The Floating Girl

Book Description

Half-American, half-Japanese, Rei Shimura is finally beginning to feel like Tokyo is home. Now a writer on art and antiques at the Gaijin Times, a comic-style magazine aimed at affluent young readers, Rei's latest assignment is a piece on the history of comic book art. During a weekend of research and relaxation at her boyfriend Takeo's beachside house, Rei stumbles upon the perfect subject: an exquisite modern comic that reveals the disturbing social milieu of pre-World War II Japan.

Rei art story, evolves into something much darker. One of the comic's young creators is found dead -- a murder that soon takes the tenacious Rei deep into the heart of Japan's youth underground. Immersed in the investigation, she finds herself floating through strip clubs, animation shops, and coffeehouses to get the true story -- and save her own skin.

Customer Reviews:

Ukiyo-e The Floating World.......2006-05-12

Floating Girl is a reference to ancient pleasure quarters called Floating World home of courtesans, geisha, entertainers, tea houses.

In the year 2000 young people's pleasure is found in manga (comic books), dressing as anime characters in costume play (cos-play), partying.

Rei Shimura (Nisei = Japanese American) is an antique dealer in Tokyo who writes a column in the Gaijin (foreigner's) Times.

Ancient woodblock prints were artist commentary on Edo society, Rei looks at manga (comics) as a modern equivalent. She stumbles upon a manga depicting comfort women, Chinese Korean Filipino women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese during WWII.

When Rei seeks out the talented artist of the Mars Girl doujunshi (parody of copyrighted comic manga character hijacked to tell story written by amateur groups called Doujinshi circles) mysterious death and disappearances ensue.

Paraphrasing the Chairman in movie Memoirs of a Geisha, happiness is not something we deserve, when it occurs it is a sudden gift as Rei discovers repeatedly throughout this book series. Her intrusion into the well ordered life of Japanese precipitates questions and death.

Rei's American mother gives her curiosity, boldness and vintage designer clothes. Her Japanese father gifts her with etiquette watchful observing reserve, scholarly inquiry. Rei's major limitation in Japan is illiteracy, inability to read Kanji (characters) inhibiting her movements in Japan still carefully stratified according to class.

Her Japanese boy friend Takeo from a prominent Ikebana (eye kay bah nah, NOT ickybana) family rejects her as unsuitable to marry because of her mixed blood and inferior financial status. Her Scottish boy friend abandons Japan her to return to his own culture Scotland.

Rei walks among disparate demanding worlds with tenacity, trying to earn a living selling antiques, learn kanji, write for a newspaper which celebrates comic books. Rei tries to behave as a good Japanese daughter for her relatives, yet acts boldly in her own American way.

Rei blunders into a Comik book convention wearing an anime costume and makeup, learning more and more about this separate pleasure world of fantasy: the temporary insubstantial unreal.

The Floating Girl explores the modern pleasures of the young leisure class comparable to the ancient Ukiyo-e Floating World of the past, addresses woman's place in Asian society in the present, misunderstandings of Westerners of Japanese and vice versa, and the unique situation of those always on the outside, the half blooded and their difficulties.

Fascinating series beginning with Salaryman's Wife about young wives who spend their husband's entire salary and more on clothes and pleasure. I suggest one begin with the first book when Rei is 25yo and continue on through the series as she becomes 30yo in the current 8th book Typhoon Lover.

My least favorite of the series.......2005-11-20

I really love this series by Sujata Massey. However, this book was my least favorite of the bunch. I still give it three stars because it's NOT BAD...but her other books are so much better, especially The Bride's Kimono, Zen Attitude and The Flower Master. I'm looking forward to reading The Typhoon Lover.

For die hard Rei Shimura fans, of course you should get this to make your collection complete, but I'm just warning you I felt this was not as engaging as the other books in this series. For those of you who want only the best, perhaps you should skip this one.

I love mysteries and anime..........2005-11-03

The Floating Girl by Sujata Massey is a dream come true. I love Japan, I love mysteries and I love manga and anime. So when a volunteer at work told me about this book I had to get it. A twisted plot, interesting characters, Japanese culture and manga. I enjoyed every chapter and finished the book within 24 hours. I plan to get all the books in the series and watch out for any new ones.

Decent albeit at times irritating........2005-02-08

Rei Shimura, the Japanese-American amateur antiques dealer and sleuth returns to solve another crime in Tokyo. This time, she is drawn into the wacky world of doujinshi, the parody-imitation of Japanese manga.

Here she meets otaku, the fans that dress like their favorite characters and attend conventions - not unlike comic book fans Stateside! But there are sinister happenings afoot as one of the artists of a doujin-comic ends up dead.

The book, while entertaining, focuses on a strange, small, but very visible part of Japanese culture that makes it so unique to our western minds. At times, these comic-book otaku (or "individuals obsessed with something specific") are irritating enough to make the reader want them all dead.
American fans of things Japanese often call themselves otaku, but they should know that this is not considered a positive thing. Otaku are viewed as strange and marginal pretty much in Japan as well. Dressing up like Sailor Moon when 20 years old is weird in any culture!

While Massey's other books showcase interesting aspects of Japanese culture, this book takes something that is quite marginal and strange and presents it as almost normal. Readers should know that there is quite a difference between the Doujin-scene and the Manga-scene. Manga-creators are generally accepted in society and even held in esteem for their artistic talents as writers or artists. Doujin (or doujinshi) is considered to be underground, as the art is usually mere imitation of someone else's work, and the stories tend often to be "hentai" (meaning perverted) versions of popular series. Massey tries to show that the artist in question was truly talented, but this does not depart from the fact that his work was an imitation of someone else's creation. Just as otaku is not a positive, generally neither is doujinshi.

In any case, the book is somewhat darker than previous books in the series, and I did not find it as comfortable or enjoyable to read. Often the book and its description of doujin-culture just disturbed me.
I suppose covering all aspects of Japanese culture helps readers in the West be introduced to them. But there are so many more interesting topics to cover in Japan, including the mainstream manga phenomenon, something not really touched upon in the book. In a country where comics are targeted at everyone from babies to seniors and bookstores have entire sections devoted to them, delving into doujinshi was not entirely necessary, and may leave the wrong impression in people's minds about manga in Japan.

I want to go to this Japan! Costumes, Fantasy, Wackiness.......2003-10-16

OK, I've never been to Japan, but I'd like to see this version of Japan, definitely.
This book is very stylish, hip, cyberpunk, yet also mixes in the beautiful traditional things about Japan, which can also be a double-edged sword in being frigidly traditional and coldly rejecting.

I really enjoy the Rei's spunk and drive to keep working in a very nonreceptive overall environment, although there were some friendly individuals who were nice to her. People just cannot get over her mixed race, old-maid syndrome and her short hair--it just brings social interactions to a screeching halt.

This fantasy world of anime and role playing is amazing and offbeat. If they really do have huge conventions of anime role-players, I would sooo love to be there, just to see the spectacle.

If you liked this book, you'll like the movie "Chungking Express", which is very quirky as well.

Storyline: Rei gets assigned to work on a manga article. She knows nothing about it, but on investigating, a whole new world unfolds, with thousands of people totally obsessed with role playing, having huge conventions, wearing character costumes. Then, one of her sources turns up dead in the river, and her other sources are running scared. There's mafia at the beach and other fun.

About the boyfriend, there were some things about him that turned me off, I thought he was self-centered and self-obsessed in how he treated her, especially the swimming at the beach scene, and I'm glad she's not going gagga over him. It's good that he cares about the environment, yet he doesn't really care that deeply for her. He means well though.

I really enjoyed that she has strong, funky friendships that are highly entertaining and that give her some social support. Her friend Richard and his shenanigans are hilarious.

I would love to see a movie "ChungKing Express #2"-version of this book.
Another good book on wacky conventions and crazy people at them: "Bimbos of the Death Sun".

Floating Girl
Average customer rating:
Floating Girl
Sujata Massey
Manufacturer: HARPERCOLLINS @ PUBLISHERS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VVUP1W

Floating Girl (Angel of War)
Average customer rating:
Floating Girl (Angel of War)
Robert Randolph
Manufacturer: Elixir Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1932418164

9 Titles By Straub - Mystery - Houses Without Doors - Shadowland - Lost Boy Lost Girl - Throat - Ghost Story - Floating Dragon - Koko - If You Could See Me Now
Average customer rating:
9 Titles By Straub - Mystery - Houses Without Doors - Shadowland - Lost Boy Lost Girl - Throat - Ghost Story - Floating Dragon - Koko - If You Could See Me Now
Peter Straub
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Straub, Peter | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Horror | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000NTBK4S

Product Description

9 massmarket paperback Titles By Straub - Mystery - Houses Without Doors - Shadowland - Lost Boy Lost Girl - Throat - Ghost Story - Floating Dragon - Koko - If You Could See Me Now

Average customer rating:

The Floating Girl
Sujata Massey
Manufacturer: HarperCollins Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OELVA0

Average customer rating:

The Floating Girl
Sujata Massey
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF4ETO

All About Eve and Other Things
Average customer rating:

cloying and repulsive

Seriously funny and thoughful

Wonderful

Life through a new pair of glasses

Truly funny and thoughtful.
All About Eve and Other Things
Adelle Bradford
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1424103398

Book Description

What would you do if you thought the Queen of England might drop in for tea? Have you ever whimsically capered? How many geese in a flock? Or is it a gaggle of geese? Or a giggle? From the serious to the ridiculous and the whimsical to the lyrical, tucked away in these pages you will find essays and poetry to enlighten and entertain, to make you chuckle…or perhaps even weep. Happy songs and sad songs, here is an entertaining book to read again and again.

Customer Reviews:

cloying and repulsive.......2006-01-30

I didn't like this book at all. I find Bradford's writing style far too wordy and she tries too hard to be cute in her observations. She really just comes off as cloying and out of touch. The stories and writings in this aren't witty at all, and only amusing at times in a sort of 1950's-era Reader's Digest sort of way. Not recommended. In fact, stay away.

Seriously funny and thoughful.......2006-01-13

It was great fun reading this book. I have seldom seen essays and poetry mixed so appropriately and the subjects covered are unique and present a wonderful variety. Especially the essays on "All about Eve" and "Penis Envy" deserve a re-read. And if the concluding article on "Once I met a King - A True Vignette" doesn't touch you, you need help! This book will make a great present to many of my friends.

Wonderful.......2006-01-13

All About Eve and Other Things is for sure a delightful and thought inspiring. Ms. Bradford surely makes a person laugh and stop and think about the world around them. I am still laughing about the Dragon Known as Dark. I will recommend this book to all my friends.

Life through a new pair of glasses.......2006-01-10

Adelle Bradford is a true word artist, with the ability to paint vivid, clear, and distinct pictures on the canvas of our minds. In "All About Eve and Other Things" Adelle uses these illustrations to stretch our minds and make us think about things as we peer through lenses, ground with clever wit and hard facts, that correct for the stigmatism of life's influences. The moment I set this book down, I took a deep cleansing breath; rose; took a step; performed a classic double take and swiftly moved to pick it up again. Ms. Bradford's writing is truly a waft of fresh new air, in a world desperate for new perspectives.

Truly funny and thoughtful........2006-01-10

This author has put together many points of view with heartfelt humor and insight. The poetry is a rich kaleidoscope of experiences, happy and sad. The article named "All about Eve" (...) is great and there are some very fine onservations being made. A story from Germany "Once I met a King - A True Vignette", is a real experience, even from here.

Book Description

Ease in preparation and speed in cooking are what everyone needs when it comes to cookbooks. This book is a sure winner.

Here readers will find simple and quick recipes for soup, stews, sauces for pasta, and even pot pies.

More than 150 recipes cover such categories as Super Quick Dinners; Chilis and Hot Pots; Hot from the Oven; Skillet Dinners; From the Grill; Microwave Specials; Main-Dish Salads; and Heart-Healthy Sandwiches and Pizzas.

Customer Reviews:

Good recipes.......2007-08-15

This book has some pretty good recipes just like volume 1 does,it is good because all you need to make is 1 thing everything you need is in the one pot meal.

one pot meals.......2007-01-05

It is a very helpfull book , simple , easy to use.

One Pot Meals.......2006-11-30

I have tried 7 recipes as of yet and everyone of them are excellent. Everyone should have a copy of this book not just people with diabetes. Very healthy cooking!!!!!

Carbs are not restricted low enough........2006-03-07

The recipes look very interesting and tasty, however the carb levels are higher than some diabetic diets require. Since it is put out by the ADA I guess that I should have known that in advance.

One Pot Meals For People With Diabetes.......2006-02-24

A wonderful compilation of diabetic recipes. Easy to understand, easy to make and delicious. Highly recommend.

Average customer rating:

Buy 3 and give them to friends

Just what i was looking for!!!

making Iraqi cooking appealing (five stars)

Delights from the Garden of Eden

great book

Delights from the Garden of Eden: A Cookbook and a History of the Iraqi Cuisine
Nawal Nasrallah
Manufacturer: Author House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Asian | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Middle Eastern | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Iraqi Family Cookbook: From Mosul to America

The Oldest Cuisine in the World: Cooking in Mesopotamia

A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East

A Baghdad Cookery Book (Petits Propos Culinaires)

A Mediterranean Feast: The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 Recipes

ASIN: 140334793X

Book Description

This new Iraqi cookbook contains more than four hundred recipes covering all food categories. There is ample choice for both vegetarian and meat lovers, and many that will satisfy a sweet tooth. All recipes have been tested and are easy to follow.

Introducing the recipes are thoroughly researched historical and cultural narratives that trace the development of the Iraqi cuisine from the times of the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians, through the medieval era, and leading to its interaction with Mediterranean and world cuisine.

Of particular interest are the book's numerous folkloric stories, anecdotes, songs, cultural explications of customs, and excerpts from narratives written by foreign visitors to the region. Arabic calligraphy, and photos, paintings and sketches add to the pictorial appeal of the book.

Customer Reviews:

Buy 3 and give them to friends.......2007-02-03

A great cookbook. Easy to follow for those not familiar with Arabic/Middle Eastern Cooking. Good back stories and illustrations. A true one of a kind work. Be sure to buy this treasure before it goes out of print. A delight as the title suggests.

Just what i was looking for!!!.......2006-08-05

Thanks to Nawal for writting this excellent cookbook which includes almost all the iraqi recipes in such nice order.

As a kurd I found many recipes that brought back memories from my childhood, even the terms/words used!

I looked through the whole book briefly, the recipes look easy and well written, not many pictures but I doubt they are needed. Can't wait to try more recipes.

I know I will treasure this book for life..

making Iraqi cooking appealing (five stars).......2006-03-28

This book is unlike any other cookbook that I have pruchased or read. It is written with clarity and with great efforts to simplify every resipe to anyone who is not familiar with Iraqi cooking. The author explains every dish; its orgion, its flavor and its popualrity in Iraq. I bought five copies and gave them as gifts. everyone got it enjoyed reading it and cooked some dishes

Delights from the Garden of Eden.......2005-10-12

This is the second copy that I have ordered because I gave mine away as a gift. I love this cookbook, and although there is not any color photos the author does a good job of explaining. I would tell anyone who is a food lover to get this book. It is full of wonderfull recipes,as well as indepth history of origin.

great book.......2005-09-07

This book contains great recipes, knowlagable look at the history of food in Iraq and sweet stories from the auther's own life there.
Great book and worth having. Nawal deserves an award for this book. And you could tell that she had worked and researched a lot for it.

Book Description

GaWaNi Pony Boy gathers an impressive array of known and unknown horsewomen, who in touching prose describe the unique relationships they have with their horses. Illustrated with stunning full-color photographs and other artwork, this second volume offers owners and aficionados a glimpse of a richly rewarding and age-old bond between human and animal.

Customer Reviews:

A must have for anyone appreciating art and culture........1999-07-05

This book captures your mind visually and intellectually. It is a pleasure to scan as well. The unique range of objects demonstrate the vast breadth and depth of this artform from the Japanese. I plan on purchasing several for holiday gifts.

A treat for the eyes and the mind!.......1999-02-20

This book is so well written and full of history and interesting facts that I read it from cover to cover. The ojime pieces themselves are breathtaking and the photos are extremely clear. Worth every cent and will start you wanting to collect ojime yourself.

Customer Reviews:

buy it.......2007-06-17

This book contains so much information that it will take me years to absorb it all. There are lists of bed compositions, resourses, various decontamination proceedures and so much more there isn't room here to list them. Most important to me is the requirements for many different mushroom species.

Excellent !.......2007-05-19

As I expected, I am impressed by the knowlege behind this art. I love the book especially the part describing the medicinal properties of mushrooms.

Do You Really Love Mushrooms???.......2007-01-04

This is a magnum opus of colossal proportions covering most every mushroom species conceivable for human consumption... most, I say, because I am an enthusiast of psychoactive mushroom species, and as such, I was in for a colossal let-down.

I was recommended this book as a "must-have". I was told that this book contained definitive facts about growth parameters, development cycles, substrate formulas, and species characteristics. Indeed it does... just not about the mushrooms I was looking for. The only psilocybin mushroom even documented in this behemoth is psilocybe cyanescens which is known to resist indoor cultivation due to its unsatisfiable temperature requirements. Mr. Stamets is a wise man, and I've known him to say that, generally speaking, you can take the same technique for growing similar species on similar substrates and get the same results (hint, hint). However there are more straightforward texts for those of us with specific interests in specific species, and I cannot in good faith recommend this one for those purposes.

So, why do I give this book five stars? The failure was mine not the author's. I should have done my research. This book is actually quite fascinating; although I don't see amateurs reading Chapter 17, and then running out to buy an autoclave. Mr. Stamets clearly envisions a readership of serious mushroom producers with industrial-sized ambitions. Prepare to encounter the "high-pressure extrusion method" and to be awed by photographs of column cultures climbing ten-feet high. You'll even learn how to convert that forgotten old barn in your backyard into a viable grow-factory. Good luck.

Remarkable... both a pragmatic AND scientific treatment.......2006-05-31

I have to admit, I did not know Paul Stamets was this generation's premier mycologist. After reading this volume, there is no doubt of it. He is objective, a true mycologist of the highest order, and a down-to-earth pragmatic steward of the environment. I have learned a lifetime of valuable information...both scientific as well as practical know-how from this book, (a rare feat). Not only does Stamets enthuse the reader with the miracle of possibilities in cultivating mushrooms for the environment, nutrition, (yes nutrition), and health benefits of Reishi and other mushrooms, he details how it is to be done, (by individual cultivators and/or commercial operations alike).

I cannot express more to any reader of this review how important it will be to have this standard volume on your bookshelf. If you are curious about how mushrooms "work", you must own this book. If you want to have this volume as a practical guide to growing mushrooms indoors OR outdoors, buy this volume. If you are a commercial grower and you want to increase production, create your own sterile spore production facility, you must buy it.

I have never met Paul Stamets, and have no vested interest in making this recommendation. However, after reading this book, I am as enthused as the author about the subject of practical mycology. I hope you will be too!

Wonderful Book - Mainly Steered Toward Growing With A Business Perspective.......2006-05-13

Wonderful Book - Mainly Steered Toward Growing With A Business Perspective.

There are several species covered here, most of which are the most sought after culinary fungi. From a Caramel-Capped perspective, this book provides the guidance necessary to produce a few different Psilocybian species. More wonderful than that are three sentences which will lead the reader onto more questions about this exciting topic: 1. What role do Psilocybes have in medicinal use (keyword: shaman) 2. What range of medicinal effects are possible with extremely low quantities of dried, active fungi? 3. Where can one begin to look outdoors?

The subject of "active fungi" is not complete without referencing other materials. Hopefully Paul Stamets knows that he is loved and appreciated for his neck-outstretched volumes of psilocybian exegesis.

Average customer rating:

Growing Gourmet & Medicinal Mushrooms
Paul Stamets
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MASTRO

Average customer rating:

GROWING GOURMET & MEDICINAL MUSHROOMS.
Pl Stamets
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WQETBI

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