the basketball diaries is nothing more than the story of one man and his hardships. There are thousands of stories not unlike Pete Carrol's and although this was well written, is is nothing more than a diary. true writing can be more respected when it is fictional, showing there is an obvious creative process. this is not creative

jim carrol's work brings you into his life of new york city and an addict's fragments of hell. his life story in the basketball diaries tells a tale very few writers could put to page in the way he has; it is a great book in which shows the raw truth on page and recommend to everyone.

In THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, Jim Carroll not only renders easily imaginable (and easily sympathized with) adversities- insecurity, addiction, melancholy, self-loathing, fear, identity crises- to which thousands of American youths are subjected daily, but demonstrates a vast capacity for proficient writing, the sort which swallows the reader's attention like a shark might devour a minnow and holds it long after the last sentence has been read. A phenomenal work! I enthusiastically recommend it to all.

(Also recommended: CATCHER IN THE RYE, by J.D. Salinger; ON THE ROAD, by Jack Kerouac; JOHN BARLEYCORN, by Jack London; CAT'S CRADLE, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.; THE WOMAN WHO WALKED INTO DOORS, by Roddy Doyle; BIG SUR, by Jack Kerouac.)

Be careful as you mix from this book. It makes me wonder whether the previous reviewers actually used the recipes to make muffins. Page 12 1 cup(4 oz/125g) page 17 2 cups (10 oz/315g)

page 18 1 cup (5 oz/155g) 1 cup (2 1/2 oz/80g) 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz/105g)

The errors are on about every other page as one continues through the book.

This book has a nice combination of tried-and-true favorites (corn muffins, banana bread) and creative, newer recipes (Buckwheat bread, triple-chocolate muffins). I've tried several and I always get rave reviews. The oatmeal raisin made with buttermilk is a standard at office parties. The recipes are easy and every recipe is pictured in color! I think this book is great additon to any cooks collection.

I've tried almost every recipe in this book and they come out perfectly without fail. Excellent book for the pro or novice. Easy to find ingredients and easy to follow instructions. Pictures accompany recipes. Final product usually resembles picture. Most people will find that these recipes will yield the desired result.

Mr. Carroll's book about the saga of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade is an interesting insight into a part of American history that is lost. What is most interesting is his stories of the men and women who choose to fight and die in Spain and the reasons that they did. As a collection of personnel stories this book excels. These men and women went to Spain notwithstanding the antagonism of their country and the countries surrounding Spain and then returned to a suspicious nation that treated them as part of the red menace.

However, if one is expecting to get a history of the Spanish Civil War, or even an overview of the war, one will be disappointed.

Just looking at the title, I am curious why it was chosen. There was no Abraham Lincoln Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. It was the Abraham Lincoln Battalion which was part of the XV International Brigades. John C. Howell, johnchowell@msn.com

This extremely readable book tells the story of the 2,600 American volunteers who fought for the Spanish Republic in the years 1936 to 1938. They fought against Franco; they also fought against Hitler's and Mussolini's armies; they also fought against the Governments of Britain, France and the United States, which did so much to assist the forces of fascist aggression.

"But the remarkable thing was that though fully conscious of the odds against us and though suffering staggering losses in long, drawn out gruelling campaigns, we all went back to the front time after time ... always with a belief in the possibility of victory." This was the testimony of Milton Wolff, the last commander of the Lincoln-Washington battalion. As Carroll wrote, "the Americans remained in action, constantly facing superior firepower. As in previous engagements, they demonstrated remarkable courage and stamina; they held difficult positions against overwhelming odds." They were finally withdrawn from Spain after the two-month Battle of the Ebro in late 1938: "the Americans under Wolff held fast and waited. They were still there when a relief column came to replace them; only then did they withdraw from the lines."

Within the Republican forces, it was the Communists who fought longest and hardest against Franco. What is amazing is that they fought so well for so long against such odds, not that they lost. How could they have fought any better? If they had followed the line of revolution now, war later, Franco would surely have won more quickly and easily. This approach would have lost them the support of those in Spain who wanted the Republic but were not yet ready for revolution. This approach would have made support or even genuine neutrality from other Governments even less likely. It would have increased the intensity of German, Italian, British, French and US Government support for Franco. It is quite possible that the British, French and US Governments would have abandoned even the pretence of neutrality and joined in the attack on Spain, just as they had in 1918-1922 when they jointly attacked the Soviet Union.

The British, French and US Governments used Hitler and Mussolini as their hired goons to attack Spain, just as they tried to use them later to attack the Soviet Union. (And just as they now use other goons in other countries.) In June 1940 when Roosevelt accused Mussolini of stabbing France in the back, former brigade commissar John Gates replied truly, "It was you who stabbed Republican Spain in the back. It was you, and the British and French rulers, who provided Mussolini with the dagger that he has now proceeded to plunge into your own backs."

When the Brigade left, La Pasonaria spoke: "We shall not forget you and when the olive tree of peace puts forth its leaves again, entwined with the laurels of the Spanish Republic's victory - come back! ... Come back to us. With us those of you who have no country will find one, those of you who have to live deprived of friends will find friends, and all of you will find the love and gratitude of the whole Spanish people who, now and in the future, will cry out with all their hearts: Long live the heroes of the International Brigades!"

She said, "They gave up everything, their loves, their countries, home and fortune; fathers, mothers, wives, brothers, sisters and children, and they came and told us: "We are here. Your cause, Spain's cause, is ours - it is the cause of all advanced and progressive mankind.' You can go proudly. You are history. You are legend."

After the war, they fought on against the enemies of Spain and of all progressive mankind in America. Bill McCarthy said in 1990, "We have to do our fighting right here. There's no use being discouraged because victory is ours if we fight for it." Milton Woolf, who had not completed high school, said, "Spain was only one battle. World War Two was only one battle, what's going on in Central America, South Africa, the Middle East now is another battle, and we're into those things. Struggle is the elixir of life, the tonic of life. I mean, if you're not struggling, you're dead."

'Say not the struggle nought availeth.' Spain (not Munich) gave Britain the time and opportunity to rearm. Spain damaged Mussolini so much that his intervention on Hitler's side was more hindrance than help. Franco too could do little to help his sponsors. Veterans of the Brigade fought Franco to the end. After his death, his monstrous regime crumbled away to nothing. The veterans worked in the movements against the US's war of aggression on Vietnam, against US support for apartheid, against the US arms buildup, and against the US's wars against Nicaragua and Iraq. They did not retire; they were not defeated.

I was enjoying this freaky little tale up until the last twenty pages, when it just flew apart like confetti.

The story is about Ingram, who is being manipulated by two former school-chums turned enemies, Michael and Clinton. These two both enter Ingram's life at about the same time--a vulnerable time for Ingram who has just lost his lover to a terrible accident--and they both introduce Ingram to a shocking world of strange fantasy. But what is strange, and what is strange-but-true!--is Clinton really stuck at the age of fifteen because of one mistake he made at that age, which he wouldn't have made if he weren't looking out for Michael? Is Michael the one vandalizing Ingram's home in vile ways, and is his mind-boggling tale about Clinton really true?

All fair and compelling conundrums up til the very end, and then in the last twenty pages the book goes berserk. As far as I'm concerned, the author tries to jam an incredibly complex bit of supernatural explanation into far too few pages. The book turns itself upside-down, and goes from zero to two-hundred in a microsecond. I for one did not find it brilliant, so much as too much. Does the bulk of the book prepare the reader for the end? You can decide for yourself. I felt like I fell off a cliff. To put it in more concrete terms: I knew I was being pulled into a story that was slowly becoming more and more bizarre--there festers this seething sense that, yes, the explanations are going to be weird and deliciously otherworldly--but suddenly I felt whapped in the face with a magic sledgehammer. Motoring along nicely, motoring along nicely, powerful narrative that has a sinister aura percolating, motoring along nicely, and--BAM!--digestallthisfreakyweirdstuffreallyreallyfastbecuzzzzzzzzzzzznowit'sover!!

This burst the book for me. Wonderful throughout, amazingly ruined with an ending that just stomps in and tries to be impressive and weirdly philosophical, and I'm still waiting for the big purple literary bruise on my brain to heal.

I'm on a quest now to acquire all of Carroll's books since they tend to go out of print quickly, at least in the United States (he lives in Vienna and his books are big sellers in Europe). I just got a copy of Black Cocktail which I had never read and was again blown away by his imagination and story-telling ability. He gets this idea from Plato -- that all humans originally were joined to another being and spend the rest of their lives looking for their other half (also Plato's explanation for sexual preference as those that started as two men obviously look for the male half). Only Carroll makes it the perfect 5 (i.e. everyone used to be 5 people connected) and has his usual interesting and quirky characters trying to reunite. This is only a 75 page novella, but it has all the classic Carroll elements. Read it!

Sleek and absorbing, this is a book that draws you in with the embrace of a close relative.
The plot dissects the occurences in the life of Ingram York, an L.A. disc-jockey with a difference. As always, the major character here is a minor character elsewhere in Carroll's work, forming piece of what would almost seem to be an intricate collage of people and their interactions.
Moreover, this is a book that probes the age old question "Who am I?", and actually dares to suggest an answer.

A chain of events in York's life leaves him reeling in contemplation, and a chance introduction to a shadowy character named Michael Billa soon has him questioning things he once considered sacred and took for granted.

Written with equal parts fantasy and dark comedy, this tale slowly slices through your heart until you find yourself shivering in the corner of the room.

Here is one cocktail that will defintely leave you feeling intoxicated... Ronan Glynn (glynnr98@yahoo.com), New Jersey.

I agree with the previous review, that this isn't the best book with which to acquaint yourself with Carroll. THE LAND OF LAUGHS might be the best place to start - or try his last book, THE WOODEN SEA. Truth be told, A CHILD ACROSS THE SKY falls far short of his other works. Its highlights are two short stories, both of which can be found in his terrific collection, THE PANIC HAND. The plotting of CHILD feels rushed and forced, and its themes slightly convoluted. Carroll's distinctive voice is very much present - and as always a pleasure to listen to. This just didn't hit the mark like so many of his others.

Okay, maybe I'm being picky because I'm on this Jonathan Carroll streak right now and just finished four of his other books before this one. Like his great books, this one has brilliant scenes, concepts and wild plot devices, but I found that it didn't hold together as well as his others. At times, it seems like even Carroll might have lost one of his own threads. This book made me appreciate how great his new one, Marriage of Sticks, is. If you haven't read anything by Carroll before, I'd stick to his others first. If you're a Carroll freak like I am, you'll want to search this one out. Rondua appears in this one too and you may recognize Finky-Linky and some of the usual suspects.

Jonathan Carroll is the most consistent writer working today. With each novel he writes, he breaks new ground and always manages to create something compelling and gorgeous. All his books are massively beautiful works of art, each telling a story that screams to be heard. If you enjoy literature that doesn't restrict itself to solely entertainment--though is certainly not lacking in, but that also dares to challenge the mind--then do yourself a favor and read Jonathan Carroll.

This book is part of a series of books I have read very recently that had a naval theme. I should add that this was read after Carla Kelly's MISS WHITTER MAKES A LIST (strongly recommended, despite minor flaws) and Nicola Cornick's THE LARKSWOOD LEGACY (reviewed some time ago). The story has been nicely described by others, so let me take a moment to review what I liked and did not like about this book.

For me, the problem is that this book is too slim, and ends too early and definitely too abruptly. The hero, a young captain who has lost his parents very young and who has been raised at sea by a stern maternal grandfather (an Admiral), inherits the estate of an elderly relation who dies to save the hero's life during enemy action. Partly out of guilt, partly out of a sense of duty, the hero betrothes himself to the eldest daughter of his late cousin - by correspondence (only a few letters). And then, he arrives to be married over a very short break. The heroine is not the eldest sister; she is in love with a very poor curate, and she has resigned herself to marriage. Rather, the real heroine is the young and fanciful Chloe Anne, the third of the four sisters. Chloe is convinced that both the Captain and her sister Emma are making a mistake, in part because Emma loves another man. She is also horrified at the thought of changing anything about her beloved estate.

OK - that is just the beginning. Unfortunately, firstly, the Christmas theme does not really follow through. Although there is a holiday celebration, it does not set the Captain reflecting about his life and wondering what is wrong with it. His efforts to free himself from the betrothal are passive to say the least. And Chloe Anne does not stop to reflect on her life either. And *that* is a problem with this romance. Neither hero nor heroine really change that much; although the hero recognizes he is in love with the wrong sister, he makes little effort to change his situation, or for that matter, to question the harshness of Navy discipline in dealing with his deserting steward.

It seems to me that the only sisters who do change are Lucy (a fortune hunter and title hunter at the start) and the youngest, Agnes (a prude and bookworm, a la Austen's Mary Bennett). Nor, of course, do the curate and his love Emma change that much, although both work up the courage to proclaim their love - literally at the altar. [A trifle embarrassing, one would think].

The epilogue seems a little odd, hastily written perhaps, and tacked on as an afterthought. A longer book might have helped; allowing more time for the captain and Chloe Anne's characters to develop and mature (instead of the ghost escapade) might have helped. There were moments of high comedy, but in general, I did not feel that this book lived upto its initial promise.

Rated 3.5

Considering the emphasis that was put on Christmas for this novel in both its marketing and title, CHRISTMAS BELLES was a bit of a disappointment. Susan Carroll delivers a fun, well-focused romance story with great character growth, yet fails to evoke the spirit of the holiday.

Sir Phineas Waverly, is killed during a naval battle aboard Captain William Trent's ship. Will is also the closest male heir to take possession of the deteriorating Waverly estate, Windhaven. He is well within his rights to evict Sir Phineas's four daughters, Emma, Chloe Anne, Lucy and Agnes, but instead Will takes guardianship of them. In order to give the situation more propriety, he also offers to marry the eldest, Emma, who accepts. He arrives at Windhaven for the ceremony during the holidays, only to be confronted by the second eldest, Chloe Anne, who tries to thwart their plans every chance she can because Emma is really in love with the local vicar.

The growth between Will and Chloe Anne is provocative. He has been a member of the Royal Navy since his grandfather called the motherless boy to duty at the age of 9. Will has to grow accustomed to being around women and is completely flummoxed when a small child is thrust in his arms. Chloe Anne is a romantic daydreamer, who needs to learn that life sometimes requires compromises. One can appreciate how some of the supporting characters develop, too.

Because of the brood of "unprotected" sisters, this 1992 novel not only reminisces on Georgette Heyer's delightful drawing room comedies, but Jane Austen's stories as well. However, by the looks of Carroll's dedication, it is heartwarming to notice that her inspiration more likely came from her own cluster of sisters.

Much credit should also be given to Carroll for not introducing a German character to persuade the Waverlys to set up a Christmas tree. Despite common belief, it wasn't Prince Albert who first introduced this custom to British society, but Fergie's Georgian predecessor, the Duchess of York (a.k.a. Frederica Charlotte Ulrica, the Princess Royal of Prussia). Regardless of this Duchess's "eccentricities" and other authors' efforts to give their stories a more contemporary feel of the holiday to their readers, it is much preferable to see how the majority of English people celebrated the holiday at the time.

The solitary weakness this holiday Regency romance has--despite all of its celebrations--is that it lacks the Christmas spirit, which is usually defined as goodwill towards man. One argument can be made that Will always has everyone's best interests at heart and even does one of his subordinates a risky favor, but no lessons are learned. Unlike George Bailey, he never learns what "a wonderful life" he has had. Unlike Ebenezer Scrooge, Will is already aware of the warm feelings that arise from doing someone a good turn. Surely a significant subplot could've been woven in with the romance to make it excel.

Regardless of whether CHRISTMAS BELLES comes off weak as a holiday story, it is still a top-notch Regency romance. Although it's great seeing Carroll currently breaking into a more widely-read mainstreamish market, the production of these "little" novels are joys that will be missed.

I loved this Christmas Regency romance book from Susan Carrol, Christmas Belles is one of the most charming romance books that I have ever read and all the characters are very likeable and it was just a real joy to read, I won't bother to give a detailed description about the basic plot about the book because the other reviewer already did that and why repeat what was already said but I just wanted to say how much I like the book, my favorite characters in this delightful book are Chloe Anne Waverly and William Trent and I really think they were a good match! This Book is a keeper and a book I will treasure in my little collection of favorite romance books!

Overall, I liked the book. It's a good exposition into Catholic teaching about the Eucharist, and these miracles are concrete examples of those beliefs and how they can strengthen the faith. However, I did have problems with the repetition of the blood libel charges so frequently leveled against Jews (for example, the miracle of Brussels, Belgium which involved physical desecration of consecrated hosts by Jews--a common theme in medieval and early modern anti-Semitism). Accounts associated with the blood libel add nothing to the book. Rather, they detract from the divine beauty of the miracles and unwittingly expose the darker side of Catholicism.

A very fascinating book with a remarkable number of Eucharistic miracles over the ages - does get a tiny bit repetitive but this woman had obviously put her time into research! I reccomend it highly as the stories are interesting and supportive to the truth of the real presence of Christ in the Holy Eucharist. Buy it, get a warm drink and a nice blanket - and Jesus in the Holy Eucharist will warm your heart as you read the book!

Over 35 famous, amazing, historical miracles of the Eucharist: Hosts that have turned to visible flesh when consecrated, Hosts which have bled. Hosts which have become hard as stone upon being received by a person in mortal sin, Hosts which have levitated or manifested their hidden presence by mysterious lights, etc. Covering a period from Lanciano, Italy (8th century) to Stich, Bavaria (1970), many of these miracles came about after sacrilege had been committed against the Holy Eucharist. Gives information on official investigations made into these events and tells where these miraculous Hosts can be seen and adored. Also describes the extraordinary Eucharistic phenomena in the lives of many saints: saints who lived on the Eucharist alone, raptures and ecstasies during Holy Communion, miraculous receptions, levitation, visions, locutions, and phenomena of tears, fire and light - plus the history of Eucharistic adoration, including Benediction, Corpus Christi, and perpetual adoration. A powerful shot in the arm to the sagging faith of Catholics today. Firmly buttresses the loftiest mystery of the Catholic religion.

Geared toward travelers who have a lot to spent on hotels, shopping, and entertainment. Not recommended for most people.

I took a gamble when purchasing this book before my wife and I took a vacation to Hawaii(Oahu,Maui)this summer. Boy, am I glad that I did. The Frommer's Hawaii 2002 went everywhere with us. It enhanced our trip greatly and we would have missed a lot without it. The maps were extremely helpful when navigating around to our desired destinations. We also appreciated the insite on the places to dine, hike, snorkle, kayak, etc. If you are in the market for a travel guide I highly recommend this guide.

Another terrific Frommer guide. Things are organized the way you plan a vacation. Looking for accommodations? They are all in one place for each island (grouped by location). Same with meals, activities, etc. I especially appreciate the honest descriptions and opinions of each property. If it's run down, the author says so. That's the type of information I need. I can get simple descriptive info (like other guidebooks) from the tourist bureau. I want to know what stuff is REALLY like and this book tells me.

The author is an academic anthropologist. The book is a survey of a lot of information, but some emphases seem unusual. For example, there is quite a bit of speculation about what languages were spoken by prehistoric "pueblo" people but almost no information about the pueblo revolt of 1680. Details of that revolt are easily found in other books, but it was surprising to find so little about such an important event here. In contrast, there is a chapter on the Spanish conquest of Mexico. I found that material interesting, but it wasn't clear how that level of detail related to the author's main story. The author says almost nothing about the exploitation of the Pueblo people by the Church, government, and landowners before the revolt. He states that the Spanish were benevolent compared to the English in New England, but without any justification for this statement. There is an extensive list of references for readers who want to learn more. The book could also use some editing; some text is repeated in a later chapter.

"Rio Del Norte" is a very good summary and (partial) reinterpretation of the archeology and culture history of the US Southwest into the early historical period. "Southwest" is in quotation marks because during the early historical period it was Mexico's "Northwest;" but it has always belonged to the indigenous peoples who still live there. Apart from this misnomer, the perspective is not notably Anglocentric, and in fact, the work is exceptional in giving due consideration to the concerns of the Indians of the region. This is most noticeable in Riley's discussion of EL Turco ("The Turk"), a Plains Indian captive at Pecos Pueblo who led Coronado onto the Great Plains in the early 1540s. Typically portrayed as a lying traitor by the Spaniards, Riley shows him---convincingly, in my view---as an early exemplar of Pan-Indian consciousness who developed an (abortive) strategy to thwart the Spaniards' pursuit of wealth and power. In this way Riley restores historical and rational agency to this enigmatic figure, and also other indigenous historical actors from the region.

This book rates 4 stars because the level of specialized detail, especially on environment and economy, will deter some readers. But I have happily quarried it for lecture material, and both students and laypersons who appreciate clearly-written scholarship will benefit from reading it.

I bought this book while vacationing in New Mexico and found it an excellent companion to my visits to archaeological sites such as Quarai, Abo, and Gran Quivara. These former Pueblo Indian farming communities are located in the middle of nowhere and the fact they were able to exist -- and apparently thrive -- in a hostile, desert environment adds to their appeal and mystery. Riley has turned out a competent, readable survey of the Indians of the Rio Grande in pre- and early-historical times. In the first half of the book he gives a thorough account of all aspects of Pueblo Indian culture: history, language, agriculture, religion, technology, trade, etc. The second half is devoted to their contacts with Coronado and the other early Spanish explorers and settlers. He presents in brief form a lot of information, but most of what he says is jargon-free and comprehensible to non-archaeologists and non-specialists. I liked the book and it will stay on my shelves as a ready reference to the Pueblo Indians.

I recieved this book today and I enjoyed reading it very much. The book has the standard front color section, and a back black-and-white section. The section on VARGS was informative and well thought out. This book offers many new toys for a creative player to use. However, some sections seemed lacking. The art in the beginning was decidedly below-par for White Wolf. Good book? Yes. Worth the 15.95 price? Maybe.

I loved the Varg section of this book, it has given me many ideas for a campaign. It s a great point for ideas, and can enrich a campaign quite alot.

Althought parts of the book could be labelled dry or lacking, it provides a great deal of information on the technology of the world, and could (or should) serve as the launching pad for the storyteller's own ideas and creations. Just try to memorize all the details, though.