Sometimes Amazing, Sometimes Okay
346867
I've purchased these several times (though never through Amazon).  Sometimes they have been absolutely amazing, soft and tender, reminiscent of a Fig Newton but much much better (and without all the chemical crap). Other times, they have been much harder and more crumbly.

Probably that gluten-free flour they use just goes stale easily. They are not inedible when they are less soft, just less good.  I'm a bit hesitant to buy more than one box at a time, because I fear I wouldn't eat them before they went stale even if they arrived fresh. (Or that I would eat multiple boxes really fast, I guess.)

They are really good cookies when they are good though, and they're not sold in any local stores here. I wish Amazon sold them as an add-on item, since I would buy them then.
3330614
Bartolome Mesa Gil has said much of what I was going to write about this album, so I won't repeat it all. The essence is this: Bartoli is brilliant, singing with wonderful technique, exceptional beauty of tone and true engagement with the text and music, and the disc is worth getting for this alone, I think. The music itself is variable in quality, though, and I find the disc as a whole begins to pall after a while. This means that this isn't in the same class as Mission, for example, simply because the composers here generally aren't as inventive and skilful as Steffani.

I won't be playing this nearly as often as some of her other discs, but if you like Bartoli's work (as I do) then this is still very recommendable.
875792
When a compilation is this great, the whole thing starts to feel like a big Symphony. With peaks and valleys, moments of excitement, moments of repose. I'm happy that another reviewer spoke of high points, but I'm not sure I can really do that. The last three tracks were so beautiful - OK, maybe the Angolan track has the edge...but maybe not. The Epriot one was magnificent, as was the Carnatic one.

If all compilations were as great as these, we wouldn't need composers. OK, just kidding...but am I, really? The non - developmental nature of most of this music (and this is more or less the only reason I need composers) is mitigated by the wealth of associations that these juxtapositions engender.

Could we still go around the globe today and create such a diverse and unified compilation? Can someone please try?
2383239
Sometimes this product does not act like it will work. Then it starts working. When it works, it is great.
3171107
At some points, this movie is hard to watch. At other points, it's lovely just to watch the cinematography. The plot doesn't quite add up, and sometimes that's good. Other times, the plot seems too random to really mean more than just total chaos. When the chaos is inventive, that's when this film is at its best. Sometimes the plot choices are a bit comical in a "come on, you've got to be kidding me this is ridiculous" sort of way.

All in all, if this movie focused a bit more time on building up character before descending into madness, it would have been a bit more powerful. Unfortunately, it seems these characters are fighting a war above and beyond what's sensible. Also, Vincent Cassel has a very weird-shaped head, which you get to see in all its hairless glory. So that's a plus.
2711207
Definitely not Erasure's usual sound, and it took listening to it through a few times before I really came to like it, but I sure did after I gave it a chance. It deserves consideration firstly for breaking the mold: the tracks are longer, more emotional, and less upbeat than Erasure's typical (or, indeed, the typical of most pop artists). But the songwriting is superb, and the songs captivate you more and more as you listen to them. This may've been the album that ended their streak at the top of the charts, but that doesn't mean that it isn't one of their best (or that their subsequent works aren't also excellent).
1663380
A bit inconsistent. Sometime nice and moist and it's great, but sometimes a bit too dry. And extremely expensive for it to be anything but perfect.
107353
Like all anthologies, this collection is a bit hit and miss.  There are truly enjoyable moments while others that are somewhat meh, but over all, there is more excellent than mediocre.

There is not a super obvious flow between these stories, and as such it took me quite a while to figure out why theyd been grouped together.  Yes, they are all vaguely xmas-y and kinky, but thats not really enough to tie six stories together into a cohesive whole.  Near the end I finally realized that while some are very d/s or bdsm heavy, and others have mere flavors of kink, they are all inherently about control.  When to hold onto it and when to let it go, when it needs asserting and when you can allow someone else to take the reins.

As this is a collection of previously available single titles, you might want to check your e-book archives to make sure you aren't purchasing works youve already acquired.  But honestly, at the bundled price its well worth it, even if you do already have one or two of the stories.

One final note unrelated to the actual review:  I have to say, I think potential readers of this collection could benefit from the addition of a trigger warning in the book blurb, as two of the six stories (All He Wants and One Gold Heart) deal with the aftermath of rape.

**For the sake of full disclosure it must be stated that I received this book, free of charge, from Netgalley.**
2084407
It's true that some of the later CDs aren't as good quality. OTOH, it introduced me to some later music that had not gotten good reviews, and I found I loved it all.
362995
Wonderful characters, interesting setting, full of surprises, suspect that translation misses some of the impact.
88662
Some are funny , some are not , but it is still worth the read..
424203
I'm going back and upgrading my rating after three weeks based on having had a little more time to sit with the album. I have enjoyed the recent flood of talented female artists sharing their unique voices from Amy Winehouse to Sara Bareilles to Colbie Calliat. I agree with one of the recent reviewers that this album suffers badly from overproduction and perhaps doesn't compliment the talent of the amazing vocal talents of Alison Sudol. At times it still seems as if she's struggling against the background tracks to hear herself in the recording studio making it hard to really get into it. However, on a few tracks especially "Lifesize" and "Ashes and Wine" her sultry and slightly bruised vocal style really comes through. This is still a welcome addition to the genre. Hopefully the next attempt will really let her obvious talent come through.
4866365
Parts of this album show unequivocally that Rod Stewart has still got it.  He has always been a great singer with a uniquely brilliant voice and the skill and musicality to put a song over with real feeling, but some of his choice of material and production style has often made me wonder whether any of the old magic was still there.  In places on this album it certainly is.  It's variable material, but the good bits are really good.

The album opens with a decent but pretty standard pop song, She Makes Me Happy which Rod lifts a bit above the ordinary, and in It's Over it's good to see that he has the dignity to sing about the end of a marriage rather than teenage heartbreak, but he shows that his real greatness is still there in Brighton Beach, a beautiful, deeply evocative song about the recall of first love.  It may not be the enduring masterpiece that I Don't Want To Talk About It is, for example, but it affects me nearly as deeply.

I won't go through the entire album - there's a good variety of pop, dance and ballads most written by Stewart himself and often reflecting on ageing and times past.  Some bits are pretty ordinary, some are very good. I think the three bonus tracks are among the best here, by the way.  They're a little more bluesy and a little less produced which gives them a genuineness which I like a lot, and I think they're well worth the extra couple of quid.

The thing that strikes me most strongly is that Rod sounds sincere throughout.  He never sounds as though he's going through the motions and even when the material isn't great, the band sounds fairly ordinary, the lyrics are pretty naff or the production is a bit schmaltzy (which is too often for me, I must say) he sings as though he really means it and manages to lift the whole thing well above the average.

Rod Stewart has made some albums which I think would fall into the UN classification of Cruel And Unusual Punishments, so it's good to see that a truly great singer can still make a good record.  It certainly isn't up there with Every Picture Tells A Story, but it's not bad at all and has moments of brilliance.  Recommended.
4692452
I had listened to this album perhaps two or three times before the first track, "they," got stuck in my head for 48 hours solid. Her voice kept me awake at night crooning "I'm sorry, so sorry, I'm sorry, we do this..." It's a touching song full of depth and emotion, surprising for what could easily have been a cheesy pop album.

The other track that I love on this album is "24," with the heavy guitars. It's equally catchy. I've caught myself humming it many times since hearing it. Although some others are apparently put off by the guitar sound (which is odd because they're actually quite tame), for me they really give the song an extra lift.

On the downside, the production often sounds forced. The hyper-compressed vocal sound robs the listener of the natural beauty of Jem's voice - or perhaps is there to cover up the flaws. The fake orchestral instruments are cliched and tiresome.

Also, despite the excellent songwriting on "they" and "24," most of the rest are too fluffy for me to think of them as anything but filler.
3390747
There's plenty of soothing, attractive, contemplative modern choral music in this offering; however, on the whole, I found it somewhat underwhelming. I have two other Part CD's by the same outfit, both of which I found more meaningful and satisfying. By the way, I love modern choral music, especially the more recent material, say from the past 12-15 years, and particularly from the last five years. Part's restrained minimalism stands as an important forbearer to the contemporary choral styles that I so crave and admire.

This is a nice listen, but not my favorite, and there are other relatively recent CD's that I would recommend first. Don't miss "Kreek's Notebook" (2014), featuring gorgeous choral music by the young Estonian composer, Tonu Korvits; "Northern Lights" from 2011 featuring the music of Norwegian, Ola Gjeilo; and the extremely lovely, eclectic, and moving Requiem by German, Harold Weiss. I also found both of Paul Mealor's recent Decca releases,  A Tender Light (2011) & I Saw Eternity (2014), well worth hearing, especially his 2008 Stabat Mater on the earlier disc. Of course there are numerous others, but those are just some of my recent favorites.
4063329
3.5 Stars

THINGS I LOVED:

The vocabulary. The English major in me was internally happy dancing for joy. Honestly, if I could get away with it, I would totally use this to teach SAT vocabulary. Its awesome. And oddly enough, it works for the main character. Hes quirky and collects antiquated tech like no ones business, so embracing elevated vocabulary suits his complex personality.

The conflicted, debilitating slew of guilt, depression, and uncertainty weighs on Sebastian heavy enough to rival Atlas. The emotions are poignant, gut-wrenching, and you kind of just want to hug him and tell him its not his fault. Its impossible to escape your past in a small town and to be blamed and ostracized for something you did as a toddler? Its completely unfair, dangerous, and totally happens. Even if you break this story down to bare bones foundation, living with the catastrophe results of a mistake can be too much, too haunting, and crush you from the inside  out. Bang explores these heavy ideas in a way thats relatable and so incredibly honest.

The mystery. Throughout the book, there is so much leading that you're basically being tugged along on this train of thought. You know that Sebastian plans on doing something terrible, ending it all with a gun in a perfect circle of how his life metaphorically ended as a toddler. But theres a twist. I did not see it coming. Theres just enough to keep you hanging on, desperate to know how it ends.

THINGS IM TORN OVER:

Aneesa. Dont get me wrong, I LOVED Aneesa and the fact that she calls people out on their stereotypes, is honest about her fears, and is 100% a proud Muslim young lady. I adored how vocal she was about misconceptions about Islam, how she called out the haters, and truly loved who she is as a person. That sort of confidence and openness is inspiring. In some ways, I did like that Aneesa, having her as a friend, was helping Sebastian deal with his suicidal thoughts; I didn't like that she was the ONLY thing. Sebastians so-called male best friend was a fleeting character that had little to no presence and everything was on Aneesa-not that she knew Sebastian was suicidal. Aneesa isn't really that interesting. Despite the fact that shes nice and opinionated, shes pretty bland, at least for me. There weren't any particularly memorable lines or scenes that made me say, Aneesa is a character that will stick with me for a while.

The focus. This book is all over the place. While it does do a fairly good job of getting back to Sebastians thoughts when hes going to bed at night and thinking about his life, the book turns into pizza after pizza for ages as he builds his YouTube channel and it felt like so much of that could be cut because it slowed the pacing and made me want to close the book.

Nowhere near enough confrontation with his parents. They don't talk about it. They ignore everything and have for years. No wonder Sebastian is flooded with emotions that he doesnt know how to express or positive ways to deal with his overwhelming sense of guilt and failure. The two big scenes that do happen wereexplosive. I felt rage. So much rage.
3359665
Some of it I liked a lot, some not so much. It certainly started off terrifically entertaining. I loved the narrators voice, shop assistant Mary. Mary and her friend Cortney are under the thumb of hard-nosed and hard-hearted supervisor Monika Hell, who regularly makes their working lives less than happy.  A modern take on Ebenezer Scrooge really.

When Monika disappears on the night of Christmas Eve, no-one is particularly worried. In fact no-one even notices until they get back to work after Christmas and she does not turn up. After a few days, Mary begins to worry, despite her antipathy towards Monika. Meanwhile, Monikas extraordinary journey has begun, and not only from Cincinatti to Seattle.

Marys acerbic narrative voice had me laughing many times, particularly early on. The exposition was good, I like Mary and Courtney and really enjoyed Marys pithy take on life, particularly her assessments of the many personality defects of Monika Hell.

I don't want to give away the story, so Ill just say I found it was really uneven in tone. Mary I liked a lot, she had reality; Monika, particularly bad Monika, had interesting depth too, but I did not find the various male love interests and romantic elements particularly convincing, and Monikas personal transition was under-developed. The dramatic device used to keep Monika in Seattle is a bit hackneyed  but hey, thats okay in romance. However, I have never found that device captivating, even if it is done well.

I don't mind a bit of good old-fashioned Christianity in my reading, but I like it subtle and contextual, and it got just a tad explicit and obvious towards the end, verging on the twee but just skating on the acceptable side for me! However, given the publishing group The Edge Books is a Christian group, many of their readers would not see this as a problem (and it isnt, I just prefer more subtlety).

I think for an appropriate audience, this would be a really pleasant read, clean, thoughtful, amusing, and a good moral about Christian charity. And the cover is great, very nice