Wilhelm Kempff is a long-time favorite of mine for his wonderful collection of all the ...
926122
Wilhelm Kempff is a long-time favorite of mine for his wonderful collection of all the Beethoven piano sonatas.  His artistry with Schubert is also superb, capturing the light and playful parts as well as the dark and strange parts which are sometimes side by side in the same movement.  This is a top-notch recording and I highly recommend it to fans of either Schubert's piano works, or Kempff himself.
1903189
Hanif is both a gifted poet and commentator on music, politics, social justice, sports and the collision of all of them.  This volume gathers pieces written for publications such as the New York Times, ESPN the Magazine, Pitchfork, and MTV to name four. It is one of the best collections I've read in a long time.  It also serves as moving memoir of a person of color coming of age in Columbus, OH.  It's not a fair comparison to either writer, but this book really reminds me of James Baldwin's The Devil Finds Work, which similarly weaves together commentary on race, politics, personal memoir, and American movies. This is an essential book for our time.
3052927
This is a great collection of piano concertos as performed by Van Cliburn.  I have enjoyed listening to these concertos over and over and over again.  I found myself unexpectedly drawn to the Prokofiev, which I listened to several times, before going back and listening to the others.
3970990
All I can say is that it is a beautiful collection to have on the shelf and so glad I was able to purchase it.
2644288
This is the second issue of this great series which offers short stories in translation. This collection is extremely well curated, and it is so exciting to be able to read all of these wonderful works of literature that I'd not be exposed to otherwise.
1823188
How can you go wrong with a collection of these wonderful romances?!

The collection is beautifully done and definitely a keeper. I keep thinking of people I should give them to because they would love them, but I just can't give them up.

There are times in my life when I just want to slow things down and enjoy a romantic novel that I don't have to read. Those are the times when nothing good is on television and I'm just too tired from working on my computer for hours to want to read anything.

This collection has a permanent place in my home.
1378688
Terrific collection from one of the masters of the short story and a personal favorite.  Stand out stories include:

The Head Hunter - a tale of madness concerning an executioner in Berlin
The Weird Tailor - a tailor undertakes an unusual commission that proves tragic
The Pin - unbelievable power and responsibility is contained within a silver pin and woe to the person who welds it
The Cure - in Brazil, a thief learns firsthand the horror of what happens when something is lost in translation
Talent - Andrew Benson had talent; he could imitate anybody or anything
A Case of the Stubborns - it takes a visit to the Conjure Lady to convince Grandpa that he's dead
Nina - Nolan learns the folly of fornicating with one of the Snake people

Highly recommended.
4972421
As a life-long reader of Maeve Binchy, I very much enjoyed this collection -- it reminded me of her earlier works, like "London Transports" where stories often had bittersweet endings, but felt very real. Her later works -- particularly the ones where everyone lived on the same street -- always felt rather formulaic and unfinished. This is a very big collection so naturally some stories are better than others. The one about the woman who is always entertaining visiting Americans who she doesn't know (thanks to a vague connection from the States) really stayed with me. It was called "Picnic at St. Paul's." I wish the stories had listed when and where they first appeared. (One seemed to have been written in the 1960s, another made reference to President Bill Clinton, so that must have been the 1990s. Most I could not tell.) The book jacket mentioned that some stories were written for friends, some for charity benefits and some published in magazines. I'd love to have known which was which.
539581
I have seen many of Sherlock Holmes movies over the years, but this is the first time I've sat down to read the stories. What a treat this is! There are 12 stories to devour in this collection. The stores are followed by a Readers Guide which covered many interesting thoughts and ideas.
Though I was given this ebook to read in exchange for my honest opinion, I would have purchased it anyway. Reading Doyle's stories reminds me of how often 'You see, but you do not observe." I am very happy to have this in my collection so that I can enjoy it again and again. Annie
4799833
I have been looking replace my copy of this book for a couple of years. I can't believe this is out of print. Do publishers have no souls? I too have favorite stories from this collection that I have never forgotten.  "Over Insurance" is a story that I take great pleasure in reading  aloud to people and girlfriends, although I rarely make it through with a  straight face, and "Green Thoughts" with that damdned orchid is  just plain creepy. A delight for anyone who loves to read.
1343156
I have had occcasion to read and to reread a great deal of Lovecraftian prose and poetry and prose-poetry in my many years of Mythos editing. Many writers can be fit without hesitation into certain ready categories, and this is in no way bad. I like to know there is another like So-and-so in mood or approach, etc, so I can enjoy him or her, too. But there are a few who are a classification unto themselves. Wilum Pugmire is certainly one of those. Reading him, as I have for many years, makes me realize at once that I am entering directly into the interior zone of his spirit. The tone of joyful sadness, or precious terror, of friendship with death and decay is powerful, and the distance separating the text on the page and the experience of the author is very, very short--much like Lovecraft's occasonal stories that were little more than dream transcripts written at bedside in the middle of the night. Pugmire himself is an event, and any collection of his wonderful work is therfore an event. This one sure is. You are lucky to have the opportunity to be a part of it!
680800
I pay particular attention to Ray Bradbury as an author, having read him since I was a pre-teenager.  Now I'm a philosophy student in college, and despite having become much, much more 'sophisticated' in my literary  tastes, I still enjoy Bradbury.  I suppose you could think of me as a  collector of sorts, and through the years, I have not found a better  collection of his work.  Bradbury is famed in the general public for  "Farenheit 451," or perhaps his "Something Wicked This Way  Comes," or even, occasionally, for "The Martian Chronicles."  But the reader who would like to see Bradbury at his finest should pick up  this collection.  An eclectic, self-taught writer, Bradbury's stories carry  a tremendous appeal level for me.  All literary considerations aside,  Bradbury surely must be the greatest living storyteller.  Occasionally, he  will even wax philosophical with some tremendous insights.  The only  difficulty with being a Bradbury fan is that he has written SO MUCH that  it's tough to even begin to keep track of.  But, if I had to recommend one  starting point, I'd choose this anthology.  And it's at a reasonable price,  to top it off.
3558885
I just finished reading this on my Kindle app and loved it. This collection was very interesting and entertaining to read. I enjoyed each story in this collection but, The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle, The Adventure of the Speckled Band, and The Adventure of the Copper Beeches were my favorite.

This is what I would consider a must read for any fan of Sherlock Holmes. SO many of these stories are absolutely amazing and some are a bit on the slow side, but I feel Doyle really shows his talents in this volume. Those three stories I mentioned earlier are my clear favorites but I loved every one of the stories in this which is why I gave it 5 stars, please check it out for yourself, I bet you will be hooked on the worlds best consulting detective.
2669881
Frederik Pohl has done a fantastic job of assembling this collection of material.  Himself one of the first 15 SFWA grand masters, Pohl's personal reflections on each of these authors are worth the purchase price by  themselves.
For each writer, Pohl has selected at least one seminal gem  from their body of work, and at least one neglected treasure, with  additional pieces that show the tremendous range each of these authors  was/is capable of.
Although most of Heinlein's fiction is still in print,  these days it can be hard to find the work of these other Grand Masters,  especially the older material.  That makes this volume especially  valuable.
For myself, Clifford Simak and Fritz Leiber are two of my  all-time favorite writers, and I am happy to see there work exposed to a  new generation of readers, especially in this context.  Both the Science  Fiction Writers of America and Frederik Pohl should be applauded for this  worthy tribute.
2970496
I treasure this collection... Member at the Wedding is outstanding along with Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. I recommend this wonderful collection to anyone who appreciates movies spanning decades!
1910138
Isaac Singer is a genius. You wonder what does a  Yiddish collection of short stories lose in the translation? These are wonderful stories with vivid characterizations, lush imagery, and plots rich with emotion and imagination. My favorite is Passions: a meditation on how man becomes obsessed with something--to the extent of transforming one's life--anything can become a passion. I've read this collection probably four times over the years, and the mark of a great story is how rich and complex it remains upon a second or third reading.
1862711
This is a spectacular collection, though I originally purchased it for Ortiz's Warsaw Concerto and Ashkenazy's Rachmaninoff pieces.  I've listened to the CD nearly 100 times, and am eager to hear it many hundreds of times more.  What a treasure this collection is!