Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror Books - Page 6

The People of Sparks (Books of Ember)

Jeanne Duprau

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 106 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not gonna say it's the worst book I've ever read... 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

But I can't think of a worse one...

Let me just say that I bought the first book on a whim and was not dissapointed in the least. The characters were not fleshed out as well as they could be (or not at all really) but the idea of Ember, this underground city that is slowly dwindling away was just so enchanting that I had to keep reading. I really enjoyed the first book, and have read it several times over.

So, in saying that, when the People of Sparks came out I was extremely excited to see what Duprau had come up with this time.

Nothing. That's what she had come up with. The idea of the city of ember, which is what attracted me to the book in the first place, was completely gone, replaced by a completely worse setting, horrible characters, and a quite unintelligent plot. Reading this book was like reading a child's idea for the reason some people might go to war, and what ridiculous things they might go to war over.

Don't read it, and if you are going to read it for the sake of the first book, don't buy it. At least get it from the library. It was absolutely horrific, and uninspiring, and had zero plot. I tried to read it. I tried to like it.

I couldn't even finish the novel. And I know that is going to get reactions like, how am i saying all these things when i did not finish it. I couldn't finish it! That was how bad it was. If you do buy it you will feel like someone came up and stole 9 bucks out of your pocket. Promise.

Editorial Review:

The People of Sparks picks up where The City of Ember leaves off. Lina and Doon have emerged from the underground city to the exciting new world above, and it isn’t long before they are followed by the other inhabitants of Ember. The Emberites soon come across a town where they are welcomed, fed, and given places to sleep. But the town’s resources are limited and it isn’t long before resentment begins to grow between the two groups. When anonymous acts of vandalism push them toward violence, it’s up to Lina and Doon to discover who’s behind the vandalism and why, before it’s too late.


From the Hardcover edition.

Inheritance 3-Book Hardcover Boxed Set (Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr)

Christopher Paolini

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Excellent! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I'm on the third book now and cannot put it down. This is a trilogy that anyone who has enjoyed Lord of the Rings, or other authors such as Jordon, Brooks or Donaldson, will love. Strongly recommended!

You won't leave the couch! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's a wonderful trilogy of great and small battles with enemies both in- and outside ones self. A story filled with hope, fear, magic, perseverance, talent, strength and weakness.
These are books which condemn you to so spend every free moment on the coach or in bed untill you've read them all.

Wonderful Continuation 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Inheritance 3-Book Hardcover Boxed Set is a wonderful story. The newest book, Brisingr, picks up right where Paolini left off in Book 2 Eldest. Book 3 takes off right from the beginning and is filled with action, adventure, love, hate, and magic. The Kingdom of Alagaesia is in an all out civil war and only Eragon can save them.

Editorial Review:

WITH THE HIGHLY anticipated publication of Book Three in the Inheritance cycle, the hardcover editions of all three books will be available in a handsome boxed set!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Book 3)

J. K. Rowling

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2602 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Pesky Prisoner, Potions Professor Plus Puzzling Ploys Plague Potter 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Good, solid storytelling. Ms. Rowling's third installment in the Harry Potter series continues to add interesting characters and create an even more appealing magical world for the reader to escape into. Each book has shown the gradual evolution of Harry from a neglected, abused child and mentored into a honorable young man. But the character-building journey is certainly a bumpy ride for young Potter. Moral messages and the complexities of the human condition abound as each new story has been introduced to the public. One of the underlying messages of the book is that most problems in life are not simply black and white, but more complicated. To convey this point in a fun, exciting manner is the sign of great writing. There's real heart to this series and deserves a wide readership.

Editorial Review:

Harry Potter has to sneak back to Hogwarts, after accidentally inflating his horrible Aunt Petunia. But once there everyone is whispering about a prizoner who has escaped from the famous wizard prizon, Azkaban. His name is Sirius Black, and as a follower of Lord Voldemort he is determined to track Harry Potter down -- even if it means laying siege to the very walls of Hogwarts!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Book 5)

J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5871 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

I reread all the books this summer 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

And this one was the best and most imaginative of them all. The Department of Mysteries was easily the greatest fight in all the books.

excellent audio books!!!!!!!!! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have at this point listened to all the books that have come out
in the theaters, i love them all, the narriator is excellent!!!!!
I am a Harry Potter fan, i can't get enough!!!!!!

An amazing novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the great transitional novel in the series. The first books have action and interesting plot twists, but the tone changes in this book. In the previous books, when Harry Potter wins a battle (aka the conclusion of a book), the reader experiences a feeling that everything is all right and will be right. However, throughout this book and into the next ones, the confident feeling that Harry will survive and defeat Voldemort and restore the peaceful, jovial magical world we knew in the first books is challenged. The changes in Harry's character do not inspire confidence either. The character we embraced and grew with is becoming a snotty, arrogant idiot. I found myself questioning whether the world Harry lives in will ever be the same even if Voldemort is defeated.

This is a great book and the beginning of the action that makes this series one of the best I have ever read. I recommend it to all.

Editorial Review:

The book that took the world by storm....In his fifth year at Hogwart's, Harry faces challenges at every turn, from the dark threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be- Named and the unreliability of the government of the magical world to the rise of Ron Weasley as the keeper of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. Along the way he learns about the strength of his friends, the fierceness of his enemies, and the meaning of sacrifice.

The City of Ember (Books of Ember)

Jeanne Duprau

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 421 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

VERY ORIGINAL CONCEPT! I LOVE IT! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

An underground city...a book based on this concept can either be done very dull and single-faceted, or interesting and imaginitive. Thankfully, this book was the latter--full of imagination and a great ending that leads into the 2nd book, The People of Sparks. It was very hard to put down.

audio 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Excellent way to share a story for a mini-study to students in the classroom without having to purchase a classroom set of books.

The City Under Ground? 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I have just purchased this book, but the description sounds startlingly similar to Suzanne Martel's "The City Under Ground" -- which is the book I was looking for because I remember reading it back in the 70's and thought my kids would enjoy it now.

Martel's is out of print. I'll edit my star count after reading the book.

Editorial Review:

NOW A MAJOR motion picture starring Bill Murray, Tim Robbins, Martin Landau, Saoirse Ronan, and Harry Treadaway! This tie-in edition of The City of Ember features a movie-art cover and an 8-page photo insert. Jeanne DuPrau’s instant classic tells the story of the great, underground city of Ember, designed as a last refuge for the human race. But when the storerooms run out of food and the lights begin to fail, it’s up to two teens, Lina and Doon, to decipher the fragments of an ancient parchment and find a way out of Ember.

Crepusculo (Twilight, Spanish Edition)

Stephenie Meyer

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

This book is not for those false puritans... 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 13 people found this review helpful.

Take this book for what it is: sheer entertainment. It is a quick enjoyable read and reads true to the thoughts and feeling of a girl Bella's age. This book was written with a certain audience in mind and was obviously not written for a sunday school class. As it is intended to be entertainment it should not be picked apart by religious bigots for whom it was not written in the first place. There are some books that you just read for fun. It in no way means that I will look to the characters as an example of how to live! Besides, every time a bigot creates a controversy it just means that more people will read the book and it will be that much more popular. So please keep on talking. I'm sure Stephanie Meyer will cry her way to the bank...or laugh.

Editorial Review:

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his vampire identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret.

Description in Spanish: Cuando Isabella Swan se muda a Forks, una pequena localidad del estado de Washington en la que no deja de llover, piensa que es lo mas aburrido que le podi­a haber ocurrido en la vida. Pero su vida da un giro excitante y aterrador una vez que se encuentra con el misterioso y seductor Edward Cullen. Hasta ese momento, Edward se las ha arreglado para mantener en secreto su identidad vampirica, pero ahora nadie se encuentra a salvo, y sobre todo Isabella, la persona a quien mas quiere Edward...

The Cat in the Hat

Dr. Seuss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 177 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Two boys' review: Simply, a classic 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This silly story centers around self-responsibility. The children panic because they know their mother won't be happy if she comes home and find the house a mess. The fish fluctuates between being an annoyance and a voice of reason.

The story stars a well-meaning cat who tries to release the children from an afternoon of boredom. He brings excitement, which quickly devolves into chaos...or so it seems.

This is a fun bedtime story, nothing more, nothing less. My sons weren't looking for a debate about latch-key children and abandonment. We'll leave those reviews to the sociology graduates.

If your children enjoy this book, I also recommend, The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.

I couldn't imagine our children's bookshelf without these Dr. Suess books, too:

The Cat in the Hat
Green Eggs and Ham
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
The Lorax

Editorial Review:

To accompany the release of the live action movie of The Cat in the Hat, starring Mike Myers, HarperCollins are proud to present Dr. Seuss's original, classic tale of the coolest, hippest cat in history!When the Cat in the Hat steps in on the mat, Sally and her brother are in for a roller-coaster ride of havoc and mayhem! The Cat can rescue them from a dull rainy day, but it means lots of thrills and spills along the way. The wonderfully anarchic Cat in the Hat is one of the most popular characters in children's fiction, and this book is ideal for budding readers to tackle on their own.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Book 2)

J. K. Rowling

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2658 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Thrills, Chills, Ill Wills & The Wiz Kids' Sleuthing Skills 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A wonderful sequel to "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone". The first book introduced the reader to the world of wizardry. While Ms. Rowling's debut work was filled with wonderment, suspense and gee-whiz fun, the second installment is a little darker. It also answers a few questions which remained dangling at the end of The Sorcerer's Stone. In addition, colorful, new characters are introduced; some of the familiar characters are fleshed out more; and fresh mysteries pertaining to the whole Hogwarts' realm make this book an extremely entertaining read for all ages. Read the books in sequence and enjoy the ride. My guess is that Ms. Rowling's series still will be popular long after all of us are dead and buried.

Step 2 in a 7 step program 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

After reading the first book and diving headfirst into this one (like I did) you notice how the story itself is so well put together because it's like there was never a seperation. This starts where book 1 left off. And unlike book 1, where you can tell the main focus of the story was to develop who it is you're reading about and get planted into their lives, this book begins the slow yet ultimately satisfying dark plunge that the series as a whole is going to take.

During and after reading this you will come to understand that the rollercoaster of friendship, magic, prophacies, and ressurecting evil wizards is shaping up to be one hell of a ride.

Editorial Review:

A special library binding for the Harry Potter series

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

Frank Miller

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 338 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If any comic has a claim to have truly reinvigorated the genre, then The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller--known also for his excellent Sin City series and his superb rendering of the blind superhero Daredevil--is probably the top contender. Batman represented all that was wrong in comics and Miller set himself a tough task taking on the camp crusader and turning this laughable, innocuous children's cartoon character into a hero for our times. The great Alan Moore (V for Vendetta, Swamp Thing, the arguably peerless Watchmen) argued that only someone of Miller's stature could have done this. Batman is a character known well beyond the confines of the comic world (as are his retinue) and so reinventing him, while keeping his limiting core essentials intact, was a huge task.Miller went far beyond the call of duty. The Dark Knight is a success on every level. Firstly it does keep the core elements of the Batman myth intact, with Robin, Alfred the butler, Commissioner Gordon, and the old roster of villains, present yet brilliantly subverted. Secondly the artwork is fantastic--detailed, sometimes claustrophobic, psychotic. Lastly it's a great story: Gotham City is a hell on earth, street gangs roam but there are no heroes. Decay is ubiquitous. Where is a hero to save Gotham? It is 10 years since the last recorded sighting of the Batman. And things have got worse than ever. Bruce Wayne is close to being a broken man but something is keeping him sane: the need to see change and the belief that he can orchestrate some of that change. Batman is back. The Dark Knight has returned. Awesome. --Mark Thwaite

Harry Potter Boxset Books 1-7

J. K. Rowling

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 290 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Disappointing 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Although I had given the first HP book to a nephew the year it was published, I waited to purchase and read the books until (1) my son was old enough and (2) the series was finished and I could get matching hard copies. A friend ordered this for me through her library connections. It took ages to arrive; forunately for me, I had no idea the box was supposed to be wooden, so I was not initially disappointed by that. However, now that we've begun reading them (my son could easily read them himself but I still read to him at bedtime, and it's really fun to discover Harry's world along with him), I was stunned and insulted to discover that the prose had been tampered with, dumbed down and 'Americanized' for stupid Yanks. I am an American but I know what a packet of crisps is, and when 'chips' has been substituted for 'crisps,' among other things. So now, having spent over $100 for this set, I am going to have to spend more to get the REAL thing. How disappointing. What on earth were the people at Scholastic thinking?! Moreover, why did JK Rowling allow them to do this? I cannot fathom any reason why perfectly ordinary English should have to be changed. Or is it that we really are that stupid, insular, and arrogant that we cannot even read English from other English speaking countries anymore? I am truly sorry that my son will have to read a watered down, adulterated version of these classic stories. What a letdown.

Editorial Review:

HARRY POTTER BOXED SET 1-7 includes the seven phenomenal Harry Potter hardcover books by best selling author J. K. Rowling. These books are housed in a collectible trunk-like box with sturdy handles and privacy lock. Bonus decorative stickers are included in each boxed set.