We had thought that producing some matter on marketing book would be an impossibility. However, once we started, there was no turning back.
Today's marketing book Article
How Distributors And Wholesalers Affect A Book's Journey Into Bookstores
When I started publishing books, I thought a wholesaler and a distributor were essentially the same thing. Not so. Like so many small publishers do, I chose to print my books digitally through Lightning Source Inc, which is actually a subsidiary of Ingram Book Company. This makes all their books available for order in bookstores throughout the USA. AVAILABLE to order. That is the key phrase. This does not mean the books will magically appear on bookstore shelves. That is a different process altogether. Let?s examine the process.
The bookstores and Libraries can order from Ingram who in turn supplies books to bookstores and libraries from the distributor?s stock. How does this work?
1) The distributor lists the publisher?s books which they, the distributor handles, with Ingram
2) The book shows up as available in iPage, the online virtual warehouse.
3) If the book is printed at LSI, then the publisher?s iPage listing shows the book as available from them as well. It also shows how many books are stocked in the virtual warehouse, usually 100, in which facility,
TN, OR, PA, IN
It is confusing for authors when their books are printed digitally through Lightning Source, and the stores can order them through Ingram. In this case, Ingram acts both as wholesaler and as distributor. But Ingram doesn?t do most of what a distributor does.
4) If the publisher has a distributor, for example, we work with BOOKWORLD to distribute select titles, then the distributor?s iPage listing shows the book they handle for the publisher on the publisher?s iPage. This allows the publisher to watch the sales of the books handled by the distributor.
5) But the distributor does so much more than the wholesaler.
* They sell to the stores. They are the Key to getting on the New Books table and staying on the shelves.
* They help book signings for major authors with major media coverage.
* They trouble shoot shipments.
* But the key difference is they will only work with Offset printed books, not digitally printed books. This is an important distinction!
Offset printing is more time consuming and costly, but the per unit price is less. This is how you get print runs, THE magic term that opens doors. A print run of 2000 books is the first cost effective step above digitally printed books. Up to 1000 books, it?s pretty much a draw on the per unit price. But go beyond 1000 books, and the price per book drops precipitously, and this is essential for marketing to the trade and having any money left over for the publisher and the author.
When I started communicating with BookWorld, they wanted us to provide them with all our titles and allow them to be distributor for all our books, until I noticed in the fine print that I would need to have at least 1000 books of each title printed offset. This means print runs of 1000 for 50 titles at $3000 per print run, which tallies up to $150,000 in printing costs.
Whoa! Hold your horses! This was the scenario every small publisher simply must avoid ? unless the rich uncle or the lotto has just come into your financial realm handing out bushels of cash to spend.
So, I went back to the drawing board and explained I wanted to work with just one title as a test. Our ?hot? title is DYING TO BE YOUNG by Dr. Eric Kaplan who appeared on my CALLING ALL AUTHORS program on March 6th. Dr. Kaplan is a passionate, committed powerhouse of marketing savvy and willingness to learn and take risks. He has put more than ten thousand dollars of his own money into the marketing of his book. But, it has been money well spent instead of lavishly spent and thrown away. The publicist provided him with print coverage, review and has him booked on radio and television all across the country and on the internet, and his most recent TV appearance was on the Montel Williams show in late February. More major appearances are planned for the near future.
Now, back to the talk about distribution.
What does it take to get a distributor ? even for one book?
In a word: Buzzzz! To create buzz you title will need to be all these things:
- A timely and controversial topic.
- A well-written book.
- Mainstream reviews.
- Newspaper articles about you and your book.
Well-planned marketing, endorsements from people the public can recognize, reviews of all kinds, ( mainstream, online, newspapers) and money to back it all up. - An enthusiastic author who works several different avenues, including as a speaker to get the word out about his/her book.
Valerie?s talk show on Global Talk Radio is a popular program which targets writers worldwide to provide them a place to promote their books, discuss their experiences as writers, and learn from experts who also appear on the program. When Valerie goes into the Publisher?s Corner, an informative segment that highlights book industry trends and reveals important issues affecting writers and their books, she gives her listeners the publisher?s perspective on vital information they need to keep up to date on a wide spectrum of topics. She also teaches the essentials to successful book development and promotion for aspiring and published authors alike. Go to http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors to listen to archives. Go to Valerie's Blog at http://www.valerieconnelly.com Learn about Publishing with Nightengale Press at http://www.nightengalepress.com |
Featured marketing book Items
Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Legendary hardcore-punk album from 1982, considered the definitive landmark for breaking the NYC hardcore scene. All material on this CD was recorded at 171-A Studios, NYC, during August, September, and October 1981, except "Pay to Cum," "I Luv I Jah," "Jah Clling Dub" recorded live at 171-A on May 16, 1981. Liner Notes by Ira Kaplan. With Lyrics.
Customer Review: The Pioneers of Hardcore
They say punk has no memory. That styles and influences are forgotten only to be brought back by the next generation as something brand new. The Bad Brains break that trend with the immortal "Bad Brains" album. Every track is a blueprint for the hardcore sound. Sure there will always be arguments about other bands that came before or since but the Bad Brains not only laid it down in the studio but continue to tour today. Definitely a must buy for both musicians interested in the sound and fans interested in the music.
Customer Review: This Is Hardcore
I'm gonna keep this short because there really is no need to get in depth. If you like hardcore(and I'm not talking about all that crap most of todays youth is calling "hardcore"), you need this album. No one else sounds like the Bad Brains and they were pioneers in the hardcore movement.
Sony Optional Book Covers / Brown
Sony Optional Book Covers / Brown
Protect your Sony Reader from scratches, dings and dust with the fashionable PRS-500LC/T Reader cover. Enjoy worry-free operation of your Sony Reader while protecting it from dust and debris with the stylish PRS-500LC/T Reader cover.
Customer Review: WRONG COVER
THIS COVER DOES NOT FIT TO PRS-505.
I UNDERSTOOD THIS TOO LATE.
THIS COVER IS FOR PRS-500 , BUT AMAZON SOLD IT ME WITH PRS-505!!
Customer Review: wrong product
While the electronic book cover I received looks to be quite nice, I was very disappointed on two fronts: Amazon e-mail marketed the product to me along with a charger for the e-book. The charger order was canceled by the supplier without giving me the opportunity to cancel the cover portion of the order (I would not have purchased one without the other). When I received the cover, it was not clear that it only fits an older version of the e-book, so I only realized I'd wasted $30+ AFTER I'd broken the packaging and couldn't return it. I will think twice about purchasing anything marketed to me based on a prior purchase from Amazon.
LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Game: Mr. Pencil's Learn to Draw and Write
LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Game: Mr. Pencil's Learn to Draw and Write
Let your imagination run wild with Mr. Pencil's Learn to Draw and Write. This educational game features over 150 step-by-step lessons that show children how to draw favorite animals, objects and characters, as well as upper and lower case letters and numbers. Also includes dozens of art tools, so you can create anything you can imagine.
Teaches drawing, handwriting, color theory and creativity. For use with the Leapster Multimedia Learning System.
Customer Review: Frustrating, but still a valuable tool
I bought this game, despite the negative reviews, because I really wanted a way for my four year old to work on his fine motor without having to argue about "yes, you must TRY to color in the lines" and "son, you need to TRACE the lines, not free color". He is a very independent spirit :-)
The other reviews are true, it is a frustrating game.
The calibration is an issue (this can be remedied. A Mr. Jason Mortara left a comment on another review stating "To access the Calibration Screen, turn on the Leapster and wait for the Sign In Screen to appear. Then press the Home + Hint + B Buttons simultaneously. Use the Pen to touch the five points that appear." and it works). Even after recalibrating the stylus, if you hold the pencil at different angles than when you recalibrated the line appears in different places. For instance, if you hold the pencil straight up and down during the recalibration, but at a slant when you trace, the line is not in the right place.
When my son does the mazes I feel the game is overly sensitive. You are not allowed to pick up your pencil during the maze, you must make one continuous line. Who doesn't stop to get your bearings during a maze? So you have to determine your course before you put your pencil down, and then don't dare get turned around.
He was becoming extremely frustrated, but what amazed me was that he didn't want to take a break, and try another game. Despite the high anxiety, he still wanted to persist until he got it right.
What we ended up doing was taking turns. I would try a maze, and make sure I crashed somewhere close to the end. Then he would try it. This way he got an idea of which way to go, because it isn't fair to expect them to actually do the maze, AND concentrate on not lifting the pencil, their pencil grip, and not going out of the lines. I felt the fine motor was more important than the logic skills of maze solving, for this particular instance.
So, in the end, it IS a FRUSTRATING game, BUT nevertheless does its job. It still teaches the fine motor skills that my son needs to work on. And it is more entertaining (barely) than the usual PAPER tracing pages, mazes, connect the dots, etc.
A more traditional, paper, alternative to this product would be the Kumon Workbooks, excellent products.
Durability: I'm not sure about this game specifically, because we haven't had it long. However, "Number Raiders" accidentally got put throught the WASHER AND DRYER and still works fine!!! Amazing. Tough little cartridges!!!
Customer Review: mostly fun
I brought this game for my 6 year old for Christmas. She enjoys tracing the pictures and playing some of the games. She gets a little frustrated with the maze. You have to go through the maze without touching any of the lines and if you take the pen off you get the buzz sound. So she gets really upset with that. I like the game because it helps to teach kids to write neatly. She is just beginning the game but I think it will help her. She has not played all the parts of it yet. She also loves the part where you just change colors and can write and draw what you want.
The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER
National Book Critic's Circle Award Finalist
A New York Times Notable Book
One of the Best Books of the Year
The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Denver Post, The Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Times, New York, People, Rocky Mountain News, Time, The Village Voice, The Washington Post
The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other.
The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.
Customer Review: In response to Joseph Anderson
!Spoiler Alert!
I think the reason that all of the plants and animals were dead is because of nuclear winter - think about it. When the sun gets blocked, what dies? The plants die. When the plants die, what else dies? The animals. It is a grim scenario but under the right conditions it seems somewhat feasible.
I thought this was a great book. Much of it is truly horrifying but it makes you SOOO thankful not to live on the earth that's described. I can't explain it rationally but I think the ending is one of the most poetic and powerful that I've ever read - it makes you grieve for things not yet lost. Beyond the quiet, touching relationship between the old man and his son, I think this book is especially important now with the level of environmental catastrophe that this planet is facing - it is a warning. "Wake up before it's too late!"
Customer Review: A masterpiece of modern literature
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy is an absolute masterpiece of modern literature. I listened to the audio book because I'd read so many comments about how readers were distracted by McCarthy's minimalist prose. If you are planning on reading this book and think that his style will bother you, I recommend the audio version. Tom Stechschulte reads it and does a wonderful job.
The book is dark. It is dark in a soul-wrenching way. I found myself tearing up at some of the simplest passages, because McCarthy taps into very real human emotion and thought. How many of us haven't wondered about a post-apocalyptic world? McCarthy makes it real and understandable, even if we don't know exactly how it happened, how many years it is post disaster, or even the characters' names. It's easy to envision the gray world that McCarthy paints with his words. The contrasts of the two main characters makes for some interesting comparisons. The boy knows nothing but a post-apocalyptic world - the man remembers what once was and what's been lost. They have two opposite perspectives, and that sets the book up for real introspection. The rambling journey they take is as aimless and purposeless of a post-apocalyptic life.
There are some real moments of terror that might not be suitable for younger readers.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings back Harry, Ron, and Hermione for more adventure! Harry is mysteriously selected as the fourth contestant in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament. Each competitor in the international competition must confront a fire-breathing dragon, rescue friends from the icy depths of the Black Lake, and navigate the twisting mysteries of a vast, dangerous maze. It may sound difficult, but Harry is older, wiser and more skilled now. Still, even he isn't ready for another show with the evil Lord Voldemort himself!
Customer Review: Controls not explained!
Let me start off with the good things:
-the graphics are phenomenal
-you can choose your character
Now, the bad things:
-unlike the other HP games, you CANNOT wander around the Hogwarts grounds, which I enjoyed.
-The mouse has NO action whatsoever, not even in the main menu!
-I get stuck on so many levels, because most controls are NOT EXPLAINED! Not even in the manual!
-your "friends" (whoever you're not playing with) are so slow in following you and are almost always occupied with sneezing or wandering around when you need help so badly!
-I tried to install this game for one full year and never got it to install until I did some tricky things
Overall, I would have rated this game five stars if the bad things were fixed.
I think that EA Games was just porting over a Play Station game (I can tell by the graphics style) and not bothering to make it anymore convenient. EA did a poor job here. I would sort of recommend this game.
Customer Review: The worst. Period.
I LOVED the first four (SS, CoS, TPoA, and QWC) games.
The first one was a little too easy (I beat it in three days after some practice), the second one being a bit too hard (I have a fear of fire snails), the Third one and Quiddich World Cup being perfect.
When I bought the first game I was expecting another GREAT game. But here is what I got: graphics that were grainy, NO exploring, and no fun trunks with goodies. it was a HARD game, and i'm still stuck on the second task. I can't believe I decided to buy PetVet later because I wanted this. Here's hoping you can explore in the fifth one.
~a very angry horsewhisperer360
>:(
News about marketing book
Do You Speak Hotel Language?
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:25:15 GMT
Aug 25, 08 1:58 am With so many acronyms and hotel terminology flying around the hotel industry it can become very confusing for the average customer.
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. Q2 2008 Earnings Call Transcript - Seeking Alpha
Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:52:56 GMT
Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. Q2 2008 Earnings Call Transcript Seeking Alpha, NY - And the fourth area are our sales, marketing and public relations efforts by our practitioners and all of those that support them in identifying local ... |
Independent, The (London) - A world of interiors
Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:00:00 GMT
August 20, 2008 -- DESIGN Jamie Seaton, the co-founder of Toast, travels the globe for beautiful homeware and furniture. He shares his secret address book with Kate...
Labels: book a flight | booking hotels | booking flights
Today's marketing book Article
How Distributors And Wholesalers Affect A Book's Journey Into Bookstores
When I started publishing books, I thought a wholesaler and a distributor were essentially the same thing. Not so. Like so many small publishers do, I chose to print my books digitally through Lightning Source Inc, which is actually a subsidiary of Ingram Book Company. This makes all their books available for order in bookstores throughout the USA. AVAILABLE to order. That is the key phrase. This does not mean the books will magically appear on bookstore shelves. That is a different process altogether. Let?s examine the process.
The bookstores and Libraries can order from Ingram who in turn supplies books to bookstores and libraries from the distributor?s stock. How does this work?
1) The distributor lists the publisher?s books which they, the distributor handles, with Ingram
2) The book shows up as available in iPage, the online virtual warehouse.
3) If the book is printed at LSI, then the publisher?s iPage listing shows the book as available from them as well. It also shows how many books are stocked in the virtual warehouse, usually 100, in which facility,
TN, OR, PA, IN
It is confusing for authors when their books are printed digitally through Lightning Source, and the stores can order them through Ingram. In this case, Ingram acts both as wholesaler and as distributor. But Ingram doesn?t do most of what a distributor does.
4) If the publisher has a distributor, for example, we work with BOOKWORLD to distribute select titles, then the distributor?s iPage listing shows the book they handle for the publisher on the publisher?s iPage. This allows the publisher to watch the sales of the books handled by the distributor.
5) But the distributor does so much more than the wholesaler.
* They sell to the stores. They are the Key to getting on the New Books table and staying on the shelves.
* They help book signings for major authors with major media coverage.
* They trouble shoot shipments.
* But the key difference is they will only work with Offset printed books, not digitally printed books. This is an important distinction!
Offset printing is more time consuming and costly, but the per unit price is less. This is how you get print runs, THE magic term that opens doors. A print run of 2000 books is the first cost effective step above digitally printed books. Up to 1000 books, it?s pretty much a draw on the per unit price. But go beyond 1000 books, and the price per book drops precipitously, and this is essential for marketing to the trade and having any money left over for the publisher and the author.
When I started communicating with BookWorld, they wanted us to provide them with all our titles and allow them to be distributor for all our books, until I noticed in the fine print that I would need to have at least 1000 books of each title printed offset. This means print runs of 1000 for 50 titles at $3000 per print run, which tallies up to $150,000 in printing costs.
Whoa! Hold your horses! This was the scenario every small publisher simply must avoid ? unless the rich uncle or the lotto has just come into your financial realm handing out bushels of cash to spend.
So, I went back to the drawing board and explained I wanted to work with just one title as a test. Our ?hot? title is DYING TO BE YOUNG by Dr. Eric Kaplan who appeared on my CALLING ALL AUTHORS program on March 6th. Dr. Kaplan is a passionate, committed powerhouse of marketing savvy and willingness to learn and take risks. He has put more than ten thousand dollars of his own money into the marketing of his book. But, it has been money well spent instead of lavishly spent and thrown away. The publicist provided him with print coverage, review and has him booked on radio and television all across the country and on the internet, and his most recent TV appearance was on the Montel Williams show in late February. More major appearances are planned for the near future.
Now, back to the talk about distribution.
What does it take to get a distributor ? even for one book?
In a word: Buzzzz! To create buzz you title will need to be all these things:
- A timely and controversial topic.
- A well-written book.
- Mainstream reviews.
- Newspaper articles about you and your book.
Well-planned marketing, endorsements from people the public can recognize, reviews of all kinds, ( mainstream, online, newspapers) and money to back it all up. - An enthusiastic author who works several different avenues, including as a speaker to get the word out about his/her book.
Valerie?s talk show on Global Talk Radio is a popular program which targets writers worldwide to provide them a place to promote their books, discuss their experiences as writers, and learn from experts who also appear on the program. When Valerie goes into the Publisher?s Corner, an informative segment that highlights book industry trends and reveals important issues affecting writers and their books, she gives her listeners the publisher?s perspective on vital information they need to keep up to date on a wide spectrum of topics. She also teaches the essentials to successful book development and promotion for aspiring and published authors alike. Go to http://www.globaltalkradio.com/shows/callingallauthors to listen to archives. Go to Valerie's Blog at http://www.valerieconnelly.com Learn about Publishing with Nightengale Press at http://www.nightengalepress.com |
Featured marketing book Items
Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Legendary hardcore-punk album from 1982, considered the definitive landmark for breaking the NYC hardcore scene. All material on this CD was recorded at 171-A Studios, NYC, during August, September, and October 1981, except "Pay to Cum," "I Luv I Jah," "Jah Clling Dub" recorded live at 171-A on May 16, 1981. Liner Notes by Ira Kaplan. With Lyrics.
Customer Review: The Pioneers of Hardcore
They say punk has no memory. That styles and influences are forgotten only to be brought back by the next generation as something brand new. The Bad Brains break that trend with the immortal "Bad Brains" album. Every track is a blueprint for the hardcore sound. Sure there will always be arguments about other bands that came before or since but the Bad Brains not only laid it down in the studio but continue to tour today. Definitely a must buy for both musicians interested in the sound and fans interested in the music.
Customer Review: This Is Hardcore
I'm gonna keep this short because there really is no need to get in depth. If you like hardcore(and I'm not talking about all that crap most of todays youth is calling "hardcore"), you need this album. No one else sounds like the Bad Brains and they were pioneers in the hardcore movement.
Sony Optional Book Covers / Brown
Sony Optional Book Covers / Brown
Protect your Sony Reader from scratches, dings and dust with the fashionable PRS-500LC/T Reader cover. Enjoy worry-free operation of your Sony Reader while protecting it from dust and debris with the stylish PRS-500LC/T Reader cover.
Customer Review: WRONG COVER
THIS COVER DOES NOT FIT TO PRS-505.
I UNDERSTOOD THIS TOO LATE.
THIS COVER IS FOR PRS-500 , BUT AMAZON SOLD IT ME WITH PRS-505!!
Customer Review: wrong product
While the electronic book cover I received looks to be quite nice, I was very disappointed on two fronts: Amazon e-mail marketed the product to me along with a charger for the e-book. The charger order was canceled by the supplier without giving me the opportunity to cancel the cover portion of the order (I would not have purchased one without the other). When I received the cover, it was not clear that it only fits an older version of the e-book, so I only realized I'd wasted $30+ AFTER I'd broken the packaging and couldn't return it. I will think twice about purchasing anything marketed to me based on a prior purchase from Amazon.
LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Game: Mr. Pencil's Learn to Draw and Write
LeapFrog Leapster® Educational Game: Mr. Pencil's Learn to Draw and Write
Let your imagination run wild with Mr. Pencil's Learn to Draw and Write. This educational game features over 150 step-by-step lessons that show children how to draw favorite animals, objects and characters, as well as upper and lower case letters and numbers. Also includes dozens of art tools, so you can create anything you can imagine.
Teaches drawing, handwriting, color theory and creativity. For use with the Leapster Multimedia Learning System.
Customer Review: Frustrating, but still a valuable tool
I bought this game, despite the negative reviews, because I really wanted a way for my four year old to work on his fine motor without having to argue about "yes, you must TRY to color in the lines" and "son, you need to TRACE the lines, not free color". He is a very independent spirit :-)
The other reviews are true, it is a frustrating game.
The calibration is an issue (this can be remedied. A Mr. Jason Mortara left a comment on another review stating "To access the Calibration Screen, turn on the Leapster and wait for the Sign In Screen to appear. Then press the Home + Hint + B Buttons simultaneously. Use the Pen to touch the five points that appear." and it works). Even after recalibrating the stylus, if you hold the pencil at different angles than when you recalibrated the line appears in different places. For instance, if you hold the pencil straight up and down during the recalibration, but at a slant when you trace, the line is not in the right place.
When my son does the mazes I feel the game is overly sensitive. You are not allowed to pick up your pencil during the maze, you must make one continuous line. Who doesn't stop to get your bearings during a maze? So you have to determine your course before you put your pencil down, and then don't dare get turned around.
He was becoming extremely frustrated, but what amazed me was that he didn't want to take a break, and try another game. Despite the high anxiety, he still wanted to persist until he got it right.
What we ended up doing was taking turns. I would try a maze, and make sure I crashed somewhere close to the end. Then he would try it. This way he got an idea of which way to go, because it isn't fair to expect them to actually do the maze, AND concentrate on not lifting the pencil, their pencil grip, and not going out of the lines. I felt the fine motor was more important than the logic skills of maze solving, for this particular instance.
So, in the end, it IS a FRUSTRATING game, BUT nevertheless does its job. It still teaches the fine motor skills that my son needs to work on. And it is more entertaining (barely) than the usual PAPER tracing pages, mazes, connect the dots, etc.
A more traditional, paper, alternative to this product would be the Kumon Workbooks, excellent products.
Durability: I'm not sure about this game specifically, because we haven't had it long. However, "Number Raiders" accidentally got put throught the WASHER AND DRYER and still works fine!!! Amazing. Tough little cartridges!!!
Customer Review: mostly fun
I brought this game for my 6 year old for Christmas. She enjoys tracing the pictures and playing some of the games. She gets a little frustrated with the maze. You have to go through the maze without touching any of the lines and if you take the pen off you get the buzz sound. So she gets really upset with that. I like the game because it helps to teach kids to write neatly. She is just beginning the game but I think it will help her. She has not played all the parts of it yet. She also loves the part where you just change colors and can write and draw what you want.
The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
The Road (Oprah's Book Club)
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
PULITZER PRIZE WINNER
National Book Critic's Circle Award Finalist
A New York Times Notable Book
One of the Best Books of the Year
The Boston Globe, The Christian Science Monitor, The Denver Post, The Kansas City Star, Los Angeles Times, New York, People, Rocky Mountain News, Time, The Village Voice, The Washington Post
The searing, postapocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy's masterpiece.
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don't know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food-—and each other.
The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, "each the other's world entire," are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.
Customer Review: In response to Joseph Anderson
!Spoiler Alert!
I think the reason that all of the plants and animals were dead is because of nuclear winter - think about it. When the sun gets blocked, what dies? The plants die. When the plants die, what else dies? The animals. It is a grim scenario but under the right conditions it seems somewhat feasible.
I thought this was a great book. Much of it is truly horrifying but it makes you SOOO thankful not to live on the earth that's described. I can't explain it rationally but I think the ending is one of the most poetic and powerful that I've ever read - it makes you grieve for things not yet lost. Beyond the quiet, touching relationship between the old man and his son, I think this book is especially important now with the level of environmental catastrophe that this planet is facing - it is a warning. "Wake up before it's too late!"
Customer Review: A masterpiece of modern literature
The Road, by Cormac McCarthy is an absolute masterpiece of modern literature. I listened to the audio book because I'd read so many comments about how readers were distracted by McCarthy's minimalist prose. If you are planning on reading this book and think that his style will bother you, I recommend the audio version. Tom Stechschulte reads it and does a wonderful job.
The book is dark. It is dark in a soul-wrenching way. I found myself tearing up at some of the simplest passages, because McCarthy taps into very real human emotion and thought. How many of us haven't wondered about a post-apocalyptic world? McCarthy makes it real and understandable, even if we don't know exactly how it happened, how many years it is post disaster, or even the characters' names. It's easy to envision the gray world that McCarthy paints with his words. The contrasts of the two main characters makes for some interesting comparisons. The boy knows nothing but a post-apocalyptic world - the man remembers what once was and what's been lost. They have two opposite perspectives, and that sets the book up for real introspection. The rambling journey they take is as aimless and purposeless of a post-apocalyptic life.
There are some real moments of terror that might not be suitable for younger readers.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire brings back Harry, Ron, and Hermione for more adventure! Harry is mysteriously selected as the fourth contestant in the dangerous Triwizard Tournament. Each competitor in the international competition must confront a fire-breathing dragon, rescue friends from the icy depths of the Black Lake, and navigate the twisting mysteries of a vast, dangerous maze. It may sound difficult, but Harry is older, wiser and more skilled now. Still, even he isn't ready for another show with the evil Lord Voldemort himself!
Customer Review: Controls not explained!
Let me start off with the good things:
-the graphics are phenomenal
-you can choose your character
Now, the bad things:
-unlike the other HP games, you CANNOT wander around the Hogwarts grounds, which I enjoyed.
-The mouse has NO action whatsoever, not even in the main menu!
-I get stuck on so many levels, because most controls are NOT EXPLAINED! Not even in the manual!
-your "friends" (whoever you're not playing with) are so slow in following you and are almost always occupied with sneezing or wandering around when you need help so badly!
-I tried to install this game for one full year and never got it to install until I did some tricky things
Overall, I would have rated this game five stars if the bad things were fixed.
I think that EA Games was just porting over a Play Station game (I can tell by the graphics style) and not bothering to make it anymore convenient. EA did a poor job here. I would sort of recommend this game.
Customer Review: The worst. Period.
I LOVED the first four (SS, CoS, TPoA, and QWC) games.
The first one was a little too easy (I beat it in three days after some practice), the second one being a bit too hard (I have a fear of fire snails), the Third one and Quiddich World Cup being perfect.
When I bought the first game I was expecting another GREAT game. But here is what I got: graphics that were grainy, NO exploring, and no fun trunks with goodies. it was a HARD game, and i'm still stuck on the second task. I can't believe I decided to buy PetVet later because I wanted this. Here's hoping you can explore in the fifth one.
~a very angry horsewhisperer360
>:(
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