Best Tolkien, J.R.R.
It begins a magnificent tale of adventure that will plunge the members of the Fellowship of the Ring into a perilous quest and set the stage for the ultimate clash between powers of good and evil. As Bilbo's nephew, Frodo, and his friends take center stage to help dispose of the ring before some truly unsavory characters can obtain it, Inglis demonstrates he is up to the task of relating the original story's drama, suspense, and dark mysticism.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I did a ton of research and decided upon this version (ISBN 116-1749849-2513827), illustrated by Alan Lee and published by Harper Collins in June 2014 (I am adding these details because the Amazon.com site does not make it clear what this version is). The only drawback is that the facsimile pages of the Book of Mazarbul was not included, which I found to be surprising and a bit disappointing Also, the ring inscription and the Gandalf "rune" are printed in black rather than silver and red. Probably the main issue is the clear plastic slipcover, which is barely bigger than the book itself, and it is difficult to slip the book back inside it after taking it out."
"The font size seems to be based on the length of the books, the longer the books are, the smaller the font is (I suppose this was in order to keep them pocket-sized as well as consistent with the sizes of the other books throughout the set)."
"I'll keep it brief, this is not a review of the actual story but of this specific edition."
"It begins with Bilbo's 111th birthday party, where he makes a grand escape from the Shire, leaving all of his belongings to Frodo, including what he assumed was a simple magic ring. Frodo lives peacefully in the Shire until Gandalf the Gray comes bearing knowledge of the ring's true identity. They decide to travel to Mordor by taking a pass in the Misty Mountains, but end up needing to go through the goblin infested Mines of Moria. The eight remaining members continue on their journey by river and eventually see Gollum, a deformed creature that had owned the ring before Bilbo. During their travels, Boromir had been acting continually stranger, and eventually reveals his plan to take the Ring from Frodo and use it to protect his kingdom."
Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. Though content to enjoy his cozy life, cheerful hobbit Mr. Bilbo Baggins agrees to help his wizard friend Gandalf aid a group of dwarves seeking their lost treasure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I did a ton of research and decided upon this version (ISBN 116-1749849-2513827), illustrated by Alan Lee and published by Harper Collins in June 2014 (I am adding these details because the Amazon.com site does not make it clear what this version is). The only drawback is that the facsimile pages of the Book of Mazarbul was not included, which I found to be surprising and a bit disappointing Also, the ring inscription and the Gandalf "rune" are printed in black rather than silver and red. Probably the main issue is the clear plastic slipcover, which is barely bigger than the book itself, and it is difficult to slip the book back inside it after taking it out."
"The font size seems to be based on the length of the books, the longer the books are, the smaller the font is (I suppose this was in order to keep them pocket-sized as well as consistent with the sizes of the other books throughout the set)."
"I'll keep it brief, this is not a review of the actual story but of this specific edition."
"It begins with Bilbo's 111th birthday party, where he makes a grand escape from the Shire, leaving all of his belongings to Frodo, including what he assumed was a simple magic ring. Frodo lives peacefully in the Shire until Gandalf the Gray comes bearing knowledge of the ring's true identity. They decide to travel to Mordor by taking a pass in the Misty Mountains, but end up needing to go through the goblin infested Mines of Moria. The eight remaining members continue on their journey by river and eventually see Gollum, a deformed creature that had owned the ring before Bilbo. During their travels, Boromir had been acting continually stranger, and eventually reveals his plan to take the Ring from Frodo and use it to protect his kingdom."
Widely is regarded as a broadcasting classic, the 1981 BBC Radio dramatization of The Lord of the Rings stars Ian Holm, Michael Hordern, Robert Stephens, John Le Mesurier, and Peter Woodthorpe. This collection also includes a bonus CD featuring Stephen Oliver's complete musical score, and a demo version of "Bilbo's Last Song." J. R. R. Tolkien was born in 1892.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I did a ton of research and decided upon this version (ISBN 116-1749849-2513827), illustrated by Alan Lee and published by Harper Collins in June 2014 (I am adding these details because the Amazon.com site does not make it clear what this version is). The only drawback is that the facsimile pages of the Book of Mazarbul was not included, which I found to be surprising and a bit disappointing Also, the ring inscription and the Gandalf "rune" are printed in black rather than silver and red. Probably the main issue is the clear plastic slipcover, which is barely bigger than the book itself, and it is difficult to slip the book back inside it after taking it out."
"The font size seems to be based on the length of the books, the longer the books are, the smaller the font is (I suppose this was in order to keep them pocket-sized as well as consistent with the sizes of the other books throughout the set)."
"I'll keep it brief, this is not a review of the actual story but of this specific edition."
"It begins with Bilbo's 111th birthday party, where he makes a grand escape from the Shire, leaving all of his belongings to Frodo, including what he assumed was a simple magic ring. Frodo lives peacefully in the Shire until Gandalf the Gray comes bearing knowledge of the ring's true identity. They decide to travel to Mordor by taking a pass in the Misty Mountains, but end up needing to go through the goblin infested Mines of Moria. The eight remaining members continue on their journey by river and eventually see Gollum, a deformed creature that had owned the ring before Bilbo. During their travels, Boromir had been acting continually stranger, and eventually reveals his plan to take the Ring from Frodo and use it to protect his kingdom."
Best Twain, Mark
This giant work, in addition to entertaining boys and girls for generations, has defined the first-person novel in America and continues to demand study, inspire reverence, and stir controversy in our time. Mark Twain is the pen name of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835 - 1910).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Just the comraderie between a young white boy and a black slave is incredible to think of for back then."
"At the same time, Mark Twain gives a sharp description of life along the Mississippi river, the racism, ignorance, violence, unscrupulousness , naïveté as well as generosity and piety displayed by the people living along its shores."
"This is only about the 20th time I've read it since high school, so that should give a pretty good idea of what I think of it."
"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Unabridged and IllustratedThe Adventures of Tom Sawyer that I bought from amazon.com is a paperback Piccadilly Classics (Unabridged and Illustrated) edition, written by Mark Twain (Samuel Langborne Clemens) and illustrated by T. Williams, and published by Piccadilly Books, Ltd. copyright 2010. I am VERY pleased with this edition's keeping to the Mark Twain's original manuscript and the use of (from my understanding...and by the looks of it) wonderfully-used original illustrations."
"Campfire Classics do preserve some of the original voice of the author in the text, and because of the classics chosen, are a good incentive to read."
"I downloaded this for my eight-year-old daughter after her interest was piqued by the stage version, and was delighted to discover that she found the unabridged version to be as enjoyable and accessible as I remembered from my own youth."
"I thought the book dragged just a bit for me during the lengthy discussion and process of Huck and Tom planning and executing Jim's escape."
Best Turow, Scott
His investigation takes him from the International Criminal Court's base in Holland to the cities and villages of Bosnia and secret meetings in Washington, DC, as Boom sorts through a host of suspects, ranging from Serb paramilitaries, to organized crime gangs, to the US government itself, while also maneuvering among the alliances and treacheries of those connected to the case: Layton Merriwell, a disgraced US major general desperate to salvage his reputation; Sergeant Major Atilla Doby,a vital cog in American military operations near the camp at the time of the Roma's disappearance; Laza Kajevic, the brutal former leader of the Bosnian Serbs; Esma Czarni, Ferko's alluring barrister; and of course, Ferko himself, on whose testimony the entire case rests-and who may know more than he's telling. "This is at once a thriller, a story of middle-aged angst, an exposition of international law and an exploration of an intensely serious and very nasty episode in recent history...admirable and important. "TESTIMONY is Scott Turow's most ambitious and complex work-which takes us from the gritty familiarity of his beloved Kindle County into a mysterious world of international intrigue. "Scott Turow writes with zest and authority about the inner workings of the law...TESTIMONY unfolds in highly descriptive prose and is sprinkled with colorful characters. "Turow applies the same storytelling magic to the ICC that has drawn scores of readers into his Kindle County courtrooms, weaving fascinating details about the challenges of prosecuting war crimes into a suspenseful story of redemption and the complexities of justice."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Scott Turow is one of very few contemporary writers who actually understands the English language."
"Thus during the scary scene I was wondering if there were a cold beer in my fridge or if I was going to have to go buy some."
"The action takes place shortly after the break up of Yugoslavia and involves some of the circumstances at the close of the war in Bosnia and and a fictitious incident of US military there."
"I really enjoyed the book."
"I found this book to be totally engrossing."
"The plot has some merit but the reader soon gets lost in the morass of details and lengthy moral discourses."
"I didn't count, but I'd bet more than half the pages of the book deal with introspection about divorce - before, during and lots about after."
"One-third of the book deals with the main protagonist’s sex life, which is not only boring, but had no relationship to the plot."
Best Taback, Simms
Like every other hobbit, Bilbo Baggins likes nothing better than a quiet evening in his snug hole in the ground, dining on a sumptuous dinner in front of a fire. Though content to enjoy his cozy life, cheerful hobbit Mr. Bilbo Baggins agrees to help his wizard friend Gandalf aid a group of dwarves seeking their lost treasure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I did a ton of research and decided upon this version (ISBN 116-1749849-2513827), illustrated by Alan Lee and published by Harper Collins in June 2014 (I am adding these details because the Amazon.com site does not make it clear what this version is). The only drawback is that the facsimile pages of the Book of Mazarbul was not included, which I found to be surprising and a bit disappointing Also, the ring inscription and the Gandalf "rune" are printed in black rather than silver and red. Probably the main issue is the clear plastic slipcover, which is barely bigger than the book itself, and it is difficult to slip the book back inside it after taking it out."
"I'll keep it brief, this is not a review of the actual story but of this specific edition."
"The font size seems to be based on the length of the books, the longer the books are, the smaller the font is (I suppose this was in order to keep them pocket-sized as well as consistent with the sizes of the other books throughout the set)."
"Most readers shouldn’t have an issue when you consider how comfortable the book is to hold in one hand. It’s a matte vinyl material that has a leather feel with recessed and stained cover lettering. After reading The Hobbit, with no special care, there were no creases in the outer binding."
Best Turtledove, Harry
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Turtledove can take historical events, and the well-known major personalities in those events (in this case Lee, Lincoln, Grant and Jefferson Davis) and while remaining adequately faithful to the issues, he alters a critical circumstance."
"Many other reviewers mention that the book gets bogged down around the halfway point, which is where the Second American Revolution ends and the CSA is officially established. Yes, there is next to no fighting and there is a lot of conversation, but the latter half of the book holds some gems that all readers would enjoy, especially history fans."
"Book came with a pretty big bent corner on it so I am only giving it 5 stars."
"The character description of gentlemen like Robert E. Lee and other famed generals of both Union & Confederate Armies was absolutely spot on."
"I lack an adequate knowledge of real Civil War history to fully appreciate the divergent timeline after the soldiers from the future arrive back in the Civil War."
"I'm sure this won't be the last time I'll re-read this book."
"That's all fascinating and compelling, and while Turtledove doesn't always focus the book quite as well as you might like, it's all pretty interesting and far more thoughtful than such a silly premise might suggest. It's telling that Turtledove would later revisit the idea of the South winning the war without the time travel crutch, and based on the best parts of Guns of the South, I'm intrigued to read that book, because it seems like Turtledove's feeling for history and the ramifications of a Southern victory could lead to a fascinating world."
"Having read many of his books since enjoying this one, I'd have to say this is easily his best work imo."