Books – Ebooks – Reviews & More

Reviews

The plot for this story line was cute once you figure it out in the end but it's a long boring read to get there. This story needed much work and editing long before being published. How did it happen? If the author actually got money for this, I'm going to try my hand at it, it couldn't be worse!

I read this book in a day, was just plain fun! great summer relaxing reading.

This is truly one of if not the best book I have read as far as romance novels go. I am a tough critic when it comes to romance novels and this was packed full of all the necessities. Romance, mystery, thriller, murder, you name you got it! I am desperate to find more books from this author! Congrads on keeping me up all night!

This book was an okay read. It's one that I'd have rather checked out from the library than purchased. The book has a lot of typos in it (ie. misspelled words, words left out of a sentence, ect.) I was a bit disappointed at first. Reading the description the book sounded like it was going to be very promising. I couldn't wait to receive the book and get started reading! The book is a very easy read. I kept hoping for it to pick up so I actually read the entire book in a day. It had some great moments, but the book didn't draw you into the story. I didn't feel the characters pain or happiness. I felt like I was reading a story. At first the descriptions start out well. You can visualize what they're wearing and how things looked. But by the 4th chapter, the descriptions of people, places and everything stops. I also felt like I was left hanging. There was a hint in the book that the aunt "knew" the truth, but then it never said anything more about it. It also mentions how she needs to get 2 people (I won't go into much detail so not to give the story away) to fall in love, but it never tells you if they did or not. I'd suggest checking this book out from the library or going to a B & N store and grabbing a cappuccino and reading it there at the store instead of purchasing this book. It is an ok read, I just wouldn't suggest buying it.

Alexandra "Alex" Tibideaux receives a message that her grandmother: "I need you." Unable to get a hold of Grams, Alex rushes from California to New Orleans. Grams is fine; she only wants to attend the re-opening of the Dalton Plantation with her granddaughter. Alex agrees-since Grams is her only living relative and is 93 years old. Later that evening, Grams shows Alex a picture of Trey Dalton and how he fell in love with a woman in their family; one who had the same name as Alex... and had disappeared and was never found. While at the plantation, Alex sees a painting of herself wearing period clothing. Curiosity causes her to touch the portrait... which transports her back to 1878. She awakens in the same house... but Trey Dalton, his aunt, and their servants are very much alive. Trey Dalton doesn't have time for a woman who mysteriously shows up at his plantation; talking nonsense about how she's from the future. And he doesn't need his Aunt Rose to interfere by going around telling everyone that Trey and Alex are getting married. Both Trey and Alex have to go along with the idea to keep people from gossiping. But there's someone who wants to ruin Trey and will stop at nothing to do so. Trey believes he knows who is responsible... or does he? Only after a series of potentially disastrous events does he learn the truth. Stephanie's Review: Other reviews talk about how Bradley weaved "an engrossing tale of time travel, romance, and suspense." The time travel was typical: Woman from the present goes back in time where she has to adjust to her new life while wondering if she'll ever return to the present. The romance was unbelievable - and not in a good way: Trey and Alex spent more time bickering and arguing than anything else. I'm still wondering how the two fell in love. It just "happened." The suspense was predictable: It's easy to tell who did what when. Bradley also has a habit of not going deep enough into the story. There are lots of instances where things are just glossed over. Two examples: (1) Alex arrived in 1878, and basically just accepted everything that happened to her - except when she wanted to return to Trey. (2) Alex kept a journal of her time spent in 1878. When she returns to 1997, Grams gives her the journal. She starts reading... only to find a new entry on the last page from Trey. This could've been a very emotional moment, but Trey's entry was cut short. There's also a lot of typos in this book. I understand that no book is edited perfectly, but the typos here are beyond the norm. After awhile, they started sticking out like a sore thumb. Usually, with traditional publishers, the fingers can be pointed to the copyeditors. But it's questionable with e-publishers. I know of some e-publishers who do more editing beyond what an author does. And then there's some e-publishers who expect their authors to do all of the editing. I'm not sure where Hard Shell lies as this is my first Hard Shell read.

Reviews

I purchased this book based on the description and a few other reviews. I'm not sure where those people get their sense of humor, but I have a good one and this book was nowhere near funny. I'm sorry I wasted my money on it. Definitely not worth the $5.

this isnt funny. its just sarcastic stupid and disgusting. Author is clearly a bitter person with no talent.

This was another fine example of Jeff Strand's ability to make a reader laugh. This book was outright hilarious! I enjoyed every single minute of it, even if toward the end I felt as though it could have wrapped up a little sooner. None the less a very quick and fun beach read. He never disappoints.

Reviews

I have read and loved all of MaryJanice Davidson's novels and novellas and decided to give her Young Adult offering a whirl. This is a wonderful novel with a great deal of humor and some poignancy to boot. Andrea Grouper is a typical teenage girl going through growing pains while convincing her paranoid driving coach that she has been driving since she was eight years old and keeping her eye on her troubled friend Meredith. When she convinces Meredith to join her in visiting her old friend Brenda, she does not know how she would interact with her. But it turns out that not only is Meredith adored by Brenda and a new crop of male friends, she also becomes part of a game in which they pretend to be superheroes and villains. They also have some adventures with the male friends. Andrea accepts to become George's girlfriend while she drools for Kyle, the one Brenda has set her eyes on. Meredith hooks up with Terry, who is as eccentric as she is at times. However, how will the group cope with Meredith's suicidal episodes and the extreme side effects from her medications? How will they cope with the knowledge that she'd had a nervous breakdown a few months before? Will Andrea be able to break free from George and tell Kyle how she feels about him? And are their imaginary characters a way to escape from their sometimes troubled realities? This is one of the best Davidson stories I have read. She has a wonderful sense of humor, as all of her faithful readers are well aware, but she also adds some dark situations and poignant scenes in this offering. Meredith saddened me at times. She goes through some rather painful things brought on by her depression. She has a wonderful friend in Andrea. Speaking of whom, Andrea is the signature Davidson heroine in that she is a smart mouth and is fiercely independent. She likes the idea of having a randy boyfriend who worships her even though she is not that into him. Those scenes made me laugh. Terry is also hilarious. He is a hopeless flirt who is not afraid to voice his opinion on everything. Kyle is the quieter one of the bunch, but he also turns out to be as three-dimensional as the other characters. As said earlier, this is one of Davidson's best stories. This also happens to be one of her first writing efforts. She started out writing Young Adult books and then branched out into writing romance and fantasy (or a combination of both genres). But she will release another YA book later this year. Adventures of the Teen Furies is a true testament of just how talented and versatile Ms. Davidson is. She is now one of the most popular romance/paranormal authors out there and for good reason. I recommend this YA novel most highly.

I am a 55 year old mother of two and I loved this book. It is teenagers all the way. It is exciting, well written, fast moving and a joy to read.

This book brought back both good and bad memories from my teenage years, but isn't that what a good book is supposed to do? I really enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone who has teenage children.

OK, I grew up with the author, so it was a given that I'd buy this book. I logged on and had it delivered to my house. Then I made her sign it and write something nice about me. Then I actually read it. It's a great read. Quick, funny and a little close to home.

This book really spoke to me. It reminded me so much of my teenage years and my friends.The boys, the fights, the confusion about who you are and what you want. It was very true to what teenagers think and feel. Ms Davidson, Have you truly gown up yourself? It seems like you are still thinking like a teenager. As a young adult my friends and I played "Dungeons and Dragons" (some of us still do). It was such an escape for us from real life. We could be strong when we really felt weak, outgoing and brave when we felt shy or be beautiful if we felt fat or ugly. This group of friends used their superhero alter-egos to work through some of their problems and insecuries, but once the game was over they still had to face each other and real life. The frienships you form in your teenage years may or may not last through to adulthood, but they help define your personality in some vital years. If being a teenager is about anything it is about discovering who you are and being comfortable with yourself. As great a book as this is for the young adult age bracket I think it is also an insightful peice of literature for a parent to read. In case you have forgotten what it was like to be confused about everything and torn between being an adult and a kid, take a refresher course in TEENAGER 101 and pick up this book. I think parents should take a look at what's between the lines here. It may just help you communicate with your child in a whole new way. Not to throw off the young adults here though. It is a hilarious and really entertaing book. Good job Mary Janice. It helped me remember what it was like to be a teenager with all the good, the bad and the ugly.

Reviews

With the buzz generated by the new Narnia movie it makes absolute sense that Ignatius would title this book as a Narnia tie-in. As one of those who dislikes buying the same book under two different titles, however, I feel constrained to note that it's actually a reprint of Howard's C.S. Lewis: Man of Letters. It may also be related to an earlier Howard book entitled The Achievement of C.S. Lewis. I have no idea if this new edition has been edited or updated, but there's only one chapter on Narnia. The rest of the essays focus on what is generally termed Lewis' "space trilogy" (one essay for each of the three books) and his last fiction work, 'Till We Have Faces." Readers may have seen Howard on a recent Narnia-related special on the Hallmark Channel, of which this book is a natural follow-up. I had the opportunity to hear some of this material given in lectures by Howard at Seattle Pacific University in connection with a C.S. Lewis conference. In Howard's book, The Novels of Charles Williams, he suggests reading the chapter for the relevant Williams novel as a sort of companion. He further developed this "reader's" approach in Dove Descending, a recently published guide to T.S. Eliot's poetry cycle, The Four Quartets. That advice especially applies here for readers of Lewis' three volume space trilogy, the Narnian Chronicles and 'Till We Have Faces. Readers new to Howard might find his discursive, ruminating style somewhat off-putting; when will he get to the point? But longtime Howardphiles (of which I am one) find his thoughtful rambles absolutely addicting. Regardless, Lewis fans will find here a literate and sympathetic reader who loves the books as much as they do, one uniquely qualified to take them further up and further in.

Reviews

This book was recommended to me by a friend. I'm not going to talk about the actual story because others have done a great job of it. I'm going to talk about the reading experience. It took me close to 100 pages to get into it, just as my friend had warned me. I believe the problem is that there are a lot of Swedish names of streets, buildings, towns etc. that are hard to wrap our minds around because they are long and unfamiliar. At any rate, just as she said, all of a sudden this book grabbed me and I couldn't put it down. I was reading half the night. Although I couldn't read full time, I read all 3 of the trilogy within 4 or 5 days. This was supposed to be the first book of a 10 book series, but unfortunately, the author died while writing book 4. What a disappointment to think that there are no more in this series to read. I highly recommend this trilogy. Can't wait for the movies!

i have to admit that this book was difficult to get through. the names of all the cities confused me... and i had a hard time keeping track of who was who in the vanger family... i wish the character of lisbeth salander was more of the main story line... i found her very intriguing...

Stieg Larsson has given us one of the best crime thrllers in recent memory. This excellently crafted novel has great character development, mindbending plot twists and outstanding writing. Lisabeth Salander is one of the most original literary characters to come along in quite awhile. What a shame that Mr. Larsson passed away before he could complete his planned 10 book series.

I was looking forward to this one, despite of some of the reservations that other reviewers have had (Larsson hates women! The plot is both convoluted and too easy to figure out!) I must agree with the second point. About the first, I'm less sure. This starts when disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist, fresh from losing a libel case, gets an offer (ostensibly) to write a book about an old industrial family, the Vangers. The real job is to find out who murdered sixteen-year-old Harriet Vanger, back in the summer of 1966. With the aid of Lisbeth Salandar, a hacker with a total lack of social graces, Blomqvist eventually solves the mystery, and discovers some ugly family secrets. The book isn't bad, but the plot isn't cleanly executed either. I figured out a major plotpoint fairly early on, and I don't think that Mr. Larsson intended that. There are also subplots that either disappear with no explanation or get resolved too easily. Blomqvist's war with another rotten industrialst could have filled another book, while making this one tighter. The stuff about Blomqvist's lefty magazine, Millenium, could also fill its own book. These different threads aren't as well integrated as they should be. I kept thinking that somehow I had picked up a different book. There's also too much pointless description. We don't need to know the exact area of every room/house/flat that anyone walks into. Just tell us somebody ate a sandwich; we don't need to know what's on it. There are too many italics, and much of the dialog clunks. A diligent editor would have fixed all this. Did Larsson hate women? 'Hate' might be too strong a word, but I think he had some issues. You can't write a book purporting to blast violence against women, then write titillating scenes of . . . . violence against women. Scenes whose details will put many readers off, and, I fear, will turn others on. It's too bad that Mr. Larsson isn't here to clear this up. I also can't shake the feeling that Stieg Larsson's death from a heart attack contributed to the hype surrounding this book. It's a passable first effort, not a great one.

Amazon has announced that Stieg Larsson, author of the internationally bestselling Millennium Trilogy, has become the first author to sell over 1 million Kindle books and is the first member of the new "Kindle Million Club." The "Kindle Million Club" recognizes authors whose entire body of work has sold over 1 million copies in the Kindle Store. Customers can buy the three books in Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy from the Kindle Store, and read them everywhere-on their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC, Mac, iPad and Android devices. "Larsson's books have captivated millions of readers around the world and ignited a voracious interest in the lives of its main characters Lisbeth Salander and Michael Blomqvist," said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. "It's been exciting to have been a part of introducing so many people to these great books." All three books in Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy-"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest"-are now in the top 10 bestselling Kindle books of all time. These three books are New York Times and international bestsellers. Larsson, who lived in Sweden, was the editor in chief of the magazine Expo and a leading expert on antidemocratic right-wing extremist organizations. He died in 2004, shortly after delivering the manuscripts for "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest." The U.S. editions of these books are published by the Knopf Doubleday imprint of Random House, Inc. The books in Larsson's Millennium Trilogy are available in the Kindle Store. Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 630,000 books, including New Releases and 109 of 111 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 510,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 80 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle. The "Kindle Million Club" recognizes paid Kindle book sales.

Reviews

I was going to entitle this review "WHY AM I HERE?" but another very good and honest reviewer has already used that title. Kathleen has said all that I planned to say about this awful book. (Kudos to Kathleen!) Someone else has quipped "Thank God It Was Free" DITTO. This book was a struggle to read. I only kept with it because it was like watching a train wreck. I kept hoping it would get better. It did NOT. The only use for this book could be for an instructor of a creative writing class. You could use this book as an example of how NOT to write. As for those reviewers who gave this book MORE than ONE star? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?????

The title and the description made me very curious about this book, so I got it. As a first novel, I can see that Mr. Robinson has a lot of potential as an author. The story and the characters are somewhat interesting, but could have much more so. As many of the reviewers have pointed out none of the characters are particularly likable. But they have the potential to be. Unlike some of the reviewers, I did finish the book and was glad that I did. I think that this book is worth reading if only to introduce the author to the public. I wish that the main character, Jason, wasn't so extreme. Katie, his wife, seems very shallow. And Eric, his brother, seems to almost need someone the lead him around by the hand, despite the fact that he has an engineering degree. The other characters are not fleshed out more, but I don't really think that they need to be, as they are not central to the story. Jason, Katie and Eric are. They just don't seem "real" and I really have no sympathy for them at all.

Who would have guessed that Paul Robertson's book would be such an outstanding read when made available to Kindle readers for free. But that is just what he did and I am so grateful. Becoming heir to a huge fortune is like wish #1 people would have after rubbing the magic lamp. However, money can just as easily be a curse and Robertson leads the reader through the fascinating worlds of the very rich and the politicians. I could not put it down. In fact, having the text-to-speech feature allowed me to toss my Kindle in the passenger seat and listen to the story rather than the ads and all the radio static. I highly recommend this intriguing novel that will have you purchasing two or three others by this author as I have. Good reading!

I thought this was a really good story. It wasn't action packed, but very well told and more than enough mystery and questions to hold your interest.

This book is really pretty good til a little more than halfway through. Then the author seem to lose focus or interest in finishing the book in a good way. If the writing had been consistent to the end it wouldn't have been a bad read at all. As it is, it's a bit deflating to be getting into a book, only to see your guide himself (the writer) lose his way. Anyway, it could be instructive to you, if you are a writer, as to what not to do. But as a reader, save your time and get something else.

Reviews

This is the second in a series by Larsson. You must read the first to fully understand what is happening in this book. The last book in the series brings closure.

UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST AWFUL BOOK I'VE EVER TRIED TO READ. TRY AS I MIGHT I COULDN'EVEN FINISH IT.....DIDN'T ENJOY THE LOCATIONS OR NAMES OF CHARACTERS THAT WERE USED. SO MANY DIFFERENT CHARACTERS TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH. CAN'T BELIEVE IT GOT SO MANY GOOD REVIEWS.

I'm a fan of the series. Read the whole trilogy. However, I only finished this book because of the previous books. This finale was unedited, and coasted upon previous characterization and plot. Feel free to read this book. Just don't buy it.

After reading the Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, I just had to read all of Larsson's books. They are Great.

What a let down! Take everything bad about the first two books (which in the end I loved) and crank it up to 11. Yes, the first two books seemed to plod along slowly sometimes. Both of them took a couple of hundred pages to get going, but once they did you were in for quite a ride. Hornet's nest picks right up where Fire left off... literally minutes later. The problem is it never really gets going. Instead of another mystery/thriller we're dragged along as Blomkvist and the police uncover the secret history of The Section - a history that is already laid out for the reader in the first 100 pages. Larsson keeps us clued in from the beginning, which isn't a good thing. There are no real surprises and the "climax" ends up being nothing but another rehash of everything we already know.