I really wanted to like this...
933352
I really wanted to like this.  The style of writing is interesting, and somewhat poetic, which is why this even rates two stars.  The story just seems to ramble on and on, and didn't keep my attention.  It was painful to keep going, and I still haven't finished it...  (I normally read through books to the end in a relatively short amount of time.)  The writing style, while interesting and poetic, slips key bits of information into the story to the point where it's almost hidden, rather than doing what most writers do and building up to important parts of the storyline.  Several times I found myself rereading a sentence or paragraph to verify that I had read it correctly -- that significant parts of the story had just been slipped in to otherwise rambling text.  It's not that things need to be pointed out to me, but I found this method of storytelling very anti-climactic.  Additionally, the characters were so highly flawed, with so little (or in some cases no) redeeming qualities, I didn't find myself connecting with any of them.  I really wanted to like this book, but I just couldn't get into it.
3140738
I really wanted to like this product, and when it works it is remarkably adept at transcribing, but the ceaseless bugs (including not being compatible with Microsoft Word for Mac) just got the better of me. In doing a bit of research, most of these issues have been well known for some time, but have not been effectively  addressed. In the end, it proved to be more of a nuisance than a help, and the time involved in trying to work around bugs pretty much balanced out the time saved in dictation.  I'm feeling a bit offended that Nuance would put out a product in such a state as this.
2907417
I really wanted to like this one. I bought it, along with another that I returned without even using (because it was so badly designed). This one looked so much more promising, and I was excited to give it a try.

I soon found out, however, that if you use the actual mold to cut your dough, as you are supposed to, things start to get dicey.

First, no matter how much I floured the darn thing, I could not get it to release the little bits that came away in the lattice design cutter. Annoying, sure, but it also slows down production considerably.

Second, when you cut with the cutters, you end up with a piece of dough that is exactly the size of the outer rim of the press. The problem with this is that, when the dough is placed, it needs to be slightly bigger so that it can dip into the cavity, allowing it to be filled. I ended up taking each piece I had cut and using my rolling pin to make it just a little bigger, so it would work.

Another issue is that the dough is hard to align properly so that it goes together along the edge when it's even close to the size of the cutter, and if you roll it out to get it big enough, you end up having to cut away the excess along the edge, anyway.

So, the cutter is nearly useless with the press and sticks on the lattice side, and the press is fiddly to the point of aggravation. I promptly returned the whole thing. So why did I give it two stars, instead of one?

Well, The design is sort of pretty, and you could use the cutter to cut your pieces (slowly, because of the sticking), and then fill them on a board and press them carefully with a fork, and it would make pretty pies. But, then, you could do that all by hand with a drinking glass as your cutter, and make a true lattice by hand, and it wouldn't take really any more time. So you decide!

I would recommend the turnover/calzone style of press. I own this one - http://amzn.com/B005EW5Z1I - and it truly works well. It makes a bigger pie, but it is very easy to use and the end product is delicious. There are smaller versions, like to make Chinese dumplings, but I haven't tried any yet, and cannot make a suggestion in that category.
1367989
I wanted to like this book. I REALLY wanted to like it. As others have said, it seems like a lot of the book is style over substance.

I understand the author's intention behind everything he did from the footnotes to Truant's rambling to the layouts, I just didn't care. There just wasn't enough character development or a story for me. I don't read books to say "Oh, that's a page cleverly designed to make me feel claustrophobic, even if it doesn't!" I read them so that the words and my imagination will evoke that emotion. Putting the words cramped on the corner of a page didn't do anything for me. Now, had there been a character I cared about and was invested in emotionally, then yes, I probably would have gotten a lot more out of this book. In my opinion, though, the characters were just too flat to engage me. Truant probably had the most depth but, unfortunately, I just didn't "click" with him at all. If anything, I was happy to be rid of him when I finished the book.

That said, I know this book has a lot of fans, so it must work for some people, it just didn't for me.
241445
I really wanted to like this-the writing was well-done, conversations believable, but.......the writing, pacing and plot began to fall apart with arriving at Eva's house. But honestly, it was still "good reading."  Yet I have to admit that my biggest issue, causing to to almost stop reading the book, repeatedly, was Sadie and her reactions to and behavior towards Jefferson. Her BFF and room mate is multi-phobic, and can barely function outside of her apartment, and even then, she's still a mess, but Sadie is accepting, kind and supportive. She's even kind, more or less, to Deacon, being kind and caring, knowing that he's similar to her roomie (bishop? Bishley? I'm blanking on her name)  But to Jefferson, not matter what he does, or says, she's constantly mean and downright bitchy. It's obvious that they are all friends, and trust each other to live across from each other, and go ghost hunting together, but yet she's repeatedly  saying things about how he's creepy and weird, and on a much larger scale than just feeling confused about liking him-even after she learns what an awful childhood he had, how he tried so hard to be nice and was kind of bullied, she does pretty much the exact same thing, and then gets super-posses when called out, she even tells him that she's so embarrassed of him that she doesn't want anyone to know that she likes him (what is she, 12?) Plus, besides a few heavy-handed attempts, via comments, there's not too much that Jefferson does that is so awful. And Sadie ALWAYS wears yellow, uses being Cuban as and excuse to be a bitch and flips out if anyone disagrees with her-she was just an unlikable character. I think that the whole "Doppelganger" twist was both poorly done and poorly explained, so the end kind of whispered off.  I think that, with some character tweeking, and plot tightening, this could eventually be a great series.....
365457
I really wanted to like this, I really did ... I finished it but I had to slog through to the end. I'm glad I was able to read this through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
I love high fantasy and this was just 'highly' disappointing. No character connection, wordy with no real story direction.
Epic fail on many levels.
4977676
I wanted to like this, I really did.  It had all the specs and features I was looking for at a great price, and I was really hopeful with all the positive reviews - but mine was DOA.  I unboxed it and hooked it up via 1/4" from my mixer and it was incredibly distorted at any volume.  I then tried the mp3 line in from my cell phone to rule out anything with my mixer and/or 1/4" cable, to the same result.  I guess I just got a lemon.  It's too bad as it looks and feels pretty solid too. I bought a different stage monitor, hooked it up the exact same way, and it worked just fine.  This was my first venture into Seismic Audio which is unfortunate.  I emailed them and will obviously be returning it.  Dang :(
2222635
I really liked the premise of this book, but the execution of it left much to be desired.
4713541
I really wanted to like this...but no dice here. I still have nearly a full jar after purchasing it nearly 6 months ago. I never noticed the 'up' that you get from good organic coffee or mate. I noticed nothing from this. And...the taste really isn't pleasant. I was looking at this in my cupboard the other day and was thinking..."It's time that went into the garbage." I'll make sure I do just that after I post this...that is, throw it away.
1029413
Wanted to like it. But I do not. Does anyone really like it?
983679
I really wanted to like this book. I enjoyed Niven's previous contemporary YA, ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES, but HOLDING UP THE UNIVERSE left me feeling pretty indifferent.

The premise intrigued me. I was very interested in learning more face blindness and what that felt like, but unfortunately, the portrayal failed to move me. If I didn't know prosopagnosia was a real disorder, based on the portrayal in this book, I'd have thought it was made up. I didn't ever feel like I understood or sympathised with Jack and how he saw the world, specifically because of one development towards the end of the book (I won't spoil it). I desperately want to feel for him--good or bad--but I just didn't.

I did feel for Libby, on the other hand, but mostly frustration. I felt like her character was such a contradiction of emotions. One second she's this tough as nails, ballsy character, and the next she hovering close to a panic attack and wanting to hid in her room with her cat. I get that people can react differently in various situations, but with Libby, she'd be fine with big stuff and then overwhelmed by comparatively little things. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for either response. Sometimes she--and therefore the reader--was hyper aware of her 350+pounds, and other times, like when she's running down a fleeing fit male athlete and leaping easily over fences after him without batting an eye, it's like her weight had no bearing whatsoever. I believe that she has worked incredibly hard to lose the hundreds of pounds she'd already lost to be at 350+ pounds she is in this book, but I still thought scenes like chasing the guy down--and gaining on him!--were unrealistic. Even a fit female athlete wouldn't have been able to do that.  I also found her incredibly childish, especially the way she'd start twirling like a little kid in public as a way to make herself feel better.

So with characters that I felt indifferent to or frustrated with, it's no surprise that the romance was a miss for me. I didn't feel any chemistry between them (I did between Libby and the foreign exchange student, but not with Jack). It was all a little too Shallow Hal for me, because of course the guy could only fall for the obese girl because he can't really see her...bleh. The whole thing felt very forced and way too easy all around.

I struggled with this book from start to finish and can't say that it ever really worked for me. The premise had potential and the writing itself was good, but the characters and plot left me cold.
4512380
I suggest downloading a sample of this book before buying it to see if the grammatical issues bother you.

I usually overlook some typos and grammar misses in "indie" books, but there were so many problems just in the first few pages it became too distracting to read.  I really wanted to like this book, and had been looking forward to its publication since noticing it in the Kindle Scout program.  Hopefully the author will take another strong pass through his manuscript, correct the errors, and re-post it, because it feels like it has great potential.
1086920
Wanted to like this, but couldn't... ordered after reading the previous reviews... just couldn't make myself keep it only after 30 mins trying it out... Very heavy for one thing...weighs more than the phone...  Unit is a "Love Mei" see many using different names... Once phone installed (after having to unscrew and rescrew 6 real tiny screws) seemed solid enough and nice screen and had no problems with the side buttons as other reviewers but the main problem was the home button... it kept double clicking or sticking causing siri to keep launching, even in my pocket...the bottom charge flap has some cheap sticker on it and very tight hole as most charge cables had to be forced to fit in. Didn't notice any signal problems nor any problem hearing people/them hearing me while using the case...Phone comes with a strap, a few tools to get the screws out and a few spare screws, and a carabiner?? there is nowhere to attach it so unsure where it would be used and didn't seem to go with the strap. Very little rubber - only tiny strip on the edge which doesn't offer any protection from any impact and seems the case would be scratched easily.
2559060
This product is a great idea.  Really great.  Sadly, in execution I'd say 'not so much'.

The buds do not stay in my ears properly, partly because they're heavy.  The connection to my iPhone is 'iffy' and drops for no apparent reason.

And the battery life is lousy.  They needed recharging after an hour, which is pretty much one walk around the block.

I wanted to love them.  It's such a wonderful idea.  Really REALLY wanted to love them.  Maybe after a few design iterations I will.  But this one is, sadly, not ready for prime time.
1924677
Sadly, I wanted to love this. Unfortunately, to hold an iPad 2 or later, you must insert shims in the unit designed for the older iPad. They do fit tightly once installed, but I was afraid at one point that I might break the tabs that secure the shims. YOu have to push really hard. They work okay, but I don't like paying $40 for a bad, awkward session of assembly. Then the most frustrating thing was that you cannot change the iPad's orientation from landscape to portrait and back conveniently. You must unscrew a rather long screw, with a philips head screwdriver, that seats in a plastic part that will definitely strip sooner or later. Unfortunately, the iRig guitar interface software must be in landscape to set up, and then my charts are in a program that really needs to be in portrait orientation. So I'm stuck.

On top of that, a clip was supposed to be enclosed for mounting the iRig to the iPad bracket, but neither in this package, nor in the (equally disappointing) iKlip mini, did I find the fabled iRig clip. I will contact customer support, but all I read suggests they could care less.

I've already bought another iPad holder that allows me to change the orientation as necessary without partially disassembling the unit. Don't know what I'll do with this one.
713116
I really, really wanted to like -- no, to LOVE -- this story. Maybe too much, and that contributed to my overall disappointment in the read. It wasn't an awful book -- the writing was good, the characters well-drawn, the setting interesting and believable, the world-building worked for me. I enjoyed the idea of biocyph and how the teks worked, and the relationship that built between the characters were very well-done, but... I think that my expectations for the story were too high. Partially because I'd heard that the story was so good, but partially because of Creasy's development itself. There's a lot of time and effort put into the secrets of Scarabaeus and I'm not going to include spoilers, but suffice it to say that I found the ultimate unraveling of the secrets to be something of a frizzle rather than a bang. Certainly, the story twisted nicely with the revelations, and everything fit as it continued, but I'd expected something more than what everything turned out to be, and that left me feeling let down. Also, the book really does end on a cliffhanger of sorts -- the big questions of the book are answered, but there's a lot left that has to be explored. I do have the second book, Children of Scarabaeus, and I will probably read it, but I won't go into it expecting anything dazzling or brilliant, maybe just a decent space-set story.
3581480
I really, really *wanted* to like this book, as the concept is fantastic. However, I find the prose clunky throughout and the character development a little flat.

My kids and I are currently using this as our read aloud and I feel like we are slogging through it. It is taking forever, as neither I nor the kids are super excited and we've skipped read aloud several nights since starting as a result.  (If you are planning on reading aloud you should also be aware that the chapters are *super* long -- or maybe it just feels that way.)

The historical descriptions and events are interesting enough, but in addition to the flat prose, Rush's insertion of himself into the historical narrative is challenging for me to overcome (although I guess I really shouldn't have expected anything else from Rush Limbaugh).