Best Romance
The book is divided into four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose. (USA Today). “Rupi Kaur has vision beyond her years … Her work is simply but powerfully expressed, and viscerally captures both universal human experience and the particular struggles of a young woman today." Rupi Kaur's first book, Milk and Honey is the poetry collection every woman needs on her nightstand or coffee table. Rupi Kaur’s writing echoes of artistry and wisdom which is seen in the work of those that have been writing for years. rupi kaur is a bestselling author and illustrator of two collections of poetry. while studying at the university of waterloo rupi self-published her first collection milk and honey in 2014. milk and honey became an international phenomenon that's been translated into over 30 languages and sold over 2.5 million copies. through her poetry rupi explores a variety of themes ranging from love.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I would've maybe given it two stars if I checked it out at the local library for free, but I'm annoyed I invested my hard earned American dollars into this book. I seriously don't understand if everyone is just reading into the completely non-thought provoking "poems" in this book and making up their own deep meaning or if I'm just totally missing the boat on this one. If you told me my 9-year-old nephew and 6-month-old niece collabed on this book, with him covering the poetry while she handled the artwork, I would fully believe you. If you're a 10th grader who just got dumped by Jimmy from home room and you wanna post a snapchat of one of these heart wrenching break up poems to express how angsty you are, you'll love it."
"I found Rupi Kaur (after hearing her name drifting about) when I saw a breathtaking piece by her (starting with "let me tell you about a selfish person..."). I love poetry. I love traditional poetry, struxtured poetry, unstructured poetry, modern poetry, stand up poetry, you name it. My shelves are lined with just as much edgy, modern, is-this-even-poetry books from up-and-coming poets as they are lined with TS Elliot and Tennyson."
"I have been seeing this at all of the bookstores and decided to give it a read based on the brilliant cover design and book description. It has been a while since I have read a book of poetry, but I have to say I don't feel like I just read one."
"This is some of the most trite poetry I have ever read, and exemplifies zero skill of poetic craft."
"I had so much hope for this book since it had become so popular so I was of course eager to read it."
They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. LJ Shen has done it again.Taken an absolutely HORRIBLE character and made him into a swoony motherfucker. Literally no words are being formed in my head to describe how much I love this book. It was amazing and thought provoking, staying with me long after the last word was read.- Rosa Sharon,iScream Books. One of the most anticipated books of the year - heck, ever - and I totally devoured it in one sitting. He puts all the other Bad Boys to shame.- Shabby Arora, BookBistro Blog. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me? LJ Shen has created an addictive story line with characters that will frustrate you to no end. Shen pulled off a fucktastic slow burning story of alpha dominance and pain! I was completely bowled over by this book, the story flowed really well and the writing was as close to flawless as it could be. Shen is a USA Today and Amazon #1 Best-selling author of contemporary and YA romance. She lives in California with her husband and son, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Vicious is the leader of The Four Hot Holes, four stunning young men of privilege who are as far from gentlemen as you can get. There seems to be something new to discover in each chapter of this book, and I found myself constantly questioning Vicious’s thoughts and next moves. I admired her strength and resilience, even when faced with the most difficult and humiliating challenges. There are so many complicated layers to Vicious you’d need an entire excavating team and staff of psychologists to fully unearth and understand him. The Sinners of Saint series continues, however, by focusing on a different member of The Four Hot Holes."
"I feel this one will be no different, plus that allows those of you who haven't had the chance to read this "Amazing" book the opportunity to do so without spoiling much of it. Emilia finds herself in a situation she can't understand with Vicious from the moment she meets him. Vicious must learn to trust and accept that what he feels for Emilia is real in this beautiful story. When I finished I was so torn because I was happy with how it ended but also sad because I want so much more of their story to continue."
"After read Defy from Hot for Teacher anthology, I really need all the HOTHOLES and luckily, Vicious is the first. Living her new life in New York, Emilia LeBlanc leave all the bad things happened, include Vicious. Bottom line, the biggest jerk who makes her life complicated. Still arrogant as ever, Vicious offer a job that she couldn't refuse. As one the most powerful family, Vicious aka Baron Spencer Jr. born with money. Ten years later, with the same attitude but more brooding, I know he's just a wounded man with too much baggage in his shoulder. A lonely rich baby who needs attention and love. From Vicious's family drama to their hate-love relationship, it was really crazy. Even their foreplay was really on fire and ready to explode anytime, but the sex was decent. *cough*. I was hoping to see more raw emotion even dirty things he will do to her. Shen brilliantly brings this bad boy to his knees."
I only wanted to protect you... Luke Garrison is a hometown hero, a member of the National Guard ready to deploy again. One night of sleeping in the same bed turns into something much, much more... and soon Luke can't keep his mind off Harper's wide gray eyes, or his hands off of her luscious curves. The novel No More Secrets , book one of Lucy Score's new series Blue Moon , is included free! Beautiful Love Story !!! There was laughter, tears, banter ...oh the banter, suspense, and sex ...lots and lots of sex!! A happy ending had by all and the ride to get there was awesome (pun intended). A true love story that I won't be forgetting anytime soon. Great story! Loved the strong characters, great story and character development and well written!!"
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There was the small town atmosphere, strong families, past tragedies and heartbreak, evil lurking, but in the end Harper and Luke end up where they were destined to be, with each other!"
"Pretend You're Mine tells the story of Harper Wilde and Luke Garrison, both are extremely likable characters. She's whimsical, spunky and spontaneous while he's a serious, military man who doesn't do emotions, yet they've both suffered great loss in their lives and eventually they figure out that they're exactly what the other needs."
"The trouble Harper was having kinda sprung up outta nowhere and i kinda feel like it was added there just to extend the book some more."
"The family who love luke and worry about him are so loving that I want to be adopted. Luke is grieving a d of course feels he can't love again."
"Luke was the male character i can exactly write paragraphs and paragraphs about him how i loved hating him and all because seriously he really really was a pain in the ass and totally jackass and yes in the end he did took him kinda a little bit more to realize his feelings towards Harper but in the end does we all take a little bit of time to admit the truth for our feelings making mistakes in progress too?"
"This is the story of Harper and Luke."
"I fell in love hard with Harper in the first chapter."
"Ms Score does and amazing job of writing this book."
Best Contemporary
They say love and hate are the same feelings experienced under different circumstances, and it’s true. The man who comes to me in my dreams also haunts me in my nightmares. Ten years ago, he made me run away from the small town where we lived. The woman who knows my darkest secret, and the daughter of the cheap Help we hired to take care of our estate. LJ Shen has done it again.Taken an absolutely HORRIBLE character and made him into a swoony motherfucker. Literally no words are being formed in my head to describe how much I love this book. It was amazing and thought provoking, staying with me long after the last word was read.- Rosa Sharon,iScream Books. One of the most anticipated books of the year - heck, ever - and I totally devoured it in one sitting. He puts all the other Bad Boys to shame.- Shabby Arora, BookBistro Blog. How else could the woman possibly crawl inside my mind and create a story that seriously felt custom written for me? LJ Shen has created an addictive story line with characters that will frustrate you to no end. Shen pulled off a fucktastic slow burning story of alpha dominance and pain! I was completely bowled over by this book, the story flowed really well and the writing was as close to flawless as it could be. Shen is a USA Today and Amazon #1 Best-selling author of contemporary and YA romance. She lives in California with her husband and son, and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows and catching sun rays with her lazy cat.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love all her books but I think this one was the best."
"I loved every agonizing moment of the push pull relationship between Vicious and Em."
"I'm highly impressed with this author's writing style and the persona of the characters. The POV of both main characters will suck the reader's imagination into their story. Ten years goes by, the girl and boy are now grown end up working together. Details, secrets, and feelings will eventually come out that will pull at the heartstrings."
"Emilia is a sweet girl, I get how you could still be attracted to a bad guy, but he was verbally abusive to her, stole her books, trashed her locker on a regular basis, kissed her sister, made her senior year of high school miserable. Just felt like he was still a high school bully, who still felt the need to fight his friend for a girl, not because he loved the girl but because he always wants to win."
"Vicious is the leader of The Four Hot Holes, four stunning young men of privilege who are as far from gentlemen as you can get. There seems to be something new to discover in each chapter of this book, and I found myself constantly questioning Vicious’s thoughts and next moves. I admired her strength and resilience, even when faced with the most difficult and humiliating challenges. There are so many complicated layers to Vicious you’d need an entire excavating team and staff of psychologists to fully unearth and understand him. The Sinners of Saint series continues, however, by focusing on a different member of The Four Hot Holes."
"They cross paths at an early age when Emilia 's parent's come to work for Vicious and his family. He is a damaged boy that turns into a hateful, scorned brilliant man who does not let his guard down until she reappears in his life. Is it possible for two people with such a turbulent scarred history can come together to heal, forgive and move forward with whatever the world has to offer them?"
Best Historical Romance
Sixty-four years ago, Susannah Morgan managed to flee the horrors of the Holocaust. He wrote a singularly awful novel in the early 1990s, and so concentrated on his IT/engineering career (and renovating a house) for the next fifteen years.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon""Perhaps seeing again how unlucky so many others had been- how a whole generation had had their lives and dreams stolen from them-would remind her how lucky she'd been to escape sixty-four years ago. Her family along with her aunt and uncle move to Netherlands to try and escape what was happening, but they can’t stay hidden forever sadly and eventually there luck ran out. Then we also get to see things from Judy who is Susannah’s daughter and how she is so worried about her mother and just wants to make her last bit of time on earth safe and comfortable. I also really like the writing of this story the author did such a good job and made you feel like you were really there with the character and seeing it all through her eyes. I’m sorry I’m not saying much about the plot, but I can’t because I don’t want to give anything away about what she had to do in order to keep her and her family alive while living through that time in Germany as a Jew. Her friendship with Ester was one that was good for both of them and showed that just having a little bit of hope can help you stay alive even when it seems everything in the world is against you."
"I have read many memoirs of concentration camp survivors, but I have never before read one that so clearly details the recovery and emotional devastation that continue years later as well as the impact the concentration camp experience and survival had on the survivor's children and other relationships."
""The Sugar Men" is historical fiction dealing with difficult subject matter - the Holocaust & life (and death) in the concentration camps."
"Susannah was a holocaust survivor."
"After all the horrible things that had happened to her and her family she still had the power to forgive those who had taken so much from her."
"The reason I gave the book a four star instead of a five star is because historical fiction in general gives reference to historical materials that the author read and influenced his writing."
"Kingfisher has captured the horror of Susannah's past and her later efforts to gain "closure" for herself."
"It was a good story."
Best Mystery & Suspense
Finally content as the real estate writer for a local newspaper, Aubrey keeps her extraordinary ability hidden—until she is unexpectedly assigned the story of a decades-old murder. Aubrey has no choice but to get involved, even at the terrifying risk of stirring spirits connected to a dead woman’s demise and piquing her new reporting partner’s suspicions. “A wild adventure of a mystery, brimming with layers, secrets, and more than one person who should feel guilty…Paranormal mystery/romance fans will find a gem of a story in Laura Spinella’s Ghost Gifts .” —Fresh Fiction. “ Ghost Gifts will stir your emotions, spook the bejesus out of you, and keep you furiously turning pages until the cows deign to come home. “Laura Spinella skillfully weaves plot twists from the dead with secrets from the living, and adds sparks when psychic Aubrey Ellis and reporter Levi St John are assigned to uncover the truth about a decades-old New England murder. The southern locale provided the inspiration for her first novel, Beautiful Disaster , which garnered multiple awards, including a Romance Writers of America RITA nomination.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book also switches back and forth between present day and 20 years prior, to the time when Aubrey Ellis, the protagonist, is a 13-year-old girl, and where it all started. When a new discovery uncovers a murder committed twenty years ago, she is assigned to help Levi St John, the city desk editor of the Hartford Standard Speaker, with the story because she has a lot of contacts in the community and knows the town well. She has tried to lead a normal life by working as a reporter but it seems as though her talents are going to be utilized in the latest development in the decades-old murder of Missy Flannigan. I often noticed parts of the book dragged on with so many details, only to end on a brand new piece of information that flared my excitement again."
"I preferred the Kindle edition of “Ghost Gifts” because the Audible narrator failed to give the characters distinct voices; This was especially true for female characters who all sounded breathy and occasionally breathless. Although the Kindle version was superior, this book could have benefited from a good editor to correct writing problems and to cut some fat from the book."
"It has a fascinating paranormal aspect, a heroine who longs for roots, after a childhood spent traveling with a carnival, a murder mystery involving an abused girl, and a satisfying ending."
"Sure, it could have had all the past events in the beginning of the book, but with the way it was written, I thought that the past scenes gave you more understanding of the present. Although I figured out the mystery part before I got to the end of the book, I thought that it was a well written story."
"As an avid reader, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and even had difficulty putting it down for some much needed sleep."
"Aubrey and Levi work well together."
Best Paranormal
From USA TODAY bestselling series Vampire Girl , comes the next book in the saga: SILVER FLAME. For fans of Twilight , A Shade of Vampire , and Outlander , experience a fantasy romance with an original twist on an old tale. Karpov Kinrade is the pen name for the husband and wife writing duo of USA Today bestselling, award-winning authors Lux Kinrade and Dmytry Karpov.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I thought the cliffy from MS was bad, but this one definitely knocks it out of the park for so many reasons that I will mention in a spoiler. ********. ********************************************************************************************************************. [We find out that Asher has been working with Metsi to capture Arianna and Levi in order to gain the power of the Primal One (who I think is somehow linked to Tavian). And at the end, the authors like to casually mention that btw Asher is actually chained in a hard-to-find dungeon and was being impersonated by Lucian, who is thereby actually working with Metsi to gain the powers of the Primal One. There is definitely more to him than just his amazing good looks and hot body--he is sweet, funny, cares about nature, and of course is gorgeous."
"In previous books Ari's allies were Asher and Fen and now we can add Dean! So happy about Fen and Ari finally having some "me" time."
"The soul rises from the pit of despair through the range of emotions in this installment of Vampire Girl."
"I feel like I have not stopped reading between books. I love that the story seems to keep an even flow, the next book picks up where the last one pretty much left off. This book was a bit darker I thought than the previous two books. That said I have loved all three books so far and am excited to start reading book four!"
"Has a lot of unexpected twists and turns that just delves into 'making the plot grow thicker'. Without trying to give too much away; I am very much worried about 'the truth' of what happened between Ari and Fen because of the possibility of the use of illusion."
Best Nonfiction
As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things. Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Jeff Kinney Question: Given all the jobs that you have--game designer, fatherhood, Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie work, etc.,--do you have a certain time that you set aside to write? Kinney: I never any real desire to appear in the Wimpy Kid films, but one day my wife encouraged me to be an extra in one of the crowd scenes. I eventually reached a voicemail of a reporter who said they worked for Time , and at that point I thought it was just a well-planned practical joke. Q: Would you ever consider making Wimpy Kid into a newspaper comic strip or creating another one? Kinney's popular Web comic, which began in 2004, makes its way to print as a laugh-out-loud "novel in cartoons," adapted from the series. Middle school student Greg Heffley takes readers through an academic year's worth of drama. Greg's mother forces him to keep a diary ("I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I specifically told her to get one that didn't say 'diary' on it"), and in it he loosely recounts each day's events, interspersed with his comic illustrations. Greg's journal entry reads, "I do feel a little bad, because it looked like it was gonna take a long time to clean up. Kinney ably skewers familiar aspects of junior high life, from dealing with the mysteries of what makes someone popular to the trauma of a "wrestling unit" in gym class.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My niece loves these books!"
"Got these for my grandson and he spends more time reading these than playing video games."
"My son loves these books."
"I get that the sort of "middle school boy" humor is not necessarily what I find amusing, but I found the character's nonexistant moral grounding to be distributing."
"This book seemed too young for me but my little nephews loved it."
Best Comics & Graphic Novels
Collects Darth Vader #1-6. He is known for his creator-owned comic Phonogram , created with artist Jamie McKelvie, published by Image Comics, and for numerous projects for Marvel Comics, such as Journey into Mystery and Uncanny X-Men.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It's a good story and the art is beautiful."
"Just not as strong as the main series."
"Great product at great price."
"Nicely done by the author."
"Really good story, hard to put the book down."
"Delivered in great condition!"
"Fits somewhat within star wars canon."
"I enjoy reading it very much."
Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"SPECIAL NOTE: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases (with the exception of changing all "Philosopher's Stone" mentions to "Sorcerer's Stone"). Good or bad is naturally for each reader to decide--just know, if you plan to read the books while listening to Jim Dale's audiobooks, you'll notice a few superficial differences. The quality of this new illustrated edition is phenomenal. All chapter intros are illustrated."
"IMPORTANT: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases. This difference isn't as prominent or noticeable as it was with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, but still something to keep in mind. Also, to answer a question that has come up quite a bit, this is the FULL BOOK and not an abridged or shortened version. Underneath the book jacket, the novel is bound in a sturdy orange hardback with green lettering on the spine."
"I was ravenous to get my hands on my copy as soon as it was delivered this morning, but was quickly disappointed. But when I took a close look at my dust jacket, I was extremely upset to find that the gold foil lettering for "Harry Potter" had been rubbed away and destroyed completely in some places leaving ugly, black matte in its place-- pock marking the otherwise handsome gold lettering. Needless to say I'm in awe how Bloomsbury has managed to put together such an incredible project, with JK Rowling's remarkable literature and Jim Kay's otherworldly illustrations-- and allowed it to be put together in a low quality binding! Not all alone in a box... Update (October 9th): I have finally received my new book and it was in much, much better condition. The cover and spine were tight, intact and falling apart from the binding like my original copy."
Best Teen & Young Adult
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them. In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. When Bilbo reached his eleventy-first birthday he disappeared, bequeathing to his young cousin Frodo the Ruling Ring and a perilous quest: to journey across Middle-earth, deep into the shadow of the Dark Lord, and destroy the Ring by casting it into the Cracks of Doom. The Lord of the Rings takes place in a fantasy world that is not too unlike the English countryside, though it has characters that range from hobbits to Elven creatures. Widely regarded as one of the genre's most loved works, The Lord of the Rings has garnered worldwide acclaim and praise from critics and fans alike. Originally broadcast in 1981 on BBC Radio, this full-cast adaptation of Tolkien's epic trilogy is justifiably regarded as a classic; unfortunately, in 2008, it faces inevitable comparison with Peter Jackson's films. Ian Holm (who appeared as Bilbo in the films) offers a mature, nuanced portrayal of Frodo that is far truer to the text than Elijah Wood's wide-eyed innocent approach.
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 Children’s Books
Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"SPECIAL NOTE: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases (with the exception of changing all "Philosopher's Stone" mentions to "Sorcerer's Stone"). Good or bad is naturally for each reader to decide--just know, if you plan to read the books while listening to Jim Dale's audiobooks, you'll notice a few superficial differences. The quality of this new illustrated edition is phenomenal. All chapter intros are illustrated."
"IMPORTANT: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases. This difference isn't as prominent or noticeable as it was with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, but still something to keep in mind. Also, to answer a question that has come up quite a bit, this is the FULL BOOK and not an abridged or shortened version. Underneath the book jacket, the novel is bound in a sturdy orange hardback with green lettering on the spine."
"I was ravenous to get my hands on my copy as soon as it was delivered this morning, but was quickly disappointed. But when I took a close look at my dust jacket, I was extremely upset to find that the gold foil lettering for "Harry Potter" had been rubbed away and destroyed completely in some places leaving ugly, black matte in its place-- pock marking the otherwise handsome gold lettering. Needless to say I'm in awe how Bloomsbury has managed to put together such an incredible project, with JK Rowling's remarkable literature and Jim Kay's otherworldly illustrations-- and allowed it to be put together in a low quality binding! Not all alone in a box... Update (October 9th): I have finally received my new book and it was in much, much better condition. The cover and spine were tight, intact and falling apart from the binding like my original copy."
Best Literature & Fiction
Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He is left only with a lightning-bolt scar on his forehead, curiously refined sensibilities, and a host of mysterious powers to remind him that he's quite, yes, altogether different from his aunt, uncle, and spoiled, piglike cousin Dudley. Of course, Uncle Vernon yells most unpleasantly, "I AM NOT PAYING FOR SOME CRACKPOT OLD FOOL TO TEACH HIM MAGIC TRICKS!" So far it has won the National Book Award, the Smarties Prize, the Children's Book Award, and is short-listed for the Carnegie Medal, the U.K. version of the Newbery Medal. After 11 years of disregard and neglect at the hands of his aunt, uncle and their swinish son Dudley, Harry suddenly receives a visit from a giant named Hagrid, who informs Harry that his mother and father were a witch and a wizard, and that he is to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry himself.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"SPECIAL NOTE: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases (with the exception of changing all "Philosopher's Stone" mentions to "Sorcerer's Stone"). Good or bad is naturally for each reader to decide--just know, if you plan to read the books while listening to Jim Dale's audiobooks, you'll notice a few superficial differences. The quality of this new illustrated edition is phenomenal. All chapter intros are illustrated."
"IMPORTANT: For U.S. customers purchasing the illustrated edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, you will notice the text has NOT been converted to the "Americanized" version of the original U.S. releases. This difference isn't as prominent or noticeable as it was with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, but still something to keep in mind. Also, to answer a question that has come up quite a bit, this is the FULL BOOK and not an abridged or shortened version. Underneath the book jacket, the novel is bound in a sturdy orange hardback with green lettering on the spine."
"I was ravenous to get my hands on my copy as soon as it was delivered this morning, but was quickly disappointed. But when I took a close look at my dust jacket, I was extremely upset to find that the gold foil lettering for "Harry Potter" had been rubbed away and destroyed completely in some places leaving ugly, black matte in its place-- pock marking the otherwise handsome gold lettering. Needless to say I'm in awe how Bloomsbury has managed to put together such an incredible project, with JK Rowling's remarkable literature and Jim Kay's otherworldly illustrations-- and allowed it to be put together in a low quality binding! Not all alone in a box... Update (October 9th): I have finally received my new book and it was in much, much better condition. The cover and spine were tight, intact and falling apart from the binding like my original copy."
Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
A young woman is found brutally murdered, and the main suspect is the victim’s fiancé, a hideously scarred Iraq War vet known as the Burned Man. Do yourself a favor and give this bright talent a read.” —John Hart, multiple Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author of Redemption Road. Barbara Nickless has written a twisting, tortured novel that speaks with brutal honesty of the lingering traumas of war, including and especially those wounds we cannot see. I fell hard for Parnell and her four-legged partner and can't wait to read more.” —Vicki Pettersson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Swerve. Barbara Nickless has fashioned a beautifully drawn hero in take-charge, take-no-prisoners Sydney Parnell, former Marine and now a railway cop battling a deadly gang as she investigates their purported connection to a recent murder. Skilled in evoking emotion from the reader, Nickless is a master of the craft, a writer to keep your eyes on.” —Chris Goff, author of Dark Waters. “Barbara Nickless’s Blood on the Tracks is raw and authentic, plunging readers into the fascinating world of tough railroad cop Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell and her Malinois sidekick, Clyde. Haunted by her military service in Iraq, Sydney Rose is brought in by the Denver Major Crimes unit to help solve a particularly brutal murder, leading her into a snake pit of hate and betrayal. Full of the suspense that holds you on the edge of your seat, it’s also replete with acts of bravery, moments of hope, and a host of feelings that keep the story’s intensity level high. An active member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime, she has given workshops and speeches at numerous writing conferences and book events.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Here's a quick rundown, without spoilers: THE HEROINE -- At first, it appeared this was going to be another female character who somehow seems to do everything right despite all the angst she has to lug around. Her scene descriptions are vivid, and the attention to the thoughts of her main character Sydney is wonderful. ADDITIONAL WRITING THOUGHT -- The author uses transcripts of the main character's notes, interviews, journals, etc. I don't subtract stars if an author chooses to include language or sex, just letting potential readers know both exist in this book. For me, I enjoy when an author drops clues throughout the book that add up to a strong justification when the murderer is finally revealed, and I personally thought this could have been handled a little better. HOWEVER...even with the "twists" issue, the story is excellent and I found myself really liking the character of Sydney Parnell."
"Since I enjoy reading police procedural novels, I didn’t need to go past the summary description that this one included a K-9 partner to immediately select it as my Kindle First choice. While this is an especially interesting police procedural story since Sydney Rose Parnell and Clyde are part of a railroad police force, it goes much deeper."
"I was hooked from the first chapter - drawn in by the main character, Sydney, who hides her complex and compassionate nature beneath a stoic exterior."