Dracula
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jun 3rd, 2009 | No Comments
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars “For the dead travel fast”
Surprisingly “Denn die Toten reiten schnell” or “For the dead travel fast” is more than an opening line to this tale of love in the dangerous moon light. After watching several Drac movies and a few Nosferatu’s, I pretty much though I had a handle on the genera. Little did I know what a wonderful world of mystery and suspense that Bram Stoker opened up for me.
The story is told mostly third party though the papers, diaries, and phonograph recordings (on wax calendars) of those people involve in a tale so bizarre that it almost defies belief. The general story line is that of a Count that plans to move to a more urban setting (from Borgo Pass to London) where there is a richer diet. There he finds succulent women; something he can sing his teeth in. Unfortunately for him a gang of ruffians (including a real-estate agent, asylum director, Texas cowboy and an Old Dutch abnormal psychologist) is out to detour his nocturnal munching. They think they have Drac on the run but with a wing and a prayer he is always one step ahead.
Of more value to the reader is the rich prose chosen by Stoker as he describes the morals and technology of the time. We have to come to grips with or decide if we can perform the rituals that are required to eliminate vampires verses the impropriety of opening graves and staking loved ones. The powers in the book differ from the movie versions in that they are more of persuasion and capabilities to manipulate the local weather. At one point the Dutch Dr. Van Helsing, is so overwhelmed by a beautiful vampire laying in the grave that he almost for gets why he is there and may become vamp chow.
All in all the story is more in the cunning chase. And the question as to will they succeed or will Dracula triumph. Remember “For the dead travel fast.”
4 Stars Wow
This book is great. It had me hanging onto every word, wondering what would happen next. If you like the new fad going around with vampire books then you have to read Dracula, the original.
4 Stars A pretty good one
The story is of course classic and worth reading still. All due lauding.
The format is completely readable with only a few minor mistakes and the occasional odd line break.
Definitely worth it.
Universal Wall Mount Bracket Extends 25 Tilts Swivels for Sony Bravia Panasonic LG Samsung Vizio Haier Hitachi Mitsubishi flat panel displays by PriceLine
Posted by HDTV in Electronics Jun 2nd, 2009 | No Comments
This is a Universal Articulating Arm wall mount bracket for most LCD or Plasma flat panel displays. This mount extends the TV 25″ from the wall. It supports up to 110 lbs. It comes with all the mounting hardware and manual. This strong and robust TV wall bracket allows maximum flexibility for installing and viewing your TV. Ideal for corners. It allows you to tilt, twist and swivel your TV into nearly any position you desire. Also has adjustment for lateral positioning. Backplate measures 45cm wide giving numerous fixing points, ideal for stud walls. Extension arm reaches out up to 25″.
SquareTrade Warranty 3 Years LCD TVs 200 250
Posted by HDTV in Electronics Jun 2nd, 2009 | No CommentsSquareTrade Warranty 3 Years LCD TVs 200 250
SquareTrade Care Plans are great value and cost on average 10-15% of the item price for 3 years of coverage. That is 40% lower on average than traditional warranties.
Blood Engines
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jun 2nd, 2009 | No Comments
“Pratt is a deft storyteller whose blend of suspense, magic, and dry humor kept me entertained and turning pages. Blood Engines is one of the most absorbing reads I’ve enjoyed in a long time, gluing me to the couch. I adore Marla, her done-at-all-costs character is someone I can relate to and want to cheer for. Best of all, I didn’t figure the ending out until I got there. It’s a book widower, and I can’t wait for the sequel.”-Kim Harrison, NYT-bestselling author of For a Few Demons More
“Blood Engines wastes no time: by page three I knew I was reading an urban fantasy unlike any I’d previously encountered. The characters and world are real, immediate, and unapologetically in-your-face, throwing you into a story that trusts you’ll keep up with the fast pace without flinching. It charges along with crisp pacing, a fascinating range of secondary characters, and a highly compelling lead in Marla Mason. She may be one of the genre’s requisite sharp-tongued females, but her ruthless pragmaticism gives her a completely different feel from her fictional contemporaries. I genuinely look forward to the next book!”-C.E. Murphy, author of Coyote Dreams
“A fast-paced, thoroughly fun, satisfying read.”-Kelley Armstrong, author of No Humans Involved
From the Paperback edition.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Great read !
Marla is a character I enjoyed meeting. I had to buy the rest of the books.
3 Stars Hmm, it was free so I guess I’ll give it three stars instead of two.
I had high hopes for this book after reading some of the reviews, and it is set in San Francisco where I live, but after reading it, I was pretty disappointed. It had some great elements like strong descriptive language, and very inventive plot devices (loved the Possible Witch), and I liked the urban feel to it. My problem with the book was Marla. It’s not that I disliked her, I even understood her motivations and appreciated her pragmatism. However, for some reason, she was just flat to me. She didn’t engage my interest. She didn’t excite me to want to read more about her and her adventures. The funny thing is that I really liked Rondeau, B, and Chang Hao, so I guess it is possible for the author to write a decent character. Unfortunately, that’s not enough to make me stick with this series.
I also didn’t understand why the book was set in SF other than the fact that the author is from Oakland, so I guess he decided to stick with what he knows. The problem with that decision was that it weakened the book considerably. I think the book would have been much stronger if it had been set in the city that Marla is from and supposedly is devoted to. In this book, there was a big disconnect between the character and her surroundings. Maybe that’s why she felt so flat to me. Felport is the place she loves and where she wants to be, yet we never see her there, so we never get a sense for who she really is. Time enough to take her on a road trip in the second or third book once her world is firmly established in the reader’s mind.
5 Stars Absorbing and unique urban fantasy
I had heard some of Mr. Pratt’s stories on fantasy/sci-fi podcasts I listen to and his style intrigued me. When I saw that this book was free for Kindle, I snapped it up. I was not disappointed.
Blood Engines is an urban fantasy set in a world that is close to modern day but with complex magics. I really loved the reality set forth in these books. The magical possibilities described were varied and fascinating, and I get the sense that there are many others waiting to be utilized in future books. Very creative.
I also found myself enjoying the characters. Sometimes Marla’s ultimate practicality is a little off-putting, but the author does not compromise his character for audience comfort. She is harsh because she has to be, and I ended up loving her anyway. Her companion, Rondeau, could have been explored a little more, but I suspect his secrets are gifts to be unwrapped further as the series progresses. The wizards/sorcerers/creatures they meet throughout the book are as varied and fascinating as the magical realities they work in.
I found this book impossible to put down, and I will definitely be checking out the others in the series.
4 Stars I really enjoyed this book
I like this book,and it kept my attention from the 1st page to the last.
I really felt like I knew the characters.
This was a fast paced great book.
I will definitely look into more books by this Author.
3 Stars Ok
I am giving this book three stars because I think it was an "ok" book. Marla, the main character was totally unlikeable at times. She acted like the almighty powerful one but couldnt stop a lesser sorcceror from almost blinking her out of existence? The action was minimal, the characters were alright. The only one I liked was B. Overall, it was okay and more importantly it was free.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies The Classic Regency Romance Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem
Posted by HDTV in eBooks Jun 2nd, 2009 | No CommentsPride and Prejudice and Zombies The Classic Regency Romance Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem
“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” features the original text of Jane Austin’s beloved novel with all-new scenes of bone crunching zombie action.
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Don’t think, just read it
Certain books, not too many, are simply so strange and or original that they render themselves critic-proof. That’s how I felt about this one. I definitely had a hoot while immersed in its pages, but I don’t know where it falls in the scale of world literature. For simple and plain fun, it is hard to beat.
3 Stars Neither here nor there
First of all, I love Jane Austen’s classic “Pride and Prejudice” and I love reading apocalyptic zombie books (after reading Max Brooks’s “World War Z”). I saw this book and thought what could be better than combining both? This will be great. I was mistaken though. For a “Pride and Prejudice” fan, some of the scenes were a little too ridiculous and seemed to be haphazardly thrown in (as I’m sure was the second author’s intention). For a zombie fan, there weren’t enough parts with the unmentionables.
For anyone that will be picking up this book, I highly recommend reading through the first 10 chapters before buying.
4 Stars Realistic Portrayal of Family Life with Extra Added Zombies
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a delightful study in contrasting elements in the lives of young women and their acquaintances in early 19th Century England. Against a rather humdrum background of routine family matters and the concerns of courtship, the presence of the undead and the threat they present to civilization stand out and add adventure and zest to life, even when tragedy is often the result of encounters between the truly living and the hellish denizens fresh (so to speak) from the grave.
Elizabeth Bennett, the heroine of the book, is unexcelled in her combat skills; she can defeat zombies in their hordes, ninjas of evil intent, and even great warriors of the ongoing undead wars. These qualities make her an interesting young woman, even if you disregard her conventional charms, social skills, and sensitivity. The scene in which she bites into the heart she has ripped from the defeated ninja shows her most charming and capable qualities.
It is truly an enjoyable book. So why, you ask, am I giving it only four stars? The answer is simple: not enough zombies, and such as there are offer little opportunity for the heroine to display her hand-to-hand combat skills. Take away the ravening hordes of the Satan-spawned undead, and you are left with little more than a pedestrian tale of period courtship and flirtation. While perhaps there may be some people interested in such things, I think that those concerns of daily life offer nothing of the excitement and joy to be found in the beheading and dismemberment of countless zombies.
As a former teacher of English literature, I can say with some assurance that a book such as this one certainly would have held the attention of my students to a greater degree than did many of the works of this general type that they were required to read.
All in all, I found the book enjoyable, and I look forward to others in the same vein. If I might make the suggestion, I would be quite eager to read Sense and Sensibility and Werewolves. Perhaps, as the author gains skill with these topics, we may even anticipate War and Peace and Vampires; however, that may be to hope too much.
4 Stars Classic Chick Lit and Modern Horror–Two Great Tastes That Taste Great Together
It’s not often that fans of classic literature and fans of modern horror find a middle ground, but the universal appeal of “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is pretty hard to resist. Marrying Jane Austen’s text with ninjas, bloody battles, and general “zombie mayhem”–Seth Grahame-Smith has created one of the most talked about books of the year.
Maybe I’m a savage, but I’ve read Austen and “Pride and Prejudice”–and, trust me, it is not something I ever imagined that I’d voluntarily revisit. While Austen’s genteel satire has some moments of sheer genius, it is not my particular cup of tea. I was amazed, therefore, how seamlessly that something as bizarre as zombies could be introduced into the story while still maintaining the integrity of Austen’s original comedy of manners. If anything, it puts a very modern spin on the old fashioned notions of propriety that were de rigueur at the time in which the story unfolds.
Fans of Jane’s stubborn independence will enjoy her fiery warrior spirit. And my favorite moment of “Pride and Prejudice”–the heartbreaking confrontation in which Darcy and Jane foolishly realize they are meant for each other–is rendered here as an actual battle. So if the notion of Jane clobbering Darcy makes your heart beat a little faster, this might be the book for you! The interpretation is impeccably done and even includes period illustrations depicting death, dismemberment, and bloodshed. What more could anyone ask? “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies” is a post-modern treat!
1 Star Disappointing
I love Jane Austen but am not a JA snob so I thought this story would be a lark, something fun like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Lane Smith/Jon Scieszka), but it was impossible to get through. It reads like the author just randomly inserted his zombie story in the text of the original P&P. It’s just awkward.
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