Product Description
The 14 Book Beany Malone Set includes: Meet the Malones; Beany Malone; Leave It to Beany; Beany and the Beckoning Road; Beany Has a Secret Life; Make a Wish for Me; Happy Birthday, Dear Beany; The More the Merrier; A Bright Star Falls; Welcome Stranger; Pick a New Dream; Tarry Awhile; Something Borrowed, Something Blue; Come Back, Wherever You Are. The Malones of Denver, Colorado are a warm open-hearted family with a welcoming home, open to friends and all others in need of physical and emotional nourishment. The series has the warmth and sense of solidarity intrinsic of wartimes and the post-war era. There is a general feeling of peace and simplicity. When the series opens, the Malone children are motherless, as Mary Malone has been dead for three years. The father, Martie Malone, is often absent due to his duties as editor of the Denver Call. Three of the four Malone children, Mary Fred, Johnny and Beany, live at home. The oldest Malone daughter, the beautiful, loving Elizabeth, has been married to Lieutenant Donald McCallin for one year. The Malones live on Barberry Street in a large, wide-bosomed gray stone home. Their surrounding neighbors are Mrs. Morrison Adams (known as Mrs. Socially-prominent Adams) in her red brick home with immaculate white trim and frilly curtains in the windows, and the imposing and stately home of the Judge Buell family.
Customer Reviews:
AMAZING SERIES!! IS A MUST READ!.......2006-06-24
I got the entire series this past Christmas. I had read the first 2 because although my library had more, they didn't have all of them, and they didn't have the 3rd and I don't like to read things out of order so I was really sad. So then I was soo happy to find out they were being republished by Image Cascading!!!
So yea I read them all and they all rock!!! It's nice seeing what teenagers did back in the 50's. And it was also nice how different people's relationships were with their family's, I wish it were more like that today. And they are also way more responsible and mature then we are now. Making their own money, not having to depend on their parents for everything. And their parents respect and trust them more too! And they definatly treat their parents with much respect which is ALOT more then I can say about kids of today.
The first book is about Beany's older sister, Mary Fred. It is in MF's junior year of highschool, when Beany is in 8th grade. The rest of the books are all about Beany, in highschool, college, and then when she gets married. And let me just say I LOVE who she ends up with. They are SOOO cute!!!
Everyone should read these books they are amazing and are definatly one of my favorite books ever!
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational.......2007-09-08
I absolutely LOVE these series. I'm now reading them for the 4th time. I love how Lund breaks down the parables and teachings of Christ to make them easier to understand. I also love the historical accuracy. He brings you into the story as if you really are there. I highly recommend these books!
Lund does it again.......2007-03-26
I am a huge fan of Gerald N. Lund and love his works. Fire of the Covenant was an excellent read and so I began this series. Lund has a way of making you truly understand the people and times that he writes about. He also raises the question inside yourself, "What would I have done if I were there?". Highly recommend this series and the rest of Lund's works, for LDS or non-LDS.
Come Unto Me (Kingdom and the Crown, 2) by Gerald Lund.......2006-11-10
Love this series! These books really give you some insight on the life of the Savior - when and why he did what he did. These books also help you to understand Jewish traditions, are historical fiction, and very entertaining!
Kingdom and the Crown - series.......2006-08-06
THis is the most wonderful series I've read in a long time. It helps to fully understand the happenings of the life of Jesus Christ. Gerald Lund writes fictional characters along with real life characters. He helps you understand the Twelve Apostles, the Zealots, Sadducees and the Pharisees. You learn about the life of Jesus Christ; his miracles; his death, and the atonement. You learn about Herod's Temple and what went on there. This series is well worth reading.
Jesus brought to life.......2005-10-13
The author's biblical references are integrated into an incredible fictional setting and you will experience Jesus as a real life person.
Book Description
COME LOOK WITH ME: Enjoying Art with Children is the first volume in the COME LOOK WITH ME series of interactive art books from Lickle Publishing. Each book in the series introduces children to twelve magnificent works of art. More importantly, they offer a whole new way of encountering any work of art, one that engages the imagination as much as the eye.
Well suited for both individual and classroom use, Enjoying Art with Children pairs quality art reproductions with thought-provoking questions, encouraging children to learn through visual exploration and interaction. Thoughtful text introduces the world and work of the artist, making the most of a child's natural curiosity.
Children are invited to search out the details that bring works of art to life - the tattered sleeve of a street urchin in John Brown's A Tough Story, and the rosy complexion of a young musician in Renoir's Two Girls at the Piano.
Drawing from a wide-ranging selection of works of art, from Hans Holbein the Younger's 16th century portrait of a one-year-old Edward VI, Edward VI as a Child, to Pablo Picasso's 1938 study of his daughter with a sailor doll, Maya with a Doll, children explore the artwork with lessons in perspective, color, line, and even in the nature of creative freedom.
Engaging and interactive for both children and adults, Lickle Publishing's COME LOOK WITH ME series celebrated what Mrs. Blizzard called the "pleasure of shared experience."
Customer Reviews:
gets kids thinking about art ~ not just looking at it.......2007-07-13
after borrowing it so many times from the library, just decided to go ahead and get it. this is one of sonlight's recommended resources for kindergarten (art appreciation)
Well done.......2007-07-03
The artwork is accompanied by questions to get the viewer thinking. It works great with homeschool or for anytime.
Educational. Look at Art with Children.......2003-10-29
This is a good book for adults and children. There is a picture on one page and on the next page there is a little bit of information about the picture and some questions to inspire thinking about the picture.
Examples of questions might be- what are the childrenn in this painting feeling? What makes you think so? What is the father in this painting thinking about?
This book inspires young children to look at pictures in a different way. It inspires them to put the story to the painting and to explore what the painting is trying to 'say'. Because of this it is a good introduction to art for young children.
Enjoy.
A new way of looking at picture books.......2000-04-08
We just started "looking" at Ms Blizzard's book, and it has already opened a whole new world for my children to discover. The format (full page color pictures accompanied by historical reference and discussion questions) is as enjoyable for the children as it is for adults. As a homeschool mother I appreciate the opportunity it provides to take a moment and wonder what the artist may have had in mind when they created their work. I also thank the author for the corresponding list of open ended discussion questions she provides. Take a moment to really look at a picture and let the child interpret it. You may be surprized at how they respond. I know I was. It has become especially popular with my 3 year old who considers the children her friends. We look at it daily and can't wait to add to our collection with another edition of the authors works. A wonderful introduction to art appreciation for all ages. Thank you Ms. Blizzard for a wonderful book! This series is sure to be a hit with all who appreciate art.
Book Description
In this sexy debut novel, J.S. Hawley introduces two strong-willed people whose attraction is explosive, surprising, and definitely trouble. And they wouldn't have it any other way...
Come With Me
Jessica Bishop has a motto: my way or no way. It's what made her a media icon--a successful sister in a white man's world. And it's what made her leave it all behind. Desperate to be alone, Jesse takes refuge in her brother's secluded North Carolina cabin. But it's no safe haven. Instead she finds herself in close quarters with a dangerously sexy man--Michael Majestic Cloud Walker--a man she's trying desperately to resist. But the moment Mike sets his penetrating steel-gray eyes on Jesse's fine, curvaceous body with its silky smooth caramel skin, his driving ambition is to know every inch of her inside out. And if she wants to put up a good, long, sensual fight, he's all game. Soon their passion is ignited and hotter than he ever expected--and something he won't give up easily...
Customer Reviews:
IT's OK!.......2007-09-26
This book started out slow but was well written. I like the education on Native American History storyline. Very informative. The heroine(Jesse) was a little annoying at times but you understand why towards the end of the book. The love scenes were very intimate and tasteful. Overall, it was a good book, not great.
Rain on me Cloud Walker........2007-07-20
I throughly enjoyed this book.The tension bettween jesse and mike was intense and that only built up the desire bettween the two.The sex sences are passionate and hot and sensual.
OK.......2007-06-20
This was a great story. Thanks
The Storyline Fizzles, But The Romance Sizzles.......2007-06-12
With all the rave reviews I was really looking forward to enjoying this debut novel. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The novel starts off too slow for me. First we meet Jessica who co-owns Utopia with her best friend. It seems all of a sudden Jesse wants out of the company and takes an extended vacation to find herself. The author doesn't give enough background information to allow you to understand why she's dissatisfied with her career and life, but apparently something major has happened to her. But you don't find out what it is until almost the end of the novel. I must admit I did enjoy the heated arguments between Jesse and Cloud Walker, it was the most entertaining part of the novel. But then it turned into overkill when all they seemed to do was argue, even after they became intimate. The HOT and STEAMY love scenes were well written and probably the most appealing part of this novel. Ms. Hawley definitely has a way with the sexual imagery. Unfortunately, the great sex and the heated tension wasn't enough to keep me interested in this novel. I kept reading hoping it would get better, but it never did. I was disappointed because as sexy and intriguing as Ms. Hawley portrayed Cloud Walker and because she portrayed Jesse as a realistic woman, one with real womanly curves and scars, both physical and emotional, I really wanted to like them and bond with them, but I just didn't get caught up in their story enough to give the novel more than 3 stars.
I want more of Majestic Cloud Walker.......2007-05-31
I just loved this story the characters were great, and the romance was explosive. When are we getting another title from J.S. Hawley? I need a fix...immediately!
And what can be said about Majestic Cloud Walker...fine, fine, fine, he is the ideal man. I liked Jesse Ruth as well, I saw myself in her. I just can't express how much I loved this book. I find myself constantly rereading the book. Not to mention the cover picture is nice to look at! Who was the cover model? Wow!
Okay, back to the book...It is an excellent book, and I highly recommend it!
Book Description
After centuries of conflict, a peace treaty has finally been drawn between the warring Saxons and Norse — largely due to the wisdom and bravery of the legendary Viking leader Wolf Hakonson and the noble warrior Lord Hawk.
Hawk and Wolf each married women from warring clans to unite the Saxons and Norse. But for all its blessings, the promise of peace will remain fragile — unless it can be sealed forever by a third and final marriage between these two proud clans....
Come Back to Me
The most feared Viking to come out of the Northlands in a generation or more, Dragon Hakonson, brother to Lord Wolf and friend to Lord Hawk, hopes to steal a few days away by himself before entering into an arranged marriage with a Saxon bride.
But instead of tranquillity, Dragon finds intrigue and passion when he has a chance encounter with a beguiling beauty disguised in boy’s garb. It is clear that the fiery-haired, fiercely willed Rycca is running away from something ... or someone.
Dragon is determined to uncover Rycca’s reasons for escape and see her safely to her destination. Yet rather than surrender herself to Dragon’s care, Rycca dares to defy him, disarm him, and even enchant him.
For Rycca has a secret gift that Dragon cannot see. Stalked by the tragic past, struggling to fulfill the promise of peace, only when it is too late does Dragon discover the truth: that the temptress who has stolen his heart is none other than the woman destined to become his reluctant bride....
Customer Reviews:
Come Back To Me.......2007-10-05
This was the last book in the trilogy, I loved the story and hearing follow up from the previous books. So many others don't catch you up from previous stories. The second in this trilogy felt a bit far fetched for me but it was still well written and left me hoping in the end. A definite must have.
love that Dragon..........2006-07-30
I have read all three books in this series. Boy this one is second best. the first one Dream of Me , was the best , but oh, this one, and DRAGON, WHAT A MAN. His brother Wolf in the first one was Oh la, la, also. Great series. signed avid reader.
Disappointed in heroine.......2006-03-03
After Dream of Me, I imagine it was hard to write two sequels with the same quality and magic, and I was right. Come back to me just did not have a romance I believed was true. Rycca, started out as a good heroine when she was in dressed in drag. She acted as a female warrior, adventurous and willing to feel her emotions. After she put on a dress, she became very whinny and annoying. After marriage, she clearly was still attracted to her husband, knew he had been rejected by her, and she was distant to him. Yet he was still considerate and gentle with her, controlling his sexual desires out of consideration for her strained feelings. However, in a few days at sea, they rekindle their romance and she complains to him that he doesn't touch her anymore. He kisses her and says he will. They promptly arrive home to celebrate their marriage and all seems hunky dory. That night when the time has come for them to make love finally as husband and wife, she gets furious and tries to stop him cos she (in a nutshell) will have too much pleasure under his vast, artful sexual instruction he's received. She somehow equates receiving pleasure with loss of freedom. She needs a shrink badly. Gorgeous, sexy, adorable Dragon has to use battle moves( yes battle strategy) to even get her in a compromising position, so he can finally get her in the mood with enticing foreplay. After a few climax's, she still complains to herself about her freedom, before she launches into the next set of climax's. Why Dragon didn't throw her out is beyond me. That ridiculous belly aching of hers over receiving pleasure from her husband so turned me cold to this couple,that I merely proceeded to glance through the rest of the book. Litton did such a beautiful, gradual, ever unfolding awakening of love in Dream of Me where Cymbra embraced her sexuality and relationship with her husband, Wolf, that the silliness of the other two heroines running away from wonderful men because of self imposed restrictions stood out too much. Even though all ends up well between the couple at the end of this book, their love story is too contrived. It doesn't unfold naturally. So I didn't care about it at all. If you want to see how things turn out for everyone, read this book. Don't bother with the love story. Dragon should have a more centered woman to match his needs in truth.
Same pattern as the other 2 in the trilogy.......2005-07-19
This book was good; it was written well, it just began to sound very similar to the other two books in the trilogy. All three books talked about partners who were afraid of love, and terrified of commitment. All of the men were great and powerful and the women each had some kind of special gift. As I read the last book, I almost wondered if maybe I could have guessed the entire plot.
ABSOLUTELY OUTSTANDING.......2003-03-27
Read EVERYTHING Josie LItton writes. She is unmatched in her skill to grab you and not let go. You will smell, hear, see and definately wish you could touch everything her characters experience. ALL of her trilogies are magnificent.
Book Description
Few subjects have more immediate appeal to children than animals, and few methods of teaching youngsters to appreciate fine art have proven more successful than those of art educator Gladys S. Blizzard. In COME LOOK WITH ME: Animals in Art, the third volume of her series of interactive art books, she makes the most of children's natural curiosity about animals to introduce them not only to twelve magnificent works of art, but also to a whole new way of encountering art. Using an approach which is as fun as it is effective, the author deftly guides her young audience toward their own understanding of and delight in the world of art.
The works featured in Animals in Art represent a variety of styles which youngsters will encounter again in museums and in books: the muscular realism of Rosa Bonheur's The Horse Fair, the delicate romanticism of Martin Johnson Heade's Cattleya Orchid and Tree Brazilian Hummingbirds, and the bold abstraction of Henri Matisse's The Snail. They also represent an intriguing menagerie of beasts, from the mysterious deer and horses stampeding across the wall of Lascaux cave to Paul Klee's whimsical heart -nosed cat dreaming of a bird.
Each work of art is accompanied by a brief biographical sketch of the artist and a series of open-ended questions designed to encourage discussion. Through her thought-provoking text, Mrs. Blizzard encourages children to imagine themselves in the paintings: striding among the solemn-eyed creatures in Edward Hick's The Peaceable Kingdom, setting out on a voyage aboard Roy DeForest's fantastical Canoe of Fate. In each work of art, children will discover the rewards of looking closely to find the details that bring a painting to life.
Whether enjoyed in a family or a classroom setting, COME LOOK WITH ME: Animals in Art offers art lovers of all ages the perfect way to celebrate what Gladys Blizzard calls "the pleasure of shared experience and to nurture a lifelong appreciations for the visual arts.
Average customer rating:
- Read something like it
- Glad I gave it a chance
- So so....
- An Early Linda Howard- for fans
- Way to predictable
|
Come Lie With Me (Mira Romance)
Linda Howard
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
 Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Howard, Linda | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
Paperback | Howard, Linda | ( H ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1551665492 |
Customer Reviews:
Read something like it.......2007-03-10
If you've ever read Adam's Fall by Sandra Brown, you might see some similarities. I'm a huge fan of both authors so I can't say which is better, but I thought the storyline interesting.
Glad I gave it a chance.......2004-08-24
After reading the reviews here I went into this book with low expectation, but it was really terrific! Much more a character study than her more recent action-driven works, this story gives us lots of insight into the two main characters. I read that one reviewer felt they were wallowing in self-pity, but I think they were honest to struggle with their disabilities. It would have been totally unrealistic for them to flippantly brush off such life-altering conditions. The fact that it took finding each other to get them over their obstacles is what make this a romance. There is also a rocky road to happiness, which also made it seem more real. If you are only a fan of LH's more recent writing, this may disappoint. But if you are a true fan of romance, sensuality and character-driven plot, this one may delight you as much as it did me.
So so...........2003-07-23
I am so used to giving LH books 5 stars that this is a bit of a shocker for me. A wishy washy story on this one. You can tell it is one of her early ones. I keep reading her early ones while I wait for Cry No More to come out.
Sigh.
Any LH is better than no LH. Try it.... you might like it. I recommend Mr. Perfect, Open Season, After the Night and Shades of Twilight. Also all the Mackenzie books but specifically MacKenzie's Mountain.
An Early Linda Howard- for fans.......2003-06-13
For Linda Howard fans, this book is a good read. It is not as complex or as in depth as some of her later works, but you can see her writing potential.
This story is about Blake- a successful businessman who is paralyzed after an accident. Due to this injury, he has lost his zest for life, until a beautiful Physical therapist (dione) comes into his life to make him live again. She of course has her own past troubles to contend with and their journey to come together is what drives this story.
Come Lie with Me is a shorter novel and can be read in 1 day- the plot is alittle too similar to some other stories out there (most notably Adam's Fall by s. Brown) and the plot is a little predictable. But most Linda Howard fans will enjoy this story.
Way to predictable.......2003-02-08
One of the early stories by Linda Howard. This is the story of Dione who is a physical therapist with a past she wants to forget, and Blake who is giving up on life due to an accident where he looses the use of his legs, for a time. It isn't a bad story but it was a very fast read for me and a little to predictable.
Average customer rating:
- Fun "love-me-not" story
- Loved It!
- Good Start from a Promising New Author
- Can't put it down
- Nearly fell out of my chair
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Come and Get Me
Julie Cannon
Manufacturer: Bold Strokes Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Lesbian | Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
Lesbian | Romance | Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
Lesbian Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1933110732 |
Book Description
What would you do if an irresistibly desirable but utterly untouchable woman whispered to you, If you want me, you'll have to come and get me?
That's exactly the situation that Elliott Foster, CEO of Foster MacKenzie, finds herself in when she meets the alluring Lauren Collier, Chief Legal Counsel of a Fortune 500 company. Elliott never has a shortage of attractive women willing to share her bed, and she doesn't care if they are attracted to her or just her money. By her rules, if two women are attracted to each other there's no reason why they shouldn't spend the night together--or in some cases, the afternoon. Lauren, intriguing but decidedly off-limits, doesn't fit the mold and Elliot knows she should walk away. Instead she finds herself in the unusual position of pursuing another woman, and even more disconcertingly...on Lauren's terms. Come and Get Me is a passionate, rollercoaster romance that's anything but predictable.
Customer Reviews:
Fun "love-me-not" story.......2007-08-12
I really got a kick out of this book...mainly because it reminded me of so many relationships I've had. The romance between Elliot and Lauren is utterly engaging. Great entertainment for a day at the beach.
Jennifer Parello, author of Dateland
Loved It!.......2007-07-16
I'm always excited by a new author in this genre. That has proven especially true when that author is published by Bold Strokes Books. With this book, Julie Cannon has solidified her place in my list of talented authors and I look forward to further releases in the near future.
Super sexy women in super sexy professions describe Elliott Foster and Lauren Collier, the protagonists, of `Come and Get Me' to a tee. Cannon's first published book takes the reader on an exciting journey with countless twists and turns as it follows the adventures of main characters as they fall in love despite Elliott's playgirl past and Lauren's misgivings. As the women grow closer over the course of the story, they realize they can't fight the pull between them and, ultimately, give in to their yearnings.
The reader is pulled in by this talented storyteller and finds it difficult to stop reading until the last page. I read this book twice and loved it even more when I closed the back cover for the second time. This book comes highly recommended and will be a permanent fixture in my personal collection.
Good Start from a Promising New Author.......2007-05-30
"Come and Get Me" uses the popular theme of a `casual sex with no strings attached' lesbian who is stopped in her tracks by a woman whose values are quite the opposite. While it's pretty thin on plot, it's still a fun twist on the issue.
Fifty pages of description of each woman's nervousness about their first date could be an overkill, but in this case it's quite entertaining. After that, the story progresses as expected. There is a lot of redundant hand wringing over the same basic issue of differing values. The only problem there is that the tension doesn't increase as the story progresses. The author settles in at one level at the beginning and sticks with it throughout the book. This robs the story of the gradual buildup to the emotional climax.
The author's writing is technically good (although it is sometimes a bit stiff or contrived), so I think her future books will be much better. I look forward to reading them.
Can't put it down.......2007-05-12
Julie keeps you so engrossed in the pacing of this book you can't put it down. Good characters, great pacing, and a truly enjoyable read.
Nearly fell out of my chair.......2007-05-09
I may be a man, and not just a man, but a grandfatherly man who likes to gather his grandkids around him, open the latest Julie Cannon novel, and read aloud the struggles, joys and love of strong, southern women coping with life in a world where even the best intentions can lead to tragedy, but nothing is ever lost as long as friends and family continue to have faith: heartfelt, warm stories in the tradition of "Fried Green Tomatoes".
"Come and Get Me" is NOT by the Julie Cannon of the "Homegrown" series and does NOT follow in the tradition of "Fried Green Tomatoes", except for the part about two women loving each other. I got to a rather steamy section in "Come and Get Me" before realizing I was reading a decidedly modern romance by a different writer, and now my grandkids have all sorts of curious questions which I passed off to their parents. I quickly switched to another book but kept "Come and Get Me" for myself.
"Come and Get Me" represents the first effort by an exciting new writer and follows the heated pursuit of Lauren Collier, "an irresistibly desirable but utterly untouchable woman" by Elliott Foster, a rich, high-powered, and beautiful CEO and playgirl.
The two highly successful and attractive women meet at a fundraiser, and Elliot is immediately attracted to Lauren's intelligence, wit and hard-to-get attitude. I never get to attend those kinds of fundraisers. Elliot tries her moves, usually successful with other women, but not with Lauren. She further discovers something about Lauren that should mark her as off-limits, but Elliot's body won't let her mind forget Lauren, especially after Lauren whispers the challenge, "If you want me, you'll have to come and get me." I get hot under the collar every time I read that.
You too will get hot under the collar as you read the heated and charged exchanges between Elliot and Lauren, and if you don't finish this novel with your pulse racing and face flushed with desire, then you can, dare I say it, come and get me.
Book Description
This blistering new collection from literary rising star Stephen Elliott demonstrates once again why his books have been praised as “graceful,” “soaring,” and “fearless.” As with all of Elliott’s work, these stories have the raw ring of truth filtered through the author’s downbeat-poetic sensibility. My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up follows the narrator on a dizzying ride through past and present, from a group home for troubled adolescents in Chicago where he loses his virginity to shooting galleries and homeless encampments in San Francisco where he searches for deeper and darker thrills. In “Other Desires,” a flood of unsettling memories backgrounds the narrator’s involvement with a loose-knit family of lost souls. “Tears” explores the disturbing complexities of an S/M Internet hook-up. Several of the stories feature the enigmatic Eden, the narrator’s polyamorous mistress. With My Girlfriend, Elliott confirms his status as a major young writer of a kind of literary fiction that recalls the work of Genet and Bukowski.
Customer Reviews:
a true path.......2007-09-08
I love this book. It traces part of the author's growth from an abusive childhood to a happier adulthood. He allows us to see how his painful upbringing was reflected in series of painful and unhappy periods of sexual experimentation. The earlier chapters can be depressing, but hang on, because there is a trajectory toward a better present. I love this book for its honesty and authenticity. The last chapter is especially beautiful because it rings with a truth I have also seen: that bdsm can be healing. It makes sense that some people find bdsm within themselves not as something that needs to be cured but as a means of coping with and possibly resolving old wounds. Some of those experiences may be inaccessible to recall. The "healing" is counterintuitive and cathartic. In this context, bdsm can extend beyond bedroom kinks and thrills into the territory of personal growth and redemption. Mr. Elliott paints a spare and elegant portrait of such a process taken from his own life. Highly recommended.
My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up.......2006-09-22
Stephen Elliot's My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up is a collection of ten highly autobiographical stories, mostly set in the S&M scene in San Francisco. Elliott writes in a compressed, minimalistic style that is simultaneously aggressive and inviting (not to mention erotic and thought-provoking), all the while weaving his stories into a loose narrative thread which moves from his earliest and most dangerously confused encounters through a decade of singles websites, dominating housewives, and relationships that often satisfy only temporarily if at all. The title story is one of the strongest in the collection, describing an afternoon spent with a girlfriend he met on an online dating service. As the girlfriend slaps him and blackens his eyes, she's forced to generate her anger by berating him over things that never happened, eventually saddening Elliot instead of turning him on:
"She was straddling me in her blue jeans when she said, "I'm not your father." She was still angry about something I had suggested, or that I had hurried her out of the bar and she hadn't finished her drink. It was all made up. A game. But I started to feel sad when she mentioned my father. I have such an awful relationship with my father. Aren't you supposed to forgive and forget stuff? I was thirteen when I left home. It's been seventeen years since he caught me and beat me and shaved my head and the state took custody and I became a ward of the court. We try to mend things but I get these letters from him and it's just too much. He thinks he's the victim. Like I have victimized him by making him out to be such a horrible father. But he was a horrible father and I spent a year, a full year, sleeping on rooftops and in hallways and eating out of garbage cans and all he remembers are the times I came home to shower, proof that I didn't have it so bad. I was only thirteen, then fourteen..."
Many of Elliott's stories revolve around this same basic relationship: a man and a woman who don't have sex (at least in the traditional sense) but instead reenact cycles of hurting and being hurt, or as Elliott puts it, "The idea of two people finding each other. A person who wants to be hurt and another who wants to hurt someone." At the same time, there is a progression throughout the book as he moves from the random dangers of his early, uninformed experiences through the highly ritualistic S&M scene found online and finally to his healthiest relationships, which are still different from social norms but also contains elements of love and happiness not found in his earlier experiences.
There's a great sadness to many of these stories, but there's also a sexy swagger and a hopeful soul that stylishly carries the reader through those darkest moments. Equal parts erotica, memoir, and fiction, My Girlfriend Comes to the City and Beats Me Up is easily one of the finest collections I've read this year.
"This could have been a memoir. It isn't. Most of it is true.".......2006-09-02
Stephen Elliott's girlfriend (using a rather loose definition of the term) does, in fact, come to the city and beat him up. The cover of this slim collection of stories conveys the contents quite effectively. It features pin-up sexy red-head in slick black vinyl with her high heel pointed menacingly at the reader.
As a reviewer, I am faced with the challenge of communicating how powerful Elliott's narrative is, without just cutting and pasting an entire short story right here. My personal proclivities do not include the S&M lifestyle, but Elliott was able take me inside the mind of a lost, painfully confused, desperate man seeking sexual release and affirmation via domination by beautiful, powerful women. The sexual escapades, Elliott has stated in interviews, are all true, and they are recounted in intense, fervent detail. Elliott seeks sex in Amsterdam, Berlin, and ultimately San Francisco. He strips for money, exchanges sex for money and drugs, engages in long-term relationships with a woman who has a husband and a slave on the side in addition to our author, has weekly appointments for domination, and again, and again, desperately seeks submission to the next level of pain and helplessness. Along the way, he gives the reader a glimpse of the sexual and emotional abuse from his childhood, but always in a straightforward manner with nary a trace of pity.
Elliott is not writing for shock value, but for truth and beauty in his quest for pleasure and love. Beauty, in this case, is bittersweet, but still poetic and sincerely moving. Trust me--the best introduction to Elliot is to dive in to the first chapter. You won't be able to put this story collection down, though, so buy his book before you try out the first chapter. I finished it in one evening. I was reviewing an advance copy, and I usually pass those along to friends or the library, but in the case of this book, it is becoming a treasured part of my library. I'll also be purchasing a few copies for friends.
Looking forward to the next collection, Mr. Elliott!
Book Description
COME LOOK WITH ME: Enjoying Landscape Art with Children is the second volume in the COME LOOK WITH ME series of interactive art books from Lickle Publishing. Each book in the series introduces children to twelve magnificent works of art. More importantly, they offer a whole new way of encountering any work of art, one that engages the imagination as much as the eye.
Well suited for both individual and classroom use, Enjoying Landscape Art with Children pairs quality art reproductions with thought-provoking questions, encouraging children to learn through visual exploration and interaction. Thoughtful text introduces the world and work of the artist, making the most of a child's natural curiosity.
Children are asked to imagine themselves in the depicted work of art: to feel the winter child of Pieter Bruegel's Hunters in the Snow or be in the jungle stillness of Henri Rousseau's The Repast of the Lion.
Drawing from a wide-ranging selection of 20th century works of art, children explore the artwork, invited to pantomime the boldly swirling brush strokes of Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night or cover a figure in the foreground of George Innes's Lackawanna Valley and consider how the painting would look without it.
Engaging and interactive for both children and adults, Lickle Publishing's COME LOOK WITH ME series celebrated what Mrs. Blizzard called the "pleasure of shared experience."
Customer Reviews:
Nicely done.......2007-07-03
All types of art and artists with questions to start conversation about the piece. Great for the elementary age.
Exploring Landscape Art With Children.......2007-01-11
I am a docent at an art museum and the goal is to get children develop a love of art. This book is exactly what will assist a child to enjoy art.
Books:
- Before Midnight: A Retelling of "Cinderella" (Once Upon a Time)
- Beloved Enemy (The Secrets of Stoneley, Book 3)
- Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D Digital Field Guide
- Captive
- Chief Customer Officer : Getting Past Lip Service to Passionate Action
- Chocolate Covered Forbidden Fruit
- Comets, Stars, the Moon, and Mars: Space Poems and Paintings
- Dangerous Games (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 4)
- Elisabeth: The Princess Bride, Austria-Hungary, 1853 (The Royal Diaries)
- Essentials for the Activity Professional in Long Term Care
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