#1: Fifty Shades Trilogy: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed 3-volume Boxed Set
The first few chapters of book one set the scene...naive, bookish girl meets attractive, billionaire CEO and lust ensues. The rest of book one was sex. Explicit sex. And at first it was "steamy." But I quickly found myself wondering when it would end. I read it all, though in reality, I could have skipped entire chapters and really missed nothing.
Books two and three got more into the actual story line and made me glad I stuck with it. I quickly realized that the descriptive sex scenes in book one were necessary to fully develop the two main characters. On the exterior, Christian is a powerful, worldly man but through his interactions with Anastasia, the reader begins to see his immaturity and "damaged" side. And Anastasia's oblivion over the fact that every eligible bachelor in her life is fawning over her betrays her presentation of herself as an ordinary, bumbling recent college grad. It was exciting to see the evolution of Christian and Anastasia throughout the trilogy.
To say that this is "a book about bondage" is wrong. Yes, there are a few select scenes that depict sex with restraints or spankings or floggers. But in the grand scheme of things, they were isolated, fleeting events. Instead, I would say this book is a love story. It's about the concessions we will make for the one we love and the "hard limits" that keep us true to ourselves. The author has created two very memorable main characters and a laundry list of amazing supporting characters, including "the inner goddess" who honestly was one of my favorites! And I especially liked the last chapter (following the epilogue) which was told from Christian's perspective. I would have liked to have had more of his point of view sprinkled throughout the books.
What's interesting to me is that these books have received such a wide array of ratings by Amazon users. Clearly the author has done her job of presenting a controversial theme and getting readers talking. I notice a few unifying comments from the reviewers who did not like the book (or gave it a low rating)....
1) The ebook is too expensive. - To this I say that it's unfair of readers to low ball their rating of the author's work simply because they're unhappy with the publisher's price. As a consumer, you have the option to buy or not to buy. You also have the option to buy hard copies rather than ebooks. If you don't want to shell out the extra few cents to buy the trilogy instead of the three individual ebooks, then don't. If you'd rather buy the paperbacks, then do. If you'd rather borrow a friend's hard copy or check it out of the library, go for it. But don't hold that against the author!
2) There was no story line. - To this I say, "You must have stopped reading at the end of book one."
3) There was too much repetition. - To this I say I think Anastasia's inner dialogue includes a lot of "holy crap" and "oh my" for a reason. Despite her personal and professional evolution, she's still a bit unsure of herself and her ability to adapt to her new lifestyle. No matter what, she's still young, naive Ana on the inside.
The first few chapters of book one set the scene...naive, bookish girl meets attractive, billionaire CEO and lust ensues. The rest of book one was sex. Explicit sex. And at first it was "steamy." But I quickly found myself wondering when it would end. I read it all, though in reality, I could have skipped entire chapters and really missed nothing.
Books two and three got more into the actual story line and made me glad I stuck with it. I quickly realized that the descriptive sex scenes in book one were necessary to fully develop the two main characters. On the exterior, Christian is a powerful, worldly man but through his interactions with Anastasia, the reader begins to see his immaturity and "damaged" side. And Anastasia's oblivion over the fact that every eligible bachelor in her life is fawning over her betrays her presentation of herself as an ordinary, bumbling recent college grad. It was exciting to see the evolution of Christian and Anastasia throughout the trilogy.
To say that this is "a book about bondage" is wrong. Yes, there are a few select scenes that depict sex with restraints or spankings or floggers. But in the grand scheme of things, they were isolated, fleeting events. Instead, I would say this book is a love story. It's about the concessions we will make for the one we love and the "hard limits" that keep us true to ourselves. The author has created two very memorable main characters and a laundry list of amazing supporting characters, including "the inner goddess" who honestly was one of my favorites! And I especially liked the last chapter (following the epilogue) which was told from Christian's perspective. I would have liked to have had more of his point of view sprinkled throughout the books.
What's interesting to me is that these books have received such a wide array of ratings by Amazon users. Clearly the author has done her job of presenting a controversial theme and getting readers talking. I notice a few unifying comments from the reviewers who did not like the book (or gave it a low rating)....
1) The ebook is too expensive. - To this I say that it's unfair of readers to low ball their rating of the author's work simply because they're unhappy with the publisher's price. As a consumer, you have the option to buy or not to buy. You also have the option to buy hard copies rather than ebooks. If you don't want to shell out the extra few cents to buy the trilogy instead of the three individual ebooks, then don't. If you'd rather buy the paperbacks, then do. If you'd rather borrow a friend's hard copy or check it out of the library, go for it. But don't hold that against the author!
2) There was no story line. - To this I say, "You must have stopped reading at the end of book one."
3) There was too much repetition. - To this I say I think Anastasia's inner dialogue includes a lot of "holy crap" and "oh my" for a reason. Despite her personal and professional evolution, she's still a bit unsure of herself and her ability to adapt to her new lifestyle. No matter what, she's still young, naive Ana on the inside.
All-purpose 16 oz. hammer with team logos. The hammer head is made of high-quality stainless steel, with a stylish and durable fiberglass shaft. Both are inset with durable domed logos. Measures 7 x 2 x 16.
Item number 175171, Grading is cover/record: VG+/M- using Goldmine standards. 1976,Buddy Emmons,John Hartford,soc Please see seller profile for abbreviation descriptions.
Cold Steel Training DVD Warrior's Edge Set, As many of you know, I am not enamored with the oft repeated saying: "If you get in a knife fight, expect to be cut." The reason is that this saying condemns even the highly skilled knife fighter to be wounded, disfigured, disabled or even killed if ever forced to put his training with a blade to the test. This is why for the past ten years, I have spent an enormous amount of time in full contact sparring with my training partners to develop a knife fighting method that allows the properly trained fighter to vanquish his enemy with minimal risk of being cut or stabbed in the process. During this developmental period I have borrowed heavily from Western Fencing, and Filipino Martial Arts, including Lameco Escrima, Japanese Ken Jitsu, and Western Boxing as well. I have even added techniques and methods that are entirely my own. The result of this effort is a knife fighting method which stresses the avoidance of close range in favor of long range techniques aided by footwork, rhythm, timing, speed and superior tactics and strategy. Recognizing that many of my customers can't attend our seminars on this subject, I have condensed our basic course onto 3 DVD's so you can now study, and train in the comfort and convenience of your own home. What's more, I guarantee that if you study them faithfully and practice diligently with a training partner you will gain the skill and ability necessary to give you a huge advantage if ever forced to defend your life or a loved one's with a fighting knife., Mfg No: VDWEP, Manufacturer: Cold Steel
LifeHammer is the Original Emergency Hammer -- a high-quality car escape tool, designed to help prevent automotive entrapment after an accident. Should power locks become disabled or a safety belt jam after an accident, the double-sided steel hammer heads allow the vehicle occupant to shatter side and rear windows, while a safely concealed razor-sharp blade cuts easily through safety belts. This product includes a mounting bracket (made of tough ABS plastic), a polypropylene grip and handle, and a florescent pin which glows in the dark.
