Mehhhh.... not Danes best
588042
This was OK I guess but not nearly as good as I expected it to be.  We have been given some heavy doses of Raven through the other books and she was always the smart mouthed obviously troubled super bitch  In this book though, she keeps telling us she is a bitch but never really shows it.  Raven and Jonah get together immediately and are then together through the rest of the book and he is in love within a couple of pages.  He loves every little thing about her and that is that.  Very little drama and nothing heart wrenching happening here.  A lot of her telling about her past and him feeling bad for her.  Seemed very clinical.  And OK they have some hot sex but even that seemed a bit detached to me.  Just didn't feel the chemistry or connection with these two.  Raven seemed much too clichd in this one.  I started skimming because it was actually a bit boring.  Kept waiting for a big drama that never happened.  Just a series of tiny ones that were immediately resolved.  Need more than that.  Wont' be rereading this one.
3414177
I buy antlers for a big price at the dog food store and my two 150+ lbs danes can chew these for days.. I get these and there is one that is 7" in length about an inch around and then the other one was about 5" long and about 2.5" around... I had to not give them to my danes they would have put the whole thing in the mouth and could have choked on them easy!!! not happy at all with this purchase.
2247034
Can't blame Stoli for trying to capitalize on the resurgence of the Moscow Mule but their ginger beer leaves a lot to be desired. It's not horrible. But if you can get your hands on Gosling's or better yet Bundaberg then leave this on the shelf. The Stoli is overly sweet with hardly a ginger bite. The first impression was that of sugar water with a dash of ginger ale. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Stoli Vodka and keep it on hand in my home bar but they'd be better off not diminishing their brand with this ginger beer.
4369785
Don't bother. Not an easy read.  Jumps around a lot.  Maybe if you are into nordic mythology you would like it more, but I found it to be a laborious read.
4937035
I purchased the book&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Heartstopper-Irresistible-Bachelors-Book-3/dp/B0736NS1Y8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Heartstopper (Irresistible Bachelors Book 3)</a>&nbsp;by this author, and this story was a freebie, tacked on.  So I read it and I'm surprised it's by the same author (even though Heartstopper isn't anything I'd reread again, it was better than this).  There are so many loose threads I was unable to grasp them all flying about...holes galore.  It's an "insta-love" romance, so fast paced it was impossible to connect, though I gave it a valiant try.

Abby Rawlings is on the cusp of her 23rd BD, a senior in college and pushing for her Masters.  She's treated like she's 12 y/o...so much so that I began to wonder if maybe she had a mental disorder...I mean, maybe that was why she was treated like a child.  But no...she's simply a product of an overprotective family trying to force Georgia societal rules on her and influence her with snobbish, upper crust losers...making sure she meets all the society connections.  And she allows it, grudgingly...but she's not interested.  And then there's Dane Bell (29)...an ex-GI with a dishonorable discharge and just released from Leavenworth... down on his luck.

This author conveyed the contempt and hate that Georgians have for Dane to such a degree, that it became unbelievable.  I was rolling my eyes and shaking my head throughout reading.  It's a story of the rich, good girl and the poor bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Add to the mix that he's an ex-con with people basically spitting on him and growling at him wherever he goes, and you get the gist of how low he's thought of.  I'm surprised this author didn't add throwing rocks at him or letting their dogs loose on him...or maybe cat's hissing at him when he walks by.  Anyway, the two meet and Dane's adoration of Abby is again, instantaneous.  He all but worships her (did I say this is a fast paced deal?)  And she's drawn to him immediately as well.

This story was "ok" but definitely nothing I'd reread again...I was thankful when it was over and patted myself on the shoulder for finishing it.  It started off well enough, but by chapter 8 it reached a leveling out point...by chapter 12/13, it nose dived and continued the downward spiral, only getting worse as it sped up.  Dane is made to look like a slow thinking good 'ol boy dunce with muscles and tattoos.  The outdated cliches made me groan; the dialogue was exhausting and the plot predictable.  Dual POV which I love, but not when entire chapters are repeated from each person's POV...what they're thinking or feeling with such and such happens...all over again allowing this author to meet her word quota.  It's definitely adult; erotic/adult language and scenes etc., but I'm amazed this came out of Lauren Landish.
1935448
We're trying to brush up on our Dutch culture knowledge as we'll be moving there from Germany this summer and took the advice of several other books and book store patrons to purchase this book. What a disappointment! This guy complains about EVERYTHING Dutch/European in this book. Yes, it's a different country and yes, the people live differently. Yes, there are negative/uncomfortable aspects to living/traveling abroad but with the right mindset, these quirks can be tolerated at the very least and perhaps even grow on you after some time.

As an American living abroad who has traveled quite a bit, much of the author's cynicism and complains come across as extremely naive and juvenile. I can see how someone would find his musings funny had they never traveled abroad or experienced any other different cultures. Much of what he writes about would certainly be exotic/frustrating for the first-time traveler. Those who have traveled, however, will find his extreme negativity annoying after just a few pages.

We're still in search of an interesting cultural guide but at this rate, we may just skip it and choose to settle in with new Dutch friends to learn the ropes. Such a negative, narrow-minded perspective is certainly not worth our time.
4425101
Having read "When Dashing Met Danger" and meeting Freddie, I couldn't wait for his story.  He promised to be amusing with a bit of an edge, despite his truly unfortunate name and dandy persona.

I went into this book having high expectations brought on by my enjoyment of "Dashing".  Unfortunately, the book fell flat for me.  Their romance and attraction came out of nowhere it seemed.  I didn't feel like the characters got to know one another, nor did I feel like I got to know the characters.  I was left wondering why the Freddie, who was so lovely in "Dashing", was lacking personality in this book.  And how he could ever fall in love with Charlotte was beyond me.  Not because she was an unfashionable American and he a dandy, but because she was an annoying shrew who had little to recommend her, outside of her red hair.

The story was choppy at best, and it didn't manage to keep my attention for long.  During their very first encounter, Freddie asks if Addy is Charlotte's slave and if she receives wages, to which she replies that Addy is not paid.  He expresses disgust for the southern American institution of slavery, and never again is it mentioned!  Was Addy at one time a slave?  No clue.  Did Charlotte's family have any slaves?  Don't know.

The "mystery" fell to the wayside so that the characters could grow and fall in love, yet they seemed like strangers to me (except in bed), even in the end.  An ending which was hastily done and completely anticlimactic, mind you.

I recommend giving Shana Galen a try, just not this particular work.
4109605
After reading The Instance of the Fingerpost, pretty close to being a masterpiece, I was disappointed with the mystery series. He gets a little better as he progresses but, generally speaking, they're pretty boring except for the art details and the Roman way of life.  However if he's as inaccurate about Rome as he is about America, I might have to revise that opinion.

My real reason for writing this is to vent about English writers who feature Americans in their novels. Deliver me. Can't someone tell them or their publishers that they need an American advisor to keep them from looking like complete dolts?? This applies to every single English novel I have ever read, featuring Americans, and, believe me, I have read tons of them. Someone please tell them that people in all walks of life, in America, do not say, "I reckon" on a regular basis. To a man (or woman) they always make American characters talk like they just stepped out of Hopalong Cassidy movies from the '50's.  And to top it off, they do it very smugly as if they really have it down.  If only there was someone I could complain to. Or to whom I could complain, as the case may be.

Meanwhile, the books are readable, if there's nothing better or you happen to be in the mood. But "Fingerpost" is far, far superior to the mysteries.
1855473
So - I am looking forward to reading some translations from Latin or Greek into English - so I can get as close a approximation to the actual wording as possible without having to learn Latin or Greek.

Many (and I mean many) phrases must be close to some French phrase as this author actually puts in a FRENCH phrase with no corresponding English translation.  Now, there are a few things wrong with this - first of all ... since there wasn't a France - I hardly think Cicero wrote those phrases.  Second, I bought this in English.  Third, if this author is so self-indulgent in his loose translation - re-translation and sprinkling of French ... how far off are the other words and phrases?

For instance - Romans are not known for their hat wearing at the time of Cicero ... yet this fool translates "the rest of that letter was old hat" (p128) ..... come on.  This is just one instance, other words like mollycoddle, corn instead of grain and so many other sloppy translations errors.  I have no closer idea of the actual words Cicero used than before.

I am totally disgusted.
3828995
The late, great Bernard Scudder could translate an Icelandic book that would read like your favorite British writer wrote it. The nuance, the wry wit, the deeper pauses that I'd grown to love with Indridason are just not here!  This book also suffer from the abscence of Erlandur.  His partners are shallow and not well enough developed so a translation like this has me looking all over the place for raison d'tre and I ain't finding it here!
1553407
I was somewhat disappointed with this novel.  After all the press & critical attention it was getting, I expected to be blown away.  Instead, I found that while it started off strongly (amazing opening!), it petered out eventually.  I also found the character of Emiko woefully one-dimensional.  Bock had better success with Anton and Sophie, and I love how their relationship was portrayed.  I didn't like Bock's first novel, Olympia, either.  I do think that perhaps my reaction does stem from the fact that I don't like Bock's themes - war, sport, etc. don't appeal to me.  Perhaps it was a great book (everybody else certainly seems to think so) but it just didn't "ring my chimes".
4166159
I know that Paula Deen is reveared in the USA, but for foreigners, this cookbook was very heavy on processed foods, loads of sugar, and frankly, not particularly exciting entries. Ms Deen's running narrative can be charming at times, but when I bought the book I really wanted recipes that were innovative....and these were so old fashioned, and when accompanied by her 'down home' comments, I was quite put off. Unfortunately, this will go to the local library. There was absolutely nothing in it for me.
925786
I am a little puzzled as to what the point of this book was.

Is this book about Mr. Haraldsson, an eccentric Icelander with elevated ideas about the Nordic civilization? Well, I think that the author could have developed this character more. Mr. Haraldsson was nothing more than a cartoon struggling to become a real character. This character is funny at times with his observations and quirkiness, but, again, he felt cartoonish to me during the entire novella.

Is this book about Caeneus and his tale about the Argo and the Argonauts' quest for the Golden Fleece? While this was very interesting to read about, there is nothing original, on behalf of the author here, since it is the retelling of a Greek myth. I liked how Sjn inserted a Scandinavian myth into the story, and his description of the infamous rape scene shows what a talented writer he is, but, again, this Greek myth was not created by him.

Considering the premise, I thought I was embarking on a tale of two characters all the way to the Black Sea. However, once the ship arrived in Norway, I felt the author was unable to develop and entwine both stories and that is why the book ends so abrutly, leaving me unsatisfied and wondering about the intention and the meaning of this short novel. Sure, both characters are very different and are both entertaining, but they both come off as underdeveloped and without a common purpose or a real reason to be together within the book.

I gave it three stars because I was never bored, but I was never excited either while I was reading the book. It had potential to be a wonderful read, but the book seems rushed and shallow in its execution. I loved Sjn's book called "The Blue Fox", but this book, "The Whispering Muse", seemed to have been written by a different author.
266012
Dane Cook - Rough Around The Edges is just that. A very rough sounding recording, especially for someone who is as big a star as Dane is right now. I read on Dane's site where this cd/dvd package was made to be far superior to the thrown together packages of his last 2 offerings. Well, that is a joke in and of itself. The audio quality on the cd portion is horrible. The crowd is louder than him through the biggest part of the album and makes it difficult to hear the show. Also, applause seems to last too long, this is ok on video but should of been edited a little better for audio cd. Next, some of this material has been done already, i.e. the ice cream debacle and the starving kids/Oprah routine. This was performed on Comic Relief 2006 so that was a little disappointing. The show in general is decent with some funny bits like calling his tivo tito. My main gripe with the show is that as soon as it starts to get really good, its over. Recommended only for die hard fans. Now on to the dvd which is essentially the same exact show. The audio seems to fare only slightly better but the picture has a lot of pixelation in it from time to time that can be a little distracting. All in all, for under $10 @ best buy it was worth it for the package but still a little disappointed on the content quality. Go in with your friends or just borrow someone else's copy.
831853
Cannot recommend this having read a lot of the Scandinavian series like wallender and James Thompson snow angel etc. few characters, mostly boring without redeeming values. I guess three stars for effort and the bleak Icelandic Mileau.
2899812
This is Dane's 3rd CD/DVD combo, and it is his 3rd best material IMO. Either I am getting to old for Dane Cook, at 23, or he is not as funny as he used to be. The CD does have its typical hilarious Dane moments though. I especially like the track where Dane discusses giving 15 cents a day to the poor kid in Africa, "Yeah, the baby Madonna didn't want".

The annoying-ly loud crowd noise is frustrating, it isn't laughs, it is just constant screaming, how dumb, I'm glad I didn't drop $50-$100 to see his show live. The DVD is the same exact material that is on the CD, Dane is funnier when you can SEE him, because he runs around the stage alot, making his punch lines funnier with his gestures and body languge. So I suggest watching the DVD first then listen to the CD.

The CD contains:
56 minutes of Dane Jokes
10 minutes of screaming fans (not laughing...isn't that what comedy is supposed to be about?)
2040754
When a book is written in another language, in another culture, we expect some nuance of another culture. This seems to more a colloquial English translation. I sense nothing of Finland, of Helsinki. Translation is an art form. This is crap. Translating every word into English gives me no sense at all of Finland or Helsinki So the translator has no sense of the art of form of translation. I doubt this person has even visited Finland. In translation this is worthless..Hey translator, how about you got live in Finland for a few years. But wow,  you have a degree in both Finish and Estonian. My guess is you are as absolutely incapable of that language as well. In English it's a poor excuse for a murder mystery. The investigator misses everything, the plot leads no way. I would not waste my tim in reading any other of these books.,