Buy this book if you love good storytelling...
587256
This is the 2nd book of Trigiani's I've read.  Her stories are so subtle and enjoyable and yet contain these profound insights into human nature and relationships.  I so appreciate how Nella grows to understand what real love is and how she accepts the twists and turns of her life.  It is a story of how "life happens while your making other plans".  The most poignant insight is the one in which Nella realizes how unfair it is to compare a current relationship to an idealized one left in the past.
4590441
A friend recently recommended this book to me, and I'm elated he did!  I am only on the fifth chapter (reading between work and parenting a young child) but am completely hooked and look forward to my next escape with the Knight family, even if time permits merely a few chapters.  The Olshans exhibit a keen sense of storytelling in this book.  I highly recommend it!
933087
Pure, old storytelling of the best kind. I do believe Tolkien, Rowling, Collins, and Lewis may have found their match...
This first Storytellers book exceeded my expectations by far. The main character, Hannah, is an enigmatic, intelligent and relate-able heroine, not soon forgotten; her travels as well are far from rote. I found myself gripped as the story rapidly progressed in intricacy, complexity and speed as time went on...so much so, that I only noticed later, when I put it down at 2 am, that I had read the book non-stop from start to finish!

 I was pleased to discover that although the book nods to various influences (Dr. Who, Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Sherlock Homes stories, etc.) it was by no means a "copy novel"; this is a story ALL of it's own right. I am eagerly anticipating the second book!
Great debut, do give it chance!
1951394
If there is one thing to be said about this book, Patricks story telling ability is as beautiful as it is complex and breathtakingly unique. A great find for lovers of dark fantasy!

The story is told in three alternating narratives; the first being our main character Lonan, folklore excerpts, and Lonans dream about a strange man named Adahy and a mysterious man with extraordinary powers that goes by the name of The Magpie King.  We begin the journey with Lonan, a current outcast in his society due to a horrible incident that happened in his village long ago that the local villagers have blamed Lonan for causing. Lonan struggles to find his knack, a special talent or ability that that everyone in Lonans world has that makes them especially good at accomplishing certain tasks. Knacks can be for just about anything: cooking, black smithing, music, medicine, dancing, story-telling, leadership, and even lying. The villagers do not leave their houses after dark due to the presence of creatures that, wouldnt you know, mostly come out at night and that are dangerous and known for killing anyone who may unfortunately find themselves outdoors.

Upon reading this book, I immediately fell in love with the story. The folklore excerpts were expertly used to not only contribute to the storyline but as a smart world building technique that gave authenticity and insight into Lonans world, much in the same way that our own fables, folklore, fairy tales, and legends speak loudly of our cultures. Patricks story creates a world easy for us to explore, a smooth sail on a calm sea to fall into as we are led down this rabbit hole of adventure. I couldn't help but identify with Lonan as his search to find happiness and his own place in his world echoes my own questions about what my knack would be. With each turn of the page, we are drawn further and further in, each paper thin layer of story telling carefully crafted until we get to the end of our journey. A delightful plot twist reveals just how each of those layers came together in a seamless reveal and readers will be able to look back and marvel at the journey that brought them there.

So, if you're in the need of a great story, a wonderful fast-paced adventure stuffed with some everyday magic, a good dose of legend, and stitched together with a little bit of darkness, grab this book!
752535
I love story books, in part for their often lovely illustrations...but this book took it to a new level.  Ms. Froud's dolls are fantastic, and  make you believe in faeries (if you don't already).  Amazing.  Even if the  story were mediocre, this book would be worth buying to examine the  faeries.  It's a double treat because the story is just as good, and more  substantial and lengthy than your standard modern story book.  If you love  faeries, fantasy, dolls, inspirational stories about little  "ordinary" heroes, or good picture books, you have to add this to  your collection.
1119051
I'm a long-time fan of Larry Correia's writing, from the Spellbound series, to MHI, and Dead Six. I am NOT, however, a gamer of any stripe. I know nothing about any of these war games, how they work, or anything. I have vague recollections of 12-sided D&D dice from my younger years, but don't even know if stuff like that is relevant to current games.

That said, Mr. Correia takes an established world and world order, and writes such a compelling story that I was engrossed from the first pages. I had no history of the game, the characters, or the mythos of this world, and it seems as though the author was writing specifically for people like me. For gamers who know this world, there may be some repetition, but for me it was a perfect blend of story and exposition. The characters are well-rounded; getting glimpses of Lt. Madigan's past throughout gave the reader/listener a good sense of the man and his character. There were scenes where I wept, scenes where I laughed, and scenes where I just held on to the story and flew through the heat of battle.

If you have been avoiding this book because you're not a gamer, please don't. You're missing out on some very engaging characters, and one hell of a story.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Ray Porter's reading of this book. I had sworn that only Bronson Pinchot or Oliver Wyman could possibly do justice to a Correia story. I don't mind saying I was wrong. Porter is magnificent in reading this.

Here's hoping Mr. Correia decides to write a few more stories about Madigan's Malcontents. I'd love to hear how they're doing these days.
1418215
I checked out the audiobook version of this story, and also picked up the hard copy in case I decided to read the book instead.  I picked up the book a few times, but am so glad I also chose to listen to the story being narrated.  Atwood is amazingly creative with her storytelling, but there were a few parts that she could easily have left out to make the book a little more compelling.  The narrator also did a wonderful job with all of the voices and various accents, and really made this book a winner in my eyes.
I was one of a few people that did not like The Handmaid's Tale at all, but I'm so glad that I decided to follow someone else's recommendation regarding this book, and give her another try.  If you're a fan of her work, by all means, pick up the actual book, but if you have never read anything by her and aren't sure if you will enjoy her writing style, the audiobook version is your best choice.  It's a virtually painless way of getting the full effect of the book, and makes the not so interesting parts much easier to take.  I have copies of Cat's Eye and The Robber Bride at home, but I think I will definitely see if I can get ahold of the audio versions to start me off.  In my opinion, there's a little something in there for everyone - what a great book!  I can see why it won the Booker Prize.  If you're thinking about reading it, by all means, pick it up!
809026
Most books require that a significant amount of the story be told before you can make a truly accurate personal determination of it's brilliance or lack thereof.  Then there are the rare few where, within the first 15% of the story, you know without equivocation that the book will be astoundingly good or astoundingly bad.  In one case, you leave a premature, gushing review; in the other, you just figuratively dump the book.  Well, welcome to my premature, gushing review.  I couldn't be more impressed with this novel.  The story is captivating, the characters -- good and bad -- are intensely drawn, and the pace makes it hard to set the book down at 2am so you can get some sleep.  The analogies used are so perfect that you know EXACTLY what the author is telling you, and what's more, you FEEL it.  Hurwitz, always a favorite author of mine, has hit this one out of the proverbial ballpark. So far, the best book I've read this year.  Will update my review when I hit the end, but I already can wholeheartedly recommend it.  Awesome.
3167933
It's not often I enjoyed a self-published book as much as this one. This is really superb story telling, totally engaging. I literally could not put it down. It also seems to have been professionally edited, and it shows.

I may be shot down for this, but I going to compare what Marlene Dotterer has done here with L. Sprague de Camp (Lest Darkness Fall)  and Jack Finney (Time and Again & From Time to Time.) I mean that to be high praise.

Good stuff, Marlene!
4071040
The storytelling is great. It is full of wonderful details. It does seem to move a little slow in some spots but picks up quickly. The intricacy of weaving all the different characters and subplots is fabulous. How does one do that?!
244108
Really, really good storytelling. And right in the middle of it, he nails a powerful truth home. The deceitful choices we make for our own gratification have the potential to deal death to the innocent. Don't misunderstand. There's no preaching, no moralizing, no heavy handedness here. Just good storytelling that makes you think, without giving you a chance to get bored. And like all good storytelling, that's the truth I heard, but I imagine others here other truths. Just enjoy the story.
1240474
I am always looking for a really good story told well and here you have it!  The characters are detailed and fascinating and you will be cheering for them before you know it.
I often re read this wonderful and brilliantly told story.  It's such a good example  of how to describe the scene and characters well and serves as a model for me as a new writer.
3446472
I really hope this catches on.

It's not just the clever writing, though there's plenty of that here. The voice of Cathy Vickers (also known as ArtGirl, Undercover Girl, Respectable Drone Girl and Goth Grrl) comes through loud and clear in chat transcripts and diary-entry recollections. The writing is sharp and funny and resplendent in how easily it captures the voice of a teenage girl in over her head but determined not to show it.

It's not just the original story, thought that's here too. Cathy's tale is one of mystery and suspense, trying to figure out what (it anything) her older ex-boyfriend did to her just before dumping her - and just why the hell did he dump her anyway? Toying a little with typical adolescent fantasies and then leapfrogging right over them to something a little more interesting, you'll not find your stereotypical (and these days, well-worn) starstruck teenage romance. Instead, you get a story with twists and turns, heroes that are difficult to like and villains who are surprisingly sympathetic. Sean Stewart's storytelling magic is as strong as ever here.

With all that, what more could you ask for, right? As it turns out, quite a lot. Cathy's entreaty on the back of the book is addressed to Emma, but it's meant for her readers - that's you. "Call the phone numbers. Check out the websites." Added to that, peek at the memorabilia included with the book. Do some digging and crack the codes. What you find is the story between the lines of the book, the voices of the characters speak to you on the phone and reveal new information and extra clues. The voices and the websites and the ability to explore this world at will brings you into the story in a way that most books can't.

Done poorly, it could have come off like a gimmick or like bad marketing. Luckily, you can tell that the creative minds behind 'Cathy's Book' put their hearts into telling this tale, across different media and in different ways.

It's a new kind of story. It's a little reminiscent of 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books, but much, much better. It's an interactive mystery in which you can take part in the discovery as much or as little as you want. You can just read the book and that's a satisfying experience...or you can look deeper and get to know it a little better. You can do what Cathy asks and get a richer, fuller experience.

Like I said - I really, really hope this catches on.
1591966
For the committed writer that reads the entire book, what the negative reviewers here deluded themselves with is that Ms. Alderson spends a significant amount of time pointing out the left and right brain influence on writing. Which she does not. Enough said.
  So if you are a great writer that stumbles on plot, refer to this book. If you are a lukewarm writer that knows the value of re-writing, dive into this book. If you are a bad writer, yet with a story to tell and by some gift have the knack of unfolding your events on paper, keep this book bedside.
  Because Ms. Alderson has made a commitment to the art of storytelling with a logistical approach, repeatedly citing works of literature to make her cases in point, there can be no argument that she offers a sound, well-organized and crucial discourse into the progression of a story well told, from beginning, middle, climax to end.
  There are gems of insight within the pages of this book, which every writer can identify with. You will find snippets of advice and lights of illumination, all presented in a mechanical and logistical way, which, if you heed the call to step away from the words and look at just the story - chronology, backstory and how the characters are portrayed with dialogue and scene, well, you have come to the right book.
  Oh. And did I mention theme?
3645036
Whoa. It's been 2 days. I have not put this book down. (Mind you, I have a toddler, so maybe I put it down once or twice). Really good storytelling.
4616394
This is an amazing book, telling the story of the lead up to, and the execution of a battle in the "First Law" world.  You don't read stories like this, and when you do, they aren't told like this.  If you like good characters, complex plots, gritty realism, dark humor, human drama, or moral shades of grey (you know... like life), then read this book.  Not if you like all of them.  If you like one of them.  There's more than enough of just one of these things to keep you turning pages.  If you like all of it, expect to devour this book so quickly, you'll be ordering his other books as soon as you finish.
624387
I typically don't like books that are more about storytelling than the actual story, but I could not put this book down, and I'm about to start book 2.  Not what I expected, and I almost didn't make it to chapter 2.  So glad I stuck with it those first pages (so many books never make it that far for me).  So much wisdom can be gathered from the story.  That said, I would never recommend this to a 'typical' male reader (like my husband), or a fundamentalist Christian. ;)