Gone Girl: A Novel

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)


In the first few pages of Gillian Flynn's new novel Gone Girl, I was thinking, "This is it -- one of those rare novels that's unique and totally engrossing, cleverly plotted so that each new development has me astounded and eager to find out what happens next." Then the story continued as Midwestern husband Nick began to deal with his wife Amy's sudden disappearance and some gradually revealed details that might cast doubt on his own innocence in the matter. During that time, the book dropped down from the level of extraordinary to merely somewhat intriguing. However, once I reached Part Two of Gone Girl ("Boy Meets Girl"), it was like Ms Flynn kicked it up a notch, and the book became amazing again. Without giving any spoilers, Part Two unveils some major plot twists that cast Amy's status in an entirely new light. From that point on, the story moves along in powder keg fashion: the fuse has been lit, and it's only a question of how long 'til the explosion, and how much damage will be done when it happens. Flynn has a distinctive writing style that really involved me in what was going on with her two main characters. I had previously purchased but not yet read her Dark Places (after several recommendations). Now I will have to read it, and also get her first book, Sharp Objects. Only one warning, though: Gone Girl contains a fair amount of foul language. This was not a problem for me, but it might be for some readers.

GONE - Part Three (The GONE Series Book 3)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Great ending to another great series!!!! I love Lilly Randall and Clive Parker. However, usually the men steal the show in Deborah's books most time but despite Clive Parker and all his arrogant sexiness Lilly stole the show..making this series even that more special
! She was everything I love a female character sensitive, vulnerable, beautiful, charismatic and strong in spite of her heartbreak. Thank you so much Deborah for you wonderful books I have read and loved each one and continue to wish you much more success in the new year and am looking forward to starting it off with TRACE.

GONE - Part Two (The GONE Series Book 2)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I didn't realize that I was holding my breath until I closed out of the book... Incredible doesn't begin to describe Deborah Bladon's work. I am in love with all of her books. But Gone is my favorite. I love Lilly. She's so sweet and has this innocent side to her that you can't help but to love her. I want to reach into my kindle and hug her. Clive is one of my favorite male characters. He's got the whole package. This a must read. I'm stunned by the ending. I always am when it comes to these series. But I never saw it coming. I'm beyond ready for part 3 and I will be checking amazon constantly the day it's supposed to come out! You will not be disappointed if you buy this book!

Fire HD 6, 6" HD Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB - Includes Special Offers, Black

CUSTOMER REVIEW



If you read my Fire TV review you know that I am tough on Amazon when it comes to their own items. It needs to deliver quality for the price point to earn stars from me. Please take the time to read my entire review and feel free to ask questions. I will do my best to respond to them as I can and update the review to reflect those answers and other things I discover along the way.

First my background. I own many Amazon Kindles (b&w, Fire gen2, Fire gen3) as well as Apple Ipad (gen 4), Samsung Note 3 and have an LG G2 smartphone (had a Samsung S4 before that), notebooks, chromebooks, etc. I have also used many other products including the Fire HDX line. I have a solid computer background as well but honestly I am more of a casual user when it comes to tablets like this one.

Amazon has changed many things over the life of the Fire product line. Adding and removing features (like cameras--the first generation had one but the second generation removed them but not they are back).

They are all useful devices but each one has its own niche so to speak so make sure whatever you get has the features that are important to you.

Now to this model. This is like a big smartphone--which is a big difference from past kindles. It is more compact, lighter and yet still very usable. In fact for me, the shrinking of size increases the usefulness. I find that I use my smartphone way more than my tablets--even the smaller Fire HD and Samsung Note tablets so I am expecting this to replace more of that "on the couch" usage which is great since it so much less expensive than most smartphones. That means you can feel less bad about scratches that might occur or the accidental drops. (I am guilty of both.)

The screen is very good--certainly not the top of the line but nice even if you factor paying twice the retail for it. It is bright, sharp with the same resolution as past

Comparing past Kindle Fires:

1st Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi
2nd Generation 7 inch--1024 x 600 pixel resolution at 169 ppi
3rd Generation 7 inch--1280 x 800 resolution at 216 ppi (the first step up in resolution)
4th Generation 7 inch--1280 x 800 (216 ppi) (This is the twin to this model and was just released)

Whereas this 6 inch model has 1280 x 800 (252 ppi). That makes this display higher or the same resolution than any of the past Kindle Fires with the exception of the more expensive HDX. It makes it sharper with more detail per inch than any of the past Kindle Fires of this smaller size (again except for the HDX). Yet this is the cheapest Fire yet which is quite impressive.

Now while Amazon may love my giving this 6 inch fire a 5 star rating, they wouldn't like this next sentence. There is absolutely no reason to even consider the newly released 7 inch fire. $40 more gets you a less "sharp/detailed" screen, more weight, more bulk (look at the extra space on the sides next to the screen of the new 6 inch and the new 7 inch) and the only improvements is a second speaker and a larger screen.

In my opinion you should consider this 6 inch Fire or consider spending twice as much to step up to the Fire HDX with many improvements (Mayday button, higher resolution, faster processor, dual-band, dual antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi, and longer battery life). The HDX has some issues with a blue halo around the screen so read reviews of that before jumping.

So now that I have talked you out of the Fire 7 and covered some of the reasons for considering the Fire 7 HDX, lets talk more about the Fire 6.

Performance/Apps--It is quick (but I am never happy enough, lol), responsive and like Apple products--it just works. Now one plus and minus with all Kindles/Fires are that you can not use any app from Google's app store. That means you have to wait for apps to be brought into Amazon's app store which seems to be slow at getting new releases and new updates. This is really an issue for Amazon and one that still needs to be fixed. The plus to this is that Amazon keeps some of the junky apps out of the system and once they make it to Amazon's app store, they are proven safe and generally work better than the "fresh" apps because bugs have been worked out.

Amazon's own apps are very well integrated into this and past Fires. They keep improving them and adding features without adding cost. If you have Prime, you get streaming TV and Movies, free ebooks and now Prime Music. If you have Prime, the added free content you get on the Fire makes it a real standout against everything else.

I use my Fire 6 for reading emails, surfing the internet, watching videos (some of the time) and playing some games/apps like IMDB. I have found that it meets or exceeds what I have come to expect from these things in terms of performance and reliability. Are there bugs or glitches? Yes but less than my LG smartphone has and less than my Samsung Tab has.

Size--about the size of the new "large" phones is very nice--not too big but not too small. It is more portable feeling than the 7 inch tablets and it is easy to hold. It is fun to be part of the "cool club" without dropping 5-6 times as much or signing a 2 year contract.

Quality--Amazon has proven overtime that they can make quality products and this is no exception. At under a hundred dollars there is pretty much nothing else that is this feature packed with this finish quality. I have experienced no quality issues and do not expect anything given Amazon's solid history.

Battery Life--So far so good. I was able to stream video and surf the internet for well over 7 hours without any hiccups. From a device this compact with such a large screen that seems quite impressive.

Sound--Decent but Apple products are cleaner sounding to me. Volume is usable in most situations but not necessarily in noisy outside situations.

I am sure I have forgotten something so please feel free to ask questions. This is my own opinion and while I don't know everything, I do my best to deliver honest reviews since reviews help me so much when I shop.

If you are in the market for a little tablet and have prime, you have to decide between this Fire 6 or the 7 inch HDX for twice the cost. This 6 inch adds the rear camera and most of the performance while being smaller, lighter at half the price.

Big Little Lies

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)


The Hypnotist's Love Story was good, the Husband's Secret was better, but Big Little Lies is the best. I was captivated from the first page, as I waited to figure out the mystery as to what was going to happen to these amazing characters on Trivia Night. The book is told by multiple voices, particularly Madeline, Celeste and Jane, each one had a distinct voice and a point of view that felt familiar, yet in this author's competent hands totally unique.

Madeline Martha Mackenzie is a 40 year old throw-back to the screw ball comedies. She has the mouth, the wardrobe and her heart is in the right place when not suffering from her monthly PMS. She lives in the same town with her ex-husband, Nathan and his yoga chanting, euphorically perfect second wife, Bonnie. Nathan left Madeline and their newborn infant 14 years ago, and while Madeline has re-married a wonderful man and has two children with him, it still hurts that their 14 year old daughter now wants to live with her ex and his wife.

It would seem that Celeste has it all. She is a beautiful woman, married to a very wealthy man, Perry, and has two adorable twin boys attending Pirriwee Public School. What looks to be a perfect relationship to others, can become toxic when the couple is behind closed doors. This is a fact that is finally becoming glaringly clear, even to Celeste.

Jane is a single mother raising her five year old boy, Ziggy, with the help of her mother and father, who live near by. She has just moved to the Pirriwee Peninsula, after taking leases in different apartments across Sydney, hoping to finally find a "life that worked". Once an outgoing career oriented 19 year old, she bears the scars of a disastrous sexual encounter.

As serendipitously as it was meant to happen, on her way to kindergarten orientation, Jane stops to help a slightly injured Madeline after a fender bender. Having their children in the same kindergarten class is the impetus that brings Celeste, Madeline and Jane together. While all three woman are experiencing troubles, some certainly more serious than the others, they are drawn together and stick together. Jane has a real support system from her new friends, when Ziggy is accused of bullying a female kindergarten classmate of a high powered attorney. When a petition is circulated to try and have Ziggy suspended from the school, it divides the parents of Pirriwee Public school into two factions.

This is chick literature with a sting, that is both funny, intelligent and ultimately moving. There is simply so much to recommended about this book, written by an author who has proven herself incapable of creating a one dimensional character or a boring plot. The characterizations are perfect, the Australian setting idyllic, the pacing perfect as there is not one unnecessary page, the character's interconnections realistic and touching.. The story is full of clever dialogue and laugh out loud moments, while never losing sight that the subject matter is at times complex. I have to admit I did not like the ending of The Husband's Wife, this time all the subplots converge at the right time and place, giving the narration a most satisfying ending. Big Little Lies is filled with sharp observations about domestic abuse, bullying, second marriages, self-esteem, parenting, friendship and second chances. "Oh calamity" what an enjoyable book. Very Highly Recommended.

Captivated By You (Crossfire, Book 4)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Please be aware there will be small spoilers concerning the plotline.

It is such a shame......this series started out so strong. Bared To You and Reflected In You were absolute perfection. Entwined With You (book 3) was just okay for me, but I understood going into it that is was a transition book so I didn't expect too much to happen. The best part of EWY was Gideon and Eva solidified their relationship. Looking forward to Captivated By You, I had very high hopes. I had read some interviews with Ms. Day and watched her on Youtube explaining books 4 and 5 would focus on Gideon's issues and I was excited about the prospect of finally really digging into Gideon.

Unfortunately that is not how it played out for me. Right off the bat, Eva is dealing with some left over emotions concerning Brett Kline. I am like....what??? I thought that particular door closed for Eva in EWY at the Golden video premiere. She realized she loved Gideon completely and although she may have a sexual chemistry with Brett, their relationship would never resume. She belonged with Gideon. I felt the only lingering storyline concerning Brett was the sex tape....guess I was wrong. This bothered me for a couple reasons. I felt this drama was contrived only to be a filler.....I felt this issue was resolved also Eva's conflict over Brett seemed to set her back a few steps.....taking her back to that desperate girl who used sex to try and keep him. That is not the Eva that has been growing stronger and stronger in the past 3 books. I didn't get angry with Eva, but I truly didn't understand why Ms. Day chose to take Eva's character in this direction. I did get frustrated with the fact it seem to take Eva much too long to really deal with the Brett situation and would have preferred to see it wrap with more quickly.

Something different happened in Captivated By You, rather than just experiencing Eva's point of view Gideon had a turn to express his inner thoughts. It should have been awesome crawling into Gideon's head, but honestly Gideon and Eva's voice seemed to be exactly the same. I really couldn't distinguish between the two "different" views. In the past books, I thought Ms. Day did an excellent job of allowing readers to really understand Gideon even though we only saw him through Eva's eyes. And while it was nice to hear from the man himself, I am not quite sure I liked it. Gideon is not really good at telling Eva anything and he was doing things, manipulating situations and people without communicating with Eva. I found that I didn't like that aspect of him. He knows how much Eva hates that. Gideon has seen how secrets have stressed Eva and Monica's relationship so I was frustrated seeing him do the exact same thing knowing full well that these actions were going to cause problems later on. The best part to Gideon's point of view was being about to see how truly damaged he is from his past. I think I expected more growth from Gideon in this book. He has slowly started making changes to heal and confront his past in the previous books, but I really wanted to see more of that in this book and I didn't get that until the very end of the book. I am sure in book 5 Gideon will really start to the process, but I expected more.

Captivated did answer some questions that have been floating around in my head, but not all questions of course were answered. I thought some loose ends were tied up a little too quickly. For example, I have been wondering what the hell was going on with Nathan's bracelet and basically it was answered in two pages.

When I finished CBY, I turned the page and saw the title for book 5 and I can tell you quite frankly I don't feel any excitement for the next installment. I don't have that dread of waiting a year or six months for it either. I feel let down; as far as I am concerned books 3 and 4 could have been combined. I feel like the past 2 books have not taken the characters far enough and the series seems to have lost that momentum. I don't know if that is because of the long wait between installments or if that the characters are not as vibrant as they were in the beginning. I will definitely be reading the last book; it just won't be with the enthusiasm and excitement I had before. I had no problem with Ms. Day extending the series by 2 books, but I don't feel like extra books have added anything to series or strengthen the characters or the storyline.

Kindle, 6" Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, Wi-Fi - Includes Special Offers

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I've had this Kindle for a while now. Many of the reviews say it all so I don't think I could add much. But I feel like I need to speak on behalf of this Kindle to shield it from reviewers and owners who seem to have no idea what they bought. If this could help clear up any confusion for a first time buyer then writing this is worth it. So I have to begin by asking reviewers that confuse us all?

Do you have any clue what you bought? Let's all say it out loud: THIS KINDLE DOES NOT HAVE A LIGHT!!!!!! It is an entry level model with no light. Amazon has always sold non lighted Kindles, and I still have many of them. They are a cheap way to get into the e-reader scene. Can you read a real book in the dark? Of course not. So these non lighted Kindles are not epic failures for not having a light just as the last novel you bought was not an epic failure for not having a built in light. It is ridiculous to buy this Kindle then give it a 1 star review because it doesn't have a light. Read the product descriptions. This Kindle has no light, the Paperwhite and Voyage do.

Scream all to the heavens: THIS KINDLE DOES NOT HAVE PAGE TURNING BUTTONS!!!! To buy this Kindle then give it a 1 star review because your old Kindle had page turning buttons and this one does not is insane. Could you not see when you clicked on "BUY" that this Kindle had no page turning buttons. Sometimes I think there are two kinds of Kindle owners: those who want page turning buttons and those who don't mind moving their thumb a nano meter to turn a page. If you can tell by my sarcasm, I belong to the latter bunch.

Then of course there are the technically deficient that have no clue what wifi is, are unable to sign on, and blame it on the Kindle. BAM! another 1 star review. Well I feel for you on this one, If you are new to the scene all Kindles come wifi ready, ready to sign on to your wifi set up at home. When this is done you can buy book from your Kindle or computer. All of your purchases are held in that magical storage space called "the cloud" and you can access those from any Kindle registered under your name.

Now for my two cents. This is a great Kindle. The software is the latest, similar to the Paperwhite. It's quick, has any feature you could ask for from an entry level Kindle. I don't understand the hate for touch screen. You should embrace it. See that word on the page you don't know? Touch it with your finger and a dictionary pops up giving you the definition. How many clicks on the Kindle Keyboard would this same function take (still have my Keyboard and love it, but probably like one loves an antique typewriter). As far as page turns go, see my nano meter thumb comment above. Once you get used to it it's a piece of cake. Hey, the first time I picked up an iPhone to type a text message "how are you?" it came out "lskdlj eiieoi c;?" You need to acclimate yourself to a touch screen. Once you do those page turning buttons will start to feel like cheap little bits of plastic that will eventually stop working.

Under a lamp or in natural daylight the text is bold and easy to see. Some fonts are bolder than others. This is also a very light Kindle. I've found kind of a sweet spot for holding Kindles. Pinching the bezel to hold it is awkward. I place the bottom left corner in the middle of my palm, rest the back of it on my four fingers, and tilt it slightly to the left so it doesn't fall in my lap. My thumb is perfectly free to move that nano meter to turn a page.

So let's sum up:
*This Kindle does not have a light.
*This Kindle does not have page turning buttons.
*This Kindle (like all Kindles) has wifi capability. When you are home on your wifi you can buy and download books from the Kindle store. If you go to the beach, you cannot. If you want this then get 3G. This is like a cell phone. Personally I've never needed to buy a book outside of my home so never felt the need for 3G.

If this helps one person it was worth typing.