It's true I read more than my share of erotica. So, I've naturally read many M. Christian stories. Prior to this book, I don't know if he had any books out that were all his own stories, so I can't say if this one is the first, but I think it is. It's definitely worth reading. It's supposedly for gay men but I really think anybody with an appreciation for a damn good story would enjoy these tales. The characters are so much more real and complex than in stories by other erotica writers. He's unconventional and a little bit wacko but I will continue to buy his work because it's so different from everybody else's.

(Why is it that people who write bad reviews never have the guts to leave their name?) Anyway... I felt compelled to write about M. Christian's "Dirty Words" because I thoroughly enjoyed this book of his stories. I think it's his best work, full of a wide range of stories and themes. If you want jerk-off material, this isn't it. If you want fiction that's cleverly crafted and makes you look at the human condition as it really is, this is the book for you.

M. Christian writes the best gay erotica of any I've read, and he has the awards to prove it. His choice of words conveys imagery and incredible heat as well as humour, and, there is a surprising delicacy in his wording, which makes for a fine read.

Among my favorites . . . The Harley:What a way to execute winner takes all.
How Coyote Stole The Sun:I've always had a soft spot for wily tricksters and Coyote is the original.
The Puppy . . . well, the list goes on and on . . .

A must read book that is on my list for gift giving.

A.J. Heard, Santa Cruz, Ca.

The Chessmen of Mars is the fifth book in the "Mars" series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. This book focuses on Tara of Helium, John Carter's daughter. Strange creatures who play deadly games of martian chess decide to use her in one of their live games. As always, Burroughs described everything with such clarity that you can nearly see it. Also, at the end of the book, there is a list of the rules for "jetan", or Martian chess. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

"The Chessmen of Mars," Edgar Rice Burroughs' 5th John Carter novel out of 11, first appeared in serial form in the magazine "Argosy All Story Weekly" from February to April 1922. It is easily the best of the Carter lot to this point; the most detailed, the most imaginative, and the best written. Carter himself only appears at the beginning and end of the tale. Instead, our action heroes are his daughter, Tara, who gets lost in a rare Barsoomian storm while joyriding in her flier and blown halfway across the surface of the planet, and the Gatholian jed Gahan, who goes in search of her. In the first half of this novel, Tara and Gahan wind up in the clutches of the kaldanes--bodiless brains who live in a symbiotic relationship with their headless "rykors." One of these brains, Ghek, befriends the couple and tags along with them for the remainder of their odyssey. Ghek is a wonderful character, touching and fascinating and amusing all at once. In one passage, Ghek gives us some very interesting philosophy regarding the relationship between mind and body. In the second half of the book, the trio is captured by the hordes of Manator, and Gahan winds up fighting for Tara in a game of Martian chess, or jetan, a game in which real men are used in lieu of pieces and fight to the death for possession of squares. The jetan sequence is extremely exciting and detailed, and a knowledge of chess is not necessary for full enjoyment. One need not be a chess buff to appreciate the detailed moves that Burroughs gives us. "Chessmen" is, as I mentioned, very well written for a Burroughs novel; even, dare I say it, poetically written in spots. The action is relentless, the standard of imagination very high, and the denouement extremely satisfying. It is a near masterpiece. Why only "near"? Well, as is usual with these books, there are some problems....
As in the previous Carter novels, these problems take the form of inconsistencies and implausibilities. At the book's beginning, Burroughs, who has just been told this tale by Carter himself, writes that "if there be inconsistencies and errors, let the blame fall not upon John Carter, but rather upon my faulty memory, where it belongs." He is excusing himself in advance for any mistakes that he might make, and well he should, because there are many such in this book. I, however, cannot excuse an author for laziness and sloppy writing. Saying "excuse me" doesn't make for good writing. Just what am I referring to here? Let's see.... Tara, in several spots in the book, refers to Tardos Mors as her grandfather, when in actuality he is her great-grandfather. The Martian word "sofad" is said to be a foot; but in the previous book, "Thuvia, Maid of Mars," an "ad" was said to be a foot. Tara, in one scene, smites Ghek on the back of the head. Gahan is watching this fight from a distance, and sees her hit Ghek in the face! In the game of jetan, the thoat pieces are said to wear three feathers; but in the Rules for Jetan at the book's end, they are said to wear two. This book is based on events told to John Carter, conceivably by Tara, Gahan and/or Ghek, and yet scenes are described in which none of those characters appear; thus, they could have had no knowledge of these events described. This, I feel, is a basic problem with the book's structure. Besides these inconsistencies, there are some things that are a bit hard to swallow. For instance, that Gahan could fall 3,000 feet from a flier in the middle of a cyclone and, freakishly, survive. It's also hard to believe that Tara does not recognize Gahan when he comes to her rescue, and fails to remember where they have met, until the very end of the book. In addition, I feel that the character of Ghek is underutilized in the book's second half. It might have been nice to see the old boy loosening up a bit, as he got more in touch with his emotions, Spockstyle. Anyway, all quibbles aside, "Chessmen" is a wonderful piece of fantasy, one that had me tearing through the pages as quickly as I possibly could. It is an exceptionally fine entry in the John Carter series.

The Chessmen of Mars is, I think, the pinnacle of Burroughs career, and certainly the best of the Barsoom series. It's also one of the great science fiction romances of the Twentieth Century. As a boy, reading the typical John Campbell-influenced SF of the 1950s, nothing prepared me for finding this book (and about 30 other moldy Burroughs hardcovers) in my grandmother's attic. There's not an alienated child in the world who could read this book and not be struck deeply by the pathos and courage of Ghek the Kaldane, whose the real hero of the tale, rather than Gahan of Gathol, the golden boy who gets the girl.

Looking Good presents clear advice, lots of illustrations, good ideas. It is occasionally contradictory, and not always practical. This book offers advice that is deceptively simple. With it, you could make-over your entire wardrobe and never complain you have nothing to wear again.

This is a thorough and sensible, if time-consuming, approach to making over your wardrobe so you will never be able to say "I have nothing to wear!" again. (Unless it's laundry day, anyway.) It's a very visual book, which is helpful when she's illustrating why one thing flatters and another does not. I like and recommend this book.

NOTE: This book has a huge Anglo bias. Nearly all of the illustrations and photos are Caucasian women. This doesn't mean that the fashion tips are flawed, but some readers may be put off by this.

I'm Looking Good! After years of hiding behind long, baggy coats wondering if it was safe to come out lest my slacks make me look too broad-in-the-beam or my belt confirm everyone's suspicion that I have no real waist line; Nancy Nix-Rice has written a truly useable criteria for figure assessment and clothing selection. I drew 14 dots on a large piece of paper, connected them, folded the paper 8 times and voila! I'm not short-wasted or slope-shouldered after all. I am pear-shaped and heavy--not a problem. Looking Good is a guide for those masses of real women who have always hoped they could be beautiful, if only they knew the rules. Looking Good enables the reader to dress beautifully from color choice and figure-flattering styles, to fabric selection and care. From storing your wardrobe in a closet, to packing it all up for a trip overseas, every woman can benefit by these easy-to-understand rules of style. Cathy Tripod

This book has helped me make many positive changes. In fact, although I have owned it for many years, I have it out once again to review and get things back in order or in other words, "brush up" on my image. For anyone in or entering into the corporate world...it is an absolute MUST READ! Covering such topics of how you look, making do with very little, and excellent tips for business and pleasure traveling, it is a "how to" manual of sorts. Beginning with the basic clothing and storage space that you already own..sorting and editing, building onto your wardrobe with inexpensive accessories, packing for travel, updating closets and storage areas, selecting the most versatile styles, and ending with great tips on how to care for all. For travel it is amazing how few items can become so many combinations. The information on organizing is a definite read for women and men. If you haven't had the opportunity to read this fabulous "manual", treat yourself now! You may want to go ahead and order several because you WILL want to share it with friends!

After having moved away from home for a number of years, I started to realize and appreciate the important role of food to Chinese culture, family and traditions. Much to my chagrin, I had learned very little about the Chinese family kitchen while growing up. While I was nourished by the comfort foods my mother and aunts had made for us, I had very little knowledge of the mechanics of producing these offerings of love.
Blonder and Low have done an impressive job of bringing back to the memories of my childhood, where food plays such a central role in Chinese family life. I have tried many of the recipes in this book and most of them have turned out just the way I recall my mother making them.
And most of all, the stories and anecdotes demonstrate how Every Grain of Rice inextricably links culture and food to Chinese traditions. The authors recall momentous occasions such as Chinese New Year and donning their "best" clothes; the excitement of receiving little red "luy see".
This book is all about comfort foods. It's about home cooking in the Chinese family. You will rarely find these dishes in a restaurant. My cousin was looking through this book and disdainfully noted how the recipes were so "chop suey". I don't know if his description is correct, but you will rarely find these dishes in a restaurant. Perhaps he was comparing it to the sometimes over-complicated and sophisticated, "gourment-style" Chinese cookbooks. It is certainly not that. It is purely about childhood memories of growing up Chinese in North America.

I haven't read the whole book (because it hasn't been published) but I work with Annabel (one of the authors) and have seen many of the stories and got to look at a copy of the book sent to her by the publisher.

This is a book of Chinese recipes and stories about the childhoods and families of Annabel and Ellen (her niece that she grew up with). The recipes often include instructions for how to do things, complete with illustrations. And many have pictures of the end product, also. So even though I'm a pretty cautious cook, I think I might try some of them!

But for me my favorite part is the stories - they really make you feel like you were there, and have a real charm that makes you want them to go on and on. I laughed at some and some brought a tear to my eye -- and some did both!

The book's illustrations were done by Ellen and are absolutely gorgeous -- worth the price of the book just by themselves!

I recommend this book to anyone interested in Chinese food, beautiful pictures, and/or wonderful stories.

I must have thirty or forty books on Chinese cooking, and most are full of the kinds of restaurant dishes and banquet dishes that aren't terribly representative of what Chinese families actually eat when they dine together. This book is different. It's full of what you might call Chinese comfort food- the food the authors grew up eating, and that reminds them of home. A lot of it is the kind of food most Westerners never get to taste unless they're lucky enough to be the guest of Chinese hosts- food like winter melon soup, or humble food like jook.

Add to that the beautiful watercolors and the authors' stories of growing up together (and eating together) and you have an absolute treasure of a book. No matter how many Chinese cookbooks you may own, you need this one.

This book was clearly assembled by people who never watched tv show and were working from only the most cursory descriptions of the characters and mood of the show. The show is all about subtlety and understatement and there is none of either in this book. Blech. Blech I say.

WD40 for the Soul, on the other hand, is definitely true to the spirit of the show and I do recommend that one.

(the 2nd star is for the centerfold of John Redcorn)

I loved this book! I'm almost 23, but I'm definitely giving it to dad this June. It's about 120 pages of pure Hank-mania. Hats off to the author!

This book was funny as they come. They really hit the nail on the head when they created this Hank Hill character. It blends in perfectly with the show - which I watch religiously - and was so good I shared it with my own father. He had a bigger laugh than I did.

My first book by Luanne Rice and it was a pleasure to read it although it was somewhat sweet and lacked as much depth as both the characters and subject deserved. Others have summed up the story well so I won't do that here. I would like to say that I fell in love with her hero, Thomas X Devlin, and enjoyed the peripheral characters of Anne Davis's family, eg her niece Maggie and her sister Gabrielle and brother in law Steve and even the society on the unnamed island on which they all lived.

However, there were, in my view, some weaknesses here. In particular, her ex-husband was very one dimensional and Maggie's circle of friends were rather over-drawn.

The grisly accident scene at the end of the book was very well done but the way in which Matt, the two-timing ex-husband, appears to undergo some divine revelation leading to his reformation into a saddened and chastened husband was too much to bear. His grief was examined but not developed. Thank goodness Anne had already seen through him!

This novelist was at her very best in describing grief and loss and also in showing the path to recovery.

Homefires is probably the best book I have read about the dynamics of family and death. The reader is able to feel the devestation of Anne Davis and examine the life of lonely Thomas Devlin. Rice draws these two, very complicated characters together in a rather unique relationship. It is at this point that Homefires delivers certain reality...Devlin's son, Ned, must deal with his feelings about Anne. Anne's sister must work through the issues of her own family...and the envy of her sister. Added to this mix of mourning, jealousy, pride, and anger is Anne's troubled niece Maggie. Only in reality would one see a story of this magnitude played out. LuAnne Rice does a lovely job showing how each character takes on his or her own personal demons. I recommend Homefires to any reader.

Home Fires is the first Luanne Rice book I have read and I know that after finishing this wonderful book, I will now be seeking to devour all of her other books!!

Ms. Rice writes from the heart concerning what matters most in a family - love, tenderness and caring. She writes of tragedy and loss that will have you weeping but by the end of this book, you are smiling with joy at the realization of love and hope in this family in the midst of all of the tragedy.

I absolutely loved the tenderness, understanding, and compassion in the character of Thomas Devlin - (yes, Thomas, where are you? :-)). I admired the strength and courage in Anne Davis after the recent loss of her four-year-old daughter. She draws the reader completely into the depth of each character, from young to old, and you feel like you know them intimately and can relate to them all. You experience their pain, grief, and uncertainty and mourn their losses. Rice's ability to magically draw on the emotions and real life scenarios of family life is really amazing.

This book's message is indeed one of hope, trust and love. Luanne Rice lets you know that amidst the chaos of tragedy, love can find roots, grow sprouts, and blossom gloriously again - one just has to trust and let love in.

I love to see this book made into a movie! I highly recommend this wonderful book and eagerly look forward to reading more of her books!

I loved the way I felt as I opened up this book and began to read. The promise of a thumping good read in historical fiction-- my favorite. But as I read on, the story is continuously, unexpectedly , interrupted by odd segments of gratuitous sex that read as if they were inserted to satisfy the romance genre. While I loved the premise of the heroine and hero, their characters did not captivate me. The character development somehow did not have me giving a darn about these people. I'd turn the page and end up somewhere lost in a sudden change of scene. My personal review of three stars was given due to the wonderful historical detail and plot, not to the writing itself. But I would read something of hers again...there's something that smells of promise here. This book just wasn't as fulfilling as I had hoped. Perhaps my expectations were too high. But a good read overall, and as I mentioned earlier, excellent historical detail!

Having read Devoted at least twice I have to admit I can't wait to read it again. Alice Borchardt's style is so clean. There are no unneccesary plots and characters, much like her sister Anne Rice.

I would also like to comment on the audio version of this book. Michael Page's read is exceptional, from the blustering knights to the soft spoken forest people. Listen to this one. You won't be sorry

As one of the previous reviewers mentioned, I picked this book on sale at a local book store. Since I am fascinated with the idea of the supernatural, I found this book fascinating. Ms. Borchhardt has incredible ability to describe in detail the background and surroundings of her characters. This is not a boring read, instead you feel as if you are in the era of time. Her writing in some way surpasses her sister's work. I look forward to reading future books.

The commercial success of E. R. Burroughs' TARZAN OF THE APES in 1914 inevitably led to what was the first in a long line of sequels, THE RETURN OF TARZAN. The first book introduced the forest god who is described so often in biological superlatives that generations of readers and critics have either thrilled to his near superhuman feats or have villified Burroughs for racist attitudes that if expressed today in a new work of fiction would be immediately classified as politically incorrect.
Burroughs' strong point as a writer was to place his hero in a series of exotic locales, then watch him interact with the natives. In TARZAN OF THE APES, this exotic locale was Africa. In THE RETURN OF TARZAN it was first Paris, then the Sahara, then a lifeboat, finally culminating in a personal favorite of Burroughs, a lost city. By the start of this sequel, Tarzan knows his lineage as an English lord, but is determined to hide that since he truly believes that his cousin, William Cecil Clayton, would make a better lord and husband for his beloved Jane. Tarzan immediately gets involved with a married Russian countess and her issues with her criminal brother and her older husband. Partly as a consequence of his interaction with the villainous brother, Nicholas Rokoff, Tarzan is lured into a room where he is attacked by a dozen Paris muggers. The scene that details this mugging is one of the great chapters in literature that focus on this topic. Tarzan is described as a jungle Hercules that fights like some impossible combination of a raging gorilla with the speed of a panther. The muggers are quickly dispatched in a manner that has since become a trademark of his. The rest of the book shows Burroughs both at his best and worst. Burroughs simply has no ear for dialogue. His characters, with Tarzan being the worst offender, speak in the courtly pseudo-dialect that Burroughs thought all lower classes believed that all upper class folk used. Tarzan fondly recalls his childhood and his foster ape mother with a friend, D'Arnot: "To you my friend, she (his foster mother) would have appeared a hideous and ugly creature, but to me she was beautiful--so gloriously does love transfigure its object." Further, readers are often annoyed at Burroughs' oversuse of coincindence to keep the plot moving. Then there is the racist element. His villains are invariably dark, swarthy, or black.
In the lost city of Opar, the women priestesses are lovely, erudite, and white. The men are deformed, apelike, and black. The high priestess, La, tells Tarzan that only the most eugenically perfect men are selected to be mates for her priestesses. In this book, as in many others, Burroughs often has some high priestess tell Tarzan that he would make a suitable choice. Clearly, Burroughs' Tarzan series was meant to be entertaining, and any potentially disturbing polemics that do not ring as politically correct today can be dismissed as the style of a man whose books have had more of an impact on nearly every culture on this planet than any other author.

That's not the whole story of course but it's an impressive part of it. Tarz renounces his family name,fortune and the woman he loves, giving it all to his cousin, and he does it all in Wisconsin! Yup, Wisconsin. Hurting from the ordeal, he heads off to Paris to forget about Jane. Wow, the Apeman in the City of Lights! So he spends time in Paris, almost has an affair with a Russian noblewoman, whups on her brother(an evil Russian spy), hangs out in art galleries and operas and eventually joins the French Secret Service out of boredom. All this is just the set-up for the rest of the novel. The book does seem to end too quickly but I think that has more to do with the serial/pulp nature of the story's publication deadline than any fault of the author. Tarzan and The Return of... are an entertaining 0ne-Two punch. Anyone who reads #1 should finish the experience by reading #2. I wish someone would make a film of this book, it's more interesting than the first one.

I had started out saying "I'll just read one for a laugh," after going to the library with a friend on my way home from seeing Disney's new cartoon. My mom told me start with the first one but I could NOT stop there. I didn't think it was fair! Book #2 doesn't give everyone a happy ending but doesn't leave you complaining for the next month. After #1 leaves you with Jane engaged to Tarzan's cousin who now has his title, woman, and inheritance. This may sound odd but Tarzan also joins the French Secret Service! I may still laugh at the movies but I will never again laugh at the "real" Tarzan of the books! I don't think of Disney's show as Tarzan. It was fun, but it wasn't Tarzan.

As the American-born daughter of first generation immigrants who were Chinese take-out owners for 15 years, I could completely relate to Fong-Torres' experiences growing up. My siblings, two younger sisters and a brother, and I spent much of our childhoods working at our parents' Chinese take-out. At the same time, we were expected to get all A's and to bring honor to our family by going to prestigious universities and leaving the blue-collar existence lead by our parents. We too experienced the challenges of moving out of ghetto like housing in the city and into the suburbs of greater Boston. Now, almost in my mid-twenties, I look back on my life and wonder what made us different from the average ABCs of working class backgrounds. Fong-Torres sums it up for me when he brings it all back to his parents and the work ethic, values, and morals that they instilled in him and his siblings. I thank and praise Fong-Torres for writing a book about Chinese Americans that speaks for me and others out there who are like me...

I am surprised that anyone contested the worth of Fong-Torres's work. Fong-Torres does not claim to represent the Chinese experience. Rather, he symbolizes the Chinese-American question.

Some readers claim that Fong-Torres's individual experience is made more important than that of his family's, is too acculturated and "patronizing" towards Chinese culture. However, I think that it is necessary to recognize the limitations of the author's upbringing, within the realistic context of immigrant survival, and then appreciate the uniqueness of both his parents' and his experience. If Fong-Torres does reflect negatively, at times, towards his parents' culture, it is because he most negotiate it daily. Just how Chinese should he be? White Americans are never forced to consider these issues.

Like many children of immigrants, his grasp of a home language is at odds with the white American standard of English. Halloween becomes somewhat traumatic. Dating becomes the nightmare of social expectations within his community. Though some readers believe these problems are petty compared with his parents' economic survival, they are formulated honestly and reflexively. In fact, Fong-Torres's eventual return to China, and an interview with his family, would indicate a reverse position--a sincere desire to learn more about his history.

Fong-Torres isn't an authority on Chinese culture; he's only an authority on his own mixed experiences. Furthermore, writing this book, returning to his home country, indicate a desire to explore that contested identity further. No one can determine just "what it means to be Chinese." Therefore, I would remind readers, if you ask a Chinese question, you will receive a Chinese answer.

This past holiday season, I went home to visit my parents in Tennessee, and made it a special point to sift through the trunks of photographs, diaries and old Marantz tape reels of my family history. We shared stories of my Swedish, Irish and German relatives, and the trials and tribulations of moving to various points of America.

My inspiration for this important and emotional family gathering, was Ben Fong-Torres' book, "The Rice Room." His grasp of not only his immediate family, but of the rich and wonderful Chinese heritage his parents brought with them to California, should be echoed by all. Many of us "European-Americans" have taken our American status for granted, and fail to remember that not only is America only a shade over 200, but we have a long ignored cultural background that could be equally as rich if we researched our history as thoroughly as Mr. Fong-Torres.

His autobiography is not just one of learning "the hard way." He will certainly take you on an emotional roller coaster through the 50's, 60's and 70's, but he also shares a certain boyish wonder -- a Chinese-American version of Woody Allen's 'Radio Days,' if you will. From movies, to magazines; to radio and Rolling Stone, I don't think I have curled up with a better, and more sweeping, book in quite some time.

This book is apparently used by colleges and universities as a required book for Asian culture, and sociology classes. That is certainly a worthy honor for a book so deserving, but it is my feeling that we will see this book on such lists for years to come. Success comes in many colors, and Ben Fong-Torres should be held in highest regard for truly living the American Dream.

Thank you Ben for opening my eyes to the importance of family, brothers, traditions both maintained and broken, music and the power of writing.

I bought this book hoping to find recipes with a lot of flavor and minimal effort when it comes to preparation. The recipes definitely take minimal effort to prepare, which is a blessing, but the flavor part is where the book goes weak. This is all about 'good enough' eating. Nothing too adventurous, nothing too fancy. Recipes range in cooking styles from American to Italian to Asian to Moroccan, but none of them stand out as exceptional. The spicy Szechuan eggplant is quite good, the curried cauliflower just okay because it asks you to use preprepared curry powder instead of the author's own spice blend, the chicken ragu the kind of fare you'd expect to find at a homey, local restaurant--yummy, nothing exceptional. It's an inexpensive book and I don't regret buying it, but it's not peppered with culinary jewels. There are a lot of good ideas, though, so if you want another book in your collection, get it. If you want more exotic fare, try Seductions of Rice. That's a very good book.

I have another book by Rick Rodgers, and I really liked it, so when I saw this one I thought I'd check it out. Five recipes into it I wanted to head to the kitchen and cook. Before this book, I didn't cook meals with rice very often. I do now. The recipes are not complicated, and I always have the ingredients in my kitchen. The recipes that say "Can be cooked in under 30 minutes" really CAN be cooked in under 30 minutes. I haven't encountered a dud recipe yet. All are delicious. Among my favorites are Shrimp and Green Beans with Peanut Sauce, Chicken and Asparagus with Mustard-Tarragon Sauce and Sirloin and Black Bean Chili (in under 30 minutes no less!). This book is a boon to all those of us who work a long stressful day, and then have to come home and cook.

My husband and I love to cook together, and Rick Rodgers' book has given us a lot of inspiration! These are recipes that can be adapted easily for two people or for large groups, and the range of flavors makes for an original and tasty meal every night. The shrimp and green beans in spicy peanut sauce has become a weekly meal in our home, and we've also enjoyed the paella, all of the chicken dishes, the pork shops in beer-braised cabbage, and the Mongolian-style beef. Even the rice pudding turned out well. Bon appetit!