Girls Books

Forty years of heterosexual living did not prepare me for the dilemma of discerning IS IT A DATE OR JUST COFFEE when I started dating women. Well, perhaps dating was too strong a word since it always seems to turn out to be coffee. When straight gals meet straight guys, they know what to expect. With gay-gal dating, they seem to be showering together before reaching a consensus as to whether or not they are friends or something more. Fortunately, Mo Brownsey takes some of the confusion out gay-gal dating with her wonderful book.

From being single, relationships, breakups and mourning, Brownsey covers it all. Need help identifying the dreaded lesbian bed death? Not sure if it's lust or love? Considering multiple partner relationships? Mo supplies the answers along with tongue-in-cheek comedy that will keep you howling with laughter no matter where you are concerning gay-gal relationships. I admit to suffering from STD myself (Sexually Transmitted Denial). For gals like me who find themselves in the midst of redefining their sexuality, and refuse to take the whole dating thing too seriously, Mo Brownsey's book is the definitive answer for the basics of gay-gal dating. Her comedic approach to relationships, breakups, recovery and sex is an indispensable guide for those new to this lifestyle as well as gay-gals who've always know that they weren't straight but love a good laugh. Indeed, straight or lesbian, all women will find themselves in this remarkably astute book. IS IT A DATE OR JUST COFFEE earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.

First of all, I would just like to say that the REAL cover of this book is much more appealing. Softer colors and an oh-so-hot photo of the author sipping coffee while gently tensing her gym biceps. That image alone should make you want to buy this book. However, there is much much more to be gleaned from actually reading it. Ms. Brownsey's advice is sage, her tone witty and her anecdotes are like a page from all our lives. A great X-mas gift for your single lesbian friends.

Mo has struck a chord with me in this deliriously funny take on lesbian dating, sex and romance! If you've gotten too serious about it all, be sure to buy this book and read it. Especially recommended for the newly single!

Barb Elgin, MSW, LCSW-C
http://www.coachsappho.com

A step by step guide to "gay girls" dating, sex and romance. Just broke up or got dumped? You need this book, because good advice is better served with a side dish of laughs.

Mo Brownsey, long time comedian and lesbian studies college professor writes a humor filled book, packed with information lesbian and bisexual women really need. Speaking from vast experience, she starts right out with sage `after-breakup' advice: Take her number off the speed dial! Then deftly covers: baby dykes (yes, they're too young for you), on-line dating (why it frequently doesn't work), the L-word (love), polyamory (not for Mo) and a host of other topics.

Brownsey is the kind of friend who'd not only grab you by the lapels and exclaim, "Snap out of it!" But she'd explain how over pizza until you felt better. If don't have a friend like that, get this book.

"Is It A Date Or Just Coffee" was a hilarious trip through the confusing and sometimes neurotic gay girl dating scene. Mo uses her singular gift of humor to make the lesbian dating game less awkward and daunting. With chapters like "Blind Date: Think Hunters and Ducks" you know your in for a comic treat! I laughed and cried with Mo over the dating disasters and triumphs. An absoulte must for the newly "out" - it will help calm your nerves.

I had very ambiguous feelings about Kirsten Miller's first Kiki Strike book Inside the Shadow City. Although I loved the cover art and most of the characters, I felt like the book didn't live up to its full potential. Despite my misgivings (and the fact that no one shared them), I remained optimistic about Kiki Strike #2, feeling confident that it would be better than the first since Miller would have had more time with the characters she was writing about and to iron out her writing voice (which I thought was inconsistent in the first book).

Well, I finally had a chance to read Kiki Strike: The Empress's Tomb and am very happy to say, my hopes were not unfounded as this book was definitely better than the first in the series. Although this book does follow up on plot points from the first book, this one does stand alone. There is enough summary of important information that, if you read the first one a while ago (or not at all), the storyline will still make sense.

The story once again follows the Irregulars--brilliant albeit sometimes misguided Girl Scouts who were recruited by girl spy extraordinaire Kiki Strike to help her map Manhattan's secret Shadow City and protect it from criminal exploitation. This time, however, the Shadow City is not the major plot. Kiki and narrator Ananka Fishbein also take a back seat to fellow Irregular Oona Wong who, for lack of a better word, is the star of this story--just look at the cover if you don't believe me.

Master forger turned entrepreneur and sometimes blackmailer, Oona has always been one of my favorite characters and I was really happy to see more of her in this book. Unfortunately, the Irregulars don't feel the same as they grow tried of Oona's continued snark and snobbery. To make matters even worse, that means no one has time to hear Oona's important news.

That isn't to say that the other girls don't have problems. Kiki's life is in danger (again). Ananka's mother is threatening to send her to a boarding school in Virginia of all places if she can't get her grades up. Meanwhile Betty, the group's master of disguise, seems to have attracted the attentions of the giant squirrels that have started wandering the city's parks. Add to the mix a haunted mansion, a prodigal parent, and Oona's dramatic secret and you have a story jam-packed with excitement.

The tone of The Empress's Tomb feels a lot more even than Miller's first Kiki Strike book. I suspect this has to do with the book being grounded in one time period instead of starting with the characters at the age of twelve the way the first book did. In addition to being a fast-paced read, the novel also offers an interesting commentary on secrets (when to keep them and when to share them) as almost every character has something up her sleeve in the way of hidden information.

Speaking of information, Miller also once again includes some of Ananka's useful information at the end of some chapters. Her findings include: how to be mysterious (learn to be quiet and invent a secret among other things), how to find information in people's trash (and what to avoid placing into your own trash), as well as a quiz on events in the book that, were I a teacher, I might assign to students if I had them read this book in class--which I really could. Because Miller writes a good story with a lot of practical information that could be applied to everyday life (maybe you'll never be digging through someone's trash, but it's good to be aware of what people might find if they dug through yours).That is one of the reasons I stuck with Kiki Strike, and one of the reasons The Empress's Tomb was so much fun to read: Miller doesn't just write a good story she writes a good, informative (and fun) story.

Welcome to New York City, home of rogue princess Kiki Strike and her band of Irregulars. Sound familiar? Well, this story has nothing on Sherlock Holmes! The lead character in this particular mystery is Ananka Fishbein, one of the Irregulars. We begin our adventure helping with the mapping of the Shadow City - it's almost done, but this last little bit has some secrets of its own and Ananka is just the person to unearth them. However, giant squirrels are popping up all over the city while people are claiming muggings - by gigantic squirrels! What in the world could be going on? Ananka is suspicious of the stories until one of her fellow Irregulars is mugged - and now the only map of the Shadow City is missing. The Irregulars band together to solve the mystery of the secret squirrels - and end up uncovering a much bigger secret than a nutcracker!

Tensions are running high amongst the Irregulars - Oona is being irascible while Kiki is missing meetings and not returning calls. With the introduction of Kaspar, the boy who lives in the park, to the group, uncertainty writhes its way into the trust of the friends. Not to mention the pressure from Ananka's parents, who are noticing her school absences and exhaustion which have been causing lower grades at her private school. With the threat of a farm-based boarding school on the horizon, she continues to risk her freedom for the Irregulars despite the doubts that have been creeping in about the loyalty of some members. Their arch-enemy (well, one of them at least) Lester Liu has retired from the crime life and has suddenly become a benevolent philanthropist, but the girls can't believe the abrupt change in character and dig to find the truth behind the haunted mansion where he now lives, as well as the art exhibition he's donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But will they live to uncover Liu's deceptions to the public, or will the Shadow City rats become immune to the rat-repellant fragrance and attack?

This is an awesome young adult/juvenile mystery. There is a lot of character development and many sub-plots going on to help with the concepts of loyalty and trust amongst friends & family, as well as the moral of believing in people and liking someone - no matter the age or sex - for who they are. Bonus information is provided on how to know if your house is haunted, improve your memory, and things you can learn by going through the trash.

Let me first say that the first book in the Kiki Strike series is my favorite book of all time, so I was, obviously, extremely excited when I heard that a second book was coming out. I had very high expectations, since I had loved the first book so much. Now, this book was written very well, and it is still notable, but while I was reading it, I couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed. It almost felt like one of those sequals that were written just because its predecessor sold so well. Nonetheless, I still fell in love with the characters once again, but this time, the plot was not as genious, and the book just didn't quite keep me at the edge of my seat.

Just as good as the first one and maybe even better! It's action filled and full of mysteries. This should go on everybodies must read books!

I thought this would make a nice present for my daughter, but as she's only 11, I thought I'd read a chapter or two to make sure it was appropriate for her. Danged if I wasn't up til 4am reading all the way to the end!

The author knows how to keep the story moving, and the internal dynamics of the seven friends will keep any reader's interest.

I wish these books were better known and easier to find than other, inferior books in this genre.

I like Laurels's character the most. She have the same character as i am-shy. well, it's a sad story considering the fact that daisy's died in a car accident. it's a touching story but, hey, i luv it! :)i hope that diane will write more books like this!

luv, matul

This was my favorite book of all times. It was very realistic, and some of the stuff in this book reminded me of some people i've known. It is a very true story. And I recommend this book to anyone.

This was such a great book.
Whoevers looking to read it
It shares moments of happiness, mourning, exitement.
It shows there is nothing greater than true love.
There are mixed emotions.
If you are looking for a great read
Read THE YEAR I TURNED SIXTEEN
LAUREL

After reading this book about twice, I thought the author did a remarkable job with this book. It is a touching story about a young woman named Laurel who struggles with family trials after her sister Lily sadly dies. To find out what happens next, read the book! I would reccomend it to anyone who loves to read!

This is the third book of a 4-book series. There are 4 sisters, and there is a book for each sister for the year they turned 16. Each book is written in first-person by that particular sister. The sisters, in order from oldest to youngest, are: Rose, Daisy, Laurel, and Lily.

This book is about the third sister, Laurel May Walker. Laurel's interest is animals. She has lots of pets; she loves to rescue and save animals; and she works at the Wildlife Rescue Center.

Laurel is shy and likes to wear overalls. She is better with animals than with people. She is not good at speaking in front of a crowd. Will she start dating her best guyfriend? Is he the one for her? But there is also a guy who works at the Wildlife Rescue Center that she thinks is wonderful. (But he already has a girlfriend - shucks.)

The 4 sisters have a wonderful relationship with each other. Their mother Maggie is the best and most wonderful mother in the world. She deeply and truly loves her daughters unconditionally. The whole family loves and appreciates each other.

This book is not just about a girl turning 16. It is about family. The important bonds of family love, linking the past, present, and future. If you don't get anything else out of this book, the book will have been worth reading just for that.

You don't have to necessarily read each book, but I would highly recommend that you do. You will enjoy the books a lot more if you read them all, and read them in order. More of the events and characters will be familiar and will be more meaningful if you've read the previous books.

Bonnie Shimko's debut novel, Letters in the Attic, takes place in the 1960's and begins when twelve-year-old Lizzie McMann's sleazebag father, Manny, announces that he would like a divorce. She and her unstable mother, Veronica, leave Arizona for upstate New York to live with her grandparents. In New York, Lizzie finds letters that indicate that Manny was not her father. But the core of the story comes from the new relationships of both mother and daughter. Veronica begins to date Mr. Stephens, a nice man. Lizzie meets Eva Singer, a Jewish girl, who is dyslexic, smokes, and looks like Natalie Wood. Lizzie is immediately attracted to Eva. With humor and tenderness, the novel portrays Lizzie's confusion and pain about her budding sexuality as well as her mother's often erratic behavior. Judaism does not seriously impact the dramatic turns of this novel. Although Eva is Jewish, religion and spirituality are not central to the novel's themes. The novel's strength is its protagonist. Lizzie is charming and inquisitive. She sometimes seems more mature and observant than the usual twelve year old and sometimes the abundant descriptions slow down the pace of the narrative. In general, however, the novel is emotionally driven and offers enough surprises to keep the reader interested. Ages 12 and up. Reviewed by Sara Aronson

This was a lovely coming of age story! Great fun and quirky characters and a warm tale about family, secrets and love.

I enjoyed this book greatly when it first came out and I recommended it to my book club, who opted to wait until it was available in paperback. I'm glad to see that's now the case--it's a great book club selection--touching and humorous, with lots to discuss.

I really enjoyed reading LETTERS IN THE ATTIC, set in the early sixties.

Lizzy, the heroine, lives with her mom and dad in a Phoenix hotel. Her father comes in, a real sleezeball, and with his new girlfriend in tow, proceeds to tell her mother that he is divorcing her. He even has the gall to ask Vonnie, her mother, to apologize to his girlfriend because she isn't being nice.

Well, with no place to go home to, they head to upstate New York to Vonnie's parents' house. Lizzy meets her grandparents for the first time. Her grandfather is great, but her grandmother is verbally abusive.

There, Lizzy learns a lot about her mother's past through letters that are in the attic. She examines her sexuality and helps her mother to become the person that she is meant to be.

While reading this book I laughed, cried, and was hopeful for the characters. I really liked Lizzy and her family.

Reviewed by: Marta Morrison

Lizzy McMann is a 12-year-old who has to deal with seeing her father be a jerk to her mother and her mother constantly standing up for him. When Manny leaves Lizzy's mother to "marry the love of his life," she and her mother move back to New York.

Lizzy has to learn to deal with her mixed-up pre-teenager feelings. She isn't sure why growing up has to be so hard. She falls for another girl, something not even accepted in the 1960s. But it happens. She has to suppress her feelings-never to expose them. Lizzy must watch her friend, who is a couple of years older, deal with her dyslexia and her attempt to take her life because she feels so stupid. Add to the batch that friend Eva knows of Lizzy's secret and you have a real coming-of- age story.

This is a wonderfully written story that will have you cheering and crying for Lizzy all the way to the end. Definitely a tear jerker at just the right places. This is by the same author as Kat's Promise, which I reviewed previously. Another well-written story of a 12-year-old who comes into her own through the events that change her life.

Armchair Interviews says: Definitely recommendable reading.

I got this for my sister who is in college. Before I gave it to her, I looked through it briefly, but found it to be so entertaining, I almost wanted to keep it for myself. To be honest, I didn't try any recipes, but thought they sounded good!

I learned alot from this book. There was way more information on nutrition that I expected, and it inspired me to start eating much healthier. It's helpful to read about the cold, hard numbers of the nutritional facts. The recipes are super easy, too! I have made four or five of them already, and they are very easy to make, easy to alter, and easy to improvise with. This book has many very helpful tips. I highly recommend it for any girl living on her own.

I gave this book to a friend at the holidays along with a "Jessie Steele Bib Carmen Black & White Hostess Apron" (very cute) that I also bought here on Amazon. My friend thought I bought both together as a set. The book and apron complimented each other very well.

What a great cookbook! I can't believe how easy the recipes are, not to mention the fact that they're delicious! I'm not much of a chef, but this book covers all the basics, and suddenly, hosting a dinner party no longer seems like such a daunting task. It's really fun to read, too...enjoy!

So, I'm a bit over 20 something, a mother and wife, but I found this book fantastic! Humorous and educational, this book contains anecdotal information that I will make sure to pass along to my teen age daughter who's so not interested in a domestic career that I'm afraid pop-tarts and easy mac may be her aspiration to cooking!

The recipes are not only easy, but tasty and the descriptions precise. I'd recommend this book to anyone who's intimidated by the kitchen but really wants to start somewhere.

This one was so wonderful, I don't know how acurrate it is, but nontheless I love it. This book is about Caroline's years as a young woman teacher, and her courtship with Charles Ingalls.
I was endeared to everything, particulary the stories of her teaching terms. She helps this child of a drunk, whom is a student of hers, and desperatly wants to learn. I really see the kindess and compassion of Caroline's nature come out here, and I love it. I also like Charles Ingalls and his respect for Caroline, I just loved the entire book. I'm glad it the first I got.

I loved reading the history of Caroline Quiner Ingalls (I now have all 7 of them). Knowing the story of Laura Ingalls' mother was fasinating. I also have all 11 books on Laura Ingalls Wilder and all 8 books on Rose Wilder Lane (Laura's daughter). I find them very hard to put down and re-read them constantly.

A great book about Laura's Mom and her ponderings in her days of teaching. Will Caroline Quiner continue her teachings or will she go off on lots of adventures with Charles Ingalls who plans to head west in search of fame and fortune? -- Only you can find out when you read the book.

Any of the Little house series are great. Happy Reading everyone.

There are many different types of events that occurs during this book. There are a few extremely hard decisions that have to be made in the book. There is close chemistry within the book, and it ends up in a life long commitment. If you want to see more about this, and more about other events, then buy or borrow a copy of this book, and you will thoroughly enjoy it!

I purchased this book at Barnes & Noble, and I'm so glad that I did-this book was so wonderful, from beginning to end! I had to read it two times, and I'm planning to read it again a third time this weekend. This is the Caroline Ingalls we all know and love. I want to get more books about her. This book has also interested me in learning more about pioneer life in the 19th century. I won't tell you about what happens, but get this book-you won't be disappointed! Totally recommended!

I have always loved the books on Mary Ann. I am, like Mary Ann, also very shy and sensitive. After reading this book I walked away feeling braver and stronger. I love the new Mary Ann because she is not only her caring old self but also a new more confident person. This book is really an insperation. It also shows you that when you belive in yourself, with a little help from your friends, you can do anything. This book is a true treasure.

I love this book! Somehow,as I was reading along,it made me feel stonger about myself. I didn't know how to stick up for myself,but after reading it,I did. A so must read.

By far this is the best book in the bscff series. Mary Annedefinately proved she not just meek shy girl always behind someone todefend her. This time that punk Cokie finally was cut down to size, by Mary Anne. First Cokie made fun her by her big breakup with Logan,then lied about Logan saying that she begged him to get back with him. Also said he going with another girl{which was true}, then she sabotaged the yearbook ballots! . That's when Mary Anne did her own scheming as well, along with the BSC's rival, Cary.In this book you could see Mary Anne try on new attitudes and maturing from the old quiet Mary Anne! She even snuck out of her house! Now that's major improvement! Also in this book Mary Anne and her parents settled long overdue conflicts.Mary Anne has proven herself to Logan, BSC, Cokie, the whole school,... and herself that she is here and here to stay!

Here's the deal. MaryAnne, as you know, has broken up with Logan. Cokie is still after Logan, and she's also still attacking MaryAnne (you know what I mean).

Both MaryAnne and Cokie are on the yearbook team, or whatever you call it (I read this a few days ago). Cokie is in charge, and she's most enthusiastic about the parts like "Most sporty", "Most likely to be seen in Beverly Hills", etc. Cokie is convinced that she fits in most of this categories, and is being mean to MaryAnne, spreading rumours and everything.

MaryAnne teams up (sort of) with Cary Retlin to get her revenge on Cokie. But in the end...
It really is Sweet Revenge. Read it and find out. The Real New MaryAnne is much better than the Old MaryAnne or the Not Good New MaryAnne. Hope you liked this review.Br

This is book number eight in the series.

In this installment, Mary Anne, Cokie, and some other people are on the yearbook commitee at school. The school nominated categories are being updated this year- so in addition to all the categories like best dressed and most likely to succeed, they have other categories like Most Artistic and Most Likely to Be Seen in Hollywood. Cokie, unfortunately, sabotages the votes so that she and her friends will get all the categories to themselves. Mary Anne and Abby figure this out, though, and go to the vice-principal to get a recount.

Cokie, furious (as always), spreads a rumor around the school that Mary Anne begged Logan to take her back, sending him e-mail messages and hundreds of messages on his answering machines. Logan, reportedly, had said 'no, there is another girl, and I don't like you any more'. This isn't true, and Mary Anne and the BSC get Cary Retlin to help them think up a way to pay her back just in time for the huge party that Cokie's throwing.

Mary Anne's dad grounds Mary Anne just before the party, so Mary Anne sneaks out and arrives there, where she tells the truth to Cokie once and for all- that Cokie's a brat that no one likes and that even though she thinks that telling lies about other people will make her seem cool, they don't.

Mary Anne finally gets over her nightmares, and learns that her dad had recently been experiencing the same flashbacks to the night of the fire.

A good book, and a lot more serious and realistic than the original BSC series.

I've read most of John Gardner's novels, and Mickelsson's Ghosts is certainly my favorite, yet as with all other Gardner novels it's fraught with problems, particularly when it comes to Gardner's arrogance. For this was a man who was the self-proclaimed "greatest living author," who aimed to be remembered through the ages alongside literary giants like Proust and Chaucer, who razed and scolded his fellow authors without mercy. But now here we are twenty-six years after his unexpected death; John Gardner is forgotten, even unknown amongst what few true "readers" exist in this day and age; the majority of his novels have been out of print for decades, and when they ARE brought back into print the publishers must struggle to keep them so. Indeed, the authors Gardner railed against in his career-killing 1976 diatribe "On Moral Fiction" are the ones who are remembered today; I foresee Thomas Pynchon one day being considered alongside say Dante rather than Gardner. (Who knows, though: perhaps John Gardner could turn out to be the Herman Melville of the 20th Century, forgotten by his immediate generation, resurrected by the following. Maybe in thirty or forty years Mickelsson's Ghosts will be the Moby Dick of a new age. But I doubt it.)

Mickelsson's Ghosts has a simple set-up, with a metaphor any Serious Writer could dig into: a down-on-his-luck college professor buys a ramshackle house in the New York woods and sets about repairing it - the metaphor being, of course, that as he repairs the home he repairs his soul. Only Gardner jams a multitude of divergent threads, plots, characters, and digressions into this elephantine novel. Male witches who divine water holes in the thick woods, black trucks driven sans headlights in the dead of night, a houseful of redneck ghosts, true-blue undergrads who fret over mundane philosophical questions, rumored goings-on of puritanical Mormons afoot in the unwelcoming forest, the spirits of Martin Luther and Frederick Nietzsche, talk of UFOs and crop circles, radical photographers who keep the dying dream of the sixties alive, smarmy professors who sit around and endlessly discuss Big Issues. It's all here and more. And our guide through the dense bric-a-brac is Peter Mickelson, former college football star and current philosophy professor, gone to seed both physically and mentally - gone to seed, in fact, morally, spiritually, financially, and professionally. In his forties, freshly divorced, two adult children whom he no longer sees (one of them being the radical photographer, whose running from the government, it seems), his once-vaunted career in ruins. Author of a popular book on philosophy which at one point guaranteed him a long-standing career in the sun, but due to his own issues Mickelsson blew it, and now he withers away teaching introductory philosophy to undergrads at SUNY. This is our hero, a man who lives predominately in his memories, allowing his present troubles to accumulate and topple over like an overstuffed trash bin. In nearly thirty years of reading I've never come across as ineffectual a lead character as Peter Mickelsson, the first character who ever made me want to magically transport myself into the world of the novel so that I could punch him in his face.

We meet Mickelsson as he's buying the house which gradually (a few hundred pages in) he determines is haunted by ghosts. We know from the start that he's had a bad past few years. The first hundred pages of the novel promise a redemption for Mickelsson; he's bought this house, he's realized the mistakes he's made both professionally and emotionally, and he finds a new love with the fantastically-realized character Jessie Stark. A fellow professor, gorgeous, widowed at only thirty-five, Jessie is a living, breathing character whom Gardner created out of thin air (I pretty much fell in love with her myself); if ever one were to make a case that John Gardner WAS a literary giant, then his characters would be the first exhibit in the argument. Despite the long-winded digressions, the boorish philosophical discussions, the lack of forward momentum, despite all of those things which makes Gardner an acquired (yet still difficult) taste for the modern reader, his characters were nearly flesh and blood, three-dimensional, human beings with their own individual wants and needs and beliefs. This is particularly true of his main characters. Until brain-transplant science is perfected there will never be a better method of inhabiting another person's persona than through the novels of John Gardner. At any rate, Jessie basically throws herself at Mickelsson, and though he (and more importantly, WE) realizes that she is all he needs - she's gorgeous, smart, funny, and willing to help him navigate through the riotous mess he's made of his life - Mickelsson instead botches the promise and retreats into the insanity of his own mind. This is a book dense with inner turmoil, of thoughts growing from thoughts, of soliloquies delivered to the self, and we, the lucky readers, are there for it all. When action DOES arise it's over too quick, arising and culminating in a few pages - then fretted over for twice or three times the length. Or, worse yet, it's seemingly jammed into the narrative, an action sequence from an unrelated novel, as in the B-Movie denouement.

Only three relationships matter for Mickelsson as the novel proceeds: the one with the house, the one with Donnie (a local prostitute who falls in love with him), and the one with the ghosts. Gardner claimed in "On Becoming A Writer" (I think) that he enjoyed Stephen King's writing; King's influence is felt throughout the macabre sections in Mickelsson's haunted house. Many scenes are downright creepy, as Mickelsson, alone in his bedroom in the dead of night, hears voices chattering just outside his door. Yet Mickelsson, so ensnared in the ennui which consumes him in every other situation, just continues to lie there; even when the ghosts begin to actually appear to him (and touch him!), he remains as impassive as a Zen monk facing a loaded pistol. Only in Mickelsson's case the impassivity is not due to a studied indifference to life's passing troubles; it's due to his rapidly fading hold on sanity. And when Mickelsson recaptures his hold (to an extent) in the very final pages of the novel, the achievement comes so late that it doesn't harbor much of an emphatic thrill for the reader - instead, this wearying novel serves to leave you in your own ennui, glazed over at the wanton disregard Mickelsson harbors for everyone and everything outside of himself and his precious memories.

And the memories. Gardner was infamous for digressions, and Mickelsson's Ghost is mired with them, moreso than any other Gardner novel, even "Sunlight Dialogues." A case in point: halfway through the novel we have a scene where Mickelsson drives his newly-purchased (yet used and abused) Jeep to his morning classes. Along the way he reminisces (for several pages) about his one and only date with Jessie. Within this reminiscence Mickelsson recalls his troubled marriage - pages and pages about his wife Ellen and her early days at his side, followed by her disenchantment with life in the 1960s, followed by her rebirth as an "underground" chick, throwing performance pieces on the streets with her younger hippie friends, providing safe houses for poets on the run (Alan Ginsberg in a pseudonymous cameo). This in turn leads to a long essay on the sixties, on the movements and the dreams and the failures. From this back to the crushing and sad end of Mickelsson's marriage, and from there back to his date with Jessie; and from there, finally, back to Mickelsson in his jeep. About fifty pages have elapsed, and he's still in that Jeep; everything has occurred internally, forward movement of the plot has been nil. This is the case for most of the novel.

Death is close throughout. Thoughts of it, fears of it, acceptance of it. Mickelsson thinks about death constantly (what with ghosts hanging around, who could blame him?), and Gardner writes at length about the memories one hopes to leave behind when he or she is taken from this world. This morbidity is compounded by the irony that Gardner himself was dead within a year of the novel's publication, killed in a motorcycle wreck on a desolate country road. Mickelsson is a man at the end of his career, his salad days long past, any chance for a redemptive success crushed by his own bitterness and lashing tongue. It's not difficult to replace Mickelsson with Gardner; like his hero he had come to the end of his brief taste with fame, also due to his own actions. Gardner had been feted throughout the seventies, with critics praising his every release. The New York Times in particular graced him with positive reviews, even going so far as to proclaim him a "master." But then came "On Moral Fiction," where Gardner lambasted fellow writers for what he claimed was a lack of morality in their tales. The reaction was fast and harsh. Seek out critical reviews of Gardner's post-1976 novels and you will find a much different tone. The trophy horse had become the village mule. Also around this time nasty allegations arose concerning Gardner's nonfiction work, particularly his treatise on Chaucer, which it turns out had been plagiarized from other sources. All told, Gardner was now a man cast outside, a has-been. Much like Peter Mickelsson. And once you consider that Mickelsson's Ghost was received poorly both by critics and by readers (it barely sold its tiny first run), Gardner's death months later seems even more tragic...yet fated.

I've found that the reading of Gardner novels, for me at least, proceeds in the same fashion every time. The first several pages, as you get cozy with the blocks of prose and the relaxed pace, you realize you really are in the hands of a master, a man who not only knew how to teach writing but also knew how to write Literary Fiction With Lasting Merit, and you wonder, why doesn't anyone remember this guy? Then the rot sets in. As the pages progress and the digressions increase, the main plot vanishing in the horizon, you start flipping ahead a bit, checking if you'd miss anything important if you, say, maybe skipped a few pages. (But of course as a True Reader you ignore this impulse.) Halfway through you begin to hate this hoary-headed John Gardner, this man described by one hater as "a Hell's Angel grandmother," this man who, as one critic of Mickelsson's Ghost put it, "enjoys writing his novels more than we enjoy reading them." But you press on, and sometimes the end justifies the means. Mickelsson's Ghosts is a case where it does, "October Light," for example, is a case where it does not. As other reviewers have mentioned, Mickelsson's Ghost does indeed have a memorable ending, a bizarre one at that (which some Gardner-supporters have claimed turned original readers off from the novel, ruining their appreciation of it; something I find hard to believe, as it's my bet most of those original readers didn't even make it to the end). You'll be scratching your head over it for days, but it's my opinion (tiny spoiler alert), that one must look to the story of Mickelsson's grandfather, buried within the narrative, to understand what's happened to Mickelsson himself.

But make no mistake: this is a massive, enfolding novel which you can wrap yourself in like some tattered blanket. You can easily find yourself living within it, thinking of its characters as real people. You could easily find yourself moved by the genuine human pathos on each and every page. It all just depends on what kind of a reader you are, and what you demand from the fiction you read. If you don't mind a slow narrative, more internal action than external action, and pages and pages of speculation on the nature of death, then Mickelsson's Ghost will make for fine reading on a winter's night (though, despite the reviewer's claim below that this isn't "beach reading," I actually read Mickelsson's Ghost during a cruise in the Bahamas).

I have read most of Gardner's novels and was briefly a student of his in the 1970s. He was a larger than life character, and I have enjoyed many, though not all, of the Gardner novels I have read. Without question, this is my favorite. I put it off for many years but was inspired to pick it up after reading the Silesky biography. This book is a gem. The main character is a troubled philosophy professor who is sometimes difficult to like, but the book itself is one to love. It is philosophical work, but it is also part ghost story, part mystery, and part romance. The pages just keep turning, and the ending does not disappoint. I am hoping New Directions will choose to reissue this novel, along with the other Gardner books they are bringing back into print. To overlook it would be a big mistake.

So many readers minds are in concert regarding the reviews for this book and yet I found an original New York Times review from 1982 that was most unfavorable. It's instructive to keep in mind that there was a notable amount of unfair criticism targeted toward Mr. Gardner at the time this book came out, mainly because of `On Moral Fiction'. Bad mistake for Mr. Gardner. I can only imagine that he was looking forward to a spirited fight for the cause of higher art. Instead he found himself surrounded by resentful contemporaries with stinging tentacles. And so perhaps a critic or two approached this work with filtered glasses. Mickelsson's Ghosts is not only a `loose and baggy monster' like any good novel should be but is also a very visceral one that transcends the categorizations or genres it comes closest to. I don't think Gardner was working toward a mystery or a sci-fi or gothic necessarily and any solutions found here are not presented in a standard Mystery plot-driven format. etc. Most anyone that has approached this novel with a open mind (look at the customer's comments) knows its in a class of it's own. It succeeds at the highest level, pulling you in deep and leaving you in awe.

You know you're reading a good book when you find yourself purposefully delaying the conclusion to savour the experience longer. That's the kind of book this is: immensely detailed, intimate, fascinating. John Gardner was truly a master craftsman, and this is a masterpiece. The characters, minor and major, are fascinating, from the kooky old man next door who claims to be a witch, to Mickelsson himself, a philosopher with a brilliant mind, gradually coming undone as life delivers blow after blow against him.

The final scene is one I doubt I will ever forget, though I won't spoil it for you here ... do yourself a favour, get hold of this book. It's one to remember.

I can think of no book read over my 40 years of adult reading as deeply moving and thought-provoking as this book. The way I gauge the effect a book is having on me is the speed at which I am reading it - the slower I read it the more I am being affected, and the duration and frequency of times the book is remembered. I have never read a book as slowly as this one, and many years after reading the book I still think of it. I will admit that Mickelsson and his philosophic musings may not be for everyone. I would recommend him only to those who are unafraid of intense self-examination. Mickelsson's quest brings to mind the ancient dictum "Know thyself". The only books that have affected me nearly this deeply include the deeply brooding Moby Dick and the elegiac To the Lighthouse.

This just arrived today and already I have my next five or six knitting projects planned -- the patterns are GORGEOUS and the writing style makes me feel confident I can tackle these beautiful pieces. Can't wait for "Still More" from Moreno and Singer. I also can't emphasize enough how good for my own self-esteem it is to see so many photos of joyous, generously-sized women wearing clothes they love. Wearable art is for people of all sizes!

addresses real big girl problems and designs are contempory timely and fasionable something for every one.

Thank Heaven for Jillian Moreno and Amy Singer! They have come up with beautiful clothing for us Big Gals. Lise Varrette's photography is exceptional! The choice of models for each piece is like it was made for them! The patterns are clear and easy to follow. Their style of writing makes me feel like I'm learning from good friends. Right now I'm working on the Susie Hoodie and can hardly wait to finish it.

So little time, so many great patterns to knit! I highly recommend this book - and Big Girl Knits - for any Big Girl. Thanks to Jillian and Amy for helping us Bodacious Babes flaunt what we got!!

... and for the people who knit for them.

Love the book. It's a great follow-up to Big Girl Knits, with more techniques and patterns that flatter bigger women.

It's written for big girls who are frustrated with trying to find patterns that fit and flatter, but would be useful for anyone who knits for a larger girl.

I liked the first book and found this to be an excellent followup. I'm a novice knitter so I still have a learning curve, but this book has excellent pictures and a nice variety of patterns. The book is written in a fun style with a humorous approach.

Well it's happened, Toji and Momo are starting to get together, but Sae's trying to stop it for all her worth. When Toji ends up in the hospital for appendicitis Sae passes around a note saying that Momo was the one trying to steal Toji from her and to not let Momo know that he's in the hospital, he needs to heal in peace. Since Momo was late to class that morning, she didn't hear the teacher make the announcement and thus everyone won't talk to her, instead they do so behind her back and treat her like a pariah. Things are straightened out and Momo does find out about Toji, but it may be too late, even though she's tried to correct all of Sae's lies, Toji wants to break up.

After Toji's kiss Momo has mixed feelings. She wants to have enjoyed the moment, but her emotions are clouded by Sae's warnings that he is just a lecherous pervert, so she feels wrong about it all. But a surprise visit from Toji at Momo's home in the evening goes a long way to restore her faith in him...until Sae begins to unsettle everything again. She's pulling out every weapon in her arsenal to besmirch Momo's reputation, including telling Toji that a newly formed bruise on her cheek is from Momo hitting her after she saw Sae and Toji kissing one another.

The two want to make up, but with Sae's poisonous words entering both of their brains it becomes difficult to do. Suddenly, Toji is not coming to school and Momo is concerned that it might be because of their fight, though the rest of the class knows it's because he has appendicitis. When Kiley is the one to tell her the truth she rushes to Toji's side, to find Sae already there. Then things just go from bad to worse.

I am really starting to appreciate the subtle nuances of character development in this series. Momo is strong despite her self issues, and manages to stand up for herself often...just at the wrong times, usually when Sae has spent time blackening her name and Momo's reactions predictably follow the pattern of Sae's machinations. Sae is scheming, manipulative, conniving, and has no originality to her whatsoever... and yet she still manages to dominate a number of people in the story. Toji is hard to be sympathetic with at times, true he is being manipulated and doesn't know who to trust, however he is quick to believe the bad in people, so naturally he falls into Sae's scheming. And then there's Kiley, who though he is a lecher seems to be the one who legitimately cares about Momo... he is always there when she needs him, he is always worried about her feelings, but she is so quick to blow him off because of her "idealized" crush on Toji for too long... given the choice between the two I would have chosen Kiley long before this point...at least he is genuine and caring and accepts Momo with all her flaws that he never seems to see.

Overall, I am quickly getting addicted to this manga. This is high school angst at its juiciest, and I plan on reading the rest of the series as soon as is humanly possible.

I'll try not to write a review with any spoilers in it, but you really do have to have read the first two novels in order to understand what's going on in this book. I buy the Peach Girl manga for two reasons: 1) the story is so close to highschool reality, that most of the time, it's hard not to understand what the characters are going through, and 2) Miwa Ueda's artwork is absolutely beautiful! Continuing from the last book, in part three, Sae is still working to make Momo's life a living hell, and there are few people who Momo can really trust anymore. Toji is beginning to smarten up, and Momo is being more friendly to Kiley. If you liked the previous two books, there's no reason why you shouldn't like this one.

I gave this volume of the Peach Girl series five stars because it is the best of the first three. When the story starts, Sae has finally gotten what she wants; Momo and Toji have broken up. As if this is not enough, she enters Momo in the end of term swim meet... in every event. Not only will Momo be tanner than ever, but she will probably exhaust herself competing. To top it all off, Momo's classmates are crueler than ever. It's Kiley to the rescue, looking out for Momo no matter what... and all he wants in exchange is a ...hug?
The first part of this series comes to a grand climax in the last scene of this manga. For all Peach fans rooting for Momo, your heart will break and then you will cheer... buy the book if you want to know what I'm talking about. It will be well worth it.

Great! Toji finally gets a clue, Kiley finally gets a hug, and Sae finally gets her comeuppance! It didn't quite satisfy my lust for vengeance, because Momo really does get terribly abused and I feel Sae should at least be hit by a truck, but there you have it. I also feel some crueler punishment for Toji is in order, as I harbor a deep grudge against him for his previous actions in books 1 and 2, but we'll see how it goes in book 4. Tantalizing and full of poignant moments, as well as some funny ones.