price：$8.39
Revell
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Interesting But...) 『As a retired federal law enforcement officer I enjoy reading the occasional crime novel, mystery or thriller.
Living as I do in the general area in which the action takes place, I thought it might be fun to read this novel.
Unfortunately, I found the plot overly convoluted and contrived, the characters one dimensional and not very likable and the police procedures flawed.
I did make my way through to the end but I can't say that there was anything about the storyline or characters that would make me want to read the next in the series.
Unlike some other reviewers, I did not find the action portrayed overly explicit or gratuitous.
I wish I could have given this work a higher rating as I "wanted" to like it.
』
(trust your instincts) 『Good murder,mystery,and mayhem. Immediately empathized with Patrick,torn between helping catch a killer or spend time bonding with a teenager. He chose the path of least resistence. After their experience together, Tessa will happily want to spend time with her boring grandparents. I liked all of the group,except Margaret-don't trust her. I guess I'll have to continue with the trilogy to see if I'm right about her.』
(fun, but definitely gory parts) 『Not for the faint of heart. Generally a well-crafted, entertaining read. I'm pretty demanding when it comes to this genre, and I'll buy his other books. I read this one as a freebie kindle, and rarely have I had any desire whatsoever to read any other books buy the featured free authors.
Christian book or Christian author? Huh? I have no idea how this book got characterized that way, but I'm happy to say that in no way, shape or form did I see it in that light. So, if you're scared off by the "Christian" label, don't be.』
(The Best Free Read Ever!) 『Having downloaded this from Amazon as a digital read for my iPhone for free, I didn't expect to be hooked and almost unable to "put down the phone". The characters were interesting and believable, intelligent to a fault. Looks like I will be paying for the next two books in this trilogy. I just hope that Pat's personal relationships are further developed. I loved that the author explored philosophical/religious topics without preaching. Having read books like The Silence of the Lambs, I was not unprepared for the gore and cruelty that another reviewer so objected to. If you don't want to read about real life crime and "man's inhumanity to man", confer with your local librarian and he will send you to the little chairs area for your reading pleasure.』
(Fantastically excellent read) 『Ok, you might be able to tell from the title of the review that I liked it. I'm a bit picky although I read a lot and I'm a published author. Nevertheless, this story has all the elements - serial killers, forensics, engaging characters, fast moving and intricately constructed story, a goth teenager and cats. The writing is so engaging as to be itself invisible, and that, to me, is the sign of great writing. Highly recommended.』 『Special Agent Patrick Bowers had only met one man who made him truly afraid. Until now. When he's called to North Carolina to consult on the case of an area serial killer, he finds himself in a deadly game. Cunning and lethal, the killer is always one step ahead of the law, and he's about to strike again. It will take all of Bowers's instincts and training to stop this man who calls himself the Illusionist. And just when the pieces start to come together, Bowers realizes they're not quite adding up. Can he unravel the pattern and save the next victim? Or will the Illusionist win the game by taking one of his opponent's pieces? Thrilling, chilling, and impossible to put down, The Pawn will hold suspense lovers in its iron grip until the very last page.』
price：$7.79
Zondervan
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (not Clancy, Grisham, etc.) 『Certainly Treason's plot is timely and for those of us who like shows like JAG and NCIS it has its interesting points. I can believe that the author is very familiar with how the military and JAG works. However, the characters don't have the the depth that some other successful writers of the genre provide. Although most of the reviews and descriptions don't reveal it, there is a definite "Christian romance" angle to this story that will not appeal to all. The villains (Muslims) are stereotyped: if you like your good guys and bad guys as clearcut this book provides that. I "bought" this as a freebie on Kindle along with 3 others by Brown, but probably won't bother to read the remaining books.』
(Entertaining and Scary) 『Treason is highly entertaining but also scary and prophetic. The storyline predicts current events in a way that is almost prophetic. A must read.』
(Couldn't Finish it) 『I ended up having to put this book down, unfinished. Even though it was a freebie, I just couldn't force myself to keep grinding through it. So, take this review with a grain of salt... It's always possible that, halfway through the book, the author made an abrupt about-face and everything got better.
I do think that there is a good story buried somewhere in there. But the author's incredibly simplistic opinions of religion (Islam: bad, Christianity: good), and politics (Democrats: bad, Republicans: good), and his willingness to beat the reader over the head with those ideologies masked what might have been a moderately entertaining, (if predictable), military law novel.
I tried to treat the book as simple fluff, ignoring the political and religious bias, but it was so intrusive as to be impossible.
This might very well be a good book for readers who consider themselves Christians and are okay with a black and white world, wherein the author espouses his belief that Islam has always been a religion of violence, and that Democrats are all corrupt individuals standing in the way of justice. For myself, it was unreadable.』
(Fabulous Read) 『I agree with some of the other reviews that the book starts a little slow, but then, suddenly it takes off like a rocket and you're roped in. Touches on politically sensitive issues like Radical Islam. I could not put the book down. Zack Brewer is a great protagonist. Highly recommended.』
(Notably bad) 『I bought this book because the reviews were so positive and I kept reading it for the same reason. The plot is predictable, the religious views are simplistic and mean spirited (even compared to AM radio), the hero is self righteous, the author's treatment of the woman characters is belittling, and I suspect the biggest problem with this book is that it is boring.』 『When Muslim terrorists infiltrate the Navy Chaplain Corps, Lieutenant Zack Brewer, just three years out of law school, is pitted against the world’s greatest defense attorney in the court-martial of the century. Book One in a series.』
price：$7.79
Zondervan
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great Ending!) 『All Don Brown's books are fabulously written, and Defiance is even better than Treason and Hostage. I absolutley loved the ending of this book. It made me think about better times in this country.』
(Defiance) 『Enjoyed reading and did not want to put it down. However, some of the plot was a little unrealistic.』
(Awesome Read, Awesome Ending) 『This book was one of the best thrillers I've read. The ending was awesome, something refreshing to the American spirit in these difficult times in which we live. Great job.』
(Fabulous Ending) 『The ending of this book gave me goosebumps, and made remember what it was like to be proud to be an American. I also loved the female NCIS agent, Shannon McGilverry.』
(Sizzling Political/Military Thriller) 『Don't know why it took me so long to get to this one. Don Brown kept me hanging on my seat. Great ending that's almost a tear jerker!』 『The murder of an international attorney, the posturing of a power-hungry politician, the schemes of a psychotic stalker, and the high-stakes drama of a daring rescue mission: Navy JAG Lieutenant Commander Zack Brewer is in the spotlight and the danger zone.』
price：$12.24
Zondervan
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The Purpose Behind This Book) 『I enjoyed much of this book, whether or not it had factual errors. Not being a military man I could not comment on these.
However, as I read, I found an obtrusive, out-of-place note sounding a number of times -- little squibs about Christianity popping up here and there. I would not have minded these, and in fact would scarcely have noticed these, if they had been part of tightly woven character depictions. However, they just felt wrong, as though they didn't belong.
This is an interesting thriller about evil Muslims trying to blow up a major city with a hydrogen bomb. Evil Muslims, got it ?
I was not surprised as I finished the book to find that it was published by a religious, Christian publishing house. Obviously it was designed not only to amuse us as we read along, but also perhaps to convert us. Once I saw the aim of the publishing house, I knew I had been right in feeling that the little religious snippets I had found here and there were really the excuse for the whole book.
I don't like having religion slipped to me that way, and I wonder if the rest of Brown's novels have the same out-of-place messages.
』
(Nonstop Action!) 『Black Sea Affair is nonstop action from start to finish. I could not put it down for three nights!』
(Black Sea Affair) 『I have read the other books in this series, and this one was not quite as good as the others. Part of the problem is you were 3/4 through the book before Brewer was introduced to the story, and he is what makes the book, in my opinion. Don't know if this is the last of the series, but hopefully the next will have more story line.』
(Black Sea Affair- Could Not Put it Down!) 『I like military novels, and this was one of the more exciting I've read in a while. Great author!』
(Great Navy Novel) 『Black Sea Affair was one of the better naval novels I've read in a long time. Really like the author comes up with ways to sneak the LA Class submarine through the Bosphorous and into the Black Sea. Pete Miranda is an excellent lead character, and I was glad to see Zack Brewer show up for the court-martial in Moscow. The book was very entertaining.』 『As the U.S. Navy searches for weapons-grade plutonium that has been smuggled by terrorists out of Russia, a submarine mishap in the Black Sea brings the United States and Russia to the brink of nuclear war. It is a race against the clock, with Russian missiles activated and programmed for American cities.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Painful to get through) 『I found this book extremely difficult to get through. I put it down several times, took a day or two break and then tried again.
Laurell K. Hamilton has an extremely down-to-earth tone in her writing that makes this book addicting even when I found the storyline appallingly bad. Very often, it felt like Meredith's past was being forced on me through exposition and her character explained rather than experienced.
For example, we're told that Meredith is a very nice person and everyone seems to love her, but why? She's beautiful and nice enough, but never anything outstanding or exemplary. The erotic parts of the novel are good steamy fun, but she nevers seems to connect with any one person. Her initial relationship with Roan and her boss Jeremy are the closest the author gets in having Meredith make an actual connection with another character. Every other relationship in the novel seems exploited by easy sexuality. There is a tendency of introducing multiple characters at one time -- characters that also disappear again so quickly that it seems unnecessary to even remember their name.
There were several passages that turned my stomach -- leading to the periods when I had to put down the book -- because they were so alienating to me, as a reader. I skimmed over many pages when the narration turned to (to summarize): date rape, tentacle sex, sex with warted hags, malformed goblin masturbation, etc. etc...
As addicting as Ms. Hamilton's writing is(and as steamy as the sex scenes were)this book isn't worth it. I couldn't finish the last 10% of it, much less any more novels about this character.』
(An Excellent Adult Fae Dark Urban Fantasy Romance) 『There are over 300 reviews for this book already, so my review will be brief. I've never read anything from this author before but decided to take advantage of the free download from Kindle. Even though I'm sure some of the complaints concerning Laurell's writings have merit; I let a lot of the negative reviews surrounding Laurell's books get in the way of me discovering a fantastic author. If you are disturbed by multiple sex partners or frequent sexual activity, I don't recommend you read this book. This book was a very exciting, creative, dark and dangerous fantasy that completely delivered. I enjoyed this book so much; I greedily devoured it and could hardly put it down. I am always looking for dark urban fantasy books that involve the fae and cater to adults, and I very pleased to be able to add Laurell's Meredith Gentry series to my short list. I highly recommend this book to dark urban fantasy readers and look forward to reading the next book A Caress of Twilight. I also recommend: Storm Born (Dark Swan, Book 1) Darkfever (Fever Series, Book 1) Rosemary and Rue: An October Daye Novel Full Moon Rising (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 1) Witchling (Sisters of the Moon, Book 1) 』
(definite fun) 『If you have a rainy sunday to waste, this is definitely a fun read! Even if the detective story is a little thin, even if all the hunks are after a while are hard to keep apart - it is still fun. It did good to dispense all believe and be drawn into a 'happy' fantasy of a small ass-kicking woman being the center of attention... 'Kiss' will probably stay for a while on my iphone, specially since it was free! Am I going to buy the next book in the series? Well, if I should get the flue - who knows?』
(Good quality dark fantasy.) 『My first book from the author and I can say one thing, I cannot help but want more.
Meredith is a great character. The plot is unexpected. One cannot guess what is coming next. The romance isn't like, I see you and I will love you forever, what is great in my opinion.
It hasn't got to what Kushiel's dart means to me, since Pedhre is my all times favorite heroine. But, it was a great reading nonetheless. 』
(cheap porn) 『You know those awful porn movies with no plot other than to have sex every scene? This book is pretty much like that. If they weren't having sex, they were talking and planning it. But, hey, if that's what you like.....』 『All it would take was my true name being mentioned after dark, and it would float back to my aunt. She was the Queen of Air and Darkness, and that meant that anything said in the dark was hers to hear, eventually. The fact that spotting the missing Elven American Princess had become more popular than spotting Elvis helped. Her magic was always chasing blind leads. Princess Meredith skiing in Utah. Princess Meredith dancing in Paris. Princess Meredith gambling in Vegas. After three years I was still a front-page story for the tabloids, though the latest headlines had been speculating that I was dead as the King of Rock and Roll . . .
Three years ago, Princess Meredith fled the court of her cruel Aunt Andais, the Queen of Air and Darkness, leaving that garden of decadent delights and backstabbing intrigues for the comparative calm of Los Angeles. Using her magic to pass for human, Meredith began a new life as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now Doyle, the Queen's chief bodyguard and assassin, has been dispatched to fetch her back--whether she likes it or not.
The product of a marriage designed to cement peace between the rival Seelie and Unseelie courts, Meredith has always been scorned by both factions in spite of her royal blood. But that blood is behind the Unseelie Queen's surprisingly urgent summons.
For ever since the fey's exile from Europe to America, their power and purity have been fading. Desperate to renew her race, Queen Andais now pins her hopes on a contest between Meredith and her own son, the sadistic Prince Cel. The first to produce a child will win the throne.
The loser's reward will be death . . .
Laurell K. Hamilton's bestselling series of novels featuring Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, established her as one of the hottest new writers of dark fantasy and erotic horror. Now, in a thrilling adventure of unbridled imagination, Hamilton turns her talents to the glittering, myth-drenched lands of Faerie and brings them brilliantly into the postmodern age. Enter a thrilling, sensual world as threatening as it is beautiful, replete with the titanic passions of immortal beings once worshipped as gods or demons. Full of earthly pleasures and dazzling magic, Laurell K. Hamilton's A Kiss of Shadows will hold you under its hypnotic spell.
Hamilton takes her world by the teeth and runs with it.』
『Laurell K. Hamilton revitalized vampires, werewolves, and zombies in the popular Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books. In this new series, she updates faeries.A Kiss of Shadowsintroduces Merry Gentry, a.k.a. Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess of the Unseelie Court, where politics is a blood sport. Merry, who's part sidhe (elvish), part brownie, and part human, never really fit in. She's short, not skilled in offensive magic, and mortal because of her human blood. These are real liabilities when your family, especially aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, is out to kill you. Merry has been in hiding for three years, living in Los Angeles and working for the Grey Detective Agency, which specializes in "supernatural problems, magical solutions." A new case sets her against a man who uses forbidden magic to seduce fey women and drain their power. A plan to trap him goes awry and Merry's cover is blown. Now Andais knows where she is. But things have changed in Andais's court, and Merry is changing too.
Despite the selkies, brownies, goblins, and ogres in this book, it's not for children. The fey are "creatures of the senses"--and in the Unseelie court, sex and pain go together. Merry is sexually adventurous and surrounded by gorgeous, powerful males, most of whom want her badly. She's politically savvy and no coward, though she's not the warrior Anita is. Hamilton fans and readers of adult fairy tales like Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy will want to give Merry a look.--Nona Vero』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review ("Everyone has secrets.") 『Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is set mostly in Sweden. The hero is forty-two year old Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist who is convicted of libel and has no plans to appeal. He had been trying to bring down a crooked industrialist but realizes that he has failed miserably. His biggest regret is that the negative publicity surrounding his trial will harm the magazine, "Millennium," of which he is part owner. His only consolation is his ongoing relationship with the editor-in-chief of the publication, Erika Berger, his best friend and occasional lover.
Soon, Blomkvist has another distraction to take his mind off his impending jail sentence. Eighty-two year old Henry Vanger, a wealthy man and former head of his family's vast business empire, hires Mikael to write his biography, but admits that his underlying objective is to find out who murdered his beloved granddaughter, Harriet, thirty-six years earlier. Although Blomkvist has no desire to tackle this very cold case, Vanger makes him an offer that he cannot refuse. Soon, Mikael takes up residence in the remote town where Henrik lives, and the reporter finds out more than he would like to know about the Vanger family's dirty laundry. As he digs deeper, Blomkvist gradually learns the sordid truth about this incredibly dysfunctional clan. His unlikely ally in his inquiries is an emotionally damaged twenty-four year old named Lisbeth Salander, an investigative genius who never lets anyone get too close to her.
Reg Keeland's polished translation from the Swedish makes this book a pleasure to read. Although the plot is overly complicated, it is intriguing and suspenseful. Mikael is a handsome and likeable individual who seems to attract almost every woman he meets. It is fun to follow along as he sifts through hundreds of documents and photographs and interviews persons of interest, looking for answers that have eluded law enforcement professionals for decades. Lisbeth, who has a tattoo of a dragon (among others) and various piercings, is a rebel who is desperately trying to live down her miserable childhood and find her way in a world that has treated her brutally and unfairly.
Although "The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" has become an international sensation, it is not without flaws. It is too long and veers uneasily from one subplot to another. The villains are stereotypical psychopaths. By the time the author reaches his long-awaited conclusion, he scrambles to tie up a variety of loose ends, with uneven results. Still, most readers will find themselves caught up in the story's many twists and turns and will be drawn to the immensely appealing Lisbeth and Mikael. Most will want to read more about this mesmerizing pair in "The Girl Who Played with Fire." 』
(Few are as good) 『This is one of the best novels I have read in years. The prologue sets the stage for rest of the book and with but a few, slow character building pages, the rest just explodes with exciting reading.
This IS a book you will not put down once you read past the 20% point. The author does an extraordinary job of developing the main characters/suspects of a twisted "successful" family, most living in an isolation. The most unlikely of characters, including the two sleuths, are meticulously developed and brought together in unusual circumstances to solve the insolvable. The mood is set on a freezing and relatively deserted island in Sweden.
I instantly took a liking to his prose and while not pedantic, did have just the right balance for detail allowing for a smooth read.
One of my favorites. Looking forward to #2 and eagerly await #3.』
(The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo) 『This was a great read. I plan on reading Larsson's other books in the Millinium series.』
(fascinating) 『My initial impression of this book was that it read like a long lost John Irving manuscript. The depth and richness in the development of the Vanger family, Mikael Blomkvist, and Lisbeth Salander reminded me much of his style. Salander, The girl with the dragon tattoo, is hands-down the hippest, edgiest, and simply coolest female character ever created by an author. She trumps even Robbins' Sissy Handshaw in Cowgirls. Salander is a side character who eventually enters into the primary story thread around the middle of the book. So, don't be confused that the title character does not appear much until the middle of the book. She's not the title character in the original Swedish edition which is called "Men Who Hate Women".
The novel has several different stories masterfully layered together; each by itself would make for a solid novel and taken together they form a masterpiece. There are very dark and disturbing themes, that is for sure. And the book is a heady cerebral read, not for those craving an action packed quickly read story. I did become so engaged in the story that I could not put it down and read the last 200 pages in one day. It is difficult to describe the story without including spoilers; suffice it to repeat what is included on the back cover: "...murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue...a complex and atmospheric novel." 』
(Can't Get This Book Out Of My Head) 『I was fascinated by this book, and can't really explain exactly why. I think I was a little bit enamored with the way Stieg Larsson developed the main characters, and I loved that he created a smart, wily woman with a unique skill set and intuitiveness. As a journalist, I loved the plot line centering around what happens when you dig up a great story that goes bad, and as someone who still secretly wants to be a detective, I loved the way the main character went about solving a decades-old mystery. It was just a great book, and I can't wait to read the next 2 books (and the 3rd if it's ever allowed to be finished and published) that Stieg Larsson wrote before his own mysterious early death.』 『Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder - and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, truculent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.』 『Amazon Best of the Month, September 2008: Once you startThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, there's no turning back. This debut thriller--the first in a trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson--is a serious page-turner rivaling the best of Charlie Huston and Michael Connelly. Mikael Blomkvist, a once-respected financial journalist, watches his professional life rapidly crumble around him. Prospects appear bleak until an unexpected (and unsettling) offer to resurrect his name is extended by an old-school titan of Swedish industry. The catch--and there's always a catch--is that Blomkvist must first spend a year researching a mysterious disappearance that has remained unsolved for nearly four decades. With few other options, he accepts and enlists the help of investigator Lisbeth Salander, a misunderstood genius with a cache of authority issues. Little is as it seems in Larsson's novel, but there is at least one constant: you reallydon'twant to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo. --Dave Callanan
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Great read, can't put the book down.) 『If you read the first in the series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this book is even better. If you haven't read the first, please do so. The third is coming out in May, and for the first time I will pre-order a book. I'm not much of a reader, but this series is great and impossible to put down.』
(A Wonderful Feminist Book!) 『Let me get straight to the point. It is unlikely many readers will pick this up without having read THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, the first book in this trilogy by Stieg Larsson. (If you are one such person, put this book down and pick up TGWTDT first.) How does this book compare to its predecessor?
Not very well, I am afraid.
The bare plot involving a triple murder, an illegal sex ring and main character Lisbeth Salander's mysteriously alluded to background, could have been woven into an intriguing thriller. But it is almost impenetrably bogged down with so many unnecessary characters that the plot gets buried underneath the act of simply trying to keep one's scorecard straight.
Alas, that is not the locus of THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE's main troubles. More problematic is that I have never read a book more filled with clear contempt, hostility and antipathy towards men in my life. It is so over the top as to be almost beyond description.
Oh, but did I not mention an illegal sex trade above? What was the author to do? Make them look like Boy Scouts? But the problem is far more widespread than this. Even male characters that have nothing to do with the sex trade are just scumbags to the core. Certain male characters are introduced, it would seem, for no other purpose than to portray men poorly. It would be difficult to overstate the extremity of this literary drive-by.
Indeed, with the exception of Mikael Blomkvist, almost every male character is not merely defective, but extremely so. Typical for this mentality, when a female character hates men, it is always due to some external reason that portrays them sympathetically, such as past abuse by a man. But when male characters hate women, it is because . . . well, just because. It is ontological in nature (see, Spreading Misandry: The Teaching of Contempt for Men in Popular Culture for a good analysis of this phenomenon in pop culture).
Even more telling of the author's contempt for other men can be seen in his portrayal of those few men who might actually be referred to as the 'good guys.' All are either laughably ineffective and, in a literary version of a feminist wish fulfillment, need women to physically protect them (in a particularly illuminating example, a world class boxer is saved from getting beaten to death in a physical fight by a woman with broken ribs, a broken nose and other serious bodily harm, who is able to knock the big, bad man out to save the good guy's life) or instead are merely pathetic (Erika Berger's husband, who jovially wishes his wife a good time when she explicitly tells him, as she often does, that she will not be coming home that night and instead will be sharing the bed of another man).
Not surprisingly for anyone familiar with the mindset of those males `enlightened' about the oppression of women, the book is filled with women kicking the groins of, shooting, and generally committing other acts of violence against men. But hey? The men are all scumbags, aren't they? They deserve it.
Independent of the above, this book is weak for another reason. Larsson has made Lisbeth Salander simply too ridiculous to take seriously. In the first book, Larsson gave Salander a photographic memory, a trait that makes her truly an act of fiction given that this does not exist in non-mentally handicapped adults. Here, we learn of Salander's other intellectual gifts, ones that are so preposterous that I have no choice but to use the word `ridiculous' once again, in order to describe them properly.
Stieg Larsson, like every male feminist I have ever encountered (and I know he explicitly considered himself to be one), no doubt thought of himself as enlightened. And, again like every male feminist I have encountered, believed it his role to enlighten the rest of us, especially us other men. In fact, Larsson does nothing to illuminate any issues about violence against women, but does a wonderful job instead of illuminating the degree to which some men have serious problems with their own masculinity. His attempt to bludgeon us with an ideological agenda has turned what could have been a very good book into a hunk of junk. 』
(..even better than the first novel) 『This second novel in the trilogy is even better than "Dragon Tattoo". Heroine Salander fights to stay alive and out of Jail, as the secrets of her past are slowly peeled away like an onion. One surprise after another had me hooked to the last page.』
(More mainstream) 『Needless to say, if you are a fan of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Vintage), the first novel in Stieg Larsson's series, you will be sure to enjoy the second installment as well. My one caveat for you is that this one is much more of a straight genre mystery/thriller, which may turn some off. Dragon Tattoo was a highly complex story with multiple plots and layers of intrigue going on, and the fact that Larsson balanced these plots so deftly made it something of an achievement in the end. Fire adheres much more to formula -- there's a murder, Lisbeth Salander is implicated and goes on the lam, and it is up to Mikael Blomkvist -- the only man who believes in Salander's innocence -- to clear her name and catch the real culprit. There are scattered subplots, but nothing nearly as intricate or as layered as the previous installment.
There are aspects of Fire that go a little off the rails, however. The first hundred pages are a waste of time, since they have nothing to do with the plot and do nothing at all to set up the action. Larsson seems to be using them to establish Salander as a renegade who operates on her own terms, with her own complicated set of morals that she follows. The problem is that anyone who has read Dragon Tattoo (and I'm guessing that pretty much anyone picking up this novel will have done just that) already knows this, so what we have is a hundred pages of filler.
The other, bigger problem with Fire is that there is a gaping contrivance at the novel's center -- a plot hole that Larsson can do nothing to fix. You see, Lisbeth Salander knows the identity of the bad guy, the motive, etc. from the outset of the novel. There isn't actually any mystery. The only reason we have a plot is that she separates herself from Blomkvist and steadfastly refuses to give him any of her information -- even after he regains her trust. Why? No reason. It's just that we wouldn't have a novel if Blomkvist didn't have to piece things together for himself. And wouldn't that be a shame?
In the end, Fire is an enjoyable enough read, but it must be taken as typical genre fluff instead of the smart genre-buster that Dragon Tattoo was.
Grade: C』
(This is a GREAT book!) 『I liked the first book (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO), but this one was so much better. I can't wait for the last one to come out.』 『Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. Two Millennium journalists about to expose the truth about the sex trade in Sweden are brutally murdered, and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and vengeful behaviour makes her an official danger to society - but no-one can find her anywhere. Meanwhile, Mikael Blomkvist, editor-in-chief of Millennium, will not believe what he hears on the news. Knowing Salander to be fierce when fearful, he is desperate to get to her before she is cornered and alone. As he fits the pieces of the puzzle together, he comes up against some hardened criminals, including the chainsaw-wielding 'blond giant' - a fearsomely huge thug who can feel no pain. Digging deeper, Blomkvist also unearths some heart-wrenching facts about Salander's past life. Committed to psychiatric care aged 12, declared legally incompetent at 18, this is a messed-up young woman who is the product of an unjust and corrupt system. Yet Lisbeth is more avenging angel than helpless victim - descending on those that have hurt her with a righteous anger terrifying in its intensity and truly wonderful in its outcome.』 『Amazon Best of the Month, July 2009:The girl with the dragon tattoo is back. Stieg Larsson's seething heroine, Lisbeth Salander, once again finds herself paired with journalist Mikael Blomkvist on the trail of a sinister criminal enterprise. Only this time, Lisbeth must return to the darkness of her own past (more specifically, an event coldly known as "All the Evil") if she is to stay one step ahead--and alive.The Girl Who Played with Fireis a break-out-in-a-cold-sweat thriller that crackles with stunning twists and dismisses any talk of a sophomore slump. Fans of Larsson's prior work will find even more to love here, and readers who do not find their hearts racing within the first five pages may want to confirm they still have a pulse. Expect healthy doses of murder, betrayal, and deceit, as well as enough espresso drinks to fuel downtown Seattle for months. --Dave Callanan』
price：$11.88
Random House Audio
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society) 『Very interesting and well written. It is written as letters back and forth wherein the story evolves about how one tiny town experienced the German invasion and the Holocaust. If you like that subject, you will like this book. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.』
(One of the best!) 『This is one of the best novels I have read in years. Using the device of a letter exchange between all the characters was brilliant. By doing so, the author let the reader become intimately familiar with every character. The story, based loosely on the actual experiences of the inhabitants of Guernsey during WWII, was lucid and compelling. I just simply couldn't stop reading once I had started. Be sure to read the author's remarks after the end of the book. For once, they actually contributed to the book.』
(Historically honest peek at life during WW ll) 『This book is a fun read.It is very well written. I could not put it down, and immediately ordered it for my sister. The subjects lived through hardships we can only imagine. That story is told, but there is much humor. The characters are all fascinating people. I felt sad that there will be no sequel.』
(Very refreshing book) 『I really enjoyed reading this book. It took a little while getting used to the unique storytelling - letters written back and forth from Juliet to her friends on Guernsey, and Juliet to her friends in London, but once you got used to it, the story unfolded in a beautiful way. The World War II stories were really sad and heartbreaking, but the characters all had a redeeming/positive quality about them that kept the story on a nice balance. The ending was also very satisfying. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to find a excellent read.』
(Buy this book, it is the author's life work and it shows) 『There are so many reasons to buy this book, I think I have bought five. For my sister in the UK for friends near and far and my own copy which I had to re-read. I could not bear the people I love most, not to own it. The Channel Islands, my beloved second home..... that this was written, not by a resident, nor even a Brit just astounds me. Buy it because it tells part of the story of why we should never forget Buy it because you will fall in love with the characters Buy it because it shows the strength of the human spirit Buy it, you will have to buy more copies for those you love. 』 『“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmersto phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Sherlock Holmes - The Detective Guru) 『Sherlock Holmes has long been a favorite of mine. Nothing's changed. He still is. Excellent book, both in contents and appearance.』
(I love this stuff!) 『Classic! I'm very glad to own this book in it's Kindle edition and for a very reasonable price too, $0.00! There is not anything that I could write that hasn't been written before about Mr. Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These stories are timeless, they are indeed short stories and may be read quickly in one sitting, and, for me, be read again and again. While reading these stories I can't help but see and hear Jeremy Brett, the ultimate and best Holmes of any visual media. Ever! The mannerisms of Holmes as written by Doyle, as well as much of the dialog, are transferred accurately and brilliantly to the small screen by Brett, the BBC, and PBS. I also recommend this series on DVD for any and all Holmes fans. Not to forget "The Return of Sherlock Holmes," also priced reasonably on Kindle at $0.00.』
(Holes) 『Super when I am on an airplane and have forgotten to turn on the wireless to pick up new books. Doyle never ceases to amaze and provide entertainment. I think I started reading Holmes in the 60s (early 60s) and have yet to stop. Good emergency book to have if you have a Kindle and enjoy deductive reasoning. easons to get it are elementary my dear reader!』
(Technical glitches in this Kindle edition) 『All of the numeric entries in the text are garbled, so if you don't care whether they're referring to 20 pounds or 3000, you'll be fine. of course it's a free download, so I'm not complaining.』
(Great Britian's Nineteenth Century History) 『English history is served up along with the amazing mystery stories. I enjoy the pictures of daily life...the maid bringing in lunch to Holmes on a pre-arranged schedule, passing the street vendors and beggars, imagining the opium den frequented by addicts, vivid descriptions of period clothing, transportation and commerce slipped seamlessly into the tales. I read this often to refresh the imagery in my mind.』 『
In these twelve intriguing stories, Sherlock Homes and his trusty friend Dr. Watson solve crimes amid the sinister and foggy streets of Victorian London.
"Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell." -- Sherlock Holmes inThe Adventure of the Copper Beeches』
price：$14.50
Quiet Vision Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A shorter version of a classic!) 『This particular edition is a children's version of Pride and Prejudice, not the true book: it is geared for readers age 9-12 and is only 48 pages long.A good way to intruduce youger kids to a classic and more loved by girls then boys in my opinion. P.J. Duval Author of the Novels The Adventures of Nicki in Wolf Creek& The Secret Clubhouse (Adventures of Nicki) 』
(great book bad digital edition) 『great book of course for any jane austin fan. this review is more for this kindle edition. i decided to buy the one dollar version after a few chapters because i do not like the repetitive use of dialog in all caps. it makes me imagine too much yelling. granted i do not know whether miss austin wrote it that way or the scribes of this digital book did. i just know i do not like it. if you are like me or unsure just get the sample first.』
(It is a truth universally acknowledged...) 『"Pride and Prejudice" is undoubtedly one of the most beloved classic novels in history -- it's had countless adaptations, sequels and homages lavished on it over the years.
And Jane Austen's grand opus is still beloved for a good reason. While it's rather stuffily written much of the time, it has a vibrant core of witty dialogue and strong characters that shine like lanterns in the night -- and the best part of it is the interplay between the two strong-willed main characters, whose initial dislike of one another blossoms into love once they learn how to overcome his pride and her prejudice.
The Bennett family is in an uproar when wealthy Mr. Bingley moves into the neighborhood, and Mrs. Bennett is especially happy when he takes a liking to the eldest Bennett daughter Jane -- since their estate is entailed and there is no Mr. Bennett Jr., a good marriage is considered essential for at least one of the girls. But her forthright, independent sister Lizzie immediately butts heads with wealthy, aloof Mr. Darcy, who scorns the rural village and seems haughty about everything.
A flurry of proposals, road trips and friendships happen over the course of the following months, with Lizzie fending off her slimy cousin Mr. Collins, and befriending the flirty, hunky Wickham, who claims to have been wronged by Darcy. Lizzie believes Wickham's account -- and she's in for a shock when Darcy unexpectedly proposes, and reveals what Wickham won't tell her about both of their past lives, and what Wickham did to offend Darcy.
And finally things take a scandalous turn when Lizzie's idiotic younger sister Lydia elopes with Wickham, while staying with a friend in Brighton. The family is plunged into disgrace, which also wrecks any chances of a halfway decent marriage for the other daughters. The only one who can set things right is Darcy, who will do whatever he must to make amends to Lizzie -- and unwittingly establish himself as the man she loves as well...
Reading "Pride and Prejudice" is a bit like watching someone embroider a piece of cloth with subtle, intricate designs. Lots of balls, dances, visits and drawing room banter between Lizzie and virtually everyone else, and interwoven with some rather opinions from Jane Austen about haughty aristocrats, marriages of security, entailment, and the whole idea of what an ideal woman has (intellect and strength).
The only real problem: Jane Austen writes very much in the style of her literary era -- it's rather formal and stuffy much of the time, and the narrative is kept distant from the characters. So, not for casual readers.
But despite that formality, Austen's brilliance as a writer is evident -- she slowly unfolds the plot one act at a time, with several intricate subplots that tie together and play off each other. She also wrote some unbelievably sharp-edged dialogue with plenty of witty banter between Lizzie and Darcy ("I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine"). But Austen also weaves in startlingly romantic moments between them ("No one admitted to the privilege of hearing you, can think anything wanting").
It's hard to imagine a better fictional couple than Lizzie and Darcy, despite their rocky start (a major-league snub at a dance). Both are witty, smart, and a bit snotty in their own ways, with quick minds and even quicker tongues. Darcy is a selfish, rather haughty man man who gradually becomes warm and kind, while Lizzie is strong, independent, and Darcy's equal in every way. And neither will marry for anything but true love.
It also has a solid supporting cast: the painfully practical Charlotte Lucas, slimy clerics, virtuous-looking rakes, sisters ranging from saintly to snobby, and the lovable Mr. Bingley and perpetually optimistic Jane. Lizzie's family also adds plenty of color to the story, including the screechy and hilariously mercurial Mrs. Bennett and the barb-tongued Mr. Bennett ("Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do").
Despite its mildly stuffy style, "Pride and Prejudice" is the ultimate Jane Austen novel -- a powerful and romantic story about two people who grow and change because of love. An absolute must-read.』
(Very disappointed in the recording) 『I purchased this recording (read by Lindsay Duncan) through the iTunes store (something I will not be doing again), on the understanding that it was an unabridged recording. This is one of my favorite books, and I know it well enough to realize when sentences are being left out, which happened in several places (I did double-check with my print edition). At least one of the omitted sentences was important for understanding the characters.
The other quibble I have is that the recording I purchased consisted of two SIX HOUR tracks. Heaven help you if you lose your place while using an mp3 player.
I cannot dis-recommend this recording enough.』
(PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen) 『It is beneficial at times to step away from our classics of literature from time to time, to take them down from their high pedestals and look at them without pretension. No novel, no matter how well-regarded, is universally esteemed - Twain, Emerson, and Charlotte Bronte all savaged Pride and Prejudice in print - so let us, for a few moments, stop treating it as holy writ and just look at it as a novel, at how it holds up to a modern casual reader.
Pride and Prejudice (1813) is Jane Austen's novel of manners - it thoroughly explores the ins, outs and economics of nineteenth-century courtship. The novel's central character is Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters, whose family lives in a country village. Two wealthy, eligible bachelors move to town, and romance, confusion and animosity ensue.
Austen populates her novel with all manner of flawed characters. Many of them are annoying - that is, they behave badly and are antagonistic toward the main characters - but they all show at least some depth. No one here is without flaw, but no one here is without virtue, either (except Mr. Collins, the most ludicrous of them all). And this is why the novel works: because Austen treats her characters and their social milieu gently, delicately (well, except Mr. Collins). If she had done otherwise, if she had been more cutting, she would have lost the sympathy in the reader that many of these characters engender.
To the modern audience, Austen's plotting is rather sluggish, although it must be recalled that novels moved at a rather more leisurely pace then. At any rate it often seems that there is one too many side plots, or perhaps one too many visits to relatives, and there are patches that can be quite hard to get through. But you don't go to Austen for plot - you go to her for clever dialogue, for a delightful turn of phrase. That is what she thrives at, and that is what she is best remembered for. And in spite of the novel's overlength, Austen delivers a full and completely satisfying payoff. Rarely is a happy ending so fulfilling, and it may not be until the last few pages of the book that it becomes evident to the reader how masterfully Austen has set it up. And this is a large reason why the novel has such enduring appeal.
Much of the nuance in Pride and Prejudice may be lost on casual modern readers. For example, the character of Mrs. Bennet is the object of great scorn from many readers, and this has only been exacerbated by the film adaptations of the novel. But while marrying for love is the norm today, then, it was not; Mrs. Bennet is the only one looking out for the Bennet family's financial future.
Pride and Prejudice is, on the whole, a satisfactory and clever novel, and, at present, one whose merits are diminished mostly by readers too far removed to understand it in its fullness, or whose tastes have diverged too far.』 『Jane Austen (1775-1817) is considered by many scholars to be the first great woman novelist. Her novels revolve around people, not events or coincidences. Miss Austen sets her novels in the upper middle class English country which was her own environment.
Her novels have increased in stature over time. Her skills of writing, including a dry humor and a witty elegance of expression have attracted generations to her work.
Miss Austen completed six novels and part of a seventh, "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield Park", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion" and the partial "Lady Susan". Quiet Vision publishes all seven.』
『In a remote Hertfordshire village, far off the good coach roads of George III's England, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet -- a country squire of no great means and his scatterbrained wife -- must marry off their five vivacious daughters. At the heart of this all-consuming enterprise are the headstrong second daughter Elizabeth and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy, two lovers in whom pride and prejudice must be overcome before love can bring the novel to its magnificent conclusion.』
The scallop of large satisfactory ! northern countries and - [ of how much ] botan shrimp are ! tightly.
getting to know the technique of motorbike expensive sale -- Ta -- if -- -
>
