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Market Street Cinema
Straight A’s and skilled test taking in high school did little to prepare Lita for the rigors and reality of college life. Six weeks in, and she knew she was out. Unfortunately, her parents had other ideas and offered her an ultimatum…go back to college or move out.
Forced onto a fast-track to adulthood and independence, Lita has no choice but to accept and adapt to her circumstances. Taking a minimum wage job at the local mall barely covers the bills, but a chance encounter soon changes her life.
Liberty is a sweet talking beauty, with a stage name and a presence that charms as much as it comforts. Taking Lita under her wing, Liberty invites her to visit the club – which soon leads to Lita accepting a job as an exotic dancer at San Francisco’s Market Street Cinema.
Will her time in the dark and gritty underworld of adult entertainment put her on a path that secures her future…or will it swallow her whole, destroying everything she never knew she wanted?
Forced onto a fast-track to adulthood and independence, Lita has no choice but to accept and adapt to her circumstances. Taking a minimum wage job at the local mall barely covers the bills, but a chance encounter soon changes her life.
Liberty is a sweet talking beauty, with a stage name and a presence that charms as much as it comforts. Taking Lita under her wing, Liberty invites her to visit the club – which soon leads to Lita accepting a job as an exotic dancer at San Francisco’s Market Street Cinema.
Will her time in the dark and gritty underworld of adult entertainment put her on a path that secures her future…or will it swallow her whole, destroying everything she never knew she wanted?
- GenresFiction
212 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2016
4 people are currently reading
598 people want to read
About the author
Michele Machado
10 books65 followersMichele Machado is a San Francisco born literary pundit with a significant ramen addiction. When not writing review articles or shoveling Japanese noodles down her throat, she enjoys penning fiction with a higher heat factor. In order to balance the serious nature of her "real job" with the more salacious stories she writes, and to avoid uncomfortable conversations with her grandparents, the pen name of Michele Machado was created—and the stock photo in this bio was purchased. Now liberated by a nom de plume and hidden behind a beauty at a typewriter, Michele Machado is excited to share her first two releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 7, 2017
3.5★
This was a bit of a surprise. I was braced for a sleazy tale of a good girl gone bad and thought it might be full of cringe-worthy explicit sex, but I was wrong. I didn't realise there is historical significance to it, too.
Lita is a nice girl who’s decided to drop out of college and work in retail selling lingerie for a while, so her dad says, Fine, but you’re on your own. Find a place to live, do your own cooking and washing, and let us know when you want to go back to school.
As luck would have it, her shop sells sexy undies, crotch-less panties and the like, so the clientele isn’t all old ladies shopping for nighties for their granddaughters.
A customer who’s shopping for sexy dance costumes takes a liking to her and her plight and offers to introduce her to the Market Street Cinema where she might get a gig as a very young ‘dancer’.
This is/was a real place, and you can read about it in several places, including Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_...
.
The Market Street Cinema, San Francisco
I don't know what it was really like, but in this story, it’s not a brothel, although some of the older, less attractive dancers offer more complete services out the back. Lita is embarrassed for an awfully brief time and seems to get the hang of it too quickly to me, but she IS young, and the young are adaptable. Pole dancing, exhibitionism, that sort of thing. She is renamed Lolita and is the youngest one there, a draw-card for a lot of the fellows who fantasise about underage girls.
“In a matter of a few weeks, I had gone from being a moderately shy college student to trying to determine how much of my body I was going to allow strange men to access. My inhibitions were being peeled away a layer at a time, but at a speed so fast it boggled my mind. I didn’t know what I was going to be comfortable with, or if I was going to be comfortable with anything at all, but if I kept working ridiculous hours at Mod [the shop] to scrape by, there was no way I would ever figure out what I actually wanted from life. It definitely wasn’t this, but in the short term, if I was able to make some real money, the Cinema could provide enough quick cash to allow me to breathe a little.”
Isn’t that what ‘they’ all say? The pros that already have little kids they’re trying to hide their profession from while they save up to get out?
The difference here is how the fee system works and how much the girls can choose to allow by way of interaction. The more body parts they let men grope, the more money they earn.
There is plenty of sex, clothed clients bumping and grinding against naked bodies, but there’s nothing the slightest bit sexy. More like a procedural of sorts, and certainly not something that would encourage girls to try it as a career.
I expect this will find a wide audience, and I thank Booklover Catlady Publicity and the author for my review copy.
This was a bit of a surprise. I was braced for a sleazy tale of a good girl gone bad and thought it might be full of cringe-worthy explicit sex, but I was wrong. I didn't realise there is historical significance to it, too.
Lita is a nice girl who’s decided to drop out of college and work in retail selling lingerie for a while, so her dad says, Fine, but you’re on your own. Find a place to live, do your own cooking and washing, and let us know when you want to go back to school.
As luck would have it, her shop sells sexy undies, crotch-less panties and the like, so the clientele isn’t all old ladies shopping for nighties for their granddaughters.
A customer who’s shopping for sexy dance costumes takes a liking to her and her plight and offers to introduce her to the Market Street Cinema where she might get a gig as a very young ‘dancer’.
This is/was a real place, and you can read about it in several places, including Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_...
.
The Market Street Cinema, San Francisco
I don't know what it was really like, but in this story, it’s not a brothel, although some of the older, less attractive dancers offer more complete services out the back. Lita is embarrassed for an awfully brief time and seems to get the hang of it too quickly to me, but she IS young, and the young are adaptable. Pole dancing, exhibitionism, that sort of thing. She is renamed Lolita and is the youngest one there, a draw-card for a lot of the fellows who fantasise about underage girls.
“In a matter of a few weeks, I had gone from being a moderately shy college student to trying to determine how much of my body I was going to allow strange men to access. My inhibitions were being peeled away a layer at a time, but at a speed so fast it boggled my mind. I didn’t know what I was going to be comfortable with, or if I was going to be comfortable with anything at all, but if I kept working ridiculous hours at Mod [the shop] to scrape by, there was no way I would ever figure out what I actually wanted from life. It definitely wasn’t this, but in the short term, if I was able to make some real money, the Cinema could provide enough quick cash to allow me to breathe a little.”
Isn’t that what ‘they’ all say? The pros that already have little kids they’re trying to hide their profession from while they save up to get out?
The difference here is how the fee system works and how much the girls can choose to allow by way of interaction. The more body parts they let men grope, the more money they earn.
There is plenty of sex, clothed clients bumping and grinding against naked bodies, but there’s nothing the slightest bit sexy. More like a procedural of sorts, and certainly not something that would encourage girls to try it as a career.
I expect this will find a wide audience, and I thank Booklover Catlady Publicity and the author for my review copy.
November 4, 2016
Classified as new adult, I initially mistook Market Street Cinema as erotica and very nearly passed on it. While it deals with adult situations and definitely contains highly adult content, it is not page after page of gratuitous sex. What is shown to the reader is a no-holds barred peek into the life of a young, casual sex worker (not a prostitute, but a true to life stripper). She comes in the form of 19-year old Lita, who has just been pushed from the family nest after being given an ultimatum from her parents.
Instead of taking the safe collegiate path, Lita decides to figure out what she wants to do on her own and opts instead to work full time. It doesn't take long before she realizes how hard (and expensive) it is to live on your own, and after a handful of chance manifestations, she begins working at San Francisco's Market Street Cinema.
All this is set in the late 90's (1998, to be exact), so it was fun to step back to a time where landlines and payphones were still used, the internet was in its infancy, Allie McBeal was on TV, Blondie's Pizza was a San Francisco staple, and the Market Street Cinema was actually open (it closed in 2013, but the late 90's was considered its heyday).
Something that made this book a stand-out to me was that there was no love interest. Lots of men who pay money to see T&A, but not a boyfriend. Finally we have a story where a man doesn't swoop in, steal our heroine's heart, and save the day. Instead, we have a girl who comes of age and saves her own damn self—aided in part by an aging, big-sister role model of a stripper (aging only by adult entertainment standards, not real-world standards).
Market Street Cinema is a tight, well written story. There is a tragic twist that, frankly, will make every reader's heart break, adding real depth and authenticity to Lita's fate. This book is absolutely worth reading and I highly recommend it.
I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher, Mint Minx Press, who furnished an ARC of this book for my honest opinion, which this certainly is.
Instead of taking the safe collegiate path, Lita decides to figure out what she wants to do on her own and opts instead to work full time. It doesn't take long before she realizes how hard (and expensive) it is to live on your own, and after a handful of chance manifestations, she begins working at San Francisco's Market Street Cinema.
All this is set in the late 90's (1998, to be exact), so it was fun to step back to a time where landlines and payphones were still used, the internet was in its infancy, Allie McBeal was on TV, Blondie's Pizza was a San Francisco staple, and the Market Street Cinema was actually open (it closed in 2013, but the late 90's was considered its heyday).
Something that made this book a stand-out to me was that there was no love interest. Lots of men who pay money to see T&A, but not a boyfriend. Finally we have a story where a man doesn't swoop in, steal our heroine's heart, and save the day. Instead, we have a girl who comes of age and saves her own damn self—aided in part by an aging, big-sister role model of a stripper (aging only by adult entertainment standards, not real-world standards).
Market Street Cinema is a tight, well written story. There is a tragic twist that, frankly, will make every reader's heart break, adding real depth and authenticity to Lita's fate. This book is absolutely worth reading and I highly recommend it.
I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher, Mint Minx Press, who furnished an ARC of this book for my honest opinion, which this certainly is.
September 20, 2016
Market Street Cinema
Michele Machado
Review copy received from author for an honest review.
I went in to MARKET STREET CINEMA expecting lots of erotica. I mean, it is a story about a college kid who is disillusioned over school and becomes a dancer at a strip club. But this story is so much more than that and has very little sex in it at all. It's more about friendship and the lengths we go to honor our friends.
Lita has just dropped out of college and her parents are beyond angry. Her parents tell her that if she wants to be an adult and make adult decisions, she should live like an adult. They tell her to get out and try and live on her own. She gets a job working retail at a lingerie store but it doesn't pay enough for her to find an apartment by herself. One day, while searching the classifieds, in walks Liberty. Liberty is an older stripper who works at MARKET STREET CINEMA and the two become friends. Lita tells her she needs to make some money fast and Liberty teaches her all abut dancing at the club and how much money she can make there.
Lita is extremely naive but she truly cares about Liberty and becomes her good friend. They share a wonderful friendship and look out for each other. MARKET STREET CINEMA has a heartbreaking tragedy in it and you will be crying when it happens, because the situation is so believable that you will feel as if you are right there in the room when it happens. Lita grow up very fast once she starts working in the club and what she goes through will pull at your heart strings. I've never read Michele Machado before but once I started this story I found I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author.
Michele Machado
Review copy received from author for an honest review.
I went in to MARKET STREET CINEMA expecting lots of erotica. I mean, it is a story about a college kid who is disillusioned over school and becomes a dancer at a strip club. But this story is so much more than that and has very little sex in it at all. It's more about friendship and the lengths we go to honor our friends.
Lita has just dropped out of college and her parents are beyond angry. Her parents tell her that if she wants to be an adult and make adult decisions, she should live like an adult. They tell her to get out and try and live on her own. She gets a job working retail at a lingerie store but it doesn't pay enough for her to find an apartment by herself. One day, while searching the classifieds, in walks Liberty. Liberty is an older stripper who works at MARKET STREET CINEMA and the two become friends. Lita tells her she needs to make some money fast and Liberty teaches her all abut dancing at the club and how much money she can make there.
Lita is extremely naive but she truly cares about Liberty and becomes her good friend. They share a wonderful friendship and look out for each other. MARKET STREET CINEMA has a heartbreaking tragedy in it and you will be crying when it happens, because the situation is so believable that you will feel as if you are right there in the room when it happens. Lita grow up very fast once she starts working in the club and what she goes through will pull at your heart strings. I've never read Michele Machado before but once I started this story I found I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more by this wonderful author.
September 30, 2016
This was a really unexpected enjoyable read. I read it pretty quickly and found the writing crisp, clear and easy to engage with. The book has a more in-depth plot than I'd imagined and was a surprise package.
Lita Is a young woman disillusioned with college life and finding herself at odds with her parents she finds herself thrust out into the world on her own. Needing to make ends meet she gains a job in a lingerie retail store but it hardly pays the bills.
One day, life changes forever when she meets a woman in the store who comes from a whole different world. The world of adult club entertainment, strip clubs in other words. Market Street Cinema.
Choices we make take us on different roads and we watch Lita make choices throughout this book. I found her an endearing mix of naivety, then worldliness and maturity with a good heart. A really likeable character.
Lita's friendship with Liberty from the club is central to the plot and I liked the way the author portrayed this friendship between Lita and this older woman. Another character I loved.
Life is not perfect and sometimes it's darn right hard and Lita learns this in the hardest of ways. The book surprised me with its emotive moments and in particular with a sad theme then a truly satisfying ending that had me cheering.
This is a quick, entertaining read with a lot going for it. Don't mistake it for erotica, it's not. It's message about true friendship, life lessons and choices was really great. I recommend to anyone who enjoys connecting with realistic and flawed characters in their books. 4 stars from me.
I'm proud to be promoting this book and have review copies available. Please email me at booklovercatlady@gmail.com if you'd like a copy.
I received a copy of this book both via NetGalley and the author, huge thanks!
Lita Is a young woman disillusioned with college life and finding herself at odds with her parents she finds herself thrust out into the world on her own. Needing to make ends meet she gains a job in a lingerie retail store but it hardly pays the bills.
One day, life changes forever when she meets a woman in the store who comes from a whole different world. The world of adult club entertainment, strip clubs in other words. Market Street Cinema.
Choices we make take us on different roads and we watch Lita make choices throughout this book. I found her an endearing mix of naivety, then worldliness and maturity with a good heart. A really likeable character.
Lita's friendship with Liberty from the club is central to the plot and I liked the way the author portrayed this friendship between Lita and this older woman. Another character I loved.
Life is not perfect and sometimes it's darn right hard and Lita learns this in the hardest of ways. The book surprised me with its emotive moments and in particular with a sad theme then a truly satisfying ending that had me cheering.
This is a quick, entertaining read with a lot going for it. Don't mistake it for erotica, it's not. It's message about true friendship, life lessons and choices was really great. I recommend to anyone who enjoys connecting with realistic and flawed characters in their books. 4 stars from me.
I'm proud to be promoting this book and have review copies available. Please email me at booklovercatlady@gmail.com if you'd like a copy.
I received a copy of this book both via NetGalley and the author, huge thanks!
March 3, 2017
Although it did have some adult content it has a lot less sex than the new adult books Ive read. I personally wouldnt call this an erotica. It has a lot more depth than that and the sexually explicit scenes arent exactly what Id called erotic or arousing. Stripping is a job to her and she doesnt find it arousing so its difficult for the reader to see it that way. Im not complaining because thats exactly what I was looking for when I picked this up. I wasnt looking for an erotica.
I read this fascinating and gripping story in one sitting. The writing was fast pace and engaging from start to finish. I had so many feelings while reading this. The ending absolutely crushed me but I loved it. For such a short book it had a lot of substance. I thought it was a captivating and realistic finding yourself story about a girl trying to make it on her own without a mans help. Yay no love interest. Just a strong and independent girl hustling to make some money.
When a 19 year old girl named Lita gets the ultimatum from her parents to either go back to college or move out, she knows she wont go back to college. Now on her own for the first time and struggling financially a women named Liberty/Darcy takes her under her wing and introduces her to the Adult Entertainment Industry. What started out as a way to make a bit of money selling lingery to dancers quickly escalates to Lita working at the strip club once a week.
The adult entertainment industry isnt something thats talked about often and the taboo subject can make this type of story thrilling to read about, but it can also distance the reader. Lita and Libertys beautiful friendship really helps readers who havent worked in the adult industry empathize with the characters. As heartbreaking as it was, the tragedy added a dose of reality to the situation that made this story all the more impactul. Not everyone gets a happy ending in real life and even less in this industry.
Im happy to see these workers represented in litterature. I cant wait to see what else this author will write about.
* I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
I read this fascinating and gripping story in one sitting. The writing was fast pace and engaging from start to finish. I had so many feelings while reading this. The ending absolutely crushed me but I loved it. For such a short book it had a lot of substance. I thought it was a captivating and realistic finding yourself story about a girl trying to make it on her own without a mans help. Yay no love interest. Just a strong and independent girl hustling to make some money.
When a 19 year old girl named Lita gets the ultimatum from her parents to either go back to college or move out, she knows she wont go back to college. Now on her own for the first time and struggling financially a women named Liberty/Darcy takes her under her wing and introduces her to the Adult Entertainment Industry. What started out as a way to make a bit of money selling lingery to dancers quickly escalates to Lita working at the strip club once a week.
The adult entertainment industry isnt something thats talked about often and the taboo subject can make this type of story thrilling to read about, but it can also distance the reader. Lita and Libertys beautiful friendship really helps readers who havent worked in the adult industry empathize with the characters. As heartbreaking as it was, the tragedy added a dose of reality to the situation that made this story all the more impactul. Not everyone gets a happy ending in real life and even less in this industry.
Im happy to see these workers represented in litterature. I cant wait to see what else this author will write about.
* I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
September 17, 2016
An excellent, memorable, touching read. Lita is at college but is not a college type girl. She isn’t really interested in what she is meant to be studying and is only there as her parents expect it. When she drops out she is given the ultimatum- back to college or stay out and move out. A chance encounter develops into an unlikely friendship and the chance to make additional money over her retail job that she has had to take extra hours in to cover the bills now that she is living under her own steam. What Lita discovers is a whole new world and a whole new self- not quite as wholesome as the college girl she once was.
This is a well written interesting book. Not only a story but about standing up for yourself and maybe having to take a few risks when those you thought you could trust have betrayed you time and again. A clever title once I thought about it. Lita is very likeable and has a depth of character that you instantly take to. Once your parent(s) have threatened to throw you out of the house, things are never quite the same again- or are they? Lita becomes a much stronger person for the experience and learns life lessons in the process. A book to think about, a book to remember. More than what is on the surface like much of life……One quote will remain with me “whatever you want to do , we will support you”, something every child should have the chance of.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review
This is a well written interesting book. Not only a story but about standing up for yourself and maybe having to take a few risks when those you thought you could trust have betrayed you time and again. A clever title once I thought about it. Lita is very likeable and has a depth of character that you instantly take to. Once your parent(s) have threatened to throw you out of the house, things are never quite the same again- or are they? Lita becomes a much stronger person for the experience and learns life lessons in the process. A book to think about, a book to remember. More than what is on the surface like much of life……One quote will remain with me “whatever you want to do , we will support you”, something every child should have the chance of.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review
August 24, 2016
Market Street Cinema is by Michele Machado. This novel is set in San Francisco and is very realistic. I don’t know what I expected when I started this novel; but it turned out to be much more than I expected and much different. It turned into a great book and one I wholeheartedly recommend.
Lita had flunked out of college and decided to forego it in the future. She didn’t know what she wanted to do; but was definite that it wasn’t college. Her parents thought she would and should go back to college. They thought this so strongly that when she refused, they told her she had to find a place of her own. They didn’t disown her but cut the purse strings. Even with extra hours at the lingerie store she worked at, she could just barely make ends meet. She decided to look for something else to supplement her income and create a savings. She met Liberty at the store and with her help, found a job the next day.
What would her parents say when they found out what her new job was? Could Lita really do this?
Lita had flunked out of college and decided to forego it in the future. She didn’t know what she wanted to do; but was definite that it wasn’t college. Her parents thought she would and should go back to college. They thought this so strongly that when she refused, they told her she had to find a place of her own. They didn’t disown her but cut the purse strings. Even with extra hours at the lingerie store she worked at, she could just barely make ends meet. She decided to look for something else to supplement her income and create a savings. She met Liberty at the store and with her help, found a job the next day.
What would her parents say when they found out what her new job was? Could Lita really do this?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2016
I knew this author could write. But could she tell a story- the answer is 100% yes. This is an engaging coming of age story with some adult content. Lita, the central character drops out of college and strikes out on her own. Securing a day job, Lita's chance meeting with Liberty introduces her to The Market Street Cinema and the world of adult entertainment. Read of Lita's journey and the influence Liberty has on her decisions. The story is beautifully written and evoked real emotion in me. I cried at the end. Don't miss this wonderful captivating tale. Thoroughly Recommend.
March 18, 2018
Who wouldn't want to kick back and read a coming of age story where a sheltered young girl turns to stripping to make ends meet?
But while the subject matter and unpredictability made it a page turner, the writing is remarkably soulless. Lita is a very chill, observant and down to earth narrator who never annoyed me, but she isn't given much experience to chew on or really be challenged by until the very end. And even the ending tragedy, while very sad, felt unearned. For 208 pages, this might as well have been a novella in terms of content. The author didn't take enough risks with her character and made her adjust to the new lifestyle too quickly with little to no rough patches. There also wasn't enough interaction with the clients and other dancers to capture the atmosphere of a strip club and make it feel like a story and not an after school special. There really isn't a lot relationship exploration period. Lita stays so busy and isolated from the world that you only get to know who she is connected to in her introspective summaries. The ending also felt very tidied up and unrealistic for all the prior attempt to be a gritty, realistic story. It was a fairy tale ending cop out that left Lita with no direct consequences for her choices and in fact rewarded her thoughtlessness.
The upside is that Machado's writing, while flawed, is still heads above many of the new adult kindle authors. It's not trash. There is no forced romance or cliches and actually attempts to portary the profession accurately, without glamour or judgement. With a good editor and an expansion of this plot and development, this could've have been something very special. It's a shame that it only meets it's own potential half-way.
But while the subject matter and unpredictability made it a page turner, the writing is remarkably soulless. Lita is a very chill, observant and down to earth narrator who never annoyed me, but she isn't given much experience to chew on or really be challenged by until the very end. And even the ending tragedy, while very sad, felt unearned. For 208 pages, this might as well have been a novella in terms of content. The author didn't take enough risks with her character and made her adjust to the new lifestyle too quickly with little to no rough patches. There also wasn't enough interaction with the clients and other dancers to capture the atmosphere of a strip club and make it feel like a story and not an after school special. There really isn't a lot relationship exploration period. Lita stays so busy and isolated from the world that you only get to know who she is connected to in her introspective summaries. The ending also felt very tidied up and unrealistic for all the prior attempt to be a gritty, realistic story. It was a fairy tale ending cop out that left Lita with no direct consequences for her choices and in fact rewarded her thoughtlessness.
The upside is that Machado's writing, while flawed, is still heads above many of the new adult kindle authors. It's not trash. There is no forced romance or cliches and actually attempts to portary the profession accurately, without glamour or judgement. With a good editor and an expansion of this plot and development, this could've have been something very special. It's a shame that it only meets it's own potential half-way.
August 12, 2017
Lita is a young woman with such determination, strength and stubbornness that costs her to leave home. A very bright straight A student it soon guaranteed her a place in college but after only 6 weeks Lita knew this wasn’t for her. Her frustrated father gives her a devastating ultimatum, either return to college or leave home and fend for herself. Like most parents her father believes he is on a winner but he couldn’t be more wrong.
Full time work in a shop selling lingerie leads to a chance meeting with a beautiful woman that offers her a chance to earn extra cash selling some of these products to exotic dancers at San Francisco’s Market Street Cinema, where strippers and pole dancers can make what she makes in a week in just a few hours.
This story has adult themes but it is far from erotic. This is a behind the scenes story of a young woman with her head screwed on, she if there simply to earn good money quickly. Everything is controlled by her. The more she allows the more cash she earns but she can seem to give a lot but gives nothing at the same time. Some grinding yes but not much more, it is more illusion that the client falls for.
This is a super story of friendship and determination, learning from the best and making most of what you have. Lita is a character that you simply get behind, I think every reader will be cheering her along to succeed. At only 212 pages it is a very manageable book to read in a day or two but you will have problems putting it down.
I wish to thank the author for this book which I won at an online book publication party. This is my honest review.
Full time work in a shop selling lingerie leads to a chance meeting with a beautiful woman that offers her a chance to earn extra cash selling some of these products to exotic dancers at San Francisco’s Market Street Cinema, where strippers and pole dancers can make what she makes in a week in just a few hours.
This story has adult themes but it is far from erotic. This is a behind the scenes story of a young woman with her head screwed on, she if there simply to earn good money quickly. Everything is controlled by her. The more she allows the more cash she earns but she can seem to give a lot but gives nothing at the same time. Some grinding yes but not much more, it is more illusion that the client falls for.
This is a super story of friendship and determination, learning from the best and making most of what you have. Lita is a character that you simply get behind, I think every reader will be cheering her along to succeed. At only 212 pages it is a very manageable book to read in a day or two but you will have problems putting it down.
I wish to thank the author for this book which I won at an online book publication party. This is my honest review.
October 25, 2016
** ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Market Street Cinema by Michele Machado is a fast paced, short read that grips you from the beginning. This is a coming of age, new adult book. I would not classify this as erotica as there is no love interest.
It is the gritty story of Lita, a college dropout whose parents issue an ultimatum, go back to college or move out. Lita knows college isn't for her, so she takes a minimum wage retail job at the mall and moves out. She finds herself on her own and struggling financially to pay the bills. A chance encounter leads her to make choices about her life. Lita meets Liberty, who introduces her to the Adult Entertainment Industry, aka stripping at the San Francisco Market Street Cinema.
We see the bonds of Lita and Liberty's friendship. It is a beautiful story of a younger woman that is taken under the wing of an older woman. The life and struggle of so many women today.
I love the fact that Lita is a strong, determined woman that does not need a man to save her. I wish more books were like this. Love stories are nice, but so are stories of strong, independent women.
This book pulled out a lot of emotions in me. I found myself crying at the end. Please take a chance and read this book. You won't be sorry. This is a story that will leave you with a book hangover.
REVIEWED BY : JENNIFER M.
Market Street Cinema by Michele Machado is a fast paced, short read that grips you from the beginning. This is a coming of age, new adult book. I would not classify this as erotica as there is no love interest.
It is the gritty story of Lita, a college dropout whose parents issue an ultimatum, go back to college or move out. Lita knows college isn't for her, so she takes a minimum wage retail job at the mall and moves out. She finds herself on her own and struggling financially to pay the bills. A chance encounter leads her to make choices about her life. Lita meets Liberty, who introduces her to the Adult Entertainment Industry, aka stripping at the San Francisco Market Street Cinema.
We see the bonds of Lita and Liberty's friendship. It is a beautiful story of a younger woman that is taken under the wing of an older woman. The life and struggle of so many women today.
I love the fact that Lita is a strong, determined woman that does not need a man to save her. I wish more books were like this. Love stories are nice, but so are stories of strong, independent women.
This book pulled out a lot of emotions in me. I found myself crying at the end. Please take a chance and read this book. You won't be sorry. This is a story that will leave you with a book hangover.
REVIEWED BY : JENNIFER M.
September 2, 2016
This book held me from the first page and I didn't end up stopping until I was finished!
We meet Lita who is a recent college drop out. Her parents are beyond angry about this and end up kicking her out of the house so that she can learn how to be an adult on her own. She works for a lingerie company and ends up securing that for a full time position with them. Lita quickly learns that her job is hardly enough to make ends meet even if she just rents a room.
In walks Liberty, an older stripper at Market Street Cinema who ends up bringing Lita into the fold.
Lita quickly learns she can dance and sell her body in that way to make the money she needs. So many things happen along this journey and we get a very realistic glimpse into the dark underworld of selling sex.
The writing in this book was incredible and I felt like I was right there with Lita through every decision and situation she encountered. It felt so real. Some of the situations were graphic and difficult to read because of that, though they rang true and that is all a part of good storytelling.
Absolutely loved this book!
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review
We meet Lita who is a recent college drop out. Her parents are beyond angry about this and end up kicking her out of the house so that she can learn how to be an adult on her own. She works for a lingerie company and ends up securing that for a full time position with them. Lita quickly learns that her job is hardly enough to make ends meet even if she just rents a room.
In walks Liberty, an older stripper at Market Street Cinema who ends up bringing Lita into the fold.
Lita quickly learns she can dance and sell her body in that way to make the money she needs. So many things happen along this journey and we get a very realistic glimpse into the dark underworld of selling sex.
The writing in this book was incredible and I felt like I was right there with Lita through every decision and situation she encountered. It felt so real. Some of the situations were graphic and difficult to read because of that, though they rang true and that is all a part of good storytelling.
Absolutely loved this book!
I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review
August 9, 2016
A riveting read! Nineteen year old Lita drops out of college to the anger of her parents. She must then move out of the comfortable cocoon of her their home and try to make it on her own. This proves a difficult thing to do. She meets a women who is a stripper, and Lita vicariously ends up doing the same thing to supplement the income from her day job in retail sales. We are confronted by the ugly underworld of stripping in a San Francisco "glitter mine." There is tragedy when the protagonists only friend, the kind and aging stripper,winds up dead. I thoroughly enjoyed Market Street Cinema and highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2017
This book is recommended for fans of New Adult literature who are more interested in coming of age and platonic relationships than romance. Though the book is about sex workers, it is not a sexy story and not recommended for fans of erotica.
Read more of this review and others as UndergroundBookReviews.org
Read more of this review and others as UndergroundBookReviews.org
October 12, 2016
LINK: https://collectorofbookboyfriends.com...
Definitely a book like nothing I have ever read before. And thank god I didn’t pass it up when I saw it on NetGalley because then I would have made one very big mistake.
Market Street Cinema is a standalone book with a very special and “unusual” story to tell. Its hero is a nineteen-year-old girl named Lita, who decides to drop out of college and try to find her way elsewhere. Which leads her to catch a job in a lingerie shop and working as a dancer in the strip club, Market Street Cinema.
To say that I was intrigued by it when I first read the blurb, it would be without doubt an understatement. I couldn’t get it out of my head so as soon as I got it, I dived almost immediately. The world it offers to the lucky people who give it a chance, is beyond amazing and so damn addicting. Each situation after the other that Lita had to go through, sucked me deeper and deeper into it. But what pulled me more than anything to read it, it was that it had nothing to do with the dozens of romances I come across or read. Market Street Cinema is the story of how a young girl, takes her life in her hands, and through her experience as a strip dancer, finally finds herself and what she wants to become. The journey she has to take, the difficulties she has to face and how fast she must grow up are just too inspiring and real for me to resist or turn down.
Michelle Machado really did a loud and powerful debut in the contemporary literature world. She chose an incredibly interesting subject and she developed it pretty pretty good just in the few – for my taste – pages. She succeeded to pass Lita’s feelings to me and make me wonder while I was reading what I would do if I was in her shoes. And that’s something rarely happens; but when it does, I freaking savor it!! And after this book, Machado showed that she’s going to be a “keep in mind” author for me. I really can’t wait to see what her next project would be.
Definitely a book like nothing I have ever read before. And thank god I didn’t pass it up when I saw it on NetGalley because then I would have made one very big mistake.
Market Street Cinema is a standalone book with a very special and “unusual” story to tell. Its hero is a nineteen-year-old girl named Lita, who decides to drop out of college and try to find her way elsewhere. Which leads her to catch a job in a lingerie shop and working as a dancer in the strip club, Market Street Cinema.
To say that I was intrigued by it when I first read the blurb, it would be without doubt an understatement. I couldn’t get it out of my head so as soon as I got it, I dived almost immediately. The world it offers to the lucky people who give it a chance, is beyond amazing and so damn addicting. Each situation after the other that Lita had to go through, sucked me deeper and deeper into it. But what pulled me more than anything to read it, it was that it had nothing to do with the dozens of romances I come across or read. Market Street Cinema is the story of how a young girl, takes her life in her hands, and through her experience as a strip dancer, finally finds herself and what she wants to become. The journey she has to take, the difficulties she has to face and how fast she must grow up are just too inspiring and real for me to resist or turn down.
Michelle Machado really did a loud and powerful debut in the contemporary literature world. She chose an incredibly interesting subject and she developed it pretty pretty good just in the few – for my taste – pages. She succeeded to pass Lita’s feelings to me and make me wonder while I was reading what I would do if I was in her shoes. And that’s something rarely happens; but when it does, I freaking savor it!! And after this book, Machado showed that she’s going to be a “keep in mind” author for me. I really can’t wait to see what her next project would be.
February 14, 2018
I received an e-arc of this from Netgalley in exchange for and honest review.
This story is about a 19year old lita, who decides that college isn't for her and drops out to work in a lingerie store. But lit a has to make ends me and one day is approached by Liberty, a stripper who tells lita she can make some money reselling clothes to strippers at market street cinema.
I like this story and I don't like this story. It has a good female friendship and speaks a lot about the life of a stripper but then again it also shows the downside of selling your body.
This story is about a 19year old lita, who decides that college isn't for her and drops out to work in a lingerie store. But lit a has to make ends me and one day is approached by Liberty, a stripper who tells lita she can make some money reselling clothes to strippers at market street cinema.
I like this story and I don't like this story. It has a good female friendship and speaks a lot about the life of a stripper but then again it also shows the downside of selling your body.
September 9, 2016
1998, San Francisco Bay Area. Amelia (Hispanic, boss) had now scheduled Lita (19, narrator, retail sales clerk, Mod Unmentionables) for a 40 hr. week.
Sandra (retail sales clerk, Mod Unmentionables) worked there also.
Darcy (customer, aka Liberty, exotic dancer, Market Street Cinema) wanted Lita to show her some real sexy outfits.
Lita decided she was going to work as an exotic dancer at Market Street Cinema on Friday & Saturday. Lolita will be her stage name.
Mr. Hunter (HS science teacher) came in quite regularly.
Zakir & Mark are the all-around cashier, boss, DJ, etc.
The other dancers are: Fantasia, Destiny, Candy, Allegra, Harmony, Ember, Ireland, Porsche, Dolly, Poppy, Brooklyn, & Willow.
They come in all shapes, sizes & colors.
Lahkwinder “Lucky” (40, Sikh) lived in Sebastopol. Lolita was invited over to his place.
A policeman came to see Lita what news did he have for her?
Warning: This book contains extreme violence, graphic adult content or expletive language &/or sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written erotic book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great erotic movie, or a paid-per-view mini TV series. It was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Story Cartel; Mint Minx Press; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Sandra (retail sales clerk, Mod Unmentionables) worked there also.
Darcy (customer, aka Liberty, exotic dancer, Market Street Cinema) wanted Lita to show her some real sexy outfits.
Lita decided she was going to work as an exotic dancer at Market Street Cinema on Friday & Saturday. Lolita will be her stage name.
Mr. Hunter (HS science teacher) came in quite regularly.
Zakir & Mark are the all-around cashier, boss, DJ, etc.
The other dancers are: Fantasia, Destiny, Candy, Allegra, Harmony, Ember, Ireland, Porsche, Dolly, Poppy, Brooklyn, & Willow.
They come in all shapes, sizes & colors.
Lahkwinder “Lucky” (40, Sikh) lived in Sebastopol. Lolita was invited over to his place.
A policeman came to see Lita what news did he have for her?
Warning: This book contains extreme violence, graphic adult content or expletive language &/or sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. It may be offensive to some readers.
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one. All thoughts & opinions are entirely my own.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written erotic book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great erotic movie, or a paid-per-view mini TV series. It was just OK for me so I will rate it at 4/5 stars.
Thank you for the free Story Cartel; Mint Minx Press; PDF book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
October 17, 2016
I received an ARC through NetGalley.
This will probably sound strange, but I can't resist a book about strippers, so of course I was very excited about Market Street Cinema. Lita has just started college, but to her dismay, it's nothing like high school. After a few weeks, she's failing and drops out. Lita doesn't want her parents to know, but they do find out and give her an ultimatum: re-enroll or move out. She chooses to move out, much to their surprise. Lita knows she'd just drop out again, so instead she plans to work until she figures out what she wants to do. Then Liberty walks into her lingerie store and everything changes.
Market Street Cinema had me hooked from the beginning! I read it straight though in one sitting! Partly because it's short, but mostly because I had no idea where this story was heading! I honestly thought this was going to go down some dark, twisted road with Lita totally screwing up her life and then being saved by the power of love. Well, that doesn't happen. This is actually a quite heart-warming tale about a young girl making a bad decision, but learning from it, and making a new friend who helps her find her way. That's right, this is a story of friendship between strippers! It's like it was written for me.
Market Street Cinema is a very short, quick read so I don't want to say too much and spoil everything. I adored Lita and how she kept her head about her even while she was doing private dances for creepy men. I loved the friendship that blossomed between Lita and Liberty and really wanted to see where their dreams would take them once they got out of the strip club. There is a very shocking twist toward the end, which nearly broke my heart, but the story does ultimately end on a hopeful note. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a different kind of story.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
This will probably sound strange, but I can't resist a book about strippers, so of course I was very excited about Market Street Cinema. Lita has just started college, but to her dismay, it's nothing like high school. After a few weeks, she's failing and drops out. Lita doesn't want her parents to know, but they do find out and give her an ultimatum: re-enroll or move out. She chooses to move out, much to their surprise. Lita knows she'd just drop out again, so instead she plans to work until she figures out what she wants to do. Then Liberty walks into her lingerie store and everything changes.
Market Street Cinema had me hooked from the beginning! I read it straight though in one sitting! Partly because it's short, but mostly because I had no idea where this story was heading! I honestly thought this was going to go down some dark, twisted road with Lita totally screwing up her life and then being saved by the power of love. Well, that doesn't happen. This is actually a quite heart-warming tale about a young girl making a bad decision, but learning from it, and making a new friend who helps her find her way. That's right, this is a story of friendship between strippers! It's like it was written for me.
Market Street Cinema is a very short, quick read so I don't want to say too much and spoil everything. I adored Lita and how she kept her head about her even while she was doing private dances for creepy men. I loved the friendship that blossomed between Lita and Liberty and really wanted to see where their dreams would take them once they got out of the strip club. There is a very shocking twist toward the end, which nearly broke my heart, but the story does ultimately end on a hopeful note. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for a different kind of story.
Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.
March 13, 2017
Lita isn’t college material. Unfortunately, she has figured this out after dropping out of her local community college. When her parents find out, they demand that she either return to school or move out on her own. So Lita finds an apartment and declares her independence, though she is struggling to make ends meet with her retail job. When Liberty, a dancer at Market Street Cinema comes into her store, the two women quickly connect. Liberty convinces Lita to sell lingerie to the women at the club, which leads to her becoming a dancer there as well. Lita knows that she doesn’t want to be a stripper and salesgirl forever, but she needs some time to figure out which way her life is going to go. Meanwhile she lives a double life, hiding her work from her parents and friends while learning to navigate the complicated world of sex work.
Read the rest of the review at Undergroundbookreviews.org
Read the rest of the review at Undergroundbookreviews.org
August 10, 2016
1998: Lita is a college drop out. She is forced to leave her parents' home and to cope with the problems every independet person, living on their own, faces. Like everybody else, she has to realize that you need money and guts in order to survive in this world. People around you can influence your decisions and also your life! So, when Lita meets a stripper, she decides to follow in her track. While she works at Market Street Cinema (San Francisco), she gets to see the dark sides of a stripper's life.
I guess there is a reason why "Market Street Cinema" is named after the etablissement Lita works in. Back at the time, MSC played one of the major roles in San Francisco's sex industry. Thus, it functions as a perfect setting for the novel. Not only does it serve Lita's story, but it also helps depicting San Francisco's dirty underground business. While Lita literally uses her body to earn a living and stay above water, others watch for entertainment. In a corrupt world, people only see each other as vessels without a core. Poeple judge each other because of outward and public appearances.
This is a cleverly written story about the 90s and society's troubles, in a time, where mass media and money rule the world. I strongly recommend this to everybody interested in the struggles of modern life. Great work, Michele!
I guess there is a reason why "Market Street Cinema" is named after the etablissement Lita works in. Back at the time, MSC played one of the major roles in San Francisco's sex industry. Thus, it functions as a perfect setting for the novel. Not only does it serve Lita's story, but it also helps depicting San Francisco's dirty underground business. While Lita literally uses her body to earn a living and stay above water, others watch for entertainment. In a corrupt world, people only see each other as vessels without a core. Poeple judge each other because of outward and public appearances.
This is a cleverly written story about the 90s and society's troubles, in a time, where mass media and money rule the world. I strongly recommend this to everybody interested in the struggles of modern life. Great work, Michele!
October 20, 2016
This book was a complete surprise packet! I originally thought it was erotica but that is far from the case. Yes, the book is about a girl who becomes a stripper but there is much, much more to the story than that.
I feel that this book is about female friendships, hopes and dreams, and it is also a study of human nature. Michele Machado has a really good grasp of what makes people tick and it comes across in this book very well.
Lita is a college drop-out with no money and needs to make some fast. Liberty is much older and wiser and works as a stripper. She introduces Lita to her world and this book is about their friendship, and the world they inhabit as strippers, which is an odd sort of parallel universe. I found the interactions the two women had with the men who were their clientele at the Market Street Cinema (the strip club where they work) absolutely fascinating and totally believable.
Highly recommended read for me.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. Thank you to Booklover Catlady.
I feel that this book is about female friendships, hopes and dreams, and it is also a study of human nature. Michele Machado has a really good grasp of what makes people tick and it comes across in this book very well.
Lita is a college drop-out with no money and needs to make some fast. Liberty is much older and wiser and works as a stripper. She introduces Lita to her world and this book is about their friendship, and the world they inhabit as strippers, which is an odd sort of parallel universe. I found the interactions the two women had with the men who were their clientele at the Market Street Cinema (the strip club where they work) absolutely fascinating and totally believable.
Highly recommended read for me.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book. Thank you to Booklover Catlady.
August 13, 2016
An interesting bittersweet novelette about the coming of age of a recent high school graduate. Set in the age before cell phones and when San Francisco was merely not affordable as opposed to fiscally unobtainable for nearly anyone as it is today. It's not the standard coming of age affair about romantic awakening so much as a realization of inner confidence. Lita is a recent college drop out who feels disappointed in herself and senses being a great disappointment to her parents. She decides to strike out on her own. A chance meeting with Liberty leads to an unintended second career as a part time stripper. As Liberty's self confidence wanes, Lita's grows leading to a happy/sad ending. The story has some graphic adult situations and a pretty thorough description of life among the bay area gentlemen clubs, that often lack said gentlemen.
September 12, 2016
I received a copy of this book in return for promising to do an honest review of it. I delayed starting to read it, because I didn't think it would suit me. It initially seemed to tightly targeted to a female audience.
But once I got going I found it difficult to put down. So it wasn't actually that tightly targeted, men will appreciate it too.
It has quite a bit of emotional content in it, in particular between Lita, a young woman trying to find her way in the world, and Liberty, the older woman who is mentoring her. Much of the book takes place in a strip club, and it describes what happens there, but there are no graphic descriptions of intercourse.
The quality of the writing is first rate. The development of the main character is very good. The plot is excellent. Again, I highly recommend Market Street Cinema.
But once I got going I found it difficult to put down. So it wasn't actually that tightly targeted, men will appreciate it too.
It has quite a bit of emotional content in it, in particular between Lita, a young woman trying to find her way in the world, and Liberty, the older woman who is mentoring her. Much of the book takes place in a strip club, and it describes what happens there, but there are no graphic descriptions of intercourse.
The quality of the writing is first rate. The development of the main character is very good. The plot is excellent. Again, I highly recommend Market Street Cinema.
August 14, 2016
This book was amazing to read! Lita has to experience what it's really like to live in the real world when her parents tell her she has to live on her own after dropping out of Chabot. This book gives you a look into the life of a stripper; there's perks (aka the money) but not everything is good. The story gives you a view of the wrong side of the job. I'm glad I read this book and I'd highly recommend it to anyone!
September 16, 2016
DISCLOSURE: I received a free review copy of this book on NetGalley.
MARKET STREET CINEMA is a nice coming-of-age story. Machado does an admirable job of describing the scenes, and at times comes through with a rawness that is surprising but welcome. The first-person narrative helped to engage me with the main protagonist. The author also did a decent job building the various characters, and a wonderful job of developing Lita.
MARKET STREET CINEMA is a nice coming-of-age story. Machado does an admirable job of describing the scenes, and at times comes through with a rawness that is surprising but welcome. The first-person narrative helped to engage me with the main protagonist. The author also did a decent job building the various characters, and a wonderful job of developing Lita.
September 6, 2016
This was an interesting short story or novella about a young girl who gets caught up in the sex industry. Very readable though more for a young adult than me.
Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read it.
Many thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read it.
August 23, 2016
Im not going to lie.... WHEN IS BOOK 2 COMING OUT???? I really enjoyed this book and I really hope that this becomes a series! This was a great easy read!!!
October 3, 2016
A nice read just loved this book kept me interested right from the start recommended
October 12, 2016
Loved it!!
Want to read
March 23, 2019As Liberty who was the one and only dancer working at MSC during this time period with that name, I feel very violated by this book!! This person clearly a spoiled C grade writer! She should have tried harder to make it in college.. As for me, I’m alive and well, I left the industry at 33 with grace and still live from the comforts I develop during my short 8 year period of stripping.
As far as Lita’s claims as to what individuals did there is only based on her own behavior. She went way to far in my opinion! Sorry but the only realistic parts are her discriptions of my personality and the club it self.
As far as Lita’s claims as to what individuals did there is only based on her own behavior. She went way to far in my opinion! Sorry but the only realistic parts are her discriptions of my personality and the club it self.
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