiti writer in brooklyn in mid 90's. The battles and the struggles with cops and the rest of the society leads him to become a prominant graffiti bomber. The narrator is fed up with the system and wakes up to write, vandalize, steal in protest to average notions of life as he questions his life's goals. Once you start the book you wont stop until you are done.

I read this book & it's dope

Nov wrote a follow up book called "Novurkistan"
...

I read it in one night
it's mad quick

So I guess the boy Nov has a mind and a means to express it in writing words not just graffiti. Not too bad & kinda fly & enjoyed the book & word, etc. Good story-telling I know a lot of those locations described in the book from first-hand experience. I like the stream of consciousness, thought processes and some of the word play is on point. Dumar's dialogue is the combination of a Brooklyn/NYC tough-guy (call em like ya see em) mixed with that artsy throw-back Beatnick/Bohemian stee from back in the 60's. Jumble those elements up, add some Dutch Masters and some Rustoleum pounders and now you're cooking with gas. I'd be interested in reading other titles from this author if they exist. I haven't seen any new Pane and MN or Nov on the streets for sometime, wonder if they're all quit.

An exhausting, riveting, raw, poetic tale of a young graffiti writer. Dumar Brown, aka: "NOV", expresses the anguish of (trying to) survive the mighty struggle called LIFE. A tweaked but very real view of the world from a simultaneously inquisitive and cynical mind, that is smashing up against unforgiving, urban reality. Massive props to Mr. Brown for having the skill to capture fleeting thoughts that previously seemed too ephemeral to capture.