Star Parties Books

This book is so funny!!! I bought it because I wanted something funny to read and try to find out what is in a man's head when he is getting ready for a date, getting engaged, etc. 2 Funny!! I'm sure that all the accounts in the book are right on for most bachelors today! I read this in one evening, then shared it with my Dad, my brother, my friends. I don't really know who has it now, but everybody wants to read it.

I really enjoyed this. It relates back to real-life situations many of us have seen. Lots of good chuckles, and some really good laughs. Highly recommended. Thanks, Larry.

I find it odd that the bulk of the high praise comes from the Seattle Washington area, but since the author is from the same area perhaps not that odd at all. It's good to support your friends but let us not skew the facts.
I thought what the hey I'll give it a read might get a laugh, it was readable, I snickered a time or two. I find it falls far short of 5 stars. I mean let's be real it's a nice short read with no real revolations. Pretty much part of the ebay 15 minutes of fame ride from the wedding dress auction.
Read it if you want it's mildly entertaining book I'd give it 2 1/2 stars at best, but out of kindness and the fact that Amazon doesn't have a 2 1/2 rating it gets 3.

Very fun book to read. Everyone will be able to relate to the things described, not just for bitter old men. Well written and worth your time and money. Easy and enjoyable to read.

Funny, hilarious, crazy!! Larry Star is great! Lessons we should all use in life! Thanks Larry for a great read and hilarious if not true lessons in dating and relationships!

This book is specifically for Australians but most of the info is applicable for Americans as well. I ordered the book mainly for ideas when writing my wedding vows. The first half of the book is all about weddings, vows, wedding ceremonies etc. It provides many examples of wedding vows and readings (for bride & groom, officiant, bridal party etc.). There is a mix of more contemporary vows and readings along with some more traditional ideas as well. I am still in the process of writing my vows. I am confident that I will find everything I need for my vows in this book.

As an Australian Civil Celebrant I have found this book a most valuable resource in my work and a marvellous tool for anyone wanting to create their own ceremony, whether it be a marriage ceremony, a namegiving ceremony, a funeral ceremony or any one of the many other transition ceremonies that are becoming popular and a part of people's lives in today's society. The book provides many ideas and guidelines on how to create a ceremony with easy-to-read sample ceremonies. It has a wonderful selection of some of the most appropriate poetry and music so essential to a ceremony. For marriage ceremonies - many sample vows, words to say while exchanging rings etc., and for other ceremonies, some very creative ideas. I recommend this book to professional celebrants and their clients alike, and to anyone wanting to create the most wonderful and meaningful ceremony of their lives. Kathy Hurley, Civil Celebrant, Australia kathyh@netspace.net.au

As an Australian Civil Celebrant I have found this book a most valuable resource in my work and a marvellous tool for anyone wanting to create their own ceremony, whether it be a marriage ceremony, a namegiving ceremony, a funeral ceremony or any one of the many other transition ceremonies that are becoming popular and a part of people's lives in today's society. The book provides many ideas and guidelines on how to create a ceremony with easy-to-read sample ceremonies. It has a wonderful selection of some of the most appropriate poetry and music so essential to a ceremony. For marriage ceremonies - many sample vows, words to say while exchanging rings etc., and for other ceremonies, some very creative ideas. I recommend this book to professional celebrants and their clients alike, and to anyone wanting to create the most wonderful and meaningful ceremony of their lives. Kathy Hurley, Civil Celebrant, Australia kathyh@netspace.net.au

If you're planning a wedding, this book is the one stop shop for wedding vows! My husband and I were recently married and wanted vows which were different from the stock standard ceremony. Dally's book offers so many alternatives and suggestions that it is almost impossible not to find something to suit. Not only does this book offer vows and readings, it gives you the courage to write your own words. There really is no substitute for Ceremonies and Celebrations for couples planning to have alternative wedding vows.

Good Luck with the Wedding!

"Inside an Empire of Mediocrity, the spirit of rebellion is reborn" - "Corpse of Freedom" is initially a story of friendship, following a teenager named Ryan and his befriending of Jeffery Neil. The only problem is that Jeffery Neil is dead and Ryan only knows about him through the online blog that Jeffery left behind. "Corpse of Freedom" follows Ryan and his adventures spiraling out of that, partially believing that the corpse has cursed him while he tries to escape the black hole of his hometown, as he's hunted by a strange tough guy and the area is swarmed with cops. "Corpse of Freedom" is an offbeat, entertaining, will make the reader think, making it highly recommended to fiction shelves everywhere and anyone looking for a different sort of story.

Great book. A fun, fast, and entertaining story about teen angst without any apology. It expresses a growing undercurrent in our society. Nothing contrived. The symbolism and metaphor don't bog you down with too much purpose and meaning. Just an entertaining coming of age book. And Funny, too. I haven't laughed so hard at characters and dialogue in a long time. I really recommend it as a change for any reader looking to read something with a fresh voice, instead of the same old stale prose.

This book without a doubt takes readers along an unconventional narrative-joy-ride at breakneck speed. By overlapping multiple narratives, clues and peripheral characters' stories, Corpse's pace moves a lot like a screenplay, dropping readers in and out of simultaneous scenes and unexpected dream sequences, bouncing back and forth through what feels like a ping-pong game of fun house mirrors complete with car chases, house parties and sex scenes. Maybe it was intended to be a teen-read, but the underlying message ups the ante from intelligent young-adult level to adult-level.

On one hand we have a story about teenaged existential conflict. On the other hand, (if the first isn't full enough for you) we have the exhumation of a corpse. But, instead of reburying him, Ryan chooses (against his friends' pleas) to keep his new "friend" Jeffrey, taking him home, to the park, or along for nights out on the town. Ryan finds Jeffrey's online journal entries written just before his mysterious death and finds himself drawn to their wisdom in a way that has heretofore escaped him in empathizing with the living. Ryan has grown up in this suburban American town whose atmosphere is literally browned by the mundane and confined lifestyles of its dwellers, where colorless corporations are fast taking over. Escape from "Everdale, USA" has been Ryan's only hope in amounting to someone distinctive but before "meeting" Jeffrey, all these hopes and ideas had been buried and unarticulated.

But how long can Ryan hang onto this corpse when a tattooed mystery-man in a devilish souped-up Buick Riviera is after him to claim it? Ryan's life and everyone else's around him is quickly spiraling out of control. Is this corpse cursed?

This book reads like a verbal rock 'n roll video, fast paced and hilariously strange but has a much deeper statement to make that shines through. While wholly unreasonable in reality, in the world Dax and Lloyd Garner create, this story totally works. Of course, we need to forgo our qualms with carrying decayed bodies around, talking to them, partying with them, for the length of two hundred seven pages. Normality doesn't apply here. Irony does. Which is exactly the stuff that keeps you thinking after the book's been set down. It is bold and intense, rooted in what one can only describe as a seriously original way of tackling the subject of existentialism and teenage-angst. It will leave you pondering its pieces for days.

Every once in a while, a great novel for young adults comes along. These are the true standouts among the genre; "A Catcher in the Rye" by Salinger, "The Outsiders" by Hinton, and most currently "Corpse of Freedom" by brothers Dax and Lloyd Garner.

This fast-moving read is the story of Ryan, a typical suburban teenager living in Everdale, a typical American suburb. One night Ryan and his friends try to shake off the ennui of their suburban existance by digging up the corpse of a teenager named Jeffery Neil.

After partying with the corpse, Ryans so-called friends ditch him, leaving him to keep the corpse in his filthy bedroom. Not knowing what to do about his dilemma, Ryan just keeps the corpse in his room while he tries to live out his life as normal as possible.

Ryan soon decides to Google Jeffery's name to find out more about him, and comes accross an online journal the teen kept right before he died. Through this journal, Ryan develops a quite unnatural friendship with the corpse, learning as much about himself as he does about Jeffery.

Jeffery's philosophy about freedom, individuality, and personal pursuit of excelence makes Ryan come to terms with the fact that his life is going nowhere fast. When he ditches his old friends and meets an independent young man named Manuelo, the two embark on an adventure of freedom outside the fishbowl of suburban conformity.

Add to this plot Ryan's infatuation with the snotty, spoiled little high-school princess, numerous confrontations with her boyfriend (the wealthy school stud), and a ghoulish stalker who hunts him down like wounded prey, and you have a great novel that even seasoned fiction afficianados will enjoy!

Like "I Am the Cheese", "Anthem", and "The Giver", "Corpse of Freedom"'s Libertarian message of personal liberty and individuality make it a must-read for every American adolescent. Who knows? It just may even counteract the socialist, conformist mentality being fostered in todays American youth (if we're lucky!)

As always, Eleanor Burns writes a good quilting book. I absolutely love stars in a quilt, so this satisfied me.

Excellent book for quilters who need specific guidelines . I needed this for a class I was taking , could not find it locally , and Amazon came through for me. The detailing and pictures take you step by step.

Eleanor Burns has been around a long time and knows her way around a quilt pattern. Her instructions are suitable for beginners and the designs are beautiful enough to interest even the most experienced quilter. She continues with her traditional approach and classic patterns, but with some design twists.

Stars Across America has beautiful quilt patterns with a star representing famous women in our American history. Along with the easy to follow directions for the quilt is a written history of the woman highlighted with their own star design. Each quilt has it's own unique border also. I made the Eleanor Roosevelt Star quilt and enjoyed the straight forward directions that even a beginning quilter such as myself could make with few mistakes. If you like stars, quilting, and some interesting historical information this is a good book

Michelle meets a movie star and didn't know that she was a movie star and all sorts of trouble happens. It was an excellent book.

I really like the book, because I think it's really cool that Michelle met a Movie Star on the beach and didn't even recognize her until she got home. It shows that movie stars are real people just like the rest of us. I would love to be a movie star.

I enjoy the Full House Michelle books very much and own many and check many out from the local libary. Keep writing them Ms. Dubowski. I look forward to my summer vacation so I will have more time to read them. I am sorry they took new shows of Full House of the air on TV. Megan

Michelle could kick herself! While she was away on vacation, she met Natalie Campbell!-- a big time movie star-- and she didn't even know it! But Michelle gets another chance. Natalie's coming to Michelle's for the weekend, and Michelle decides to throw a huge fancy party for her! She makes sure everything is perfect-- from the incredible food to her cool new outfit. What could go wrong? Plenty!

Alicia's Happy Day/El Dia Mas Feliz De Alicia is a softcover, bilingual English/Spanish picturebook featuring enthusiastic color illustrations, a dash of Latino culture, and a spirit of all-around mirth. A young girl is have one of the happiest days of her life, and wishes to share that happiness. The reason for her joy is revealed on the last page - it's her birthday! "May you have a day that's twirly-swirly. / May you hear salsa and start to dance. / May the flags all fly for you. / Taxicabs all stop for you." The gushing joyful sentiment is quite contagious in this delightful read-aloud story.

We use this book in the classroom to celebrate our kids' birthdays. The illustrations are fun, and it's nice to have a book with a cultural twist, alot of my students relate to it, and the others get to ask questions about the others cultures and the words they used. A lot of FUN!

Believe it or not, this is exactly how it was. I was there. It really happened -- and it really was this zany.

Never had the fans of a Television show flocked in such droves with so much excitement to demand the return of their favorite fare.

Fans of television shows were always dismissed as ineffectual by Hollywood. After this book came out, which is based on an expansion of Joan Winston's contribution to the Bantam paperback STAR TREK LIVES!, Hollywood learned that a TV show's fans really do matter.

While reading this book, remember all this happened before email, before the Web, before the internet was anything more than a klonky connection among university campuses.

This is one of a handful of non-fiction books about Star Trek that tells the story of what really happened that has in fact changed the entertainment industry if not the whole world.

Read it. Believe it. It really happened -- and could happen again.

Reading about how a friendly gathering turned into a large gathering and then spun out of control into a massive deluge of people...walking around with toilet paper badges stuck w/ little gold stars is very funny. Joan Winston has a great way of turning phrases and putting you into the scene...even though it happened so many years ago.

Potlucks, a gathering of people bringing many dishes, random is the very definition. "Potluck Survival Guide: Care & Feeding of the Athletic Supporter" is a cookbook aimed at tailgaters and those who commonly attend other potlucks aimed at supporting athletic events. Although aimed at that demographic, the contents inside can be applied to any such situation which calls for a potluck. Containing information pertaining to his type of event such as quantity concerns, elusive components, and presentation, it leaves nothing to guess work. "Potluck Survival Guide" is a must for any common attender of such events.

If you have ever had to prepare a meal for more than 5 people, this book is a must have! Not only is this book filled with tons of delicious recipes, many of them are easy to prepare, and can even be made a day in advance. The book is full of tips on feeding large groups of people, with advice on timing, presentation, etc.... This is the one cookbook that I own that has all the information and tips that you could possibly need for entertaining/feeding a large group. I wish this had been published long ago.

I love this book from Dorothy Kinsley Wray. The whole thing is hexagon and hexagon with diamond quilts. They work great with my Quilt Patis (tm), temporary plastic foundations. I am told by First Star Publishing that it is NOT out of print. However when a newer book on appliqued flowers with Garden Party as the title came out, many quilt shops dropped this one. I was shocked to see the used price because the publisher's suggested retail price is between $19.95 and $21.95 the last time I checked. I think that is an appropriate value.

My five-year old beginning reader and I both love this Fisher-Price series! Because most beginning readers tend to read aloud, I especially appreciate the rhyme and meter of these readers--they are easy on the ears, unlike many beginning readers. And they use everyday patterns of speech. My daughter liked the storyline of Scaredy-Cat Sleepover because, like many girls her age, she is intrigued with the idea of a sleepover--she always wants to have one or go to one but she is still just a little unsure about whether she is ready for it. I'm not sure whether boys would be as interested in the subject matter of this book however. There are no male characters in this book (other than a brief appearance of the father) and the activities and illustrations are full of "girl appeal."