Clubs Books

This is a fast moving novel about a struggling but talented New York-oriented black male writer whose life struggles have become a roller coaster ride through American, European and global racism. The axis of the novel revolves around how America deals with the race issue, and in particular how it deals with the issue of black male on white female sexual encounters.

The story is told through the eyes of a character called Max Reddick, a slightly hip, emerging intellectual, who wants to write like Charley Parker plays the Sax, but yet he is still a very much struggling black writer. Max seems to have as his number one goal in life that of decoding the game being played against blacks by the white man. Or maybe (and the novel leaves this up to the reader) this goal is just a normal by-product of being a black man in a white man's world. Very quickly Max realizes that "politics white boy-style" is just another way white people try to lead black people back to their proper "place" in society: in effect telling them through indirection how to think, feel, and when and how to act, and even how to suffer.

Max travels to Europe where he ends up in a select intellectual circle, that very much respects his manuscript, and where he eventually marries and later divorces a Danish woman who remained his friend even long after the marriage has ended, and who takes care of him at the end of the novel as he dies of cancer.

At the meta-psychological level, the novel proves Ishmael Reed's postulate: that writing, "is fighting and struggling by other more respectable means," as Williams gets to use his pen as his last, and most profound act of rebellion. The book thus is as Walter Mosley has described it as "a shout from deep within some existential void" that resonates on the same frequency of all struggling blacks: suspended invisible in a world that rejects blackness without the need for a cause or a reason, where "Black people have been hollering out in pain for centuries, fighting for freedom, dying in slavery, belittled by little [white] men, and denied by kings and history. Sometimes these black folk have just laid down and died. But mostly they have survived with deformed psyches and distorted notions of the world. Sometimes evil has begotten evil and the one-time slave has slaughtered and even cannibalized his oppressor."

As his personal life spins out of control and he contracts cancer, Max puts down on paper in a scatological way, what everyone else in everyday American society is thinking but cannot say aloud, and in this respect, William's novel is not only a shout from the void, but also a supremely iconoclastic and urgent psychological analysis not unlike Dostoyevsky.

While its organization is structurally very scattered, it still gets its message across. Clearly the novel has a deep existentialist basis and draws on existential themes and metaphors. However, at its core is the notion that at the end of the day, when everything is said and done, the only thing "real" in American society is white racism. Everything else its humanity, its values, its ideals, are subordinate and are carefully calibrated and measured in terms of how they affect the sensitively regulated "white supremacist status quo." According to Max's way of thinking, equality, freedom, and democracy are merely the chips used to move the pieces around the white supremacist chessboard. America and all of its "so-called" ideals are just byproducts of the hard core white supremacist ideology, which lies deep in the nation's bosom. Toward the end of the novel, Max leaves no doubt that "the man" will go to great lengths to protect his white male hero system--including the complete annihilation of the black race if necessary. Max thinks blacks are up to the task, able to match whites, evil for evil to the bitter end. [I, for one, think he is wrong in this regard.]

The book is sprinkled with deeply troubling characters and scenes that reflect Max's deteriorating state of mind, such as the following passage about Moses Boatwright, a Black cannibal and Rhodes scholar, who, after being run mad by racism, killed a white man and ate him. In a mock interview, Boatwright tells Max (acting as a reporter) that: "This world is an illusion, Mr. Reddick, but it can be real. I went prowling on the jungle side of the road where few people ever go because there are things there, crawling, slimy, terrible things that always remind us that down deep we are rotten, stinking beasts. Now, because of what I did, someone will work a little harder to improve the species." (page 53).

The book is filled with images such as this one that have both over and under tones that are frightening in their symbolic implications. This is deep, modern, intense writing. Fifty stars.

This book I happen to stumble on while looking for another book here on Amazon. Wow what a great read! Absoloutley well written and eloquent. A must read for all.

There is this book and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison that have proven to be one of the best examples of African American writing during the turbulent Civil Rights Era which really hasn't ended. This novel is frequently compared to Invisible Man as the main character Max Riddick goes through a journey, an evolution and recalls his life in flashbacks, goes through a expatriate American phase going to Europe in hopes of finding a better audience for his writing only to find that the same kind of racism he encountered in the States only less blatant. His motivation goes from trying to best his rival Harry Ames, to phsyical survival, to trying to find a resolution to his own issues with a society that objectives him and his experience being a black man in America.

I first read this book in 1968, as Cleveland burned and after a copy boy on my paper had asked me about a U.S. plan to imprison blacks in concentration camps. I told the kid he was nuts.
After reading the book, however, I realized that Williams was fictionalizing the McCarran Act, which set up the very scheme the kid was worrying about.
That law is still on the books.

A neglected classic by a writer who some consider equal to Ralph Ellison in importance. One fascinating aspect is its fictionalized treatment of some of the century's famous black literary figures. It's a portrait of the post-WWII-through-mid-sixties period as seen through the eyes of a black writer as he establishes a career as a novelist, journalist, and Presidential speechwriter in New York, Paris, Washington, D.C., and Lagos, Nigeria. The main character, Max Reddick, is shaped by anger, at the crux of which is indignation at the hypocrisy and hostility that black people and writers faced during this period. It's a historical novel which provides some insight into the social and political ferment of the sixties, and has an Afrocentric perspective that's somewhat reminiscent of Walter Mosley's work. It includes an intruiging fictionalized version of a mythic encounter between Richard Wright and James Baldwin ("Marion Dawes") in a Paris café, and according to James Sallis's biography of Chester Himes, it describes the essence of Wright's expatriate experience and his relationship with Himes. Ishmael Reed has said that the cartoonist Ollie Harrington is depicted, and although I didn't recognize him, Malcolm X is unmistakable and I suspect that "Time" Curry is modelled after jazz drummer Kenny Clarke, who was living in Paris at the time. According to the author's biography of Richard Pryor, Motown explored the possibility of buying the film rights to the novel as a vehicle for its star, Marvin Gaye, until the idea was abandoned in favor of Lady Sings the Blues.

The story begins near the end as Max, who's dying of cancer, sits at an outdoor café in Amsterdam where he's come to investigate the mystery of the death of his friend, Harry Ames, "the father of black writers," a few days earlier in Paris. What he eventually discovers is mind-blowing.

Throughout the novel, Max opines on a multitude of subjects like: Marxism, African independence and African attitudes towards Americans, sexuality and interracial relationships (he works past some of his homophobia too), the different styles of reporters from 5 major NYC newspapers, the theory of the rich president and other political theories, the "lie" of Christmas ("the rich man's chance to dissipate the image of Scrooge"), American cars (with their "long, buttock-smooth lines"), existentialism, and Alban Berg's atonal opera, "Wozzeck" (whose climax, a child's scream, punctuates Max's argument with his woman). Max interprets bebop's message as, "we can not be contained," and modern jazz becomes the avatar of his literary aesthetic: "He wanted to do with the novel what Charlie Parker was doing to music -- tearing it up and remaking it; basing it on nasty, nasty blues and overlaying it with the deep overriding tragedy not of Dostoevsky, but an American who knew of consequences to come: Herman Melville, a super Confidence Man, a Benito Cereno saddened beyond death."

Mallory is having a hard time at SMS so she goes on the net and search for schools she could enroll in snd she's been accepted. But Jessi's mad that Mallory told Mary Anne first rather than her To tell you the truth this BSC book wasn't really what I expected. I expected Mallory to change her mind like any old book but she''s leaving I'll miss her like the BSC

Poor Mary Anne! Being stuck in the middle isn't what she had in mind! With Mallory going off to Riverbend Hall the BSC is upset. Jessi is heartbroken, after all she's losing her best friend. However Jessi shows her sadnness through anger, especially since Mal concults Mary Anne first about her problems. Will Mal go away? Will Mary Anne solve the feud? You HAVE to read this book!

Mary Anne in the Middle was a very good book. One of the best BSC books written so far. Mallory hates SMS, and wants to go to a boarding school. When she gets accepted, she tells Mary Anne first. Jessi finds out, and now she is furious at Mallory. Mallory is angry at Jessi for not understanding. Poor Mary Anne is stuck in the middle. Besides Jessi, Mallory's siblings are all mad at her as well! And how will the BSC go on with another member too short? Will Mallory and Jessi make up before she leaves? Can the BSC find a replacement for Mal? Will Mary Anne be stuck in the middle forever? You've got to read the book and find out!

The story Mary Anne in the Middle wasn't at all what I expected. I liked it very much, but I personally thought it would be a typical story to chach a readers eye. For example I thought Mallory would change her mind at the end of the story, she would realize what great friends she had, and everything would end happyily. Instead I read what I least expected. Mallory's mind is made up and she prepares to leave for a boarding school called Riverbend Hall. Like I said before I liked the book, but the message I got out of the story bothered me. The message clearly said that if you run away from your problems the problems would go away. Maybe Ann M. Martin will go in another direction with this but for now this plot keeps us guessing! Age 15

When Mallory and Jessi fight, Mary Anne tries to make their relationship back. Anyway, Mal is having a hard time at SMS. So Mal goes to a boarding school, After you read this, Get "THE ALL NEW MALLORY PIKE"

This book is so great I had a old copy that was my moms when she was litle then mine, so I bought a new one for my daughter it is GREAT, very interesting and good for the imagimation. However there were some coffe stains in the book when the seller listed it as new.

Over the years I continue to love this book. Part of the reason is that it is a well told story involving animals. I also love the drawings.
I recently purchased this book for my niece and for the older children of two families who will be having a new addition. When I was asked to present a child's book to my class in middle school this was the book I chose.

MY DAUGHTER LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH, THAT WHEN SHE WAS SELECTED TO READ TO OTHERS DURING LIBRARY WEEK, SHE CHOSE THE MITTEN. THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVORITE OF OUR FAMILY'S AND NOW I AM ORDERING THIS ONE FOR MY FIRST GRANDCHILD. A READER FROM CA.

Even though I buy them for my daughter, I try not to review items that I owned or remember from my childhood as I feel I am biased towards them simply because of the nostalgic factor. However, I do think I would still love this book even if I had just recently come upon it. For starters it has such vibrant colors with the alternating turquoise background and the bright red and gold Ukrainian clothing. And what child wouldn't love the thought of woodland creatures taking refuge from the snow in his or her lost mitten, although the story is just folklore and the product of a child's imagination...or is it?

What a treasure: the illustrations and the story go hand in hand so wonderfully, quiet and witty and authentic. If you have Slavic roots, the Ukrainian illustrator's work may have extra resonance for you. Yaroslava drew the animals wearing Ukrainian costume, but with subtle touches of real life; this one's boots have creases, see the wrinkles in that one's heavy coat. I always wondered if there was an anti-Soviet subtext to the characters all insisting on sharing one living-space until it bursts at the seams (literally)...

This book is a view into the life of a young girl forced into adult hood and is forced to cope with the trials and troubles of an adult in post WWII. It shows a very brave woman with a strong sense to survive. This book is a must read for anyone who would like to understand what people had to go through during post WWII or anyone who wants to read a captivating book. Very, very good book.

This book is a poignant account of Gertrude's childhood in Germany during and after World War II. She intertwines the historical perspective well with her childhood memories. The book is written from a young girl's perspective with amazing details. The feelings and fears of a child in an abusive situation are compelling. As a social worker, I find this to be a very realistic account of a child's life in an abusive environment.

Gertrude's story is by far one of the most intriguing true life post W.W. II experiences written. In her book, she expresses some of her most traumatic life experiences, and how she survived with the help and love from her grandmother. A well written novel, and must read.

An outstanding novel this is from the beggining to the end. A true epic bringing up emotions while forcing one to the edge of there seat. For all who have not read this fascinating book, please read it, you will definatley enjoy it.

An astonshing peice of work that Gertrude has written. One of the greatest books of this era. Very few books have been written about post German war. Many must read this novel to fufill there voidness of the time, a wonderful novel.

Sports Illustrated designated "The Sweet Science" the best book about sports ever written in the Western World and I agree with that assessment. Author Abbott Joseph Liebling was as fine a writer as American journalism ever produced and his favorite subject was "The Sweet Science" of prizefighting in its golden era. Liebling wrote for The New Yorker (not known for its sports coverage) and he renders the boxing world (including its characters, cynicism and lingo-ese) with clarity and uncommmon eloquence. Liebling gives you such "broken" (financially from hunger) fighters as Rocky Marciano, technicians such as Archie Moore and aggressive aces such as Jake LaMotta and Sonny Liston in as vivid terms as possible. He doesn't shrink from his task, either. He relates his blow-by-blow reports with the uncannny knack of one who knows the sharp consequences of a faulty defense. He's amazing, Liebling is, and his "Sweet Science" is the epitome of graceful sportswriting in a bluntly articulate age. I can't think of a more rewarding book for any sports fan. Liebling is a wonder. He was a counterpuncher. Every time you let down your guard he surprises you with a shot to the ribcage.

If you like boxing and reading, then you are truly a rara avis. But if you do happen to belong to such a tiny cohort, then this book should provide a couple hours' entertainment.

Liebling tries too hard to emulate H.L. Mencken's style, and he doesn't have the chops for it...but, at the same time, he knows how to describe the action inside the ring. (Not as well as Jack London, but well enough.) At all times, you sense the depth of his love for boxing.

Another reason to recommend this book is that Joyce Carol Oates thinks Liebling was a racist. (I know, I know...who the hell is Joyce Carol Oates?) If you read the book, you'll discover that he wasn't...and a few more things besides.

The late,great Floyd Patterson,who became the first heavyweight to regain the title after losing it,is as good a reason as any to name a book about boxing,'The Sweet Science'.In this particular case,'A.J. Liebling's masterpiece about boxing(mostly
in the fifties)was voted the best sports book ever, by Sports Illustrated.The incredibly colorful characters Liebling focuses on would be hard to beat by any writer in any field,even if he may not have gotten all of it right.For example,he seems to actually get along with Rocky Marciano's manager,Al Weill,even though evidence elsewhere suggests that Rocky may have retired to get away from him.And I think he resorted to cliche in describing Irish Billy Graham as as "good as a fighter can be without being a hell of a fighter"(p.250);Graham is a Hall of Famer who was robbed in a welterweight title fight against Kid Gavilan-and my (Jewish) uncle idolized him.But Liebling,who wrote on "serious subjects" for 'The New Yorker'and was an award winning war reporter, attended the first fight ever held in Yankee Stadium in 1923-and remained optimistic about the future through the lens of boxing,concludes,"I reflected with satisfaction that old Ahab(Archie)Moore could have whipped all four principals on that card within 15 rounds,and that while (Jack)Dempsey may have been a great champion,he had less to beat than Marciano.I felt the satisfaction because it proved that the world isn't going backward,if you can just stay young enough to remember what it was rewally like when you were really young."

I've been searching for this book for years. I'm from Brockton, MA and I certainly appreciate great boxing prose. The new intro really adds nothing to the book and Mr.Anasi even gets Ezzard Charles' name wrong--calls him "Ezra" in the intro--which also indicates poor editing. Leibling gives you the total world of a great fight--not just whats going on in the ring but the world surrounding the fight. Very real, often funny, thoroughly engaging. I want to read more of his stuff.

When asked which is the best book on boxing ever written, anyone with any inclination towards the literary side of The Manly Art will instinctively site Liebling's classic collection of essays written in the early '50s collected in this volume. On the evidence here, I cannot dispute the consensus. Liebling gives you not a history or a list of profiles of boxers but an entire world and a culture. He captures the feel of going to a boxing match in the early '50s, the crowds, the managers, the trainers and assorted characters. The best thing you can say about a piece of literature is that it places you in the action, you can physically feel that you are there and present. I have read no other book on Boxing that accurately captures this the way Liebling does in The Sweet Science. He's also an accomplished and erudite writer, a highly cultured man who brings that cultural sensitvity to something often considered, by those ignorant of these things, to be base and low-brow.

The fighters themselves - Marciano, Moore, Sadler, Robinson, Patterson, Farr - come across less as legends and more as contemporary sportsmen. It seems incredible to me that once upon a time you could just buy a ticket and stroll into the Marciano-Moore fight! For me, that fight and many others was the stuff of mythology and yet Liebling succeeds in making it real and tangible.

Final note: anyone who after reading this feels an uncontrollable lust to acquire Pierce Egan's Boxiana volumes will be enthralled to know that there is a company in Canada, Nicol Island Publishing, who have published at least three of the total of five volumes. Unfortunately, Amazon does not seem to sell any of them.

Playtime is about a couple who go for a non-traditional realationship, i.e. an open realtionship. I had never read about something like this in a novel before but have to say, I would like to read more. It was very entertaining and insightful.

Playtime was a very good and very smart read about one woman who decides it's her "playtime" and doesn't let anyone--not even her husband!!!--stand in her way. I liked the concept and some of the theories behind what the character does as well.

I didn't expect Playtime to be so radical--non-traditional relationship story. But I found myself drawn into the character's motivation and loving what she was doing for herself--freeing herself sexually. It was such an interesting concept and not one I've ever seen in erotica before. I say good for the author for writing this book and staying away from the "typcial" storylines of "typical" erotica. I'd love to read another of her works.

Kim Corum's Playtime is one of the steamiest erotic novels ever written. The novel about a woman's quest to shatter all sexual inhibitions satisfied me from beginning to end - so to speak. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to act on every deviant and taboo sexual desire then this is the book for you. Corum does an excellent job chronicling the life of the proverbial bad girl. Even though it doesn't exceed Corum's Breaking the Girl, Playtime is insatiable erotica nevertheless. Highly recommended to all erotic fiction enthusiasts...

Playtime is a about an open realtionship. This is the first time I've ever read a book like this and I was aphrensive. After the first page, I couldn't put it down. The author really gets inside the mind of Mona and as I was reading it, I was suprised over and over at the acuracy of feelings, how she was able to describe the most minute things. Those kinds of feelings the character expressed is what I'd been feeling for some time and I was relived someone brought them to light.
Though the ending is a litle sad, Playtime is now one of my favoite books.

Your book is dynamic! Strong, powerful words that reach the hearts and minds of the entire human race, and make them say "Hmmmm! This girl is speaking the truth"! Much love to ya sista' and keep up the excellent work!

This work of literature is an open and honest look at what many people are afraid to express. Ms Johnson has truly confronted the many life situations that are occuring everyday. This work is simply superb. I know that others who read this book will come to the same conclusion. It will lead the reader to an experience the whole gamut of emotions. It is a must read.

Paula your book title "Poetry Is more Than Just A Poem"is unique.I have never read a book such as this one. Keep on writing.The young people and seniors alike should have had this long ago.Thanks for letting us share your gift.

Paula Denise Johnson writes with an honesty and directness that is rarely seen. Her book tackles issues that many people have faced or will face in the world in which we live. She brings the point across that today's issues have to be dealt with here and now. She also lets readers know that bad things happen in our world because we allow it to happen and we can make changes for the better.

I love reading poetry and enjoyed reading this book because through the author's writing, I could feel what she was relaying. This is one book that is written with great depth and meaning. I hope she will write a second book because I can wait to read it!

Contemporary. Urban. Modern. Johnson's voice speaks volumes for those often ignored. Her poetry is compelling. It never lacks honesty, sensitivity or emotion. Often times, her poetry is a living black history lesson, a discourse on Christianity, an exclamation of pride in black womanhood. Through feeling examination of current events, Johnson's book touches to the very heart of the reader.

If you are a fan of mystery, sci-fi, romance, comedy, and/or adventure - READ THIS BOOK!!! I won't discuss the story line (buy the book!), but I will say that for a Florida girl I enjoyed the fact that the story takes place in the Tampa Bay area. The characters are out of the norm, yet still very loveable and anyone can relate to one of them. The story reads well - the flow of words is smooth, making it an easy read. The plot itself does keep you wondering throughout the book (that's why it's a mystery). It has a taste of sci-fi, but not too much to get in the way of the story. The two main characters have an established relationship, which lends to a fresh kind of romance. The author's sense of humor is the delicious little treat you don't expect out of a standard mystery. The enjoyment of sharing in the adventure of the characters is what makes a person want to pick up a book and read it. WARNING!!! Once you finish reading this book, you will be hooked on the series.

I've never read a mystery in my life until now : ) For some mysterious reason, this book found its way into my hands and I found myself eagerly involved and pleasantly surprised. Monty and Denton provide a passionate power to a story which weaves small threads into a beautiful array of spider-like webs. As a woman who's sported wild, colorful versions of a flat top and worn Levi's most of her life, I could easily identify with the tomboyish, yet heart-centered character of Monty. The spiral dance between Denton and Monty made for a charming yet strained romance which encased a plot that was out of this world. William Mize's beautifully-descriptive style of writing made my mind work and my heart race, and I'd highly recommend "Resurrection Angel" to anyone on this planet, or others.

As a long time fan of the mystery novel, I found that Resurrection Angel both followed some of the general rules of the genre, but also bent a few of those rules and took its own path.

I enjoyed the character development of the two main characters of the book, Denton Ward and Monty Crocetti. By allowing both to have all to human flaws and weaknesses, Mr. Mize creates characters who are multi dimensional, and therefore more interesting than your average, 'hard boiled' private [eye]. As a woman, I especially enjoyed that the character of Monty was intelligent and tough, and not in the book as a plot device with the entire function of making the male character seem more macho.

The secondary characters are also well realized, and well written - there are no cardboard cutter 'bad guys' in this novel.

The plot of the novel is also somewhat different than your average mystery; including such aspects as as psychic abilities and alien abductions, and also has some unexpected twists and turns as it leads towards a very satisfactory ending.

I enjoyed the book very much, and look forward to the next installment in the adventures of Denton Ward and Monty Crocetti

...perhaps he'll do it again. I'm a friend of the author, but have only recently read the book. I was amazed. Bill's writing style is magnificent. I would recommend this book to anyone. I'm not going to bother with telling the story over in my review, because everyone else's reviews have already told you. Instead, I'll focus on the author. Even when he's not hard at work on the sequel to Resurrection Angel, his genius shows. In his personal journal, and in his conversations with friends, his writing style is still amazing. I think he does it without even trying. If you're into mysteries, definitely buy this book. Even if you're not a fan of mysteries, I still recommend this book for its style. Act fast, folks, because Resurrection Angel is slated to go out-of-print in August!

I originally got this book because I've had the pleasure of interacting with the author online and have always appreciated his creativity, wit and writing style in that forum. To read over 400 pages of his fiction was an extension of that pleasure. I don't usually read mystery novels because I get tired of the same old gumshoe approach to storytelling. Knowing Will's sense of humor and unique take on life in general, it didn't surprise me to discover that there's not one piece of gum on this mystery's shoes. Denton and Monty are unique characters that I found refreshingly different from the run-of-the-mill sleuths ~ they remind me of a punk rock/pyschic version of a cross between The Thin Man and The Bickersons. I enjoyed barreling through each chapter as I followed a case that took me out of this world and back to again. I highly recommend "Resurrection Angel" to anyone who likes a good new-fashioned page-turner with heart.

An absurd little jaunt into Bizarro-land during the yuletide, Christmas, or Jesus' birthday - whichever you may call it; Carlton Mellick III presents a comical, yet disturbing take on the traditional holiday tale. "Sausagey Santa" is the novel-version of what the best holiday-themed action-movie would be like. Similar to Mellick's other works, there is method to the madness. The traditional Christmas fairy tale proposes a kind of forced moral value down the throats of families everywhere - the tightly-woven, greeting-card-style family unit; complete with adoration and worship, replete with bullshit and fake sentiment.

Matthew Fry's family is enjoying another festive Christmas holiday; however, Matthew is not. He fears his dominatrix wife Decapitron, and surrenders to his children - he is the weakest family member. In the traditional holiday-special spirit, the Fry family must band together and help Santa and his elves defeat his arch enemy, Frosty, a true detester of Christmas. Santa is scary, crass, and undeniably made of sausages - despite what your parents may have told you as children.

Certainly an unconventional and eccentric holiday legend, "Sausagey Santa" is not for children. Although this story contains its fair share of "miracles," Mr. Mellick's intentions are not to deceive the reader, nor are they to merely entertain him/her. The trials and tribulations featured in a traditional Christmas fairy tale are meant to test the family unit: to survive; to rely on each other; to trust that they are acting on the side of good, and that good is infallable and unbeatable. However, throughout this story, Matthew (our protagonist) never has this epiphany. His character makes very little progress, and is interminably unhappy and afraid. Mellick shatters the predictable presuppositions of holiday stories and their idealistic feel-good happy-endings, undoubtedly reserved by the average reader.

Having read a number of other works by Carlton Mellick III, I've become aware of his inclination towards alpha-female, dominatrix-type characters. The character of Decapitron becomes a sort of anomaly in this story. She is the head of the family, and the children's storyteller. She sexually dominates Matthew, and also becomes an intimidating force in the fight against Frosty. Christmas legends have their heroes, and they are usually male: Scrooge, Rudolph, the Grinch, and Santa Claus. Mellick turns the tables by making the most powerfully menacing character, female. English critic and editor, Cyril Connolly wrote "In the sex war, thoughtlessness is the weapon of the male, vindictiveness of the female." (The Unquiet Grave, 1944) No one but Mellick has perfected this female character-type.

If you're looking for some adult-themed, action-packed holiday fun or maybe just some role models, do yourself a favour and check this book out.

The key factor to Carlton Mellick's success as a writer is his humor.
It's possible to get lost in the sea of absurdity that Mellick's paints. However, his humor tends to hold everything together nicely.
This is a North Pole loaded with sexual deviant elves, a nazi-Frosty, a Santa made of meat and chainsaw angel wings.
Definitely not your parents Holiday yarn. Mellick has once again proven he is one of the top cynical voices of our generation.

First of all, the cover, by Ed Mironiuk, is great. The colors are much more vibrant on the actual book. What you can't see on Amazon, is that on the back, there is a little snowman with hammers for arms and forks sticking out of its head. It's pretty funny.

Now, as for the story--this is a twisted take on the classic sort of Christmas tales that pop up a month or so before Christmas. It plays with the concept, though, because this is no sappy, sweet tale--this is a surly, irreverent version of Christmas where you leave beer for Santa instead of cookies.Can Christmas be saved? Do you care?

The style is concise, fast, and humorous. I laughed out loud at some points of the book. Mellick explores a lot of really interesting ideas, which is one of the things I liked the most.

So, may you have a Christmas. Read this book, and leave a beer for Santa.

--lotus rose
My book, which also includes a Christmas story called, "The Worst Christmas Ever":
The Corruption of Innocence

This book is totally hilarious. The story is basically about when an evil Frosty the Snowman who threatens to destroy Christmas, a character named "Sly Guy" Matthew Fry teams up with Santa and the elves along with Sly Guys totally wicked wife, Decapitron, to save the day. Santa is a crazy jolly pirate made out of sausage. Decapitron is has a candy cane samurai sword and is a pro street fighter. The elves are obsessed with dressing up like Dungeons & Dragons characters. And Frosty....well you'll just have to read the book to learn about Frosty.

This book is like South Park, Futurama, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and The Night Before Christmas all wrapped together with a giant chainsaw bow and a fancy hairdo. It's a ball of laughs and totally fun!

I just got this book and I am going to race out and buy more copies to give as Christmas gifts. This book is a winner!

There has never been a Christmas Book as entertaining and f'd up at Sausagey Santa. Elf s3x! Christmas fetish! Snowmen with axes for limbs! This book is hilarious, poignant, and ultra smashing x-massey goodness.

I am so happy that there's a bizarro christmas book like this. And I love the cover!

Some of the information in this book may now be out of fashion and sometimes wrong, it is a great pleasure to read "Scouting for Boys". The ideals defended by B.P.: courage, generosity and compassion are as much a necessity today as they were a hundred years ago, when that book was first published.

The idea of an active, "hands on" education still find its echo in today's most recent education innovations.

Of course, the key message lies in the the initials of the author: Be Prepared!

Excellent book detailing the original , if somewhat dated thoughts , of the founder of the Scout Movement- Sir Robert Baden Powell. A must have read for all interetesed in the movement and it's principles

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, retired General Robert Baden-Powell, the hero of the siege of Mafeking, coalesced his ideas for an organization to train young British boys in scouting for the British Empire. Not a very organized thinker, Baden-Powell borrowed heavily from all sorts of unrelated resources - newspaper articles, military dispatches, fiction, and much more - and produced this, his first book on scouting. Originally published as six separate books, this book brings all of them together, complete with original illustrations.

Now, as might be expected from its roots, this book reflects a lot of the biases and ways of thinking from Edwardian England. But, leaving that aside, this is a fun and interesting book that shows clearly the forms that have stayed with the Boy Scouts movement to this very day. The introduction was written by Elleke Boehmer, a professor of Colonial and Postcolonial literature, and is a fairly predictable deconstruction/analysis of B-P and his movement.

Now, as a newcomer to Scouting (my son is a Tenderfoot) did I find anything useful in this book? I sure did. Robert Baden-Powell was very knowledgeable about the subject, and this book sure shows it. (I never thought of tying my shoes like that!) Of course some of the information is out of date, especially the first-aid information, so it isn't really usable by the boys "as is." But, this is a nice resource, one that shows you where Scouting started.

Oh, and I must say that I actually enjoyed the somewhat jumbled organization of this book. It isn't as scholarly and antiseptic as modern Boy Scout books, and the stories and tales laced throughout make the reading much more fun. Plus, I did find the focus on some subjects, such as logic and deductive reasoning, to be quite interesting. I loved this book, and highly recommend it to you!

I was an Eagle Scout as a boy, and now I'm the founding Scoutmaster of my sons' troop. As such, I was anxious to get a copy of this hard cover version. Baden-Powell's work is a classic and well worth the read. The problem with this edition is the Introduction by Elleke Boehmer. Without it, the book is a 5-star. Ms. Boehmer appears a non-believer. Reading her is like taking a pessimistic art critic along side while viewing an art gallery. Far more benefit (for all concerned) would occur without her input. For each positive she states about BP, she mentions a negative. She also spends just over two pages discussing homosexual tendencies (pp xxxii-xxxiii) within BP's works, something which is out of place in this work. I started to list several quotes, but I think one sums it up best of all from the back cover: "She has never been a scout, but she did once shake hands with Lady Baden-Powell at a jubilee celebration in South Africa." I guess that must make her an expert.

This original text of BP's "Scouting for Boys" is an excellent read. You can skip the introduction, however. The intro is a steaming pile of horse excrement written by someone seething with contempt for BP and the Boy Scout movement. Why it was included with the book is beyond me unless it's to provide bum fodder whilst camping. Remember, a scout is thrifty!