Buying Tell-All

Chuck Palahniuk is my favorite author. The only reason I kept reading 'Tell All' was out of respect for Chuck's work.

I gave the book two stars because the 2nd half is better than the first.

For die-hard Chuck P fans, this book is readable at best. For people on the fence about Chuck's work, pass this book over. If you haven't ever read any of Chuck's books before, start with his earlier, better, work; Fight Club, Survivor, Choke, etc.Get more detail about Tell-All.

Cheap Deadly Deals

I love the "Sisterhood" series, but... one thing the author keeps putting in this series (and possibly her other books) are characters that go around "flapping their arms".

I do not know one person who has this peculiar habit, but apparently Ms. Michaels' world is populated by people who act like chickens when upset, because she has virtually every character in this series do this at one time or another. It keeps bringing up a weird vision in my mind that takes away from an otherwise enjoyable read.
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Cheapest Die Trying (Jack Reacher, No. 2)

As with all the Jack Reacher novels, this, too, is well written and keeps your interest. Good job Mr. Child!Get more detail about Die Trying (Jack Reacher, No. 2).

Discount An Echo in the Bone: A Novel

It was great to be able to get this book without paying such a high price. It was second hand but it came in mint condition. I did not have to wait long for it to arrive. Great seller.Get more detail about An Echo in the Bone: A Novel.

Save Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)

When I purchased this book, it was on an impulse. I didn't have any idea of what to expect and certainly didn't read up on the reviews, but OMG! J.R. Ward has a way with words! I just absolutely loved this book along with the story line. I personally felt it was more focused on romance rather than the evil the brotherhood was fighting. As the series progresses, the "lessers' and side stories eventually become more of a annoyance.Get more detail about Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1).

Low Price A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, Book 4)

Like people have mentioned before the most annoying part of the Hollows series was the Rachel/Ivy issue. As far as I'm concerned that problem could have been fixed in Book 1...maybe 2 but thats it. The fact that it is still going in Book 4 was quite annoying. And after the scene in the van and everyone is whining and crying I just put the book down is disgust. I can only take so much whining before I get upset

Another thing is the plot in this book could have been so much better than it was. It started out interesting and quickly because boring. I love stories about werewolves as long as they are done well. (Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson Series). The story was written poorly.

Also I liked how Harrison decided she didn't want to have Nick in the picture anymore so she comes up with a random plot for him. I liked the idea better that he left because of that bond thingy and not because he went to go steal something.

The characters I like the most were hardly in the book (well up to the parts I read). I just can't take it anymore and I honestly don't care. All the characters should just die in the end to save everyone the misery of having to hear their whining. I'm actually pretty upset that I invested time in this series because it started out so well and this book was such a let down. This is where I'll stop. I'll just remember that I liked the first 3 and pretend this book did not exist.Get more detail about A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, Book 4).

White Witch, Black Curse Right now

In this adventure, Rachel finds that she has been shunned by the witches. Not only is she an outcast, which would be bad enough, they are actively trying to capture her and lock her away or disable her. In typical Rachel fashion, she finds help from old boyfriends, her room mates and, reluctlantly, the Elves. Al continues to be her mentor in the Everafter and encourages her to take up full time residence there. But as Rachel's powers grow, so does her determination. She will not let them label her...Get more detail about White Witch, Black Curse.

Lowest Price Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)

I Loved this book. You won't be disappointed if this is your first Patricia Briggs book.Get more detail about Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1).

Lover Avenged Decide Now

Okkkaaaayyy! I really liked it. Alot happening and all of the threads were handled nicely even the dreaded Lesser scenes were mack because everybody love a baddie and Lash takes the cake. The book (imo) is much lighter on the romance aspect (I guess this is to be expected with JR Ward's move away from paranormal romance to urban.. whatever it's called. This light side on the romance is what made the book suffer.

I just did not get Rhev's attraction to Ehlena. It seemed sorta random especially when he was hot for Marissa in Lover Revealed. It just seemed he transferred his affection pretty easily. But this could be because he was just looking for love and fate tossed him Ehlena. As for her. She ranks as next to Cormia in my favorite Shellan category (which ain't too high). I don't think Ward did enough to build an empathy between the reader and her character.

Xhex on the other hand has risen way up in my estimation. She is great and as soon as Amazon figures out their Kindle stuff, it may be nice to read Lover Mine (which is Xhex's book) on the e-reader.

Now I have never gotten the whole sympath thing. I mean, what drives them and the whole sin-eater tag? What do they exist for? Where to they come from (origins)? About the only useful tool they have is the mind burrowing thing but other than that I don't get the serpantile, slithering, 3-knuckled, barb-locking, hermaphroditic thing. But whatever, we'll see where this goes and what asset Rhev and the colony will be to the BDB.

It was also VERY NICE TO SEE THE OTHER BROTHERS play a roll in the storyline and I hope that this trend continues even as Ward expands the series into the newer members (More Butch, V, Rhage and Z is never a bad thing.) All in all a very good addition to the series.Get more detail about Lover Avenged.

Transfer of Power Buy Now

The Good: Flynn writes solid stories. He is well embedded in this type of narrative and he seems to have a firm grasp of what he's doing, where he's going and how he wants to get there. I think the best part about this book was the perceived realism. Now I say "perceived" because I have never been under terrorist control nor have I been in a terrorist hunting unit. But if I were in either, I imagine it would go something like this book. He writes in a manner that is not so grandoise that you feel like you're watching a movie with a 200 million dollar explosives budget. The main character is believable and good, but not perfect. Even in the end, as it wraps up rather quickly, I thought - well, that was kind of anticlimactic - but then realized that that's how it is. There are no dancers or music or productions, just people getting the job done.

The Bad: At times the terrorists seemed a little stereotypical but this was not a distraction.

The Ugly: Could have done without the love interest. I think I would rather read a book where the protagonist has a wife or one girl he's with as opposed to introducing the new, fawn eyes blonde girl who you know is going to end up kissing him at the end. If you're going to spend all the time focusing on the realism outside of the love interest, why blow it when it comes to the girl. Truth be told, I don't think anyone really cares about her anyway.

The Verdict: Definitely worth the read. The political clashes and infighting are worth the read alone.Get more detail about Transfer of Power.

The Third Option Order Now

Of all the books I have purchased on Amazon this one had to rate as the one that was in the worst shape. It was not close to being in a good condition.Get more detail about The Third Option.

Resistance Get it now!

Barry Lopez continues in Resistance the legacy he established in Of Wolves and Men: an intelligent, balanced estimation of the conditions that underlie our human experiences in the late twentieth/early twenty-first century, the psychological conditions that motivate us to try to do something other than follow the trajectories of agribusiness, mass media, our beloved iPhones . . . .local and human-scaled economies seem to be the only possibility left in the collapse of globalization, which is currently manifesting itself in multiple ways, underwritten by the twinned realities of climate change and peak oil . . . Lopez anticipates these conditions, and imagines how we might live otherwise, committed to alternative values . . .because this was written in 2005, it was hard to imagine what might happen "what if" there were something like grid crash, which becomes an omnipresent reality in 2010 . ..Get more detail about Resistance.

First Family Best Quality

Luckily for me, I checked this book out at the library rather than spending good money on it. Unfortunately, it was such a tough slog that I ended up having to spend $1.00 in late fees. I want my dollar back. (I only finished it because I figured it had to get better. Baldacci's better than this, I thought. It didn't, and maybe he isn't.) Awkward prose. Awkward dialogue. Soap operas, I imagine, have better plots. >>SPOILER ALERT<< On page 379, the entire plot is summarized thusly: "..(President) Dan Cox sexually assaulted Tippy Quarry and then she fell into a coma after a botched abortion, (so her father) Sam Quarry is exacting his revenge." Save your money.Get more detail about First Family.

For a Few Demons More (The Hollows, Book 5) Immediately

Harrison did a great job; I love the book. I can't wait to read the next book.Get more detail about For a Few Demons More (The Hollows, Book 5).

Long Lost This instant

Harlan Coben has been my favorite author for years and his character, Myron Bolitar, is like an old friend. So I was really looking forward to his return. I have to say, I was disappointed. The Myron in this book is not the same character I know and love. If you've never read any of the previous Bolitar books, and enjoy Coben's stand-alone novels, then you will probably enjoy this too as it is well written and interesting. Just don't expect the old Myron.Get more detail about Long Lost.

The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book 6) Top Quality

For all the other Audio CDs in this series, Marguerite Gavin was the reader. While her female voice struggled on male characters as male voices generally struggle on female characters, she performs quite well and since the most of the voices in the books are in fact female, it works out well enough. I believe she was a great choice for reading these books and feel strongly that HarperAudio should hire her to re-read this story as this rendition is a virtual disaster.

Gigi Bermingham is a reading disaster. She lacks the ability to make decent voices. I feel her portrayal of Keasley is so stereotypical negro that it borders on racist. What appears to be her extremely limited education makes it so her pronunciations are poor to begin with, but the fact that she apparently didn't bother looking up pronunciations of key words such as Ley in the case of Ley lines, a critical component of the story makes it almost painful to listen to her. Thankfully, her performance of the pixies is so incredibly high pitched that the pain she causes while performing them makes you overlook her destruction of the English language.

When faced with performing accents from different cultures, she seems to feel simply changing the tone of her voice is sufficient. With 5 earlier books performed by another reader, she didn't bother to listen to even one of them to attempt a resemblance of consistency when it would be obvious that listeners of her recording most likely would have listened to the previous books as well.

The quality of this production was so bad that HarperAudio should attempt to bury it so no-one can have the opportunity to judge the quality of their products from this reading.

On the other hand, the story is quite good and deserves a better rating, but I wrote this review to complain about the Audio Book version, not about the story which I feel many others have done an excellent job of.Get more detail about The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows, Book 6).

The Road Review

when you got to a few interesting spots, they quickly fizzled. no background information at all into what had happened... I guess the author thought that would detract from the story? bad boring dialogue and anticlimatic. I mean, where were they going? down a freaking road with a shopping cart? wtf? not even plausible and actually downright stupid. if you have half a brain and realized that even though No COuntry For Old Men was interesting, it really didnt make any sense. a loose cannon bounty hunter? Im sorry, this author stinks and this book especially.Get more detail about The Road.

Finger Lickin' Fifteen

This book came to me in new condition and in a timely fashion. The price was great! Thanks.Get more detail about Finger Lickin' Fifteen.

Shop For Dead Until Dark

I had high high hopes for this book, and the series in general. BUT. To be honest, this book was just terrible. I felt that character detailed severely lacked, details of locations and events are hardly there at all. Overall, a very disappointing read. I tried getting into the second book of the series, but I just really do not like Harris' story writing. I prefer precision in my books with vivid detail so that I can map the characters and places in my mind. I found that I'd open the book, read a few pages, and put it down. There just wasn't anything to hold my attention. My personal opinion is that season one of True Blood did a much better job with Harris' story than Harris managed to do herself. I'll give it 2 stars because the story basics are good, but overall, the execution, in my mind, was terrible.Get more detail about Dead Until Dark.

Where To Buy The Earl's Forbidden Ward

I have to say that I agree with poor reviews. The entire story was boring and unbelievably predictable! I knew where the "list" was hidden within a quarter into the book. Seriously, she could have done a lot better writing this. Too bad they don't offer a money back guarantee.Get more detail about The Earl's Forbidden Ward.

Order Beatrice and Virgil: A Novel

Beatrice and Virgil contains two stories in one book. One is the story of Henry the writer and Henry the taxidermist, and their interactions. The other is the story of Beatrice and Virgil, a donkey and a monkey whose interactions are told via a play manuscript. The reader gets bits and pieces of their story, and it is told out of sequence.

I came away from reading this book feeling terrible - which I'm sure was the point since it was supposed to be symbolic of the Holocaust. I also came away from the reading experience feeling like I didn't really have a grasp on everything that I was supposed to understand. It made me feel like I wasn't intelligent enough to see what others were liking in this book.

I do know that reactions to this book have been split. People either love its genius (again, making me feel like I'm missing something), or hate it for its manipulative horror. I have to say that I fall into the second camp.

Either way though, this is not a happy or fun book to read. The only thing I can compare it to (and this is mainly the parts about Beatrice and Virgil) is Samuel Beckett's writing. You don't know how vindicated I felt when Henry the author also compared it to Beckett. I may not have understood everything that was going on, but at least I was able to recognize the style. Which makes sense, because I always felt like I wasn't quite understanding everything that Beckett had to say either. Also, I found Beckett's writing to have that same depressing feeling of immobility and hopelessness.

Comparisons between Beatrice and Virgil and Life of Pi are inevitable and unfortunate. Although both are well written, they are so vastly different in subject and scope that the only thing they really have in common is the inclusion of animals in the storyline. Really, comparing them is like comparing apples to oranges - they are different types of stories that will appeal to different readers.

Life of Pi has a continuous storyline that you can follow; you read about Pi's childhood in India growing up at the zoo and then his story of being shipwrecked. At the end of Life of Pi there are some revelations that give the story extra depth and meaning; that make you marvel and want to read the story again.

Beatrice and Virgil is completely different. The story is more abstract and more symbolic. I didn't connect with any of the characters in this story, and the mixed up timeline of the play didn't help endear the characters to me either. A lot of the writing seems to be symbolism for its own sake. In short, I felt like the author was trying too hard, and I was suffocating on symbols.

The ending was horrendous, and there was part of it that I didn't see coming. It was a bit like how you'd feel about taking a field trip to a slaughterhouse - you know that someone has to keep track of what's going on there, but no normal person really wants that experience. Which is why I'm sure this will be a book that will be read and then set aside by many. It's not that the writing is bad, it's just not a fun read.

Even though I didn't care for Beatrice and Virgil, don't let that scare you away from reading Life of Pi - it was one of my favorite reads last year.Get more detail about Beatrice and Virgil: A Novel.

Purchase Brooklyn: A Novel

The author, in this particular novel, does not appear to empathize with the characters he created. Instead it seems that he composes cliche stereotypes that lack any sort of development despite the life changes he puts them through. Contributing to this lack of character development is the fact that Toibin spends a great number of pages providing very intimate descriptions of minor characters and settings which do not impact the story line. This overly descriptive writing style causes the book to slowly plod along despite the "devastating news from Ireland" which provides a ghost of a conflict.

In spite of the tedious writing I did like the story that Toibin was trying to get across: the dual life of an immigrant and Eilis' inability to fully identify with either life she had created for herself in Ireland and Brooklyn. But rather than choosing to develop this inner conflict, the author brushes it aside in favor of Eilis doing what is honorable. There were so many opportunities for Toibin to develop her into the woman Rose had intended for her to be in coming to America, but Eilis shows an astonishing lack of comprehension of the world around her (i.e. she was unfamiliar with the holocaust) and of her own self-awareness that she remains flat, uninteresting, and difficult to sympathize with.

Lastly, Toibin provides excellent descriptions of the setting in Brooklyn that seem more fitting to the 1920's and 1930's rather than the 1950's. Although I cannot speak for what Brooklyn was truly like in 1950, the absence of the impact of WWII and the constant references to ethnic segregation so prevalent during the time America was a "melting pot", make it difficult for me to believe in the time-frame in which the author chooses.

Unfortunately I would not recommend this book to a friend, although to be fair, there are enjoyable passages within the book.Get more detail about Brooklyn: A Novel.

Buy World Without End

I LOVED this book, savored every moment, was sad when it was done, and wish there was a third sequel. The characters are wonderfully developed, the plots and sub plots are so beautifully intricate, it's like a tapestry. I could not put it down.Get more detail about World Without End.

Buying Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows, Book 3)

I really like the whole world that Kim Harrison has created for these books. She manages to get a nice scene set and create a nice mental picture for you without droning on like some authors tend toward. I'm not going to give a rundown of the plot because pretty much everyone on here has already done that. However, I will say that the one flaw with these books, which is a personal pet peeve, is that the main character is weak. Not as in she has no power or can't do anything but sort emotionally or mentally, in the sense that so far in the last three books she never actually uses her potential power and even when she does fight or use her magic she's constantly worried that she may have hurt someone. I mean seriously, Francis would have been happy to see her dead and made it obvious but she was constantly trying to keep him from getting hurt and then was horrified when he died. At this point she's not ever actually done anything impressive. If it wasn't for her friends she would have been dead a long time ago. She just doesn't come across as being very bright at all. I mean really, she goes into the lair of a Master Vampire without any actual plan and then when she gets lucky enough to stop him from killing her she only wants to put him in jail knowing he can pretty much have her killed whenever he wants? Real bright... Seriously, at least have the main character save her own butt now and then without it being just pure luck...Get more detail about Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows, Book 3).

Cheap Male Call - Hot Zone Book 1

As a military spouse I found the book similar to what I have gone through in the early part of Iraqi Freedom. While it was kind of like reading someone's mail sent to his girlfriend, it brought back memories. I enjoyed it. I do see however, that it is not for everyone, so you might not like it. It's also on the short side. But at it's price, I feel it would be a safe bet that you would not feel jipped by taking a chance on it.Get more detail about Male Call - Hot Zone Book 1.

Cheapest The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel

Jacqueline Winspear's 7th Maisie Dobbs mystery continues to intertwine Maisie's beloved characters in another mysterious event, the death in WWI, 16 years previously, of a beloved son. The plots and twists continue to pull the reader, along with Maisie's unfolding of human nature and events, into the surprising conclusion to another satisfying mystery by Winspear.Get more detail about The Mapping of Love and Death: A Maisie Dobbs Novel.

Save A Mighty Fortress

I enjoyed the previous books in the series, and many of Weber's other books, but I've noticed that the series is getting bogged down. I have to agree with most of the other reviews that he could have cut this down and made a much more interesting book. I'll agree with the other comments on the quality of the Kindle rendition, perhaps next time I'll try it on B&N since I read on a PC tablet I can choose my reader. I'll definitely wait until the next book has dropped in price before buying and even then perhaps wait until there are some reviews.Get more detail about A Mighty Fortress.

Discount Midnight Falls: Children of the Goddess, Book 4

RG Alexander always writes with a lyrical, sensual voice, and Midnight Falls is no different! I love her Children of the Goddess series, and although I hate to think of it coming to an end I was eager to read this story. It definitely didn't disappoint! Beautiful prose, sizzling sex scenes, and lovely imagery-a must read!Get more detail about Midnight Falls: Children of the Goddess, Book 4.

Lowest Price The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

This easily entered my top five. The writing is amazing, story compelling and characterization authentic. After reading some reviews I realize that it is a book that you either "get" or don't. That's too bad because it truly is an amazing novel. Pulitzer well deserved.Get more detail about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Low Price Never Look Away: A Thriller

The best part of this book was finishing it. The characters were so unlikeable, reading this book became a chore. The story kept me going, but the characters were almost unbearable. It was impossible to root for the protagonist or the antagonist for that matter. These people are so bland and pathetic, that I wanted no part of their ridiculous world. Thankfully, time to move on.Get more detail about Never Look Away: A Thriller.

Slaughterhouse Five Decide Now

Have you ever gone to a movie and within a few minutes you just know it's not going to be "your type" of movie? That's how this book struck me--it's just not my type. From nearly page one, this book simply didn't grab me. In the least. Because it's a short book, though, I did finish it. I kept thinking it must have a great ending or some kind of great over-arching message due to its fame and esteem, but it didn't have either.

It's the only Vonnegut book I've read so I don't know if this is how his style always is, but I did not care for the scattered back-and-forth in time approach--it wasn't that it was hard to follow, because it really wasn't, but I didn't feel like it added anything to the book. Then again I thought the characters and events in the book were boring enough that if it hadn't had the time-jumping-around, maybe I would've not liked the book even more? I guess at least the time-jumping kept me on my toes.

Largely I thought that the book was unemotional. I didn't a lick about any character in the book. Billy was just a sad sap, but I never empathized with him--and I don't feel the author ever tried to get me to empathize with him. The other characters that came and went were pretty transitory and usually didn't stick around long enough to learn much about them. There are glimpses into Billy's wife and family, and some of his soldier-mates, but they are mostly just glimpses. I'm not even sure I know what BILLY'S character was really like--there just wasn't a ton of character development in my opinion. Also the book struck me as one attempt at dry humor after another, and maybe that's just not my style of humor? The "So it goes" and "Poo-too-tweet" repetition just annoyed me.

One unfair aspect to my reading of Slaughterhouse is it came directly after my first read of Catcher in the Rye. I could not put Catcher in the Rye down--I connected with Catcher in every way that I did not connect with Slaughterhouse. I thought Catcher was absolutely hilarious--I was literally laughing out loud on almost every page. I wasn't expecting Slaughterhouse to be as good as Catcher, but I didn't expect Slaughterhouse to be so uninteresting and random. I think Catcher was just more my style if you will. (They're very different books--I'm not directly comparing them, just directly comparing my interest in them.)

Because I'm clearly in the minority in not enjoying Slaughterhouse, I'll assume "it's me and not you (the book)". Nonetheless, I would never recommend this book to anyone--I would just tell them that most of the world seems to love it, but for me it wasn't the right fit.Get more detail about Slaughterhouse Five.

Crocodile on the Sandbank Right now

This is nothing but the paperback except worse: smaller print, newsprint paper. you're paying $16.99 for a pasteboard cover and the worst paper possible. Normal 'Library Binding' means even heavier construction than the regular hardback edition. BEWARE! Great story.Get more detail about Crocodile on the Sandbank.

Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel Order Now

Have you ever gone to a movie and within a few minutes you just know it's not going to be "your type" of movie? That's how this book struck me--it's just not my type. From nearly page one, this book simply didn't grab me. In the least. Because it's a short book, though, I did finish it. I kept thinking it must have a great ending or some kind of great over-arching message due to its fame and esteem, but it didn't have either.

It's the only Vonnegut book I've read so I don't know if this is how his style always is, but I did not care for the scattered back-and-forth in time approach--it wasn't that it was hard to follow, because it really wasn't, but I didn't feel like it added anything to the book. Then again I thought the characters and events in the book were boring enough that if it hadn't had the time-jumping-around, maybe I would've not liked the book even more? I guess at least the time-jumping kept me on my toes.

Largely I thought that the book was unemotional. I didn't a lick about any character in the book. Billy was just a sad sap, but I never empathized with him--and I don't feel the author ever tried to get me to empathize with him. The other characters that came and went were pretty transitory and usually didn't stick around long enough to learn much about them. There are glimpses into Billy's wife and family, and some of his soldier-mates, but they are mostly just glimpses. I'm not even sure I know what BILLY'S character was really like--there just wasn't a ton of character development in my opinion. Also the book struck me as one attempt at dry humor after another, and maybe that's just not my style of humor? The "So it goes" and "Poo-too-tweet" repetition just annoyed me.

One unfair aspect to my reading of Slaughterhouse is it came directly after my first read of Catcher in the Rye. I could not put Catcher in the Rye down--I connected with Catcher in every way that I did not connect with Slaughterhouse. I thought Catcher was absolutely hilarious--I was literally laughing out loud on almost every page. I wasn't expecting Slaughterhouse to be as good as Catcher, but I didn't expect Slaughterhouse to be so uninteresting and random. I think Catcher was just more my style if you will. (They're very different books--I'm not directly comparing them, just directly comparing my interest in them.)

Because I'm clearly in the minority in not enjoying Slaughterhouse, I'll assume "it's me and not you (the book)". Nonetheless, I would never recommend this book to anyone--I would just tell them that most of the world seems to love it, but for me it wasn't the right fit.Get more detail about Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel.

Radiant Shadows Get it now!

So I've been fairly itching to know where this series would go after the third book--Fragile Eternity--came out last year and utterly realigned my loyalties as far as the faery courts go. Well, that's perhaps not entirely accurate. They were already leaning heavily in that direction after Ink Exchange. But the developments in Fragile Eternity cemented the shift so firmly, I wondered if I would ever recover my early fondness for some characters or if, alternately, anything on God's green earth would be able to uproot my newly acquired devotion to others. Where Fragile Eternity was a more direct sequel to Wicked Lovely, RADIANT SHADOWS is a sequel to Ink Exchange. Given the way I loved Ink Exchange, I, for one, was definitely looking forward to a couple of fresh, new characters, a possible mention of how Leslie was doing, and being back in the Dark Court with less tiresome Keenan and Ash and more magnetic Irial and Niall.

Ani is a halfling. Daughter of the Dark King's chief enforcer and a mortal woman, she sits astride the precarious line between several worlds. Raised among the Hounds, along with her two halfling siblings Rabbit and Tish, Ani comes into her own when she makes a rather unsettling discovery. Like the Dark Court she feeds off emotions, but she is also able to feed from actual contact with both humans and faeries. And it's not just a desire, it's a compulsion. Restricting her impulses, following her father's innumerable rules, Ani is on the brink of wasting away. Only the form Dark King Irial truly understands what she is. He helps her when he can, occasionally allowing her to feed off his own emotions, as he searches for a way to use her powers to benefit their people and keep her alive in the process. Devlin is the High Queen Sorcha's brother and assassin. Known as the Queen's Bloody Hands, it has been his eternal task to negotiate a path betwixt his two sisters--Order and Chaos--and maintain the balance between their opposing powers and purposes. And Devlin has never shirked his duty or fallen short in any way. Except one. When he inexplicably spared a life he was ordered to take. Since then he's stayed away, shoved any treacherous instincts he's had aside, and worked tirelessly on behalf of the High Court. Until one day he encounters the mortal who's life he spared. And all hell breaks loose as a result.

This series is wreaking havoc with my emotions and that is all there is to it. The thing is, I thought Wicked Lovely was wicked fun. I thought Ink Exchange was impossibly dark and achingly good, despite leaving me feeling a little bruised. I found Fragile Eternity problematic in many ways, but was glued to the page for the last third of the book and emerged in deep smit with a couple of Dark Kings who shall so not remain nameless. And I do mean deep smit. My love for Irial and Niall is deep and wide and full of shadows. And, as far as I'm concerned, this book (and any other she writes in this world) is worth the hardcover purchase price just for the few scenes they are in together. I am dead serious, people. I don't know how she did it but Melissa Marr has me wrapped around her little finger when it comes to the former and the current King of Nightmares. Just tell me one or (preferably) both are going to make an appearance and I am there. Their tortuous, touching relationship slays me. And such was the case here. I never really connected with Ani or Devlin, despite the fact that I thought he had some crazy good potential after his role in Fragile Eternity. I mean I love the Gabriel Hounds and their awesome steeds and pack culture. And Bananach--the War faery--is deliciously heinous and I simply love it when she tromps through a scene, bloody feathers and all. But, for some reason, I didn't care that much what happened to Ani. Not like I cared what happened to Ash or Leslie or Seth in the previous three books. And the dream subplot just did not hold my attention at all. Now, I will freely admit the possibility exists that I am actually so far gone on my two Dark Court boys that I have become insensible to the charms of lesser fae. But I'm pretty sure I'm fine with that. As long as I get more Irial and Niall in the next book. Which, as it is also the final book in the series, is going to have to be enough to last for me a very long time indeed.Get more detail about Radiant Shadows.

Hero at Large Buy Now

I'm a huge fan of Janet Evanovich so when I heard this book was being re-published, I had to snatch it up. From what I understand, this was the very first book she ever wrote. Like her other early, re-published books, the female main character is frustrating and the male main character is persistent and, too good to be true! With Chris's hilarious aunt thrown it, it makes for a cutesy, fun, feel-good quick read. Bob the Dog didn't have much of a part though, but I'm glad this first book helped Bob to evolve.Get more detail about Hero at Large.

Imperfect Birds Best Quality

Ms. Lamott never brought the characters to life. They seem flat, although of all of them, I got the best sense of Rosie. Rae was too much the earth mother, can do no wrong, warm and fuzzy; James, the husband, was always trying to use others' sayings and writings for his own, as he fumbled to write a novel, and Elizabeth, the mother, was, well, I don't know, as there are too many words to describe her. It is alluded that she has a psychiatric background and is an alcoholic. Not much is revealed of her family life, much less that of James. Her previous husband, Andrew, died, and apparently that contributed to her emotional and alcohol downfall but this is not explored at all - only vague references to it throughout the book.

Rosie's friends were not believable. Finn, the drug dealer, later boyfriend, makes a connection with Elizabeth that is so blatantly manipulative that I cringed; and Elizabeth bought it. Rosie's two other drug friends, Jody and Alice are also one-dimensional. Jody goes to rehab, gets cured and becomes the poster child for no drugs. Alice also got clean, although it was unclear in the book how this happened. I hung in with the book through Rosie's time in the "wilderness camp" for drug addicted kids, somewhere in the wilds of Utah, but lost it on pg. 268, when Elizabeth met with Jody and Alice, after seeing Rosie at rehab camp. James had recently adopted a dog, although Elizabeth had been against the idea, as discussed earlier in the book (is this James breaking out?). The dog is named Ichabod and when the two girls come to see Elizabeth, they spend time playing with Ichabod in the living room. Then Elizabeth gives her lecture, telling them: "It goes without saying that if you ever give Rosie drugs again, I will so rat you out. I will call every college that has taken you, and say you are a pusher - and I will hurt Ichabod," she said, and both girls screamed in protest." That did it for me - threatening girls she really doesn't know very well, threatening them with harming a dog she really didn't want, and these girls, who have just met the dog, "scream in protest"?

I found the dialogue unreal and not always believable; Elizabeth is very self-centered, and James is just crawling around in the background, rarely appearing unless he wants to "borrow" some person's sayings or writings. I guess that really annoyed me - his always asking: "Can I use that?" Hey, James, get your own words !Get more detail about Imperfect Birds.

From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8) Immediately

The book arrived on time and it was brand new so I love that. However, this story was not as captivating as the previous once. I am on my last chapter and I can't wait for it to be over and I could move on to the next book and hopefully fall back in to the mystery and last as I did with the previous books.Get more detail about From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 8).

Still Alice This instant

Clearly the topic is not easy for everyone to read - but the book is so well written - written from "alice's' point of view the book takes the reader through the life of a healthy, maginficent mind to a mind that breaks down and fails this woman at such a young age...It is heartbreaking and sad but truly and amazing book! I don't think I could of read this book if I was older the 40 as the topic is just too real and hits too close to home...but at the ripe age 36 I was able to read it and not think that it might someday soon be me.Get more detail about Still Alice.

The Man Who Would Be King Top Quality

I love a great story and this is one of my favorites. It conveys the circumstances of an underappreciated newspaper man in the British Colonial era at a minor outpost in what is probably a reasonably accurate way (politically correct by current standards or not).

The characters the writer encounters were likely somewhat common after finishing military duty in a far-off land and being at somewhat loose ends once mustered out. Going a bit "native" was probably not uncommon for those stationed throughout the reaches of the British Empire at its height (and decline). Ideas by those staying behind which appear hare-brained were possibly fairly familiar given the tenuous situation some of the ex-pats may have found themselves in. Heck, it might have even worked if they'd stuck to the original plan! It gives you a lot to think about as far as power vs. ego is concerned.

Read the story first if you haven't already seen the movie. You'll appreciate the writing's compactness and choice of style and flow that way. However, my feeling is that although this is an excellent read and definitely a classic, many readers may find watching the movie (which is absolutely in my top ten favorites of all time) helpful in understanding some of the more subtle aspects of the story. For example, the fairly obscure references to the Masons' rituals (perhaps by necessity at the time of writing) - which are in effect the central underlying theme in regard to the various characters' undertakings - are made much clearer in the film.

Enjoy!Get more detail about The Man Who Would Be King.

Men and Dogs: A Novel

MEN AND DOGS is a fast and well written read marred by the dislikeable characteristics of the two major characters as well as the improbable situations in which they find themselves. The book is basically the story of a thirty-five year old woman named Hannah and her slightly older brother Palmer. The siblings' physician father disappeared on a fishing trip twenty some years before and presumably drowned thus crippling his children's emotional development despite the presence of a decent mother, a generous mega rich stepfather and a caring community.

Hannah has never been able to accept that her father is actually dead (a body was never found) and somehow seems to blame his disappearance for her faithlessness to her husband whom she presumably loves and other instances of impulsive behavior. Her brother Palmer is a successful gay veterinarian who doesn't have any outward guilt about his homosexuality but has always secretly believed it drove his father to disappear. One of my major problems with the book was I could not believe Palmer who the author depicts as cool and fastidious would have chosen a career in veterinary medicine which inherently has many messy and uncontrollable moments. The author explains Palmer is a control freak and that is why he chose to be an animal doc?? I couldn't help but wonder if the author made him a dog doctor just to underline the theme of dogs and faithfulness that inspire the book's title. Anyway when the novel begins Hannah is estranged from her husband and their formerly successful business ("sex toys for rich people") has hit the skids. She moves in to her mom and stepfather's historic mansion for a month to recover from a physical injury caused by trying to break in to her ex's apartment and to put her life back together. Brother Palmer has just kicked his latest boyfriend out because the poor fellow mentioned he might be interested in becoming a parent through adoption or surrogacy. And both siblings are about to encounter old lovers and discover some long held beliefs about their parents are false.

The book has a real sense of time as the present day action takes place in the fall of 2008 when Obama was nearing his election with a few flashbacks with genuine details to the spring of 1984 when Hannah and Palmer's dad disappeared. The setting is Charleston, South Carolina and the author's description of the city and some of its quirky customs and people are among the best parts of the book. This is a quick very readable novel that doesn't quite live up to its lofty themes or overcome the handicap that both leading characters often appear to be spoiled brats despite Hannah's dawning realization that "there won't always be a why."

Get more detail about Men and Dogs: A Novel.

Marked (House of Night, Book 1) Review

Marked is a fun, easy read that is different from all of the other vampire books out right now. I was immediately sucked in from page 1. You should note that this was written with teens in mind and it does have some slang/conversation that could have been a lot better, but overall it was a good, quick, no stress read.

I went to SIHS, and many friends actually had P.C Cast as an English teacher, so having places in the book that I know (SIHS, Philbrook Museum, Jenks Aquarium, etc.) really added an interesting level to reading this book that I have never experienced before.

Overall, it is a strong start to a new teen vampire series and I cannot wait to start reading the rest of the series.Get more detail about Marked (House of Night, Book 1).

Shop For Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life

Like many, I loved Francis Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, but her sequels just aren't as good. Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life follows the downward trend. Some of the same elements that made Tuscan Sun a winner are there: beautiful prose, well-drawn landscapes, charming local characters, great recipes, but there is a lack of narrative thread to pull the whole thing together. What the reader is left with is a rambling, somewhat self-indulgent memoir. If you're huge fan of Mayes or a lover of everything Italian, then you might be happy with this book. Otherwise, check out Tim Parks' Italian Neighbors.Get more detail about Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life.

Where To Buy Bronte's Jane Eyre (bargain edition typeset for the Kindle)

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Bronte's Jane Eyre (bargain edition typeset for the Kindle).

Order Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Jane Eyre.

Purchase Jane Eyre. ILLUSTRATED. (mobi)

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Jane Eyre. ILLUSTRATED. (mobi).

Buy Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Jane Eyre.

Buying Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Jane Eyre.

Cheapest Jane Eyre, with active table of contents, improved 5/30/2009

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Jane Eyre, with active table of contents, improved 5/30/2009.

Cheap Jane Eyre

I was a bit disappointed in the illustrations for two reasons. First, they are not the ones I remember from the original. Second, they are very much based on the old Welles/Fontaine movie--a version which was OK as these things go, but not the greatest intrpretation. The captions do follow the story fairly well.Get more detail about Jane Eyre.

Discount Jane Eyre

Jane Eyre along with Charlotte Brontë's sister's Wuthering Heights is a much beloved romantic literary classic.

Personally I don't get it.

In Wuthering Heights I couldn't stand Heathcliff for his moodiness and downright meaness and I found little more to like in Jane Eyre's Rochester- although I will give he's a tad more likeable since he obviously cares for Jane rather than simply being obsessed by her as Heathcliff was for Catherine.


In the story of Jane Eyre, very much unlike what I find with Austen's characters, I couldn't relate to Jane as a character because I little understood her motivations. Sure she endured being cast aside and raised in an institution but much of that is glossed over. She started off with enough steel to stand up to her wretched step brother and step mother but somewhere in the years she lost it, till when she came to Thornfield Hall she almost fades into the background. She falls for Rochester and he her though there's little indication why. Then disaster strikes and rather than corrupting herself morally, she leaves. While away she suddenly becomes an heiress, refuses yet another marriage proposal and then is supernaturally drawn back to Thornfield Hall, hearing Rochester call for her in her imagination. Things have not gone well for Rochester during their separation, but he is now free to marry, and Jane- at last- finds happiness.

A happily ever after, I suppose, but Rochester has little that a modern woman would like and desire despite the fact you get that he genuinely loves Jane. In the end, it was the silliness of the gothic-ness of this novel and it's eye rollingly absurd action that drags the story down for me.

For me the author who does it best, the one who wrote novels with characters that a modern woman can empathize with- despite all the years in between- is Jane Austen.

Oh, the Brontë sisters will remain on my keeper shelf, they are classics after all, but I am quite content knowing I will probably never read them again.Get more detail about Jane Eyre.