Tag: ebook

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Amazon changed my titles. Apparently #readers are easily confused. Let’s help #dumbreaders

compareSo apparently the books above, which have been available for sale for three plus years, are confusing to potential readers. Amazon is so concerned that readers might not be able to figure out the difference between the fiction books and the non-fiction companion guides that they are making me change the titles and covers (ebook only, apparently they don’t care about the paperbacks). Seriously.

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I will say that I liked some of their listing requests since they will help me better categorize these companions, but beyond that, they are taking this too far. Let’s just ignore the fact that each of my companion guides are titled after the blogs they were originally written as and say that the titles are catchy and fun, while the changes are not.

battleblog

I don’t know if I’m more annoyed at Amazon for thinking people are dumb or if I’m pissed at the fact that people might actually be this dumb. And, if I’m offending someone at this point, I really don’t care (well, I do a little). I think this is ridiculous.

40questAccording to Amazon, I can’t list my name on the book because it might confuse people. WHAT?

According to Amazon, I can’t call it a companion, I have to call it a study guide because it might confuse people. WHAT?

According to Amazon, I can’t use my current title at all. I literally have to call it A Study Guide. WHAT? (I’m using it somehow.)

battlequestSo now my paperback and ebook covers won’t match unless I change it across the board. I don’t even know if I care enough to do so at this point.

Are they crazy or is it me?

Seriously, I want to know. Tell me.

Have I been confusing people for the past three+
years or has Amazon lost their minds?

#BeAFriend #TellTheTruth :/

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Books

#Review: The Affinity Bridge #mystery #paranormal #book

Goodreads

Title:  The Affinity Bridge

Series: Newbury and Hobbes #1

Author: George Mann

Genre: Steampunk, Sci-fi

Pages: 350

Reading Level: Adult

Content: R (violence, drug use, scary and mature themes, some gore)

I bought this book at a bargain bookstore and almost feel like I ripped them off. Even though I didn’t love this book, I still underpaid for it.

I’ve been wanting to dive into the steampunk genre for some time, but I keep getting distracted by my faves. Every now and then, though, I do pick up something steam and always seem to enjoy it. The main problem with this book is that it has a reputation and I let myself get caught up in the hype. I was expecting, maybe, too much from it. In any case, I did like it and here’s why.

The story is a mystery in the manner of Sherlock Holmes but set in a world of steam with large blimps floating over London and zombie-like creatures lurking in the dark. This isn’t a spoiler, this is how the book opens up- and what an opening it is. Holmes and Watson are played by Sir Newbury and his assistant Miss Hobbs (who I liked right away).

Punch card powered Automata are at the center of the great mystery which involves royalty, a blimp crash, and a few murders. The pace ebbs and flows and the promise of “dark arts” is lacking. The descriptions were probably my favorite part. All in all, I can’t complain too much. It’s a good story and a credit to the genre. I plan to read more in this series (I think it’s a series).

I give this book a 4.

LikeIt

This review has been posted to GoodReads.

If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link: Amazon

Get a print copy with free international shipping at this link: Book Depository.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

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Books

#Review : Chinese Take-out #spy #book

Goodreads

Title:  Chinese Take-out

Series: NA

Author: Ian Mathie

Genre: Historical fiction, Spy Thriller

Pages: 287

Reading Level: Adult

Content: PG-13 (war and mature themes, some sexual content/references)

I’m kicking myself for taking so long to read this book. I mean I have it in both ebook and paperback form, but hey, sometimes life gets in the way. The first thing that drew me to this book was the fact that it’s a work of fiction from an author who’s known for writing memoirs. The second thing that caught my eye was the amazing cover.

Chinese Take-out starts out seeming to be two stories running in parallel until it’s revealed later that there is more than one thing linking these two “cases” together. Yes, cases is important. Green, aka the Nose, is a “company man” who has been pulled away from his preferred assignment in China to deal with a domestic matter involving arms dealing. This is essentially an espionage thriller and if you still don’t know what “The Company” is, this may not be the book for you.

I could go into more detail about the plot to give you a big build up and still leave out the details, but I don’t want to. I want anyone who decides to pick this up to be just as surprised as I was. I will throw you a few bones just so you can see if you are truly interested. The story has: a cover-up, a rebel, a huge misunderstanding, a mentor/buddy theme, and of course spying. Also, the story takes place during the formation of The Peoples Republic of China, so seeing the characters use and try to understand technology that we’d find archaic was actually, kind of, amusing.

I loved the characters in this book. The story itself was told in such a matter-of-fact way, that the characters were the one thing you could form an emotional bond with. When these guys bounced from one mini-mission to the other, you were with them and rooting for them, not wanting to leave anyone behind. I won’t pretend this was an action packed story, but the weaving of clues and messages and secrets was riveting.

I’d say this book was written for an adult audience, but a teen with a thirst for espionage could totally get into this. This is probably a read mainly for the fellas, but hey- I loved it.

I give this book a 5.

LoveIt

This review has been posted to GoodReads.

If you’d like a Kindle copy of this book, try this link: Amazon.

Get a print copy with free international shipping at this link: Book Depository.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords