Customer Reviews (6)

Gay and Lesbian tales of love and ghosts
The majority of stories in this collection - edited by Julie K. Trevelyan and Scott Brassart - deal with ghosts helping the living find love: of past loves trying to help their partners move on and to find love ("Taking Care of Faith" by A.J. Potter, "Old as a Rose in Bloom" by Lawrence Schimel); older ghosts and other supernatural beings helping new lovers to find one another ("The Course of True Love" by d.g.k. goldberg, "Paisley" by Jessica Kirkwood); and, of course those with a more evil bent ("amat67.jpg" by Hall Owen Calwaugh).They're all fairly pleasant tales, easy to read an enjoyable; however, this collection is almost like reading the same story over and over.Some of the standouts making this a worthy collection to read are "The Haunting of Room 110" by Michael Price Nelson about a ghost waiting for his lover to join him, and "Eyes" by E.J. Galusha, which really did put the scare in me and is a fitting finale to the collection.An overall good collection for anyone wanting a gay take on ghosts.

Your own queer little seance to enjoy
In the anthology, The Ghost of Carmen Miranda and other spooky Gay and Lesbian Tales, the editors Julie K. Trevelyan and Scott Brassart have assembled a lively, lavender corps of ghost stories. As the title implies, this Alyson publication is not strictly a horror collection, although some of the tales certainly qualify.All the stories, however, focus on lesbian or gay characters as well as elements of the supernatural with manifestations of ghosts in some form or another.

Many of the stories, like Don Sakers' title entry "The Ghost of Carmen Miranda" -- wherein a morbidly obese gay man, trapped in a dead end existence on a space station, finds help and inspiration in a different kind patron saint -- are queerly witty and delightfully amusing.Several stories address the idea of the spirit of a loved one returning or being trapped until some unfinished business can reach closure. A. J. Potter's "Taking Care of Faith" fits this theme.The peanut butter eating ghost, Brandon, returns to his apartment, to check on his "widowed," lover, Evan. When Victor, the new renter, realizes it's not really strong cockroaches raiding his peanut butter, he is taken aback, to say the least. A rather nonchalant spectral Brandon, complains about Victor's choice of low fat variety, "It's peanut butter, for chrissake. If you're going to eat peanut butter, eat the real thing." (p19)

Abbe Ireland's "Case of the Sapphic Succubus" features a "ghost busting" Frances who must face another kind of "bust" when she agrees to spend the night in a historic bed and breakfast with an unusual guest service. Frances learns that facing a succubus isn't as difficult as facing what resides in the researcher's heart. "Paisley" has an archaeologist in the Appalachias of East Kentucky disinterring a casket that holds the bodies of two women. When the image of a woman in a paisley print dress begins to visit Charlotte, one of the summer's grunt workers, the story of those long dead women becomes hauntingly real.

While many of the stories are touching, arousing, and humorous; several are spooky, and some of these talesbrought genuine shivers to this reader.A leather master learns what it really means to own and be owned when a neglected lover returns as illusrated in Simon Sheppard's intense, erotic, and ultimate power exchange, titled "My Possession."From the skillful storytelling of M. Christian, readers are treated to "Echoes." And are asked to question how and why a man might become haunted and what lengths he might consider to exorcise himself.The idea of possession is further explored by Hall Own Calwaugh in "amat67.jpg." Keith has just been sent an email that will change his life and prompt him to question his desires, briefly. By far the most chilling story to this reader was J.M. Beazer's "The Thing at the Bottom of the Bed." Haley returns from her father's funeral to find herself facing a horror from which she has hidden for much of her life.

The Ghost of Carmen Miranda and Other Spooky Gay and Lesbian Tales, found its way onto this reader's bookshelf when it was published in 1998. A seasonal rereading of its stories, was no less touching, arousing, humorous, and most importantly, thought provoking. The stories mentioned here are just a few of the 23 contained in its cover.Although out of print, this title is worth tracking down. Think of it as your own little seance for the Halloween season and enjoy.

Cute, but disappointing
Definitely not in the eerie category, they tended to all be romantic in nature, and most were very similar "reincarnated or look-alike meets ghost that wants to talk or have sex".

Hauntingly Fantastic!
I found this book to be one that I will certainly add to my library.We all know that there are far too few gay and lesbian stories out there--not to mention gay and lesbian ghost stories.I enjoyed each item, but therewere a couple I felt a lack of understanding after I finished.Among thebest were "The Case of the Sapphic Succubus," "The Hauntingof Rom 110," and "Amat67.jpg." Enjoy these stories of love,lust, and supernatural intrigue--you won't regret this purchase!

An uneven collection but overall fun
Few of the storiesproduce authentic chills - they tend to be more romantic than eerie(the book's common theme is the intervention of a ghost in the love lives of the living) - but some deliver, most notably M.Christian's perversely erotic "Echoes" and J. Beazley's "TheThing at the Botton of the Bed."Other stories have nice touches ofhumor, such as R. Neu's "Remembrance of Tom Perdue".In themain, however, the stories telegraph their "shocks" or"surprises" on the first page, and whiffs of politicalcorrectness don't help either.More astute editing would have helped. Overall, though, this is an enjoyable enough collection for thenot-too-discerning fan of ghost stories. ... Read more

Product Description
Nineteen stories by nineteen authors, all based on one unforgettable image in a song by Leslie Fish: Carmen Miranda's Ghost is Haunting Space Station Three! Stories range from horror to romance to satire to...just plain silly. Authors include Anne McCaffrey, C.J. Cherryh, Leslie Fish, Esther Friesner, Susan Shwartz, Julia Ecklar, S.N. Lewitt, B.W. Clough, Melissa Scott, and Lisa A. Barnett. This volume would be a cult classic, if only a fitting cult could be found. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

It Started with a Song . . .
This is one of those books that is chiefly written for SF & Fantasy fandom by the SF& Fantasy fandom.As such, readers new to the genre may find it puzzling why anyone would love a book with such a strange title and theme chosen for its short stories.The origin of this anthology is a song written by famous filk (SF music, for those who are unfamiliar with the term) singer Leslie Fish. Apparently the song came about after "too much turkey and eggnog . . . and a table centerpiece decoration. . . and space age music on the hi-fi that just happened to swing into a rhumba".To get the full story, you'll have to read the Afterword in this anthology.

It's an unexpected anthology, with a wide range of tones and styles."Provisional Solution" by B.W. Clough is a very light toned, lively take on the manifestation of Carmen and her trademark fruits."Basket Case: Or:The Grapes of Wrath" by Bruce B. Barnett interprets the themes into a hard SF detective story with delightful success. Don Sakers, the editor of this anthology, has two short stories in this collection.The first is "The Man Who Travelled in Rocketships" a touching story that's meant as a memorial to Heinlen. The second is "Tarawa Rising" about an aging drag queen coming to terms with themselves with a little ghostly help.Other authors include, Anne McCaffrey, Esthner Friesner, C. J. Cherryh and, of course, the woman who started it all, Leslie Fish.

Why would anyone have 19 stories and a song about Carmen Miranda's ghost on a space station? SF writers having fun would have to be my main interpretation.And that's no bad thing, there are some brilliant stories within this anthology, some hysterical giggles, some thought provoking moments, and even some bittersweet memories. For the filksong fans, the sheet music for the song that Leslie Fish wrote is included at the end of the anthology. In some ways, I guess I'd say that this is sort of an in-joke anthology, since the folks most likely to pick it up are fans, but I highly reccomend it to any SF or Fantasy reader!Here's just a bit of Leslie's song:

"Carmen Miranda's Ghost is haunting
Space Station Three.
Half the staff has seen her,
plus the Portmaster and me.
And if you think we've had too much
Of Cookie's homemade rum,
Just tell me where these basket hats
of fruit keep coming from!"

Happy reading! ^_^ shanshad ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Come Back, Carmen Miranda
This is a wonderful group of stories about Mexico and South
America and takes this reader back to the sixties, when so many
of us were living "on the road" lives.Dahl writes deft and deep
portraits of not only American middle-class young people disaffectedly roaming the "other America," but of the people who live there.Old and young, poor and well-to-do, they're all here.
A first class effort, lovingly crafted. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Carmen Miranda
If you love extravagant showgirl costumes you can't go past this paper doll by Tom Tierney.The illustrations are superb with a great attention to detail and the artist has captured Carmen Miranda's bubbly perosnality.Highly recommended!

Wonderful Item for Carmen Miranda Collectors
This wonderful collection of paperdolls illustrated by Tom Tierney is a lovely addition to any Carmen Miranda fans collection. The "Lady in the Tutti Fruitti Hat" is wonderfully memoralized in this book with 31 of her most colorful, spectacular and outrageous costumes from the "Brazilizan Bombshells" Hollywood films from the 1940s. One of the most recognizable popular icons of the World War II era and a beloved figure to her Brazilian homeland, this book also includes a short biography and filmography. If you are a movie buff, a costume designer or a new fan of Carmen's you will be delighted with the collection and accuracy of these drawings. ... Read more

Product Description
This is the true story about a cat named Gina who was born on a farm. She describes her life with her brother and the new family of humans, the first experiences with water and snow. Then suddenly a big change in their lives. Carmen Miranda put oneself in Gina's life and describes her life through Gina's description of everyday life. http: //www.carmen-miranda.net ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Milliners, Carmen Miranda, Stephen Jones, Zaida Ben-Yusuf, John Batterson Stetson, Prudence Millinery, Simone Mirman, Rose Bertin, Anna Ben-Yusuf, Nick Smith, Ellen Louise Demorest, Lilly Daché, John B. Stetson Company, Akubra, Greenwoods, Resistol, Arai Helmet, John Ross, Alex Rose, Hat World, Rod Keenan, Philip Treacy, 59fifty, Luke Song, Mr. John, Judy Bentinck, Borsalino, Tilley Endurables, Hélène de Saint Lager, Damani Dada, Stacy Adams Shoe Company, Gerard Albouy. Excerpt:An Akubra wide-brimmed hatAkubra is an Australian brand of hat , whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Australian culture , especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from an Aboriginal word for head covering. Akubra's best-known hats are made from rabbit fur felt with wide brims, and the term "Akubra" is often used to refer to a hat of this kind.The Akubra name is synonymous with the landscape of rural Australia, and these hats form an important part of an Australian s traditional clothing. Akubra hats are traditionally worn by farmers , graziers, horsemen, stockmen and women on the land as well as those visiting Australia who wish to take an Australian icon home. These hats may be used for sun and rain protection, to gather eggs or mushrooms, to cover the eye of a recalcitrant horse that has to be handled, to fan a fire and to water dogs when in the bush . History The original hat-making factory , not called Akubra at that time, was founded in the early 1870s by Benjamin Dunkerley. A recent immigrant to Australia, Dunkerley set up shop in Tasmania after inventing a machine that removed the hair tip from rabbit fur , leaving the softer under-fur for use in the making of felt hats.Dunkerley and his family later relocated to Sydney , in New South Wales , where he hired a ... ... Read more

Product Description
Piano, Guitar, Uke and Banjo. Lyrics in english and latin American. Contents: Tico-Tico, Amor, Brazil, Besame Mucho, Frenesi, Green Eyes, Maria Elena, Blue Echoes, Perfidia, Magic is the Moonlight, Taboo and Babalu. ... Read more

Product Description
Todos já ouviram falar de Carmen Miranda, mas poucos saberão como a filha de um barbeiro e de uma lavadeira portugueses, se tornou numa das mulheres mais adoradas do seu tempo. Uma biografia que não se limita a reconstituir a vida da luso-brasileira mais famosa do século XX. Na realidade, esta é também a história dos costumes da juventude brasileira, da música popular, da rádio e dos casinos, no Rio de Janeiro dos anos 20 e 30 e da intimidade das grandes estrelas da Broadway e de Holywood, dos anos 40 e 50. ... Read more

Product Description
Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Hat Companies, Hat Making, Milliners, Carmen Miranda, Boston Corbett, Luton, Joseph Marie Jacquard, Philip the Apostle, Denton, Greater Manchester, Stephen Jones, Richard Sharp, Mad Hatter, Zaida Ben-Yusuf, James Wilson, Almaron Dickinson, John Batterson Stetson, Samuel Mauger, Hatter's Castle, Henry Lee Morey, Prudence Millinery, Simone Mirman, Rose Bertin, James Irvine, Aras Baskauskas, Thomas Tryon, Richard Hotham, Karl Philipp Moritz, Ignacio Pinazo Camarlench, Anna Ben-Yusuf, Nick Smith, Ellen Louise Demorest, Lilly Daché, John B. Stetson Company, Akubra, John Cavanagh, Timothy Swan, Greenwoods, Resistol, Haberdasher, Arai Helmet, David Levi, Jacob Hutter, John Ross, Joshua Van Sant, Alex Rose, Heinrich Hössli, Hat World, John A. Gurley, Rod Keenan, James P. Maher, Philip Treacy, 59fifty, Jasper Ewing Brady, Luke Song, Wilson Reilly, Wyoming Mills, Mr. John, Judy Bentinck, Espéraza, Nikolaos Skoufas, Joseph Bailey, Borsalino, Thomas Birch Florence, Tilley Endurables, Michael Carver Trout, Jörg Wilhalm, Benjamin Abbott, Hélène de Saint Lager, Hat Act, Damani Dada, Stacy Adams Shoe Company, S. F. Cushman Woolen Mill, Worshipful Company of Feltmakers, Gerard Albouy, Hat Block. Excerpt:An Akubra wide-brimmed hatAkubra is an Australian brand of hat , whose wide-brimmed styles are a distinctive part of Australian culture , especially in rural areas. The name is believed to be derived from an Aboriginal word for head covering. Akubra's best-known hats are made from rabbit fur felt with wide brims, and the term "Akubra" is often used to refer to a hat of this kind.The Akubra name is synonymous with the landscape of rural Australia, and these hats form an important part of an Australian s traditional clothing. Akubra hats are traditionally worn by farmers , graziers, horsemen, sto... ... Read more

Product Description
Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Xuxa, Sonia Braga, Carmen Miranda, Morena Baccarin, Cecília Dassi, Jordana Brewster, Hebe Camargo, Deborah Secco, Juliana Carneiro Da Cunha, Regiane Alves, Florinda Bolkan, Glória Pires, Aurora Miranda, Alice Braga, Gabriela Duarte, Malu Mader, Sandra Corveloni, Mara Manzan. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Xuxa, née María da Graça Meneghel, est un modèle, présentatrice de télévision, chanteuse et actrice brésilienne née le 27 mars 1963 à Santa Rosa, Rio Grande do Sul (Brésil). Ancienne playmate, elle commence à présenter en 1983 une émission enfantine sur TV Manchete, une chaine de télévision locale de Rio de Janeiro. En 1986, elle passe sur TV Globo, chaine nationale brésilienne, où elle présente le Xou da Xuxa, une émission pour les enfants. Aujourd'hui, surnommée la « reine des petits » (A Rainha dos Baixinhos), elle multiplie les disques et films pour les plus petits et continue ses programmes de jeunesse sur TV Globo, TV Xuxa. Familial Pour la jeunesse Internationaux ...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more