Gay & Lesbian Books
How I Learned to Snap
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Manufacturer: Hill Street Press
Author: Kirk Read
Publisher: Hill Street Press
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price:
You Save: $ 22.95 ( 100% )
Manufacturer: Hill Street Press
Author: Kirk Read
Publisher: Hill Street Press
Average Customer Rating:
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How I Learned to Snap Description
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.235
EAN: 9781588180391
ISBN: 1588180395
Label: Hill Street Press
Manufacturer: Hill Street Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 224
Publication Date: 2001-06-01
Publisher: Hill Street Press
Studio: Hill Street Press
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.235
EAN: 9781588180391
ISBN: 1588180395
Label: Hill Street Press
Manufacturer: Hill Street Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 224
Publication Date: 2001-06-01
Publisher: Hill Street Press
Studio: Hill Street Press
Editorial Review of How I Learned to Snap
Kirk Read's youth in the Shenandoah Valley had the outward signs of a comfortable adolescence in the Reagan-era South. Dad: career military. Mum: a homemaker. Son: Little League/soccer player, Baptist youth group member, a straight-jawed boy from a long line of VMI men. One would expect that a young gay man growing up in such a way would lead a tortured teen life. But early on, Read began to show the surety and openness that has marked his later life and career as a young, queer journalist.
Customer Reviews of How I Learned to Snap
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A good read, a few laughs, but looking for a little something more
Review: In my quest for more and more great gay coming-of-age fiction, I came across Kirk Read's autobiographical tale of growing up gay in Virginia in the `80s and very early `90s, focusing on his years in junior high school and high school. Based on the reviews, it sounded promising, so I decided to take a break from fiction and head over to non-fiction. Ultimately, I was pleased by the book and give it three out of five stars. It's a very interesting story of one man's gay youth, and it's filled with a lot of smiles and a few laughs. But it's more or less a series of vignettes that pop back and forth through time. Consequently, it's not easy to get to know some of the people who inhabit Read's life very well. And while I got to know the author rather well, I would have liked to been able to better follow the "supporting players." This is a solid book for readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories, but not really for those who enjoy coming-of-age novels. One caveat: I would strongly recommend this book to gay teens; it can be a telling guide, especially for teens with few or no connections to the larger gay world. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know Read, but now it's time to get back to a more literary read.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: enjoyed this a lot!
Review: I remember reading this in high school and really enjoying it. It's funny and its totally for anyone who was ever felt like an outsider growing up. One of the better gay books out there.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: An Excellent Book, and Very True to Life!
Review: This is one of the best books I've read in quite a while. I have given it as a gift to several of my gay friends. Each of them (who grew up here) found Kirk's account to be "right on target".
I am amazed by the negative reviews and rude comments about Kirk Read.
Sometimes it is refreshing to read something written simply for the purpose of entertainment-we don't need big words to get the point. Kirk used simple language that ANYONE can understand and he used the actual sayings kids around here used at the time.
I have known Kirk most of my life. I can assure all readers that he is not arrogant and is not a brat-even if it seems that way. He was always one of the friendliest kids in the school-and was considered to be quite cool-, and the majority of people seemed to genuinely like him despite his openness about being gay.
Please consider this when reading the book. It is simply an entertaining story to allow others to relate to the experiences he had.
This book is worth your time and you won't be able to put it down.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good but could be better.
Review: The book is good and it keeps your attention, but you are left with the thought of "what was the point"? The book does not go in depth at all. And he only touches on his eating disorder which would have made an amazing chapter. He did not go through anything in high school that anybody, straight or gay, did not experience. There was not point to this book. It was funny and quick witted but he got on my nerves right from the beginning. He does not tie in the Snap to the whole story. You are left to figure that out on your own. I do not recommend this book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Snap, Crackle, Pop
Review: Man oh Man (or better still, man on man) can this guy write! His last name is Read and that is what he makes us do. You all know by now that this is a coming of age, coming out story set in the South in the eighties. What differentiates it is how adorable the author and star character comes across. His swish side is offset by his tough soccer playing and ability to beat up the homophobic bullies. Above all else is his terrific sense of humor. Then there's the writing. Describing a particularly intense right-wing, holy-roller Christian recruiting experience: "If God had to go to such lengths to invite people to his birthday party, He probably wasn't serving very good cake." (Interesting that the "H" is capitalized.) On his "emotional girlfriend's" driving habits: "...we were a pair of crash test dummies waiting for our brick wall to arrive." There are plenty of other examples. Unfortunately, the author's website (kirkread.com) is not nearly as well put together as the book (only two non-descript photos of Mr. Read) but it does indicate that a second book is in the works. Bring it on!
Review Summary: A good read, a few laughs, but looking for a little something more
Review: In my quest for more and more great gay coming-of-age fiction, I came across Kirk Read's autobiographical tale of growing up gay in Virginia in the `80s and very early `90s, focusing on his years in junior high school and high school. Based on the reviews, it sounded promising, so I decided to take a break from fiction and head over to non-fiction. Ultimately, I was pleased by the book and give it three out of five stars. It's a very interesting story of one man's gay youth, and it's filled with a lot of smiles and a few laughs. But it's more or less a series of vignettes that pop back and forth through time. Consequently, it's not easy to get to know some of the people who inhabit Read's life very well. And while I got to know the author rather well, I would have liked to been able to better follow the "supporting players." This is a solid book for readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories, but not really for those who enjoy coming-of-age novels. One caveat: I would strongly recommend this book to gay teens; it can be a telling guide, especially for teens with few or no connections to the larger gay world. Overall, I enjoyed getting to know Read, but now it's time to get back to a more literary read.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: enjoyed this a lot!
Review: I remember reading this in high school and really enjoying it. It's funny and its totally for anyone who was ever felt like an outsider growing up. One of the better gay books out there.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: An Excellent Book, and Very True to Life!
Review: This is one of the best books I've read in quite a while. I have given it as a gift to several of my gay friends. Each of them (who grew up here) found Kirk's account to be "right on target".
I am amazed by the negative reviews and rude comments about Kirk Read.
Sometimes it is refreshing to read something written simply for the purpose of entertainment-we don't need big words to get the point. Kirk used simple language that ANYONE can understand and he used the actual sayings kids around here used at the time.
I have known Kirk most of my life. I can assure all readers that he is not arrogant and is not a brat-even if it seems that way. He was always one of the friendliest kids in the school-and was considered to be quite cool-, and the majority of people seemed to genuinely like him despite his openness about being gay.
Please consider this when reading the book. It is simply an entertaining story to allow others to relate to the experiences he had.
This book is worth your time and you won't be able to put it down.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Good but could be better.
Review: The book is good and it keeps your attention, but you are left with the thought of "what was the point"? The book does not go in depth at all. And he only touches on his eating disorder which would have made an amazing chapter. He did not go through anything in high school that anybody, straight or gay, did not experience. There was not point to this book. It was funny and quick witted but he got on my nerves right from the beginning. He does not tie in the Snap to the whole story. You are left to figure that out on your own. I do not recommend this book.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Snap, Crackle, Pop
Review: Man oh Man (or better still, man on man) can this guy write! His last name is Read and that is what he makes us do. You all know by now that this is a coming of age, coming out story set in the South in the eighties. What differentiates it is how adorable the author and star character comes across. His swish side is offset by his tough soccer playing and ability to beat up the homophobic bullies. Above all else is his terrific sense of humor. Then there's the writing. Describing a particularly intense right-wing, holy-roller Christian recruiting experience: "If God had to go to such lengths to invite people to his birthday party, He probably wasn't serving very good cake." (Interesting that the "H" is capitalized.) On his "emotional girlfriend's" driving habits: "...we were a pair of crash test dummies waiting for our brick wall to arrive." There are plenty of other examples. Unfortunately, the author's website (kirkread.com) is not nearly as well put together as the book (only two non-descript photos of Mr. Read) but it does indicate that a second book is in the works. Bring it on!