New York Books

"My professor at college read the class a beautiful book called WHAT WILL YOU DO FOR PEACE? When she read the first paragraph I started to cry. I got caught up down there that day and it was devastating to me. I almost lost my life that day and it conjured up painful feelings. I just realized sitting in that classroom hurtful feelings were still inside of me. This book is special to me now because it will help children to understand what happened on 9/11 and help to teach the children how to love and respect one another in spite of our difference. Your book should be in every classroom in America." P.T.

The pictures and words are incredibly powerful in this beautiful book. As an ex-New Yorker, it reminded me of the importance of sharing these stories with my child and other children close to me. Many of them were not born when 9/11 happened but the movement for peace that grew from this experience is something that everyone needs to know of and to continually push for. Thank you for publishing these inspiring and sensitive art works so we can all use it as a spring board to move one step closer to peace.

everything that i thought it would be, its just how i felt that day and i was so happy when my mother bought me this book. its very inspirational and heartwarming.

I know two of the co-authors because there are my best friends. I was there when everything happened and we were just in class.I read the book and it's great. I give this book 5 stars and they give different perspective of kids feeling about 9/11. I advise you to buy and it's worth it.

when my mom bought me this book yesterday i was so inspired and touched. My brothers very good friend died on 9/11 and i was so sad, but when i read this book it brought back so many memories, i cried, but not because i was sad but because i was happy to know that there are other people who felt what i felt.

After reading Cortazar's The Winners (1960), I've decided that what makes a novel a classic is that the author writes about the worst of human behavior in a style that assumes every reader is a genius. This novel called on me to use all of my perceptions and knowledge as a person, as a reader.

By now, you will have learned that this novel is about a group of people who win a lottery and the prize is an ocean voyage, and that once settled onboard, several of the passengers behave badly, and the ship's crew is such--well, I won't give it away--that the voyage comes to an end only three days after it began. You will also have read from other reviewers or the publisher's notes that the character Persio has clairvoyant abilities; in a way, Persio is the higher consciousness of the novel; his thoughts lead the reader into self-examination (or not). For me, this novel was not a simple, summer read--but don't let me stop you.

The Winners is highly metaphorical: is the ship life itself? I think so. But the writing is more beautiful than life: many of the characters have the most sensitive, humane, and literate conversations, like Claudia and Paula, or Paula and Carlos. Surely, if this novel is Argentina, then people from Buenos Aires are living among the gods of culture and human potential. In that regard, this novel is hardly the Argentina I've heard about: breathtaking landscape, and women and men who love culture, but every now and then a dictator who murders people. The ship's crew is secretive and cunning like that. Read and see.

Appropriately, there is a sinister feeling about this novel from page one; something terrible impending, something beneath the surface of these polished people. I was totally fascinated, intrigued by many of the "characters": Claudia Lewbaum and Gabriel Medrano, Raul Costa, Carlos Lopez and Paula Lavalle, and Don Galo and Dr. Restelli, and the unforgettable Felipe Trejo, the 16-ish student, passionate for life, but without parental guidance, "lured" into the depths of the ships lower cabins where the crew seem alien and unpredictable. What a textual voyage--one in which the characters had to learn so much about themselves!

Cortazar places his characters in categories I've found people all fit--one or the other--like it or not--we are each either a duck or an eagle. Ducks follow of course and eagles set new paths. Ducks may have easier less lonely lives. Unless of course they inherit wealth and power--in which case they must be very confused and inflict chaos on the less entitled. Eagles succeed in endeavors against all odds and are therefore resented by those they seek to please. None of us has an easy time co-existing with others. No one wants to admit this of course! This book encourages reflection that may have social value, but it doesn't offer much in the way of a hopeful outcome for the social redemption of mankind--at least not in this generation. Therein lies its depth. We must expect less from our companions in life. We're all horrifyingly flawed. Somehow we must find the path to honesty and forgiveness. The book--?--I couldn't put it down. Now I can't get it out of my mind. If you want to live in denial don't read it.

I enjoyed "The Winners" though at times I found it a bit "heady". Its a novel that requires you keeping track as you go along. It took me while to figure out the setting, and what was happening (which means Cortazar did his job). There's so much symbolism and historical significance in his writing. I highly recommend the short stories collection "Blow Up" if you liked "The Winners."

What to say about this sardonic book that won't sound like an essay from the journal of the Modern Language Association? Yes, it's liminal. Yes, it's Lacanian. Yes, it's an existential comedy. Oy! Poor Julio Cortazar put himself in the sites of all the scholars of pretentious post-modern interpretation - just check out the amazon list of articles and books designed to take the fun out of reading him - and it's just about spoiled his reputation. But The Winners is a wild ride, my friends, an outrageously entertaining book in which a whole zoo of oddball Argentinians wind up together on an ark of satire.

There's an old tradition of books depicting a "ship of fools", from Erasmus to Sebastian Brant to Katherine Porter to Cortazar, and I suspect Erasmus had a classical model. They're all fun; I've never read a ship-of-fools book I didn't like, though I wouldn't mind NOT being a passenger on that ship myself. Reading The Winners reminded me strongly of Herman Melville's most experimental novel, The Confidence Man. None of the critics, so far as I've noticed, draw any connection between Cortazar and Melville. Heads up, PhD grubs! There's a thesis topic for you! Likewise, lovers of reading just for its own sake! I'm giving you two recommendations: The Winners & The Confidence Man. In the climate of the upcoming American elections, books about bunko and deception are bound to be comforting.

I read and enjoy Cortazar in the same way I enjoy Luis Bunuel films, in fact I think Bunuel could have made a wonderful film of THE WINNERS. Like Bunuel, Cortazar finds the things we accept as normal to be quite absurd but also like Bunuel he has a certain affection for those he makes fun of. All those on board the Malcolm are guilty of some sort of petty prejudice or limited world view but they all mingle and tolerate one another to a point. When things go absurdly wrong the lottery winners begin to wonder what it is they've actually won. Cortazar is an existential comic. A book which succeeds because it never forgets that despite our differences we are all bound together by our not knowing exactly what is going. With a little help from Cortazar we can see that knowing is just a pretense.
Perhaps the novel like Camus Plague is a parable with many possible levels of meaning. Not the least of which is the political level. After all Cortazar left Argentina under Peron to live and write in exile.

Rosie is at it again in the second installment of Kathryn Miller Haines' World War II era series starring Rosie Winter as the intrepid sleuth. Miller Haines filled out the characters better this round and touched on a topic, the black marketing of essential daily items, few of us today really give much thought to. Rosie and Jane face an underworld that stops at nothing to make a profit. It's what they traffic that makes us a bit squeamish.

Mrs. Haines has again captured the memories of the 40's in an outstanding mystery novel. Rosie is at her best trying to make ends meet as an actress and solve another crime at the same time. Mrs. Haines is able to describe the hardships faced by the up and coming thespians and at the same time weave a mystery that unfolds within the settings of the theatre. She is able to bring her characters to life and make us either love, hate or feel sorry for them. As she tells the story, WW II is ever present playing its part in the outcome of the novel. Mrs. Haines has again written a must read book that should be #1 on every mystery lovers list!

The Winter of Her Discontent by Kathryn Miller Haines is the second book in the Rosie Winters series. Rosie is an actress trying to catch her big break on Broadway while dealing with the heartbreak of her MIA GI ex-boyfriend and the everyday tragedies that come with living during World War II. When a former housemate of Rosie's is murdered and one of Rosie's best friends confesses to the crime, Rosie determines to uncover the truth and in doing so ends up dancing in a play that is destined to bomb. Rosie is a unique character, and Haines uses her to great ability. She portrays the frustration of living with rations on everything from meat to stockings to butter along with the deep fear and sadness of watching every young man going off to fight a war and face death. Haines throws in black market dealings, gangsters, and delightful slang to make this a truly fun read. The twist involving young actresses and their GI husbands is absolutely diabolical! One tiny complaint: a few times in the book, the wrong name is used (George for Donald). That should have been caught by an editor before making it to print.

The second installment in the Rosie Winter mystery series offers more details on all fronts -- on Rosie, spunky actress and accidental private investigator, on life during WWII, as well as a backstage look at the NYC theatre scene. A great read for those who love historical mysteries and those with fabulous female heroines.

In 1943, wannabe Broadway actress Rosie Winter feels guilt and remorse as she just broke up with her boyfriend, sailor Jack, who is reported missing at sea. She and her roommate at Shaw House Jayne obtain work on the theatrical production of Goin' South, but Rosie fears the role will kill her career before it begins because she is part of the dance chorus and knows she can't dance; still it is work.

However, as opening night looms, Rosie feels good she has not been fired (so far). Someone kills one of the stars Paulette; shockingly Rosie's friend Al, the small time thug who works for Jayne's boyfriend Tony as an elbow breaker, confesses. Rosie does not believe Al committed the crime, so sets out to prove he is innocent even while dealing with beefless nights and starlets, as broke as she, live lives of luxury.

Although the final dance number seems somewhat anticlimactic, THE WINTER OF HER DISCONTENT is an entertaining WW II era New York tale. The amateur sleuth elements and the danger to Rosie and Jayne come late as the story line focuses on how the war impact people at home who sacrifice (some in strange ways like the black market repast industry that surfaces) to support the cause. Fans will enjoy this period piece in which the tidbits supersede the whodunit (see THE WAR AGAINST MISS WINTER for her previous home front WW II experience).

Harriet Klausner

This book is simply a continuation of one woman's life in the Adirondacks, in a house she built by herself. But if we look deeper it really is another look into the life of a fascinationg woman who chose to leave civilization and do what she truely wants. Each chapter is a different adventure and you follow her life with her dogs and her friends and especially the land on which she lives. The writing is beautifully descriptive and you can't help but wish you were her.

Reading this book summarizes not only one woman's experience but my own more limited experience in the world of humans and the world of wilderness and animals. Hopefully one or some will be raised to a greater awareness/conscience. Anne has made a GREAT difference with her honesty, love, strength, initiative... I mark all of her books with hopes that those reading after me will learn that I, too, agree with her insights and assertively support her work! Anne's books are 'must reads' for EVERYWOMAN, not just 'wilderness types.'

Mind you, I am a great fan of Dr. LaBastille and have nearly all of her books; most of them signed. However, this third installment of her career as a "woodswoman" seems achingly final. All three books are adventures in the North Woods, however, this one clearly shows how her writing has matured with her own experiences. With harsher stories of vandals, environmental scoundrels and the personal tragedies, she seems to counter it all with great stories of bravery, incredible freindships and profound people. She still endears the reader with magical stories of the woods, lakes and mountains. Marking her third decade living in the Adirondack wilderness, Dr. LaBastille's writing is more realistic, world-wary and sometimes achingly mature. Facing ageing, near helplessness at the pollution and noise on wilderness lakes, she still keeps her sense of humor with great dignity. A gracious gift or a book for your collection; she shares her life of passion.

An interesting account of a woman living alone in the wilderness with tales of courage, bravery, and tenderness in her love for her dogs and the Adirondacks. I have read all of Ms. LaBastille's books and have enjoyed them all.

I couldn't put this book down! Anne has a way of sharing her experiences with the reader that made me want to consider a major lifestyle change, and has made me much more sensitive to environmental concerns. Her descriptions of the land and people are reminiscent of Thoreau and Hardy...truly inspirational!

For years I have shared Joe's grief at watching TV Shows and reading books based on the NYPD. It was apparent that the people involved couldn't find NYC on a map!
Joe puts you there...In the front seat of the "RMP," as you speed to the next "Job...", wondering if it will be a DOA or just another "unfounded" radio-run.
Thanks Joe for filling in the blanks..Hope you "civilians" appreciate his hard work!.

Resume patrol.....Mike D. (NYPD HWY 1)

Many books have been written attempting to explain law and police procedure for crime writers; few are written by real cops. This book, written by an 11-year veteran of the NYPD, looks at real police procedures in the Big Apple.

It gives the street addresses, coverage areas and major landmarks for all the precincts in the five boroughs. It describes the various units and other personnel within a precinct, like the Integrity Control Officer, the Anti-Crime Unit, the Borough Task Force, the Emergency Services Unit, the Squad Commander, the Hate Crimes Task Force, and the Organized Crime Control Bureau, among many others. There is now no reason for a writer to put a precinct in the wrong part of the city, or to have a crime investigated by the wrong part of the precinct.

The author then explores what really happens at the scene of a homicide. Rigor mortis is part of practically every murder novel, but is usually done incorrectly. It does not turn a body permanently rigid; after about a day and a half, the body returns to totally flaccid. A reliable way for the medical examiner to determine the time of death is to check the contents of the stomach during the autopsy.

The first patrol officer on the scene will often make or break the case. He or she will establish the crime scene without contaminating it, and detain witnesses and suspects. Everything starts with a clear and accurate description, whether it's of a lost child or a murder suspect.

Other chapters look at police lineups, what the Miranda Warning is all about, courtroom testimony (including how to survive cross-examination), the various types of serial killers, and sex crimes and child abuse cases. There is also a handy glossary of actual police lingo and a list of police acronyms.

This is a very complete book. For writers of crime novels, especially NYPD novels, this book belongs on your reference shelf. For everyone else, read this book and see for yourself just how well, or how badly, TV does the police business. Highly recommended.

All authors are going to take some license when it comes to writing crime fiction, but the key to selling an unlikely scenario (I mean, how many serial killers are there in real life as opposed to in books?) is to make it as believable as possible. That depth of story and vision is a lot easier to achieve if you peruse through WCNYS. Giacalone breaks down the hows and whys of policework, providing lots of insight and useful details without getting bogged down in endless technicalities. The book covers everything from proper police ranks to how to get a suicide jumper off a roof. All the while, this info is told with a minimum of clutter, and more than the occasional laugh (the culmination of his suicide jumper example is worth the price of admission alone!). It's an enjoyable and very educational read.

This book is an insightful, detailed and entertaining resource for all crime and mystery writers, as well as informative for crime show watchers. Learn what really happens from an NYPD perspective about crime and criminal investigations, and spot the "felonies" perpetrated by TV police dramas. A fully researched guide that includes police procedure, definitions and glossary of police lingo. I keep going back to it again and again! A five star book!

This book is filled with an insider's look at NYPD procedures and methods. It explains in laymen's terms what the NYPD does and does not do as well as which group's within the NYPD are responsible for what. A great resource for any crime writing author or for anyone who would like to see the inner workings of the NYPD.

Witty yet useful, the book reads like a novel which is probably a good thing, especially when reading about the dark ages. In fact, this book probably focuses more on the losing years of 1903-1920 and 1965-1975 more then any other writer so this probably the most comprehensive book to date on the Yankees.

This book has lots of text -- that is a good thing! This is not a picture book, but more of a detailed history with some good photos. I enjoyed all the details and seeing some pictures that I had not seen before. Probably one of the "keepers" of the Yankees 100th craze.

As a Giants fan I've never had much love for the Yankees, but I picked up this book for a friend after reading RED SOX CENTURY. I started flipping through it and was totally engrossed -- what Stout has done is give us the full story of this team, not just the same old stuff about their wins, the famous players, and George Steinbrenner, although that's all in here too. And the photos are just great. I'd recommend this one to any Yankees fan, as well as anyone interested in reading a good, multi-layered story about baseball.

I'll have to agree with Book Magazine on this one, which named this book one of the best sports books of 2002. Of all the Yankee books out this year (and there are many), this is clearly the best, combining hundreds of stunning photographs with what is easily the most detailed and comprehensive history of this team ever written. Quite simply, it makes all the other Yankee books out there seem as if they were written for children. That's not to say this is a tough read or anything, but it is a comprehensive book that you can spend days and weeks with, and is critical when it needs to be. I also think it's the only Yankee book in recent memory that contains anything NEW - there are literally dozens of stories in here that don't appear elsewhere, like the story about why Boston sold Ruth (it's no curse SOx fans). It is particularly good with early Yankee history and the last decade, both of which are rarely written about in other books at all. There are also essays by people like Ira Berkow and Paul O'Neill's sister, just enough stats and a huge index that makes it possible to look up just about anything. This book is certain to become the definitive history for the first hundred years of the Yankee dynasty and is a must-have for Yankee fans or anyone interested in baseball history.

I was led to this book by a recent review by Eric Neel on ESPN.com. He wrote, "It says here that 14 percent of Americans root for the Yankees and the other 86 percent root for their demise. No fence sitting ; you're in or you're out with the Yanks.

I'm sure the 14 percent have this book already and that they're reading it aloud to their kids every night before bed, wiping tears from the kids' faces, letting them know how deep and wide the Yankees history is.

If you're the other 86 percent, you ought to be reading it too. First, because there's something devilishly satisfying in reading about the early days, when the team was nearly shut out of Manhattan, playing on a sloppy, cobbled together frield with a sawamp in right. Second, because as you turn the pages you come to realize that from DiMaggio to Mantle, from Bucky Dent to Reggie to Paul O'Neill and El Duque, these guys and the things they've done (sometimes to you, sometimes in spite of you) are part of your history, part of how you remember and imagine your life. An third, because it's insanely thorough, full of details you've forgotten or never knew, and very good looking.

Stout started this series with Red Sox Century in 2000. Dodger Century is in the works. These are rich, dazzling books, standard-setters, fully-realized, complicated portraits of the ways a team and a game weave in and out of politics, history and popular culture.

O'Neill's sister contributes an essay that sums up the series appeal much better than I can: 'In our family we tell stories. We don't really Talk. We let baseball articulate the hopes and fears that we'd never consider telling each other.'"

In this case, I found the review was completely accurate. Of the spate of books out now that claim to tell the history of this team, this book, in almost 500 pages of words and photographs, is the only one up to its subject. If you don't believe me, or ESPN, I suggest you read the excerpt about the birth of the team - even hard core Yankee fans will learn something new.

My daughter received this book as a gift on her first birthday. The illustrations are beautiful, but because she is so young, and we want to preserve the book, we mostly listen to the music with her. My wife holds my daughter and dances around the room to the sweet and happy melodies. When she sets her down my daughter makes the sign for "more more more"! Once the music begins, she laughs and reaches up, wanting to start all over again.

The music is not overly "classical", nor is it annoyingly childish. It is just wonderfully simple and can be enjoyed by anyone at any time.

absolute gem!!! wordless story told in pictures and original musical score- everyone should enjoy this book

A very pleasant book. Great to use on a rainy day with the music. The illustrations give a sense of constant motion and are complemented by the fast tempo music. The pictures have a strong correlation between shape, size, and environment, with everything seeming very deliberate. A great medium and angle to depict the journey to school. All the different umbrellas seem to have their own characteristics and throughout the book you are left to wonder who is under the umbrella and where are they going. Beautifully illustrated!! Should be read with the music.

... so much so that I chose to review it. It is an atypical "counting" book... one in which a certain object, in this case -- umbrellas, is added to each page. But the twist is that a CD comes with this book. The CD has various cuts of original piano music. Each cut wonderfully reflects the setting of the given page. On one page, as the umbrellas cross over a bridge, you can hear the plink-plink of the raindrops on the water below. On another page, you can hear an approaching train as the pianist speeds up his delivery of original music. The artwork is beautiful, with a subdued rainy palette used for backgrounds. Only the umbrellas themselves are vibrantly depicted. It's only at the end of the book in which we actually get a glimpse of the people (children) carrying the umbrellas, and even on that page, one only sees their legs. My two sons enjoyed trying to guess who might be carrying the umbrellas and where they might be going. My 9-year-old said, "Wouldn't it be funny if they turned out to be monsters!" Monsters notwithstanding, the audio-visual combination makes for a wonderful experience just before dropping off to sleep.

My daughters (3 and 5) received the book from their Aunt. The first night we popped the CD in and slowly turned the pages...I watched their eyes as we went page by page and saw smiles come and go throughout the book. The fact that there are no words makes us slow down, mingle music with imagination and every now and then we make up our own words - sprinkled here and there among the raindrops - to take the story in new directions whenever we choose.

Now...the CD player in the car brings the pictures back to the girls as we travel down to Rhode Island to visit family. Fabulous choice - thanks Aunt Betty and Uncle Duck.

I was visiting New York City from Tempe, and I really really was looking forward to seeing where a lot of my favorite films and shows took place. This guide helped me out a whole lot!!! I recommend it to any and all show and film buffs out there!!!!!!!

I heard about this guide on the radio and bought it. I love it, it has most of my favorite movies like Maid in Manhattan and Sleepless in Seattle. There are a couple of other movie guides out there but this has newer movies and is easier to use. My friends who go to New York all ask to borrow my guide.

I came across this book one day and it is so fun. I am a huge film buff and have lived in NYC for years but didn't know anything about these locations except for the obvious ones like the Empire State Building in Sleepless in Seattle. Little did I know that I live down the street from where the Friends characters live...and Friends is my favorite show! Now when people coem to visit I always point out locations that I got from the guide.

I also like that the guide is lightweight and easy to carry around, and the map is not a huge embarrassing pullout so I don't look like a tourist when I whip it out.

I think anyone who loves movies and entertainment (and NYC) should get this guide.

I am obsessed with Sex and the City and this guide has tons of the clubs and restaruants that you see on the show. My girlfriends and I like dressing up and checking these places out on the weekend.

I went to New York this summer and used this guide. It was great. I have been to the city a few times so I was tired of doing the same old touristy things. With this I was able to find places from movies I loved. Plus it's really easy to use.

Excellent book! I have purchased several for visiting friends and family.

Central Park is just a national treasure, and this book does a wonderful job of capturing the park. It's easy to say that it impossible to take a bad picture this breath taking oasis, but as this book shows it does take skill to really capture the essence of the park. I believe even a native New Yorker, who had spent their whole life in the park, could appreciate this book and could get a who new feel for the space. I recommend this book to anyone with a love for things beautiful.

As enjoyable and informative as "Central Park, An American Masterpiece: A Comprehensive History of the Nation's First Urban Park" by Sara Cedar Miller, this book reveals why the great park was known as the "lungs" of New York City. "212 Views of Central Park: Experiencing New York City's Jewel From Every Angle" by D. Sandee and Hartman Brawarsky is gorgeous book, and each of the 212 views are nothing less than breathtaking. It's not only a great coffee table book, but also has very informative text. It is a true glorification of Vaux's and Olmstead's vision and realization of what true civic engineering is capable of, when supported by a responsive government. Of course, there is no substitute for experiencing the park first-hand, but this sure conveys that sense of relief from the city's frenzied pace, and of the park's true beauty. I recommend this book highly.

There are several books of photographs of Central Park on the store shelves. This one stands out. The photos in 212 Views are stunning. You feel as if you are standing right there, you imagine you will feel the fresh air on your face as you turn the page! The text is like a well-informed friend who accompanies you, the reader, through Central Park, sharing select details about the history and design of the Park and adding layers of depth to your immediate sensory appreciation of the Park. Whether you are a frequent user of Central Park, an occasional visitor, or an arm chair stroller, experiencing the park only through the pages of the book, I highly recommend 212 Views. It's a great gift for the holidays, too. (I bought copies for my exercise partner who loves fast-walking in the Park and for my mother!)

New York residents and visitors will treasure these vivid photos and charming essays infused by a love of the city and its showcase park. "Views" will entertain and educate readers, and encourage their explorations. Enjoy!

6 Sick Hipsters is a wild ride into the underworld of hip that takes more daring, shocking, bloody turns than Pulp Fiction. Rayo Casablanca pulls no punches. Oh, but you'll take 'em... and love every jolt.
---Kemble Scott, author of the bestselling novel SOMA.

What a fun book. Great and wild ride for a weekend. I wish I was a hipster with a tamed Baboon.

They stalk on spiderlike legs wearing jeans tighter than an old woman's wrinkled shoes. As they are the scourge of Starbucks baristas, so also Hipsters are the bones of this novel, but don't for a minute assume they're the flesh of it. Rayo Casablanca's debut is as dark as it is hilarious, as encapsulating as it is clever. He leads us by the hand so charmingly through places so noir their bars sell bourbon on tap and we're left smiling deftly with two toddler steps after each of his morbid strides. From Paleontological pornography to a gangster called "Tank the Niggatron", 6 Sick Hipsters leaves no stone unturned and when you're not laughing out loud you're silently nodding with a half-shameful envy.

Aside from the vinyl and drainpipes the novel stipulates pop-culture trivia like monastic creed and at a swollen and malformed range accepted only by the vicious trend setters themselves. From Thomas Pynchon to The Sisters of Mercy, 6 Sick Hipsters swells with allusions, but ultimately the novel's charm comes from the juxtaposition of iniquitous comedy, sly satire and a subculture fetish, and by his good graces does he do it well. All in all a funny, dark and clever debut.

(this review originally appeared at Dogmatika [dot] com)

Someone is killing the Williamsburg, Brooklyn hipster elite, leaving clues only the most sub-culturally attuned can find and decipher. The police don't seem interested in these seemingly random killings, so it is up to the Whole Sick Crew to find the killer before they become one of his next victims. Set amid the mainstream-eschewing world of hipsters, 6 Sick Hipsters is a conspiracy novel more rounded than most, delivering beautiful pacing and a well-defined ensemble cast told in an often self-depreciating style that perfectly compliments the uber-cool mentality of its characters.

This, Rayo Casablanca's first novel, is filled with obscure and pop references alike along with intelligent slacker character forms reminiscent of Douglas Coupland's Generation X, though Casablanca's characters are grounded by plot rather than the social criticism. Though Casablanca does dip into witty satire and deep social commentary, he displays more prominently the gun power and buckets of blood consistent with the conspiracy thriller genre. The novel is more apt to develop a beautifully grotesque description of a head being shot:

"Cooper's head had been there, all bright teeth and receding hair, and then a nanosecond later--just a jump cut--it was a million bits of corpus colossum and eyeball juice. It was like is smile got so wide and bright that it evaporated the face around it. Poof!" [pg. 168]

than to expound upon the contagion of cultural memes:

"You have to understand this battle [...] You're not up against a monolithic entity, a bear running at you from the forest. You're fighting for survival against a wave of fads..." [pg. 237]

though both do exist, and deliver beautifully.

The novel culminates to a revelation of a "trend-war" fought on the battle grounds of consumerism, a topic that could easily suffer the ramblings of nihilist angst and anti-capitalism critiques. These moments do appear, but the reader is never bogged down by tales of cultural woe. Instead we are allowed fresh insight into the buyer/seller mentality. I refer specifically to an especially engaging exchange between the novel's villain and hero toward the end of the story. I won't give it away, but not surprisingly the passage comes during another one of the conspiracy-thriller genre's defining aspects: there's always time for a speech before dying/pulling a trigger.

6 Sick Hipsters carries the rogue camaraderie of Joey Goebel's The Anomalies--punk attitude and hipster lifestyles included--along with a less passive social critique found in Coupland's Generation X. Fans of slick conspiracies and vinyl records rejoice.

This book starts with a JOLT and ends just like you thought it would EXCEPT totally different. Chocked full of action, 6 Sick Hipsters uses analytical dialogue to keep you guessing while radically misguided but ultra hip intellects search for the answers, sort of like your favorite Scooby Doo episode on acid. This book will make you LOL, ponder the power of pop culture, and could possibly give you nightmares. Super fun read.