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A SMALL EARNEST QUESTION News!

Monday, December 14th, 2020

Rose City Reader: A Round-up of Reviews: Six Gift-Worthy Books Sure to Surprise

Who doesn’t like getting books for gifts? It’s my favorite part of holiday gift giving! I haven’t gotten as clever as Christie at Raising Whasians with her adorable Christmas Book Advent Tree, pictured above, but lots of books get unwrapped at my house Christmas morning. 

One snaggle with choosing books for gifts is worrying if the person has already read the book! Here are some ideas for recently published books that have flown under the radar. There’s probably someone on your list who would enjoy one of these:

A Small Earnest Question by J. F. Riordan. This is the fourth book in Riordan’s North of the Tension Line series set on Washington Island, a remote island in the Great Lakes. Fiona Campbell is the main character at the center or an eclectic mix of locals, visitors, pets, and even goats for the goat yoga classes. This fourth book involves the grand opening of a remodeled hotel and the island’s first literary festival, but the point of the series is to wallow in the charm.

This one is perfect for all the pumpkin spice latte lovers on your list. Riordan brings readers up to speed enough to enjoy this as a stand-alone, or splurge on the set of four.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

To learn more about A Small Earnest Question, click here.

To learn more about J.F. Riordan, click here.

Holiday Gift Guide 2019!

Thursday, November 28th, 2019

Holiday Gift Guide 2019!

The most wonderful time of the year is here once more! It’s around this time that we all begin rushing around town, shelling out too much money for gifts that will inevitably end up re-gifted. With all the decorating, shopping, and parties, the magic of the holidays gets lost behind sky-high price tags and busy schedules. This year, Beaufort wants to make your holidays a little more magical by recommending gifts for everyone on your list! Here you’ll find books that will satisfy even the most obscure tastes and interests. Not to mention, they’ll look stellar wrapped up under the tree or displayed on the shelf. Now order these finds online and get to sippin’ that eggnog by the fire!

For the Dedicated Churchgoer:

The Lord is My Strength by Eric Kampmann

In his introduction to The Lord Is My Strength, Eric Kampmann places the Psalms at the epicenter of the biblical narrative. Implicitly, the psalms weave all the way back to the creation story, forward to the advent of Jesus, and beyond to the end of times. And within this epic scope, the psalms tell the story of each one of us, our hopes, our dreams, our fears and conflicts in a way that ignites our imagination, providing a full and deep picture of who we are as we live day to day in our own time and place. The Lord Is My Strength was originally envisioned as a book of morning prayers posted on social media sites. But it quickly became more than that when Kampmann began posting a photograph and a short commentary along with the passage from the psalms. The result is a new book that will speak through words and pictures of the beauty, harmony and mystery that has been gifted to everyone who has the desire to see where they stand in God’s story.


For the Curious Middle-schooler:

The Adventures of Bubba Jones Series by Jeff Alt

The Adventures of Bubba Jones: Time Traveling Through the Great Smoky Mountains is the first book in the series.

Tommy “Bubba Jones” and his sister Jenny “Hug-a-Bug” learn more about the Great Smoky Mountain National Park than they ever thought they would when Papa Lewis lets them in on a family secret: The family has legendary time traveling skills! With these abilities, Bubba Jones and Hug-a-Bug travel back in time and meet the park’s founders, its earliest settlers, native Cherokee Indians, wild animals, extinct creatures, and what the park was like millions of years ago.

With this time traveling ability also comes a family mystery, but the only person who can help solve the mystery is a long lost relative who lives somewhere in the park.  Explore the Smokies with Bubba Jones and family in a whole new way.


For the Drama Lover:

The Woman in the Park by Teresa Sorkin and Tullan Holmqvist

When Manhattanite Sarah Rock meets a mysterious and handsome stranger in the park, she is drawn to him. Sarah wants to get away from her daily routine, her cheating husband and his crazy mistress, her frequent sessions with her heartless therapist, and her moody children.

But nothing is as it seems. Her life begins to unravel when a woman from the park goes missing and Sarah becomes the prime suspect in the woman’s disappearance. Her lover is nowhere to be found, her husband is suspicious of her, and her therapist is talking to the police.

With no one to trust, Sarah must face her inner demons and uncover the truth to prove her innocence.

A thriller that questions what is real-with its shocking twists, secrets, and lies—The Woman in the Park will leave readers breathless.


For the Person Who Love Jane Austen:

The North of the Tension Line Series by J.F. Riordan

North of the Tension Line is the first book in the series

Fiona Campbell is a newcomer to tiny Ephraim, Wisconsin. Populated with artists and summer tourists, Ephraim has just enough going on to satisfy her city tastes. But she is fascinated and repelled by the furthest tip of Door County peninsula, Washington Island, utterly removed from the hubbub of modern life. Fiona’s visits there leave her refreshed in spirit, but convinced that only lunatics and hermits could survive a winter in its frigid isolation.

In a moment of weakness, Fiona is goaded into accepting a dare that she cannot survive the winter on the island in a decrepit, old house. Armed with some very fine single malt scotch and a copy of Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Fiona sets out to win the dare, and discovers that small town life is not nearly as dull as she had foreseen. Abandoning the things she has always thought important, she encounters the vicious politics of small town life, a ruthless neighbor, persistent animals, a haunted ferry captain, and the peculiar spiritual renewal of life “north of the tension line.”


For the Thrill Seeker:

The Jack Patterson Series by Webb Hubbell

When Men Betray is the first book in the series.

Why would Woody Cole, a peaceful, caring man, shoot a US Senator in cold blood on live television? That’s the mystery facing attorney Jack Patterson as he returns to Little Rock, Arkansas, a town he swore he would never step foot in again.

When Men Betray is the first book of fiction from author, lecturer, and political insider Webb Hubbell. A departure from his previous book, Friends in High Places, an account of his rise and fall in Little Rock, Hubbell crafts a deft narrative of mystery and political intrigue. Set in a fictionalized version of his home town of Little Rock, Arkansas, readers will be immersed into the steamy world behind the southern BBQ and antebellum facade—a seedy underbelly of secrets and betrayals. Clever readers may recognize the colorful personalities and locales of the Arkansas political scene.

Jack is supported by a motley but able crew; loyal assistant Maggie, college-aged daughter Beth, feisty lawyer Micki, and his bodyguard Clovis. Together, Jack and his rag-tag team are in a race against time to discover Woody’s hidden motive. All he has is a series of strange clues, hired thugs gunning for him, and the one man who knows everything isn’t talking. Alliances are tested, buried tensions surface, and painful memories are relived as he tries to clear the name of his old college friend. Jack Patterson will find that even the oldest friendships can be quickly destroyed when men betray.


For the Person Who Loves True Stories:

School Choice: A Legacy to Keep by Virginia Walden Ford

On a cold winter night in February of 1967, a large rock shattered a bedroom window in Virginia Walden Ford’s home in Little Rock, Arkansas, landing in her baby sister’s crib. Outside, members of the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on her family’s lawn. Faceless bigots were terrorizing Virginia, her parents, and her sisters–all because her father, Harry Fowler, dared to take a job as the assistant superintendent of personnel for the Little Rock School District. He was more than qualified, but he was black.

In her searing new memoir, legendary school choice advocate Virginia Walden Ford recounts the lessons she learned as a child in the segregated south. She drew on those experiences—and the legacies handed to her by her parents and ancestors—thirty years later, when she built an army of parents to fight for school choice in our nation’s capital. School Choice: A Legacy to Keep, tells the dramatic true story of how poor D.C. parents, with the support of unlikely allies, faced off against some of America’s most prominent politicians—and won a better future for children.


For the Professional or Entrepreneur:

Success Freak by Bruno Gralpois

Are you ready to get INSANELY MORE out of life? Success is acquired, not inherited. Take control of your destiny and join the “Success Freak 7-Day Challenge”: master 7 essential skills and transform your life in only one week. Combining helpful exercises and set-by-steps activities,Success Freak is a self-help book by French-American Entrepreneur Bruno Gralpois, that will show you how to unleash the amazing potential that, yes, already lies within you. You are about to become an unstoppable force of resolve and determination. Nothing short of the Success (Freak) you were always meant to be.


For the Skeptics and History Buffs:  

Occam’s Razor by T.R. Ryden

When ancient artifacts discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza shed new light on a DNA pattern identified by a world-renowned molecular biologist, venture capitalist, James Anderson, is thrust into an action-packed road of scientific exploration and discovery. An unlikely participant in the events that begin to unfold, Anderson and his team, pursued by those who don’t want this new information out, realize they have stumbled upon the greatest and most terrifying cover-up in the history of the human race.

Occam’s Razor is a chilling speculative fiction thriller which ties together several well-known, and some not so famous controversial theories concerning alien visitation, human evolution, ancient legends, and the cosmos. The novel explains how it could be very plausible to imagine that the powers that be may already know about an impending disaster and caught between all this are the novel’s unfortunate characters as they struggle to figure out what to do in the face of unstoppable catastrophe.

Happy Holidays! May all your shopping be done early!

-Captain Beaumerica

The Best Kind of Books To Buy Others for the Holidays

Friday, December 14th, 2012

The holidays are upon us, so perhaps you’re out there rushing to get some last-minute gifts. Beyond Jefferson biographies and Mark Twain novels, the publishing world has a lot to offer in the way of physical books, books that will guarantee to satisfy a wide range of people including your father, your mom, your sister, brother, grandfather, grandmother, etc..  – there are plenty of books out there that can have a personal touch.

1) Gift Books – Books that are best to hold in your hand

Yes, what you see in this picture is an actual graphic novel, which only costs about $30!

Some Recommendations: Building Stories by Chris Ware

The Outdoor Museum by Margery Gray Harnick and Sheldon Harnick

Wreck This Journal (Duct Tape Edition) by Keri Smith

If you look at the picture to your left, you can see a copy of Building Stories by Chris Ware. Yes – your book can do that! Which is why this “book” provides a uniqueness to any gift-receiver. It actually tells a story too, a story that may be perfect for TwentySomethings or those finding themselves in the need of a companion.

Books like The Outdoor Museum and Wreck This Journal have their own qualities unique upon themselves. The Outdoor Museum (published by Beaufort!) comes with an audio CD and breathtaking pictures of the NYC life. Wreck This Journal is not only a gift book for writers but people who believe creativity can go a long way.

 

2) Cookbooks – For the inexperienced cooks, the newbie cooks, the professional cooks, the coffee drinkers, and more!

Some Recommendations: The Oxford Companion to Beer by Garrett Oliver and Tom Colicchio

Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Trust by Ina Garten

Michael Symon’s Carnivore: 120 Recipes for Meat Lovers by Michael Symon

In today’s world, at least in the Western World, food and what kind of food a person likes comes with their personality. There are vegans, carnivores, vegetarians, Sushi-eaters, Barbecue-eaters, etc. There are also coffee drinkers, beer drinkers, wine drinkers, soda drinkers, and the list goes forth.

That way, giving a coffee or drink book can be the most personalized gift, and obviously, different cookbooks suit different subsets of people. For example, The Oxford Companion to Beer can be a hearty gift for the college student and grandparent alike or Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa Foolproof is a superb guide for the younger generation who are trying to get their foot in the door of properly planning meals or cooking in more efficient or cheaper ways.

 

3) Music Biographies/Memoirs – Memories and Music go hand-and-hand.

Some Recommendations: Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin,

Cyndi Lauper: A Memoir by Cyndi Lauper

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Who I Am: A Memoir by Peter Townshend

Typically, the case is that your father or mother, for example, have every single Bruce Springsteen record. But, do they have the latest book ABOUT Bruce, suitably called Bruce, written by Peter Ames Carlin?

Some of people’s fondest memories can be that concert they saw back in 1979 when Bruce didn’t have a receding hairline and was yet to be considered the greatest patriot of the land? Or, perhaps, you attended a The Who concert with your mom? All of these biographies and memoirs infuse the personal into gift-buying because, well, music is personal.

 

Have any other books that are great for gifts? Let us know in the comments!

 

Heading into the Holiday Season: How much do Customer Reviews affect your book-buying choices?

Friday, November 16th, 2012

In a way, judging a book by a cover is now judging a book by its customer reviews. Not entirely but close. I’m speaking from personal experience here – customer reviews, particularly Amazon reviews, strongly influence my decision when buying a book. That may be sad, but it’s a fact, and for all you haters, I don’t think I’m alone in this.

This is why corporations have been known to hire fake reviewers to sway potential buyers. In fact, a recent New York Times article, “The Best Reviews Money Can Buy,” revealed a man who coordinated this activity, by the name of Todd Rutherford. His website, GettingBookReviews.com, ended up commissioning over 4,000 reviews, all of them “fake.” That’s right. In other words, just like judging a book by its cover has always been a dangerous way to approach life, so too is judging a book by its customer reviews, leading to the risk of being deceived by superficialities. Todd Rutherford proves this idea.

The main question sites such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble need to ask: How much do customer reviews sway the potential buyer’s choice to read a book or not?

Take a book like Fifty Shades of Grey (wow, this is the second time I’ve mentioned Fifty Shades of Grey on this blog). Receiving 3 stars on Amazon is actually a bad thing. It’s like receiving a C in school nowadays – in other words, the new F is now a C and the new C is a B – that whole thing. And yet – sheer hype and word of mouth has carried the book far beyond its expectations, which begs the question further about how effective or ineffective are Amazon reviews.

The list of questions only grows exponentially from there. For example:

 Is there a new way of how buyers rate products?

Are there ways to screen out fake reviewers?

What fair solutions can there be for books with under 100 reviews versus those with, say, 1000 reviews?

I can list about a thousand more questions about this issue.

Meanwhile, it is my opinion that if you are going to let yourself judge a book by the reviews (and I mean, honestly think about how much reviews affect your opinion…don’t be like, “Oh, I am not one of those people.” Introspect some and really think about it…really think). What is the best way for the consumer to voice their opinion right now?

Simple.

Write thoughtful reviews. Don’t leave reviews up to the naysayers or the fakers or any other label you want to insert into the blank. This is why I have constructed 3 brief examples of Amazon reviews that you should NOT write, taken from various Amazon customer reviews (for books) on the site. Some of the criteria may be VERY obvious to some people. For others, this list can serve as a gentle reminder. Without further ado, here they are:

 

1)    Don’t Be Dramatic or Over-exaggerate.

This is the number one issue with customer reviews – people are emotional or angry about their purchase and then they say things that are just ridiculous or unfair. Take the review here: “Most horrible thing ever written.” Clearly, the author hasn’t really thought the review through. “Death is better” tops it off. Amazon reviews are neither the time nor place to use hyperbole.

2) Try to keep an open-mind when reviewing a book

Don’t let religious or personal viewpoints affect the experiences of others. Furthermore, try to approach the work with a fresh set of eyes. Comparing the work to the previous work of the same author is only human, but assure yourself that you aren’t over exaggerating because your expectations were too high. It’s not the author’s fault that you may have had unrealistic expectations.

3) Don’t Rate Amazon – Rate the Book!

A Simple Solution to this issue: Amazon needs to provide specific categories to rate (like Purchasing Process, Writing Style, etc.) much like Audible who –ironically– is owned by Amazon. For the time being, make sure you realize that Amazon or the purchase price is not being rated, the book is! Be fair to the author – they don’t have much say in this whole process.

Plain and simple: customer reviews can hold a lot of punch, so write a careful and thoughtful review. Moreover, think of the whole review process like when are you making any other judgment — You can’t just write a review when you are extremely happy or extremely mad or if you had a bad day. Make an effort to contribute when you feel indifferent or content or any other emotion that is more neutral. Well-balanced reviews seem to be missing in the book-buying world.

All in all, the whole process is broken. Hopefully, sites like Amazon will see this through and have a smart, innovative worker or team of workers who use imagination to spark a whole new way of looking at the e-book purchasing process. If anything, Goodreads.com might be a slightly healthier alternative.