A woman has to search high and low to find any book that comes close to Wolverton's Insurgent Muse when looking for a truly feminist history of women and art in this country. Wolverton takes the feminist discourse course by blending in her own story with very honest critique and appraisal of the influence of Los Angeles' Women's Building on helping women bridge the gender gap in visual and performing art. True to the notion that "the personal is political" Wolverton recounts her own journey from the Midwest and her own journey on her way to becoming a self-realized artist and person. I think some of her points along the way are very important and do blend with feminist literary criticism, for example, that the developing woman and the developing artist are most often one and the same, that these two stories cannot be separated out from a woman's personality.

Though, it must be said of Insurgent Muse, the best thing about it is just that it is a damn good read. Historical and feminist criticism, many times, can be so dry and theoretical (on purpose, you think. Maybe academics think they get brownie highbrow points for that.) that many women are discouraged from reading it. Wolverton's book blends theory, personal history, historical anecdote into something that is insightful, informative, and enjoyable!

Terry Wolverton's Insurgent Muse is one of the most powerful, moving memoirs I have ever read. Once I started reading, I literally could not put the book down and stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. Wolverton writes with insight, courage and humor about her own coming of age as an artist, her coming out as a lesbian, and her experiences with the Los Angeles Woman's Building, not only as an institution but as a vision of a creative, collaborative community of women. Anybody who is interested in the connections between art and politics, especially how artists get politicized and how political art gets made, should read this book. Though there's no happy ending to this story - in that the Woman's Building is no more - I found Insurgent Muse incredibly inspiring and an important reminder that art DOES matter and that sisterhood - however chimerical it sometimes seems - can indeed be powerful.

What a pleasure to read. Wolverton weaves through the book personal history and her experiences at the Los Angeles Woman's Building to bring art history and feminism in LA to life. Wolverton easily evokes engaging images with just a few strokes of the pen.

It's 1849, and the Gold Rush has begun. Susanna, her sister, and her father are off to California in the search for gold and the competition is ablaze. Susanna wants her family to find gold, too, but she also doesn't want her family to forget about the love they must share with each as a family. Along the way, she must confront her feelings, even as the craze for gold increases. There are more dangers to her family other than the loss of money, and Susanna must react bravely to whatever happens. Will she and her family be victorious in the Gold Rush, and will their family values fade? Seeds Of Hope is a well --written and nice addition to the Dear America series by Kristiana Gregory. It wasn't the best in the series, but I enjoyed it a lot.

It is January, 1849. Fourteen-year-old Susanna Fairchild, her father, and her sixteen-year-old sister Clara are on board a ship, almost to the end of their long sea voyage from New York to Oregon, when they hear news of a gold strike in California. Susanna's desperate father, grieving after the death of his wife and nearly penniless after losing all his money, abandons his plan of establishing a medical practice in Oregon and decides to mine for gold in the hope of gaining back the money he lost. Writing in the diary left behind by her mother, Susanna describes life in a rough-and-tumble mining camp and the dangers she and Clara face when they are left alone for weeks at a time. But in spite of the many hardships they face, the two sisters grow closer and experience the joys of finding new friends and their first loves. I highly reccomend this book to all fans of the Dear America series. Kristiana Gregory has written a beautiful story about a family that faces many losses but manages to grow stronger, not from the riches that they struggle to find, but through the love they share. This has quickly become my favorite book in the Dear America series.

This book is really good! I read it at least once a month!
It's about a family that's heading to Oregon to settle with other realitives. While they're heading to OR they hear news of the gold rush! The captin of the ship decides to change course and head to San Fransico Bay where all of the crew jupms ship and head for the gold fields.
Susanna's Pa gets geared up and is ready to go gold mining also. Taking Susanna and her sister along.
This is a very intruiging book about her life in the Cal. gold fields.

Mr. Schad has spent a lot of time on the trails of San Diego county and it shows in this book. Why not learn from someone else the great trails instead of hit and missing on your own.

Lets put it this way. On the San Diego bulletin boards for hiking enthusiasts looking to get together for hikes, they discuss the hikes by referencing page #s from this book. They don't bother naming the book because it is understood that everyone owns a copy. No book achieves that level of acceptance unless it is thorough and useful.
For hiking in San Diego county, this book can't be beat.

This is one of my favorite book's, it sometimes will be the only thing to inspire me to go camping and hiking. This book makes me want to go hiking every day. Leaving your doorstep and traveling less then an hour to find yourself out of the city. It has all of San Diegos hikes and many mountian biking trails. It has great listing to let you know if you should attempt the hike or bike ride and if it would be good for children or dogs. The map at the start of the book could be a little better. It's the best guide for San Diego best hikes, with excellent driving directions. No other book even comes close. This book also has more pictures.
It reminds me what a wonderful place San Diego is.

The Nickel Tour is ostensibly a pictorial tour of Disneyland's history through a presentation of every postcard the Park has ever offered. However it is so much more. Written by Walt Disney Imagineers Bruce Gordon and David Mumford, the books gives fans a glimpse behind the scenes of both Disneyland and its development wing- Imagineering. Want to know when an attraction opened? It's in there. Want to know the history of that attraction? It's in there. How about "what might have been"? Yup, it's in there too. If you are fan of Disneyland, or just Disney, you will love this book. The writing is fantastic, the images wonderful, and the inside info is priceless.

If you're a fan of Disneyland and it's history, then this book is a must! I was astounded by the scope of this work, and the attention to detail. It covers Disneyland from it's beginnings in the early 50's to the present day with individual "stories" about the different aspects of the park. Accompaning these "stories" are hundreds of rare photos and artwork along with the postcards the book is named after. This is a definite must have book for fans of the California park.

We're just glad this book is back in print for all to enjoy! With first editions now selling for over $200, it's great to see the 2nd edition just in time for Disneyland's 45th Anniversary. The story of Walt Disney and Disneyland is told through the history of Disneyland souvenir postcards from 1955 thru the present. Bruce Gordon and David Mumford are to be commended for this true labor of love. The book is jam packed with hundreds of color and black & white photos (as well as images of the original Disneyland postcards); and the accompanying text accurately tells the story of Walt Disney's creative vision for a new form of family entertainment. Beautifully bound and printed with quality materials. A fascinating read from cover to cover! Bravo!

Growing up in Montara just a few minutes north of Mavericks, no one I knew even talked about surfing there. The surfers from the coast surfed the Jetty, and the stronger surfers went to Montara. There were many places around that one could surf, but no one considered Mavericks a surf mecca. No one mentioned it's name.

Seeing is believing. If you have NEVER seen big wave surfing except in pictures you are missing out!...

Enjoy the book. It is a great piece of history about the location and surfing in general!

Look for DVD's and Videos of Mavericks at [their website], taken by locals Eric and Kurt at Powerline Productions.

This book captures the unique world of big wave surfing better than any I've ever read. It's really cool the way it goes back and forth between the relatively recent discovery of Maverick's and the general history of big wave surfing over the last 50 or so years. The research that must have gone into portraying the various characters that make up the strange world of big wave riding is really impressive. It's got some really great photos too, although not just the typical big wave wipe-out shots. It's good looking enough to sit on your coffee table, but unlike most coffee table books, its full of great writing.

The book "Maverick's The Big Story of Big-Wave Surfing" by Matt Warskaw is one of my favorite books. This book is about surfing and its mishaps and adventures. The title of the book is Maverick's, this relates to the book countless times because it is a gigantic storm of waves in California that come every year. There are many different stories, some that are good and some that are sad or not that interesting. This book talks about how surfing has changed over the years. Also how far it has come since 1914. It has some very fascinating stories from surfing a 25-foot wave to drowning and having your last ride. I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 because of how interesting it was. I would also recomend this book to all ages because it is such a good book.

I am a big Lori Wick fan and Sean Donavon is one of her best. I just finished reading it and I wanted to read more about Sean and Charlie! Sean is a wonderful character that started out as a wild young man and grew into a sweet, sensitive Christian man. The characters were wonderful and the love story kept me turning the pages! A lot of adventure and romance to keep you reading.

This book was neat. It was sort of different then most of Lori Wick's books yet,it was typical of her books in the way it was written. The plot was neat,a little unrealistic in today's times but, it was rather romantic. One way it was neat was the fact that Charlie had such a bad life and didn't know what real love and care were but, Sean ,(pronounced Shawn),came by and gave her a real reason to live. Along with God's forgiveness,Sean's love and his wonderful family life, Charlie finds out what true love is all about.

WHILE I WAS ON VACATION IN BERMUDA I STUMBLED ONTO LORI'S BOOKS. I SPENT JUST ABOUT EVERY WAKING MOMENT READING THE FIRST 2 BOOKS AND WHEN I CAME HOME I ORDERED THE 3RD AND 4TH BOOK READ THE 3RD ONE IN 2 DAYS. I AM STILL WAITING FOR THE 4TH BOOK TO ARRIVE.

I LOVE THE WAY THAT LORI BROUGHT 2 STRANGERS TOGETHER SEAN AND CHARLIE AT FIRST AND THEN BY THE END OF THE BOOK THEY WERE WHERE GOD WANTED THEM AND DEEPLY IN LOVE. IT MAKES ME BELIEVE THAT WONDERFUL MARRIAGES DO EXIST ESPECIALLY WHEN GOD IS AT THE BASE OF IT.

I READ THIS BOOK WHILE ON HOLIDAY IN MADERIA AND COULD'NT PUT IT DOWN. IT TELLS THE TRUE STORY OF HOLLYWOOD.YOU WILL LAUGH & CRY .YOU WILL FEEL SADNESS FOR PEOPLE YOU THOUGHT HAD IT ALL. THE WRITER TELLS IT AS IT IS. IF YOU LIKED THE MOONS A BALLOON YOU WILL LOVE THIS.DAVID NIVEN WILL BE REMBERED FOR HIS ACTING,WRITING & MOST OF ALL HIS COMPASSION .AN OLD BOOK BUT A MUST READ.

This book and the one preceding it("The Moon's a Balloon") just might be my two favorite books, EVER. I practically insist every friend I make read them. Niven had a very unique life, and had a rare gift for story-telling that makes these books real treasures. They are laugh-out-loud, effortlessly funny stories that tell us of his entry into Hollywood (an unusual career path, it involved prohibition, fish and polo) as well as his checkered career in the military in England. I guarantee you'll read these two books over and over again. I just wish he'd written more of them!

This book is one of the best books about Hollywood I have ever read. Many books of this kind are written in a bitter, sometimes nasty voice as an attack on the people involved, but Niven does not stoop to that level. Not only do you get an excellent first-hand history of the golden studio days of filmmaking, but you get to see a more personal depiction of many of the stars of the era. His style is so charming, and dare I say "witty", that I couldn't help but laugh aloud at many of his observations. Finally, a book about Hollywood that doesn't leave a bad aftertaste!

Recently I was having dinner over a friend's house and the side dish being served was Brussels Sprouts. I never liked them as a child and the thought of eating them now, as an adult, was just as appealing as it was back then. Not to insult my host, I tried some. To my amazement, I LOVED them! I had to have the recipe (Caper Lemon Brussels Sprouts). The delicious side dish comes from the Junior League of Oakland - East Bay's cookbook, California Fresh Harvest, A Season Journey Through Northern California. The book contains recipes of Northern California's famous delicacies including Dungeness Crab, Cioppino, Butternut Squash Soup with Sage, Sizzling Shrimp, Goat Cheese Tart with Lavender Honey, Asparagus and Bell Pepper Risotto, and Mediterranean Penne Pasta to name a few. There are also many recipes for chicken, beef and lamb to give some variety to your usual dinners. The book even gives you menu ideas taken from recipes in the book for such special occasions such as Valentine's Day dinners and Mother's Day Brunch. The main body of the book is split into four main parts, Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter, containing menus, recipes and commodities in each section. The recipes are dishes you would find in the best restaurants but so easy to make even the most inexperienced of cooks, such as I, can make them. Moreover, the recipes do not contain those hard to find ingredients that you need to travel the world to find! I have not tried any of the desert recipes yet but they look awesome. I love the book so much I bought one for my mother and sister-in-law. This is one cookbook that does not just sit in my kitchen for looks

I originally received this cookbook as a gift. I was so delighted with it, I subsequently ordered four additional copies to give as gifts. The recipients are still thanking me! First, the recipes are creative and delicious -- fully enhancing the flavors of bountiful, diverse, fresh ingredients found in the San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country. (It's hard NOT to eat well in this region!) Second, the cookbook itself is uncommonly successful in evoking this spectacular setting with gorgeous photos, sidebars of interesting sidetrips, local restaurants and wineries, and mind-boggling facts regarding the abundance of local agriculture. Food preparation tips, background information on local food and wine festivals/events, and delicacies such as Meyer Lemons are also highlighted. While it's fun to simply browse through this beautiful cookbook, it's even better to sample the Junior League's trade-mark "home cooking with flair." Full menus are offered here. My personal favorites are the Baja Guacamole, Savory Polenta w/Asiago Cheese, Garlic-Roasted Chicken, Pork Tenderloin w/Apricot Ginger Sauce, and Cherries & Berries Compote w/Crispy Puffed Pancake. The Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars are worth the price of admission all by themselves! I'm not surprised this cookbook is winning national rave reviews and awards. They are very well deserved! It is so beautifully rendered, it puts most commercially-produced cookbooks to shame.

This beautiful cookbook is organized by season, with four fresh produce items featured for each season. This allows even the most novice cook to find simple recipes using the freshest of ingredients. This book is a great place to start to add seasonal produce to your menues.

The recipes are not limited to those contributed by Junior League members, but also include recipes from notable California restaurants.

A bonus: this book is so attractive that it could practically be a coffee table book. The photographs and information about Northern California are exceptional.

Chicken is impossible to put down, even, no, especially when the sky is falling. It is a true story of survival, of a teenaged boy on the brink of adulthood doing what he has to do. In turns vulnerable, tough, innocent and wise, the author tells the story of his time as a 'chicken' - a male prostitute in 70's Hollywood. Young David strives for normalcy, tries to break the patterns of his double-life, but cannot shake the feeling that he belongs with 'the freaks': those whose existence is outside the realm of acceptability. Tempered with hilarious characters and situations and a fast-paced jazzy writing style, this book has all the qualities that make a good read.

Not since I read The Catcher in the Rye 20 years ago have I been so glued to a book. I bought this book on a Friday afternoon and couldn't put it down til I finished it Saturday afternoon. But this compelling coming-of-age story gripped me squarely in the vise of "gunna"--I had to know what was "gunna" happen next. David Henry Sterry's sculpted language creates a visceral intensity, a three-dimensional roller coaster ride through the shocking, sad, and sometimes funny world of teenage prostitution. His childhood flashbacks add a richness to the story, capturing the family backstory in Super-8 sprocketed vignettes. The book was in equal parts gritty, enlightening, and engrossing. Sterry has exploded onto the literary landscape and may well be the voice of a generation of disenfranchised youth. Don't miss it.

David Henry Sterry packed a lot into his nine month stint as a male prostitute in California. For all those guys who wished they could have been Richard Gere in American Gigolo, you should pick up a copy of this book; it will dash your indulgent fantasies.

"Chicken" tells Sterry's story of family dejection and his fast leap into the freakish world of prostitution. On the journey, he mentions various strange meetings and requests of his "clients"--but don't be too anxious to believe these vignettes will tantalize. It's obvious Sterry is speaking from the heart and instead of exciting me (I didn't expect it to) this well-written book made my stomach turn. Even with all the mentioning of orgies and sexual conduct, you can still sense the young boy whose life is being destroyed.

The prose is beautifully, albeit aggressively, written. And other than a few anachronisms (were there really pagers in the seventies?) you can't help but love this book. One of the best I have read this year.

And as you read Sterry's book--and I highly suggest you do--you can't help but hear the echo of what the author calls instruction #8: If something seems weird, it probably is.

Sunshine And Shadow by Earlene Fowler is the best Benni Harper novel yet. Not only does she manage to use TWO types of quilts metaphorically [the sunshine and shadow quilt of the title AND the crazy quilt], but she also juggles two different [but related] stories from two different time periods [the current period of the novels and early in Benni and Jack's marriage]. The plotting is tight and the mysteries are intriguing. First and foremost, the novel is about relationships. Benni and Gabe, Benni and Jack, Isaac and Dove, Gabe and his old partner, author and reader, and many, many more. Regular readers of the Benni Harper series should read this novel with relish. Newcomers will enjoy the novel, but I would suggest that they start with an earlier novel. I am also pleased to say that due to Ms. Fowler's newest book deal, we have at least two more Benni Harper novels to look forward to [and a non-series novel that will be set on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevadas].

Earlene Fowler can be depended on for a good story with interesting characters, and the beautiful background of the central California coast. In this, the 10th. book of the series, she tells parallel stories of heroine Benni Harper. One of the stories takes place in 1978 when Benni is married to young rancher, Jack Harper, and the second relates incidents in 1995 when Benni is married to Gabe, the local chief of police. Prominent in both stories is Emma Baldwin, an author whom Benni had admired in her younger days, and whom she interviewed for
a paper when she was in college. Another character is Luke, a friend of Gabe's whom he used to work with and who is back in town to visit. Fowler carefully weaves these stories together, much like a quilt pattern, and emerges with a well-told tale which has unsuspected connections at the end.

SUNSHINE AND SHADOW is a little different from the other books in this series. Earlene Fowler takes us back into Benni's early life and her first marriage to Jack. The author switches gears often and intertwines some of the story of Benni and her life with Jack with what's going on today in Benni's life. This is the tenth book in this series and there are many parts that make up SUNSHINE AND SHADOW.

The story begins when grandmother Dove marries Isaac. Her new husband moves in with lots of stuff and Dove asks Benni to take back the boxes that she had stored at her grandmother's home. Many of the items are things that had belonged to Benni's first husband, and they lead to Benni's reminiscing about Jack who was killed in an accident. As she sorts through the material, she comes across a journal that Jack had kept and she receives a startling revelation.

Emma Baldwin, an old acquaintance and famous author returns to San Celina and she and Bennie resume their friendship. She also agrees to lend Benni a wonderful old crazy quilt to display in the folk art museum where Benni is the curator.

Gabe Ortiz, Benni's husband who also happens to be the local police chief, continues to be devoted to his new wife, but the marriage is still a little shaky. The mystery comes into the story when an old friend of Gabe's from the LAPD is killed in San Celina. After that, someone starts harassing Benni, and Gabe is convinced it has to do with an incident from his own past when he was a drug enforcement officer.

I was really looking forward to reading SUNSHINE AND SHADOW, but it was not what I was expecting. STEPS TO THE ALTAR, the previous story in this series, left me in a state of uncertainty as to what would happen to Benni's marriage to Gabe and I approached this book expecting a resolution to that problem. At first I felt that this story skirted that issue; however, the more I thought about this book, the more I realized that the author knows that a troubled marriage is not cured overnight. I believe that she decided to give her characters time to work through their marital problems. After all, everyone's life is filled with sunshine and shadow.

As usual, this author delivers another good book and tops it off by giving the reader something to think about. This is a skillfully written and very clever story.