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Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Best Western Woodburn; City: Woodburn Oregon; Review: This is a good value stay, clean nice-sized rooms. The pool did not appear to have been cleaned for a while but the weather was too cool for pool-time. The pool does face west so would be pleasant in the evening other than the road noise (its directly next to !-5). The breakfast was pretty much waffles and then continental. There is a Denny's next door but other fast food nearby. There is a major Outlet Mall within ½ mile.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Butch Cassidy Inn; City: Beaver Utah; Review: Though this property was under extensive renovation, I had a good stay. The staff seemed to genuinely care about making the stay a great experience. The pool was not yet open as the weather was still very cool. This place provides a good stay for a very reasonable cost. Only warning is that Beaver is a small town with limited dining.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Salinas Monterey Hotel; City: Salinas California; Review: This property is located just off 101 and is in an area of other motels and fast-food. The road is noisy but it was quiet in the room. The room was very clean and the bed was very comfortable. The staff appeared to be very focused on customer service. Breakfast was basic continental. Pool was large but I did not use it due to the weather. Its on the west-side of the building which would be great for evenings but expect road noise.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Antelope Inn Suites; City: Red Bluff California; Review: Red Bluff is a less crowded place to stay just 25 miles from Redding. This property consists of two - two story buildings neither of which have elevators. The room was clean but a little small. The pool appeared nice but the weather was not cooperative. A good place to stay!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Pocatello Inn; City: Pocatello Idaho; Review: A large complex of three two story buildings with no elevators. Was under renovation but they provided all normal services without problem. We had no time to visit the lounge or try the indoor pool but it did appear that the pool may have a sun area just outside a doorway which on a nice day would be appreciated. I understand the need for indoor pools but they are no fun to sit around smelling the chlorine and amplified noise.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Plus St Rose Pkwy Las Vegas South Hotel; City: Henderson Nevada; Review: Very nice 4 story facility with the north side offering a good view of the Vegas Strip. We stayed in a balcony king suite that was very large and clean.(and reasonable -$) Location is on the south end of the Vegas area and is great for those who have no interest in the Vegas Strip. Good pool, sunlit till about 4pm.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sleep Inn; City: Bend Central Oregon Oregon; Review: We have stayed here many times and just recently spent two nights. This place is very clean and well kept-up. The rooms are frustratedly tight but very clean. The outdoor pool is the best in Bend with incredible views of stars at night from the jacuzzi. The breakfast is "just ok". Bend is getting too expensive and this place charges a fair price!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Super 8 by Wyndham Chico; City: Chico California; Review: Affordable quality, pool was nice, room was clean, furniture a little dinged up but I slept well - so what's worth whining about. Did not eat breakfast as it was all carbs and no protein.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Forest Guest House; City: South Shields Tyne and Wear England; Review: A warm welcome. everything so clean. Very nice breakfast. Good value; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Grey House Hotel; City: Middlesbrough North Yorkshire England; Review: Found this hotel on the internet when our son started uni & wouldn't go anywhere else.Wonderfully warm welcome from Jana. Rooms (stayed in several) are spacious, comfortable & very clean. Love the selection of freshly prepared fruit as well as very good cooked breakfast. Would recommend highly.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: White Lodge Bed and Breakfast; City: Angmering Littlehampton Arun District West Sussex Engla; Review: Having read good reviews on trip adviser decided to stay while visiting family in the area. What a find! Warm welcome from family & dogs. Nothing too much trouble. We stayed in double room. Light & airy, well equiped, clean & comfortable on third floor above family accomodation. Very good, freshly cooked breakfast & nice continental option. Highly recommend.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Travelodge Harlow Hotel; City: Harlow Essex England; Review: Travelling alone for overnight stay. I thought it was good value for money with everything I needed. Staff pleasant and helpful. Well situated for station. Nowhere to eat in hotel but Toby carvery next door.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ellan Vannin Metro Hotel; City: Douglas Isle of Man; Review: My husband & son stayed here for the TT. The staff were so helpful with my booking and they both enjoyed excellent service during their stay. Nothing too much trouble, nice extra touches. Great breakfast & daily cakes in the room! Ideally situated. Would highly recommend.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Contigo West Loop AutoSeal 20 oz Travel Mug Double wall insulated Matte Black; Brand: Contigo; Review: Very nice!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Trek The Next Generation 1995 Romulan Warbird Light up Ornament; Brand: Hallmark; Review: Perfect! My husband and I are unabashed Trekkers. We love the yearly additions of ship ornaments to our Christmas tree!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Craig Frames 1WB3BK 16 by 22-Inch Picture Frame, Smooth Wrap Finish, 1-Inch Wide, Black; Brand: Craig Frames; Review: Perfect for smaller poster art!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Poster Revolution Hogsmeade Retro Travel Poster, 13 x 19; Brand: Poster Revolution; Review: I love the vintage look! I'm going to frame it and give it to my brother!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Parks and Recreation Ron Swanson Pyramid Workplace Comedy TV Television Show Ceramic Gift Coffee (Tea, Cocoa) Mug, 11 Ounce; Brand: Culturenik; Review: VERY funny but some of the words are too small/blended to read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Zak Designs AVNF-M950 Marvel Comics Insulated Tumblers, 13 oz, Iron Man, Captain America & Hulk; Brand: Zak Designs; Review: Cute cups! My kids really like them!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Foundations Serenity Prayer Angel Stone Resin Figurine, 9”; Brand: Enesco Gift; Review: I bought this figurine as a memorial gift for dear friend. It's so beautiful! I hope she loves it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Foundations Serenity Prayer Angel Stone Resin Figurine, 9”; Brand: Enesco Gift; Review: I bought this for my dear friend when her father passed away. To remind her of my prayers for her.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Superior Classic All-Season Down Alternative Comforter with Baffle Box Construction, King, White; Brand: Superior; Review: We bought a turquoise blanket for my non verbal autistic son. He has a difficult time sleeping and is extremely particular about blankets. Over the years he's been gifted everything from beautifully patchworked Pottery Barn quilts to homemade flannel duvets to custom made weighted medical blankets, and each of these made him extremely unhappy. He often chose to sleep without a blanket rather than choose from the dozens of rejects. This blanket was the one for him! He's happy and sleeping much better! We just purchased a second green one, which he likes as much as the first.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Why GM and Michelin's airless Uptis is the future of car and truck tires; Abstract: The airless tires are expected to launch on a General Motors vehicle by 2024.; Category: autos
Title: The best fall day trip in every state; Abstract: A day trip in the fall is a great way to experience the views and fun activities the season has to offer without going too far from home.; Category: travel
Title: NASCAR driver's car got flipped over and then stuck the landing in wild wreck at Talladega; Abstract: Brendan Gaughan had the best reaction to getting flipped.; Category: sports
Title: This Is the Worst Thing You Can Do If You're Trying to Lose Body Fat and Build Muscle; Abstract: A common misconception people have about losing fat and building muscle is that they should focus on spot reduction.; Category: health
Title: Jeff Bezos: This is the 'smartest thing we ever did' at Amazon; Abstract: Jeff Bezos has a nontraditional management style at Amazon. And according to Bezos, Amazon's twist on meeting structure is the "smartest thing we ever did."; Category: finance
Title: Man arrested in 1993 cold case rape after he's identified by DNA: Police; Abstract: The suspect was 28 at the time and not known to the victim.; Category: news
Title: High school soccer: Chloe DeLyser sets record for most goals scored; Abstract: Chloe DeLyser, an Ohio State commit, scored her 317th goal Tuesday night, setting a new national record for a high school girls soccer player.; Category: sports
Title: Mexico convulsed by second mass shooting in two days; Abstract: Fifteen people were killed in a gunfight in the southwestern Mexican state of Guerrero; Category: news
Title: 'SOS' picked up on CCTV saves Aussie woman lost in bush; Abstract: An Australian woman lost for three days in dense bushland was found Wednesday after a man remotely monitoring security footage saw an 'SOS' sign scrawled in the earth on his property. Deborah Pilgrim went missing on Sunday while camping with friends about 100 kilometres from the South Australian state capital of Adelaide. The 55-year-old took a walk from the campsite and lost her way.; Category: news
Title: 'Tarzan' Actor Ron Ely: Actor's son allegedly killed his mother before deputies shot and killed him, sheriff's office says; Abstract: The son of "Tarzan" actor Ron Ely killed his mother before he was shot and killed by deputies on Tuesday, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.; Category: tv
Title: 'I like my body and that's all that really matters' | Meteorologist claps back at body-shamer; Abstract: Over the weekend, 5 On Your Side meteorologist Tracy Hinson received a message from a viewer. 'Do you ever watch yourself giving the weather report? Seems that you need a girdle for the stomach overhang which shortens the front of your dresses! Today was not the first time I have noticed this. Maybe you should wear a top that covers the bulge in your stomach.' 5 On Your Side meteorologist Tracy Hinson had the perfect response to the body-shamer....; Category: news
Title: Former NFL lineman Justin Bannan arrested for attempted murder; Abstract: Former NFL defensive lineman Justin Bannan is sitting in a Colorado jail, on charges of suspicion of attempted first-degree murder.; Category: sports
Title: I-35 northbound reopens in south Oklahoma City after injury crash; Abstract: Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers have reopened the northbound lanes of I-35 at Southeast 29th Street in Oklahoma City, after clearing the scene of a crash involving at least two vehicles. >> Check live traffic READ MORE:I-35 northbound reopens in south Oklahoma City after injury crash CHECK OUT KOCO:Get the day's top news, weather and sports from Oklahoma City and around the state. With the best in Oklahoma news, KOCO 5 News has you covered.; Category: travel
Title: Why it's so hard for planes to land on water; Abstract: When US Airways Flight 1549 landed in the Hudson river all 150 passengers survived. Landing a plane on the water is called ditching. Ditching is more common in smaller private planes, not large planes from companies like Boeing or Airbus. But the Miracle on the Hudson isn't the only time an aircraft has been ditched. And despite that success, landing a plane on the water can be extremely dangerous.; Category: video
Title: U.S. Marshals Auctioning Off 149 Vehicles From DC Solar Scam; Abstract: The largest single car collection that the USMS has ever sold!; Category: autos
Title: 7 lovable pups to adopt now in Oklahoma City; Abstract: Browse listings of dogs up for adoption at pet adoption centers in and around Oklahoma City.; Category: lifestyle
Title: House legislators to increase oversight of state boards, commissions; Abstract: Oklahoma House legislators will take on a larger role in overseeing state boards and commissions by regularly attending their public meetings and private executive sessions. House Speaker Charles McCall announced Friday that oversight of 40 state boards and commissions will be divvied up among the House committees with legislators attending board meetings to improve their ...; Category: news
Title: Driver charged with DUI in connection with crash that killed high school senior; Abstract: Spartanburg police said a driver has been charged with DUI in connection with a crash that killed a high school senior. On Saturday, police said Michael Travis Worthy was charged with felony DUI with death, felony DUI with great bodily injury and reckless homicide. The crash happened Oct. 14 on South Pine Street at Forest Avenue. (Video above is from October 15, 2019) Police said Worthy was driving a car that hit Caleb Fant while Fant was...; Category: news
Title: Texan pleads guilty in scheme involving ex-Oklahoma chief; Abstract: MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) A Texas man has pleaded guilty to theft, bribery and tax fraud charges in a scheme involving former Muscogee (Creek) Nation Principal Chief George Tiger related to work for the Wetumka-based Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town. Court documents show 63-year-old Aaron Dewayne Terry of Wichita Falls signed a plea agreement Wednesday in federal court in Muskogee acknowledging his guilt. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors...; Category: news
Title: 'He fought them,' father says of son killed on birthday defending his family in home; Abstract: Brenton Estorffe, an Australian living in Texas, was died defending his family.; Category: news
Title: Mom pushes her obnoxious boyfriend on family; Abstract: He is a classic know-it-all, and regularly changes the subject mid-conversation to tell random stories about himself.; Category: lifestyle
Title: New Jersey Couple Sues Taco Bell Over Chalupa Prices; Abstract: When is a $5 deal not a $5 deal?; Category: foodanddrink
Title: The Queen of the State Fair of Texas; Abstract: Ruth Hauntz remembers attending a segregated state fair when she was a kid. Now, at 85, her food makes thousands of fairgoers happy every year; Category: foodanddrink
Title: After throwing a punch, Dabo Swinney made CB Andrew Booth ride the manager bus back to Clemson; Abstract: ; Category: sports
Title: 17 Things You Should Never Do During a Conversation; Abstract: Want to make sure every conversation you have goes well? Begin with avoiding these 17 things you should never do, according to etiquette experts.; Category: lifestyle
Title: Florida woman allegedly flees 2 car crashes, kills driver in 3rd crash; Abstract: A Florida woman who killed a 53-year-old man after running a red light and smashing into his Lexus on Saturday morning was in the process of fleeing two earlier car accidents when she caused the fatal collision, police said.; Category: news
Title: Jennifer Lawrence Hired A Food Truck For Her Wedding And The Owner Had No Idea Who She Was; Abstract: Kinda mad I wasn't invited, TBH.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Bartenders share 13 things they'd love to tell customers but can't; Abstract: There are some things that bartenders just won't tell you, even if it's to everyone's benefit.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea Marries Designer Melody Ehsani; Abstract: The two tied the knot over the weekend!; Category: music
Title: MLB umpire Joe West suing former All-Star Paul Lo Duca for claiming he took bribes; Abstract: Lo Duca, a four-time All-Star made comments on a podcast earlier this year alleging that the longtime umpire had taken bribes from a teammate.; Category: sports
Title: Can You Spot the One Image That Is Not Like the Others?; Abstract: Who doesn't love a good brain teaser? The post Can You Spot the One Image That Is Not Like the Others? appeared first on Reader's Digest.; Category: lifestyle
Title: This fast food chain has the best fries, according to customers; Abstract: We asked our readers who has the best fries in all of fast food, and Five Guys' fries snatched the potato cake right from McDonald's greasy grasp.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Jennifer Lawrence Hired A Food Truck For Her Wedding And The Owner Had No Idea Who She Was; Abstract: Kinda mad I wasn't invited, TBH.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Big 12 has No. 15 Texas at TCU, Chuba vs. tough ISU defense; Abstract: Some things to watch Saturday in Week 9 of the Big 12 regular season schedule: GAME OF THE WEEK No. 15 Texas (5-2, 3-1 Big 12) at TCU (3-3, 1-2). Both teams could use a win at the midpoint of their conference schedules, the Longhorns still want to get back to another Big 12 title game, and the Horned Frogs in danger of falling below .500 overall. TCU and coach Gary Patterson finally get back home for the first time in nearly a month. The Frogs...; Category: sports
Title: Man who followed, robbed woman who won $46K at metro casino arrested in Dallas; Abstract: A man who was on the run with thousands of dollars he had stolen from a woman who had won big at a metro-area casino was arrested after a manhunt that extended into another state. Police said Damon Redd robbed a woman in the parking lot of a credit union in Midwest City after he followed her from Riverwind Casino in Norman, where she had just won more than $46,000. He got away with about $23,000. Thanks to an anonymous tip, Redd was found across...; Category: news
Title: Indian Just Threw Down The Gauntlet In The V-Twin Power Wars; Abstract: Indian Motorcycles just fired a shot across the bow of the Wisconsin cruiser bike juggernaut toda; Category: autos
Title: Deer fatally attacks hunter who shot him; Abstract: In what officials are calling a bizarre incident, an Arkansas hunter was killed by a deer that he thought he had killed.; Category: news
Title: Mountain skeleton may be man from Japanese internment camp; Abstract: In the closing days of World War II, a Japanese American set out with other men from the infamous internment camp at Manzanar on a trip to the mountains, where he went off on his own to paint a watercolor and got caught in a freak summer snowstorm.; Category: news
Title: Woman, 78, gets 22 years for attempted murder of lawyer; Abstract: A 78-year-old Louisiana woman has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for trying to kill her attorney. Patricia Currie of Mandeville was 75 when she raised a loaded shotgun toward Keith Couture in 2016.; Category: news
Title: Chasing history: Tiger Woods eyes record win No. 82 at Zozo Championship; Abstract: ; Category: sports
Title: Police Arrest Motorcyclist Who Led High-Speed Chase And Went Home Thinking He Escaped; Abstract: A motorcyclist was arrested after leading California Highway Patrol units on a high-speed chase in Placerville on Saturday.; Category: news
Title: This fast food chain has the best fries, according to customers; Abstract: We asked our readers who has the best fries in all of fast food, and Five Guys' fries snatched the potato cake right from McDonald's greasy grasp.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Divers Find Giant Mysterious 'Egg' Floating In Ocean; Abstract: A team of divers set off to explore a sunken World War II ship off the Norwegian coast, but what they found was something far more mysterious. While making their way back to shore, Ronald Raasch, Nils Baadness and Brynjar Aarnseth came face-to-face with a giant floating orb. The bubble hovered 17 meters (56 feet) below the surface and appeared to be see-through. The divers turned their flashlights on it and realized that the sphere was filled...; Category: lifestyle
Title: Watch Miranda Lambert Invite a Little Girl On Stage Who 'Stole' Her Heart; Abstract: The girl's mother thanked Lambert for raining attention on her daughter Remi during the show on Saturday night.; Category: music
Title: Missing Va. Teen Is in 'Extreme Danger' After Alleged Abduction; Abstract: Isabel Hicks: Missing Teen Allegedly Abducted by Mom's Suicidal Ex; Category: news
Title: American-Made Cheese Named World's Best for the First Time Ever; Abstract: Rogue River Blue Cheese, made in Oregon, beat 3,800 contenders for the top spot.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Walmart Sparks Panic and Confusion in the Dish-Soap Aisle; Abstract: Procter & Gamble didn't make enough dish soap, and Walmart is letting all its customers know about it.; Category: finance
Title: Nearly $400M worth of cocaine and marijuana intercepted by US Coast Guard; Abstract: The U.S. Coast Guard announced that it seized nearly $367 million of cocaine and about 11,000 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $10.1 million at a Florida port.; Category: news
Title: This Pomona College senior is living out of a converted school bus and saving $10,000 a year on student housing; Abstract: George told Insider she became obsessed with the idea of "van life," last year and wondered what it would be like to live full time on the road.; Category: lifestyle
Title: How To Open a Can Without a Can Opener; Abstract: All it takes is a metal spoon and some elbow grease.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Celebrity hookups and first dates: How your favorite stars met and got together; Abstract: Find out how Beyonce and JAY-Z, Goldie and Kurt, Tim and Faith, J.Lo and A-Rod and dozens more stars first met.; Category: entertainment
Title: McConnell: Impeachment measure denies Trump 'basic rights'; Abstract: The impeachment resolution pushed by House Democrats would deny President Donald Trump the "most basic rights of due process," the Senate's top Republican said.; Category: news
Title: Jury convicts man of killing wife one month after she was diagnosed with terminal illness; Abstract: It took jurors just one hour to convict a Jefferson County man of first-degree murder in connection with the death of his wife of 37 years, according to the First Judicial District. Bruce Bagwell, 60, was convicted on Monday and is being held without bond until his sentencing on Nov. 13. RELATED: Lakewood man accused of shooting, killing wife Lakewood police got a call from Theresa Bagwell's father on Feb 6. He told officers that he had called...; Category: news
Title: Medway man charged with manslaughter after wife dies in accident while he was driving; Abstract: A Medway man, who was the driver in a fatal I-95 crash near Lincoln in August was indicted for manslaughter on Wednesday, October 30.; Category: news
Title: How Oklahoma City boxer Alex Saucedo found positives after losing a world title bout in his hometown; Abstract: Last we saw Alex Saucedo, he was bloodied and battered. Worse, he was beaten. It's been almost a year since the Oklahoma City boxer fought for a world title in his hometown. He had a chance to win a championship only a few miles from where he learned to box. Had a chance to raise a belt in front of scores of family and friends clad in his red and gold. Had a chance to grow ...; Category: sports
Title: Bob Saget stands by Lori Loughlin: 'I don't cut people out'; Abstract: Bob Saget is standing by her "Full House" costar amid her college admissions scandal.; Category: news
Title: Man concerned by problems new development will bring when Moore golf course closes; Abstract: When Paul Grubbs moved into a quiet, scenic neighborhood next to the Broadmoore Golf Course in Moore, he had no idea plans were in the works to close the privately owned course. "There are some homeowners on the other side of the clubhouse who are really going to be pushed up," Grubbs said. "They're going to lose their yard." Sign up for our Newsletters Grubbs' window faces the picture-perfect golf course, which he, his family and their dogs...; Category: travel
Title: Police seek poster of flyers at Oklahoma City law school; Abstract: OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Authorities are searching for a man believed to have posted "It's Okay To Be White" flyers at the Oklahoma City University School of Law. UCU Police Director Bill Citty told The Oklahoman that the flyers were posted Thursday and police believe they have identified the man. Citty said the man is not believed to be a threat to students or the campus, but investigators are trying to determine his intent and whether the actions...; Category: news
Title: Funny celeb pics for October 2019; Abstract: Helen Mirren does ride share differently and more pics that will make you LOL.; Category: entertainment
Title: Big Boys Are Coming: Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Yukon; Abstract: GM's Mary Barra confirms all three new full-size SUVs are due in 2020; Category: autos
Title: Police identify person of interest in mysterious death of couple buried on beach; Abstract: James Butler, 48, and his wife, 46-year-old Michelle Butler, were found buried in a shallow grave on a remote part of Padre Island.; Category: news
Title: Can't-Miss Play: Tyreek Hill's SPECTACULAR diving effort ends in 40-yard TD; Abstract: Can't-Miss Play: Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill makes a spectacular diving effort that ends in a 40-yard touchdown.; Category: sports
Title: Cause determined in Jessi Combs' fatal speed record crash; Abstract: Occurred at speeds near 550 mph; Category: autos
Title: This Solo Dining Trend Is Changing the Way People Eat; Abstract: Table for One is a column by Senior Editor Eric Kim, who loves cooking for himself and only himself and seeks to celebrate the beauty of solitude in its many forms. The stage has been set for a renaissance in solo dining. The South Koreans already have a word for it: honbap. A portmanteau of "alone" (honja) and "food" (bap), honbap is part of a larger loner trend that's overtaken Korea in the last two to three years, as more and more people are...; Category: foodanddrink
Title: The Woman Who Flipped Off Trump Has Won an Election in Virginia; Abstract: The cyclist who lost her job after giving the middle finger to President Trump's motorcade has found a new one after running for local office and ousting a Republican supervisor in Loudoun County, Va., on Tuesday. The cyclist, Juli Briskman, had been active in local politics before, but in October 2017 she lifted that one specific finger to make a point and ended up gaining the national spotlight. Mr. Trump had just finished a round of golf at...; Category: news
Title: Special monarch butterfly license plate now up for pre-order in Oklahoma; Abstract: OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) Oklahoma residents will soon be able to give their vehicle some extra vibrant color while helping protect the endangered monarch butterfly. Oklahomans can now pre-order The Nature Conservancy of Oklahoma's recently-debuted monarch butterfly license plate. "The Nature Conservancy aims to collect 100 pre-orders within 180 days. Once 100 are collected, the plate will go ...; Category: news
Title: The 50 Best One-Hit Wonders of All Time; Abstract: Not every successful artist stays successful. Here are the best one-hit wonders from the 1950s all the way through the 2000s.; Category: music
Title: A man dies in Hawaii after falling into a lava tube in his yard; Abstract: An elderly man died after falling into a lava tube on his property in Hilo, Hawaii, police announced on Wednesday.; Category: news
Title: This Is How Long Wine Lasts After You've Opened The Bottle; Abstract: How long does open wine last? Is the rule of thumb different for red and white wines? We have the answers, plus a few tricks to keep your vino tasting fresh after you've popped the cork.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Okla. Senator 'very much moving forward' with plan to create Pres. Donald J. Trump Highway on Route 66; Abstract: An Oklahoma Senator who co-filed legislation to name a section of Route 66 President Donald J. Trump Highway told KOCO 5 Thursday that the plan is still on track. Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-Broken Arrow) and Sen. Marty Quinn (R-Claremore) announced Tuesday that they have filed a bill to create the President Donald J. Trump Highway on the world-famous Route 66. Sign up for our Newsletters According to Senate Bill 1089, the renamed section of Route 66...; Category: news
Title: 'Jeopardy!' contestant almost makes Alex Trebek cry by betting 'We love you Alex'; Abstract: On Monday night's episode of "Jeopardy!," contestant Dhruv Gaur wrote "We (heart) you Alex!" instead of a Final Jeopardy answer. He explains why.; Category: tv | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: PetSafe Easy Walk Harness; Brand: PetSafe; Review: I bought the Premier Easy Walk harness in size Small in the raspberry color for my thirteen pound Havanese. I was skeptical about the sizing at first because size small is recommended for Jack russels, however it FITS PERFECT! This product works Fantastic and I noticed results immediately! No more pulling! My Havanese soon realized she could no longer tug. Lots of puzzled looks on her face! Makes our walks easier and puts both of us in a pleasant mood. Would recommend to anyone with a mild tugger! (Not sure about severe tugging since my dog doesn't have much power over me); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Flexi Durabelt Retractable Belt Dog Leash, Small/Medium, 16-Feet Long, Supports up to 44-Pound, Pink; Brand: Flexi; Review: Our first flexi leash was a Flexi 16ft Freedom and it lasted 9 years. This Flexi Durabelt feels sturdy just like our first leash. Fingers crossed it should last just as long. Keep in mind we only have a 13 pound Havanese. She isn't much of a tugger and we only use this leash to bring her out to the yard in the middle of winter. I don't reccommend this leash for discipline purposes or to teach your dog to walk by your side. This leash is best if you've trained your dog to roam responsibly.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Busy Buddy Barnacle Treat Dispensing Dog Toy; Brand: PetSafe; Review: Good alternative to a traditional kong. 14 pound havanese loves it! Good for food motivated dogs! CONS: Smells horrible, perfumey vanilla plastic smell even after washing with dish soap and warm water. You can smell it from across the room. Oily residue. The smallest sphere has a hole too small for my dog's snout. (too difficult even with tabs cut out); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Aqueon QuietFlow LED PRO Aquarium Power Filters; Brand: Aqueon; Review: I have had this filter setup for 6 months on my 10gal planted tank. It does the job, is reliable, strong, & provides good flow. The main CON I have are the Aqueon filter cartridge replacements & their inflated price. They are a scam/waste of money. They are a marketing trap aimed to trick new fish owners. Do yourself a favor & pick up small bag of fluval ceramic media for $3 & use plain, non-treated craft batting floss or a fluval filter sponge for $3. These will last you atleast a year and only need to be rinsed 1-2 times a month. Don't spend a dime on filter cartridge replacements. Replacement cartridges are overpriced pieces of plastic, floss pads filled with a few teaspoons of carbon. They're bad for the environment & require frequent replacing just so Aqueon can make a few extra bucks.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Omega One Veggie Rounds; Brand: Omega One; Review: My Panda corys don't eat these right away, but they'll pick at them slowly. I crush these up because my corys don't like working to eat a whole round. This veggie round is not a well balanced diet for Omnivores such as cory cats. Corys need a high protein diet and these aren't going to cut it for omnivorous fish. Whole salmon and Halibut are 3rd and 4th on the ingredients, this food is not enough to keep my corys happy/thriving. This pellet is only good as a supplement in combination with a shrimp/carnivore pellet. My nerite snails love them though!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: BACTO-SURGE HIGH DENSITY FOAM FILTER; Brand: Pay It Forward Pet Supply; Review: I LOVE these sponge filters! Easy to set up, provides gentle surface aggitation, helps beneficial bacteria become well established, & they are versatile! Can be used alone or in addition to a HOB filter. My only CON is that there is a huge difference in size between the Mini Sponge & Small Sponge. The Small sponge will take up too much space in a 5.5gallon tank & is an eyesore in a 10gallon in my opinion. I own 2 mini sponges, one in a 5.5gal tank for my betta, & one in my 10gallon with a HOB filter on it too. I have the Size Small sponge in my 30gallon. All are working great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Puppia Authentic Spring Garden Harness B; Brand: Puppia; Review: 12 lb. Havanese wears a Size Large. Sizing is embarrassingly difficult, for that reason I gave it 4 stars. I would not buy this for a dog any bigger than a pug. My dog is normally a Size Small in Petco+Petsmart harnesses. That said, the quality of this harness is excellent & durable. It's super comfortable & she even falls asleep in it from time to time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: NICREW ClassicLED Aquarium Light, Fish Tank Light with Extendable Brackets, White and Blue LEDs; Brand: NICREW; Review: My first year of owning planted tanks. The growth has been astonishing considering I forget to dose ferts. I have a dirted 10 gal, no CO2, Seachem flourish when I remember. Great affordable option!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: 'Wheel Of Fortune' Guest Delivers Hilarious, Off The Rails Introduction; Abstract: We'd like to solve the puzzle, Pat: Blair Davis' loveless marriage? On Monday, "Wheel of Fortune" welcomed as a new contestant trucking business owner Blair Davis, who offered a biting introduction for himself. When host Pat Sajak asked the man from Cardiff, California, about his family, Davis plunged into one of the darkest personal summaries the show has likely ever heard. "I've been trapped in a loveless marriage for the last 12 years to an...; Category: tv
Title: Former Deadliest Catch Star Jerod Sechrist Arrested, Charged with Heroin Possession; Abstract: Deadliest Catch: Jerod Sechrist Charged with Heroin Possession; Category: tv
Title: Nevada gambling bosses move to bar Wynn from casino industry; Abstract: The complaint filed Monday by the state's Gaming Control Board lists sexual misconduct allegations that have been lodged against the mogul since January 2018. The complaint asks Nevada's Gaming Commission, which acts on the board's recommendations and has final say on licensing, to fine Wynn and revoke his status as being found suitable to be licensed in the industry.; Category: finance
Title: 'The Masked Singer' Recap: A Grammy Winner Is Revealed As The Skeleton; Abstract: A new round of performances from masked singers led to one celebrity being unmasked at the end of the Oct. 16 episode of 'The Masked Singer.'; Category: tv
Title: Former NFL lineman Justin Bannan arrested for attempted murder; Abstract: Former NFL defensive lineman Justin Bannan is sitting in a Colorado jail, on charges of suspicion of attempted first-degree murder.; Category: sports
Title: Unprecedented movement detected on California earthquake fault capable of 8.0 temblor; Abstract: A major California fault capable of producing a magnitude 8 earthquake has begun moving for the first time on record, a result of this year's Ridgecrest earthquake sequence destabilizing nearby faults, Caltech scientists say in a new study released in the journal Science on Thursday. In the modern historical record, the 160-mile-long Garlock fault on the northern edge of the Mojave Desert has never been observed to produce either a strong...; Category: news
Title: Quiet Riot Drummer Reveals Stage-Four Cancer Diagnosis; Abstract: Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali has revealed that he has been battling stage-four pancreatic cancer since this past April. Since the 2007 death of singer Kevin DuBrow, Banali has been the only member of the band's classic lineup to continue to play with the band. He's also been the group's most consistent band member since 1982. "The original prognosis was very scary," he said in a statement posted to podcast host Mitch Lafon's Facebook page....; Category: music
Title: Local News Anchor Discovers She Has Rare Form of Cancer Caused by Pregnancy: 'It's Very Complicated'; Abstract: A Las Vegas TV news anchor is candidly revealing to the world how she went from being an expectant mother to a cancer patient.; Category: health
Title: California sheriff's deputy shot dead, ride-along injured in 'active shooter incident,' officials say; Abstract: A police officer in Northern California was killed and another deputy was injured after an "active shooter" incident early Wednesday, according to officials.; Category: news
Title: WeWork isn't worth $47 billion anymore, but its rent bill is; Abstract: WeWork staved off a liquidity crunch with a newly agreed rescue package from SoftBank Group Corp. But the reeling co-working startup still has a way to go before reaching financial stability, let alone profitability.; Category: finance
Title: Family of slain ISIS hostage says they secretly met with her captors in Iraq; Abstract: Kayla Mueller, a humanitarian worker from Arizona, was held captive, tortured and killed by ISIS.; Category: news
Title: Hannah Brown Reflects on "Really Defeating" Dancing With the Stars Experience in Candid Post; Abstract: The former Bachelorette star gets real in lengthy Instagram post about how difficult the DWTS experience has been.; Category: tv
Title: The best celebrity couple Halloween costumes; Abstract: From Chrissy and John to Kim and Kanye, see the stars with the best coordinated costumes.; Category: entertainment
Title: Before his execution, a death row inmate told his victim's family he forgives them; Abstract: Charles Rhines, who was convicted of murder in the brutal stabbing of a 22-year-old man in 1992, was executed in South Dakota Monday, the state's attorney general said, after the Supreme Court denied a last-ditch appeal of his case.; Category: news
Title: 4 High School Students Killed in Texas Car Crash That Also Injured 3: 'We Grieve Together'; Abstract: 4 High School Students Killed in Texas Car Crash; Category: news
Title: See dolphins punt fish out of water to stun and eat them; Abstract: New video shows wild bottlenose dolphins kicking fish into the air before eating them, just one trick in their arsenal of feeding tactics.; Category: travel
Title: 'One in a million' deer captured on camera in Michigan woods; Abstract: Retired Michigan lawmaker and amateur photographer Steven Lindberg took pictures of a deer. That deer had three antlers.; Category: news | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: What Causes Vertigo? 15 Things Doctors Wish You Knew; Abstract: The spinning, dizzying loss of balance that indicates vertigo can come without warning.; Category: health
Title: Why I stopped shopping at Marshall's and Trader Joe's; Abstract: They're money pits. There, I said it.; Category: finance
Title: Can you spot the hidden gift in this brainteaser in under 11 seconds?; Abstract: GiftsOnline4U created a holiday-themed brainteaser with a wrapped present hidden among bows. Can you spot the gift box?; Category: lifestyle
Title: Is ingestible collagen the fountain of youth? Maybe; Abstract: While the evidence on collagen is far from conclusive, most clinicians agree there's little downside in trying it if you wish -- as long as you keep expectations in check and a few things in mind.; Category: health
Title: Why I stopped shopping at Marshall's and Trader Joe's; Abstract: They're money pits. There, I said it.; Category: finance
Title: 4 Things That Happened When I Did 'Legs Up the Wall' Pose at Work Every Day; Abstract: Ditch the coffee break - five minutes of laying on your back can really make a difference.; Category: health
Title: Kylie Jenner and her bestie get surgery together, plus more news; Abstract: What kind of surgery did Kylie Jenner and her BFF just get together? Plus, more celebrity news for Oct. 23, 2019.; Category: entertainment
Title: 3 Foods You Should Eat at Breakfast If You Want to Lose Belly Fat, According to a Dietitian; Abstract: If you're trying to lose belly fat, you're probably paying more attention to your diet, working to get more exercise, and cutting down on sugar.; Category: health
Title: Former NBA first-round pick Jim Farmer arrested in sex sting operation; Abstract: Farmer, 55, was booked for trafficking a person for a commercial sex act.; Category: sports
Title: How to recover from a sugar binge after eating too much candy; Abstract: Your body takes a wild ride during a sugar binge. A doctor weighs in on which candies make it worse and how to come back to equilibrium.; Category: health
Title: The One Thing Kourtney Kardashian Drinks Every Morning for Younger-Looking Skin; Abstract: Instead of waking up with a hot cup of coffee, the "Keeping Up with The Kardashians" star makes a warm collagen powder beverage to kick-start her day.; Category: health
Title: Dean McDermott: 'Monogamy Is Hard' After 13-Year Marriage to Tori Spelling; Abstract: Dean McDermott: 'Monogamy Is Hard' After 13-Year Marriage to Tori Spelling; Category: tv
Title: Miller Lite offers free beer for unfollowing them, Natural Light joins in; Abstract: This might be the easiest way to score a few free beers.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Property Brothers' J.D. Scott Marries Annalee Belle in Vintage Theatre-Themed Wedding; Abstract: J.D. Scott is Married! Third Property Brother Ties Knot; Category: tv
Title: Why President Trump's kids are probably celebrating his move to Florida; Abstract: The No. 1 reason billionaires decide to move.; Category: finance
Title: 12 Things U.S. Presidents Have to Pay for on Their Own; Abstract: Not everything comes for free with the (White) house. The post 12 Things U.S. Presidents Have to Pay for on Their Own appeared first on Reader's Digest.; Category: lifestyle
Title: A foster mom was arrested in an adoption scheme; Abstract: A foster mom was arrested in an alleged adoption scheme after using her foster son as bait, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.; Category: news
Title: Demi Moore Says Her 'Addiction' to Ashton Kutcher Was 'Devastating': 'It Took Me Away Emotionally'; Abstract: Demi Moore Says Her 'Addiction' to Ashton Kutcher Was 'Devastating'; Category: tv
Title: Convicted ex-NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II has CTE symptoms, his attorneys say; Abstract: Attorneys for former NFL tight end Kellen Winslow II will present evidence of his cognitive impairment before his February sentencing for sex crimes.; Category: sports
Title: Playboy Playmate Robbed At Gunpoint In North Hollywood Home Invasion; Abstract: Lauryn Elaine said the suspects tied her hands and feet together with a dog leash.; Category: news
Title: Lamar Odom Is Engaged to Sabrina Parr: See Her Ring!; Abstract: Lamar Odom Is Engaged to Sabrina Parr: See Her Ring!; Category: entertainment | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Guardians: The Girl (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Lola StVil Page; Review: I love this series, I just happened upon it. But oh am so, so glad I did. Can't wait to read the other books in the series.......; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Demon's Promise (Soul Savers) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Kristie Cook Page; Review: Was very entertaining. Liked it very much. And will tell friends an family about it. Very good read for all.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Never Never; Author: Visit Amazon's Colleen Hoover Page; Review: Liked part one of never, never very much. It kept me wanting to keep reading and find out what would happen.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Purpose (Soul Savers); Author: Visit Amazon's Kristie Cook Page; Review: I so love this series of books and what they tell. It is so easy to feel as if you are right there with them.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Omega (Alpha Book 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Jasinda Wilder Page; Review: Was a sexy book. But also a mystery as to what would happen at any given time. Loved it. Every one should read this book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: A Field Guide to Demons, Fairies, Fallen Angels, and Other Subversive Spirits; Author: Carol K. Mack and Dinah Mack; Review: good read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ancient Book Of Jasher: Referenced In Joshua 10:13; 2 Samuel 1:18; And 2 Timothy 3:8; Author: Visit Amazon's Ken Johnson Page; Review: great read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ancient Book of Daniel; Author: Visit Amazon's Ken Johnson Page; Review: good read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Book of Jubilees; The Little Genesis, The Apocalypse of Moses; Author: Joseph B. Lumpkin; Review: good read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Books of Enoch: A Complete Volume Containing 1 Enoch (The Ethiopic Book of Enoch), 2 Enoch; Author: Joseph B. Lumpkin; Review: great read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Superfood Smoothies: 100 Delicious, Energizing & Nutrient-dense Recipes (Julie Morris's Superfoods); Author: Visit Amazon's Julie Morris Page; Review: Really good; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nutribullet Recipe Book: Smoothie Recipes for Weight-Loss, Detox, Anti-Aging & So Much More!; Author: Visit Amazon's Stephanie Shaw Page; Review: Really good; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Healthy Green Drink Diet: Advice and Recipes to Energize, Alkalize, Lose Weight, and Feel Great; Author: Visit Amazon's Jason Manheim Page; Review: So So; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Holiday Inn Express Hotel Suites Marina; City: Marina California; Review: The good: Great value (paid $107.10 (AAA rate) for the first two nights of our stay; went up to about $134.10 for our Friday stay (last night)), and the location worked well for us. It's only a ten-minute or so drive to Monterey, and there are places to eat nearby as well (depending on what you're in the mood for). The first night we were there, we were tired from driving, so we went to Quizno's on Reservation Rd. We also saw a Jack In the Box and some other places. We tried going to a place called Round Table Pizza, but after standing there for a couple of minutes and not even being acknowledged, we bolted. We got a king-size bed (the underside of the comforter was gross, so that went on the floor, but then, they usually are in hotels, right?), but I did request an extra blanket, to which our housekeeper provided. The towels were great...the best of the hotels we stayed at (we went to SF and Yosemite, and these were the plushest), and the shower head was pretty good. We aren't used to the soft water there, so it felt kinda of slimy when you showered, but that's personal preference I guess (hard water vs. soft water). Not the hotel's fault, of course. The breakfast was pretty good. Choices of food included hard-boiled eggs, yogurt, cold cereal, waffles (Eggos), bagels, English muffins, cinnamon buns (they were good!), fruit and oatmeal (instant). We were offered a variety of juices, coffees, hot cocoa and teas as well as iced water. One thing my husband really liked that no other hotel offered during our stay was complimentary coffee (day or night). One suggestion to Holiday Inn Express: Have a hot water carafe. Not everyone drinks coffee, and to have the choice of tea or cocoa would earn you more brownie points. Just a suggestion. One complaint: I tried to call guest services and then the front desk (same thing?) on at least two occasions, and the phone just rang and rang and rang...as if no one was there or cared. Overall, the hotel is conveniently located, a good value and was comfortable. PS. We found a nice place to eat lunch/dinner called Joe's of Monterey. Excellent food, atmosphere and presentation. I had filet mignon and my husband had fish and chips, and it was excellent. So was the bread!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Yosemite View Lodge; City: El Portal California; Review: My husband stayed at the Yosemite View Lodge a few years ago when he took a trip to Yosemite with his three brothers, so we sort of knew what to expect. We made reservations for our stay about a month before-hand, and called to confirm them a few days before we were to leave for our vacation. We asked if we could request a newer room (apparently, some renovations had been done since my husband's visit). We were told this could not be guaranteed, but they would do what they could. We got to the Lodge and unfortunately, did not get a newer room. Regardless, we were given a room with a king-size bed and a view of the Merced River, which is what we reserved. The bathroom had a large jacuzzi tub as well as two shower-heads. Provided for cooking/refrigeration needs were a refrigerator, microwave, stove, silverwear, dishes and pots and pans, as well as a sink for washing dishes. I had to get a new sponge and some more dishwashing liquid, as housekeeping did not provide a new one for us and the liquid was about gone. One thing that was disappointing about our stay was the laundry facility. We were going to be gone from home for a total of 10 days, and had planned on doing laundry the first night at the Lodge. We used two washers and two dryers, half of which, did not work properly (one didn't rinse thoroughly, and the other didn't dry our clothes well). We wound up wasting about $3 worth of quarters on machines that needed repairing. There was an ironing board in our room, but no iron. We called to the front desk, and said that we needed to come down to borrow it. No problem...until my husband used the iron on his shirt and found a "lovely" rust stain of some sort on his shirt collar. Be sure to check the iron if you need to borrow it...or better yet, just hang it up in the bathroom and let the shower steam let the wrinkles out. Another thing that I found to be sort of annoying is I found out they charge a deposit on your credit card for one night's stay before you even get there. My husband told me that before we'd even left for our trip, the charge appeared on his credit card. My question to the Lodge is: if you have a family emergency, G-d forbid, and have to cancel, say, the day before, do you plan on refunding the money? I think you ought to wait until the cancellation period is up before you charge for a night's stay. Usually, for hotels, that's the day of arrival. We ate at the pizza restaurant one night we were there, which had pretty good pizza. We didn't eat at the other restaurant there. The Lodge has a decent sized grocery store which also proved handy. There is a store inside the park, though, that is bigger and has a wider variety of things, should you need more; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Orchard Hotel; City: San Francisco California; Review: My husband and I stayed at the Orchard from Sept. 14-18, 2005. I did a lot of research on places to stay in San Francisco, as this was our first trip to CA together as a couple, and I wanted it to be special. The Orchard did not disappoint. After our long cross-country flight, we were greeted promptly by a very friendly doorman/bellhop named Juan. Juan unloaded our bags and and waited for us to check-in and then proceeded to help us to our room. The room was gorgeous! About the bed: My husband commented that the bed in our room was almost more comfortable than the one at home!! We got a king-size bed in our room, and the linens were REALLY nice (not sure what the thread count was, but it was pristine). We each had two full-sized goosedown feather pillows to ourselves, which was a treat considering we usually get three at a hotel where we reserve a king-size bed and have to call down to ask for another. Instead of the usual bedspread (which, frankly, give me the creeps in hotel rooms and is the first thing to go on the floor), ours had an impeccably plush (and clean) down comforter. The bathroom was large, with a stand-up shower and the best part...Aveda products! Aveda soap, moisturizing lotion, shampoo and conditioner...this is good stuff! The Orchard offers valet parking for $34 a day with in-and-out privileges; it proved to be worthwhile. Parking in SF is a pain in the behind, and it was handy to be able to call down to the front desk and have your car waiting for you in 15-20 minutes. A complimentary European continental breakfast was included with our stay. The items included delicious pumpkin and other sweet tasting breads, yummy croissants, fruits, juices, teas and coffee. During our first morning there, we had the great pleasure of meeting the owner of the hotel, Mrs. Huong. She was really sweet, and you could tell she takes great pride in how her hotel is run and, more importantly, how her guests are treated. This type of customer service is a rarity these days. If we make it back to SF, we will definitely stay at the Orchard again, and will recommend it to others we know who may be making the trek out west.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Express Suites Charlottesville Ruckersville; City: Ruckersville Virginia; Review: We stayed at the Best Western for one night (we were in town for a funeral, unfortunately). Overall, the hotel is a solid, comfortable and clean place to stay. The bed was comfortable (king-size), and the shower was nice (good water pressure). Also, my husband and I were really impressed with the number of cable channels available. Finally, it was nice having that extra blanket in the closet (it was really cold during our stay.). A few things could really "bump" this place up in terms of ratings: 1) Instead of styrofoam cups for coffee (our room had a coffee maker and a refrigerator (nice touch) in the room), give guests real coffee mugs and glasses. 2) Free WiFi/Internet in each room would be great. 3) A hot breakfast. We stayed at a Homewood Suites in Falls Church, VA, and they provide omelettes and hashbrowns; we keep going back everytime we're in the area. Getting breakfast included is a plus in my book; having hot breakfast would take it to that next level. 4) Little extras like mouthwash, an extra toilet paper roll and maybe a shower cap and sewing kit in the bathroom would be cool.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Homewood Suites by Hilton Falls Church; City: Merrifield Fairfax County Virginia; Review: Whenever we are in the DC area, we always stay at the Homewood Suites in Falls Church on Porter Road. There are many reasons we choose this hotel: it's near the Dunn Lorring metro, across the parking lot from the Silver Diner, which is really convenient and has good food (during weekends, it's open until 3 AM?!), and we generally feel like we're "at home" when we stay here. We recently stayed at another hotel in our hometown when we lost power during a snow storm, and we had quite the opposite experience (for instance, we were given a hard time when we asked for extra towels), so I do not take the latter for granted. We had no problem checking in (we arrived rather late the day of check in (it was the Friday of Memorial Day weekend). When we got to our room, we found, however, that the door that separates the living room from the bedroom did not close properly. It was as if it was too big or it wasn't put on correctly. It wasn't so much of a problem where we would have requested another room; however, I did request a smoking room so my husband could smoke in the living area and I could close the door to the bedroom so I wouldn't have to inhale it. The other thing I noticed is that the kitchen floor was a bit sticky. I left a note for housekeeping the next day to please mop the floor, and it was taken care of for us. Speaking of housekeeping, I also requested extra towels, as we were going to be going out the next day and would most likely want to come back to the room and shower before going back out for the evening. Our housekeeper provided plenty of extra towels (more than I even requested) as well as extra toiletries! One thing we really enjoy about this hotel is the complementary hot breakfast. On Saturday morning, they served egg and cheese omelettes, sausage and hashbrowns, plus if you wanted, you could make waffles. The only problem I ran into was that the orange juice was running low, so I had to ask someone if they could get some more. It was not a problem. The hotel was really crowded, as it was a holiday weekend, so my guess is that as soon as someone filled the juice container up, it would be gone just as quickly. The same thing happened on Sunday. Sunday's breakfast was great, too. They served scrambled eggs, hashbrowns and sausage links. They also had an assortment of pastries and scones for the offering. I think this is one of the best breakfasts I've ever had at a hotel. One last thing: the breakfast bar was supposed to close at 10 AM. I walked down to get some coffee at about 10:15 AM (they have complimentary coffee and tea 24 hours a day), and people were still filling up their plates. One thing that would really add appeal to the hotel would be free; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Crabtree Valley; City: Raleigh North Carolina; Review: We stayed two nights at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Raleigh Crabtree Valley this past weekend (in town for a wedding). We booked two king suites (my husband and I stayed in one room for two nights and my brother-in-law stayed in another for one night only). Our room was very nice, but there were a few issues. The floors in the bathroom and the sink area (in the bedroom) were sticky and didn't look particularly clean. Also, the lock on the bathroom door didn't work. There was also a weird red (blood?) stain on one of the washcloths. Ew. The kitchen area was really nice, though there was a weird rack in the microwave. I don't think it was meant to be there. Another issue was the thermostat. It would get really, really cold in the bedroom area but too warm in the sitting area. It was hard to control the temperature. There was a ceiling fan above our bed, so on the second night, we adjusted the thermastat and turned the ceiling fan on. The grounds were really nice (very relaxing, well kept and nicely landscaped). We especially enjoyed hanging out on the patio which overlooked the pool. The complimentary breakfast was great! On Saturday morning, there was scrambled eggs, sausage links and hashbrowns, plus pastries, cold or hot cereal, assorted breads, bagels, juices, coffees, etc. On Sunday, guests were offered scrambled eggs, cornbeef hash, sausage, plus the pastries, breads, bagels and beverages. This particular weekend, the hotel was really busy (there were some sports events going on and LOTS of little kids were running around), and I was impressed by how efficient the kitchen staff was in terms of continually refreshing the food/beverage supplies. Coffee, tea and hot chocolate are available in the lobby area 24/7. All in all, it was a very comfortable stay, and we would stay here again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Express Hotel Suites at NC State SW; City: Raleigh North Carolina; Review: My husband and I stayed one night at the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites at NC State SW. This was the first time we stayed here (we were in town, visiting family). It's a little further out from where we usually stay when we're in town (usually stay around the Crabtree Valley Mall), but decided to try somewhere else this go-around. The good: nice breakfast (eggs, ham, biscuits, cinnamon buns, pancakes, cereal, etc.); great TV and A LOT of channel choices (VH-1 Classic? Awesome!). The bed mattress was comfortable and the shower was nice. We also appreciated the extra blanket and mints on the bed. Here's the not-so-good: the room temperature was hard to regulate. It was freeeeezing when we got there. We messed around with the thermostat, but it still was hard to get a comfortable temperature throughout the night. The pillows are not comfortable; in fact, I woke up with a terrible stiff neck. Also, the vending machine on the 2nd floor was broken. My husband went to the 3rd floor to get a drink; he brought back a soda, but it was warm. Housekeeping was bit noisy (they came around 8:30 am on Memorial Day; really?). Checkout was at 11 am, although on our reservation confirmation, it said noon. I had a do not disturb sign on our door, and the housekeeper knocked on our door at 11 am. To double-check once again, I called the front desk to be sure we were still OK to check out at noon. Finally, if the hotel is indeed truly concerned about sustainability, how about replacing the styrofoam cups and plates and instead have silverware and real cups and plates in the rooms?; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Garden Inn Richmond Airport; City: Sandston Virginia; Review: My husband and I live in the Richmond area, but needed a place to stay when our power went out due to Hurricane Irene. After calling many hotels two days after the storm and finding out most of them had already been booked for the week, I was very happy to find that the Hilton Garden Inn RIC had one room left. The hotel looks almost brand-spanking new (there were "wet paint" signs in the lobby, which made me wonder how new the hotel was, but this wasn't a big deal). The room was very clean and comfortable (comfy bed, pillows and duvet (though an extra comforter would have been nice...the thermostat was a little "wonky..." it was hard to get it just right.). There was a microwave, coffee maker, refrigerator and in our case, a full-sized whirlpool in the living room. We didn't use it, and my husband commented that a couch or an extra table would have been more useful. Additionally, the walls are a bit thin; I could hear people talking and in the mornings, I was awakened by people slamming their hotel doors shut. We appreciated the complimentary coffee, tea and hot chocolate available to guests. What would have really put the hotel "over the top" would be a complimentary hot breakfast like the Homewood Suites offers. Because Dominion VA Power kept changing our estimated restoration time, we had to extend our stay a couple of times (we were going to stay Monday night-Wed, then called Tuesday night and extended it to check out on Friday morning). The hotel accommodated us, and this was appreciated. As it happened, our power came on Thursday afternoon. We tried to see if we could check out Thursday evening, since our power was back on (and thought maybe another family could use the room, since many others in the area were out of power still), but we were told we could not do so without being penalized since housekeeping had already made up the room. Overall, the Hilton Garden Inn is a very nice, clean and comfortable hotel, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a place to stay in the Richmond metropolitan area.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Homewood Suites Richmond Airport; City: Sandston Virginia; Review: We've stayed at a few Homewood Suites (Raleigh, NC and Falls Church, VA right outside of DC), so I've come to expect the same type of comfort at this hotel. First thing I noticed was our king suite didn't seem as big as the others we've stayed at. Maybe it's the layout of our room, but I recall having more in the bedroom. Also, the remotes did not work correctly; in fact, the one in the living area was completely dead. The one in the bedroom stuck when I tried to push the buttons. Maybe this isn't a big deal to some, but imagine if you had arthritis or carpal tunnel in your hands (I tend to suffer with this on occasion). Not fun. Also, the sheets need to be replaced. The fitted sheet's elastic was completely shot, and the sheet kept slipping off during the night. The biggest issue I had was the shower. I got scalded on my back when trying to turn the shower off. My back was red for a while. What the heck! This has never happened to me at a hotel, no less a Homewood Suites. I took a washcloth and tried to cool it off with a cool compress. I posted something on Homewood Suites Facebook page last night, but have not gotten a response. We stayed here because of Hurricane Sandy, as we tend to lose power in our neighborhood; fortunately, we didn't lose power after all, so we're checking out today. Next time, we'll stay at the Hilton Garden Inn across the street.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The Earl's Inconvenient Wife (Marriage by Scandal); Author: Visit Amazon's Ruth Ann Nordin Page; Review: Just the right kind of book for historical novels. The Earl 's Inconvenient Wife has the right amount of romance, laughter,and suppence!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Intentions of the Earl: Scandalous Sisters, Book 1 (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Rose Gordon Page; Review: Rose Gordon writes a very good story involving Andrew and Brooke. The intrigue evolves around Brooke's family and Andrew's family secrets. I am looking forward to the next book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pirate's Bride (Heartfire Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Lynette Vinet Page; Review: This was a great read. I downloaded this while visiting my husband on Pennsylvania. Great historical references. Love this book!! Lynette Vinet is a wonderful author.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: To Refuse a Rake; Author: Visit Amazon's Kristin Vayden Page; Review: I loved this book. It has humor, sassiness, and an atmosphere of closeness within the family. I look forward to reading more Kristin Vayden novels. I could sit back down and read it again; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Governess Affair; Author: Visit Amazon's Courtney Milan Page; Review: A great story where the under dog becomes the victor and wins it all. I loved it. Looking forward to the next Courtney Milan!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Loving Lauren (The West Contemporary Romance Series) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Jill Sanders Page; Review: I loved the book. I love the determination Lauren had as a young woman. She started not only caring for her sisters but the ranch too. It was a pleasant surprise to watch the hidden desires unroll between her and Chase.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The MacKinnon's Bride (The Highland Brides) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Tanya Anne Crosby Page; Review: I loved Iain and Paige's story. The story was beautifully written with just enough humor and intrigue. I couldn't put the book down..; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Green Toys Submarine, Blue; Brand: Green Toys; Review: My son absolutely adores this toy! They are very sturdy, & I love that they are made from recycled milk jugs here in the USA. I bought this and the tugboat for bath toys, as the 2 green toys airplanes he already has were big hits. This sub has a handle from which you can pour water out the wide front opening (great for shampoo rinsing!), and also a propeller he loves to spin & pour water on to make spin! They float nicely, and I see my 1 year old having fun with these for years to come!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pewi Ybike Ride On Toy and Walking Buddy; Brand: PEWI; Review: I purchased this as one of my son's many 1st Birthday gifts... =)On his birthday, his feet were just shy of hitting the floor, so he couldn't really push himself around on it right away. However, he was very intrigued by it, and he loved crawling around & pushing it like a car. Now at 13 months, he cruises around on his Pewi like a pro! He still isn't walking without holding onto a table or furniture, so I think he really loves the freedom of movement this bike gives him. As a walker, I believe this is for more experienced walkers, as it's much too fast for beginners, & it moves in all directions. He really does well with his Haba push wagon though. (It is the blue & red one with a seat up front, and it has an adjustable "brake" to slow it down when they are just starting out. It's very heavy/sturdy so it doesn't tip easily, and it really is a quality piece). My son's 2 year old cousin also loves riding around on the Pewi, so I believe that my son will enjoy it for quite some time. Depending on how fast he progresses with it, I plan on purchasing him a balance bike for Christmas (@18months) or for his 2nd birthday.Overall, this red Pewi Bike is very sturdy, very inexpensive, & a lot of fun for little ones. I highly recommend it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Love to Play Puppy; Brand: ; Review: I had been searching & searching for a safe stuffed animal that sings ABCs & 123s... My son is 15 months, & he fell in love with a singing/moving bear on a trip to his great grandparents house @ 10 months old.I wanted something that sang ABCs because that is one of his favorite songs, & for the educational aspect. I will admit, I am not a fan of Fisher Price toys in general (we prefer hand made, wood, non-toxic, battery-free, land made in USA) so I kept putting this purchase off even though it was so inexpensive & it sang the ABCs. I don't ever usually purchase toys made in China, because they use unnecessary chemicals (in this toy, that would be mercury & bromide). I don't understand why you need to include these in a toy, marketed to babies 6+ months --who put everything in there mouths? Anyways, my son has not been putting things into his mouth as much since his back teeth came in, so I just purchased this last minute before checking out with some other toys for him...So his very first Fisher Price toy arrived quickly in 2 days with Prime. I opened it up & immediately didn't like the cheap microfiber-ish feel of the fabric the puppy is made with. I gave it to my son, and he was immediately drawn to the light up heart. He sat with him on the floor and danced to the songs, it was super cute!He lost interest after 5 minutes, but that is fairly typical, although my son will play with some of his favorite toys for 30 minutes at a time.The fabric on the puppy picks up every little piece of dust & lint, so be prepared with the lint roller every time your little one wants to use it!We've only had it for 3 days, and I feel like I'm constantly picking lint off of it. Just now my son had the puppy in his crib, and I saw him leaning forward to bite/chew on his tail... Go figure!So this toy will either be donated, or used sparingly as a distraction for diaper change.(If anyone knows of any safer alternatives that are somewhat educational with ABCs & 123s, please let me know!)Overall, I give it 3 stars because my son likes it, it is educational, & sings cute songs. Minus 2 for the added chemicals & cheap, lint-catching fabric. But for $15, you get what you pay for =); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Love to Play Puppy; Brand: ; Review: I had been searching & searching for a safe stuffed animal that sings ABCs & 123s... My son is 15 months, & he fell in love with a singing/moving bear on a trip to his great grandparents house @ 10 months old.I wanted something that sang ABCs because that is one of his favorite songs, & for the educational aspect. I will admit, I am not a fan of Fisher Price toys in general (we prefer hand made, wood, non-toxic, battery-free, land made in USA) so I kept putting this purchase off even though it was so inexpensive & it sang the ABCs. I don't ever usually purchase toys made in China, because they use unnecessary chemicals (in this toy, that would be mercury & bromide). I don't understand why you need to include these in a toy, marketed to babies 6+ months --who put everything in there mouths? Anyways, my son has not been putting things into his mouth as much since his back teeth came in, so I just purchased this last minute before checking out with some other toys for him...So his very first Fisher Price toy arrived quickly in 2 days with Prime. I opened it up & immediately didn't like the cheap microfiber-ish feel of the fabric the puppy is made with. I gave it to my son, and he was immediately drawn to the light up heart. He sat with him on the floor and danced to the songs, it was super cute!He lost interest after 5 minutes, but that is fairly typical, although my son will play with some of his favorite toys for 30 minutes at a time.The fabric on the puppy picks up every little piece of dust & lint, so be prepared with the lint roller every time your little one wants to use it!We've only had it for 3 days, and I feel like I'm constantly picking lint off of it. Just now my son had the puppy in his crib, and I saw him leaning forward to bite/chew on his tail... Go figure!So this toy will either be donated, or used sparingly as a distraction for diaper change.(If anyone knows of any safer alternatives that are somewhat educational with ABCs & 123s, please let me know!)Overall, I give it 3 stars because my son likes it, it is educational, & sings cute songs. Minus 2 for the added chemicals & cheap, lint-catching fabric. But for $15, you get what you pay for =); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Love to Play Puppy; Brand: ; Review: I had been searching & searching for a safe stuffed animal that sings ABCs & 123s... My son is 15 months, & he fell in love with a singing/moving bear on a trip to his great grandparents house @ 10 months old.I wanted something that sang ABCs because that is one of his favorite songs, & for the educational aspect. I will admit, I am not a fan of Fisher Price toys in general (we prefer hand made, wood, non-toxic, battery-free, land made in USA) so I kept putting this purchase off even though it was so inexpensive & it sang the ABCs. I don't ever usually purchase toys made in China, because they use unnecessary chemicals (in this toy, that would be mercury & bromide). I don't understand why you need to include these in a toy, marketed to babies 6+ months --who put everything in there mouths? Anyways, my son has not been putting things into his mouth as much since his back teeth came in, so I just purchased this last minute before checking out with some other toys for him...So his very first Fisher Price toy arrived quickly in 2 days with Prime. I opened it up & immediately didn't like the cheap microfiber-ish feel of the fabric the puppy is made with. I gave it to my son, and he was immediately drawn to the light up heart. He sat with him on the floor and danced to the songs, it was super cute!He lost interest after 5 minutes, but that is fairly typical, although my son will play with some of his favorite toys for 30 minutes at a time.The fabric on the puppy picks up every little piece of dust & lint, so be prepared with the lint roller every time your little one wants to use it!We've only had it for 3 days, and I feel like I'm constantly picking lint off of it. Just now my son had the puppy in his crib, and I saw him leaning forward to bite/chew on his tail... Go figure!So this toy will either be donated, or used sparingly as a distraction for diaper change.(If anyone knows of any safer alternatives that are somewhat educational with ABCs & 123s, please let me know!)Overall, I give it 3 stars because my son likes it, it is educational, & sings cute songs. Minus 2 for the added chemicals & cheap, lint-catching fabric. But for $15, you get what you pay for =); Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Toys_and_Games |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Scotia Bed and Breakfast; City: Perth Perth and Kinross Scotland; Review: I stayed at Scotia Bed and breakfast with my kitten for two nights. I came for a meeting. Alisdair, Suzie, and Kay are great hosts. The room I stayed in is small and very nice. We had a lovely view of the main road. It takes a half hour to walk to town each way. There is a very good food shop and restaurant 8 minutes walk the opposite direction. The breakfast of bacon, eggs, and sausage is the best. Scotia is very booked up at this time of year. It is a great place to stay for a visit to Perth.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Gables Guest House; City: Perth Perth and Kinross Scotland; Review: I stayed at The Gables one night with my kitten. Barbara is a very gracious hostess who took us in as I had to stay in Perth an additional day for an appointment to get new glasses. The room I had was nice and big. There is a double bed and a large bathroom with a bath and shower. There is a book case in on the stair landing with lots of books that make good reading. The location is very good. There is a big supermarket a short walk down the road. I brought my evening meal from the great Scottish restaurant called McDonald's next door to the supermarket. I would say if you visit Perth, please stay at the Gables. You will be happy you did.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Merchant House; City: Dysart Kirkcaldy Fife Scotland; Review: I stayed at Merchant house 2 nights with my kitten.Hostess Sandy from Macau has came to Scotland in 2000. Her spoken English could be better. Her husband does not speak English. If you live in a country, you should make an effort to learn the language. There was no milk to go with the tea. The pillows could be bigger. Upon my arrival Sandy demanded payment of £72.00. She charges £4.00 to do a load of laundry. It is dried on radiators and not ironed. On Friday, I came back at 2 in the afternoon. The keys to the back door did not work. I went to the front door and son Philip let me in. Once inside I found my rubbish bin had not been emptied and the room not touched. I went out to get a take away meal. When I came back 20 minutes later, I needed help to get back in my room as the carpet needs fixing. There was a beeping sound every few minutes. The beans at breakfast were cold. I accidentally spilled a small bit of kitten litter on the carpet. I could not find a broom to clean it. Sandy demanded £10.00. I did not pay as I was in a hurry to get out. Please keep clear of Merchant House.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Cartref Guest House; City: Carlisle Cumbria England; Review: I stayed at Cartref with my cat two nights in January. I chose Cartref as they accept pets. I liked it as it is a good place to stay to see Carlisle. Graham and Melanie are great hosts. Their daughters Phoebe, Grace, and Jessica came up to visit me and Taz. We had a very enjoyable evening. The breakfasts are very good. I would tell anyone to stay here. You will be happy that you did.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Regent Bay Holiday Park; City: Morecambe Lancaster District Lancashire England; Review: My kitten and I stayed 11 nights. My kitten is very ill as the standard of clenliness is terrible. When we checked in the television did not work. One of the tea towels was covered in mold. The toaster would not work. Two of the burners on the gas stove did not work. This park is a bus ride from the bay. In the cupboard there was food from a previous guest. I am elderly. When we were getting ready to leave the staff told me they would help me. The day before we left I was told there was no one who could help.There were people who could have helped. They were to slothful to help an old person who needed help. I phoned Parkdean Head Office. I had no choice but to leave the caravan a mess. Morecambe is not a nice place. I would not advise anyone coming here.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Haymarket Hotel; City: Edinburgh Scotland; Review: I stayed at the Haymarket Hotel with my cat on 20 January. I chose it as they accept pets.The room I stayed in was in the building next door to reception. The people who work the reception desk are polite. The locale is a the best. There are heaps of shops and restaurants you can walk to. Haymarket rail station is across the road. Breakfast is served in next door. The delicious food is served in generous portions. I would definitely say stay at the Haymarket Hotel when you visit Edinburgh.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Elbow Room; City: Kirkcaldy Fife Scotland; Review: I arrived at The Elbow Room with my kitten on Saturday evening 29 July. Sarah, Wendy and Muriel welcomed us. We were told there were dogs staying. Muriel brought a litter tray and litter for my kitten. Sarah made me a ham and cheese sandwich and brought me a drink. Sunday morning we attended Abbotshall Church. We got lost on the way back. Sarah and Wendy found us and brought us back. The room where we stayed was very nice. There was a double bed, and bathroom. There was also a refrigerator with bottled water. I also liked the hot chocolate. Breakfast was the best. We stayed two nights. We would have stayed longer if there had been room. If you are in Kirkcaldy, phone The Elbow Room. You will méet great people and have a good time.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Hollies; City: Appleby in Westmorland Eden District Lake District Cumbria England; Review: I stayed at The Hollies with my small kitten Saturday and Sunday 22 and 23 April. Jan met us in Appleby. Jan and her husband charge £60.00 a night to stay in their home. The room was very nice.Jan is a good hostess. Jan took us to get things for my kitten. She also took us to her church. The Hollies is a half mile from town. It seemed to be further. We paid for two nights. We went home on Sunday afternoon as I wanted to get my kitten home.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park; City: Nairn Scottish Highlands Scotland; Review: I stayed at Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park with my kitten from 9 - 11 October. I booked our short break 2 days before we arrived. This is our 4th holiday with Parkdean. They are an outstanding company. This park is the best. The holiday home we stayed in had lots of room for my kitten to run. Everything including the oven, shelves, and cupboards I could reach. The refrigerator was large. The bathroom and shower are good for people with decreasing mobility. I would buy the holiday home if I could. The shop is very well stocked. I bought things we forgot to bring. The location is reachable by foot from town. The beach is also walkable from anywhere on the the park. The restaurant menus have variety with food I could eat. I would reccommend a meal on park. The staff are very polite and helpful. Molly and Lauren checked us in and let us keep luggage in the office whilst we went shopping for food. When we came back to the park, Gordy helped with our luggage. The day we left, I phoned to ask for assistance. Jackie from reception is very nice. She sent Linda to help. Linda is older like myself. It was nice to have company. I wish Nairn Lochloy was open all year. I would highly reccommend this resort to everyone. Thank you a million times for having us. Kate and Joey; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Macdonald Norwood Hall Hotel; City: Aberdeen Aberdeenshire Scotland; Review: On the fourteenth ofDecember, I went to the MacDonald Norwood Hall Hotel for a Christmas Lunch. I was part of a group of thirty six ladies who had our gathering at this great place. The tables were set with shining cutlery. The Christmas Tree and decorations were beautiful. The food was excellent. I had a brown roll with soup, turkey with vegetables, and poached pear with caramel tart and Ice cream.The staff are polite. I would definitly recommend this place for a meal. You will be happy you came.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: The Goonies Clamshell VHS; Brand: Sean Astin; Review: classic; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Brand: George Clooney; Review: Long winded, mostly enjoyable.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Transylvania [DVD] [2012]; Brand: ; Review: Enjoyable movie.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(WS) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA(WS); Brand: Adam Sandler; Review: Enjoyable movie.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tammy 2014 Region Free; Brand: ; Review: Funny movie, really enjoyed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Hitachi DS18DL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 1/2-Inch Cordless Driver Drill (Discontinued by Manufacturer); Brand: Hitachi; Review: So far this drill has done the trick for everything I need. I've used it to hang curtains, install a fan, install hooks in the laundry room, and other odds and ends around the house--all on one battery charge. A bit of a warning on the battery charger. The light blinks red for 0.5 seconds as the battery charges. The manual indicates that a solid green light indicates a problem with the battery or the charger. Usually, green means "go," and blinking red indicates a problem. Other than that, I'm very pleased with this product.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mommys Helper 25-Pack Bulk Safe Plate Electrical Outlet Covers Standard, White; Brand: Mommy's Helper; Review: I appreciated the easy installation after switching out plate 20 of 48 in my home. The spring-loaded outlet covers provide enough resistance to keep out toddlers, but allow adults easy one-handed access. The footprint of the plates are a little more narrow than my existing outlet plates; fortunately the sheet rock was cut properly around all my outlet boxes so no gaps/holes are visible. The company included 6 insulated gaskets in each box of 25 for outlets on exterior walls. I could have used 4-6 more. My only complaint is that this style and quantity isn't offered in almond or any other color.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hitachi 326241 EBM1830 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 3.0 Ah HXP Battery; Brand: Hitachi; Review: Combined with my Hitachi tools, these batteries really go the distance. They hold a charge well and provide more than enough power to finish small projects on a single charge.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Schlage BE369NX Camelot 619 Home Keypad Deadbolt with Z-Wave Technology, Satin Nickel; Brand: Schlage Lock Company; Review: This is the fifth Schlage keyless lock I've purchased--we moved and foolishly left our originals behind. I like this particular design because the battery is only used to engage the mechanical deadbolt--it doesn't have the job of driving a motor to position the actual deadbolt. Because you are physically turning the lock, alignment isn't as critical. In the event the battery dies, you also have a key to unlock it. I haven't been able to utilize the z-wave technology because it seems security companies don't want you to be able to add those devices on your own, so you have to call out one of their techs to add it to your system.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hitachi NT65M2S 16-Gauge Finish Nailer with Integrated Air Duster, 2-1/2-Inch, Silver; Brand: Hitachi; Review: I'm a fan of Hitachi tools--I have a HT drill, circular saw, sander, and now this guy. The price seems to be right in the middle of most of their competitor's prices, but the quality is near the top. My HT drill is nearly ten years old and it still works beautifully. This nailer doesn't jam, is easy to use, and is low-maintenance.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Courtyard Grand Junction; City: Grand Junction Colorado; Review: This hotel was very nice and comfortable. The beds were really comfortable, and they gave us extra pillows. The room was very clean and was nicely decorated. The only complaints I have is that the halls were a bit dirty-I saw a couple stains and they just needed to be vacuumed. Also, the information book in our room said they offer complimentary coffee in the mornings, but, when my husband when down to get some, they made you pay for it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: BEST WESTERN Old Mill Inn; City: Omaha Nebraska; Review: I wish I could give this hotel a better rating, but the staff just didn't even attempt to resolve our issues. We arrived to a room with a bed and a pull out couch for our kids. The pull out ended up not having a mattress on it and was broken to the point we couldn't even pull it out. We called to the desk and told them of the problem. We were told by the attendant that he would look into it to see if he could get us a roll away. He never called back, so I went down to the desk. He said he had not gotten to check but would. He called a bit later and said all he could give us was an extra comforter which was no help. Our kids slept on the floor. The next day we left early in the morning for an event and returned early in the evening to find the parking lot very empty. We decided to ask if we could move rooms since they were unable to resolve our problem. The same man at the desk said that he would have to charge us to move rooms because he didn't have time to sell our room to anyone else because it couldn't be cleaned. We were really shocked by this response since it was obvious the hotel was not full, and our room needed to have work done before anyone else could use it anyhow. It also was a non-smoking room that smelled terribly of smoke. We had to have the window open the entire time. I gave the hotel 2 stars because when my husband checked out, the woman at the desk asked how the stay was, and, when he told her about the couch, she seemed genuinely sorry. We wished she would have been there in the evenings to help us. Also, the woman who served the breakfast was very kind and did a good job.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Courtyard Springfield; City: Springfield Illinois; Review: Our family stayed one night here. The positives were-nice pool and whirlpool, comfy beds and nice décor, attentive and kind staff. The negative-it wasn't the cleanest. There was a brown stain on the comforter which the staff apologized for and replaced. I understand these things happen. But, I also find another stain on one of the pillow cases, several spots of mold in the shower and the back splash around the sink felt dirty. I wiped it and it turned the cloth brown with dirt. Also, while brushing my teeth, I noticed lots of toothpaste splatter crusted on the wallpaper behind the sink. I really liked the staff but these things just grossed me out.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Express Lexington North Georgetown; City: Georgetown Kentucky; Review: This hotel is beautiful both inside and out. Our room was very clean and spacious. The breakfast was very good with a nice eating area that was well maintained. I really can't even think of anything negative. Thanks for the wonderful stay!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Country Inn Suites by Radisson Georgetown KY; City: Georgetown Kentucky; Review: This hotel is being redone but not very well. In our room the hinges and door frames had been painted over so doors stuck when you tried to close them. The paint job was also poor. Halls had cracks and what looked like leaks on the ceiling and stains on the carpets. Our room was also not very clean. There were visible dirt marks throughout the bathroom, the office chair was grungy with dirt and the carpet looked dirty. The heating system was also loud and woke me up throughout the night. We went to the breakfast which was so awful I didn't even eat anything. The oatmeal container was disgusting. Oatmeal crusted on the sides and all goopy. There was food all over the floor around the tables. The woman taking care of the area just closed the door when we got down there and never came out. This was not a three star hotel..two at best. I definitely wouldn't recommend.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Bluefish Bed Breakfast; City: Harwich Center Harwich Cape Cod Massachusetts; Review: Our guest room consisted of a bedroom and small lounge area which had a TV, Video and fridge. The rooms were subtly decorated, clean, comfortable and relaxing. The breakfasts were excellent and could be taken in your room, the garden or in the dining room, we choose the dinning room and were rewarded with the company of some great American couples. Tim and Lori are excellent hosts, they are an extremely helpful and friendly couple who's love of food and local environment is infectious. The house is beautifully decorated and retains the elegance of times past. We hope to come back someday. Nigel & Pat Greenaway Herefordshire UK; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Bed of Roses Bed Breakfast; City: Asheville North Carolina; Review: We spent 3 nights at the bed of Roses and overall were left with mixed feelings. On our arrival we were greeted by Janis who showed around the downstairs and then took us to the kitchen were there was free coffee and tea and some very nice brownies that we could help ourselves to. She then gave us our room key and told us our room was on the first floor. The room was clean but a bit on the small side and the furniture had, had better days, the bed was comfortable but was pushed up against the wall on one side. We don't watch TV when we are on vacation, but if you did this it would have been a problem as it was obscured by the bottom of the bed. The breakfast''s were fairly unusual combinations but we found them very enjoyable, even though some of the other guests didn't seem to enjoy them as much as we did. We found the breakfast arrangement a bit regimented as we were told it would be served at 9:00 prompt, one guest had the temerity to sit at the table 3 minutes early and was told to sit in the sitting room until the owner was ready to seat everyone at 9:00, the young lady seemed quite upset and we thought it was very rude and it reminded us of Basil Forty. We are from the UK and have stayed in many B&B's in the USA and breakfast has always been served between 8:00 and 10:00, which caters for most people, some owners have actually asked us what time we would like breakfast. We had to leave at 5:30 am on our last day to catch a flight up to Boston from Rayleigh Durham, we informed Janice of this on our arrival, we didn't expect someone to get up and make breakfast for us, but other B&B's have always given us some water and a sandwich to eat on our journey. We also found a note in our room informing us that if we wanted to sleep in, could we please inform the management and they would offer you the alternative of missing breakfast but still being charged for it! The most enjoyable part of breakfast was sharing it in the company of some great guests from Charlotte NC and Greenville Alabama, they were a hoot and really got the day off to a great start. The other thing we found a bit strange was an envelope on our bedside table telling us our room had been lovingly cared for by the maid and a note saying that if we were unsure of what tip to leave for the maid it was usual to leave 5% of our total stay cost. We have been on vacation in USA a number of times and are well acquainted with the tipping system, but have never come across this sort of thing in any other B&B or hotel. The most it would take to make a bed and have a quick tidy of the; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Bed and Breakfast at Llewellyn Lodge; City: Lexington Virginia; Review: Our room was clean and comfortable and just as described on the web site, small but perfect for an overnight stop. Ellen made us feel at home and gave us all the information we needed as regards places to eat in Lexington, she also allowed us to use her computer to send emails back home to the UK which we were very grateful for as our mobiles weren't working the USA. We had a very pleasant meal (sorry can't remember the name of the place) and evening in Lexington, just strolling around the town. Before retiring to our bed for a great nights sleep we spent a pleasant half hour relaxing on the front porch. John's breakfast was excellent and set us up perfectly for our first day's driving down the Blue Ridge Parkway. Nigel & Pat Greenaway; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Doctor s Inn; City: Galax Virginia; Review: ; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Green Mountain Inn; City: Hyannis Cape Cod Massachusetts; Review: What can you say about this Inn that hasn't been said already? Yeah it's a tough one as all the glowing reviews are absolutely true, it really is that good. Let's give it a try anyway. Firstly we would like to thank Mike and Nick for their patience, understanding and good humour. Our main reason for visiting Hyannis was to see our son who is working as a soccer coach on Cape Cod and we were also joined by our other son from the UK, this was his first experience of B&B in the USA and he thought this was the best accommodation experience he has ever had, especially the banter he shared with Nick and Mike, which basically means poking fun at dad! Our room was the efficiency apartment which was very clean and comfortable and made us feel very much at home. The breakfasts were a joy not only because of there very high quality and variety, (we had a different one everyday for 6 days), but the way Nick and Mike brought the best out of their guests, which made for a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Mike and Nick were always on hand with advice about where to eat, what beaches to visit and they even made bookings for ferry and Whale watching trips, they even let us phone the UK as our Mobile wasn't working the USA. Until now we have always booked our vacations based on the places we want to visit but we can't imagine not wanting to return to the Green Mountain Inn, we feel we have made two very special friends in the Nick and Mike. Sorry guys… WE WILL BE BACK!! The Greenaways; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sandbar Bed Breakfast; City: Nags Head Outer Banks North Carolina; Review: Cara the inn keeper was very friendly and helpful, although she was not present at the inn upon our arrival she had left a welcome note for us and there was also complementary wine, cheese and biscuits which was very welcome. The inn is a lovely house and our room was clean and the decor bright and cheerful. The location was ideal just across the road from the beach. I would point out to anyone with young children that the road is wide (by UK standards) and quite busy. We had spent the afternoon on the beach at Rodanthe and this was much more how we imaged the outer banks. Breakfast was very relaxed, informal and of the serve yourself variety. There was a good selection of muffins, jams, fruit, yoghurts and pastries. As we were driving to the Blue Ridge Cara told us to take food for our journey which was very kind. We really enjoyed our stay at the Sandbar, but felt it was a little expensive compared to other B&B's we have stayed at in North Carolina, Virginia and Cape Cod which provided us with high quality cooked breakfasts. This is just a personal view as we really enjoy a cooked breakfast served to us when we are on vacation, other people may prefer to help themselves and enjoy a more continental type breakfast. Nigel & Pat Greenaway; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Green Mountain Inn; City: Hyannis Cape Cod Massachusetts; Review: This was our second stay at the green mountain Inn, but it feels like we have been coming here forever. If you enjoy having fun and interacting with other guests, then this is the place for you and if you don't then you should also come here because you might discover that having fun is good for your soul. We even managed to have a good time on the day Irene visited ! Mike and Nick are fantastic hosts who go that extra mile to make sure you have everything you need to have a good time. The Breakfast as usual were excellent and we managed to put on the 7lbs in weight which us Brits are supposed to on trip the the states, not that we hold Nick & Mike responsible for every ounce of this. Many thanks to the Green Mountain Guys…hope to be back next year; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Moffat House Hotel; City: Moffat Dumfries and Galloway Scotland; Review: Unfortunately we stayed while the hotel was hosting a wedding and even though they informed us on arrival that there was a wedding in the hotel they didn't inform us that our room was directly above the disco. We had to be up early the next morning to catch a ferry to the Outer Hebrides and could have done without the music vibrating through the room until midnight. The staff were very friendly and the food and service in the restaurant was good. The room was clean, but the bathroom was in need of a total refurbishment and the water took ages to warm up.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Plaine Guesthouse; City: Norton St Philip Bath Somerset England; Review: We stayed for 2 nights over Easter and had a relaxing and very enjoyable stay. Justina was a perfect hostess, nothing was too much trouble. The room was lovely with everything we needed, including fresh milk for our tea and coffee, breakfast was delicious. We would love to go back.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chateau Tivoli Bed Breakfast; City: San Francisco California; Review: The reason we stayed at the Tivoli were the many excellent reviews on tripadvisor and even though we enjoyed our stay it wasn't up to the excellent standard of the many B&B's we have stayed in on the east coast of the USA. We did arrive late at around 11:00pm and as the staff only come in to make breakfast, clean and provide happy hour cheese and wine we had to use the little key security box outside which in the dark can be a little fiddly. We stayed in the Jack London and our son and his girlfriend had the Joaquin Miller room which share a bathroom, this is not a problem for families sharing adjoining rooms, but I'm not sure I would want to do this with people I don't know. The rooms were a good size, but the furniture had seen better days especially the chest of draws which was unusable. The bathroom only had a hand shower and needed updating, the window was being propped up by a small shampoo container! The buffet breakfast was very good with plenty of choice. Unfortunately none of the staff bothered to introduce themselves so we had no idea who was running the place and only meet Meredith on our last morning when looking to pay our bill, this was a real shame as she was very pleasant, but we hadn't been told that we could use the kitchen which would have been nice. I always feel that the owners or whoever is running the B&B is crucial to the atmosphere as a good host will introduce guests to each other, which is so important when you are sharing one large table, this did not happen so the atmosphere was nonexistent, we tried to exchange good morning greetings with the other guest's but didn't get much of a response which was dissapionting, fortunately a young couple from Utah arrived as we were leaving and made our last breakfast the sort of experience we normally enjoy. The location of the Tivoli is actually quite a nice with the seven painted ladies close by and some nice parks within walking distance, however it is quite a walk to downtown and you do have to pass through some undesirable areas to get there, we generally walked during the day and early evening but returned by taxi. A note of caution some of the cab drivers need the exact location of the Tivoli (Junction of Steiner Street and Golden Gate Avenue) as they seem to rely on GPS, one cabbie even shouted at us for not knowing which junction the hertz rental office was located on, It really makes you appreciate how good London black cabs are.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Beaulieu Hotel; City: Beaulieu Brockenhurst New Forest National Park Hampshire Hampshire Engla; Review: Attended a wedding and stayed overnight, our room was clean a good size and the bed was comfortable. The stairs to the upper floors are quite tight especially around the door turns. Breakfast was plentiful with both cereal, fruit, yoghurt and various cooked options included. The wedding was hosted very well and the function room was very good and the food was good considering they were catering for over 100 guests. The staff were helpful and friendly, but some bar staff could have been more aware of people waiting to be served rather than emptying the dishwasher. The location in the new forest was lovely as the ponies were wandering around opposite the hotel. Prices are similar to most mid range city hotels, so reasonable value for money.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Longmynd; City: Church Stretton Shropshire England; Review: Attended an evening wedding reception here, the bar area was long and thin so filled up easily but we were able to find seating around the corner in a lounge area with comfortable seating. The room where the reception was held was very pleasant even if the table layout wasn't great as waiting staff had to squeeze between tables to serve guests and had to keep asking guests to move closer to tables. The service was a little haphazard but generally polite. The food for a wedding reception was very good. I had stayed in this hotel 35 years ago on my own wedding night and I must say it is much improved and even though we didn't stay overnight on this occasion I was told by relatives that the rooms were pleasant and the breakfast was very good. I heard one guest describe the hotel as faded grandeur, which summed up my feelings exactly. I only live about 15 miles away from this hotel and the area is a fantastic place for walkers who want to visit a beautiful part of Britain that remains somewhat undiscovered by many outdoor enthusiast's, I would say this hotel is a perfect location for hiking groups as it has a lived in feel that many would find comfortable.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Grand Hotel Aminta; City: Sorrento Province of Naples Campania; Review: This hotel is an ideal base for visiting Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast and Capri. The hotel is located about 3-4 miles (by road) uphill from Sorrento which affords it some excellent views of Sorrento and the surrounding area. The hotel provide a courtesy mini-bus service in and out of Sorrento which is real bonus as it costs around €25 one way in a taxi, you can walk from the hotel via a footpath oposite the hotel, the path is very steep in places and you need to be aware that motorised scooters also use it, having said that it's only about a mile downhill into Sorrento and takes about half an hour, you do have to cross a main road about halfway into Sorrento fortunately there is a crossing which if you value your life it's advisable to use. The hotel itself is exceptionally clean and very comfortable with plenty of areas to relax, it is very well run and the staff are excellent in all areas. Our room was on the top 5th floor (the lift only goes to the 4th floor) the room was very nice, the only thing I would say is that due to the hotel being high on a hill, it is exposed to a fair amount of wind noise on relatively calm days and it sounds like a hurricane on rough rainy days, so go for a room on the lower floors if this is a problem. The only reason I haven't given the hotel 5 stars is the food in the restaurant may have been considered À la carte standard in years gone by, but it's no more than average by today's standards, having said that it's reasonable value compared to some of the restaurants in Sorrento, where cover and service charges are added at varying rates.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Chiswick Rooms; City: London England; Review: If you don't need the facilities of a hotel or B&B then this is an ideal place to stay, Stamford Brook tube station is a stones throw away so access to central London is very straightforward, Chiswick has a very relaxed atmosphere and the high road has a good selection of shops and numerous restaurants, cafes and bars and is very convenient for visiting Kew Gardens. The rooms themselves are very modern and spotlessly clean, but are small and there is no lift so you have to struggle up a tight staircase with your luggage. If you are elderly you will need to book a ground floor room and I would not recommend this establishment to the disabled especially those in a wheelchair.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Swan Hotel; City: Staines Surrey England; Review: I grew up in the area and used the Swan regularly, mainly drinking with friends and occasionally eating the usual basket meals which were so popular back then. Even though the menu was interesting the food didn't really live up to expectations and the fish pie that my cousin ordered looked like a meat pie as it was in pastry, which we all thought was strange, I don't think my cousin was very impressed as she left half of it. The service wasn't overly friendly or very efficient. The beer was OK but not as good as the Fullers pubs in central London. The location by the river is still as good as I remembered especially as the opposite bank is much improved. I'd say it's still a good venue for meeting friends for a drink but I won't be rushing back for a meal.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Whaler s Inn; City: Mystic Connecticut; Review: The Whalers Inn is a lovely old building right in the heart of Mystic which itself is a beautiful town. The staff are very friendly and helpful. There is also ample parking on site. Our room was excellent, plenty of space and nice leather sofa to relax on and watch TV or read. The bed was very comfortable so we slept well. The decor and furnishings were very nice and there was plenty of space for clothes. The bathroom was clean and shower was a good size. Our room was on the 3rd floor and on the corner of the building so we had a view of the bridge and the river. If you struggle to carry cases up stairs then ask for a room on the lower floors. The landings are wide and give character not found in modern featureless hotels that abound today, so if prefer a more tasteful gentle experience then look no further than the Whalers Inn.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Essex Vermont s Culinary Resort Spa; City: Essex Vermont; Review: I was a little after concerned after reading a review on trip advisor that stated the guest had allowed her dog to sleep on the bed obviously not adhering to the rules regarding animals in the hotel rooms. I need not have worried as we were given a complimentary upgrade to a deluxe suite which was perfect as it gave us the privacy required for four adults. The decor of the room was bright and the cupboard and draw space for clothing etc was excellent, the kitchen area was more than adequate for our needs, the bathroom was a good size and also had plenty of storage space. We ate in both the tavern and the muse and all our meals were of a very high standard as we're the breakfasts. We also used the spa for massages which included the use of the suna and steam rooms for the day, it was a wonderfully relaxing experience. The indoor pool is excellent as are the outdoor pool and the hot tub. The grounds of the resort are immaculate. The staff in all areas are attentive while maintaining the relaxed cheerfulness that seems to come naturally to the people of Vermont.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Red Lion Inn; City: Chipping Campden Cotswolds England; Review: The Red Lion is a tradition English inn with heaps of character and open fires ideal for a weekend winter break. The rooms are clean and comfortable, even though they could with a bit of updating cosmetically, they still represent excellent value for money. The breakfast was good quality and set us up for the day ahead. We also ate in the bar/eating area on our first evening and the staff were kind enough to serve us past 9:00 as our son had been held up in traffic, the menu was varied and our meals were well prepared and of good quality. The staff are very friendly and efficient in a relaxed manner, making you feel very much at home. Chipping Campden is a lovely village with good pubs, restaurants and some interesting shops, it is an ideal location for touring the Cotswolds. Would definitely come back again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Elmer Pub and Hotel; City: Bognor Regis Arun District West Sussex England; Review: We stayed 1 night while visiting family in the Chichester area. On arrival we were shown to our room, but there was no information about breakfast timings or where it was served. Our room was quite small with some tired furnishings and a very small TV. The bathroom was clean and had a good shower cubicle, the sink was quite old and the tap had to be turned hard to stop it dripping, it looked like the pedestal of the sink had been replaced as there was a gap in floor covering where you could see the floorboards. The Elmer appeared to be very popular local’s pub and was quite lively especially in the evening, we arrived back from an evening out at around 11:30 and the noise from the bar was quite loud and we could hear debates about the football on Match of the Day, to be fair this only lasted until midnight when the bar was closed. I imagine the noise would have been a problem for people with young children/babies or those requiring an early night. Breakfast was plentiful and included cereal and a cooked breakfast of sausage, bacon, fried egg and tomato, which was of average quality and had no choice of egg. The staff were cheerful and friendly. I would not say our stay represented value for money as I have stayed in better B&B’s and pubs for less money. The area is quiet and the beach, mainly stones with a little sand is a short walk away. I came to Bognor on holiday as a child and to be honest other than Butlins it hasn’t improved much in 50 years. With the Isle of Wight just a short hop across the Solent, I know where I would holiday in this area if I had a young family.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hampton by Hilton Birmingham Broad Street; City: Birmingham West Midlands England; Review: Stayed 1 night while attending a concert at the Symphony Hall. Our room was very clean, with nice furnishings and a comfortable bed, the bathroom was very good with walk in shower and good size sink area for shaving etc. Staff were friendly and efficient. We had a buffet breakfast which wasn't of a high quality but considering it was included in the excellent room rate it would be picky to site this as a negative. The location is very good as it is walking distance to the canals, restaurants, the NIA and Symphony Hall. It is however close to some bars and nightclubs, so I imagine this area would be lively at the weekend. I would defiantly stay here again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Elysees Opera; City: Paris Ile de France; Review: We booked 4 months in advance so got a good price considering the location. We had travelled on the overnight train from Verona and arrived at the hotel at around 10:00am and the man on the desk was very helpful even phoning to see if our rooms were available and as they weren't put all our luggage in a storage area for us, he then gave us a map and explained how to get to the various attractions. The rooms are little small as you would expect but very clean and perfectly adequate for a 3 day city break. There is also a nice little bar area where you can get various beverages including a very pleasant nightcap. The location is very good with plenty of nice restaurants within walking distance. All the main attractions are a short metro ride away, we walked to the Sacré Cœur which took about 30 mins. We travelled back to London on the Eurostar from Gare du Nord and it only took us around 25 mins using the metro.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ca Sant Angelo; City: Venice Veneto; Review: We booked directly with Paolo and the whole process went very smoothly. When we arrived on the water taxi at Sant' Angelo we called the office and Michael was there to greet us within five minutes, he helped us carry out suitcases back to the apartment and then showed us around and explained how everything worked. We were in apartment 3 which was ideal for 4 adults, the rooms being very spacious. The Apartment was very clean and the kitchen area was very modern with everything you could need. The Bathroom was a good size with a very nice shower cubicle. This apartment also has a small balcony which overlooks the square. The location is perfectly situated on a very nice square with shops and restaurants close by, it is about half way between St Marks Square and the Rialto, making it very easy to plan your sightseeing. There are a couple of reasons that I haven't given this apartment top marks the first being the main bed and the bed settee in the lounge were very hard and uncomfortable and it would have been nice to have had a small welcome pack so that we could have made a cup of tea/coffee on our arrival, even though this was not a major problem as there are shops close by, I would imagine if you turned up in the evening when dark it may be a problem to find your way around as this is an area you could easily get lost in.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Montresor Hotel Palace; City: Verona Province of Verona Veneto; Review: Stayed one night on a whistle stop tour of Verona. The room was a good size, with a nice clean bathroom area. The wi-fi in the room was a little slow but it's free so no complaints. The desk staff were very helpful, giving us a map upon arrival and pointing out all the main sights and also some lesser know ones that we could visit as we walked into the city. We arrived by train from Venice at around 1:00 took a taxi to the hotel and were checked in straight away, we then walked into the city which took about 30mins, it's a reasonably nice walk once you get inside the ring road, especially along the river. We spent a very pleasant afternoon in the city having lunch and visiting all the main historical sites. We walked back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening and as we were a bit foot sore took a taxi back into the city, the hotel has a good relationship with a local taxi company, we didn't wait any longer than 10 mins for one to arrive. We were here on a Tuesday and quite a few of the restaurants that we had looked at on trip advisor were closed, we did eventually end up in a very good sushi bar, but I would advise anyone looking to eat in a particular restaurant to check the opening times.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Washington House Hotel; City: Bournemouth Dorset England; Review: Booked 2 rooms here on a Saturday night whilst attending a Bryan Adams concert at the BIC which was about 10 mins walk away. The hotel has recently been refurbished and the standard of furnishings and the size of rooms are very good. The bathroom was a very good size with a good sized shower cubicle. The only thing I would say about the bedroom was the bed was a bit on the small size which wasn't a problem for my wife and I, as I am only 5ft 8ins tall, but I imagine this could be a problem for taller larger guests. Breakfast was not included in the price so no comment except to say it did smell nice. The location of the hotel is convenient for the beach and there are good selection of restaurants and bars within walking distance. I'm not sure this area would suit people who are looking for somewhere quiet to stay, as it has many hotels and B&B's and Bournemouth itself is very popular for hen and stag parties so this area is quiet noisy in the early hours. We had originally booked this hotel through Venere.com and due to a misunderstanding cancelled our rooms and then re-booked through Hotels.com, when we arrived there was a slight confusion over our booking as the hotel thought we had booked double the amount of rooms, but this was soon sorted out with the hotel management, the one interesting thing that this threw up was that Venere.com and Hotels.com are both owned by Expedia and this was the cause of the problem, as the hotel had only dealt with Expedia and had never heard of Venere.com, after checking online I had since discovered that Expedia also own the following brands: Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, trivago, Egencia, and Venere, so I think I am going to book direct with the hotels in future as the price for this hotel was exactly the same if you booked direct. To be honest I generally check the hotel website's as they often include breakfast in the price or have other deals available that are of better value than the booking agencies.....you live and learn!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ibis Styles Birmingham Airport NEC; City: Birmingham West Midlands England; Review: Stayed 1 night while attending a concert at the LG Arena, got an amazing rate of £27 for a double room. The room was a good size, bed was comfortable and the bathroom area was clean with a good shower. This hotel is mainly used by exhibitors attending shows at the NEC so the breakfast and bar area's are similar to a University dinning room. The hotel is approx 15 mins walk to the LG Arena and even though it didn't make me feel unsafe, I wouldn't be happy if my wife and friends were walking through what is basically a trading estate and the loading areas for the exhibition halls, especially in the dark.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Avalon Hotel; City: New York City New York; Review: Stayed for 3 nights between 18-21 December and the location was perfect just around the corner from The Empire State and 10 mins walk to Bryant Park, Times Square etc. The room was a good size, clean and the bed was comfortable the only disappointing part was the bathroom which had large cracks in the sink and toilet. The staff at the front desk were friendly, helpful and efficient. The one little extra we really enjoyed was the free coffee, Tea and hot chocolate available 24 hours from a very good machine in the small lounge/computer area. We didn't eat breakfast here as we like to visit Penelope's about 10 mins walk away but the price did seem very reasonable. Would definitely stay here again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Great Green Cottage Bed and Breakfast; City: Mells Frome Somerset England; Review: This is the best B&B in Britain that my wife and I have stayed in. Hilary and Roger are warm and friendly hosts who make you feel instantly at home in their beautifully renovated home. Our room was spotlessly clean, cosy and comfortable. Our bed was comfortable giving us an excellent night's sleep. I prefer using B&B's to hotels as you get a more personal experience and better value for money and to be honest this B&B exceeded our expectations with all the extra touches such as free sparkling and still water, tea, coffee and hot chocolate. The bathroom was very nice with a good shower plus a good selection of towels that included large bath sheets, the complimentary shower gels and shampoos were very good quality, there were also shower sponges provided for each guest. Breakfast was excellent with a selection of cereals including granola plus fresh yoghurts and fruit. To drink there was a selection of fruit juices plus tea and coffee. We also had 2 very nice croissant's before the cooked part of breakfast which was choice of full English or scrambled egg with smoked salmon on an English muffin. We chose the scrambled egg which was delicious. I notice some other guests have mentioned the dog who barks when you arrive, well he is a big softie who just wants you to make a fuss of him, plus he is kept away from guests so it's not a problem for people who don't like animals. I will always try to stay here when visiting this area.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anabelle s Guest House; City: Bath Somerset England; Review: Stayed here with a group of friends and had very good time, Sergio the owner and his staff are very friendly and helpful. The beds are comfortable and the rooms clean we shared a bathroom which was fine as we were on a budget. Breakfast was very good and included cereal, fruit, yoghurts and a cooked breakfast. The location is perfect for all the historic attractions, shopping, restaurants, bars and nightlife. If you come by car there is a car park across the road which costs around £12.50 per day, you don't have to pay during the evening and early morning, so if you arrive during the evening the ticket you buy will give you parking during the next day which is helpful if you want to get up late.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nandini Jungle Resort Spa Bali; City: Payangan Gianyar Regency Bali; Review: From the moment we contacted Rumila at the the Nandini to organise a taxi to pick us up from the airport to the moment we checked out the level of service was excellent. All the staff from the manager Iwan right down to the guy who sprays the mosquito repellent are friendly, polite and doing their utmost to make sure you have a great stay. The huts are a very good size with huge bathroom areas and there is plenty of storage for clothes etc. The balconies are large with nice furniture and great views. The swimming pool area is beautiful with plenty of sun beds and really nice hut in the corner which a great place to relax in the shade. Service around the pool area is excellent and you can order a variety drinks and snacks. The spa is also excellent offering a variety of beauty treatments and massages, we loved the massages which left us feeling relaxed and stress free. Breakfast was plentiful and there was a good variety from cereals, pastries, french toast, pancakes, fruit and you could also order fresh eggs cooked right in front of you to any style. As others have mentioned the food in the restaurant can be a little inconsistent especially on the set menu evenings however when choosing from the a la carte menu the standard was quite good. The best meal we had was when we had a birthday meal served on our balcony which was very good and the attention to detail decorating our balcony and making us feel special was amazing. We used the free mini bus service in and out of Ubud many times and this excellent, even though the last one back to the resort was at half four you could get a cab back to the resort for around £7.50 if you wanted to return later in the evening, just make sure you agree a fare before getting in a cab and make sure the vehicle is decent. We ate some very good meals in Ubud and to be fair they were a lot cheaper than the resort, but to be honest the prices we paid in the resort were about what we pay in the UK so it didn't seem excessive, it's only when you compare the prices to some of the high end restaurants in Ubud that the prices appear expensive. We also booked 2 one day and one half day tours with Lana who picked us up from the airport, even though we arranged them with Lana we paid for them through the resort. Lana is an excellent driver considering the traffic in Bali and is very knowledgeable about the culture and lifestyle of Bali, he has an in depth knowledge of places to visit and speaks very good English considering he has had no formal lessons. I would thoroughly recommend him if you intend to use this service. We also visited the Silent Hut which is a beautiful place to watch the sun go down, it's about 5-10 mins walk from the; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: EdenStar Saigon Hotel Spa; City: Ho Chi Minh City; Review: We arrived at around 11:30am on a flight from Heathrow via KL and were given a room within 10 mins which was a huge relief as we were tired and grubby. Staff were very friendly and helpful in all areas of the hotel. Our room was a good size and clean. The rooftop swimming pool has a good view of the city and has a nice bar where you can enjoy a good range of snacks at reasonable prices. Even though breakfast was included we can't comment on it due to being out early on a trip and illness. The hotel is walking distance to many attractions, bars and restaurants, you may find it easier to take a tuk tuk as crossing the road takes courage but once you get the hang of dogging between the traffic and putting your hand out it's not as bad as it looks.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Cashew Nut Villa; City: Siem Reap Siem Reap Province; Review: Stayed here for 3 nights while visiting Angkor Wat and other Temples. We stayed in the Penthouse Suite which was a decent size room with a nice bathroom and it’s own private roof terrace and plunge pool. However it did lack a few of the basics like a hair dryer, efficient air con and wardrobe. This B&B does not include breakfast in the price but will cook you up some decent scrambled eggs for around $2.50, they will also provide a take-away-breakfast if you are going on an early trip, but to be honest I would go for a breakfast once you arrive at your destination. Steve the owner was very helpful and arranged our trips to see the temples including a guide. We had 2 day tours and also the evening sunset. The temples are very popular so if you intend to see the sunset I would go at around 15:30 if you want a decent spot to take pictures. We did the sunrise tour and this involves getting up at around 4:00am to leave the B&B at 4:45, unfortunately our guide tuned up late at 5:00, which was slightly annoying but didn’t seem like a big deal until we arrived at Angkor Wat and realised that 15 mins makes a difference in getting a decent position to take pictures. Having said that we had a really good day and the guide was very good. We were very tired by around 2:00pm and decided to give the last temple of this tour a miss as the temperature had reached about 98f by this time. The cost of our English speaking guide for the day was $45. On our second tour was the Beng Mealea + Banteay Srei tour, this involved a 130km round trip in a Tuk Tuk, even though our Tuk Tuk driver (who is one of the lads who works at the B&B) was excellent this journey involves spending around 4 hours in a Tuk Tuk in the baking heat, even though we enjoyed being able to see the countryside at close quarters this may not be for everyone. If you intend to purchase a 3 day pass to the temples I would suggest you purchase it in the morning to get the full value from it, you purchase it after 17:00 and then use it for 3 days but if you intend to do this and then watch the sunset you will not get a decent position to watch the sunset. Overall I would say this B&B is decent value for money and Steve and his staff a very friendly and helpful, location is good about 10-15 mins walk into the town centre or a $2 Tuk Tuk ride. The only thing I would say is if you value peace and quiet this may not be for you as there is one very noisy neighbour who plays loud music in the afternoon and as early as 4:00am.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hanoi La Siesta Hotel Spa; City: Hanoi; Review: Booked our first night here as part of a package with Paradise Cruises and then returned for a second night after the cruise. The first thing I would like to say is that the standard of service and friendliness of the staff was excellent, they made our visit to Hanoi so special. This hotel is the epitome of a boutique hotel, smart, clean and relaxed. Breakfast was plentiful and of a high standard, with a good selection of English and Continental styles. The rooms are well furnished a good size with plenty of storage space and very good bathrooms. Location is excellent in the heart of the old quarter. The hotel arranged a guided walking street food tour for us which was lots of fun, our guide was excellent informing us all about the local street food and also some history of Hanoi and Vietnam. The food itself was very interesting and tasty and included pancakes, Pho, fish and meat rice dishes plus a delicious banana fritter. To finish off we drank the famous egg coffee which was delicious. If you intend to do this tour don't eat too much during the day as there is much to sample! Our Son and Daughter-in-Law also attended the cooking course which they really enjoyed and didn't need to eat again that day. I would say this is the best hotel experience I have ever had.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Pavilion; City: Phnom Penh; Review: When you step through the gate into the hotel ground it’s like stepping into another world. The hotel itself is beautiful and represents a bygone age, even the new addition which we stayed in was so perfectly matched to the original building that only an expert would be able to tell the difference. The staff are very welcoming, helpful and make your stay a real pleasure. Breakfast was plentiful and of a very high standard. We also enjoyed a free massage which left us feeling relaxed and ready to tackle the bustling city. There are two very nice swimming pool areas with plenty of sun loungers, the rear sun area was very popular and even though it was nearer to our room we were quite happy to relax around the main pool at the front of the hotel which was such a beautiful spot. The only downside was only having two nights here as we would have loved to have spent more time here. The location is ideal for all the main attractions and is walking distance to the Royal Palace, if you don’t like walking in heat there are always plenty of Tuk Tuks outside the hotel.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Palm Garden Beach Resort Spa; City: Hoi An Quang Nam Province; Review: From the moment we arrived the staff were attentive helpful and friendly, which made our stay so enjoyable. This is a really well laid out resort, which feels intimate even though it isn't small, there are always staff keeping it tidy and looking great. The pool area is very nice and ideal for families and couples, we didn't actually spend much time around the pool as we like to be on the beach listening to and swimming in the sea. There are plenty of sunbeds on the beach and the staff are very efficient in bringing towels, you can also order drinks from the comfort of your sunbed……what more could you want! Our room was spotlessly clean a very good size with plenty of storage and a large bathroom, we also had a balcony with sea view which a was nice spot to sit and read. Breakfast was a very good standard of Continental and English styles with plenty of choice which also included fresh fruit and yoghurts. The location is very good only about 10 mins from Hoi An, the hotel runs a free mini bus into Hoi An, but if you wish to return after 20:30 you will need to get a cab, I would use the Green cabs and the price can range between 160,000 vnd to 200,000 vnd depending on route.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pullman Liverpool; City: Liverpool Merseyside England; Review: Came here for 1 night with Secret Escapes and wish it could have been more. The staff were warm friendly and efficient giving the hotel very relaxed feel. The deal we had included evening meal and breakfast and we were so glad we took that option as our evening meal was very good with some interesting twists that included some very tasty purple potatoes. Our waitress was a highlight, efficient, great fun and full of local charm. Breakfast was a buffet of cereal, fruit, pastries and full English, I'm not a lover of buffet breakfast but the quality and freshness was good. Our room was on the 7th floor and we had a good view of the dock area stretching to the Liver building and beyond. The room itself was very nice with a comfortable bed, nice furnishings, plenty of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and free sparkling and still mineral water. The bathroom was excellent with a great shower. We parked opposite in the secure multi storey which is £15 per 24 hours which isn't bad for a city, the hotel gave us a discount voucher which brought it down to £11.50. We would definitely try to book here again when we next visit this FAB city.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mariner Resort; City: Ogunquit Maine; Review: Spent 4 very enjoyable nights here, we stayed in one of the family style rooms which had one bedroom with 2 queen beds and another queen bed in a living area which had a door onto the balcony, these rooms were separated by the bathroom. All the rooms were clean and spacious and ideal for a family or two couples. The room had a really good view towards the sea, so we were able to enjoy some fantastic sunrises. There are two very nice pool areas one of which is inside so perfect for a rainy day. Breakfast is continental style with cereals, bagels fruit and pastries, you can help yourself to coffee and tea throughout the day until around 8:00pm. All staff were very friendly and helpful which created a very pleasant atmosphere. The motel is a short 10 mins walk from the beach and you can also walk along the beach into Ogunquit town which takes around 20-30 mins.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Il Guercino; City: Bologna Province of Bologna Emilia Romagna; Review: Hotel is in a nice neighbourhood and convenient for city centre and rail station. It is walking distance to all the sights if you actually enjoy walking which we do, but it might be a struggle for those who don't especially on a warm day, but buses stop within a few mins walk of the hotel so it's not a problem. The four of us did take a taxi to the Sanctuary of the Madonna di San Luca and then took a leisurely stroll back to the city centre. The hotel itself is a nice comfortable size and has a relaxed atmosphere, the staff are very friendly and helpful, which gives the hotel a more personal feel. There is plenty of choice at breakfast and it is plentiful, the dinning room is comfortable and has interesting decor, you can however choose to eat outside in the courtyard. Our room was a little on the small side, but was OK for a couple of nights, but not any more than that, also we were on the 2nd floor and there was no lift.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Thistle London Heathrow Hotel; City: West Drayton Greater London England; Review: Typical airport hotel, decent sized rooms, clean good shower and usual tea/coffee making in room. Had to drive round back of hotel to find parking space which was fine but signage could be better. Check in was OK and staff friendly, but queueing system could be better organised. Return system for paying parking ticket etc, not good should be separate desk for this. We ate in the restaurant and to be fair the food was better than expected especially my steak and ale pie, it wasn't gastro pub standard but quite good. Service was friendly and efficient and overall prices were what you would expect pay in pubs in this area. The hotel does try to promote the pod into T5 which is accessible from the hotel, but why bother when there is a free local bus that stops outside the hotel.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Katari Hotel at Plaza de Armas; City: Arequipa Arequipa Region; Review: Booked a table for drinks so we could enjoy the view of the square and Cathedral. The hotel itself looked a great place to stay. We had cocktails and snacks which were very tasty and considering the location very good value. It does get a bit chilly in the evenings at this time of year so bring a sweater if you intend to be here at sunset, the waiter kindly provided blankets for us. I would say this is the best view of the cathedral so if you are a keen photographer this is a must.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pachamama; City: Cabanaconde Colca Canyon Arequipa Region; Review: We originally emailed Ludwig to arrange transport from Puno to Arequipa via Chivay. We had booked into a spa resort near Chivay, but changed our plans as we wanted to visit Condor-del-Cruz and Ludwig was so helpful in arranging private transport to pick us up in Chivay we decided to stay at Pachamama Hostel and we were so glad we did. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and the town was having a siesta so none of the eateries were open, but we managed to get some fruit and biscuits from the local shops and sat in the square. We then returned to the hostel and met Ludwig who had been out getting supplies, he gave us a map and directions to one of the many short walks in the area and we then set off to the viewing hut past the deserted football pitch and were treated to some awesome views of Colca Canyon and were also lucky enough to see a condor flying. On our return we realised that we had left a small rucksack on the bus from Puno to Chivay and Manu was kind enough to call 4M and arrange for them to drop it off at their Arequipa office. We enjoyed a very good evening meal, the pizzas were the best we had in Peru, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly with a nice selection of background music. We had been travelling around Peru and staying in 3 star and above hotels so it would be unfair to compare the shower facilities etc of this hostel to those establishments, but when you consider it’s only $35 for B&B in a warm, friendly and funky hostel, to give any less than 5 stars would make you a glass half empty kind of person. We only had one night here as we were on a tight schedule but we would love to come back and really explore the area.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Intitambo Hotel; City: Ollantaytambo Sacred Valley Cusco Region; Review: Our room was a good size as was the bathroom and it was clean and comfortable. There is no lift so you will have to carry your cases up the stairs. There is very nice roof terrace which affords stunning views of the area and especially the Inca ruin, we were lucky enough to be treated to some spectacular sunsets through the valley. The staff are very friendly and helpful and breakfast is good with some nice homemade bread and you can order fresh cooked eggs how you like them. The only slight issue is that the tables are very tightly pushed together and it’s quite cramped. This hotel is located quite high up in the back streets of Ollantaytambo, so if you think you may struggle from the altitude it may not be a suitable location for you, having said that we loved the location even though we did struggle a bit on arrival as it’s quite a climb up from the nearest road that taxis can access, but this is not a problem for Tuck Tucks which can use the smaller pathway which runs close to the hotel. On the morning we left there was power cut and the hotel used a generator which caused some very nasty fumes to enter our room and made us feel quite nauseous, this is not a complaint as the owners were just doing the best they could in the situation.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tierra Viva Cusco Saphi; City: Cusco Cusco Region; Review: This was our favourite hotel during our stay in Peru, the architecture is beautiful inside and out. Our room was on the first floor, there is no lift but the staff are always on hand to carry your bags and help you. The room itself was clean with a large comfortable bed and good storage, the bathroom was also very good. Breakfast was plentiful with a good range of cereals, continental style pastries and hot eggs etc. The staff at this hotel are excellent and the manager was very helpful and went out of his way to make sure we were happy. If you want a hotel in Cusco that’s a ten minute walk from the centre in a quiet location then give the Saphi a try, you won’t be disappointed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Inkaterra Hacienda Concepcion; City: Puerto Maldonado Madre de Dios Region; Review: We spent 2 nights 3 days here and enjoyed every moment. The food was excellent and there was always plenty of choice at the buffet breakfast and lunches, the evening meals were of a very good standard. The staff in all areas are very friendly and always available to help you with your needs. The tours were very good and our guide Alan was excellent and so in love with the environment and wildlife that we will be forever grateful to him. We stayed in the hotel and our Son and daughter-in-Law in a Cabana and both were excellent. On the early morning trip into the Jungle we were lucky enough to see a Cayman catching a snake and a family of Giant River Otters. We also booked an extra trip to see the Parrots, but our luck ran out and even though we saw plenty flying they did not settle on the cliffs due to a predator being close by. We didn't have any problems with Mosquitos as we used plenty of repellent and wore repellent clothing, but we did see plenty of people who were wearing shorts and T-shirts with lots of very nasty looking bites. The transport to and from the resort by long motor boats was very enjoyable and efficient.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lakeside International Hotel; City: Frimley Green Surrey England; Review: Stayed the night here while attending a friends party close by. We could have booked into the hotel, but all we wanted was somewhere to hang our heads and didn't think the extra £35 with no breakfast included was worth it. We arrived around 17:30 and the whole place was deserted and the signage not very helpful, eventually found reception in the International hotel and the lady behind the desk was pleasant and helpful. We then drove round to the lodges and the whole place was deserted and resembled a trading estate. The Lodges are very basic no phone or wifi in room, it was fairly clean, but had mould on the bathroom ceiling. The room size was quite small and the bed lumpy. We arrived back from the party at around 12:30am and by the time we were in bed there was a blazing row going on in one the other rooms so didn't get to sleep for a while. We had a check out time of 11:00 but by 10:20 we had the cleaners knocking on the door asking us how long we would be!! We did have a view of the lake which isn't much to right home about. Only worth 1 star so, extra star for the receptionist not the cleaners.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Dragonfly Guest House; City: Ogunquit Maine; Review: David and Charles are great hosts and make you feel so comfortable in their beautiful home. We came as a family group of 3 couples and all our rooms were spotlessly clean, comfortable and tastefully decorated. Breakfast was delicious with a good choice of fruit, cereals and homemade savoury treats. We have stayed in many B&B's in various locations in the USA and this is right up with the best of them, we only wished we could have stayed longer and would love to come back again. Our Son who lives in Quincy is a regular visitor to Ogunquit and this B&B is now his favourite place to stay.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Charlton Arms; City: Ludlow Shropshire England; Review: Have been to this pub many times over the past 14 years sometimes for food and others just for a drink by the river. This is only the 2nd time I've eaten here since the renovations, the first being Boxing Day lunchtime 2015 when we just had some bar snack and drinks which were very nice. This time we popped in for lunch and had very pleasant meal. My parents who love fish and chips said it was the best they had eaten for a long time, my wife had the Mushroom Tagliatelle which was very tasty and I had the Pan fried Hake with Mussels, which came in a Chorizo and Mussel broth it was delicious. For dessert we chose the Chocolate Bread & Butter Pudding which was excellent. Service was relaxed, friendly and efficient. There are many great places to eat in Ludlow and the surrounding villages and this is up there with the best.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Princess Royal; City: Farnham Surrey England; Review: ; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Apartotel La Sabana; City: San Jose San Jose Metro Province of San Jose; Review: The hotel is in a quiet location just of the main ring road and about 30 mins walk into city centre. The four of us shared a 2 bedroom apartment which was clean and comfortable. The hotel itself is very pleasant with a very nice pool area and outside seating were you can relax and also enjoy breakfast. Giorgio the day manager was very friendly, jovial and extremely helpful, especially at breakfast were he explained all that was on offer hot and cold, plus showed us how to use the coffee machine. All the staff were very pleasant and the recpetion staff gave us good advice on where to eat. If your just in the city for a couple of nights and want somewhere close to the city but quiet at night this is the ideal place.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tortuga Lodge Gardens; City: Tortuguero Province of Limon; Review: We booked for 4 adults with 2 different surnames and were expecting 2 separate river view rooms, but we were given 1 room with a large and small double bed and 2 bathrooms, fortunately we were of the age where this wasn't the problem it could have been. We booked direct via the website and had dealt directly with the lodge management via email and when we mentioned to them that we were surprised that we had not been given 2 separate rooms, they accepted that the website was not clear that if you put in 4 adults you would be sharing a room, the advantage of sharing a room is you save around $500, so this is a good option for those who are happy to share, I do feel that a folding screen would afford a level of privacy that is lacking in the current room layout. Our room also had a disabled bathroom, which we had not requested and the room itself did not resemble the one shown on the website and to be honest was a disappointment. We did have a fantastic 3 day 4 night stay, the staff were all very friendly and helpful and made us feel very welcome. The grounds and pool area are beautiful and the location is fantastic. We loved our tour of the river and reserve and were lucky enough to see Capuchin, Spider and Howler Monkeys, Caimans, Sloths and an assortment of beautiful birds. Our guide Elvis was excellent. We also visited the chocolate exhibition at Tortagura village which was light hearted and educational. There are some excellent trails on site where you can see Poison Dart Frogs, Howler Monkeys and Toucans. The food at Tortuga Lodge is of a very good standard and the portions are very generous. The waiting staff are very friendly, but service can be a little on the slow side so make sure you don't go for any of your meals near the end of service. I would thoroughly recommend this lodge if you are looking to visit this part of Costa Rica. One thing to bare in mind when you are planning your trip is the luggage restrictions on the small planes, so if you don't like travelling light I would suggest you arrange this part of your trip at the end of your holiday as you will be able to store some of your luggage at the small airfield in San Jose and pick it up on your return before flying back home. We flew from San Jose and then onto La Fortuna, which meant we had to travel light.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Manuel Antonio Estates; City: Quepos Province of Puntarenas; Review: We stayed at casa Calibri for 4 nights at the end of our holiday and it provided the perfect finish to an excellent stay in Costa Rica. We had booked direct with Manuel Antonio Estates via email and received a very warm welcome from Dorit who we had corresponded with. The service we received from reception staff during our stay was excellent as they always called us in the morning to make sure we were OK and to see if there was anything we needed or any tours etc we wanted them to arrange for us. Casa Calibi itself is a beautiful home and the decor including the colourful porcelain frogs and lizards makes you feel very much at home. We loved everything about this property especially the pool and BBQ area which we used most evenings. There is everything you could need including a fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances and a laundry area with washing machine and dryer (including washing powder) which we really appreciated as it saved us work on our return to the UK. The views from inside and outside are beautiful especially at sunrise and sunset, we also loved watching the bird life and enjoyed the resident frogs etc. If your looking for self catering for up to 6 adults then this is the perfect place to stay.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tropico Monteverde Hotel; City: Santa Elena Monteverde Province of Puntarenas; Review: We came here on the recommendation of Christian at Rainbow Valley Lodge for late afternoon drinks and snack and to watch the sunset and were so impressed with the friendly service we decided to book an evening meal for the next evening. Our evening meal was very good with some very interesting flavour combinations, we especially enjoyed the chicken in blackcurrant sauce and the steak with chocolate sauce. We also enjoyed some very good cocktails and lemon grass Gin and Tonics and a good bottle of Malbec. The welcome we received made us fell very much at home which made for a very enjoyable evening. If you enjoy food with a twist then this is place you should try.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rainbow Valley Lodge; City: Santa Elena Monteverde Province of Puntarenas; Review: Christian and Roy were excellent hosts and could not have been more accommodating and helpful with advice on where to eat and the best way to get the most from our 3 night stay. We stayed in the 2 bedroom apartment with kitchen which was perfect for 4 adults, the rooms were clean and the beds comfortable. We used the kitchen mainly for breakfast and early evening snacks and it was perfect for our needs. We booked a tour of Curi Cancha with Roy and had an amazing time as his knowledge of the wildlife, and the rainforest was inspiring and his genuine friendliness and desire to give us a great time, which included taking photos of the birds on our mobile phones through the telescope and group pictures was something we will always treasure and remember for years to come. If you are coming to Monteverde and want to stay in a great location with great hosts then this is the place to come. Christian also gave us a lift into town and personally introduced us to the restaurant owners that he had recommended, now that’s what you call service.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Premier Inn Redhill Reigate Hotel; City: Salfords Redhill Surrey England; Review: Stayed here the night before departing from Gatwick airport and it was ideal. The room was comfortable and we had a good nights sleep, the bathroom was clean with a good shower. The reception staff were very friendly and helpful We arrived at around 9:45pm after a 3 hour drive from Herefordshire and managed to get a meal in the attached Beefeater, we choose the sea bass which was good quality as was the chocolate brownie desert. They also have a decent selection of draught beers and wine. The staff were good humoured and efficient. We were able to leave our car at the hotel for the duration of our holiday, they don't charge a day rate for parking they just ask you to give a sensible donation to Great Ormond Street Hospital, which is a far better option than paying for parking closer to the airport. I think the return taxi fare is about £24 during the daytime. Would use again when travelling from Gatwick.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Darwin s Townhouse; City: Shrewsbury Shropshire England; Review: We had stayed here when it was the Sandford House B&B and the new owners have made some major improvements. Our room was was on the small side but comfortable and clean with a nice en-suite, the only small problem was having to plug the kettle in on the floor under the bedside table. The main house has some very nice lounge areas with tasteful furniture and fittings which give a relaxed comfortable atmosphere. Breakfast was excellent with a really good choice of cereals, pastries and cooked breakfasts. The staff were very helpful and friendly and even though there isn't anyone on duty during the night which could be a problem in an emergency, especially for disabled guest, I still think our personal experience was worth 5 stars.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Until Tomorrow (Christy and Todd: The College Years #1); Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Jones Gunn Page; Review: I have read all the Christy Miller books, the Sierra Jenson series and Christy's journal. I absoultly LOVE these books. These books really relate to any age. Once I saw that she was continuing the series but with Todd I absoultly freaked out. I MADE my mom order it. Once I got this book I read it in one night. I just couldn't stop reading it. This book tells the time when her journal ends and the time before starts college. Christy is in Switzerland in her last summer getting ready for Katie and Todd to come. They were going to spend a few weeks traveling around Europe. But as usual things don't go the way Christy thinks they are going to happen, and Christy begins to have second thoughts about the trip and wonders where her relationship with Todd is going. Christy has to make some wise choices on her trip around Europe, and some tough decisions about her future college degree. This book is good for anyone who likes nice, clean romance, and who loves books that really relate to every day life too. Not just total fiction. This book has truth in it, weather it's with your life, a relationship with someone, or just your relationship with God. Even if you don't believe in God or whatever, you should still read this book. This book does not preach to you. It just simply states people's lives and truths. I really do recommend this book for anyone. This book is totally clean. No cuss words, sex or anything. Good book for almost any age! My mom loves these books too :-); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Just Ella (Palace Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's Margaret Peterson Haddix Page; Review: You know how many fairytales have the "happy ever after" endings? Or the girls always get the prince? Well this book isn't necessarily like that. Yes, it starts out the standard fairytale but it ends kind of with a twist. I'll just tell you the ending; she doesn't marry the prince. I think this book has a good moral to it. Some people don't like this book much because it's not a "standard fairytale" or because it doesn't follow some standards in the normal Cinderella book. But this book has a good moral and if you think about it, this book has a good point for girls. What is that moral, or good point for girls, you ask? Well, this book basically shows you Prince Charming isn't always charming. The Prince in this book basically gets engaged to a commoner because she's pretty. But he himself has no care for her, except that she's pretty and she can bare him children. She eventually figures this out and wants to get out but they throw her into prison and the Prince trys to win her back by showing her he's "macho" but she eventually escapes and runs away to this friend of hers she met when she was in the castle. It shows, look for the deeper person, not the outer person. The outer person may look nice and handsome, but the inner person may not be. Also it's sometimes nice to have a book that doesn't have the standard "Happy ever after" ending. But a book that has meaning and morals to it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Promise (Christy and Todd: The College Years #3); Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Jones Gunn Page; Review: Every book so far that I've read from Robin Jones Gunn is wonderfully written. It's truthful and realistic. This is it! The book that fans of Robin Jones Gunn have been reading have been waiting for! The day that Todd and Christy get married! Yes, married! This book is all about Christy and Todd preparing for their life long commitment to each other. But with planning a wedding come trials also. Christy and Todd in this book really learn to work together and to get over the rough areas. They learn more about each other. Christy at some points finds it a bit difficult. She likes things spread out and on a schedule and plan where as Todd is a spontaneous person. They learn how they balance each other out. Christy in this book has to go through all the steps of preparing for a wedding and finishing school. While Todd finishes a semester ahead of her he's working at the Church, and is helping painting houses. Sometimes it's hard for them to see anything of each other. Also in this book it shows how Katie is doing with Rick. Katie and Rick start to hand out more with each other as the year progresses. This is a great book and just shows the last step for Christy Todd in their relationship. This book keeps you guessing on certain things and it's very well done.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: As You Wish (Christy and Todd: The College Years #2); Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Jones Gunn Page; Review: Once again Robin Jones Gunn has done a magnificent book. The Christy & Todd: The College Years books are wonderful books. They're not like anything else you'd read. In this book Todd is openly confessing his love for Christy but Christy is still have some troubles and doubts about her love for Todd. She knows she loves him, but is she willing to commit her whole life to him? Then an accident happends to Todd and things are on the boarder. She starts to pray with all her heart for him. But with the accident she's able to think things over and truely see things in a different light. Things drastically change for the both of them in this book. (I would say more about it, but it'd give the book away! So just read it to find out what happends! Don't you just love curiosity? :-P ) This book is definitely one of my favorites in the series. Course all of them I love, but this one really made me think about things. Such as, you never know if you'll die tomorrow or not. You must take each day as if it's your last day. Many of us take advantage of our youth or how healthy we are. But a freak accident could happen at any moment. This book also shows many other good aspects. Robin Jones Gunn has shown in the Christy & Todd books a healthy relationship and how it is like. But the books are very truthful and realistic.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Woodlands (Glenbrooke, Book 7); Author: Visit Amazon's Robin Jones Gunn Page; Review: Have you ever wanted to live in a small peaceful town where everyone is nice to everyone? There's always someone there you can count on? Well the Glenbrooke Series is just that. A small town in Oregon where people know everyone and everything for as a whole is calm and peaceful. But each character in the series has their own trials in store for them. Leah Hudson never thought of herself as someone particularly pretty. She was kind of known as the "ugly duckling." I'm sure everyone remembers what happends to that "Ugly duckling" by the end of the story, he becomes beautiful. Leah Hudson has always lived in Glenbrooke, Oregon her whole life. She took care of her parents when they were old, when all her sisters went off and married. Her life hadn't been to eventful she'd never traveled much, to anything. But her whole world would be turned upside down when she meets Seth Edwards (yes, he was mentioned in the Christy & Toddy: The College years book #1). Seth was known by his uncle as being a bit out there. He took a year off from school and went traveling around to different places. When he comes back to Glenbrooke and meets Leah things start to spark between them. But when Seth's uncle dies Leah starts to learn a few things from Seth's uncle's lawyer's son (yes, I'm sorry that's a bit of a triangle) about Seth's past. Leah has to learn who to trust and who not to. Is she willing to trust an old high school friend and give up her relationship with Seth? Or is she willing to listen to Seth? This is a great book, and one of my favs. :-) Robin Jones Gunn is just a terrific writer and things are very realistic. I do recommend if you want to read this book to also read the first 6 books. Since it's a series about a town the characters in the book are usually in the earlier books and you get to learn something new about them in almost every book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Secrets; Author: Visit Amazon's Blaine M. Yorgason Page; Review: Wow, a small town in Oregon, called Glenbrooke. A town where people are kind to one another. Where people help one another. Where a daughter of a multi-millionare runs away too. Jessica who is the daughter of a mutli-millinare from California runs away from home. No she wasn't a teenager. Yet she was a young adult of about the age of 23 turning 24. She runs away from the day before her 24th birthday. The day when she will be given the title Vice-President of her father's prosperous, wealthy business. With her mother dead and just her father alive she feels trapped in her father's business and wants out. The place she runs to is Glenbrooke Oregon. There she meets a whole life that she's always wished of. There she also meets Kyle Buchanan, a local fire fighter who everyone in the town loves and knows. Things start to turn around for Jessica and things start to change for her. She becomes an English school teacher at the local high school. There she meets her first good friend and a bunch of teenagers who love her, but also convince her to go to Mexico with them. There in Mexico things drastically change for Jessica. This is a great book and also a great series. You learn more about each character you've read in a book in the other books. I just love how Robin Jones Gunn can take characters from all of her books and insert them into her other works. There's some mentions of Doug from the Christy Miller series in the books and vise versa.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter y la Camara Secreta (Spanish edition of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets); Author: Visit Amazon's J.K.Rowling Page; Review: I'm a high school student taking Spanish as my foreign language. I decided one day to buy Harry Pooter y la Cmara Secreta to help with my Spanish. Though some of the words aren't what I'm use to I still understood it and it helped my Spanish greatly. Many of the higher level Spanish classes are reading this also. For students taking Spanish this is a great way to help with your Spanish. It puts your knowledge to use and it helps you to remember things better. They're just as great as the English version!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Woman Warrior, the (Picador Books); Author: Visit Amazon's Maxine Hong Kingston Page; Review: I read _The Woman Warrior_ in my AP English Class and my English teacher was wonderful in explaining the book, as my teacher has a degree in Literary Analysis, and explained that this book is more fictional then it is truthful. Maxine Hong Kingston's writing style and elaborate way of explaining about her memories puts a twist on her memories that turns them into a sort of fictional or fantasy dream. One gets enraptured into her own memories, with some truth about Chinese history, and one feels as if they are in an entirely new world. Though the history seems a bit far fetched in some instances, there is still some accurate history, as she is of a Chinese family that came from China. One should remember that this is a book written based off of her life from childhood, but as every child has, their imaginations change things, which Kingston does in the telling of her life with some fictional things in it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: S Is For Star: A Christmas Alphabet; Author: Visit Amazon's Cynthia Furlong Reynolds Page; Review: This book solidifies why I love Sleeping Bear Press. The illustrations are wonderful, but the extra facts about the traditions of Christmas are just great. I learned so much just by reading this book, such as "X is for Christ." I never realized why we abbreviated Christmas, at times, for Xmas, but now I know because of this book. The book talks a lot about Christian traditions, but tells of other traditions all over the world, such as what other countries eat for their "feast." This book is great for anyone who wants to learn more about Christmas traditions!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Carlson Page; Review: This book took me longer to read than the first and maybe should be a 3.5 stars, but I'll round up. I'm not sure why this book took me longer to read. I think it was the nonstop situations that seemed to never end. There wasn't a lot of room to "breathe" and enjoy the series as you were wondering how everyone was going to get past the current situation. I did enjoy the addition of Naomi and I liked learning more about Jessica's powers and seeing her learn to control it and interact with her Wolf. You learned more about the prophecy and the new and stronger bonds seemed natural. I enjoyed learning more about the vampires and also demons. Man, demons definitely changed the way the story is going! The book was just rough to get through. I'm not sure if it was the pacing, the nonstop action (normally, not a bad thing!), or how heavy it was throughout. The entire book is rather "serious" and I like a little laughter in my books here-and-there. Danny is definitely the comic-relief in the series. With that said, still looked forward to the next book as this one ALSO left you on a cliffhanger, but a similar one as the one before. Wasn't an ending that upset you, but one that made you curious to see what was going to happen in the next book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Full Blooded (Jessica McClain); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Carlson Page; Review: A relatively fast-paced book that gets you interested in the world rather quickly. The book started with a bang (instantly drawn in) and was nonstop, but interesting along the way. My only complaint is there wasn't a whole lot accomplished in the book and I didn't prefer the romantic relationship build-up (or lack thereof). With that said, it did still feel natural, if a little odd. When you start getting into the supernatural world, not a whole lot will always make sense! I liked Jessica as a character and I liked Tyler and Danny. I particularly liked Tyler and Jessica's sibling bond. It helped ground the series and add that connection it needed. Not to say their father isn't great, but it's not the same. Danny is a great comedic relief character and Nick is that loyal friend everyone needs. I do wish there was more of a plot, but the first book is always hard to move things along when you're world building. The prophecy has an interesting angle or unknown element to it, which will be interesting to learn about. The end does leave you on a cliffhanger, but it's not a cliffhanger that makes you want to throw the book away in frustration or in tears. It's one that makes you want to read the next book in a hurry. A good solid first book and a promising new series.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cold Blooded (Jessica McClain); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Carlson Page; Review: The best book, so far! The first I liked well enough to read the 2nd, but the 2nd was a slog to get through. This one I had no troubles getting through and it was hard to put down. This one was better paced, even if there does seem to be nonstop action. It picks up RIGHT where you left off in book 2 and sends you on a merry ride. I liked seeing the witches and all the other supernaturals (demons, witches, vampires, sorcerers, ghosts, werewolves!) and it was interesting to see how the different sects are aligning themselves to each other to gain the upper hand. I liked having Rourke in this book as we've basically missed out on him in the other 2. The James/Marcy pairing I can't wait to see expand in the future and, of course, what's with Naomi and Danny?! Jessica is also growing in her abilities and learning to control her power. She's also learning to have confidence. She definitely bumbles around in the 2nd book, which makes sense, but she settled a lot in this book. It was nice to see. I do think my favorite development, though, was Ray. Ray's transformation and the way he gets through everything has been probably the most interesting to watch as, other than Jessica, he's had the most "growth" as a character. I'm really curious to see how the 4th book goes with the ending like the last. Not necessarily a cliffhanger, but it definitely makes me want to pick up the next book. It'll be really interesting. We didn't gain a lot on the front of the prophecy, but, by now, we more-or-less know sort of the direction it's going to take. I'm curious to see what the 5th book will be like since we mostly know where the 4th book will be (hello Underworld!) and we still have the big question that was posed in book 1 about the fractured wolf faction. Mostly, you have to wonder, what's the supernatural world going to look like at the end of all this?! Looking forward to the next book for sure!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Aces Wild: A Sin City Collectors Novella (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Carlson Page; Review: Most times, I have troubles with novellas in new worlds. I think it's because it's hard to capture the world and characters in such a short amount of time. I am one of those people who needs the extra pages to gain a fondness for the characters. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that I've spent every day since the book was released trying to read it. I've read Carlson's other books so I knew I wanted to read it, but starting it was hard. I think I read the first page 4 times. Finally, I decided to put my head down and JUST READ IT. I'm glad I did! The world building, obviously, isn't the greatest because it is a novella, but the characters were flushed out enough that the book grabbed me after the first dozen pages and I needed to finish it in one sitting. Thank goodness it was just a novella or my entire day's plans would have been ruined by my need to finish it! While the writing of the ending (don't know why) I didn't particularly like, I liked the story as a whole. I didn't feel like I was "missing" anything profound to jump into the world of the Collectors. I also didn't feel like I was really missing anything with the characters' histories. I will say, you do know you're missing JUST enough that it keeps you wanting to read the others so you can delve further into the world, which is a good thing, but not enough to detract from the story. I also liked the use of a Dhampir and Hellhound. You don't read about Hellhounds much! So, in all, It's a short read, but it was worth it. It's fast-paced (good thing) and semi-predictable (it does have a good twist or two), but nothing interrupted my enjoyment of the book and I'm looking forward to the others in the series too.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Red Blooded (Jessica McClain); Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Carlson Page; Review: I was excited this book came out, but I had gotten into a reading lull and it was hard to actually sit down and READ the book. It wasn't the book, it was me. It was 100% me because the minute I actually forced myself to sit down and read the book, I finished it in one day and I had more than 2/3 of the book left. The book was fast-paced from the very beginning and led you on a merry chase throughout the bowels of Hell. It was an interesting landscape that I enjoyed reading about with all its crazy nuances and twists and turns. I definitely do not want to attend a feast in Hell! It doesnt sound, uhm, appetizing. Lily was an interesting character that you knew you weren't supposed to be completely sure about, but what was she withholding and what role did she play? That was the question throughout the book and an interesting one to learn at the very end. It was definitely a book about our decisions we make and how fate can bend and turn based on what we decide and do not decide to do. Though the book moved at a quick-pace and I was never bored reading it, I have to say that I did feel like a good portion of the book was sort of So what? I missed seeing the rest of the crew for about half the book and I felt like they didn't get enough time to shine. Ray had his moments, but Rourke felt a little side-kicky to me. Though it felt a little long at times, everything was important to the climax and, as I said, it was quick-paced with world building so it didn't bother me too much. I look forward to the next book to see what happens with Jessicas choice she made at the end. Prophecies are interesting and given what Jessica learned about her decision at the end, who knows what will be in store for them in the next installment! Mostly, though, Im looking forward to being back on our plane and seeing our old friends more.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Feeling Good : The New Mood Therapy; Author: Visit Amazon's David D. Burns Page; Review: A must read for all seeking to understand feelings and emotions; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Strong-Willed Child: Birth Through Adolescence; Author: Visit Amazon's James C. Dobson Page; Review: Applicable for anyone who seeks to understand the psychology of children.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Why Don't We Listen Better? Communicating & Connecting in Relationships 2nd Edition; Author: Visit Amazon's James C. Petersen D.Min. L.P.C. Page; Review: Great insight for understanding communication; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Get Rich Click!: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money on the Internet; Author: Visit Amazon's Marc Ostrofsky Page; Review: Highly practical for serious entrepreneurs; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Popular Encyclopedia of Christian Counseling: An Indispensable Tool for Helping People with Their Problems; Author: Tim Clinton; Review: Great for college students as a handy reference tool.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pride & Prejudice (Collins Classics); Author: Jane Austen; Review: Mailing/shipment were delayed; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Alchemist; Author: Visit Amazon's Paulo Coelho Page; Review: Skillfully written and a must read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: NIV, Thinline Bible, Large Print, Imitation Leather, Brown, Red Letter Edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Zondervan Page; Review: The flow of the Holy Spirits authorship has been retained by the translators. This translation is a must have for dedicated Bible students.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: NIV, Thinline Craft Collection Bible, Hardcover, Tan/Purple, Red Letter Edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Zondervan Page; Review: The flow of the Holy Spirits authorship has been retained by the translators. This translation is a must have for dedicated Bible students.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Niche Sites With Affiliate Marketing For Beginners: Niche Market Research, Cheap Domain Name & Web Hosting, Model For Google; Author: Visit Amazon's Rawee M. Page; Review: Highly practical for small business owners; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Identity: Discover Who You Are and Live a Life of Purpose; Author: Visit Amazon's T. D. Jakes Page; Review: Great read for discovering your purpose and your place in the kingdom. The first day I purchased the book I was so inspired that I read it all the way through. Wow!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Destiny: Step into Your Purpose; Author: Visit Amazon's T. D. Jakes Page; Review: Great insight offered to the seeker of wisdom. This book Is spellbinding and I could not put it down until I fished threshing out kernels of wisdom.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Why? Because You Are Anointed; Author: Visit Amazon's T.D. Jakes Page; Review: A must read for servants that are undergoing trials without knowing exactly why there's chaos. I am now on my second reading.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Levi's Men's 501 Original-Fit Jean; Brand: ; Review: Good quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's Big and Tall 501 Original Fit Jean; Brand: ; Review: Good quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's 501 Original-Fit Jean; Brand: ; Review: Good quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's 501 Original-Fit Jean; Brand: ; Review: Good quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Levi's Men's 501 Original-Fit Jean; Brand: ; Review: Good quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crocs Men's Yukon Mesa Clog, Comfortable Casual Outdoor Shoe with Adjustable Fit; Brand: ; Review: Good quality; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: NFL world reacts to officials handing Packers win over Lions; Abstract: It's a regular occurrence for NFL officiating to cause controversy, with the Packers seeming to benefit from a questionable call against Lions defensive end Trey Flowers.; Category: sports
Title: Jeep Wrangler Stormtrooper Spied Doing Nothing Wrong For The Empire; Abstract: Could a Star Wars-themed Wrangler Stormtrooper Edition bring balance to the Force?; Category: autos
Title: Federal judge overturns ObamaCare transgender protections; Abstract: A federal judge on Tuesday overturned ObamaCare protections for transgender patients, ruling that a 2016 policy violates the religious freedom of Christian providers.Judge Reed O'Connor in the Northern District of Texas vacated an Obama-era regulation that prohibited insurers and providers who receive federal money from denying treatment or coverage to anyone based on sex, gender identity or termination of pregnancy.It also required doctors...; Category: news
Title: U.S. Marshals Auctioning Off 149 Vehicles From DC Solar Scam; Abstract: The largest single car collection that the USMS has ever sold!; Category: autos
Title: Porsche 911 Targa Spied On Gorgeous Fall Roads; Abstract: The green 911 looks fantastic against the orange leaves.; Category: autos
Title: Caterpillar just flashed the latest warning sign for the global economy; Abstract: The construction equipment titan a bellwether for global industry posted a 6% drop in sales and an 8% drop in profit per share.; Category: finance
Title: Mitch McConnell snubbed by Elijah Cummings' pallbearer in handshake line at U.S. Capitol ceremony; Abstract: A pallbearer appeared to refuse to shake Mitch McConnell's hand as Rep. Elijah Cummings was lying in state at the Capitol.; Category: news
Title: Joe Biden reportedly denied Communion at a South Carolina church because of his stance on abortion; Abstract: Joe Biden has a complicated history with the Catholic Church.; Category: news
Title: Order! Order! Britain's speaker quits Brexit hotseat; Abstract: John Bercow stepped down on Thursday after 10 years as speaker of Britain's House of Commons -- a role that rocketed him into the heart of the Brexit battle, and won him European fans.; Category: news
Title: Stephanie Grisham says Trump was serious about fireside chat to read Ukraine call; Abstract: White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham did not shoot down the prospect of a nationally televised "fireside chat."; Category: news
Title: Kaley Cuoco Shuts Down Divorce Rumors With A Cute Instagram Post; Abstract: The couple has a "very unconventional marriage."; Category: movies
Title: Here Are the 2020 MotorTrend Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year Contenders and Finalists; Abstract: Plus: The ins and outs of Car, Truck, and SUV of the Year testing; Category: autos
Title: A man dies in Hawaii after falling into a lava tube in his yard; Abstract: An elderly man died after falling into a lava tube on his property in Hilo, Hawaii, police announced on Wednesday.; Category: news
Title: Wild & wonderful treasures of SEMA 2019 US edition; Abstract: The best customs, restorations and radical builds from the world's largest custom car show; Category: autos
Title: A couple was found buried on a Texas beach. Police caught someone else driving their car.; Abstract: Adam Curtis Williams, 33, was taken into custody late Wednesday on charges of felony theft and assaulting a peace officer, records show.; Category: news
Title: Ford's Mach E Electric SUV Spied Looking...Interesting; Abstract: We're not sure how we feel about this new EV's Mustang-inspired styling cues.; Category: autos
Title: Porsche launches into second story of New Jersey building, killing 2; Abstract: The Porsche went airborne off a median in Toms River, causing it to crash into a red brick building.; Category: news | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Once in a Blue Moon: A Cowboy Love Story (Bluebonnet Texas Book 2) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Amie Stuart Page; Review: Horribly ending. I wish I never read the book.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Prudie's Mountain Man (The Annex Mail-Order Brides Book 3) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Elaine Manders Page; Review: Characters are not compatible. Just because they sleep together one night will not change the fact that she is only concerned with making money and he is concerned with people. He is a devout christian and she only pretends. Does not have a true ending.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Dragon King's Baby: A Paranormal Marriage Of Convenience Romance - Kindle edition; Brand: Mary T Williams; Review: Beautifully written. I cannot wait for the next book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lucky Lion (Shifter Mail Order Bride Holiday Romance) (Holiday Mail Order Mates Book 2) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Lola Kidd Page; Review: I have never seen so many errors in a book. There a people who are called proof readers. You need to hire one.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Desperate Cowboy Seeks Mail Order Bride to Save Ranch (Colorado Mail Order Brides Series 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Rosie Attwood Page; Review: I was disappointed. It was their back stories and not a romance at all.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | amazon_Kindle_Store |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Tapp Collections™ Premium Shemagh Head Neck Scarf; Brand: Tapp Collections; Review: Smelled like factory when I got it. Ran it through the wash to get rid of smell. Material somewhat itchy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Columbia Women's Newton Ridge Plus Hiking Boot; Brand: ; Review: Toe box is a bit odd in that it bends easily, as others have stated. However, I really didn't mind this. Be sure to break in like any other hiking boots. Fit as expected. Will be a bit tight if you are somebody who wears very heavy socks- in this case I would suggest going 1/2 size up.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: PEOPLE SOCKS Mens, Womens, 4 Pairs Anti microbial Small Medium 71% Merino Wool Crew Socks Made in USA; Brand: People Socks; Review: They are socks.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Making Believe Kids Deluxe 24" Satin Superhero Cape (Choose Color); Brand: Making Believe; Review: I used this for a Robin costume. Works well, although it tends to all go to one side of your body. Color is quite bright.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Happy Digital® Sports Watches Military Watch 50m Waterproof Men Sport Digital Quartz Wrstwatches; Brand: Happy Digital; Review: Good watch. Didn't realize how darn BIG it is. I like the different LED colors it has, however the plastic on the outside is green, so it won't match if you change the LED color.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rubie's Costume Co - Teen Titans - Robin Child Gloves; Brand: Rubie's Costume Co; Review: I am a 25 year old woman and these fit perfectly on my baby hands.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ASICS Women's GEL-Fit Sana Cross-Training Shoe; Brand: ; Review: Extremely light cross-trainers. Got these for daily use. At first they fit a bit tight but they broke in really quickly.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Russell Athletic Men's Dri-Power Pullover Fleece Hoodie; Brand: ; Review: Excellent hoodie. Took it on a surf fishing trip and it kept me warm all day. Fit perfectly. I ordered a men's small and it fit me (a 5'3'' adult woman). Would order again!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Joyoldelf Tactical Heavyweight Balaclava Outdoor Sports Mask for Outdoor hiking Camping Hiking Skiing Cycling and Other sports (Grey); Brand: Joyoldelf; Review: This is a great product, very warm. However, I am a lady who happens to have a small head. A lot of things are too large for my head, so I was really taking a shot in the dark with this item. Will be giving it to a friend with a bigger head!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cedir Men's Stripe Mesh Muscle Shirt; Brand: Cedir; Review: I ordered the black striped shirt. Fit is very nice, material is not itchy.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Romastory Women Fluorescent Colors Tights Stretched Sports Leggings Yoga Pants; Brand: Romastory; Review: Bought for a Halloween costume. Fit great except for the crotch is a bit low. Other than that, the pants are fine.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: WSI Men's Microtech Long Sleeve Form Fit Performance Shirt; Brand: WSI; Review: Wore it for a costume this past Halloween. Kept me nice and warm all night. Fit as expected.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Comfort Suites Airport; City: Charlotte North Carolina; Review: I really enjoyed our stay at this hotel. We stayed one night before flying out to Mexico. The staff was extremely friendly and were also very helping in telling us where the closest local restaurants were. The room was very clean and spacious. More than enough room.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Haynes Bed Breakfast; City: Greensboro North Carolina; Review: I stayed for just one night and the host was very polite. The room was spacious with it's own bathroom. It was very quiet the entire night, and I enjoyed some time out on the balcony. The breakfast was delicious the next morning. This B&B is very close to downtown restaurants and bars, so they're convenient to walk to.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The 1899 Wright Inn and Carriage House; City: Asheville North Carolina; Review: This was the perfect romantic getaway. We stayed in the Celebration Suite which was very roomy and had an incredible jacuzzi tub. We were only about a mile from downtown and the weather was perfect, so we opted to walk to town to avoid the busy streets. This worked out to our advantage. The hospitality and food made the stay even more enjoyable. Will definitely go back!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hyatt Place Greensboro; City: Greensboro North Carolina; Review: I really liked this hotel. It's very convenient to everything in Greensboro. In addition, it's really clean and spacious. The staff was really nice and gave some suggestions on places to eat in the area. I have recommended the Hyatt to friends who come to visit; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chelsea Savoy Hotel; City: New York City New York; Review: For the price in New York, I guess this is about average. The rooms are small, old, and need to be updated. It was difficult to determine if they were dirty or just old. It was however pretty central to everything that I wanted to do and see in New York.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: La Quinta Inn Suites Greensboro; City: Greensboro North Carolina; Review: This is probably the best hotel value that I have found in the area. The price is low and the hotel is very nice and clean. The staff were friendly but they didn't go out of their way to make you feel welcome. I would definitely stay here in the future.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Proximity Hotel; City: Greensboro North Carolina; Review: Superb stay. I have stayed at the Proximity multiples times in Greensboro. This is by far the best hotel in the city. Very modern with a French flair. The rooms are very spacious with a decent sized bathroom as well. The room service is on point. I have never waited over 10 minutes for anything to be brought up.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Hotel Lagunita; City: Yelapa Costalegre; Review: Beautiful, peaceful location. The rooms are open air and amazing. The staff is cry nice and the food was amazing. The only drawback was the number of bugs while we were there. Some large ants decided to make a home in the bedside table.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Palms Zanzibar; City: Bwejuu Zanzibar Island Zanzibar Archipelago; Review: If you value privacy and luxury the Palms is the place for you. This was the ultimate romantic holiday location for our wedding anniversary. We stayed 4 nights and five days and every day was more miraculous than the last. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The operations manager was the perfect host. The resort is all-inclusive which can sometimes conjure up images of lines to buffets and substandard service, but this resort is the complete opposite. With only six large villas, each with it’s own dedicated cabana along the beach, this resort is a like a private hideaway. It is settled in a beautiful location along the Eastern end of the Island; meals are served at various locations throughout the small property, with a choice of main course and starter at almost every meal (and if you don’t like what you see, they will prepare something else, you can also choose if you would like your meal in your villa or cabana); they clean the rooms and replace amenities several times a day; and the staff is ready to serve at any time. One day we had lunch on the beach under a hand-built cabana and one evening everyone had dinner on the beach at low-tide with a bon-fire and local musicians playing soft African music. For those who want more there are two sister resorts (that you can’t see due to the luscious immaculately groomed grounds) within steps, that offer water sports, larger spas, dancing, etc. Words cannot do justice in describing this resort; it is most definitely the most relaxing and comforting resorts we have encountered throughout our travels across the world.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alex Walker s Serian Serengeti; City: Serengeti National Park; Review: We stayed at the mobile camp in March. Amazing! A once in a lifetime experience! This is the ultimate Safari Camp. If you have ever dreamed of going on a safari or just visiting the Serengeti, this is the camp you want to stay at. It is located within the Serengeti so there are no long rides in and out each day and you get your own driver and spotter so you can stop and view/photo whatever you want, whenever you want; no “words of wisdom” or “chattiness” of other guests and an unlimited view from an open-top/open-sided vehicle. Since you have your own vehicle, your itinerary is up to you. You leave when you want; if you choose to breakfast or lunch on the safari it is at your pleasure, and you return to camp to relax as you want. You can even go on an evening game drive after lunch/before dinner if you desire. With a spotter in addition to a driver, you are sure to see almost every animal in the area. The “tents” (only 8 in the entire camp) are like a home away from home with a large, very comfortable bed, flush toilets, electricity 24 hours a day, and other beautiful/rustic furnishings. Your tent is far from other tents so you have a great sense of privacy and relaxation. The hot showers are to order and delivered by the staff; more than enough for two people. You can also have your clothes washed, free of charge which comes in very handy with the limited baggage allowance on the in-country airlines. The staff is also amazing. The camp hostess, Robin, is very attentive, knowledgeable, and kind. She ensures that every detail of your safari is attended to. She coordinates, wake up times, coffee or tea, game drive, lunch, dinner, showers, etc. Nothing is left to worry about. As far as dining, the main chef (a local Masai I believe) delivers inspiring meals at lunch and in the evening, fusing local spices, ingredients and ideas with classical recipes. Breakfast is simple and filling and can be taken with you on the drive (we recommend this) to eat at an awe-inspiring location at a time of your choice. They also serve great South African, Australian, and other wines each evening and they have a large selection of liquors, sodas, waters and juices. We had the great luck of being taken on a game drive one afternoon by the camp manager, Gerard; he was extremely experienced in the Serengeti and provided great information on plant life, animals, local people/customs and anything we asked about. It was also amazing to converse with him and learn about his experiences in the evenings during dinner. Our main driver, Baraka, was amazing. He not only could spot game from hundreds of meters away, but he knew every detail we could ask for on any animal we could ask about. Even the young camp intern, Jasper, was delightful and a font of information on the local plants, animals and culture. Words cannot do justice to our; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Exe Ramblas Boqueria; City: Barcelona Catalonia; Review: The location of this hotel is amazing. However, this is by far, the noisiest hotel we have ever stayed in. You can hear everything both outside and inside of the hotel all hours of the night (especially on weekends). The room is a bit minimalist (even one drawer to unpack things that can't hang would be nice), but all of the furnishings are new and the rooms are kept amazingly clean. For the most part, the staff was very pleasant. If staying in Barcelona for more than a night or two, I would choose a location a few blocks off Ramblas.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: B B Second Floor; City: Rome Lazio; Review: The location of this hotel is amazing; it is literally across the street from the colosseum and a few minutes walk to the nearest metro station. The rooms are clean and nicely decorated and there is room to unpack your bags. The staff is also very welcoming and helpful. But...if you plan to turn in for the night prior to 3 AM, you might want to choose another location (granted we were here over a holiday week in April, but were in for 4 nights and each was as long as the next). The music shuts down around 2 but the crowd doesn't disperse until at least 3. The bathroom linens are a bit worn, but are replaced daily if requested. Also, ask not to be placed in room Arthur Rimboad. It connects directly to the check-in desk by a large window near the ceiling and while the staff is great about keeping the lights off during the early hours, some guests forget (I had to get out of bed more than once and go to the hall to turn the lights off, left on by another guest in the middle of the night). According to the website they boast this hotel as a gay hotel on "gay street" in Rome, but it is great for any couple wanting a central location and wanting to stay out late to party.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blarney Castle Hotel; City: Blarney County Cork; Review: We didn't actually stay at this hotel due to a booking mistake on my part. However, when we arrived and the booking couldn't be found, the hostess quickly found us an alternative (and very nice) location for the night. She also drove us to the alternate B & B and ensured that we were well taken care of. We also returned to the hotel/pub that night for dinner and enjoyed a local show including singing and dancing. Overall, I could not have asked for more gracious service and assistance. Well Done.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killarney House Bed Breakfast; City: Blarney County Cork; Review: We did not have a reservation due to a mix up on a planned reservation; however, the owner/hostess of this B&B was more than accommodating, helpful, and, gracious. The house was lovely, the room was large and the bathroom was extremely clean and looked recently renovated. Breakfast was from 8:00 - 9:00 and you could order almost anything you could want. We also had free parking and free wifi (in the common area). Only a 2 minute drive or maybe a 15 minute walk to the Blarney Castle.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Temple Gate Hotel; City: Ennis County Clare; Review: This is a beautiful hotel in downtown Ennis, Ireland. You can walk to all of the downtown shops and restaurants in just a few minutes. The rooms are clean, beautifully decorated and very comfortable. The staff is very helpful and gracious. We booked a King room and were upgraded to a Suite. They also have free parking which is a bonus. The hotel is about 40 minutes from the cliffs of Moher and one hour and 40 minutes from the Blarney Castle. They had made to order breakfast and a cold buffet. Overall, a great stay.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Geiranger; City: Geiranger Stranda More og Romsdal Western Norway; Review: This is a very average hotel. The rooms are a decent size, but have only the basic amenities and smell very musty. The carpet is also old and worn. The bathroom is basic but seems updated and has heated floors. The saving grace of this hotel is it's location on the edge of probably the most beautiful fjord in the world. There is a cafe in the basement, however the first two things my husband ordered at only 3 in the afternoon were already "gone" for the day. My food was average, but the wine was good.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Thon Hotel Kristiansund; City: Kristiansund More og Romsdal Western Norway; Review: This was our 9th night and 6th hotel in Norway and by far was our favorite. The rooms were in an old restored building along the harbor. There were exposed beams painted brilliant white, the furnishings were very tasteful, everything was new and it was simply amazing. Quaint and cozy, yet very trendy. We were in a corner room and had windows over looking the water on two sides. The room was small, but somehow had everything. Our travel agent booked us at half board, so dinner was included. We were not given a choice of meals, but it was a delicious three course dinner that was too much form either me or my husband to finish. The breakfast buffet was fresh and delicious and had everything one could ask for. The restaurant also overlooked the water. Kristiansund itself is small, but is a nice place to stop on a driving trip between Alesund and Trondheim. If you are heading this way, I would definitely recommend a night at this lovely hotel. The service was friendly and prompt, overall a great stay.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Best Western Plus Hotel Norge; City: Kristiansand Vest Agder Southern Norway; Review: This hotel is close to the ferry, bus & train terminal and even closer to the main shopping & restaurant area in Kristiansand. Our room was spacious and very clean and the hotel & restaurant staff were very friendly and accommodating. The hotel restaurant was good and the breakfast buffet was quite diverse for the size of the hotel. The hotel also has a room with guest laundry (at a small cost) which was a blessing for us after almost 3 weeks in Norway (we only stayed two nights at one other hotel and spent over $100 to send out just a few pieces of clothing for cleaning. Charges for an extra bag on the airline may be cheaper if you plan to stay more than a week or so.) Kristiansand itself was small, but the weather was beautiful the 2 days we were there and there was a beautiful walking/jogging path around the entire city. The hotel is also only about a 15 minute walk to a few small beaches, again, very beautiful on a sunny day.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Walaker Hotell; City: Solvorn Luster Municipality Sogn og Fjordane Western Norway; Review: The Walker hotel is a beautiful old hotel and the staff are all very friendly and helpful. We stayed in the "newer building" which reminded me of staying in someone's garage, but the room was large, warm, quite and had heated floors in the bathroom. It also had a sliding door that led to a small "patio" with a nice view. The double bed was twins beds, while common in Europe, this was the first we have encountered so far in Norway. The dinner in the hotel was elegant and delicious. A bit pricey, but that can be expected for the type of meal and service. The breakfast buffet was also very lovely and plentiful.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Grand Hotel Terminus; City: Bergen Hordaland Western Norway; Review: This is a very quaint hotel. The rooms are small but comfortable and a little noisy. It's ok for a night or maybe two. The breakfast buffet is large and has plenty to choose from. It is a leisurely 8-10 minute walk to the waterfront and Bryggen.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Parador de Salamanca; City: Salamanca Province of Salamanca Castile and Leon; Review: This is a very nice parador, the rooms are modern, large and clean. We had a room with an amazing view of Salamanca, which is lit up at night. The dinner was delicious and beautifully presented. The breakfast was a bit sparse. I would give it 5 stars, but for the price. It seemed a bit high for a parador that is not located in the middle of the town and is not in a historic building. It is about a 20 minute walk into Salamanca, which may be a bit far for some.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Malta; City: Saint Julian s Island of Malta; Review: The majority of the hotel staff make this hotel a paradise. Can't say enough about the service; almost everyone is beyond friendly, prompt, and seem genuinely caring. Rooms are a bit dated but nicely kept. Bathroom in a suite only had one sink and a tiny shower, no matter where you pointed the shower head it sprayed out on to the bathroom floor (there was a separate tub but you have to hold the shower head if you wish to shower in it). Wifi was sketchy at best throughout the entire hotel; especially while there was a large conference in the hotel. Service made up for any shortcomings, more than could be expected on such a small island. Pools were amazing, but be advised the "beach pool" and accompanying restaurant close for winter (we were here late October and it was closed). The gym is large and has almost anything you could need. You can purchase a bottle of water at the desk. Also, a note to the staff: you need to offer smaller gym sized towels. The large pool sized towels are not only innapropriate for anything more than weight lifting, but rather dangerous on a treadmill or other workout machine. The food choices are amazing, you dont even need to leave the hotel on a short stay. The Blue Elephant is probably the best Thai restaurant I have visited, the atmosphere, service and food are perfect. I say the service was almost perfect. When we checked in and asked where to park, we were informed that there was free parking with valet service; perfect if you choose a rental car to visit the cultural and other sites across the island country. This worked great for us every day until the last. We came back from a long day of site-seeing and the gentleman at the front didn't want to park the car. When I asked if he could get someone else, he said he was a bit busy. We didn't even know where to park and when I asked he was quite short and rude with me. I waited inside the lobby for my husband to park the car and the gentleman who "was too busy" was just chatting with another lobby employee and when I caught his eye, he seemed to wander about to try to look busy. For at least 10 minutes, I saw the two do nothing more than bring 3 bags out of the bag room for 1 couple. Sometimes a sour last note, makes an unfortunate reminder of the whole trip.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kaiserin Elisabeth; City: Vienna; Review: This is a beautiful hotel in downtown Vienna. It is just steps from the main shopping/restaurant street and only a few minutes walk from all of the main attractions in Vienna. The hotel is beautifully decorated and the staff is warm and welcoming. A bellhop had our bags out of the taxi before we even got out, and they had a car/driver waiting for us upon our departure. The breakfast buffet is a little sparse, but all is delicious. The only drawback to our room was only one sink in the bathroom; it made getting ready in the morning take a bit longer, but nothing really to complain about. I would recommend taking advantage of the hotel pick-up service from the airport. We paid 40 Euro for a taxi.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Le Mas de Pierre Hotel; City: St Paul de Vence French Riviera Cote d Azur Provence Alpes Cote ; Review: We were only here for one night on our way home, but wish we could have stayed longer. The service was amazing from the time we walked in the front door. We were checked in and our car was parked and luggage taken to to the room while we enjoyed a glass of wine in the salon. The room was absolutely beautiful and completely comfortable, we could not have asked for more. The room also overlooked the beautiful garden. We also enjoyed an amazing dinner in the hotel restaurant; it was one of the best meals we have every had. The atmosphere was lovely, the food was absolutely amazing and the service was great. I recommend booking dinner as early as possible as we arrived for dinner at 19:30 (when they opened) and the kitchen seemed to be closing while we we having dessert. It was unique to be able to watch some of the meal preparation during dinner if desired. The breakfast buffet was delicious but a bit pricey. We didn't have time to try the gym or the spa, but overall, this was an amazing visit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel le Rodin; City: Arles Bouches du Rhone Provence Alpes Cote d Azur; Review: This was a beautiful small 4 star hotel. Our room was newly tiled and newly painted throughout and the breakfast/reception area was also newly redone. The hotel is just outside of the city, but only a 5 minute drive or a 20 minute walk to downtown Arles. We chose this location as it was central to several cities we wanted to visit on our trip. The location was perfect as it was easy to drive into and out of each day and the hotel had free parking that was gated in the evening. The hotel staff was very helpful and gracious. They recommended wonderful restaurants for dinner each night and booked our reservation. This was essential as many restaurants in Arles are closed on different evenings throughout the week. All of the rooms seemed to have a small patio or balcony leading to the pool. As we were there during the Fall, we didn't go out, but it looked very nice. The breakfast buffet was small, but complete (much easier than trying to find somewhere to eat on our way out in the morning). The only downside was the small W.C. room, we could barely close the door once inside. Also, the shower head was mounted very low on the wall so we had to hold it while showering; it was very difficult not to soak the bathroom floor with water.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Herrnschloesschen; City: Rothenburg Middle Franconia Franconia Bavaria; Review: An amazing hotel in a beautiful town. We visited Rothenburg and Hotel Herrnschloesschen while the Christmas Market was open. The hotel is perfectly situated for a visit of the town. It is just a block from the Christmas Market, minutes from the "walls" of the city and amidst all of the shops and restaurants. The staff at the hotel were beyond kind and helpful. It is definitely a full service location. Breakfast was very nice, no buffet, a la carte, and more than anyone could eat in my opinion. The room was amazing!!! Beautiful, well furnished, large, clean, simply amazing. The only downside (and it was not much) was that 2 small children were in the room above us, running across the floor (ceiling) all evening and again early in the morning. However, for an old historic building, the noise was not unbearable. I would highly recommend this hotel.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Adaaran Prestige Water Villas; City: Meedhupparu Island; Review: If you are looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday, this is it. The villas were beautiful, clean and incredibly comfortable. The rooms were just as pictured on the website. The staff made the experience; a few things in this resort seemed average or mediocre, but the staff made everything seem like a dream. The restaurant and bar staff were attentive and incredibly professional. Our butler, Asif, was perfect. He took special care to make our anniversary a memorable event with a special dinner and beautiful decorations in our room. He also took care to ensure our mini bar was stocked with diet coke versus the other options normally available. These are just a few of the things he saw to during our visit. The menu at the restaurant was heavily Asian influenced and delicious. If you do not prefer Asian, there was always a choice of chicken, fish and a beef or lamb dish for dinner. The menu changed daily. At breakfast there were many options from yogurt to omelets, to traditional Maldivian dishes. It was also very nice that another sister resort was connected so we could visit the Spa and participate in water sports. I wouldn't bother trying to book anything on-line as they didn't seem to know about either of the packages I tried to pre-book. The "Lover's Paradise" trip was fun and worthwhile. I am not sure if the boat crews are employees of the resort; the resort recommends not carrying cash, but the boat crew "asked" for a tip. Also, I was not impressed that men were allowed to wear T-shirt and what appeared to be swim shorts to dinner. A five-star resort should require smart casual for dinner and list this requirement on their website and with travel agents. I don't want to spend money for a 5 star resort and sit next to someone in a "muscle-shirt" at dinner. Overall Adaaran should commend their crew for a most professional job.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Dubai Creek; City: Dubai Emirate of Dubai; Review: This hotel is close to the airport so is perfect for a short stay. There are great views of Dubai from the pool and bar on the roof. The rooms are spacious and well maintained. The "Table 9" restaurant in the hotel is amazing.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Sa Torre Mallorca Resort; City: Llucmajor Majorca Balearic Islands; Review: Hitlon Sa Torre was an oasis on Mallorca. The hotel is a majestic 14th century estate within 30 minutes of beaches and major tourist sites and the staff was impeccable. This is as amazing hotel on Mallorca. The rooms are beautifully appointed and every detail is seen to without question. The rooms are clean, modern and beautifully appointed. The breakfast buffet is more than complete and if you do not see what you are looking for, you can order something from the kitchen at no extra charge. The dinner offerings were a bit tired. We liked the BBQ/Grill night, but none of the offerings were seasoned in any way and salt and pepper and oil and vinegar were not available on the table. They did provide gluten free bread upon request, but all dessert options were with gluten. (I know this is an allergy comment, but something worth mentioning as many restaurants and their menus now list common allergic foods.) The members of the staff seem to work extraordinarily long hours, but are always cheerful and ready to serve. We found them extremely friendly and personable; top-notch. We only had one small discretion with a pool bar waiter waiter, but were too impressed with other service to even complain. If you are staying more than 2 or 3 days, a rental car is a must. This hotel is somewhat isolated and the atmosphere and food can become tiring. The hotel does offer shuttle service, but I think most people staying at this type of hotel/resort expect a bit more variety. Again, if you plan to stay for more than 2 or 3 day, I suggest you contact the concierge at the Hilton. They offer a cocktail hour with him at least one day per week. He offered great information on places to visit and sites to see. We took his advice, and while some places were crowded, we still enjoyed many beautiful sites on Mallorca. The rest of the island is unfortunately very overcrowded with tourists. Not our favorite holiday in Spain, but the Hilton was amazing as expected.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hilton Munich Airport; City: Munich Upper Bavaria Bavaria; Review: This hotel was great for a short stay. It is in the airport and public transportation is just a few steps away. Hilton has recently taken over this hotel and renovations have started, but they have a long way to go. The rooms are small and half renovated, only half of the linens have been replaced, our room had a shower head that couldn't be turned on yet and there is no executive lounge, but the breakfast is great, the staff is friendly and it was great for the price and location.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: ; Brand: GMYLE; Review: This one is great, and looking for more colors and maybe a view windows. .this case/wallet work great on my trip everything was in hands reach. Love it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: niceEshop 3 Packs Mirror Front Screen Protector fit for the new Samsung Galaxy S4 SIV i9500; Brand: niceeshop; Review: The product was great! And was great on my wife phone because she now has a lil mirror to check her make-up on the go.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: niceEshop (TM)Pink/Beige Tote Handbag W/Gold Chain Silicone Soft Case Cover for the Samsung Galaxy S4 SIV i9500+Screen Protector; Brand: niceeshop; Review: Wife friends were green with envy! They all want one and keep asken where she got it from! Thank you; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Need Stylish 3D Stitch & Lilo Soft Silicone Case Cover Compatible for Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500(Blue); Brand: ModeUp; Review: This one was a lil hard to say , every thing was good but the ear came off but ez to put back on , and the kids love it it still get rotation in my collection; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: LliVEER Lovely 3D Brown Monkey Soft Silicone Case Cover Compatible for Samsung Galaxy S4 I9500; Brand: LliVEER; Review: It was cute but for some reason was a tad biggier then my phone , but still use it .; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Cell_Phones_and_Accessories |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Star Trek Into Darkness; Brand: Simon Pegg; Review: Great movie good picture.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Avengers: Age of Ultron; Brand: Scarlett Johansson; Review: The action never ends.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: LEGO Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Out; Brand: Anthony Daniels; Review: my grandson loves them.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lego Star Wars: The New Yoda Chronicles; Brand: Eric Bauza; Review: my grandson loves them.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales; Brand: Anthony Daniels; Review: my grandson loves them; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Fiesta Toys Kangaroo with Baby in Pouch Plush Stuffed Animal. 14"; Brand: Fiesta Toys; Review: It's a small plush kangaroo. Not super quality, but it was cheap. It made my buddies 1 year old happy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Aurora World Tubbie Wubbie Plush Cow, 12"; Brand: Aurora; Review: Soft and plush, bought this for my girlfriend and she loves it very much. Definitely worth buying for someone who loves cows!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Aurora Plush 12 inches Elephant Tubbie Wubbie (Light Grey); Brand: Aurora; Review: This is the second item that I've bought from Aurora Plush. First was a spotted cow that my girlfriend loved so I had to get the cow a companion right? The elephant is very soft and cuddly, but unfortunately the quality isn't as good as on the cow. As you can see in my pictures the shape isn't entirely accurate. It looks enough like an elephant to pass for one, but it's certainly off, unlike the cow. In addition, the elephant doesn't sit straight up, rather leans to the left no matter what. I'm giving 4 stars for the comfort, and sturdiness of the build, but from aesthetics alone I'd give this a 3 star. Might have been bad luck on my part and I wouldn't hesitate to buy from this company again, especially for the price.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Patchwork; Brand: Mayfair Games; Review: This game is so fun! It's a 2 player game with the games each taking about 30 minutes. The objective is to score the most points by building a quilt by managing your resources and carefully plotting out your moves in order to get the pieces necessary. It's been a fun game for my girlfriend and I to play before winding down for the night. Word of caution: When punching the pieces out, make sure you punch from the flat side. That will ensure that you don't have any damaged pieces.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ADORE 15" Standing Mocha the Spotted Goat Plush Stuffed Animal Toy; Brand: Adore Plush Company; Review: I call mine Dak Presgoat. He hands around me and my friends, but they don't like him because they're Eagles fans and Dak Prescott is a Cowboys player. He's cool.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ravensburger San Juan Card Game; Brand: Ravensburger; Review: I've only played twice but this is a stellar game! It's not super difficult to learn the basics, but offers plenty of room for strategy. I mostly play Forbidden Island, Carcassonne, and Catan, and I found San Juan to only be slightly more difficult to learn the basics. My girlfriend and her family also love it as board game fans who have a similar level of board game experience. Highly recommended if you want to step into a slightly more complex game from one of the fantastic "entry" board games like Carcassonne.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Toys_and_Games |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: San Giorgio Villa; City: Fira Santorini Cyclades South Aegean; Review: San giorgio villas was wonderful! Located just down the hill from the main streets of fira, everything you could need or want is within walking distance. The staff here are incredible! Very informative and willing to help you, and always greeted with a smile and friendly hello. The rooms were very spacious with comfortable beds and a very large bathroom. I would stay here again if I ever come back, and would recommend to everyone!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Pantheon; City: Markopoulo Mesogeas East Attica Region Attica; Review: I write this as I sit in the athens airport for the night trying to find a place to sleep because this hotel was too dirty to stay in. We arrived at the hotel and stayed for a few hours before we decided to leave. The walls had huge scuffs marks all over them, there were food crumbs and hair underneath my pillow, the electrical outlet was hanging out of the wall and the "white" towels were tinged brown. I thought it would be bearable if I put the spare blanket on top of the bed and slept on that, but that also did not look clean. To top it all off, there were two men rolling a joint in the breakfast area. There are not many hotel options around the airport except for this one and the pricey airport hotels. However when taking a taxi to this hotel, the meter will read approximately 9 euros but they will charge you 20 euros for the 10 minute drive...so you might as well spend that extra money on the airport hotel. I would never return to this hotel and would NEVER recommend it to anyone. Sleeping at the airport is better than this place.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Huan Saran Guesthouse; City: Pai Mae Hong Son Province; Review: Stayed here for 2 nights. The rooms and bathrooms were clean and beds were fairly comfortable. The hostel is in a good location, just a few minute walk from the walking street and all of the food carts...but far enough away that it was pretty quiet in the evenings.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: K Bunk Hostel; City: Ao Nang Krabi Town Krabi Province; Review: This hostel appeared to be on the newer side, had a nice vibe. The rooms were clean, beds were comfortable and there were privacy curtains around the beds which was nice. My main complaint about this hostel is the showers...being a hostel, I don't expect an amazing shower, however the water pressure was terrible...constantly switching from decent pressure to barely a drizzle. Other than that, our stay was nice. If you're looking for more of a party scene, they are affiliated with the Slumber Party hostel right around the corner in which you can get free bbq and vodka...we didn't take part, but would entice some I'm sure!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Samsen 360 Hostel; City: Bangkok; Review: This hostel is in a great location. A short taxi/bus ride from the Grand Palace and other temples. The staff here are extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. We had quite a few day trips planned outside of Bangkok and they were so helpful telling us which buses to take and how to get there. The rooms were clean and the beds were comfortable. There is quite a few food carts just down the street that offer up some amazing food...you have to give at least one a try!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Absolute House; City: Chiang Mai; Review: I can not say enough about this hostel! Joe and Ling are such wonderful people and made us feel right at home. They are so helpful with booking excursions and giving us any info that we needed. The rooms are clean, quiet, comfortable and had a nice relaxed atmosphere. The hostel is in a great location, fairly close to the airport and only a 2 minute walk from the South gate into the old city. It is within walking distance to many of the main sights within Chiang Mai. We suggested this hostel to a few other that we met in other cities, and will continue to suggest it. Thank you Joe and Ling for the great hospitality.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lemonade Boutique Inn; City: Ko Lanta Krabi Province; Review: We stayed here for 5 nights. This was our first and only hostel in which we didn't have bunkbeds...amazing! The beds were comfortable and had complete privacy curtains...kept the sleeping area nice and dark :) There is good size storage lockers in the room. The entire hostel was very clean, the showers had very good water pressure...a must to wash off the sand after a day at the beach! They provide a small breakfast which was nice, consisting of toast and cereal with coffee and tea. Klong Dao beach is less than a 2 minute walk from the hostel...you can go farther south for "nicer" beaches, but the fact that this one is so close was amazing!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Killing JFK: 50 Years, 50 Lies: From the Warren Commission to Bill; Author: Visit Amazon's Dr. Lance Moore Page; Review: America can never move forward until the lies and deceit regarding the assassination are confronted and exposed. Shockingly, all discoveries and new information in the case has been unearthed by amateurs-with silence, smear and obfuscation the official response. This is a quick primer on the official deceit, and why we need to investigate the activities of Allen Dulles and Co.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Murder in Dealey Plaza: What We Know Now that We Didn't Know Then; Author: Visit Amazon's James H. Fetzer Page; Review: Anyone who still thinks that Lee Harvey Oswald acting alone assassinated JFK should read this. The evidence for tampering and alteration of the Zapruder film is compelling. Plausible Denial by Mark Lane is a good companion volume.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Someone Would Have Talked; Author: Visit Amazon's Larry Hancock Page; Review: One of the best accounts on the history of the assassination of JFK. Books such as this take the case forward, and show that the Warren commission was a fiction. The official version relies on the Magic Bullet Theory of Arlen Specter-whereby a single bullet caused numerous wounds, turned corners and stopped in mid-air for nearly two seconds, and was subsequently found almost pristine on a stretcher in Parkland Hospital. If nothing else, the results of years of research into the case should have Specter tried for treason.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Vol. IV; Author: Visit Amazon's Robert A. Caro Page; Review: Essential reading-not only the definitive way to write a biography, but a history lesson of the times. Cannot recommend Caro's magisterial work enough; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Poems of Dylan Thomas, New Revised Edition [with CD]; Author: Visit Amazon's Dylan Thomas Page; Review: Dylan Thomas, Wystan Auden, Phillip Larkin-what's not to like?; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Juveniles arrested after robbing victim at gunpoint, leading deputies on chase; Abstract: Two juvenile males are in custody following a chase that ended with a deputy's vehicle getting hit and the suspects crashing into a fence in Centennial, Ginger Delgado with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office said. Delgado said the incident started when two boys under the age of 18 brought a victim at gunpoint to an ATM in the area of Interstate 25 and Dry Creek Road in an attempt to withdraw money. At some point, the victim was able to notify...; Category: news
Title: Newport News student arrested after bringing gun to school; Abstract: The Newport News Police Department arrested a Woodside High School student who brought a gun into school. On Wednesday, the school resource officer was told by a staff member that a student had a gun inside his backpack. Police said the student was removed from class, and a gun was found where the staff members said it was, in his backpack. The 16-year-old student was taken into custody by police, and he was charged with Possession of Firearm on...; Category: news
Title: Search Begins For A Second Major Puget Sound Airport; Abstract: The Commercial Aviation Coordinating Commission must come up with a preferred location by January 2022.; Category: travel
Title: Barneys Is Sold for Scrap, Ending an Era; Abstract: Authentic Brands Group will take control of the Barneys name one that has been part of the Manhattan landscape since 1923 and license it to other companies like Saks Fifth Avenue. The firm B. Riley Financial is preparing to liquidate Barneys' high-end wares, at its five stores and two Warehouse locations, starting with private sale events for Barneys' "most loyal" shoppers next week.; Category: finance
Title: 3 students allegedly plotted to attack their middle school: Officials; Abstract: The students, all of whom are under 16 years old, are charged with conspiracy.; Category: news
Title: Tacoma restaurant blaze investigated as arson; Abstract: Investigators are calling a large fire that destroyed a Tacoma restaurant on Tuesday night "suspicious." Firefighters were called to Great Wall Buffet, located in the 8200 block of South Hosmer Street, just after 11 p.m. Flames were shooting high into the sky and ripped through the restaurant. Firefighters went into the building, but Battalion Chief Dave McRoberts said flames spread all the way into the attic, creating a dangerous situation for...; Category: travel
Title: Orting Police investigate fight at youth football game; Abstract: Orting Police are investigating a brawl that happened during a youth football game this past weekend. It happened Saturday in Orting, when the Federal Way Titans faced off against the Orting Junior Cardinals. Video from the game shows a group of parents make their way onto the field, and then chase one of the referees. Q13 News spoke to the ref about the incident. He did not ...; Category: news
Title: Broadway Star Laurel Griggs Suffered Asthma Attack Before She Died at Age 13; Abstract: Teen star Laurel Griggs, who passed away on November 5, was known for roles in Once and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.; Category: music | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Clifden ecoBeach Camping Caravanning Park; City: Clifden County Galway Western Ireland; Review: You know the way we bum about how amazing some places are, and after going back it just isnt like that ’first time’ ...well after staying the last 4 nights at Clifden Eco Camping it felt like our second home. From the genuine welcome from Tatjana and Kris on arrival, the help from Kris as he hung on for dear life to our tent as it literally took off in the 40+mph gusts and then hammered in pegs like a champion. To all the local info on sights to see and the checking out Tatjana done to help us choose a suitable pitch to suit our next visit in June with my 90 yr old mum. Beautiful, totally chill-out surroundings, and such a pleasure to be back, it just gets better. And by the way, the facilities on site are immaculate, a lot of thought and care has gone into making your stay a wonderful experience. So relax, soak up the beauty of the surroundings and enjoy what these lovely people offer you. We know our 3rd/4th...20th...visit will be as memorable as the 1st.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clifden ecoBeach Camping Caravanning Park; City: Clifden County Galway Western Ireland; Review: Mission accomplished! For 4 glorious days, my hubby, me and my mum (and her even older dog!) celebrated her 90th birthday at Kris and Tatjana's beautiful site. As usual we were welcomed like old friends with offers of any help needed to make this a memorable visit for mum. Even the weather was kind to us, hot sunny days with a bracing wind to cool us down again. Me and Molly the dog had a swim, mum had a paddle and hubby had an afternoon at the local watching the 'fitba'. Just perfect and in mums own words "hope this is what Heaven is like". Hope its a long time till she see's the 'real thing' til then this place will do the job nicely! Roll on September!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Princetown Guesthouse; City: Bangor County Down Northern Ireland; Review: What a lovely guesthouse. And what a lovely welcome from Sonia the proprietor. A young lady with her head and heart in the right place. So pleased we stayed here. The room was massive though really cosy, spotless and with lovely touches of fresh drinking water, tea/coffee making facilities (not 2 teabags, 2 coffee sachets, 2 sugars etc) but loads of it, wrapped biscuits and a wee box of homemade cookies. Sorry Sonia we demolished the lot, they were yummy! Great choice for the continental breakfast. The guesthouse is a regal old girl with bags of character and a homely feel. But the rooms are crisp, bright and modern. It would knock the socks off the highrise, boxy and impersonal feel of the multi-chain hotels. With young people making a real go of it, they should get the praise and success they work so hard for, and, deserve. Highly recommend. Thank you.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clifden ecoBeach Camping Caravanning Park; City: Clifden County Galway Western Ireland; Review: Back to friends, beauty and nature at her best (!) Wonderful welcome from Kris and Tatjana who had chosen a great pitch for us to accommodate the in-coming "inclement" weather, the tail end of Tropical Storm Gert! Beautiful afternoon getting tent up and settled before rain and a wee blow came in. Over the next 2 days the always warm weather would change from blue sunny skies to brooding grey clouds to torrential rain and 50+ mph winds! Nature letting us know she is still the boss. However, to walk the beach, watch the beauty of the place under changing skies and make good use of the kitchen facilities on offer was just perfect!Kris & Tatjana worked throughout the worst of the weather checking all us happy campers and our canvas/metal housings were safe and secure! And, we can, hand on heart, confirm, one hundred percent, the pitches stayed dry and mud free! Best camping in Ireland. Thank you both (and Tatjana's mum for drying our coats), for sharing your lovely place with us again. For two 60+ year olds in a tent, we had a fun experience with the weather and a truely brilliant time. See you next year, sun or storms.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Villa Pincevic; City: Lopud Dubrovnik Neretva County Dalmatia; Review: What a perfect place to totally chill. Not only is Lopud as close to perfection as any little island in the sun can be but in our opinion Ville Pincevic and its charming owner Nico have cornered the market in pure hospitality. As our flight arrived after the last sail of the day of the big ferry, Nico organising our transfer from Dubrovnik Airport by private taxi followed by a private 20 minute speedboad ride to the island (at a very competative rate according to people we spoke to). And there he was, with a big smile and a warm welcome waiting at the little quay in his golf buggy to take us the short uphill ride to the Villa. Showing us to our room, a few short instructions he bid us "happy holidays, gave us info to closest restaurant (as it was 10pm at night) and see you in morning for breakfast". Casual. Friendly. Informal. After a long day, just perfect. After we returned from Robinzoon Restaurant (see review of restaurants to follow) we checked out our room. It was lovely. Bright, furnished balcony with seaview, crickets 'cricketing' away, really powerful shower with lots of hot water (anytime of day) comfy single beds put together, a spare sofabed and loads of room for the two of us. Aircon, safe and fridge. The room was spotless fresh and homely. Breakfast was on the terrace at Nico's 'modern' villa, the White House with a very inviting pool between the two buildings. Half a dozen sunbeds and big parasols, again all areas were spotlessly clean. Great choice of cereals, cheese and salami, fresh breads, boiled eggs, jams, etc. Coffee, teas and orange juice. Throughout our stay Nico and the lady who helps him could not do enough for you to make your holiday the best it could be. I had read some reviewers negative comments about the 'buggy taxi rank' at the front of the villa being an annoyance. It was only busy at peak times and if you happened to be in the room/pool at that time we felt it all added to the 'cute' atmosphere of the place. Big plus to the 'buggy taxi rank' at such close quarters for us more mature/not so fit holiday makers, step out the gate and for 15kuna (apx £2) pp you get to ride up the steep 'road' and dropped off at the perfectly beautiful Sunji Beach (without the need for oxygen and resuscitation!). At the end of our stay Nico drove us and our luggage down to the main ferry harbour in the village for our journey back to Dubrovnik with instructions how/where to get the coach for the airport. A lovely man with lovely accommodation on a lovely island. Check it out. Peaceful. Perfect. Bliss. Thank you Nico and Villa Pincevic.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Royal Court Hotel; City: Portrush County Antrim Northern Ireland; Review: Had a one night break here on Monday 29th. The hotel is set up from the main coast road with magnificent views of the beach below out to the Skerries, Rathlin Island and Scotland. A grand but not stuffy hotel with friendly and helpful staff. The lady on reception made us feel so welcome. And then our room! Outstanding! Large room, large comfy double (and single) beds, large bathroom (with jacuzzi bath) beautifully decorated and cosy warm. And then, the balcony! Double wow! Although very cold the sun was shining, the clear fresh sea air was exhilarating and the views brought joy to your heart. After returning from the town late night we wrapped up like Eskimos and had a few nightcaps watching an amazing star- scape and listening to the waves on the beach. Bliss. Lovely to have a window we could leave open through the night for fresh sea air. Slept like babies and awoke to a hearty cooked breakfast in the restaurant, yum. Overall, a really lovely hotel with super friendly staff and for freshair lovers, a big slice of paradise. The only downside was we couldn't stay longer. But we will definitely return. Thank you.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Man Reveals Big American Muscle Car Barn Find; Abstract: These classic cars are definitely not in showroom condition.; Category: autos
Title: Around the world in photos: Incredible pictures of Machu Picchu shrouded in mist and sun-drenched camel riders in India are named among this year's best travel images; Abstract: Stunning pictures capturing breath-taking beauty from all corners of the world have been revealed as part of a travel photography competition.; Category: travel
Title: Marines correct 74-year-old Iwo Jima error; Abstract: Historians determined that Cpl. Harold 'Pie' Keller was one of the six men who raised the flag.; Category: news
Title: 18 places around the world that are being ruined by tourism; Abstract: From damaging monuments to overcrowding neighborhoods, tourists have caused some serious harm in these popular travel destinations.; Category: travel
Title: Here's How Often You Should Rotate Your Tires; Abstract: Rotating your car's tires may not seem like a huge deal compared other common car maintenance tasks, but it's actually important for your overall safety.; Category: autos
Title: Shaquille O'Neal donates home to family of Atlanta boy paralyzed in shooting; Abstract: Shaquille O'Neal heard Isaiah Payton couldn't go home after he was paralyzed from the chest down. So Shaq donated an accessible house to his family.; Category: sports
Title: Hong Kong protesters don cartoon masks to defy face mask ban; Abstract: Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters are donning cartoon character masks as they form a human chain across the semiautonomous Chinese city, in defiance of a government ban on face coverings.; Category: news
Title: At least 62 killed in Afghan mosque blast; Abstract: At least 28 worshippers were killed and dozens wounded by a blast inside an Afghan mosque during Friday prayers, officials said, a day after the United Nations said violence in the country had reached "unacceptable" levels.; Category: news
Title: China denies it asked for Morey's firing over HK tweet; Abstract: China is refuting NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's claim that it demanded the firing of Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey.; Category: sports
Title: The 35 Most Beautiful Abandoned Places In The World; Abstract: And learn the haunting backstories.; Category: lifestyle
Title: Lori Loughlin Is 'Absolutely Terrified' After Being Hit With New Charge; Abstract: Lori Loughlin Is 'Absolutely Terrified' After Being Hit With New Charge; Category: tv
Title: The megaprojects that changed countries forever; Abstract: Megaprojects are complex and expensive ventures that take years to complete. Although the massive scale of these projects makes them fraught with risk, they also have the capacity to bring great economic and social benefits during and after construction. Whether good or bad, these are the megaprojects that have shaped the future of their countries in a big way.; Category: finance
Title: Pentagon 'likely' deploying tanks to Syria, officials say; Abstract: The Pentagon is "likely" to order tanks and hundreds of soldiers to eastern Syria, U.S. officials tell Fox News.; Category: news
Title: Tim Ryan drops out of presidential race; Abstract: Rep. Tim Ryan announced his decision to end his campaign, stating he would run again for his House seat.; Category: news
Title: Volkswagen Golf's 8th-Gen Model Is Finally Here and Thoroughly Modern; Abstract: VW calls it progressive, acknowledging that it doesn't look extremely different, but there have been big changes. What the all-new Golf has to offer.; Category: autos
Title: Rivian R1S and R1T: Everything We Know; Abstract: The Plymouth, Michigan startup quickly became one of the hottest things in the automotive world. Here's what to expect from its first two cars.; Category: autos
Title: New Hyundai Azera Looks Pretty Gorgeous; Abstract: The full-size sedan quietly left the U.S. market a few years ago, but now we're hoping it returns.; Category: autos
Title: Lockheed to get $34 billion for F-35 as Pentagon announces award; Abstract: The Pentagon announced a final agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp. on the biggest contract yet for the next-generation F-35 jet.; Category: finance
Title: Hyundai fuel cell semi concept makes the Tesla Semi look boring; Abstract: Called the HDC-6 Neptune, it's a pretty great-looking thing.; Category: autos
Title: Elizabeth Warren's Days Defending Big Corporations; Abstract: Elizabeth Warren had never taken on the federal government before. But in 1995, she found herself up against the Clinton administration, representing the Cleveland-based conglomerate LTV Steel. Even though LTV had sold off its coal mines during the 1980s, a new law required it to contribute to a health fund for retired miners. LTV believed that it should not have to pay. Those claims, the company said, should have been handled as part of its...; Category: finance
Title: After Baghdadi, a candidate to lead ISIS emerges; Abstract: What remains of ISIS -- the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Syria -- is yet to acknowledge the death of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi who died in a raid by US forces in northern Syria on Saturday.; Category: news
Title: Divers Find Giant Mysterious 'Egg' Floating In Ocean; Abstract: A team of divers set off to explore a sunken World War II ship off the Norwegian coast, but what they found was something far more mysterious. While making their way back to shore, Ronald Raasch, Nils Baadness and Brynjar Aarnseth came face-to-face with a giant floating orb. The bubble hovered 17 meters (56 feet) below the surface and appeared to be see-through. The divers turned their flashlights on it and realized that the sphere was filled...; Category: lifestyle
Title: Brilliant houseboats for sale to suit every budget; Abstract: Fancy getting a foot on the property ladder without being tied down to one location?; Category: finance
Title: Baghdadi hid among rivals and enemies in rebel-held Syrian province; Abstract: Idlib is a reminder of threats still radiating from the country's civil war; Category: news
Title: One shrinking Japanese town's plan: Give away houses for free; Abstract: As the country's population ages and birthrate declines, drastic measures are being implemented to address a demographic time bomb that is already going off; Category: finance
Title: Kamala Harris to slash staff, restructure campaign as she hemorrhages cash; Abstract: Kamala Harris is dramatically restructuring her campaign by redeploying staffers to Iowa and laying off dozens of aides at her Baltimore headquarters, according to campaign sources and a memo obtained by POLITICO Wednesday, as she struggles to resuscitate her beleaguered presidential bid.; Category: news
Title: Election Day 2019: Most Important Races and What to Watch For; Abstract: In elections that will determine policy, the political makeup of state legislatures and who lives in governors' mansions, voters will head to the polls Tuesday in states across the country.; Category: news
Title: FBI busts $6 million iPhone and iPad counterfeit ring; Abstract: The FBI busted a counterfeit ring centered on iPhones and iPads that reportedly cost Apple over $6.1 million.; Category: news | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Catalonia Royal Bavaro; City: Punta Cana La Altagracia Province Dominican Republic; Review: My husband and I were only on the resort for breakfast and dinner and to sleep. We spent most of our time at another resort scuba diving. That being said, the resort was calm and the staff was friendly. We went for the all-inclusive option, which was surprisingly affordable. It was not a per day fee, as it is with all of the other all-inclusive options that came up in our search. The tapas and Dominican (on the family side) restaurants were excellent. The breakfast buffet had a lot of different options, was well stocked. Only the Asian (really, Thai) was not that great. Overall, we were very happy with our stay. I would recommend for people wanting a relaxed getaway. It was not a packed party spot. I would book again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Halm Konstanz; City: Konstanz Baden Wurttemberg; Review: I stayed here twice on business trips and had excellent service each time. The rooms are good and the breakfast spread was large and varied. It's right across from the train station and everything is within walking distance. WiFi speed was good too. I will be booking here again on future trips.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chicago Marriott Suites Deerfield; City: Deerfield Lake County Illinois; Review: The room was not worth the price paid and a poor representative of the Marriott brand. While the room was very spacious, it was dated and not well cleaned. I had 2 showers and the shower that I was using had hair remaining the the drain after the room was serviced. Also, since a lot of business travelers stay at the hotel, the shuttle bus gets full very quickly. I ride I had book the night before was not available in the morning (they could not find the driver) and I had to use Uber instead. The nearby Deerfield Courtyard or Residence Inn are much better than this Marriott option.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Residence Inn Chicago Deerfield; City: Deerfield Lake County Illinois; Review: Very large room and good value for the price paid. The free breakfast had a lot of options and the food was very good for this level of hotel. Room was very clean and serviced daily. This is my preferred hotel when in Deerfield for business.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina; City: Kapolei Oahu Hawaii; Review: You get what you pay for - excellent service. Room was immaculate with a a gorgeous ocean view. Service at pool side and on the beach were also great. Renting beach equipment was easy. The breakfast buffet had an abundance of choices and the food was very good.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Inn at Henderson s Wharf; City: Baltimore Maryland; Review: Great location, excellent service. Night cap was a small but very pleasant perk. Room size was very good. The bed might have been a bit too soft for my taste, but that's just my own personal preference. I would definitely recommend.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: City Plaza Osaka; City: Chuo Osaka Osaka Prefecture Kinki; Review: Nice hotel with a fairly good location in Osaka. Room was fairly nice but a bit of a squeeze for 4, but we were only staying for one night. Hotel was very clean and well presented. There was an amusingly informative brochure on bath (onsen) etiquette, which explained the basics for us foreigners (gaijin) to understand. Would return again.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hundred Stay Tokyo Shinjuku; City: Shinjuku Tokyo Tokyo Prefecture Kanto; Review: The four of us stayed in a two room suite. The beds were quite cozy with each other, but there was more than enough space to move around and not feel like we were on top of each other. With one of us in the 2nd Japanese style room, the bedroom did not feel crowded at all. The hotel is well situated on a fairly quiet street with 1 train station a 5 minute walk away and another 8-9 minutes away. Service was good. Breakfast could be improved by having a few rotated items instead of the same items every day, especially for those of us staying for more than 5 days. Overall, I would recommend the property for value, room size and location.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gion Hatanaka; City: Kyoto Kyoto Prefecture Kinki; Review: Our experience was very memorable. It felt like taking a trip back in time in Japan. The service was impeccable, the food authentic, the surroundings serene. I have to admit though, that the truly impressive Japanese meals may have been a bit too Japanese for me and my family. We tried our best to try all of the items and it was all very beautifully presented, but we were simply not adventurous enough eaters to try everything. Very much worth the experience, but with average American kids, they did say one night was enough for them to appreciate it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: HF Ipanema Porto; City: Porto Porto District Northern Portugal; Review: The room was a good size for a European hotel room (compared to those in the US). Bathroom was very large. There were several places to eat, a grocery and a small shopping mall within walking distance. The waterfront is nearby, 15 minute walk or so.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: JW Marriott Absheron Baku; City: Baku Absheron Region; Review: My husband and I stayed a bit over a week here in a large comfortable room. Since we are Marriott gold members, we made very good use of the well stocked lounge. The breakfast in the lounge had very good variety and the happy hour hors d'oeuvres were filling enough for us to skip dinner when the jet lag really kicked in. All the of staff spoke clear English and were incredibly helpful. The hotel is located within walking distance of the large waterfront park and 2 malls. The old town area was a bit more of a walk, but the walk was very pleasant after the heat of the day cooled at night. We walked there several nights for dinner, as the park was buzzing with families and it was nice to be a part of what seemed like a daily ritual for average Azerbaijanis.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Forrest Gump (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Moonstruck (1987); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fargo (1996); Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Saving Private Ryan (1998); Genres: Action, Drama, War; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rebel Without a Cause (1955); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Stalag 17 (1953); Genres: Drama, War; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Christmas Story, A (1983); Genres: Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) (1981); Genres: Action, Adventure; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Schindler's List (1993); Genres: Drama, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Last Picture Show, The (1971); Genres: Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Man Who Would Be King, The (1975); Genres: Adventure, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: L.A. Confidential (1997); Genres: Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: It's a Wonderful Life (1946); Genres: Children, Drama, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Duck Soup (1933); Genres: Comedy, Musical, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jaws (1975); Genres: Action, Horror; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: RocketMan (a.k.a. Rocket Man) (1997); Genres: Children, Comedy, Romance, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991); Genres: Action, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Old Yeller (1957); Genres: Children, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Die Hard (1988); Genres: Action, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: When Harry Met Sally... (1989); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 12 Angry Men (1957); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Apollo 13 (1995); Genres: Adventure, Drama, IMAX; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Elephant Man, The (1980); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Airplane! (1980); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Toy Story (1995); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Usual Suspects, The (1995); Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Aliens (1986); Genres: Action, Adventure, Horror, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jerk, The (1979); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grifters, The (1990); Genres: Crime, Drama, Film-Noir; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Laura (1944); Genres: Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bananas (1971); Genres: Comedy, War; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: King Kong (1933); Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters (a.k.a. Ghost Busters) (1984); Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Men in Black (a.k.a. MIB) (1997); Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: There's Something About Mary (1998); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blast from the Past (1999); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jerry Maguire (1996); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hang 'Em High (1968); Genres: Crime, Drama, Western; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mask, The (1994); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dead Man Walking (1995); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: My Cousin Vinny (1992); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blue Velvet (1986); Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Reality Bites (1994); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Big Lebowski, The (1998); Genres: Comedy, Crime; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: River Runs Through It, A (1992); Genres: Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Beyond Rangoon (1995); Genres: Adventure, Drama, War; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Quiz Show (1994); Genres: Drama; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Gandhi (1982); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Heaven Can Wait (1978); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harold and Maude (1971); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mars Attacks! (1996); Genres: Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: That Thing You Do! (1996); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Last Emperor, The (1987); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Big (1988); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Easy Rider (1969); Genres: Adventure, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bamba, La (1987); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: True Lies (1994); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Risky Business (1983); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Story of Us, The (1999); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jackie Brown (1997); Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Working Girl (1988); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Shampoo (1975); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Smoke Signals (1998); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sleepless in Seattle (1993); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fried Green Tomatoes (1991); Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Desperately Seeking Susan (1985); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ulee's Gold (1997); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989); Genres: Adventure, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cocoon (1985); Genres: Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Airheads (1994); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Private Benjamin (1980); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Barefoot in the Park (1967); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Coneheads (1993); Genres: Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Genres: Comedy, Crime; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Benny & Joon (1993); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Barbarella (1968); Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pollyanna (1960); Genres: Children, Comedy, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Airplane II: The Sequel (1982); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Goodbye Girl, The (1977); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blair Witch Project, The (1999); Genres: Drama, Horror, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: City of Angels (1998); Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rocketeer, The (1991); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Flashdance (1983); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High School High (1996); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nadine (1987); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Leave It to Beaver (1997); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Waking Ned Devine (a.k.a. Waking Ned) (1998); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Roger & Me (1989); Genres: Documentary; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991); Genres: Documentary, Musical; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Princess Bride, The (1987); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: George of the Jungle (1997); Genres: Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Young Frankenstein (1974); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Spaceballs (1987); Genres: Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cool Hand Luke (1967); Genres: Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost (1990); Genres: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Being There (1979); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fish Called Wanda, A (1988); Genres: Comedy, Crime; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Groundhog Day (1993); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dumb & Dumber (Dumb and Dumber) (1994); Genres: Adventure, Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Splash (1984); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wag the Dog (1997); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kingpin (1996); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crocodile Dundee (1986); Genres: Adventure, Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Player, The (1992); Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Born Yesterday (1950); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clueless (1995); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beetlejuice (1988); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Home Alone (1990); Genres: Children, Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Withnail & I (1987); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wayne's World (1992); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982); Genres: Children, Drama, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Boy Who Could Fly, The (1986); Genres: Drama, Fantasy; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Broken Arrow (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: In the Line of Fire (1993); Genres: Action, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon (1987); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Alien (1979); Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Get Shorty (1995); Genres: Comedy, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hunt for Red October, The (1990); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clear and Present Danger (1994); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Top Gun (1986); Genres: Action, Romance; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Matrix, The (1999); Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Superman (1978); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989); Genres: Action, Adventure; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Last of the Mohicans, The (1992); Genres: Action, Romance, War, Western; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fistful of Dollars, A (Per un pugno di dollari) (1964); Genres: Action, Western; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Thelma & Louise (1991); Genres: Adventure, Crime, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | movielens |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: The Cedars Motel; City: Saint Ignace Mackinac County Upper Peninsula Michigan; Review: I Visit St Ignace Twice A Year And Always Stay At The Cedars. Kathy & Tim Are Very Personable And Take Great Care Of All The Guests. Bonfires Are Awesome Too! I Really Enjoyed Kathy's Homemade Banana Bread This Last Visit!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cedars Motel; City: Saint Ignace Mackinac County Upper Peninsula Michigan; Review: It's Always A Pleasure Staying At The Cedars. I Stayed A Few Nights, Visited At The Campfire And Even Had A Smore! Very Clean And Good Value! This Visit I Even Went To The Casino And Came Out Smiling!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cedars Motel; City: Saint Ignace Mackinac County Upper Peninsula Michigan; Review: This visit was just as nice as the last time. Room was clean, comfortable and Kathy & Tim make you feel welcome. I met some really nice people (other customers) too! It was neat to talk to them by the bonfire.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carlton Lodge; City: Adrian Michigan; Review: I stayed at the Carlton Lodge when we were in town for a wedding. Accommodations were nice and the room was clean and quiet. Continental breakfast was available however I only chose to have coffee and yogurt. Staff was friendly during check in and when we checked out.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Catalonia Royal Tulum Beach Spa Resort; City: Xpu Ha Yucatan Peninsula; Review: This year we chose our vacation spot based on customer reviews. The resort was beautiful and very clean. We enjoyed the beach the pool the bars and restaurants. The staff was very friendly and they were always there when you needed them and left you alone if you didn't. We definitely will visit again.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: La Quinta Inn Suites Detroit Metro Airport; City: Romulus Michigan; Review: We always enjoy a relaxing evening prior to flying out early in the morning. Staying at Laquinta allows us a stress free morning without a long drive to the airport. I rated only a 4 due to loud guests that woke us up on 3 occasions that night. Overall we enjoyed our stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Cedars Motel; City: Saint Ignace Mackinac County Upper Peninsula Michigan; Review: I drove up from lower Michigan with my parents to St. Ignace. We stayed at The Cedars Motel and truly enjoyed our visit. The rooms are wonderful, clean, just very relaxing to be in. We have always enjoyed our stay at the Cedars Motel and won't stay anywhere else when we come up to St. Ignace; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wellington Hotel; City: New York City New York; Review: I visited NYC for a 3-day weekend to see the Christmas lights. Stayed at the Wellington and the room was wonderful with separate bedrooms for my friend and myself with a shared bathroom. It was in walking distance of everything we wanted to see from Rockefeller Center to Central Park to shopping to all the wonderful pubs and great places to eat drink and dine. I would recommend the Wellington if you're looking to shop and walk and just enjoy the sights.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Charleville Park Hotel; City: Charleville County Cork; Review: I have stayed here a couple of times, mid week and weekends and I can honestly say I would highly recommend this hotel for business or pleasure. The staff are so genuinely friendly and helpful. The rooms are lovely, modern and clean. The food is great and the conference and leisure facilities are excellent. I would highly recommend this hotel for business or leisure.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Connacht Hotel; City: Galway County Galway Western Ireland; Review: As a family of 4 we stayed for 2 nights and had a great time. The kids club was very well organised and the boys loved it. We had time to relax and enjoy dinner, I had a massage and we all loved the pool. The food and service was excellent, if a little overpriced but worth it for the peace!!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Croke Park; City: Dublin County Dublin; Review: From the heated hand towel at reception on arrival, to the extremely comfortable bed, gorgeous breakfast and a bottle of water given on check out - this hotel goes way beyond the normal to make you feel very welcome and more than just a number. I got dinner served to my room and it was gorgeous. I stay in hotels around the country every week and this has been my best experience so far. I am looking forward to returning!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cork International Hotel; City: Cork County Cork; Review: I love this hotel and have stayed many times, they never fail to please. The Staff are so friendly and helpful, the beds are extremely comfortable, the food is great and the meetings rooms are really well equipped, well decorated and well staffed.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clayton Hotel Leopardstown; City: Leopardstown County Dublin; Review: I stayed here in May 2015, staff were unfriendly and service was terrible. I paid €139 for the room then was charged a further €10 for parking and had to go back to reception with all my bags to get the ticket validated as all the machines were out of order. I had a meeting in the lobby and they wouldn't allow me to put coffees on my room so kept my credit card at the register after accusing me of not paying for coffees earlier (thankfully I had the receipt to show I had paid!) I found the service frustrating, the staff unfriendly and the hotel completely overpriced for what it actually offers. I would never stay here again.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The d Hotel; City: Drogheda County Louth; Review: I stayed here for 2 nights on business and will never stay again. Room wasn't clean, beds very cheap and uncomfortable. Breakfast staff were rude and breakfast offers were poor. We tried to have dinner on 2nd night in their Italian restaurant and it took 1 hr from ordering and then we're told they had no baked potatoes as tbey handed us our dinner. Our colleague had a room cancelled and they didn't even offer to try and find a local room for her! Realy appalling service, rooms , one lift broken for the days we were there, overall one of the worst stays I have ever had and expensive too!; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: 40 horses were rescued from a burning ranch in California; Abstract: Forty horses trapped at an equestrian center in Sylmar, California, during the Saddleridge Fire were rescued after a ranch worker reached out for help on social media.; Category: news
Title: Cody Simpson gushes over Miley Cyrus: 'We are very, very happy'; Abstract: Cody Simpson confirms that he and Miley are together while praising her.; Category: music
Title: Food Network star Carl Ruiz died of clogged arteries; Abstract: Food Network's Carl Ruiz's cause of death was "atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease," The Maryland Department of Health confirmed.; Category: tv
Title: Teresa Guidice shows off in sexy 'Game of Thrones' Halloween costume; Abstract: Days after her husband was released from ICE custody, Teresa Giudice showed off her 'Game of Thrones' costume; Category: tv
Title: Funny celeb pics for October 2019; Abstract: Helen Mirren does ride share differently and more pics that will make you LOL.; Category: entertainment
Title: Lady Gaga, Jim Carrey, Christina Hendricks and Pete Davidson are all single again, plus more celeb love life news for late October 2019; Abstract: A wave of pre-holiday breakups rock Hollywood, plus more celeb love life updates for late October 2019.; Category: entertainment
Title: Mammoth skeletons found in 15,000-year-old human-made traps; Abstract: Researchers think that prehistoric hunters used torches and branches to herd the mammoths into the pits.; Category: lifestyle | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Sterling Silver Angel Wing Drop Earrings; Brand: Amazon Collection; Review: Very pretty.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sterling Silver Angel Wing Pendant Necklace; Brand: Amazon Collection; Review: Very pretty; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: BESSKY Women's Infinity Love Heart Eiffel Tower Friendship Leather Charm Bracelet; Brand: ; Review: Rating is based on the looks of bracelet. It is a very cute bracelet. Only problem is when taken out of the package one of the straps was loose, fixed it. First time worn clasp came off, fixed it again. 2nd time worn clasp came off again, fixed it for 3rd time. My daughter hasn't worn since so not sure if will continue to have problems with the clasp.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Okay Drawing - The Fault In Our Stars Juniors T-shirt; Brand: The Fault In Our Stars; Review: Too small; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: chouyatou Elastic Waist Chiffon Flowy Floral Printed Bohemian Long Beach Skirt; Brand: chouyatou; Review: Very cute skirt. Seller very helpful.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Beach Lodge; City: Bournemouth Dorset England; Review: We had 4 nights at the beach lodge and this was our 3rd visit it was as good as before. The room is warm and comfy and the breakfast is excellent and filling. This was our first stay with the new hosts who were very welcoming and made our stay very pleasurable. We will be back for a 4th time. Andrew and Laura; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Beach Lodge; City: Bournemouth Dorset England; Review: Me and my wife have just finished a 4 night stay at The Beach Lodge and as this is our fourth visit, we obviously enjoy coming and once again we were met with the same high standards as before. The room was warm, comfy and big. The breakfast was filling, delicious and had plenty of variety (try the homemade jams they are delicious). The hosts are welcoming and friendly. The location is extremely convenient to the town and seaside (we got a slight seaside view from the maple room). The homemade cakes left in our room everyday give a lovely touch. We will be back again next year for our fifth visit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Disney s Art of Animation Resort; City: Orlando Florida; Review: We had 2 of the most wonderful weeks of our life, at the Art of Animation from 18 May 2014. It's location was absolutely ideal, so close to the Disney parks and International Drive. It was only 15 minutes from one of the shopping outlets and restaurants. The bus connections to Disney were brilliant, swift, often and free! On our arrival, we were greeted at the front desk by the receptionists who made us feel welcome and gave us our magic bands. Our room was a double Little Mermaid room which was clean and fresh with a safe and a good size fridge. It was a good size overall with a good bathroom and closet area. The TV was a good size with plenty of channels for down time and information. The pool was great, warm, clean and large. The whole hotel resort was noticeably cleaned everyday and we were always greated with a hello by the staff. They even commented on our badges we wore signifying our marriage and said congratulations. The shop was large and well stocked. We purchased many items from there! The only minor downside was the food and drink. Overpriced and the nothing special plus a lack of real variety. However having spent a day eating in parks and then eating out in the evenings that didn't bother us. Occasionally we would take a pizza back to our room which was nice. The only time which we felt we could do with some good food was breakfast considering the amount of walking done everyday. Overall, this is a fantastic hotel for one of the basic ones. We felt comfortable, well looked after and had a wonderful stay and time. Personally, considering the amount of time spent out and about in the day and evening, we did not feel like we needed anything more. I would whole heartedly recommend this hotel to couples or families.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ibis London Earls Court; City: London England; Review: I needed a hotel for us for a stop over before getting the Eurostar next morning. We stayed on a Saturday for one night. I found it hard to get just a room for a night for a 'decent' price. Not coming from London, I did not want to spend over £150 and found this for £125. The location was ok, the Uber was around £15 from Kings Cross and 20-30 minutes. The room itself was satisfactory, big enough for one nights stay. The bed was ok and comfortable. The pillows were terrible and seemed well worn. I had a sore back when I woke. The TV was good with several channels. The shower over bath was ok if small as the curtain kept clinging to my body. It was powerful and warm enough. The hotel was quiet except there was a noisy group on our floor. We should have complained but just wanted sleep. We used the bar on the Saturday night and £3 for a bottle of beer was good. Overall, I thought £125 for the room we got was too much and did not provide much value for money especially as breakfast was not included. However, looking at London prices which seem exorbitant, this turned out to be relatively good value and the best for the price. If we needed a hotel for a one night stop over, I would consider coming back as long as the price was the same.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Disney s Hotel Santa Fe; City: Coupvray Seine et Marne Ile de France; Review: We visited as a Couple in our early 30s who love Disney. We stayed for 3 nights. Travelling to the hotel from the parks and train station was really easy. We walked once and it took 20 mins. The bus takes 5 minutes and there was one every 20 minutes. The welcome to the hotel was nice and we were quickly through check in and given our meal vouchers, park tickets, photopass ticket and room key. We activated our photopass at the shop which was easy. We booked our meals in the evening at reception. My advice is to book at least the day before to ensure that you get the right restaurant at the right time. It was very easy. The shop was good and we went there to buy a few things including sun screen. However that was €20 so it would be worth buying it elsewhere. We bought bottles of water from the pub there but they were around €4. Again best to buy elsewhere. There is a good Starbucks there which was helpful. We did half board and did a couple of breakfasts at the hotel. This is however subject to a supplement of around €4 pp. This is a buffet (continental) with good food and drink. It is much easier having breakfast there than in the park. There is one character in the morning there with a photopass photographer. It is well worth getting a picture. The room itself was large with good storage space. For just us two there were two good size beds. The beds were very comfortable as were the pillows. The bedding was good and cosy. There was a TV with basic channels and some Disney. It had a nice welcome message. The shower was good and very powerful and the bathroom was a good size. However; there was no fridge or coffee making facilities which was a shame. The room was quite dated and needed a good lick of paint, the shower curtain was torn at the top. Considering we went during a heat wave, the lack of air conditioning was a struggle at points. The window opened but we obviously kept it shut during the day. The fan on the ceiling did a bit to help. There is a good size electronic safe in the room. Having been to a value resort last year at WDW Florida we got a small key safe so that was a bonus. Overall we enjoyed our stay at this hotel, it was convenient and precisely what we were looking for. However, next time we go and we will go again, we will probably pay more and stay at a nicer, newer hotel.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando; City: Orlando Florida; Review: We stayed here for a week and the purpose of the visit was to visit the Universal theme parks. This was a very budget friendly trip and this was almost the cheapest if not cheapest hotel we booked. Expectations were low as a result but we were pleasantly surprised. The Uber from Orlando International was $27 ish and only 20 minutes away. The itrolley to the Outlets is around 40 minutes and the free shuttle to and from Universal was around 20 minutes. It is therefore very conveniently located. I’d class the room as nearly the same as the All Star rooms at Disney albeit the decor is dated. It was nice to have a coffee machine that was refreshed everyday and we also had a fridge. The bed was comfortable and the linen was cosy. The TV was a good size and there were pretty of USB charging points. The air conditioning was good and the room was secure. We were at the front and the noise from the road was fairly minimal. The shower was good and powerful but clearly dated and the shower curtain was in a poor condition. We did not visit the restaurant but the shop seemed well stock. We did not visit the swimming pool. The free shuttle was excellent and convenient. The room was cleaned daily to a good standard. We were very close to plenty of restaurants and bars. We were very impressed with the hotel considering the price and lateness of the booking. We probably would not stay there again but that is no slight on the hotel as we would book further in advance and pay extra to stay on site at Universal or Disney. We rate the hotel 4 stars based on the excellent value for money and price.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cluaran Guest House; City: Edinburgh Scotland; Review: We stayed for 2 nights, we encountered no issues or difficulties. The guest house was warm, cosy, welcoming and comfortable. There was plenty for breakfast. We found the guest house good value for money; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Lasker's Manual of Chess; Author: Visit Amazon's Emanuel Lasker Page; Review: The book probably gets 5 stars since it is written by all time great Chess giant Edward Lasker. However, considering the Kindle edition, it is a pain in the butt to flip through Kindle pages looking at Chess notations and diagrams as opposed to looking at book pages. For example, if the book was explaining some line of notation, then you will have to click to the next page to see the diagram, and back again to see the notation. At least in my case, I need to see both to better understand what its going on and flipping back and forth between Kindle pages is a frustrating state of affairs for me. I would rather have a page open so I can see both. Save yourself some frustration and just buy the paperback! Chess books (and color/non-color maps) are probably one of the rare exceptions where it is better to have it in book format as opposed to the Kindle format.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Greeks (Penguin History); Author: Visit Amazon's H. D. F. Kitto Page; Review: I am enjoying this book but what's the deal with so many freaking typos!? Was this an error in transferring the content into Kindle format or is the original filled with these exact typos?; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A History Of The Japanese People From The Earliest Times To The End Of The Meiji Era; Author: Frank Brinkley; Review: I am a history teacher and this book has been more than adequate in helping me preparing for teaching according to the standards of California. This book is very comprehensive so you should search your Kindle for key words like, Prince Shotoku, Daika Reforms, and Sengoku Jidai. That should make reading the book a lot more easier. The vocabulary can be extravagant at some parts but if your reading it on the Kindle you can easily scroll down to the word and find the definition, but if your reading the actually paper back you better have a dictionary close by and good luck! You cannot beat the price of free for a comprehensive scholarly source of Japanese History. Enjoy!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: X-Men: Eve of Destruction; Author: Scott Lobdell; Review: The Kindle format of the Age of the Age of Apocalypse Book 2 is phenomenal. It is easy to read but for obvious reasons you must use a tablet for there is no color with a basic Kindle reading device. I used the Kindle Fire for enjoying this complete work, and (if you buy it for Kindle Fire) don't forget to double click on one of the comic strips; it highlights the section and makes it pop out and makes the print larger. There were a couple of pages where the print was difficult to read and that was in the pop-up/highlight mode. There were a couple of times when you navigated the digital comic that there would be a blank strip. You would have to deselect the strip which takes you out of the pop-up/highlight mode so you can see what the comic strip was, and then there was the trouble reading that strip. I still enjoyed the comic minus those discrepancies. If Amazon fixes those bugs I will change my rating to a 5.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: House of M; Author: Brian Michael Bendis; Review: Let me first say that this is a phenomenal story and the 1 star rating is directed at the Kindle Fire Format. Even in the Comic pop-up mode the print was very difficult to read. I would have tolerated a couple of pages, for many of the comics for Kindle fire have this problem, but they are not this bad. I have beyond 20/20 vision and my rifle qualification was Sharp Shooter in the United States Marine Corps. I felt it was my civic duty to inform future customers and Amazon that they need to correct this difficult read. The print needs to be larger in the pop-up mode and it would be nice if you can rotate the Kindle Fire so that the Comic would stretch horizontally for Comic strips that have that natural appearance.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Long Walk to Freedom: With Connections (HRW Library); Author: Visit Amazon's Nelson Mandela Page; Review: Mandelas Long Walk to Freedom, is an autobiographic record of his life and struggle to abolish apartheid which segregates the black South African from their own land by limiting the types of jobs they can have, the absences of universal suffrage, education, and land evictions and relocations. His struggle recounts what it was like to live in a regime dictated by apartheid. His struggle catches the international attention of the world and would spur the world into action while Mandela and others were on trial. The U.S., cold war Russia, Britain, and a number of nations were calling on the Dutch Nationalist government to do right by Mandela and the other political prisoners on trial; instead of receiving death, they were given life sentences. Reading Mandelas story leads one to the maxim, it is easier to die for what one believes then it is to live for it. Mandela has been offered freedom on many occasions by the Nationalist government by which Mandela rightfully contends, Prisoners cannot enter into contracts, even if he took the deal, he would be back in prison unless the government abolishes apartheid and removes the ban on political institutions. Though Mandela was willing to die for his beliefs, he was also willing to live for them though the cost was great. His struggle will deprive him of a life of loving memories, the embrace of his wife and children, watching ones children grow, marry, and have children of their own. Long Walk to Freedom captures Mandelas legacy, and posterity will tell, if he will be a Patriarch of Liberty for all time.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Magic the Gathering Strategy and Deck Building Tips: A Complete Guide to Building a Magic Deck that Wins!; Author: Stephen Hockman; Review: This is a not bad book (or more accurately pamphlet) that introduces basics of the game, strategies for playing, and also basic strategies around deck building (though limited.) I would recommend this to beginners who know absolutely nothing about the game. This pamphlet could use a couple more chapters covering intermediate to pro strategies designed around deck building and strategic game play. This book was beneficial to me (since I'm a beginner) especially when it talked about certain low mana cost cards that I can search out to improve my decks. There are a lot of critical reviews of this pamphlet due to its simplicity and that's why I recommend a later 2nd edition where the author expounds on pro game play and deck building.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: The Old Republic - Fatal Alliance; Author: Visit Amazon's Sean Williams Page; Review: The story of Revan from the video game Knights of the Old Republic is one of the most enthralling stories of Star Wars. I could not put this book down till I read the last page. This book does give closure to the epic of Revan, but I wish the story would have ended differently. I would have rewritten the last chapter and if they ever turn the epic of Revan into a motion picture, the producer would be wise to do the same. Other than that, this is one of the best Star War novels I have read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Foundations of Modern Cosmology; Author: John F. Hawley; Review: This book is one of the recommended readings to do along with The Great Course: Cosmology: The History and Nature of Our Universe taught by Professor Mark Whittle. The one drawback is there is no way to check your answers, I wish there was a solutions book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Lalaloopsy Star Magic Spells Doll; Brand: Lalaloopsy; Review: Great holiday price and my daughter loved the doll so much!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: EASTBULL Useless Box Turns Itself Off Box Leave Me Alone Machine Fully Assembled Funny Toys as Gift and for Stress-Release; Brand: EASTBULL; Review: I really was expecting to give this item 5 stars. All of the components of awesome are there. I choose this one over a cheaper variety because it looks classier in the solid wood. The box itself is rather cheap. The one that I got, the sides don't line up correctly and there is some overlap on the edges. It also has a strong smell from the sealant or whatever product is used on the top coat. The hinges are on crooked & there is a hairline crack in the wood of my box. My husband still loves this item and smiles every time that he flips the switch. However, I wish I had just gone with a cheaper Chinese variety for half the price. Not worth the price, in my opinion.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: PlayBuild Little Tikes Car Carrier - Red; Brand: Little Tikes; Review: This toy is awesome! It's huge! Also very durable and can withstand the weight of my 2-year old riding it. I see this toy lasting for many years and am actually kind of sad that we didn't buy this sooner. My other kids would've loved it too when they were little. This would make a perfect jaw dropping gift! I bought this item at a discount for this honest and unbiased review.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pacific Play Tents Lil Nursery Tent; Brand: Pacific Play Tents; Review: Flimsy, hard to put together, and doesn't stake into the ground. This is fun for play but don't take it anywhere windy and don't expect it to last long.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The New York Doll Collection Large Doll Hairbrush in Red Glitter, for 18 Inch Dolls Like American Girl Dolls; Brand: The New York Doll Collection; Review: This is a cute brush. It says it is a "large brush" for American girl dolls. I would like to stop right there for a minute. This is indeed a "large brush". It is so large in fact that I easily mistook it for a regular hair brush like I would buy for my daughter's hair. The brush is cute. There is glitter in the pink part and the structure is perfect for little hands. My five year old was excited to receive it. The bristles are plastic with small beads on the end. The bristles themselves are my biggest problem with this brush. It is recommended that American Girl dolls' hair be brushed with a wire bristle brush. Plastic brushes like this one will make the doll's hair frizzy and unmanageable. Now, my daughter plays with cheap American Girl knock off dolls. She has Our Generation from Target which cost about $15 a piece. American Girl brand dolls cost at least $100 and possibly up to $300 or more depending on the rarity of your doll. I would NEVER buy this brush to use on an actual American Girl doll. This brush works great for our cheap knock of dolls and I've actually caught my daughter using it on her own hair. Proceed with caution. This is a cute brush. It is worth the cost however I think that any person considering this for an actual American Girl doll should reconsider and that possibly the seller should consider some sort of warning or leave the name "American Girl" dolls out of the item description completely. I purchased this item at a discount in exchange for this honest and unbiased review. These thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and they were not influenced by my purchase price or any discount received to buy this item. I do not recommend items unless I have personally tried them and genuinely like them.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Generic V for Vendetta Mask Guy (V); Brand: Generic; Review: Super cheesy. You will get what you pay for.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: BestPysanky Set of 47 Blank White Plastic Eggs + 1 Golden Easter Egg; Brand: BestPysanky; Review: There is not a whole lot that can be said about these eggs that you cannot see from the picture or learn from the basic product description provided by the seller. These eggs come in a package of 48. 47 of them are white unpainted and there is one golden egg. The eggs come all fit together and opened, sort of arranged inside of each other. 48 Easter eggs is a lot of eggs. When I checked at my local Walmart the biggest package that I could find was 20 plastic eggs. I have 3 kids and between all 3 of them, there will be plenty of eggs to go around. The eggs fit together well. I did notice that the inside of a lot of the eggs was dirty. I would definitely recommend giving them a quick rinse and wash if you plan on putting unpackaged candy in them or if you plan on doing a DIY project with food. (I saw the cutest DIY where you fill all of the holes with a hot glue gun and then drill a hole through the top. Then using a baby syringe for medicine you fill the egg with layers of jello. It looks so cool afterwards!) I am going to try painting some of these eggs with my daughter and will let you know how that turns out. In the mean time, for the price these are a great deal. Especially considering that in the next couple of weeks before Easter, your neighborhood grocer will probably run out of fillable eggs and you do not want to be stuck paying the price tag on the pre-filled eggs. Please excuse my terrible photos. I could only find my macro lens. I purchased this item at a discount in exchange for this honest and unbiased review. These thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and were not influenced by my purchase price or any discount received to buy and review this item. I take my responsibilities as a reviewer very seriously and the above statements are all true to my knowledge.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Inflatable Horse Bouncer - Cutest Ride-on Bouncy Animal Hopper for Kids with Best Eco-Friendly Rubber; Brand: ToysOpoly; Review: I think this toy is comparable to Rody, (the more expensive branded version of this toy). This version by ToysOpoly is almost half the price of Rody. It comes in the cutest box which was a great first impression. I know, it is just a box and is thrown away...but it is so cute! It has a bow on it and everything! If you ordered this as a gift you would not even need to wrap it. The box is that cute. (see photos) Anyways, you get the animal and the pump. I cannot speak for the pump or for how long it would take to use It because I used an air compressor. If you are going to use an air compressor also then definitely make sure that you have the air pressure turned down as low as possible so that you do not pop him by accident. Here is my only beef with this product... The hole used for airing up the product is very large and when you remove the pump/compressor hose the air escapes very quickly. The plus that comes to fill the hole takes a few seconds to wiggle in and then to pop into place. I tried a few times to get it as full as possible but failed every time. The plug entry process is flawed and getting it filled full is almost impossible. My kids were still able to play with it and have fun with it. I just think fuller would have been better/bouncier. The size is perfect for my 2.5 year old. He can sit on it comfortable with his legs resting slightly bent to his side. My 5 year old can also bounce on it but her legs are very bent when doing so. I can recommend this toy. It is definitely worth the price and kids love it. I purchased this item at a discount in exchange for this honest and unbiased review. These thoughts and opinions are mine entirely and were not influenced by my purchase price. I take my reviewer responsibilities very seriously and you can trust that these statements are all true to the best of my knowledge.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Riding Horse for Kids Inflatable Jumping Horse with Real Neigh Sounds — Hopping Horse Ride-On Toy for Toddlers — Strong; Brand: Jumpzeez; Review: My kids love this horse! We have another version of a jumpy horse and this one by Jumpzeez is taller and bigger making it better for my older child to ride. The inflatable rubber part is inside of a soft cloth that is removable through a zipper on the belly area. I recommend making sure that all of the limbs, the ears, nose, mouth, and all other body parts are in the correct locations before airing it up. It is also easiest to put the attached harness on before blowing up the horse. The horse comes with an air pump and is quite easy to blow up. My 6 year old daughter was able to do it herself under around four minutes. There is a button between the horse's ears and when pushed it makes a "neigh"/horse noise. The facial features on the horse are very cute. This is quickly becoming my kids' favorite toy! They just love bouncing around on it and pushing the button. It is the perfect size for my 2.5 year old but also can withstand the weight of my 6 year old. They are constantly fighting over this horse, as they prefer it over our other one. I purchased this item at a discount in exchange for this honest and unbiased review. These thoughts and opinions are entirely my own and were not influenced by my purchase price or any discount received to buy and review this item. I take my reviewer responsibilities very seriously and you can trust that all of the above statements are true based on my experiences with this product.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fun Express Unicorn Rubber Duckies (1 Dozen) - Bulk; Brand: Fun Express; Review: I wish I had paid attention to the fact that these are made by Oriental Trading Co. They are absolute rubbish. The faces are poorly painted and mis-aligned. I am almost embarrassed to include these in the party favor bags for my daughter's unicorn themed birthday.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | amazon_Toys_and_Games |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Roundhill Furniture Isola Louis Philippe Style Fully Assembled Wood Chest, Cherry Finish; Brand: Roundhill Furniture; Review: Materials are cheap and drawers are shallow.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eclipse Thermaliner Blackout Panel Pair, 54-Inch by 92-Inch, White; Brand: Eclipse; Review: These are perfect if you want to darken the room. Pretty easy to install. I have used them on two different windows.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: InterDesign 76485 York Bath, Facial Tissue Box Cover/Holder for Bathroom Vanity Countertops - Bronze; Brand: InterDesign; Review: I really liked this product so I ordered a second. Looks great and works well. It is easy to clean and has a nice curve to it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pioneer High Capacity Sewn Fabric and Leatherette Cover Photo Album, Black on Beige; Brand: pioneer photo Albaums; Review: Great photo album! Easy to use pockets.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nearly Natural 5188 Curved Bamboo Silk Tree, 6-Feet, Green; Brand: Nearly Natural; Review: Very nice plant. Looks good in my place. Good color.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Decopolitan Urn Holdback Pair for Draperies, 1-Inch, Antique Black; Brand: Decopolitan; Review: Works and looks great; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Baan Veerakit; City: Patong Kathu Phuket; Review: My friend and I forked out a little extra to begin our travels in Thailand in style and this was a perfect spot. It's a 20 minute walk from Patong's main strip but we were not put off by that. The rooms were lovely and super clean. Staff were helpful and we always had the pool to ourselves.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bendesa Accommodation; City: Kuta Kuta District Bali; Review: This is a nice very quiet resort. Rooms were clean and food in the restaurant is nice. High point is the location, the hotel is just off the Legian so lots to do and everything is in walking distance and yet the resort is very quiet. Would be good for family or couples.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: BedBunkers Hostel Kuta; City: Kuta Kuta District Bali; Review: This accommodation is a little out of the way but its very cheap, had the novelty of triple bunk beds and the staff are so helpful and friendly. Stayed here 3 time during my 2 months in Bali and always met some interesting, fun people and had a good experience. Highly recommend for people traveling alone.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: AC Resort; City: Koh Tao Surat Thani Province; Review: I stayed here as part of a dive package so wasn't expecting 5 star accommodation anyway but the rooms were pretty terrible. Been cheap my boyfriend and I stayed for the duration of our trip but made an effort to stay out of the room as much as possible. However the saving grace of the resort is that aside from the dirty mouldy rooms, the staff, pool area and food in the restaurant were all lovely.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Relax Beach Resrot; City: Ko Pha Ngan Surat Thani Province; Review: I booked this hotel about a week before full moon in December and it was a bargain. The rooms weren't perfect. It was quite dark and could do with a fresh lick of paint but then were clean. The resort itself was lovely with a nice bar area on the beach and two swimming pools. Location was also great as we were in walking distance of Baan Tai village. Far enough away from the madness to sleep easy and close enough to party hard!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Blue Parrot Beach Resort; City: Ko Pha Ngan Surat Thani Province; Review: This place was an absolute steal at 900 a night for three people! The rooms are large and clean and its location is wonderful, your in walking distance of baan tai where there are lots of great restaurants and spots to meet up with people before whatever party is going on around the island.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aonang Viva Resort; City: Ao Nang Krabi Town Krabi Province; Review: My only complaint is that we did not stay here for longer! From the moment we arrived the staff were friendly and helpful. The rooms are very modern and spotlessly clean. The hotel is about a 15 minute walk from the main strip in Aonang however there are plenty of bars and restaurants at your doorstep of you don't feel like venturing too far. Highlight was the buffet breakfast, so much food and so delicious!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Reggae Penang Love Lane Hostel; City: George Town Penang Island Penang; Review: I can't wait to go back to Penang and visit all the lovely people in reggae! It's not everywhere that the manager gives you hug before serving you breakfast and serenading you with the Beegees! Such a fun trip! Met loads of fellow backpackers and explored the beautiful city which is on he door step! Just a few blocks away is little India and what a treat that is, I must have gained a stone!! The rooms were clean and each bunk is built like a pod so you get more privacy than your average dorm. Loved it! :); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dream Valley Resort; City: Krabi Town Krabi Province; Review: I cannot down play how much I loved Ton Sai. There is a great atmosphere, everyone is out to make friends and even though the beach isn't the nicest in the world you can take a lovely hike through the jungle to Railey where you can chill out on white sand and turquoise water! The resort itself is beautiful, the pool area is great and its such a novelty sleeping in bungalows in the jungle. The rooms are nice, our bathroom could do with a bit of updating but it was clean and there was hot water. There is no electricity from 1-4 but this made no difference to us as we were out in the afternoons. The only negative comment I can think of was the lunch we ordered was not good but the breakfast buffet the following day more than made up for this!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Anong Guesthouse; City: Chaweng Bophut Ko Samui Surat Thani Province; Review: My friends and I stayed in this guesthouse with the intention of staying out late and knowing that green mango was nearby. I was happy enough that it was cheap so wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. The rooms were clean and there was a hot water shower. The pool area was nice and well kept and the staff were very accommodating especially since we asked for an extra bed in our room on arrival (they didn't even charge us!) The guesthouse is just off the main street and is close to the beach so perfect for people out to party!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Quyet Tinh Sapa Backpacker Hotel; City: Sapa Lao Cai Province; Review: A large group of us stayed here while in Sapa. Rooms, though a little musty, were clean and we couldn't fault the staff at all. They were helpful and friendly and helped us plan our trip as we were really ill prepared. We rented bikes from the hostel, one of which wasn't in great condition but they had no problem replacing it for one we were more comfortable with. The hostel is not in the centre of Sapa but it's a small town so getting around is easy enough so it wasn't an issue for us.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High Crimes (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Men of Honor (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Bone Collector (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Along Came a Spider (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: John Q (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Troy (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The General's Daughter (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Air Force One (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Independence Day (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: National Treasure (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: LE CREE LED Flashlight, Small and Super Bright LED Tactical Torch Light, Adjustable Brightness for Camping, Running and; Brand: Lighting EVER; Review: Brighter than my maglites and its a compact size. Just received item hopefully it will last, price is great.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Olson Saw FR42401 Pin End Scroll Saw Blade,18.5 TPI; Brand: OLSON SAW; Review: Fits the older dremel but dulled quickly with hard mesquite. Worked good on pine anf softer woods.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 3M Rugged Comfort Quick Latch Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6501QL/49488, Small; Brand: 3M Personal Protective Equipment; Review: As a woodworker this mask is an absolute requirement! Love the quick latch design and its the most comfortable mask I've ever worn. No foggy glasses and no dust I my lungs!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: PT-31 LG-40 Plasma Cutter Torch Circinus Roller Guide Wheel; Brand: RIVERWELD; Review: Didn't fit as advertised; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mueller Industries 109-813 Float Valves, 1/2-Inch; Brand: Mueller; Review: Worked great for my cattle water trough! Don't buy the cheap plastic water floats, use this instead!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: WEN 2307 Variable Speed Rotary Tool Kit with 100-Piece Accessories; Brand: WEN; Review: Didn't want to wear my dremel out, so figured I'd try this WEN. I was impressed by how well it performed. If the video uploads you can watch me carve on a piece of Mesquite which had some imperfections. I've been using it on medium speed and have over 100 hours with no issues. Just be sure to do the following: keep the line straight, use the right bit for each job, give it rest every few min, don't apply heavy pressure and have fun! Follow ROCKING HORSE WOOD WORKS on Fbook and Instagram; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bosch PA1202 Pair of Woodrazor Tungsten Carbide Planer Blades; Brand: Bosch; Review: They fit good on my WEN; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with businesses as follows:
Title: 3 Daughters Brewing; City: St. Petersburg, FL; Review: Awesome beer, great atmosphere, really fun games to play with your friends: ping pong, foosball, giant connect 4, corn hole. Love this place!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hidden Springs Ale Works; City: Tampa, FL; Review: Pretty great beer and cool bar. The Milk Stout and their sours are the best. Great place to chill.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Engine No 9; City: Saint Petersburg, FL; Review: Wow!!! The best burger in all of central FL. Amazing!! Awesome dinner before or after your brewery pub crawls.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cycle Brewing; City: Saint Petersburg, FL; Review: Wonderful beer! The name of the beer is exactly what the beer tastes like. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie, Starbucks Coffee, etc. Oh my goodness!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Si-Am Thai; City: Tampa, FL; Review: Every thing is fresh and tasty. Your order comes quick too if you have an event to go to next. The only down side that I saw were the prices, a bit high for Thai food. We had the crab fried rice, pork green curry, vegetable rolls, crab rangoon, chicken rice soup, and Singha beer. Everything was very good and the service was attentive. We were pleased.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | yelp |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: M9 Bayonet Military Knife; Brand: General Edge; Review: Nice copy of the M9. Fit my ar15 bayonet mount perfectly. Looks to be fully functional. I would recommend this to someone looking for a low cost Bayonet.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: SE GC16M Rifle/Gun Cleaning Kit (10 PC.); Brand: SE; Review: It does the job. I couldn't get it to fit in the butt compartment of my ar15 is the only downside.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Firefield 20 x 50 Spotting Scope; Brand: Firefield; Review: Its a ok scope.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Frankford Arsenal Quick-N-EZ Impact Bullet Puller for Reloading; Brand: Frankford Arsenal; Review: Good puller works well.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lyman Pro 1200 Tumbler (115-Volt); Brand: Lyman; Review: Great little tumbler!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Speedo Girls' Infinity Splice One Piece Swimsuit; Brand: Speedo; Review: Nice product. Well made.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: OXO Good Grips Triple Timer; Brand: OXO; Review: My wife saw it on the cooking show titled "Cooks Country," and decided she had to have it! It was the shows recommended timer, and we have to agree. It is much easier than trying to keep track of two or three different timers, and takes up far less space than using multiple timers. We both love using it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: OXO 11132000 Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups with Magnetic Snaps; Brand: OXO; Review: These were top rated on Cooks Country. the American Test Kitchen's TV show. After using them, I can see why they were the top rated measuring cups. They are substantial and will not have the handles bend like flimsier metal ones do. I would like to see more sizes available, however.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 12 Polished Stainless Steel Portion Cups; Brand: Stainless Steel Portion Cups; Review: Great to use for baking or cooking, but I find many other uses for them. For oil painting, I like to use them for various mediums when painting. I also use them for sorting out daily medications for my wife and myself. I have used them for sorting small parts when I am working on a project. I was using so many of my wife's portion cups that I had to buy her some more!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bellemain 4 oz. Porcelain Ramekins, Set of 6; Brand: Bellemain; Review: They are the perfect size for using as small portion cups when cooking or baking. I like the weight as they are less likely to spill than the lightweight steel cups. They clean up very nicely and stack for storing. They were a gift for my wife, but I have used them more than her so far.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: LTWHOME Hepa Filters for Dirt Devil Dynamite Vacuum F-2; Brand: LTWHOME; Review: Reasonably priced replacement filters for our dirt devil! Couldn't find them easily in a local retail store. These were the most reasonable priced ones we found on line. They are working out nicely. We are still on the first one, and we use the Dirt Devil quite a bit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Breaking Bad: Season 5 - Episodes 1-8; Brand: Dean Norris; Review: Great series; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Da Vinci's Demons: Season 1; Brand: Tom Riley; Review: Great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 1 Ver 2; Brand: Rob Paulson; Review: Best ninja turtles cartoon; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Terminator, The; Brand: Arnold Schwarzenegger; Review: Classic; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Original Series (Volume 3); Brand: Cam Clarke; Review: Best ninja turtles cartoon; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Real Ghostbusters, Volume 1; Brand: Arsenio Hall; Review: My kids and I love this cartoon; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Warrior/ PAL-UK; Brand: ; Review: Great movie; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Ep.#6 - "Head of the Dragon" (The Frontiers Saga) (Volume 6); Author: Visit Amazon's Ryk Brown Page; Review: There was just enough resolution to make the wait for episode 7 not so unbearable. This was just what the doctor ordered.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Poor Man's Fight; Author: Visit Amazon's Elliott Kay Page; Review: Well rounded characters and storyline, dastardly villains, a hero to root for, good fight scenes and best of all just enough of a tease for the next book to make you happy, but not such a huge cliff hanger that you want to find and torture the writer. A couple very minor continuity things my OCD picked up, but not relevant or disrupting to the story, my curiosity wonders what was in the envelope or how that thing panned out . Maybe next book will address these things. Quick, fun and worth the loot; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Abaddon's Gate (The Expanse); Author: Visit Amazon's James S. A. Corey Page; Review: I stayed up late reading and suffered at work all day. I love this story and a day after it is released, I am tapping my foot for more. I missed a few characters, but fingers crossed for the next book...; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Abaddon's Gate; Author: James S. A. Corey; Review: I stayed up late reading and suffered at work all day. I love this story and a day after it is released, I am tapping my foot for more. I missed a few characters, but fingers crossed for the next book...; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ep.#9 - "Resistance" (The Frontiers Saga) (Volume 9); Author: Visit Amazon's Ryk Brown Page; Review: Usually when you have chapters that switch characters, there are a few that you aren't so invested in, the ones that let you say enough, I should go to sleep... not this one! Read it all in one sitting. Bummed it's over and can't wait for more...; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Starshine: Aurora Rising: Book One (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's G. S. Jennsen Page; Review: Great characters delivered in P.O.V. format that I personally love. This is definitely the opening salvo of a fantastic new universe and I look forward to more intrigue in the near future.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Skin Game (The Dresden Files); Author: Visit Amazon's Jim Butcher Page; Review: A girl can never get enough Harry Dresden. Once again he's left me wanting more, needing to know and driving me crazy with clues for the future...; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hollow Space Book 1: Venture (Xantoverse); Author: T F Grant; Review: Interesting idea, well written good character and plot development. Definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes. My only hesitation on 5stars is a little bit of predictability. It was entertaining with some good action; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Traitor (Rebel Stars) (Volume 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Edward W. Robertson Page; Review: Love the characters, the subtle and not so subtle nerd pleasing names and concepts. This book has convinced me to read his breakers series; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Splinter: Fractured Space Series Book 1 (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's J G Cressey Page; Review: I was just looking for a filler book while I wait for next books in several series I follow and despite the dinosaur portion of the blurb gave this book a chance. I am glad I did. The characters were well rounded and there were some surprises. The ending showed lots of room for progression in the story leaving it just tidy enough that you don't feel jerked by an unresolved cliffhanger but definitely want more... I'll buy more...; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Golden Son: Book 2 of the Red Rising Saga (Red Rising Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Pierce Brown Page; Review: Fantastic. The reviews said even better than the first and surprisingly it was. In fact, it was so good I read it way to fast comfortable in the thoughts of buying the third book I'd seen advertized... I found out quite to my dismay that the third book won't be released until next January... I found myself thinking about the ending of book two days after I finished.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Spinward Fringe Broadcast 0: Origins; Author: Visit Amazon's Randolph Lalonde Page; Review: I can never say enough good things about this series. I re-read books like re-watch movies, the best ones often. The next book in the series is coming soon so I am re-broadcasting and it was still as good as ever... great characters, great story. Get it and tell your friends to get it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Refusing Excalibur; Author: Visit Amazon's Zachary Jones Page; Review: I love a motley crew making credits and Keeping flying. There is plenty of room for more chapters and I will gladly escape into this universe again; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alliance of Equals (Liaden Universe); Author: Visit Amazon's Sharon Lee Page; Review: I love everything this team puts out and this was no exception. I love this universe and I really love the Uncle so seeing where tgat went with some juicy hints for tge future made necreally happy.. and I do love the dutiful passage... I did miss some of my favorite characters as they were away tending to the family's buisness, but next time...; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Driven: From Homeless to Hero, My Journeys On and Off Lambeau Field; Author: Visit Amazon's Donald Driver Page; Review: Know I will enjoy reading this book as I am quite familiar with Mr drivers background but it's going to be a good read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Minnesota's Golden Age of Wrestling: From Verne Gagne to the Road Warriors; Author: Visit Amazon's George Schire Page; Review: Have really enjoyed looking through it. Never knew much about the beginnings of the AWA. Took me down memory lane.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bang Your Head: The Real Story of the Missing Link; Author: Dewey Robertson; Review: I have enjoyed leafing through this book. It is not only about wrestling but also about addiction and what it can do to a person. So far a good rad.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wrestling for My Life: The Legend, the Reality, and the Faith of a WWE Superstar; Author: Shawn Michaels; Review: I haven't read completely through the book yet but what I have read I thoroughly enjoyed. This book is vastly different than the 2005 book. This one talks more about his walk with Christ than his wrestling life.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Arn Anderson 4 Ever: A Look Behind the Curtain; Author: Arn Anderson; Review: This is an interesting book. I'd recommend it to anyone who is an old school wrestling fan.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Poetry Handbook; Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Oliver Page; Review: Hard for me to follow this book. Not what I expected.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts for Seasons: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More; Author: Visit Amazon's Bryan Cohen Page; Review: This book didn't capture my interest very much.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Life Is Short (No Pun Intended): Love, Laughter, And Learning To Enjoy Every Moment (Turtleback School & Library Binding; Author: Visit Amazon's Bill Klein Page; Review: I enjoy their tv show so know I'll enjoy their book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Greatest - My Own Story - Mohammad Ali; Author: Visit Amazon's Muhammad Ali Page; Review: so far have enjoyed this book. Interesting to see things from his point of view.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sisterhood of the Squared Circle: The History and Rise of Women's Wrestling; Author: Visit Amazon's Pat Laprade Page; Review: I enjoyed reading abut the history of womans wrestling. Lots of names I remember from years gone by also many others never knew. Must read for all wrestling history buffs.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gone Too Soon: Deaths That Changed Wrestling; Author: Ian Hamilton; Review: This book lacked depth and was very disappointing. Wanted more.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Mystery Science Theater 3000: Attack of the Giant Leeches (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Vol. 1 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Killing (1956); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Death to Smoochy (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Michael Moore's The Awful Truth: Season 2 (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Futurama: Monster Robot Maniac Fun Collection (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dogma (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wild Things (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Chasing Amy (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Igby Goes Down (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monty Python's The Meaning of Life: Special Edition (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: American Beauty (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clerks (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jaws (1975); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Reno 911: Season 2 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fallen (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Superman: The Movie (1978); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Beautiful Mind (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Man on Fire (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: S.W.A.T. (2003); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Professional (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Midnight Cowboy (1969); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aliens: Collector's Edition (1986); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nine to Five (1980); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon (1987); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: An Evening With Kevin Smith (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: U.S. Marshals (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Identity (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Being John Malkovich (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What Women Want (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: BASEketball (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bad Boys (1995); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Collateral Damage (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Aladdin: Platinum Edition (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Super Size Me (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Alien: Collector's Edition (1979); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Planes (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: This Is Spinal Tap (1984); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Wayne's World (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Don't Say a Word (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Falling Down (1993); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Silence of the Lambs (1991); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saturday Night Live: The Best of Eddie Murphy (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Private Parts (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sideways (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Maltese Falcon (1941); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Where Eagles Dare (1968); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: City by the Sea (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Last Samurai (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: In Living Color: Season 2 (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Flatliners (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Mighty Wind (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bowling for Columbine (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 3 (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Show: Season 2 (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Network (1976); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Italian Job (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Heat: Special Edition (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: U Turn (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sneakers (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Kids in the Hall: Season 2 (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Passion of the Jew (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Great Outdoors (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gone in 60 Seconds (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible (1996); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: To Die For (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Vol. 2 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Tommy Boy (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Empire Records: Remix! Special Fan Edition (1995); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Biloxi Blues (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cheers: Season 1 (1982); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dr. Strangelove (1964); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: See No Evil (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 2 (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Manchurian Candidate (1962); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bad Santa (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Almost Famous (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Show: Season 4 (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: In the Heat of the Night (1967); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Memento (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Snatch (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fight Club (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sin City (2005); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Arrested Development: Season 1 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Amelie (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Red Dawn (1984); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Terminator (1984); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Scarface: 20th Anniversary Edition (1983); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Flight of the Phoenix (1965); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Edward Scissorhands (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Desperado / El Mariachi (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rush Hour (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Unfaithful (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Oz: Season 2 (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Insomnia (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Entrapment (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Black Hawk Down (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Suspect Zero (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Rear Window (1954); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High Crimes (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Fast and the Furious (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Big Chill (1983); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: UHF (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Usual Suspects (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Get Shorty (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers: Extended Edition (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Romancing the Stone (1984); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Six Feet Under: Season 1 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jackie Brown: Collector's Series (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Top Gun (1986); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Six Feet Under: Season 3 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Arrested Development: Season 2 (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Super Troopers (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Inherit the Wind (1960); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Conversation (1974); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bully (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Net (1995); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Deadwood: Season 1 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Quigley Down Under (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Hudsucker Proxy (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Unbreakable (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: 24: Season 1 (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Fog of War (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Simpsons: Season 2 (1990); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harvey (1950); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mystery Science Theater 3000: Teenagers from Outer Space (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Oz: Season 1 (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rope (1948); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Young Guns II (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Batman Returns (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 12 Angry Men (1957); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: As Good as It Gets (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Deeds (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Die Hard (1988); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Flirting with Disaster (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Six Feet Under: Season 2 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Broken Arrow (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Waking Ned Devine (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Papillon (1973); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Groundhog Day (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crocodile Dundee (1986); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Season 1 (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Splash: 20th Anniversary Edition (1984); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Chappelle's Show: Season 2 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Philadelphia Story (1940); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hot Shots! (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: U-571 (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Being There (1979); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Four Rooms (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hollywood Ending (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Oz: Season 4 (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Friends: Season 1 (1994); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Manchurian Candidate (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Swordfish (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Quantum Leap: Season 1 (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Rocketeer (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mallrats (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sound of Music (1965); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Adaptation (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 48 Hrs. (1983); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Jerk (1979); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Godfather (1972); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Rock (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Coming to America (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Working Girl (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Howling (1980); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: National Lampoon's Animal House (1978); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: John Q (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Thelma & Louise: Special Edition (1991); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: X-Men (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Payback (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Family Guy: Vol. 2: Season 3 (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Boondock Saints (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Big Trouble in Little China (1986); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bullets Over Broadway (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Yours (1968); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mystery Science Theater 3000: Prince of Space (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Mom (1983); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: True Lies (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Pink Panther (1963); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bull Durham (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The X-Files: Season 4 (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Fish Called Wanda (1988); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Air Force One (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gladiator (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Crow (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Birds (1963); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: I Heart Huckabees (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 2 (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jurassic Park (1993); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raising Arizona (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spider-Man (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Naked Gun (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Office: Series 2 (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Shawshank Redemption: Special Edition (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harold and Maude (1971); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Truman Show (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Batman (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tomb Raider (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Ten Commandments (1956); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Beetlejuice (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Deconstructing Harry (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Extended Edition (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: City Slickers (1991); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sex and the City: Season 2 (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Three Kings (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mystery Train (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Insider (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Traffic (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Friday the 13th (1980); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Easy Rider (1969); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: FahrenHYPE 9/11 (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Big (1988); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Raw (1987); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Vol. 3 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Arsenic and Old Lace (1944); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cheech & Chong's Next Movie (1980); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Van Helsing (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Graduate (1967); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Last Boy Scout (1991); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Waiting for Guffman (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Vertigo (1958); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Red Dragon (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Show: Season 3 (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Green Mile (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Fugitive (1993); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Birdcage (1996); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Chocolat (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Muppet Movie (1979); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Old School (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Face/Off (1997); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Maverick (1994); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tombstone (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Show: Season 1 (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kingpin (1996); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Daily Show with Jon Stewart: Indecision 2004 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: National Treasure (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Kalifornia (1993); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Michael Moore's The Awful Truth: Season 1 (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Malcolm X (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Sahara (2005); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Run Lola Run (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tootsie (1982); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vanilla Sky (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Oz: Season 3 (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anatomy of a Murder (1959); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cellular (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Rwanda (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Matrix (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope (1977); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Closer (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 11:14 (2005); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn: Specter of the Past; Author: Visit Amazon's Timothy Zahn Page; Review: Just finished this book and loved it! I'm 45, and while I've been a Star Wars fan since the original movie came out in 1974, I've never read any of the books...mostly because I didn't read much of anything there for years. Oh, I did read Splinter of the Mind's eye in Jr. High, I guess. Anyway, when I heard the next trilogy of movies was coming out, I decided I should read some of the "after the movies" stuff. I didn't know where to start, but many folks seemed to like Timothy Zahn, so I started with the Thrawn Trilogy and loved it, so the Hand of Thrawn was a logical next step. I have really enjoyed all these books. Zahn is a very good writer and I was very entertained by both of these series. They read quite easily and he has a nice balance between action and character development and includes a nice sense of descriptiveness without being too detailed. I just checked out Survivor's Quest from the library and plan to read the rest of Zahn's Star Wars novels, then we'll see where I go from there!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Vision of the Future; Author: Visit Amazon's Timothy Zahn Page; Review: Just finished this book and loved it! I'm 45, and while I've been a Star Wars fan since the original movie came out in 1974, I've never read any of the books...mostly because I didn't read much of anything there for years. Oh, I did read Splinter of the Mind's eye in Jr. High, I guess. Anyway, when I heard the next trilogy of movies was coming out, I decided I should read some of the "after the movies" stuff. I didn't know where to start, but many folks seemed to like Timothy Zahn, so I started with the Thrawn Trilogy and loved it, so the Hand of Thrawn was a logical next step. I have really enjoyed all these books. Zahn is a very good writer and I was very entertained by both of these series. They read quite easily and he has a nice balance between action and character development and includes a nice sense of descriptiveness without being too detailed. I just checked out Survivor's Quest from the library and plan to read the rest of Zahn's Star Wars novels, then we'll see where I go from there!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Vision of the Future (Star Wars: The Hand of Thrawn, Book 2) by Zahn, Timothy (1999) Mass Market Paperback; Author: ; Review: Just finished this book and loved it! I'm 45, and while I've been a Star Wars fan since the original movie came out in 1974, I've never read any of the books...mostly because I didn't read much of anything there for years. Oh, I did read Splinter of the Mind's eye in Jr. High, I guess. Anyway, when I heard the next trilogy of movies was coming out, I decided I should read some of the "after the movies" stuff. I didn't know where to start, but many folks seemed to like Timothy Zahn, so I started with the Thrawn Trilogy and loved it, so the Hand of Thrawn was a logical next step. I have really enjoyed all these books. Zahn is a very good writer and I was very entertained by both of these series. They read quite easily and he has a nice balance between action and character development and includes a nice sense of descriptiveness without being too detailed. I just checked out Survivor's Quest from the library and plan to read the rest of Zahn's Star Wars novels, then we'll see where I go from there!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Alexander McCall Smith Page; Review: Excellent, as always!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars Lost Stars; Author: Visit Amazon's Claudia Gray Page; Review: An enjoyable read. Interesting to see the events of Episodes V-VI through the eyes of people on the other side who have a conscience. Had a couple of issues with some aspects of character development, specifically n relation to Cienna Ree, but won't risk revealing spoilers by going into it here.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Raising Financially Fit Kids; Author: Visit Amazon's Joline Godfrey Page; Review: The author does have some great ideas, but I feel she pushes too hard towards entrepreneurship and investing. I was first shocked to read she suggested kids in their preteens and early teens should be encouraged to invest in things that grow in value, like comic books, baseball cards, stamps, etc! I'm in my late 40s and have some of all of those things from when I was a kid. When I did some checking a couple of years ago, none of them had any real value. Fortunately I never spent much on these things. I don't personally know anyone who could truly call such purchases an investment, and I would never encourage my kids to view such activities as an investment. I also don't get the push towards entrepreneurship...90% of new businesses fail. I work in the financial world and see this first hand. I took everything she said along those lines with a serious grain of salt...and was getting tired of it by the time I was two-thirds the way through the book. I had mixed feelings about giving loans to your kids, too. While I agree they need to know how loans work, I think it's more important to learn to save until you can afford what you want to buy. There are a few exceptions...homes, vehicles and education, among them....though even then, the loan should only be taken out when you have part of the money saved. There are some things she suggested that I liked and will take to my kids....budgeting, saving, spending wisely, managing credit, etc.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: ; Brand: Static-X; Review: i was highly impressed with static x's latest record. Start A War was truly a masterpiece among masterpiece's. every note, every single gutiar lick, snare drum and lyric were all perfect and masterful. from beginning to end, from the second the album started to the moment when it ended, it kicked severe ass. i wish i could rate it higher, for five stars does not come close to how great this record is. buy this1 i swear you won't regret it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Karma and Effect; Brand: Seether; Review: when i heard seether came out with another record i had to buy it. nothing got me more pumped then seeing their new hit "remedy" on vh1. i have to admit i had a lot of expectations. i wanted to see if they could live up to their old songs like "gasoline" and "69tea" among others. disclaimer was a rare record of genius and i was slightly doubtful that seether could create another album with the same craft. of course, to my delight, they managed to produce another great record. i rate every song on "karma and effect" ten stars out of ten. and, much to my suprize, i think i like it MORE then "disclaimer". "disclaimer" was a great record, but seether really pounded out the riffs on this record. all i can say is that i really recomend this record above many others. peace.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ten Thousand Fists; Brand: Disturbed; Review: the new disturbed album left me thinking about what the hell is going on today in the music world. all of the great bands are starting to drop like flies. it was a decent album, the songs i did not like were made up with songs like "ten thousand fists," "guarded" and "stricken." i also believe that excluding disturbed's cover of genesis's "land of confusion" disturbed doesn't sound right making political songs. disturbed is about bone crushing metal and raving lunatic lyrics. but most of all, disturbed is supposed to be about being disturbed in the head. disturbed ones don't dicuss wars, THEY START WARS! disturbed ones don't bitch about not liking a president, THEY TAKE ACTION! instead of doing nothing, they take the dude out of office themselves. i don't know, i just think disturbed sounds weird going "can't you tell the war is far from over now" and crap like that. if you have an opinion on this, i would like to hear it.[...] give me your opinion disturbed ones!; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: ; Brand: Rage Against The Machine; Review: this is a rare album. it isn't often i hear such a great record. rage against the machine was a ground breaking band that changed the world and music forever. now, five years after "renegades" their music is still fresh, and is still heard by many. if there is one record i recommend ABOVE ALL it would be this one, and RATM's other records. they are truly one of the greatest bands to ever live. their message was in every song. they had several messages, from the government and the things we can do to change things to the unjust trial of abu Jamal. this is truly a band that deserves a fresh listen. may the legacy of rage against the machine live on.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rage Against the Machine; Brand: Rage Against The Machine; Review: this is a rare album. it isn't often i hear such a great record. rage against the machine was a ground breaking band that changed the world and music forever. now, five years after "renegades" their music is still fresh, and is still heard by many. if there is one record i recommend ABOVE ALL it would be this one, and RATM's other records. they are truly one of the greatest bands to ever live. their message was in every song. they had several messages, from the government and the things we can do to change things to the unjust trial of abu Jamal. this is truly a band that deserves a fresh listen. may the legacy of rage against the machine live on.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ; Brand: Korn; Review: WTF?? this cant be happening! what the hell is going on with korn? heavy metal bands have started to sell out or quit at an alarming rate! korn is the most recent sell out! i never thought korn would sell out, but i was painfully wrong. for the record, i have loved all six of korn's records. and for the record, i have waited almost three years for this piece of s**t record!!!!!! this record sounds like a pop album. and brian's absence is extremely noticable. korn is sadly dead and there is nothing i can do about it. i noticed that korn was taking a big risk with take a look in the mirror. it was still good, but it was falling away from what korn was and will never be again. if jon reads these reviews, i hope he gets to this one!!! what the hell is wrong with you??? since when did you become a pop star??? i'm sorry i wasted my money on such a record! ANYONE WHO LIKES THIS RECORD IS A FAN OF POP MUSIC!! THEY ARE NOT HEAVY METAL FANS!!!! R.I.P. KORN!; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: With Teeth; Brand: Nine Inch Nails; Review: whooooooooooooooooooo! i waited six long years for this record to come out! when i bought WT (which i got on the very day it came out) i was estatic! the first spin was great, though i did notice trent made this record more of a raw, potent sound. the backrounds are more mechanical then previous NIN records, but the record was amazing. i liked it more and more with each spin until i could like it no more then i did. if you are a fan of nine inch nails, i would highly reccomend this record. it is a bit different, so give it a couple of spins to adjust, but trust me, trent reznor and nine inch nails are here to stay!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_CDs_and_Vinyl |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Ergodyne Chill-Its 6602 Evaporative Cooling Towel, Blue; Brand: Ergodyne; Review: I got this for my son-in-law who works in an open air manufacturing plant in the Texas heat. It has helped him a lot. Thank you; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: FINIS Swimmer's Snorkel - Adult & Junior; Brand: FINIS; Review: Love these swim snorkels. I have neck and back problems, so swimming and having to turn my head to get air is very difficult for me. I also swim in a small apartment pool. Using this snorkel, with the tube that runs up the center of my face helps a lot. I use swim cords attached to my ankles and one of the pool stair bars and this snorkel to swim in place. Since I have used an olympic size pool to do laps in, I know how many strokes it takes for me to do a lap. Swimming in place, I count my strokes until I reach my goal and get a very good workout.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Plano 2-Tray Tackle Box with Dual Top Access; Brand: Plano; Review: I needed a smallish box with places for a three year boy to collect things in. This turned out to be the perfect size and price. I loaded it up with a rock collection, child's flash light, dead grasshopper, whistle, kids magnifying glass, stickers, shells and a few other things and put his name on the side. I hope my little grandson David gets this in time for his birthday.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bandanna ICE Scarf Summer Camping Cool Accessories Wear; Brand: Elixir Golf; Review: I have gotten these in the past for my son-n-law who works in a hot shop in Texas heat. He loves them, so I decided to get one for myself. Very glad I did. It is comfortable and doesn't get everything wet. It stays cold for about three hours then it's time to re-wet it. I keep it folded up in my purse in case I need it. There are always water fountains nearby so getting it wet is not a problem.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mongoose BMX Bike Gel Knee and Elbow Pad Set; Brand: Mongoose; Review: My four year old grandson needed pads for when he uses his Razor. He is a big kid, almost as tall as a normal eight year old and on the heavy side. I was worried these would not fit but they are perfect according to his Mother. There is enough stretch in them that they go on easy but stay up well once they are in place. Good protection at a good price; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Razor A Kick Scooter (Clear/Black); Brand: Razor; Review: My four year old grand son loves this. He is getting much needed exercise and having fun doing it. It took him a while to coordinate his movement but now he is tearing around the yard and park; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Razor V-17 Child Multi-sport Helmet; Brand: Razor; Review: I got this helmet for my four year old grandson to wear while riding his Razor. He is a big Batman fan so I put Batman stickers on it before sending it to him. He loved it. It fits him well and the vents let his head breath as he, like so many kids, is a sweaty little boy. He is able to put in on and secure the buckle on his own, which means he wears it without a fuss as he can "do it myself".; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: U.S. Divers Junior Regal Mask and Laguna Snorkel; Brand: U.S. Divers; Review: These fit my three year old grand daughter fine, but she is the height of a normal five year old so keep that in mind when considering these.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Trike; Brand: Radio Flyer; Review: My 18 month old grand daughter ran right to this trike Christmas morning and insisted on sitting on it while all the other presents were unwrapped. She knew without us telling her that this was her present from Santa. Her big sister has been pushing her around the house in it and we will be going out for a walk later. She has been hating her stroller for some time now so this is a great alternative. Well made, the adult handle bars extend up high enough for her Papa to push her in it and he is 6'5. All the adjustments that can be made to it will ensure a long useful life for it. The seat has three height adjustments as well as the handlebars.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Marcy Trampoline Cardio Trainer with Handle ASG-40; Brand: Marcy; Review: Because of a living situation that keeps my grandsons from playing in the backyard, they don't get enough excercise. The five year old is very over weight and I wanted to get something for him that would be fun and motivating to keep active. My daughter told me he loves jumping on it while watching TV. I also suggested to her that when he gets out of hand she should have him jump on it to get out the energy. She says it is working. My daughter and her husband bought a smaller one for the 3 year old and the 5 year old was a little upset because he wanted it too. His weight was too much for the smaller one though, so I told him, over the phone, that Batman uses the one I sent him to practice jumping and keep in shape for crime fighting. He was very pleased to hear that and now will only let his mother on it! I hope this helps with his weight.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ride Along Dolly Bike Handlebar Pinwheel - Spinning Flower Pinwheel for Kid's Bicycle - Snaps on for Easy Attachment; Brand: Ride Along Dolly; Review: The girls love these pinwheels attached to their bikes/trikes. They are pretty and well made. The only problem is that they sometimes slip downward from the handlebars. This is easily remedied with a piece or two of duck tape which the pinwheel sticks to better.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ride Along Dolly Bike Handlebar Streamers - Kid's Bicycle Pinwheel Streamers - Easy Attachment to Cycle's Handlebars; Brand: Ride Along Dolly; Review: We got these for the handlebars of our 2 1/2 year olds bike. She love them and when she is sitting still on the bike, in front of us, she loves to run her hand through the streamers. Nicely made, great colors.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: COPOZZ Ski Goggles, MX OTG Frameless Snow Snowboard Goggles; Brand: COPOZZ; Review: Nice they come in a case. Easy to adjust and keeps the water out.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: UShake Kid Swim Goggles, Anti-Fog Lens and Hypoallergenic Silicone Gaskets Child Swimming Goggles for Kids and Early Teens; Brand: UShake; Review: Easy to adjust and use. Nice they have a case too.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Cesar Classic Wet Dog Food Variety Packs; Brand: Cesar; Review: My now 6 year old Chihuahua ate Cesar dog food for quite a while and seemed to really like it. But I got so tired of picking out BIG blood vessels that I couldn't stand to feed it to her anymore. The listed ingredients didn't help either so I switched to a healthier brand of dog food. I just couldn't get over those blood vessels and it is quite pricey for such a little can, especially not having better ingredients.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Three Dog Bakery Wheat Free Sweet Potato Woofer Cookies, Baked Dog Treats, 13-Ounce; Brand: Three Dog Bakery; Review: My dog loves these cookies! I just wanted to let people know the box is 13oz and not 14oz as they are saying. One ounce is no big deal so this is just an FYI. No problem with Amazon at all, I use them frequently and this is the first time this has happened.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Tartar Remover/Scraper 6.5 inch Double Sided; Brand: Classic Products LLC; Review: I'll have to agree with the other reviews that this "scraper" isn't sharp enough! Maybe your tarter is real thick then it might help but If you really need to scrape your teeth I would pass this one up. You really can't tell from the picture so it's best to believe the reviews, good price, but not worth it if it doesn't do the job!; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Dogswell Vitality For Dogs; Brand: Dogswell; Review: My dog loves these and I've been purchasing them for quite a while. But the last 6 packs I bought are darker in color and they aren't crunchy, they are like rubber. If you try to break them in half they bend instead of break. That wouldn't be too bad but they sure affected her bowels, smaller than normal, darker in color and more frequent then normal. I haven't changed anything in her diet but this started when I gave her some from the first bag I opened. So I'm not sure if I want to give them to her anymore. I stopped giving her any to see if her bowels return to normal.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Wet Dog Food Duck & Potato; Brand: Natural Balance; Review: This canned dog food is very healthy for my dog and that's important to me. I also feed her Natural Balance dry dog food because I trust this product very much, besides that, Sophie my Chihuahua likes it also. I occasionally change to a different type in this brand for variety.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Wet Dog Food Chicken & Sweet Potato; Brand: Natural Balance; Review: This canned dog food is very healthy for my dog and that's important to me. I also feed her Natural Balance dry dog food because I trust this product very much, besides that, Sophie my Chihuahua likes it also. I occasionally change to a different type in this brand for variety.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets Wet Dog Food Chicken & Sweet Potato; Brand: Natural Balance; Review: This canned dog food is very healthy for my dog and that's important to me. I also feed her Natural Balance dry dog food because I trust this product very much, besides that, Sophie my Chihuahua likes it also. I occasionally change to a different type in this brand for variety.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: PCI Chicken Breast Nibbles 1lb; Brand: Butch's Treats; Review: My 7 lb Chihuahua LOVES these chicken nibbles but unfortunately they don't agree with her digestive tract. So I'm trying to introduce them to her very slowly which is what I usually do, but she went crazy over these and in her excitement I gave her too many, shame on me! WHY do these things have to be made in China? Most everything else too!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Three Dog Bakery Classic Wafers Baked Dog Treats; Brand: Three Dog Bakery; Review: Sophie, my Chihuahua loves the apple oatmeal wafers from Three Dog Bakery. I've tried the other types from Three Dog Bakery and she's not interested in any of them, (picky dog)? The only problem is she won't eat a whole wafer so I have to cut them up which causes them crumble. They are such a healthy treat and made so well she gets one or two everyday. I just wished they made a smaller size for the "little ones". I highly recommend these treats, just don't use them as a meal.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Earth Rated Dog Poop Bags, Extra Thick and Strong Poop Bags for Dogs, Guaranteed Leak-Proof; Brand: Earth Rated; Review: These dog waste bags come in handy for other things as well. I put banana and orange peels in them and I can twist tie them and leave them in the cupboard for a while because they smell soooooo good. I truly love the smell! I also put them in my closet in pockets to make everything smell of lavender. Or you can stick them in the dryer with no heat and throw towels or sheets or even clothes in to get that wonderful smell on them! Oh, and they are great for poop bags too!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Best Friend Services Ottillie Paws Series Pet Urn; Brand: Best Friend Services; Review: I am very pleased with this urn, I got the small and it's just the right size for my Chihuahua Sophie, she was 7 lbs. 5 oz. The bag with her ashes fit into the small opening which is 2 1/8. The screw top is a little tricky but if you don't force things it goes on nicely. Now I just have to cope with losing my baby.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Milliard Premium Orthopedic Memory Foam Dog Bed and Anti-Microbial Waterproof Non-Slip Cover; Brand: Milliard; Review: This bed was for my son's dog. She's an older dog and she has arthritis and I didn't think they had a soft enough or large enough one for her so I purchased this dog bed and she seems to like it much better than her old one, She uses it all the time. It is a very comfy foam and the cover is well-made. I would buy from this seller again, I'm very happy with this purchase.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Milliard 4" Premium Orthopedic 100% Memory Foam Dog Bed + Anti-Microbial Removable Waterproof Non-slip Cover; Brand: Milliard; Review: This dog bed cover seems to work well for my Daughter-in-law's dog, an older rather large Labrador . I purchased the bed a while ago and thought this would be a good change while she was washing the cover that came with the bed. She's happy that I purchased it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Spellbound (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Wings of Desire (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bend It Like Beckham (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Life as a House (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Sea is Watching (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nowhere in Africa (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Capturing the Friedmans (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ghost World (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sex and the City: Season 5 (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The French Connection (1971); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Lost in Translation (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dopamine (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: In America (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Beauty (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Being John Malkovich (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tampopo (1986); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Edward Scissorhands (1990); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Big Fish (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Trainspotting: Collector's Edition (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High Fidelity (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Camp (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: American Splendor (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl: Bonus Material (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: City by the Sea (2002); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Warm Water Under a Red Bridge (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Young Adam (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Dancer Upstairs (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Assassination Tango (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Intimacy (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Memento (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1997); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Man Who Wasn't There (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dangerous Beauty (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rushmore (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Amelie (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Whale Rider (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Three Kings (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mansfield Park (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Wedding Planner (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Charlotte Gray (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Swordfish (2001); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Calendar Girls (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Out of Sight (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Saving Grace (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Coffee and Cigarettes (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Shaun of the Dead (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mean Girls (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Usual Suspects (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: L.A. Confidential (1997); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Real Women Have Curves (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saved! (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The United States of Leland (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Monster's Ball (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Traffic (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Napoleon Dynamite (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: About Schmidt (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pretty Woman (1990); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Men of Honor (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Punch-Drunk Love (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Very Long Engagement (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 21 Grams (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Adaptation (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Double Jeopardy (1999); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Shawshank Redemption: Special Edition (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Secretary (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Harold and Maude (1971); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: sex (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sideways (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Heart Huckabees (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Donnie Darko (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Intermission (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Nobody Knows (2005); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Machinist (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: O Brother (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Oldboy (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: American History X (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crash (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Laurel Canyon (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring with the World's Last True Explorers; Author: Visit Amazon's Richard Preston Page; Review: The first chapter grabbed me. I will not spoil it for the new reader since it is a scary" can't put it down "introduction to the big trees of California. The best way I can describe it is big wave surfing only people do it way way up in the canopy of the world's tallest beings. This book balances outdoor writing with natural history and biography. I will readit several times. this is also one of those books that opens new areas of exploration. I want to know more about the ecology of trees, the county of Hunboldt and how to overcome my fear of heights so I can at least get up ten feet into my oak tree. This is also a book I will not lend to anyone since I want to make sure I always have it. Buy your own it is worth it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Dance with Dragons; Author: Visit Amazon's George R.R. Martin Page; Review: I am more than happy that none of the plots in this series are completed in this book. Frankly, I hope nothing ever gets resolved and the series goes on for another ten books or more. I want to know what happens next but I am having so much fun with the twists and turns, the characters, and the settings that I really could care less about an ending. Martin writes as if he is producing real history. Real history has no resolution. It just careens into the next set of circumstances carrying characters along like a flash flood in a desert. The characters make the same dumb mistakes as real people. But they learn from these mistakes and go on to the next phase in life......making more educated dumb mistakes. I like escaping into this World where I have more questions than answers. And I will bet that those folks who gave Dances a one star review will still buy The Winds of Winter when it comes out. Wow! The amount of hatred generated toward this book is astounding! What is even more astounding is the amount of hatred generated at people who liked the book! Book reviews are supposed to be about literature and not about the level of vitupritude the fan boy cadre can sling at anything they dislike. It is amazing how unlettered we have become as a nation.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human; Author: Richard Wrangham; Review: This is an interesting read. It certainly gives one a lot of food for thought. I debated on giving this work four stars since it is entertaining and presents a compelling set of arguments for the role of cooked food in human evolution. I always have problems with any set of arguments that describes one behavior as the driving force in evolution hence three stars. My training is as an archeologist/anthropologist. Much of the discussion in this book looks at hunter/gatherers societies. I found this discussion to be simplistic. In his description of male/female relations in cooking it often sounds as if the male hunts, returns home to a meal, then retires while the women return to the major work in the society. Actually, hunting is inherently dangerous. Sometimes it is unproductive but it can also be deadly. Males can be killed or injured during this activity. Neanderthal bones show wide spread evidence of this inclination to injury. Replacing a skilled, adult male in this kind of economy takes time and training. The discussion also fails to mention the importance of the construction of tools in hunter society. As any anthro student can attest stone knapping is a difficult task that takes time to master. Cut fingers and smashed thumbs are some of the benefits of this activity. Men need tools. Further, there are other forms of hunter/gatherer culture than knocking over large animals. Some cultures use fishing or trapping as a primary means of producing protein. This work also neglects the role of environment in these cultures. A more thorough discussion of seasonality would have helped this work. Hunter/gatherer societies uses management of their ecologies to increase food production. California natives used fire to increase cereal grasses. They also managed plants used in basketry. Village structure grew around the processing of acorns which was the main source of food. There are some very gapping areas in this book but it is still a really interesting read. And I have to say I love any author who writes a book that makes me want to sit down with him and have a good argument. The number of notes scribbled in the margins of this book are a really positive indication of how much I enjoyed reading it. I would like to see him do a follow up and address some of my questions.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bird Photography Field Guide: The essential handbook for capturing birds with your digital SLR (The Field Guide Series); Author: Visit Amazon's David Tipling Page; Review: I have the authors guide to Outdoor Photography. Much of what was in that book is duplicated here. The book does have some additional information that was useful. Had I perused this in a store I would probably not purchased it since there is not enough new material to make it worth buying. It is a small book and the print is very difficult to read. Go for the Outdoor Photo book instead of this one.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Why Ducks Do That: 40 Distinctive Waterfowl Behaviors Explained & Photographed; Author: Visit Amazon's Chuck Petrie Page; Review: This small but mighty book is formatted around questions about ducks. Each question is covered in a page to page and a half. Physiology, vocalization, mating and a number of other topics are covered in pity and knowledgeable answers. If only other authors could write so well! I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in why ducks do what ducks do. The accompanying photos are lovely also. This book is well worth the price and should be on every ornithoholics bookshelf.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Steampunk Tarot; Author: Visit Amazon's Barbara Moore Page; Review: I have to agree with most of the five star reviews so I do not have a lot to add. However, I do want to say that even if you are only a beginner this is an excellent deck. The book that comes with it has a number of great insights from Ms Moore. Because the deck has a more "modern" theme it is easy to make the connections to the symbols. I like the Nine of Swords since it portrays that state of insomnia at three o'clock in the morning so well. It is that state where you keep going over and over the problems of the world in your head. Real or imaginary the issues still have a physical impact on your life. I also like the court cards since the Knights and Pages are often women. As I work with each card I feel a connection that I do not feel with other decks. ( With the exception of one Celtic deck that feels so evil I keep it locked in a metal box)There are decks you collect and decks you actually use. The Steampunk Deck is one I will actually work with on a daily basis. Yep....the box is crappy but it is Steampunk so go forth and make your own more permanent house for your cards.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sasquatch Field Gde; Author: J. Meldrum; Review: Thought this would be a parody of field guides but it is a serious work on Sasquatch. Bought the Kindle version so hope squatch is in cell phone range next time I go out. In truth Big foot can no longer be considered a wild animal. We now know that those who live in Humboldt and Mendocino grow herbs for a living. They spend their off hours at Humbrews listening to music. They look like the other 420 residents of the area since they wear Hawaian shirts, sunglasses, and baseball caps to disguise themselves. Just leave these dudes alone to be mellow I say.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dance of the Winnebagos: Jackrabbit Junction Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Ann Charles Page; Review: Sort of formulaic Nancy Drew for adults. Stephanie Plumm in Arizona. But an okay beach read. Not really a mystery. A romance novel with a thin mystery plot and a lot of groping.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Roman Architecture: A Visual Guide - Kindle edition; Author: Visit Amazon's Diana E. E. Kleiner Page; Review: Good book to reinforce the lectures from dr kleiner on coursera. The class is also available thru iTunes U. Not a very complex set of readings since it is intended to match the class. Would start learning about roman architecture here the go on to more reading from other sources.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Long War (Long Earth); Author: Visit Amazon's Terry Pratchett Page; Review: I would be love to actually be able to step. Looking forward to the next installment. Good Sci Fi is like a vacation without all the messy bits and airport security. Reading this series takes me to New worlds and ideas.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook: 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings and; Author: Visit Amazon's Beth Hensperger Page; Review: Lots of useful recipes and covers all kinds of rice. However telling me I can only cook some grains in case"fuzzy logic" cooker is not helpful. The author should have researched her topic to include the cooking of grains like oatmeal. There are other cook books and web sites that give me this info. Bought this book because I want all the 411 in one place so disappointed.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe (Mollie Katzen's Classic Cooking); Author: Visit Amazon's Mollie Katzen Page; Review: Checked this out from the library and loved it. There are many enticing entries in this including baked ricotta.pretty good as a novel breakfast dish. Used the nonfat Trader Joe's ricotta for fewer calories.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hieroglyphics Decomposition Book: College-ruled Composition Notebook With 100% Post-consumer-waste Recycled Pages; Author: Inc. Michael Roger; Review: The glue used to hold the front and back covers of this note book together is not doing its job. For this price I expected better quality. I will go back to the old Meade notebooks. Not as pretty but very sturdy.; Rating: 2.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with businesses as follows:
Title: Atrium Bistro; City: Trevose, PA; Review: Had lunch there today with my husband & we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food. The seafood bisque was excellent, chicken wings had a great tangy sauce and our entrees were delicious; crab cake sandwich & tuna BLT. I thought the prices were reasonable.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mamma Mia Trattoria; City: Langhorne, PA; Review: Ordered take out tonight. My husband ordered the Mama Mia Veal and raved about it. I ordered my favorite, Tilapia Florentine, which I have had from this restaurant a few times and it's always delicious. My daughter orders the buffalo chicken salad and loved it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Manuco's Restaurant; City: Levittown, PA; Review: Tonight was my first meal at Manuco's and we will definitely be back! I ordered the garlic salmon combo and it was literally the best piece of salmon I've ever had (and I have ordered salmon at many restaurants). My husband had the oven roasted pork chop and enjoyed it. For desert I had the flan and it was delicious! The prices were so reasonable and loved that it was a byob. Cannot wait to go back and try the tacos and quesadillas!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Annabella's Italian Restaurant; City: Bensalem. Pa, PA; Review: My favorite byob. This place never fails to impress. The food is consistently absolutely delicious. Lovely cozy atmosphere. Waitstaff is always pleasant and personable. We love eating at Annabella's then taking a stroll along the river.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: High Tides Restaurant, Bar & Banquets; City: Bensalem, PA; Review: First time eating at High Tides. The food was delicious! Very nice place. I will definitely return.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mamma Mia Trattoria; City: Langhorne, PA; Review: My favorite restaurant in the area! Always delicious & reasonably priced. I've tried my items on the dinner menu & am never disappointed. My husband is obsessed with their vodka rigatoni. The atmosphere is very nice as is the wait staff. They are also my go-to for catering events.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | yelp |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: KONG - Flyer - Durable Rubber Flying Disc Dog Toy; Brand: KONG; Review: So far my German Shepherd is thoroughly enjoying this Frisbee/disc.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Greenies Original Regular Size Dental Dog Treats; Brand: Greenies; Review: All 3 of my dogs LOVE their greenies. 2 dogs are <25 lbs and my 3rd is 80+ lbs. I just say Greenie and they get super excited!! Anytime they hear this bag opening if I'm trying to surprise them, they all come running into the kitchen. Definitely recommend!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Greenies Original Regular Size Dental Dog Treats; Brand: Greenies; Review: All 3 of my dogs LOVE their greenies. 2 dogs are <25 lbs and my 3rd is 80+ lbs. I just say Greenie and they get super excited!! Anytime they hear this bag opening if I'm trying to surprise them, they all come running into the kitchen. Definitely recommend!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Petstages Orka Flyer Rubber Durable Frisbee Chew and Fetch Toy for Dogs, Dog Chew Toy by; Brand: Petstages; Review: So far my German Shepherd is thoroughly enjoying this Frisbee/disc.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lion Tamer No Scratch Cat Spray 8oz - 100% Natural and Safe Cat Repellent for Indoor and Outdoor; Brand: Pet MasterMind; Review: Does not work on any of my 4 cats inside house. I like the smell, makes me think of the pledge smell (wood polish); Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Dremel 225-01 Flex Shaft Attachment; Brand: Dremel; Review: The only thing I use my Dremel for is to file down my dogs nails. I have been using just the tool itself for decades. The problem with just using the tool is it's heavy and bulky when your trying to work in close quarters as in my toy dog nails. My brother told me about this piece and it is a God send. It's even less stressful for my dogs, the noise is not near their foot. So glad I bought this. Thank you.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hunter 51011 Southern Breeze 42-Inch Brushed Nickel Ceiling Fan with Five Cherry/Maple Blades and Frosted Glass Light Kit; Brand: Hunter Fan Company; Review: My brother recently replaced my kitchen ceiling unit to this one. I had been without a fan in the kitchen for quite some time. Now that it's installed I forgot how nice it was and is to have a ceiling fan again in the kitchen. I'm pleased and thank you my dear brother for putting it in. I love you to the moon and back.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Dremel 4000-4/34 High Performance Rotary Tool Kit with Variable Speed Rotary Tool, 4 Attachments and 34 Accessories; Brand: Dremel; Review: Works great, no issues.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fengbao 2PCS Kitchen Sink Strainer - Stainless Steel, Large Wide Rim 4.5" Diameter; Brand: Fengbao; Review: It's wonderful to have high quality sink strainers. I was buying the mesh style from the local stores but they clog easy and develop holes fast. They are awful but that seems to be the only thing available. Or they sometimes have the strainers local that have the button in the middle to let water out or fill sink. I don't like those either because the button falls easily and prevents water from going down the drain. All terrible designs. I love these strainers, very happy with them and the seller. Thank you; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: SadoTech Model CXR Wireless Doorbell with 1 Remote Button and 2 Plugin Receivers Operating at over 500-feet Range with Over; Brand: SadoTech; Review: I had to return this door bell because the button didn't ring the bell consistently. Not happy and I don not recommend it.; Rating: 1.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Captured; Author: Visit Amazon's Victoria Lynne Page; Review: This book kept my interest througout the whole story. Very entertaining!!! I enjoy historical novels especially during the civil war.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Celtic Storms: Celtic Steel: Book One (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Delaney Rhodes Page; Review: This book was very ejoyable and I can not wait until I receive the rest of the series. The end of the 1st book keeps you hanging. Looking forward to reading the next book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sekhmet Bed (The She-King) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's L. M. Ironside Page; Review: This was an interesting book. I enjoyed reading about Egyptian history. This story kept me reading for more. Could not put the book down.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Never Too Late; Author: Visit Amazon's Amara Royce Page; Review: It was nice to read about a woman who was older than her lover. This book kept my interest all the times. Would recommend this book to anyone for light entertainment. :); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wild Angel; Author: Visit Amazon's Miriam Minger Page; Review: Enjoyed this story immensely!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wildblossom; Author: Cynthia Wright; Review: I could not stop reading this story. It kept my interest all through the book. Love Cynthia Wright novel's!!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Blue Moon; Author: Visit Amazon's Parris Afton Bonds Page; Review: Interesting story and kept me interested!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Clare Valley Motel; City: Clare South Australia; Review: The Clare Valley Motel is a pleasant surprise - clean, comfortable rooms in a delightful setting with a very good restaurant and all at affordable prices. Lee and Jan are friendly and obliging, a trait they have instilled in their staff. The rooms are a reasonable size, with good motel-style amenities and comfortable bed and other furnishings. We found it an excellent base while exploring the Clare wineries and other attractions and the pool provided welcome relief from the 40-plus heat while we were there. The restaurant menu was varied and catered for all tastes and the food was very good. The breakfasts were superb! They also had a good wine list, as one would expect in one of Australia's premier wine growing regions. The only complaint was the restaurant was not open on Sunday night, although there were plenty of others within in short distance. Highly recommended.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Executive Motel; City: Taupo Taupo District Waikato Region North Island; Review: Comfortable and spotlessly clean accommodation in a great location, across the road from the lake and within reasonable proximity of the town centre. Quiet, well appointed rooms with a small kitchenette - and reasonably priced. Obliging and helpful staff. Good restaurant and bar "Jolly Good Fellows" within 5 minutes walk - highly recommended.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Adina Apartment Hotel Sydney Darling Harbour; City: Sydney New South Wales; Review: Well appointed and quiet rooms in a great location, in the King Street Wharf entertainment precinct. Easy walk to city centre and all the attractions of Darling Harbour. Only negative was no separate shower in our otherwise comfortable studio and an awkward climb into a high sided bath.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shangri La s Fijian Resort Spa; City: Yanuca Island Coral Coast Viti Levu; Review: Having planned a family (6 adults, 5 children) holiday to the Shangri-La for many months, I was becoming nervous in the weeks beforehand after reading mixed reviews on TA. It was our 4th visit to Fiji but the first with the extended family, and the Shangri-La was highly recommended by travel agents. We had three rainy days during our week long stay, which resulted in many resort activities being cancelled, but we still found plenty to do. We had three excellent adjoining, ground floor, rooms in the Ocean Wing with a nice lawned area outside leading to the beach - great for swimming and snorkelling in beautiful water protected by the outer reef. The rooms were spacious, comfortable and clean with good amenities - and great views. The Kids Club was popular with the younger family members and the Lagoon pool area is family friendly with plenty of activities and facilities. It is a big resort and there are considerable distances to be covered at times, but staff were quick to provide transport in golf buggies for a member of our party with an injured ankle. We ate breakfast most mornings at the delightful Takali Terrace restaurant overlooking the ocean and with a lovely atmosphere - the alternative, the Lagoon Terrace, is large, crowded, noisy and a zoo (avoid if possible!). The breakfast offering was very good with considerable variety although the food elsewhere in the resort was fairly basic and expensive. We had a good meal at Tomlu's in a village near the resort one night (F$10 return by cab). We avoided the cab company based at the hotel (following advice on TA) but the hotel called other cabs for us which were reliable and affordable (eg. F$30 return to Sigatoka - pay at the end of the return trip - our driver even took us to a local supermarket to pick up supplies and kept them in the boot while we went to dinner). There's a bus service to Sigatoka for F$1.50 each way. The resort staff are friendly and obliging but can be frustratingly slow - but that's Fiji. A highlight was the one day Natadola Beach tour organised through the resort, which visits a local school and a village before going to the beach. Interesting, informative and good value. Drinks are expensive at the resort but if you stock up in duty free at the airport and buy beer and soft drinks at the local supermarkets you will save a great deal. There are fridges in the rooms and ice machines in each accommodation wing. The free Wi-Fi worked okay, the TV selection was poor although we didn't watch it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Oaks Felix; City: Brisbane Brisbane Region Queensland; Review: Comfortable hotel in great location, close to many restaurants/cafes/coffee bars. Courteous staff and 24/7 reception. Clean rooms with good facilities and reasonable rates for a quality city hotel. Parking is available but spaces are a bit tight.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Legian Beach Hotel; City: Legian Kuta District Bali; Review: Very good resort hotel on the beach at Legian, close to both Kuta and Seminyak. Pleasant, obliging staff, several restaurants offering a wide variety of food, good bars, and an adults only pool! We stayed in a deluxe garden villa set amongst lawns and gardens, close to the beach. Clean, welcoming room with a good sized bathroom and a large front verandah, ideal for relaxing in the comfortable chairs. Spa was excellent but expensive - similar massages etc are available at numerous nearby venues for a fraction of the price.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Wellness Pure Rewards Natural Grain Free Dog Treats Made in USA Only, 6-Ounce Bag; Brand: Wellness Natural Pet Food; Review: These are very small and a little chewy like jerky. One of my dogs loved them, she'll eat anything. And our other dog was like, ehh. I think these would be good if you're taking you dog to doggie school. Small and easy to tear which are the best when training.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blue Health Bars Crunchy Dog Treats; Brand: Blue Buffalo; Review: I have 20 lb dogs so the treats are a little big for them but they love them so I usually snap the biscuits in 1/2 and they share...then they come back for more. My dogs love all the flavors they have. I've done a lot of research on dog foods after my dog got cancer. Blue Buffalo is a trustworthy company that puts real ingredients into their products, unlike many other brands out there.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Greenies Pill Pocket Soft Dog Treats - Chicken; Brand: Greenies; Review: These are a great alternative to having to shove pills down your dog's throat. I can sometimes fit 2 pills in 1 pocket. My dog loves all the flavors.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: KONG Duck Dog Toy; Brand: KONG; Review: This is a tiny toy but my mini schnauzer loves it.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: PETMAKER Wooden Pet Gate; Brand: PETMAKER; Review: This gate is only stable when it is placed accordion style as shown in the picture. It does stretch out straight to 52" or so, however when it's straightened out, it can easily be knocked over. It's pretty cheaply made too. I already got a splinter in my finger from the wood. It does the job in some smaller opening rooms where the accordion stance will suffice but in my larger hallway, it gets knocked over now that the dogs have learned the trick to knock it down. We have to put something behind it so that they don't push thru.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Desert Ice Stainless Steel Insulated Sports Water Bottle - 20oz - TWO LIDS - BPA Free, Straw Lid; Brand: Desert Ice; Review: Excellent; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hydro Flask Wide Mouth BPA Free Travel Mug Hydro Flip Lid for Coffee (Not Leak Proof); Brand: Hydro Flask; Review: A; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Galco Pocket Protector Holster,Kahr Mk40 / Glock 42,Black,Ambidextrous; Brand: GALCO INTERNATIONAL; Review: Great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hydro Flask Standard Mouth BPA Free Insulated Water Bottle Sport Cap, Black (Not Leak Proof); Brand: Hydro Flask; Review: Great; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: JugLug Sleeve 40 oz.; Brand: JugLug; Review: B; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Proust's Way: A Field Guide to In Search of Lost Time; Author: Roger Shattuck; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This has a pretty good coverage of Proust from a reader's perspective. I wish in some ways I had read it before rather than after, as I think I would have gotten more insights. It was good enough to make me [almost:] want to start back again at the beginning. (But it's a 3300 page novel, so you don't reread it again on a whim--I probably will some day.); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Why Are Our Pictures Puzzles?: On the Modern Origins of Pictorial Complexity; Author: James Elkins; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: somewhat ironic and self-parodying questioning of why artistic criticism in the present age has spun monstrously out of control, and why ambiguity is so important in post modernist criticism.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Renegade for Peace and Justice: Congresswoman Barbara Lee Speaks for Me; Author: Barbara Lee; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: "Going rogue" in a positive way. I was very interested in how she stood up completely alone for something she believed in when she voted against the authorization of force in the panic after 9/11. Henry Hyde (!) took her aside and in a near whisper told her that, although he did NOT agree with her vote, it was a very brave thing to vote her conscience on this--and that actually, off the record, several of his Republican colleagues did NOT like the idea of giving anybody such a blank check to anybody. Not a really great book, as it suffers from the typical politician's need to include every piece of legislation that they have worked on. However, the writing is pretty direct and unpolished, meaning I think that no ghost writer was involved homogenizing everything. For me that is a plus. I found the personal details, many of which are painful, especially interesting, and has informed her position on many women's issues.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Blondie24: Playing at the Edge of AI; Author: David B. Fogel; Genres: non-fiction; Review: What is thinking? What is learning? The story of a project with the aim of developing a learning artificial intellegence. Blondie24 is a program with a neural net and an evolutionary algorithm, which without much guidance learned to play checkers and crack a rating of 2000. It never reached the high performance of programs that have been explicitly programmed with rules, but the way it reached its high function was extraordinary. A set of weights were assigned to programs on a random basis, and the worst performing were culled; the remnants were used with slight random variation, to parent the next generation and so on. It is interesting evidence for biological evolution and against the complexity argument of intelligent design, as the program was set up with the most elementary model of what checkers was. But I digress. The programs were not "told" how good any move would be, or that they won or lost any game, but were selected on how they performed on a set of five games. Even so, natural selection produced a superior model of play. Rather than giving the programs rules, the rules were generated by inheritance from their slected ancestral lines over many iterations. (BLONDIE??? The program was entered on a checkers game site, originally with a Obi-Wan Jedi name, but they found that males tended to get very nasty if they lost, so they switched their identity to a female. (They got some undesirable responses there too, but they got asked out on a lot of dates.) To play they would manually run the program to whatever depth it could go in the time limit, and enter that move against the human.); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton; Author: Joe Conason; Genres: history, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: Fascinating if a bit byzantine look at attack politics at its most destructive.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Reader's Guide to Finnegans Wake; Author: William York Tindall; Genres: non-fiction, fiction; Review: I found this somewhat helpful in cherry picking individual items, but as a companion volume, I think Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake is superior in providing a "narrative" thread for the lost reader. It would not do any harm though, to use both books, and Tindall's idiosyncratic grumpy complaints and alternate interpretations can hold their own against Campbell and Robinson's mythic and somewhat breathless approach.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Finnegans Wake; Author: James Joyce; Genres: thriller, poetry, crime, fiction, mystery; Review: Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Sir Francis Bacon (1561 - 1626) Fifth time through! The date is set to the date I read the final word "the". This was in a "slow read" book club. This is my favorite book of all time. Admittedly it is challenging, but what it does is simply unique in all of literature, beautiful, silly, inexhaustible and, perhaps, exhausting. I don't want to say that you should read this book, unless it calls to you. It is not for every one. Let me give of some hints. This is a book that can overwhelm you unless you read it slowly and patiently, too rich in overlapping symbols to digest in large pieces. And yes this is really true even for really sophisticated readers. Even (hah!) if you breezed through Ulysses.If you've read this far, you may actually decide to read this book. So first of all courage! Tip! Definitely recommend reading alongside commentary, as this is often considered the most opaque "novel" ever written. I used Campbell and Robinson's Skeleton Key and Tindall's Reader's Guide to Finnegans Wake. The best study of Wake is Joyce's Book of the Dark. The Bishop book on the Wake is good, but it is a thematic overview. It does the best presentation of the dreamer/aspect of the book. (I tend to agree that whether or not you agree the dream is real, at no point in the book is it supposed to represent normal waking consciousness.) It tends to do an excellent job of the connections of the sleeper-consciousness to the Book of the Dead and to the Viconan ideal history (language as a layered representation of the historical evolution of human consciousness.) John Gordon's plot summary is very speculative, and he tends to want to answer "what is really happening" as if the events are real, but it is a good book, and provides some very useful insights. There is a sense in which the surroundings of the dreamer show up in the dream, and he has a lot of source material on that. I still think the Campbell and Robinson's Skeleton Key is the best general guide. References: Joyce's Book of the Dark: Finnegans Wake A Reader's Guide to Finnegans Wake A Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake: Unlocking James Joyce's Masterwork Finnegans Wake: A Plot Summary (Irish Studies Tip! Definitely read the book aloud. I have done this with a lot of passages before and it seemed to help, but this time, I followed the discipline of reading the entire book aloud. this immeasurably enriches the experience. Also strongly recommend reading only a little--even just two or three pages--per day, but every day. I find 6 to 10 is the maximum I can manage--seriously. Aloud is best. And don't get discouraged, the first part you read; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time; Author: Greg Mortenson; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: I was wowed by this book. Some of the events were almost too amazing to be true. I originally give this book five stars. Now many of the events depicted here are being called into question, after a scathing expose by Sixty Minutes. Called into question is of course a euphemism for made up. As they say, if it is too good to be true, most likely it is. Now I have no doubt that Mr. Mortensen has a core of goodness and most likely has retained it, for the most part. His friends seem to have ready defenses that he is disorganized and means well, and just got swept up in the fame. Indeed, he has, apparently, actually built some, but not all, of the schools that he claims to have done. This is not a credit that can be swept away. Nonetheless, I can't condone this. As a novelization, or having a "based on true events" disclaimer, this book would escape this criticism. What hurts is not the fact that it is a fictionalization, rather, that it is about current events and issues concerning a marginalized population of which we have heretofore considered little, save perhaps as unwitting targets for drones. I fear that the self-discrediting nature of this book may harm whatever sympathies or generous feelings for them that it may have elicited. And that is indeed sad.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Dubliners; Author: James Joyce; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, fiction; Review: I just finished reading it carefully, once again. Joyce, reputedly the cool modern aesthete, seems to show a bit of compassion and sorrow here, as he observes, and teases out, the purgatories that his subjects make for themselves, and make for poor longsuffing Ireland, which he teases out in terse, compact, and exquisite prose. I was seized by an uncontrollable desire to get the hell out even though I am not living in turn of the century Ireland. No wonder he chose silence, exile and cunning.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Complete Sylvie and Bruno; Author: Lewis Carroll; Genres: young-adult, children, poetry, paranormal, fantasy, fiction; Review: This is an impossible to rate book, but I'm going to try. Don't expect an exact clone of the Alice books, or you will be bound to be disappointed. It is precisely Lewis Carroll's intention to write something unlike the Alice books. The two most off putting aspects for many modern reader are probably Bruno's cloying baby talk (which hides a bit of subtle subversion, if "it offends oo") and those long passages that outline Carroll's theologico-philosophical speculations that do not include nonsense. The best way to see it is as a presciently post-modern novel that deconstructs the typical sentimental Victorian novel. Although sentiment, and "right philosophy", and "ennobling thoughts" in the Victorian sense were taken seriously by Lewis Carroll, he gives another dimension by interrupting the narrative and plunging into a fairy dream world. The narrator is essentially autobiographical, an old and somewhat sad gentleman, but one who is fascinated by puzzles, theology, childhood, and with a hyperactive imagination and a love of nonsense. In a way a Carrollian might see it as the only true autobiography. On commentator suggested (although it is an infinitely easier read) that "Sylvie and Bruno bears the same relation to Lewis Carroll's earlier works, mutis mutandis, as Finnegans Wake to the more intelligible earlier productions of James Joyce". I did a blog posting on exactly these innovative features on our Finnegans Wake reading group blog: [url]...; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: "Have You Seen...?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films; Author: David Thomson; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is a very good book, encyclopedic in that he takes a great effort to include films that he thinks you ought to know about. His opinions are quirky (because he sometimes disagrees with me in ways I take violent exception to). However, he always voices coherent reasons for his positions. I good book for a film buff.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Breaking Dawn (Twilight, #4); Author: Stephenie Meyer; Genres: young-adult, paranormal, fantasy, romance, fiction; Review: I think that some twiobsessives may not like this book as well as I did in comparison with the other novels in the series. I rather enjoyed the fact that there was more of the edgy and supernatural, and finally, no more fretting and dithering around, Bella and Edward were going forward. My least favorite aspect of the series is that Stephanie Myers sometimes spins around Bella's angst in excruciating detail, rather than selecting a few vignettes that would have more impact and keep the novel moving, and this from somebody who just finished Proust. A famous author one said "kill your darlings" meaning aggressively weed your novels so that every part stands out. Of course, I am not a teengirl so my perspective is a little skewed. What I do like about the series is how it has reimagined the vampire, created unforgettable characters (my favorite is Alice) and brought it into a contemporary setting. Of course I am gradually becoming aware that there seem to be more teen vampire books coming out this year than I could have ever imagined... Any detailed review would be spoiler city, so I think I will desist here.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: I Am a Strange Loop; Author: Douglas R. Hofstadter; Genres: non-fiction; Review: I like Hofstadter/ Since I have read his other books, I'm just not really troubled by the concept of the irrelevance of in principle reductionisms, and the concept that layers (mostly) talk to themselves. However, that comes as somebody who has read most all of his work, including GEB, and has read the monograph on Godel's marvelous Incompleteness Theorem. (See also my review of the monograph on Godel's Theorem.) If you haven't, this will come as new territory for you. However, the subject of this book is self awareness from what I would call a computational perspective, so some of the territory puts a different spin on things. Actually, from my perspective, as it goes along, it gets more interesting. Which is what you want a book to do. In his meditation on self awareness he notes the tragic loss of his wife when she was only 43, and poignantly asks in what sense do we live on in other memories or ephemera that are left after we are gone. He then goes on to paradoxes of singularity and locality of personhood. If you were replicated and the initial one of "you" died, did you die? A lot of food for thought, whether you agree or no. There is a charming image of the persona, the I, as a rainbow, as a high level feature of something complex and hidden,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Ticket That Exploded (The Nova Trilogy #2); Author: William S. Burroughs; Genres: paranormal, fantasy, fiction; Review: Deliberately disjointed, hallucinatory, wacky, disturbing and inventive. Burroughs employs a collage technique where different narratives are cut up and thrown together like a salad. I originally read it in the English edition, which differs from the American. Read long time ago. This is definitely my favorite of the works of this talented madman. It may be his oddest. I was gratified to see this posting on RealityStudio ([url]...) Perhaps one of Burroughs' least accessible books, particularly for the uninitiated, Ticket nonetheless provides some surreal montages of words.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality; Author: Andre Comte-Sponville; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: ** spoiler alert ** Though not exactly a spoiler, this review contains numerous quotes from the book. This book meant a lot to me, so I want to do it justice by putting some effort into this review. I said facetiously this is perhaps one of those books that will piss off everybody. By this I meant that although his stance is not conventionally religious, and that he clearly does not believe in theism in any way, some of his ideas will seem familiar to sympathetic religious people. For rigid religious fundamentalists, they will probably think it insidious. For some atheists, any concept of a unitive experience that cannot be pinned down into the most trivial mechanical reductionism, is a surrender to the darkest forces, and is one short step away from burning heretics. Let me lay my cards on the table. I could best describe myself as a mildly spiritual but not religious atheist, a non believer in a supreme being. (I use the term spiritual in a more general sense, as he does, and with no intent of conveying organized religion, dogma, or belief in the supernatural.) That sort of thing tends to make one feel very peculiar. Talk about cognitive dissonance! So this book was very personal for me. Unfortunately atheism is a philosophical stance that "can't get no respect", at least in heavily religious countries like the United States--and, oddly, I have been assured that Rodney Dangerfield was an atheist. I don't understand why some people of some particular metaphysical persuasion are so upset that decent generous people hold the opposite opinion (this holds true for militant atheists too). Right now, as I write these words we seem torn apart by intolerance. Comte-Sponville is absolutely frank about his views and absolutely tolerant and fair. He writes, "Remember the good Samaritan. He was neither Jewish or Christian. We have no idea what his faith was or what he felt about death. All we know is that he showed compassion and charity. And Jesus explicitly told us to imitate him, not a priest or a Levite." Somebody called this book a "masterpiece of atheist apologetics", and I only wish I had invented the term myself. (Atheists can be moral, and not plagiarize!) I think many people of good will will find that this book is very congenial, regardless of their own beliefs. Comte-Sponville writes, "Among the people who had come up to chat with me after the lecture was a rather elderly Catholic priest...'I came up to thank you,' he said. 'I enjoyed your lecture very much.' Then he added, "I agreed with everything you said.'...I couldn't help adding,"still Father, I must admit it surprises me...I don't believe in God or the immortality of the soul.' 'Oh,' said the elderly priest with a benevolent smile, 'those are such secondary matters.'" The book is divided into three parts. The first part is a discussion of the three cardinal virtues for atheists. The second is a discussion of reasons for believing and not believing in God. The third is a discussion of; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ulysses and Us: The Art of Everyday Life in Joyce's Masterpiece; Author: Declan Kiberd; Genres: non-fiction; Review: This book takes head on the assertion that Joyce's work is an incomprehensible amalgam of obscure symbols, or the disorderly assembly of random experience in all its vulgarity. Joyce is a very sophisticated writer, nonetheless, and this books seems to almost try too hard to wrest that there book back from the perfessors. Still it is a worthy goal. Joyce said of himself that he was a foolish man who wished to write a wise book. His method is to recreate life, not by describing it, but plunging the reader into it without explanation or justification, and to overlay it by the suggestion of ultimate significance through a technique of style that brings an epic dignity to the banal. And far from contempt for the readers, Joyce respects them far to much to foist on them a diluted version of his vision that would decline to insist that they employ their wits. Kibert takes us through chapter by chapter, theme by theme, without emphasizing excessively the obscure matrix of correspondences in which Joyce framed the book. He declares, "[t:]he aim of art is not to depict a set of incidents, for that would be no more than information. It is rather to relate each event to the life of a storyteller, so that it can be conveyed as a lived experience. Ulysses is the work of a storyteller, not a novelist." These correspondences give additional symbolic power and richness to the work, if the reader notices them, but they are not as nearly necessary to the enjoyment of the text as close attention, patience, humor and empathy. And it is towards the human, the humorous, and the humane that Kibert leads us, telling us, of Joyce and his work, " life so lived finally reveals an order hidden from those caught up in the day-to-day accidents of its unfolding. What seemed like random incidents are revealed in the end to be part of some fore-ordained plan. There is providence in the fall of a sparrow, the hairs on our heads are numbered, and the man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are portals of discovery."; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: James Joyce; Author: Richard Ellmann; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is a really fine bio. I'll do more of a review on this later on.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus; Author: Dalai Lama XIV; Genres: non-fiction; Review: The fascinating thing about this book is that it touches on one of the aspects of wisdom, empathetic understanding of another engendering multiple simultaneous perspectives and respect. The story is a simple one. A group of Christian meditators with contacts with Tibetan Buddhists invites the Dali Lama to discuss the Christian gospels. This is an unusual request, as the Dali Lama has not been exposed to them very much. So a group of passages such as the sermon on the mount are chosen, translated to Tibetan, and the Dali Lama studied them, and gave talks on them. In it, with full respect and empathy he discusses what he found in them of his own, extremely rich, tradition, where there are inexact, but meaningful correspondences, and where there would be either differences belief or emphasis. This suggests to me that the largesouled attitude is not so much to focus on disputes of doctrine, but rather on the underlying humane and expansive spirit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mots d'Heures: Gousses, Rames, The d'Antin Manuscript; Author: Luis D'Antin Van Rooten; Genres: non-fiction, children, poetry, fiction; Review: Reine, reine, gueux iveille. Gomme ` gaine, en horreur, taie. (Queen, queen, arouse the rabble Who use their girdles, horrors, as pillow slips.) This is a parody of "Rain rain go away" from "Mots D'Heures", Gousses: Rames, a book of nonsensical French verse that phonetically sounds like Mother Goose rhymes. So don't try too hard to make sense of it, pillowslips or no. The book is copiously annotated to provide ersatz-scholarly explanations of these ridiculous parodies. It is pretty funny even if your French abilities, like mine, are limited to 'cafe French'.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A History of Ireland; Author: Mike Cronin; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Is it perhaps a tragedy for a people to "have too much history"?; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Naked Lunch; Author: William S. Burroughs; Genres: mystery, thriller, poetry, crime, paranormal, fantasy, romance, fiction; Review: So how can I give this book a recommendation (albeit with caveats to the weak of stomach)? I can and I do. Brilliant. Self indulgent. Undisciplined. Hilarious. Obscene. Disgusting. Boring. Disorganized. Terrifying. Satirical. Hallucinatory. Dangerous. Genius. Mad. Alienating. How can a book be called all these things and more? I first read this book in the sixties, fascinated and aghast, pleased, confused, and yes, it is "trippy", although in the sense of a Very Bad Trip. Just a warning. This is a truly mad book, and in an earlier era, they would warn you that it is a Danger to your Soul. Yet it is, in a strange sense, much like that of Bosch, as Norman Mailer suggests a religious book. Read the reviews on Goodreads. Note that this book is frequently categorized as a "difficult book", and several other oddball literary flora. There are several one and five star reviews that are very good, as this book produces violent reactions in both directions: the repulsiveness and ingeniousness, difficulty and fascination. Certainly several American courts held it to be Obscene, and I agree with them, but not in the sense of true pornography, for even the ultraviolent graphic sex scenes are so weird that they are clearly meant to be closer to Swift than Sade (if Swift were a junkie given to hallucinations of anatomically impossible sciencefictional sex acts and imaginary repressive societies and interplanetary conspiracies). Instead the real obscenity, and Burroughs leads his reader into this realization almost against the reader's will is the violence that demeans and destroys the body, and much more important the violence of control that destroys the soul. This is far more than the narrative of junk, addiction and its destructiveness, Burroughs extends the reach farther and farther, to the addiction of control, money, power, and the intoxication of obliterating the identities of others. In short, it is definitely a Vision of Hell, but often redeemed by a twisted and completely over the top black humor filled with anger, raging raging raging against the darkness, that appears (with apologies to Jefferson) to be forged by a soul that has sworn "eternal enmity against every form of tyranny over the mind of man". I would also commend Norman Mailer's review as some of the most discerning early commentary on the book (portions of which he read into the transcript of the work's obscenity trial, and often is used as a forward to the book). He views Burroughs as a genius, but a tarnished one, he goes as to compare him in inventiveness to the big ones, such as, Proust and Joyce, but lacking in structure or refinement. The review is very sympathetic in outlining the initially hard to discern fact that there are actual ideas at work here about the freedom of the mind in a concept that Burroughs calls the Algebra of Need and the way in which it is exploited by all repressive forces leading to spiritual murder. It starts out as if it were a junkie narrative, but soon darts off into a series; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby; Author: Charles Dickens; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: Not sure I really liked Nicholas that well; we are supposed to like handsome earnest unreflective young men who will knock your block off if you utter some villainy. But at least I wished him no harm, and was glad when (almost) all ends well, as you knew it would. Let me warn you, I did like this book, but being 900 pages or so, you should be able to evaluate if you want to invest the time. So first I will deal with all the negatives. I did not like this as well as some other of Dickens' books: there seems more connective tissue of stock melodrama and stock sentiment than in others. There is always a share of that in the mix of all Dickens' books, but it is usually better crafted to serve the end of Dickens' genius: that of creating memorable larger-than-life characters with terrificly improbable names. And yet what astonishingly vivid characters there are: The Yorkshireman with the honest heart and the bold countrified mangle he makes of the English language; the Openhearted Rich Noble and Benevolent Twins and their hilariously obsessive commitment to acts of unmitigated kindnes;, The Confused Widow Who Makes a Muddle of Everything (Nicholas' mother); The Sadistic Crafty and Greedy Schoolmaster who substitutes W's for R's (and seems to have led to several scandalridden school closings after the book's publication); the Vile Userer and Chief Villain (the uncle); The Abused Factotum And Gentleman Down on His Luck Who Turns to Drink; The Greedy Doddering Miser Who Longs To Ensnare the Beautiful Young Penniless Woman in a Fate Worse Than Death (marriage to the old coot); The Actors Who Have A Welodramatic way. There's dozens more where they came from in Charles Dickens' fertile brain, all populating this novel.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lolita; Author: Vladimir Nabokov; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: I have read this twice.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A World Without Time: The Forgotten Legacy of Gödel And Einstein; Author: Palle Yourgrau; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: In the annals of twentieth century physical and mathematical thought there were a series of crises, and as a result of those crises, in many cases some kind of limitative result was derived. Two of the figures involved in these results became deep friends in their late years at Princeton: the voluble Einstein and the strange reclusive Godel, and this book dwells on the development of their philosophical views and the outcomes of some of that thought in the late work of Kurt Godel. Godel, it is to be remembered, demonstrated a general approach that separated the concept of truth from the concept of provability from a set of axioms: every completely formal mathematical system possesses at least one true statement that cannot be demonstrated by it, regardless of what modifications you attempt. Godel was extremely dubious of logical positivism, and essentially deriving his outlook from Plato, regarded formal methods as merely a rigorous way of arriving at fundamental, prexisting, intuitions of truth. Einstein, more familiar to most readers, produced a geometrical interpretation of space and time not existing independently, but wholly determined by measurement, matter and energy. Godel became extremely interested in the aspect of time as psychological time, time that flows, and asked the question as to whether the intuition of time was something that should prove as reliable and fundamental as the notion of truth. Or was Plato's hint to be followed that time was not truly to be taken as real? Godel in exploring Einstein's general relativity came to the conclusion that time was an illusion, at least in the sense that we intuit it. Or perhaps one might say, it lacked the power and generality to become a fundamental intuition. It is odd, in that in his master work, his Incompleteness Theorem, he rigorously demonstrated the generality of the intuition of truth; yet in his work on relativity, he demonstrated deep flaws in the intuition of time. Background: Unlike special relativity, general relativity allows the large scale distribution of matter to determine "average" or in some sense privileged observers at any region of space and time, in which it could be said time is to pass. Godel proceeded to 1. artificially imagine a universe in which the large scale distribution of matter is rotating about an axis 2. demonstrate that an observer could follow a path in which they would end up eventually in their own path 3. argue that in such a world time in the sense of a linear flow that we can intuit is an invalid concept 4. argue that if time cannot be validly applied to all possible worlds it has no true validity in any. It may be noted that Godel invented a totally new and completely valid solution of Einstein's field equations, but with very odd conditions clearly not followed by our actual universe. The argument from complete necessity in all possible worlds, may strike the reader as odd, or may seem to recall strange resemble to the Ontological Proof of the existence of God (Godel played with formalizing the Ontological; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pictures & Tears: A History of People Who Have Cried in Front of Paintings; Author: James Elkins; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: It is sort of a forbidden topic among art historians and aestheticians. Should one experience a rarefied aesthetic experience merely? Or can a painting or other work kick your ass, and leave you flabbergasted? This book addresses this embarrassing question. Granted, a particular emotional or transcendental experience may not have a permanent and objective significance that says all about a work of art for all time. True, art is a much more complex topic than just getting weepy. But isn't art also about massing of feeling and experience, and do we not deny an important aspect at our peril?; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work; Author: Matthew B. Crawford; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: As somebody who has done both high tech and worked in the trades, there was a sense of familiarity in his arguments. I have worked as a structural ironworker and as a software engineer and architect, and I am a Sunday painter, so I am very comfortable navigating the mental spaces of a motorcycle mechanic who has worked for a think tank, and whose shop partner is an artist. He tends to somewhat disparage abstract thought (and he is right that there is something in the concrete that centers you). I progressed, if it can be called that, in somewhat the opposite direction. There does seem to be a trend towards abstraction and simplification that insulates day to day life more and more from deep thought and the messiness of concrete experience. At its best, for me, software is a beautiful craft to practice, however, in its abstraction it is frequently subject to abuse by incomprehension by managers, as it is definitely not a case of engineers being completely interchangeable--in following a possibly esoteric, but completely mechanical process; the best develop instincts and intuitions that are difficult to codify. He does hit the nail on the head in that jobs which can be separated from physical presence are much more vulnerable to Dilbertization. I have experienced both situations where I am able to enjoy the intellectual praxis and produce something of which I am reasonably proud, and others where I have been wrapped in a double bind. I fear that the fragmentation and dumbing down that he has identified, however, will eventually subject skills that now require presence to the same historical trends: perhaps outsourced craftspeople, mechanics, construction workers, dentists and doctors operating remote telepresence robots will become the norm, although the trades, and skilled professionals requiring physical manipulation such as surgeons appear safe for now. I also find it refreshing that he despises "teamwork" (in the usual euphemistic sense of check your humanity at the door), is confident enough to invoke the somewhat out of fashion (outside of academia) Marxian alienation (with refinements), and considers most books on management to be filled with happy-speak blather and reducible to five bullet points: after all managers are too busy to ever learn what it is that they manage, and after all, they should not be subjected to the dark and troublesome questions that a fuller exposition would provide: we don't want to reduce morale, and impair their effectiveness.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Moby-Dick or, The Whale; Author: Herman Melville; Genres: history, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: I have reread Moby Dick several times, but it has been years. On my lunch hour, I happened by a second hand shop and picked up a copy of this anniversary edition in excellent condition. I immediately knew that the angels of literature were directing my hand. I had to pick up a copy and read it again. This time I read much of the book aloud, slowly, and this allowed me to steep myself in the language, as poetical and dramatic as Shakespeare, and admire the proto-Joycean inventiveness of the structure of the novel. I noticed a number of things. First, when read in a close reading, the interjection of the whaling chapters form an interruption that heightens the suspense. Secondly that the information prepares the mind for what follows: giving information but withholding resolution in a kind of Hitchcockian way. Third. I experienced the tragedy from the ironical, retrospective wit of Ishmael, a bit of an amateur scholar and autodidact, not fully at home in the world, shipping off to sea with all too much time on his hands. Many find the cetology and whaling chapters especially annoying, as the casual reader may find them an interruption in the narrative. They certainly are that. (See notes on suspense above.) The discerning reader may also note that some of the facts are not quite right, based on our knowledge today, but certainly reflected the most that could be known by a whaler of the day. But they serve a dual purpose. First, they build up the idea of the grandeur of the whale, as if the whale is the all in all of existence. (Spiced with Ishmael's irony of course.) Secondly, they would have served as an exposure for the contemporaneous reader to what was know about what is, after all, essential to experiencing the whale as a living presence, in an age where there were no television specials on whales. So my advice is that you will get out of this book what you put into it, and persevering rather than skipping will, if you do a close reading, enhance the experience.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Dharma Bums; Author: Jack Kerouac; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is a different book than "On the Road", not quite as good, but perhaps more thoughtful. Hop a train and meet a bum who meditates on Saint Theresa, pass the wine (too much wine) and get warm, and yet return to a certain American rootlessness hiking arm in arm with a kind of Eastern antimaterialistic spiritual longing, a hunger really, for something more something further, something gone. There is a rhythm or beat of alternation between crazy beat aliveness, dispair, compassion and quiet intospection, wild drunken parties with bohos and poets, and profound hermit isolation emersed in nature. There certainly are those wild snaky full lived Kerouac lines that uncoil and get away from you like the dance of a high pressure hose that has escaped your grasp and whips around with a life of its own fffoompshhhhhhhht pssssht, but not with the unrelenting building torrent road writing of "On the Road", more varied, a more complex set of tones, but a little bit more spotty. The faint of heart may get a tad worried when they came to a couple of orgies, but rest assured the description is fairly restrained by today's standards. Central character, Ray. As usual a Kerouac stand in. I like seeing things through Ray's eyes. It's like being really young again, but without having to really not know anything. A sort of a double vision, to not know and yet as a reader to know more. Japhy, friend, Buddha buddy, Dharma bum. mentor. Poet, zen crazy wild man, mountaineer. (Japhy Ryder=Gary Snyder, for those who like to spot celebrities in Jack's books.) Younger than Ray, he inspires him. Ray is incredibly naive, it seems to me, I think again the critics are confused; Ray is more naive and wet-behind-the-ears-earnest than Jack, and his understandings are not Jack's: Kerouac telegraphs this at the beginning. It is not a literal account of Kerouac's own religious experiences, or an essay on Buddhism, it is a work of fiction. I don't think Jack Kerouac is an absolute expert on Buddhism, but criticizing Jack for Ray's learning experience is hilariously off the mark. It's an experiential not a polemical novel. I think Ray's experience is not a fully thought through doctrine, seems to me it is a voyage of discovery with all the failings and doublings back. And I think Kerouac wanted to be true to the times and to the experience. There are two natural and transcendent experiences into which Ray follows Japhy that form key turning points in the book and gush with absolute lush wilderness. In the first, their mountain climbing expedition, with all the enthusiasm that naive youth can muster. At least Ray can follow instruction and bring a sleeping bag!!! Of course it's kind of hep to be cool with whatever comes, but perhaps surprisingly passive about poor mountaineering practices, --not to put to fine a point on it, but really, leaving a freakin' sleeping bag at home: the climber who gets nowhere near the top. It's almost a parable about faith, who is an dwho; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Outliers: The Story of Success; Author: Malcolm Gladwell; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: You are not really crazy, a lot of it is luck. We may make our own luck, and luck favors the prepared mind, but luck also favors that very preparation. Still this is not an entirely pessimistic book, as it can help many people overcome the dreamkilling unrealistic comparisons they make with others. Talent is a threshold value, given that one has ability, the most important factor in ability in a field is getting in, say, 10,000 hours in a discipline: unfortunately, many times, culture and luck provide barriers for people to ever do this, but the book hints that this secret can go a long way to rectifying this.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Art Detective: Fakes, Frauds, and Finds and the Search for Lost Treasures; Author: Philip Mould; Genres: history, fiction, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, romance, mystery; Review: As an art freak I enjoyed this book. The episodes were of varying interest to me, what I found most fascinating was the "bad restorer" problem. Say you have a 17th century masterpiece but with a bit of damage. Now if you were clever, you could just paint the damaged areas. But that takes an annoying amount of patience. Instead, just slather a bunch of paint over the area and keep blending until it sort of looks OK but obliterating a large amount of the original work, and maybe this happens a couple of more times, all the while dust embedding into aging browning varnish. Before you know it, you have an obscure painting by "a follower of" or "in the manner of" the master, or maybe mistaken for the creation of an entirely different artist, and valued at a fraction of the price that the work as originally conceived would command. So if like Mould, your job is to find lost masterpieces buried under the gunk, there is considerable drama and risk, but also a tremendous upside potential after the work of restoration. Although he is in a treu business, there are for him considerable non-monetary compensations, such as testing his connoisseur and wits, living in the presence of beautifully crafted objects.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Abstract Expressionism and the American Experience: A Reevaluation; Author: Irving Sandler; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction; Review: What this is and what it is not. What I liked and what I did not like as much. Well, rather than a defensive or triumphalist work, this time Sandler tries to recover some of the interior considerations and motivations of artists in the period. There's no need to defend the reputation of a Pollock or a de Kooning, there place in art history is secure, whether you like them or not. So what this book does is to attempt to recover the Zeitgeist of the time, and attempt to answer the question as to why a small group of New York Artists decided to all work in a bold abstract improvisational manner, and eschew finish and prettiness, when there was absolutely no market for such work, and there was no real conviction that America could even be an art center. When he does that, even though other books cover the same facts, he does it really well, taking you inside their minds. Sandler knew many of the artists involved. What this book will not do is provide large numbers of color illustrations, or full chronologies. I found the last two or three chapters, which discussed rather idiotic postmodernist revisionist critics and refuted them to be far less interesting. There was little intellectual substance there, not because Sandler is unintelligent, but because the positions that he is attacking are rather silly. They seem to belong in a different book, and if they were replaced by more primary material about the art and Sandler's reflections I might have given this another star.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fearless Creating; Author: Eric Maisel; Genres: non-fiction; Review: This book picked me at a garage sale. I put it aside for the future, thinking it might not be too bad. Self help books on creativity are a weird topic, and they often degenerate into cheerleading. Which I suppose is fine for people who need somebody to tell them "you can do it", but have nobody handy. Another kind, usually written by a writer, concentrate exclusively on getting unblocked, something that happens to all types, but especially writers. This is not really either type of book. It does cover a lot of not getting blocked talk, which is kind of boring if you aren't. What it specializes in are two things that some other books don't cover. One is a pretty good breakdown of different stages in the creative process, and discussing the anxieties attendant on each. The title is a little deceptive, as "fearless" does not mean without anxiety. But as a result of the clarity in examining these components, this book could prove helpful to many painters, musicians, writers and other creative types, that are actually productive, as it also covers how some things of value can get lost at the different stages, and it made me more aware of some aspects of my creative process. It does have some exercises that I refused to do, but may prove helpful to some people as well.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Marcel Proust: On Art and Literature 1896-1919; Author: Marcel Proust; Genres: non-fiction, fiction; Review: Come on out of the woodworks all you Proustians. This is a mishmash of writings by Proust, somewhat unpublished and somewhat unfinished. However... Dude, this is Marcel Proust we are talking about. So it is filled with nuggets of insight and wit, and insights into Proust's creative process, art, literature, aesthetics and passages of recherchepressaging fragments (tea with rusk and no madeleines). And, rather than reading the critical lit, here's the man himself.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced; Author: Nujood Ali; Genres: history, young-adult, comics, children, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: This book is such an extraordinary story. Briefly a 10 year old Yemeni girl, married off by her impoverished father (this is 5 years below the legal age in Yemen, but not uncommon in the countryside), severely abused, escapes and goes to the courthouse and demands a divorce. (Her family has moved to the city, she is visiting her family, and this gives her an opportunity.) The judges are staggered by this, but they are immediately sympathetic, and one of them takes her into her family. She becomes an international celebrity, receiving a great deal of attention, support (including financial), and approval, from both the west, and from Islamic countries. This is an "as told to" book. My only criticism is that the voice is a little inconsistent. In some cases it is phrased in terms of the adult writing the book when it is to be in her voice. Clearly Najood is pretty bright, but I don't think she would have phrased certain things the way they are. I only point it out, as I think it could have been even better. A minor quibble as the story is compelling, and her resilience is inspiring.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Memories, Dreams, Reflections; Author: C.G. Jung; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Everything seems to be taking me through the intersection of the dream world and my individuality. I simply hate to read Jung when everything seems to cry out synchonicity--it's all too obvious. I'm currently re-reading Finnegans Wake, a treasure trove or archetypes and everything else for that matter. Jung seems to have an extraordinary direct access to unconscious material thoughout his life. I was pretty deeply plunged into Jung's abyss (as James Joyce would put it, I was "jung and easily freudened") when I read the Red Book. Although the books were first published in reverse order, I think that this book serves as a helpful gloss, with Jung supplying more reflection and discrimination; the Red Book is, rather, a Personal Vision, with the inherent weaknesses and strengths of that category of literature (power and obscurity). I may have actually read this about 30 years ago, I am not sure. If I did, like dream material, it may have faded in the daylight, and I have no memory of it. I'd give this a higher rating for value if read in conjunction with the Red Book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Joyce's Book of the Dark: Finnegans Wake; Author: John "Book of the Dark" Bishop; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is by far the best treatment of Finnegans Wake I have ever read. I am very thankful for a dear friend for sending me a copy! Finnegans Wake is not for everyone (even though it is about everyone), and therefore a book of literary criticism about what is arguably the most difficult book ever written is not for everybody too. So, yeah, this review is for those people, and maybe the insatiably curious seeking literary curios. So before I review it, let me lay my cards on the table. I'm not a professor or anything like that, I've read Wake more than once, I'm a fan of Joyce, and I have read, as well couple of standard works. If I throw in quotes, they're from Wake, from memory; ain't no scholar, got it? So, first off, imagine how suprising it is to hear a critic approach a literary work (or any work of art) by trying to sympathetically understand the author's intentions, which for some interpreters are highly problematic in the first place. John Bishop, takes off from Joyce's selfdeclared intention to write a book about the night, the darkened mind, the dreamed world, and uses it to crossexamine and crosssection the mind of the dreamersubject that Joyce has created in Wake, who, like Humpty Dumpty has fallen, cracked, and not even fully bodyaware, his "humptyhillhead" and his "tumpytumtoes", and the needful obscurity and ambiguity of such a tale "retaled early in bed and later in life." Our hero is as helplessly inert as a corpse in a "seematary" as he dissolves into "every body" and "very biddy", and the hapless reader is hapless precisely because he comes to the book with linear expectations that are as thwarted as the hero's effort to make sense of dreamsense. Such is the beginning of Bishop's analysis, through which he threads the Egyptian Book of the Dead (the underworld as a kind of dream, the bream as a kind of death), the best explanation of Wake's relation to Vico's New Science (kids, it's not just cyclical history, it is the mind waking to conscious through language!), the infantile and interuterine states of consciousness, and the bloodmusic of his "cutletsized consort" pulsing though his eardrums, a "mamafesta" proclaiming the continuance of life (the Gaelic word for the river Liffey) "forriver." What this book is not, is a territorial guide like Skeleton Key to Finnegans Wake where Campbell and Robinson lead you with machetes, whacking away at the luxuriant linguistic overgrowth, and leaving a bare but discernible trail of myth and narrative, nor a en(t)omological one like Tindall's Reader's Guide where he euthanizes punwords pinned in attractive butterflycases. The map is not the territory, oh boy. This is more of a work in parallel in which he crossections the whole book on the basis of themes; this requires nice judgement, to avoid projecting an interpretation into a book that is endlessly evocative, and he is up to the task.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sonnets from the Portuguese; Author: Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Genres: non-fiction, fiction, poetry, romance; Review: Adam's Rib, Women's Lib. Liz, d'ya think he'll bed you faster, If you call him Lord and Master? Well, OK, she is technically very adept, and I appreciate how he was in some sense a rescuer who brought her to Life, so my previous doggerel is not quite fair (to say the least). Of course it was not meant to be fair, just there is a titch of a taint of masochism in her poetic voice. I think the ones that were most moving to me were those that actually dealt with physical presences such as a lock of hair.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Algernon Swinburne Eman Poet Lib #39; Author: Catherine Maxwell; Genres: poetry; Review: A lyrical ear, reads really well aloud. Longer poems tend to get me distracted, but Swinburne's always carries you well with his lyrical ear, reads really well aloud. Very striking and somewhat edgy decadent imagery.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Howl and Other Poems; Author: Allen Ginsberg; Genres: non-fiction, poetry, fiction; Review: There are several very good poems in this anthology. Howl is a stunner, and still has a power to shock. I tried reading it aloud with real feeling and concentrating on the imagery and the language, and I felt pretty exhausted after about 3 pages.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Reality Sandwiches; Author: Allen Ginsberg; Genres: non-fiction, poetry, fiction; Review: Sort of a 3 1/2 star, Ginsberg at his best is amazing, and the title poem is one of my favorite poems, but he likes to make himself vulnerable and expose the process of his writing and eschew polish, so by its very nature, his poetry is a mixed bag.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West; Author: Cormac McCarthy; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: Bloodsoaked awe and dreamlike horror in its tragic and magnificent language leads through an inhuman and unimaginable desolation. Not out of place on a shelf with King Lear and Moby Dick.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Fountainhead; Author: Ayn Rand; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, romance, fiction; Review: I am going to give this book a three star rating, which I find terribly problematic, since I can justify giving it both a two star and four star rating. I am neither an adherent of nor an expert on Objectivist philosophy, so I will restrict myself to considerations of literary worth. The book is ambitious, so I feel obligated to respect that and review it in detail. The central theme is an ideal man, a hero-architect, a creator-artist, who pursues the dictates of his soul without reservation, and the contrast he makes with the inauthentic and flawed beings around him. I catch that Ayn Rand's intention was to romanticize an individual exemplar, as both a critique of society and as a model for life, and she clearly takes an anti-naturalistic stance. This in some cases lends a somewhat bombastic and purple but unarguably powerful thrust to her prose, in the best passages. Characters do not participate in dialog. They declaim. On the other hand, to despise the demands of naturalism, often runs afoul of the Aristotelian criterion, "willing suspension of disbelief". I can site a tiny specific example, one among very many, but particularly telling. The protagonist, our hero-architect, is reduced to working in a quarry in the open sun in furnacelike conditions. He is described heroically, which is all very well, and described as bronzed by the sun. Wait a minute. I beg your pardon. The hero is described as redheaded. In my experience, in working construction in exposed conditions in up to 100 degree weather, any redheaded man is likely to be sunburned, and have a peeling nose. I couldn't for the life of me picture any way he could be anything, but in the best case (of using copious suntan lotion (what they called sun screen in those days)) extremely freckled. If you include any kind of realistic detail symbolically, you should avoid bathetic pratfalls like this that are the hazard of those so ernest they have lost perspective. The characters are all romanticized Types, rather than actual individuals, and are therefore larger than life, and given to declaiming Stands On Things, craven, or heroic, or masochistic, or sadistic according to their ideological, and psychological bent. Her intent was not realist, and I cannot criticize it per se; some portions of this novel do this far more effectively than other parts. I was willing to accept all this, as it sets in motion some rather interesting conflicts, and in the best portions kept me reading in the way of a best seller. To give Rand credit, her ambitions are far more than that of a best seller, so these passages are quite effective. The most interesting subplot in the novel is Sex. Ayn Rand's philosophy of untrammeled individualism runs into an interesting conundrum in re Love, and is therefore highly fraught with sadism and masochism, since to put another beside one means that you must either subjugate or be subjugated. I commend her highly for taking this philosophical problem head on, and the result is some rather kinky; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: 'Tis A Memoir (Frank McCourt, #2); Author: Frank McCourt; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: I liked this a lot. In the interest of full disclosure, I knew Frank very slightly, his granddaughter was a good friend of my daughter, and I knew his daughter Michaela (Maggie) quite well. It was really interesting to read all the background of his life, now that he is gone, I wish I could have asked him about it. This is a bittersweet reminiscence, with some parts that left me laughing big belly laughs. If you liked Angela's Ashes, you will enjoy this book too. Many many stories. PS Since I just finished re-reading Finnegans Wake it is very amusing to read about one of his utterly mad roommates who practiced fasting and austerity, obsessively declaimed the Gospel of John, and Plato and re-reading Wake, with occasional trips to South America to investigate chemically induced consciousness.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Duel and Other Stories; Author: Anton Chekhov; Genres: poetry, fiction; Review: Chekhov has an economy of style, and an insight into the human condition.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Judgment of Paris: The Revolutionary Decade That Gave the World Impressionism; Author: Ross King; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: I liked this even better than King's Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling. This was an outstanding read. The title is a play on the mythological judgement of Paris--_who_ is most beautiful?-- and the judgement of the Paris of the era, the advanced artists, the conservative Salon, and that of posterity. Paris (the city) also suffers a terrible judgement as the Second Empire collapses, and is replaced by starvation and insurrection, in a vivid background to the development of the New Art. The two anchor personalities in this story are Messonier, the most acclaimed and sought after artist of his day, and Manet, the nobody. The irony of posterity is that their positions are reversed. There is so much that goes on in this book, that I can't possibly go into detail, and it is almost impossible to write a spoiler review. Highly recommended.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: De Kooning: An American Master; Author: Mark Stevens; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: This autobiography deservedly netted a lot of book awards, including the Pulitzer. I'm going to do a fairly detailed review, but it only scratches the surface of this book, and is no substitute for reading it. There was a major de Kooning retrospective at MOMA in 2011-2012 with 200 works, around the time this book was released: [url]... I won't label it a spoiler, because there is so much I left out, but if you hate knowing anything about a book, then you might want to stop here.... The book extensively details his Dutch background, both his troubled home life--with an abusive mother--and his short but thorough grounding in academic drawing, leading to early success in commercial art and as a chief artist in Dutch design firms. A highly intelligent child with early signs of some degree of artistic ability, a marketable skill was the one way out of the bottom rung of the highly stratified Dutch class system, where working class children were expected to leave school at the age of twelve, no matter how promising they were. (In reading the recent van Gogh biography,Van Gogh, at the same time, I was struck by how little the insular and regimented Dutch society had changed; it is after World War II, apparently that the great movement towards a more enlightened and progressive Dutch society emerged.) At first, he never thought of himself as a fine artist, but as a commercial and decorative painter, who privately painted for himself (at that point in a somewhat symbolist or Art Nouveau manner) --ambitions and expectations that he carried on into his journey as a stowaway to America. Early on, he exhibited a somewhat American entrepreneurial spirit, and preferred to move from working for established companies to freelancing. This background helps in understanding many aspects of his later career. His training at the Academy had not included the more advanced classes in perspective, nor painting. Perspective was not particularly an issue for the shallow space used in magazine illustration or commercial advertising, nor when developing his own style in a modern or abstract idiom, based on a flat sort of Cubist type space. He was never interested in vast battle scenes or complex architectural views. Nonetheless, he seemed to exhibit early on a deep seated need for self-contradiction or paradox, by sticking difficult foreshortening into straightforward abstracted figuration, punching and flattening space into a worried surface that defied a single reading. His training in painting came from commercial firms, and gave him practical experience in many ways that he might not have had an opportunity to learn at the academy, including shortcuts in layout, and preparation of paint. In painting, he utilized a lot of techniques that he had learned as a commercial illustrator in innovative ways in fine art, in terms of layout, transfer of images, and manipulation of materials in his paintings. He developed an art practice of using vellum-tracing paper- to cut up and transfer shapes, and even lift paint from painting to painting. At one point in his life, he decided to; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Claudine at School; Author: Colette; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: I really enjoyed this book. I knew that Colette was reputed witty, but I was really charmed by this book. Her writing is delicious with a hint of harmless wickedness, if I may mutilate a phrase. Fun fact: This was her first novel, published in 1900. Her husband asked her to write a memoir of her school days, and "spice it up a bit". He almost threw it away, and then published in his name. Today, nobody remembers Willi.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Abstract Expressionism: The Triumph of American Painting; Author: Irving Sandler; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Fairly good. His later book is better.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Why Sh*t Happens: The Science of a Really Bad Day; Author: Peter J. Bentley; Genres: non-fiction, fiction; Review: ** spoiler alert ** Rather fun way to learn oddball facts. The conceit of the book is that each chapter involves some disaster, like a stained shirt, a shaving cut, and so forth, and that it then holds forth on a topic appropriate to that problem, like why is soap slippery? Even if you know a lot of science, you may pick up something new here.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Cosmic Jackpot: Why Our Universe Is Just Right for Life; Author: Paul Davies; Genres: non-fiction; Review: This asks several of the big questions such as why the universe is hospitable to life. Of course that is a bit of a misnomer, a more accurate way to put it is that, although the universe is almost entirely hostile to life, the laws of physics are very finely tuned to allow life to develop in those places where conditions are just right. On the heels of this, they just discovered terrestrial organisms that use arsenic in their DNA. Perhaps it is surprising that the laws of physics are very finely tuned to allow the type of life we know to develop, but that there are many unknown ways that life can exist of which we are not aware.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: No Country for Old Men; Author: Cormac McCarthy; Genres: history, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, fiction, mystery; Review: This book attempted something really terrifically hard, and as a result, is almost torn apart by that schizoid quality, which I found really intriguing. McCarthy is, of course a brilliant writer. This is an incredibly violent thriller and a deeply philosophical novel. There are twin narrations, one of an old, tired, troubled, and basically decent lawman who has gazed one too many times into the dark pit of human depravity, and one of a young man on the lam with an obscene amount of cash (not his) and what appears to be his inevitable fate. My favorite image? A sawed off shotgun on a chenille bedspread. To say anything more, is a spoiler.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Place of Dead Roads; Author: William S. Burroughs; Genres: paranormal, fantasy, fiction; Review: This is the second of the Red Night trilogy; I have yet to read the other two. Readers unfamiliar with Burroughs should, as always be warned that, like most of his works, this is hallucinatory, disjoint, violent, and graphic. However, as always, it is leavened by wacky black humor, and vivid writing that has a paradoxical dark beauty. It's more narrative than his cut-up works, which took language to near-Joycean-Wakean extremes. There is a Western narrative of sorts, although there is considerable time-jumping. It centers on the mission, if one could call it that, of Kim Carson and his band of randy and often transvestite outlaws, and the outrages they commit to save the planet from itself, and make Earth safe for non-linear thought and the dissolution of the system. The usual conspiracies, repulsive and threatening invertebrate, reptilian and alien life forms, and bizarre sex acts taken to the level of absurdity also make their appearance.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Western Lands; Author: William S. Burroughs; Genres: paranormal, fantasy, fiction; Review: I think this is perhaps Burrough's most successful work, outside Naked Lunch and the cutup trilogy. Not for those faint of heart or inclined to more cautious literary fare.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Caravaggio: A Passionate Life; Author: Desmond Seward; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: The author wrote with a definite slant, that was a bit odd. He is a Knight of Malta according to book cover, and that may explain a bit. He seems to cover three things (in addition to some minutia about the Knights of Malta) the violence and eccentricity, the patrons, and the religious feeling. Not to much about the art per se. Almost zilch about his use of light to convey passion, and structure his paintings. One of my favorites: [image error] And definitely not about Caravaggio's sexuality, except to insist over and over again that he was not gay or bisexual, in many cases that sound like special pleading. Like those who think he was seems less concerned with it than this author who seems to have wanted a "manly" Caravaggio (albeit very disturbed, proud and unhappy). True, there was a whole institution of circulars, avisos, that were the yellow press of the day, so there were definitely false rumors being spread all the time. I guess that's no big deal, but the vibe given off by his Bacchus doesn't seem consistent with that interpretation. There are better sources about Caravaggio than this book. I was rather interested in the Malta angle. It is a fascinating place. And the Maltese language, which is like Arabic with a lot of its vocabulary coming from Italian (and English)--see the Wikipedia artical on the Maltese language.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Such Desperate Joy: Imagining Jackson Pollack; Author: Helen A. Harrison; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: I read this once before, but this time I reread it on its own terms, as a series of reminiscences, reactions to and against, or parallel creations "in the spirit of". In some sense this is a multidimensional view of this misunderstood artist, somewhat like Citizen Kane vignettes. Pollock was absolutely allergic to BS (except for truly acknowledging his alcoholism) especially about the one thing he really cared about, which was his painting. As a consequence he was very reticent to talk about it with other people, which gave him an unwarranted reputation as an inarticulate yahoo. Unlike many of his contemporaries, like the glib and iconoclastic de Kooning, or and the studiously verbose Rothko, there are very few actual statements by Pollack about his art, and what there were are bare and pure and intend to leave the speaking to the painting. Therefore the inferential and indirect means in this collection are strangely suited to the painter who brought himself "inside" the painting and "veiled the image."; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Caravaggio; Author: John T. Spike; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: This had very good illustrations, which you expect in a large "art book". The quality of these is one of the essential ingredients, and the color was pretty good. I found myself concentrating on the illustrations rather than the text, The text did go into considerable detail about his symbolism. There were some interesting differences from the Caravaggio book which I recently read and rated fairly low. (Caravaggio: A Passionate Life by Desmond Seward.) This book contends that the Franciscan world view was not that pervasive in the counter reformation, and therefore the Caravaggian naturalism with its undercurrent of street emotion and underclass was not what the Counter Reformation had in mind about making the lives of the saints real. Using ordinary life was actually taken by many as irreverent. The other volume, while conceding that Caravaggio had an unhealthy fixation on beheading, and was heck, a little mentally unstable, wanted to stress his orthodoxy in a way that made many of the contemporary criticism of his style incomprehensible. So in essence the two books take diametrically opposite positions as to whether his painting style was following though on the Vatican's contemporaneous positions on sacred art. I also have to confess I learned something about the symbolism of the Supper at Emmaus. Spike points out that the pose, and the beardlessness of Christ is an echo of the image in Michaelangelo's Last Judgement. The only real difference in the hands is that the right hand in thrusting toward the viewer. There is therefore a sense of judgement that overlays the scene, and, with that modification, also includes the spectator. The landlord or proprietor looks through him--he isn't there for him. The Disciples, on the other hand, react, are amazed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nothing Was the Same; Author: Kay Redfield Jamison; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: I picked this up at the library, thinking that this was her earlier work on the experiences of an intelligent insightful person learning to deal with severe bipolar disorder, and actually finding a fulfilling life of considerable accomplishment. I had skimmed parts of that book at a bookstore, and had gotten interested in her life. This turned out to be a memoir of her life with her husband who fought, and lost, to fatal illness. He always helped her monitor her moods and keep to her program of maintaining stability. Such a work is of course always under the threat of becoming over sentimental. I found it touching. I try to avoid spoilers, so I will avoid details about their life together. However, having a bipolar disorder and facing such loss, added additional poignancy to the situation. He reminded her to take care of herself after he was gone. One of the urgent questions she had, and which keeps the reader reading, was how she could keep going after he was gone? This was no idle question, asked by a person with normal brain chemistry, who, however deep the pain, would indeed surely survive. What if she became depressed? Her depressions had been not just suicidal, but life sucking black holes. What if she was unable to sleep? Disrupted sleep could cause her illness to spiral out of control.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mark Rothko; Author: Diane Waldman; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: As a general note, I am very pleased with the care Taschen puts into their art books. The book gave a very good precis of Rothko's life in a small volume. This is a slim and affordable book, but the illustrations are incredibly well chosen, and the color printing is just fabulous. The version I bought was a trade paperback. With Rothko's work, much relies on subtle flutterings of hue and value and luminous variations of nearly monochrome fields, and merely good illustrations would lose so much. The selections give a good representation of Rothko's work, especially his signature style, and enough of his earlier work to give a good flavor of his development. If I were rating just the color reproductions I would give it 5 stars.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Greek Myths; Author: Robert Graves; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This book was exhaustive and exhausting in that it goes into tertiary incidents with enormous detail. I admit I did have to skim a bit. It is a great reference, however. I would suggest you not read it cover to cover as I did, but grab an interesting that grabs your attention. It is supplied with copious illustrations of Greek representations of the various mythic persons. Greek myths seem to have total disregard for any ethical guidelines in the behavior of any of the characters, a problem remarked on frequently by the ancient Greeks themselves. They do have a certain richness of detail and fantasy, and I think most of the emphasis is on how characters solve their problems. So problem solving and ingenuity in unfamiliar situations features frequently. The situations themselves have a gripping psychological reality even when most fanciful, hence Freud and others have mined Greek mythology for psychological metaphors until the sacred bulls come home. A composite Greek myth, would go something like this: it would start by involving Zeus transforming himself into somebody or something or other and impregnating some royal daughter with the complicity of Ares/Athena/etc. The baby would grow up to have an altogether too interesting life, which involves accidental killings, treachery, monsters, trickery, wars, sea voyages, theft, perhaps a patricide or matricide or two, magical transformations of people into animals or folks getting killed in awful ways and turned into gods when the gods feel sorry for what happend, and the creation of multiple cities, mountains, seas and kingdoms, because Hera is really pissed off, and won't rest and let their life proceed normally. At the end, the hero or heroine will either perish miserably, found a race or get transformed into a god and show up in the sky, mostly depending on the mood of the gods and on how well Zeus and Hera are getting along right then, or whether Zeus can trick Hera or vice versa, or which gods side with which, and in many cases involve all three.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hornblower and the Hotspur; Author: C.S. Forester; Genres: history, mystery, thriller, children, crime, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: This is a very lively read, I was in the mood for such. An intelligent adventure yarn, a well written page turner, without being obvious or shallow. As a landlubber I had to concentrate very hard on the nauticalese, although I could decipher it sufficiently to appreciate some plot points of strategy that turned on them. Hornblower is a very fine literary creation. A hero, perhaps, but we get to go inside him and see all his insecurities, his frequent seasickness, his private shames, and his sense of honor and justice. All that being said, he is a very resourceful and inventive officer, and decent and humane beyond the norm of his times in a rigidly hierarchical and violent organization.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Don Quixote; Author: Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra; Genres: history, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: Many people who have never read this book think they know this book, the windmills, right? I give 5 stars for the wonderful creation, the Don himself, a creation of genius, and a lower rating for the somewhat creaky plotting of the book, about a 3, so that comes in sum, to 4 stars. This is not the highfalutin' literary classic that folks seem to think it to be, but rather a crude and somewhat cruel farce, with meandering and unbelievable plot lines. And yet, you fall in love with Don Quixote. What magic is this? One of the endless themes is enchantment, and enchantment within enchantment, and self enchantment. Cervantes instinctively places his holy fool in a "real life" that is filled with pastoral conceits, improbable coincidences, parodic dramatic resolutions, and conspirators nearly as mad as he who either endeavor to disabuse him of his obsessions, or draw them out so as to better punk him or his squire Sancho Panza with sadistic glee. Somehow, this not fully convincing outer world seems to The admirable madman and his adventures has been the staple of many a book since then, but this is the true original. A picaresque novel is what they usually call such. The reader should be warned, this is a very long book, typical of its type, and it wanders endlessly, like its hero. Cervantes seems to have had an intuition of what he was doing, since it fits Don Quixote like a knightly glove. So don't expect a snappy plot, ya hear? (Readers adverse to novels within novels, side plots and pastoral descriptions, be warned. Go off and read something by Dan Brown and leave me alone, OK?) In the context of the times, it appears that a lot of the pain and blood was thought to be really funny, a kind of cross between the delights of bear baiting, bullfighting, early twentieth century one reel slapstick and television situation comedy, with its target typically being Don Quixote himself. Although the comedy wears thin, it does serve to elevate Don Quixote to a kind of "sainthood" and mock martyrdom. Not that he fails in every adventure, but his devotion to his delusions become strangely touching. As much as Cervantes avers that DQ has lost his marbles, he is really in love with his lunatic obsession. Towards the end of the book, which, yes, tends to his tragic and fatal cure, at the point where Cervantes has to make nice with his society, and I guess, the Holy Office especially, and confess that running around as a knight errant is a bad idea, he puts these words in the mouth of one of his characters: "God forgive you, signor", cried Don Antonio, "for the injury you have done the world, in seeking to restore to his senses the most agreeable madman that ever lived!" Note on the translator: I read the Tobias Smollett version, which, with the idiosyncraticies of a novelist's translation, layers on a somewhat archaic style and orthography which seems to match the spirit of the book,; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Artist's Way; Author: Julia Cameron; Genres: non-fiction; Review: Not exactly a waste as it has a good selection of quotes, and I agree that there is a creative force (in my opinion) inside of yourself that you can plug into, I didn't find this too helpful. I have noticed that the preponderance of books on creativity are focused on getting unblocked. This is extremely helpful for those who are. However I think such books to be worthwhile to a general audience need to dig a little deeper and go into ways to sustain creative growth once you get started. Compare for instance the book... The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks & Win Your Inner Creative Battles The focus is primarily focused on a recovery model, with quirky suggestions. I've noticed that writers on creativity tend to be writers, which sometimes introduces a bias. After many anecdotes about the heartbreaking world of screenwriting the author will often catch herself and say effectively oh yeah and that goes for you painters and folks like that too. Although good, I do not understand why it has the reputation it has.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness; Author: Kay Redfield Jamison; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Kay Redfield Jamison is a world renowned authority on bipolar illness, and suffers from the illness herself. She writes with grace and a great deal of humor. The act of writing the book itself and coming out with this admission was an act of singular courage. An exceptional memoir. Dr. Jamison experienced the most vivid of highs, a singing, pulsating joyous grace where all is possible, which sped up to the point of frenetic chaos and delusion; she experienced the lowest of the lows, a galactic sized black hole of suicidal despair so deep and steep and steeped in agony and an immovable darkness of unendurable depth. She remarks that, oddly enough, the credit card bills of the manic phase always seem to arrive in the middle of a suicidal depression. She does not like the term bipolar, and prefers to be termed a manic depressive. She managed to lead an active life and maintain a high standard in her profession. Lithium treatment probably saved her life, and certainly her mind in any meaningful sense. But early on lithium was given in very high doses, and interfered with her concentration and her reading. She had to make extraordinary efforts to compensate. As time went on, it was found possible to reduce her dosage, and her manias receded into a cheerful and upbeat personality, filled with enthusiasms, her depressions became quiet and inert though slightly dark, no longer terrifying. She is quite frank in stating that--with the very strong caveat that she has medication that keeps her illness in check--she finds advantages in the vividness she has experienced, rather than being a "normal person". This puts me in mind of that quote from The Prophet about living in "the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears". Kay Jamison puts it thus: "There is a particular kind of pain, elation, loneliness, and terror involved in this kind of madness. When you're high it's tremendous. The ideas and feelings are fast and frequent like shooting stars, and you follow them until you find better and brighter ones. Shyness goes, the right words and gestures are suddenly there, the power to captivate others a felt certainty. There are interests found in uninteresting people. Sensuality is pervasive and the desire to seduce and be seduced irresistible. Feelings of ease, intensity, power, well-being, financial omnipotence, and euphoria pervade one's marrow. But, somewhere, this changes. The fast ideas are far too fast, and there are far too many; overwhelming confusion replaces clarity. Memory goes. Humor and absorption on friends' faces are replaced by fear and concern. Everything previously moving with the grain is now against-- you are irritable, angry, frightened, uncontrollable, and enmeshed totally in the blackest caves of the mind. You never knew those caves were there. It will never end, for madness carves its own reality."; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament; Author: Kay Redfield Jamison; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Kay Redfield Jamison is a renowned psychologist, expert on bipolar (she prefers the term: manic depressive) illness, and is also bipolar herself. She covers the relationship between creativity and mood disorders sympathetically and without reductionism. This is non-fiction, so I can describe this without it being a "spoiler" OK? She does not seek to "explain" creativity in a reductive way as the result of mental illness. (I must mention in passing that some reviewers seemed to have missed the distinction between explanation, correlation, and interaction.) There is a wealth of material here, both anecdotal and statistical. Of course, creativity (aside from creative innovators with global reputations) is notoriously difficult to quantify, but aggregate statistics from multiple studies are presented clearly and a pretty suggestive. Diagnosis of mental disorders for historical individuals are also somewhat uncertain. Most surveys are highly suggestive of a correlation; however, most artists, writers, and other creatives do not appear to be suffering from a major mood disorder. However, the prevalence of mood disorders is far greater than in the general population. (In 19th century English poets it seems to reach about 50% however!) There are also very interesting correlations between seasonal mood fluctuations and artistic productivity, and mood disorders and artistic occupations in family histories. Byron (who is featured on the cover of my edition with the fearful symmetry of his DNA), features prominently. His family history is so filled with edgy types, one becomes filled with admiration for his fortitude and discipline to be able to be as productive and as stable as he was in light of what certainly appears to be no exaggeration: he reported his mind was a continual seething chaos that threatened to break him at very moment of his existence. In a way, instead of reducing creativity to a form of mental disorder, this book is a kind of tribute to highly productive artists and their discipline and talent, which, although making use of some of the positive results of their emotional turmoil, in large part allowed them to function in spite of, instead of because of that turmoil. It is also to be noted that there are common traits between those suffering from mania or depression in general, and those that are artistic but of a more stable temperament, such as increased divergence in thinking, ability to form loose associations and correlations, empathy, exaltation, and thoughtfulness. So perhaps this is not surprising.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lectures on Don Quixote; Author: Vladimir Nabokov; Genres: non-fiction; Review: If you read Don Quixote all the way through, you may be very surprised by what you may find. (See my review.) Nabokov, master of craft, with cunning wit, and direct and determinate views lays bare all. There is considerable wit and sophistication in this series of lectures which Nabokov diligently prepared. There are considerable footnotes, which were asides (sometimes hilarious, and often very insightful) which Nabokov prepared as alternate material if his lecture started running a head of the clock. A double vision delight, reading one book while reading the insights of a master novelist on it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Look-Alikes: The More You Look, the More You See!; Author: Joan Steiner; Genres: thriller, children, crime, fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: This could be a puzzle book, an art book or a children's book. Nothing but charm and whimsy. It is such a rush to see the little things turn into something else.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tom and Jack: The Intertwined Lives of Thomas Hart Benton and Jackson Pollock; Author: Henry Adams; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: I am not sure that I agree with every point in the book, but it covers a lot of forsaken aspects of Pollock's development, and his relation to his teacher, Benton.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crime and Punishment; Author: Fyodor Dostoyevsky; Genres: history, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, fiction, mystery; Review: It was great. I thought I had this in my read bookshelf. Hmmmm/; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: War and Peace; Author: Leo Tolstoy; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: I left my life entirely and began living as if I were living with these people. As it is another life, it is almost as if I can't remember it, except the vastness and the richness, it is almost like a past life regression.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Madame Bovary; Author: Gustave Flaubert; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: Impeccable.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rembrandt: The Painter at Work; Author: Ernst van de Wetering; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: This book uses modern research and information that has come to light to reconstruct the work life of Rembrandt and his contemporaries. Copiously ilustrated. I found this fascinating. For people interested in the actual studio practice of Rembrandt, the art materials and methods, this has a lot to chew on, and many myths are shattered. There are plenty of beautiful reproductions, for those who wish to skip the text, diagrams and x-rays. But in getting a greater appreciation for Rembrandt, it would be a shame if you do. The author has been accused of taking more interest in the backs than the fronts. This is because he has exhaustively analyzed the thread counts and seams of Rembrandt's canvases. This is part of the background of the story. Everything you knew is wrong. Artists had their apprentices spending long hours, building stretcher bars, preparing panels, stretching canvas, and priming. Well it may have been long hours, but not doing that. Not. In Amsterdam, the painters bought pre-primed stretched canvases from the guilds. And of course, just like today, there were standard sizes of canvas--because there were standard sizes of frames pre-made. It is unlikely that most painters (or their factoti) in the cities of his era built all their own stretcher bars or stretched all their own canvases, or ground their own paints. There were regular guilds who did this; there were even standard sizes, dictated by the looms of the sailcloth industry. Much of the pigment grinding was done by specialists as well. Much of what has been written about Rembrandt's working methods have been terribly wrong too. He had a very systematic way of working, even though his later paintings look very improvisational.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Jackson Pollock; Author: Ellen G. Landau; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Good biography. Excellent illustrations.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly; Author: Jean-Dominique Bauby; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: a classic; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Grace & Grit: Spirituality & Healing in the Life & Death of Treya Killam Wilber; Author: Ken Wilber; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: I think yo will like this book if you are interested in spirituality, especially non-conventional spirituality, caregiving, cancer, or tearjerkers. OK-- here is the basic premise of the book. This part is not really a spoiler as you can get this from the book jacket. Backstory: Ken Wilber is a very well known theorist in the area of transpersonal psychology, which is a synthesis of Western psychology and Eastern phlosophy. (He remarks sarcastically this is like being the tallest building in Denver.) Wilber originally was interested in a scientific career, studied biochemistry, quits living a conventional lifestyle, starts Zen meditation, ekes out a living buys, owns nothing but a library of about four thousand books, writes continuously, and publishes book after book, and ends up being fairly famous. After about a decade or so of this he meets, and instantly falls in love with Treya, who is also extremely interested in spirituality, and is also a meditator, intelligent, joyous, and ambitious to be productive and also trained in therapy and spiritual disciplines. They set a date to get married almost immediately. She has a routine physical, and the doctor discovers a large lump in her breast just before the wedding.... ... and she and Ken end up spending the honeymoon in the hospital. Although they have put tremendous effort into bringing psychological and spiritual balance into their lives, neither is prepared for the harrowing and desperate days ahead. They have five years together. Wilber is quite frank about the times that he pretty much completely lost it, despite his efforts to lead a life of spiritual and mental discipline. Treya is driven to times of absolute dispair. I think this raises a great deal of compassion for people: no you are not responsible for making your own reality, or if you are, it's a cheap thing to say, when told this by well meaning "new-age" people. There are just things that are too horrible to expect perfection from people. The book zig zags all over the place, from transpersonal psychology, to medicine, to love, to pain, to death, to sprituality, to doubt, and, strangely, to joy. Ken's narrative is interleaved with Treya's journals, writings and letters. I almost found this disconcerting at first, but it must have been in a sense like the terrible roller coaster of their lives. The fire of anguish burns them alive, but leaves them in a way purified when Treya finally dies, their anger at their circumstances is spent. She refuses much of her pain killers to keep her mind focused to the end, an end that is darkly beautiful and sadly joyous. I admit that I teared up at the end.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Vampyre; A Tale; Author: John William Polidori; Genres: history, thriller, crime, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery; Review: I read this using the free Project Gutenberg online version. This was a short story, composed among the ghost stories on that famous evening during which, also, Mary Shelley told her tale of a man who built a creature. The work is of a historical interest in the development of the horror Gothic genre. I can't rate it very highly because the writing is of doubtful merit, flowery yet pedestrian. However, all the elements are there, the aristocratic, charismatic and enigmatic vampire, the undercurrent of mystery and depravity, the unholy dead that do not rest, the beautiful virgins in jeopardy, the fearful superstitious peasants whose warnings go unheeded, the narrator who acts too late. Especially prescient is the theme that, rather than appearing as inhuman monsters, they walk among us. And the vampire does not sparkle. This is the prototypical vampire story. One appreciates what Bram Stoker brought to the table; all the elements preceded him, but he refashioned it indelibly in Dracula.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Diego Rivera; Author: Pete Hamill; Genres: history, young-adult, children, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: This book is vary breezy and fresh in its style. Totally free of pretension. The author lets you know exactly what they think, in some cases declaring a masterwork, and in others a shoddy job. And pretty frank about Rivera's self fictionalizing promotional fantasies. Mexico was a pretty politically turbulent place, and some of the fictions and self reinvention were for personal and professional survival. Very good selection of illustrations; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Clement Greenberg: A Life; Author: Florence Rubenfeld; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: He was the first one who really fought for Pollock. A really interesting bio of a larger than life an d somewhat crazy figure; it covers his huge ego, sharp intellect and enormous personal failings. It's really hard to grab a hold of something new, and, although not all of his theories hold water, he had a considerable talent at spotting talent and artistic ideas. (Also lots of interesting gossip about that his psychiatrist that everybody went to at that time, whose sage advice to couples was to s***w as many other people as possible.); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Exuberance: The Passion for Life; Author: Kay Redfield Jamison; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: In parts I felt exuberance, but there was something a little forced about the essay form in digging for examples of exuberance, maybe a little less than exuberant at times. It is certainly a worthwhile read, though. The glosses of description of the aspects of exuberance (from personal experience and clinical research) are the most worthwhile aspect.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Abstraction in Art and Nature; Author: Nathan Cabot Hale; Genres: non-fiction; Review: Read alongside Point and Line to Plane. These two books take diametrically opposite, and supplementary approaches. Point and Line to Plane is primarily a priori and Abstraction in Art and Nature a posteriori. They benefit from being read together. Unlike Point and Line to Plane, this derives formal relationship through observation, knowledge and analogy and applies them. This is more of a workbook or a reference book, I therefore skimmed it (I didn't do the exercises.) The "abstraction" in the title is deceptive, as the primary emphasis is on the way that abstract forms inform the observation and representation of nature, although it may also prove valuable to those who work in "purer" abstract forms.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: But is It Art?: An Introduction to Art Theory; Author: Cynthia A. Freeland; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: I'd recommend it for people who want to have their mind challenged, but not too challenged, to think about what art is. Sort of goes over some fairly familiar territory if you have thought about it a lot.They may find this irritating. In either event it is compact and accessible.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Time Traveler's Wife; Author: Audrey Niffenegger; Genres: history, romance, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: I enjoyed this book. Not a masterpiece but well written, and it kept me going. The non-spoiler details are that there is a woman and a man keeps popping into her life at different mis-matched ages and despite his involuntary time travel they marry. This has many comic, and some tragic aspects. There's also a bit of wit revolving around the paradoxical nature of motion in time, free will, causality, the existence of those who are no longer alive in times that (for ordinary people) are out of reach, and personal identity and the like. Although it is presented as a love story it is much more textured than that. In reading this at the same time as Touched with Fire: Manic-Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament, I seemed to see echoes of mood disorders in it--in a metaphorical way. Jumping around discontinuously, the Time Traveler, Henry, seems like a bipolar friend or lover, who suddenly appears in a state disjoint from that preceding. I wonder if mood disorders were an issue of interest to Audrey Niffenegger? The woman (Clare) had a mother who was significantly affected by mood disorders, and appears to exhibit all the classic bipolar symptoms. Henry's father is clearly suffering from bereavement triggered chronic depression and alcoholism. Henry is never the same, and the old and young Henry appears at different ages from her childhood on. The changes in Henry are a source of fascination, but also frustration for Clare, much as those in a relationship with one given to mood swings. I know this is probably somewhat of a distortion of the book, but the juxtaposition of reading (including several biographies of individuals with artistic temperaments) that I am doing at the moment brings it to mind. Henry's popping up at various times (always in the nude) and having to fight, or rely on subterfuge and theft, brings a state of discontinuous agitation to his character. As one who waits but is nothing in herself I was at first critical of the character of Clare in that she seemed to embody almost a parody of femininity. I also thought that her character as an artist somewhat of a sham, by a literary person who had not given it much thought. I found later that there was quite a lot of exploration of her creative life, and that, given the fact that the relationship proceeds somewhat asequentially, Henry knows her to be the artist she becomes. I think this was quite deliberate, as are several other changes and surprises.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Quest of the Holy Grail; Author: Anonymous; Genres: history, romance, poetry, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: The translation is workable, and with copious footnotes for those who have't read much of the Bible. Yes, it's allegorical. This is, in a way, thirteenth century revisionism, reworking the earlier naturalistic chivalric tradition and the Celtic mythos (can I say mythos without cracking up?... mythos, mythos, mythos, OK, it is a little pedantic, but I will let it stand). It does not attempt to deconstruct gallantry as such, and still gives a shout out to incredible, and sometimes absurd feats of arms, but its requirements of of nobility are suffused with pretty damn rigorous demands of Christian purity. This book made me think a lot on The history and adventures of the renowned Don Quixote. Translated from the Spanish of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.By T. Smollet, M.D. The sixth edition corrected. In four volumes. Volume 1 of 4. That too is revisionist, but it is also highy deconstructive. Anyway, it is knight errantry drenched in piety and allegory, and its charm is that it holds a rickety plotline, astonishing events, the personal spiritual journey, savage bloodshed, resonant symbols, conventional medieval theology, supernatural personalities, sacred visions, impossible achievements, and ecstatic visions all in a kind of tight-wound tension. It is very necessary to read sympathetically, and appreciate this tension with a kind of suspension, not merely of disbelief, but of modern sensibility, rational structure, and healthy mindedness, and then one starts to experience something of the uncanny, of the marvelous, something akin to dream. I'm not sure to what degree the following is a spoiler, but I mark it as such, as it reveals a few details to let me get a foothold in doing a review. I don't think is ruins the suspense, or anything. For example, the knights are always falling into adventures where the details invariably cry out for interpretation, and then wander in the wilderness without any thing to eat, where they will come upon a hermit/nun/abbess/priest/holy man who will invariably interpret the events in an allegorical fashion. Then again, the mysteriously unmanned ships without helmsman or oarsmen that seem to show up as magic conveyances, and provide fortuitous rondevous. That a knight could reach a state of holiness not requiring food, or a woman, sister of a knight, pure of heart and soul, who pours out her life-blood in a basin to cure the a woman who has been slaying virgins to cure her disease. Such are mere quibbles, no more than to be considered than that you question why, when in a dream, with the classroom clock reading thirteen o'clock you find yourself in your sixth grade classroom as the other students bombard you with live penguins. If you love freaky-weird this is the book for you. Alas, part of the revisionism requires that the charm of the romance of Lancelot and Gwen be obliterated. It is too sinful, too wicked. There is no attempt to interpret the adulterous love as wrong in a Christian sense, but with the redeeming note that the love that underlies that love, although taking a form of love that is; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia; Author: Michael Korda; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Many people only know T.E. Lawrence through the movie, "Lawrence of Arabia". It's an outstanding movie, and a grand entertainment, but there was much more to Lawrence. Lawrence was an accomplished archaeologist, outstanding military strategist and tactician, charismatic leader, linguist, intelligence analyst, craftsman, excellent writer, who combined flamboyance with an utterly private persona and paradoxical reticence. This is an outstanding biography of a man that you would have thought had had all that needed to be written about him.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 84 Charing Cross Road & The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street; Author: Helene Hanff; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: There's not exactly a category for this one. It is a charming collection of bantering, and gradually affectionate, letters between a bibliophilic New York writer and an old fashioned English bookstore in the post-war era. The relationship grows from a mere search for books and a love for literature, tiny purchases of hard to obtain books, to teasing, and affection, and the shipping of American food baskets (England was still under rationing.). This edition is augmented by the travel journal of the author when she finally gets to go to England. Sadly, when she has done so, her main correspondent has already died, and the bookstore has closed. She is received with affection by some of those who know her from her letters, and others, who have come to know her through the publication of 84 Charing Cross Road; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Our Cancer Year; Author: Harvey Pekar; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: I was introduced to Pekar by a friend who sent me a collection of American Splendor. You may have seen the movie. Harvey Pekar was Joyce's partner. They have a very real sort of a relationship, and this book chronicles their life as Harvey is diagnosed with cancer.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Me Talk Pretty One Day; Author: David Sedaris; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is a very, very funny book. Some made me smile. A couple of times I burst out laughing. Note that Sedaris has considerable black humor, so this may not be to your taste.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Just Kids; Author: Patti Smith; Genres: history, comics, poetry, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: "The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!" --Jack Kerouac This is a dual biographer of the rock star, poet and artist Patti Smith and the photographer and artist Robert Maplethorpe. The first portion of this book, poignantly portraying struggling young artists Patti and Robert broke, hungry and totally committed to art reminds me of this quotation. They both have a touching willingness to sacrifice most everything that is conventionally treasured: even an acceptance of autotomy if it leads to autonomy. They both share a deep bond of struggle that is never broken, of understanding, first as lovers, then as friends. In autobiography there is always the possibility of the dual self, the self that looks back, and she has a compassion and understanding for both their younger selves, that both admits their and admires their idealism and naivete. They have the good fortune to be in a nexus of places where many famous, artists, actors, playwrights, and musicians pass by. Later on, all the while encountering an amazing cast of the famous and almost famous, those who make it, those who survive and those who don't, both Patti and Robert become successful and famous themselves. Without being much of a spoiler, the dual biography ends on a very sad note, redeemed by love.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nova Express (The Nova Trilogy #3); Author: William S. Burroughs; Genres: fiction; Review: For those who are willing to dip their toes in Burrough's cut-up period, this is a little more accessible than The Ticket That Exploded as there is something dimly resembling a plot, involving primarily tongue in cheek hallucinatory paranoid alien conspiracies and Burroughs transgressive neurological humor. The cut up technique is one of a literary equivalent of collage, where the text jumps through hyperspace from one passage to the next. As always, content warning for the faint of heart.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Thunderstruck; Author: Erik Larson; Genres: history, fiction, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: In meditating on Mr. Larson's Career, I am struck by an analogy to the humorous cartoon of the parallel lives of Davy Crockett and Franz Kafka, by the inimitable Roz Chast. In this case it is Guglielmo Marconi and Dr. Crippen. Yes, you've got that right. A self-taught genius Nobel prize winning inventor and a famous wife poisoner.(Don't laugh.) He meets with some success in tying the two together, and arriving at a portrait of an era. Marconi, of course invented the wireless, in all practical senses, and lead us from into an era of relative quiet into an era of ceaseless electronic communication..... Mild mannered Dr. Crippen, grew to find his wife insufferable. Oddly, she vanished under suspicious circumstances.... Though both entwined stories are quite interesting, I think that I was most fascinated by the imagery of the barely controlled electrical gigantism of Marconi's Frankensteinian thundering, flashing, and terrifying early wireless radio telegraphy stations, erected on the flimsiest of intuitions, and succeeding only by ceaseless experimentation. Hence one of the two meanings of the title, Thunderstruck. The other meaning of the title, Thunderstruck , is the moment when Dr. Crippen, traveling with his paramour (disguised as a boy) is exposed by a ship to shore transmission from a suspicious ship's crew, Scotland Yard gives chase by an ocean liner one day faster, and is arrested upon arrival. In an eerie presentiment of the contemporary cliche' of the 24 hour news cycle, everybody on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as many on the two ships know about the hunt, and even what books Dr. Crippen is reading on shipbard, of which Dr. Crippen and his lover are completely unaware. This is where the two stories collide, when he is struck down by Marconi's artificial thunder. Marconi's wireless forever ended the earth's electronic silence. There is much more to the book than that, but although the facts are well known. So I wanted to hide the other meaning of the title as it is a bit of a spoiler.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Death of King Arthur; Author: Unknown; Genres: history, romance, poetry, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: This looks like the same cover, but the page count does not match, mine is a little-bitty-teeny-weenie miniature Penguin, albeit without a penchant for swimming through ice cold water or eating fish. This is the tail-end of the Arthur legends, and like all ends, there is a sense of loss, which is enhanced by Mallory's archaic, elegiacal, and pensive prose. The final end of Arthur, Guinevere (who repents her extramarital affair (albeit with the flower of knighthood) and becomes nunnified, Lancelot, time passing him by, and so forth. My favorite passage is the event of the back adder. It is the epitome of the fatal flaw in MAD doctrine: mutually assured destruction. Strangely Strangelovian. Essentially if goes like this. Mordred (Arthur's wicked son by incest, for those of you who are fond of scandal, and are uninformed of things Arthurian) has massed a great army against his father,and has poisoned the people against him. Massed armies of tens of thousands on each side prepare for battle-- but wait, Arthur receives a revelation: if he engages in battle that day he is doomed. He therefore, sues for a truce with Mordred, offering him tasty bits and chunks of England. Of course, neither side trusts the other. It's like the Hitler-Stalin pact: Stalin knows he's just buying time, Hitler is content to wait. However, neither side does anything dishonorable at the moment. In fact each side, fearing treachery, and in an effort to prevent misunderstanding gives identical orders. No one is to give offense or make any sudden aggressive move; if the other side breaks the truce, launch an attack immediately. All well and good. Somebody, it doesn't matter on which side, steps on a black adder. They whirl out their sword and cut off its head. (If you are looking for Judeo-Christian symbolism here, you've come to the right place--wink wink.) Yep, you've got it. Launch on warning. A bloodsoaked battle ensues, even though Arthur has done everything he can to prevent it. Modred is left with one knight standing. ALL of Aurthur's knights are killed. The score is 1 to 0 (or -99,999 to -100,000, more like). Arthur, trapped by honor, attacks Mordred with fatal consequences. Wow.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: You Are That!: Satsang With Gangaji; Author: Gangaji; Genres: non-fiction; Review: O gosh, another westerner taking on a Hindu name and getting into the guru biz. Yeah, I know. Wow. There's an odd story about how I came to read this book. I had just had an experience recently which I can't really describe, but if you have had anything like that happen to you you probably know what I mean. Anyway, I went on my lunch walk and checked out the bargain bin at a thrift store. There is was, embarrassingly marked up with yellow highlighter, but only a couple of bucks. It sort of fell into my hands. Now this book is not for everyone. It may be unintelligible to some. This is a book of her teaching. She is quite insightful. Pretty free of dogma or cant. She is ruthless, in a kind and gentle way, at urging or nudging or hinting that there is something that you can touch beyond concepts, if you drop the concept and absorb the mere fact that you are not this or that concept but that you are being itself first and foremost before anything else. Oh and that too is a concept, and that too has to drop away.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Portable Dorothy Parker; Author: Dorothy Parker; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Because there are a lot of poems and short stories, they ranged between "I liked it" and "I liked it a lot, I gave it 4 stars. Parker was a notorious wit. She is said to have, when working in Hollywood and in need of a date, appropriated a men's room sign and placed it outside her office door. Needless to say, she met a fair share that time, although a disproportionate amount may have suffered from bladder problems. She also once stated that "brevity is the soul of lingerie." And noted: "If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at the people he gave it to." Dorothy Parker's poetry is concise, direct, full of wit, longing, wry and cynical and often very funny. She waxes especially full on the relationship of men and women, the disappointments of love, a frequent plaint about the misery of life with a spirited toss of the head, and the pluck to go on. Oh, life is a glorious cycle of song, A medley of extemporanea; And love is a thing that can never go wrong; And I am Marie of Romania. He short stories have a screenplaylike quality, always driven by character dialog in the American idiom; the solitary thought of an individual is nearly always in the form of a soliloquy. Her characters are types from her era, perhaps pathetic, perhaps obnoxious, or absurd, and sometimes heatbreaking and deeply moving. This self deprecating wisecracker cared deeply. She is never afraid to be obvious, which is both her greatest strength and greatest weakness. Though often funny, they also treat of such themes as alcoholism, suicide and racism, and are full of her strong social conscience and contempt for injustice. It may be noted, in a final irony that is worthy of a Dorothy Parker short story, that her ashes remained unclaimed in various places, including her attorney Paul O'Dwyer's filing cabinet, for approximately 17 years; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Jarhead : A Marine's Chronicle of the Gulf War and Other Battles; Author: Anthony Swofford; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: A frank, explicit, and intelligent chronicle of raw experience and of his personal identification with the Corps, his self questioning, and his doubts.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Interpreter of Maladies; Author: Jhumpa Lahiri; Genres: fiction; Review: These short stories are mostly epiphanies, in the sense that Joyce used to describe Dubliners. Lahiri weaves exquisite stories revolving around moments of encounter and issues of communications and lack of communication, understanding, and lack of understanding unique to her cultural background and the different worlds she has experienced.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ice Haven; Author: Daniel Clowes; Genres: thriller, comics, crime, graphic, fiction, mystery; Review: Not bad. Has some of the same oddness of Ghost World. This is a story of a town of apparent normalcy haunted by the imp of the perverse.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: V for Vendetta; Author: Alan Moore; Genres: history, mystery, thriller, comics, crime, paranormal, graphic, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: This is a very fine graphic novel. It is really at about 4 1/2 stars for me. It is certainly amazing, but I won't give it five stars due to minor quibbles. It has an underlying tone of unusual thoughtfulness, questioning, uneasiness, and rebellion. Early on, the co-authors chose to eschew some of the comical-ness, and do something worthwhile and innovative: suppress thought bubbles and narration altogether, allow words only for dialog and some interior monologue. In many parts, the story is told in a sequence of panels, and you can feel the time pass like the ticks between movie shots. The original series was done in black and white, due primarily to cost, when reissued as a graphic novel it was colorized with pastels. They don't really detract, but the weight of the story is carried by the chiaroscuro. It shares some characteristics with its more conventional brethren in that there are super heroes and super-villains, and melodrama, and over the top action, but it is clever and nuanced: unlike these, the hero is deeply troubled and flawed and hovers in an uneasy border between savior and sociopath, the deep villainy is somewhat blurred by the way some of the characters are sucked into their fallen state by the stream of history.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; Author: Unknown; Genres: history, romance, poetry, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: This is a rather magical tale. The images are very intense, and incise themselves in one's mind. The translation into latter-day English leans a lot on alliteration, mirroring the method of the original maker. The original Middle English used such a technique of rhymed but alliterative verse, only ending in rhyme at the end of each part. For the most part the translation is quite effective, only once in a while sounding forced; the original, I suspect*, was more artless and direct. (I am quite the sucker for internal rhyme.) The central plot is that Gawain is committed to an impossible challenge. The Green Knight asks that he fight a contest with special rules. Each can take turns a year apart, but each, when it is not their turn must bear his neck to the axe without hesitation. The Green Knight goes first. Gawain swings, and cuts off his head. No problem the Green Knight picks up his head, reminds that Gawain is pledged to seek him and his fate in one year's time, and rides off. *They reproduce about 3 pages of the original, which is in the Northern Middle English, rather than that of the more familiar London dialect of Chaucer, so I could see some of the original at work. I've read Chaucer, this was a little harder to figure out.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: World Of Art Realism In 20th Century Painting; Author: Brendan Prendeville; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Not a bad book. I think that it follows conventional critical practice by deconstructing "realism", but somewhat tends to put Humpty Dumpty back together again for you. This is a small survey book, the reproductions are itty bitty, but that seems to work all right. It does make the salient point that there are "realisms", and that realism brings with it certain concerns that have implications for all kinds of painting, not just strictly representational work.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Degas: Passion And Intellect; Author: Henri Loyrette; Genres: non-fiction; Review: It was definitely worth reading, I found out a few things. Degas was a bit of a misanthrope, if you hadn't heard.... There are negatives that I need to warn about. This is a small book and many of the reproductions, although they have good color, are minuscule. This did give them the option to include a very large number of color reproductions, by making some less than an inch square. The writing is not very organized, I get the feeling the author dumped a bunch of information into the book and left the hapless reader to fend for themselves. This was OK, since I checked it out of the library, and did not purchase it.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Man in the High Castle; Author: Philip K. Dick; Genres: history, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: This is a species of the alternate history genre. What if.... Germany and Japan won the second world war. All well and good, and Dick makes some interesting speculations. But it is is more than that. Not just a mere counterfactual history, but sheer poetry, a cry to liberate the imagination. And what sets this book apart is the eerie sense of some of the people in the the story that somehow things ought to be different... and a recluse author, a parallel, Philip K. Dick, the Man in the High Castle, who writes a book speculating what would have happened if Franklin Roosevelt had not been assassinated in Chicago, and the next president a pure isolationist? ....; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Painting from the Source: Awakening the Artist's Soul in Everyone; Author: Aviva Gold; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: I am of two minds about this book. On the one hand, a willingness to break through and completely submerge into the source is a very valid approach for fostering creativity, especially in those who are getting started and those who are blocked in the creative arts. And I like that this book focuses on painting alone, and stresses simple to use and inexpensive materials so that there is no psychology of fear of ruining. Although I am concerned that somebody might continue to use such materials and at some point find that their masterpiece disintegrates, she does give responsible transitional advice about archival media. There is something touchy-feely or new age about her approach that may trigger an allergy in some readers. There is an aspect of such thinking that involves surrender to the subconscious mind or transrational self, and in that sense I am in pretty wholehearted agreement. But there is a tendency to dive for Jungian archetypes and images in a literary way that seems a little forced, and I sense that in her painting from the source workshops there would be a subtle or not so subtle pressure to dig out these images any time somebody came up with essentially nonrepresentational imagery, however vivid and intense.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Black Hole; Author: Charles Burns; Genres: young-adult, mystery, thriller, romance, comics, crime, paranormal, graphic, fantasy, fiction; Review: I did think this was a very fine graphic novel artistically. The illustrations are noir/hard shadows, very effective use of radical black and white contrasts, creating a noir/stoner/horror/gothic mix, with odd angles and many of the panels are lit from below. That being said, it is very creepy. You've been warned. The premise of the book is that teenagers are subject to develop a plague that results in hideous body modifications. The teens in question spend their time smoking, drinking, getting stoned and getting laid and this little biological development gets in the way of their plans, or at least places some definite crimps in them. School attendance does not. There is a fair amount of character development for what is essentially a horror story, so there is some pathos in the situations as you start to develop some identification with some of the characters, more brooding and tragic than slasher, combined with some romantic longings and black humor. Teens will perhaps appreciate the theme of alienation, which appears in all its aspects, including becoming an alien. (I don't have to go on and on about how horror is a metaphor for the awkward transition to adulthood do I?) I won't go into details, as some of its effectiveness is due to shock value. I would put a "R" rating on this, as it has full frontal nudity, and mature content. It is very successful at what it attempts to achieve, it's up to you as to whether this is something that you would enjoy.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Examined Lives: From Socrates to Nietzsche; Author: James Miller; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Thia was better than I expected. I expected a "great ideas gloss" with a few tasty tidbits thrown in. Instead the author asked the openended question "what is the philosophical life?" The relationship between details of the philosopher's life were contrasted with and discussed in relationship to their declared ideas. Tellingly, Miller states in his epilog, "...I confess some of my ideas about the examined life have been shaken, in part because recounting these philosophical lives has provoked a variety of unexpected reactions--not just awe and admiration, but also pity, chagrin. and, in a few instances. amused disbelief." It's a human story, all too human.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Masters: Book Arts: Major Works by Leading Artists; Author: Julie Hale; Genres: non-fiction; Review: This fabulously illustrated book shows the extraordinary breadth of what can constitute book arts and infinitely stretches the possibilities of what constitutes a book for anyone less familiar with the genre. I highly recommend this book to bibliophiles, art lovers and artists, and those who have seen some example of "the book arts" to get a survey of what the field entails, whether it be sculptures involving miniature books, altered books, zigzag books, books with sculpted hollows, alternate bindings, hand press, computer process, mixed media. Note: I acquired this book attending a reception for Jody Alexander for an altered book/mixed media/installation which simulated the world of one of her characters, Ruby B. So this book takes on additional significance, in that her section of the book is signed by her, and I have a hand made bookmark in it made from a sewn page of a German book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: History of Art; Author: Anthony F. Janson; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Copiously illustrated, this provides a useful schema from which to learn about different periods of art, and a lot of information you can use for reference. The edition that I read was pre-political correctness so that means a history of dead white guy artists. It would be better titled a History of Western Art, although it ends with an apologetic and half hearted nod to Asian art. (for a critical view, see The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art) Needless to say, whenever you cover such a large territory, you are bound to be forced to leave somebody out, and get slammed for your choices, so I won't belabor the point. Despite this, you can learn a great deal about the history of art, and the author is not entirely neutral in tone, which I consider a plus, as you can then assess the author's opinions yourself. Despite Goodreads, which seems to be hallucinating, this book is not 150 pages, but 767 pages long.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Joan Mitchell: Lady Painter; Author: Patricia Albers; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Not everyone will "like" Joan Mitchell. A classic "difficult" personality, she struggled with the gender bias of the fifties Abstract Expressionist era to become an accomplished and successful painter. She emerges as as an amazing individual, indomitable, sexy, loud, alcoholic, vulgar, passionate, socially brutal, insecure, ambitious, fearful, moody, vindictive, devoted to her friends and lovers, and haunted by the demons of memory and emotion, which she experienced directly as color and form. The author argues that she was a true full-blown synesthete, and experienced words, people, emotions, places, and memories directly as colors: there's a lot of evidence for this, although Joan never seems to have known that synesthesia is a well-documented (although rare) condition, and spent much of her life fearing she was insane. Some of the most fascinating and beautiful passages deal with her intutitive and passionate color expression, for example: "Pigment flying upward and outward, the artist had snarled up browns, dark greens, blues, viridians and, most strikingly, pink corals, roses, and orchids, amid whites helter-skelter with flecks and cascades of drips." You may find yourself rooting for her in the end, as she continues to create passionate, enormous canvases to the very end, as her body totally falls apart.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lee Krasner; Author: Robert Carleton Hobbs; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Really 3 and a half stars, but you read art books often for the illustrations, and these are copious. The writing is somewhat cobbled together, and attempting to shoehorn Krasner into critical categories. Lee Krasner, for the general reader who does not know this, was the wife of Jackson Pollock, as well as being an excellent abstract expressionist painter in her own right. That being said, will totally ignore that aspect, other than to note that examination of her work seems to indicate that influence went in both directions, Pollock's Easter and the Totem, a less typical work of his, seems to bear similarities to some of Krasner's earlier work. (I didn't really get that from the text, my own impression.) Krasner had several interesting styles, and they are well illustrated and discussed: the "little image" paintings, which involved many many units, that are writing like and of modest scale, large bold abstract expressionist paintings, large paintings with extremely bold color combinations that fuse minimalism with abstract expressionism (some of these are among my favorites), and her collage/paintings.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Art and Science; Author: Eliane Strosberg; Genres: non-fiction; Review: Sort of a two and a quarter star book, actually. It is an easy to read collection of loosely associated facts, some of which were quite interesting, but with no real organizing principle. Example: Galileo loved to draw and paint, and appears to have done some work as an artist, but this was totally eclipsed by his fame as a mathematician and physicist. He liked to be able to visualize things; we have his paintings of the surface of the moon as seen through a telescope.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren; Author: Jonathan Lopez; Genres: history, fiction, thriller, comics, poetry, crime, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: It appears that Han van Meergeren was in a sense his own greatest forgery. In this work, the author deconstructs the legend, and reveals a character on the borderline of sociopathy, albeit socially charming, but far more of a collaborator, Nazi sympathizer and hardened crook than the art world Robin Hood legend represents. Rather than a loss, this results in a story I found far more fascinating, and far more coherent. What is somewhat puzzling to the contemporary reader is the mystery of how the images that finally lead to van Meergeren's arrest could ever have been mistaken for those of Vermeer. The author has done a very good analysis of how the expectations of an era or an art historian can determine what forgeries are invisible to it, or cater to its whims. And of course, as soon as one forgery is admitted as genuine, the oddities of its style start to be attributed to its purported maker. (None of the above is really a spoiler, there is a wealth of detail that I have left out.); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer; Author: James L. Swanson; Genres: history, fiction, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: Quite good. We think we know the story of Lincoln's assassination, but do we? There is a wealth of virtually cinematic detail. The author has an instinct for fleshing out the telling aspects of characters and events. I needed a book I could devour at this particular time, and this fitted the bill, and I read it in one day.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Art of War; Author: Sun Tzu; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: A classic. Quotable, as it tends to speak more through indirection and metaphor, than giving detail, as a text on military science would. Very useful in related fields where competition is a factor such as chess or business. Although it may be noted, Sun Tzu points out not getting involved in a war in the first place is best, second best is cleverness, which ends the conflict swiftly and conclusively. Sun Tzu emphasizes not being what the enemy expects as a means to this, rather than merely throwing troops and material at the problem. The edition I have is accompanied by passages from the major Chinese commentators, as well as amazing illustrations from Chinese military history provided by the rather quirky translator. I would note in this particular edition, that the translator makes some rather non-PC observations; I am not sure in what year the translation was originally written.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Year of Magical Thinking; Author: Joan Didion; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This book is a rather a quirky memoir about a major downturn in life, or perhaps a litany of loss. The somewhat repetitive style circles over some of the same ground throughout the book, which some readers may find disconcerting, but in many ways this is appropriate for the subject matter. It's not a spoiler, as it is well known, but, the following events happened to those around Joan Didion in quick succession (these are also detailed on the book cover): 1. Her adult daughter at Christmas time, developed a series of increasingly serious infections and was placed in the ICU. 2. On the day before New Years, after dinner, with no real warning, her husband, had a massive heart attack and dropped dead instantly. 3. After her apparently full recovery, her daughter and her husband flew across country to celebrate. Her daughter collapsed, fell face down on the tarmac upon arrival, and was back in a hospital ICU with a massive brain bleed. The way the book approaches these events is for Didion to observe Didion, and especially the cognitive distortions that loss and suffering inevitably entail, an apparently rational adult under the surface thinking thoughts like, "when John gets back", when her husband will never return, when he is dead. Her mental life oscillates between apparent coping, and a kind of animistic and primitive childishness. Although an interesting read, I think it would be of special interest for people who are interested in the psychology of loss or stress, this book is quite interesting, or those who have experienced similar suffering, and have ever tortured themselves trying to "snap out of it" or can't understand why they can't make sense of things any more, or think clearly.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Participatory Museum; Author: Nina Simon; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This book is for those interested in museum interactivity, or participatory events. It is written by our new head of the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz CA. Having met Nina, and having seen her enthusiasm, I was able to appreciate this book more than some general readers. She argues fairly persuasively that participation and collaboration with the community is a meaningful value for public cultural institutions, form an adjunct to, not a substitute for, or an alternative to, its other missions. This book gives a wealth of examples and detailed analysis of their implications.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Guerrilla Girls' Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art; Author: Guerrilla Girls; Genres: history, young-adult, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Very funny, witty, and acerbic. It is a fast read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A People's History of the United States; Author: Howard Zinn; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is in a way the hidden history, of rebellion and aspiration, of those things thought best to leave out in children's American history books, lest they lose their naive patriotism, or lest people be inspired to rebel and demand real change that improves the lives of ordinary people. I began this book on Columbus Day, which is rather appropriate, in that the story starts with Columbus, and follows the thread of the sorry tale of the encounter between the Old World and the New. It is one of the many threads, such as the struggles of labor both free and involuntary, and the clashes of class and color. One might find this a mere litany of discontent, but it can lead to a deeper kind of patriotism, one that, rather than denying what is, is focused on achieving what ought to be. The spirit in which this is written reminds me of the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, when he coined a rather telling phrase, the promissory note of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution: "When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.... We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.... Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy."; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Magic Mirror of M.C. Escher; Author: Bruno Ernst; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Although not in the top rank of artists, Escher had a vision that was quite unique to him, and one with which art history doesn't quite know what to do. This is one of the reasons that I dislike trying to create exact hierarchies of "important artists", at least unless it is with an acknowledgement that this is a highly flawed pursuit. Proust remarked something to the effect that each artist brings a world into existence; if you are an explorer, you do not want to limit your worlds. Ernst clearly lays out a set of themes that informs Escher's oervre. Although a well-trained draftsman, and a highly skilled woodcutter and printmaker, Escher deliberately sought to make his themes, puzzles, toys, or wonders paramount, so that his figures and other features, in playing a subservient role to his underlying idea, could often be a bit stiff or awkward. In other works though, his designs have a great deal of beauty. The book gives a lot of very helpful background to the development of his ideas, with copious illustrations of his studies and his planning diagrams.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; Author: Seth Grahame-Smith; Genres: history, young-adult, romance, mystery, thriller, crime, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: This was my Halloween reading. I finished it on the Day of the Dead. I have seen various reviews, and they seem to be all over the map. I think this is because there is a narrow range of expectations with which one may approach this book. To some Janeites this may be sacrilege. This is not a useful approach. To others, there may be complaints that this is not witty enough, and lacks finesse--although it is exceedingly difficult to understand how such can be accommodated in any tale involving unholy brain eating corpses with poor table manners and utterly lacking in personal hygiene. Oddly, Jane Austen's early unpublished writing involved a lot of unwed mothers, suicides and murders, one could almost imagine the adolescent Jane being tempted to narrate a horror tale involving the unfortunate undead. The adult Jane always placed such subjects off camera as it were, and concentrated on the horrors of social embarrassment. But I think that the proper way to approach this work is to embrace the incongruity. I think the original temptation would be to try to carry on even the goriest passages in an elevated Jane Austen style, but Seth, the coauthor decided, rather wisely I think, to go for the cheap laughs. Anyway, you have been warned. Although I smiled, and laughed a couple of times, and was rather interested in finding out how certain characters turned out--there is opportunity aplenty to wreak havoc on whatever characters irritated one in the original--what really interested me was the way in which the world of Pride and Prejudice was transposed into an alternate, reimagined England, recognizable, but strangely altered. Rains make the roads not only nearly impassible, but also soften the ground for the emergence of hoards of zombies. One can still go to London on business, but one can also stay there safely behind the gigantic zombie-proof fortifications which divide the city into military zones. The culture has been permeated with a blood and guts warrior ethic, where all cultured men, and women too, study martial arts and swordsmanship under the tutelege of Asian masters, and many swear fealty to defend the Crown against the dreadful hoardes. Young women undertake such an oath until death, disability or (!) marriage. Needless to say there is a very interesting dynamic tension in the role of women. Anyway, after you have read this book, you might enjoy comparing it to a short parody I made on Jane Austen as if the characters of Twilight had been written by Jane Austen: [url]...; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Good War: An Oral History of World War II; Author: Studs Terkel; Genres: history, mystery, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Very interesting personal stories, and brings up many little known aspects of the war experience. The primary focus was on Americans, but there are stories of others as well.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World; Author: Paul Roberts; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Not a terribly cheering read, but very informative. Nobody seems to have a complete idea as how to make a soft landing into alternative energy sources. What needs to be done is evident, at least in broad outlines, but how to manage the many aspects of transition in the real world of political pressure, current economics and price structure, is not.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Way It Spozed to Be; Author: James Herndon; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is a classic in the teacher coping with difficult ghetto schools educational genre. I'd always wanted to read it. The author discovers that everything he is supposed to do doesn't work, and he decides to throw it all out and try something, anything. It is told with considerable humility, compassion and humor.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions; Author: Ben Mezrich; Genres: history, mystery, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Strange but true, apparently. For those who are unfamiliar with this story: Teams of MIT students with mathematical aptitude were recruited by a professor to play blackjack at casinos. Now blackjack is the only casino game that has a memory of previous play, because it uses a number of decks shuffled together straight through. Therefore, the percentage of cards favorable to the player can be estimated based on tracking the type of cards that have been in play since the last shuffle. A simple form of card counting can give a player a 2% advantage over the house. By employing spotters making small bets to surreptitiously signal to another player--who will make the really large bets--when the deck is highly favorable this advantage can be significantly higher. The syndicate had an approximately 40% ROI. Yes, they had significant amounts of cash to work with, so that they could wait out temporary bad luck and fall back on the long term results of probability. But hell, that's not what really interests you, does it?--since the story naturally has plenty of sleeze, high living, conflict, sex, greed, money, and a wee bit of violence, making this natural best seller material. And indeed this is a bestseller. And yes, there is hubris. If you are making money at an astounding rate, when do you get out? Clearly the large gambling operations do not want you to count cards, even though it is legal, and will go to great lengths to prevent it. You may have seen the movie with Kevin Spacey playing the Mephistophelian math prof, which had some very interesting moments, and some extensive liberties with the events in the book, but with a flabby and erratic script that was uncertain of how to end things.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gorillas in the Mist; Author: Dian Fossey; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: A classic. Dian Fossey describes her dedicated observation of mountain gorillas, and her fight to conserve them.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Brain Bugs: How the Brain's Flaws Shape Our Lives; Author: Dean Buonomano; Genres: non-fiction; Review: Very readable. Many books on the brain spend a lot of time on brain physiology which gets really esoteric for the layperson, and many fundamentals get lost. However Dean Buonomano discusses basics for how our thinking is composed, associatively, of neural networks and synapses. On the basis of Hebb's law (popularly described as "wired together fire together") and a few other considerations, such as that brain architecture is evolutionarily based, he is able to describe the foundations of a whole panoply of common cognitive errors and illusions. The associative nature means that the presence of other thoughts can taint our logic. The evolutionary aspect means that certain instinctual beliefs or biases were either adaptive to primitive conditions or invisible in them; the rapid ascent of technics and civilization has made many of them maladaptive. Of course this review is no substitute for actually reading the book. I think that it will change the way you think about your own thinking.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Scions of Shannara; Author: Terry Brooks; Genres: paranormal, young-adult, fantasy, fiction; Review: The range of art is marvelous. I would have rather had more color illustrations than supplied, but you can still see the forms in the black and white illustrations. Unobtrusive and somewhat helpful text.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Degas; Author: Edgar Degas; Genres: non-fiction; Review: This is not a biography as such, but one of the reasons for reading an art book is the pictures. This work is the product of a major Degas exhibit, with about 400 excellent illustrations (almost all in color), and accompanied by copious background information. The text, although rather dry, gives a great idea of his achievements and breadth. It is sectioned off into small segments accompanying each plate, and also accompanying each phase of his career. So I found myself, skimming somewhat, always looking at all the plates, and sometimes giving close scrutiny parts of particular interest to me.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Principles of Uncertainty; Author: Maira Kalman; Genres: history, comics, poetry, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Quirky, charming graphic journal. Artist-author portrays a vague and oddball malaise and the redemptive quality of the graceful non-sequitur. And likes fabulous hats.Illustrations are often funny, or semi-tragic, with a relaxed style reminding one a bit of Matisse's Nice period.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Farewell to an Idea: Episodes from a History of Modernism; Author: T.J. Clark; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: This is a perhaps brilliant, but quirky and somewhat opaque book, an uneven surface of dense ropy coils of thought, one might say. At times the text veers into the land of art speak self parody, and suddenly flashes with either illumination, or an unusual insight. I am not sure that this book "explains" modern art to the general reader, its style is too much that of a kind of layering of metaphors that invites close reading, and demands active participation, and the patience to tolerate a style marked by nonsequiturs and meandering narrative. I am not sure I always agree with the author, but he has certainly given me a lot of food for thought. I will probably reread it again to gain a clearer understanding. I oscillated between irritation and enjoyment, so I thought it unfair to rank it as either 2 or 5 stars and settled on 3.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: When the cheering stopped: The last years of Woodrow Wilson; Author: Gene Smith; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is touching and astonishing story of the declining fall from the top of the world to invalidism of the President of the United States and of a loving wife's audacious decision to protect her husband--and incidentally run the country, slightly marred by a slight reaching for sentimental effect. The author does have a marvelous photographic eye for telling detail, one could actually do the art direction sourced almost entirely by the precise descriptions of locations, clothes and events. This is on a Listopia list as one of the books most cried over, and I have to admit I started tearing up in one part!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Clarence Darrow: Attorney for the Damned; Author: John A. Farrell; Genres: history, young-adult, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: Darrow is a gargantuan figure, every bit as amazing as his reputation, and this is a wonderfilled biography. Darrow is skeptical, generous and venal, idealistic and cynical, shrewd and reckless, oversexed and loving, progressive and corrupt: a plethora of personality traits tumbling out upon an amazing event-filled life. But if that just seems like a grab bag of random characteristics, Farrell writes with a deft precision, and a fine attention to detail, as well as allowing ample space for Darrow to unleash his intellect in pure torrents of speech, recreating rich as life the events surrounding his most famous legal cases. Somehow, it all comes together, and all these disparate parts seem to justly form the measure of the man. And despite his near nihilism, the one characteristic that seems to explain him best is a horror of death, which informed him with a terrible pity and compassion for his fellow creatures, a hatred of executions and persecution, greed and prejudice, all of which seem hopelessly vindictive in the shadow of the grave.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rabbit, Run (Rabbit Angstrom #1); Author: John Updike; Genres: fiction; Review: This book has been labeled cynical, and I suppose it is in a way. The characters are flawed, and rather hopeless and helpless in the face of their drives and rationalizations. But I think it is what I might call compassionate cynicism, in that we see portions of ourselves in the characters, and we see how they suffer, and how confused they are, puppets of their urges and upbringings. And their sufferings are (unless you are an unrelenting Calvinist) so terrible in comparison to the banality of their transgressions. The book opens with a lyric passage. Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, once basketball hero in high school, grown adult, on the way home suited from work pauses to play basketball with kids on a court. And we are cut adrift with him, as life happens, and he is appalled by its crumminess as he runs from his life (kitchen appliance demonstrator), his wife (pregnant, alcoholic) and himself. Not without humor and irony, and flashes of beautiful observation and poetic grace, the book takes a sour and tragic turn.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Barchester Towers (Chronicles of Barsetshire #2); Author: Anthony Trollope; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: A light and fairly charming read. Trollope's characters are often delightfully venal and human. The present work concerns the machinations for clerical office set in motion by the death of the local bishop.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Zen Effects: The Life of Alan Watts; Author: Monica Furlong; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is an extraordinary biography, frank and compassionate, of a brilliant and idiosyncratic man, who in many ways made a mess of his life, and yet had such an infectious and childlike eagerness, sense of play, and to an extraordinary degree a kind of deeply wise rascality. Although I have not read Watts' autobiography, this appears to cover much of the material that was left out of it (either because it was too painful, too scandalous, or would hurt his (then living father).; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: That Old Ace in the Hole; Author: Annie Proulx; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, fiction; Review: In some ways a Texas Panhandle version of "Local Hero", an outsider representing the forces of Extinction of a Way of Life comes into a closed community of offbeat characters, and goes native. Generally an enjoyable read, but not as good as The Shipping News.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Freemasons: A History of the World's Most Powerful Secret Society; Author: Jasper Ridley; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: A pretty clear history of the Freemasons, without any conspiratorial paranoia, or needless detail, and with clear exposition involved in laying out the historical background in compact digressions. Freemasons have been all over, and have adopted varying ideologies, primarily of their current culture, unless that culture has been repressive. The only political constant appears to be a certain tendency to toleration of different religions.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Jackson Pollock: An American Saga; Author: Gregory White Smith; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is a very good and well-researched biography of an extraordinary man and artist. Pollock was notorious for reticence in expressing himself in words, other than short cryptic utterances, because they never seemed to say the full truth, although he could talk clearly and simply about art when he was comfortable with doing so. He was a man in a great deal of pain, and experienced the world in ways that cut him off from others; the authors suggest that he saw the world in a flashing ever-changing and somewhat threatening yet beautiful flux that was better suited to express in his use of fluid paint than in more traditional media. He was also a classic artist maudit, alcoholic, trouble maker, given to immense rages, and strangely sweet and charismatic moods, insecure about his masculinity, strangely boyish in his immaturity. The problem with artist biographies is that there is a tendency to "explain" every aspect of their art in one to one correspondence to specific features of their life, when in a sense you are more interested in the struggle to create the art itself (or at least I am). One is more interested in the food at a fine restaurant that the state of the kitchen (I've been there, you don't want to know.) This is the aspect of Pollock that I most valued in the book; being human the obviously sensational train wreck of his life story was also of great interest, of course. Pollock's development was anything but smooth, and he gave little obvious indications of "talent" in his early work; his teacher, Benton, however, sensed in him, something deeper than facile skill, a hunger that would drive him to do extraordinary and tremendously innovative work The authors seem to have engaged in a degree of heavy psychological archaeology to reconstruct private portions of his life, that when examining the footnotes seem a bit thin to say the least, and based on hearsay. Admittedly, given that reticence to justify and explain it is an overwhelming temptation--the polar opposite of the problem of their other subject, van Gogh, who was so verbose and eager to justify and explain that they were forced into endless cycles of fact checking. This is probably the chief criticism that I would level against the book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity; Author: David Foster Wallace; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: For those who wish something a bit more recondite than that served up by most popularizations. Book has large IYI (if you're interested) parts. Lots of equations. Gives a good background why successive crises in analysis led to the work of Cantor and Dedekind.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Saints and Madmen: How Pioneering Psychiatrists Are Creating a New Science of the Soul; Author: Russell Shorto; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: The subject is an interesting one. The author is all over the map, but I think it raises some interesting issues. A person with mental health issues has a right to have values and ideals as well as anyone else. There is a subtle difference between being deluded and having delusions in the psychiatric sense. One may have ideas that are incorrect as to points of fact or assertions of dogma, or one may exhibit truly disordered thinking. It covers a variety of approaches some interesting, and some disreputable.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bell Jar; Author: Sylvia Plath; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: In some senses this is a potboiler memoir of a bout of mental illness, as it is essentially a reworking of actual events in her life. The great virtue of the writing is not in the adequate plot and characterization, but in the vivid and yet understated portrayal of states of consciousness. It is for that I give it 4 stars, as that causes it to transcend the limitations of the confessional genre.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: House of Light; Author: Mary Oliver; Genres: non-fiction, poetry, fiction; Review: I tend to like poetry that is lyric and ornamental, and that hypnotizes me with its pure language. Mary Oliver is a bit more matter of fact than that, though I allow much of her imagery and language is beautiful. In a sense she is an essayist, in the original sense used by Montaigne, of weighing or assaying pr questioning what one thinks of things. But instead of arriving on a view in an intellectual sense, she presents a view in the sense of actual seeing. She started to win me over as I learned how to read her voice which goes into astonishing places, a voice that becomes what it beholds.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Accordion Crimes; Author: Annie Proulx; Genres: history, fiction, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, mystery; Review: This book may startle those who were charmed by the far more gentle and restrained The Shipping News. It is a far more original, far darker, and far edgier work. This is, in one sense, the life story of an accordion, a work of love of by a destitute Italian immigrant whose dreams were doomed to fail, the living thing which is a music, a tradition. This accordion, much like the ring in The Lord of the Rings, seems to want to be found, and seems to pick people, often leaving their lives upside down or inside out. (If I may interject here, there is an astonishing amount of accordion research slathered into these pages, assuming she didn't make it all up--I couldn't tell, but it sure sounds authentic.) In another sense, the subject is the American Project, the Melting Pot, the Stew of ethnicities, customs, values and traditions that came to make up America. In this reading, however, it is more like an emergent of the picaresqe, over-the-top chaotic collision of individuals and groups, their gigantic dreams, their monumental delusions, the random blows of fate and the bitter outcomes of ignorance, relieved by a dry sardonic wit, than anything purposeful or grand. There is tragically little cooperation or understanding here, little fulfillment of the hopes the accordion initially appears to promise; much of this is due to the antagonisms of racial, religious and ethnic groups, and between the sexes, one is reminded of National Brotherhood Week by Tom Lehrer: "All of my folks hate all of your folks/It's American as apple pie"; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Lewis Carroll: A Biography; Author: Morton N. Cohen; Genres: history, children, paranormal, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy; Review: I finished this book on April 25, which happens to be the day that Lewis Carroll (that is to say Rev. Charles Dodgson, is actual name). Not finished, so I will hide most of this, not really a spoiler until I can finish.... I found this book fascinating, with many new insights into the man and his works. My only real complaint was that he treated his life thematically, but sometimes covered the same things twice without acknowledgment of the previous mention of the fact in earlier chapters, which makes the reading a bit awkward. I think if some of the organizational aspects had been resolved I might have rated this 4 stars. There have been complaints that the author engaged in speculation: "Charles must have..." and so forth, but this is a life in which speculation is almost inevitable. Before we go further, yes, he did actually love little girls, he liked children, but especially little girls. This is of course what everybody is curious about. However, the best information we have indicates that he was a deeply religious man with a very strong sense of morality, as well as a horror of upsetting children so that he appears to have made every effort to keep this within the bounds of propriety of Victorian society and as far as we can tell succeeded. Being very conventionally moral, despite being highly unconventional, the author suggests that the only outcome that could have really satisfied him was to befriend a girl in childhood, and continue the relationship into adulthood with a deepening love that led to marriage. It appears that the closest he ever came to this was Alice, who the author speculates; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mawson's Will: The Greatest Polar Survival Story Ever Written; Author: Lennard Bickel; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: The "Greatest" in the subtitle seems to be no exaggeration. I give a summary in the spoiler section of what Mawson survived, in case you think I'm kidding. But I think it's best you skip it, and just get the book. It is an amazing story, and it is one of the best in the genre. I am more or less OK with the fact that the author has detailed what Mawson "thought" and "saw", as Mawson kept fairly meticulous records (except towards the end, in a state of extreme exhaustion), and carefully measured distances. The descriptions of the antarctic are sublime and terrifying. I would have liked to have a few maps with which to track the journey. But these are quibbles. Many don't know the story, as it happened at the same time as the race to the South Pole, and the reports of Scott's death. Mawson had stubbornly refused the offer of joining the Scott expedition. He was a geologist, and realized that he could make a greater contribution by fanning scientific parties across the continent, with such tasks as locating the magnetic pole, rather than joining in a competition he did not have the resources to win, or be subject to the command of another. One result was that almost all that was known about the Antarctic in the early days was due to his expedition. Mawson went 600 miles into absolutely unknown territory with two companions with dogs, food and adequate supplies. However: The load was distributed unequally. The last sledge in sequence had almost all the food, all the dog food, the tent, much of the supplies, and all of the dog food. It was pulled by the best dogs. This was so that the other two men would cross a stretch first, and the third man would be guaranteed to cross a proven path and not fall into a crevasse. That sledge fell into a crevasse, killing one of the men, killing all the best dogs and losing nearly all their supplies. They were deep into the antarctic with a deadline to meet the return of their ship. They had to manufacture their own tent and build their own tent poles. The stove could only be heated up inside a tent, which had to be pitched each time they had to eat. The winds went up to about 80 miles an hour. The dogs began to die. As each dog died, they butchered it and used it to feed themselves and the remaining dogs. Finally no dogs were left, and the two men left hauled while starving. Hoping that the the dog livers would have additional nutrition, they saved them for themselves. They began to eat the livers, boil the bones of the dogs They keep getting stuck in blizzards and cannot leave the tent. Unknown at the time, husky livers have extreme doses of Vitamin A and can lead to vitamin poisoning. (Discovered around 1970.) As Mawson's companion weakened he saved the livers for him and fed them to him. Parts of their bodies,; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Icy Sparks; Author: Gwyn Hyman Rubio; Genres: history, young-adult, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: It is certainly an interesting story. Worth reading. Tourette's syndrome growing up in rural Kentucky. Given it has been Oprafied and is a New York Times Notable Book, and the intriguing nature of the story, I expected something slightly more. Meh.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Gathering; Author: Anne Enright; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, fiction; Review: The haunting, bitter but fantastical and sarcastic voice lost in loss, beautifully written, weaving in and out private fantasies, sarcasm, and a hungry aching of the soul. There is a serious confusion of memory and fantasy, sex and fear, disfunction, conclusion and surmise that weaves in and out of this story of a women journeying to a gathering of a modern Irish family for the final farewell to a brother who died, a suicide.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Modern Artists on Art; Author: Robert L. Herbert; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: A big variation in quality and readability, from the pretentious to the theoretical to the personal as different artists have different levels of clarity in their writing. I think I enjoyed Kandinsky's memoirs the best. Unlike his theoretic writings, these resonate with passion and memories with an intense color sense. His theoretic writings are very dry, but useful. This is a very personal free association on his inner development as an artist.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Acrylic Revolution: New Tricks and Techniques for Working with the World's Most Versatile Medium; Author: Nancy Reyner; Genres: non-fiction, fiction; Review: OK you are an acrylic painter. You want some ideas. You want to try something new. This is the book. Good reference material. This is not a paint by number book. It gives about 100 techniques. It may be of more interest to an abstract or more experimental painter, although many of the techniques can be adopted to traditional work. In the interest of fairness, since I gave it five stars, I did find some minor flaws. I found two spelling errors, although admittedly one of those is "sgraffito". I found one edge case of a technical explanation that I though was slightly off. But everything of substance appears to be completely reliable and technically sound. (I have used a fair number of experimental techniques myself, so I have used many of them.); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: David Park: A Painter's Life; Author: Nancy Boas; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction; Review: A quite interesting biography. Park, if you are not familiar with him, went in a diametrically opposite direction to prevailing critical and artistic consensus, to follow his own instincts, by leaving behind abstraction in the heyday of Abstract Expressionism and choosing to work in a figurative style. Park was marked by a kind of integrity that would not allow him to be anyone else but himself. His approach to figuration brought in a highly raw, expressive and painterly approach, which bears the mark of his earlier abstract manner. Initially this was deeply shocking to his friends and fellow painters, Elmer Bischoff and Richard Diebenkorn. Soon, they too began to work in an abstract expressive figurative manner emphasizing a contemporary California subject matter, a style or tendency that is often described as "San Francisco Bay Area Figurative". Not truly traditional, it incorporated many aspects of Abstract Expressionism, as well as the early modernism of the Fauves and Expressionists. He died tragically at a very early age, of lung cancer, almost certainly attributable to chain smoking, and probably exacerbated while painting by contaminating his cigarettes with lead white pigment from his hands. Both Bischoff and Diebenkorn returned to abstraction later in life, the latter becoming famous for the hundred odd paintings of the monumental "Ocean Park" series. David Park was not allowed to have the time to either accept or reject or explore. Incidentally, I heard Nancy Boas speak (she signed my copy). In the audience, we actually had David Park's daughter who spoke a lot about her father with great affection, admiration, and respect. We also had a student of his.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The American Political Tradition and the Men Who Made It; Author: Richard Hofstadter; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: As I get older, rather than getting drunk and burning and blowing up things, I find myself drawn to read a work of American history around Independence Day. Apparently, Hofstadter thought little of this book, a youthful work, because it was without the subtlety and considered judgement that he came later in life to value. I think that's bosh. For the non-specialist, it's a very engaging read of character studies of major American political figures. Each chapter is succinct, lively, and irreverent, with an eye to paradox, but not unaware of greatness when it occurs.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Illuminations; Author: Arthur Rimbaud; Genres: non-fiction, poetry, fiction; Review: What do you make of an author that hands a work for publication to an ex-lover who shot him? The imagery is vivid, idiosyncratic hermetic and strangely beautiful, and anticipates surealism. Ashbery has, as far as I can tell, done an excellent job in translation. The original and translation appear on opposite sides. I don't speak French in any meaningful sense, but there is a an exquisite sound sense in his language that I can pick up in a vague sense in reading (and doubtless mispronouncing) passages alound. As just one example, the rather striking translated passage (perhaps my favorite), "Oh! our bones are clad with a new loving body." appears in the original as the far more musical and wondrous "Oh! nos sont revetus d'un nouveaux corps amoreaux."; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World; Author: Sam Sommers; Genres: non-fiction; Review: flip and amusing, lots of great stories about how we think, based on context, not character; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Back in No Time: The Brion Gysin Reader; Author: Brion Gysin; Genres: poetry, fiction; Review: Gysin is less known than he ought to be. Many people only know him through mentions in relation to the writer William S. Burroughs--the final passage of hisThe Ticket That Exploded transitions from printed words to an illustration of Brion Gyin's calligraphic script, the book essentially dissolving. Gysin was also very influential in being the inventor of the cut-up technique, which influenced several of Burroughs' books. Which is a shame since he was a visual artist, writer, historian, inventor, poet, and avant guarde innovator. There's little of his writing available, I was able to find this in the public library. He is perhaps taken less seriously than he should be, due to the eclectic range of his interests. Robert Palmer of theThe New York Times described him as a man who "threw off the sort of ideas that ordinary artists would parlay into a lifetime career, great clumps of ideas, as casually as a locomotive throws off sparks." I enjoyed some types of his writing more than others, but the range of concerns in this slim volume is astounding. A few biographical details-- Born in England to Canadian parents, he moved to Paris in his teens. He crossed paths with much of the avant guarde and counter culture. He made literary and artistic contacts through Marie Berthe Aurenche, Max Ernst's second wife. He joined the Surrealist Group and began frequenting Valentine Hugo, Leonor Fini,Salvador Dali, Picasso and Dora Maar. He lived in Tangier, and ran a restaurant called the Thousand and One Nights. He met Burroughs there. He lived in the Beat Hotel and knew many of the Beats. He developed artistic styles based around calligraphic and repeated imagery. He created auditory and concrete music using spliced tape recordings. He invented the "cut-up" technique which extended some of the earlier experiments of the surrealists. In using a Stanley blade to cut a mount for a drawing, he sliced through newspapers, and realized that the cut up words could be recombined in literature in the same way as collage is used in art, and alerted Burroughs to the technique which was incorporated in Naked Lunch. He wrote a discerning biography of Josiah Henson (the real life model for Uncle Tom) which gave him an entre into black intellectual circles. He invented and patented a form of kinetic sculpture called "the Dream Machine" that induces visions via flashing lights timed to correspond with alpha rhythms. He wrote song lyrics. He sang and recited his poetry in jazz albums. He wrote several novels. He wrote computer generated permutation poems which make their impact as much through visual pattern as through the words they contain. Here's a sample of his art: BRION GYSIN'S 16.4 METER MAKIMONO AND MAGNUM OPUS Here's a capsule biography: [url]=... To learn more about him: [url]/; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Silent Angel; Author: Heinrich Boll; Genres: history, children, biography, historical fiction, fiction; Review: A German post-war novel set in the grim shadow of recent defeat and the collapse of the Nazi regime, it is a small, simple but desperate and urgent book, set among the ruins, that balances dispair and spiritual longing, defeat and hope, death and love.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking; Author: Susan Cain; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Introverts take energy from solitude. But that's not the way the world is designed. Would we be more effective if the world could adjust to both introverted and extroverted styles? I think so, and the author has considerable support for this position. Some personal observations: If you work as a software developer, you are most likely an introvert. Yet everything that is done in the software field these days is not designed to work well with introverts. Office design is "open", with no private space, and encouraging "interaction" and "communication". Everyone on the team must be interrupted every morning so that they can have a "scrum meeting" and "communicate" what they are doing to everybody else instead of communicating by e-mail or documentation.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bernini: His Life and His Rome; Author: Franco Mormando; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Although the book does cover Bernini's masterpieces, "his Rome" is pretty much the emphasis of this book. It gives a clear background in the political and social climate of his times and the details of his personality and interactions and their impact on the creation of his art, as well as the Baroque conception of art, which is theatrical and dramatic. It is also vigorously and cheerily decorated with the scandals of the Papal Rome of his day. It makes sufficiently skeptical and critical use of suspiciously adulatory contemporary writing (some of which was authorized by the Bernini family). It is not however centered on aesthetic issues, and it is your focus of interests that determine whether you will be delighted or disappointed by this book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: David Park, Painter; Author: Helen Bigelow; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction; Review: I also recently read Nancy Boas' book on the same subject. David Park: A Painter's Life. I was able to hear her speak, as well as his daughter, Hele Park Bigelow. I'll reproduce some background information I included in the other review. Park, if you are not familiar with him, went in a diametrically opposite direction to prevailing critical and artistic consensus, to follow his own instincts, by leaving behind abstraction in the heyday of Abstract Expressionism and choosing to work in a figurative style. Park was marked by a kind of integrity that would not allow him to be anyone else but himself. His approach to figuration brought in a highly raw, expressive and painterly approach, which bears the mark of his earlier abstract manner. Initially this was deeply shocking to his friends and fellow painters, Elmer Bischoff and Richard Diebenkorn. Soon, they too began to work in an abstract expressive figurative manner emphasizing a contemporary California subject matter, a style or tendency that is often described as "San Francisco Bay Area Figurative". Not truly traditional, it incorporated many aspects of Abstract Expressionism, as well as the early modernism of the Fauves and Expressionists. This book has excellent reproductions, including some paintings that are now lost to us. In that regard the reproductions are much better than those in Boas' book. Although Nancy Boas has done considerable research to give a perspectival view of Park, Helen Bigelow, gives us a more personal account, a picture of what it is to live with and be personally touched by art which I found quite moving.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Voyagers of the Titanic: Passengers, Sailors, Shipbuilders, Aristocrats, and the Worlds They Came From; Author: Richard Davenport-Hines; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: This was quite an excellent book. It has a great deal of research into the social fabric and conventions and the individual lives of those who were involved, with many telling details, including many individuals that were quite obscure. This provides a telling snapshot of the age; its focus is much more on the world of 1912 than on the details of the accident, although giving a good summary of the event. Coincidentally, I was working on a "dead sailor from the Titanic" Halloween costume (since this is the 100th anniversary of the sinking) and I ran across this book in the "new books" section quite by accident. Here's some photos; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Higher Duty: Desertion among Georgia Troops during the Civil War; Author: Mark A. Weitz; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Some very interesting data about class divisions and inequality of sacrifice among white southerners. A brief synopsis: In the Confederacy 90% of its citizens did not own slaves. Of the remaining 10% only 1% owned more than 20 slaves. This was pretty typical of Georgia too. Despite the traditions of Southern honor among the plantation class, it turns out that those owning 20 or more slaves were exempt from the draft. Those who were exempt did have to serve in the militia, and were allowed to serve locally, ostensibly to prevent slave rebellions, and provide crops that were no longer available from the North, and which were needed to supply the army. There were of course many of that class who chose to serve in the army and take an active part. Whether they did or not, due to slave ownership, they could be assured their wives and family would have the farm labor to take care of their needs. Upcountry, in North Georgia, the yeoman farmers, were subject the draft, for they lacked special protections available to the slaveocrats of the Plantation Belt. Lacking slaves, since all the able bodied men were subject, their wives and families were deprived of sufficient farm labor and were often left destitute. As a result, within that group, their loyalty was divided because of the very real threat to their families. Like their men, for the women of upcountry Georgia there was a concept of honor that placed family first. Unlike the plantation women, who took pride in the honor of their men fighting until the last, their wives did not have that luxury. As a result, once the cause looked lost or the family was facing the immediate threat of annihilation, their wives began to beg their husbands to return. As a result many deserted, or surrendered to Union troops, with the heaviest numbers concentrated in the north.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Finnegans Wake: A Plot Summary; Author: John Gordon; Genres: fiction; Review: Not bad. A unique perspective. As Finnegans Wake takes place inside a sleeper's head (as much as anywhere else) Gordon emphasizes the surroundings and furnishings.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science; Author: Richard Holmes; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, romance, fiction; Review: A very good book about the romance of scientific discovery in the heyday of Romantic science. I found the story of the Herschells the most interesting.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Interzone; Author: William S. Burroughs; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is essentially a compilation of William S. Burrough's notebooks, and chronicles his very bizarre passage towards becoming a (very bizarre) writer. There are revealing points of sentiment, especially his repeated sorrows about the death of Joan (his wife, killed accidentally by his hand in a drunken game of William Tell), and his admission that he was subject to erratic compassion, and although sometimes cold could not endure the suffering of a child; he ruthlessly expunged sentimentality in his published work. You see him gradually realizing he cannot "write like everybody else." There are also passages of such obsessively grotesque obscenity where he was deliberately trying to explore every possible combination of image to provision himself with material: you realize that although a book like Naked Lunch was arranged into disjoint routines, it was actually more deliberately arranged that you might have thought.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Francis Bacon and the Tradition of Art; Author: Barbara Steffen; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction; Review: Great information on Bacon's art practice, and in general on the dialog between artists of the present and past. Not a great deal of organization of the material; the presentation seems a bit jumbled, like Bacon's studio.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Finding Kansas: Living and Decoding Asperger's Syndrome; Author: Aaron Likens; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is a rather perceptive book that a young man with Aspergers has written about what what his perceptions and experiences feel like from the inside.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: How to Create a Mind: The Secret of Human Thought Revealed; Author: Ray Kurzweil; Genres: non-fiction; Review: I enjoyed this book a lot. I think one of the issues that confronts neuroscience is the in-between scale between large features with apparent functions and global neurotransmitter levels on the one hand, and individual neuronal activity on the other. This is highly speculative, but Kurzweil has the credentials of constructing fairly formidable AI applications, so I think that his speculations as to how mid-level structures "ought to" work (pattern recognition theory of mind) should be given some credence and welcomed. He also argues fairly convincingly that, although previously, AI researchers tended to wildly over estimate the degree to which intelligence could be simulated (with early computers this was not very persuasive), that we are approaching a point where AI can take on a large number of human tasks and capabilities, and reach sentience, at least in the sense of passing the Turing test. (A test proposed that involves guessing whether a hidden agent is a human ro a computer by conversation alone.) He does this with enormous respect for the incredible complexity of the human brain, which, although much slower than electronics, has insanely massive parallelism and huge capacity. A stimulating read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Integral Psychology: Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy; Author: Ken Wilber; Genres: non-fiction; Review: Ken Wilber is in perhaps a good sense a latter day scholastic philosopher. His audacious intent is to attempt a synthesis of scientific rationality, mystical experience postmodernism, and eastern philosophy. The weakness of such synthesis is that, although interesting, it tends to be schematic, and based on meta-writing, rather than experiential test (scientific experiment, meditative practice etc.*) However it brings forward a wealth of ideas and patterns for your consideration. * Wilber has scientific training and a long-standing meditation practice, so this criticism is not about his personal experience, nor of his wide scholarship, but the wide range of levels of credibility of his sources.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey; Author: Jill Bolte Taylor; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Well I gave it 5 stars, because it was amazing. I felt it drifted a bit off towards the end, but all in all, the reconstruction of "what happened", and her effort to understand and respect the astounding things of which a "damaged" mind is capable (many of which, such as our intuition of interconnectedness get drowned out by even more of our capabilities) makes this a fascinating read. If you don't have time for this book, I highly recommend her TED talk (slight spoiler). [url]... Well worth meeting her after reading the book too.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: I Was Told There'd Be Cake; Author: Sloane Crosley; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: amusing, quirky; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Schrodinger's Kittens and the Search for Reality: Solving the Quantum Mysteries; Author: John Gribbin; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Excellent. Very engaging for the mind. Although there may not fully be a "solution" for the current state of quantum mechanics. As the author points out that more or less all current interpretations that lead to a way of "understanding" quantum mechanics, do not differ in their actual testable predictions. A future extended theory might be hypothesized to incorporate features that would yield falsifiable differential predictions. If you don't care, or have already read the book: The suggestion that the best way to understand the nature of quantum reality is in the reality of advanced and retarded solutions, in essence, influence "traveling" both forward and backwards in time as well as a sum over histories did not totally surprise me. I would consider that non-locality requires influence to propagate in both directions in time. This is because non-locality implies instantaneous influence; but special relativity considers such "instantaneous" relationships--simultaneous events--to be relative to reference frame. Two separated events A and B that are simultaneous in one frame can occur in either the sequence A-B or B-A in other frames.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Passage of Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, #4); Author: Robert A. Caro; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: This is an amazing book. The description of the transfer of power in Dallas from LBJ's perspective, crushed by a secret service agent who placed his body over him, slamming around as the car spun braked, swerved, overhearing snippets of secret service walkie-talkies ("he's been hit") rushed through the hospital by armed guards. Stunning. It is the story of a humiliated LBJ, first reduced to a Vice-Presidential sidekick, disrespected by the Kennedy team, haunted by a fear of failure. It is the triumphant story of how, LBJ, against all odds, using more will power and self control than he ever had been able to muster in his life as a willful and proud man to keep the Kennedy team on board and break the log jam that had previously doomed the progressive agenda and the civil rights bill. It is the story of raw power, ingenuity, guile, passion and their uses. It also gives marvelous glimpses into the development of Robert Kennedy, and the absolute and mutual hatred of the two men. High drama. Although triumphant, Caro warns, "[t]he story of the presidency of Lyndon Johnson [in his next volume] will be different in tone from the story of the transition...If he had held in check those forces within him, had conquered himself for a while, he wasn't going to be able to do it for very long." Caro's next book will detail the affect that his success will have on him, the landslide victory, the pride, the inability to lose, that will lead into escalation and disaster in Viet Nam. I highly recommend Master of the Senate too. It gives a great background to LBJ's genius as a parliamentarian.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Understanding Thomas Jefferson; Author: E.M. Halliday; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: The point of this book was to hypothesize a three dimensional and plausible Jefferson. As a result, much of the book is speculative, but the basis for what it deems the most probable assertion is pretty clearly spelled out.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mozart: A Life; Author: Peter Gay; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, romance, fiction; Review: Not bad. It's pretty good at sorting out the fiction from the rumors. Entertaining. Much of Mozartiana popularizations have a grain of truth, but some popular rumors are just pain made up.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail - But Some Don't; Author: Nate Silver; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Statistics are all around us, as are the biases, whether just-so models with no theoretical underpinnings, or ideology. Silver has a low opinion of punditry. This is a very interesting book to those of us who are interested in prediction, whether it be poker, weather, chess playing computers, baseball, gambling, earthquakes or politics . Some people may find it statistics-heavy but I think that it was necessary to fully develop his themes. Personally I found that very interesting! Silver takes a Bayesian approach, and asks that we be intelligent consumers of data.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, #1); Author: Robert A. Caro; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Amazing psychohistory. Sets the stage for BOTH LBJ's undying urge to help the underdog, and his undying urge to become somebody important, and regardless of the rules, ethics or laws.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Painted Veil; Author: W. Somerset Maugham; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: A simple but intriguing story.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Golden Ticket: P, NP, and the Search for the Impossible; Author: Lance Fortnow; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Although interesting, I did not really learn what I needed form this book which would be half the way between highly technical and non-technical. Refusal to define terms even though in an index would probably have been a good idea here. (Refers to a website instead.); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Pope's Last Crusade: How an American Jesuit Helped Pope Pius XI's Campaign to Stop Hitler; Author: Peter Eisner; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Pius XXIth was a thorn in the side of the Vatican bureaucracy, because he spoke from the heart. This may sound familiar today. People have heard much more about Pius XII, his appeasing successor, who was his secretary of state, and wanted to "smooth over the waters" whenever Pius the XXIth let drop that he really despised racism, Hitler and Mussolini. It appears that this faction buried his encyclical condemning same. And although his work on the encyclical, never saw the light of day until many years later, the American priest just mentioned, did a lot of work years later in the American civil rights movement. More... And he was getting close to excommunicating Mussolini, and making a fairly blunt attack on fascism and Nazism, which was scheduled within the week he died. Although in very ill health, there were some odd things about his death, hiding of papers, hiding that a physician in attendance was the father of Mussolini's mistress.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: American Isis: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath; Author: Carl Rollyson; Genres: history, thriller, poetry, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: This is quite a good biography, seems to me. Needless to say this will provoke controversy. Oddly the book mentions her depression, and also that most of the time she was very upbeat, talkative, charismatic, vibrant, and ambitious. But it doesn't directly mention a hypothetical diagnosis of mood disorder or bipolar illness which would fit in with her more 'expansive' moods. ('Bipolar' is not in the books' index.) Poets tend to have a greater incidence of this type of emotional variation, and indeed Ted Hughes, her estranged husband appears to also have some of the same characteristics. Plathians please don't jump on me here, but I think it is s disservice to her as a very fine writer to stress only her victimhood, or as a victim. One of the merits of the book is its emphasis on her high artistic ambition and drive.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Philosophy Bites; Author: David Edmonds; Genres: history, non-fiction, biography, historical fiction; Review: Succinct bite sized pieces of philosophy. About right sized to those who are philo-sophical (lovers of knowlege) but not philosophers.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Modern Art: 19th and 20th Centuries: Selected Papers; Author: Meyer Schapiro; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: The essays in this collection are for the most part excellent, and differ from much "art speak" in that the author is not adverse to using clear language. The Mondrian article is especially incisive. He has three essays on abstract art from different time periods, before ascendency in American art (30's) at ascendency (50's), and post-ascendency (60's). He is a bit apologetic about the earlier essays, but they are all pretty good (and of their time). I felt the sprawling essay on Cezanne, which makes the probably valid point that he was somewhat afraid of the figure, and that he transferred his erotic and romantic feelings to apples, a bit too labored, although never unclear, and an exception to the general rule that these essays are reasonably tightly constructed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish; Author: Douglas Adams; Genres: young-adult, paranormal, fantasy, romance, fiction; Review: Amusing, and still featuring the author's bizarre and profoundly silly imagination, but seeming to stretch a bit.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim; Author: David Sedaris; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Hilarious, and dark family reminiscences by the inimitable David Sedaris.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Interaction of Color: New Complete Edition; Author: Josef Albers; Genres: history, comics, poetry, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: I was not about to cut out hundreds of colored papers and do all the exercises, although there was a point in my life where I might have found them helpful. I felt I had to read this "classic" work, although I am not sure I learned anything, since I have a pretty fair knowledge of what passes for color theory hereabouts. :); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Robert Oppenheimer: A Life Inside the Center; Author: Ray Monk; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: This is a very fine biography of a very brilliant and very strange individual. In his youth Oppenheimer was, to say it mildly a very deeply disturbed young man, but who managed to stabilize his personality to a certain degree. His friend I. I. Rabi called him a collection of bright shining fragments. Despite this he was strangely charismatic. Nonetheless, he was very charismatic, and perhaps the best possible choice for leading the Manhattan project. There's so much in this book, I can't even begin to cover it. Note for the literati-- Oppenheimer credits his salvation with achieving a certain uneasy balance and a forgiveness of self around the time he read Proust, a writer who more than any other gave voice to those sorts of thoughts we never quite acknowledge. Also, there's an excellent extended review in physicsworld.com here: [url]... (note, you may have to sign up to read the article--it's free.); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Luther: Man Between God and the Devil; Author: Heiko A. Oberman; Genres: non-fiction, history, biography, historical fiction; Review: I have to admit that I found Luther a bit tiresome as an individual, although a man of admirable courage. The author's thesis is that Luther's viewpoint was fundamentally medieval and that he saw the Devil as a profound and direct presence in the world. I think that this foreign viewpoint (as well as his considerable anti-Semitism and virulent anger) were the main reasons that I was turned off by him.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Finish: The Killing of Osama Bin Laden; Author: Mark Bowden; Genres: history, thriller, crime, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, mystery; Review: Quite interesting. The author also wrote Black Hawk Down Bowden indicates out that the primary credit to the Obama administration goes to a policy that focussed more on destroying the morale and leadership of Al Qaeda rather than large scale military involvement and establishing very early on a policy that the United States would engage in a policy of hot pursuit, regardless of issues of Pakistani sovereignty. Although he gets some credit for making sure that fallback plans were in place (so that the downed helicopter would not prove a disaster in the actual raid), the bad experience of the ill-fated raid to rescue the hostages in the Carter administration, plus a lot of experience in making lighting raids on terrorists, meant that the Seals were very good at contingency planning. What President Obama does not get credit for, was making a unilateral call for action (as some have incorrectly claimed). The majority of the principals favored the decision that Obama ultimately made, with a minority suggesting an alternate approach of shooting Osama bin Laden with a small remotely controlled missile. There were many objections to that approach: it was an untried technology, there would be no way to obtain DNA to verify the kill, and there would be no ability to seize records and other physical intelligence. One bit I found fascinating was how the feasibility demonstrations, or actually QA testing, as you might call it, proceeded, and why that helicopter went out of control in the actual raid, but not in the practice runs. In one set of tests, they had built an exact replica of the Bin Laden walled compound, and proved that they could carry out all the steps of the mission in the compound in repeated tests. This was near Washington, so that top officials could watch. In the other set of tests they staged a practice run in the desert to simulate the actual temperatures and air density of the flight into Pakistan, and the delivery and retrieval of the raiders. In that simulation they covered the actual distances, dropped off the team and picked them up. This was a very important test as they had to make sure that the fuel and weight calculations were correct, with very narrow margins. They did not, however build a second complete mock up of the compound, but instead marked out the wall of the compound with a chain link fence. It turned out however that in the real compound in the real weather conditions in the real raid the solid wall caused air currents that caused a helicopter to spiral out of control, and forcing the pilot to ditch (essentially a partly controlled crash.); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Accidental Masterpiece: On the Art of Life and Vice Versa; Author: Michael Kimmelman; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: An interesting read. It wanders over all aspects of art and creativity.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sleep Thieves: an Eye-Opening Exploration into the Science and Mysteries of Sleep; Author: Stanley Coren; Genres: non-fiction; Review: This is a fascinating book, and full of fascinating anecdotes, and important information about the costs of sleep deprivation. He also derides our current societal view that sleep is a waste of time, rather than fulfilling critical functions. Tom Edison, who hoped that his light bulb would eliminate some of this waste, may have exaggerated his short sleep hours, and may actually have made up for it, by taking many mid day naps. He discusses some of the common causes of either lack of sleep, or, more insidious, fragmented sleep. Some tidbits: Unlike dolphins, who are so adapted to the water, they can hold their breath for long periods of time, the Russian fur seal is much more like a human swimmer. How does a Russian fur seal sleep without drowning? How much sleep do we really need? Record holders in going without sleep: what were their experiences?... Are the regulations on work and rest hours on the trucking industry and airlines keeping us safe? So the Russian fur seal sleeps in one brain hemisphere at a time! One side is sleep paralyzed, on the other the seal swims with the flippers on one side. Every two minutes, the sleep switches to the opposite side, the seal makes slow alternating circles. Humans may need about 10 hours of sleep to have full cognitive function. The idea that 7 hours is all we need and 6 is not bad is probably destructive for most people. All of the higher apes sleep about 10 hours. Why would we be different. Common symptoms of deliberate long term sleep loss involve cognitive decline, inappropriate anger, and progressively more and more vivid hallucinations followed by paranoid delusions. The author himself experimented with attempting to wean himself from sleep, by gradually reducing his sleep hours. He finally could not tolerate the experiment; he later found rejection letters for peer reviewed articles he had submitted during the period, expressing surprise at the low quality of his work--and was surprised to find that the papers were unfocussed, disorganized and filled with grammatical and spelling errors, none of which he had noticed before. The collision of technical rules that do not really fit the realities of the industry or of human sleep with the pressure of economic factors are producing fatigued drivers and pilots, and costly adn sometimes fatal errors.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Dalloway; Author: Virginia Woolf; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, romance, fiction; Review: The writing is beautiful. It is written in a stream of consciousness manner, with the narrative moving through a single day from character to character, in what I might term a cloud-mind. It focusses on Mrs. Dolloway who who has the circumscribed life of a society hostess, and yet, by entering her mind, we see a bit emotional, poetical and sensory aspects to her character, and of many of the other characters compassionately. Like Ulysses, it is a stream of consciousness novel about a summer day. The use of language is not as experimental, although it too was quite radical at the time it was written. I found her rendering of emotional states, including extreme emotional states, exquisite. An excellent book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons; Author: George Pendle; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This is a fascinating biography. The style of the book is slightly purple, but it seems to fit the subject matter. I think that only Tim Burton could direct a movie about the life of Jack Parsons. He is an early pioneer of rocketry when rocketry was intellectually disreputable. A founding member of the rocket experimentation center at CalTech, nicknamed "the suicide squad". Consultant to the military and inventor of the initial JATO engine. An expert in explosives. Engaged in exhausting black magic rituals to manifest his last wife, who was supposed to be Babylon the Great. One of the founders of the JPL, and an important Aerospace company. Had an enthusiasm for black magic that was so extreme he was warned by Aleister Crowly to cool it. Engaged in hours long long distance calls to Germany to talk to the young Werner on Braun. (Pre-crash, his grandfather was wealthy.) Knew Robert Heinlein, and L. Ron Hubbard. (Who stole his great love at the time.) Was a member of a hedonistic magic secret free love cult. Blew himself up. A crater on the dark side of the moon is named after him.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Who Was Dracula?: Bram Stoker's Trail of Blood; Author: Jim Steinmeyer; Genres: history, comics, paranormal, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, fiction; Review: The title is somewhat deceptive. Dracula was obviously a synthesis of a lot of different things. This book gives a good background on Bram Stoker's world. It also gives a very good plot synopsis of the whole novel. He was a stage manager for a great British stage star Henry Irving. Irving had played a rather sinister Mephistopheles, and his face actually resembled that of the historical Vlad Tepes. Stoker wrote several novels, but none of them had the quality of Dracula.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mathematics 1001: Absolutely Everything That Matters in Mathematics in 1001 Bite-Sized Explanations; Author: Richard Elwes; Genres: non-fiction; Review: Surprisingly readable. You don't get many books that try to cover this much territory. Some oddities in notation is the only quibble I have. And yeah, you need to have at least a passing interest in math--although you can jump around and pick what interests you.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1); Author: Orson Scott Card; Genres: young-adult, children, paranormal, fantasy, fiction; Review: Pretty much a classic sci-fi book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Remedy: Robert Koch, Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Quest to Cure Tuberculosis; Author: Thomas Goetz; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: The tie in between Arthur Conan Doyle and the quest to cure tuberculosis may seem to be a bit of a stretch, aping the Eric Larson school of shameless fun non-sequitur tie-ins, but there are actually a fair number of connections, since Doyle was a medical doctor, based his famous character on an exemplary diagnostician that taught him, and was also a scientific correspondent and popularizer of medical discoveries. The term "evidence-based" is a current cliche, but the arrival of deduction--evidence into medicine was a very late development, led to an understanding of microbial-borne disease, and one that has saved countless lives. Interestingly, and sadly, the lag time between medical research consensus and general adoption as best practice is still about 17 years.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Bohemians: Mark Twain and the San Francisco Writers Who Reinvented American Literature; Author: Ben Tarnoff; Genres: history, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: This takes the seminal period of development of four Western writers, Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Charles Stottard and Ina Coolbrith, and their interaction and development in San Francisco. This was at a time when the standards of American literature were all in the hands of an Eastern elite, many of whom were talented, but tended to ape Europeans stylistically, and for the most part, lacked full engagement with the spoken American idiom. The bohemians all had a healthy load of skepticism about the romanticized western boosterism that was prevalent in the San Francisco business community's expectations of what literature should be. There was a concerted attempt by the business interests to even censor the news, so that negative stories like a severe earthquake would not get published, lest the newly arrived telegraph should instantly transmit discouragement to potential settlers. Not exactly a spoiler, but gives away some details which might be more fun to discover yourself.-- Coolbrith, was tied down by family responsibilities, and being a woman, had not the ability to travel, her poetry is tragic and direct. She was the last survivor of the group and became California's first poet laureate. Her opposite in many ways was Stottard, who left poetry for prose and ventured many times to Hawaii, and Tahiti, and his romantic reportage, slightly tinged with subtle homoeroticism, was well received. These two were very close to each other. They, and Twain looked up to Harte. Harte was actually the first of the writers to arrive. Unlike Twain, he was urbane, rather sophisticated-even though he used Western themes, he did so with condescension and irony--and tended to take himself too seriously. This proved to be his undoing, as he became aloof, demanding, and uncritical of his own work, which deeply descended in quality once he became a national figure. Unlike Twain, he could not recover his fortunes by lecturing, as his lectures, even when excellent--and sometimes they were not--we delivered in a very poor manner, with no appreciation of an audience. Twain, on the other hand, was extremely uncouth, a factor that tended to disguise his great talent at the beginning of his career. In many ways, you would have to describe his early journalism as almost pure trolling; he got into enormous trouble from pranks and false news items that he planted, which often had a fair share of cruelty and spite. It must be said that he always immediately admitted his journalistic crimes, and did not try to pretend they were anything but fictions. But ultimately he had an ear for the spoken word, and the wisdom to titrate his vulgarity to just the degree that it had a universal appeal, and enormous ambition. This understanding of the speech served him very well in his lectures which were essentially stand-up comedy, delivered in an eccentric and deadpan manner.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Call Me Burroughs: A Life; Author: Barry Miles; Genres: history, poetry, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction; Review: Burroughs is not everybody's cup of tea, but he had an incandescent outlaw brilliance that at its high points was unlike anything anyone else has ever done. You can see my review of his Naked Lunch here: [url]... The premise of the biography is that there was in a sense a demonic possession in Burroughs' personality, whether you take that literally or not, and that his entire life's work can be seen as a canvas upon which he struggled with it. In his writing he deliberately tried to maintain a rather sardonic authorial voice, cruel and without pity, but, just under the surface there always a pursuit of candor and a rage against cruelty and oppression. He was brilliant and paranoid, abused all manner of drugs and alcohol and attempted to live a very unconventional and open gay lifestyle at a time when such things were usually unspoken. Even when he bought boyfriends he tended to fall madly in love with them, even though they were supposed to be "just sex" arrangements. The actual Burroughs, although thoroughly capable of cruelty and inexplicable and unwise actions, was also wracked with sentiment, empathy, fear, sorrow, loneliness, and longing to be loved. He tended to travel through, and tolerate, the most erratic and untrustworthy of companions and environments. He was not particularly good for people, but he blamed himself when things went awry as they often did, The central mythological event was the accidental killing of his second wife, Joan. At a party where everyone was high and very drunk he played William Tell and attempted to shoot a shot glass off her head, apparently with her encouragement. When he sobered up and was confronted by police he could not believe his own stupidity. This haunted him for the rest of his life. Although he was not usually into women, he was very found of Joan, and they had a great deal in common (although she specialized in benzedrine, and he specialized in morphine) and I honestly believe there was no intent. (I hadn't known until reading this book that his first wife was a Jewish woman that he married to get safely out of Europe.) This death utterly shattered and haunted Burroughs. he had always written, but after this he had to write. This is a very large book and I cannot touch upon it but briefly here. The total impact though, is surprise at every corner how incredibly much he accomplished and how he never gave up. One would by all appearances have expected him to have met with an early death. It is absolutely astounding he lived to 83.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon; Author: Brad Stone; Genres: history, comics, graphic, biography, historical fiction, non-fiction, fiction; Review: Quite good. Reveals a lot of the thinking that made Amazon so successful, as well as that part of it that didn't work so well.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | goodreads |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Black Mountain Products Resistance Band Set with Door Anchor, Ankle Strap, Exercise Chart, and Resistance Band Carrying Case; Brand: Black Mountain; Review: If you are creative, you can do almost any exercise with these bands, and they all fit into a small tote bag. Build quality is good -they are durable.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Metolius Rock Rings CNC 3D; Brand: Metolius; Review: These are great, more portable and versatile than one of those over the door pull up bars. Using different spacing and grips, you can vary the workout as you please.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gerber 31-000751 Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Knife, Serrated Edge; Brand: Gerber; Review: This is an excellent knife which can be utilized for a multitude of outdoor and survival purposes; or can be used at a fancy dinner to intimidate.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ontario SP8 Machete (Black); Brand: Ontario Knife; Review: There seem to be plenty of lengthy reviews touting different uses for this machete. I'll just add that I concur.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Sports_and_Outdoors |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The Kissing Hand; Author: Visit Amazon's Audrey Penn Page; Review: One of my all time favorite children's books. I still give my daughter who is 20 a kissing hand when we part and she leaves for college. She has loved this story since she was a toddler.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet; Author: Visit Amazon's Elaine Gottschall Page; Review: The book is well written with all the information you need to get started. The yogurt recipe is a must and is so easy to make at home. I made mine in the oven with just the light left on. This is not meant to be followed for a lifetime. 2-4 years max. It helped me for a while. I followed it for 9 months, but I always felt weak and tired and it stopped helping me at the end. It must be followed EXACTLY or it will not work...no sneaking, no cheating.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nausica of the Valley of the Wind Box Set; Author: Visit Amazon's Hayao Miyazaki Page; Review: My daughter absolutely loved this set! She has the movie, well all the Studio Ghibli movies and loves to read the books too. This set is well made and beautiful in it's box.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 100 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free; Author: Visit Amazon's Erica Kerwien Page; Review: Excellent recipes and pictures to go with many of them. I used this book a lot while on this diet for 9 months.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Digest Diet Cookbook; Author: Visit Amazon's Liz Vaccariello Page; Review: Good book and diet. Easy to follow and great recipes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Goat in the Rug; Author: Visit Amazon's Charles L. Blood Page; Review: Lived in Gallup, NM and got to meet the author and get a signed copy. Purchased this for a niece and nephew. They loved the story as much as my little girl did. A very unique and beautiful story!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Going West (Little House Picture Book); Author: Visit Amazon's Laura Ingalls Wilder Page; Review: Love this easy to read version!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Turtle Soup: Recipes For The Specific Carbohydrate Diet From An Scd Mom; Author: Beth Spencer; Review: I did not like the recipes in this book much. Too bland.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Around The Globe - Must See Places in Asia; Author: Visit Amazon's Baby Professor Page; Review: I loved this book. A great overview of many countries in Asia. It is complete with photos and a brief narrative. This is a perfect first book of Asia for young readers. Great book for young children and the adults who read to them. Around The Globe Must See Places In Asia, is a book about the continent of Asia and really shows the reader how very different Asia is in regards to its people , their religions, cultures, environment, language, and day to day life. Asia is much more complicated than any other continent due to its wide range of languages spoken by the native people of those lands. The Asian countries covered in the book are Cambodia, China, Dubai, India, Indonesia, Japan, Myanmar, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Laos, Hong Kong, and Jordan. I liked how it covered a wide range of diverse countries. The photographs represent not only the physical attributes of the country, land, water, building, but also the people of the countries as well. Some famous historical sites are also represented. I recommend this book to plant the seed of learning about other countries and cultures and to instill a love of travel in a young child. I received this kindle version at no cost for giving a fair review of this book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Let's Explore China (Most Famous Attractions in China); Author: Visit Amazon's Baby Professor Page; Review: I liked this book very much. The book is filled with full color photographs of different places in China. No sketches or drawings here. The vibrancy of the colors and the clarity in the photographs is wonderful. The book really catches the essence of this beautiful country. It is filled with many tour destinations, cultural and historical sites and and beautiful scenic venues. It is a wonderful book for early readers and non readers alike. Great for small children and the adults reading to them. I have been to many of these sights and their photographic representation is beautiful. Each page is filled with a beautiful photograph and then a short narrative of the photo. The photos include The Bund, the giant pandas, Baihai Park, the Terracotta Army, Elephant Trunk Hill, Huangshan Mountain, the Li River, the Potala Palace, the Jiuzhaigou Nature Preserve, the Forbidden City, the Yuyuan Garden, the Temple of Heaven, the Leshan Giant Buddha, and the Great Wall. A great way to encourage a love of travel at an early age. I would recommend this book. I received a kindle copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest and non biased review of it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: She's A Keeper!: Confessions from a Southern Girl's Closet - THE STORIES BEGIN (Volume 100); Author: Visit Amazon's Lee St.John Page; Review: This is a review for the kindle book She's a Keeper! L Confessions From A Southern GIrl's Closet. I was really excited to read this short book and I must say, I love girl talk and stories of that nature. This book was ok. Nothing very exciting or super interesting from my point of view. I received this book for free in exchange for reading it and giving my honest review. I would not pay for this book, having read it. It has several 2 -3 page short stories in it. At only 27 pages long, it is a quick read. A couple of them had cute endings, and I would say the tone of the book is more like your girlfriend telling you a story, but nothing super entertaining. The cover, title, and description led me to believe it would be a different read than it was, just not my cup of tea.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Slice Of American History: The Best Cake Recipes From America's Sweet Past; Author: Visit Amazon's Julie Schoen Page; Review: This is a review for A Slice of American History: The Best Cake Recipes From America's Sweet Past. I didn't know what to expect. Not only is this a cookbook, but it is a history lesson as well. I loved how it would have a time line with historical events listed and how a cake recipe would manage to make its way into that time period. It was a wonderful read. I have been baking and decorating cakes since I was a young girl, and have always been fascinated by cookbooks and creating just the right cake for that special event. This book does not disappoint. The recipes range from very simplistic cakes with simple ingredients to decadent recipes cocktail of sweet goodies. The historical time line and narrative really envelopes the reader and makes you want to linger just a bit longer, like visiting an old friend. I look forward to sharing the stories and some fabulous cakes from this book. I really enjoyed this book and I think you will too! I received the kindle copy free and I'm sharing my thoughts with you of how I enjoyed this book. I hoped I helped you and if you have any questions about the book,please feel free to ask me.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gluten Free Cookbook: Gluten Free Weight Loss for Gluten Free Living; Author: Laura Roberts; Review: THis is a review for the Gluten Free Cookbook: Gluten Free Wieght Loss, by Laura Roberts. I was excited to read this cookbook, as that is my thing. I love to sit and peruse over recipes and find new exciting ways to make a meal for fun and appetizing. I think we all get into ruts when we cook and we go back to our old standbys, especially when we are tired or want some comfort food. Well, the book seems to be well written, and if you love peppers and spice then you will probably love this book. I have been gluten free for 1--15 years, so I am not new to GF cooking. The problem I have is that I can not eat peppers of any kind, and this book's recipes are loaded with them. So much so, that nearly every recipe has some sort of spice/heat/peppers to it. This is just not the cookbook for me. * I received this cookbook on Amazon Kindle for free.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Japanese Land: Discovering the city of Tokyo And Mount Fuji; Author: JpNutrix LTD; Review: Great Overview of Top Cultural Sites in Japan. I have visited Japan, and can tell you this book contains many of the sites I visited. It is a well rounded book. It has photographs and hints about etiquette that you will want to be aware of when traveling there. Being respectful, table manners, tipping, chopsticks, thresholds, masks, conformity, bathing,speaking English, safety, are all quite important. Japan's culinary cuisine and its meal time customs are a main reason many travel to Japan I like how how the book begins with an introduction and the history of Japan. Understanding a country's people and its culture begins with having an understanding of it's history. It includes top Tourist destinations, like the district of Shibuya, Meiji Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo National Museum, Ginza, The Imperial Palace, Kencho-ju Temple, high speed bullet train, and Mount Fuji are just a few of the sights you will want to take in. The book has many colorful photographs and addresses for restaurants and sites to visit. If you are considering going to Japan this would be a great first read. I wish it had even more photographs and information. I got this free in order to read and review it for you. A fun read.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Colorful Cats: The Cat Lovers Coloring Book; Creative Patterns For Kids and Adults Alike; Author: Visit Amazon's Broderick S Johnson Page; Review: This is a review for the Colorful Cats Coloring Book by Broderick S. Johnson. I received a free pdf form of this book for review purposes. I did not receive the paper copy of it. I like the images of cats as they are quite whimsical and playful....just like cats are. I own several adult coloring books, why we say adult, I'm not sure, but that is what they call them, so I am very familiar with these types of books. The amount of pictures contained in the book is quite nice, 30 of them. I wish there was more variety. There are so many different breeds that have very recognizable body traits, that I think it would have been more fun to have included some of these. For instance, Devon Rex, Siamese, Norwegian Forest cat, British Fold, etc. You understand what I am saying. This is why I do not love this coloring book. The patterns on many of the cats also seem to be quite similar and the backgrounds not really varied very much. . The price is right in line with what I have bought at our local bookstore here in Reno, Grassroots. If you love cats, I think you will like this book, just not sure you will love it. I hope this review has been helpful, if so please click "yes" under my review. I apologize for not posting a picture from the book, but I could not get my computer to let me once I had downloaded it and saved it as a document. If I am able to correct this, I will add a picture at a later time. Thank you.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Apple MacBook Air MD224LL/A 11.6-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION); Brand: Apple; Review: I bought my first Apple computer, a Mac Plus, in early 1986. I had to preorder and wait in a waiting list for about a month. It was extremely slow and ran from only a single floppy, but I loved it. I switched to PC's after that and had a sparcstation at one point. I bought my second Apple computer at an Apple store exactly 25 years later in 2011. That was a Macbook Air 11. Interestingly that one had a flawed keyboard, a couple of keys went dead after a few hours of use, and I took it back to the Apple store. They had never seen that before, nor had I read about such a problem online, but they gave me a new one and I have been very happy with it ever since. But would that suffice for another 25 years? Answer: no. I bought my third Apple computer, the new MacBook Air 11 from Amazon about two weeks ago. It has a 64GB internal SSD and 4GB RAM (it's the lowest end model). It uses the new Ivy Bridge chipset (core i5 instead of the old core 2 in the old MacBook) and new Intel graphics chip, and it shows with a noticeable performance improvement running all types of software. USB 3.0 is a plus for me right now, and thunderbolt will be in the future as soon as I buy the thunderbolt to gigabit ethernet dongle (I am using my old USB to 100 Mbit ethernet dongle for now). The display is virtually the same as the old model. The lighted keyboard is awesome, I wish I had that on the old one. The new magsafe 2 connector is a little disappointing since I needed to buy a $10 (Apple store) adapter to reuse my old power supplies. Also the 180 degree connector falls out much more easily than the 90 degree connector on my old MacBook. But I have gotten used to that. The new USB 3.0 ports are very helpful. Copying lots of files from an ADATA Pro USB 3.0 flash drive to the MacBook's internal SSD is still a bit slow: 1519 files (67 MB total) in 9.251 seconds. But a single 23.8 MB file takes 0.328 seconds. The same two operations on the old MacBook which has USB 2.0 take 28.456 seconds and 1.86 seconds respectively. So USB 3.0 is 3-5 times faster depending on what you are copying. In the other direction it took 1.342 seconds to copy 23.8MB from the internal SSD to the ADATA drive on the new MacBook and 2.891 on the old. So the new one is roughly twice as fast but keep in mind that writing USB flash is the bottleneck there, not the USB. Next I'd like to talk about Windows. I realize this may be heresy here, but for work purposes I decided to dual boot my new MacBook with Windows 7. I use VMWare Fusion on the old one and that works very well, but mostly I don't need to run both OS's at; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Samsung Chromebook (Wi-Fi, 11.6-Inch) 2012 Model; Brand: Samsung; Review: Think about it for a moment, does a person need more than a browser (and tools for software development if that is your job)? What more does a person need in life than browsing and software development? My browsing is mainly to get ideas or sample code or solve specific problems by looking up error messages or get library call references. Is email as important as that? Probably mostly a needless distraction but it can be done adequately in a browser. Do we really need budgeting software? Overkill. Keep some numbers in a text file or online or (like me) don't bother. Word processing? I use probably 1/2 dozen menu (sorry ribbon) choices in Word and the rest just get in the way. Spreadsheets? Do it online or if you are doing serious data processing, write some code. Likewise for image processing, do it at an online site or write your own which is very easy with libraries available for most programming languages. The first thing we need to do with this machine is switch to developer mode (google for that). Second we need to run programs. First realize that the way this system is designed, it will run whatever programs are installed and no more. So first remount the home filesystem to execute programs in it:ion sudo mount -o exec,remount /home We can easily install software by remounting other filesystems as read/write and using normal installers. But I don't want to do that because I am trying to keep as close as possible to one design philosophy of the machine which is don't muck around in / or /usr or similar locations. Having remounted /home you can now run any software you want. But one catch is that the libraries for most packages would normally be in /lib. So be prepared to set your LD_LIBRARY_PATH in your .bashrc Next we need to find software that will run on this OS and processor. Specifically we need "armhf" I like to use the debian distribution and find the packages and the dependencies myself. To do that I locate the package I want in [...] by clicking through the hierarchy (first I switch to the testing distribution - wheezy). The package is in a .deb format file so I do this on a mac. Using ruby as an example, I find that it needs libc6, so I click to this page: Download Page for libc6_2.13-38_armhf.deb on ARM Hard Float machines and download the file. Next extract the contents: ar x libc6_2.13-38_armhf.deb gzcat data.tar.gz | tar xf - This creates a usr directory in my home directory. I do that for about 8 or 10 more dependencies plus the program itself (in this case ruby). Ruby is probably about average complexity in terms of library usage. This is more tedious than apt-get or similar programs, but AFAIK those do not work without writing into the system directories. Once all the files have been extracted for ruby and emacs (all I want), we set our LD_LIBRARY_PATH in .bashrc. Note that I put ruby and emacs in; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anker 8-in-1 USB 3.0 Portable Card Reader for SDXC, SDHC, SD, MMC, RS-MMC, Micro SDXC, Micro; Brand: Anker; Review: This appears to be a well-designed product. It has symmetrical caps so you don't need to pause and figure out which one goes on which end. I can put both an SD and a microSD card in this device and plug it in. The reader gets warm with activity but not hot. My card inside is even warmer and may be the source of the warmth. It copies between cards at about 1.2 MByte per second while writing to a generic card. That seems to be all write speed time to the card because it copies 100MB to my SSD in about 10 seconds or a read speed of about 10MB / sec on a 133x card. Those tests used USB 3.0 and I will need faster SD cards to determine the maximum speed. The only con is that it has a LED power light, but no activity light. I have never seen an activity light on a device like this, but it might be nice. I don't think it is such a great lack to deduct points for it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Uxcell a14041500ux1216 MAX232CSE Transfer Chip RS232 To TTL Converter Module COM Serial Board; Brand: uxcell; Review: I wasn't sure which converter to use so I bought this one and from NKC which requires soldering. I will try that one next. This one comes with a 4 pin header with 0.1 inch spacing and corresponding cable with 4 conductors. I hooked it to the GPIO header on the raspberry: VCC to VCC, GND to GND, TX to TX and RX to RX. When I turned on the raspberry pi, this converter's power LED turned on. So far so good. When I tried communicating with a device (a weather station serial interface) I got nothing, I am able to talk to the weather station with a USB serial adapter on a laptop. Then I connected this converter to the laptop USB-serial interface. Still no data in either direction. I tried swapping TX and RX but still nothing. I am using teraterm on the laptop which works fine with the weather station. I am using minicom on the raspberry. My settings are 9600 8N1 on both ends. I turned off hardware flow control on the raspberry in the minicom options menu, It's been a long time since I've fiddled with RS-232, about 20 years ago I did some at work. I'm not sure what else to try...; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Novatel Wireless MiFi 2372 Unlocked 3G Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspot GSM For North Ame...; Brand: novatel; Review: All of these hotspot boxes stink. But if you don't expect any reliability, you won't be disappointed. I got my first Novatel about 4 years ago at the AT&T store and got some good use out of it. Then it auto-bricked. I could not reflash it although it pretended to. So I bought this replacement and it is worse. The battery toasted itself somehow (power draw went very high with the battery in it, and was normal without the battery in it) It won't run without a battery in it but plugged in. So I took the battery form the old Novatel which itself was a replacement and it seems to work. For now... Other problems include random disconnects although that could be the AT&T network. I also have the Sprint hotspot box. When these devices are that bad it helps to have a backup. The Sprint box (Sierra Wireless Overdrive Pro) is also bad in somewhat different ways. It likes to disconnect more often and hangs sometimes. The Novatel does better on the road (roaming, etc) than the Sierra Wireless. In short, buy this if you need to use a mobile hotspot but do not expect much out of it.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: [OLD MODEL] Crucial M500 120GB mSATA Internal Solid State Drive CT120M500SSD3; Brand: Crucial; Review: I like this disk. I also have a Samsung SSD which I now use as an external USB3 disk. I installed this disk into my new Brix portable server and have had no problems whatsoever. Here are the benchmarks. SDA is the crucial. SDB is the samsung connected through USB3 which apparently slows down the reads. sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/sda /dev/sda: Timing cached reads: 15762 MB in 1.99 seconds = 7914.35 MB/sec Timing buffered disk reads: 1092 MB in 3.00 seconds = 363.46 MB/sec sudo hdparm -Tt /dev/sdb /dev/sdb: Timing cached reads: 14708 MB in 1.99 seconds = 7383.89 MB/sec Timing buffered disk reads: 114 MB in 3.01 seconds = 37.87 MB/sec; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pix-Star 10.4 Inch Wi-Fi Cloud Digital Photo Frame FotoConnect XD with Email, Online Providers, iPhone & Android; Brand: PIXAL; Review: I would give this picture frame a full five stars except for the somewhat clumsy menu system controlled by the handheld remote. Frankly, the on-screen menu and remote with 4 buttons, and a power button, and a right/left/up/down button set with ok in the middle is about the best one can expect from a minimalistic interface. I would not be able to recommend a better interface short of an expensive and probably more complex touch screen. But what this frame does do, it does flawlessly. First It comes up asking for a wifi network connection. Typing the WEP or WPA is slow considering you must use the up/down/left/right and ok buttons to press keys on the on-screen keyboard. But once that is done you note the mac address displayed on the screen, go online with your laptop and register for an account using the MAC address and a chosen email address for people to send pictures to. That address is obviously somewhat_unique_name (at) mypixstar.com which forwards all picture attachments to the pixstar unit. We have tested sending a number of pictures, and they are all resized to fit the screen. Not sure if they are resized at the pixstar server and sent with the new size, or sent as-is and resized at the pixstar frame. I suspect the latter. What happens then is you can configure the pixstart to automatically accept and display the new pictures as part of a slide show. Configuration is not very difficult but suffers from a limited interface as I mentioned, so a little menu exploration is needed. Once that is done, you can sit back and enjoy the picture slide show, we set ours to 10 seconds per picture, and watch the slide show expand as new pictures are sent in. Old unwanted pictures can be deleted in the delete mode which is a menu option. You have to press the right arrow in the delete mode, then the left arrow and ok button to confirm. The "return" arrow key is somewhat of a mystery but seems to get back to normal slide show. Emailing a chosen picture to a friend has its own key on the remote. It is as about as simple as it could be: press the email button, scroll down to select a recipient, and press the ok button and it gets sent. The email arrives at the recipient's address with instructions and address for them to send pictures to the frame. Someone with a little patience is needed to add new email addresses however, again due to the limited remote and on-screen keyboard. Easy (once set up), reliable and a good value, I recommend this frame.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: STM Swift Extra Small Shoulder Bag, for 11-Inch Laptop and Tablet - Dark Red (stm-112-084K-40); Brand: STM; Review: This bag is extremely well designed. Inside it I carry my macbook air (11 inch) and ASUS 13 inch thin and light computer, along with their power supplies. The same section of the bag would hold one thicker old fashioned laptop. The middle section of the inside of the bag holds documents which are mostly 6 by 9 inches including business size mailing envelopes with important paperwork. I use it as a document pocket but it is actually the tablet pocket. The final section of the inside of the bag holds the power supplies, the MiFi, thumb drives and SD cards, and various cables all in their own pockets. That inside portion zips shut with two zippers that go either direction. The outside of the bag has three pockets. Two are zipped. One of the zipped pockets has holders inside of it for ID badges, credit cards, folding knives, pens, wallet, etc. The other zipped pocket is smaller but big enough for airline tickets. I use it for sunglasses most of the time. The final outside pocket is unzipped and holds the kindle and kleenex. That side of the bag also has the strap that attaches this bag to the roller bag for traveling. That means the zipped pockets are conveniently on the other side so those items can be accessed while leaving the bag attached to the roller bag. The materials of the bag are durable black nylon on the outside, soft material for the laptop and tablet pockets and a flexible nylon on the third interior pocket. The shoulder strap has a moveable shoulder pad and has very good turning joints so the strap stays mainly untwisted. Those are plastic and metal but seem to be very durable. Nothing has broken or failed on this bag in the time I have used it (over a month).; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: OtterBox Defender Series f/MOTOROLA XOOM153; - Black; Brand: OtterBox; Review: Compatibility: MOTOROLA XOOM NOT compatibile with MOTOROLA XOOM Family Edition Found this on otterbox.com after I had ordered this for my Xoom family edition. Nothing I saw on amazon before or after ordering has stated it would be incompatible. As for the case itself, it looks like it would do a wonderful job of protection my xoom if it fit; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Nyko Charge Base S - 2 Port Controller Charger with 2 Rechargeable Batteries for Xbox 360; Brand: by
Nyko; Review: Bought one of these at Walmart on a whim...fit my needs but was a brand I had never used before. Charges quickly, an lets me know if the battery is fully charged. Batteries hold the charge for a good long while. The usb port on the front has been an unexpected bonus, use it all the time to charge my Ipod. After a months worth of use with no problems I wanted a second, only to find that Amazon charges around 8 dollars less than Walmart. The 2 I have both still work wonderfully, months later, and I plan on getting a third in the near future.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: ARCTIC Sound ORACO-ERM28-GBA01 Headphones P311 (Black and Gray) (Discontinued by Manufacturer); Brand: Arctic Sound; Review: Work good, decent sound, great price. only time I had any problems was when I had an actual closed door between the headphones and my cellphone.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: amFilm Anti-Glare/Anti-Fingerprint (Matte) Premium Screen Protector for Kindle Fire HD 7-inch Tablet (1st Generation/2012) with (2-Pack) [in Retail Packaging]; Brand: amFilm; Review: Bought this with my new Kindle and it was to big, plus had cut outs for a camera. Delivery was prompt.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Black 360 Degree Rotating Leather Case Cover with Swivel Stand for Amazon Kindle 7" 7 inch Fire HD; Brand: GEARONIC; Review: Bought this at the same time as my kindle an it is to big, by about 1/2". Good product other wise, and fast delivery. Just wish it fit.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: OtterBox Defender Series for Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro (8.4), (White/Gunmetal Grey) (77-40500); Brand: OtterBox; Review: Tablet is still safe, sound and working despite being used (abused) by a toddler. Only complaint is the screen cover is rather prone to glares; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Nikon Trailblazer 10x25 ATB Waterproof Black Binoculars; Brand: Nikon; Review: Love them. This is our second pair. Great for travel. Lightweight and good optics.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ceptics GP-12PK International Travel Worldwide Grounded Universal Plug Adapter Set, 12 Pieces; Brand: Ceptics; Review: Best assortment of adaptors that one can fine. Clearly labeled and at a good price. Great find!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Underwater Audio Waterproof iPod Shuffle; Brand: Underwater Audio; Review: Great product. Works beautifully. Arrived as promised. Great transaction.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Swimbuds 100% Waterproof Headphones Designed for Flip Turns! *** Underwater Audio Waterproof iPod Promotion Available - (See Details Below); Brand: Swimbuds; Review: Great variety of sizes. Work well. Easy and efficient transaction.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Underwater Audio Waterproof iPod Shuffle; Brand: Underwater Audio; Review: Great product. Works beautifully. Arrived as promised. Great transaction.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Electronics |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Charlie St. Cloud; Brand: ; Review: This is a really good movie! I don't know how this movie did in theaters, but I hope it did well because there should be more movies like it. It was heartfelt and moving without being cheesy. The acting was really good too, which I appreciated since I hate seeing bad acting in a movie with a good plot. Thumbs up!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Soul Surfer (2011); Brand: AnnaSophia Robb; Review: My husband and I really liked this movie. It was such an inspirational story, and the acting was pretty good I thought (not to mention the scenery is awesome!). Sure, it had a little bit of cheesiness (most Christian films do), but still, you don't come by these kind of movies very often. It's completely clean and has a great message. It's a perfect family movie!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Curious George: A Halloween Boo Fest; Brand: Frank Welker; Review: This Halloween movie is great for the preschool crowd. The plot is interesting and simple, and there are some laugh-out-loud funny moments (for the kiddos at least). I had a few laughs as well, mostly because my 3-year-old daughter thought it was hilarious. She watched this several times leading up to Halloween and found it just as funny every time. In true Curious George fashion, there are also some sweet moments and lessons learned in this cute film. I recommend this movie for young children who want some Halloween fun without the fright.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Paper Angels; Brand: Matthew Settle; Review: This was a wonderful, feel-good Christmas movie that isn't a romance for a change. It is actually the story of two families that are each facing their own challenges, but their lives intertwine in a way that uplifts them all. I thought the acting was really good, and the plot never got too cheesy without losing its Christmas charm. Great messages about doing what is right and thinking of others. Watch this one as a family!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Shaun The Sheep - The Movie 2015; Brand: ; Review: This is such a clever and funny movie. My kids and their cousins, ages 3-8, saw this in theaters, and we have since bought it because they all enjoyed it so much (and so did the adults!). Fun to watch with a sweet message.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ed Wood (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: House of Sand and Fog (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: American Beauty (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Seven Samurai (1954); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Yojimbo (1961); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Superman: The Movie (1978); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: S.W.A.T. (2003); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: He Got Game (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Murder on the Orient Express (1974); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Being John Malkovich (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: What Women Want (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Collateral Damage (2002); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Super Size Me (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alien: Collector's Edition (1979); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: This Is Spinal Tap (1984); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Life of Mammals (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Braveheart (1995); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Silence of the Lambs (1991); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Finding Neverland (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Napoleon Dynamite (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Swimming Pool (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sideways (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Godfather (1974); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sleepy Hollow (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sixth Sense (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bowling for Columbine (2002); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Coffee and Cigarettes (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Love Actually (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Apocalypse Now Redux (1979); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crumb (1994); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Gone in 60 Seconds (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Roman Holiday (1953); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Under the Tuscan Sun (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Girl (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rushmore (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dr. Strangelove (1964); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rocky (1976); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Manchurian Candidate (1962); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Best in Show (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: GoodFellas: Special Edition (1990); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 3 (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Memento (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Snatch (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fight Club (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: M (1931); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Apocalypse Now (1979); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Collateral (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: All the President's Men (1976); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Edward Scissorhands (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Crying Game: Collector's Edition (1992); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sister Act (1992); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Entrapment (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Rear Window (1954); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cry-Baby (1990); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Fast and the Furious (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Usual Suspects (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Five Easy Pieces (1970); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Secret Window (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Blood Simple (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1919); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Seven (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Good (1966); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Citizen Kane (1941); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Before Night Falls (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: 12 Angry Men (1957); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Exorcist: Restored Version (1973); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Taxi Driver (1954); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Slacker (1991); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Kung Fu Hustle (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rashomon (1950); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Taxi Driver (1976); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Incredibles (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Radio (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Pulp Fiction (1994); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: American History X (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Manchurian Candidate (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Great Escape (1963); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Million Dollar Baby (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Magnificent Seven (1960); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Adaptation (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hoffa (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Clerks: First Cut (Not Theatrical Version) (1994); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Godfather (1972); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Rock (1996); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Twister (1996); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mystic River (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Benny and Joon (1993); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Troy (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Chinatown (1974); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Touch of Evil (1958); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wall Street (1987); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: His Girl Friday (1940); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Office Space (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Air Force One (1997); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Raging Bull (1980); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Birds (1963); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mulholland Drive (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Trainspotting: Collector's Edition (1996); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Dirty Pretty Things (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 2 (2000); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Patriot (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 4 (1998); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Tomb Raider (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dogville (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Big Lebowski (1998); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Suspicion (1941); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Graduate (1967); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: On the Waterfront (1954); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sopranos: Season 1 (1999); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Con Air (1997); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Hours (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Green Mile (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Unforgiven (1992); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Closer (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Magnolia (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Exorcist (1973); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Donnie Darko (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Saving Private Ryan (1998); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Cape Fear (1962); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: In America (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Full Metal Jacket (1987); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Run Lola Run (1998); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Requiem for a Dream (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Some Like It Hot (1959); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The 39 Steps (1935); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Wild Things (1998); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Omen (1976); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Escape from Alcatraz (1979); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 25th Hour (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Garden State (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Seabiscuit (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Spanglish (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Charlie's Angels (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Original Kings of Comedy (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chrystal (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Caddyshack (1980); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Stripes (1981); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Groundhog Day (1993); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Scrooged (1988); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lost in Translation (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hidalgo (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters 2 (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 12 Monkeys (1995); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Osmosis Jones (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: What About Bob? (1991); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Kingpin (1996); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ghostbusters (1984); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Immortal Beloved (1994); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: North by Northwest (1959); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Unforgiven (1960); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Secondhand Lions (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Poltergeist (1982); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Rosemary's Baby (1968); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: It's All Gone Pete Tong (2005); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Last Days (2005); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Village (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: To Have and Have Not (1944); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cool Hand Luke (1967); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Amelie (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Little Shop of Horrors (1986); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Do the Right Thing (1989); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gone with the Wind: Collector's Edition (1939); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Big Sleep (1946); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Clockwork Orange (1971); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Shining (1980); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Absolutely Fabulous: Series 4 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Carrie (1976); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Misfits (1961); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Grapes of Wrath (1940); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Butterfield 8 (1960); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Narc (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The Awakened, Books 1-3 (The History / The Prophecy / The Awakened); Author: Visit Amazon's Jason Tesar Page; Review: I downloaded the first book of the trilogy, which was free, just to have something to read. You never know what you're getting when it is free, but I was rather surprised that it was well written and thought out, especially that this was the author's first book. I ended up paying for the whole trilogy/combined edition and was pleased. The story is basically a fantasy/adventure about a young man growing up through difficult times discovering his "powers". I'm looking forward to more books from Jason Tesar.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Roswell (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition); Author: Visit Amazon's Philip J. Corso Page; Review: Apparently Corso wasn't aware of some of the stuff that his "ghost" writer was putting in his book and disagreed with it after the book was already published. So, the material is questionable at best.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Mind Readers (The Mind Readers Series); Author: Visit Amazon's Lori Brighton Page; Review: I didn't realize this was a "romance teen" type book when I purchased it for my kindle, but after getting into it, I appreciated the sci-fi / fantasy parts and it kept moving well enough to keep my interest...; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Think of a Number; Author: Visit Amazon's John Verdon Page; Review: I'm not much on giving reviews, but considering that this was the authors first book, I have to say that I was really impressed! A great detective read!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cryptonomicon; Author: Visit Amazon's Neal Stephenson Page; Review: I've started, then stopped reading the book...started again and stopped....I just can't get through it....taking too long to develop the story and taking too many side trips to elaborate on uninteresting (to me) technical stuff...I may pick it up again someday but I hope it picks up the pace....; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Mind's Eye; Author: Visit Amazon's Douglas E. Richards Page; Review: I liked this book, has some interesting unexpected plot twists.....; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Belial Stone (The Belial Series) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's R.D. Brady Page; Review: The book was "middle of the road" for me. It was interesting to see the name Edgar Cayce mentioned in the book. I read a little about him years ago, he was quite controversial. There's more and more fictional books about angels and fallen angels, and this is another one of them. It had a good ending.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Gone Girl; Author: Visit Amazon's Gillian Flynn Page; Review: Actually I should give this book 1 star because I really hate books that I can't put down, that keep up all night when I have to get up early, and makes me wonder all day what is happening next...I now see why it was a #1 New York Times Bestseller.....; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Silent Scream (D.I. Kim Stone); Author: Visit Amazon's Angela Marsons Page; Review: Good read! Reminded me a little of the "In Death" series by J D Robb with the female cop in charge (only without the sex). The book doesn't need it to keep you interested. I liked the writing perspective from a British author and the different descriptions of her homeland. Unexpected twist at the end of the book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The ABLES; Author: Visit Amazon's Jeremy Scott Page; Review: The book was ok for me....I read it because a teen friend of mine suggested reading it, they really liked it.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Ascended State (The Ascendant Series) (Volume 2); Author: Michael JC Brown; Review: Interesting! Book 3 needs to come out....; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Game Changer; Author: Visit Amazon's Douglas E. Richards Page; Review: The book was just ok for me but sometimes it read more like a text book than an interesting story. The beginning was so-so and then it started to get interesting but for the rest of the book it stayed between so-so and kind of interesting.....; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Sub-Human (Post-Human); Author: Visit Amazon's David Simpson Page; Review: The book was ok but I had a problem with the main character being kind of 'over dramatic'. I might read the next one in the series just to see if he settles down a bit.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Space Chase (Star Watch) (Volume 5); Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Wayne McGinnis Page; Review: So far I've liked anything written by Mark Wayne McGinnis, and I've read about 10 of his books up to this point.....; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Simpleton; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Wayne McGinnis Page; Review: Good read. I like the way the author mixes everyday real events of the present with science fiction. Makes it feel more real.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Good Me Bad Me: The Richard & Judy Book Club thriller 2017; Author: Visit Amazon's Ali Land Page; Review: The book was ok for me. The writing style seemed a little like Hunger Games though the story nothing like it. The story was good but I think I was expecting a little more.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America (And Al Franken Is #37); Author: Visit Amazon's Bernard Goldberg Page; Review: Very well written. Good rationale used in describing each individual mentioned in the book.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark R. Levin Page; Review: Clearly spells out the Conservative view of liberty and the liberal tyranny we face in how we have lost our liberty.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Liberty Defined: 50 Essential Issues That Affect Our Freedom; Author: Visit Amazon's Ron Paul Page; Review: In many of the 50 items, I was disappointed in the way he defined "Liberty". It wasn't what I expected.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: This is Herman Cain!: My Journey to the White House; Author: Visit Amazon's Herman Cain Page; Review: This book is a quick read as it flows very well and Herman did a great job in describing his background and his progress from a farm hand to CEO of God-Fathers Pizza Company. The book gives further details into his background and the success he has had in managing people.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights, and The Election that Saved a Nation; Author: Visit Amazon's Chris DeRose Page; Review: Great discussion, almost week by week, of the difficulty in getting the States to ratify the Constitution and the players involved. The fights and efforts surrounding the Constituation and the Bill of Rights. Who was for ratification and who was aganist (and why). Good job; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Fool Me Twice: Obama's Shocking Plans for the Next Four Years Exposed; Author: Visit Amazon's Aaron Klein Page; Review: Great job in exposing the organizations behind the president that are focused on changing our government. Well written and organized for easy reading.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Hades (Frozen Origin Book 3) eBook; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: I love the God series,,,, you have everything you would want,,,, Good and evil fighting each other,,,, Sexy as Hell men that finds their love and would doing anything to keep them happy and safe,,,,,sex and side stories that you would have in real life.... Crystal Dawn is an awesome story teller not only with the Gods series but her White Wolf series is just as awesome,,,, I can hardly wait for the next book to come out by her.......; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wilde Alpha (Wilde Pack Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: Love...Love...Love it.... A good looking Wolf who loves his mate and a mate that is trying to figure out if she wants to be with him or not,,,, and the Wolf not knowing what to do either and it all works out in the end.... You have to love it...... it is worth reading more than once......; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Morpheus (Frozen Origin Quickies Book 1) eBook; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: Who dose not love a Man that is a God and is so hot no one matches him,,,, and a Strong and caring not to mention Smart woman who love him back,,,, they take care and pretect each other and any one would went that.......; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Chance for Helena (Cousins of the Moon Book 2) eBook; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: I LOVE all of Crystal books...... This one has vamps in it,,,,, hot sexy ones.... and women who know how to handle them.... and finding true love.... what else do you need in a book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Xanterie (Warriors of the Vinii Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Corre Deepe Page; Review: It was quit different to give things to think about..... But how could you not like a bossy alpha man and strong woman a long with friends to make you think you are wrong in the way you are doing it and the sex being hot...... So it was an awesome book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crazy for Carly (Keepers of the Land Book 5) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: What can I say,,,,, I love the wolves in Crystal books.... they are strong and good looking.... they have their problems but all ways work them out.... rather they are female or male they know just what to do and how to get what they want...through all the ups and downs that comes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Captain of the Guard: An Alien Dragon Shifter's Fantasy Romance (Winged Beasts Series Book 1) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: Love,, love her books this is one that makes you wish there was a place to where women are worship like in this book. You have a hunky man and a loving woman with a family she loves.... and he is willing to take care of all of them and make sure they are all happy. He keeps them all safe from the men that wants to hurt them and offers them a life that is a better than they would ever have on earth...... gotta read.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sunny (Blue Moon Pack Book 2) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Crystal Dawn Page; Review: I love this series... There is all ways something going on. I like it very much when a book entertains me and this series all ways does. She has more series that inter lock with this one and they are all good. They are a most read if you like to be entertained.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Wed to the Bad Boy - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Kaylee Song Page; Review: This book was a surprise to me. When I got it I was not sure if I would like it. But once I got into it I loved it. You never thought the bad guy would be the best one for you but it turns out to be true in this book. You will like the suspense in it and they relationships that are there. I would read more of her books cause she seems to be a good author.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Razar; Brand: Visit Amazon's Catty Diva Page; Review: I love this series. I have read all 3 books so far and I could not put them down until I was finished reading them. They are fun and a little different from most supernatural books, If you like strong me and a strong willed woman that puts them in their place then you will like these books.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Travlr (The Mating Games series Book 2) eBook; Brand: Visit Amazon's Catty Diva Page; Review: I love this series. How can you not. If you get a chance to read this series do it. You will not regret it cause they books are fun and entertaining that you hate to put them down.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Glendar (The Mating Games Book 3) eBook; Brand: Visit Amazon's Catty Diva Page; Review: I love all of these books. They are a whole lot of alpha male that is brought down to their knees by a strong, independent woman that knows how to handle them self.. If you get a chance to read all of this series do it. You will not regret it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: #0003 Knocked Around (PAVAD: FBI Case Files Book 3) - Kindle edition; Brand: Visit Amazon's Calle J. Brookes Page; Review: I love all of Calle J. Brookes book. This series is on top of my lists..... This shows how they handle other cases and gives insight to their every day living. She has done a great job as usual; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Kindle_Store |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Happy to Be Here; Author: Visit Amazon's Garrison Keillor Page; Review: Highly recommended for fans of Garrison Keillor or those whom like witty stories of small town life and characters that could just be your neighbors!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: A Prairie Home Companion 25th Anniversary Collection; Author: Visit Amazon's Garrison Keillor Page; Review: For those who grew up with old time variety radio shows and those whom long for a more simpler time with rich and intriguing characters, A Praire Home Companion is for you! Broadcast on NPR stations at 12 noon Saturday and rebroadcast on Sunday at noon a must listen for shear delightment!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Washington Pay-Off; an Insider's View of Corruption in Government; Author: Robert Winter-Berger; Review: An insiders look at Washington DC and the insider back scratching that went on during the 70s and which is certainly true of today. A page turning and gripping account of how Washington really works.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Brennans of Houston in Your Kitchen; Author: Chef Carl Walker; Review: Truly a gem among gems-- the Brennan's Cookbook. It features all of the classic Recipies from Brennan's! From Turtle Soup to Pralines. Well written, easy to follow and very entertaining. Highly recommend this cookbook for fans of brennans.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Concierge Confidential: The Gloves Come Off--and the Secrets Come Out! Tales from the Man Who Serves Millionaires,; Author: Visit Amazon's Michael Fazio Page; Review: An insightful look into the world of a concierge! If you are a people person, love to serve and help others, this is a great book to read. Funny, and entertaining!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden; Author: Visit Amazon's Mark Owen Page; Review: An action packed, real life account of what the U.S. Navy Seals did to defend our country. Excellent book! And highly recommended!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rogue Warrior: Blood Lies; Author: Visit Amazon's Richard Marcinko Page; Review: A fast paced read with events ripped from the headlines. Marcinko tells it like it is! Well written and highly recommended. Of you have never read any of marcinkos work start with the first book, Rouge Warrior.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sloppy Seconds: The Tucker Max Leftovers; Author: Visit Amazon's Tucker Max Page; Review: Mr. Max continues to excel in his unique and wildly true adventures. He has grown into a fine young man. I certainly hope he continues to write and I would recommend reading all of his books. They are fantastic!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Large Man's Guide to Style; Author: Visit Amazon's Antonio Centeno Page; Review: A great spot on style guide for the more plumper and robust men in life. Highly recommended and very well written.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot; Author: Visit Amazon's Bill O'Reilly Page; Review: Killing Kennedy was a fascinating listening. Bill O Reiley tells the truth other authors won't. Simply put. I highly recommend reading or listening to the book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot; Author: aa; Review: Killing Kennedy was a fascinating listening. Bill O Reiley tells the truth other authors won't. Simply put. I highly recommend reading or listening to the book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Killing Reagan: The Violent Assault That Changed A Presidenc (Wheeler Publishing Large Print Hardcover); Author: Visit Amazon's Bill O'Reilly Page; Review: Well written, by Mr. O'Reilly. Makes you feel as if you are there along side Regan witnessing history.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: IRIS Exercise Panel Pet Playpen with Door - 34 Inch; Brand: IRIS USA, Inc.; Review: I believe product to be a good pet pen, customer service through IRIS has much to be desired. I called the 800 # on assembly instructions and left message the message said return call with-in 24 hrs. its now been well over 72 hrs and numerous calls in between hoping to get a person. was missing part and a panel not drilled.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Nylabone Puppybone Dog Chew; Brand: Nylabone; Review: dog liked; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nylabone Puppy Starter Packs Puppy Chew Toys; Brand: Nylabone; Review: very durable; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: JW HOL-ee Roller Original Treat Dispensing Dog Ball - Hard Natural Rubber - Assorted Colors; Brand: JW Pet; Review: like; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nylabone DuraChew Wishbone, Dog Chew Toy for Powerful Chewers, Medium; Brand: Nylabone; Review: favorite; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nylabone Rhino Vanilla Scented Bone Puppy Dog Chew Toy; Brand: Nylabone; Review: dog liked; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Get Naked Puppy Health Dental Chew Sticks For Puppies And Dogs; Brand: N-Bone; Review: fair; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dechra 50 Count TrizCHLOR 4 Pet Wipes; Brand: Dechra; Review: great for many uses; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: K&H Pet Products Indoor-Outdoor Dog Bed - Single-Seam Waterproof Outdoor Dog Bed; Brand: K&H Pet Products; Review: very loude; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Nylabone just for puppies Chicken Flavored puppy dog ring bone teething chew toy; Brand: Nylabone; Review: pretty soft didn't last long; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer Stain and Residue Eliminator; Brand: Nature's Miracle; Review: very good on stains doesn't deter from re-pissing; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Nylabone Dura Chew Hollow Stick, Bacon Flavor; Brand: Nylabone; Review: there favorite; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: IRIS Pet Playpen with Door, 24-Inch; Brand: IRIS USA, Inc.; Review: works; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Natural Dog Company – Snout Soother – Dog Nose Remedy – All-Natural Remedy for Chapped Dog Noses – Vegan Dog; Brand: Natural Dog Company; Review: ok; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Dechra 100 Count MalAcetic Wet Wipes; Brand: Dechra; Review: good for uses; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Natural Dog Company PAWTECTION | for Protecting Dogs paw Pads | Organic, Vegan; Brand: Natural Dog Company; Review: hard to get on paws with applicator; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: JW HOL-ee Roller Original Treat Dispensing Dog Ball - Hard Natural Rubber - Assorted Colors; Brand: JW Pet; Review: like; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: JW HOL-ee Roller Original Treat Dispensing Dog Ball - Hard Natural Rubber - Assorted Colors; Brand: JW Pet; Review: like; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Petrodex Puppy Teething Twists, 3.7 oz; Brand: Petrodex; Review: fair; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Simple Deluxe 400 GPH UL Listed Submersible Pump with 15' Cord, Water Pump for Fish Tank, Hydroponics, Aquaponics, Fountains,; Brand: Simple Deluxe; Review: Can't find adjustments for flow; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Pet_Supplies |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Crocs Women's Cobbler Leather Clog; Brand: ; Review: happy feet; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crocs Women's A-Leigh Leather Slingback Wedge; Brand: ; Review: very comfortable; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Crocs Women's A-Leigh Leather Slide Sandal; Brand: ; Review: very comfortable; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Eye Love Polarized Sunglasses for Men & Women | Glare-Free | 100% UV Blocking; Brand: Eye Love; Review: great glasses.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: OWIN Women's Vintage 1950's Floral Spring Garden Rockabilly Swing Prom Party Cocktail Dress; Brand: OWIN; Review: love the dress. fits great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Clothing_Shoes_and_Jewelry |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: The White Queen: A Novel (Cousins' War); Author: Visit Amazon's Philippa Gregory Page; Review: I am pleased that Philippa Gregory chose to write this series about three remarkable, strong, courageous women who survived in a difficult time for women to lead successful lives. They had little power since their lives were usually controlled by men. With no birth control, they had numerous pregnancies with inadequate health care. I find it amazing that they accomplished what they did, & I found it fascinating to read about! Elizabeth Woodville is my favorite of these three women. She refused to dishonor her family & her name, she tried desperately to protect her children, & she married for love.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Drums of Autumn; Author: Visit Amazon's Diana Gabaldon Page; Review: Great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cross Stitch; Author: Visit Amazon's Diana Gabaldon Page; Review: Great!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Defector (Gabriel Allon Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Daniel Silva Page; Review: Great!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: A Breath Of Snow And Ashes; Author: Visit Amazon's Diana Gabaldon Page; Review: I rank this novel right up there with the first in the series, Outlander.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The angry tide: A novel of Cornwall, 1798-9 (The Poldark Novels); Author: Visit Amazon's Winston Graham Page; Review: Some shocking, sad events deeply affect the lives of many.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Twisted Sword (The Poldark Saga); Author: Visit Amazon's Winston Graham Page; Review: A sad story of many regrets & lives lost.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Four Swans (The Poldark Saga); Author: Visit Amazon's Winston Graham Page; Review: One crisis after another for each of the four main female characters in this book.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bella Poldark; Author: Visit Amazon's Winston Graham Page; Review: A pleasant-enough book to end the Poldark series--wish there were more Poldark books to look forward to.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Country Inn Suites by Radisson Baltimore North MD; City: Rosedale Maryland; Review: Beautiful! Tucked away, but close to everything! A great find/price.Hot breakfast in the breakfast room every morning, a pool and vending machines for snacks. They even have fresh cookies available for free. We didn't get to check out the pool, but, we will definitely be back.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Red Carpet Inn North East; City: North East Pennsylvania; Review: The hubby and i decided to take a trip to the area! We were VERY excited, as we had never been to the 'wine country/ wine trail' before. We knew that we won't be in the room much, but we need a place to stay. We found this place! The price was right, because we really just needed a place to lay our heads. The place was VERY outdated, stained walls and carpets etc. The staff was nice, though. If you are looking to visit the Chautauqua, New York area, I hate to say this, don't stay here.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Judy s Motel PA Dutch Heritage; City: Bedford Pennsylvania; Review: The hubby and I were in the Bedford PA area fora few days, and needed a quick place to stay. We checked out this place. It had great reviews right here on TripAdvisor! The place is clean and convenient to everything! Just under a mile from downtown, it's a great, quiet place to stay. Even though it is just off of the turnpike, it's very peaceful. The room is small, but clean. Theplace is owned by a husband and wife and is just as charming as they are! The husband told us all about the area, and the best things to do. If you are in the area, stay here. You won't be disappointed.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: CJS Inn; City: Niagara Falls Ontario; Review: We we're looking for a nice place, close to the falls, that was reasonably priced. I know that's probably asking for too much. However, this place is BEAUTIFUL!! Hardwood floors, beautiful decor, microwave and mini refrigerator in the room; we couldn't ask for anything more! Except, for it to be a little closer to the main attractions. We had quite a walk, to get to the main attractions. But, the owners are WONDERFUL and the place is fantastic!! The far walk is the only reason that I didn't give it a perfect score.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Cocoa Motel; City: Hershey Pennsylvania; Review: We've stayed here before...years ago! We were able to find this spot during a busy time in Hershey. It wasn't far AT ALL from all of the attractions. It was a no frills, quiet spot. The owners were nice and knowledgeable. They were so nice. The room was colorful and small. But, served it's purpose. We were right near the office; which was great! Even though we were right on the highway, there wasn't any highway noise. We had a nice time. We would stay there again!; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: BIC Round Stic Xtra Life Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point (1.0mm), Black, 10-Count; Brand: BIC; Review: Just cheap Bic stick pens.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: BIC Round Stic Xtra Life Ballpoint Pen, Medium Point (1.0mm), Red, 12-Count; Brand: BIC; Review: Just cheap Bic stick pens.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Texas Instruments TI-84 Plus CE Graphing Calculator, Black; Brand: Texas Instruments; Review: Way better then my old TI85, I tried to get my doughtier to use my old TI85 but she did not like it so I got her this one, Love the back lit screen it is half the weight and it looks great. she loves it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Texas Instruments TI-84 PLUS CE Graphing Calculator, Black (Frustration-Free Packaging) (84PLCE/PWB/2L1/A); Brand: Texas Instruments; Review: Way better then my old TI85, I tried to get my doughtier to use my old TI85 but she did not like it so I got her this one, Love the back lit screen it is half the weight and it looks great. she loves it; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: 3M Keyboard Tray with Adjustable Keyboard and Mouse Platforms, Turn Knob to Adjust Height and; Brand: 3M; Review: Some of the reviews I read for this product were terrible and I almost did not buy it. I also saved the box because I was sure I would need to return it. But let me tell you what I found out. This is a very nice, well-built and well-engineered product. The directions are very bad and you might need some basic mechanical skills to install it properly. Opening the box I noticed the sticker that tells the user how to open it and how high it is elevated had come detached and was stuck to the packaging material. I was very disappointed and thought perhaps I should send it back. But then I noticed the very heavy duty 14 or 12 gage wrinkle finish C-chanal adjustable pedestal arm. It is massive and is impressively heavy. Then I removed the glossy finish track and noticed how smooth and quiet the two pieces worked together. Then I opened the box that contained the keyboard rest. It is large (the none expandable one, Standard) and more than big enough for a full-size keyboard with ten key and a mouse pad on the side. All the parts were impressive including the mounting screws, so I decided to install it. I installed it under a desk drawer. So I needed to make my own mounting platform. I went to the local steel supply warehouse and bought a 24-foot long piece of 1" X 2" rectangular 14-gage tubing. I cut two pieces 26 inches long, drilled holes were I needed them cleaned off the dirt and grease ground off the sharp edges and painted them. I installed the parts I made and then installed the keyboard tray track to them. It took some time but it was worth it. It is rock solid. Many of you will not have this problem but I wanted to keep the drawer. Next just let me say again, it is big. Look!!! It works well but here is a trick! To get it to go up just lift up on the front edge and pull up! Easy! But, to get it to go down, lift up on the front end and push down. If that was in the directions I did not see it. If you do this it will work well I promise. To all the naysayers! This is not junk!! But it might be more than you can handle of all you can do is hang a picture, don't try it. For most people this will be easy.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Office_Products |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Heir of the Dog: A Dog Walker Mystery; Author: Visit Amazon's Judi McCoy Page; Review: "Heir of the Dog" is the second Ellie Engleman "Dog Walker Mystery," and it is just as good as "Hounding the Pavement." I couldn't put it down! Ellie has the unusual ability to talk to dogs. Not like you and I do, because the dogs answer her. Ellie speaks dog! She and her best buddy, a Yorkie-poo named Rudy, find the body of a homeless man they have befriended. Gary considered them his only friends, so he leaves them all his worldly possessions, over $800,000!! So, why was he homeless...? Buy the book! He asks Ellie to find his killer, which gets her involved once again with the hunky detective from the first book. The story is good and moves quickly. The conversations between Ellie and her puppy pals are a hoot! The romance is sweet. And I can't wait for the next book! Great job, Judi!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Proposal (Survivor's Club); Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Balogh Page; Review: I discovered Mary Balogh several years ago when I was waiting for a bus. I was in a supermarket, just eyeing the books on sale. The back cover sounded interesting, so I bought it. I HAVE READ EVERY ONE OF HER BOOKS THAT I CAN FIND SINCE! Her characters have real problems and real emotions, are not perfect. I also like the way her characters from different series show up in other series. Like any good writer, she makes you care about her characters.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Demon of Brownsville Road: A Pittsburgh Familys Battle with Evil in Their Home; Author: Visit Amazon's Bob Cranmer Page; Review: This book was especially interesting to me because I was married at St. Paul's Monastery in 1985 by Fr. Edwin Moran. He is absolutely the person I would go to in this situation. This book proves that God is very real and unfortunately, so is the devil. I don't know if I would have lasted through all of these events.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bite Me, Your Grace (Scandals with Bite); Author: Visit Amazon's Brooklyn Ann Page; Review: The heroine is smart, feisty and, of course, gorgeous. The hero, the vampire Duke, is tall, dark and handsome. They are both very "modern" characters in their thoughts and actions. Throw in Frankenstein, Byron, the Shelleys and gothic lit and you have a fast, fun read.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Cut From The Same Cloth (Zebra Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Kathleen Baldwin Page; Review: I really enjoyed this book. Valen, the hero reminds of my husband, a large, broad shouldered redhead with a quick wit and smart mouth. And Izzie is unconventional and feisty enough to give as good as she gets.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mistaken Kiss (Zebra Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Kathleen Baldwin Page; Review: This is another sweet, funny love story by Kathleen Baldwin. I can absolutely relate to Willa. Like her, I'm blind as a bat without glasses. Besides, Willhelmina was my granny's name. She is smart and funny and doesn't care who knows it. As much as he tries, our hero, Alex, just cannot live up to his "bad boy" rep. I really liked both characters and how he took her for the smart woman that she is and not the average simpering twit that the "ton" expects her to be.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lady Fiasco (Zebra Regency Romance); Author: Visit Amazon's Kathleen Baldwin Page; Review: This is the first book in the NOTORIOUS AUNT series. Aunt Honore is a steam roller with scandalous see through gowns and hair dyed to match. In this book she says that she has 16 nieces and nephews. I hope that means there will be that many books. She is opinionated, funny, manipulating and totally outrageous. Not to mention, filthy rich, so she can do whatever she wants. Her niece, Fiona, the fiasco of the title, is a sweet girl that "things" happen to. She begins to believe that she is cursed. Her hero, Tyrell, knows she isn't and spends the novel trying to convince her otherwise.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Highwayman Came Waltzing: A Traditional Regency Romance Novella; Author: Visit Amazon's Kathleen Baldwin Page; Review: First, let me say that "The Highwayman" is one of my favorite poems. This story is an homage to that poem. It is about Elizabeth and Trace, one of whom is the highwayman and the other who is in "hot pursuit" of the highwayman. They have been in love for years, but Lizzy feared he would not return from the Napoleonic wars. She considers herself an old maid. He feels responsible. Let the games begin. I loved that each chapter heading was a line from the poem. Well done!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Miss Armistead Makes Her Choice; Author: Visit Amazon's Heidi Ashworth Page; Review: It had a few more twists than I expected. It was really well done. Her fiance turned out to be a creep,which was a great thing that made for a much happier ending.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Six Month Marriage; Author: Visit Amazon's Amanda Grange Page; Review: Madeleine was so fearful, but gutsy, too. Philip is a very nice earl,who asks her to be his temporary wife. He wises up and realizes that he truly loves her. Happy ending!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The City on the Edge of Forever; Author: Visit Amazon's Harlan Ellison Page; Review: As a former member of organized STAR TREK fandom, I loved this. I knew that Harlan the great has had a beef with Gene Roddenberry ever since. The way Ellison writes, or even when Steven King writes about him in Danse Macabre, it makes me smile. I'm a firm believer in a passion.ate rant. Go Harlan!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pieces of My Heart: A Life; Author: Robert J. Wagner; Review: I have been a Robert Wagner fan for a long time. I could feel his pain in the hard parts in this book. I remember thinking, when Natalie died, how absolutely wrong it was because they hadn't been back together for very long. NOT FAIR!! But who said life was fair?; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Prisoner of Zenda and Rupert of Hentzau (Penguin Classics); Author: Visit Amazon's Anthony Hope Page; Review: After seeing the movies, I wanted to read the novel. This is such a great story. So many movies and TV shows have borrowed it since it was written.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Someone to Wed (A Westcott Novel); Author: Visit Amazon's Mary Balogh Page; Review: I think this is my favorite of Mary's books and I'm pretty sure that I've read just about all of them. Wren is a very courageous woman trying to get past her traumatic childhood. Alexander is just a NICE guy who likes and admires her then falls in love with his bride.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Christmas at the Castle; Author: Visit Amazon's Melissa McClone Page; Review: This was a very sweet romance. Where a young vetenarian goes to Europoe to be in her best friend's wedding (BFF just happems to be a princess.) They met at camp 15 yeats earier. Her brother, the crown pronce, acts like he has a stick up his ass. So, quess who she falls in love with? Still, a very sweetl ove story.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Once Upon A Dream; Author: Mary Balogh; Review: One by Mary Balogh and one by Grace Burrows. Mary's involves ALL of the beloved Bedwyns, celebrating Wulfric's birthday with a house party. And Grace's has a Duke falling in love with a hacker's daughter, Horrors! And they all lived happily ever after.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Greek Mythology: Unlock The Stories Of The Gods, Goddesses And Mythical Beasts.; Author: Felix Pierce; Review: It recalls to me those stories I read as a child. I read Homer when I was 12. I had eye surgery in July 1966 and had the Illyid and Odyssiy on "talking book," so it was read to me. A really cool way to go.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Sweetly Scandalous (A Willow Creek Novel Book 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Jacqueline Winters Page; Review: Loved this book! Full of nice fol ks, a bunch of psychos, and some loyal friends and family. I just love dark haired guys with green eyes.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Legally Yours (Spitfire); Author: Visit Amazon's Nicole French Page; Review: Even thp I HATE cliffhangera. VERY HOT sex scenes. Beautiful love stpry. A la BEAITIFUL WOMAN. Harvard law studemt meets gorgeous billionaire tycoon... they fall in love...cliffhanger endinng.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: My Fair Lily (The Farthingale Series) (Volume 1); Author: Visit Amazon's Meara Platt Page; Review: Joe. Woulda Evan was described as a big strong gorgeous Highlander. Yum.. He is also smart and funny. Lily is a brilliant restocking. As a certified science geek, (I was a microbiologist for 42 years.,) I just love Lily.. Their love story is sweet, of course she realizes her feeling before he does. He is a GREAT kisser!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Holiday Inn Express Emporia; City: Emporia Virginia; Review: Just there. Overall decent, room nice, clean? Need more luggage carts. none available between 7 & 7:40am. They could not be found on the property, so were stashed in someone's room for some reason. Please check bedside alarm so it does not go off at 1am because some JA has set it to be funny. Also, received a call/hang up at 2:45 am & again at 2:48am room to room. front desk clueless as we were,, recommended to disconnect phone. Ok. On a positive note, breakfast was good and hotel was clean.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Conrad New York; City: New York City New York; Review: had a mini suite, very nicely appointed. Large screen in sitting area as well as bedroom. Shower was huge. staff attentive, clean, overall great service. towels were of high quality. central lighting control system was convenient. Enjoyed the stay.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Crystal Point Inn; City: Point Pleasant Beach New Jersey; Review: Overall, good room, recommend if you are in Point Pleasant. It's not the Hilton, but for an independent motel, rooms were decent, clean linen's, ample fresh towels. Breakfast provided this am. Donuts, bagels, fresh fruit and fresh pots of coffee, and juice. Rate is what you would expect for in season weekend.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Crowne Plaza Annapolis; City: Annapolis Maryland; Review: Price was right, nice public area and parking lot. Staff courteous. Furniture a bit tired in guest room. Van service into and back from Annapolis. Breakfast part of the room on club level. fruit, cereal, sausage, bacon, toast, bagels, scrambled. was good.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Conrad New York; City: New York City New York; Review: Stayed Wednesday - Friday. Great experience. Service staff were all well trained and very friendly and helpful. Room was excellent; enjoyed stay. Recommend this hotel very much if you are down in the Trade Center area of lower Manhattan . Thanks for the upgrade.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Home2 Suites by Hilton Florence; City: Florence South Carolina; Review: Rooms are nice size, well appointed for an extended stay. Was clean. Problem was that light fixture above sink in bathroom was broken. enough lighting for a shower or toilet, could not shave at sink. Parts missing from light fixture. No light on left side of bed. Met with front desk clerk, could not fix light. Offered a discount instead. Arrival at 7:30pm Saturday night, trash can at front entrance overflowing with trash on ground. Same condition at 8:30 next morning. Next morning, no discount, no notes from conversation. Desk clerk took off $20. Not enough for no bathroom. Also, front entrance partially blocked with a white Impala. still there in morning so assume an employee? Pulled up to get luggage out of, then back into car next morning, blocked the covered entrance. Not satisfactory stay.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Worthington Renaissance Fort Worth Hotel; City: Fort Worth Texas; Review: Great location is its main strength, Rooms were done nicely, housekeeping was good. Overall rate staff and service well. Had breakfast in their dining room, omelet station, lots of items on the buffet, menus service as well. If there is a negative, its cost of valet parking at $28 a night..; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Astra Village Apartments; City: Koutouloufari Hersonissos Crete; Review: Chose to stay in Koutouloufari as it appeared to be a nice traditional village with the more lively resorts of Hersonnisos and Stalis nearby if you wanted a change. The Astra Village has an excellent location and the bar which is also open to the public is very nice. The pools are on the small side but fine and there are plenty of sunbeds although it can get a little crowded at times. Having stayed in Greece before I know that the accomodation is not of such a high standard but I can honsetly say that this accomodation is not 3 star, class A as advertised. The apratments are 2 star at best. They are basic: one plug socket in kitchen, a toaster, kettle and a hot plate with two hobs. A fridge which was not supposed to be moved off setting 2 which barely chilled anything (the cleaners must check this as ours was turned back down a couple of times!). The bathroom was very narrow and the shower was pretty awful. Almost everyday it would alternate between very hot and freezing cold. The bedroom had plenty of drawer space and an ok size wardrobe. The sheets on the bed were uncomfortable and almost like paper! The pillows looked ancient and just one per person was supplied. As for towels, the ones we were given looked old and had stains on them. Towel changes were totally infrequent, we went 5 days without a towel change and when I asked the receptionist/manager Lina she was very unhelpful and rude. The bins wern't changed every day as promised but they never went without being changed every 2 days. Basically the apartments could do with a good clean, although they are are not filthy they are a bit grimy in places and there is a good collection of dirt in the corner of every room and a couple of stains on the walls that looked like the rembrandts of dead bugs! Talking of which, I got bitten 33 times on the legs and after squashing 2 flea-like looking creatures in the apartment I cant say they are all down to mosquitos! This may have something to do with the fact that we had a ground floor apartment (Room 52 - not recommended as we shared it with spiders and lizards on occasions!) so make sure you ask for a pool view room. As for the village of Koutouloufari, very pretty with plenty of good restaurants around. There is the neighbouring village of Piskopiano which is also very good. We did more walking than we've done in our lives on this holiday as its a good base to explore Hersonissos and Old Hersonissos (past Piskopiano), Stalis (has the best beach), Malia (dont bother unless you love Blackpool), Ayios Nikalos etc which we really enjoyed. Preferred to spend our evenings in Koutouloufari in the end though. The water parks are really easy to get to, we went to Aqua plus which was good and Star Beach was good too but gets rowdier as the day wears; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Lenaki Apartments; City: Kos Town Kos Dodecanese South Aegean; Review: Couldn't find many current reviews of the Lenaki at first and wasn't in any travel brochures we could find so was a bit apprehensive but needn't have worried. everything is very clean and although basic it is very comfortable and plenty of space. The accomodation is family run and all are very friendly and helpful. The only problem we was with a blocked sink in our apartment in the second week and it was seen to very quickly. The pool area is very clean and a tidy size. The bar has plenty of drinks to choose from and prepares the usual snacks throughout the day. Air-con is extra although we managed without. We were on the ground floor and kept curtains drawn and found the apt was not too hot that way, even during a heat wave we had. The weather was brilliant and hardly saw a cloud in the sky. Lenaki is situated about 10mins walk from the Beach, harbour and touristy shops and bars with bars and shops scattered along the way. If you walk further up past the church in the old Kos town you will find where the locals go and bars and restaurants are much nicer here, Elea (which is olive in Greek apparently) is an excellent restaurant and by far our favourite by the end if the 2 weeks. We did the trip to Turkey and queued for about 2 hours to get out of Greece! Make sure you go into the cafe area in the immigration building first to pick up a boarding card and tax slip otherwise you are waiting in vain as we found out! Despite the stressful start Turkey was a good day out but a good bit hotter than Kos. Immigration was effortless in Turkey both in and out. Also did a three Island cruise which wasn't the best but an OK day out. Kalymnos was nice, but didn't get to see much of Pserimos and Plati, or maybe there wasn't much to see as we just saw the cliffs or a little scrap of beach! Good chance to go swimming though and the crew on Psoiden boat were really good and friendly. Also, caught the local bus service to Therma which was strange! The boiling hot sulpher spring and bubbles (due to a nearby volcano) are worth a look but beware of silver jewellery as it does turn a funny colour for a while! Unfortuntaly, some cigarette ends had found their way into the spring when we were there and the bar nearby is pumping out awful, loud music there but don't let this put you off! Its a strange place and worth a look! Definitely recommend Lenaki though and Kos has plenty to do and see. Beware on returning home as the airport ALWAYS charges 10 euros per kilo for excess baggage which can be pricey!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bungalows Parque Golf; City: Maspalomas Gran Canaria Canary Islands; Review: Had to write a review as I was nervous about coming here after reading other reviews and was even considering changing hotels. I was so glad I didn’t, as this place was great for what we wanted. It was perfect for what we wanted, just a base to stay and somewhere to sunbathe in the days. It was a bargain and when I booked it I didn't realise it was just one star, otherwise I probably wouldn’t have bothered but it could easily be higher than a 1 star and with the odd lick of paint and attention to detail it could be so much more. I stayed in a 3 star apartment (Lenaki in Crete) and this was filthy and dirty (Thomson don't seem to cite the negative reviews on their site, but I know they exist as I wrote one and most customers who were there when I was weren't at all happy!), the Parque Golf was a 5 star in comparison! The bungalow consisted of a living room (where sofas could be used as beds- I wouldn't fancy this and more than 2 persons per bungalow would be cramped I think), a kitchen area that we didn't use. A kettle, 2 hobs and fridge are supplied, oddly enough you have to hire toaster. The bedroom was large enough with two comfy single beds and the bathroom consisted of a shower over the bath (no plug for bath though but think this was because there was not enough hot water). I was lucky enough to get in shower first and after 10-15mins it ran cold so for a family or for more than two that could be a nightmare. As for cockroaches, I didn't see one in the apartment! After reading previous reviews I was a bit petrified and looked for them all the time but didn't see one. We sprayed the threshold of the door with the potent looking bug spray supplied under the sink so maybe that helped. In fact, my family who stayed in a 4 star Thomson property up the road saw one or two and one even managed to get inside my brothers fridge! Pool looked nice but was very cold. Smaller pool could have done with a clean and there was another pool, which was out of order, but on the whole it was nice to sit around and sunbathe. Unlike other hotels nearby, the pool is sunken in so there is less wind which is good for sunbathing. It is a small walk to Faro 2 shopping centre and Playa Del Ingles and Meloneras are only a short, cheap taxi ride away. There are no bars around the immediate area. I had a great stay in this place though, I have to say, I didn't eat there after reading previous reviews of the food and this wasn't our main holiday. If we had gone for an all-inclusive deal and planned to stay there all day I would have been disappointed. But if like us, you want a last minute break away somewhere clean; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Atlantica Caldera Palace Resort Spa; City: Hersonissos Crete; Review: Had a lovelyholiday here and the food was absolutely amazing!! Rooms large and as said before, biggest bed yet and very comfy! Full board is good as you get your drinks included at dinner. Plenty to do here. I would advise not going end of season as we did, the hotel closed up around us which was not great really! The pools were very cold when we went (October) and our swim up pool was not very inviting and could have done with a better clean! Analipsi was rather quaint and it was nice to see some real Greece with the locals going about their daily life. Although quiet, it was good to explore but not to everyone's taste if you want a busy and jam packed holiday. It had some nice little bars dotted around and your usual tourist shops if you want a walk. Bus route very good in Crete so good as a base if want to explore the Island and go back to the hotel for real comfort and great food!; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Real Marina Hotel Spa; City: Olhao Faro District Algarve; Review: We stayed here in mid October for a week and the hotel is very lovely for a nice relaxing break. The rooms were very comfy, well decorated and kept spotlessly clean. The staff were the best I've encountered and went beyond what you would expect to help. The hotel is very well appointed, new although as is often the case with modern, large-scale hotels, the lobby/reception and dining areas lacked atmosphere and were certainly decorated to a minimalistic style. Seating areas were scant in the large reception area and there was no background music etc, which is a shame as seating may have enabled guests to use this wasted space although I suspect that isn't what they want! An unusual tactic since more seats would encourage people to drink the expensive (but amazing) cocktails from the bar! We were lucky enough to be given free drinks on our last night by the lovely waiter! Service is slow from the bar but this isn't for a want of trying on behalf of the busy bar staff. The bar is simply too small and under-staffed for a hotel of it's size. As mentioned by others, there aren't many places to sit besides the small bar pool area and I was dumbfounded when I was told at 7pm that the pool bar/area was closed. To me a pool at night is a lovely place to relax and when asked if we would be able to sit by the pool I was politely but firmly told (twice!) that the area was closed for the evening. Maybe this is a seasonal thing and I must add it didn't spoil the holiday at all, it just puzzled us a little! Pool area was stunning, the pool a bit on the chilly side for me but we were slightly out of season but sun loungers etc were great and area all kept spotlessly clean. Lovely to look out over the Ria Formosa while sunbathing too. I became something of a bird-watcher! I think we even spotted a pelican one evening too. I've noticed that people have mentioned a smell in the hotel/Olhao area in previous posts. This smell is sometimes evident in Olhao and I think it is a consequence of the location across from the salt plains or primitive sanitation! Again, nothing to worry about and this won't ruin your holiday. As for food, I couldn't fault breakfast, plenty to keep you happy and fresh tea and coffee delivered promptly to the table was a nice touch. We ate at the pool bar twice and were really happy with this too. Simple but very well cooked food, I still crave one of their chicken wraps! We never ate dinner in the restaurant as we like to get out and about. Olhao is just two minutes away. You will pass many restaurants on your left which are all very nice. Doca's Pizza and Pizza Na Pedra were amongst our favourites although we also can't fault the Patisseria (Delice de Olhao?), amazing cakes and food which was cheap but of; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Hotel do Cerro; City: Albufeira Faro District Algarve; Review: Returned from the Estalagem do Cerro this week and was really sad to leave! Had a beautiful holiday and was really welcomed by staff and guests while holidaying alone with my little boy. First time in Albufeira and the Estalagem do Cerro or Hotel Do Cerro as it’s currently known, seemed to be a popular choice. I’m happy to say I was not disappointed and I would have qualms rebooking the apartments again. It’s a really unusually laid out hotel with four floors and lots of walkways and public areas in hidden places, something like a rabbit warren! This is definitely not your typical hotel, it has a lovely traditional feel with all the mod-cons and has it’s own unique style. Location was great for us, being up on a hill offered a little more breeze to cool down on hot days and the walk to and from Albufeira old town was not troublesome, even on the hottest days with a three year old in tow. The quickest way is via the steep walk-way opposite the hotel and then two sets of steps which takes you over-looking the beach with beautiful views. Here are a selection of café bars and then a few restaurants perched on the cliff side. A walk round the corner takes you to even more restaurants, bars and shops and then into the centre of Albufeira Old town which was a lot bigger and busier than I expected – lots to see and do and the street performers were great, until the man with the puppets lifted up my skirt for all to see! The mime artist was excellent too although beware, not for the faint-hearted, keep any eye on him! If you have children (or even if you don’t!) ZooMarine is a must – it really was an amazing day out, the dolphin show was spectacular! Food at the hotel was great, although only sampled breakfast and pool bar menu and all was really good. I did find prices were a little steep but that goes for anywhere at the moment. In hindsight, it would have been better to pay for the fridge (something I did not agree with in principle for a four star hotel) and stock up with shop-bought things, even though there were signs for these not to be consumed in the public areas. I would recommend this hotel and only give four out of five on account of some of the things that you might expect from a 4* hotel being overlooked. For me, additional costs of hiring fridges and towels (should you need to) etc. give more of a 3 * feel. Much needed air-conditioning is free, however. It was a lovely break away and definitely missing the Hotel and resort already, I hope to visit again soon.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: XFL draft pool full of NFL experience and names you know; Abstract: The XFL is holding its inaugural draft next week, and the 1,000-player pool is full of NFL experience and college players fans will remember.; Category: sports
Title: Where is 'Kokomo?' People are still searching for The Beach Boys' tropical island getaway; Abstract: You know the catchy, relaxing lyrics: "Off the Florida Keys, there's a place called Kokomo," goes the 1988 hit by The Beach Boys. Three decades later, people are still wondering, where is Kokomo?; Category: travel
Title: Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd Had the Most Awkward Run-in on the Set of Friends; Abstract: Rudd had a rocky first few days on set.; Category: tv
Title: High school soccer: Chloe DeLyser sets record for most goals scored; Abstract: Chloe DeLyser, an Ohio State commit, scored her 317th goal Tuesday night, setting a new national record for a high school girls soccer player.; Category: sports
Title: Family of teen killed in crash with diplomat's wife says apology 'not strong enough'; Abstract: The family traveled to the U.S. this week in an effort get justice for their son.; Category: news
Title: Felicity Huffman Is Scheduled to Be Released from Prison on October 27 After Serving 13 Days; Abstract: Felicity Huffman's Release from Prison Set for Oct. 27; Category: news
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Title: UCLA ends 11-year drought against Stanford with 34-16 win; Abstract: STANFORD, Calif. (AP) Dorian Thompson-Robinson passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in helping UCLA end an 11-year drought against Stanford with a 34-16 victory over the Cardinal on Thursday. Jack West became Stanford's third different starting quarterback of the season, the first time that's happened since 1974. After early success, his inconsistent play led to a stalled offense. Thompson-Robinson passed for 192 yards and rushed for...; Category: sports
Title: Diplomats describe all-time low in morale at State under Trump; Abstract: The Trump administration's perennial push for steep budget cuts, an exodus of senior staffers with decades of experience and constant allegations that agency employees represent a deep state has sent morale at the State Department to an unprecedented low.; Category: news
Title: Florida woman allegedly flees 2 car crashes, kills driver in 3rd crash; Abstract: A Florida woman who killed a 53-year-old man after running a red light and smashing into his Lexus on Saturday morning was in the process of fleeing two earlier car accidents when she caused the fatal collision, police said.; Category: news
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Title: Most Popular Album the Year You Were Born; Abstract: While the popularity of listening to entire albums straight through has waned in recent years, musicians continue to release music in this format.; Category: music
Title: 20 Made-For-TV Movies Featuring Surprising A-List Stars; Abstract: These are all the soapy, hilarious, and occasionally excellent made-for-TV movies that famous actors starred in before they made it big.; Category: tv
Title: Best Perks for Seniors in All 50 States; Abstract: From tuition-free college classes to cheap transportation and free hunting and fishing privileges, all 50 states serve up some golden opportunities for the nation's senior citizens. Find out which states tax Social Security and other retirement income and which states do not.; Category: finance
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Title: Mountain skeleton may be man from Japanese internment camp; Abstract: In the closing days of World War II, a Japanese American set out with other men from the infamous internment camp at Manzanar on a trip to the mountains, where he went off on his own to paint a watercolor and got caught in a freak summer snowstorm.; Category: news
Title: Mitch McConnell snubbed by Elijah Cummings' pallbearer in handshake line at U.S. Capitol ceremony; Abstract: A pallbearer appeared to refuse to shake Mitch McConnell's hand as Rep. Elijah Cummings was lying in state at the Capitol.; Category: news
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Title: 100 greatest movie quotes from 100 years of film; Abstract: AFI's top 100 movie lines have become cultural touchstones. They're part of America's pop lexicon, turning up in spoofs and memes, and staying in circulation over the years. They're famously distinct because of the stars and characters who delivered them, and the jokes, sentiments, and ideas they express.; Category: movies
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Title: Friday's Connecticut Scholastic Scoreboard; Abstract: A roundup of results from Friday's action involving high school varsity teams from Patch towns throughout Connecticut.; Category: sports
Title: The Day in Sports: Sunday, November 3, 2019; Abstract: The Day in Sports: Sunday, November 3, 2019; Category: sports
Title: How to Spot a High-Quality Tequila According to Casa Nobles Founder José "Pepe" Hermosillo; Abstract: Tequila is a spirit that a lot of people equate with shots, and consequently morning hangovers. In actuality, aged tequilas can be delicious to sip on straight or on the rocks, just like you might enjoy a nice, aged whisky.; Category: foodanddrink
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Title: Marlboro Man Bob Norris dies at 90, having reportedly never been a smoker; Abstract: Robert "Bob" Norris, who played the iconic Marlboro Man for more than a decade in the '60s, has died at his Colorado ranch at 90. Norris landed the high-profile ad campaign for the Philip Morris cigarette brand by happenstance, as his son, Bobby Norris, told the local CBS affiliate, KKTV.; Category: tv | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: The Lion and The Rose Bed and Breakfast; City: Asheville North Carolina; Review: What a charming place to stay. Large common area, beautiful rooms, QUIET, and the FOOD--5******!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alaska House of Jade Bed and Breakfast; City: Anchorage Alaska; Review: One of the best B&B's I have ever stayed in PERIOD!! Dee is a great host opening her home to her guests. The breakfast was wonderful. Quiet neighborhood and beautiful view from the deck. Never realized I was in Anchorage.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Podere Patrignone; City: Castellina In Chianti Tuscany; Review: What a marvelous villa. Perched on a Tuscan hill with beautiful views. Off the main road enough to remove any unwanted noise. Simon was a great host and the special meals were wonderful We were a group of 17 and the villa fit all our needs. We especially enjoyed in suite baths for ALL the rooms. If you enjoy hiking there are terrific trails to enjoy. I have traveled to Tuscany 5 times and Patrignone is by far my favorite!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Residence Hill Bed Breakfast; City: Sheridan Wyoming; Review: Barb and Rob are the perfect hosts. From the cleanest house on the planet to the wonderful breakfast and interesting conversations over tea in the afternoon. I have a new best friend. Yes, the inn keepers are wonderful!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Inverglen Guest House; City: Inverness Scottish Highlands Scotland; Review: What a great inn!! John and susan have a perfect inn. Hospitality is beyond belief from the breakfast to organizing our day of activities. Rooms are spacious with large baths. Street is very quiet but 10 min walk to river downtown. What a gem; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alaska House of Jade Bed and Breakfast; City: Anchorage Alaska; Review: Zack and Rebecca have a wonderful home. Large for big groups, spotlessly clean, and very quiet. Breakfast is always special Their recommendations for restaurants and outing were perfect Feels like home!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Alaska House of Jade Bed and Breakfast; City: Anchorage Alaska; Review: Krista and Zack are perfect hosts Quiet large rooms and a great breakfast. Have been coming for 20 years and every visit is perfect!!! Quite neighborhood with great amenities. Ample parking, WiFi and treats!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: The Omni King Edward Hotel; City: Toronto Ontario; Review: I've been visiting Toronto forever on business - and when I do, there's only one place I want to stay - The Omni King Edward Hotel (which used to be Le Meridien King Edward Hotel), one of the loveliest old world style properties you'll find anywhere. Your happy trip begins right at the door, with the doorman greeting you with news of the city, exciting things going on at the hotel, whatever he thinks might make your stay even better. I've been staying there so long that the doormen greet me by name, and tourists rubberneck to see if some celebrity has arrived. (Nope. Far from it) The concierges are so nice and so knowledgeable. They never say "No." It's always "Of course," or "It'll be ready when you get to your room." They also remember me from trip to trip, and make sure that I get Diet Coke in my room instead of water. I try to stay on the concierge floor, which was called the Royal Crown floor. If you ask for the floor that way, they'll send you to the right place. It's more than well worth the additional fee, with the evening cocktail and the gorgeous lounge. When my daughter turned ten, I decided to take her to the King Eddie for her birthday weekend. The concierges knew that my daughter wanted to see where Mama went to work all the time, so they set up some special things for her. Our suite had a video game installed and waiting, along with a few cartridges for her to choose from. She had just begun playing when there was a knock at the door. Room Service called out, and I was puzzled for a few moments, because we arrived at the hotel only an hour before. The Room Service waiter came in with his cart and a champagne cooler, and I panicked for a moment, because my ten year old wasn't going to get any champagne. Not to worry - there was an icy cold bottle of milk in the cooler, and a "happy birthday X" cookie under the dome. She was enthralled, and became even more so when she saw the little bathrobe in the washroom. The hotel gave use directions and called ahead to get us dinner reservations, and showed us the best way to go to the Science Museum. The weekend was magical, and my daughter felt like a princess. The tour of the hotel made her feel even more special, and she asked to go to back to the hotel every weekend for years afterward. That was a decade ago, but I still love coming to the King Eddie, and still love the special treatment that the staff gives me every time I stay there. I don't ask for anything, but these folks are almost psychic, knowing what I might love and they ask me if it might make me happy. From the gorgeous lobby (which makes me feel like a princess), to my lovely, deep bathtub (that I use after getting a massage) to; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Holiday Inn Washington Capitol; City: Washington DC District of Columbia; Review: I stayed in this hotel as a kid, and I really, really wanted to give this place a 5 star review. The people at the desk were wonderful, and the bell captain was very friendly, even though we carried in our own bags. I was impressed that a hotel that old had a security system that controlled the elevator. When we got into our room, we were very happy as well, at least until we took a breath. The room smelled of dust and mold as if the air conditioner was being used for the first time in forever. Later, we discovered that the A/C switched off every time we left the room. That wouldn't have been a problem much of the time, but this was the middle of a heat wave, so we got to sweat and feel the heat for at least an hour after we got there. I decided to take a shower to cool off and discovered someone's used washcloths in the tub. ewww. I decided to turn on the lights (lots of nice lighting, BTW) and take a good look. There was a stain on my daughter's bedspread and a footprint on my pillow. I know that the hotel was value priced, but I expect clean from any hotel, no matter where I stay. The desk clerk was suitably horrified and agreed that my room should be cleaned again. When we returned hours later, it had been cleaned, but my nightthings (which had been folded under the pillows), were on the floor. I get it. You didn't want to clean the room again. Too bad. The rest of our stay was uneventful, and I agree with the reviews so many of the other posters left. The hotel is amazingly well located, tolerant of children (there were three high school groups there, and the staff said that was the normal condition of the hotel), and for the most part, a wonderful hotel. I will go back the next time we go to DC, but if the room is as dirty as it was this time, it will be my last visit there.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Wyndham Garden Hennigsdorf Berlin; City: Hennigsdorf Brandenburg; Review: We really weren't sure about booking this hotel. We really wanted the center of Berlin, and this seemed so far away. OTOH, it came with a price you couldn't beat with a stick, and the hotel had the non smoking room I really need. The travel agent told us the price of parking in .the middle of Berlin, and that sealed the deal. Besides, the U Bahn was around the corner, so it would be handy to everything. We're pretty satisfied. The hotel is definitely in a suburban residential area, not the center of Berlin, and they roll up the sidewalks at night here. But the trains seem to run all night, (that might be wrong, but every time we've gone out, the trains are running.) It takes very a little time to get to any of the sights, if you insist on driving. That took forty minutes in moderate traffic, rush hour traffic would be much worse. Besides, I got a free parking spot on the street outside the hotel! The rooms themselves are nothing special. The people here are very nice, but this will never be a four seasons property. Still, we got a split king sized bed for the price of a double, which looks over a quiet courtyard, There's a huge walnut desk, matching cupboard for clothing, little fridge and gorgeous soaking tub. We get this huge room, complete with breakfast snd dinner for about €500 for four days for three people. Did I mention that we have two rooms and three adults? The second room is comparable to the first, with a Queen sized bed for the single. The food is amazing for the price. The breakfast is served buffet style, and there's all you can eat for four hours. Dinner is a three course meal, with decent sized (but not huge) portions. I haven't been eating lunch, and I'm not at all hungry. The quality is very high, and all three of us are pleased with the offerings. If you're looking for a solid bargain in a very nice hotel outside of Berlin, this is definitely a place you want to check out.There's lots of shopping within a very short walking distance. Plus, the hotel itself has a sauna and gym. I suspect that this hotel is packed with businessmen during the work week, but weekends are totally quiet, so there's a bunch of great deals to attract weekend and tourist visitors. I'm writing this while we're here, so I don't forget anything. It's a really nice property, and I am somewhat fussy😊. For a visit to Berlin with a gorgeous place to charge your batteries, this is a terrific pick. I did take off one star because my nonsmoking room smells like an ashtray. They've apologized, but nothing has been done. Better luck next time.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Hotel Am Schloss Apolda; City: Apolda Thuringia; Review: When we checked in, I thought I was going to love this place. Nice, comfortable rooms, pretty bathroom (no bathtub, sadly), nice view and beautifully quiet. My daughter, cousin and I had a lovely dinner (our plan included breakfasts and dinners at a heck of a price), and konked out to sleep. I slept like an old dog in front of a warm fire. And I woke up looking like a stuffed chimp. Oh boy. Allergies from the bedding caused me no end of trouble. After spending several hours taking medicine in an attempt to breathe, I went to the front desk and rasped (they speak English, but I speak German, so I always speak German to be polite), to see if they had hypoallergenic bedding. I barely had my request out when two maids went to change the bedding. I went to bed that night, confident that I would have no further problems. Bummer. Whatever remained of the allergens in my bed, or the feathers in my daughter's bed (my cousin had her own room), caused me the same problems as the day before, but worse. I went to have a lovely breakfast in the restaurant, and waited for myfamily to wake up, so we could make a decision. Sadly, we had to check out of the hotel, so I wouldn't end up checking into a hospital. (The hospital in the area is new, and I hear it's very nice.) We received no refund for the days we didn't stay in the hotel (2 days). I cannot blame the hotel, because we purchased a package with room, breakfast and dinner. On one hand, I got a great look at the hotel before we left. As I mentioned, the rooms are clean, roomy and quiet. I was surprised to note that the double rooms had no place to store our suitcase, although the single rooms had one. A bathtub would have been nice. Not being booted from a table because "those are reserved as dinner tables, go find a breakfast table", only to see a German party escorted to the same table a few minutes later would have left a much better taste of this place in my mouth. The food was average. Of the three hotels we stayed at, this food was the least tasty. On the other hand, it was still pretty good. The breakfasts we delicious, as long as you like German breakfasts, which I do. (rolls, lunchmeats, delicous jam, yogurt, those types of things) There was a gorgeous old car in the lobby, along with some not very nice old mannequins, although I have no idea why they were there. The hotel has a lovely view of the "schloss," which is nothing like what Americans think of a castle, but lovely nonetheless. All in all, a very nice place to stay if you have no allergies.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Landmark Inn; City: Cooperstown Otsego New York; Review: Cooperstown, NY is the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and most of the town is um, aware of that fact. You will find baseball everything here, and I suspect it could get to be a bit much if you don't sincerely love the game. However, the Landmark Inn is a superb reason to visit Cooperstown all by itself. We have been welcomed here as if we were old friends that they were looking forward to see. We were greeted by name as we walked in the door, two days ago, and one of the first things the front desk person asked us is if we had any food allergies or food items that we really disliked. I mentioned a few things I cannot eat, and the friendly lady wrote it down. She then offered us all sorts of refreshments (wine and cheese, homemade cookies and/or hot spiced cider) and showed us around the "public" part of the property. The Inn is located in an old mansion built in 1856, and was restored to better than original condition in 2003. The old architectural details are in place, as are loads of the original antiques. Every part of the inn is a feast for the eyes. She then brought us to our handicapped accessible room, which is lovely, beautifully scented with potpourii and perfect for someone like me, who has difficulty moving around. There was a sign on the bed welcoming us by name (and had chocolates on it!), and the wardrobe had lovely robes for us to wear, not the usual annoying "honor bar." The bathroom was plenty big to move around, had a great shower with a seat, and has grab bars where you need them. Plenty of towels and high end bath stuff. There was even a corkscrew in the wine bucket, just in case. That's where I spotted the only non-accessible niche in the room. The toiletries, ice bucket, bottled water, hair dryer and so forth are on an antique cabinet in a niche sized as if they were made for one another. Very pretty, but much too narrow for anyone in a wheelchair. If you have an able bodied companion, this shouldn't be a problem, or you could just ask the desk clerk to get you the stuff when she shows you the room. But still, you know. The bed is incredibly comfortable and has high end microfiber sheets and duvet with down alternative. There are ample pillows (7) on our King sized bed, and each side has a small night stand and lamp. There is a flat screen TV with plenty of channels, and it isn't so big as to be intrusive. We have control over the heat, ceiling fan and would have control of the A/C if it wasn't wintertime. The room has sliding doors out to its own deck and the grounds are beautiful, even when covered with snow, as they are now. There is plenty of off-street parking for guests, which is huge, because Cooperstown doesn't have a lot of free on street; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: La Quinta Inn Suites Newark Elkton; City: Elkton Maryland; Review: We stopped here while driving from Boston to Durham, and this was about the midway point. I am disabled, and was totally exhausted from driving, as was my travel companion, my daughter (aged twenty-something). Her exhaustion was from dog-wrangling our 12lb mutt, Iggy. Iggy hates car rides, thinking that all car rides end at the vet, even though most of them go to the park or the beach. We got to the hotel on 10/8/18 and I hate to admit, I barely remember most of it. The people were incredibly friendly and checked us in very quickly when the desk clerk saw how exhausted we were. She had friendly pats for Iggy, and gave me a form to sign, saying that I would pay any dog related damage, starting at $350 for cleaning nasty messes. As Iggy is trustworthy, I had no hesitation about signing. We took him for a last nighttime walk before bed and discovered that many of the other dog OWNERS were not trustworthy, as there were messes all over the lawn. All of us woke up refreshed, and two of us were ready for another long day of driving. (One wanted to stay put and get belly skritches) My daughter and I ate waffles at the self-serve breakfast bar, which included fruit, cereal, a few pastry choices and lots of coffee and tea. The waffle bar here included strawberries and whipped cream -- a nice touch. We checked out at 9:00 am and headed right back down Rte 95, no problems at all. I'd have given this property a perfect score if it wasn't for the dog messes all over the property.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Aloft Raleigh Durham Airport Brier Creek; City: Raleigh North Carolina; Review: Wow. What an Excellent hotel. From the moment we pulled up to the door, we were impressed, a feeling that only got better as time went on. We were greeted by Jasmine, one of the friendliest hotel clerks I have ever met.Jasmine was not only friendly and welcoming, she can multi-task better than anyone I have ever met. While she was checking us in, she was also answering multiple phone calls, training a new employee and keeping up a steady stream of greetings and information to my daughter and me. (Oh yes, she was giving our dog a good scratch and making a lifelong friend, too!) Jasmine even prepared a gift bag for Iggy, our twelve pound mixed-breed experiment. We were given our room keys, blank plastic credit card looking things that are much more secure than keys which identify the property, and we opened the door to our room with a tap of the key. Ahhhhh. The room was beautiful in a very modern, bauhaus kind of way, with a bed that was just screaming for us to relax. Which we did, in total comfort. Our king suite was furnished simply but tastefully, and had all you need to be comfortable. There were four huge pillows and two neck rolls on the bed, as well as a puffy, fiberfiled comforter and a bedspread. All seemed spotlessly clean and smelled fresh. There were lotions and potions from Bliss, all with a light lemon scent and a bottle of Aquafina water, compliments of the hotel. Beside the bed, there were two nightstands with reading lamps on either side, and the opposite wall had two desks/workstations and a large shelf, just perfect for suitcases. A comfy office chair completed the room. Despite the fact that we were adjacent to an airport, we heard no airplane noise whatsoever. We were next to a busy bar and game area, yet heard nothing of the friendly noises and music there, either. The room darkening shades made the room dark, even at high noon on a sunny day. Windows do not open. The whole weekend has been very comfortable and definitely charged our batteries, which were practically dead after our previous hotel nightmares. The breakfast offerings were delicious, but did cost a bit extra: I paid $5 for my 'Southern Classic' breakfast, which consisted of cheese grits (yum) green onions, more cheese, and a poached egg, all served in a pint sized (really, not small. The dish held a pint or a half-liter) paper to-go container. My daughter had a similar breakfast, except with french fries replacing the grits ($7). Both were prepared in about two minutes, were piping hot and delicious. There were also a la carte offerings, at similar prices. Interestingly, this hotel only takes plastic money, not cash. Fortunately, I had my purse with me. If I had preferred to stay in my room, I could have used the coffee/tea machine, or brought something to keep in the little fridge. This room also had a handy safe, which we used the entire visit (three days).; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: La Quinta Inn Suites Raleigh Durham Southpoint; City: Durham North Carolina; Review: We got here on 10/9/18 for a five day stay, which was punctuated by Hurricane Michael, which chose to visit right in the middle of our stay. I was looking for a clean, safe and quiet hotel which would accept our 12 lb mutt, Iggy. I chose a two room "suite" for this visit. Check in was extremely friendly, with lots of pats for Iggy, and a damage waiver for me, agreeing to pay for dog related damage, with a minimum of $350 for cleaning room messes. (I absolutely agree with this, BTW) Iggy was warned that he had best be as neat and clean as he is at home and we got to our room. Sigh. The "dog room" we were assigned to was in dire need of a little sprucing up, although it was very clean. The "Sleep Sofa" was like nothing I had ever seen before and so uncomfortable that sitting on the floor (or on a bed of nails) was preferable. The only other seating in the room was a desk chair, which was worn but comfy. The Wifi was very fast and easy to use (none of that secret password nonsense) The bed was very comfortable, a King that ended up sleeping all three of us, with the 12 pounder taking up the lion's share of the room. We had a bedspread, fiberfill comforter and many pillows, which made sleeping even better. The "mini kitchen," the reason I picked this room, was a microwave, coffee machine and fridge. All were clean, but the mini fridge had no freezer compartment, although the waist high fridge was plenty high enough for it. Paint was dinged and chipped all over the room, the bottom of the doors were water damaged and hinges on every door were rusty and squeaky, signs that a little maintenance is in order. (Replacing that horror of a couch should be first on the list!) We slept well, but were awakened early by smokers on the sidewalk outside our room. The property is supposed to be non-smoking, but this was a smoker's hangout. Running the gauntlet of smokers hanging outside the door 24 hours a day was less than pleasant, but was much nicer than the condition of the lawns and wooded area in the back. There were land mines left by irresponsible dog OWNERS all over the place, although this La Quinta needs to empty their dog poop barrel once a year or so. It was the filthiest dog barrel I have ever seen, overflowing with bags that spilled onto the ground. We were reminded to use dog poop bags (which we always have with us, although they are provided by the hotel, too), but ended up putting the used bag in a different barrel, because leaving the bag on the ground seemed absolutely disgusting. Breakfast was in the lobby, with the usual waffle irons, coffee, cereal and yogurt offerings. Oddly, there were no strawberries or whipped cream for the waffles, only margarine or "maple" (hah!) syrup. The staff would chat with us from all; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Lehigh 3N1TH Ultimate Tool Holder, Blue; Brand: Lehigh; Review: Mounting tabs fragile and do not align properly on standard 1/4" board. Combination of tool holders look good but see no reason that it would hold up to any reasonable use. Don't waste time or money.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: McCulloch MC1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner with 18 Accessories – All-Natural, Chemical-Free Pressurized Steam Cleaning for Most Floors, Counters, Appliances,; Brand: McCulloch; Review: Review on first use. Packaged very well and decided to attack worst problem--a 70 yo shower stall. My partner has bemoaned our inability to clean the grout in our shower stall as we anticipate a gut remodel but needed a short term solution. For run-of-the-mill mold/mildew this unit will remove it in a snap but this situation was more challenging. Lots of attachments (wish they included for wallpaper as next project) and three nylon brushes as "sacrificial" due to heat extremes and material. That said if you resist the urge to scrub and just brush they will last longer. Results were decent with the brush and pleased overall but removed brush and just used the spray tip for the corners and then the magic started. That small change in distance to surface made a huge difference in removing stubborn stains. I hesitated buying one of these as the infomercials (not this unit) make it look like it will take forever but this unit is an extremely effective cleaning system when used with patience and common sense. I think this is my first five star review but deserved for this unit. It is well engineered and constructed and short of spending six times the amount I doubt you will find a superior (perhaps comparable) unit. In a perfect world the cord would retract and there would be onboard storage (clain is there but not really useful) and perhaps a reservoir level indicator (possible boiler design prevents) but that's just being picky. If you take your time and use common sense I'm certain you will be impressed with the power of this unit. For the price this unit is a great value and now will continue cleaning all sorts of things as "I'm sold."; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Superb Cube 1.4 Inch Cube Silicone Ice Cube Tray with EZ-Release & No-Spill Steel Reinforced Rim; Brand: Pratico Kitchen; Review: Wanted to like them but... Understood the issues before purchasing (different than your mother's ice trays which you twisted or...). First couple sets of cubes were decent though a bit of an issue releasing as you need to punch them out individually but no biggie. After a few uses the trays became distorted and they would not conform to original shape and an unpleasant aftertaste was noticeable. I used filtered water and then tried bottled with no appreciable difference. Do not recommend.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: NOVICA Large Rustic Round Mango Wood Wall Mounted Mirror, Multicolor 'Festive Holi'; Brand: NOVICA; Review: Nicely constructed with a pleasant color pallette that fit our location. Especially like the ability to easily replace the mirror if needed. Very well packaged for safety and damage prevention. Good value for an artisan piece.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Ner Mitzvah Classic White Taper Candles - 10 Inch – 30 Bulk Pack – for Shabbat, Dinner Tables,; Brand: Ner Mitzvah; Review: Great value and quality.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Rabbitgoo Privacy Window Film Frosted Film No Glue Anti-UV Window Sticker White Frosted Window Cling Non-Adhesive For Privacy Office Meeting; Brand: Rabbitgoo; Review: Better gauge than anticipated as not at all flimsy. Easy to handle and when applied as directed went up nicely. Only difficulty was trimming in place. Would recommend cutting to exact specs then apply. Light transmission better than expected and prism affect nice touch without being garish.; Rating: 4.0/5.0 | amazon_Home_and_Kitchen |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Focus on Grammar 5: An Integrated Skills Approach, Third Edition (Full Student Book with Student Audio CD); Author: Jay Maurer; Review: This is the best text I've found so far for my advanced community college ESL grammar class. The good points are the integrated skills approach and the relevant and provacative content of some of the lessons. The weak points are the the much less relevant and provacative content of some other lessons, and a few readings that are even poorly written and hard to follow. I just leave a few of them out, and find other material to use instead. (There is a reading in which the American fixation on cars is described in tongue-in-cheek anthropology textbook style, a joke that is too far beyond my students to take time to explain, and an article about logical fallacies in newspaper articles that can't quite follow myself.) Another weak point is the limited usefulness of the CD, which includes only one listening exercise per chapter and is not sold separately from the book.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet; Author: Visit Amazon's John Bradshaw Page; Review: Of the various books I've read about dogs, this one makes the most sense to me. As a first-time dog owner I read and was told a lot of things that were simply dissonant with my own experience--a whole lot about the issue of dominance, and not letting my dog think he was the boss. My dog is toy yorkipoo, two pounds when I got him as a puppy and six pounds grown--of course he is not the boss! The only issues I had to resolve with him were nipping and house breaking--the first was easy, I just yelled when he did it-- the second not so much, but toy dogs are infamous for that issue. However, I was told not to all kinds of things with him that I enjoy doing myself--not to let him sleep on my bed, or have joyful and affectionate reunions when I come home, or play tug with the toy rabbit, or if I did never to let him win, etc., etc. -- all because of this issue of "dominance." Bradshaw was a breath of fresh air. Everything he says helps me understand my dog's behavior, and helps our relationship.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Grammar in Context 2, Third Edition (Student Book); Author: Visit Amazon's Sandra N. Elbaum Page; Review: This is the long-standing standby series for grammar courses in our community college ESL program. I have experimented with other texts over the years, but I keep coming back to Elbaum because: a) Most of the reading and writing contexts are relevant and engaging for my students. b) Since the series is so widely used, they have many options for obtaining it inexpensively--online second-hand sales, rentals, or hand-me-down from friends and relatives. Since a majority of my students are low-income and textbook costs are an obstacle for them, this is an important consideration. The weak point of the book, from my perspective, is that some of the grammar points seem to be explained in convoluted and confusing ways when much simpler explanations exist. These include our residual uses of the subjunctive in English, the problem of -ing/-ed participle adjectives, and tricky things about adjective clauses that are governed by features of the embedded sentence. There are several places where I just have to tell the class, "Don't pay attention to that page in the book, I can explain it better."; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Brain Quest Workbook: Kindergarten; Author: Visit Amazon's Lisa Trumbauer Page; Review: This was a big hit for my nephew (who turned five a week after Christmas). He is in preschool, and this seemed to answer his impatience for big-kid "real school."; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Witchcraft Today; Author: Gerald Gardner; Review: For anyone involved in or interested in the modern Wiccan revival, this is necessary reading. Wicca without Gardner is like pea soup without the ham bone. If you choose to follow this path in earnest, you will find that when you re-read this book from time to time along your way, you will uncover new riches each time that you did not notice before. The first time through, do not be distracted or unduly annoyed by Gardner's dated and sometimes inaccurate amateur speculations on history and anthropology. Just pay close attention to everything he says about the Witches he actually knew, and what they said and did.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates; Author: Visit Amazon's Wes Moore Page; Review: I enjoyed the book, but the reasons why the two Wes Moores took different life paths soon become quite obvious. "The other Wes Moore" was abandoned by his father and was raised in poverty by a single mother and an older brother already involved in crime. The author is from an essentially middle-class family (from the point of view of education, if not income), with Caribbean immigrant roots, a third-generation college graduate born into an intact family, whose loving father died when he was young and who was raised by his widowed mother and maternal grandparents. Very different stories.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Sourcework: Academic Writing from Sources; Author: Visit Amazon's Nancy E. Dollahite Page; Review: I have used this for an advanced community college ESOL class that focuses on writing a research paper. The first half the book has helpful exercises that require students to evaluate and revise thesis statements, evidence to support points, and so on. Unfortunately these exercises are tied to the readings in the second part of the book, which are not especially well chosen or well-written. The main reason I no longer use the book is that it teachers APA format while the the college-transfer English class that my students are preparing to take will require them to use MLA.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL - A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years; Author: Visit Amazon's Jared Diamond Page; Review: This is a thorough, engrossing, and clear-eyed analysis of one of history's big questions. Now my community college students have to read it, too--or at least parts of it.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Movie Tie-in Edition): A No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Novel (1); Author: Visit Amazon's Alexander McCall Smith Page; Review: This was a successful choice for my advanced ESL class, reading a complete unadapted novel for the first time. Most of the students followed it and enjoyed it. (And the episodes from the BBC miniseries on YouTube change the events and sequences enough so that you can spot the ones who didn't actually read it :); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Wake: A Novel; Author: Visit Amazon's Paul Kingsnorth Page; Review: I took this on a plane trip and found the language overly frustrating. Comparable to (though different from) to getting through Shakespeare's English, but in that case you have Shakespeare as a reward. This one, twenty pages in, all I could gather was that the Normans invaded and things weren't going well. I got the audible version because from a quick bit of listening in sounds as if it will be more accessible that way.; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Snow Falling on Cedars; Author: Visit Amazon's David Guterson Page; Review: I've found this is a great choice for community college students who are not experienced novel readers. It has something for everyone--romance, murder mystery, courtroom drama, war story, history.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Great American Stories 1, Third Edition; Author: Visit Amazon's C. G. Draper Page; Review: I have used this as a core text for high beginning level reading and writing courses for the past fifteen years. It is an effective course text because it starts at an accessible level for high beginning English language learners and takes them to a low intermediate level by manageable steps. The stories are engaging and introduce students to important American social and historical issues, including women's history, racial issues, and immigrant family life. The book also suggests relevant writing topics.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: NorthStar Listening and Speaking 4 with MyLab English (4th Edition); Author: Tess Ferree; Review: I purchased the new edition with MyEnglishLab access code. When I peeled away the sticker covering the access code, the complete code ripped away and I am unable to piece it together again in order to access the online lab. I am going to be using the text for a course that I am teaching, but I don't think there is any way to prevent students from having the same problem :(; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo; Author: ; Review: Surprisingly uninteresting and un-funny. I got it for entertaining breaks from my big long car CD, Lessing's _Golden Notebook_, which I was sometimes finding slow going. Now Lessing seems more entertaining than she did before.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Kabbalah Deck; Author: Edward Hoffman; Review: This was just the book, not the cards. It was the cards I needed.; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress; Author: Dai Sijie; Review: This has been a great success with my community college advanced ESL classes. It is short and not overwhelmingly difficult for them, but at the same time rich and deep. One aspect of the "re-education" theme that some of my Chinese students point out, and I had not previously realized; it is the little peasant seamstress who is "re-educated" by the Cultural Revolution more than any other character in the book. She is representative of a whole generation of rural young people who were exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking by the urban elite who were stationed among them in order to be "re-educated," so that the lasting effects of "re-education" on Chinese society were actually the reverse of what Mao intended!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with hotels as follows:
Title: Travel Inn Hotel New York; City: New York City New York; Review: This was one of the worst hotels I have ever stayed in, although it is in a good location. One lift not working and the other one very very slow and seemingly easily confused! Intermittent Internet in the lobby only, kept dropping out and requiring a new access code which could only be got from the receptionists, who were rather reticent to give them out in case too many users tried to log on, which would stop the system apparently!! Rooms were poor. No tea or coffee, no functioning controls on the heating system, and generally not very clean. This culminated in returning to the rooms late one morning to find cockroaches running across clothes left on a chair. Hotel staff did not seem to care and were impossibly inflexible when we asked to move rooms. They said they would have it cleaned and checked which they did not do as they were still there on our return later that afternoon. We were in a front room facing the Main Street which made sleeping rather challenging on Friday and saturday night, when the bar and night club opposite finished. The pool was for summer use only, although we did not see that written down on the website or in the hotel anywhere and it was something specific that we had wanted. We had to ask why it wasn't open. The gym was poorly equipped, although to be fair, it was vaguely functional. The poor experience was topped off by a concierge service which apparently was not available to move bags until asked 3 or 4 times.; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel Jersey; City: St Helier Jersey Channel Islands; Review: An excellent hotel with very professional, polite staff and very good food. Rooms comfortable and clean. Bed and bed linen were exceptionally comfortable. Decor not always worth taking a picture of to show friends but the lobby is grand, with a huge fish tank which compliments the seaside/ marina location. Well priced and would recommend to most.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Castle Lodge B B; City: Sennybridge Brecon Beacons National Park Wales; Review: A vey very good B and B with wonderful hosts. We stayed in the same room as the previous reviewer (6 May) and can reliably inform all that they are wrong. Only one of the 3 windows didn't open and the "old flowers" were plastic!! Very comfortable bed, very well stocked room, wonderful breakfast and an amazing 3D TV if you have time to relax!! Would recommend to anyone.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Chapmans Peak Beach Hotel; City: Hout Bay Western Cape; Review: A good hotel in general, slightly overpriced though. Mountain views can be very limited so do choose rooms carefully. Room we were in was very large and very comfortable, nothing poor at all. Food was very good and the service was generally good. Some staff were excellent, some a little more average, the reception desk for example could have been a little more upbeat and professional. But the lady who does breakfast is exceptional, as were some of the others. Definitely recommended but a couple of minor things stop it being an excellent score overall. That said you shouldn't be particularly disappointed at all.; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Secret Garden Guesthouse; City: Bloubergstrand Western Cape; Review: This is a wonderful place to stay. Great location, great staff, great apartments, great price. We wish we had found secret gardens a few days earlier so we could have stayed longer!!! That's so much guys. We'll be back!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Krakovska Terraces; City: Prague Bohemia; Review: We stayed in Krakovska 4, which is a 3 double bedroom apartment and excellent in every way. Very comfortable, very quiet, a well presented kitchen and good views. Underfloor heating was very welcome for a January visit!! The "greeter" was also excellent and she gave lots of very good advice about where to visit etc. Good value all round, I fully recommend.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | hotelrec |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Amores Perros (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Pearl Harbor (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: A Home at the End of the World (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Rules of Attraction (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Mexico City (2000); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: El Coronel No Tiene Quien Le Escriba (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: El Callejon De Los Milagros (1995); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: 13 Going on 30 (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Terminal (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Queer as Folk: Season 2 (2002); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Maria Full of Grace (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Live Flesh (1997); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Soldier's Girl (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Saw (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Journey of Jared Price (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Bad Education (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Closer (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Charcoal People (1999); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Queer as Folk: Season 3 (2003); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ladder 49 (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Recruit (2003); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ghost (1990); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Queer as Folk: Season 1 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Sixth Sense (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Miss Congeniality (2000); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Fast and the Furious (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Armageddon (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Queer as Folk: Season 4 (2004); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tomb Raider (2001); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Day After Tomorrow (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Green Mile (1999); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Latter Days (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Uncovered: The War on Iraq (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Michael Moore's The Awful Truth: Season 1 (1999); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Men's Mix 1: Gay Shorts Collection (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Criminal (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Drift (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Bourne Identity (2002); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Tarzan 2 (2005); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Confusion of Genders (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: O Fantasma (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: The Devil's Backbone (2001); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Burnt Money (2000); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Nico and Dani (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Michael Moore's The Awful Truth: Season 2 (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Straight Men and the Men Who Love Them (2004); Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: From the Edge of the City (1998); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: To the Extreme (2005); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Hostage (2005); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: White Noise (2005); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Machinist (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Conspiracy of Silence (2004); Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Come Undone (2000); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Elephant (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Mean Creek (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Downfall (2004); Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Donnie Darko: Director's Cut (2001); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Proteus (2003); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: The Amityville Horror (2005); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Brother to Brother (2004); Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill (1999); Rating: 4.0/5.0 | netflix |
Given the interaction history of a user with books as follows:
Title: Down a Lost Road (Lost Road Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's J. Leigh Bralick Page; Review: This book is amazing! I loved it so much. I instantly fell in love with Arah Byen, and Yatol. I was upset about the end, though.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Subverter (Lost Road Chronicles); Author: Visit Amazon's J. Leigh Bralick Page; Review: I chose this book because I could not stop reading the first book, Down a Lost Road. I was so engrossed in the first book, that I just had to get the second book, Subverter. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves dystopian/romance/thriller. - MaximumKatniss; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Threads That Bind: The Havoc Chronicles; Author: Visit Amazon's Brant Williams Page; Review: At the very first word i was captivated. Throughout the whole book i was kept on the edge of my seat. There's a little bit of romance but not to much so it's more an action story than romance. The Havoc's were beautifully created and the characters were amazingly designed. I would recommend this book to whoever likes action/romance novels.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Unbound (The Havoc Chronicles) (Volume 2); Author: Visit Amazon's Brant Williams Page; Review: The whole storyline is amazing. Once again, Brant Williams describes the characters in vivid detail. I had so much fun reading this book. It's an amazing series. High praises from me!!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Mortal Instruments 5: City of Lost Souls; Author: Visit Amazon's Cassandra Clare Page; Review: I thought this book was AMAZING. I love all of the characters. They are beautifully written. I cant wait to hear more from Cassandra Clare!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Bonds That Break (The Havoc Chronicles) (Volume 3); Author: Visit Amazon's Brant Williams Page; Review: Well. This book was far away from boring!! It was the best book of the series!!! I could not put it down. I purchased the book on Wednesday and finished it by Saturday. The Havoc Chronicles was utterly AMAZING. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_books |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Damages: The Complete Fifth; Brand: Rose Byrne; Review: Many twists, keeping it interesting as usual. Looking for more, seeing as main characters are still viable. Great show. :-); Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: The Duchess of Duke Street - Series 1; Brand: Gemma Jones; Review: Interesting, good dialogue, wonderful wardrobes, great acting. I enjoy watching drama that is different than what network tv has to offer.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: America's Test Kitchen - Season 4; Brand: ; Review: Informative and entertaining.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: America's Test Kitchen: Season 2; Brand: .; Review: Informative and entertaining.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: America's Test Kitchen; Brand: .; Review: Informative and entertaining.; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: Bosch 1294VSK 2.3 Amp Corner Detail Sander Kit; Brand: Bosch; Review: A must-have for refinishing furniture. Light and very powerful. Easily adjusted by RPM or pressure: can remove material at a surprisingly fast rate, useful for stripping using 80 or 100 grit.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Delta Faucet 7-Spray Touch Clean Hand Held Shower Head with Hose, Chrome 75700; Brand: DELTA FAUCET; Review: Robust doesn't break tile or showerhead if dropped perfect for my wheelchair bound wife; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lutron MA-ALFQ35-BL Maestro Companion Dual Dimmer and Fan Speed Control Switch, Almond; Brand: Lutron; Review: What can I say...it's the best.... I control my sylvania SE sunset effects LEDs and Remote fan no problems; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lutron MA-LFQM-AL 300 Watt Maestro Multi-Location Fan and Light Control, Almond; Brand: Lutron; Review: Works well to control my sylvania LED SE lamps and fan. Be sure to pull the little isolation tabs out when you leave on vacation as lighting EMP can scramble the firmware. Mysteriously, the circuit eventually repaired itself after a couple of days after a lighting strike...has worked fine since.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lutron MA-LFQHW-WH Maestro Fan Control and Dimmer Kit, White; Brand: Lutron; Review: Can't go wrong with these. Memorizes settings and easy to use.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: SlimLine 2243 Flat Plug Extension Cord, 3-Wire, 8-Foot, Black; Brand: Coleman Cable; Review: Flat and gets the job done can have basically zero clearance behind your item without damaging the connection or electrics; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Honeywell RCW3505N1000/N Decor Customizable BeechWood Door Chime; Brand: Honeywell; Review: This works well with my 2 conductor interrupt switch with grain of wheat bulb. Sounds great to!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Style n Craft 74-052 2-Inch Work Belt in Heavy Top Grain Oiled Leather, 32-Inch to 46-Inch; Brand: Style N Craft; Review: Gets the job done, doesn't slip, holds all my tools, will get another; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Leviton 5614-2W 15 Amp, 120/277 Volt, Decora Rocker Lighted Handle, Illuminated Off 4-Way AC Quiet Switch, Residential Grade,; Brand: Leviton; Review: I highly recommend this light controller easily adjustable easy to install highly recommend; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Inox Extended Length Stainless Steel Shower Hose - 100 inches (2.54 meters); Brand: INOX; Review: Perfect extension for shower hoses in environments where resistance to heat and pressure required; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lightblade 1500S by Lumiy (Series; Brand: Lumiy; Review: After carefully researching several LED desk lamps, I settled on this model. Was initially hesitant reading reviews of the earlier version, which criticized the lack of positioning adjustments. This new version has additional degrees of freedom and works well as a piano music stand light. The light is uniform and shadow-free, and can be adjusted for color temperature as well as brightness. My comfort zone is well within the adjustment range (position/color temperature/intensity). So far, perfect. No operational concerns.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lutron MA-T51-BL Maestro Countdown Timer, Black; Brand: Lutron; Review: A joy to install easy circuit diagram wiring shown in the accompanying fliers with the product the case is well designed for fitting standard receptacle boxes it's stable and easily attached great form factor really adds value to my housei'm using it to control dimmable LEDs; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Lutron Maestro C.L Dimmer and Motion Sensor, Single-Pole and Multi-Location, MSCL-OP153M-ST, Stone; Brand: Lutron; Review: I think these Lou Tron switches are the best in their class I've never had any problems with function and installation highly recommended pros and amateurs alike will find no difficulty installing the product brochure is comprehensive and covers most wiring situations; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: QUANS 110V 10W UV Ultra Violet LED Black Light for Curing Glue, Resin Cure 3D Printer, Blacklight, Fishing; Brand: QUANS; Review: Nice and bright; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Tools_and_Home_Improvement |
Given the interaction history of a user with news articles as follows:
Title: Here are 7 incredible stats from Game 1 of the ALCS; Abstract: Gleyber Torres and Masahiro Tanaka inked their names in the postseason history books during the ALCS opener on Saturday night.; Category: sports
Title: Plane collides with pickup truck while landing, pilot killed; Abstract: Witnesses reported the airplane was at an altitude of just 5 feet as it crossed a county road near the airstrip and struck a pickup truck.; Category: news
Title: Woman Spots Deadly Animal Hiding In Photo Of Her Kids; Abstract: Her unsuspecting children weren't the only ones posing for the pictures.; Category: lifestyle
Title: Ford botches Explorer launch, putting CEO back on hot seat; Abstract: Ford Motor Co.'s Jim Hackett and Wall Street analysts started this year frustrated with one another. Sure, the automaker had been underperforming, but the chief executive appealed for time to show he was fixing things. He assured them the redesigned Explorer SUV rolling out months later would be a proof point.; Category: finance
Title: Four flight attendants were arrested in Miami's airport after bringing in thousands in cash, police say; Abstract: Four American Airlines flight attendants were arrested at the Miami International Airport and charged with money laundering after bringing large amounts of cash into the country, police said.; Category: news
Title: Cummings' widow responds to Trump's attacks, gets standing ovation; Abstract: Dr. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the widow of the late Rep. Elijah Cummings, appeared to respond to President Trump's previous attacks of her husband during a speech at his funeral.; Category: video
Title: Why are most aircraft painted predominantly white?; Abstract: Aircraft liveries, or the designs painted on the exterior of aircraft from the nose to the tail, are a way to identify to which airline the plane belongs.; Category: travel
Title: Ford Explorer vs. Hyundai Palisade vs. Kia Telluride: Finding the No-Compromise Crossover; Abstract: $45K Seven-Seat SUV Shootout; Category: autos
Title: What it's really like to retire in an RV; Abstract: Do your retirement plans include driving cross-country in your RV? If so, have you considered going all-in on RV living, leaving behind a standard address and all its annoying commitments? Here are some factors to take into consideration before you do, based on feedback from RVers already living on the road year-round.; Category: finance
Title: Trump says poor treatment and high taxes prompted permanent residence change; Abstract: President Trump confirmed on Twitter Thursday night that he would be moving his permanent residence to Palm Beach, Fla., blaming local New York leaders who the president argued had treated him "very badly."In a series of tweets, Trump wrote that the Empire State would "always have a special place" in his heart, while adding that "[f]ew have been treated worse" by its leadership despite paying "millions" in taxes.....New York, and always will,...; Category: news
Title: Kroger is rebranding with a new logo and slogan; Abstract: Kroger, which also owns Ralphs, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Fred Meyer, and more than a dozen other banners that sell food and home goods, announced Wednesday its new tagline is "Fresh for Everyone."; Category: finance
Title: 55 Restaurants That Serve an Amazing Thanksgiving Dinner; Abstract: If you love Thanksgiving and the food but don't love the cooking or cleanup, get an easy gourmet celebration at one of these restaurants nationwide. Many feasts feature local twists on old favorites, such as Turducken gumbo and Cajun fried turkey in New Orleans and even vegan-friendly offerings in Seattle.; Category: foodanddrink
Title: Should You Get the 2020 Ford Explorer? Pros and Cons on This Family SUV; Abstract: Ford completely reimagined Explorer is a 2020 SUV of the Year contender; Category: autos
Title: Browns, Steelers brawl at end of Cleveland's 21-7 win; Abstract: Cleveland defense end Myles Garrett ripped off Pittsburgh quarterback Mason Rudolph's helmet and hit him with it in the head in the final seconds as the Browns' 21-7 win over the Steelers on Thursday night ended with a wild brawl between the rivals.; Category: sports | mind |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition; Brand: The Elf on the Shelf; Review: My husband ran across Elf on the Shelf on Amazon and decided to get it and start a new tradition for our son's first Christmas. Although my son is only 5 months old and doesn't understand the tradition yet, he still gets really excited when he sees the elf in a new location everyday. And he loves looking at the great illustrations in the book. I think this will be a wonderful tradition that we will continue for years to come.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Radio Flyer Wagon Canopy; Brand: Radio Flyer; Review: This canopy is great! It is high enough that my son can sit underneath it and it keeps the sun out of his eyes without obstructing his view. It is easily removable and storage of it is not a problem. Some people have mentioned that the clips that hold the canopy onto the wagon break and I can see how that could happen, but ours has been great so far. We love it!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Megabloks 80pc Lrg Mega Bloks Bag; Brand: Mega Bloks; Review: I ordered these for my 18-month-old for Christmas and he thinks they're great. They are easy for him to put together (some other brands are more difficult to snap together and take apart) and he loves building things and then destroying them (typical little boy!). There are enough blocks to construct some neat buildings/towers/whatever but not so many that they take over the living room when we play. I am very happy with this product.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Gund My First Teddy Bear Huggybuddy Baby Blanket (Discontinued by Manufacturer); Brand: GUND; Review: I just bought my 2nd bear. My son received one as a gift when he was a few months old. He is now 2 and he loves his bear so much that we needed to get another one - the first one has been loved nearly to death. They are wonderful and are great quality. And it has handled being dragged around, chewed on, and machine washed over and over. It's time to replace it and I can't imagine buying anything else for my son. I highly recommend this product!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Peaceable Kingdom Funny Valentine 28-Card Super Packs, in Race Cars; Brand: Peaceable Kingdom; Review: I bought these for my 4-year-old's Valentine's Day party at school and they were a hit. Really cute and a fun idea.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Minnie Mouse Novelty Glasses, 4ct; Brand: Minnie Mouse; Review: I bought these for my two-year-old daughter. She loves Minnie Mouse and is always wanting to wear my prescription glasses so I thought she would enjoy these. They are very cute and she did really like them but they didn't last long. They are made from very cheap plastic and the sides snap off with very little effort. But, they are a party-favor, so I didn't expect high quality. If you are looking for something to pop into a party favor bag, these would be fine. If you think these are sunglasses that your child will wear for weeks or months, these are not for you.; Rating: 3.0/5.0 | amazon_Toys_and_Games |
Given the interaction history of a user with products as follows:
Title: American Sniper 2014; Brand: ; Review: Excellent movie!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Black or White; Brand: Kevin Costner; Review: I loved this movie, definitely a must see!!!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Safe Haven (Blu-ray + Digital Copy) [Bilingual]; Brand: ; Review: This is a really good movie, definitely worth a watch!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: San Andreas Bilingual; Brand: Dwayne Johnson; Review: Lots of action and great effects!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Ride A Wild Pony (DISNEY); Brand: Don Chaffey; Review: Love this movie. Loved it as a kid and it still holds up today.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Meet the Patels; Brand: Ravi Patel; Review: I loved this. It really portrays not just the enduring old school ways of the older generations compared to the younger that are trying to respect the elders, but it also shows the challenges of immigrants that want to be American, but also don't want to forget their traditions and family values. Very cute movie, worth watching for sure!; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Brooklyn; Brand: Domhnall Gleeson; Review: Excellent movie. I highly recommend watching this movie.; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: That Sugar Film; Brand: Stephen Fry; Review: Excellently done, very informative as well as entertaining. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to get healthy!; Rating: 5.0/5.0 | amazon_Movies_and_TV |
Given the interaction history of a user with movies/shows as follows:
Title: Back to the Future Part III (1990); Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Western; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Rob Roy (1995); Genres: Action, Drama, Romance, War; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Judge Dredd (1995); Genres: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994); Genres: Action, Comedy; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Chinatown (1974); Genres: Crime, Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Crying Game, The (1992); Genres: Drama, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989); Genres: Adventure, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Johnny Mnemonic (1995); Genres: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Platoon (1986); Genres: Drama, War; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Specialist, The (1994); Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Arachnophobia (1990); Genres: Comedy, Horror; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The (2002); Genres: Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Three Musketeers, The (1993); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Casper (1995); Genres: Adventure, Children; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Copycat (1995); Genres: Crime, Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Lethal Weapon 2 (1989); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Splash (1984); Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Traffic (2000); Genres: Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (1999); Genres: Animation, Comedy, Musical; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Independence Day (a.k.a. ID4) (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Blair Witch Project, The (1999); Genres: Drama, Horror, Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy, Mystery; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Star Trek: First Contact (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Godfather: Part III, The (1990); Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984); Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Star Trek: Generations (1994); Genres: Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Clear and Present Danger (1994); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Karate Kid, Part II, The (1986); Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: World Is Not Enough, The (1999); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: NeverEnding Story, The (1984); Genres: Adventure, Children, Fantasy; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Femme Nikita, La (Nikita) (1990); Genres: Action, Crime, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: My Best Friend's Wedding (1997); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Long Kiss Goodnight, The (1996); Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Muppet Treasure Island (1996); Genres: Adventure, Children, Comedy, Musical; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Look Who's Talking Now (1993); Genres: Children, Comedy, Romance; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000); Genres: Horror; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Magnificent Seven, The (1960); Genres: Adventure, Western; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: For a Few Dollars More (Per qualche dollaro in più) (1965); Genres: Action, Drama, Thriller, Western; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Look Who's Talking Too (1990); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985); Genres: Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Gladiator (2000); Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Titanic (1997); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Top Gun (1986); Genres: Action, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Apocalypse Now (1979); Genres: Action, Drama, War; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Reservoir Dogs (1992); Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Firm, The (1993); Genres: Drama, Thriller; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Demolition Man (1993); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Aladdin (1992); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Musical; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Godfather, The (1972); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 1.0/5.0
Title: Rock, The (1996); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Silence of the Lambs, The (1991); Genres: Crime, Horror, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Mrs. Doubtfire (1993); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Lion King, The (1994); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Drama, Musical, IMAX; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Apollo 13 (1995); Genres: Adventure, Drama, IMAX; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Mask, The (1994); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Fantasy; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Shawshank Redemption, The (1994); Genres: Crime, Drama; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: Twelve Monkeys (a.k.a. 12 Monkeys) (1995); Genres: Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: In the Bleak Midwinter (1995); Genres: Comedy, Drama; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Beverly Hills Cop III (1994); Genres: Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Coneheads (1993); Genres: Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: True Lies (1994); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Léon: The Professional (a.k.a. The Professional) (Léon) (1994); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Shrek 2 (2004); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Musical, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: GoldenEye (1995); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, IMAX; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Ice Age (2002); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: American Pie 2 (2001); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Tootsie (1982); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Swordfish (2001); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Memento (2000); Genres: Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Mission: Impossible II (2000); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Spy Who Loved Me, The (1977); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Cast Away (2000); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Romeo Must Die (2000); Genres: Action, Crime, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Good Morning, Vietnam (1987); Genres: Comedy, Drama, War; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Bodyguard, The (1992); Genres: Drama, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990); Genres: Action, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 2.5/5.0
Title: Road Trip (2000); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fistful of Dollars, A (Per un pugno di dollari) (1964); Genres: Action, Western; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: From Russia with Love (1963); Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Hurricane, The (1999); Genres: Drama; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: RoboCop (1987); Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: RoboCop 2 (1990); Genres: Action, Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Monty Python's And Now for Something Completely Different (1971); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Payback (1999); Genres: Action, Thriller; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Babe: Pig in the City (1998); Genres: Adventure, Children, Drama; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Meet Joe Black (1998); Genres: Romance; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990); Genres: Comedy, Horror; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Six Days Seven Nights (1998); Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Romance; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Game, The (1997); Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: The Devil's Advocate (1997); Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: G.I. Jane (1997); Genres: Action, Drama; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: X-Men (2000); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: X2: X-Men United (2003); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Highlander (1986); Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy; Rating: 3.0/5.0
Title: Fifth Element, The (1997); Genres: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Shrek (2001); Genres: Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Fantasy, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Top Secret! (1984); Genres: Comedy; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Dogma (1999); Genres: Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977); Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) (1981); Genres: Action, Adventure; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Usual Suspects, The (1995); Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 5.0/5.0
Title: American Beauty (1999); Genres: Drama, Romance; Rating: 4.0/5.0
Title: Amelie (Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le) (2001); Genres: Comedy, Romance; Rating: 3.5/5.0
Title: Jaws 3-D (1983); Genres: Action, Horror; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Police Academy: Mission to Moscow (1994); Genres: Comedy, Crime; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997); Genres: Action, Romance, Thriller; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Police Academy 6: City Under Siege (1989); Genres: Comedy, Crime; Rating: 2.0/5.0
Title: Beethoven's 2nd (1993); Genres: Children, Comedy; Rating: 1.5/5.0
Title: Primal Fear (1996); Genres: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller; Rating: 4.5/5.0
Title: Gladiator (1992); Genres: Action, Drama; Rating: 4.5/5.0 | movielens |
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