should i buy The Last Bookstore In America reviews

I welcomed the discomfort of the cognitive dissonance of reading "The Last Bookstore in America" on my Kindle. It made the novel even more delightful! Although the Gizmo seems a real possibility in the near future, I had never intellectually pursued its logical end result. I feel strangely compelled to defend my e-book ownership: Since June, the 60 Kindle books I've read are not swaying in dangerous 4-to-5-foot towers in front of the eight floor-to-ceiling bookcases in our house.

Also because our daughter graduated three years ago from Humboldt State University in contiguous Arcata, I am familiar with Eureka, its Old Town, and the waterfront. I love the North Coast culture.

Amazingly, as a writing professor and lover of books and bookstores, I found no plot line, character development, or local description that I would recommend Amy Stewart to change before final publication.

I have just about finished reading this very funny "book" on my Kindl*EDIT: The video shares some parts of the premise that you may consider spoilers, though these plot points are revealed within the first couple chapters of the book, and the author herself discusses these elements of the book in The New York Times. If you want to be fully surprised, don't watch the video. But I had read all about the book before picking it up, and knowing more about it actually increased my level of excitement about reading it. The written review below contains no hints beyond what is in the synopsis above.***

This was a cracking good read. As a Kindle owner, I was fascinated by the premise - a world with a Kindle-like device which is so great it obliterates the printed book, and nobody's disappointed about it, either. Against this backdrop, Lewis and Emily inherit one of the last five bookstores in America from Lewis' eccentric Uncle Sy, and they travel to sleepy Humboldt County, CA to check out this romantic relic of a bookstore. The story takes some unexpected directions from there.

The book itself was beautifully crafted - I loved the characters, the setting and details were so easy to imagine, and the writing was witty and full of personality. On the Kindle, you can highlight your favorite parts, and I found myself highlighting every other page through the entire book - there were so many gorgeous snippets of perfect writing throughout.

If you're a fan of Amy's non-fiction about gardening and the outdoor world, you are going to love this book. There's some of the best garden writing and imagery in this book that I have read anywhere, and the rest of the book was so full of liveliness and personality that you're sure to love it as much as I did.

And once you finish, join the discussion at Amy's site by doing an internet search for Last Bookstore in America. e -- how ironic. I must say that the premise and the story itself was thought provoking. I thought the character development was charming and I grew to like being in the company of most of these people right away.
I was disappointed however with the editing. It was quite jarring in places how many spelling and grammatical errors were in this manuscript. Do e-books not get edited for this kind of thing?
I would recommend this as a fun romp of a read. I will NEVER give up books and I think most readers -- however much they love there e-readers -- feel the same way. No Gizmos for us. Fast forward into the future of 'real' books through Amy Stewart's story of the 'Last Bookstore in America'. It's shocking,(I wondered what the locals in Eureka thought of it),very funny, and not at all impossible to visualize the demise of "the book". But what will replace books? Read the book and be surprised. If you know anything about the North Coast culture maybe you will guess sooner than I did. The characters were realistic but I felt the plot dragged in a lot of places. I actually learned how to use my Kindle's key to skip chapters and then go back for the details. I know this sounds terrible but I'm an impatient sort. I recommend this novel as an entertaining read from a very talented author. This is an entertaining and charming story about Lewis and Emily, a married couple, who inherit a surprisingly profitable bookstore from Lewis's eccentric uncle in Eureka, California, one of five remaining bookstores in America (by book's end, the last). All of the residents of this community are quirky and endearing, and while Lewis and Emily don't fit in at first, in time they learn the mystery of the store's success and succumb to its momentum.

As other readers have noted, the only way to read this delightful tale is on an electronic reading device, such as the Gizmo in the story, which has steadily undermined the book as we've known it. With the Gizmo, there is no need for physical books: printed words on parchment or paper. Nonetheless, residents of Eureka beat a path to the Firebreathing Dragon (the name of the bookstore), buying books to the tune of over a million dollars a year. Their purchases and the bookstore, of course, are central to the elaborate and slightly concealed joke that's being played on us the readers and Lewis & Emily the owners.I think I expected something a bit more in-depth but, in spite of that, found myself easily getting into the book. None of that plodding that sometimes happens when you can barely keep reading but do so just in hopes that you haven't wasted the time already invested. I enjoyed the author's style and was engaged in the book right away. That said, it's a book I'd consider a fun easy summertime read. I'm reading it as part of a book club and I'm not sure we'll have a lot to discuss other than the potential of the scenario painted happening. The characters seemed a bit superficial and the plot line obvious but, still, I don't regret reading it at all. Yes, like many others, I read it on a kindle and kept smiling about the incongruity of that as I read. I live in N. California. My son went to Humboldt University..a spit away from Eureka.
If you haven't been up here, you might not know that kids come up here to go to college, first time away from home, and start wearing tie dye, woven shorts and birkenstocks. Within a week, they are stumping for the legalization of Hemp.They mean cannabis, of course, but they say hemp. 4 years later, with an education they head for Silicon Valley for the big tech money..and have forgotten about Hemp.
This wonderful book takes a look at the rapidly changing technology (Gizmos) and of course Nile.com...and extrapolates the end of Dead Tree Books, therefore the end of bookstores.
An 'out of it' couple go to Eureka to claim a bookstore the husband's Uncle Sy left him in a hard to find will. This couple may as well have lived on the moon..they have missed the eccentricity of San Francisco which is not far from where they were living. Protected by their condo walls and high end jobs, they have no idea of any other way of life.
I won't give away the plot. If you don't know that marijuana is California's largest cash crop, and Humboldt county the largest growing area, and that getting a medical card here to buy legally grown pot takes 5 minutes, you may not 'get' this book. Every now and then our very own state leaders try to decide if marijuana should be legalized to pay off the state debt. So far, it hasn't happened.
The couple learns that the falling apart bookstore is making a million plus $ a year, and give up plans to go back to their feathered nest in San Jose. Greedy? Well who wouldn't be? They begin living out of the cash register and never see what is really going on.
The rest of the story is in the book.
Don't let your sensibilities decide..OMG this is about POT! and not read it..this is one great book.
It is about so much more.

It is funny and semi-true and there are some delicious lines in the book that I wish I had thought of saying.
I will keep this book in my Kindle (irony again) and re-read it.I picked up this book free during an Amazon giveaway. When pharmaceutical rep Lewis inherits his uncle's bookstore in tiny Eureka, California, he and his super-materialistic wife Emily go to look at it and are astounded at its profitability in the post-paper-books world. But how long before they discover that its earnings have nothing to do with books?

I could not get into this book at all. The characters are so one-dimensional and uninteresting that the clever plotline is wasted. I gave up a third of the way through. This is a well written story that makes you think about the possibility of a world without books. No bookstores, no libraries. The manner in which the "last bookstore in America" stays in business and thrives is hilarious. The naive nephew is a rather endearing character. His "I must have everything I want...now!" wife is a good example of how many people today live their lives. Buy today, pay ...whenever. The townspeople are interesting characters. Several parts of this book made me laugh out loud and I would recommend it as an enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

should i buy Seeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore reviews

Thirty-Five Year Old,Lyra Struggled With The Deaths Of Her Parents And The Failure Of A One Sided Love Marriage Until Her Ex Filed For A Divorce. She Fled Florida After The School Season Ended. Her Only Living Relative, Her Aunt Jean Was Struck With Cancer So She Went To Help Her As She Remembered Happier Times Spent There As A Girl.

Cullen Drake, A Bookstore Owner And A Wizard From Dragonspier Had Been Sent By The Imperial Dragon To Seek Out A New Scribe Foretold To Write The Greatest Book Of His World's Existence And Found The Ten Year Old Lyra In A Hospital Fighting For Her Life. When She Read From The Dragonspier Book, He Had The Power To Transport Her To His World Where She Thrived, But He Lost Track Of Her For Twenty-Five Years. Now. Fate Had Had Brought The Young Girl He Remembered Loving And Waiting To Love Back Into His Life. She Had The Power To Fight The Black Dragon And Keep Evil From Taking Over His World, But Was She Strong Enough So All In His World Wouldn't Die?

Wow, Be Prepared For A Fantastic Story As Lyra Learns She Came From A Long Line Of Scribes And Learns So Much About Who She Is!! Dragonspeir is rich with imagery and I can easily picture myself walking the same paths as Lyra, Cullen, and her animal guides. The characters are well developed and relatable and I'm sure you'll be rooting for Lyra and Cullen like I was. I'm putting this author on my watch list! The settings are as breathtaking in one reality as they are real in the other. Ms. Moore has a flair for description, you can practically feel the heat of the dragon's breath on your skin. She makes the leap between the two worlds seamlessly. Her characters transition in the blink of an eye and are as real as your next door neighbor...if your neighbor is a wizard! This author is one to watch. I love reading about dragons, so I was ecstatic to win this ARC book in a competition. I won it a while ago, but I haven't been able to read it until now.

Lyra McCauley is a fantastic character. She is a 35 year old divorced writer, who is visiting her sick aunt. Lyra is a loving woman, who has been hurt by her ex-husband and doesn't want her heart broken again. Meeting Cullen Drake sparks an adventure full of danger, and a love she never thought she would have.

Cullen Drake is a wizard from the world of Dragonspeir, who has been given the task of finding the owner of the Book of Dragonspeir. He is a very complex character and a very powerful wizard.

This book is full of enchantment and magic. I love the talking animals in Dragonspeir; They bring the story to life. I especially enjoyed the Cicada, Sheridan; He made me laugh! Every animal has their own character, and the interaction between Lyra and them all, made them seem very human-like. When I actually started reading this book, I thought it would make a wonderful fairy tale for children. However, that soon changed when I realised that this book is actually aimed at YA audiences. There are some steamy scenes in this book, so I don't recommend it for anyone under 16!! However, that being said, this book took me on an adventure through Dragonspeir, and I got to meet some dragons (some good, some evil), and some other great characters. The Black Dragon is one scary character! I kept thinking to myself "Don't go in there!" during one of the scenes. The atmosphere that Marsha Moore has created, both dark and light, is very perceptible and palpable. I could easily "see" this story playing out in my head. I don't know why, but it was like an animated movie in there! Go figure!
I am now looking forward to reading the next book in the series, thanks to the teaser chapter that Marsha kindly included in the book!

I recommend this book if you are looking for a fantastic fantasy story that takes you on a magical journey filled with dragons, sprites, unicorns and wizards. First off I love the concept of this book. I think just about everyone who is a big reader can understand what I am talking about her. When you find a book you love or a character you love, wouldn't it be so amazing if you could step into that world and actually live in it, or meet your favorite character? This book kind of takes that desire and expands on it. Lyra is a part of this great imaginative world and she is the one who has to save it, and the world exists within a book! In a way the book is kind of a book inside a book. I personally think that this is a really cool way for Moore to create a way where every reader's fantasy of being in a book comes true.

Another strong point in the book for me was the use of animals. I think I have made it pretty clear how much I love animals on this blog, and I love when they make an appearance in books. Anything from someones companion dog who has nothing magical about them, to the animals in this book, who are some of the coolest characters themselves; made from fantasy and with their own personalities to boot!

I think the really cool thing about the plot in the book was that really their were kind of two plots. One in Lyra's world and one in the world that takes place inside of the book. But the two plots worked so well together in tandem, because obviously Lyra was a part of both of them. I think often times when you have something like this book, that is a little bit more complicated on the plot side, as a reader you can sometimes feel like you are missing out on some of the details or that too much is going on and you can't follow the storyline, but this was no a problem at all in Moore's book. She made everything about both worlds very easy to understand and fun for the reader to follow along with.

I really enjoyed the tone throughout the book. I thought the writing in the book was really good, and enjoyable. I thought the pace was just right, nothing felt rushed and nothing felt to slow (and I hate when things are slow so that made me really happy). I like that nothing was overly serious throughout the entire book, there were moments that were funny and felt organic, and of course there were moments of seriousness, but it was good to have those funny moment to break up the intensity.

I think the only thing I can really talk about that I wish might have been a little bit different is the backstory. Sometimes when I read a book I feel like the author info dumps all the back story in the first couple chapters and it kind of turns me off to a book. But in this book I wish I had known more of the backstory for the characters. But then again this is book one, so hopefully with the next books you will get to learn more and more about the characters (which is of course always a strong possibility).

Overall I really thought that the book was a solid book all around. I think it is one of those books that would be enjoyed by a wide range of readers, there is definitely something in this book for epic fantasy readers, I think the urban fantasy crowd could also easily enjoy this book, and I also believe that the paranormal romance readers could find something in this book to enjoy as well. So if you are looking for something new, and you have ever wished that you could be apart of a book, then you should check out this book. After the loss of her parents and the end of her marriage, Lyra McCauley decides to travel north for the summer to Lake Huron, to visit and care for her Aunt Jean, who is battling cancer. There she meets Cullen Drake, the owner of a magical and mysterious bookstore, who has the key to Lyra's hidden past and her favorite childhood book. Along with the book comes the memory of an entire world that she had forgotten, as well as a quest, a love, and a responsibility that has the potential to change everything she knows.

should i buy Bookstore - Peel reviews

Before I opened this book, I posed some questions I thought the book should answer. These questions, with the author's response follow:

1. What are the criteria for choosing Amazon.com, eBay, or one's own site for selling a particular title?

The author clearly prefers Amazon over most other options, although he gives some good reasons for setting up your own web page.

2. How do you pick titles to sell? Some obvious examples, such as Stephen King hardcovers are really poor second hand sellers.

The author gives some very general suggestions on which titles to pick and which titles to avoid. I agree with him almost entirely, although I can think of some exceptions to most of his titles to avoid; however, that is based on special knowledge of certain fields such as cookbooks.

3. How do you acquire interesting titles cheaply? Whenever I browse a second hand bookstore, 99 out of 100 titles are pure junk. I have yet to find, for example, an important out of print cookbook at any used bookstore.

The author provides many good sources, including every one I could think of, plus one or two I did not think of.

4. How do you track your stock so you can quickly determine whether or not you have a title OR where you may be able to acquire a title for a book hunter.

The author gives many useful answers to this question, including some new technology options that really surprised me, based on accessing the Internet through your cell phone.

5. What is the best shipping option considering cost versus speed?

The author gives some very good analyses on the advantages and disadvantages of fast versus slow delivery options.

6. Is there any value to branching out to recordings?

The author never once discusses how to apply his suggestions to other merchandise, even though he does go so far as to consider expanding an Internet sales operation to a brick and mortar store.

One of the reasons the author does not deal with other goods is that marketing books through the Internet is so much richer a subject than I imagined, in spite of the fact that I am a major customer of these services. The amount of software written to support this enterprise is staggering.

In a nutshell, Mr. Weber has given us an excellent manual on how to do this very specialized, albeit very popular form of Internet marketing.

The first sure sign that Steve was not pulling the wool over our eyes was when he stated that while this activity can be really rewarding, it is still hard work. The plus side is that you get to keep all the rewards of this hard work.

Since running a bookstore was always one of my secret ambitions, I really appreciated almost everything Weber had to say about this adaptation of the corner bookstore. If I were to point out any one thing where the author was light on his recommendations, it would be with the fact that I think a person who really knows and loves books in the first place will do much better than the average entrepreneur. I suspect that one could get into real estate investing without a good knowledge of law, carpentry, or finance, but unlike houses, books are something which not everyone knows well. One test for an aspiring book merchandising operation would be to name the leading textbook authors in statistics, economics, symbolic logic, and organic chemistry. I cite these because Mr. Weber makes the excellent point that non-fiction books hold their value much better than fiction, especially current popular fiction. The author does not point this out, but a major exception to this rule should be manuals on computer software. No one has any use anymore for a text on Multiplan, dBase III, or Wordpro.

I especially liked Mr. Weber's recommendation that the reader consider specializing in a particular field, such as cookbooks. This is an especially good suggestion as everyone must eat and so everyone needs someone to cook for him or her. It is also a good field as there is a rich bibliography of out of print cookbooks which most foodies would love to have access to, such as English writer Jane Grigson's catalogue.

While Mr. Weber does not deal with any other type of goods, I suggest his suggestions would work almost as well for records, toys, or collectibles in general, as long as you know your subject.

I am very happy Mr. Weber provided his book to me for review as it is very unlikely I would have found it on my own, and it is an especially fertile plot of ideas, suggestions, and guidance regarding this enterprise. I am happy for him that he got his work into print when he did.

There are untold thousands of books on the market that promise the buyer a way to make money. Most just provide an outline, or some ideas that the author claims will produce guarenteed millions, buying distressed properties, government surplus, whatever. Some are by successful business owners, but don't really get into the details of running a business. And some are out-and-out frauds.

This book, though, is almost unique among how-to business books. It's written by a successful busienssman, and it's a real, practical nuts-and-bolts guide to setting up an internet-based used book store. In fact, it's so detailed you have to wonder why the author is going to such pains to help set up his own competition.

There are chapters on where to buy books, what books to sell and which to avoid, how to grade books, the best selling venues, how to describe books, how to set up an inventory system, how to deal with problems- if you can't run a business using this book alone, you shouldn't be running a business, period.

Now reading this book won't guarentee you can make a successful go of an on-line used bookstore; you still need the kind of drive and perseverence that characterize all successful business owners. This isn't something you can make a go of in a few hours a week; it requires dedication. And you need to be flexible; I suspect that this business model won't be profitible forever, as the publishing market changes. But it's a good model for more than just books. I could see applying the same model to other used goods.

If you are, in fact, the kind of person who has the drive and the devotion to make a business work, and you're looking for a good business model to start with, you could do a lot worse than to get a copy of "The Home-Based Bokstore". I strongly suspect that this book will spawn a lot of new Internet entrepenuers. The Home-Based Bookstore doesn't claim to be complete and comprehensive, so it's probably not fair to give it only four stars because it skimps on some useful information.

For example, Mr. Weber recommends giving the customer a tracking number but doesn't make it clear how to get one. I'm sure this is idiotically simple to anyone familiar with postal transactions. That's probably why Mr. Weber didn't give a hand-holding description of the process.

I was clueless. I took my first shipment to the post office and asked for a tracking number. The clerk started pulling out forms for costly and complicated types of service and began to spout arcane postal jargon. I couldn't cope with the information overload so I shipped my books without the all-important tracking number.

My next trip I learned that you have to get DELIVERY CONFIRMATION. Look for the small lime-green form. It has a bar code label (with tracking number) that you attach to your parcel.

I could have used some help with book terminology, i.e., the verbiage to put into the "comments" field of your Amazon listing. If you browse the listings, you see myriad descriptive terms. Is there a right or wrong way to list your book? The book does not address the topic.

The book is rife with listings for pricing and inventory software, online postage services, and the hand-held scanners you can use for automated scouting at book sales. It's puzzling that the author would present these listings without commentary regarding which ones he found useful, or if he used them at all.

The author could have summarized how he was able to quit his job in three months and sell books full time. As others have noted, he generously shares precious inside knowledge, so this might not be a valid gripe. Without this book or one like it, the fledgling bookman would have a harder time getting started.

This manual outlines enough of the basics to get you started. I was able to sell a few books before I even finished reading The Home-Based Bookstore, the book that introduced me to selling books online. It popped up on my Amazon recommendations and I thought "Why not give it a shot?"

Within days of buying the book, the local Friends of the Library (FOL) had a "parking lot" sale. I headed for the sale with high anticipation of launching my bookselling empire.

The "sale" turned out to be a disturbing mob scene. The books are piled into several plastic shopping carts. Scanner-wielding book vendors paw through them frantically, pushing and shoving to gain the advantage. They are like vultures attacking a carcass. A few books spill out of the carts and are left on the ground. Within minutes, the vendors skulk off to their corners to guard their booty.

The Friends of the Library are selling books on Amazon. They have rightly already culled any books of real value. The books causing the frenzy apparently are the dregs the Friends don't want to bother with. They are offered at the parking lot sale for 10 cents to 25 cents, however. If you're not shy about mixing it up with other booksellers, you can make money at a sale like this. That's what one of the vendors told me. All of the vendors were women at this sale, so the risk of a brawl breaking out might actually be low.

I can't imagine myself joining a mob scene, so I all but gave up on getting inventory this way. I had plenty of extra books from my own collection, so I decided to use Amazon to clear some space on my bookshelf. Opening an account and setting up your listings is easy as pie. Within a few minutes you are in business.

I listed books from $3.29 up to $65.00 depending on the lowest price showing. The next day my prices were undercut by other vendors. I retaliated with price cuts of my own. They responded with further cuts, and so on. I eventually stopped cutting my price. The other vendors have (Cyberdyne) robotic software that cuts their prices automatically. The book I listed for $3.29 was later listed for a penny, the result of a regressive bidding war between the robots.

I figured $3.29 was my bookshelf-clearing price. If I can't unload a book for $3.29, I'll donate it to the library. Let someone buy it for a dime at the parking lot sale.

I typed the ISBN into the Amazon search screen to gauge the market for each book. When you come up with 1,356 copies starting at a penny, it's safe to say the market is saturated. I ended up with three crates of these marginal books, destined to land on the pavement at the parking lot sale.

Why not sell my leftovers to a used bookstore? The first one I called said no thanks, "we are overwhelmed with inventory right now." The second place I called didn't really want to hear from me but said they might consider taking some books off my hands if they met their stringent requirements, etc. Who needs it? I took my crates to the library and got a nice thank you.

I sold seven books! Amazon's shipping guidelines actually have pictures showing just how you should address your parcels. You can't go wrong. By my second trip to the post office, I was a savvy shipper, even mastering the DELIVERY CONFIRMATION process.

I gave same day or next day service. My books were in good condition and reasonably priced. I wrapped my parcels meticulously. For my labors, I was rewarded with two 5.0 feedbacks from my customers. Bless their hearts!

I'm going to go on Amazon and find an outfit for a hockey goalie, complete with face mask and helmet. I'll use it as battle gear for the next FOL sale. My bookselling competitors won't know what hit 'em.

should i buy Bookstore Cat (Step into Reading reviews

BOOKSTORE CAT is a nice little story with colorful, fun pictures full of interest. And a surprisingly good plot for a learn-to-read book! The author has obviously had a personal relationship with a cat, as she's captured Mulligan's personality and "priorities" very well. What intrigues me is the whole concept of "Step into Reading" books. This is a Step 1 book for the earliest readers. (There are four steps.) If you're new to them, as I am, let me tell you there are a LOT of titles in the series (listed at the back of the book). Some are Sesame Street books, Thomas the Tank Engine, Arthur, and more. If you have a preschooler, you might want to look into these. I have always had cats and this book is fun to read to my grandchildren when they come over for a visit. Parents and children alike will love reading over and over again this charming story about Mulligan, a cat in a bookstore who seems to be running the show, and takes his position very seriously!

While a puppet show for young customers catches Mulligan's eye, he is alarmed to discover the presence of a big green bird on the stage. Naturally, Mulligan springs into action, causing the expected bruhaha!

Well, in the end young readers will be amused to see how Mulligan is so satisfied that he had done a good job.

The illustrations are wonderful, making the bookstore look like a very inviting place, indeed! By all means, invite this kitty into your own home. BOOKSTORE CAT is a nice little story with colorful, fun pictures full of interest. And a surprisingly good plot for a learn-to-read book! The author has obviously had a personal relationship with a cat, as she's captured Mulligan's personality and "priorities" very well. What intrigues me is the whole concept of "Step into Reading" books. This is a Step 1 book for the earliest readers. (There are four steps.) If you're new to them, as I am, let me tell you there are a LOT of titles in the series (listed at the back of the book). Some are Sesame Street books, Thomas the Tank Engine, Arthur, and more. If you have a preschooler, you might want to look into these. This is a GREAT book for kids - my 18 month old daughter LOVES this book and I am lucky if I can get through pre-nap time or pre-bed time reading without having to read this book aloud more than three times.
The book is written so that there is the right amount of text and pictures on each page to hold a small attention span captive long enough to read the entire book. My daughter enjoys and understands the plot, the protagonist/antagonist characters, and happily points out the mommys, babies and animals; she especially likes shaking her little finger and saying "No no no" and "uh oh" to the character in the story who tries to enter the bookstore.
This book is also good to use as a tool for exposing a child to a second language; I can easily point to things and ask my daughter to show me the gato, the libro, the ventana, etc.
If you are looking for a book that is the next step after board books for younger children OR a first step with a beginning reader....this is it!
Happy reading and remember.....every book store needs a Bookstore Cat!

should i buy A Sinister Sense (A Raven's Nest Bookstore reviews

Cousins Clara and Stephanie find themselves in the midst of another mystery while running their paranormal bookstore Raven's Nest, this time to help out Clara's good friend/maybe boyfriend Rick. These two are a really fun crime-solving team, and I also enjoy the mother/daughter dynamic of Clara and Jessie. The addition of Tatters makes this terrific cozy series even "cozier" and I loved how Clara can even read his thoughts at times! The mystery isn't extremely complex, making this a great summer read...not too taxing on the brain yet extremely enjoyable.Finn's Harbor was a quiet little town on the coast of Maine. Well, quiet if you didn't count Roberta Prince, the owner of the stationer's store, who had a fit when she thought Tatters was going to jump on her. She was a prissy Prada type who dressed to the nines to impress Rick Sanders, the owner of the hardware store and that disgusting dog. Tatters, who had absolutely no fashion sense, plowed into the cookbook display at the Raven's Nest bookstore trying to get her attention. "You need to control that monster." Yes, and Roberta, the biggest gossip in Finn's Harbor, needed to control her mouth.

Since the economy tanked, Finn's Harbor wasn't exactly a happening town. The only thing remotely exciting was when Clara Quinn and her cousin, Steffie, the owner of Raven's, joined forces to help solve Ana Jordan's murder the year before. Common sense should have told Clara to stay out of police business, but she had another sense that told her otherwise. Clara had the Quinn Sense, a paranormal sense that "led her down paths she didn't want to go" and one of them was figuring out whodunit. The voices that came to her were posed as riddles. Clara's secret psychic abilities would soon come in handy.

"There's been a murder," Molly squawked at Clara and Steffie. A bludgeoned corpse just happened to turn up in the back of Rick's pickup. Frank Toski was deader than a bag of nails and had been pounded into the great beyond with a hammer from his hardware store. The Quinn sense was never wrong, but when Clara asked Rick if he knew Frank, it claimed, "He's lying." Huh? The Sense also told her he didn't do it. Mayor Carson Dexter wanted an immediate arrest in "the bowling alley murder." The Quinn cousins began to investigate, but for some reason the Quinn Sense was becoming unpredictable ... just like the guy who was pointing a chain saw at them!

This delightfully charming mystery blended with a touch of paranormal Quinn-sensibility will garner many fans. I became enamored with Tatters, the mischievous dog who was there when Clara needed him and when she didn't. The humorous realism he brought to Finn's Harbor, as well as many other incidents, made this mystery a down-to-earth tale that made it into an irresistible page turner. The Quinn Sense, which was an on and off again psychic sense, was one that Clara was finally accepting in her life. Hopefully as the series progresses, it will become a stronger and more prominent part of her life. Clara was a smart, serious, and gusty Maine sleuth that you'll totally fall in love with!Clara Quinn, a bookstore worker, has claim to the 'Quinn Sense.' This sense is a family inherited trait that allows Clara insight into a situation rather telepathically, using audiology and clairvoyance. She hears voices and sees crime scenes. Clara has spent great energy to suppress this ability since her best friend, and cousin Stephanie did not inherit the sense.

In this case, Clara does chose to use the advantage of her sense. Rick Sanders, a man that Clara is interested in, has a dead body show up in the rear of his pickup. Clara 'knows' he is not the culprit, she has to hurry to find the true killer before Rick is charged with the crime.

We are introduced to a lovable furry dog, Tatters who is able to converse with Clara and that is an avenue the author, in my opinion, should pursue. I would like to see more paranormal exploration.
Finn's Harbor was a quiet little town on the coast of Maine. Well, quiet if you didn't count Roberta Prince, the owner of the stationer's store, who had a fit when she thought Tatters was going to jump on her. She was a prissy Prada type who dressed to the nines to impress Rick Sanders, the owner of the hardware store and that disgusting dog. Tatters, who had absolutely no fashion sense, plowed into the cookbook display at the Raven's Nest bookstore trying to get her attention. "You need to control that monster." Yes, and Roberta, the biggest gossip in Finn's Harbor, needed to control her mouth.

Since the economy tanked, Finn's Harbor wasn't exactly a happening town. The only thing remotely exciting was when Clara Quinn and her cousin, Steffie, the owner of Raven's, joined forces to help solve Ana Jordan's murder the year before. Common sense should have told Clara to stay out of police business, but she had another sense that told her otherwise. Clara had the Quinn Sense, a paranormal sense that "led her down paths she didn't want to go" and one of them was figuring out whodunit. The voices that came to her were posed as riddles. Clara's secret psychic abilities would soon come in handy.

"There's been a murder," Molly squawked at Clara and Steffie. A bludgeoned corpse just happened to turn up in the back of Rick's pickup. Frank Toski was deader than a bag of nails and had been pounded into the great beyond with a hammer from his hardware store. The Quinn sense was never wrong, but when Clara asked Rick if he knew Frank, it claimed, "He's lying." Huh? The Sense also told her he didn't do it. Mayor Carson Dexter wanted an immediate arrest in "the bowling alley murder." The Quinn cousins began to investigate, but for some reason the Quinn Sense was becoming unpredictable ... just like the guy who was pointing a chain saw at them!

This delightfully charming mystery blended with a touch of paranormal Quinn-sensibility will garner many fans. I became enamored with Tatters, the mischievous dog who was there when Clara needed him and when she didn't. The humorous realism he brought to Finn's Harbor, as well as many other incidents, made this mystery a down-to-earth tale that made it into an irresistible page turner. The Quinn Sense, which was an on and off again psychic sense, was one that Clara was finally accepting in her life. Hopefully as the series progresses, it will become a stronger and more prominent part of her life. Clara was a smart, serious, and gusty Maine sleuth that you'll totally fall in love with!Clara Quinn, a bookstore worker, has claim to the 'Quinn Sense.' This sense is a family inherited trait that allows Clara insight into a situation rather telepathically, using audiology and clairvoyance. She hears voices and sees crime scenes. Clara has spent great energy to suppress this ability since her best friend, and cousin Stephanie did not inherit the sense.

In this case, Clara does chose to use the advantage of her sense. Rick Sanders, a man that Clara is interested in, has a dead body show up in the rear of his pickup. Clara 'knows' he is not the culprit, she has to hurry to find the true killer before Rick is charged with the crime.

We are introduced to a lovable furry dog, Tatters who is able to converse with Clara and that is an avenue the author, in my opinion, should pursue. I would like to see more paranormal exploration.Cousins Clara and Stephanie Quinn from the Raven's Nest Bookstore are back with another murder to solve in Allison Kingsley's latest cozy mystery, A SINISTER SENSE. Things aren't looking so good for Rick Sanders, the owner of Finn's Harbor's only hardware store. A dead body is discovered in the back of his truck, and the murder weapon was taken straight from his own store's inventory. Even though most of the town thinks he's guilty, Clara just knows he's innocent. Rick is Clara's good friend (and even a potential love interest?), so she's not going to sit by an let him take the fall for someone else. Armed with her special "Quinn Sense" and her cousin Stephanie's help, Clara sets out to find the real murderer.

A SINISTER SENSE was a quick and easy read, and overall I liked it - not loved, but liked. The mystery was fairly simple, without a lot of twists and turns or red herrings in the plot. Clara was such a loyal friend to Rick, and when others turned their back on him, she stuck to her guns to find the real murderer, even after receiving threats if she didn't stop snooping. I enjoyed the dynamic between Clara and Stephanie as cousins, best friends and a fun amateur sleuthing team. My main complaint with this book is the same one I had with the first book in the series (Mind Over Murder) - the way the murderer was caught was just kind of silly. Not very believable in my opinion, and that took away some of my enjoyment.

I'm crazy about bookstore settings, and the Raven's Nest sounds like an intriguing shop with its Edgar Allen Poe theme. The bookstore specializes in the occult genre, which is fitting given that certain family members, like Clara, have the "Quinn Sense." It's similar to having a sixth sense; Clara hears voices in her mind, giving her vague hints about certain things, or she will just develop a strong "feeling" about something without explanation. Clara is not very good at using her special ability, mainly because she's not happy about having it in the first place, and for years she's tried to pretend it wasn't there. I absolutely LOVE cozies with paranormal elements, so I wish this book had delved deeper into the Quinn Sense.

Since I'm curious to see where Clara's relationship goes with Rick, and I want to know more about Clara's woo-woo powers, I will be continuing with A Raven's Nest Bookstore series. I'm just hoping the cousins find a different way to catch the killer next time.

Cousins Clara and Stephanie find themselves in the midst of another mystery while running their paranormal bookstore Raven's Nest, this time to help out Clara's good friend/maybe boyfriend Rick. These two are a really fun crime-solving team, and I also enjoy the mother/daughter dynamic of Clara and Jessie. The addition of Tatters makes this terrific cozy series even "cozier" and I loved how Clara can even read his thoughts at times! The mystery isn't extremely complex, making this a great summer read...not too taxing on the brain yet extremely enjoyable. In Finn's Harbor, Maine the male corpse is found in the back of hardware store owner Rick Sander's truck. The victim had been seen on Rick's store and the murder weapon came from his shop. Police Chief Dan Peterson brings Rick to the station for questioning.

The townsfolk feel Rick killed the John Doe, but Clara Quinn, who works at her cousin Stephanie Quinn Dowd's Raven's Nest Bookstore employee, rejects the notion he is a murderer. She points out the same jumping to false conclusions happened to another bookstore worker Molly Owens (see Mind Over Murder). However, she also knows she is attracted to Rick. As the evidence mounts against Rick, encouraged by Stephanie to use her Quinn Sense to investigate, Clara knows she must identity the victim and why he was in town in order to find the killer.

The second Raven's Nest Bookstore paranormal amateur sleuth is an entertaining amusing whodunit as the two cousins who are BFF "sisters" land in one mess after another. The investigation is fun while Tatters the dog adds canine humor to the amusing fiasco the cousins land in. Fans will enjoy this lighthearted well written mystery.

This was an enjoyable cozy murder read.

should i buy The Great Good Place: Cafes, Coffee Shops, Bookstores reviews

Ray Oldenburg's The Great Good Place, just issued in this paperback version, is a classic in the sociological literature on the social and cultural geography of American Culture. Taking it's place alongside The Road to Nowhere, much of Christopher Lasch's work and the writings of other distinguished students of the decline of place in America, Oldenburg's work is in many ways better than these precursors because he shows how and why we were on the way to creating a placeless culture even before the computer revolution exacerbated the tend. The wholesale and largely uncritical acceptance of the automobile, place-hostile zoning ordinances, and puritanical meddling have conspired to produce a culture which is rapidly extinguishing haunts and hangouts--the sort of real places of pure sociability which contribute so much to the quality of life and which Oldenburg sees missing in the narrow, money-grubbing, time-driven culture of late century Americans. His analysis of the English Pub, the German Beer Garden, the Viennese coffee house, and other authenic places brings a much needed antidote to the depressing sameness that is characteristic of the increasingly McDonalized society in which we live. Not giving in to pessimism and despair himself, Oldenburg offers wise and witty prescriptions for how we can turn this around and once again produce a "Great Good Place." His thesis is that we have produced this environment--we can produce a better one. This is social science at its best, and with this new paperback edition just published, it should be accessible to more readers than eveOldenburg's scholarship here is a little fuzzy -- while I found myself agreeing with many of his points, much of his evidence seemed anecdotal. His cross-cultural comparisons were interesting: the French cafe and the Austrian coffeehouse are institutions that seem, well, very foreign to Americans.
There are no substantive mentions of hair salons or bookstores in this work. I'm not sure how they slipped into the title.
On the whole, this work raises interesting questions about the decline of public life and public space in American culture. Oldenburg throws a number of darts at the suburbs and poor urban planning, but seems to spend more time lamenting the lost innocence of small-town America than thinking about the future and how things could be turned around. There's a lot of thought-provoking material here, and I think this work represents a good jumping-off point for further consideration and research. Drawn by the concept of a "third place" as described by this book and referenced elsewhere, I thought I'd read to find out what this was about. In the end, this was a fascinating and thought provoking book. Mr. Oldenburg posits that much of our societal ills today are resultant from a lack of free association. That is, the places where people congregate / hang-out are disappearing because of urbanization, industrialization, etc. One example, the German beer garden (and its descendant in the US with early German immigrants) as a family affair - as, economically, there didn't seem to be any reason for such an institution in an "American" community, this venue slowly disappeared or devolved into the bars we know today - focused on serving alcohol to the subservient and willing. In fact, Oldenburg points out, the beer served in the beer garden was weaker than what we know today because the point was not the beer - the point was the association and conversation within the community, among families.

As we move towards a "private property society" and focus on "property rights" as we seem to understand them, the ability to be social, without prior planning, is slowly eroding. Simultaneously, the places to "hang out" are disappearing as a consumer driven market seems desirous of generating the most profit for the fewest people (corporations). Because of a desire for inexpensive goods, a local business, owned and operated by nearby residents, is next to impossible - especially in the face of the mass market competition from large corporations.

I think Oldenburg hits the nail squarely on the head. As I drive around (in a car-based economy), it's increasingly difficult to find a place to "hang out" and/or become a regular. (1) Restaurants are driven towards specific time limit for customers in hopes of turning a larger profit by serving more customers; (2) American bars are not conducive because service deteriorates if you choose not to imbibe and those that also serve food follow (1); and (3) the notion of coffee shops not driven by 1 or 2 are few and far between. Even assuming that there are such places of the "third place" variety, it more often than not requires a car to get there (not to mention paying to simply park near a place).

Anyone interested in property rights, humans as a social animal, and the notion of a "community," should read this book. Have you ever wondered why the atmosphere in your local coffee shop is so special? Ray Oldenburg skillfully explains the "third place" theory. The book is relevant in both academic and non-academic settings. It is a great read. Oldenburg's book is full of history around the changing landscape of cultural institutions, namely the "3rd Place": the places of rest, relaxation, and socialization at the heart of community. His focus is primarily on Western/Caucasian 3rd places, and at times is a little too nostalgic. I would have liked to see him address more around redefining these places, especially around the issues of the urban/inner-city places.It is true that Oldenburg wants to retrieve the free association of groups that are intermediate between the naked individual and the state, and he probably does question whether the perceived rootless existence of the homosexual is conducive to the preservation of the old neighborhood. Certainly, he would not feel that we must overthrow all the old moral and religious associations to make way for the purely legalistic conception of social existence that liberals seem to want. I would think that a purely legalistic conception of social existence is not acceptable even to those who think to profit most by a manipulation of our legal apparatus. Tolerance is a virtue, and for the liberal it is the supreme virtue, but I want to do more than tolerate my wife. I want to desire her. The promotion of boys night out or girls night out is not the same as promoting a gang rape mentality or an artificial attempt to segregate. It is simply a recognition that men and women like to congregate as men and women just as humans congregate as humans and don't seek companionship with goats or sheep. Oldenburg can reasonably question whether what is new is what is desirable just as we can question whether what is based on might is right. Embracing the Madison Avenue advertising temporal unit of the decade as if it were a properly historical temporal unit is not to show a proper appreciation of time, and embracing the Madison Avenue inspired attack on our ability to say no is not to embrace a higher moral calling. In this book, sociologist Ray Oldenburg writes about the importance of "third places"- places of small-scale public assembly that are not homes or workplaces such as British pubs and Austrian coffeehouses. He describes a few examples, seeks to explain why such places are useful, and shows why some such places are more successful than others.

Oldenburg explains that such places provide a means of recreation that allows people to socialize without having to schedule in advance or suffer the stresses of more intimate friendships. And according to Oldenburg, third places benefit marriages, because good third places ensure that a marriage is not forced to bear 100% of the spouses' need of companonship. .

But I wonder if Oldenburg overstates the importance of third places. For example, in describing 19th-century German-American beer gardens, he notes that German immigrants were quite successful at creating third places, while other ethnic groups such as Irish and Jews were much less so. But in the long run, these groups fit reasonably well into the American fabric. So what difference does it make that their bars weren't as fun?

And what distinguishes the most successful "third places" from any bar or coffeehouse or shopping mall? It is here that Oldenburg is least coherent, perhaps because he is trying to describe the indescribable. Oldenburg suggests that third places proliferate "wherever human beings have settled [except] where planning and zoning disallows them." But when describing specific examples, he shows how fragile they are: for example, he writes that the German beer garden lost ground to less hospitable pubs because Americans "never seemed able to allow the concept of a good tavern."

And when describing the beer gardens and the American Main Street, he focuses on their lack of exclusivity, noting that they were able to accommodate all ages, and were able to accommodate nonpaying loiterers as well as paying customers. But he also suggests that pubs have been ruined by incompatible newcomers; for example, New York's McSorley's "faces its greatest threat in the form of college students who make meals of its cheese platters and take over the place at night." I'm not sure I see how these observations are consistent.

Having said that, Oldenburg sometimes is on target in describing what makes a place an adequate "third place" and what causes it to fail. For example, North American taverns often fail because of the sheer level of artificial noise designed to drown out, rather than to facilitate, conversation. One Toronto tavern I recently visited forced me to choose between an indoors saturated with loud pop music and an outside area saturated with panhandlers- neither of which a particularly welcoming prospect. Perhaps such a place is designed to help the solo drinker get drunk as quickly as possible. But Oldenburg points out that over the past few decades, bars have lost ground to homes as places for alcohol consumption, indicating that the would-be drunks prefer homes to bars.

Oldenburg concludes by tying the decline of "third places" to suburban sprawl; where taverns and similar alternatives are not within walking distance, the possibility of an unscheduled break wanes. But are urban, walkable neighborhoods more conducive to third places today? Or has the decline of third places affected more walkable places as well? I'm not sure Oldenburg has the answer. I'd read quotes from this book and references to it being influential in giving us the language of the 'third place' but it wasn't until I read it that I realised how valuable it is. Unlike many non-fiction books it just gets better and better with every page and finally ending with a staggering conclusion. If people understood how much we've lost in the areas of community living, we'd no longer be beating a path to psychologists, but to city planners demanding change in order to develop living neighbourhoods.

Living in a new housing area in Perth, Western Australia I experience daily the result of the isolation that results from having houses built like mini-fortresses crammed together away from any shops or community spaces. As Oldenburg says, it couldn't have been designed better by a car manufacturer to require reliance on vehicles to get anywhere.

I was disappointed to find only a single copy of this book in all the univeristy and state libraries in Western Australia. So I've ordered numerous copies to hand out to fellow community leaders and I hope that just maybe we might start to bring change for the benefit of subsequent generations.

should i buy Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two reviews

Thoroughly enjoyed reading the 2nd in this excellent series. The magic was beautifully choreographed and easily weaves in and out of both Dragonspier and the real world. You'll find yourself wanting more at the end of each chapter. The chapters flow seamlessly together and create a fabulous entry into the next volume. Highly recommended! Marsha A. Moore paints a beautiful, rich world with her words. You may find yourself thinking about Dragonspeir as you day-dream at work. Likewise, you may find yourself falling for not only Lyra and Cullen but for some of the supporting characters as well, like Kenzo, the tiger owl, and Yord, a blue dragon. This is a great read you can really connect with...at least, I sure did! I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts contained within are my honest thoughts and feelings about the book.

Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two is the second book in the Enchanted Bookstore series. Let me say upfront that I read this book without having read the first book of the series, so I don't think that I got the full impact of the story. In this story, Lyra McCauley, a writer and English professor, receives a letter from the doctor who performed the autopsy on her aunt. When she speaks to the doctor, he confirms that nothing medically explains her aunt's death, bolstering the suspicion that she was killed magically.

Now, for those who haven't read the first book...

Lyra McCauley is a writer and loves fantasy novels, but until she opens a selection from bookstore owner Cullen Drake, she has no idea he's a wizard character who lives a double life inside that volume...or the story's magic will compel her from the edge of depression to adventure, danger, and love.

Lyra starts to learn how to use her magic, but due to an attack that causes her lover and bonded mate, Cullen Drake, serious injury, her lessons are accelerated so that she can help to heal his injuries.

Moore weaves a tale of love, magic and danger that draws you into the story. You want to keep reading and see what happens next for Lyra. I was honestly sad when the book ended and wanted more. I've decided that I need to go back and read the first one. You can pick up the second book and not be lost, but there are references back that don't make a lot of sense if you haven't read the first story.

The book was well written, stands alone on it's own and is a great example of fantasy and magic for those who enjoy magic in their stories. Another great story. Part 2 of the Enchanted Bookstore trilogy cotinues Lyra's adventures in Dragonspier, where, as the Scribe, it is up to her to continue writing her Book of Dragonspier. In Part 2, she has to learn her sorcery abilities to help the Imperial Alliance hold back the Dark Realm. She also has to go on a great quest to save the love of her life, Cullen Drake. Every step she take brings her closer to the immortalilty she needs so she and Cullen can be together forever. It's a great adventure story with wizards, dragons and all sorts of magical creatures, all wrapped around a love story. looking forward to part 3, Lost Volumes Yes, Ms. Moore strikes again with another terrific adventurous, magical, romantic, fantastic tale. Her writing style has such appeal for many readers of different ages and interests. Heritage Avenged is a great read that draws the reader right into the midst of the action. I found myself cheering, fearing and tearing at various times throughout the book. And the characters are so well presented and developed that I easily found myself feeling one emotion or another for each one, whether they were human, animal, wizard or other magical being. Again, I am anxiously awaiting the next Legend in this Enchanted Bookstore Legends series. Thank you, Marsha A. Moore. Keep them coming! I have to admit to being a sucker for Dragon books. I love dragons and magic. I love that the animals (dragons, unicorns, owl, etc) are fully realized individual entities in this book. A romance with adventure, a quest, a unicorn, dragons, and a happy ending is just what I needed today.
Marsha Moore has created a unique, fascinating world that I would love to visit... okay maybe after all the fighting is done, but visit nonetheless. The character, human and otherwise, have individual personality trait with their own idiosyncrasy. It was fun to see them interact and develop as the story progressed.
A fun read. I give this story 4 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.Right from the beginning this book has your mind pondering, Lyra receives a letter saying that the cause of death of her Aunt is suspicious. She thinks it could have been magic that killed her since nothing can be found medically. Lyra makes the hard decision to put her career on hold to pursue this mystery as well as take up some magic lessons. Her Bonded Mate Cullen Drake is the only way for Lyra to travel to the magical realm Dragonspier where she will be learning more about her inherited scribe abilities. Once the journey is made Lyra finds out not everyone is happy to see her, a cloaked rider is after her and trying to steal her Aura. Cullen fights to keep her safe but ends up seriously hurt, Lyra decides she needs to learn as much magic as possible so she can take out the cloaked rider, save Cullen and find her Aunt's killer.
I received this book for review purposes, I have not read the first book in this series called Seeking a Scribe. I would recommend reading this series in order just because there are some references in this book that happen in the first book and you'll know more about what's going on in book 2. If you love books full of magic, adventure, and Dragons this series is for you! I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts contained within are my honest thoughts and feelings about the book.

Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two is the second book in the Enchanted Bookstore series. Let me say upfront that I read this book without having read the first book of the series, so I don't think that I got the full impact of the story. In this story, Lyra McCauley, a writer and English professor, receives a letter from the doctor who performed the autopsy on her aunt. When she speaks to the doctor, he confirms that nothing medically explains her aunt's death, bolstering the suspicion that she was killed magically.

Now, for those who haven't read the first book...

Lyra McCauley is a writer and loves fantasy novels, but until she opens a selection from bookstore owner Cullen Drake, she has no idea he's a wizard character who lives a double life inside that volume...or the story's magic will compel her from the edge of depression to adventure, danger, and love.

Lyra starts to learn how to use her magic, but due to an attack that causes her lover and bonded mate, Cullen Drake, serious injury, her lessons are accelerated so that she can help to heal his injuries.

Moore weaves a tale of love, magic and danger that draws you into the story. You want to keep reading and see what happens next for Lyra. I was honestly sad when the book ended and wanted more. I've decided that I need to go back and read the first one. You can pick up the second book and not be lost, but there are references back that don't make a lot of sense if you haven't read the first story.

The book was well written, stands alone on it's own and is a great example of fantasy and magic for those who enjoy magic in their stories.

should i buy Beyond the Bookstore [Paperback] reviews

Every page of this well-researched book has ideas that can help you sell more books--from a few to a few hundred thousand.
It doesn't take long for a publisher to learn that bookstores are not the best places to sell books. Huge discounts, long waits for payment (often six months or more), and the dreaded returns make bookstores less than attractive markets. So what's a publisher to do? Find other places that will buy your books.
'Beyond the Bookstore' is your map to finding sales opportunities. The 79 strategies give specific information that will help you identify special markets for your books, locate the people who will buy from you, and make the sale. Some of the special markets identified include warehouse clubs, supermarkets, corporations, book fairs, airport stores, catalogs, museum stores, book clubs and home shopping networks. Strategies include lots of how-to, with success stories, detailed tips and contact information.
These strategies will work for large publishers, small presses, self-published authors, and (in many cases) Print on Demand titles. There are even strategies for leveraging your content to create new products, in addition to books. The CD-ROM included with the book walks you through the process of creating a detailed marketing plan and timeline.
I had high expectations for 'Beyond the Bookstore,' and those expectations were exceeded. If you want an easy to follow, step-by-step plan to open new markets for your books, you need 'Beyond the Bookstore.'If you can get your book into traditional bookstores, great. But don't overlook the many other lucrative markets out there. Brian Jud's "Beyond The Bookstore" does an excellent job of describing these markets. But he doesn't stop there. Brian explains exactly how to break into special markets and provides detailed, useful contact information.
Ever wonder how to sell your book directly to libraries? On page 159, Brian points out there are at least 117,418 libraries (including public, academic, and school) across the United States. In the pages that follow, he explains exactly how to market to libraries, and he includes contact information for library wholesalers you may want to work with. He ends this section with a true story of an author's successful library book tour.
In addition to explaining how to approach places like Target & Safeway, airport shops & museum stores, Brian gives practical pointers on everything from promoting perpetually to getting book reviews.
A valuable resource which I'm benefitting from immensely in my ever-growing search for new markets for my book. I highly recommend this book to every author. Don't limit yourself -- think outside the box! Beyond The Bookstore will open your eyes to greater opportunities and point you in the right direction.You've invested a great deal of writing time and energy into producing an excellent manuscript or a nonfiction book proposal. Now put yourself in the shoes of the acquisitions editor. Each year you receive literally hundreds of these proposals from literary agents and authors. How do you find a proposal that stands out from the crowd? (Hint: It's not the proposal on colored paper.)

For the last several years, as an acquisitions editor, I've been on the receiving end of these proposals and manuscripts. I love to find an author who knows the necessity of a sales partnership with the publisher. These authors understand it takes more than an excellent book but they need to actually work at selling large volumes of the book. Beyond the Bookstore helps the author better understand about how books are sold.

Have you ever read the sales numbers of a particular book and wondered how that particular book ever sold in the bookstore? Some of those big sales numbers have been outside the bookstore. In fact, more than half of all books sold each year are sold outside of bookstores.

Beyond the Bookstore is a valuable resource for any writer to think outside the box. Jud covers 79 specific strategies for generating "special sales." A special sale is anything outside of the traditional bookstore setting. As you read this book, you determine which ideas are appropriate for your book then incorporate these sales ideas into your nonfiction or fiction book proposal. When you include this type of information from the beginning of the publishing process, it will show your publisher your good intention to be proactive in the sales process. Proactive authors who understand how to sell books are attractive authors to any publisher.

Reed Business also produces Publisher's Weekly and this book is loaded with current statistics and contact information such as, "Today, the worldwide book market approximates $90 billion. Almost one third of those sales occur in the United States. Over the past ten years, the amount of sales through traditional outlets is decreased by 11 per cent (down 19 per cent without factoring Internet sales), and sales through non-bookstore outlets have increased by 8 per cent."

Three major advantages of special sales include control over your destiny, customization potential and nontraditional market segmentation. As an additional resource, this book includes a CD-Rom to help generate a marketing plan and give the right emphasis for each market channel. Yes, your publisher should generate the marketing plan but they only can give each book a limited amount of potential. Only the author has the passion and intense interest in their book.This is a great book with many ideas on where to market your book other then the bookstores. Very inspiring and yes, a notebook is needed to make notes for your own book marketing specifically. I missed some practical information on how to reach the right person in a company to pitch too, but overall a must-have for every writer. The reason I didn't gush all over this book and give it 5 stars is because it is not easy to put these ideas into action. It is 5-star reference material, but let's see us actually DO these things without the need for expert assistance.

This book is one of the few true classics of book marketing to date. Book marketing at the time of this writing (in the early 21st century) has become a process of selling an "information product" rather than promoting something you have penned. If Shakespeare were alive and authoring today he would need this book, because as Mark Twain once quipped, "A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read." Books no longer sell themselves, and publishers don't sell books either. They print on command (versus print on demand) and make deals to get space in bookstores. It is up to the author to make sure those books sell, or they end up as "former authors." If YOU want YOUR BOOK to sell you really need this book, because more books sell outside of bookstores than ever will (ever again) IN bookstores.

But herein lies the problem. Most authors are not salesmen. Getting a sporting goods corporation (or let's just say "WalMart") to carry your books is not as easy as popping by HQ and chatting up the VP of merchandise. This is not a "fun" book to read. It is not an easy book to implement, but if you can manage to do 1/2 of what Mr. Jud advises you will surely be a millionaire several times over.

This book will NOT help you sell books on Amazon. It will not help you make cool myspace pages, and it won't teach you how to do radio interviews. But if you want to sell your books to mega-corporations, associations, conventions, magazines, retail chains, or doctor's offices, this is the ONLY book that can help you. The book is expensive and it is detailed (see "customer images" above for proof of that) in ways that will make your brain swim, but that is why it is such an invaluable resource. This will undoubtedly be the textbook for future marketing students and book publicity professionals. I only wish that it came with an in-person instructor and a few pots of coffee.

Beyond the Bookstore is imposing and emotionally detached, but don't you dare let that stop you from buying THIS book. This book is indeed full of "stuff" you need to do to sell a lot of books in places you never thought of (which is the point of reading this book). If you ever want to break the 10,000 books sold barrier (the absolute minimum number of copies sold to be considered a "best seller" in any sense of the term) you need to know what is in this book. Perhaps there will be a companion WORKBOOK someday that will help the author (you) actually complete some or all of the ideas covered in this text. [That was a blatant hint by the way: this book needs a workbook]

I like what Brian has done here and I wish him well. After all I gave him $50 of my money (+ s&h) so I "support" him. I hope that in the future he will pen a more author-friendly version that actually holds your hand along the process. An excellent companion to this book is "The Complete Guide to Book Publicity" by Jodee Blanco I believe. Nice girl. Well written. Knows her stuff too. Check out John Kremmer as well. Then come back to THIS book for more ideas. At $50 a copy though, do not let this book out of your sight. Brian's book is so full of fabulous tips and ideas, I don't even have enough time in the day to apply them all...that's a good thing. It's always better to have more than we need, rather than less. I think it's also helpful to readers because different ideas will appeal to different readers, so any author or aspiring author is bound to find something that appeals to them.

One of the best features about the book is the CD-Rom included. When I first received my book, that was the first thing I did...pop the CD in my computer, listen to his intro and get started on the calendar, timeline and marketing plan. Incredibly useful tools for getting started in moving beyond the bookstore. I applaud his efforts to help aspiring authors market and sell their books in creative ways through creative outlets. Beyond The Bookstore" is a terrific book about selling your book to everyone else other than a bookstore. I met Brian while co-presenting on a panel at a Learning Annex seminar in NYC on the topic of book marketing. I covered the topic of book publicity, he covered selling books. Brian Jud says since more than half of all book sales come from outside bookstores it's important to target these markets. Mass merchandisers such as Wal-Mart or Costco, gift shops, airport stores, home-shopping networks, book clubs, libraries, network-marketing companies, catalogs, associations, government agencies, corporations, educational markets, retail stores and military branches all buy and sell books.

Brian walks you through creating a special sales plan, where to find the people you need to contact to make your pitch. If you really want to sell books outside the bookstore market then buy Beyond the Bookstore.

As a book publicist it's imperative for me to keep up with all of the great books and magazine articles being published on the topic of book marketing and book promotion. I've read dozens and dozens of books on book marketing and this one is on my top ten list.

Scott Lorenz
President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that specializes in book marketing and author publicity. You've invested a great deal of writing time and energy into producing an excellent manuscript or a nonfiction book proposal. Now put yourself in the shoes of the acquisitions editor. Each year you receive literally hundreds of these proposals from literary agents and authors. How do you find a proposal that stands out from the crowd? (Hint: It's not the proposal on colored paper.)

For the last several years, as an acquisitions editor, I've been on the receiving end of these proposals and manuscripts. I love to find an author who knows the necessity of a sales partnership with the publisher. These authors understand it takes more than an excellent book but they need to actually work at selling large volumes of the book. Beyond the Bookstore helps the author better understand about how books are sold.

Have you ever read the sales numbers of a particular book and wondered how that particular book ever sold in the bookstore? Some of those big sales numbers have been outside the bookstore. In fact, more than half of all books sold each year are sold outside of bookstores.

Beyond the Bookstore is a valuable resource for any writer to think outside the box. Jud covers 79 specific strategies for generating "special sales." A special sale is anything outside of the traditional bookstore setting. As you read this book, you determine which ideas are appropriate for your book then incorporate these sales ideas into your nonfiction or fiction book proposal. When you include this type of information from the beginning of the publishing process, it will show your publisher your good intention to be proactive in the sales process. Proactive authors who understand how to sell books are attractive authors to any publisher.

Reed Business also produces Publisher's Weekly and this book is loaded with current statistics and contact information such as, "Today, the worldwide book market approximates $90 billion. Almost one third of those sales occur in the United States. Over the past ten years, the amount of sales through traditional outlets is decreased by 11 per cent (down 19 per cent without factoring Internet sales), and sales through non-bookstore outlets have increased by 8 per cent."

Three major advantages of special sales include control over your destiny, customization potential and nontraditional market segmentation. As an additional resource, this book includes a CD-Rom to help generate a marketing plan and give the right emphasis for each market channel. Yes, your publisher should generate the marketing plan but they only can give each book a limited amount of potential. Only the author has the passion and intense interest in their book.

should i buy Art of the Bookstore reviews

For several decades, publisher Gibbs Smith has been visiting independent booksellers around the country. Inspired by the unique culture and ambiance of these fine bookstores, he made oil paintings to feature on the covers of his publishing company's catalog each season. This collection of 68 paintings, accompanied by essays about the art of the bookstore, captures the distinctive atmosphere of each establishment, from the bright lights of Washington D.C.'s Politics & Prose to the tucked away charm of Chicago's Kroch's & Brentano's to the magnetism of New York's Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore. The Art of the Bookstore celebrates independent voices and the exchange of ideas, defends the importance of community, explores the alluring power of bookstores, and captures a love of the printed word.
Gibbs Smith, founder and president of his namesake publishing company, started the business in 1969 with his wife, Catherine, in Santa Barbara, California. After a couple of years, they moved the company to their hometown, Layton, Utah. This book is a celebration of 40 years as an independent publisher.
Jacket design by Kurt Wahlner Jacket art by Gibbs M. Smith

Gibbs M. Smith always wanted to be a history professor. But while in pursuit of his master's degree, Smith wrote a dissertation on Joe Hill-American labor martyr, proletarian folk hero, and songwriter-that profoundly changed his life. After the book was published by the University of Utah press and made into a movie, Gibbs started entertaining the idea of starting his own publishing company. While riding a cable car in San Francisco and contemplating this venture, he wrote Alfred Knopf a letter. "In my view, he was the greatest publisher in America," reflects Smith. Knopf wrote back with words of encouragement; later they spoke over the phone. Gibbs now had the inspiration needed to embark upon this extraordinary entrepreneurial adventure. In 1969, Gibbs and his wife, Catherine, started the company known today as Gibbs Smith, Publisher. With $12,000 in cash earned from the Smiths' work on the movie Joe Hill, the company published four initial books, which would be used as supplementary texts in college history classes. The first few years were tough, as Gibbs and his wife, Cathy, ran the company out of their studio apartment in Santa Barbara.

In 1973, the company relocated to Utah, where Gibbs and Cathy reinvested profits back into the business and lived on savings. They spent the first summer there converting an old barn (built in 1916) on the family farm into offices. It was a race against time, as the barn had no roof and winter was rapidly approaching. During that summer they also managed to publish a new textbook, Utah's Heritage. This proved to be a very wise decision, as the company's textbook division provided financial stability during the early years.

This is a beautiful book that profiles many of the well-known independent bookstores in the United States. Sadly, some of the stores have closed. I have been in many of the stores and it was lovely to relive the experience through this book. The paintings of the bookstores are wonderful. The commentary about each store is quite interesting. The book itself is presented in a slipcase. This book will remain in my library for a very long time!

There have always only been less than fifty really good independent bookstores in the U.S. Those of us lucky enough to be sales reps for publishers in the 1970s got to visit most, if not all, of them and luxuriate in the stacks of fine titles, meet the incredible people who managed them, and savor their existence. It was a golden age. Who knew which author would walk in or what unknown masterpiece would seize your attention? I usually bought more than I sold. Alas, they waned in the age of B. Daltons and Waldenbooks and have been replaced by the Borders and Barnes & Nobles of today. But, once upon a time, in a land not far away, there were literary treasure troves on the streets of New York and Chicago and San Francisco and they have all been captured here. That this book is now available in a Kindle® edition says it all.

I bought this book for a gift for a friend who loves bookstores and travels a great deal. Now she can copy down the names of bookstores to visit when she's in a particular city. It looks very nice on her coffee table as well. Guests to her home often pick it up to look at and comment on how interesting it looks. It's too bulky to pack on a trip but I think it makes a perfect gift for the person who has "everything."

This is a beautiful book that profiles many of the well-known independent bookstores in the United States. Sadly, some of the stores have closed. I have been in many of the stores and it was lovely to relive the experience through this book. The paintings of the bookstores are wonderful. The commentary about each store is quite interesting. The book itself is presented in a slipcase. This book will remain in my library for a very long time! There have always only been less than fifty really good independent bookstores in the U.S. Those of us lucky enough to be sales reps for publishers in the 1970s got to visit most, if not all, of them and luxuriate in the stacks of fine titles, meet the incredible people who managed them, and savor their existence. It was a golden age. Who knew which author would walk in or what unknown masterpiece would seize your attention? I usually bought more than I sold. Alas, they waned in the age of B. Daltons and Waldenbooks and have been replaced by the Borders and Barnes & Nobles of today. But, once upon a time, in a land not far away, there were literary treasure troves on the streets of New York and Chicago and San Francisco and they have all been captured here. That this book is now available in a Kindle® edition says it all. I bought this book for a gift for a friend who loves bookstores and travels a great deal. Now she can copy down the names of bookstores to visit when she's in a particular city. It looks very nice on her coffee table as well. Guests to her home often pick it up to look at and comment on how interesting it looks. It's too bulky to pack on a trip but I think it makes a perfect gift for the person who has "everything."

should i buy Creole Belle: A Dave Robicheaux Novel reviews

Recovering in the hospital from the life-threatening injuries he received at the end of "The Glass Rainbow" Dave Robicheaux is visited in what seems like a morphine dream by a Cajun singer called Tee Jolie Melton, who leaves him an iPod featuring the song "My Creole Belle," a haunting piece of music which comes to obsess Dave. Upon his release, the New Iberia detective learns that Tee Jolie's sister Blue has washed up dead on the Gulf shore encased in a huge block of ice.

Dave's friend Clete Purcel is drawn to a different young woman, named Gretchen, whom he believes is his long lost daughter, and whom he fears might be the assassin behind the killings of several local criminals with mob ties. Working together Dave and Clete discover connections to a broader conspiracy involving sex trafficking, art theft and unscrupulous oil industry executives.

In "Creole Belle," all of James Lee Burke's trademark talents are on prodigious display: his lyrical prose, his poetic rendering of both landscape and character, and his ability to weave current events seamlessly into the story (in this case the Gulf oil spill.) There has been a distinct sense of finality to these last few Robicheaux novels, as both character and writer age, and I love the elegiac melancholy with which Dave's and Clete's kinship is rendered, which also manages to be celebratory. They (and we, at least while we are immersed in Burke's wonderful words) are hurtling toward the bright light of some great and final truth and each mission seems to bring them closer to redemption, even as violence and darkness threatens to pull them back. Here's hoping they both eventually ring that "belle." But not too soon.

Also recommended:  winner of the Malice Domestic Award for best first mystery, it features a vivid desert backdrop that should please fans of James Lee Burke's colorful Louisiana setting I'm adding this review in response to a review by "cedwint" who is disappointed that James Lee Burke descends into poetic description, political commentary, and elaborate segues into background stories to help us know his characters better.

I've read a lot of this genre, and I keep coming back to Burke because of his detours. I love to see this poverty-striken part of Louisiana through his eyes; we have even visited New Iberia, Bayou Teche, St. Martinsville, Jeanrette, etc. because Burke's prose is so alluring. We knew it was romanticized, but it is part of the folly of Dave Robicheaux (and probably Burke) to be a bit of a dreamer and to see things through a haze of nostalgia. I love it that he writes about his cat and his three legged raccoon. I love it that he speaks up for the impoverished and the oppressed and gives them dignity in his novels. I love it that he takes on some of the big heavy hitters, the big time criminals - politicians and drug dealers and human traffickers and oil company executives - who are the bullies of modern society, using money and power to keep the average decent citizen powerless. I read Burke because it isn't just plot, his writing takes me to a place I've never been and makes it feel like home. Burke calls out the big guys, scorns their pretensions and heaps contempt on their arrogance.

Creole Belle is not unlike the preceding Dave Robicheaux books, I agree. James Lee Burke has an axe to grind, and I am happy to pay for my James Lee Burke books to help him grind that axe. Burke revisits the essence of his Dave Robicheaux series, the relationship of Robicheaux and Clete Purcel, the "Bobbsey Twins from Homicide", evoking his protagonist's long history in New Iberia Parish, Louisiana, the storied city of New Orleans and the lawman's friendship with PI Purcel, a wild man of great integrity who pushes the boundaries of friendship and the law in this harrowing tale. Creole Belle has all the bells and whistles of a great James Lee Burke adventure, Robicheaux in search of the missing Creole songstress Tee Jolie Melton, even while recovering from a gunshot wound, Purcel on his own collision course with life, recently hounded for an out-of-date gambling marker by thug Bix Golightly and his side man, Waylon Grimes. In spite of wife Molly's cautioning ("You're willing to help people who are corrupt to the core. You turn them into something they're not."), Dave goes on his quest in tandem with the increasingly self-destructive Purcel, who fears the daughter he never knew existed may be a contract killer.

Burke resurrects New Orleans in all its glory, immersed once more in graft and greed post-Katrina, feudal and dominated by wealth and power, with a new twist on its history of slavery, rental convict labor, the White League, the Knights of the White Camellia and corporate plantations. New Iberia Sheriff Helen Soileau turns her back on Robicheaux's outrageous actions until she has no choice but to intervene in a complex tale where a wealthy cabal insulates their nefarious activities through payoffs and graft, the face of true evil masquerading behind genteel extravagance and public-spirited events. The underbelly of the brightly painted façade is ugly and dangerous, both Robicheaux and Purcel diving in, sometimes at cross purposes, but always, ultimately together.

Complete with ghosts of the past on the decks of the paddle-wheeled Creole Belle tempting Dave to join the next world, the violence, brutality and betrayals of both friends and adversaries, colorful characters salt the pages: Count Cardona, a.k.a. Baron Belladonna, Jimmie the Dime, Wee Willie Bimstine, No Duh Dolowitz, the Merry Prankster of the Mafia, but also the more sinister Pierre and Alexis Dupree, ex-Sheriff Jesse Lebeouf, the missing Tee Jolie, her sister Blue and assorted femme fatales. Then there's Gretchen, Clete's daughter, victim of neglect and chronic abuse, pulling at the strings of Purcel's overburdened heart, while making tentative overtures of friendship to Alafair, Dave's daughter; and Dave's belief that Tee Jolie is waiting for him, her songs wafting sad and plaintive on his MP3 player. It's impossible to swim against the tide of an evocative James Lee Burke novel, filled with the wisdom gleaned of hard experience and a great compassion for the human condition, yet another reminder that "The worst thing we can do to ourselves is let other people injure us." Luan Gaines/2012. What price redemption? Redemption or shame? These and other themes are once again buried not at all deep in the minds of Dave and Clete, the famous duo in the Robicheaux novel series. As different as they are, it's never enough to dismiss them with labels of any kind, and to view them as two dudes suffering another midlife crisis doesn't begin to describe what makes them tick. Never before, I feel, will readers have read about men as complex as these. On the one hand they are tireless crusaders for justice, especially for the poor and neglected among us, yet somehow these men are most often doomed to fail, even though both have been in law enforcement off and on for many years.
After reading most of the series, I'm convinced that Burke has a near inexhaustible supply of both colorful and colorless characters who present some of the most incredible, conflicted behavior on the planet. All are expertly drawn by the author, as is always the case with Burke.
Suspense and tensions rise and fall, though most of the time they are building to yet another climax, where the reader is rarely disappointed with the cadences of the narrative. Events are often "fragmented and incoherent, like sheets of stained glass thrown upon a flagstone." Where else, I wonder, does one find this level of style and crystalline beauty combined with violence in such poetic language? My answer is: nowhere except in the works of Burke! Since I first discovered James Lee Burke years ago I have read all of his fiction, including some rare early novels set in Montana. I have obviously enjoyed his work, but I am not overly enthusiastic about this novel. There is a shift in style with heavy moralizing on the part of Robicheaux that goes on to an extent that makes it clear it is an alter-ego for Mr. Burke. I am inclined to agree with his points about environmental degradation, political corruption and individual greed. My complaint is that these political stances are not so much revealed through the action of the novel as presented as accompaning tropes which interrupt or delay the story line. It is the old question of telling aversus showing. The meditation on the place of evil in the world, presented in a quasi theological fashion has become rather bitter as he has drifted here far from his semi buddhist position in earlier novels. The introduction of an aged Waffen SS man as a sort of embodiment of evil does not quite hit the mark. I think Mr Burke wants to make him a sort of repellent/attractive force, but I never get find the appeal. The idea of unspeakable evil being perpetrated by som shadowy conspiracy for the sake of oil production is rhetorically over the top. Finally, this is a very big novel with many peripheral characters and a great deal of back and forthing. Sometimes I am at a bit of a loss if we are in Jenerette, New Iberia, New Orleans and so forth. If you are a Burke fan, you may be disappointed in this one, if you are new to his work look at some earlier novels such as White Doves or Electric Mist. I love Burke's characterizations, and the fact that I never get tired of the personalities that populate his books. The writing in this episode isn't as lush, or lyrical as usual ( although I'm glad to see the phrase 'haul your ashes' only once or twice for a change), and it was easy to figure out the surprise, but I really feel like I'm there; seeing, hearing, and smelling everything that is happening as it occurs. A tremendous feat. I await the arrival of a new Burke masterpiece each summer. Creole Belle downloaded into my Kindle, I settled in read it, but after the first paragraph I knew that Burke didn't write this book. His characters are there doing what they've done but show themselves in pale comparison to their ancestors dating back to Burke's earliest books. Burke's richness and flourish and magical use of words, his remarkable syntax that carves sentences like they were strokes on a Master's painting are absent. Instead there's clumsy grammar, odd word choices, loose and sometimes confusing flow of the plot line fill the pages but that's about all. There were several places where I saw the Master's hand but few; in some places there are paragraphs repeated in earlier books. I can imagine a few budding authors in a writer's workshop studying the Master's style and writing a counterfeit Burke. I have been a fan since the first Dave novel and have enjoyed ever book. However, this effort has far surpassed most of them. I am still favoring a couple of the earlier ones, but this is best of Burke's efforts in recent years. I learn something new with each new book, Burke's philosophy as communicated through Dave and Clete makes me think about life and my own role on this big planet. Just an outstanding effort!Please get this book and if you are new to James Lee Burke, get them all and savor every word. I have read everything JLB has written. He has always been one of my favorite authors and having lived in Louisiana for a long time, he has the descriptions of the area dead on. This book had too much of Dave commenting on the oil spill, the state of affairs in the world, etc. Right in the middle of an action scene, it stops to let Dave go on and on for two or three pages. It made the book overly long and I was tired of it before the ending. Maybe Mr. Burke needs to let Dave and Clete ride off in the sunset and get some new characters. I've read all of Burke's work and this one rivals all but the best. Just a tad more political rhetoric than I would wish, but as usual, Dave and Clete,mostly Clete, work through their tortured pasts,while solving a present day crime. Interesting side characters and villains and Louisiana and its history as a character. The writing is superb, lyrical and touching. This guy just writes the best stories with the most interesting characters time after time. I hope he sticks around a long time. James Lee Burke is one of my favorite authors. I thought he had slipped ever so slightly in The Glass Rainbow, but he is back for sure in Creole Belle. He is the kind of writer who is in no hurry, as he takes his time to create a scene, to describe and build his characters, and to lead the plot along. But it rarely feels slow. I enjoy taking my time to read him, to savor his words, his artistry, and even the poetic feeling I get from reading his verbal construction. Creole Belle had quite a bit going in the plot department, and sometimes I thought it might be too much. But the reward for it was great. I felt that the climax of the novel was as intense as any I have read. So much of his focus is on the evil that men do, but mortality is taking an ever more prominent place in his writing. Other reviewers have done such a better job than me in singing his praises, but I want my voice here as well, so I write this review in simple admiration. I once remarked that if I were forced to live on a deserted island for one year with only the books of one author to read, it would be James Lee Burke. He is a living American treasure with his elegiac sometimes poetic prose. No one writes more accurrately or more beautifully of the people, places, events in New Orleans and the Southern Louisiana environs. He is a wordsmith of the first order with his uncanny skill to paint "word pictures" that come to vivid life in the mind of the reader--no where is this more in evidence than in his continuing ability to masterfully create atmosphere with his prose that allows the reader to vicariously see, smell, and feel the scenes. I am convinced that if fictional characters could somehow be made to walk the streets of the French Quarter, I would recognize Dave and Clete immediately.

While recovering from the near fatal wounds from his last adventure, "The Glass Rainbow", Dave is visited by someone out of his past, Tee Jolie Melton. This hazy visit which is ignored by most of his family and friends sets Dave on a quest to find her and return her to her family--a quest that is accelerated when the body of her sister, Blue, washes ashore frozen in a block of ice. In short order, Dave and his best friend, Clete Purcel, are neck deep in an insidious plot that encompasses the most powerful economic and political forces in Louisiana suddenly aligning all their considerable power against our protagonists. The wealthy and arrogant Dupree family headed by patriarch, Alexis, and his grandson, Pierre, and Pierre's supposedly estranged wife, Varina, are soon arrayed against Dave and Clete who are shocked to discover that they and their families are suddenly in the crosshairs of a conspiracy that surrounds an evil cabal wrapped into crimes of murder, extortion, sex trafficking, blackmail, oil spill coverups, and worse.

Of particular interest is the fact that Clete is an equal player in this novel as he believes he has discovered a lost daughter, Gretchen Horowitz, who has emerged in the area as an extemely deadly mob hitperson who may have orders to take out Dave and his family. As the always conflicted Clete struggles to discover and reconnect with his long lost daughter and help her escape her past, he discovers that both he and Gretchen are being inexorably drawn into the case he and Dave are developing against the sinister Dupree family. Who can be trusted in the large character pool in this story? How can Clete protect his daughter from the law and from Dave's morality--a question that may pit life-buddy against daughter. What dark secrets lurk behind the evil, dismissive Dupree family and their increasingly overt threats against Dave, Clete, and their families?

As usual in a Dave Robicheaux novel, plot is a secondary tool to explore the depths of the characters and the enduring friendship between two deeply flawed, deeply conflicted friends seeking the redemption that never seems more than an illusion--a redemption and resurrection that will likely never be more than a prize constantly sought but never realized, at least in their minds. Burke again masterfully highlights Dave and Clete's struggle for understanding in a world where evil and goodness, black and white, are forever obscured in a sea of gray. In that context, I found this to be one of the best books in the entire series.