Can only give 3 stars...
922622
I caught the beginning of this on cablevision last week. It's a story about the passengers and crew aboard the Lusitania that was sunk to kick off World War I or the Great War as it was dubbed at that time. They nicknamed the ship the "Titanic" because it was supposed to be unsinkable but fell victim to a German U boat. I plan to watch the rest of it asap but I thought the beginning was pretty decent. From what I was told there was topless activity by the redhead but it was unfortunately omitted on cable.
4642768
After researching for several days I thought this was the perfect solution....sadly, it just does not meet the hype.  Perhaps this is perfect for a small camera, but with my Canon 6D it is simply too "wobbly", even on hardwood floors, only raised a little above cabinet height.  The product videos show the pole can be extended high above the shooters head.....not sure what camera the demonstration used.  The Pan Tilt head is quite "chintzy".  I didn't have time to test out and now it is too late to send back.  Save yourself some money if you have a heavier camera, just not going to be the support that you need.
3208367
...But it certainly isn't me. I quite enjoyed all of the books leading up to this was and was supremely disappointed in the direction the series was taken. I respect the author and I understand that this is where he wanted to take the story, but it could have been much smoother. The writing style changes regularly and as others noted it is definitely choppy.

I would look forward to reading more stories along this plotline, but I have given up hope on the main character every being happy with anything. It feels like Mr. Lowell was writing without a plotline or storyboard and just made huge plot twists from nowhere as he went along, and seemingly for purely shock value. Trivial delays also extended the length of the book without any bearing on the story. I would list them but I would rather not spoil the story for anybody who might enjoy it.

Overall I would give the entire series 4 stars, it would be 5 if not for this final book. It was entertaining, but the final book made me feel like I wasted my time when I finished. I had to step back and evaluate them all on their own before posting this review.
2317031
What a waste of a potentially great story. I mean really...did any thought go into book 3? In my opinion it felt rushed and disconnected from 1 and 2. Us, the readers were left waiting and wondering when book 3 would finally be released and then this? Sorry, I've loved every single book Colleen has ever written, but this was a HUGE disappointment!
4348081
I've loved this series along the way, but have been increasingly disappointed with the later books. This book doesn't seem to flow well and the connection among the characters seems awkward at times. Amelia randomly pops into the story, and then is gone. Alcide randomly pops into the story and then is gone. Eric is acting out of character and weird, and Bill is still sitting on the sidelines with occassional appearances. It just seems like the storyline has forced some of the characters out (Jason, Amelia, Alcide, Bill) but they are thrown back in to at least make an appearance. I read the whole book quickly, not because I couldn't put it down, but because I was waiting for the story to get good. I'm not a writer and I'm sure it's hard to continue a storyline this long, but I sure won't be anxiously waiting for the next book in the series. Although I'm sure that I'll still read it... just not for $12.99 the day it comes out.
260722
A Local Habitation is much better than Rosemary and Rue, in my opinion. So why three stars? This book had soo much potential! But there were also some issues: 1. I NEVER figure out who the "killer" is, I knew by page 80-something and I was right!! October didn't really seem to pick up on the clues! I'm not sure how she is a successful P.I., 2. This book reminded me of Kate Daniels-When she asks a friend to contact Tybalt, she tells her to say "Here Kitty Kitty," her sidekick Quentin reminds me of Derek-this may just be me, 3. Why did it take so long for October to figure out something was up with Alex?! and lastly 4. October didn't really do anything! After she arrived at ALH people were still dropping off like flies, process of elimination pretty much told her who the killer was, not good detective work. Overall, it was a decent installment and I'll read the next one, if only, to determine if I'll continue on with the series.
3748594
...I was expecting a lot more from this album. Some of my friends who, like me, are big fans of Pink Floyd (particularly the older stuff like Animals and Wish You Were Here) recommended this album to me on that basis. They indicated that anyone who really enjoyed the old Floyd, would get into this  right away. Not so in my case.

Maybe I don't understand the concept of the album but to me almost the *entire thing* is a collection of (barely lyrical) ramblings by Waters. Few of the songs have any real rhythm or melodies to them. They're just sort of aimless collections of what seems like drunken grumbling by Waters, with choruses of women singing the refrains. It's just very strange IMHO.

Maybe you have to be tripping a little to really get into this one, but for me it left a bad taste in my mouth after having such high expectations. *shrug* I'm sure I'll be in the minority but felt it worth noting that not all big-time Floyd fans will find this worthwhile as part of their collection.
4526587
I should know better by now.... this was another case of "get 10 books, none of which are complete, so that we can hope you'll buy something in order to get a whole story from at least one of the authors." And the sad thing is, seriously, would you pick up a book, read three chapters, set it down and pick up a different book? Probably not. But that's what you have to look forward to when you get these "serial" type books that are not done in "stand alone" fashion. Yes, it was free. Still, it was a waste of time, and I'd rather spend a few bucks and BUY books that have a beginning, a middle, an ENDING, and best of all... a PLOT! I very seldom write a review unless I have something positive to say, but in this case I was so frustrated (mostly with myself for being taken in) that I felt someone should issue a warning! LOL
1936978
Seeing that there was only 1 review of this album I thought I'd throw my two cents in so someone would be able to have more than 1 opinion.  To start, I consider myself a pretty big Midnite fan, seeing them whenever they hit the NY area(not to be missed, by the way).  I have a great majority of their albums and their style seems to vary quite greatly depending on the album and its production.  I've always been more of a fan of their works that get away from the electronic sound that sometimes dominates their albums which collaborate with I-Grade, Branch-I, Higher Bound, etc .  To me their strongest points are when they mix Benjamin's powerful vocals with the full rythym section backing them up.  Sadly, this one seems more Vaughn-centric than their better stuff.  "Unpolished" is one of my favorite albums of all time and "Ras Mek Peace," "Jubilees of Zion," "Seek Knowledge Before Vengeance," and even "Ainshant Maps" are by far my favorite titles of theirs.  But this one really seems to fall short.  If you are a fan of their stuff beyond what I just mentioned than I'm sure you'll like this one too but I was personally left uninspired.  If you are new to Midnite, buy "Unpolished" and enjoy one of the greatest reggae albums ever
1254937
I pre-ordered this a couple of months ago, and read it straight through the day it came--obviously, I'm a long-time Turow fan.  While there were some flashes of Mr. Turow's wonderful skill at character development (Evon, Tim, and Aunt Teri were nicely fleshed out), the plot line was both preposterous and (I feel like I'm blaspheming)kind of stale. If you're familiar with Greek mythology, you may find yourself groaning.  I also felt that the author did a disservice to one of his best characters, Sandy Stern, by involving him in this plot line.

I'll remain a Turow reader, but this novel is not one of his best.

[I'm not sure why Amazon is describing this as a review based on the first four chapters of the book.  It is not--I read the entire book.]
2988491
...this album seems to lacking what the first two had.
Don't get me wrong, there are some truly amazing songs, such as streamline for example, but what destroys this record i sthe over production. Serj's voice is as usual, phenomenal, but is ruined by the guitarists constant backing vocals. He whines like a little girl. Why doesn't someone tell him, this??OK, he writes all the songs, but there is no need to put listeners in such pain.
Most of this record was originally leaked on the internet. If you can find those versions, burn those to a cd instead. No annoying backups can be found on any of them....
but still, some great songs. I just hope the next one isn't so polished.
1951082
***Spoilers Warning***
Where to start...?
This kills me, giving one of my favorite authors a 3 star review. And 3 stars is being generous.
I read and fell in love with Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster.  And although I know that no other Maddox book will ever compete to Travis and Abby's story. I truly am disappointed in Beautiful Redemption. I wanted so badly to love this book. But the whole time reading it, I felt no real connection with Thomas and Liis. Just when I start to think there is something between them, Camille gets brought up. Which causes the SAME argument to happen REPEATEDLY throughout the book!
I wanted to badly to love Thomas as much as I love Travis (or at least come a little close) Honestly, I really liked Thomas. I even liked Liis.  The character development was great. Val made me laugh. Even some of the dialog between Thomas and Liis had me rolling! I just wished their relationship had me convinced...
Mostly this book got its 3 star review from the parts that Travis and Abby made an appearance.
Oh! And it was kinda cool going 'behind the scenes' on why Travis joined the FBI.
Hopefully the next book will work out better than this one did.
2613322
I love the first three Verve albums and EP.  I'm really glad they're back and hope they go on tour in the U.S. So I hope this album is a hit.  As a "reunion album", Forth isn't so bad, but as a classic Verve album it is their weakest album by far.  There are some beautiful musical moments on this album, but I am having a hard time getting into any of the songs.  There's a certain vagueness in their structure and lyrics.  None of them seem to build up much tension or energy, and they need more in terms of dynamics.  A lot of the songs are just ok. The standout tracks for me are Sit and Wonder,  Epic Noise, Rather Be, Columbo and Appalachian Springs.  I cannot stand that "Love is Noise" song.  Is it a lost reject from Zooropa or Pop?  I love the guitarist (Nick  McCabe), they should have turned him up in the mix.  But what's wrong with the singer?  Why's he so down?  Maybe he needs another latte.  The song Judas sums why this is an ok, but not great album, for me.  The music is beautiful, but the lyrics (and to a lesser degree their delivery)ruin it.  I accept that most pop song lyrics are not that great, but there is something especially grating about the words on Judas - maybe its just because the vocals are so high in the mix, I don't know.  Actually what saves "Noise Epic" is the fact that the singer is way down in the mix.  An instrumental version of this album might be great (like they did with Dre's 2001).  Despite all this, as reunion albums go, its pretty good, and I hope they continue make albums and tour. An interesting list idea - what bands have made a good or great album after a 10+ years absence?  Besides Mission of Burma....
2590289
...but I'm giving it three stars anyway to keep the ratings in proportion with my other 3-star, overly generous reviews. Now the real story:

"A Secret Word" follows the young adulthood years of three people, only one of whom shows any substance. The other two are country club prima donnas who fancy themselves as would-be tennis stars with all kinds of potential. In fact they are closet alcoholics with cast-iron stomachs, spending (wasting)  Daddy's money while shedding their Arkansas roots and pretending to be sophisticated New Yorkers. Ever washed down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a vodka tonic? It gets worse - imagine traveling to Italy and spending a full week sequestered in a hotel room ordering an assortment of mixed drinks with a bit of food on the side. And no, this isn't a honeymoon (don't even get me started on their relationships with men, ugh); it's just the fluff muffins wasting time, kind of like I did by reading this book. But I can be good-natured about it, since I'm retired and have all the time in the world, and won't wake up with a hangover. The average reader with less free time should find something better.

The best parts of the book are those from the point-of-view of Leigh, the twits' working-class friend. Here is where Ms. Paddock shows some promise as a writer, as I was actually moved by the relationship between Leigh and M/M Carey.

As for the rest of it, I finally got sick and tired of what outfits the other two were wearing, and what color their hair was this week. Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, anyone?
265025
...so take my review for what it is worth!  I picked this one up on a whim, and was disappointed by it.  The chapters are insanely short, many of them less than three pages.  Sometimes there is a chapter break in the middle of a scene, and the next chapter picks up right where the other one left off!  It made it hard for me to focus on the book.
The plot was OK at best.  As a 14-year veteran of the military, I found most of the military scenes to be unlikely at best.  Maybe he had some military personnel giving him info, but it sure seems unlikely to me.
Finally, the dialogue seemed forced and fake to me.  The best writers make you feel like you are in the world of the book; this novel made me feel like I was reading a novel attempting to present real dialogue.  If you are a fan of the series, you will probably like this book.  Otherwise, approach it with caution.
1595806
...This album is really disappointing.  First, I should point out that I'm not nearly as fanatical about Iced Earth's music as I used to be, but I still love them for what they do.  They've always been a great metal band, and Matt Barlow will always be one of my favorite singers.  So, despite his departure, I was still optimistic about this album, and try as I might, I really can't get into it much.

I hate to be one of those guys that won't stop lamenting the singer leaving the band, but I think that's a huge part of it for me.  Ripper Owens is a talented vocalist, but he sounds like a generic metal singer with no identity of his own.  At any given point, he sounds like another legendary singer, be it Dio, Halford, Dickinson, etc, and pretty much never sounds like himself.  At best, he's an impressive imitator of these guys, but definitely not in the same league.  Not only that, but his "ballad voice" is just weak.  He can do all the high-octane metal wails till the cows come home, but when it comes to delivering a simple, tasteful melody, he just doesn't cut it.  Barlow was more distinctive, more powerful, more versatile, and just generally better in every possible way.  I kinda feel bad for Ripper, though.  He's always joining bands as a replacement for highly-acclaimed singers (first Halford, now Barlow), and unless you're really good, you're gonna have a hell of a time filling those kinds of shoes.  But either way, Ripper is pretty second-rate, IMO.

But it's not just the vocals, though.  The songwriting here is just really weak overall.  The whole patriotic/war concept is tackled in such a cheesy, superficial, and sometimes embarrassing manner.  "When the Eagle Cries" is one step away from those horrible "Yay, go America!" ballads by Toby Keith, and all these other blue collar country guys.  I really never thought they could write something so horrible.  And "Greenface" while a decent metal song, has some of the worst lyrics Schaffer has ever written.  "I'll be where the metal meets the meat"????  Are they drawing inspiration from Manowar now???  Most of the rest of the stuff is just really boring and run of the mill.  Not bad, but nothing particularly special either.  I've been waiting for "Hollow Man" for a while now (it was originally supposed to be on "Horror Show"), and it was certainly not worth the wait.  Startlingly bland stuff.

However, this album isn't all bad.  The final trilogy, "Gettysburg", is actually really cool.  Totalling at around 30 minutes, it's a huge 3-part epic, complete with drum corps percussion, flutes, mandolin, and surprisingly tasteful orchestral arrangements.  The lyrics are a bit on the cheesy side, and the composition overall is a tad long-winded, but on the whole, it's really good stuff.  The huge choruses are just dynamite (Matt Barlow even contributes some vocals, but not very much).  Not a match for the "Something Wicked" trilogy by a long shot, but still very good.  These three songs are the only reason I don't regret buying the album.

In conclusion, I must emphasize that although I'm not nearly as "metal" these days as I used to be, that is not a factor in my disappointment in this album.  I can still put on "Something Wicked...", "Burnt Offerings", "The Dark Saga", and just about everything else they've done, and enjoy them thoroughly, but as much as I've tried to like this, I just can't.  I was really looking forward to the "Something Wicked..." concept, but now I'm a bit skeptical after this.  It'll definitely be the make-or-break album for me (I'm still looking forward to the new Demons & Wizards, though).

If you're thinking of getting into this band, DO NOT start with this album.  Get one of the above-mentioned albums first, and then decide if you want to pick this up.
1806442
I pre-ordered seeing that I'd really enjoyed the first book of the trilogy, even though the second not as much, but had to know how it all ended for the Taylors and Mercy, specifically.

It started out all over the place. I mean, you can practically feel the author trying desperately to connect everything and leave no loose ends. Fifty per cent in, it started getting a lot better: things started (sort of) falling into (a somewhat reasonable) place...until we reach the twist, which was good per se, but from there on I felt like all I was reading was the multiple potential endings the book could have had.

I don't know why the author had to keep pushing the story further like that...I mean, the story could've ended after the twist and it would've been fine for me. But then every few chapters kept moving in a different direction offering what would've been at least two other good endings, but still it kept going just to end in the most implausible and unsatisfying way. I mean, all we are left is with the picture of family relations worthy of a soap opera, when the story wasn't even going in that direction in the first place.

I'm disappointed...this author has serious potential, but this book was not worth my time and money. I'm giving it 3 stars, one for each of the good endings offered.