>REVIEWS
SNOWMAN
By Mark Abramson
Lethe Press
Wayne Gunn - Lambda Literary Foundation
In these days of so many self-inflated blogs from authors, it is downright refreshing to read a book that aims simply and honestly to provide “beach reading.” This fourth excursion into the heart of Tim Snow admirably fulfills its goal. Again, a lot of different stories unfold. In trying to help out the owners of the restaurant at which Tim and sometimes his Aunt Ruth work, Tim’s boyfriend, Nick Musgrove, discovers that body parts account for some of the clogged-up sewer lines. San Francisco’s finest quickly muddle the investigation. So, as before, Aunt Ruth, aided this time by her cat, comes to the rescue. There are other issues to occupy her also. She is worried because Tim and Nick are going through a rough moment mostly of Tim’s making (a wandering eye and commitment issues). In a laugh-out-loud comic turn, her “big hair” daughter, Dianne, leaves the safety of Texas and braves catching AIDS (and who know what else?) on a secret quest of her own. And Sam, Ruth’s boyfriend, has at least one secret of his own (though she’s already guessed it). In the end, the least likely suspect is unmasked as the killer, and, of course, all is set right. Without ever seeming derivative, the series clearly is indebted to Armistead Maupin. The author has great fun with his characters; so does the reader.
SNOWMAN
E.B. Boatner - Lavender Magazine - Minneapolis
Tim Snow--"Snowman" to his lover, Nick--finally is recovering from injuries incurred in Russian River Rat, Abramson's third Beach Reading volume. Warm spring days are emerging. Tim's restless, and his ever-present leitmotiv of paranoia has kicked in, whispering that Nick, who cared for him devotedly while he was laid up, is tired of him. (Or maybe vice-versa?) Tim leaves to "take a break," getting no further than the lavish hacienda of Aunt Ruth's boyfriend, Sam, where Tim learns body parts have been found in the dumpster behind Arts, the restaurant where Tim works. The plot thickens, enveloping the usual cast of characters: Aunt Ruth; bar owners Artie and Arturo; dipsomaniac neighbor Teresa; Nick; Adam, a hunky straight black man to whom Tim is disturbingly attracted; and Dianne, Tim's loathesome Texas cousin. Abramson escalates the plot nicely, ratcheting up the suspense and macabre ambience, all the while preparing the reader--and Tim--for the revelation of some long-kept family secrets.
SNOWMAN (BEACH READING 4)
by Mark Abramson
When body parts were found in the sewer pipes at the Castro restaurant where Tim Snow usually works, he was just recovering from injuries suffered in his last adventure with "bad guys." His boyfriend Nick, helping out the gay owners of the restaurant, made the discovery, but it is Tim's Aunt Ruth and Nick's author grandmother, Amanda Musgrove, who stumble on the possible crime scene, and lead the police to investigate possible leads to drug runners in the area. Meanwhile, Tim is trying his best to deal with his bigoted Texas cousin, Ruth's daughter Dianne, but can't resist goading her into confrontations about his being gay. Ruth is giving Dianne as much space as possible as well, choosing to spend as much time as possible with her fiancé, Sam.
In this fourth of his "Beach Reading" series of mysteries, the author creates one heck of a suspenseful page turner, featuring the characters already endeared to those of us who read the earlier books in the series. (While reading them all in order is not a must, as Abramson provides sufficient detail for "newbies" to catch up on what they need to know, I do indeed recommend reading them all, as this is absolutely the best gay mystery series to come along in at least a decade!) As always, the writing takes you to the Castro instantly, and you can almost smell the sourdough bread! Five perfect stars out of five.
- Bob Lind, Echo Magazine
This review is from: Snowman (Paperback) Abramson, Mark."Snowman", Lethe Press, 2010.
Mark Abramson Does It Again
Amos Lassen
I began reading Mark Abramson with his beach reading series and he keeps getting better and better. "Snowman" is his latest and I read it in one sitting. This is the fourth in the series that introduced us to Tim Snow, an amateur private eye and waiter.
We meet Tim this time as he is in the process of overcoming the results of a really bad accident. He is worried about what is happening between himself and his boyfriend and he decides he needs to avoid all of the troubles in his life. Suddenly new troubles come to the fore--his bigoted cousin from Texas comes for a visit, he meets a handsome male model and body parts are found in the dumpster at the restaurant where he works. Somehow Tim finds himself in all of this and when the policemen begin to investigate the restaurant, secrets that were hidden become public and not only is Tim affected but so are his friends.
I don't know how Mark Abramson does it but he managed to get me to stay seated and reading until I finished the novel. He can really tell a story and bring the reader into it. His characters are very real and just like all of us. Now I wonder how long I have to wait until the next book comes out.
Mark Abramson @ Books Inc! Synchronicity abounds with Russian River Rat author... ijulian.blogspot.com
Yesterday was an intriguing day, but auspicious signs during the course of it, signaled I was on the right path and where I was meant to be according to the cosmic design.
Early in the day, when I was unable to locate the LA Times, I settled for the San Francisco Chronicle which I plucked up at the local newstand.
As I quickly gleaned the pages, I spied an intriguing article on disappearing Sea Lions in San Francisco Bay, which I clipped out to refer to for a potential post later in the week on the environment.
The rest of the day's schedule filled up pretty quickly - and the energy expended to keep abreast of it - ended up rustling up a craving for munchies around 7 p.m.
As I scoured Market Street for an inviting diner to slip into, I spied Books Inc, and thought I'd pop in to snatch up the Times (to read over dessert).
For the first time on this visit to Frisco (after searching high & low for the Los Angeles daily) a cashier at the back desk finally informed me that the newspaper did not have a distributor in the tony Bay Area.
So, I was SOL.
With a sigh, I started to turn away, when I noticed a gaggle of fold-up chairs uniformly placed around a small podium in the center of the backroom.
Just as that image caught my eye, I suddenly realized that customers were strolling in and taking seats, for what appeared to be an in-house literary event.
The cute staffer informed me that writer Mark Abramson - who penned the popular "Beach Series" tome - Russian River Rat - would be reading a few paragraphs from his latest (as yet unpublished) offering.
Unfortunately, I was not familiar with the author or his celebrated book on the Russian River hot-spot.
In fact, I'm probably the only the single male to have never trekked up to the popular resort for a week-end of camp.
I've heard all the - gossip, rumors, and innuendo - though.
All true, I gather from trustworthy sources (oh, yeah!).
As it turns out, that morning the Chronicle mentioned the event - but for some inexplicable reason - I didn't stumble across it (just the report on Sea Lions).
How ironic!
As the - witty, outgoing, author prepared to read excerpts from "Snowball" - he chortled in an aside that the manuscript may have to undergo some judicious edits before the publishing phase, if the Sea Lions continued to vanish from the bay.
Apparently the delightful sea creatures play a major role in uncovering a macabre twist in the plot.
Talk about synchronicity!
At this juncture, soothed by the realization that I was where I was meant to be at that given moment in time, I settled in for a very entertaining night at the bookstore.
The author was blessed with a packed house - in fact - several fans of his reading style were forced to stand (due to a lack of chairs) as he delighted us all with excerpts from - not only the new book - but from old favorites other book-lovers in the cozy nook were familiar with.
Then, there was a special surprise treat.
Mark pointed out that a publisher back east was interested in his "Diaries" which consisted of entries that stretched back a few decades.
So, he was inclined to read a couple of highly-personal notes from those intimate "memoires", fortunately for his enthusiastic fan base in attendance.
Abramson selected a couple of entries from January 7th (1975, I believe) because that was the date of yesterday's book-reading.
It was going to be interesting to learn what was on his mind the same day so many moons ago.
Imagine that!
The musings all focused on his first attempt to join a writer's group (early on in his literary career) and his hand-wringing about this 'n that - what to toss over his muscular bod to attract a trick and which choice poems to select to best represent his style (in that order!) - and so forth and so on.
As to last night's venture into celebrity, well, he was warmly received by the surprisingly down-to-earth cross-section of gay men who casually-strolled in totally devoid of attitude.
On occasion, Mr. Abramson's interaction with the rapt audience was highly personal in nature.
Some of the unforgettable experiences inspired his writing, naturally.
For example, he introduced one character - in his cast of many - who became affectionately known as the "bug chaser".
At one point in the early days of the outbreak, older gay men in the throes of various stages of the disease, commanded a remarkable outpouring of love from a compassionate community anxious to reach out and provide comfort in the hour of suffering.
In response to that, a curious phenomenon arose in the gay community, which was shocking to some.
A number of young gays (18-24 age-range basically) felt left out - after all, in neighborhoods like the Castro, West Hollywood, and elsewhere - those stricken with the killer virus were taken into the fold at support groups and hands-on treatment centers and were even provided with free prescription drugs for a myriad of ailments and funding to defray housing costs.
Subsequently, these hapless misguided kids actively sought out older gay men afflicted with the disease, to infect them (willingly or not).
Shortly after that strange episode in gay history, the producers and writers at "Queer as Folk", actually incorporated that disturbing manifestation into a major plot line on the highly-popular cable show.
The ratings skyrocketed, of course!
During the course of the readings last night, there were a number of humorous moments, as well.
The unassuming writer (who - like many S.F. dudes - shaves his head) joked about white sheets referred to in one chapter.
A couple of the guests reacted in a knee-jerk Martha Stewart kind-of-way.
"Who buys white sheets," one roared!
In response, Mark - quick on the uptake - chirped up.
"Well, I figure, if ever there was an emergency, you could wave them to attract help."
Life in Baghdad by the sea, eh?
Mark Abramson reads entries from "Diaries"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7OwLLiTsUU
Mark Abramson reads excerpts from "Snowball" & other material
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VlMmGEtGvs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tt_W16OmP4o
http://www.julianayrs.com
Louis Peitzman
TRASHY FICTION suits author just fine...
San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, January 7, 2010
If you've ever searched desperately for a fun, readable book to slip in your back pocket before heading out, take note - Mark Abramson has been there.
"I was just on my way out the door, and I thought, 'Oh, I'll just pick up something that's going to be beach reading for me,' " the San Francisco author recounts. "I wanted to find a book where I was so familiar with everything that I wouldn't have to think too hard, that I would just be entertained."
Abramson's desire to discover the next Armistead Maupin led him to begin his own locally set queer series. He called it "Beach Reading" to describe the kind of fiction he was seeking - entertaining, lighthearted and just a little bit trashy.
The "Beach Reading" series stars gay waiter Tim Snow, a reluctant psychic whose dreams help him solve crimes. The third and latest installment, "Russian River Rat," follows Tim as he struggles to settle down with his seemingly perfect boyfriend. Meanwhile, both men are haunted by their pasts. The mystery is only part of it.
The books "are not strictly about one thing," he notes. "They all involve all of these quirky characters. A lot of critics have compared them to 'Tales of the City,' Armistead's books, only across town and 30 years later."
But it wasn't easy for Abramson to find a publisher. He actually wrote the second story in his "Beach Reading" series first, and it was only after writing a prequel that he found a buyer. "I just thought, 'OK, I'm going to stick everything really sellable into the first book and make it really, really commercial.' "
Some might scoff at his approach, but Abramson maintains that there is a place for the trashy-fiction genre - especially when it's well written. "If you're going to read beach reading, why shouldn't it be good?"
Part of the appeal of "Russian River Rat" and the rest of the series is that Abramson sticks close to the reality of San Francisco - the Castro, in particular. He writes what he knows, drawing on his experiences in the community and as a waiter-bartender. Local readers can recognize the stores and bars they frequent; Abramson even features a few San Francisco celebs in cameos.
The idea is to draw readers into a world they know. The series is both familiar and escapist. It's aggressively unpretentious, because that is the kind of book Abramson wants to read. Given the dearth of good queer fiction available, he says, there's nothing wrong with something approachable and well done.
"It was part of the reason I wanted to make the covers of my books so erotic," Abramson says. "If they're just buying anything because it's queer, I might as well give them what they want."
Russian River Rat
E.B. Boatner - Lavender Magazine
Book Three of Abramson's Beach Reading series finds protagonist Tim Snow's beloved Aunt Ruth moved to San Francisco, and Tim himself finally in love with the perfect man. Oh, really? Tim and Nick begin the "If he really loved me, he'd call first" dance, against the background hum of murder and intrigue, plus the ongoing lives of the wonderfully quirky denizens of Abramson's Snow's Castro. Then, Tim finds more anomalies in Nick's background: a Big Easy cop cousin who turns up as the drowned body fished out of the Russian River, and lurkers from the past out to destroy... whom? Abramson can tie more complicated knots and entangling nets than a 19th-Century sailor, his catch prolific and entertaining. Don't mind that temperatures are falling (especially back in Tim's native Minnesota) "Beach" is a state of mind, and Beach Reading can be done as enjoyably under an electric throw by the fireside as slathered in SP 40 by the lapping waves.
RUSSIAN RIVER RAT
Bob Lind
Echo Magazine
Twinkish, late 20's Castro waiter Tim Snow is trying to adapt to a long distance relationship with Nick Musgrove, who operates a big florist/garden center in the Russian River area north of San Francisco. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it also makes for occasional miscommunications, jealousy and frequent worries about each other. Tim's Aunt Ruth, who moved to San Francisco after visiting Tim here, is settling in as well, bartending at the same restaurant at which Tim works, and dating a successful older man. When the paper reports a possible murder near Nick's home, and Tim gets one of his vivid possibly-clairvoyant dreams that suggests Nick may be in danger, the couple reunite at Nick's cabin, not knowing that the killer could be watching their every move.
This third in Abramson’s "Beach Reading" series continues to develop and provide background on these realistic, emotionally complete characters, while involving them in another outstanding, riveting and suspenseful mystery thriller. While I would recommend reading all of the books in order, for the full effect, each one can also stand alone as a great read. Abramson paints a wonderful picture of the diverse yet cohesive, supportive Castro community, and I can't wait until his next book to take me back to them. Bravo ... five warm sourdough stars out of five!
RUSSIAN RIVER RAT
5.0 out of 5 stars Once More with Tim Snow, November 3, 2009
What a great character mark Abramson gives us in Tim Snow and it is good to have him back for a third time. Tim now thinks he has found the man to complement him--a handsome guy with his own business on the Russian River. Mark now has his Aunt Ruth with him, a wonderful partner and everything should be going well for him but.......
Tim begins to have dreams that bother him and his boyfriend is showing signs that he is less than perfect and suddenly both men come into contact with men from their past who could cause trouble and even death. And that is all I am going to say about the plot so as not to spoil anything for any prospective reader. I will, however, mention that Abramson lured me in with his first book "Beach Reading" and cemented me in "Cold Serial Murder" so it was up to him to make sure that I would not be let down by "Russian River Rat" and I certainly feel he passed the test beautifully.
Abramson is quite a writer. His characters are drawn beautifully and his plot here is carefully thought out. He pulls us in and does not let go even after we close the book. Not many can do that to me.
BEACH READING / COLD SERIAL MURDER
- E.B. Boatner - Lavender Magazine, MINNEAPOLIS
Grab your towel, some SPF 60 lotion, and these first two of author Mark Abramson's highly entertaining Beach Reading series. He introduces protagonist Tim Snow, Minnesota-born, expelled by his family after an "incident," taken in by his Aunt Ruth, and now comfortably ensconced in the heart of the Castro, where he has lived for some time. Beach moves along briskly, incorporating a homophobic preacher, a gay icon, joint-toking oldsters, a jolt from Tim's past, and a bevy of characters you'll meet again in Cold Serial Murder, including Aunt Ruth. Cold Serial is littered with corpses, one of them Tim's ex-lover. Beach Reading is exactly what it promises. Abramson's witty dialogue; vivid, sexy characters; and comprehensive knowledge of gay SF, its flora, fauna, and idiom, captivate the reader. Number three, Russian River Rat, will be out later this fall. Don't worry - it will be as much fun to read under an electric throw as on a beach blanket.
"Beach Reading" and Other Gay Goodies
Back in the 1970s, in the age of Harvey Milk and the singer Sylvester, a young man named Mark Abramson moved from his native Minneapolis to San Francisco. There he became part of a generation of gay men who populated Castro Street and changed gay life forever, joining people such as John Preston, Randy Shilts and Al Parker (all of whom he befriended).
Mark Abramson
Photo credit: bastique
Abramson has since survived the AIDS epidemic that decimated the city’s gay community and the yuppification that put San Francisco out of reach for all but the most wealthy. Abramson owes much to San Francisco; but he has also given that city much in return, as producer of gay circuit parties and mega-events including “Men Behind Bars” and “Pier Pressure.”
Abramson has also written for once famous but now defunct publications Christopher Street, Fag Rag, Gay Sunshine and Mouth of the Dragon.
Mark Abramson’s love for San Francisco is most evident in his “Beach Reading” series; a gay valentine to the City by the Bay that promises to be the best book series of its kind since Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City.
The title of the series - also the title of the first book in the series - indicates that the books are meant to be light reading, perfect for a lazy day by the sea.
The hero of the series is Tim Snow; like Abramson, he’s a refugee from Minnesota who found freedom and opportunity in the Gay Mecca. Possessing great looks, a hot body, a winning personality and a still-undeveloped psychic gift he inherited from his grandmother, Tim makes ends meet in the Castro by working as a waiter at a restaurant owned by a middle-aged gay couple who are also his landlords while trying to find true love amidst all the sexual opportunities that come his way.
The first book in the series, Beach Reading (Lethe Press; $13), is a slight book, with no overriding goal except to introduce the series’ characters and give us a little fun along the way.
San Francisco, we are told, is readying for the “party of the decade”: an all-star tribute to Sylvester at the Moscone Center. As if that wasn’t enough, evangelist Arlo Montgomery is bringing his anti-gay crusade to San Francisco that very weekend. How Tim gets involved in all this, and what he does to put a stop to Arlo Montgomery’s anti-gay agenda, is the plot of Beach Reading.
Though there is not much depth to Beach Reading (the book lives up to its name), the plot and characters are interesting enough to carry the reader through the first book and prepare him for the second one.
The second book in Abramson’s Beach Reading series, Cold Serial Murder (Lethe Press, $15), is actually better than the first one. This one introduces Tim’s Aunt Ruth, who took Tim in when his parents disowned him for being gay.
Ruth is an interesting character in her own right and adds an outsider’s perspective to the often-inbred Castro gay community. There is also an element of mystery in this volume, involving a murderer who kills Tim’s ex-lover Jason as well as other men.
Tim and Ruth make a great team and their joint efforts to find out who the Cold Serial murderer is promises us more such efforts in the future. Mark Abramson and Lethe Press are already working on several additional volumes in their beach reading series, promising more exciting adventures for Tim, Ruth, their friends and, of course, continuing their author’s enduring love affair with San Francisco.
COLD SERIAL MURDER
by Mark Abramson
(Lethe Press, March 2009, $15 softcover)
It's been a while since Armistead Maupin delighted readers by the Bay with his serialized Tales of the City, but fans of this type of light confectionary fiction will not be disappointed by Mark Abramson's first two entries in his Beach Reading series. Equally San Francisco-centric, these volumes feature main character Tim Snow, a waiter at Castro Street's Arts Restaurant, his bosses Artie and Arturo... - hits of San Francisco name-dropping, quirky characters and the kind of you've-got-to-be-kidding coincidence that happens only in fiction.
---- Jerry L. Wheeler, Out Front Colorado
I promised to let you know when there would be another book in the “Beach Reading” series and I am glad to tell you that I just received...“Cold Serial Murder”, the second book in Mark Abramson’s series on gay life. I could not wait to get started reading it so I took yesterday afternoon off, turned off the phone and sat down in my favorite chair to lose myself in it. From the get go let me say that it is not only as good as “Beach Reading”, it is even better. Mark Abramson knows how to tell a story and he does so with a lot of references to gay life today. Abramson is the kind of guy I could fall in love with if his writing is anything like him. He creates real characters—we all know someone like the guys in the book and we get the sense that we are not just reading a book but that we are participating in the experience that we read about.
Like “Beach Reading”, “Cold Serial Murder” is a love song to San Francisco. Our hero, Tim Snow, takes his visiting aunt on a tour of the city and while they are visiting the sights of one of the gayest cities in the world, Tim gets a real surprise. He comes across the dead body of his ex-lover. He and his aunt come to the conclusion that there is a killer roaming the Castro and they decide to find out who it is. To say anymore about the plot would ruin your fun of reading the book so I won’t. But I will say that the book is a guide to gay San Francisco and for those of you have visited there, you will probably feel a bit homesick. For those of you who have been to San Francisco, you may find yourselves making plans for a trip. Abramson gives us a vivid description of the town and his ability to give detail is amazing. This is a great read and the only problem I have is waiting for the sequel—in fact, there are going to be several sequels as I learned from the last page of the book, If you are like me you do not want to get behind. It is always nice to know that there is a book to be waited for and it is that much nicer when the book is by Mark Abramson.
----Amos Lassen, Eureka Pride
When Tim Snow's Aunt Ruth comes to visit him in San Francisco, she is expecting to relax and reconnect with her nephew, as well as her favorite City by the Bay. On the first day of her visit, Tim discovers the bloody body of his former lover, Jason, and a co-worker at Art's, a restaurant and bar in the Castro. It turns out to be the first of several stabbings, including another one from Tim's circle of acquaintances, apparently the work of a serial killer on which the police have no leads. One of the murders ironically provides an
opportunity for Aunt Ruth to consider relocating to San Francisco permanently, but she is more worried about keeping Tim and his friends safe from harm. Can Tim's untrained psychic abilities provide a lead, or are Aunt Ruth's gut feelings about one of his neighbors the better judge of a likely suspect?
In this second of his "Beach Reading" series of light thrillers, Abramson further develops the likeable and relatable characters he introduced in that enjoyable first book (same name as the series), and again provides a story that perfectly captures the cohesive spirit of the Castro community. While mystery purists may prefer a few more "red herrings" to complicate the solving of the crime, the author obviously intends for the series to entertain rather than challenge, and it succeeds wonderfully on that level. A clang from a streetcar, and five golden stars out of five!
---- Bob Lind, Echo Magazine
San Francisco Chronicle Best-Sellers Jan. 18, 2009/ PAPERBACKS Bay Area:
10. BEACH READING, Mark Abramson (Lethe; 196 pages; $13): A barhopping waiter in the Castro and his activist friends battle an anti-gay organizer.
"Bret Harte—the writer, not the wrestler—helped found the literary convention of local color while living on the California coast. 150 years later, Mark Abramson—the writer, not the producer—makes his own contribution to that rich tradition by applying his verbal pointillé to San Francisco. In this first novel of an upcoming series, lovelorn Tim Snow becomes collateral damage after the collision of politics and partying… and love’s rôle in both. Clever and sexy with a ton of heart (and Harte)."
-- Instinct Magazine
"Abramson's first in a series of books to come, this charming tale takes place in that shining homo beacon in the bay--San Francisco. Whether it's celebrating disco queernery, battling homophobia or getting over that pesky ex, this book's got you covered. And who ever said that protests were unflattering? Provocative yet short, its title says it all--only wait much longer and it may be more like Subway Reading."
-- Brandon Aultman, HX Magazine, New York, NY
"Full of lively characters and wacky coincidence, this page-turning series aims to become the Tales of the City of the new millennium. In the popular imagination, the heyday of gay life is long gone, washed away by AIDS. But in this love song to San Francisco, Mark Abramson gives the lie to that myth, revealing the joy that still inheres to life in the City by the Bay. The quirky charm of San Francisco is alive and well, and living in the pages of Beach Reading."
--Lewis DeSimone, author of Chemistry
"The first volume in Mark Abramson's Beach Reading series pits a brokenhearted, barhopping Castro hero against a seething homophobe, set against the backdrop of a colossal dance party honoring 80s music legend Sylvester. Call it literary levity on overdrive, but it's also a sunny, campy, quick-witted gem, and a sheer delight...Tim Snow, a waiter and a regular fixture in Castro and South of Market bars, lives a semi-normal life in his beloved Upper Market abode, with the exception of getting stoned too often and attempting to circumnavigate his ex-boyfriend, who keeps popping up. The gay community is abuzz with anticipation for the star-studded Sylvester tribute party, but a nasty anti-gay organizer is planning a protest nearby that same night. Counterintelligence is carefully planned with Tim and Company, with a few subplot surprises thrown in. Forthcoming books in the series will focus on contemporary subjects such as gay marriage, the side effects of HIV anti-retroviral drugs, identity theft, and open relationships. But Abramson intends on keeping everything on the lighter side. 'In spite of touching on serious issues, I think it's very important to keep them fun to read as well. They're just beach reading, after all!'"
-- Jim Piechota, Bay Area Reporter
"I just finished reading Mark Abramson's 'Beach Reading' and the only word I can think of to describe it is 'WOW!' It's a short book - only 193 pages - and each of those pages is a pleasure... 'Beach Reading' is a 'love song to San Francisco' and I felt like singing along as I read it. It seems that city on the bay has been the center of gay life forever and after reading this you will understand why."
-- Amos Lassen, Eureka Pride
"The first installment in Mark Abramson's Beach Reading series from Lethe Press 2008... is a tale firmly invested in San Francisco's gay culture, and has a charm because of this that is evident from the first lively page to the defiant last."
-- Steve Williams, Suite 101
http://americanfiction.suite101.com/article.cfm/review_of_beach_reading_by_mark_abramson