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When an old acquaintance and fellow P.I.is accused of murdering a kept woman Nero Wolfe investigates and finds several suspects in a mystery blackmailer a sexy lounge singer and a coldblooded ladykiller.Rex Todhunter Stout 1886 1975 was an American crime writer best known as the creator of the largerthanlife fictional detective Nero Wolfe described by reviewer Will Cuppy as that Falstaff of detectives.Wolfes assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the detective genius from 1934 to 1975.The Nero Wolfe corpus was nominated Best Mystery Series of the Century at Bouchercon 2000 the worlds largest mystery convention and Rex Stout was nominated Best Mystery Writer of the Century.Orrie Cather is arrested for murdering a woman and Wolfeafter polling Archie Saul and Fred to find out whether Cather might be guiltydecides to take on the case.The murder itself however isnt Wolfes trickiest problem he can only collect his fifty thousand dollar fee if in addition solving the murder and springing Orrie he can also preserve the good name of the wealthy executive who was paying for the murdered girls apartment.This is a very enjoyable entertainmentparticularly impressive when you realize Stout was seventynine when he wrote it.A special treat the character of nightclub canary Julie Jacquette the only woman with the intelligence independence and courage required to charm not only Archie but even that old misogynist Wolfe.Another of my bedside books to read as a second book to my usual history tomes.And what better than a Rex Stouts Nero Wolfe mystery.This one has more humor than most and is perfectly delightful.This is a reread for me since I have read all of Stouts Nero Wolfe books but just cant resist going back for one more try.This is a fun book because Wolfe actually treats a woman Julie Jaquette with respect and she is a nightclub performer.a smart gal who calls him Nero and Wolfe takes a bit of a shine to her which is unusual since he proclaims to dislike womenor so he says One of Julies coworkers is murdered in her rather lavish apartment and it is obvious that she is being kept by a gentleman whose identity is unknown to everyone.One of Wolfes operatives ends up in jail accused of the crime but we know better than that.So Wolfe and Archie along with help from Julie are hot on the trail and have to deal with the murdered girls sister who is a virago and will not believe that her sister was anything but virginal and pure.Lots of twists turns and puzzles.Rex Stout was a helluva writer.Rex Stouts books are a blend of the cozy mystery represented by Nero Wolf the portly gourmand who raises orchids and the hardboiled noir of a streetwise gumshoe a role played by his assistant and muscle Archie Goodwin and this mixture is the main reason for the long lasting appeal to crimemystery fans.In this tale Archie while doing a B E breaking and entering into the apartment of an ex flame of a fellow PI Orrie Cather in order to retrieve Orries PI license that the girl stole from him stumbles upon the dead body of the girl.Did Orrie murder the girl and set Archie upThe victim a showgirl called Isabel Kerr had been outraged that Orrie became engaged to someone else and threatened to go to the betrothed girl and attempt to thwart the marriage.Hence motive is established.Obviously there are alternative suspects an amorous rival sugar daddy who paid for the dead girls apartment the sister andor her brotherinlaw or perhaps someone else lurking in the background.One thing webe sure of before the final page Nero Wolf would have figured out the killers identity.This is my favorite Nero Wolf mystry so far.Archy Goodwin is sent by his rather shady friend rp to the home of his friends doxy to retreave his detective liscence.When he gets there Archy finds the Doxy dead in her bed room.For those who dont know a doxy is an old fashioned word for a concubine.Many of the Doxys clients are acused and many are aquited.I will not spoil the ending.I recommend this book to all.Enjoy and Be Blessed.StevenI learned a new word Doxy does not mean the little weiner dog.This was another addition to solving the murder intellectually.Death of a Doxy was the forty second instalment of the Nero Wolfe series published in 1966 the first in the series was published in 1934.In this outing Wolfe and the narrator Archie are tasked with clearing the name of one of their detectives accused of murder.The case is already a bit of a puzzle when its made a little more tricky by the addition of a silence clause the sugar daddy of the victim will pay handsomely for his name to remain unknown.Its a challenge theyre prepared to accept.At this stage of the series Wolfe and Archie are well drawn characters theres a deep well of back story and Stout is versed in crafting a story that has intrigue a neat puzzle wellstaged set pieces and nicely drawn characters.The storytelling is tight and all show not tell.Stout keeps the reader guessing as to the ending which is a little ambiguous though no less satisfying for that.Overall a quick entertaining read.This was really a good one.A woman named Julie Jackson aka Julie Jaquette is one of the main characters she is an exotic dancer.After her best friend was murdered Orrin Cather is suspected of doing it he is held without bail as a material witness.Wolfe polls Archie Saul and Fred for their opinions on whether Orrie is guilty.They decide he is not guilty so Wolfe commits to get him exonerated.When Julie is shot at Archie takes her to the brownstone to stay in the South Room for the duration.The first time she meets Wolfe is quite a sceneAnd yet Wolfe actually takes to her at least far more than he normally takes to any female.The dialogue between Julie and Wolfe and between Julie and Archie is hilariousThe mystery is a good one too.Definitely one of Stouts bestMy favorite part of this book is when my daughter who is getting better at reading every day leaned over my shoulder and read the title and then asked Daddy whats a doxyA rarely used word anymore doxy is a name for a kept mistress.In this case the murder victim was a former showgirl.uh.actress who left acting to live in a luxury apartment and wear expensive clothes and have a nice car with no apparent means of support.Of course someone was paying for all of that.The big problem is that one of Neros commonly used assistants is the primary suspect.Assistant names omitted to prevent spoilers.Neither Nero or Archie or the other assistants believe he is guilty so the mystery starts.This one features a very delightful assortment of other characters including another showgirl.uh.actress friend of the victim.She and Nero seem to have such similar opinions of others that they click almost immediately.Interestingly my memory of this book since this is my second read through was that the assistant WAS guilty.I suspect because Ive never liked that guy much anyway.This is still Rex Stout at the top of his form.Im only marking it down one star because there was too much of that one assistant.My favourite Nero Wolfe mystery both in book and filmed form the A E series.Lighthearted if ever a murder could be such a thing thanks to Julie Jacquette and her ability to count up to two and say the alphabet backward.Not even Michael Pritchards metallic voice could spoil the audiobook so Im three for three on this one.Wolfe earned every penny of the.what was it a hundred thousand.of his fee.I loved when Julie tells Archie that after a year in college shes discovered that the professors dont know all that much more than she does.Youre right Julie they dont.But dont be too hard on them they couldnt make it in a regular job.I was shocked to realise what doxy meant some years back.As a kid my parents had a dachshund crossbreed and named it Doxy.Well she was a bitch but Im glad most people wouldnt know what it meantwhich my father surely did.The old goat probably found it funny.Death of a Doxy marks a few unusual passages for Rex Stouts famous orichidloving sleuth.Nero Wolfe finds himself taking on a case with no pay in sight and more importantly he stands in the presence of a woman.Thats something he does rarely in the presence of men let alone ever in the presence of sex that he is so uncomfortable with.And by the end of the book she is calling him Nero.Not Mr.Wolfe.This is one of the few times that Stout invested more of his creative energy in one of the nonseries characters and he did so to good effect.Julie Jaquette more than gives Wolfe a run for his money With so many outoftheordinary factors one might think that this book would not sit well with a triedandtrue Stout fan.Not so.This winds up being one of my favorite Wolfe books.In this one Wolfe finds himself involved in a murder case when Orrie Cather one of his sometime operatives is collared for the death of a doxymistress or paramour to a rich man.Orrie had been fooling around with Isabel Kerr but decided to end the affair when he fell in love with a stewardess.Only Kerr didnt want things to end and kept a few mementos in her apartment.When she is found dead in her apartment and the items pointing to Cather are found as well the cops put two and two together and get five.Nevermind that Nero Wolfe has told them that Cather is innocent havent they learned yet that Wolfe is never wrongtheyve got all the circumstantial evidence they need and look no further.Its up to Wolfeaided by Archie Goodwin and other legmen Saul Panzer and Fred Durkinto dig up the clues that will lead to the real culprit.It doesnt take them long to discover that Miss Kerr had been the kept woman of a very prominent man of business and that there were several people who might not have wanted that fact to get out.Also in the picture is a nasty blackmailer and a sexy lounge singer.Wolfe starts out to solve the crime purely out of obligation to Orrie Cather and with no fee in sight at the end he finds himself faced with the puzzle of how to earn fifty thousand dollarswhich he can only do if certain facts are not made public.Can he do that and still see justice doneThe puzzle itself is not a difficult one.I actually stayed neck and neck with Wolfe on making deductionsthats rare enough.What made the book for me was the character of Julie Jacquette and her interactions with Nero Wolfe.And her scene with Inspector Cramer was worth the whole book in and of itself.This isnt the Wolfe novel you want to start with since some familiarity with the supporting cast Im not sure why Im trying to avoid spoilers for a fifty year old novel but I am really helps get you into it but it is a good solid lateseries Wolfe story.This has the great Wolfe and Archie interactions I love.It also has Julie Jacquette one of my favorite onebook characters shes cynical about romance largely uninteretested in Archie and impresses the shit out of Wolfe.A good read but only for those already familiar with the series.Oh Archie What would I have done without you during those long rainy snowy winters on Kodiak Island.The public library was my favorite stop on our weekly runs to town from Chiniak.I would load up on Nero Wolfe books.Let this review provide my endorsement for the whole series.and if you can read them in chronological orderAs this was my first Nero Wolfe novel I went in thinking this would be a moreorless normal mystery novel.It wasnt until halfway through that I caught on to the real flavor of the book Nero Wolfes eccentricity Arhcies snap comedy etc.It was so much fun to read them ripping on each other it felt like a peek into a boys club.I love it in the way I love James Bond.Death of a Doxy is a quick read and not only because its short.The characters are smart and Stout assumes the readers are too.Were supposed to keep up.Admittedly I thought the puzzle fell into place a little too easily but I liked it all the same.Im definitely interested in this Stout fellow and plan on picking up another of his books too.The young princes had been dead for five centuries and Wolfe had once spent a week investigating that case after which he removed Mores UTOPIA from his bookshelves because More had framed Richard III.Archie Goodwin in Death of a DoxyEnough said I have all of Rex Stouts Nero Wolfe books Pretty good mystery but what really makes me give it 4 instead of 3.5 is Julie Jacquette I love the way she interacts with Wolfe.A fun read.Very enjoyableI adore this series.Nothing else has come close.Red Stout had the chops of Agatha Christie and Bruce Alexander but with humor intertwined.Im going to miss Archie and Nero when Im done.Im savoring them and saving the last five for when I need to break out of a dry spell.SighThis one is my current favourite Nero Wolfe mystery but Im on a quest to read them all so well see.Yeah I hadnt known exactly what the word doxy meant until I read the first 40 pages of Rex Stouts novel.1966 is the 42nd installment in the famous Nero Wolfe series albeit one of the weakest ones along withthat I have recently reviewed.We meet the intrepid and debonair Archie Goodwin Mr.Wolfes right hand as he is leaving an apartment taking a last look at the body of a murdered woman and making sure he has not left his fingerprints on the scene.Orrie Cather one of the detectives whose services Mr.Wolfe frequently uses is arrested for murder.The case may involve a client of Wolfe so he is obliged to undertake the investigation.The whole thing is additionally complicated by the fact that Mr.Cathers fiance Jill knew the victim.Archie has to use all his manly charms to get Jill and the victims sister to talk.Obviously he succeeds.Uncharacteristically for Wolfe novels the cast of characters includes a gregarious and looselipped cabaret singer.Archie and the three women help the obese genius of detection solve the case and he earns quite a substantial amount of money.I like the characterizations of the three women they almost feel like real people.Being a mathematician I like the passageI am also amused by the fact that in mere 52 years since the novel was written English changed so much that I have no idea what the word hipped meant in 1966.The author writes she was hipped I got hipped and none of the current meanings of the verb I have even extensively checked the Urban Dictionary fits the context in which these phrases were uttered.Well stumped by hipped hows that for a punThis installment is markedly weaker than most other Nero Wolfe novels.Would it be possible that Mr.Stout hired someone to ghostwrite it Or maybe he wrote it in just a few daysTwo stars.Isabel Kerr the doxyAvery Ballou Isabels sugar daddyOrrie Cather private investigatorJill Hardy Orries fiancStella Fleming Jill Hardys sisterBarry Fleming Stellas husbandDr.Theodore Gamm an internistAmy Jackson a.k.a.Julie Jaquette a night club singerArchie Goodwin private investigatorNero Wolfe private investigatorNew York CityNero Wolfes contract investigator hotheaded Orrie Cather is engaged to Jill Hardy.He previously had a fling with Isabel Kerr who lives large but has no visible means of support.Turns out she is a doxy a kept woman by sugar daddy business mogul Avery Ballou.Isabel wants Orrie for herself and tries to hold him by grabbing his P.I.license and stashing it in her room.Orrie busy on another job has Archie Goodwin visit her apartment to retrieve it.Archie finds her dead hit on the head with a heavy ashtray.The police find Orries license in her room.Orrie winds up held as a material witness with a murder charge expected.The only way to get Orrie out of trouble is for Wolfe to find the killer.Wolfe enlists the aid of Julie Jaquette night club singer and Isabels best friend to force the killers hand.It works the killer takes a few shots at Julie to show it.This had sat on my shelf for 24 years since the last reading and I had forgotten how good it is.onspells it out in detail but suffice to say Wolfe gets enamored with a night club singer and elevates her to a place of honor in his home.Wolfes method of exposing the killer is clever and Archie adds a unique tweak to solve multiple problems all at once including earning a substantial fee.Inspector Cramer only has a couple brief appearances as Wolfe and Archie do most of the legwork.Great characters and now I know what a hedgehog omelette is it has almonds stuck in it which resemble the hedgehogs spines.When his associate Orey Cather gets himself into a jam with a doxieanother word for mistress I learned and finds himself in jail Nero Wolfe comes to the rescue.The supporting characters take center stage and Sal and Fred get featured more in this story than others.An interesting premis and a real feeling of something at stake eleveates this one.I always enjoy Nero Archie and Fritz and this was a pretty good mystery as well.Nero was able to stay at home on this one Fritz cooked several more exotic breakfasts and dinners and Archie was his usual manabouttown sarcastic self.Love them Only have about 30 more Nero Wolfe books to go but have trouble finding them.Perfect airplane book.Standard plot but the dialogue made me laugh out loud literally five different times.I have missed Archies oneliners.Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin are immortal.They never died we just stopped getting reports of their activities when Rex Stout died.Thats a conceit of course Wolfe and Goodwin are fictional characters and do not actually live on 35th Street in Manhattan.But it helps us understand that whether were reading a Nero Wolfe Mystery set in 1936 or 1973 there is very little difference.The brownstone is unchanged Wolfe is exactly as he was 40 years before Archie hasnt aged a day.Its true that during the series some incidentals change Wolfe gets a TV for instance but the essentials of the series dont change one bit.That makes it hard for me to review a Nero Wolfe mystery.Not being a professional critic I dont have a fund of meaningless gobbledygook to trot out in order to sound like Im saying something profound when in fact all Im delivering is null semantic content.I can recount the plot which in this book is simple Orrie Cather an operative whom Wolfe occasionally employs is accused of murdering a girlfriend and Wolfe undertakes to demonstrate otherwise.I can go into more detail for instance I can add that Orrie was planning to marry another girlfriend and that the dead girlfriend presented herself as completely open to her sister while still keeping some things strictly secret.But in the end I read the Nero Wolfe books because of the characters.And the character whom I most love is Wolfe himself.I am not so fat I barely know an orchid when I see it and Id rather eat at McDonalds than mess around with gourmet meals.But ah when Wolfeits magic.No one uses words the way he does except William F.Buckley whose Ensligh was sometimes just plain abstruse while Wolfes never is.I must admit that sometimes Wolfes diction clashes with my views I reject his theory that contact is not a verb and when in another book I disremember which he says that I charge big fees the adjective just grates on me but overall he is one of my favorite speakers of the language.Perhaps its because he was born in Montenegro but he values correct usage of the tongue as do I though I unlike Wolfe can also be highly informal.Listening to Wolfe make a speech or even ask a question is a very pleasurable experience.Many people say they read these mysteries because of Archie Goodwin.I cant feature that attitude.Archie is fun certainly but hes not half as interesting as Wolfe.Hes no dunce but he doesnt have Wolfes intellect and while his narration and dialogue are fresh American English he just cant scale the heights of beauty in speech that Wolfe can.Hes a serviceable narrator and a necessity in stories where the one who solves the puzzle doesnt stir from his house but its Wolfe who holds the spotlight by the sheer force of his personality.And he does it here as well as he ever does.A brilliant and intricately woven threads of plot and subplots just so Wolfe and his team could get Orrie Cather out of a murder charge.It is also in this book that Wolfe may yet change his mind about his unreasonable allergy and aversion I call it fear of women.Orrie asked Archie to burgle his mistress apartments for his detective license and some other items of his that she was holding out to force him to marry her aside from the claim that she was pregnant with his child upon learning that Orrie wanted to settle down with his stewardess girlfriend.Archie found her dead body instead with part of her head bashed in by a marble ashtray.The doxy Miss Isabel Kerr retired showgirl was being kept by a very important man in high finance Mr.X so Orrie was in effect just sharing her favors with X.the problem is the police found her diary and Orrie was the star and nary a mention of X whose identity was known by Orrie and now by both Wolfe and Archie and most likely by Miss Kerrs sister and her brotherinlaw.To smokeout the murderer Wolfe needed the help of the doxys friend Miss Julie Jaquette or Amy Jackson nightclub singer married once and now knows what men are for and what they are not and maybe the only one who came close to Wolfes idea of a paragon.very smart plucky brave pragmatic and full of grit not hysterical nor frivolous.can be trusted to keep secrets and can even lie to Cramer convincingly.She went back to school this time college using her share of Mr.Xs largesse which she earned by accepting Wolfes scheme and following his instructions in line with keeping Xs identity a secret and after helping to establish Orries innocence.I think she has almost perfect recall and maybe has a near genius IQ.P.S. I agree with Archies last statement in Chapter 16 that she did it.Heres another one that was done for the AE TV series but as much as I enjoyed that production the book transcends it.The additional details provide a much better understanding of the TV show and make me wish they could have done it with not a single word left out.The first time I saw Death of a Doxy on TV I thought it was over the top too campy rather ridiculous in places.Now I find that it was produced just as written and I have to say that I suddenly have an even better appreciation for Rex Stouts characters.Julie Jaquette has to be one of his best female characters so unique that she even charms Nero Wolfe.Rather than giving his readers a stereotypical 1960s gogo girlhippy womanchild Stout creates a woman who is gutsy quirky strong confident and courageous.Ive seen so many reviewers who decry Stouts supposed chauvinismsexism as displayed through Archie Goodwin but Julie represents the type of woman Archie ultimately falls for time and again.Sure he often is caught initially by a pretty face and curves but just as often he discovers that lovely facade is masking inner ugliness andor just plain dumbness.Its the smart ones he appreciates most the women who can sling the wit and sass with the best of them Archie Goodwin himself.In the midst of trying to pull Orrie Cather out from under a murder charge Archie finds himself in danger of succumbing to Julies charm and personality.He says of the patrons at the nightclub where Julie dances they loved her.For that matter so did I but on different grounds.This is a fun novella with lots of interesting twists and plenty of suspense because we know that Wolfe will get his man but the main question is when.I definitely recommend both the book and the TV show but read the book first.Great find in a tiny library while visiting my home state I thought I had read allmost of the Nero Wolfe books but this one was new to me.As always I enjoyed Nero Wolfes eccentricities and the quick wit of Archie as well as the banter between all the characters.Stout allows for a slight deviation in the characters as Wolfe who normally avoids women at all costs actually is impressed by a quickthinking nightclub performer and invites her to his orchid sanctum.The plot centers around the defense of Orrie Cather one of Wolfes legmen with the murder of a doxy new vocabulary word for me with whom he made the poor choice to become involved.Although not initially convinced of his innocence Wolfe and Archie and the rest of the legmen decide that odds are in their favor and partially as a matter of pride take on a case that ends up doing good things to their bank account.I listened to this audiobook.I am an unabashed fan of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin.While dated I admit these books always entertain me.To start with in this book I had no idea what a doxy is.Thanks to Archie I now know it is a kept woman.One of Wolfes operatives Orrie Cather is the main suspect in the murder of a woman he knew.She was living it up on the money given her by a rich married man.Wolfe Archie and the whole team pitch in to find the real killer.This is a typical Nero Wolfe book.Archie makes wise cracks Wolfe pontificates and ponders.Wolfe determines who the real killer is but without evidence the police can use he uses his wit and cunning planning to reveal the culprit. | Alexandria isnt sure shes going to make it to her eighteenth birthdayto her Awakening.A longforgotten fanatical order is out to kill her and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills shes a goner.and so is Aiden.If thats not freaky enough whenever Alex and Seth spend time trainingwhich really is just Seths code word for some upclose and personal oneonone timeshe ends up with another mark of the Apollyon which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule.Awesome.But as her birthday draws near her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and shes caught between love and Fate.One will do anything to protect her.One has been lying to her since the beginning.Once the gods have revealed themselves unleashing their wrath lives will be irrevocably changed.and destroyed.Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate.Hey Guys Please note I dont send out ARCs for review.If youre interested in reviewing a book of mine before release date please contact the appropriate publisher.I also do NOT check my Goodreads email.To email me please use the below addy.jenniferlarmentroutlive.com 1 New York Times and 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town West Virginia.All the rumors youve heard about her state arent true.When shes not hard at work writing.she spends her time reading watching really bad zombie movies pretending to write hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki.In early 2015 Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina eventually resulting in loss of vision among other complications.Due to this diagnosis educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers right alongside writing which she plans to do as long as she can.Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class where she spent most of her time writing short stories.which explains her dismal grades in math.Jennifer writes young adult paranormal science fiction fantasy and contemporary romance.She is published with Tor HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow Entangled Teen and Brazen DisneyHyperion and Harlequin Teen.Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix.Jennifer has won numerous awards including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You the 2015 Editors Pick for Fall With Me and the 20142015 MoerserJugendbuch Jury award for Obsidian.Her young adult romantic suspense novel DONT LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA.Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editors Pick and iBook Book of the Month.Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction.She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J.Lynn.She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult New Adult and Adult Fiction panels parties and more.04112012Just read the book.OMG I was going crazy reading it and the end.The end OMGSometimes I was like thisOther times I would have like to punch someoneAfter the last page I was likeAnd now please032012Im going crazy trying to figure out what will happen Team Seth.brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbr50 gazillion million trillion stars This book was AMAZING.I have never read a book that has kept me excited as thisYes this cat sums up ALL of my emotions while reading this bookThis will be a quick an short review since this is an ARC.I will try not to give too much spoilers I PROMISE I dont want any death threats in my email lol.The story start where we left off in book 2 Alex is taken back to the covenant as you all know and well after everything that has happened Alex is basically on LOCK DOWN until her eighteenth birthday in which she does not want to come.In the begenning Alex finds out some shocking news about her father that you are just going to have to read to find out Book three is full of so many twist turns and surprises that is going to have you saying OH MY GODS throughout the whole bookIs still her kicksmart ass self and just cant seem to catch a break in this book.Alex is put through the ultimate test when it comes to her fate and what she feels is right.Alex has to make a life changing decision that can put the people she loves in a life threatening situation.I really loved Alex and felt like I connected more with her on an emotional level.Yes Alex can Irrational and crazy at times but in this book I actually got to see a softer side of Alex that I really liked and I can say she is still the same crazy Alex that us fans love but she is also maturing and growing and I love the new AlexYou all probaly already heard me say this butI AM NOW TEAMAIDEN I was originally Team Seth because he was hotter and funny than the boring Aiden but Aiden has stepped up his GAME this time around I LOVE HIM I WANT TO MARRY HIM HAVE SENTINAL BABIES WITH HIMAnyways Aiden finally has a chance to show us the real him and I am LOVING ALL OF IT He is soooooo sweet loving and caring when it comes to Alex you cant help but love him All my TeamSeth girls look out because Aiden is going to steal your heartOh SethHmmmmmmmmI suggest you guys should read the book when it comes out to see why I have no words for him.I still love you Seth but you need to get it together I will have more to say about him Nov 6th so look out I know you guys are wondering why I am mentioning Leon in my review because he is a nobody but I think everyone will notice his role in book three and come to LOVE HIMI HATE YOU AND WISH YOU WOULD DIEI just DONT LIKE YOULOTS OF IT I loved this book for the steamy parts that popped in and out of this book all of them will leave you with an AWWWWWWW feeling 3OMGGGGG There is so much action in this book you will not be able to put it down.So many surprises that you cant even guess what is going to happen next and that is my kind of bookWas so AWESOME You guys are not going to believe which of the Gods make an appearance in this book an oh the Furies are backThis book was EPIC And I cant wait to discuss Deity with you all I will be adding more to my review once it comes out because I am DYING to get it all outRating GR for GOOD READUntil next timeThanks for listeningAlice 3i take back EVERYTHING i wrote in my review ofbecause holy smokes.this is the best book in the series so far.wow.this is everything i was dying for the story to be.i finally feel like the story has a purpose.there are high stakes and compelling conflicts that now make the characters choices matter.i also love where the romance is and where its going its what ive wanted from the beginning and im praying that it wont change.and the gods finally make an appearance hallelujah i love that they are getting involved and that the mythology aspect of this story is finally getting stronger.i am a little sad that it took three books to finally get to this point but there are two more left.so theres a lot that i now have to look forward to im very excitedAfter reading itOk I swear if someone try to Team Seth me after reading this book IM GOING TO KILL THEM.ALL MY FEELS Seriously there were many things that I expected but SO many OTHER things that made me scream like crazy.That said I NEED THE NEXT BOOK LIKE NOW.AND I WILL START ELIXIR RIGHT AWAY.I NEED IT.I WANT IT.LET ME HUG YOU AIDEN AND ALEX MY BABY I LOVE YOU I want to kill all those bad guys who dont want to leave you alone.I NEED to kill them all.And Seth I always despised you but after this bookAnd THAT ending170412 Dear Deity dont think Im NOT still waiting for you.I AM.AND I FEEL SO POWERLESS.Lets just say Im like praying for this one to magically appear in front of me.Deity my love come to mama Isa.Im sure well have so much fun together grinsThere were things thatdaimon buttthere were things thatdaimon butt.Everything I was dreading would happenhappened but the romance asideDeity was awesome.Theres the same humoraction sexiness in Deitythat were accustomed to in all Jenns booksAlways entertaining hard to put down.Even when things are happeningthat just rip you apart.brbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrwaiting.waiting.prays with all my heart seth and alex will make it together all throughout.ASDFGHJKL this has got to be one of thecliffhangers ever.The.The.The.TheSeriously though each book in the series just keeps getting better and better.I love these guys so much although somehave made some.choices and its so sad.Alex has changed so much from the first book but the one thing thatchanged was her love for Aiden.Aghhhh Im about to start crying now.Their love for each other makes my heart swell with emotion.Shes had to deal with so much death and guilt but now shes learned from most of her mistakes and aghhh just the growth..AHHH AIDENHes the sweetest guy ever and JLA always manages to do it perfectly.Aiden loves Alex andkeeps the promises he makes for her.Omg and every time Aiden calls Alexmy heart just melts.Haha but the fights betweenandover Alex were priceless.At one point evenandhad a go at it.It was way too funny xD.I love Leon.Hes such an awesome guy.And to Alex hes know as which I definitely agree with xD.He has thewith certain moments but you could also say that those appearances prevent somedecisions.Oh that reminds me.Speaking of people with bad decisions..I was never ato begin with but some of the things he did werent really good.HE CANT SEE THATISHIM And nowwell things arent really looking that good.But I was happy with what happened tohe had that coming and also I cant believe that his name means Best.The only thing hes best at is pissing me off.There were some others that appeared much more too.Like whom I also just adore.His parts were hilarious xD.Poor Deacon.he just wanted to eat his Cheetos.The appearances of some of the Greek Gods was probably my fav part that and a2 people finally being together..Apollo of course is the funniest and coolest God of all of them hehe.I cant wait to see more of his scenesOh and hisSadly there wont be many fun times with these guys because.I would dofor more Seth Dont judge.Wow I think The Covenant series just keeps getting better and better Deity is my favorite so farAlex is back home and training but repercussions from the events at the council are not going away.With the attack by the Daemons the Furies showing up and all the death and destruction that followed their world is in upheaval.Plus Alex is worried it will come out that she was responsible for the death of a Pure and that Aiden covered it up.It wont matter that is was in selfdefense.Plus Prime Minister Telly is hot on Alexs tail paying a special visit just to see her.Alex has also been spending a lot of time with Seth but she cant shake the idea that theirs is a physical attraction only and is she really willing to settle on that Also Alex is counting down the days to her Awakening.Shes afraid of what she might become and how much of herself shell lose once she Awakens.I have to say in Pure I was growing tired of Alexs rash and reckless actions.She was playing right into the hands of the very ones that wanted to enslave her.This was really starting to annoy me.Im happy to report that in Deity we see some major character growth and she seemed to smarten up and mature considerably.Im so pleased with the turn of events Alex is also starting to question the ways of her society and no longer just taking things as shes told.I dont think Ive ever loved Aiden more than in this book Oh my heart Hes by Alexs side and is her fierce protector unwavering throughout I am SO Team Aiden Seth is sexy for sure but his motives are always under suspicion in my opinion even more so as we have some revelations.Okay I have to give you a steamy quote but I wont tell you the parties involved so its not spoileryIn Pure I was left with so many questions I found it a bit frustrating.But in Deity we have answers I was shocked by one in particular.We finally get to find out why they dont want Pures and HalfBloods together.Deity reveals many things and I have a much clearer picture now.However the ending killed me Oh no you didnt Jennifer I think some quality time on the naughty rug might be in orderJennifer L.Armentrout has a talent for sucking you into a story so you cant put it down its just impossible The Covenant Series is highly addictive I cant wait until Apollyon April cant come soon enough.You can find this review and more at.Thank you to Spencer Hill Press for allowing me to read thisQuote taken from an uncorrected proof and my change in the final copy.You didjust end it there I think you need a timeout on the naughty rugWith that said DEITY is my favorite of the Covenant series Oh Aidencant come soon enough.Proper review to come closer to the release date.A huge thank you tofor lending me her precious copy I got to read this before Spencer Hill sent out their copy to me thanks to her.WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTholy godstime for book 4 OMGOk so before reading this I hoped Alex would wakeup and choose to be with Seth.Now Im probably insane but that hasnt changed what so ever.Now before all you Aiden fans attack me I know Seth is a bit screwed up right now and has become an enraged murderer a little toy for Lucian to take over the world with.BUT IS THAT REALLY HIM No.Hes got a fucked up past and only wants to be loved.Lucians manipulating him and it makes me sick.Im not giving up on him when he needs Alex and everyone now more than ever.I believe he can be saved.So many have given up on him already it makes me so sad.I want Alex to save him and fall for him in the process.Now the book.It is not my favourite book of the series by far.I mean Seth was finally gaining some ground on the Seth and Alex romance when she turns him into a psycho.No.But I do like where the stories leading and the fact that the true goss have finally made an appearance.This book starts right where Pure left off and finished with Alexs awakening.And my gods the cliffhanger at the end will leave you shaking and craving for the next book like a Daimon shaking and craving for their next fix of aether.If your Aiden fans stop reading now.However for all you Seth fans these are Seth and Alexs best scenes in this book.1.2.3.4.And finally5.All 5 are excerpts from Armentrout Jennifer L.Deity Covenant.Spencer Hill Press.Deity is book three in the Covenant series by Jennifer Armentrout.I have loved every book so far in this series but something happened to me about half way through this third book.That feeling hit that obsessed feeling when you cant think of anything else but what is going on in the book.That feeling when you just want to close yourself off in a room and read nonstop.This was by far my favorite of the series so far.So much was revealed in this book.Our characters are all growing and changing as well.Alex oh Alex.She has been manipulated lied to and deceived.Continued attempts have been made on her life.She is scared to death of the awakening.But she is loyal to a fault.So much is revealed in this book.Some concerns I have had from the start have proved true.I was pleasantly surprised by one particular ally.And we got a new character that is on Alexs side.Something I did not expect at all.Along with this new character Alexs lineage is also revealed.So much happened in this book and I am trying hard not to give anything away.We finally learn how Apollyons are conceived.And we learn the true evil plans in place for using the power of Alex and Seth once they are connected.We get to know Deacon Aidens brother better in this book and I want to say that I love him.Actually it seems that there are more Team Alex members than she thought.Alex thought she was alone abandoned by everyone.But she truly is not.Now lets talk about Aiden.I was so frustrated with him in the previous books.He always held Alexs heart even though she thought he didnt want it.But in this book he finally reveals his true self to her.And I melted into a puddle on the floor.It was that wonderful.This book had me going from my heart beating out of my chest in fear to my heart melting with some of the sweetest moments.Then there was the Oh My Gosh that did NOT just happenI think now we are beginning to wonder what is strongest the power of true love or the power of a supernatural connection.It is a true test of good vs.evil.And talk about a cliff hanger.We are left barely hanging on by our fingernails.Its a good thing I am binge reading this series and will be immediately going on to the next book.Otherwise I dont know how I would have been able to stand it.Looking back over this review I dont really think I said much of anything.Just know that this book was fantastic.My favorite so far.And that I cant wait to continue on.And that if you havent started this series yet DOSORIGHTNOW4.5hubo algo en particular que no me gust nada pero dejando eso de lado el libro me encant Vay canna.o nasl son yle Seriye ak oldum.Nefes almadan okumak istiyorum ama ayn zamanda bitmesin istiyorum.Okurken o dnyann iine giriyorum olaylar kede bir yerden izliyor gibi hissediyorum.Bazen nefesimi tuttuumu sonradan fark ediyorum.Kitaplarn ya da yazarn kaleminin en belirgin zellii duygular anlatma ekli.O kadar ustaca hissedilenleri aktaryor ki kendiniz yayor gibi hissediyorsunuz.Ayn ustalk mekan ya da olaylar anlatrken de kendini gsteriyor.Hepsini eksiksiz gznzde canlandryorsunuz film seyreder gibi okuyorsunuz.Ne sylesem ak veririm onun iin olaylar hakknda bir ey yazmak istemiyorum.Ama.Allahm Aiden.sen nasl bir yaratksn ya.O nasl gzel sevmek nasl gzel korumak sahiplenmek.Hi kavuamasa da sevdiinin bakasn sevdiini dnse de adam ak uruna cann verecek dnmeden.Kitabn bir ksmn okurken yine su birikintisi oldum eridim.Fantastik bir hikayenin bana bu kadar romantik geleceini tahmin etmezdim.inde romantizm dnda bir ey yok sanmayn.3.kitap balarda biraz durgun balasa da ok fazla beklemeden aksiyonun iinde buldum kendimi.Hele sonundaki o sahneler yok mu ite onlar nefes almadan kitap okuyabildiinizi kefederek okuyorsunuz.ok ok ok gzel bir seri.imdiye kadar okuduum 3 kitap mitoloji ile ok gzel harmanlanm bambaka bir dnyann kaplarn at benim iin.Nasl oluyorsa serideki her kitap daha ncekinden gzel olmay baaryor.Im so glad this series has finally found its own path and can now step out of Vampire Academys shadow.Deity is fastpaced and full of plot twists that will blow your mind.I can honestly say this is the best book in the series so far.I absolutely loved itI love Alex She is a strong determined woman who will do anything to keep the people close to her safe even if it means giving up her own life for the cause.Im really starting to see the character growth in Alex.Instead of running off and doing something extremely stupid she thinks before she acts.Well let me rephrase that she thinks before she acts some of the time.Alex still needs to work on that but she is way better in this book than the previous books.I still think she is very nave.She tries to see the good in everyone when maybe there isnt any good left.I can relate to her in that aspect because I have the same problem.I adore Aiden He might act like a jealous asshole at times but I still love him.I was so happy when he finally told Alex the truth about how he feels for her but I will say it was really fun to watch him get jealous of how much time Seth was spending with Alex.I cant wait to see where their relationship is going to go even if it is forbidden.I actually liked Seth and thought he genuinely cared for Alex but I was so wrong on all ends.I realized that Seth has only been looking out for himself.All he wants isand he doesnt care who gets hurt in the process.Part of me hopes Alex can save him in some kind of way but I feel like its going to end badly for him.Overall I loved this book and the series I cant wait to see what going to happen in the next Definitely a must readOriginally I was going to go all screamingfangirl on yall but I decided that I wanted the readers to experience this book the way I did so while there is some spoilers I kept this as spoilfree as much as possible.Jennifer L.Armentrout third installment in theseries is nothing short of brilliance.It surpassed all of my wildest expectations and then some.This series is an unstoppable force bringing something fresh and powerful to the world of mythology as well as inspiring endless emotions from pure joy to pure rage to action punched spine tinglingon the verge of being thrown from my seat excitement.Someone once asked me between the Lux series and this one which was my favorite book.Picking a favorite JLA book is like asking me which of my children I love more.Its impossible to choose.I love them all.Hard and equally.But I still have to ask how the hell does she do it I swear there is nothing I repeat nothing like being inside a JLA novel.My insides were a rush of energy and a puddle of goo.Alex may have a cord pulsing in her stomach but mine had a swarm of butterflies doing the hula dance.I loveadoreworship the way this women can write.I even smiled to myself when the wordsandwould play into a sentence.Reminding me that aliens or mythology or even adult contemporary this women doesnt hold back.She gives us her heart and soul and it shines through every single one of her characters.was a surge of pure adrenaline.There are so many epic twist in this book and so many moments that I have a hard time believing any of this was real.Like a freaken dream.I was floored in the best way possible.There is just to many things that happened plotwise to even try to explain.Compared to Pure this book steps up in a gigantic way.No skimming room for this one folks your gonna want to hang on ever word and hold on to your seats cause this is one helluva explosive ride.Things just got freaken serious.Fans are gonna eat this alive.I dont even know where to start with these characters they were all simply outstanding.Deacon Luke Leon and even Lenard are just a few that had effected the story line in a way that left me in awe.Especially Leon.I have to say that he was my favorite twist.I always liked him just fine but now I simply adore him.I cant wait to see more of him in the next coming books.I am so so proud of Alex.I new that she was destined for greatness but I didnt think she would be this incredible.This girl has grown into a fierce force.Her compassion is astounding.Her bravery and strength admirable and her humor and easy personality makes her simply irresistible.The way she didnt want to give up on Seth almost killed me since apart of me doesnt think he deserves it but in true Alex fashion she even has me believing in hope.Such a fantastic character.Aiden totally owned this book.I wasnt to pleased with him in the last book but yeah he totally made up for it.I love love loved seeing this sweet and playful and affectionate side to him besides the already established protectiveness and loyal qualities he possesses.There were so many treasured moments that made my heart stop and took my breath away.My heart hurt I was so happy.Im also glad we finally know whatmeans now.I melted I tell ya.Reading those Alex and Aiden scenes reminded me of what young first love was all about.The dip in your belly every time he comes into a room.The permasmile thats plastered on your face when you even think his name.These two makes me believe in love and that anything and everything is possible.Now for Seth.sigh I am truly conflicted.My first reaction after reading this was that I indeed hate him.Ive always been Team Aiden all the way but Seth managed to wiggle some love in the last book but now Not so much.He did things that hurt to even read Im not even sure he can be redeemed in my eyes.His greed for ultimate power clouded everything good and real about him and I just dont know what to believe anymore.I am awfully curious what JLA has in store for his character.Im nervous and scared as hell.It was also so great to see one of my favorite characters even if it was just a little scene.It brought peace to my heart just as much as it did for Alex.I feel like I can go on and on praising this wonderful gem but the truth is no matter what I say it will never bring this book justice.Fan of this incredible women and this incredible series are going to love this.The writing it pulse pounding pitch perfect and insanely entertaining.The story line took us on a whole new level of oh.my.gods and these characters will make you heart explode.Pure AwesomesauceNEED.APOLLYON.NOWHUGE thanks to SpencerHill Press for sending me an arc in exchange for a honest review.Im hugging you right nowMy first reaction after reading this bookOMG That endingYup this pretty much describes what Im feeling right about now.Best.JLA.Book.EvahFrom now on the year 2012 shall be known as The Year of Cliffhangers and Jennifer L.Armentrout as the person responsible.Two in a row is more than I can take.Why not just hand me a rope to hang myself with instead Where are the Furies when you need themThis will be a moderately short review because there really isnt much to write about.With Pure and Deity and Opal Armentrout restored my faith in her and and turned me into an addict.I have now grudgingly joined hordes of fans who eagerly await her every release.Its not all roses and rainbows though.I think whats stopping this series from truly becoming one of my favorites is that thanks to the HalfBlood debacle I cant stop comparing it to Vampire Academy.Even though Alex is now a heroine in her own right a part of me still sees her as a pale copy of Rose Hathaway.The same goes for Aiden as amazing as he is and trust me he is one amazing guy I cant help but compare him to Dimitri on occasion and of course he loses every time.That is the consequence of Armentrouts initial plagiarism.Although she found a different path for her characters and hopefully for herself all those connections my mind made at the beginning simply refuse to go away.Although reluctantly I feel that I must also mention a series of editing issues Ive come across in Deity.Awkward clumsy sentences and incorrect word order are just some of the things a more careful reader will surely notice.This could have easily been avoided which is why it upset me so much.But I didnt set out to write a negative review.Deity set a new course for this series an expected one perhaps but a new and satisfying direction nonetheless.Aside from the horrendous cliffhanger I have no objections whatsoever.With Deity Armentrout gave me exactly what Ive learned to expect from her.As for the said cliffhanger Ive been told that Elixir a novella from Aidens point of view really takes the edge off and Im looking forward to it.Without revealing too much Ill try to ease the minds of those who are like me the infamous love triangle finally gets resolved in this book or at least Alex sees things for what they really are.If youre anything like me you were severely annoyed by the AidenAlexSeth mess in the second book but rest assured it does get better.At this point Id say Im enjoying this series despite myself.It is extremely addictive and fun but at the same time I cant forget how it started.Perhaps with Apollyon Armentrout will break those last stubborn connections and make me look at this series differently.Either way Im looking forward to it.En el segundo libro se comienza a vislumbrarse un tringulo amoroso ms interesante incluso se puede llegar a tener cario y simpata por ambos personajes masculinos.La protagonista Alex se encuentra en un dilema de por cual decidirse si es por su amor prohibido o por su destino.Pero en esta tercera entrega y a travs de ciertas acciones se destruye todo ese cario generado hacia uno de los personajes de aquel tringulo convirtindolo en el enemigo y en donde ya Alex decide con quien proyectarse.Este ltimo punto fue lo negativo el pasar de lo bueno de un personaje a su extremo tan negativo si bien esto se consigue a lo largo de todo el libro siento que antes se trato de lograr que el lector empatizar con l para en esta entrega destruir todo eso.This is my favorite book so far I just loved it top to bottom and Ive read it with amazing speed because its THAT addictive.I loved every second of it and consider it the best in action and twist of events.Deity begins in a low pace but after that the action builds up and makes you gasp every step of the way.Alex is months away from Awakening and this means she has to be ready for the danger that may come.Her connection with Seth is stronger than ever and her confusion is getting the best of her.She began to care about him but in the same time she doesnt trust him not knowing exactly what his true intentions are.She finds out certain things about him but as you know Alex she believes Seth can be saved.To put it worst somebody is trying to kill her and she will have to be heavily guarded in order to stay safe.All the book is centered on the days until her Awakening and how will she act and feel upon it.Alex is a different character now letting aside her temper and personality that were untouched but she is more focused more mature and more willing to take chances for the things she loves.I have to admit I like her a lot considering her very atypical and extremely funny.She knows how to be vulnerable but also very feisty and straightforward.She is very afraid of becoming an Apollyon and will do anything necessary to use her powers in a good manner.Aiden Aiden Aiden Wow he definitely has a place in my Book Boyfriends Top I loved him in this book and I wanted to tell him IT WAS ABOUT TIME Aiden personality and intentions shifted dramatically in Deity after a certain chain of events.You will see for yourself and consider this happenings positive for our couple.His tender and nurture side will be mostly present his wall completely down and willing to love Alex against all rules.He will fight for her and prove to us what we already knew from the beginning that hes a terrific hero.With Seth Im in the No comment area because there is not much to say aboutI dont like him and I hope Alex will show him the right path.I have faith that she will succeed because the situation in which they are right now really sucksThe book was amazing and I liked the construction of it tremendously.It had every ingredient necessary to keep you alert 100.The characters evolved in a normal pace some predictable some not but they were a whole and everyone had with purpose.The romantic scenes were incredibly written Jennifer giving the right amount of love and steaminess for them not to be very descriptive but for you to understand exactly the message and connect with it immediately.It was the perfect mixture and this one had more OMG moments and scenes where you were left dizzy and wanting for more.Here you will find all the answers youll be waiting for and your suspicions will maybe become reality.Next is Apollyon Only 2 more books to go5 starsFor more reviews please check4.6 Este libro me hizo sentir muchas cosas sin duda.Siempre me consider Team Aiden pero no me pesa admitir que Seth tambin tiene lo suyo y te conquista lentamente.De echo me sorprende que me guste ms nuestro querido Centinela porque casi siempre me inclino por el chico malo pero St.Delphi es una mezcla perfecta entre un bad boy y un good boy.Adems tiene unos ojos grises que me imagino impresionantes.Tambin su cabello negro con ondas.este hombre me fascina de pies a cabeza.Me mata su inteligencia que sepa griego antiguo y que domine tantos temas no es solo una cara bonita o un bruto es delicado y elegante sin perder lo masculino.En conclusin perfeccin semihumana.El prrafo anterior fue solo de alabar a Aiden St.Delphi Claro que s como debe ser.En cuanto a la trama de este libro.fue genial.Me gust todos lo que toca y como lo hace.Ador ver un cierre en ciertos temas antes de que otros se abrieran ya que si sent que Puro abarc mucho si no lo cerraba en este u otros de la saga probablemente me hubiese desencantado un poco.Tambin me agrad que en este libro hubiesen ms cosas sobre los dioses porque estaban abandonados en los otros dos.Todo el tema de los Apollyon era un misterio enorme del cual aprendemos en este volumen de la saga.No hay mucho ms que pueda decir sin spoiler solo que leer el 3.5 y luego de leer una colaboracin ir de cabeza con el libro 4 de la maravillosa saga Covenant.Lo recomiendo Si todava no ha quedado claro.OBVIO QUE SI.Huh Team Seth Really Seriously thinks about it considers it even Hmmm I honestly cant see it.No offence to anyone btw.But I am so NOT down with the whole fate thing.Me just doesnt like Seth that much there is just something about him that stirrs me the wrong way.I swear if Alex is going to end up with Seth in the very end which I hope isnt very soon I want this series to go on and on and on and you get my point right Im going to scream and hate this series like I did with The Hunger Games sorry me is not Team Peeta erm why am I even saying this in another books review.But so not the point here.Give me Aiden anytime anywhere please please please PLEASE.Hes just.urgh hes perfect I hope Ill still love him after this book tho me is scared I will not.Sweet Jesus I want MORE AIDEN I am so gonna name my first born son after him okay maybe that is a little bit too crazy or exaggerated but I actually really like that name whahaha.November cant come early enough Any ARCs available Id love to promote the book here in Belgium giggles Hey I can only try right lolBetter than the two first books.1 star 1 star 2 stars 3 stars 1 star 2 starsOMG Deity is a beautifully crafted work of art stunning heart gripping page turner.I am a big fan of Alex.She is reckless irrational and stubborn as them come but thats also what makes her strong.No matter how much pressure shes under she never condoned injustice or played God she always gave people the benefit of a doubt.She is selfless and hope for the best in people.I cant believe there are two more books to go in the series.I am waiting to see how this all goes down with Seth Lucian the gods halfbloods pure and mortals.It is going to be EPICSlow start brilliant finishOriginally posted atThe farther I get into this series the more I can appreciate the universe the author created and how everything is moving along at a steady pace.Im also enjoying the vampire twist with greek mythology sprinkled in.Alex continues to be a really interesting character Though I still dislike her rash decisions.I like how she does everything possible to see the good in most people.Its a tad bit naive but I can respect it.Well thanks to this novel I finally have a team to root for.Team Aiden for the win Ive always liked that hes respectful and caring towards Alex.Though the whole law that prevents them from being together is a real downer.I still cant see how all this will play out so Im looking forward to continuing on in this series.Seth can go faint in a ditch and be buried alive for all I care.He really showed his true colors in this book and thats putting it mildly.Im glad I was never rooting for him and Alex to be together so thats a win in my book.Considering he has a spinoff series Im interested to know how the author eventually redeems him because even though I was planning on eventually getting to his series I dont see myself doing that after the events in this book.The ending wasnt anything outofthisworld but it does give interesting tidbits of information for how the story is going to possibly play out in future books.Im cautiously optimistic about where this series is going.The narrator is fine but the audio quality is severely lacking for this whole series it seems.Its definitely not as bad as the first book but its not that much better.I think Ive just gotten used to the fuzzymuffled audio.Ive said this before and Ill say it again how this passed quality control at Audible andor whoever published the audio book is still beyond me.BULLSHIT I TELL YOU UTTER FUCKING BULLSHITI screamed in frustration when it ended.I need to steady my breathing before I write my review.Seriously JLA Leave us hanging HOW COULD YOUThis installment for me by far the best so far.So much did happen and it leaves you tearing your hair out.I am an Aiden lover all the way.Always been team Aiden.But Seth also held a part of my heart.But after this installment I am so shattered and heartbroken that I will NEVER EVER FORGIVE HIMNow I have to be patient and wait for the next book.OHHHHHHH MYYYYYYYYYY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOODWOW JLA you never cease to amaze me with your awesomeness.I am so completely drained from this book.I am sick to my stomach and seriously am scared shitless for whats to come in Apollyon.But holy hellthat was freakin badassI am too tired and exhausted to write this review since my brain has been shut off.So I will stop here and leave you with.TEAM AIDEX ALWAYS I dont care something will happen and all will be perfect It cant end badlyplease.My gods I love Aiden St Delphimore than ever nowFull review to comeNot even a day later and I am still sitting here trying to conjure up a good review for this fantastically epic bookandnothing.More than likely its due to my migraine that Ive had for the good portion of this book because reading this I was all over the place yelling and screaming and freaking out.IT WAS SO GOODAnyway so here goes nothingWe leave off after Pure with Alex returning from New York and leaving some secrets behind that could destroy her and Aiden sigh sigh sigh.Upon returning with the council still there Alex has to figure out a way to keep quiet.Then she recieves a letter and in it is something that just adds onto her problems of crap.Poor girl I swear she has been through hell and back.Anyway when she finds out that Aiden has returned she brings it to him for help as to how to solve THAT problem.I swear Aiden is the most chivalrous guy ever.so damn attentive and amazing.Sigh.Sorry Aiden makes me forget everything.Ill focus.focus.So now the council returns to New York and Seth has to go and deal with some stuff there.thank you Seth for leaving you jerk offstay gone Things between them heat up and not in a good way.He is using the Akasha to channel Alexs power to gain more for himself because hes a selfish asshat.OMG he pissed me off SOOOOOOOOOOOOO much in this book.I never was a fan of him from the beginning but he has crossed a line and I hate him more than ever So yeah hes become a puppet to someone and yeah maybe its not his fault entirely but I dont think there is any coming back for him.which is good for Aiden because dammit he needs his happy ending.Seriously Aiden and Alex are soul mates.I know Seth lovers will hate me and its totally cool I can take it.I dont like Seth.Never did and never will.But if there was a chance he could be saved.I hope he is and then leaves and never comes back.He has been a burden ever since he came into the picture.his bloodthirst for power has shown from the beginning.Honestly I love my bad boys but Seth never once did anything for me ever.Except make me want to vomit or punch a hole in my wall.So between her Awakening drawing nearer and Seth being an asshole and a liar and her stepdad being the evil fucktard and Aiden being the one shes always wanted but cant have Id say Alex Andros is really unlucky.Although we got so much STEAMSTEAM STEAM STEAMholy Hell that was the BEST PART OF THIS WHOLE BOOK I was glued to my nook and damn if I didnt drool all over myselfsweet Jesus I love the shit out of Aiden because he did things I have been waiting for him to do since HalfBlood and it brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.God I know there is hope for themthere has to be.It cant end withno it wont.I know I have to read Elixir and I am so on it.But seriously this book is the best book so far of the series and honestly this series is by far my favorite JLA series and I am so feining for Apollyon right now.How the hell am I going to wait until the spring.I am literally dying now for it.JLA never disappoints with her amazing stories and characters.This book proved that she can do no wrong though I havent finished Onyx I say this series is better than the Lux series.It was such a wild and thrilling and very emotionally draining rollercoaster.I was up and down and up and down and twisting every which way.I got to know more of the characters in this one so it was awesome I loved Leon so much in this he was so fecking funny Also Deacon.gods I love that boy Hes just like his brother Aiden.Love them both so much.And Marcuswhat can I say He surprised me the most.Damn hes so awesome and I was happy to see how things turned out.There were some devastating parts and parts that left me speechless breathless and ready to kick ass and take names One thing I loved the most about this book aside from Aiden of course was the Greek mythology being thrown in there more.It was so intriguing and awesome Loved it Everything about this book had me reeling and so excited and crying and laughingand feeling damn near every emotion in the world.Gods this book was perfect I really give Jen props for writing such a stellar continuation to a superb series.I am really excited and scared to see what happens next.With 2 more books coming out I can only imagine how Alex much more crazy shit Alex will have to endure.Seriously for a 17 year old she literally goes through the wringer.and I go right along for the ride drained in the process.but I wouldnt have it any other wayWELL DONE JENNIFER WELL FREAKIN DONEOh that endingGODS THAT ENDING.I AM BITING MY NAILS FOR THE NEXT BOOKI NEED IT I FECKING NEEEEEEED ITNon mi aspettavo tutto questo casino.La storia riprende da dovera finita nel secondo libro stata un tantino lenta nella prima parte parecchie volte chiudevo il reader e facevo altro era abbastanza pesante ma sono comunque andata avanti e la seconda parte si rivelata molto meglio e piena di azione.Alexandria rimane un personaggio che io non sopporto se fosse una persona reale lavrei gi presa a sediate perch una bambina insopportabile testarda che pensa di fare tutto quello che vuole.Peccato che ancora non abbia capito che combina un casino dietro laltro lasciando gli altri a raccogliere i cocci.Sono passata a Team Aiden devo essere sincera Seth diventato un pazzo rincoglionito e onestamente non ho apprezzato questo cambio repentino del suo personaggio ci sono rimasta davvero malissimo.Aiden si finalmente svegliato e finalmente entrambi sono riusciti ad esprimere i loro ormai chiari sentimenti luno per laltro.Non so come la Armentrout ha pianificato di continuare la storia nel quarto volume ci sar sicuramente un casino bestiale visto com finito questo ma ovviamente tutto si risolver perch palese che sar cos quindi la sorpresa per me non ci sar fin da adesso.Apprezzo comunque molto questa serie e apprezzo sempre Jennifer per la sua inventiva e il suo modo di scrivere che amer sempre.La serie Covenant per certi versi per me un po prevedibile ma comunque una lettura piacevole per gli amanti del paranormal romance.Genel olarak kurguyu unutmuum yine de ok gzeldiHO.LY.MFCKING SHTOnto Covenant 3.5 Elixir | After living in Britain for two decades Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliensas he later put it it was clear my people needed me.They were greeted by a new and improved America that boasts microwave pancakes twentyfourhour dentalfloss hotlines and the staunch conviction that ice is not a luxury item.Delivering the brilliant comic musings that are a Bryson hallmark Im a Stranger Here Myself recounts his sometimes disconcerting reunion with the land of his birth.The result is a book filled with hysterical scenes of one mans attempt to reacquaint himself with his own country but it is also an extended if at times bemused love letter to the homeland he has returned to after twenty years away.William McGuire Bill Bryson OBE FRS was born in Des Moines Iowa in 1951.He settled in England in 1977 and worked in journalism until he became a full time writer.He lived for many years with his English wife and four children in North Yorkshire.He and his family then moved to New Hampshire in America for a few years but they have now returned to live in the UK.In Bill Brysons hilarious first travel book he chronicled a trip in his mothers Chevy around small town America.It was followed by an account of his first trip around Europe.Other travel books include the massive bestseller which won the 2003 World Book Day National Poll to find the book which best represented modern England followed byin which Stephen Katz his travel companion from made a welcome reappearanceand.Bill Bryson has also written several highly praised books on the English language includingand.In his last book he turned his attention to science.was lauded with critical acclaim and became a huge bestseller.It was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize before going on to win the Aventis Prize for Science Books and the Descartes Science Communication Prize.His next book is a memoir of growing up in 1950s America featuring another appearance from his old friend Stephen Katz.October 8 sees the publication ofBryson grew up in America married his English wife and moved to England with her.Now after 20 years across the pond he moves back.I suppose I feel a milder version of this whenever I visit my parents or extended relatives.Reading his take on returning home was a delight and there wereAs always I enjoyed his colorful scenarios and contemplations.Hiswas charming and engaging.How could you not enjoy such thoughtful musings such asHis book certainly brings to light several normal things that Americans dont quite realize howThis book was a bundle of joy.However the spark that so charmed me at the beginning fizzled out it just got a bit sameysamey.Great book if I judged solely on the power of the voice William Roberts.The reader had excellent timing and tone.Snapchat mirandareadsHave you ever visited a foreign country for a length of time to the point where you were caught up in a completely different lifestyle and society and then when you finally returned home you experienced a form of reverse culture shockThat is what happened to Bill Bryson when he moved back to the U.S.after living in England for two decades.This delightful book is a collection of weekly columns he wrote for thenewspaper from 1996 to 1998.Bryson has fun talking about American food going shopping holiday seasons going to the movies going to the beach the U.S.postal service U.S.tax forms and dozens of awkward and humorous encounters he had with fellow citizens.Even though some of the columns showed their age a bit such as referencing preInternet computers and habits or they included statistics from the 1990s when Bryson was trying to make a point the pieces were still largely relevant and got at the heart of what it was like to live in America.No that honor would go to A Walk in the Woods with At Home getting second place.Yes but I would say that I dont think it should be the first Bryson book you read.The short columns are fun but theyre not as cohesive as his travelogues or history books.Yes I would.Bryson is a wonderful narrator and I think I enjoyed the book more because I listened to him tell these shorter stories.WHOA.Everyone can calm down.Im not obsessed Ive just been working my way through a collection of his audiobooks.They are a delightful way to pass my daily commute to work.You should try it some days a Bryson story makes me laugh so hard that it brings tears to my eyes.Its a great way to start the day.Now if youll excuse me I have to go listen to his book about visiting Australia.Some favorite quotesComing back to your native land after an absence of many years is a surprisingly unsettling business a little like waking from a long coma.Time you discover has wrought changes that leave you feeling mildly foolish and out of touch.You proffer hopelessly inadequate sums when making small purchases.You puzzle over ATM machines and automated gas pumps and pay phones and are astounded to discover by means of a stern grip on your elbow that gas station road maps are no longer free.Some weeks ago I announced to my wife that I was going to the supermarket with her next time she went because the stuff she kept bringing home was how can I put this not fully in the spirit of American eating.I mean here we were living in a paradise of junk food the country that gave the world cheese in a spray can and she kept bringing home healthy stuff like fresh broccoli and packets of Swedish crispbread.It was because she was English of course.She didnt really understand the rich unrivaled possibilities for greasiness and goo that the American diet offers.I longed for artificial bacon bits melted cheese in a shade of yellow unknown to nature and creamy chocolate fillings sometimes all the in same product.I wanted food that squirts when you bite into it or plops onto your shirt front in such gross quantities that you have to rise very very carefully from the table and sort of limbo over to the sink to clean yourself up.Im going to have to be quick because its a Sunday and the weather is glorious and Mrs.Bryson has outlined a big ambitious program of gardening.Worse shes wearing what I nervously call her Nike expression the one that says Just do it.Now dont get me wrong.Mrs.Bryson is a rare and delightful creature and goodness knows my life needs structure and supervision but when she gets out a pad and pen and writes the words Things to Do vigorously underscored several times you know its going to be a long time till Monday.On why his mother was not a great cook To be perfectly fair to her my mother had several strikes against her in the kitchen department.To begin with she couldnt have been a great cook even if she had wanted to.She had a career you see she worked for the local newspaper which meant that she was always flying in the door two minutes before it was time to put dinner on the table.On top of this she was a trifle absentminded.Her particular specialty was to cook things while they were still in the packaging.I was almost fullgrown before I realized that Saran Wrap wasnt a sort of chewy glaze.A combination of haste forgetfulness and a charming incompetence where household appliances were concerned meant that most of her cooking experiences were punctuated with billows of smoke and occasional small explosions.In our house as a rule of thumb you knew it was time to eat when the firemen departed.My rating 3.5 stars rounded up to 4When in doubt andor a funky reading mood pick a Bill Bryson book thats my newest motto.As much as Id love to reread favourite books if only to reacquaint myself with the storycharacters andor to check if they still thrill me as much its difficult to do so when many unread books are beckoning me to pay attention.For the past month or so Ive been a reluctant reader.Luckily Im still able to listen to audiobooks.So when perusing the library overdrive for audiobooks I spotted this book and I had to download it even though I read it 1015 years ago.If the number of owned books is an indication of how much you love a certain author then the eleven Bill Bryson books gathering dust on my bookshelf make him my favourite author.My love for him better said for his wit humour intelligence sarcasm curiosity observation skills and snark has reached its highest level and after all these years its still intact.This book is a collection of weekly columns penned by Bryson between 199698.Dated right Or is it Lets see mass incarceration for minor offences injustice the death penalty issues relating to the immense costs inequality of who gets put to death and most importantly people wrongly convicted still current and getting worse airline companies not doing a very good job as service providers check people being dumber and dumber and the increasing trend of dumbing down check too much choice too much of anything overconsumerism disregard for the environment and conserving resources check mindless shopping check having a million and one TV channels and nothing to watch check.Im guessing most people still have to drive everywhere as most places dont make any allowances for pedestriansThings that have changed desktop computers seem to have put the serial numbers in more accessible places oh and who remembers the last time they spoke to a real person in a company about installingsetting up anything you bought from themWhile listening to this I couldnt help wonder what would Bryson make of todays this and that.I wish he still wrote weekly columns.I would even buy a magazinenewspaper subscription to read his musings.Okay maybe its not an exact 1000.Some of the books Ive added to my GR read list are not even books.On the other hand I know Ive forgotten some of the books I read as a kid so maybe it evens out in the end and GRs count is probably as accurate as its going to get.Therefore let the good times rollOh my goodness that was fun.Okay back to business.is a very long title.It rambles a bit doesnt it Unfortunately so does its author Bill Bryson.This book loses focus.Sure these are essays but even within each essay he gets lost now and then.I am a Bryson fan but this was not one of my favorites of his.Its a collection from his column in a Brit newspaper.Its mildly interesting for its take on American life viewed through the lens of an American expat returning home after Englishing himself up for a few years.That could be a good premise and most of this is fairly entertaining but often it devolves into complaining rants.The humor also occasionally falls back on John Cleeses list tactic of comedy creation where if you dont have a strong premise you just keep adding to it so that the preponderance of substance eventually feels like quality.You can almost see Bryson flailing around for things to write about.Creating content for a weekly column is no easy taskI prefer when he focuses on a topic and sticks with it for the length of the book.For instanceis about walking the Appalachian Trail.is a humous look at the deadliness of Australia.is a delightful recounting of his childhood in the Midwest.is.selfexplanatory.All of these are better thanas far as my tastes go.As an expat about to return to the US this book simply wasnt Weird enough for me.It in no way captures my experience of how completely absurd the US feels upon returning after an extended absence.Obsessions with skinny white girls named Jessica the unbelievable noise especially from radio and TV unending ads for stuff on sale which exist in other places but when its in another language I just tune it out the fact that no one walks anywhere the enormous bodiesquitting smoking maybe wasnt such a great idea folks.the amount of nonfood items for sale in a grocery store the general ignorance and outright disinterest in news from other places the list goes on.I like Brysons humor but I think I like his earlier work best.Fat Girls from Des Moines remains one of my favorite Granta reads.Bill Bryson is an AngloAmerican author of books on travel science language and other nonfiction topics.Bill Bryson born in Iowa lived in England for twenty years before returning to the U.S.with his family.This book is a compilation of humorous articles about America that Bryson wrote for a British publication.The book published in 2000 is somewhat dated.Even taking this into account many articles have a snarky annoying tone.This was disappointing as I usually like Brysons books.Parts of the book did make me smile including a few satirical but overly long articles detailing the million steps required to fill out an income tax return get a foreignborn family member declared a legal resident of the U.S and set up a new computer of course this is much easier now.Other things on Brysons mind were more problematic for me such as his whining about smoking restrictions because people want to avoid secondhand smoke griping about letters being returned even though he didnt know the correct address he seems to feel the post office has an obligation to figure out where he wants his letters delivered daytrips for fun which he generally describes as endless hours of driving for 10 minures of recreation and so on.I wanted to tell Bryson if you dont like it here go back to England which he actually did in 2003.The book might be worth checking out of the library but its not worth buying.Hes written much better ones.You can follow my reviews atI normally love Bill Brysons books.Unfortunately I could swear this one was written by.First think I will say is that this isnt the book I would finish if I didnt have to for university.Im not saying that this book isnt good Im just saying that this book wasnt for me.Second thing I will say is that I cant believe that I finally finished it.I dont think Ive ever needed this much time to finish one book and the book wasnt even that big.or as it was released in England is a collection of columns.When Bill Bryson moved to the United States he started writing columns for British newspapers and those columns were later collected and put together into a book.And in these columns all Bryson did was moan moan and yeah youve guessed it.It was fun reading it at the beginning but after few columns it just got annoying.But one thing I liked about this book and the reason I didnt give it one star was the humor.Bryson have sarcastic and dark humor and in few columns it showed and even made me laugh.If he used his humor more I might have actually liked the book more.Bill Bryson has become something like my spiritual guide.Taken together his works form a roadmap for living life as a middleaged oversensitive bookish misanthropic curious and curiously inept man and I am following his lead into the sunset.This book was particularly relevant for me because I recently returned to New York to renew my visa.Like Bryson I would be seeing my native land after a spell abroad although my time away was much shorter.As usual I got the audiobook version so I could savor his delicate voice and charming transatlantic accent.The whole experience warms my heart.originated as a newspaper column for a British magazine written about the trials of moving back to the United States after living his whole adult life in England.As such this book is more of a collection than a unified whole.The subject jumps from buying fax machines to filing immigration paperwork from playing ball with his son to gardening with his wife not to mention thanksgiving hair cuts spell checkers air travel the economy and much else.Strangely enough the imposed brevity of a newspaper column allows us to see more of Bryson not less.He mainly writes about whatever is on his mind and frequently lapses into autobiography.We meet his wife and kids examine his memories of his childhood and get a tour of his town.If you like Bryson this will be delightful and if not not.As far as the ostensible subject goesand I say ostensible because Bryson often strays from itI cannot say Bryson quite captures the experience of seeing American culture from a distance.He remarks that people here eat too much walk too little and consequently weigh too much.He notes our preoccupation with rules our predilection for junk food our reflexively optimistic attitude.To his credit Bryson presciently condemns American xenophobia and our disastrous War on Drugs.But in general his observations seem rather superficial.Certainly he is no Tocqueville.I cannot resist including one of my own observations here.The thing that has most struck me upon moving back is the paranoia.There was a heat wave when I arrived and everybody was worrying about it.When it gets cold well worry about that too.My family and friends are all biting their nails about this election.Indeed I think its fair to say that fear has taken over this election season.On the right theyre worried about immigrants Muslims communists and Clinton and on the left were mainly worried about the possibility of a Trump presidency.When I turn on the local news I see theres been a murder in Brooklyn a man struck by lightning in Queens and a fire in Manhattan.In other news there might be something wrong with our water certain foods might kill you and certain hair products might cause cancer.And dont forget that a terrible epidemic is on the horizon.This example is just to show that Bryson could have gone much further in his cultural analysis.But the book is not meant to be a serious work of cultural criticism so I suppose its unfair to fault a lighthearted collection of newspaper columns for being trivial.The pieces here were not meant to change your life or open your eyes but to provide a modest dose of entertaining reading.And thats what they do.Now if youll excuse me Im going to go practice my transatlantic accent.It pains me to say this because I just read and LOVEDby the same author butwas shockingly dull.I wasnt a fan of the audiobook narrator who comically overacted and the content was so dated that I could barely relate to it anymore.If you like lots and I mean LOTS of complaining about topics such as telemarketers having to use ID to get on an airplane having to actually put an address on a letter to get it delivered and people being friendly then this book is for you.Too much whinging for me.A delightful collection of random articles all concerning USA.As always I kept chuckling at inappropriate moments not caring if I looked crazy.Great funI was just about to write a review when I came across Jason Koivus review of this book which was exactly what I had wanted to say but which was written so much better than I would have been able to say it.Here is the link to this reviewJust allow me to add a few wordsThe above book is a collection of essays written for the weekly column of an English newspaper.And as Jason Koivu says in his review these essays are rather disjointed and diverse in style.So let me use a little allegoryI love the following foods ice cream mayonnaise mashed potatoes raisins garlic and caraway seed.Yet I can assure you that I wouldnt get the idea to mix these foods together in a bowl.And this is kind of what Bill Bryson has done with the above book.Nevertheless of its shortcomings I think this book should be mandatory reading for every American as most of these essayssome humorous some not so humorousare a society critiquethat should be hammered into every American brain.People who have grown up in other countries oras Bill Brysonhave lived substantial time in other countries recognize whats wrong with our country.Yes OUR country because I have obtained American citizenship.And as a German saying goes Selbsterkenntnis ist der erste Weg zur Besserung.Selfawareness is the first step to improvement.P.S.Please note that I am a digital 150 idiot.I keep finding typos in my review which I have to correct.So I keep editing this review but I do not know how I can delete the previous typoridden reviews as for some reason I cannot even guess my reviews no longer show under Notifications on my Home Page.Can somebody who is familiar with Goodreads latest quirks and changes please helpP.P.S.I keep having trouble editing this review.I just noticed that it says that I read this book twice which I didnt.I tried to correct it but it didnt take.Still says that I read this book 2times.I came across something in our bathroom the other day that has occupied my thoughts off and on ever since.It was a little dispenser of dental floss.It isnt the floss itself that is of interest to me but that the container has a tollfree number printed on it.You can call the companys Floss Hotline twentyfour hours a day.But here is the question Why would you need to I keep imagining some guy calling up and saying in an anxious voice OK Ive got the floss.Now whatWe generally camped in motel rooms where the beds sagged as if they had last been occupied by a horse and the cooling system was an open window and where you could generally count on being awakened in the night by a piercing shriek the sound of splintering furniture and a female voice pleading Put the gun down Vinnie.Ill do anything you say.I dont wish to suggest that these experiences left me scarred and irrationally embittered but I can clearly remember watching Janet Leigh being hacked up in the Bates Motel in Psycho and thinking At least she got a shower curtain.I have never had a garbage disposal before so I have been learning its tolerances through a process of trial and error.Chopsticks give perhaps the liveliest response this is not recommended of course but there comes a time with every piece of machinery when you just have to see what it can do but cantaloupe rinds make the richest throatiest sound and result in less down time.Coffee grounds in quantity are the most likely to provide a satisfying Vesuvius effect though for obvious reasons it is best not to attempt this difficult feat until your wife has gone out for the day and to have a mop and stepladder standing by.Even better were the sheriffs deputies in Milwaukee who were sent to the local airport with a team of sniffer dogs to practice hunting out explosives.The deputies hid a fivepound package of live explosives somewhere in the airport and thenI just love thisforgot where.Needless to say the dogs couldnt find it.That was in February and theyre still looking.It was the second time that the Milwaukee sheriffs department has managed to mislay explosives at the airport.The other day something in our local newspaper caught my eye.It was an article reporting that the control tower and related facilities at our local airport are to be privatized.The airport loses money so the Federal Aviation Administration is trying to cut costs by contracting out landing services to someone who can do it more cheaply.What especially caught my attention was a sentence deep in the article that said A spokeswoman with the Federal Aviation Administrations regional office in New York City Arlene Sarlac could not provide the name of the company that will be taking over the tower.Well thats really reassuring to hear.Now maybe I am hypertouchy because I use the airport from time to time and have a particular interest in its ability to bring planes down in an approximately normal fashion so I would rather like to know that the tower hasnt been bought by say the New England Roller Towel Company or Crash Services Panama Ltd.very least that the Federal Aviation Ad ministration would have some idea of whom they were selling the tower to.Call me particular but it seems to me that thats the sort of thing you ought to have on file somewhere.EnjoyJanuary 1 1996A very funny perspective.It must be hard to be both a native and an outsider.Fortunately Bryson is funny as hell so the difficulty of it all is related in a way that might make you laugh out loud if youre a laughing out loud sort of person.Library copyIf you like reading brief amusing but unrelated snippets about the oddities of life this may be the book for you.Theres nothing very original in it but some readers no doubt enjoy the empathy of saying Oh Ive always thought that too.Its a collection of short articles written for a weekly British news magazine about adapting to life in the US after 20 years living in Britain comparing the two countries and comparing the US of his youth with the version he now finds himself in.And guess what he finds in the US Computer help desks are annoying Americans are litigious and always want to blame someone else the news is xenophobic Toys R Us is a silly name spell checkers are annoying and not very useful irony is uncommon obesity is a problem and there are helplines for all consumer products including dental floss.Whilst its often quite funny I prefer a book whether fact or fiction to have some sort of sequence.This would be better as source material for standup routines of observational comedy or in its original form.Because it was written for a British audience its accessible even to those with little experience or knowledge of the US whereas Notes from a Small Island needs quite a lot of explanation to some US readers.Of its kind I suppose it is pretty good 4 but as I didnt especially enjoy it Ill only give it 3.I bought it in a single volume with Notes from a Small Island and assumed it was a similar travelogue but set in the US.This is the first Bill Bryson book I have read which I am told was a mistake.I know several people who consider Bryson one of their favorite authors and they all seem to agree that this book is not a good ambassador for the rest of his work.This book is a collection of newspaper articles that document his move from England to the United States.Most of them explain his bewilderment toward American culture and customs and often longs for the simplicity of the British lifestyle.I was originally under the impression that Bryson was British himself until I discovered that he was born in Des Moines and moved to England at 24.He has spent the same amount of time in both countries but it seems like he prefers to consider himself British.Thats weird.The articles are funny and short which make for a quick read.At times however his humor was a bit over the top and somewhat whiny.I am excited to give Bryson another chance with his highly recommended A Walk in the Woods but I would not suggest this book to friends.35 estrellas pero no quiere decir que no sea muy entretenido Me explico.Antes de meterme en faena he de decir que soy un autntico enamorado de los libros de Bill Bryson.Su sentido del humor la forma de contar las cosas su amplia documentacin y conocimiento hacen que leerle sea todo un placer.Historias de un gran pas no es el libro tpico al que estaba acostumbrado.Es una compilacin de 78 artculos semanales escritos para el peridico Daily Mail hablando sobre su pas de origen Estados Unidos.Bill Bryson naci en Iowa pero vivi 20 aos en Inglaterra antes de mudarse temporalmente a New Hampshire a mediados de 1996.En estos artculos cortos que no llevan ms de 5 minutos de lectura el autor nos sacar ms de una sonrisa contando aquellas cosas tan curiosas con las que una se topa cuando llega a Estados Unidos.Aunque fue escrito a mediados de los 90 muchas cosas no han cambiado en absoluto y me he sentido identificado con multitud de situaciones pues yo viv all 5 aos.Lidiar con inmigracin tratar con el IRS la comida los grandes almacenes las mofetas.No ha habido artculo que no me haya sacado como poco una sonrisa otros directamente me han hecho rer a carcajadas.Aunque no sea un 5 estrellas pues en comparacin con otros libros que he ledo ste se queda corto lo cierto es que se lee con rapidez y no cansa en absoluto.Muchas cosas de las que cuenta son muy interesantes y aunque alguna gente diga que no hace sino quejarse y quejarse lo hace con tanta gracia que al final hubiese deseado que siguiese hacindolo durante otros 78 artculos ms.Lectura recomendable para los amantes de Bryson o para aquellos que hayan vivido all durante un tiempo y que hayan tendio oportunidad de empaparse un poco de la cultura estadounidense.Yetone I reviewed earlier this yr and forgot to post Sheesh.Im getting olderforgetful not better.Not as great as Road to Dribbling another Bryson I read this year but still very good.Bryson is hilarious and interesting.A collection of essays Bryson wrote for a British audience his observations from having moved back to America after living in England for two decades.The essays are of very uniform length roughly 3 and half pages so he was obviously cramped by minimummaximum word requirements as well as that dreaded weekly deadline.They were written in the late 90s so a few things inescapably are a trifle outdated borrowing one of his favorite words trifle.Which also is a spectacular dessert.On occasion the last line seems overly predictable andor forceda small complaint.Very few of the essays bomb outright Last Night on the Titanic a small handful are just okay but most of them are either informative entertaining andor funny usually all at the same time.Of the seven Bryson books Ive read I wouldnt rank this one as high as Road to Dribbling A Sunburnt Country or A Walk In the Woods but its still quite good.Good enough to reread someday Probably.Bryson is one of the few writers out there who is not only interesting but can make me laugh out loud.Favorite Chapters Whats Cooking Well Doctor the one on injuries suffered by Americans The Numbers Game Tales of the North Woods Inefficiency Report about the FAA and FDA Why No One Walks The Best American Holiday Your Tax Form Explained At the DriveIn mostly or only because it spurred me to recall the title and plot of the last movie I saw at a drivein manymany decades ago Raymie The Great Indoors Your New Computer.ExcerptsRe the national debt which apparently was a mere 4.5 Trillion thenFirst half of Your Tax Form Explained.Brilliantly hilariousoh and also not as outdated as you might suspect edit Found this later seems to be the entire text of this chapter.Bill Bryson grew up in Iowa then spent twenty years in England.He has returned to the U.S.with his British wife and children.is selections from his newspaper column which chronicles his experiences.Some of them are funny like Dying Accents and The Best American Holiday.Others particularly anything is which he tries to mock the writing style on instructional booklets electronics the government Im all for mocking the government but he just doesnt do it well are overreaching and dull.He also has the annoying habit of showing off a keen sense of understanding both of general topics and the English language and then goes on long rambling paragraphs about how he doesnt understand anything.I read this several years ago so I have no idea what it was about.But I do know that I have LOVED every Bill Bryson book that I have ever even seen let alone read.I think Bill Bryson is very cool.Id like him to be my neighbor.He could write stories about me.Like I have this neighbor who stands in her garden and chats with her plants.She introduces the new ones when they arrive.She asks everybody how they are doing and if they are thirsty.Boy she sure is a great lady.Ok I dont remember if he even wrote stuff like that.But since I really like him I like to think that if he was my neighbor he would.Perhaps I got a little off topic here.I think it is because of the man Im at the library right behind me who is coughing a lot.Theres a lot of phlegm.I am struggling not to concentrate on that.Am rs n hohote pentru c astai umorul lui Bryson dar cu ce am rmas din reportajeleeseu despre America lui poate fi rezumat perfect de titlul unuia dintre ele Uniformitatea fr gust.Dar cu gloane orae pentru maini nu oameni salvat uneori de bunvoina oamenilor.i de diners dac ai noroc s mai gseti vreunul original interbelic.Even on audio this is very obviously a collection of humourous 1990s newspaper columns a category I know better than any nonmedia person under 50 probably should on account of having been certain as a teenager that I wanted to be a journalist and reading a lot of the things whether collected in books or in their native papers and magazines.Theres a glibness these things tend to have even under the pen of their better exponents and that is certainly found in.In these columns Bryson by the time of writing now a wellknown author 1995 wasin the UK is getting used to life back in the USA with his family after having lived in Britain for years.Among the discussions of differences between and names of DIY and homeware items on either side of the pond the respective temperaments and cultures of the people some very late 90s grumbles about tech and occasional parodies and comedy sketches about soft targets from tax forms to aristocrats on the Titanic are a few serious subjects that remain all too relevant and current today.These include shockingly harsh sentencing for drug offences racial bias in the justice system especially capital punishment difficulties with immigration bureaucracy though back then Britains was more relaxed than the US and the excesses of American consumerism and energy use and their effects on the environment and natural resources.But you probably shouldnt pick up this book just for those as the bulk of it is Bryson rambling on about daily life and his absentminded fairly ordinary middle aged self and family.As in he frequently recounts a level of irritation with customer service staff that nowadays might be considered bordering on abusive if his anecdotes are actually true but which in lighthearted writings such as these 25 years ago and unfortunately in my own family at that time was more or less normalised.If he finds things in general so irksome and travel itself so trying he often has shambolic mishaps on the way one may glibly wonder as Brysons wife does near the end of this volume why he is a travel writer.But for a certain generation see also Paul Theroux this misanthropic streak and proneness to mishap seems to be part of the job description it did after all give more to write about.The shambling still does though these days writers like everyone else are expected to be somewhat better mannered.William Roberts readings of Bill Bryson are useful jauntily companionable loweffort audiobooks and several are on Audibles new included with membership category which if you were used to Audible when you had to pay for each book basically translates to free.I wouldnt have paid for the first one or two nor probably even gone to the effort of downloading them from a public library but in this context they are very useful and I am starting to value them more.October 2021Lovely collection of articles.Funny witty charming reads like a dream.I can hardly wait to begin reading another book by Mr.Bill Bryson.This is the first Bill Bryson book I have read and I found it laugh out loud funny.My husband was given it as a christmas gift and when he started reading it kept reading bits out to me because he thought they were so funny.We gave up on that approach and started reading it together and both loved it.Some of that might have been that we have just moved back to Australia from the US and enjoyed the reminders of some of the more quirky aspects of US culture that we miss and also could relate to some of the frustrations he experienced in moving back there.This has inspired me to check out some of his others books which if the reviews on here are to go by should be even better than this.Re read and lm very happy I didI always really want to love Bill Bryson but never can quite get there hes like the best friend you want to fall in love with but just doesnt have the magic.Usually I get about halfway or even on a good day threequarters of the way through his books and I start to find him annoying or repetitive.This I had less issue with.as its a collection of his newspaper columns so theyre short vignettes and difficult to get tired halfway through.Also I read this one sporadically over several months so again less time to get irritated.I enjoy his comparisons of the UK to the US though I am not sure I buy all of themalthough he always hit the nail on the head when he talked about everything in America being big houses cars serving sizes people.I got fairly annoyed at his cutesy way of tidying up each column with a summation sentance but I found that if I just didnt read the last paragraphs of each chapter I did ok.All in all not my favorite Bryson but certainly not a bad read under the right circumstances.Apparently theres an earlier audiobook version of this recorded by Bryson himself which I would love to get my hands on somewhere because Ive enjoyed his lowkey reading on several of his other books.Unfortunatelyversion narrated by William Roberts quickly became unlistenable.I just barely managed to get through the first CD but by then was pretty much ready to drive into a brick wall.Roberts overacts shamelessly and relentlessly sounding like a character from some 1940s radio comedy like Fibber McGee Molly or else the guy who lets you know that Fibber is brought to you by Chesterfields the cigarette smoked by more doctors than any other.At times he even chuckles gently at his i.e.Brysons own cleverness.nyyaarrRThat said Bryson remains a highly skilled and amusing writer.I particularly enjoyed his very first piece on returning to America after living 20 years in England since his experiences readjusting to the land of his youth reminded me so much of my own return to the States after 15 years in Taiwan he just tells it so much better than I ever could.But from there on he sounds increasingly like the bastard child or Garrison Keillor and Jerry Seinfeld during his observational whats the deal with.period as he riffs on more mundane topics like airports basements garbage disposals and the like.This could well be a 5star book but with this 1star narration I couldnt give it more than an overall 3star average.However I will definitely look for it in either print or Brysonread formats and hopefully give it the review and rating it truly deserves.Im a Stranger Here Myself Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away by Bill Bryson is a collection of seventy comical weekly columns written for the British newspaper Mail on Sunday in 19961998.After living in Britain for almost two decades Bryson moved back to the United States his homeland.Together with his English wife and four children Bryson settled down in Hanover New Hampshire from where he wrote the weekly columns about his reacquaintance with American culture.Im a Stranger Here Myself is full of hilarious and shamelessly frank observations of American lifestyle in the 90s as well as nostalgic reminiscences of America in the 70s.1I sincerely dont remember the last time a BOOK made me laugh out loud so hard so many times.It seems like Bryson can write an engaging thoughtful and above all hilarious essay about absolutely ANYTHING let it be dental floss breakfast pizza keyboard garbage disposal cupholder or taxes.What is more he makes the writing seem effortless as if he wrote the essays as fast as Ive read them.2In addition to being clumsy and childishly silly Bryson is often grumpy and rather whiny.But underneath his crankiness you can see a glimpse of a warm bright observant humble and extremely witty personality that instantly wins you over.Oh and he NEVER misses a chance to laugh at himself.3Although Im a Stranger Here Myself was written more than sixteen years ago in its pages I could easily recognize my own impressions of the US when I first came here five years ago choice abundance vastness of the country incomprehensive tax forms and bizarre junk food options just to name a few.I guess some things never change.The other more timesensitive essays on technology and 90s statistics as well as snippets from the authors childhood maybe are not that relevant but definitely highly entertaining and also quite educational.1Im a Stranger Here Myself is kind of a bathroom read and is most enjoyable if read in short spurts over time like weekly columns are supposed to be read.Otherwise the essays become a little bit repetitive and tiresome and Brysons whining though truly hilarious finally gets to you.Im a Stranger Here Myself Notes on Returning to America after Twenty Years Away is a collection of thoughtful hilarious and still quite relevant weekly columns on American lifestyle in the 90s and it is best read in short spurts over time.Hilarious and oh so much truth.Still applicable 20 years after it was written.I was laughing way too hard at his taxesIRS essay.A wonderfully poignant collection of Brysons published news paper article.After twenty years in England where he married and had his children Bryson returns to America to an interesting version of culture shock.We follow him over a few years worth of articles as he reeducates himself with the strange ways of Americana.Everything from a day at the beach to children leaving the nest Bryson shows us his world both intimate and familiar.His style is humorous and quirky a lovely mix.You can see Queens English as well as American English in his writing a trait I rather enjoy.He is at times annoying with his views as an old man on his front porch but then hes no spring chicken.Some of his writing are silly and happy memories from childhood or experiences with his own children.Other occasions show his profound disappointment in the difference between England and America.One gets the feeling that while he is a patriot hes also a red coat.The articles are all short a few pages at most and makes for a quick read.I would definitely recommend this book to well just about anyone. |
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