reviews = {}
reviews[('73960', 'Elizabeth.Wong98')] = {'comment': "Every evening, the brave queen of Persia, Shahrazad, goes into the Sultan's rooms and begins a weave of words, hoping to entice the Sultan to let her live another night so she can continue her story. But Shahrazad has a big problem: She is running out of stories. With a delicate stroke of luck, a cripple girl, Marjan, ventures into the harem with her Aunt to sell various wares. As her Aunt is selling things, Marjan entertains some of the children with a story. Unbeknownst to Marjan, Shahrazad's sister, Dunyazad, has heard her telling the story. Marjan is taken directly to Shahrazad and asked to recount the story. The tale keeps the queen alive another night and the queen decides to keep Marjan.\n As her helper, Marjan has to go into the city and look for tales that the Sultan has not heard. She has several close calls with the Kathun, the voracious female who rules the harem and who is set against \nShahrazad. Finally the Sultan proclaims that he will stop killing women every night. Unfortunately, Marjan is still in danger and has to be taken out of the city along with Zaynab, an old woman who assisted Marjan. \n Since my mom suggested this book to me, I thought that it would be boring. It was quite the opposite. I was intrigued from the very beginning to the end. I loved the byplay between the characters and the thrilling escapes from various places. One thing that didn't please me was the ending. The ending was abrupt; the story just kind of stopped and left you wondering what happened next in Marjan's life. But all in all, this book was amazing and I have read and re-read it many times ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1332288000, 'work': '73960', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Elizabeth.Wong98', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Mar 21, 2012'}
reviews[('69413', 'rivkat')] = {'comment': 'Its the 1983-84 school year and Edward Zanni of Hoboken has to figure out how to get into, and then to pay for, Juilliard when his father insists that hell only pay for a business major. Fortunately, hes got friends; unfortunately, their ideas tend towards the felonious. A bunch of comic setpieces strung together with bare connective tissue. The characters were all trying too hard to be charming, which makes them typical teens but no more fun for that. Bonus for varying sexualities among the teens, but points off for a 2004 novel in which Edwards 1984 observations are way too precious (Madonnas a flash in the pan, what does that Matthew Broderick fellow have that I dont, etc.). ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1253404800, 'work': '69413', 'flags': [], 'user': 'rivkat', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Sep 20, 2009'}
reviews[('9523995', 'suz.haugland')] = {'comment': "I became privy to this book, when another author that I enjoy reading recommended it to her fans, as Brenna Yovanoff is one of her friends. The way she described the premise of the book and the author herself, made me want to look into reading it. I immediately knew when I saw the cover, all bets were off. This would definitely be a book that I would enjoy.\nThis book easily fits into a genre that I'm no stranger to, at the moment. Actually, haven't been for years, if I'm honest. I like the main character Mackie and the fact that he wants to nothing more to be normal, which is quite the opposite of what he actually is. I also enjoy the fact that Emma, his sister loves him for who he is and not necessarily what he is, and that Roswell comes across as a very understanding and supportive friend that he can count on. \nAll throughout the back half half of this story, I found myself strongly associating the sacrifice of one of the town's baby with another short story I'd read years ago, The Lottery. The two stories are not exactly the same, but there is a thread of similarity there in that one sense. It's almost as if, they're sacrificing the one for the good of the many, and the towns people look the other way because they're too afraid to look at the truth. \nThe character's that come out of the House of Mayhem just may very well be some of the most colorful, unique, and favorite character's ever among many. From the Morrigan to the little pink girl, to the dead girls, and Carlina Carlyle it was all so interesting. The history and the mythology there, the fact that there was a whole world that lay beneath the two of Gentry in the Slag Heap. \nStrange how sometimes something so ugly can come across so beautiful in ways that you couldn't begin to imagine, something that takes on a life of their own. Even the Lady and the Cutter, had their purposes. And the story seemed to re-iterate that when you give something a name, it gives that thing power - whatever it is. It's not exactly that these beings were evil and ugly, so much as they were just different and creepy and had their own agenda's and reasonings behind their actions. They were very well portrayed in everything they did or said. Nothing was without meaning.\nThe author's attention devoted to the imagery and detail of the story, showed in her vivid imagination, when creating The House of Mayhem and the spooky town of Gentry and all of the people and ugly things were part of what made this first published work of hers so phenomenal. \nThe only drawback for me as far as this book goes, was the pacing of it. For me, personally, it started off pretty slow and didn't seem to really pick up and gain momentum until about half way into the story itself. But, all of that aside, I really wanted to finish this book because I truly felt like it had potential and the back half of it just did not disappoint me. The rich storytelling and the creative imagery that she wove into it, has made me enjoy this book in ways that I hadn't imagined I would. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1299888000, 'work': '9523995', 'flags': [], 'user': 'suz.haugland', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Mar 12, 2011'}
reviews[('368228', 'amoskovacs')] = {'comment': '   .    ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1327276800, 'work': '368228', 'flags': [], 'user': 'amoskovacs', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jan 23, 2012'}
reviews[('11243828', 'CandyH')] = {'comment': 'This is a tremendous story of a freed woman and her family being sold into slavery. The story deals with the indignities and humiliations that slaves had to cope with. The ending was a bit of a disappointment as this was such an interesting story. Maybe the ending just means there will be a sequel. Even though it is a fictional story, many historical facts are used to create this tale. All in all it is well worth reading. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1329004800, 'work': '11243828', 'flags': [], 'user': 'CandyH', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Feb 12, 2012'}
reviews[('9071901', 'miyurose')] = {'comment': 'And with this book, I am officially caught up with the series! Unfortunately, this one wasnt that great. There was no overall story or theme here, just a bunch of smaller problems that have to be solved all at once. Sookie is starting to lose some of her depth, and is almost becoming a parody of herself. Im hoping that the next book is a little more thoughtfully written. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1278892800, 'work': '9071901', 'flags': [], 'user': 'miyurose', 'stars': 2.0, 'time': 'Jul 12, 2010'}
reviews[('4842812', 'melissaconway')] = {'comment': 'What PUN!\nHaving a sister was weird. It was like having a heart-shaped bruise. So says just-turned-eleven year-old Milton Fauster about his thirteen going on thirty-year-old sister Marlo, a bad seed who drags her hapless little bro down with her into Heck after an unfortunate marshmallow-bear explosion.\n \nHeck is where the souls of the darned toil for all eternityor until they turn eighteen, whichever comes first, says Principal Bea Elsa Bubb. In Heck, Demons wield pitchsporks, the cafeterium serves over-cooked Brussels Sprouts, and even toddlers have been judged and assigned to a KinderScare facility. Richard Nixon teaches Ethics and Lizzie Borden Home Economics.\nIn this, his first novel, author Dale E. Basye was apparently determined to pack as many puns as possible into the narrative, with a plethora of descriptive phrases so adjective and adverb-intense I sometimes lost the gist of the sentence and had to re-read to get the full effect. For instance, it could just be me, but try to read the following straight through just once with full comprehension: A terrible grating metal squeak sliced through the cavern as an ornate iron decorated gate with sugared spikes, candied skulls, and barbed licorice labored open roughly forty feet behind the stage. I dont know about you, but I had to go back and wrap my mind around that gate.\nAnd yeesh, the double-entendres and triple-entendres just wouldnt stop coming. Take this almost overbearingly puntastic sentence, Warped hula-hoops, two-wheeled tricycles, deflated basketballs, not-so-Hot Wheels, well-mannered Bratz, ex-Xboxes, and an astounding collection of Russian poetry lay scattered across the dingy grey carpet.\nIn adult literature, clichs are frowned upon, but here in Juvenile Fictionland, the more warped but still-recognizable the clichs, the better. And this book is juvenile fiction in the true spirit of the word, as author Basye doesnt hesitate to cross the gross line into disgusting territory. From the sulfur water thats like drinking a fart, to phrases like mind over fecal matter, and, (dear Lord, yes,) a VILE description of our hero narrowly avoiding getting shat upon by none other than Principal Bubb herself as he is attempting to escape Heck through the sewer system.\nI have to comment on some editing issues that fully distracted me (being as how Im a writer who learned the rules the hard way: by committing each and every sin Pat Holt so succinctly lays out in his Ten Mistakes article here). Basye is fond of heavy use of his characters names instead of going with a personal pronoun where applicable. So, Marlo did this, Marlo did that, and Marlo did the other thing; where I would have been comfortable reading how Marlo did this, she did that and she did the other thing. And there was a lot of head-hopping going on; where instead of sticking to one persons point of view, the author slipped between characters thoughts within the same chapter. This is a sin strictly forbidden to first-time novelists, but Basyes editor seems to have forgiven it, maybe because the writing is bursting with those relentless (and sometimes quite clever) puns, and some people do love to groan.\nHeck is a foul, vulgar place, despite the humor Basye uses to describe it, and maybe some of his young readers will come away from the mild underlying moral of the story (Be Good or Else), with a renewed appreciation forwellthe possibility of eternal consequences. I sincerely doubt the real Heck is as much pun.\n(Review originally posted to Booksquawk) ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1315353600, 'work': '4842812', 'flags': [], 'user': 'melissaconway', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Sep 7, 2011'}
reviews[('32125', 'mab2008')] = {'comment': 'A new designer drug that makes people very aggressive. A medical researcher hired to work on stabilizing a mysterious molecule who fears her boss is being threatened by a notorious gangster. A travelling freak show. Repairman Jack makes a horrifying discovery as his recent cases tie all these together.\nStill as addictive as popcorn--and about as filling. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1227225600, 'work': '32125', 'flags': [], 'user': 'mab2008', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Nov 21, 2008'}
reviews[('1110874', 'Mamajeanne')] = {'comment': 'great ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1377216000, 'work': '1110874', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Mamajeanne', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Aug 23, 2013'}
reviews[('794394', 'esther4')] = {'comment': 'Beoordeling boek Grieselstate \nHet boek Grieselstate kan je plaatsen (zoals de titel al aangeeft) in de categorie griezelverhalen. Ook past het boek in de categorie humoristische verhalen omdat het verhaal op een soms hilarische manier omschreven wordt. Het thema van dit boek is gericht op hekserij. Ook wordt er de vriendschap omschreven tussen de drie hoofdpersonen David, Jill & Jeffrey. Erg realistisch is het boek niet. De onderwerpen magie & hekserij komen erg veel aanbod in dit boek, deze themas kom je in het dagelijks leven niet erg vaak tegen. \nDavid Eliot wordt op een dag van school gestuurd. Zijn ouders, die niet meteen de meest sympathieke ouders zijn, besluiten David in te schrijven voor een school genaamd: Grieselstate. Deze kostschool ligt gesoleerd op een klein eiland. Bij zijn aankomst in Grieselstate ontdekt David al snel dat er allerlei vreemde dingen gebeuren op deze al even onheilspellende school. Na een mislukte ontsnappingspoging van David, komt hij erachter dat hij terecht is gekomen op een griezelschool! Elke nacht rond twaalf uur lopen alle leerlingen de slaapzalen uit en gaan op weg naar een hol diep onder de grond. Hier leren de leerlingen de kracht van magie & hekserij. \nDit is een geweldig goed geschreven, spannend verhaal. De auteur vertelt dit originele verhaal met kleurrijke personages op een humoristische, soms zelf hilarische manier waarbij de nodige spanningselementen niet ontbreken. De beschrijvingen van Grieselstate en de directe omgeving zorgen ervoor dat de lezer een duidelijk beeld krijgt van de bizarre school en de al even bizarre leerkrachten en schoolhoofden. De lezer heeft de nodige fantasie nodig om zich met bepaalde gebeurtenissen te identificeren. Zo kan het hoofd van de school mensen laten verdwijnen en lijken alle leerlingen niet te kunnen/ willen praten. Jongeren of volwassene die dit boek lezen zijn aan het eind van de boek op zeker hoogte genformeerd over het thema hekserij. Dit thema wordt namelijk tot in de fijnste puntjes omschreven. Het verhaal leest als een trein en neemt je van het begin tot het einde mee in een rijke fantasiewereld vol spanning en avontuur. Ik vind dit een echte aanrader voor puur leesplezier!', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1305676800, 'work': '794394', 'flags': [], 'user': 'esther4', 'time': 'May 18, 2011'}
reviews[('496505', 'agnesmack')] = {'comment': "Innocents is basically the story of a 16 year girl who seduces her teacher. So enamored by her is he, that he quits his job, rents them a new house and takes her away from her life. They have sex constantly and she's constantly manipulating him.\nIt's written sort of as a letter. Somewhere in the first 50 pages or so we discover that she's writing down an account of their affair and that this account is being written to her lover / the teacher, at his request. There are many sentences that end with 'darling,' which is never pleasant.\nI read this because someone I used to know was scandalized and titillated by it. While 16 year old girls aren't quite my cup of tea, I do have an interest in the darker sides of sexuality. However, it was written by a 19 year old. The audience was clearly people who wanted to be scandalized and titillated, without the benefit of actually having to consider alternative sexual lifestyles.\nIn summation : It bored me and I was not scandalized or titillated. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1315094400, 'work': '496505', 'flags': [], 'user': 'agnesmack', 'stars': 1.0, 'time': 'Sep 4, 2011'}
reviews[('11162023', 'BlueTysonSS')] = {'comment': 'Monitor life.\nhttp://freesf.strandedinoz.com/wordpress/2011/07/the-flow-and-dream-jack-skillin... ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1309910400, 'work': '11162023', 'flags': [], 'user': 'BlueTysonSS', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Jul 6, 2011'}
reviews[('5852', 'funkendub')] = {'comment': 'You enter the moment of the naked lunch when you realize just what that is quivering at the end of your fork. Weve been staring at that living, gelatinous mass for 50 years now  and we still dont know what it is.\nIts a novel. Its a poem. Its (as one shrill Amazon reviewer has it) the ranting of a LIBERAL ATHEIST JUNKY. Its (drug-induced or not, take your pick) stream-of-consciousness. Its the first prose cut-up. Its pornography. Its the end (or beginning) of (post-)modernism. Its The Bomb, its a how-to-be-a-writer manual. Heres the definitive answer to all that: Yes, it is. Naked Lunch is all that and more.\nNaked Lunch is one of the most written-about books of the twentieth century. Its up there with Ulysses and The Wasteland for the title of book most likely to generate a graduate thesis. Thats because, like those other two, its an open text: youre quite likely to find there precisely what you go looking for.\nEverything, that is (as a different Amazon reviewer complained) except stuff about lunch and nudity: doesnt anybody like to eat in the nude?\nSo what does this all add up to? It adds up to this: You should read Naked Lunch. Its an essential part of who we are (as Burroughs wrote somewhere, a paranoid is someone who knows something of whats going on; if youre not paranoid, youre not really alive). Its part of your education (did you know that language was a virus from outer space? Quick: read this book), its part of your sexual being (If I had my way wed sleep every night all wrapped around each other like hibernating rattlesnakes), its an essential document of the American Century (In the U.S. you have to be a deviant or die of boredom).\nAnd Naked Lunch is a hell of a lot of fun  if your idea of fun is being burned at the stake and reincarnated as a dope fiend on the run from an evil doctor trying to get you to shoot bug powder while simultaneously being gang-buggered by the security forces of Interzone.\nReally. Its that funny, that much fun. Heres a sample  the Benway mentioned below is the self-same doctor who wants you to shoot bug powder (a note: we dont do bug powder in this era of high-tech entomological toxins, but think roach poison and youve got the idea):\n Whats with the serum?\n I dont know, but it sounds ominous. We better put a telepathic direction finder on Benway. The mans not to be trusted. Might do almost anything Turn a massacre into a sex orgy\n Or a joke.\n Precisely. Arty type No principles\nThis fiftieth-anniversary edition is a beauty: cloth-bound, slip-cased, all purple and green in the style of the first Olympia edition (Paris, 1959) with a restored text faithful to Burroughs original composition (whatever that means; Burroughs didnt compose Naked Lunch; Allen Ginsburg assembled the book by collating extracts from letters written to him by Burroughs; with Naked Lunch, there are only ever variorum editions), and an insightful afterword by critic David Ulin. Forget the marketing hype and the DVD-like extras: at the price, this hardcover book is a great value. If I recall correctly (and I doubt that I do), Burroughs said something along those lines: Cheat your landlord (if you must), but dont shortchange the Muse.\nSo dont shortchange yourself. Read Naked Lunch, learn to write like a maniac, god-eating atheist dope-shooting creative genius, and then start a blog: let us know what you really think.\nOriginally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com.  Brian Charles Clark, 2010 ', 'nhelpful': 6, 'unixtime': 1286150400, 'work': '5852', 'flags': [], 'user': 'funkendub', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Oct 4, 2010'}
reviews[('3620689', 'notmyrealname')] = {'comment': "Oh, I don't know what to make of this. Short and silly, but just way too over the top and fanciful for me. I think to be funny, something like this has to be remotely believable and this just wasn't. A nice idea, but doesn't quite pull it off in my view. ", 'nhelpful': 2, 'unixtime': 1317513600, 'work': '3620689', 'flags': [], 'user': 'notmyrealname', 'stars': 2.0, 'time': 'Oct 2, 2011'}
reviews[('1472', 'bluetyson')] = {'comment': "In these days of Echelon, Satellite spying, and the ever-increasing proliferation of surveillance cameras, 1984 will definitely leave you with an uneasy feeling.\nThe story of one man's doomed rebellion against almost total totalitarianism, where even the text record of the day and the past can be altered to suit those in power.\nMany concepts from this novel have entered the common lexicon.\nhttp://www.gutenberg.net.au/ebooks01/0100021.txt\nhttp://freesf.strandedinoz.com/wordpress/2007/01/1984-george-orwell/ ", 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1169856000, 'work': '1472', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bluetyson', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Jan 27, 2007'}
reviews[('5297449', 'bibliosa')] = {'comment': 'No es estrictamente un diario, ni tampoco una novela. Qu ocurrira si la explosiva Carlota -protagonista de tantos libros memorables-, y Flanagan -el famoso detective-, se conocieran, intimaran, establecieran relaciones sentimentales, practicaran sexo y.... nos lo contaran paso a paso? El lector puede asistir junto a Carlota a las primeras experiencias sexuales, disfrutando sobre los aspectos fundamentales de la sexualidad. Nunca un libro ha unido diversin, utilidad, literatura y didctica de manera tan natural, fresca y directa como ste, sobre uno de los grandes temas de siempre.', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1295913600, 'work': '5297449', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bibliosa', 'time': 'Jan 25, 2011'}
reviews[('7233', 'Kristelh')] = {'comment': 'This graphic novel was published in 1986 and is more than a comic story, it an art form. The story is of the age past the need for superheroes. The Keene Act has outlawed superheroes as vigilantes. The superheroes have gone into retirement and some have not done so well in retirement, dying of alcoholism. A couple of superheroes are still employed as government agents, the Comedian and Dr. Manhattan. Rorschach who is more Nazi and sociopath is still active underground and states he will never retire. The story opens with the murder of one of these superheroes. The story is set in 1985, Nixon is president. It is an alternate history, a social commentary, a philosophical study, science fiction and a murder mystery. It is also a multiple layer story with the tale of the Tales of the Black Freighter told in the background of the comic. \nThe book is more than its story. It is a 9 panel grid layout with recurring symbols. The color and detail of the drawings of the characters and the details are unique in comics. The detail is fantastic and I kept trying to study the panes for all the detail. The color was done by John Higgins and an European flat style. The graphic novel is meant to be read many times in order to discover the numerous links and allusions. Moore admired William S. Burroughs use of repeated symbols. The blood spattered smiling face is the symbol most common to this novel. The circle itself is a reoccurring geometric shape. Moore said that the novel was about power and corruption and ends with the question Quis custodiet ipsos custodies. Who watches the watchmen? Juvenal, Satires, VI, 347 Quoted as the epigraph of the Tower Commission Report, 1987. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1328054400, 'work': '7233', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Kristelh', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Feb 1, 2012'}
reviews[('831260', 'ebruno')] = {'comment': 'This sex education book teaches where babies come from. Children are very curious, and it is a natural thing to want to know. This book does a good job describing all about sex for a younger audience. I think it is effective because it offers a humorous tone while giving the facts. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1310601600, 'work': '831260', 'flags': [], 'user': 'ebruno', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jul 14, 2011'}
reviews[('12087178', 'judithrs')] = {'comment': 'Ordained Irreverence. Macmillian Moody, 2012. My Baptist friends and relatives will enjoy this gentle, funny book, and so will others who appreciate and/or can relate to the escapades and problems of a young ministerial student working as intern in a huge, old, southern protestant church. Based on his own experiences, we read about the authors first funeral, first wedding, church matriarchs, hospital visits, and the numerous duties he performs as low man on the totem pole in the church. And more importantly, we see his developing realization that ministry is what he is called to do and that he has found the woman with whom he wants to share this life. This sequel is Some Things Never Change. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1370822400, 'work': '12087178', 'flags': [], 'user': 'judithrs', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Jun 10, 2013'}
reviews[('4387805', 'Jaie22')] = {'comment': 'So, if I read book 7 in a few days, I read this one night in the bathtub. True, it probably took three hours and I sat there until I was shaking because the water was so cold, and obviously I didn\'t read every word.\nI think Kim Harrison has scarred me by killing off Rachel Morgan\'s vampire beau, because I can\'t help being convinced Eric is going to be "dusted," to use a term from Buffy. And that\'s probably why I had to read it so quickly.\nMade myself go through it again at a slower pace, and still loved it. Couldn\'t stand the idea I might be through with the existing books in the series, so the next day I went out and bought the book 9. Still in hardback, which hurt my wallet. Would have bought the collected short stories, also only available in hardcover, but it\'s not as readily available. \nAnyway, the things and rules of the Sookieverse get bigger and bigger. Starting to wonder what\'s not real in her world. Loved the elements on Eric\'s history, loved Sookie\'s being more independent, even from Jason. Still haven\'t started the next book, but had to take a break to read the last of The Hunger Games trilogy, and may read latest Kim Harrison first - This is typical, as I tend to delay reading things I really want to read, because once you read it, it\'s over and there\'s nothing to look forward to anymore. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1284681600, 'work': '4387805', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Jaie22', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Sep 17, 2010'}
reviews[('7749012', 'ronda73ca')] = {'comment': "Michael J. Fox has written an insightful, uplifting memoir. His battle with Parkinson's Disease, although not easy, leaves readers with hope. Humor, heartwarming stories about his children, and interesting encounters with supportive acquaintances and famous friends makes this a wonderful and endearing read. A rather lengthy section covers politics and its role in stem cell research - very detailed and long - an important chapter, but rather drawn out. Although it is not the main point of the book - it is the emphasis. Without political backing, stem cell research will continue to be vetoed by our government, and as Michael points out, many people's lives are at stake. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1262822400, 'work': '7749012', 'flags': [], 'user': 'ronda73ca', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jan 7, 2010'}
reviews[('6467477', 'AmandaThon')] = {'comment': "This is ahilarious book about the nature of life. Magic realism with a world populated by cross over characters from several of Moore's other works. This is a novel for folks who want to laugh - and like a little magic thrown in with their mundane second hand shop owners! ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1324252800, 'work': '6467477', 'flags': [], 'user': 'AmandaThon', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Dec 19, 2011'}
reviews[('26658', 'KatieWallace')] = {'comment': 'Reading this book made me feel like I was slowly going crazy. The borders of fairy land truly nudge up against this otherwise normal story leaving a maddening hint. This book will not leave me alone.', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1176508800, 'work': '26658', 'flags': [], 'user': 'KatieWallace', 'time': 'Apr 14, 2007'}
reviews[('9059100', 'JoClare')] = {'comment': "Jack, king of Halloweenland, tries to takeover Christmas, but finally rescues Sandy Claws and Sally leading to a joyous Christmas --from the movie. Five double-page intricate pop-up scenes with twelve 'hot spots' which reveal hidden items when touched. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1171584000, 'work': '9059100', 'flags': [], 'user': 'JoClare', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Feb 16, 2007'}
reviews[('4728713', 'annajamieson')] = {'comment': 'Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin is a story about a little girl, Ruthie, who finds a camera on the playground that does not belong to her. Ruthie lies to her teacher about it being her camera and finds that it is not a satisfying feeling. The story teaches the morals of telling the truth and of finding forgiveness through mistakes. I love this story because it tells a story that children can learn from and relate to. You could use this in a classroom read-aloud and have students discuss how they can relate to the story in some way. The illustrations of the book are also very cute and colorful. ', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1354492800, 'work': '4728713', 'flags': [], 'user': 'annajamieson', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Dec 3, 2012'}
reviews[('6437830', 'kaycewilliams')] = {'comment': 'Mr. Basset, Walter, was a very wealthy dog and he had everything that he ever wanted. Although Walter had everything that he could want he still wasnt happy. Walter tries many things to make him happy and after looking he gave up hope. After weeks passed Walter friend takes him to the park where he found kids playing baseball. The kids asked him to play with them. Walter made new friends and he finally found out what it felt like to be truly happy. \nI thought this book had a very good message. It showed that a person can have everything money can buy but still wont be happy. To be truly happy you the people that love you, like friends and family, so you can interact with. \nIn the classroom, the class could make a list of the things they like to play. The class could also talk about all the things that they would buy if they had all the money they could want.', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1224892800, 'work': '6437830', 'flags': [], 'user': 'kaycewilliams', 'time': 'Oct 25, 2008'}
reviews[('11741463', 'Marlyn')] = {'comment': 'The second of Kelli Stanley\'s noir series featuring private investigator Miranda Corbie begins on May 25, 1940, the opening day of the second season of the Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco.\nMiranda is called to the discovery of a murdered performer, a young model by the name of Pandora Blake, who was stabbed and then had an anti-Semitic insult written on her chest with her own blood. Even though Miranda is an employee of Sally Rand Enterprises, fair management tell her she\'s a "security risk" (because of the incidents in City of Dragons) and ask her not to return to the site.\nOut of work, Miranda calls the paper to run her usual ads, but when her own lawyer, Meyer Bialik, asks her to investigate on behalf of his new client who has been arrested for Pandora Blakes\'s murder, she agrees.\nPleased that she can officially continue to delve into the case, Miranda begins immediately. In her usual style, Miranda approaches her investigation obliquely, and digs up a lot more corruption than she expected.\nKelli Stanley is such a master of noir one could swear that she\'s Raymond Chandler reincarnated, and Miranda Corbie is the epitome of hardboiled. Unusual for a female character perhaps, but completely believable nonetheless.\nAnd Ms. Stanley makes of San Francisco during the early years of World War II come alive as though the she had actually been there. The amount of research this would have required is mind-boggling, and it\'s no surprise that she has a scholarly background.\nFTC Full Disclosure: Kelli Stanley was kind enough to send me an ARC of City of Secrets. I\'ve done my best to write an impartial review. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1317600000, 'work': '11741463', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Marlyn', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Oct 3, 2011'}
reviews[('4387805', 'TadAD')] = {'comment': "Another fairly typical entry in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I find Harris' writing breezily enjoyable and, while these books are largely undifferentiated from one another, always enjoyable. I'll keep coming back for more. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1216598400, 'work': '4387805', 'flags': [], 'user': 'TadAD', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Jul 21, 2008'}
reviews[('277205', '1212bec')] = {'comment': 'Children will love all the tails. Feel the different textures and make the tails move. Count the animals and thier tails. I would use this book with PK either for a math theme or an animal theme. I like this book because of the interactive nature of it.', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1349222400, 'work': '277205', 'flags': [], 'user': '1212bec', 'time': 'Oct 3, 2012'}
reviews[('8311485', 'Moncoinlecture')] = {'comment': 'C\'est pour moi une premire exprience avec l\'auteur que je tente avec ce roman. Si j\'ai beaucoup aim l\'criture, impressionnante et fluide, je crois toutefois qu\'il me manque les bases historiques pour apprcier "Les onze"  sa juste valeur. Si j\'avais beaucoup de mal  distinguer ralit et fiction (pardonnez-moi, je ne suis ni Franaise ni cale en histoire... tout a est bien loin de moi), je me suis par contre surprise  rellement "voir" ce tableau fictif  la fin du roman. Et  avoir le got d\'explorer davantage cette poque et ce contexte dont je ne connais que les grandes lignes... et encore. \nBillet complet sur le blog: http://moncoinlecture.over-blog.com/article-les-onze-pierre-michon-87106282.html ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1365033600, 'work': '8311485', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Moncoinlecture', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Apr 4, 2013'}
reviews[('8455366', 'FAVA')] = {'comment': "Gisell, a struggling single mom, finds herself confronting a thief leaving her freshly burgled house. She reacts with righteous fury and then desperately attempts to safeguard her home from the bad guys. The next day the apologetic thief leaves Giselle's son the gift of a bicycle. This confounds Giselle's vision of the thief as simply bad, and forces her to take a more empathetic view of the criminal mind", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1244678400, 'work': '8455366', 'flags': [], 'user': 'FAVA', 'time': 'Jun 11, 2009'}
reviews[('8215932', 'bermudaonion')] = {'comment': 'Wisty and Whit are pretty typical teen-agers when their world is turned upside down. Their home is invaded and they are arrested by the New Order. It seems that they have magical powers theyre not aware of. The New Order is a frightening system of government -\n The New Order is a bright new future. It is a future that replaces the corrupting and illusory freedoms of so-called democracies and replaces them with a higher discipline. It has taken many, many years of planning, strategic political postings, scientific polling, demographic research, precise messaging and carefully monitored elections\nIn prison, Whit and Wisty discover and hone their magical abilities and realize its up to them to make a difference in the fight against the New Order.\nWitch & Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet is a YA novel that seems to be trying to cash in on the popularity of the Harry Potter series. Its not nearly as captivating, though. Im not sure if its because the concepts old or if its because the relationships arent explored as deeply. The story alternates between Wistys and Whits viewpoints and I found this confusing at times  the chapters are short and Id just get used to one narrator when the viewpoint would change.\nThis book was just okay for me. The action wasnt exciting enough and the characters just didnt draw me in. I think Witch & Wizard is aimed at the young male, reluctant reader market, which I am definitely not a part of  hopefully it will appeal to them more than it did to me. ', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1258761600, 'work': '8215932', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bermudaonion', 'stars': 2.5, 'time': 'Nov 21, 2009'}
reviews[('45658', 'USYDArtsMusicLibrary')] = {'comment': '320', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1281398400, 'work': '45658', 'flags': ['not_a_review'], 'user': 'USYDArtsMusicLibrary', 'time': 'Aug 10, 2010'}
reviews[('7651188', 'klarsenmd')] = {'comment': 'This was better than the more recent vampire novels by Maggie Shayne. It had great action and an interesting backstory. I found myself liking Ethan, a new vampire who lacked all of the classic alpha male traits so common in many of her novels. On the otherhand, the female protagonist, Lilith, really got on my nerves. She acted more like a spoiled brat than a strong fiesty woman. The concept of The Farm was interesting and should make for a string of good stories. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1251417600, 'work': '7651188', 'flags': [], 'user': 'klarsenmd', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Aug 28, 2009'}
reviews[('9354231', 'bjmitch')] = {'comment': "I know I've been absent for a few days, but Dave has been ill and I've been staying close by him. While doing that, I read a book I downloaded free to my Kindle from Oceanview Publishers called Dead Air.\nI had no idea what to expect from this book since I didn't know the authors, the series, or anything about it. However, I'm glad I tried it because I like the gutsy, caring heroine and the writing style of the authors. It served to keep my mind from wandering to my worries, which is a great recommendation under the circumstances.\nThe heroine, Sammy (Samantha) Greene, is a student at a private college in New England who is a reporter for the school radio station. Her boyfriend is a med student who frequently gets very put out that she gets so wrapped up in her stories that she forgets to meet him or call him. He doesn't understand that in this book at least, she is researching a story with deadly consequences.\nThe plot involves a research institute at the college, a new vaccine for AIDS, professors vying for tenure, and murder among other issues. The story is very well told and only difficult to figure out because of the motives of the people involved. It's easy to follow, not so easy to see how it will end, and bad for the fingernails because Sammy is in danger. \nI don't dare tell you any more except that the characters are well-drawn and the plot is a dandy. I do recommend this mystery novel highly and I'm going to look for more books in this series. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1325376000, 'work': '9354231', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bjmitch', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jan 1, 2012'}
reviews[('7609965', 'SamuelW')] = {'comment': "Is there a ghost at Hundreds Hall? This is the question left hanging over the reader at the conclusion of Sarah Waters' latest novel, The Little Stranger. I, for one, remain unconvinced; not fully prepared to accept the possibility, nor to dismiss it outright. Like Dr Faraday, I am determined to cling to my rationalist perspective and avoid jumping to conclusions. Many other readers, I am sure, will disagree, and this is perhaps the novel's greatest strength: its ability to tread the threshold of proof between the explainable and the supernatural, compelling its readers to wrestle with their own half-formed opinions and conclusions.\nUnfortunately, the majority of this 'literary meat' is confined to the final two hundred pages of the novel, and even then, it is fairly thinly spread. To reach it  along with other interesting aspects, such as Faraday's mulish, almost treacherous determination in pursuing both Caroline and logical solutions to every mystery  readers will have to wade through an unbelievable amount of padding. Waters seems to enjoy hammering the decay of the house and estate to no end, robbing the novel of the brevity and subtlety it may otherwise have possessed. To an audience mired in endless text, this story can often feel like little more than an empty tragedy.\nThe Little Stranger is the kind of book that I would love to see reimagined as a novella: a potent experiment in how easily we are willing to suspend our disbelief when reading, and how we might apply our reasoning differently in a real world scenario. In this format  somewhere around the size of Alan Bennet's The Uncommon Reader, in my mind  I could see it as a volume I might pass on to friends in the hope of discussing their reactions, as well as all those literary touches that Waters would have reduced to sharp little references. One does not need to spend five pages exploring a building site, for example, to understand her point about the new England's plebeian multitudes breaching the gates of Hundreds. As it is, there is simply not enough material here to be spread across the epic, over-rendered novel that Waters has envisaged. The writing may be quite transporting, but it is easy to become fed up with the destination. ", 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1260057600, 'work': '7609965', 'flags': [], 'user': 'SamuelW', 'stars': 2.0, 'time': 'Dec 6, 2009'}
reviews[('2082212', 'quilted_kat')] = {'comment': 'Technopriests meet Law and Order. A gritty police story in a world where the newest technological must-have is an android surrogate to take your place, while you sit safely at home. You can look any way you want to, do heavy jobs you never would be able to accomplish in your own wimpy body, and live a full life without ever leaving the comfort of your sofa. But if you rape and kill a surrogate, is it still a crime? Can you be held accountable for something that your surrogate commits, when you never left home? ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1247875200, 'work': '2082212', 'flags': [], 'user': 'quilted_kat', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jul 18, 2009'}
reviews[('2118345', 'lulaa')] = {'comment': 'http://www.sanborns.com.mx/sanborns/assets/product_images/images_big/75099785676...', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1167004800, 'work': '2118345', 'flags': [], 'user': 'lulaa', 'time': 'Dec 25, 2006'}
reviews[('1045491', 'RachDan')] = {'comment': "One of Terry Pratchett's first novels, and one of his very few pure science fiction ones too.\nKin Arad is a senior figure in a company which builds worlds, and is well rewarded by life-extending technologies, which make her nearly a few centuries old, despite looking relatively youthful. Her curiosity is piqued when a mysterious man from 1000 years past tells her of a disc-shaped world. She soon finds herself on a mission, with two other alien beings, to find and explore this world. After crash-landing there, they set off on an espedition to survive and escape, and at the same time discover the mechanism and origins of this bizarre place.\nAlthough not nearly as accomplished as many of Pratchett's later Discworld novels, this book still has much humour, various sources to parody and highly inventive ideas. It is fascinating to read of another discworld, although the similarities are really only superficial. Unfortunately, there were some sections in the book that were a little slow, characters that were somewhat pedestrian and lifeless, and I ended up really disliking the eventual themes, partly because they were a bit predictable, but mainly because they were so unscientific - all on a par with the ridiculous religious notions that dinosaur bones are only a few thousand years old and just there to trick us. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1292544000, 'work': '1045491', 'flags': [], 'user': 'RachDan', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Dec 17, 2010'}
reviews[('8358788', 'jhibburt')] = {'comment': 'For anyone interested in Australian History. This is a compelling story about the adventures of Burke and Wills. What went wrong on the journey to discover. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1242518400, 'work': '8358788', 'flags': [], 'user': 'jhibburt', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'May 17, 2009'}
reviews[('11134945', 'Lavinient')] = {'comment': "I usually have no problem reading historical romance series out of order. I can generally figure out what is going on pretty easily. This book I read without reading the previous two, and I was a bit more confused than usual on some plot points. But that didn't stop me from really enjoying this book.\nIt was the characters that drove this book. Andreas is cold, intense, and scarred inside and out. We get to spend a lot of time in his head. In fact the first 1/3 of the book is completely from his point of view. We find out he trusts and cares for only two people in his life. Everyone else he uses fear to keep them at a distance. He and his partner, Roman (the hero of the previous book), have created an empire for themselves in London. At the beginning of the book he is approached for help by our heroine, Phoebe.\nPhoebe has come to Andreas for financial help. Her father made some unfortunate mistakes, and now their carriage business is heavily in debt. She confounds Andreas with her forwardness, optimism, and teasing. She pushes herself into his life and refuses to leave Andreas alone no matter how cold he is towards her. I loved their interactions; found myself laughing many times to Phoebe's teasing and Andreas' reactions.\nSo why not 5 stars? Because of their personalities, consuming attraction for each other, and fun interactions, I was really looking forward to their love scenes. I wanted to see Andreas' intensiveness and Phoebe's teasing in bed. There was one sex scene and it was lacking. It was very short and vague. I am not someone that always needs long, detailed sex scenes, but I think with these characters, it would have really added to the book.\nARC provided by NetGalley. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1316822400, 'work': '11134945', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Lavinient', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Sep 24, 2011'}
reviews[('11495545', 'lizzielou')] = {'comment': "This book is a sometimes infuriating but ultimately satisfying tangle. I had to take my time to untwist the complicated strands, to slow down so I didn't miss the beautiful (and funny) language Kennedy uses so well. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1376438400, 'work': '11495545', 'flags': [], 'user': 'lizzielou', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Aug 14, 2013'}
reviews[('83652', 'isiswardrobe')] = {'comment': "Part of a series that covers Sweden's history. A bit dry at times, but covers all relevant bits, and have plenty of pictures. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1142899200, 'work': '83652', 'flags': [], 'user': 'isiswardrobe', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Mar 21, 2006'}
reviews[('3986892', 'branadain')] = {'comment': 'This is absolutely the best book on open relationships or polyamory I\'ve read (and I\'ve read quite a few; check the "polyamory" tag in my catalog). Taormino is clearly did a good deal of research--her sources section alone is outstanding--and her writing style is at once friendly and intelligent, keeping you reading while presenting a wealth of information. I love how the book is structured. Each chapter is relatively short, covering a specific type of relationship structure or a certain issue. She offers bulleted lists of reasons a particular type of relationship might be right for you; covers the special perils to watch out for in each type of relationship, with helpful advice; and ends each chapter with a profile of a person, couple, or group whose experience illustrates the theme of the chapter. Taormino\'s writing shows sensitivity and an open perspective toward all types of nonmonogamy and toward those who choose monogamy for themselves, as well. This is the book that you should read if you are considering any form of nonmonogamy, and it is also the book you should give to anyone who needs help understanding your relationship choices. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1211068800, 'work': '3986892', 'flags': [], 'user': 'branadain', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'May 18, 2008'}
reviews[('7789355', 'roxy')] = {'comment': "A story of some teenagers, finished with school and heading in to college who find themselves in a semi-hidden college that teaches the brightest and the best how to use magic. While bright they're still teenages and still college students and still capable of terrible stupidity and thoughtless acts. Their adventures in college are eventful enough but their adventures afterwards take them to a land of story and myth and put their lives in danger.\nAnd I really didn't care. Oh the story wasn't bad and I was quite interested in the reading to see what happened but most of the secondary characters blurred and weren't really all that believable. The ending was also a bit of a letdown. While Grossman had magicians in his world he had no purpose for them. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1282608000, 'work': '7789355', 'flags': [], 'user': 'roxy', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Aug 24, 2010'}
reviews[('271', 'voltn74')] = {'comment': 'Philosophy mixed with absurdity joyously baked into a fruitcake of wise laughter. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1226707200, 'work': '271', 'flags': [], 'user': 'voltn74', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Nov 15, 2008'}
reviews[('10943786', 'rhonda1111')] = {'comment': 'This ebook started out and I was not sure if i would like this book or not. the main character Hailey starts by robbing a guy she slept with. Hailey is a stripper she does not think much about men. Later we learn she has been let down by a few. Hailey has a birth defect that her feet our facing the wrong way. An old guy comes and gets her to give him a lap dance and tells her that he will give a million dollars to father a baby and he knows after she will kill him. then wants to take her to domin republic where her kind are found and gives her two plane tickets and dies. He called her Ciguapa a mystical society. Hailey goes to library to look up Ciguapa and meets someone who knows about them. Hailey and her friend go the island to learn more about these powerful women. Meet two guys and hook up. thier is way too much drinking. Hailey finally meets other ciguapa and has to make choices of what she wants her future to be. the characters were okay. the story worked well together and brought it all together at the end. ', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1301356800, 'work': '10943786', 'flags': [], 'user': 'rhonda1111', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Mar 29, 2011'}
reviews[('9423919', 'krau0098')] = {'comment': 'I read this book on my Kindle. It is the second book in The Edge series by husband and wife book writing team, Ilona Andrews. There are four books contracted for this series. You don\'t really have to read the first book, On the Edge, to enjoy this one; although some characters from the first book do make an appearance in this one.\nCerise Mar and her family own tons of land in the Mire, the Edge Swamplands, but they are poor. When Cerise\'s parents are captured by a feuding family; she is now the family\'s leader and will stop at nothing to get her parents back even if it does mean rekindling an ages old feud with the competing Mire family. But things are more complicated than Cerise could imagine. William, the changeling from the first book in the series, has been hired by the Mirror to track down an agent of the Hand (both factions represent nations of the Weird) named the Spider. William and Cerise find that their paths will cross and that Cerise\'s family feud may be connected to a silent war being waged between the Mirror and the Hand. \nI actually liked this book quite a bit more than On the Edge, and I liked that book a lot. The plot for this book is a lot more complex, there is more battle and more intrigue. This book also ties in more of the politics that are happening in the Weird and it was great to see more of the infrastructure that makes up the Wierd; we never got to see much of the Weird in the first book.\nWilliam and Cerise are wonderful characters. Cerise is tough and shoulders her responsibilites to her huge family well; she has some weak moments but that only makes her easier to love as a character. William is a wonderful match for Cerise, he is just as tough as Cerise and comes with a lot of baggage which makes him a realistic and lovable character as well. The chemistry between these two characters is amazing; you are really rooting for them the whole book. Even the side characters are unique and well developed. There are a number of side characters in the group of the Hand and in Cerise\'s family that could hold a story all their own; they are wonderfully complex and interesting.\nThis book is more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance. There are a couple steamy scenes between Cerise and William. William is one of those "Mate-for-life" alpha males which makes the story lean a little to the romance side at some points. That being said there is a ton of action and some truly awesome fight scenes in the book, and it is these type of scenes that make up the majority of the story. Nothing ever gets overly serious in this book; the characters have a great sense of humor and the dialogue and banter does an excellent job reflecting this.\nAs with ever other book I have read by the Andrews; the plot is tight, the fight scenes well done, the romance scenes well done, the book very engaging, great world-building, and lovable characters. Just a great book overall.\nOverall this was a wonderful addition to this series. This book broadens the world we were introduced to in the first boo, On the Edge, and has a more complex story than the first book did. Cerise and William are tough characters who really kick-butt but are at the same time lovable. I can\'t wait to read the next book in this series to see what it adds to the story. Ilona Andrews has quickly become an author who can do no wrong as far as I am concerned...everything I have read by this husband and wife team has been wonderful. Definitely check out their Kate Daniels series; I love that series just as much as, if not more than, this series. If you enjoy this series and the Kate Daniel\'s series I highly recommend the following Jaz Parks by Jennifer Rardin, Elemental Assassin by Jennifer Estep, Dorina Basarab by Karen Chance, and Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter. All feature tough female characters and highly developed, creative worlds that lean more towards urban fantasy than paranormal romance. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1287014400, 'work': '9423919', 'flags': [], 'user': 'krau0098', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Oct 14, 2010'}
reviews[('80663', 'McEvilla')] = {'comment': "David's mom always told him no. David was a young boy who did things such as any 5 year old would do. He walked in the living room with mud on the carpet his mother would tell him no! He would be loud and bang things on a pot and his mother would tell him to be quiet! David would play with his food, and his mother would punish him and tell him to go into his room. When he wouldn't pick up his toys he would play baseball inside the living room until he broke a pot n the living room and he started to cry. His mother told him to come here and that she loved him. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1346716800, 'work': '80663', 'flags': [], 'user': 'McEvilla', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Sep 4, 2012'}
reviews[('12505308', 'ozakira')] = {'comment': ' ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1335225600, 'work': '12505308', 'flags': [], 'user': 'ozakira', 'stars': 1.0, 'time': 'Apr 24, 2012'}
reviews[('428162', 'samfsmith')] = {'comment': 'Not a biography, but an examination of everything Beethoven by four different editors. Not the type of book you would read from cover to cover, but an exhaustive reference to his life, influences, music, writings, portraits, career, students, and so on and so forth. Highly recommended for the serious amateur, music student, or professional. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1264291200, 'work': '428162', 'flags': [], 'user': 'samfsmith', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Jan 24, 2010'}
reviews[('136565', 'zenosbooks')] = {'comment': "A novel of the early days of Kenya's independence and a look at the resistance to the British colonialists through the eyes of Africans. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1235520000, 'work': '136565', 'flags': [], 'user': 'zenosbooks', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Feb 25, 2009'}
reviews[('19936', 'TadAD')] = {'comment': 'When I was young, our family had a fishing cabin with a sign on the wall that said "I like work: it fascinates me. I could sit and look at it for hours." I burst out laughing to read the source of that saying.\nSome have called this the funniest book in the English language. I would most certainly not go that far. It <u>is</u> a funny book, but you\'ll need an appreciation of poking fun at a slapstick group of self-satisfied, pampered Victorians (think Bertie Wooster without Jeeves\' sobering influence) or else you should pass this by and spend your time elsewhere. I will say that, like Wodehouse\'s work, the humor does not seem dated; I never found myself saying, "The Victorians probably found this funny, but I don\'t get it now."\nPart travelogue of the Thames in the late 18th century, part lyrical writing about life, sometimes social critique, the book doesn\'t pretend to be more than it is...a chance to laugh at, and with, a couple of bumbling fellows and maybe catch an occasional reflection. It\'s said that Jerome once delivered the verdict on his book, "What readers ask now-a-days in a book is that it should improve, instruct and elevate. This book wouldn\'t elevate a cow."\nIt\'s not a long book, under 200 pages in my edition, and can easily be consumed on a summer\'s day. I think it\'s worth the time that would be spent. ', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1214092800, 'work': '19936', 'flags': [], 'user': 'TadAD', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Jun 22, 2008'}
reviews[('9279041', 'Readingfanatic1')] = {'comment': "People planning on reading this book will be totally unaffected by any reviews. At this point, you either love the series or you don't, and if you don't, you probably won't pick up the book regardless of what anyone says. \nOn that note, I love the Hunger Games series. It was one of the best series I've ever read. It was beautiful, I waited and waited for Mockingjay to come out, and here it is. \nNow to the book- Mockingjay. It was okay. It was depressing and slightly boring. I didn't like the ending. I can't say much more since it will spoil it for those who have yet to read it. \nBack to the series, did I mention I love the Hunger Games series? Regardless of what I felt about Mockingjay, the series was incredible. \nSeries 10 stars out of 5. (Yes, I did write that). \nMockingjay- 3 stars out of 5. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1285804800, 'work': '9279041', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Readingfanatic1', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Sep 30, 2010'}
reviews[('147481', 'ntempest')] = {'comment': 'I remember going to the Automat in New York as a very little girl. My mother would take me and let me feed the coins into the slot, and we would open the door and pull out the food--sandwiches or bowls of creamy mac and cheese or steaming creamed spinach or fluffy cake with thick frosting. While we ate she would tell me stories of going to eat there when she was little, with my grandmother and uncle, and how they would each have an allowance in coins with which to purchase their individual dinners. \nThe Automats are no more, but this book is filled with all the nostalgia of the concept and the famous chain. It brings back great memories, and I love having some of the recipes for those dishes I remember from childhood. A fun book for anyone who remembers those days fondly, or who is curious about old New York fixtures. ', 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1238976000, 'work': '147481', 'flags': [], 'user': 'ntempest', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Apr 6, 2009'}
reviews[('1199218', 'writestuff')] = {'comment': 'A disturbing book, but one that I can recommend. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1169251200, 'work': '1199218', 'flags': ['not_a_review'], 'user': 'writestuff', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jan 20, 2007'}
reviews[('13107991', 'kakadoo202')] = {'comment': 'sweet book and perfect for cat lovers. The chapters about the human are almost a nuisance. The story told from the view of the cats make you think what yoru cat thinks of you and what kind of emotion they and how much they understand about human lives. I teared up a few times during this story. After I read the book, I gave my cats a very long hug and told them, that I love them. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1353456000, 'work': '13107991', 'flags': [], 'user': 'kakadoo202', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Nov 21, 2012'}
reviews[('12553086', 'Ixachel')] = {'comment': 'I won this book through Goodreads and I must say I quite enjoy it. \nBlue Flutes One Hundred Leaves starts with a brief introduction to Japanese poetry and explains how this volume came to be. This introduction, though sparse, is informative and prepares you to better understand Japanese poetry. Next come the actual poems. Each one is presented first in English, then we get the Japanese Kanji and a transliteration. It is interesting to see where the poems came from and I find the characters beautiful as well. Lastly, there are literary notes that help with the interpretation of the poem. These literary notes come in very handy. They provide better understanding of the circumstances surrounding the poem really help in appreciating them.\nEach poem has an accompanying piece of artwork that depicts its theme. They are wonderfully matched, some combinations seeming as though one was made for the other. Unfortunately, the artwork is also where we hit the first real drawback: the art is not named, the artist is not mentioned. The book is not in color, and I would like to look up full color versions. Thats made very hard, though, when I dont have a name to search with. The fact that the book is in black and white in the first place is unfortunate, but I knew that it would be and I can forgive that. \nAs for the actual poetry, I can flip to any page and find an interesting poem. Some I contemplate more than others. There are those that I like instantly, and those that take a bit longer to appeal to me. Others never really leave much of an impression. Theres bound to be something for everyone though. Recommended for anyone interested in Japanese culture and fans of poetry in general. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1336608000, 'work': '12553086', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Ixachel', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'May 10, 2012'}
reviews[('199326', 'Karlstar')] = {'comment': "Another of Moorcock's 'Burroughs type' fantasy novels from the early 60's. This will be a good read for anyone who is a fan of Burrough's style. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1220918400, 'work': '199326', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Karlstar', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Sep 9, 2008'}
reviews[('9570858', 'JeanLittleLibrary')] = {'comment': "How have I not reviewed this yet?! I've read it at school visits, storytimes, more school visits, and it's circulated so heavily since we got it last May that I've already had to tape the pages a couple times.\nThe premise of the story is simple: You have a shark. You have a train. You have a series of increasingly insane situations. Who wins? Well, it all depends...if they're underwater, falling through the air, eating pies, having a burping contest, choosing board games, bowling....you get the idea.\nThe story is framed spreads of two small boys playing with their toy train and shark. Older kids will quickly realize of course, that it's all in the boys' imagination. But who cares if you know it's real or not? It's FUN! A marvelous interactive book for storytime - some of the situations are obvious, some are a little tricky, so be prepared to mediate between Team Shark and Team Train when there's a reasonable doubt. If you have a smaller, older group of kids, they'll enjoy reading the speech bubbles. With a younger, bigger audience it's better to stick to the basic text and focus on the kids' interaction, as you discuss the various advantages.\nLichtenheld's art is stunningly hilarious, peppered with small jokes and effortlessly conveying the craziness of the situations with a bulging eye or wildly waving train wheels. The story and art blend seamlessly together to create a truly humorous story, perfectly in tune with the way real kids play, and enjoyable for the whole family.\nVerdict: A must have for your libary. Read it at storytimes, on school visits, and to random children walking through the library. Create your own shark vs. train scenarios (Teddy Bear vs. Squirrel! Clouds vs. Airplanes! Zombies vs. Unicorns! You get the idea) or have a Shark vs. Train party with shark and train hats and various challenges for the teams.", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1288569600, 'work': '9570858', 'flags': [], 'user': 'JeanLittleLibrary', 'time': 'Nov 1, 2010'}
reviews[('93258', 'polarbear123')] = {'comment': 'An interesting adition to the Bond novels. There are some highly confusing sections at the start, either that or my knowledge of various things is not up to scratch. Good story and an interesting denouement make this essential Bond reading. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1296518400, 'work': '93258', 'flags': [], 'user': 'polarbear123', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Feb 1, 2011'}
reviews[('11357432', 'harleyquinn0887')] = {'comment': "Review posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/05/book-review-lover-reborn-black-dagge...\nJ. R. Ward is back with one of my most anticipated books this year, Lover Reborn. We now follow Tohrment, the brother who wiped himself off the face of the Earth when his shellan and unborn child were murdered. He is back due to a fallen, selfish, and smartass angel, Lassiter. But he is nowhere close to being the vampire he use to be. He is on a rampage. Along with his rampage, he has been having horrible nightmares where his shellan and child aren't safe and warm in the Fades, but stuck in a dreary and dark place. He soon finds out that they are stuck in the In Between. If Tohrment can't learn to move on and let go, his shellan and child will be lost in oblivion forever.\nWooooow! Ward has delivered again. And that delivery came with some punches. People have questioned why is there only a man on the cover. There is always a guy plus his lady. Now it makes sense. This is more than a romance, it is a journey. A journey to get out of the past and move on. To let go and be free. And Tohrment's journey is one I was glad to be apart of.\nTohrment was well...truly tormented. He just couldn't get out of the cage he built around him. I love that No'One is the leading lady. She was soft spoken and kept to herself, but when Tohr and her are interacting, I love the personality she has. She belonged to a royal family before her heartbreaking story and you can tell. I love that she came to make amends with Xhex and understood and loved her no matter who her father was. Lover Reborn truly portrayed the hurdles Tohr and No'One must jump over, not only for their families and each other, but for themselves.\nI really enjoyed the side story of Xhex and John. They are newlyweds, but they show that even though they are finally together, things aren't perfect. Not even close. John didn't like that Xhex was out fighting because he didn't want to end up like Tohr. Xhex has been an assassin and a fighter even before John was born (well technically given we know who John really is). So I love that we got that because Xhex is nothing like the other shellans, so it makes sense that their relationship would be different. I also must put out there, I am on Xhex's side. Ease up John, goodness!\nI also love that we got a lot more of the Band of Bastards. We aren't getting much of the lessers as earlier in the series, but the B.O.B. definitely form a bigger threat. Xcor is more determined than ever. But I like that we see he has a heart...sort of. He definitely cares for his brothers. And someone more, but I won't say who. I love that we get more of Qhuinn and Blay. They truly can't stay far from each other. And I loved the friendship between Layla and Qhuinn and w get some insight into her life. I know Qhuinn and Blay's book is up next and I can see why. There are some life changing events that take place that will make their book very exciting. I can't wait.\nAnd than we have newbie named Assail. I am not sure if he is a bad guy or good guy just yet. But even though he looks like any other super rich, over pampered guy, don't underestimate him. He kind of scares me. I believe Ward said he will play a bigger part in the BDB, I can't remember, but I am keeping my eyes peeled for sure. And then we have my absolute favorite character in this book, Lassiter. I am so in love with this guy. It is impossible not to love him. He is hilarious and truly unpredictable, both with his actions and the things that come out of his mouth. I am dying for him to get his own book. That would be the greatest thing ever.\nLet me say it now, Lover Reborn will make you mad a couple of times especially close to the end. I don't think I cursed so loud at the ending of a book since Dreamfever. Not to mention the times I wanted to punch Tohr for being so stubborn. He did and said some things to No'One or others that deserved a slap or two. I understood his anger and how he felt he was deceiving Wellsie in some way. But come on man! I did love the literal punch in the nuts, that actually brought a tear to my eye.\nObviously I can go on forever, so I will slow my roll here. I absolutely loved this book. All the chaos and emotions really gets you going. Not to mention those sex scenes. Just a warning, don't read this at work. This book will really drive you nuts and it is so worth it. The BDB is one of the first PNR books I have read and it is still one of the best series out there. Again, if you haven't started this series, you really need to get on it now. Find out exactly why this Brotherhood has fans like me drooling. ", 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1336089600, 'work': '11357432', 'flags': [], 'user': 'harleyquinn0887', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'May 4, 2012'}
reviews[('7120905', 'lesleydawn')] = {'comment': "This book is a thrill ride. I really tried to read it at a slower pace, but found that I couldn't put it down. The kids were asking for dinner, toys were spreading across the floor, dished were piling up, but I couldn't stop reading. I loved it, and I can't wait to start reading Vampire Zero.\nDavid Wellington - you rock!! ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1228262400, 'work': '7120905', 'flags': [], 'user': 'lesleydawn', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Dec 3, 2008'}
reviews[('1575660', 'nwhyte')] = {'comment': 'In "Sympathy for the Devil", David Warner\'s Third Doctor has been exiled by the Time Lords not to 1970 but to 1997, where he is in Hong Kong and encounters both Nicholas Courtney\'s Brigadier, whose career never really picked up after the Cybermen, and Mark Gatiss\'s Master, who\'s been having a fine old time for the last quarter-century. I thought this was really well done; the pairing of the Doctor and Master is balanced by the pairing of the Brigadier and UNIT\'s current commander (played by David Tennant!), and there were some lovely bits of dialogue. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1200873600, 'work': '1575660', 'flags': [], 'user': 'nwhyte', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Jan 21, 2008'}
reviews[('8478', 'Kristelh')] = {'comment': 'Some of the words from the back cover that are descriptive of this book are thriller, action-adventure, noir metafiction, thrilling twists of this stylish, Escher-like mystery. The front cover compares it to Umberto Eco (the Latin?) and Anne Rice (demons?). I havent read Anne Rice so just guessing. The Club Duma is the story of a book detective, Lucas Corso who is hired to track down rare editions for the wealthy and the unscrupulous. This book is a bibliophiles dream, filled with references of old and great novels. Corso finds himself living fragments of Dumass story as he hunts down the authenticity of a section titled The Anjou Wine. At the same time he is researching a book of The Book of the Nine Doors for another client. Corso begins to be lost between reality and the surreal. \nWhat I liked about the book is the mystery and tension and I also liked reading about the literary world. What I didnt like is the two separate plot lines, while both interesting, never seemed to meld quite well enough. If the author had only wrote about the Dumas it would have been short and probably not very interesting. I enjoyed learning about old editions and the people who work with old editions and those that love them. I found myself over and over wishing I had read The Three Musketeers and various other works before I read this. I learned a lot about Dumas and hope I can get to one of his books in the near future. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1334966400, 'work': '8478', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Kristelh', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Apr 21, 2012'}
reviews[('2356250', 'jburlinson')] = {'comment': "A fine little sampler of one of the world's premier collections, containing some particularly acute commentary by Ms. Langmuir. Coverage from Van Eyck to Van Gogh. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1324944000, 'work': '2356250', 'flags': [], 'user': 'jburlinson', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Dec 27, 2011'}
reviews[('12372', 'Isamoor')] = {'comment': "Sep10:\nWent way back to read these. Skipped them my first time through the Star Wars universe. Best part? Counting how many movie references. Friggin' 1 per page I swear.\nCharacters: Good enough. The lead is solid enough if not super awesome. Wedge is well rounded for his parts. Villains are almost weak.\nPlot: A bunch of star fights dammit. Anything else?\nStyle: Well done actually. This could have gone sooo wrong. And yet I actually enjoyed my read through due to brisk pacing and solid Style. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1285286400, 'work': '12372', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Isamoor', 'stars': 3.5, 'time': 'Sep 24, 2010'}
reviews[('2770191', 'sprowett')] = {'comment': "Excellent resource for SCA combatants and non-combatants (lists, waterbearers, heralds, chirurgeons, marshals). There's probably a newer version out there on: http://www.sca.org but this one has been wonderfully used! ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1211068800, 'work': '2770191', 'flags': [], 'user': 'sprowett', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'May 18, 2008'}
reviews[('4224078', 'schnaucl')] = {'comment': 'This review contains spoilers\nThis was a very good continuation of the series. Pettersson set up the next book very well, but I didn\'t have the feeling while I was reading this book that the entire purpose of this story was to set up the next one.\nIt was nice to see more of Hunter. I expect he\'ll play a big role in the next book. I\'m hoping he doesn\'t actually turn to the shadow side, that would be repetitive after this book. While I think Jo/Olivia was right about needed to figures things out herself before getting involved with another man, I would like to see them together. I like Hunter and I\'m not entirely convinced why he still wants Jo other than "it feels good." But at least he\'s mostly avoided the "you\'ve said no but I\'m going to keep pursuing you stalker-like but it\'s okay because we\'re meant to be together" trap. He made it clear he wants her, but mostly he\'s left her alone except when she comes to him.\nI really didn\'t mind losing Ben. It had been a while since I\'d read the other books so I\'d forgotten a lot about him and no longer had a feel for their relationship. Ben himself appeared only briefly. This may all have been intention on Pettersson\'s part, after all, the point was that Jo/Olivia was holding on to the idea of Ben more than Ben himself.\nIt looks like there will be some significant changes in the next book. I\'m looking forward to seeing how it all plays out. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1232150400, 'work': '4224078', 'flags': [], 'user': 'schnaucl', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Jan 17, 2009'}
reviews[('13462084', 'jewelknits')] = {'comment': 'This review first appeared on my blog: http://www.knittingandsundries.com/2013/07/7132013-whistling-past-graveyard-by.h...\nWhere to start? First off, be prepared for a rave; I thought this one was FABulous!\nA quick note: This one has been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird and The Help. While it WAS great, I can definitely say that it seems lighter than those two books - not as complex or layered, but it DOES address many of the same issues in the voice of Starla, a precocious, sassy 9 1/2-year-old (remember, that 1/2 really matters at that age). \nFirst lines:\nMy grandmother said she prays for me every day. Which was funny, because I\'d only ever hard Mamie pray, "Dear Lord, give me strength." That sure sounded like a prayer for herself - and Mrs. Knopp in Sunday school always said our prayers should only ask for things for others. Once I made the mistake of saying that out loud to Mamie and got slapped into next Tuesday for my sassy mouth.\nIt is 1963 in Cayuga Springs, Mississippi. Starla is being raised by her maternal grandmother "Mamie", who is 45 years old and seems to resent having her around. Mamie\'s biggest fear is that Starla will turn out like her mother Lulu, who has been in Nashville, working on a recording career, since Starla was three years old. Her father works further down South on an oil rig, so Starla only sees him sporadically.\nWhen Starla sticks up for a girl she doesn\'t even really like, she finds herself in trouble AGAIN .. grounded ... on one of the best days of the year - the Fourth of July. When she sneaks out anyway, she runs into a nosy neighbor and things get worse from there. \nStarla takes it into her head to run away and find her mother in Nashville. Her mom will be so happy to see her that she\'ll let her stay, and her daddy will come join them, and they will be a family again. So she starts walking ... and walking .. and walking .. until she is picked up by a black woman named Eula who, strangely, has a white baby with her. \nThus begins Starla\'s journey into a world that she didn\'t know existed. On her journey, she finds herself and others in dangerous situations, discovers the true meaning of family and friendship, and begins to glean an understanding of civil rights and the effect of segregation. Never having experienced true poverty, she is astonished to find that not everyone has electricity and running water, and as she discovers Eula\'s history, she begins to get an idea of true injustice.\nStarla\'s voice is utterly believable. Like any child her age, things are pretty much black and white (until they\'re not). As you travel with her, be prepared for the good and the bad, for laughter and tears, for heart-stopping situations as well as heart-warming ones. This sassy little protagonist will convince you of the truths of her story - you should definitely go along for the ride with her.\nQUOTES:\nEverybody in Cayuga Springs treated my momma like a secret. But it seemed like I was the only person they wanted to keep the secret from. Sometimes when Mamie had bridge club in the summer, I\'d sit below the living-room window outside and listen. The ladies had plenty to say about Momma, all right. Hateful things. Lies. They squeezed them in between their bids and trumps, like it was part of the game.\nThat kind of crazy liked to hide behind a mask and you never knew when it was gonna come out.\n"Oh, child, the law wouldn\'t do nothin\'. A white man can do pretty much whatever he wants to a colored woman and a little girl - even if the little girl is white. It the way things are round here."\nOnce when I was in first grade, Patti Lynn and me was talking to each other across the aisle just by movin\' our lips, not even makin\' a whisper. Mrs. Kessler heard our lips movin\'. She made us both stand at the front of the class until recess. Teacher hearing was as good as Superman\'s.\nBLOGGERS: Have you reviewed this book? If so, please feel free to leave a link to your review in the comments section; I will also add your link to the body of my review.\nWriting: 5 out of 5 stars\nPlot: 5 out of 5 stars\nCharacters: 5 out of 5 stars\nReading Immersion: 5 out 5 stars\nBOOK RATING: 5 out of 5 stars\nSensitive Reader: No real worries. There are some ticklish spots - domestic violence is depicted, and some situations have sensitive overtones.\nBook Club Recommendation: Definitely yes! What fun! I can see the discussions now! ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1373846400, 'work': '13462084', 'flags': [], 'user': 'jewelknits', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Jul 15, 2013'}
reviews[('3158866', 'the_nimue')] = {'comment': 'I received this book as an extremely thoughtful gift from one of our puppy buyers. We breed and show Airedale Terriers. \nThe Airedale subject of this book, however, is Mr. B. Wake Up Mr. B! by Penny Dale is the story of a young girl named Rosie who wakes up before everyone else in her family and despite her best efforts to rouse the other household members the only one who wants to play that early is of course Mr. B the Airedale.\nLight on words this book really shines in the illustrations which are beautiful. Page after page the detail in each frame is amazing. Mr. B is a wonderfully drawn Airedale with great color, slightly shaggy, and a too short for my personal taste tail. His eyes are particularly well crafted, slightly sleepy at first, and at once loving, curious, and tolerant of little Rosies antics. Mr. B is a true Airedale taking care of Rosie and having some fun along the way.\nThis book is a wonderful addition for any Airedale lovers library or as a gift for a dog loving older child. Airedales make great family pets as evidenced in this book and in real life. The Airedale in this book truly loves this child and as any well trained Airedale would he puts up with all of the girls behavior in a way that truly shows his bond to this active young lady. As always, children and dogs should never be left alone together unsupervised as not all are as tolerant as Mr. B.\nMy full review: http://www.doggeddogdom.com/news/?p=1506 ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1238544000, 'work': '3158866', 'flags': [], 'user': 'the_nimue', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Apr 1, 2009'}
reviews[('10136049', 'sacredheart25')] = {'comment': 'The book is composed of fifteen short essays and an introduction by the editor. The chapters move chronologically over the historical documents of Los Angeles. The essays cover some very esoteric works but for that reason the book is valuable as a reference guide. The book begins with a general chronology of influential books, movies, and current events. Each chapter concludes with end notes. There is a guide to further reading and index. The volume is planned to touch on each of the mythic elements of Los Angeles which continue to fascinate the world. The various authors are free with their critiques of the city, its people, and its ideals but there is an honest attempt to put those views into a wider ongoing reflection on Los Angeles. Adorno figures in several essays, as do Huxley, Chandler, and Waugh. The work by the Americans Didion, Mosley, and Valdez are given multiple considerations. One strange thing finds itself repeated several times. A few essays speak of the riots after the verdicts of the LAPD officers whom were acquitted of harming Rodney King as the Justice Riots. No one refers to the riots with that phrase. Justice Riots would be a way to distinguish them from the Watts Riots but no one would know what you were speaking about if you happened to live in Los Angeles and referred to them in that way. The essays are all brief and therefore unable to do more than scan an area of interest. But, thankfully, they are each well crafted. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1328832000, 'work': '10136049', 'flags': [], 'user': 'sacredheart25', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Feb 10, 2012'}
reviews[('3079750', 'allisonmariecat')] = {'comment': 'http://hollybooknotes.blogspot.com/2008/01/mystery.html ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1199836800, 'work': '3079750', 'flags': [], 'user': 'allisonmariecat', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Jan 9, 2008'}
reviews[('11907044', 'champton08')] = {'comment': "Bird of Prey: A Horror Novella is a fairly fast moving story with a few twists and turns. Not overly exciting though. I found myself wishing it to be over with. I think this would make a good horror movie. A movie would give a better picture of the surroundings. I think it had too much for too few pages. It is a good time killer for a couple of hours it you don't have something better to read. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1324339200, 'work': '11907044', 'flags': [], 'user': 'champton08', 'stars': 2.0, 'time': 'Dec 20, 2011'}
reviews[('4196668', 'bnielsen')] = {'comment': "Hvorfor banker du altid din Kone saa Satans? Fordi de' Bst gaar omkring og si'er at hun er ulykkelig gift.\nAt der er tre personer, der har set mig? Det er da ikke noget i et land med s mange millioner indbyggere.\nManden bliver kaldt Tyve-Pettersson, fordi de stjal en ko fra ham i forfjor.\nLynet slr ned ved den gamle dve provstinde Look: Lovisa, dit Sjuskeho'de, hvad var det nu, du slog i Stykker?\nFru Ringman, der river paa sin gteflles Grav: Ja, hvis min kre Karl-August havde levet nu, vilde han i hvert have set, at jeg ikke forsmmer hans Grav.\nManden bliver gjort opmrksom p at der ikke er glas i brillerne han bruger til at lse med: Herregud, ikke en Gang de' ka' jeg se, ja sa er'et vel snart forbi me' Synet osse.\nHvor ofte ska' jeg rende op paa fjerde Sal for at faa den her lille Regning betalt? Ska' jeg maaske leje mig ind i Stuen for at gre det bekvemt ... for hvem som helst ... der har en Fordring paa mig?\nHar De kulrte Bryster, Frken?\nEn Alkoholist, Johanneson, ligger paa sit yderste, men kan stadig lokkes med en flaske.\nBaron P er usdvanlig skaldet. Kolingen: Ja, jeg vilde hellere komme paa Fattiggaarden end at vre Lus i det Hovede!\nJeg er den stakkels Mand, der flygtede med Deres Datter for fem Aar siden. Tag hende tilbage - og alt skal vre Dem tilgivet.\nSkal De nu have fri til Barnedaab igen? Det fik De ogsaa for tre Uger siden. Ja, men jeg har faaet Tvillinger.\nVil De sige mig, hvor Toilettet er? Ikke denne Gang, men nste Gang. ?! Og saa lige frem.\nKan De sige mig, 48, hvor meget en Centimeter er? Ja, de've jeg itte saa nje, men de' er vel som de' sorte paa Neglen der . . \nSkuespilleren: Jeg forstaar virkelig ikke, hvorfor Kritikerne beskftiger sig saa meget med Skuespillerne. Vi beskftiger os aldrig med Kritikerne. Kritikeren: Formodentlig af samme Aarsag som Naturforskerne beskftiger sig med Dyrene. Dyrene beskftiger sig aldrig med Naturforskerne.\nDe kan vel regne paa Maskine? Nej, jeg tog Studentereksamen i Sommer, saa jeg kan ingenting.\nLever Deres Far? De, der er saa gammel! Hvor gammel er han da? Ja, se de' ve' jeg itte, men no'et gamlere end jeg, er han jo nok!\nTelegrafering uden Traad, de' ka' man hitte paa, men sy uden Traad - de' gi'r de Pokker i!\nGud tilgive mig mine Ungdomssynder, men naar jeg tnker paa dem, saa kan jeg ikke lade vre med at le!\nEr De gift? Ja-a - - Nh - - - De maa da vide om De er gift eller ikke! Ja, se, jeg er Husholderske - - saa'n baade her og dr - - \nJeg ka' ikke arbejde endnu. Der er Is i Klisterpotten.\nJa, Drenge, hvis I ikke tror, Jorden er rund, saa se paa jeres Hle!\nDen billigste og bedste Fornjelse, man ka' ha' nu, de' er og sidde og lse i Avisen, hvordan de andre taber paa deres Aktier!\nEn brokker sig over sit job med at bre Mursten op til fjerde sal, otte Timer om Dagen, men han begynder frst i morgen!\nProvsten fortller at Gud skabte verden p seks dage, men husk nu at for Gud er en Dag som mange tusind r, ja som hundredetusind r. Eld: Men saa er de' da ingen Kunst.\nVed De ikke, at man skal drikke alle Sygdomme vk - undtagen Delirium.\nGud, sikke' en Luft - den er som Brndevin\nSmeden har i den sidste halve time forsgt at trkke en tand ud: Nu bl'er den i hvert Fald, den Satan!\nJonas er syg: De' er no'et midt mellem Rgmatisme og Delerium.\nJa, den, der ikke bli'r syg af dette her - han er Fa'n ta' mig ikke rask!\nDet var nu en fin Begravelse, han fik ... ham Jonas i Barkaby. Smrrebrdet og Ligkisten kostede 50 Kroner.\n74, Hvorfor hilser De ikke, naar De mder mig? Undskyld, Hr. Ljtnant, men jeg troede, vi var Uvenner.\nHvad siger Gud om alle disse Bud? Ja, hva' ska' han si'e? Han har jo selv skrevet dem!\nDen gamle Prst til den nye: Du ka' godt bede om Regn i Kirken i Morgen, men Barometeret stiger.\nVil Herren have Kaffen straks, eller vil Herren vente, til den bli'r frdig?\nTre tiggere: Go'e Herre og Damer, hjlp tre stakkels ulykkelige Skabninger, der hverken er blinde eller dvstumme eller no'et andet, som et hderligt Menneske ka' leve af!\nDen frodige Lektor Alm, der er Skaaning, bliver opfordret til at gaa en Tur efter Middagen. -- Man ska' ikke gaa ud og rende, lige naar man har spist. Saa ku' Maden jo tro, at den var kommet i en Hund!\n5 sjldent grimme pebermer med Frken Lesbin i front: Vi br ikke mukke, men tnke som jeg: Ja, min Mand dde, da han var lille.\nDet er da Pokkers at sidste April skal vre i Slutningen af Maaneden.\nDet var da en Fa'ns lang Rad! Ja, de' vilde ha' vrt meget bedre me' Tvillinger!\nNh, Johansson, mt er man ikke, fr man ka' knkke Lusene mod Maveskindet.\nDen ene Simulant er dd i Nat.\nsterlund druknede i Gaar. Nej og han, der svmmede saa godt! Han svmmede i otte Timer og saa maatte han jo holde op!\nJeg bruger altid Kridtpiber, for naar man taber saa'n en Pibe, behver man ikke at ta'en op.\nHvor lnge plejer Pastoren at vre fordybet i Bn efter Prdiken? Jeg selv tller til ti. Nogle plejer at tlle til femten, men det synes jeg nu er at gre for megen Vsen a'et...\nsters? Beklager meget, men vi har ikke andre Skaldyr tilbage end g!\nDin Far er jo blevet Generalkonsul for Andorra? Ja, den gamle gr mig virkelig Glde.\nNoget morfin til svigermoderen: Jeg har ingen Recept, men jeg har hendes Portrt.\nVed fotografen: Det var Fa'ns, saa den Tand, der mangler, ses tydeligt!\nHer trnger te' og sparkles, sa' Maleren, han vaagnede ved Stakittet.\nGud ske Lov, at jeg ikke har mere end een Sn, og flere bli'r de' vel ikke te', nu da jeg er blevet Nattevagt.\nHvor hjt mod nord lever krebsen? ... Op te' Krebsens Vendekreds.\nMor hjlper, nr Far er syg, men hvem hjlper, nr Mor er syg? Jordemoderen!\nRadium for 25 re.\nDen 85-aarige lgger sig endelig p Sottesengen, men vil ikke have stvlerne af: De bli'r go'e at traske i Asken me'!\nGode replikker og uforlignelige tegninger af hovne officerer, hykleriske prster og brutale sataner. Mange af vittighederne var sikkert gamle allerede dengang, men de er bde godt fortalt og tegnet.\nEngstrms tegninger er godt hndvrk ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1226620800, 'work': '4196668', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bnielsen', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'Nov 14, 2008'}
reviews[('2121919', 'janglen')] = {'comment': "I found this book difficult to put down despite the rather gloomy atmosphere that prevails. I was intrigued by the various stories as they unfolded and by the characters, but was sorry that the author didn't allow them happier lives. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1330387200, 'work': '2121919', 'flags': [], 'user': 'janglen', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Feb 28, 2012'}
reviews[('11004609', 'pollgott')] = {'comment': 'Tom Perrotta writes about ordinary people, living ordinary lives in suburbia. In his previous books, hes told the tale of young suburban parents falling into an extra-marital affair (Little Children), of a New Jersey student who goes to Yale and learns how to integrate his persona as the son of a lunch-truck driver with that of an Ivy League student (Joe College), and of a high school sex-ed teacher whose career is jeopardized after admitting to her students that people may engage in oral sex because they like it (The Abstinence Teacher). Even the central dramatic events in these (very good) books are, well, ordinary.\nThe Leftovers is different. While its again about ordinary people living in suburbia, the novel takes place after a most extraordinary event: the Sudden Disappearance in which millions of people around the world have vanished. Its a rapture-like event, except that unlike the rapture, the people in Perrotts book just literally disappear rather than flying into the sky, and unlike the rapture, there appears to be no rhyme or reason to which people disappear. Those who do include Hindus and Buddhists and Muslims and Jews and atheists and animists and homosexuals and Eskimos and Mormans and Zoroastrians, as well as a whole bunch celebrities: John Mellencamp and Jennifer Lopez, Shaq and Adam Sandler, Miss Texas and Greta Van Susteren, Vladimiar Putin and the Pope. The Sudden Disappearance happens on Oct. 14, and the multiple references to Oct. 14 are clearly intended to recall Sept. 11, and the thousands who suddenly disappeared that fateful day.\nPerrottas novel begins three years after the Sudden Disappearance and focuses on the residents of the Mapleton who were left behindthe leftovers. Theyve responded in two ways. Some, like Kevin Garvey, have tried to regain the ordinary lives they led prior to Oct. 14, doing things like running for mayor and joining a softball team, while others, like Kevins wife Laurie, adopt extreme and unusual behaviors. Laurie, for example, joins the G.R.the Guilty Remnantsa cult who members wear white, refuse to speak, and wander around town smoking cigarettes and staring atwatchingpeople outside the G.R. Another cult eschews baths and shoesallowing just the slight leniency of flip-flops when theres snow on the groundwhile a third gathers around a prophet who offers healing hugs, but also turns out to have a penchant for impregnating underage girls. And then theres the Rev. Matt Jamison, who is so disappointed that he has been left behind that he makes it his personal mission to out all the infidelities and petty crimes of those who have disappeared.\nPerrotta makes clear that both types of response to an event like Oct. 14 (and thus, Sept. 11?) are fraught with problems. The craziness of the cults is evident, but so is the craziness of trying to resume an ordinary life: to do so is to behave in ways that cant be anything but absurd. Here is Perrotta describing a Thanksgiving dinner: What a beautiful bird, they kept telling one another, which was a weird things to say about a dead thing without a head. And then . . .cousin Jerry had made everyone post for a group photograph, with the beautiful bird occupying the place of honor. And here, he depicts an announcement at the City Council Meeting: Congratulations to Brownie Troop 173, whose second annual gingerbread cookie fund-raiser netted over three hundred dollars for Fuzzy Amigos International, a charity that sends stuffed animals to impoverished indigenous children in Ecuador, Boliva, and Peru. What would pass without comment during a normal time becomes downright ludicrous when huge numbers of people have just evaporated. \nAnd yet, the books ending makes clear Perrottas real belief about how we must respond to tragedy. After an unexpected revelation about the G.R. that wallops the reader, there is a further tidying of loose ends that leaves one with hope about the future of those characters who have determined that they will go on living their ordinary lives. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1319241600, 'work': '11004609', 'flags': [], 'user': 'pollgott', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Oct 22, 2011'}
reviews[('45559', 'ametralladoras')] = {'comment': "This whole book is just about self-loathing. Seriously, from start to finish it's all about her problems with drugs, alcohol, guys, sex, Hollywood, weight, parents, school, comedy, etc. etc. Every once in awhile there will be three sentences that are insightful pertaining to racism or feminism and I was always hoping for more elaboration, but instead she just goes on about how she downed another bottle of tequila. This book is boring and unsatisfying. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1276992000, 'work': '45559', 'flags': [], 'user': 'ametralladoras', 'stars': 1.0, 'time': 'Jun 20, 2010'}
reviews[('116167', 'sunfi')] = {'comment': "The second book in the Dakota series which furthers the story of the the folks living in Buffalo Valley. This book could be read and followed without reading the first one. There would be some character details and stories that you would miss, but this one follows an entirely different group of characters than the first. This is a pretty solid and predictable story, if you're looking for a surprise or a lot action this one probably won't work for you. This story like the first one tends to focus on folks, their lives, and what they think but not necessarily say. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1223251200, 'work': '116167', 'flags': [], 'user': 'sunfi', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Oct 6, 2008'}
reviews[('30527', 'everfresh1')] = {'comment': "Comprehensive biography, although maybe not the most exciting writing. It is very 'pro Charles II', and I have read before accounts that are not that one sided. Still, I have to say that author provides very convincing arguments in Charles favor. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1357776000, 'work': '30527', 'flags': [], 'user': 'everfresh1', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Jan 10, 2013'}
reviews[('3897148', 'readingtodogs')] = {'comment': 'School Library Journal, August 2007, page 80:\nThis sequel to The Jamie and Angus Stories (Candlewick, 2002) is divided into six amusing vignettes....Dale\'s beautifully rendered black-and-whit illustrations enhance each story. The tales themselves are charming and heartwarming, depicting this realistic yet fanciful friendship between a small boy and his favorite plaything...This title will work well...for those who are just beginning to tackly chapter books."', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1189555200, 'work': '3897148', 'flags': [], 'user': 'readingtodogs', 'time': 'Sep 12, 2007'}
reviews[('3067', 'bookmagic')] = {'comment': "I am a little late to the party with this one. I bought it a year ago but it sat on my shelf until just a couple of days ago. I had heard really good things about it, but I just never got to it. I became motivated to get this read by the Clear Off Your Shelves Challenge hosted by S.Krishna's Books.\nI am so glad I read this, it lived up to all the hype. Lots of books do not, so I was very happy.\nsynopsis from B&amp;N ( so many details, I don't want to accidentally give any spoilers)\nAudrey Niffenegger's innovative debut, The Time Traveler's Wife, is the story of Clare, a beautiful art student, and Henry, an adventuresome librarian, who have known each other since Clare was six and Henry was thirty-six, and were married when Clare was twenty-three and Henry thirty-one. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. His disappearances are spontaneous, his experiences unpredictable, alternately harrowing and amusing.\nThe Time Travelers Wife depicts the effects of time travel on Henry and Clare's marriage and their passionate love for each other, as the story unfolds from both points of view. Clare and Henry attempt to live normal lives, pursuing familiar goals -- steady jobs, good friends, children of their own. All of this is threatened by something they can neither prevent nor control, making their story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. \nMy review\nI loved this book. I was so caught up in the lives of Henry and Clare. I didn't find it hard to keep track of the story despite all the time traveling as, Niffenegger always tells what year and how old Henry and Clare are.\nThe story is presented from both Henry and Clare's point of view, and despite the fact that I don't believe in time travel (maybe I do now though), it wasn't at all silly.\nHenry has no control over his time travel, it happens like a seizure. He mostly travels to places in his own past or his own future. When he meets Clare as a little girl he has to be careful not to give her many details of the future. But he does tell her that they get married, but not when she will meet him in her present time. And sometimes Clare sees two Henrys at once, which makes for an interesting wedding. But Clare worries every time Henry travels. He can't take anything with him, so he is always naked, not fun in Chicago in the middle of winter. He learns how to pick locks and wallets to survive. Often when Henry is waking up naked in the street in the middle of the night, he is a target for danger.\nThis book was just so well-written, intriguing, and heart-felt. I am so glad I did not miss this, even if I am late.\nmy rating 4.5/5 ", 'nhelpful': 1, 'unixtime': 1255564800, 'work': '3067', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bookmagic', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Oct 15, 2009'}
reviews[('501962', 'RuTemple')] = {'comment': 'A compendium of how-to articles on all matters pertaining to the Society for Creative Anachronism', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1278720000, 'work': '501962', 'flags': [], 'user': 'RuTemple', 'time': 'Jul 10, 2010'}
reviews[('59057', 'Schmerguls')] = {'comment': "This 2004 novel by a professor born in China but now living in Boston is fiction, but reads like a memoir. It tells of a Chinese soldier sent to Korea in 1951 where he is captured after being wounded. He is restored to health by an American surgeon and spends the time till 1953 in POW camps run by Americans. There is some brutality suffered by POWs but they in turn are rebellious and always seeking to do harm to their captors. In most memoirs by POWs one sympathizes with the POW but often one is repelled by the Chinese Communists' behavior as they seek to bedevil their captors. There is real suspense as to what will happen to the central character, who wants to go home to his moher and girlfriend but fears what will happen to him in Communist China, where any one captured is looked on as disgraced. A carefully crafted book, reeking with apparent authenticity, and a gripping book to read. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1347667200, 'work': '59057', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Schmerguls', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Sep 15, 2012'}
reviews[('4904', 'nobodysfool')] = {'comment': 'I so wanted to like this book, but I found it to be dull, repetitive, and tiresome. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1173398400, 'work': '4904', 'flags': [], 'user': 'nobodysfool', 'stars': 1.0, 'time': 'Mar 9, 2007'}
reviews[('10884010', 'MadMooseMama')] = {'comment': "The Bone Trail is a mystery thriller inspired by actual events involving wild horses, a gold mining company and the Bureau of Land Management(BLM).\nWild Horse advocates Lindy Abraham and Julia Evans are frustrated with the BLM's efforts to keep them from protecting the Wild Mustangs of Nevada. They are at constant war with the government officials who are supposed to help the horses but instead, pave the way for mining companies to take more land for their mining purposes. When that occurs, the wild horses that roam the land are relocated, while some may go to ranches for adoption, most are sent to slaughter houses to be sold as meat overseas where it is considered a delicacy.\nLindy and Julia have had enough and decide to do some investigation of their own. What they find appalls and dismays them when they stumble upon an enclosure filled with wild horses in different states of death. They film the horrific events on video, hundreds of horses are either dead or dying however, before they can share with the world what the BLM is allowing to happen, they go missing. \nKate Wyndham, investigative journalist and horsewoman, is asked to find out what happened to the two women. With great apprehension, she had recently lost her own horse and her pain was unbearable, she begins her research and follows the clues to the events that lead to the disappearance of Lindy and Julia. Along her journey she enlists the help of Jim Ludlow, a local rancher and a Shoshone horse whisperer, a recovering alcoholic whose marriage recently disintegrated. Together the two uncover the truth and find love along the way.\nI like how the author, Nell Walton, used humour in the story. The blend of both the horror of the situation and the chuckle humour dispersed throughout the book gave The Bone Trail a natural balance. I liked that there wasn't a lot of play between Jim and Kate before they came together, many books get bogged down with that interaction and if I wanted it, I would pick up a Harlequin, in life, instant attractions almost never drag out. I would've liked to have seen more from the mining company and BLM officials, I think adding some of their seediness to the book would have given it an extra edge that would of only given more credit to the issue of Wild Horse advocacy. The Bone Trail is heavy in expletives and the horse scenes may be disturbing for some but the book is a great read and I would recommend to anyone who has a love of horses.\nSYNOPSIS:\nThe Bone Trail is a story of love, loss and murder set in modern day Nevada. While searching for a clandestine wild horse roundup, two wild horse preservation advocates have disappeared in the desert without a trace. When journalist Kate Wyndham and Shoshone Native and horse whisperer Jim Ludlow set out to discover what happened to them they find themselves caught up in a web of deceit, intrigue and corruption that threatens everything they hold dear and may even claim their lives. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1302825600, 'work': '10884010', 'flags': [], 'user': 'MadMooseMama', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Apr 15, 2011'}
reviews[('12471257', 'amaraduende')] = {'comment': "Bleh. This reminds me so much of Joyce Carol Oates (an award winning super-literary author that some adore... and a very competent writer, so kudos to Ms Rowling) that I had to quit. Uncomfortable, dark, sad, rough and unkind people with no relief in sight. I couldn't find anyone to relate to or anyway into the story for myself. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1364601600, 'work': '12471257', 'flags': [], 'user': 'amaraduende', 'stars': 1.0, 'time': 'Mar 30, 2013'}
reviews[('6282074', 'CCMS')] = {'comment': 'New arrival in the CCMS Library!', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1309132800, 'work': '6282074', 'flags': ['not_a_review'], 'user': 'CCMS', 'time': 'Jun 27, 2011'}
reviews[('8360084', 'tboomer')] = {'comment': 'The title translates: Solitude and Sex and Pity. The book shuttles between parallel narratives. Opening on Christmas Eve, a gigilo and a homeless intruder improbably connect with each other after she breaks in to his apartment. An unemployed latin teacher befriends a barkeeper, a black American woman. A yuppie professional calmly informs her husband of six years that he must leave immediately because she would simply feel better if he were not around. These fragments and several other plot lines gradually begin to intersect as Krausser weaves the threads into a tapestry. The book is edgy, full of dark humor, and it captures the raw dynamism of contemporary Berlin. The approach is very similar to another of my favorite authors, David Schckler, especially Kissing in Manhattan.\nThis was a great book to start my summer project to brush up on my German with contemporary fiction. Krausser is a rising talent. I hope it becomes available in translation soon. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1312588800, 'work': '8360084', 'flags': [], 'user': 'tboomer', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Aug 6, 2011'}
reviews[('8205', 'neurotoxicdoll')] = {'comment': 'Quite entertaining, but towards the end gets repetitive. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1234051200, 'work': '8205', 'flags': [], 'user': 'neurotoxicdoll', 'stars': 2.0, 'time': 'Feb 8, 2009'}
reviews[('1182712', 'libraryofus')] = {'comment': '(Alistair) Well, this - I think - is not the first time I have read the Space Trilogy, since I have dim memories of reading them once before, but if so, those memories are from a sufficiently long time in the past as to have passed almost beyond recall, and so, in effect, I am coming to it for the first time again.\nAnyway, let it be said that I have found this book satisfying on two levels: as science fiction alone, it is suitably satisfying, for its well-drawn aliens - the hrossa, sroni and pfifiltriggi of Malacandra, and in the planetary romance of Dr. Ransom, finding himself shanghaied to said planet from Earth, the Silent Planet of the title, and as much a mystery to its inhabitants as they to him. The portrayal of the relationships between the different hnau - sophont races/beings -, including humanity in the form of Dr. Ransom, is also refreshing when compared with the instinctive xenophobia so many writers feel the need to assume. Interesting reflections on language; and, finally, rather decent cosmology by the standards of 1938, I should think.\nOf course, in reading C. S. Lewis, one must also consider the ways in which his work is informed by his Christian faith, something which I personally feel does not detract from, and indeed is enhanced by, its quality as a work of science fiction. (The comparison to a more modern writer of Christian fiction is, alas, telling.) The portrayals of the eldila - effectively angels - and the allegories, ethics and philosophy are woven well into the work, and should not offend, but rather be of interest to, all but the closest-minded of atheists, as they indeed were to me.\nRecommended. \n( http://weblog.siliconcerebrate.com/cerebrate/2008/11/out_of_the_silent_planet_c_... ) ', 'nhelpful': 2, 'unixtime': 1225584000, 'work': '1182712', 'flags': [], 'user': 'libraryofus', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Nov 2, 2008'}
reviews[('9162703', 'ReadThisNotThat')] = {'comment': "Imagine if Chelsea Handler toned it down a bit, and was a bit funnier and you'd have Jen Lancaster. Lancaster's cultural explorations and intellectual journeys were fun to follow along with and My Fair Lazy made me feel a whole lot better about the amount of reality TV I watch. \nLancaster also comes across as the girl next door. I sure don't know much about theater or how to behave properly at a celebrity studded gathering but I found myself rooting for her and wanting her to succeed and wanting her to do well and make a name for herself all while not making a fool of herself.\nI thoroughly enjoyed My Fair Lazy and am looking forward to reading some of Lancaster's other memoirs. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1289174400, 'work': '9162703', 'flags': [], 'user': 'ReadThisNotThat', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Nov 8, 2010'}
reviews[('2843314', 'brver')] = {'comment': "Nog meer Engeland en meer gruwel. En een bekentenis: eigenlijk zijn de zes delen een biografie van Robert d'Artois. Verbazen doet dat niet. De epiloog over Jean le Posthume mocht wat korter. Liefde blijft er aan het eind niet meer over. En toen moest het allemaal nog beginnen ... ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1249344000, 'work': '2843314', 'flags': [], 'user': 'brver', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Aug 4, 2009'}
reviews[('11044109', 'bitsy08')] = {'comment': "Another free book and another good read. I'd never read Ace Atkins before but will look for more in the future. Also hope he writes more about Quinn and Lillie. More story to write about those two. This book was good from the get-go. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1304985600, 'work': '11044109', 'flags': [], 'user': 'bitsy08', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'May 10, 2011'}
reviews[('4921', 'Mindyr')] = {'comment': 'What a ball! It took a bit to get the gist at the beginning. But once it clicked - did it click! Tried 2 other Thursday Next books, but not as entertaining to me. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1176076800, 'work': '4921', 'flags': [], 'user': 'Mindyr', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Apr 9, 2007'}
reviews[('12125217', 'kijabi1')] = {'comment': 'The year the people at Faith Church started high-stepping for the Lord.', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1325721600, 'work': '12125217', 'flags': [], 'user': 'kijabi1', 'time': 'Jan 5, 2012'}
reviews[('9199035', 'jmorrison')] = {'comment': 'Great magazine!!! Love all the non-boring science and all the new technology in it! Love the name, love the article, love the pictures! I would say that my favorite article is the one about placebo!!! ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1258156800, 'work': '9199035', 'flags': [], 'user': 'jmorrison', 'stars': 4.5, 'time': 'Nov 14, 2009'}
reviews[('1184994', 'danlian')] = {'comment': "This book is a must have for Barbra fans. I've been a fan since the age of 12 and still this book had information about her that i didn't know. \nIt's full of breathtaking photographs of Bab's and is simply a delight for any true fan. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1273449600, 'work': '1184994', 'flags': [], 'user': 'danlian', 'stars': 5.0, 'time': 'May 10, 2010'}
reviews[('496866', 'allawishus')] = {'comment': 'This title tells a little of the history of Emily Dickinson from the perspective of a little girl who moves into the house across the street from her. Emily is known as "The Myth" to the people around town - she\'s reclusive and antisocial. However, she invites the little girl\'s mother to play piano for her; the little girl comes along to Emily\'s house and meets her. \nThis book does go off into some fanciful, poetic language while attempting to describe poetry. The father of the little girl compares music to poetry fairly abstractly - it definitely won\'t work for a primary crowd. I mean, the language is lovely, it\'s just too abstract for the intended audience, I think. This story would best work with an intermediate level group who\'re learning about poetry and/or Emily Dickinson. \nThe really amazing thing about the book is the illustrations. Just absolutely beautiful. The detail of Emily\'s house, the snowy scenes, the image of lonely Emily sitting on the stairs ... really breathtaking. ', 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1263168000, 'work': '496866', 'flags': [], 'user': 'allawishus', 'stars': 4.0, 'time': 'Jan 11, 2010'}
reviews[('303470', 'alissabecker')] = {'comment': "A young boy fears that his body is falling apart after seeing a few hairs fall out, some loose skin and finding some belly button lint. After having huge panic attacks, he takes major precautions by wrapping himself in masking tape. His parents eventually tell him that everything happening is normal, and he'll be okay. So he realizes he doesn't need to worry, but he some how still finds something to be anxious about. ", 'nhelpful': 0, 'unixtime': 1353283200, 'work': '303470', 'flags': [], 'user': 'alissabecker', 'stars': 3.0, 'time': 'Nov 19, 2012'}