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Science Fiction/Fantasy Books Expected to Grow 3.4% in 2011

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:22:00 +0000

Representing just 6% of the total trade book market, the science fiction/fantasy segment will grow 3.4% in 2011, reaching $578.6 million, despite the overall market’s expected 5.2% decline. According to a report published by media and publishing forecast firm Simba Information, the science fiction and fantasy categories experienced double-digit increases in title output, along with stronger ratings on the consolidated bestseller list in 2010.

According to the report, the science fiction/fantasy segment is gaining market share, adding half a percent in 2011 compared to 2010, as it more than triples its 1% growth rate from the past two years.

“The sci-fi/fantasy segment has been a stable growth segment for the past few years,” notes Michael Norris, Simba Information’s senior trade analyst. “Since the book market took a big hit in 2007, it has been inching closer to its previous high-point.”

Title output for fantasy rose sharply to 6,389 titles, growing 14.6%, followed by science fiction with 3,714 titles, growing 10.1% in 2010. Simba’s report, which uses a consolidated bestseller list comprised of ratings from USA Today, The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly, finds science fiction performed strongly on the list with 76 titles by 58 authors, while fantasy held 321 titles by 192 authors, although its success was led by the Twilight Saga.

“Even though a lot of titles are hit or miss with audiences, both as books and as media tie-ins, there will continue to be a thirst for this segment of fiction for the foreseeable future,” added Norris.

Simba’s report, Business of Consumer Book Publishing 2011, details the overall market for trade books, segmented by 18 major categories including health & fitness, romance, self-help, science fiction/fantasy and others. It includes demographic and psychographic information on the average book buyer, along with company profiles of the leading publishers including Penguin Group, Macmillan and Random House.

USA TODAY Launches ‘Books.usatoday.com, to Expand Coverage of Books

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 21:36:00 +0000

USA TODAY has expanded its coverage of books with its new online destination books.usatoday.com. The new site allows consumers to discover, discuss, share, preview and purchase books online. It is available on computers, smart phones and tablets.

Books.usatoday.com provides readers with an interactive experience to browse books across a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction and children’s books; read reviews; and, share personal recommendations in conversations that also allow for tweeting about books or responding to other readers’ comments.

Unique to the books.usatoday.com site is the opportunity for consumers to now preview a book from the USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list and purchase it from a vendor of their choice, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the iBookstore or IndieBound, an association of independent booksellers.

USA TODAY’s respected Best-Selling Books list ranks the 150 top-selling titles each week, based on analysis of sales from such U.S. booksellers as bookstore chains, independent bookstores, mass merchandisers and online retailers. More than 10,000 books previously ranked on USA TODAY’s Best Selling Books list are also now included on books.usatoday.com with a dedicated page.

Books.usatoday.com complements USA TODAY’s print books coverage. Anchored by Thursday’s USA TODAY Best-Selling Books list, USA TODAY in print continues with Book Buzz, which reports on new best-sellers and publishing news, and includes special code tags for smart phones for an extended, interactive version of the booklist.

Christian Writer Cecil B. Murphey Supports New Authors Again

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:41:00 +0000

Christian writer and New York Times’ bestselling author Cec Murphey will for the second year sponsor ten writers with full scholarships to the OC Christian Writers Conference. In addition he is sponsoring two writers with scholarships to the intensive pre-conference workshops. The conference will be held on April 29 & 30, 2011 in Irvine, California. Find out more at www.occwf.org.

Who is Cec?

Cecil B. Murphey is best known for writing 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper), which has sold more than five million copies and has been on the New York Times best seller list since October 2006, but has actually been in the top-selling 150 books for 15 years, according to USA Today. In fact, plans are in the works for a full-length feature film. For more on his books and work go to www.cecilmurphey.com.

But that’s not all he wrote.

Cecil has authored or co-written more than one hundred books that have been translated into more than 40 languages and have sold millions of copies. No doubt he has encouraged and touched the lives of millions of readers with hope and inspiration. What has he done with all the fame and prosperity? Cecil says that he can’t think of any better investment in the kingdom than to mentor and support other writers, especially Christian writers.

Cecil understands our unique branch of artistry for God. Prior to launching his career as a full-time writer and speaker, Cecil served as pastor of Riverdale Presbyterian Church in Metro Atlanta. He was also a volunteer hospital chaplain for ten years and a missionary in Kenya for six.

He holds bachelor’s degrees in education and religious education, as well as master’s degrees in education and theology. In addition to all of that, Cecil was awarded an honorary Doctor of Literature from The Richmond Virginia Seminary for his contributions to the writing field. A pastor, a writer, an educator, a philanthropist and a mentor. Cecil B. Murphey is all of this and more. The OC Christian Writers Fellowship and our aspiring writers for God thank you, Mr. Murphey, for your encouragement and generous support.

The OC Christian Writers Conference held on April 29 & 30, 2011 in Irvine, California, is one of the longest running one-day conferences in California. This year’s keynote speakers are Simon Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, and Vinita Hampton Wright. With 27 writing workshops, four writing contests, four acquisition editors, three literary agents, and authors and writers in almost every genre, this is a place to get instructed, get connected, and get published. Find more about the scholarships at www.occwf.org.

Author & Pastor Max Lucado Reaches 100 Million Products in Print

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 11:58:00 +0000

Author and Pastor Max Lucado has 100 million products in print since his first book was published 25 years ago. Lucado’s writings have been published in a wide variety of formats including trade books, gift books, children’s books, study Bibles, devotionals, commentaries, animated children’s videos, calendars, greeting cards, teaching curriculum and licensed gift products.

Of the 100 million products in print, 80 million are books. Lucado’s first book, On the Anvil, was released in 1985. His latest book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference, releases tomorrow from Thomas Nelson. Currently his books have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Lucado’s books have appeared on every major best-seller list including Publishers Weekly, USA Today, The New York Times, the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association and the Christian Booksellers Association. Lucado has been featured on many national media programs through the years, including “Fox & Friends,” “The Today Show” and “Good Morning America” in the last year alone.

Thomas Nelson has been Lucado’s long-term publisher and executives salute this significant achievement. Says David Moberg, senior vice president and group publisher for Non-Fiction at Thomas Nelson: “It is both stunning and humbling to consider 100 million products in print for Max. His writing has shaped millions—almost a generation–in their beliefs on grace, forgiveness and God’s love.”

Adds Lucado: “God has blessed me with such a great team. Editors, management, creative thinkers…they are the best. I’m especially thankful for the management skills of Steve Green who has overseen my publishing for over two decades. He has built a team that exceeds expectations.”

Max Lucado and his wife Denalyn live in San Antonio, Texas, where he is the Minister of Preaching at Oak Hills Church. More on Max Lucado, can be found at http://www.maxlucado.com/.

The Burning Land: A Novel

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:04:00 +0000

The Burning Land: A Novel

In a clash of heroes, the kingdom is born. At the end of the ninth century, King Alfred of Wessex is in ill health; his heir, an untested youth. His enemy, the Danes, having failed to conquer Wessex, now see their chance for victory. Led by the sword of savage warrior Harald Bloodhair, the Viking hordes attack. But Uhtred, Alfred’s reluctant warlord, proves his worth, outwitting Harald and handing the Vikings one of their greatest defeats. For Uhtred, the sweetness of victory is soon overshadowed by tragedy. Breaking with Alfred, he joins the Vikings, swearing never again to serve the Saxon king. Instead, he will reclaim his ancestral fortress on the Northumbrian coast. Allied with his old friend Ragnar—and his old foe Haesten—he aims to invade and conquer Wessex itself. Yet fate has different plans. The Danes of East Anglia and the Vikings of Northumbria are plotting the conquest of all Britain. When Alfred’s daughter pleads with Uhtred for help, he cannot refuse her request. In a desperate gamble, he takes command of a demoralized Mercian army, leading them in an unforgettable battle on a blood-soaked field beside the Thames. In The Burning Land, Bernard Cornwell, “the reigning king of historical fiction” (USA Today), delivers a rousing saga of Anglo-Saxon England—an irresistible new chapter in his thrilling Saxon Tales, the epic story of the birth of England and the legendary king who made it possible.

The Burning Land: A Novel

Published on: 2010-01-01
Released on: 2010-01-19
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
352 pages

Customer Reviews:
Another Cornwell Masterpiece
Another first rate novel by Bernard Cornwell continuing the story of Uhtred in the Saxon Tales. As in the previous novels in this series, Cornwell recreates a time and society in a masterly manner. Against the background of plot and intrigue, this fast paced tale holds the reader’s attention until the last page. Cornwell’s scholarship and research is evident, and contributes mightily to the success of the book. While the relationships between the Saxons and Danes, Christian and Pagans have considerable complexity and nuance, Cornwell shows his ability to ensure this adds to the read’s enjoyment and in no way interferes with the pace of the story or it unfolding. Another brillant addition to Mr. Cornwell’s impressive list of books. Purchased prior its US release on Amazon UK and well worth the shipping fees.

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What to Expect When You’re Expecting: 4th Edition

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:28:00 +0000

From Buy Books Online > Parenting & Families

What to Expect When You’re Expecting: 4th Edition

By Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel
Average customer review:

Announcing a brand new, cover-to-cover revision of America’s pregnancy bible. What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a perennial New York Times bestseller and one of USA Today’s 25 most influential books of the past 25 years. It’s read by more than 90% of pregnant women who read a pregnancy book—the most iconic, must-have book for parents-to-be, with over 14.5 million copies in print.

Now comes the Fourth Edition, a new book for a new generation of expectant moms—featuring a new look, a fresh perspective, and a friendlier-than-ever voice. It’s filled with the most up-to-date information reflecting not only what’s new in pregnancy, but what’s relevant to pregnant women. Heidi Murkoff has rewritten every section of the book, answering dozens of new questions and including loads of new asked-for material, such as a detailed week-by-week fetal development section in each of the monthly chapters, an expanded chapter on pre-conception, and a brand new one on carrying multiples. More comprehensive, reassuring, and empathetic than ever, the Fourth Edition incorporates the most recent developments in obstetrics and addresses the most current lifestyle trends (from tattooing and belly piercing to Botox and aromatherapy). There’s more than ever on pregnancy matters practical (including an expanded section on workplace concerns), physical (with more symptoms, more solutions), emotional (more advice on riding the mood roller coaster), nutritional (from low-carb to vegan, from junk food–dependent to caffeine-addicted), and sexual (what’s hot and what’s not in pregnant lovemaking), as well as much more support for that very important partner in parenting, the dad-to-be.

Overflowing with tips, helpful hints, and humor (a pregnant woman’s best friend), this new edition is more accessible and easier to use than ever before. It’s everything parents-to-be have come to expect from What to Expect…only better?.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #196 in Books
Brand: Workman Publishing
Published on: 2008-04-10
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Dimensions: 2.00 pounds
Binding: Paperback
616 pages

Announcing a brand new, cover-to-cover revision of America’s pregnancy bible. What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a perennial New York Times bestseller and one of USA Today‘s 25 most influential books of the past 25 years. It’s read by more than 90% of pregnant women who read a pregnancy book–the most iconic, must-have book for parents-to-be, with over 14.5 million copies in print.

Now comes the Fourth Edition, a new book for a new generation of expectant moms–featuring a new look, a fresh perspective, and a friendlier-than-ever voice. It’s filled with the most up-to-date information reflecting not only what’s new in pregnancy, but what’s relevant to pregnant women. Heidi Murkoff has rewritten every section of the book, answering dozens of new questions and including loads of new asked-for material, such as a detailed week-by-week fetal development section in each of the monthly chapters, an expanded chapter on pre-conception, and a brand new one on carrying multiples. More comprehensive, reassuring, and empathetic than ever, the Fourth Edition incorporates the most recent developments in obstetrics and addresses the most current lifestyle trends (from tattooing and belly piercing to Botox and aromatherapy). There’s more than ever on pregnancy matters practical (including an expanded section on workplace concerns), physical (with more symptoms, more solutions), emotional (more advice on riding the mood roller coaster), nutritional (from low-carb to vegan, from junk food–dependent to caffeine-addicted), and sexual (what’s hot and what’s not in pregnant lovemaking), as well as much more support for that very important partner in parenting, the dad-to-be.

Overflowing with tips, helpful hints, and humor (a pregnant woman’s best friend), this new edition is more accessible and easier to use than ever before. It’s everything parents-to-be have come to expect from What to Expect… only better.

From Publishers Weekly
Murkoff is back with yet another edition of the indispensable What to Expect When You’re Expecting—this time with a largely rewritten and revised edition of the comprehensive guide she introduced 24 years ago. The book has undergone an extensive overhaul, beginning with the cover, which depicts a stylish expectant mom dressed in jeans and a form-fitting shirt—a far cry from the original text’s comfy, frumpy mom seated in a rocking chair. Inside, the author has added a number of new features, including a chapter that draws upon current research to steer parents-to-be to a healthier lifestyle even before conception begins, chapters on healthy eating and giving birth to multiples (a growing trend) and expanded sections on working during pregnancy. While the general layout and appearance of the book will be familiar to readers, Murkoff has successfully broadened and sharpened the material while keeping the overall style and presentation intact. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover
The best just got better.
Expect the best! A brand-new fourth edition—filled with the most up-to-date, accurate, and relevant information on all things pregnancy. Realistic, supportive, easy to access, and overflowing with practical tips, covering everything you’ll need—and want—to know about life’s most amazing journey, from preconception planning to birth to those first miraculous weeks with a new baby. It’s all here: the lowdown on lifestyle trends and life in the workplace; the latest in prenatal testing and alternative therapies; the best in birthing options.

Comforting answers to hundreds of questions:
• I’m so queasy I can’t even eat for one. How can I eat for two?
• Can I get highlights in my hair? How about my monthly wax?
• I’m only in my second month—why am I showing already?
• Can I stick to my normal workout routine while I’m expecting?
• Why is my skin broken out and blotchy? And how can I cover it?
• What’s safe when it comes to sex?
• I think I felt the baby kicking—but I’m not sure. How do I tell?
• Will my body ever be the same after I deliver?

Customer Reviews

To All the Expecting Fathers …
Guys … consider this a warning; this will be the worst book that your significant other can read and will make your life utterly miserable for the next nine months. It’s been over four years since I had to deal with this serie’s 3rd edition and I still can’t stand the sight of it.

It may have been intended as a self-help guide, but its alarmist tone and condescending attitude leads this to act more as a bible for every worst-case scenario imaginable. After spending a few hours perusing this book’s contents, your wife, girlfriend, whomever will become so overworked and paranoid that every little ache, pain, and irritation will become a sign of the baby being born with a forked tongue and three heads. The diet your partner will be instructed to keep is impossible for any human being alive to follow. She will be told to try and avoid … damn near everything it seems like.

I was also incensed that after reading up on the author, all of this “wonderful” information was being brought to me by someone with NO MEDICAL BACKGROUND. If I’m going to want advice on dealing with pregnancy issues, wouldn’t I want to consult an expert (i.e. someone with a degree)? Murkoff is no more an expert then I am …

I’ll be blunt, WTEWYE seems to be an EXTREMELY popular gift for someone who’s pregnant for the first time and it’s probably unavoidable. I came into three copies without any effort at all. I’m not going to stand here and pretend I know of a better source for information either, because (outside of … oh I don’t know … a doctor) I don’t. All I know is that if THIS is the definitive volume on the pregnancy experience, then God help us all.

I absolutely guarantee you, someone your partner knows WILL buy this for her. Your mission is to “lose it.” If you’re already stuck with it and you can’t hide it or burn it, at least do your best to temper its pages with as much perspective as you possibly can. Again, for a first-time mom-to-be, who, frankly, is probably a bit nervous anyway about all the changes her body is going through, all this volume is going to accomplish is completely freaking her out.

Batten down the hatches and break out the antacid my friends, it’s gonna be a long nine months

The classic guide to pregnancy.
If you are looking for a thorough pregnancy book, this has to be it. When I got it from my doctor (he gives one out to each new, expectant mom) I was suprised at how big it was. Wow! A lot of reading material. However, this one covers just about everything you want to know about pregnacny and then some. There was also some stuff in here that I particularily didn’t want to know!! However, it’s a good, solid read and one of the best. A classic. I also liked You Know You’re Pregnant When. Reflections on the Longest Nine Months of My Life as it was funnier and lighter.

Good but read with a grain of salt!
What to Expect When You’re Expecting is an interesting read. I picked up this book when my husband I started trying to conceive and promptly freaked myself out. It seems that a large part of the book is dedicated to showing you exactly what can go wrong and every possible thing that can go wrong with your child before it’s even born. To me (a worry wart), this was the LAST thing I needed to read when preparing to bring a child into this world. Luckily, I picked up several other pregnancy-related books that were much more toned down and friendlier than the Doom and Gloom of WTEWYE. While I think this book is okay for someone who has absolutely no knowledge of babymaking or how anything can affect your body, I’d actually recommend Ann Douglas’ books and/or Your Pregnancy Week by Week. Having a baby is a happy time: don’t let WTEWYE scare the bejeezus out of you!

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Laid-Off Worker Lands a Book Deal and Parties Across America

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Using his severance pay to fund the research, Michael Guerriero landed a book deal, hit the road, and penned Party Across America!–the first travel guide to the nation’s 101 greatest annual celebrations, festivals and sporting events. Not only does the book pinpoint the best bashes across the country, but it provides every detail necessary for others to enjoy them. It’s out nationwide and is selling like hotcakes, due to an economy that is suited to domestic long-weekend travel.

CNN has dubbed Michael Guerriero “the nation’s leading authority on good times.” How did this former buttoned-up corporate stiff transform himself into the USA’s foremost celebratory expert? After getting the axe from the pharmaceutical industry, Guerriero jumped into his Subaru Outback, drove 12,000 miles, and crossed the country 8 times while attending the 101 greatest annual celebrations in America. The result–Party Across America! “Nobody had ever tackled a project like this. And it took loosing my job before I finally had the guts to do it. The idea was sitting inside my head for years,” he says.

If there was ever a time that we needed to blow off some steam, this is it. Party Across America! is the first book of its kind – 300 pages that reveal the ins, outs, and secrets to attending the nation’s best shindigs on a budget. The book has received glowing reviews from USA Today, The L.A. Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, Chicago Sun Times, and countless other publications. In fact, a TV production company has recently developed Party Across America! into a weekly show with Michael as the fun-loving host (see attached 2 minute video).

Types of celebrations range from the expected (Kentucky Derby, New Orleans Jazz Fest, Halloween in NYC) to the unexpected (Tour De Fat, Mermaid Parade, Oakie Noodling Tournament), and details from lodging to tickets to transportation to what-to-pack are included. 47 states are represented, and no rock is left unturned in Michael’s quest to weave the social fabric of the United States.

With international travel at an all-time low, most Americans will rely on long-weekend trips to recharge their batteries (according to Travel Industry Statistics, 55%). Each event occurs over the course of a long-weekend, and is suitable for fun-loving retirees as well as 20 and 30 something’s. This is truly the time to Party Across America – from sea to shining sea.

Website: http://www.partyacrossamericabook.com/

Swimsuit

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 12:59:00 +0000

From Buy Books Online > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Suspense

Swimsuit

By James Patterson, Maxine Paetro
Average customer review:

THE BEACH…
A breathtakingly beautiful supermodel disappears from a swimsuit photo shoot at the most glamorous hotel in Hawaii. Only hours after she goes missing, Kim McDaniels’s parents receive a terrifying phone call. Fearing the worst, they board the first flight to Maui and begin the hunt for their daughter.

…WILL NEVER BE…
Ex-cop Ben Hawkins, now a reporter for the L.A. Times, gets the McDaniels assignment. The ineptitude of the local police force defies belief–Ben has to start his own investigation for Kim McDaniels to have a prayer. And for Ben to have the story of his life.

…THE SAME FOR YOU AGAIN.
All the while, the killer sets the stage for his next production. His audience expects the best–and they won’t be disappointed. Swimsuit is a heart-pounding story of fear and desire, transporting you to a place where beauty and murder collide and unspeakable horrors are hidden within paradise.

Product Details

Amazon Sales Rank: #12 in eBooks
Published on: 2009-06-08
Released on: 2009-06-29
Format: Kindle Book
Number of items: 1

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Patterson never, and I mean never, disappoints.” (USA TODAY Larry King )

“James Patterson is king of the bestseller hill.” (Publishers Weekly )

“Patterson has mastered the art of writing page-turning bestsellers.” (Chicago Sun-Times )

“The Man Who Can’t Miss.” (Time Lev Grossman )

“When it comes to construction a harrowing plot, author James Patterson can turn a screw all right.” (New York Daily News )

“America‘s #1 storyteller.” (Forbes )

About the Author
James Patterson published his first thriller in 1976 and since then has become one of the best-known and bestselling writers of all time, with more than 160 million copies of his books sold worldwide. He is the author of the two most popular detective series of the past decade, featuring Alex Cross and the Women’s Murder Club, and he has written numerous other #1 bestsellers. He has won an Edgar Award–the mystery world’s highest honor–and his novels Kiss the Girls and Along Came aSpider were made into feature films starring Morgan Freeman. His website, www.ReadKiddoRead.com, lists the very best books for kids–titles that kids will gobble up and ask for more. He lives in Florida.

Maxine Paetro is a novelist and journalist. She lives with her husband in New York.

Customer Reviews

An actual review of the book – not the price
I read this via audio book and honestly, it was NOT the best Patterson book. As a matter of fact, if that had been my first Patterson book, I wouldn’t have gone back for more. The book is basically broken into 3 parts.

The first third we are treated to horrendous descriptions of rape, torture and decapitation. Much too graphic and much too disgusting for just casual reading. The killer is pretty good because he’s so rutheless, but some of the people that end up killed are just so unexpected and seem like we wasted time getting to know them only to have them murdered within the first third of the book.

The second third of the book is a cat and mouse type situation between the killer and the novelist.

The final third is more cat and mouse between the killer, the novelist and an underground group. And then *POOF* its all wrapped up in a neat little bow and its done. The ending was such a cop-out I was shocked. I kept thinking that maybe I didn’t have the complete audio book because as I was nearing the end so much was still going on and still unanswered. But of course, the epilogue wrapped it all up and stuffed it in a box.

So I suffered through the must vile descriptions of murder and barely anything really happened and then it was over. I was disappointed, to say the least.

Murder, She (and He) Wrote
Quite possibly, you’ll see this book next to a towel and sunscreen. You’ll see someone on a chaise lounge with a cold drink nearby. And they’ll be reading this book at poolside or on a stretch of beach.

They’ll be reading about Henri Benoit, master of disguise and master of disaster, one of the most sinister characters in contemporary fiction. He murders people due to a vicious inner compulsion and for the big bucks his super-rich clients pay him. These clients enjoy watching people who are brutalized and murdered. Henri films his murders and disseminates the film via the Internet.

The book has a lot of graphically described lust. A lot of graphically described violence. There’s crude language. The authors, James Patterson and Maxine Paetro, set much of the story in exclusive hotels. Fine wine, fine food; and, often, rotten people.

The plot spins off of the kidnapping of a beautiful young swimsuit model who has journeyed to Hawaii for a photo shoot. Her fate and the frantic fears of her parents launch the tale.

It’s certainly a quick read. The prose flows very well, particularly the bit set in the trailer in the middle of the forbidding Joshua Tree National Park. It took me about ten hours of fairly concentrated reading to finish the novel.

Some of it is goofy. Much of it doesn’t make a lot of sense: an L.A. Times reporter/failing novelist/fired cop is coerced to put together a soulless killer’s autobiography. Sure….

But I don’t think people will buy this book because they want a scholarly treatise on the criminal mind. People who buy this book are not looking for airtight logic. They want a little escape. Readers get to go to Hawaii, Paris, Amsterdam, and the Swiss Alps. Eat exotic food with names they can’t pronounce. That sort of thing.

Why Did I Bother?
I must preface this review by saying that I have read every book by James Patterson. Some were really good ie Along Came a Spider and Sail some were OK ie like Beach Road and The Jericho Commandment, some were even sweet ie Sam’s Letters to Jennifer and Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas and then there are some all time bombs like The Jester and SWIMSUIT. Now, I must also say that I am from a generation of readers who were taught and then expected to finish every book they begin BUT I got over that a long time ago and thank goodness I did.

Now, a funny thing happened to me on the way to reading this book. To begin with I was in the midst of reading another book when I was notified by the library that this reserved book was waiting for me. I immediately put down the other book, ran to the library and began reading Swimsuit last night. It doesn’t take much to get into Patterson’s books and I managed to finish 100 pages before going to sleep. This morning I woke up to this niggling family that something was not all together right in my reading world. I thought about this a bit and then finally admitted to myself that I was terribly BORED with this title. Gratutitous violence, poorly presented characters and a plot which goes round and round is hardly ever my thing and I was beginning to think about closing this title. But I must also admit that I suffer from reader’s guilt and wasn’t ready to throw in the towel quite yet so I decided to do something I rarely do until I finish a book and that was to read some of the reviews and I found myself agreeing with the reviews and have now invoked a reader’s right to close the book and return it to the library.

Now, I’m not about to give up on Mr. Patterson. As a matter of fact, just the other night, I reserved a slew of his future titles (for the most part I rally inhale the Alex Cross books), but I also am hoping that perhaps Mr. Patterson writes fewer titles, perhaps he writes them by himself and there is a quick return to good characters and exciting themes.

Finally, I find it really unfair for reviwers to complain about Amazon and the prices of the Kindle version of books. The reviews area of Amazon is eactly that, an area where readers can not only review books but read other reviews. It really quite unfair for readers eager for a review to plough through these reviews to find so many one star reviews which have almost nothing or little to do with the books themselves.

And now I will return to the book I was previously reading and hope I continue to enjoy this title, Shadows Still Remain by Peter deJonge, who ironically co-authored The Beach House with James Patterson.

Swimsuit

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