Not the Best of the Year
592920
I mostly agree with the previous reviewer but liked it maybe one star better.  I have all the Nebula collections from the first, and this had about the fewest actual stories in it ever.  Maybe the editor figured hardcore fans have already read the nominated stories in the magazines, but I read only a few SF collections a year instead to get the cream of the crop.  Also, even the Nebula winners included are not that impressive.  Try Gardner Dozois's Year Best collection instead.
4798094
Not as good as their first. With a talented trio of this kind I expected to hear music that didn't sound like it was "rushed" in production. Oblivion, Captain Love,and Hot Streak stand out on this effort while everything else seems to pale..and remember folks it's just my opinion. I've given this CD a good listen since receiving it and it just doesn't have the elements that made it's predecessor such a standout disc.
2711553
I bought it to enjoy with my family in Christmas Eve, but I was very disappointed. It does't compare with previous productions from Banco Popular. I was expecting more music and less lecturing, more entertainment and less talk. I hope it gets better next year.
4826887
There were a couple of good songs. Per Gessle is one of my favorite artists but his latest stuff isn't as good as what he used to produce.
3372130
First off, when I started this book I had high expectations. Sadly, this wasn't the case when I began reading Toys. The first couple of twists were alright, but as the story progressed it just seemed kind of flat and not really exciting. I just wish that next time, Patterson will continue to stay with the thrillers and less out of the science fiction area. Overall, it was alright but not his best.
3750962
I usually buy Stuart Woods books as soon as they come out,  but somehow this one I missed.  I got it recently when a bookstore had a buy 3 get one free sale.  I'm glad I didn't actually spend any money on it.  It's a fairly 'ho-hum' story, where the action just never seems to pick up.  The ending of the book was also a big disappointment for me.  I think there was so much more potential in the story, but Woods' just wasn't up to some of his better efforts.  One of my personal favorites still is Imperfect Strangers.  Some of his more recent books just haven't had the same level of suspense.
4084633
I was a big fan of To All The Boys I Loved Before so I bought this book without hesitation. I had missed Lara Jean and Kitty and Peter, but I wasn't as happy with this book. It dove a bit more into more mature themes like sex and cyber bullying, which didn't really draw away from the book but ended up being more of a main focus. I stilll liked all the Korean culture points and the family dynamic but I missed the relationship dynamics of the last book. Simply put, it just wasn't as cute or interesting.
4252736
Although it was a good enough read, there was nothing outstanding in this Signet Christmas anthology to compare it to some of their anthologies of the 1990s.

I have never come across Susan King before.  Although the bio-blurb indicates she has academic credentials in history, she needs to pull up her socks in terms of her story telling.  I gather her story is a little filler in a series of books:  constant references to this appear and I found it annoying.  Her portrayal of life in early 17th century Scotland was too twee for me.  And, by setting most of the story in an unheated, uninsulated, isolated bothey (shepherd's hut) she stretched credibility.  Highland winters are cruel.  No one in their right mind would set out to live alone like that in the winter!  Also, I was so diverted by imagining the stench of horse and cow "droppings" in the little hut that any romantic feel to the story evaporated.  Overall, this one was a dud.

Jill Barnett's story was unusual for me.  Set at the end of the 19th century in the less than nice side of New York, it gave us some very different characters and a storyline that was quite unique.  The story of a feisty, direct but oh-so-vulnerable 40 year old woman who is harbouring a passion for a beefy but gentle (and younger) boxer was well done.  I liked the peripheral neighbourhood characters - immigrants and artisans who enhanced the narrative.

Justine Dare's story has been done a thousand times - the light in the window being a metaphor for coming home for Christmas.  The hero is akin to a Clint Eastwood nameless drifter who only needs the love of a good woman to settle down and become an instant family man.  A little too  melodramatic for me.

Putney's offering was the best of the bunch.  Although I thought the story line was a little tired, Putney's crisp, sharp style made it an engaging read.  Perhaps because she seems to have been allocated more space, her story was better presented with characters that at least had a chance of developing.  I think stories of fortune-hunting men are hard to pull off but she did it here with great skill.  The happy conclusion was credible and rewarding.

Overall, Putney and Barnett saved the day and that's why I'm giving this one four instead of three stars.
2749738
While this was a good break from the others, it was more of a short story about the same.  If you are looking for a good christmas read, sure this mentions christmas, but it doesn't really take that christmas vibe.  I'm still excited for the series and will continue to read, but this one was "eh", and not really one of my favorites.
4942283
If most of the stories in the collection were considered to be the best, then mediocre or bad ones ought to have been horrific. There were some notable exceptions-- the story of the couples playing the game of what to talk about when talking about Anne Frank being the most salient in my mind-- but this year's collection was a disappointment for me as compared to previous years.
4938855
A tad bit hyped.  I enjoyed parts of this film, but it's still Evil Dead in the woods.  We've seen this movie a billion times, only this time add fun death metal, nudity, and interesting flashbacks.  I'll admit I was a bit letdown overall.  Not terrible, but not great.  Better low budget effort up against its counterparts.  Not worth paying over twenty bucks.
2594774
I've been a DC fan since inception and I have to admit that when I heard that they were coming out again...I knew that Beyonce's songwriting skills and vocals had improved alot so I hoped the same for the other members. This is true on this cd, especially Michelle who is lot more confident but as a whole?? I think there is a lot of corniness on this one. Most of the songs like Soldier and Free are ridiculously bad and generic. I do like "Is she the reason" and "Through with love". Other than that this album does not deserve the hype that it's getting. It does not compare to Beyonce's CD at all and it seems very forced. I think Matthew Knowles pushed for a reunion album just because people didn't think they could. The harmonies are good and the arrangements are tight but the creativity is severely lacking. I hate to see it but I think this is the end of the white hot road for these ladies as a group.
1014494
I was disappointed, it did not feel like it lived up to the hype.

It's not bad, but the story gets convoluted at the end.
4684477
I was expecting a lot as I had heard many positive reviews of this movie.

Unfortunately, I was a little underwhelmed and the main positive I took out of it was the fact we saw how many of the key X-men characters came alive, particularly, Charles Xavier and Magneto. Their friendship was particularly interesting having seen their intimate knowledge of each other in the later X-men movies.

Yes, there's clever action sequences, Kevin Bacon as a too far-fetched Nazi villain with super powers, and a number of young characters with some pretty groovy special talents, but I wouldn't recommend it. Sure there are many worse movies, but lots better.
3099236
2 AND 1/2 STARS.

Having read everything by Keene so far, Ghost Walk is probably my least favorite book he has written.  That's not to say it's bad.  It moves very quickly and has some decent mythology and buildup, but the story simply didn't feel very inspired.  I also found it hard to connect with the characters, where I usually don't have that problem with Keene's work.

The chance meeting between the two characters, Levi and Maria, felt very forced and seemed a bit contrived.  I also thought the ending was rushed and too conveniently wrapped up.  However, I enjoyed reading all the nuances of the Ghost Walk event, bringing back lots of memories of those haunted trails.  For newcomers to Keene, I would recommend Dark Hollow and Ghoul instead.
3567429
I waited for this book expecting to love it as much as the other two from the Neighbors from Hell series, but it was not as great. It started off slow, I had to force myself to continue reading. The pranks pulled by both Connor and Rory were abusive in the extreme, I found it very hard to like either one for most of the book. The second half of the book was better once the emotinal, physical and verbal abuse was suspended. In the other two books there were many many funny moments, this book fell short of that many times. I hope the next book by this author is better, this one was just ok.
1287565
Although I enjoyed this book I did not think it was quite as good as previous ones by this author.